Digital Commons Network^™

Restructuring The Institutional Logics Of Taiwan's Prison Labor: A Human Rights-Based Approach, Mao-Hong Lin

Fordham International Law Journal

In Taiwan, inmates are mandated to participate in work programs, a system long criticized for its mistreatment of prisoners. Despite numerous reform efforts, substantive change remains elusive. This Article investigates the persistence of Taiwan’s in-prison work programs through the lens of institutional logics theory and proposes a human rights-based approach to address the issue. Drawing on in-depth interviews and a focus group discussion, the study identifies four key logics sustaining these programs: security and management, bureaucracy, accounting imperatives, and competitive disadvantages. These logics stem from two opposing ideologies, market-driven and state-driven, yet collectively function to resist reform. Consequently, reform initiatives …

Cone Beam Computed Tomography For Endodontics: Incidental Findings And Respective Significance, Erin J Key, Nina K Anderson, Dan Colosi, Mina Mahdian

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Background: The aim of this study is to determine the prevalence, distribution, and follow-up recommendations of incidental findings in cone beam computed tomography (CBCT) scans acquired for endodontic treatment.

Methods: This was a retrospective review of limited field-of-view (FOV) CBCT images for endodontic evaluation obtained at the Stony Brook University School of Dental Medicine between 2018 and 2022. All scans were reviewed by 1 oral and maxillofacial radiology (OMR) resident and all incidental findings were corroborated with the radiology report approved by 1 of 2 board-certified OMRs. Data extracted for each case included age, gender, and reason for scan; and …

Build A Global Art And Jewelry Auction Ecosystem That Integrates Offline And Online, Xiaochun Cathy Liu

MA Projects

Our success path is clear and executable: through a phased global market penetration strategy, we first deeply cultivate the Asia Pacific region to establish a lighthouse, then enter the European and American hinterland, and ultimately achieve global network interconnection; Deeply bind core collectors through the "elite membership system" and build a high stickiness community; And by competing for academic discourse power and publishing authoritative market indices, gradually mastering the pricing power of the industry, evolving from a participant to a rule maker. Arture's vision is to become a super species that integrates trading platforms, academic institutions, top communities, and industry …

Artisanal Retreats, Michelle Larose

MA Projects

Artisanal Retreats is a luxury travel provider blending holistic personal wellness with art creation, appreciation, education and collection. We offer our clients an unparalleled retreat experience at our 250-acre pastoral escape, combining traditional wellness amenities and activities with art focused pursuits to aid guests in achieving optimal Creative Wellness. Set on a gorgeous, historic farm near the bucolic town of Middleburg, Virginia, Artisanal Retreats’ guests are transported to a heightened level of relaxation and vitality through our exceptional programming and hospitality. Our team is comprised of seasoned professionals, from both the art world and the wellness industry, intent on bringing …

Comparing Treatment Options For Impending Axillobifemoral Bypass Graft Failure, Marcus Allan Alonzo

Bachelor of Science in Diagnostic Ultrasound Projects

An axillobifemoral bypass graft is an extra-anatomic bypass and is not the gold standard for peripheral revascularization treatment. The purpose of this case study is to determine the efficacy of alternative treatment options for graft stenosis. This case report follows a 77-year-old woman with an axillobifemoral graft presenting with claudication symptoms. An initial ultrasound duplex found near-occlusive stenoses at the anastomosis sites with moderate to severe ankle brachial index values. These findings influenced the decision to undergo an atherectomy to reestablish peripheral perfusion.

Ultrasound surveillance will be critical to maintaining graft patency and tracking stenosis development. Treatment with anticoagulation medicine …

Examining Leadership Accountability Standards And Protocols In The U.S. Church, Grace E. Emmert

All Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This research project addresses the current condition of accountability standards and protocols in the U.S. church. This research focused on U.S. Protestant denominational and nondenominational churches. First, a review of the Scriptural mandate for leadership accountability was examined through a study of the specific impact accountability played in the leadership failures and successes in the lives of Kings Saul and David throughout Books of 1 and 2 Samuel. Second, a literary review examined current formal leadership accountability standards and protocols in the U.S. Protestant church. This review encompassed surveys and polls from the last fifteen years, church censuses, theological journals, …

Authentic Transformational Leadership: A Model For Empowerment And Organizational Effectiveness For Training And Coaching Modern Ministry Leaders, David Macharia Njau

All Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This thesis examined the influence of authentic transformational leadership on the integration of empowerment and organizational effectiveness among leaders and followers, as a holistic engagement process, to foster ethical leadership and flourishing communities within the Kenyan diaspora in Western Pennsylvania. The review examined the literature on the transformational leadership dimensions of idealized influence, inspirational motivation, intellectual stimulation, and individualized consideration. Research investigated leader-follower reciprocal relationships to foster authentic transformational leadership and empowerment strategies for organizational effectiveness, setting a compelling vision and commitment for leaders and followers aligned with the organizational mission and strategy. This study concluded that authentic transformational leadership …

Understanding And Avoiding Institutional Betrayal Of Congregants When Accusations Of Domineering Pastoral Leadership Are Made, Jonathon R. Hansel

All Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study examines institutional betrayal within evangelical churches as experienced by congregants who reported concerns about domineering pastoral leadership and encountered minimizing or dismissive responses from church elders. Institutional betrayal, understood as harm that occurs when trusted institutions fail to respond protectively to wrongdoing within their own systems is examined as a distinct and compounding form of spiritual and relational injury.
The study employed a qualitative research design consisting of two primary data sources: (1) an anonymous online survey of congregants who self-identified as having experienced harm following reports of domineering pastoral leadership and (2) semi-structured interviews with church elders …

The Effects Of Parental Involvement On A Child’S Educational Success, Samson Ghirmai

All Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The accessibility of education has opened doors for children to pursue interests and be prepared for their transition into adulthood. Education is a resource that opens doors, but it has been found that there are gaps in achievement. This opens the conversation on possible solutions to reduce this gap. Schools have been developing new systems and strategies to increase parental involvement, determining this as a possible solution towards bridging the gap. The purpose of this study is to determine whether the solution towards the achievement gap is identifying strategies to get parents more involved in their child's education. Research determined …

Equitable Grading: Practices, Challenges, And Implementation, Hannah Lauree Jacott

All Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Grading methods in K-12 education have remained largely unchanged over the past century. As schools consider revisiting grading policies, multiple factors influence the success and sustainability of reform efforts, particularly because grades serve conflicting purposes for various stakeholders. This thesis investigates traditional grading practices, reviews literature on equitable grading frameworks, and evaluates both existing and proposed grading practices in relation to the purpose of grading and principles of grading equity. The literature suggests that many commonly used grading practices, such as the inclusion of nonacademic behaviors and reliance on percentage-based systems, may reduce the accuracy and consistency of grades as …

Family Factors And Adolescent Behavior: How Parenting Practices And Parent-Child Relationships Shape Internalizing And Externalizing Behaviors, Angela J. Spikes

Social Work Dissertations

Mental health challenges can emerge across childhood and adolescence, often manifesting as internalizing and externalizing behaviors. These outcomes are shaped by the complex interplay of environmental and contextual influences, particularly parenting practices and family dynamics. This study examines how parental practices and caregiver-child relationship quality influence adolescent internalizing and externalizing behaviors while accounting for key sociodemographic factors, including sex, race/ethnicity, maternal education, income, and household structure. Using a longitudinal design, secondary data were drawn from the Future of Families and Child Well-being Study. The analytic sample included adolescents and caregivers with data from Wave 5 (Year 9) and Wave 6 …

Cardiac Arrest Case Study: Health Equity And Access To Healthcare Education, Leila Abdi

Bachelor of Science in Diagnostic Ultrasound Projects

Increased opioid and stimulant overdoses continue to pose a public health threat to cardiac arrest caused by drug use. Fentanyl and methamphetamine have been linked to significant cardiovascular side effects, such as arrhythmias, respiratory depression, myocardial dysfunction and sudden cardiac arrest3,4. This case study includes a 32-year-old man who presented with cardiac arrest due to fentanyl and methamphetamine use, as well as focuses on health inequities related to limited access to healthcare education and mental health support. The patient was found unresponsive and pulseless for approximately 10 minutes before emergency medical services initiated cardiopulmonary resuscitation and achieved return of spontaneous …

Evaluating Benthic Macroinvertebrate Communities In Streamside Management Zones In Private, Working Forests, Haley Vaglienti

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

Forestry operations can alter riparian vegetation and increase sediment and nutrient inputs to streams, affecting water quality and aquatic biota. Forestry best management practices (BMPs) including streamside management zones (SMZs) are designed to mitigate those effects by reducing sediment delivery and moderating temperature, flow, and nutrient regimes. We assessed ecological integrity at 24 intermittent stream sites with SMZs in private, working forests across the Piedmont and Southeastern plains of Georgia. At each site, we conducted physical habitat evaluations and characterized benthic macroinvertebrate assemblages. Sites represented a gradient of habitat conditions, SMZ widths, and pine stand ages, allowing for comparisons of …

Exploring Acculturation And Its Role In Substance Abuse Behaviors Among Refugee Populations In Bowling Green, Ky: An Interactive Learning Experience Through Provider’S Perspectives., Aishwarya Potluri

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

Substance use among refugee populations is an emerging public health concern shaped/influenced by cultural, social, and structural factors associated with resettlement. This qualitative study explored providers’ perspectives on substance use behaviors among refugees in Bowling Green, Kentucky. Using Health Behavior Theory with acculturation as a contextual construct, semi-structured interviews were conducted with 10 providers working with refugee-serving organizations. Data collected through the interviews was analyzed using thematic analysis in NVivo. The findings indicate that substance use is being influenced by peer exposure, occupational stress, and the increased availability of substances in the United States. Providers identified cultural stigma surrounding mental …

Trends Among Suspected Opioid Overdose Emergency Medical Service (Ems) Incidents In Georgia From 2019-2023, Ashton Harris

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

Opioid overdoses remain a problem in the United States, underscoring the need for additional surveillance tools to monitor trends in opioid overdoses. Emergency Medical Services (EMS) data is a timely surveillance method that captures more potential overdoses than hospitals by representing the pre-hospital setting. Research questions in the study assess EMS responses to suspect opioid overdose incidents from 2019-2023 in Georgia to encompass the following characteristics: timeframe (pre, during, post-pandemic), urban versus rural counties, race/ethnicity, categorical type of first responder, mean dosage of naloxone in milligrams administered, and death. 84,359 records meeting the inclusion criteria were initially retrieved from the …

Arts Cures: A Business Plan For Integrating Art As A Biometric Tool For Sensory Wellbeing In Commercial Ecosystems, Xinuo Zhang

MA Projects

In an era of heightened connectivity and data-driven metrics, modern society faces a crisis of sensory impoverishment and emotional disconnection. While technology quantifies human experience, it often fails to address the visceral need for authentic feeling. This business plan proposes "Arts Cures," a venture that repositions art from a passive commodity to an active, systemic solution for well-being. By leveraging insights from neuroscience, design theory, and existential philosophy, Arts Cures develops a suite of B2B and B2C services that integrate art as functional, biometric-responsive infrastructure. Our core offerings include AI-driven sensory pods for real-time emotional regulation, data-informed curatorial services for …

Galleriax: A Hybrid Digital Platform For Art, Technology, And Community, Catherine Wu

MA Projects

GalleriaX is a curated digital platform that brings together artists, collectors, and creative audiences through an ecosystem shaped by curation, technology, and community. The platform reimagines digital art engagement by combining editorial storytelling, membership-based participation, and long-term artist support. Rather than functioning as an open marketplace, GalleriaX offers a guided and context-driven environment where artworks, conversations, and cultural programs unfold with intention. The company operates at the intersection of art and technology, using digital tools to enhance, rather than replace, the human elements of taste, dialogue, and shared experience. Its approach blends the credibility of curatorial practice with the accessibility …

Imagining The Inuit: Myth, Market, And The Making Of The Contemporary Inuit Sculpture Canon, Kristen Sara Davidson-Schwartz

MA Theses

This thesis explores how qallunaat institutions used sculpture to shape and define Inuit life. I argue that contemporary Inuit sculpture, as conceived of by outsiders to support Inuit economic enfranchisement and modernization, became a vessel through which qallunaat institutions circulated ideas about Inuit culture and Arctic lands. Although purported to reflect the voice of Inuit, the meanings attached to Inuit sculpture rarely reflected Inuit intention and consistently aligned to qallunaat priorities: a performance of primitive, ancient, and authentic Inuit life; a gesture of indigenous gratitude and cheerful participation in state-designed development programs; or a masterful expression of the formal concerns …

The Postmodern Frontier: Richard Prince And The Neoliberal Spectacle Of The American Dream, Taïs Khassanova

MA Theses

This thesis examines the oeuvre of Richard Prince’s as a sustained allegory of contemporary American visual culture, beginning with his Cowboys series as the point of origin from which his later appropriations, including Girlfriends, Spiritual America, and New Portraits, unfold. Through the recursive gesture of appropriation, Prince’s Cowboys expose the myth of rugged independence as a corporate fiction, revealing how the frontier ethos was redeployed under the Reagan presidency to naturalize neoliberal ideology. Building on this premise, the thesis traces how such logic extends throughout Prince’s subsequent body of work, as his Girlfriends refigure the cowboy’s masculine autonomy as the …

The Language Of Value: Lot Note Complexity And Auction Performance In Abstract Expressionism, Artur Sharifullin

MA Theses

This thesis asks a simple question: does the language in lot notes relate to price and to whether a lot beats or misses its estimate? I study eight Abstract Expressionist artists: Ad Reinhardt, Adolph Gottlieb, Barnett Newman, Franz Kline, Joan Mitchell, Lee Krasner, Robert Motherwell, and Sam Francis because their works are less representational and often need supporting text to explain the context. The main sample includes only lots sold for more than $1 million at Christie’s or Sotheby’s in New York or London over the past ten years. I measure a small set of writing features that are easy …

Reconstructing The Surreal: Female Artists And The Transformation Of Surrealist Aesthetics, Erin Regan

MA Theses

This thesis examines the role and legacy of female artists who took part in the Surrealist visual art movement of the early 20th century. Canonical accounts have historically privileged the contributions of male artists, marginalizing women to the fringes of the movement by framing female artists as being primarily relevant as muses for their male peers. This study contests this historiographical misconception, relying upon visual analysis and archival research, as well as drawing from psychological, feminist, and postmodern theory, ultimately arguing that their artistic and theoretical innovations fundamentally restructured Surrealism’s visual vocabulary, theoretical objectives, and cultural legacy. This thesis is …

Corporate Patronage In Art And Education: A Case Study Of Bloomberg's Interventions, Xiaojun Tian

MA Theses

This study focuses on the application of corporate sponsorship in the fields of art and education, delving deep into the interventions and cases made by Bloomberg L.P. in these two domains. Corporate sponsorship for the arts acts as a significant display of Cultural Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), not only fostering diversity in the production of art institutions and artists but also having a profound effect on the educational sector. Utilizing case study methodology, this research deconstructs key projects and activities funded by Bloomberg, encompassing support for exhibitions and public art projects, as well as various initiatives aimed at art education, …

The Flavor Of Marketing: How Food Is Revolutionizing Luxury Brand Communication, Aloisa Ruf

MA Theses

This thesis explores how food operates as a cultural, psychological, and strategic instrument within the global luxury industry. Drawing from art history, marketing theory, and sensory studies, it traces how societies across Europe, the Middle East, China, Japan, Russia, and the United States have long used food to express hierarchy, belonging, and emotion—from the banquets of seventeenth-century Versailles to the branded cafes and collaboration of the 2010s and 2020s. Through a comparative and interpretive methodology, the research connects historical visual traditions with contemporary brand strategies, examining case studies such as Gucci Osteria, Louis Vuitton’s Desert Iftar, Dior Café, Loewe’s “Tomato” …

Calculated Allure: Persuasion And Dramaturgy At Art Auction, Jacqueline Vargas

MA Theses

The art auction, often perceived as a spontaneous, high-stakes marketplace, is, in fact, a meticulously constructed spectacle designed to stimulate desire and encourage buying. Through a systematic use of performance techniques and psychological triggers, the contemporary art auction utilizes dramaturgy and strategic persuasion to directly influence and shape bidder perception and behavior. Adopting an interdisciplinary approach, this study draws on theories from sociology, psychology, and art business studies to dissect the mechanisms of persuasion and cognitive biases at play within the saleroom. This theoretical framework is enriched by case studies and semi-structured interviews with seasoned auctioneers, providing essential insight into …

From Fear To Familiarity: Folkloric Creatures And Cultural Identity In Contemporary Japanese And Filipino Art, Mariel Yulo Asuncion

MA Theses

Mythological and folkloric creatures have evolved beyond their traditional contexts to serve as tools through which contemporary artists reinterpret and express colonial memory, cultural experiences, and social anxieties. Both Japan and the Philippines mobilize their folkloric monsters as forms of commentary on modern conditions; however, they do so in distinct ways shaped by their differing cultural histories and belief systems. This study aims to analyze and compare how Japanese and Filipino contemporary artists reinterpret folkloric creatures within modern contexts. Employing a qualitative, comparative cultural analysis alongside a sociohistorical framework, this research investigates the contemporary reinterpretation of mythological creatures in both …

From Crisis To Construction: Museum And Institutional Maturation In The Uae, Csilla Brigitta Lazar

MA Theses

This thesis examines the growth of museums and art institutions in the UAE against the backdrop of international debates about museum crisis. While many museums in Europe and North America are struggling with funding pressures, audience disconnection, collection issues and institutional reinvention, the UAE presents a different trajectory: one of rapid cultural investment, state ambition, private support and institutional construction. This thesis argues that the UAE does not represent a single alternative museum model, but a layered ecosystem made up of civic-educational, heritage, cultural diplomacy, philanthropic, creative economy and independent experimental models. Although UAE institutions benefit from financial stability, their …

Gambling Away Stability: Sports Betting’S Impact On Vulnerable H, Scott R. Baker, Justin Balthrop, Mark J. Johnson, Jason Kotter, Kevin Pisciotta

Faculty Publications

We estimate the causal effect of online sports betting on households’ investment, spending, and debt management decisions using household transaction data and a staggered difference-in-differences framework. Following legalization, sports betting spreads quickly, with both the number of participants and frequency of bets increasing over time. This increase does not displace other gambling or consumption but significantly reduces savings, as risky bets crowd out positive expected value investments. These effects concentrate among frequent bettors and low-savings households. Our findings highlight the potential adverse effects of online sports betting on vulnerable households.

Screening Anticancer Activity By Brine Shrimp Lethality Test Of Extracts Of Annona Stenophylla (Engl. & Diels), Strophanthus Petersianus (Klotzsch) And Synadenium Glaucescens (Pax), Roberto Luis Nhamussua, Faith Philemone Mabiki Mabiki, Alinanuswe Joel Mwakalesi, Lyndy Joy Mcgaw

All Rsif Scholars' Publications

Cancer continues to be one of the main public health challenges, driving the search for new compounds with therapeutic potential. Medicinal plants represent a valuable promising source of bioactive metabolites, and the Brine Shrimp Lethality Test has been widely used as a preliminary tool to assess the toxicity of natural extracts, providing clues to their possible anticancer activity. In this study, the cytotoxicity of the extracts of Annona stenophylla (Engl. & Diels), Strophanthus petersianus (Klotzsch), and Synadenium glaucescens (Pax) was investigated using the BSLT as a first step in screening for potential anticancer compounds. The plant materials were harvested in …

Metabolic Syndrome Beyond Diagnostic Criteria: Population-Scale Integrative Metabolomics Characterization, Marwa Talal

Theses and Dissertations

Background: Metabolic syndrome (MetS) is a complex cluster of interrelated metabolic abnormalities associated with elevated cardiometabolic risk. While diagnosis is based on well-established five clinical criteria, these may overlook early or atypical metabolic alterations. Large-scale metabolomic profiling offers an opportunity to identify biochemical signatures of MetS beyond diagnostic bias and to evaluate their relative importance across different presentations of the syndrome.

Methods: Data from 117,147 UK Biobank participants were analyzed in a cross-sectional design. High-throughput NMR quantified 75 circulating metabolites, for. Univariate analyses, MetS subtype stratification, and elastic net models with SHAP interpretation were applied to assess feature …

Variability In Practice And Outcomes Of Laparoscopic Cholecystectomy And Bile Duct Exploration (Lcbde) For Treatment Of Bds – A Survey And Multi-Centre Audits Of Practice In The Uk, Andrei Jackson

Peninsula Medical School Theses

AbstractTitle: Variability in Practice and Outcomes of Laparoscopic Cholecystectomy and Bile Duct Exploration (LCBDE) for Treatment of Bile Duct Stones– a Survey and Multi-Centre Audits of Practice in the UKIntroduction: The practice of managing suspected/confirmed bile duct stones (BDS) can vary significantly in the UK. The optimal management approach for suspected or confirmed BDS in patients with symptomatic gallstones remains unclear. We aimed to assess this variability in practice and outcomes of laparoscopic bile duct exploration in the UK.Methods: A UK-wide survey and two national multicentre audits were conducted. An electronic survey containing 40 questions on various aspects of management …