Digital Commons Network^™

Observing Effects Of Social Isolation On Ethanol Preference In Carpenter Ants, Gregory Smith, Rivers Pope

SPARK Symposium Presentations

Alcohol consumption has been observed through humans and vertebrates for centuries to understand reward systems and behavior. Carpenter Ants, a social invertebrate model, have many similarities with humans including communication, stress-induced behavior, and structured societies. Past research has shown that Carpenter ants can have increased preference to ethanol and opioids in low concentrations. However, there has been little research on how isolation can influence ethanol preference. In this study, Carpenter Ants are separated into social and isolation groups over a five-day period and offered ethanol solutions alongside a natural sucrose diet to assess behavioral differences in preference for ethanol. It …

Rna-Sequence-Driven Identification Of Differentially Expressed Genes In Α-Crystallin-Deficient Zebrafish, Kehlie Hopper

SPARK Symposium Presentations

Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS) is a condition that develops in infants when exposed to alcohol in utero, leading to physical impairments such as reduced eye size and disrupted retinal function. Alpha-crystallin A is a key structural protein required for proper lens development and maintenance of transparency, while Alpha-crystallin B plays a protective role against cellular stress during eye development. In this study, I compared AB wild-type (ABWT), αA-crystallin knockout (cryaa), and αB-crystallin knockout (cryaba) zebrafish to investigate how the loss of these proteins influences eye development under ethanol exposure. The cryaa mutants exhibited reduced eye size even under control conditions, …

A Sweet Spot For Chemotherapy: The Influence Of Insulin And Glucagon On Oxaliplatin Sensitivity In Colorectal Cancer Cells, Daniella Cohen, Andrea Florian

SPARK Symposium Presentations

There is a well-established relationship between cellular metabolism, cancer progression, and treatment response. Metabolic hormones such as insulin and glucagon regulate pathways involved in cell growth, survival, and stress responses and have been linked to tumor development and chemotherapy sensitivity. Understanding how metabolic signaling influences cancer treatment may provide insight into factors that affect therapeutic outcomes. This study aims to investigate how insulin and glucagon affect the susceptibility of colorectal cancer cells (CRC) to the chemotherapeutic agent oxaliplatin. CRC cells were treated with insulin or glucagon and exposed to varying concentrations of oxaliplatin. Cell viability was measured to evaluate treatment …

Murder On The Menu, Andrea Florian, Leslie Deleon, Angela Simpkins, Anamika Chhetri

SPARK Symposium Presentations

You're invited to a birthday party in Maryland! There will be many guests and even...seafood cuisine at a fancy restaurant! All is well until one of our guests comes down with a peculiar sickness. Do you think you can figure out what happened?

Honeymoon Horror Story, Andrea Florian, Aunalise Terreri, Kiley St. John, Sienna White

SPARK Symposium Presentations

On what was supposed to be a romantic honeymoon getaway, a newly married couple’s paradise quickly turns dark. The wife, Julia Harper, is found dead under mysterious circumstances, and suspicion falls on her neuroscientist husband. As lies unravel, investigators discover that this honeymoon was never about love, but revenge. In the end, all that’s left is betrayal and secrets…Can you solve this murder mystery?

The Last Ball, Andrea Florian, Lili M. Wrenne, Mehrael Adly, Jia Howell

SPARK Symposium Presentations

Sixty-year old, billionaire, Walter Spencer has been found dead at his annual birthday celebration. Guests reported odd behavior before he passed with wild mood swings, speaking gibberish, and experiencing hallucinations. Close friends of Walter say his young 25-year-old wife was the last to see him. Are you able to solve his mystery?

A Sweet Deception, Andrea Florian, Ellis Stafford, Bridget Mcloud, Awi Siam

SPARK Symposium Presentations

Have you ever wanted to be a detective and solve a murder? Well, here is your chance! Bradley Thompson, an investment banker at JP Morgan, was murdered in his home, and we are relying on you to piece together the toxicological clues and find his killer! This murder-mystery activity will involve selecting different toxicological tests and evaluating evidence to determine who committed this heinous crime.

Predicting Criminal Behavior In Major Us Cities, Madison A. Price

SPARK Symposium Presentations

In recent years, especially post pandemic, there has been a decrease in crime in the United States. Unfortunately, the country’s violent crime rates are still significantly higher compared to similar high-income countries, so what predicts crime in major American cities? There is tons of research to support the idea that demographics can offer some insight into predicting crime. There are countless online resources that seek to identify major crime centrals in the United States (Petrino, 2025). In the late 1990s, researchers noticed that crime rates in cities had a downward slope due to an important contributor: demographic change (Fox & …

Investigating The Role Of Humic Acid In The Adsorption Mechanics Of Acetaminophen On Potassium Persulfate-Aged Polyethylene Terephthalate (Pet), Andrew Littleton, Maria Danielle Garrett, Phd

SPARK Symposium Presentations

Pharmaceutical contaminants such as acetaminophen (APAP) are showing a rising presence in aquatic environments, where their interactions with microplastics (MPs) can potentially modulate natural degradation mechanisms. Concurrent presence of the two substances has been shown to potentiate increase their individual harmful effects. This study investigates whether oxidative aging and humic-acid surface modification of PET microplastics influence APAP adsorption.

In this study, UV-aging was reproduced using an iron (II)-activated potassium persulfate (Fe(II)-KPS) oxidation system. Aqueous dissolved organic matter (DOM) is simulated using multi-hour exposure to humic acid. The MPs are then removed from the solution to examine adsorption mechanisms. While most …

Urbanization And The Giant Pacific Octopus, Beau Taylor, Darlene Panvini, Graydon Williams

SPARK Symposium Presentations

Urbanization and the Giant Pacific Octopus 

Our project is incorporating scientific research and a creative component into one by writing a chapter for a children’s science book. In this chapter, we are sharing the research and results of ecologist Eliza C. Heery and her fascinating work on the giant Pacific Octopus. We are analyzing how these predators are affected by the process of urbanization. More specifically, we are looking to answer the question of whether urbanization affects how and where a marine predator lives. To do this, we are writing a narrative from the perspective of our chosen ecologist, Eliza …

Finding Affordable Alternatives: A Similarity-Based Beauty Product Duplication, Jessica Tran

SPARK Symposium Presentations

The beauty and skincare market offers thousands of products that often promise similar benefits while varying widely in price. Many consumers search for “dupes,” or lower-cost alternatives to high-end products, but finding them typically requires time-consuming research or unreliable online recommendations.

This project develops an AI/ML-based recommendation system that identifies similar beauty products using their ingredient compositions. Using a dataset of over 8,000 Sephora products, the system analyzes ingredient lists and product features to measure similarity and suggest potential alternatives. By combining similarity scores with pricing information, the model can highlight products that deliver comparable formulations at a lower cost. …

Assessment Of Doxorubicin And Etoposide Effects On Cardiotoxicity Using Daphnia Magna As A Model Organism​, Jacob P. Bealle, Andrea Florian

SPARK Symposium Presentations

Chemotherapeutic agents such as doxorubicin and etoposide are widely used in cancer treatment but are known to produce cardiotoxic side effects that can limit their clinical use. Doxorubicin has been strongly associated with dose-dependent cardiac damage, and etoposide has also been reported to produce cardiotoxic effects although the cardiotoxic effects of etoposide are not as well studied. Daphnia magna is a useful model organism for cardiotoxicity studies because its transparent body allows direct observation of heart rate and provides a living system for detecting physiological responses to exposure. The purpose of this study was to investigate the cardiotoxic effects of …

Potential Environmental Triggers Of Goodpasture's Disease And The Role Of The Sulfimine Crosslink, Colton S. Miller, Andrea Florian, Elena Pokidysheva

SPARK Symposium Presentations

Goodpasture’s syndrome (GP) is an autoimmune disorder that primarily affects kidneys and lungs. The main issue for patients with Goodpasture's syndrome is the binding of autoantibodies to the glomerular basement membrane (GBM), which hinders the filtration of blood. A key characteristic of Goodpasture's syndrome is the presence of autoantibodies that target the NC1 domain of the α345 isoform of type IV collagen, a crucial component of the GBM that provides structural support and is critical for filtration function. Sulfilimine bonds crosslink the collagen IV NC1 hexamers, contributing to the stabilization of these structures. A recent clinical case of recurring Goodpasture's …

Hope Is An Act, Not A Wish: An Autoethnographic Journey Of Reimagining Disability As A Catalyst For Playing With Possibility, Creativity, And Innovation Within Liminal Spaces, Jennifer Salerno

Doctor of Education

This dissertation aimed to challenge and move beyond unjust social norms related to individual ability and independence, finding such norms based on a fictitious ideal of human capacity. Instead, an ethic of interdependence, such as encompasses the natural world, is defined and promoted in turn. People with disabilities are considered deficient and marginalized because they deviate from ableist norms (Flynn, 2020). They face significant barriers to establishing and maintaining relationships with nature as a result of ability expectations around how bodies should look and behave in the natural world (Wolbring & Lisitza, 2017). People with disabilities covet normality and the …

“We Learned So Much More About Each Other”: Strengthening Student-Educator Relationships Through Culturally Affirming Practices, Ashley R. Routhier

Doctor of Education (Ed.D.)

School connectedness serves as a powerful lever for positive student outcomes. Specifically, student-educator relationships provide well-documented benefits, acting as a protective factor against adverse experiences. However, building and maintaining these relationships remains a complex challenge influenced by site-specific conditions. This challenge is further intensified when accounting for diverse cultural and racial backgrounds. Utilizing an improvement science framework, this qualitative study examined educators’ perceptions as they facilitated culturally affirming social and emotional lessons in a pre-existing advisory block at a magnet high school. Findings indicate that factors at every level of the system shape student-educator relationships. Policies emerged as a critical …

2025 Georgia Southern University Softball Media Guide, Georgia Southern University

Women's Softball Records

No abstract provided.

J Am Coll Dent 2026 92 3

Journal of the American College of Dentists

The Journal of the American College of Dentists (JACD) publishes scholarly articles, editorials, essays, and reflections addressing the ethical, professional, and social dimensions of dentistry. The Journal serves as a forum for advancing ethics, professionalism, leadership, and excellence within the dental community. By fostering dialogue across disciplines and perspectives, JACD provides readers with insights that encourage ethical, professional practice, lifelong learning, and service to the public, reinforcing dentistry’s commitment to advancing oral healthcare and the common good.

Response To Intervention: Impact On Academic Achievement, Lisa Cisneros

Education Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine the application of improvement science within education as a structured framework for strengthening the implementation of Multi-Tiered Systems of Support (MTSS) and Response to Intervention (RTI) to improve elementary students’ reading outcomes. Grounded in the six guiding principles of improvement science: problem-specific, focus, variability acknowledgment, system recognition, evaluation, and systematic inquiry learning. This study applied a Design-Based Implementation Research (DBIR) methodology and practical insights. The study emphasized the utilization of the Plan-Do-Study-Act (PDSA) cycle as a trial-and-learning methodology to instigate continuous improvement in educational practices. Using a mixed-methods design across two years …

Evaluation And Impact Of 4th Grade Writing Instruction And Intervention, Sasha R. Smith

Education Theses and Dissertations

The implementation of Texas's redesigned State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness (STAAR) introduced extended constructed response (ECR) items that required students to demonstrate reading comprehension through written responses. At the study site, fourth-grade students consistently demonstrated stronger reading comprehension than writing performance, revealing a gap in their ability to communicate understanding using evidence-based written responses. The purpose of this Improvement Science Dissertation in Practice was to evaluate the implementation and impact of a systems-based instructional intervention designed to improve fourth-grade students' performance on constructed response writing tasks through increased instructional coherence and explicit writing instruction. This embedded mixed-methods case …

Building Improvement Capacity In School Improvement Planning, Jennifer E. Garcia

Education Theses and Dissertations

This improvement science dissertation examined how school teams used improvement science routines to strengthen planning and implementation in school improvement. The study focused on two California schools designated for Additional Targeted Support and Improvement (ATSI) or Comprehensive Support and Improvement (CSI) for multiple years. Although both teams developed School Plans for Student Achievement (SPSAs), they demonstrated minimal sustained improvement, suggesting limitations to their underlying improvement processes. Using an improvement science methodology, informed by design-Based research, this study investigated how structured improvement practices, such as root cause analysis, driver diagrams, and Plan-Do-Study-Act (PDSA) cycles, supported schools in developing more inquiry-driven improvement …

The Impact Of Leadership Skills On Pbl Group Dynamics, Jaime W. Burke Hicks

Education Theses and Dissertations

This Improvement Science Dissertation in Practice examined the role of intentional leadership instruction in addressing persistent challenges in Project-Based Learning (PBL) group dynamics within a middle school setting. The Problem of Practice centered on students’ inconsistent demonstration of leadership behaviors, including communication and accountability, which limited the effectiveness of group work despite prior exposure to PBL structures. This study was conducted at a university-affiliated public charter school in East Texas, where PBL serves as a core instructional model.

Guided by an Improvement Science framework and structured through a Plan-Do-Study-Act (PDSA) cycle, this study employed a mixed-methods embedded design to evaluate …

First Record Of Arrhenophagus Chionaspidis Aurivillius (Hymenoptera: Encyrtidae) Parasitizing White Mango Scale In Kenya: Its Potential Distribution And Prospects In Biocontrol, Francis Obala, Abdelmutalab G.A. Azrag, Rehemah Gwokyalya, Shepard Ndlela, Ingo Grass, Georg Petschenka, Sunday Ekesi, Samira A. Mohamed

All Peer-Reviewed Publications

The white mango scale, Aulacaspis tubercularis Newstead (Hemiptera: Diaspididae), is one of the most destructive pests of mango worldwide. Its current management in most of the invaded areas largely depends on the intensive use of chemical insecticides. Biological control using parasitoids represents one of the most effective and environmentally sustainable management options. However, in Kenya, one of Africa's leading mango-producing countries, no effective parasitoid species associated with A. tubercularis had previously been recorded. This study aimed to identify encyrtid parasitoids associated with A. tubercularis in Kenya, and to assess how bioclimatic factors influence their occurrence and habitat suitability. Mango leaves …

Exploring Slow-Release Plasma Nitrogen Nano-Fertilizer For Improved Maize Production And Nutrient Use Efficiency, Stewart Kyebogola, Richard Onwonga, Stella Kabiri, Onesimus Semalulu, Swidiq Mugerwa, Russell Shelley Yost, Samuel Ikendi, Dennis Beesigamukama, Julius Opio, Godfrey Sseruwu

All Peer-Reviewed Publications

The use of nitrogen (N) fertilizer in maize production is constrained by scarcity, low use efficiency, and high costs. Plasma technology presents a more environmentally friendly nitrogen source (PN). When incorporated into nanocellulose composites to control fertilizer release (NPN), they improve N supply and mitigate environmental risks, thereby optimizing benefits. However, the productivity of NPN relative to urea and its nanoform (NU) remains unexplored. Screenhouse and field experiments were conducted twice on maize using five fertilizer treatments: control, urea, PN, NU, and NPN. All treatments were applied once at 66 kg N ha^-1 and replicated four times. Maize cultivated …

Finite Element Analysis Of Multiscale Fgm Plate Using Modified Third Order Shear Deformation Theory, Ravi Kumar, Ajay Kumar

Mansoura Engineering Journal

Present paper aimed to examine the static and dynamic response of a carbon nanotube (CNT) infused multiscale functionally graded (FGM) rectangular plate structure. A third-order shear deformation theory (TSDT) based on Reddy’s formulation with enforcing negligible transverse shear stresses at the outermost surface of the plate, is used. A nine-noded isoparametric element with 13 displacement variables per node is numerically investigated for finite element analysis. Using the Halpin-Tsai and homogeneous equation the elastic behaviour of the final material is obtained. The current result is first checked against a previously published result to validate the present mathematical model. The finite element …

Bias Across The Data Lifecycle: Data Governors’ Perceptions In Land-Grant Higher Education, Shauna N. Mcclure, Lisa Lambert Snodgrass

Journal of Higher Education & Student Affairs

Higher education institutions increasingly rely on artificial intelligence (AI)-enabled tools and predictive analytics to inform decisions in areas such as admissions, student success, and resource allocation. This reliance heightens the need for data governance frameworks that address the policies, processes, and technologies governing student data. Data governors shape how institutional data are collected, interpreted, and used, yet existing approaches often assume that data are neutral, overlooking how bias can become embedded and compounded across the stages of the data lifecycle. This exploratory study investigates whether data governors perceive implicit bias as present across these stages. Using a quantitative survey, we …

Existential Reasoning Within The Framework Of Multiple Intelligences, C. Branton Shearer

International Journal of Transpersonal Studies Advance Publication Archive

This article investigates the concept and construct validity of the proposed existential intelligence (Gardner, 1999). Thinking about fundamental existential issues such as death and the meaning of life is a valued human cognitive activity, but does this qualify as a distinct form of intelligence with coherence, structural integrity, measurability, and independence according to Gardner’s criteria? A more accurate framing for this construct may be existential reasoning—a type of cognition that seems likely to be a precursor to, subcomponent of, or parallel with the construct of wisdom. Data from the Scale for Existential Thinking (Allan & Shearer, 2012) are reviewed. …

Thermal Requirements And Phenology Modelling Of A Drosophila Suzukii Population: Implications For Pest Risk Under A Changing Climate, Shepard Ndlela, Abdelmutalab G.A. Azrag, Esther Owino Awuor, Ibrahim Maholidy Farid, Samira Abuelgasim Mohamed

All Peer-Reviewed Publications

Drosophila suzukii (spotted-wing drosophila) is an invasive pest causing significant economic losses in soft-skinned fruit crops globally. This study presents comprehensive temperature-dependent life table data and phenology models for an African D. suzukii population collected in Kenya. Developmental time, mortality, fecundity, and adult longevity were assessed under constant temperatures from 12 to 30 °C. Using Insect Life Cycle Modelling (ILCYM) software, linear and nonlinear models were applied to characterise the effects of temperature on life history traits. Additionally, spatial risk indices including Establishment Risk Index (ERI), Generation Index (GI), and Activity Index (AI) were mapped globally for current and future …

Correlates Of Truancy Among Somali High School Students In Minnesota, Aisha Abdi

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

Truancy remains a significant challenge in schools today. Somali high school students’ truancy is specifically more prevalent. There is limited research on cultural factors that correlate with absenteeism within this population, and this quantitative study examined these factors. Acculturation, student employment, religious commitment, and perceived discrimination were the four key factors examined to inform the study. The sampled population were 16 high school students in grades 9 to 12 from two high schools within the Twin Cities metropolitan area of Minnesota. The student participants completed the Stephenson Multigroup Acculturation Scale (SMAS), Child Perceived Discrimination Questionnaire (CPDQ), and researchers’ constructed surveys …

Sociolinguistic Challenges To The Academic Inclusion Of Latin American Immigrants Of Legal Age And Spanish In High Schools In Minnesota: A Qualitative Study On The Learning Of English As A Second Language, Geanella Margarita Ochoa Veloz

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

This research analyzes and exposes the experiences of Latin American adult migrants who, having recently arrived in the United States, have resumed their studies in high schools in the State of Minnesota as a strategy to learn the English language by immersion. The study was based on the contributions of the sociology of migration and the sociology of education, which, incorporating as a methodological strategy “the case study” combined with “the life story”, managed to collect and share reflections regarding the barriers faced by migrants during the process of adaptation and insertion into American society, thus adopting a critical approach. …

Paid Search Marketing Vs. Search Engine Optimization: Analytical Models Of Search Marketing Based On Search Engine Quality, Kai Li, Chunyang Shen, Mei Lin, Zhangxi Lin

Research Collection School Of Computing and Information Systems

As search engines are leading revenue growth in online marketing, search marketing has become a popular area of academic research. Although search engine advertising has interested researchers for decades and much has been learned, one thing that puzzles scholars is why search engine optimization companies are tolerated rather than excluded from the market, even though they capture a significant share of the advertising market. In this paper, we shed light on this phenomenon and establish an analytical model based on organic search quality. Through analysis of the model, we were able to draw several intriguing conclusions. First, there is no …