Digital Commons Network^™

Va Dent J April, May And June 2020

Virginia Dental Journal

No abstract provided.

Learning In The Third Place: Community-Based Educational Programs At A Bookstore Cafe, Tiana Henry

Capstone Collection

This capstone proposes an alternative learning program, where learning in the third space of a bookstore café is developed in St. Ann, Jamaica. The program responds to gaps in culturally relevant, community-centered educational spaces that reflect Jamaican heritage, support diverse learning styles, and extend beyond traditional classroom structures. A needs assessment consisting of a stakeholder survey and follow-up interviews demonstrated interest in experiential, arts-based, and place-rooted learning opportunities among educators and community members, despite a limited sample size and minimal youth participation. Findings also highlighted the need for stronger community engagement strategies, intergenerational knowledge exchange, and accessible spaces that integrate …

From Claiborne To Climate: Anti-Esg Boycott Legislation And Corporate First Amendment Rights, Ingrid Tjendro

Fordham Law Review Online

Since 2021, at least twenty-one states have enacted laws targeting financial institutions and companies that incorporate environmental, social, and governance (ESG) considerations into their business practices. This Comment examines the First Amendment implications of one specific category of such legislation—state anti-ESG boycott statutes—and argues that they constitute an unconstitutional suppression of protected corporate speech and association.

Drawing on traditional anti-boycott jurisprudence, including NAACP v. Claiborne Hardware Co. and Rumsfeld v. Forum for Academic and Institutional Rights, Inc., and the circuit split over anti-Israel boycott legislation, this Comment centers on the recent decision in American Sustainable Business Council v. Hegar …

The Long Arm And The Short Stick: How Citizenship Transforms White-Collar Enforcement, Andrey Spektor, Henry B. Blaikie

Fordham Law Review Online

Transnational white-collar enforcement has expanded steadily, even amid recent Department of Justice rhetoric favoring restraint. Yet the enforcement apparatus imposes markedly different—and more costly—consequences on noncitizen defendants than on similarly situated U.S. citizens. Noncitizens are more likely to be detained pretrial and more likely to serve longer and harsher custodial terms because they are excluded from sentence-reducing mechanisms, housed in more restrictive facilities, and face an additional layer of postsentence immigration detention. These structural features convert nominally equivalent sentences into more punitive sanctions while increasing burdens on courts, prisons, the immigration system, and taxpayers.

This Essay argues that courts, as …

An Increased Understanding Of Political Sociology Would Create A More Pluralistic Society, Mariam H. Jabbar

Thinking Matters Symposium

What are we socially lacking in relation to our current social

identity, based on political and historical events, to create a pluralistic society?

What do we need to prioritize socially to bring awareness for a more

contemporary social construct? My points as a political sociology student will be

focused on how society applies political association to power through unity by

division of society.

Delivering Food, Exercise, And Nutrition Education For The Prevention Of Chronic Disease, Ava Caron

Human Nutrition and Hospitality Management Undergraduate Honors Theses

Chronic diseases such as diabetes, heart and respiratory diseases, cancer, and stroke pose significant health challenges in the United States, with Arkansas experiencing some of the highest rates of related mortality. This project aimed to improve health literacy related to nutrition and physical activity among adults at risk for chronic disease in Arkansas, focusing on those living independently in Ozark, Ouachita, and Delta regions, as well as cooperative extension agents in Family & Consumer Sciences. Using a mixed-methods approach involving surveys and focus groups, the study explored participants’ nutrition knowledge, health awareness, physical activity engagement, and preferred methods of receiving …

Quantifying Macroalgal Coverage And Benthic Composition In Sarasota Bay, Zoe Hoover-Gonzalez

Theses & ETDs

This study quantifies macroalgal coverage and benthic composition across monitoring sites in Sarasota Bay, Florida during 2022 to 2024. By using photo-quadrat imagery, percent cover was calculated to assess tempo-spatial patterns in macroalgal abundance. Results revealed seasonal fluctuations with peaks during spring months under favorable temperature and light conditions. Filamentous brown algae and cyanobacteria emerged across quadrants as disturbance-tolerant taxa. These algae forms often co-occurred with seagrass beds and suggested potential competitive interactions. Through comparative analysis of these results with Sarasota Bay Estuary Program data, there was an indication of localized increases in macroalgal abundance. These findings highlight the importance …

Microalgae In Observation: Techniques For Micromanipulation, Movement Treatments Of Dunaliella Salina, And Explorations Of Alternative Photobioreactors, Claire Compton

Theses & ETDs

This work explores microalgae within three contexts: micromanipulation of microalgae for isolation, testing of Dunaliella salina movement conditions, and photobioreactor designs that incorporate sculptural elements. To micromanipulate microalgae, a protocol using micropipettes for the isolation of single cells from a mixed sample was developed. To test the movement preferences of the microalgae, Dunaliella salina, an experiment was conducted using five treatments: a fast and slow orbital movement, a fast and slow rate of added bubbling, and a control treatment with no added movement. To measure the impact of the added movement, a cell density counter was used. Results revealed that …

Our Routes: Facilitating Digital Storytelling And Community Interaction Through A Full-Stack User-Generated Travel Platform, Domenica Valencia Valladoli

Theses & ETDs

Travel planning is often harder than it should be. Most people find themselves stuck between two extremes: social media platforms with lots of content available, but disorganized travel-related information, and traditional blog websites where information is often cluttered and overwhelming. More often than not, travelers have to switch between tabs just to plan their trip, making the whole process feel stressful rather than exciting. This project aims to solve this problem through Our Routes, a travel platform built with a React, Django, and PostgreSQL tech stack that enables users to share their travel stories in a structured way using the …

Ftir Spectral Library For Identifying Compounds Relevant To Carbon Mineralization, Lia Lopez Guerrero

Theses & ETDs

A Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectrometer is a device that identifies an unknown substance, providing quick information about molecular structures based on nondestructive analysis of the sample's absorptions of infrared light, and in this study was used to analyze prevalent minerals found in underground rock formations, a key aspect of carbon mineralization and sequestration of carbon dioxide. While utilizing a software called OMNIC, we were able to create a library, where 34 known mineral compounds were analyzed and stored as reference material. Two main reasons why this library was created: FTIR is a fast, non-destructive technique that quickly identifies minerals, …

Spatial Memory And Context Change In The Figure Eight Puffer (Dichotomytere Ocellatus), Madison Lloyd

Theses & ETDs

It's been more than 100 years since radial mazes have been used for rodent research, and more recently, fish research. No experimentation has been done on the figure eight puffer (Dichotomytere ocellatus) in relation to the cognitive processes or maze tasks, however, there have been zebrafish, bettas, stickleback and wrasse to base research off. There have been many experiments on fish behavior regarding salinity changes, yet, none have used salinity as context towards altering cognitive abilities. The current study tested 11 figure eight puffers on their ability to solve an eight-arm radial maze in different contexts. The puffers were split …

Sports Marketing And Event Retail: An Industry Analysis Of Sports Promotions Group, Hannes Ulbrich

Theses & ETDs

This industry analysis examines the sports marketing and event retail sector in the United States, using Sports Promotions Group (SPG) as the primary case study. SPG is a North Carolina-based company and subsidiary of Sports Endeavors Inc., with over 25 years of experience running pop-up merchandise stores at youth sports tournaments across 14 U.S. states, projected to manage 144 events in 2026 alone. The analysis uses the Structure-Conduct-Performance (SCP) framework as its main analytical tool, examining how the structure of the event retail market shapes how SPG behaves as a firm, and what outcomes result from that behavior. A case …

Cortez Village: Kinship, Resilience, And Coastal Survival, Patrick Fink

Theses & ETDs

Florida's coastal fishing villages have faced environmental, economic, and developmental threats throughout the twentieth century that led to many communities disappearing or losing their fishing culture. This thesis looks at Cortez Village, a small waterfront fishing village located on Sarasota Bay in Manatee County, Florida. It looks at why Cortez is different from other similar communities that have disappeared. Cortez was founded in the 1880s by a group of fishing families from North Carolina. From the very beginning, Cortez had a strong, tightly knit community that was centered around commercial fishing. Using primary sources such as newspaper articles, archival documents, …

Should We Be Concerned About Demographic Decline? An Economic Analysis, Collin Gates

Theses & ETDs

This thesis uses economic theory to examine the causes and consequences of falling fertility rates around the world. It examines contributions to economic theory on population given by economists such as Thomas Malthus, Gary Becker, Paul Heyne, Paul Ehrlich and Julian Simon. Next, it analyzes what the externalities of falling fertility rates could be to the world’s economies, environments, workforces, and individual people through economic models such as the Solow growth model. The thesis concludes by looking at three countries–Japan, South Korea, and Italy– who have been experiencing fertility rates below the replacement level for over 20 years, relating relevant …

Modeling Career Longevity For Position Players In Major League Baseball Using Survival Analysis, Avery Bishop

Theses & ETDs

This thesis develops a survival analysis framework for modeling career longevity and exit risk for specifically position players in Major League Baseball using historical player performance and injury data. Utilizing longitudinal player-season observations from the Lahman Baseball Database alongside external injury and retirement records, the study constructs a time-to-event modeling framework centered around the Cox proportional hazards model with time-varying covariates. Offensive performance metrics, aging effects, workload measures, missed-season indicators, and injury severity variables are incorporated to evaluate how player characteristics influence the likelihood of MLB career continuation. To account for nonlinear aging and performance relationships, natural spline transformations and …

When Fame Sells: Understanding The Psychology Behind Celebrityendorsed Product Purchases, Szayanna Cuavers

Theses & ETDs

The present study examined the psychological and demographic factors that influence willingness to spend on celebrity-endorsed products, with a particular focus on celebrity worship, attachment style, age, gender, and race and ethnicity. By using preexisting frameworks, the study investigated how consumer responses can be swayed by emotional and relational factors. Participants completed a survey measuring celebrity worship, attachment style, hypothetical situations about willingness to spend on celebrity-endorsed products, along with demographics. As predicted, there was a significant positive correlation between celebrity worship and willingness to spend. Although avoidant attachment was uncorrelated with key outcomes. Anxious attachment was associated with greater …

Repeatability Of Aggressive Behavior Of Heterandria Formosa, Nicole Lustic

Theses & ETDs

Animal personality is the consistent individual differences in behavior over time and context. Some examples of personality that are measurable in fish are boldness, shyness, and aggression. In this study, I will look at whether Heterandria formosa (least killifish) from the Trout Pond (TP) population exhibit aggressive behaviors, showing that there is an individual difference in behavior among individual fish when exposed to a conspecific. I will record aggressive behaviors across repeated trials in which each focal fish is presented with a conspecific. By quantifying behaviors such as chases and strikes, I can see whether individuals show consistent aggression levels …

Media And Government: Celebrity Endorsements And Their Effect On Voter Efficacy, Political Confidence, And Voter Turnout, Macey Wyler

Journalism Undergraduate Honors Theses

Celebrity endorsements have played a role in American politics for centuries, but their influence has evolved in the digital age with the rise of social media. This study examines how endorsements by public figures influence voter efficacy, confidence, and engagement among college-aged individuals. Using a convenience sample of 162 students ages 18-23, participants responded to a web-based survey featuring hypothetical social media posts to measure how likely they would be to register to vote, engage politically, or share endorsement content based on an endorsement by a public figure. Quantitative analysis in Google Sheets and StatCrunch revealed descriptive trends, and qualitative …

Eco-Efficiency: Assessing The Impact Of Sustainable Retrofit Upgrades On Energy And Water Consumption In Sarasota’S Non-Profit Organization Sector, Ashley Petsanghan

Theses & ETDs

This thesis evaluates the environmental, operational, and financial impacts of sustainable retrofit upgrades implemented through the GoodUse program by Southface Institute on three Sarasota-based non-profit organizations: Lee Wetherington Boys & Girls Club of Sarasota and DeSoto Counties, Suncoast Blood Centers, and Easterseals Southwest Florida. By using a mixed-methods approach, this study integrates quantitative data from Energy Star Portfolio Manager with qualitative insights from oral, on-site interviews. Analysis from quantitative data examines changes in electricity use, water consumption, and utility costs before and after implementation of retrofit upgrades, with attention to seasonal patterns and Florida’s climate-driven variability. Qualitative findings explore how …

Stochastic Auditory Noise And Relaxation, Quentin Voccia

Theses & ETDs

Stochastic auditory stimuli, characterized by the random distribution of their power spectral density, have been implicated in modulating relaxation and sleep. This study investigated the differential effects of pink, brown, and white noise on frontal lobe electroencephalography (EEG) activity in 22 healthy adult participants. Brainwave activity, specifically alpha, theta, and beta frequencies, was recorded while participants were exposed to each noise type in a counterbalanced, palindromic design. While alpha wave activity showed no significant differences across conditions, ANOVA revealed significant effects of noise type on both theta (F(2,21) = 24.055, p < 0.05) and beta (F(2,21) = 13.146, p < 0.05) wave power. Post-hoc t-tests indicated that brown noise elicited the highest theta wave activity and the lowest beta wave activity, suggesting a greater induction of deep relaxation and reduced alertness compared to pink and white noise. Pink noise demonstrated intermediate levels of theta and beta activity, indicating a moderate relaxation effect. Conversely, white noise resulted in the lowest theta wave activity and the highest beta wave activity, suggesting a less relaxed and more alert state. These findings challenge the conventional emphasis on white noise for relaxation and highlight the potential of brown noise as a more effective auditory stimulus for promoting deep relaxation. Future research should explore the mechanisms underlying these differential effects and investigate the potential therapeutic applications of brown noise.

Major Financial Crises And Regulations In The United States, Hailey Martinez

Theses & ETDs

The financial system in the United States has often swayed between periods of rapid growth and financial crisis, resulting in a reactive regulatory framework. In this study major financial regulations that have been implemented in the United States are explained. Following is an analysis of financial crises that in the United States and the cyclical pattern that happens once one has begun. When a crisis occurs, there is an overhaul of the financial system and new regulations are introduced, there is then a period of deregulation once the system is stable and secure, and then crisis once again due to …

Comparative Analysis Of The Surgical Techniques Used To Repair A Ruptured Achilles Tendon, Tyler Rucker

Theses & ETDs

This thesis will examine the impact of an Achilles tendon rupture on recovery and performance in professional athletes. The primary question is whether the modern surgical technique has produced better outcomes compared to traditional surgical repair methods. To address this question, this thesis analyzes the structure and function of the Achilles tendon, the mechanisms that cause injuries, and treatment approaches, including the nonsurgical and surgical options. It includes a comparative case analysis of professional athletes Aaron Rodgers, who underwent a minimally invasive procedure, and Klay Thompson, who underwent a traditional surgical repair. The recovery processes, timelines, and post-recovery performances are …

The Differences Between Corrections, Police, And The Military: An Academic Exploration And Internship Experience., Tatiana Jackson

Theses & ETDs

This senior project combines academic research with field experience as an intern at a correctional facility in South Florida. It examines the roles of corrections, policing, and the military and how each contributes to maintaining safety and order within society. Although all three systems share the common goal of protecting the public, they carry out that responsibility in different ways. Police officers focus on maintaining order and responding to incidents within communities, the military is responsible for defending the nation from external threats, and correctional systems manage individuals involved in the criminal justice process while also emphasizing supervision, structure, and …

Synthetic Approaches Towards Bn2tcma For The Modeling Of Oxalate-Degrading Enzymes, Olivier Servius

Theses & ETDs

Oxalate is a naturally occurring compound that can be toxic to humans at high concentrations as humans lack the oxalate degrading enzymes found in plants, fungi and bacteria. Key enzymes involved in oxalate metabolism are oxalate oxidase and oxalate decarboxylase, both of which are manganese based metalloenzymes. Due to limited research, much is unknown regarding their mechanism of action ,with multiple proposals reported, but no unified consensus. Synthetic model complexes are commonly used to probe the function of metalloenzymes by replicating structural and electronic features in simplified systems. In biomimicry, 1,4,7,-triazacyclononane (TACN) has attracted attention for its N3O donor set …

Enhancing Hope In Mathematics From An East African Perspective, Howard Omukami

Institute for Educational Development, East Africa

No abstract provided.

Discerning If Triops Have Personality, Gwen Therrien

Theses & ETDs

Triops, or tadpole shrimp, are small, freshwater invertebrates. They are the apex predator of their habitat, temporary pools of freshwater. They eat plant matter, worms, mosquito larvae and their own eggs. Their eggs go through anhydrobiosis; meaning they can survive without water for extended periods of time. There have been no previous studies specifically on Triops’ personality. Thus this raises the question if individuals demonstrate different personalities from each other. Boldness trials were conducted on 13 specimens that were on a diet of herbivore pellets and carrots. Each set of trials were repeated 1-11 times depending on how long the …

Bernoulli’S Principle And Newton’S Third Law: The Correlation To Aviation And Impact On Flight, Camilo Renteria

Theses & ETDs

No abstract provided.

The Invisible Hand: Narrating Wildlife Through Hybrid Scoring, Weiyi Li

Composition/Recording Projects

This paper explores the creative and theoretical processes involved in composing the original score and sound design for "Ningxia Yellow River: The Home for the Avian," a wildlife documentary centered on the Ningxia wetlands in China. The research addresses the challenge of creating a "sonic bridge" between silent natural imagery and a human audience by balancing documentary realism with musical persuasion. The methodology utilizes a hybrid scoring approach that integrates Digital Audio Workstation (DAW) orchestration with organic sound elements, guided by three core pillars: cultural semiotics, acoustic ecology, and technical synchronization. By applying traditional Chinese pentatonic modes alongside Western orchestral …

The Implications Of A Competitive Athletic Season For Lower Limb Musculoskeletal Health, Benjamin Walker

Theses & ETDs

This thesis examines the implications of a competitive athletic season on lower limb musculoskeletal health in collegiate athletes. Through an organized narrative literature review, this study synthesizes biomechanical, epidemiology, and clinical research to evaluate how cumulative seasonal loading influences joint, bone, tendon, and soft tissue. Findings that indicated lower extremity injuries account for the majority of sport-related musculoskeletal conditions, with overuse injuries being a dominant role due to inadequate recovery and repetitive mechanical stress. Key evidence shows that rapid increases in training load, distinctly during preseason periods, significantly raises injury risk by surpassing tissue adaptive capacity. In addition, subclinical changes …

Transferring To The Workplace From The Game: How Transferable Athletic Skills, Workplace Adaptation And Mental Health Intersect, Maria Luiza Barreis De Araujo

Theses & ETDs

The shift from collegiate athletics to working life is a significant growth challenge that could affect mental health and professional adaptation. The current study investigated the connections between mental health, workplace adaptation and transferable athletics skills. It also explored whether workplace adaptation mediates the relationship between transferable skills and well-being. An Online survey measuring transferable skills, workplace adjustment and mental health was completed by 181 current and past collegiate student-athletes. The findings showed that workplace adaptation was positively associated with mental health and that transferable skills were significantly correlated with workplace adaptation. The relationship between transferable skills and mental health …