Digital Commons Network^™

From Cities To Ranches: Assessing Public Support For Jaguar (Panthera Onca) Conservation And Livestock Predation In Colombia, Luz Angelica Solano

All Dissertations

Jaguars are among the most emblematic large carnivores worldwide. Nonetheless, the species has declined by 25% in less than 25 years and their range has been reduced by 55%, approximately, primarily due to habitat loss from increasing agricultural development, retaliatory killings from human-jaguar conflict, and overhunting of their natural prey. Given the anthropogenic nature of these threats, developing effective coexistence strategies and public support for jaguar conservation are increasingly urgent for the continued persistence of this species. I conducted a scoping review to assess trends and gaps in the existing peer-reviewed literature, grey literature, and news articles related to human-jaguar …

Interactions Of Biorational And Synthetic Dmi Fungicides For Control Of Fruit Diseases, Johanna Wesche

All Dissertations

Biological fungicides are increasingly investigated as sustainable alternatives to synthetic fungicides in fruit crop protection. This dissertation examines the interactions between two commercial biological fungicides, Bacillus subtilis AFS032321 (Theia) and metabolites of Pseudomonas chlororaphis AFS009 (Howler EVO); and demethylation inhibitor (DMI) fungicides, with a focus on compatibility, synergistic potential, and resistance implications. In vitro assays revealed that commonly used DMI fungicides difenoconazole, metconazole, tebuconazole, and propiconazole inhibited vegetative growth of B. subtilis at concentrations above 50 µg/ml, whereas mefentrifluconazole promoted colony expansion. Under controlled conditions, lesion development on detached fruit was inhibited synergistically when Theia was combined with the growth-promoting …

Empowering Employability: Voices Of Black Women Leveraging Community Cultural Wealth In An Undergraduate Agricultural Program, Rose Marie Somers

All Dissertations

Across the nation, agricultural industry professionals have bemoaned the shortage of qualified professionals, expressing an expanding need for graduates with a blend of discipline-specific and employability skills to advance the sector. Research indicates that the future of the US agriculture sector hinges on a diverse and skilled workforce. Yet, a paucity of literature exists on Black women's enduring legacy, experiences, and how they understand and develop 21st-century critical transferable professional competencies needed to address complex challenges in modern agriculture. Black women have a long tradition in agriculture and a wealth of cultural knowledge, skills and innovations that are untapped. This …

In A Safe-Space Of Her Own: Alice's Journey Through A Traumatized Wonderland To Find Attunement And Recovery, Cheston A. Axton

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Throughout Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland/Through the Looking-Glass’s 160-year existence, Lewis Carroll’s seven-year-old protagonist has experienced many changes and alterations. With an ever-growing pop culture interest, Alice’s original narrative has undergone numerous adaptations, with each new variation diving deeper into the impact of trauma on Wonderland.

This thesis continues this existing discourse by examining Wonderland’s capacity to facilitate recovery in the aftermath of severe trauma. Through this research, the traumatic experiences of Alice, from Christina Henry’s The Chronicles of Alice: Alice and American McGee’s Alice: Madness Returns, are examined concerning their effect(s) on her construction of Wonderland, as …

From The Battlefield To The Archive: Tracing Testimony In Holocaust Memory, Tiana M. Taliep

War, Diplomacy, and Society (MA) Theses

This thesis portfolio examines the evolving role of testimony in shaping public memory of World War II and the Holocaust. As the last generation of eyewitnesses passes, societies increasingly rely on preserved, mediated forms of testimony to understand and remember traumatic pasts. Testimony, whether handwritten, oral, visual, or digital, is not a neutral historical record but an interpretive act shaped by cultural, political, and technological forces. This portfolio argues that testimony functions as evidence and expression: it transmits trauma across generations while simultaneously reflecting the changing frameworks through which war and genocide are remembered.

The portfolio explores testimony in personal, …

Investigating The Impact Of Instructor Presence In Lecture Videos On Learning Experiences: A Comparative Study, Keone K. Fuqua

Graduate Theses and Dissertations (2019 - present)

As online learning continues to grow, understanding how instructional design features influence student experience becomes increasingly important. One critical feature in video-based instruction in instructor presence - the degree to which the instructor is visually or vocally present in the lesson. The purpose of this study was to investigate how varying levels of instructor presence in asynchronous lector videos affect students' perceived relatedness, satisfaction, engagement, content retention, and cognitive effort.

A mixed methods experimental design was employed, with 93 undergraduate and graduate students from a public university randomly assigned to one of three video lesson conditions: Full Presence (instructor visible …

Chance Or Strategy? Assessing The Unanticipated Policy Window For Active Transportation During The Covid-19 Pandemic: A Systematic Review, Katja Siefken, Michael Pratt, Juliana Mejía-Grueso, Adrian Bauman, Deborah Salvo, Catherine B Woods, Wanda Wendel-Vos, Justin Richards, J Jaime Miranda, Pedro C Hallal, Andrea Ramírez Varela

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Physical activity (PA) policy is essential for promoting population-level PA by coordinating efforts across various sectors. Global crises like the COVID-19 pandemic can open policy windows, enabling rapid implementation of innovative policies. This study examined how policy windows shaped active transportation (AT) policies during the pandemic, resulting in infrastructural changes.

Methods: A systematic review using PubMed, Scopus, ProQuest-Coronavirus Research Database, Web of Science, WHO COVID-19 Research Database, PsycInfo, and SPORTDiscus conducted to characterize AT policy during the pandemic (2020-2023). Descriptive analyses were conducted in Stata. PROSPERO registration number: CRD42025644930.

Results: The search retrieved 3879 articles; 1162 were duplicates, leaving 2716 …

Evaluating The Antimicrobial Properties Of Different Dental Cleaning Tablets Against S Aureus Grown On Two Denture Base Materials, Sindi Vishaj, Alissa Villhauer, Mandi Morris, Donald M Belles, Daher Antonio Queiroz, Maria D Gonzalez, Ransome Van Der Hoeven

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Objectives: This study aimed to evaluate the antimicrobial efficacy of three commercially available denture cleaning tablets Efferdent, Polident, and Val-clean against Staphylococcus aureus biofilms formed on two denture base materials: milled polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) and 3D printed denture resin.

Material and methods: Eighty samples were fabricated, with 40 specimens per denture base material: CAD/CAM milled PMMA (Lucitone Digital Fit LT; Dentsply Sirona, Charlotte, NC, USA) and 3D printed resin (Denture Base Resin; Formlabs Inc., Somerville, MA, USA). Each group was divided into four subgroups (n = 10), Efferdent, Polident, Val-clean, and deionized water (control). Surface roughness was measured using a …

The Power Of Social Capital For First-Generation College Students, Inez M. Gonzalez Perezchica

Journal of College Access

First-generation college students (FGCS) face unique challenges in achieving career success, challenges which stem from limited access to social capital. Social capital refers to the value derived from access to social structures, which serve as resources that enable individuals to pursue and attain their interests (Coleman, 1988). Enhancing mentoring for FGCS requires an understanding of how social capital facilitates success and upward mobility. FGCS face information gaps that can hinder their ability to navigate college bureaucracy, advance their careers, and beyond. To address this information gap, FGCS can seek advisors and mentors, or institutional agents, who can provide critical insights …

Beyond The Bananas: Grief, Grace, & The Groove, Abby L. Asher

Research Papers

The term 'participatory documentary' was first coined by Bill Nichols, a documentary theorist. He describes it as a mode of documentary where the observer interacts with the observed, and the filmmaker becomes a subject of the film. What started as a little documentary about a minor league baseball team's line dance group composed of women over the age of 65, shifted when tragedy hit the 'observer'. It turned out these ladies were now in the right place at the right time to help guide the documentary maker out of her grief. What resulted was a new documentary with a participatory …

Hydrolysis Of Cellulose And Cellulose Model D-Cellobiose Using Amino-Sulfonic Acid Hydrochlorides As Catalysts, Jesse C. Nwankwo

All Theses

The accelerated industrialization has boosted the demand for fossil fuels, increasing prices and greenhouse gas emissions, which has led to a quest for cleaner energy sources such as biofuels. Cellulose, a common biopolymer, is promising for renewable energy but is not hydrolysis-resistant. In this research, firstly, nine amino-sulfonic acids, orthanilic, aminomethanesulfonic, pyridine-3-sulfonic, 2-aminoethanesulfonic, 3-amino-1-propanesulfonic, and 3-morpholinopropanesulfonic acids, sulfanilic, and metanilic were investigated as model catalysts for cellulose hydrolysis. D-cellobiose, a more simplified model of cellulose, was similarly hydrolyzed using metanilic and sulfanilic acids and benchmarked against sulfuric acid. At 85 - 115°C, sulfanilic acid produced 76% glucose yield compared to …

Using Livestreaming Technology To Answer Novel Questions About The Behavior And Physiological Ecology Of The Prairie Rattlesnake (Crotalus Viridis), Max C. Roberts

Master's Theses

Recent advances in remote monitoring technology are opening up new opportunities for developing innovative natural history and biological research methodologies. In particular, the emergence of livestreaming camera technology has made recording remote video of wild and secretive animals much easier and made it possible to collect data at extremely fine temporal resolutions. In 2024, Project RattleCam launched a livestreaming camera at a Prairie Rattlesnake (Crotalus viridis) den in Colorado. The goal of this work was to study Prairie Rattlesnake behavior 24-7 throughout the species’ active season with minimal human disturbance. Additionally, I used this system to study the …

Investigating Rattlesnake Social Networks And Improving Their Public Image Through Unobtrusive Technologies And Community Science, Owen M. Bachhuber

Master's Theses

While technology is often blamed for humans’ increasing disconnect with nature, it can also serve as a tool to facilitate empathy and conservation action for wildlife. Snakes are among the most feared animals on the planet, though their understudied social interactions provide opportunities to make scientific discoveries and change public perceptions. Project RattleCam was founded as a camera trap project in 2021 and launched the first off-grid livestream on a den of wild Prairie Rattlesnakes (Crotalus viridis) in 2024. Both camera types captured hundreds of Prairie Rattlesnakes gathering in the summer as they prepared to give birth to pups before …

Taming The Wild Tongue Of Frida Kahlo: An Analysis Of Translation As Adaptation In Personal Narratives, Alyse K. Deatherage

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

This thesis discusses topics of adaptation and translation theory by looking at the way Frida Kahlo’s diary has been transformed through both adaptation and translations of it in the texts The Diary of Frida Kahlo: An Intimate Self-Portrait and The Diary of Frida Kahlo: A New Perspective. Scholars have paid much attention to the connections between Kahlo’s diary and her portraits, focusing on artistic critique and the painter’s diary as a drafting space for what eventually became her famous self-portraits. Researchers have also documented Frida Kahlo’s artistic and cultural influences in Mexico and abroad. However, none have addressed the …

"Esta Es Mi Tierra, Esta Es Mi Lucha" An Analysis Of The Intersectional Latino Immigrant Community Organizing In Maywood, California, Alma D. Alvarado

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

The city of Maywood serves as a microscope for major systemic issues that happen on a global scale and are often magnified in the Los Angeles area. The location and timeframe serve to analyze how Latino immigrant communities in southeast Los Angeles faced discrimination in the late 90s and early 2000’s. This study shows how these communities come together and organize to combat major problems, exploring topics like immigration, housing, environmental justice, policing, and overall community organizing. This story focuses on how an underrepresented community without a voice became politicized. Maywood is a town that struggles in progress, but its …

Knowledge And Perceptions Of Prebiotics And Probiotics Among University Students, Itzel Martinez

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

Background: Gut health gained significant attention in recent years, with prebiotics and probiotics widely promoted for their potential health benefits. However, misinformation about this topic was common, particularly among young adults who were heavily influenced by social media and advertising on health-related topics. Research studies had indicated that knowledge and perceptions of prebiotics and probiotics are based on factors such as age, gender, and academic background. This study aimed to assess the knowledge and perceptions of university students on prebiotic and probiotic foods, identify commonly used resources for information, and analyze the impact of media and demographic variables on their …

Predicting Music Origin With Deep Learning, Fruzsina Ladanyi

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

This project explores the usage of a late fusion deep learning architecture to predict the geographic origin of music. Mel-Frequency Cepstral Coefficients (MFCCs) and the language of the music sample are used as features. MFCCs were extracted from audio files to capture sound features. The language was identified using OpenAI’s Whisper model to provide additional context. A late fusion neural network architecture combining Long Short-Term Memory (LSTM) layers for sequential MFCC input and dense layers for non-sequential language features were employed to support both classification and regression tasks. The classification model achieved an accuracy of 33.03% across 56 countries or …

Antibacterial Effect Of Ethanol Extracts Of Murraya Paniculata Leaves, Smallanthus Sonchifolius Leaves, Apis Trigona Honey, And Their Combination Against Staphylococcus Epidermidis, Sri Agung Fitri Kusuma, Irma Erika Herawati, Felika Nugrahaningtiyas

Chimica et Natura Acta

Several studies have reported that combining plant extracts may enhance their efficacy against specific bacterial infections. This study aimed to analyze the antibacterial interaction of ethanol extracts of Murraya paniculata leaves, Smallanthus sonchifolius leaves, Apis trigona honey, and their combinations against Staphylococcus epidermidis ATCC 12228, as each component has shown individual antibacterial activity against this bacterium. The antibacterial interactions of the test materials, both individually and in combination, were evaluated using the agar diffusion method with clindamycin phosphate as the standard antibiotic. The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of the most potent extract was determined through the microdilution method according to …

In-Silico Of Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor Receptor-2 (Vegfr-2) Inhibitors Of Seven Bioactive Compounds From Sonneratia Alba, Madyawati Latief, Fitria Melani, Yusnaidar Yusnaidar, Indra Lasmana Tarigan

Chimica et Natura Acta

Cancer is a disorder resulting from genetic changes, abnormal growth, and spread to other parts of the body. Cancer treatment is commonly administered through chemotherapy, which often results in adverse side effects. Therefore, research is essential to identify safer alternative cancer therapies. This study aims to identify potential bioactive compound ligand receptor targets from Sonneratia alba as anticancer candidates in silico by identifying VEGFR target proteins based on their pharmacophores and studying their interactions through the reverse docking method. Docking simulations between the native ligand (Tivozanib) and the receptor yielded promising results, with a free energy value of -12.76 kcal/mol …

Maggot As A Bioconversion Agent Of Cow Blood Waste And Date Pulp Into Feed Raw Materials: A Chemical Profile Study, Imra Atun Helmi, Hidayati Nufus, Ikrima Ahdavia, Muhamad Farid, Ahmad Sjahriza

Chimica et Natura Acta

Cow blood waste and date residue become environmental problems if not appropriately managed. So far, there has yet to be any special management to handle the waste. On the other hand, cow blood waste and date pulp can be efficiently decomposed by maggots. This research was carried out to utilize organic waste as maggot cultivation by producing animal feed materials high in protein and fat, and to determine the best composition in the feed medium. Maggot feed treatment consisted of household organic waste as P0, mixed feed as P1, the ratio of cow blood waste to date pulp P2 (1:1), …

Smu Launches International Tax Research Initiative With Grant From The Tax Academy Of Singapore, Singapore Management University

SMU Press Releases and News

Singapore Management University (SMU) Yong Pung How School of Law (YPHSL) and Tax Academy of Singapore announced the establishment of the Singapore Tax Academy Research Initiative (STARI) which will be undertaken by YPHSL’s Centre for Commercial Law in Asia. Supported by a grant from the Tax Academy of Singapore, this initiative aims to both contribute to the international tax academic community and serve the body of tax professionals in Singapore through three main streams of work: 1) conduct world-class international tax research; 2) develop local academic capacity in taxation; and 3) build links with international thought-leaders in taxation.

Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Gender Expansive, And Queer+ Client Experiences Discussing Consensual Nonmonogamy In Therapy: An Interpretive Phenomenological Analysis, Evan Wendell Engle-Newman

Dissertations

This dissertation presents the findings from an Interpretive Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) study on how lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, gender expansive, and queer+ (LGBTGEQ+) clients experience discussing consensual nonmonogamy (CNM) in therapy. This study explored how five individuals made meaning of their experiences discussing CNM with current or prior therapists. The meaning they made of these experiences were situated in the context of social and cultural factors that influenced their discussions of CNM in therapy.

There were three research questions for this study including one primary question and two guiding sub-questions. The primary question was: what are the experiences of LGBTGEQ+ …

Investigating Undergraduate Students’ Statistical Literacy In Media Contexts, Samuel Waters

Dissertations

As the uses of data in society continue to expand, it is vital to prepare students to engage with data in meaningful and critical ways. Undergraduate introductory statistics courses provide an opportunity for students to develop important knowledge and skills for interpreting and questioning statistical information in social contexts. The purpose of this convergent mixed methods study was to use quantitative assessment data and qualitative interview data to investigate the statistical literacy of students in an undergraduate introductory statistics course in media contexts. This study defined statistical literacy using Watson and Callingham’s (2003) six-level construct. Specifically, this study investigated students’ …

Revealing The Impacts Of Teachers’ Lived Experiences With Burnout: An Educational Criticism Study, Joanna Laurx

Dissertations

The purpose of this educational criticism study is to describe the experiences of burnout for four teachers in a western state school district. To represent and illustrate these experiences, Eisner’s methodology, educational connoisseurship and criticism, was utilized. Three research questions guided this study; How do teachers describe experiences of burnout?; How do teachers describe the impact of curriculum on burnout?; How do teachers perceive burnout impacts their instruction and interactions with students? Data for this study was collected on the four participants through a one-on-one interview, two focus groups, two classroom observations, and artifacts and analyzed using emotions and values …

Beliefs Of California And Colorado Parents, School Professionals, And School Administrators Around Providing Comprehensive Sexuality Education To School-Aged Youth With Intellectual And Developmental Disabilities, Michelle Aleen Kalos

Dissertations

People with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) are victims of sexual assault at a rate seven times higher than people without IDD (Shapiro, 2018a). “One of the best ways to stop sexual assault is to give people with intellectual disabilities the ability to identify abuse and to know how to develop the healthy relationships they want” (Shapiro, 2018b, p. 1). Comprehensive sexuality education (CSE) could be a scientifically accurate, evidence-based, age-appropriate, culturally relevant, and inclusive educational experience for youth with IDD (Koch et al., 2024). However, only around 16% of students with IDD were likely to receive sex education in …

Internalized Heterosexism Through Intersectionality: An Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis, Devon Alexandra Monica Bortfeld

Dissertations

While the impact of LGBQ+ individuals experiencing overt, interpersonal discrimination (i.e., heterosexism) is well-documented, the propensity for stigmatization, invisibilization, and violence to be internalized by LGBQ+ has only recently been examined as a factor contributing to poorer health outcomes. Internalized heterosexism (IH) was defined as the consumption and internalization of negative societal attitudes, assumptions, and beliefs towards homosexuality by LGBQ+ individuals and was linked to multiple forms of psychological distress. However, the methodological and clinical gaps in the research contributed to a clinical utility that was lacking for multiply marginalized LGBQ+ individuals. The purpose of this study aimed to understand …

Investigating The Impact Of Adaptive Sports And Recreation Involvement For Veterans, Ashley Bowen

All Dissertations

Adaptive sports and recreation programs offer a promising complementary recreation-based treatment option for veterans with service-connected disabilities and health conditions, and these programs can positively impact veterans’ lives. The many biopsychosocial benefits of veteran adaptive sport and recreation participation have been researched, but studies focused on measuring the broader impact of these programs are new. The Experience Type Framework (ETF) and its associated measures, the Experience Impact Scale (EIS) and Experience Type Scale (ETS), offer options for measuring that broader impact. The purpose of this study was to examine the impact of adaptive sports and recreation experiences for veterans, explore …

Radiation Induced Vaporization Of Exoskeletal Droplets As Potential X-Ray Acoustic Contrast Agents, Mohamed E. Eldib, William N. Frantz, Mark A. Borden, Ryan Lanning, Moyed Miften, David H. Thomas

Department of Radiation Oncology Faculty Papers

BACKGROUND: In vivo dosimetry is a crucial component of ensuring accurate and safe radiation therapy (RT) delivery, but many existing techniques face challenges such as low signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), which can limit their clinical applicability.

PURPOSE: In this study, we investigate a novel contrast agent sensitive to megavoltage (MV) radiation in vitro, ultimately aiming for in vivo dosimetry.

METHODS: Vaporizable exoskeletal droplets were engineered to phase-change into ultrasound-responsive microbubbles upon exposure to MV photon radiation. These droplets comprised a hydrocarbon (HC) exoskeleton doped with gold nanoparticles (GNPs) surrounding a liquid fluorocarbon (FC) core. Radiation absorbed by the GNPs induced localized …

Evaluation Of The Zanesville-Muskingum County Ohio’S Mosquito And Tick Disease Vector Control Program, Samantha Wantz

Capstone Experience: Master of Public Health

This project aimed to evaluate the Zanesville – Muskingum County Health Department’s (ZMCHD) Vector Control Program based on performance measures, program indicators, and customer satisfaction. A secondary goal of the project is to evaluate and revise the existing policies and procedures of the program in regards specifically to the safety of the intern. Based on information from the Ohio Department of Health infectious disease dashboard, in the last 10 years (2014-2024) Muskingum County has reported 12 total cases of La Crosse virus, one case of West Nile Virus, and one case of Malaria (Ohio Department of Health, 2024a). ZMCHD has …

Supporting Autistic Students' Mental Wellness: A Community Readiness Model Approach, Cady Walker

Capstone Experience: Master of Public Health

Autism spectrum disorder or difference (ASD) is a lifelong neurodevelopmental disability, usually identified during childhood. However, many adults miss the opportunity for diagnosis during childhood due to previous misunderstandings about autism presentation, camouflaging behaviors, and misdiagnoses. While current diagnostic tools for assessing autism in children are more robust, similar measures are lacking for adults who were not diagnosed in childhood. This gap poses risks for poor mental health outcomes among adults who missed a timely ASD diagnosis, which can be especially challenging for autistic college students. Although some higher education institutions offer support programs for autistic students, most do not, …