Digital Commons Network^™

Advancing Lithium-Ion Batteries Through Exploration Of Novel Physico-Chemical Phenomena, Peshal Karki

All Dissertations

Lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) power a wide range of modern devices, from smartphones to electric vehicles. This dissertation integrates materials characterization and electrochemical testing to develop novel Si-based electrode materials, investigate separator effects, and improve electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) modeling. First, I synthesized Si@CC composites using bio-based carbon sources and discovered a novel in situ disorder reduction in the amorphous carbon cloud during cycling, attributed to Si volume fluctuations and mesoporous carbon structure, which enhanced capacity retention. A binder-free electrode (Si@CC@BP) using bucky paper further improved gravimetric and areal capacities while reducing weight and manufacturing complexity.

Next, I investigated how separator …

Communicators In Crisis: Lessons Learned From Communications Professionals During The Great Resignation, Julia K. Longaker

All Dissertations

This study investigated the experiences of communication professionals who participated in the Great Resignation phenomenon between 2020-2022. The research questions focused on the role participants’ working relationship with leadership as it related to their decision to leave their role or pursue a new job. Ten communication professionals participated in a qualitative study comprising of an online interview discussing their experiences during the Great Resignation. Using the interview transcripts, the researcher employed grounded theory to extract recurring codes and draw conclusions based on the participants’ answers. The results of this study inform recommendations for improved working relationships between communication professionals and …

Three Essays In The Economics Of Disagreements: Incentives, Measurement And Persistence, Mustafa W. Alam

All Dissertations

This dissertation presents three chapters that contribute to the study of economic forces shaping disagreements in society.

In Chapter 1, I demonstrate that political polarization can intensify due to innovations in the information market even if a population's ideological distribution is fixed. Viewership-maximizing news firms cater to a diverse audience who assess source accuracy using noisy private signals that vary in precision and ideological bias. If better-informed consumers disproportionately migrate to newer platforms for news (e.g., the Internet), traditional media firms increase news slant to appeal more to less-informed partisans on both sides of the ideological spectrum. This leads to …

Progress Towards Uranium Isotope Ratio Measurements Directly From Cotton Swipes With The Liquid Sampling – Atmospheric Pressure Glow Discharge (Ls-Apgd) Ionization Source, Joseph V. Goodwin

All Dissertations

The liquid sampling – atmospheric pressure glow discharge (LS-APGD) ionization source is a novel microplasma ionization source capable of ionizing a diverse set of both inorganic and organic chemical species including, ionic metal constituents as well as ligated metallic species, polyaromatic hydrocarbons (PAH), halogens, proteins, and even per/poly fluorinated alkyl substances (PFAS). The ability to generate ions from diverse chemical species, known as combined atomic and molecular (CAM) ionization, is not found with traditional ionization sources. In addition, the LS-APGD is capable of coupling with mass spectrometer platforms typically reserved for “organic” mass spectrometry, such as the high-resolution Orbitrap mass …

Submissive Daughters, Empowered Daughters: Conduct Rhetoric And Evangelical Women’S Authority, Carrie Hill

All Dissertations

Submissive Daughters, Empowered Daughters: Conduct Rhetoric and Evangelical Women’s Authority explores how evangelical women rhetors navigate and rework patriarchal religious expectations through what I term conduct rhetoric. Building on the tradition of conduct literature, this project broadens the genre to include multimodal platforms—literature, radio/podcasts, television, and social media—used to instruct women in evangelical norms. Rather than passively accepting patriarchal constraints, evangelical women rhetors strategically adopt and reframe these constraints to construct rhetorical authority. Central to this study are two terms: affected piety and performative dissonance. Affected piety describes how women rhetorically present submission as the grounds for their …

Modeling Disaster Resilience Through A Human-Centered Lens: Exposure, Vulnerability And Adaptation, Tong Liu

All Dissertations

The core of reframing and operationalizing disaster resilience with a human-centered lens is to incorporate concepts from socio-ecological resilience into engineering resilience to better understand the humans’ capability for disaster adaptation. Existing studies have drawn practical implications by identifying actionable thresholds for infrastructure systems under disasters, which can be easily applied by policymakers, emergency managers and municipal agencies. However, how individuals interact with, respond to, or adapt under these infrastructure thresholds remain understudied. This hinders the operationalization of disaster resilience at the human scale.

First, I examined exposure by analyzing how configuration and distribution of urban infrastructure systems, such as …

Synthesis And Characterization Of Magnetic Nanoparticles To Study Effective Magnetic Anisotropy For Biomedical And Catalytic Applications, Alexander Malaj

All Dissertations

This dissertation focuses on understanding how to tune the magnetic properties of nanoparticles through controlling the effective magnetic anisotropy (Keff), which is a key variable in determining a nanoparticle’s Néel relaxation time, which will dictate its magnetic behavior in various applications. In this work, magnetocrystalline anisotropy is tuned by synthesizing tri-metallic substituted ferrite (Fe3-x-yMnxCoyO4) nanoparticles with specific metallic compositions that were informed by computer simulations using density functional theory (DFT) to target magnetocrystalline anisotropy values. A drip synthesis was used to control the size and composition of the tri-metallic ferrites, which were revealed to be monodisperse and compositionally mixed by …

A Convergent Mixed Methods Study Of The Social Studies Academy In South Carolina Middle Schools, Audie Cherry

All Dissertations

There is a global labor shortage in the agricultural industry and middle school is a critical time to get students serious about career decision making. The Studies of Occupations, Culture, and Innovations toward Agricultural Literacy (SOCIAL) Studies Academy is a high impact professional development program in South Carolina that provides experiences and for middle school social studies teachers (N = 12) to become more suited to teach their standards associated with the agricultural sciences with hopes of encouraging more students to pursue agricultural careers. This study was a mixed-methods convergent parallel design that examined 1) Academy Fellows (n = 4) …

Proving Character And Fitness In Illinois Bar Admissions: An Introduction To The Substantive Requirements And The Applicable Procedures, Stephen Fedo

Southern Illinois University Law Journal

Although every applicant for admission to the Illinois bar is required to demonstrate good moral character and general fitness to be licensed to practice law, few lawyers and would-be lawyers are familiar with what constitutes proof of character and fitness or the procedures by which such proof is to be made. This Article offers a general introduction to the procedural form and substantive elements of determinations of character and fitness under Illinois Supreme Court Rules. The subjects discussed are: the character and fitness process as a litigated proceeding; the relevant matters to be proved; the four levels of evidentiary review, …

Survey Of Illinois Law: Electronic Filing And Illinois Supreme Court Rule 9, Emmet C. Fairfield

Southern Illinois University Law Journal

In 2017, the Illinois Supreme Court mandated electronic filing (e-filing) in civil cases and adopted Illinois Supreme Court Rule 9 to implement the mandate, fifteen years after the court initially authorized e-filing. Since then, the court has made multiple amendments to Rule 9 and has made other efforts to implement e-filing across Illinois. Despite the court’s efforts, the rule has fostered litigation and confusion over when a document is timely and how to seek relief when an e-filing error renders a document untimely. The goal of this Survey is to provide clarity for practitioners on e-filing by examining Rule 9’s …

Constitutional Futurisms, Jeremiah Chin

Articles

How do we reckon with the past? The Supreme Court’s recent embrace of originalism as a mode of constitutional analysis relies almost exclusively on a view of history and tradition that would bind us to an understanding of principles and ideals that legitimized the exclusion of minority voices. Cases such as New York State Pistol and Rifle Ass'n v. Bruen use flavors of originalism as a framework to define rights and governmental powers through their historical antecedents, but this broad standard of interpretation is notably absent in the Court’s recent discussions of histories and traditions of racism in the United …

Seeking Existential Meaning In The “Sea Of Trees:” A Qualitative Exploration In The Depths Of Japan’S Aokigahara “Suicide” Forest, Sophia Bates

Masters Theses, 2020-current

This thesis explores the intercultural perceptions of suicidality and the role that these perceptions have on meaning of life in Japanese culture through an exploratory, autoethnographic analysis of my journey walking through Japan’s Aokigahara “suicide” Forest. In June 2024, I traveled to Fujikawaguchiko, Japan to conduct an autoethnographic analysis of my experiences walking through Aokigahara Forest using shinrin-yoku and mindful walking (Jung, 2014) as supplemental research methodologies to make empirical observations and take notes on my journey walking through suicide forest as an embodied sensory experience. Drawing upon the research and ideas of cultural anthropologist and existential philosopher Ernest Becker, …

Behind The Trend: An Examination Of Primate Content On Tiktok, Kelsie K. Strong, Lilith A. Frakes, Jessica A. Mayhew, Chelsea J. Thompson, Caroline P. Ratliff

Anthropology Faculty Publications and Presentations

Social media platforms today are teeming with images of wildlife as pets, and studies have emerged investigating the role social media plays on the public's perception of primates and their desirability as pets. This study explores the presentation of nonhuman primates and video engagement, defined as user interactions through likes, comments, shares, and views, on the social media platform TikTok. We examined 1378 videos from 173 different TikTok content creators sharing primate videos. Most content depicted primates within a household (43.1%), indicating they are often shown in the context of being pets. This is cause for concern because the portrayal …

Understanding The Experiences And Perceptions Of Faculty Supporting Undergraduate Students With Mental Health Challenges, Jenna Ranee Parbati Jamieson

Dissertations

College is a big adjustment for students, and it doesn't come without its challenges, including being in a new place with new responsibilities. This is a stressful time that presents new obstacles and frustrations that can lead to increased stress, anxiety, depression, and mental health challenges that may cause faculty to engage and support undergraduate students with mental health challenges. As students adjust and transition to college, it is vital for university faculty to feel confident and comfortable supporting students from diverse backgrounds with varying levels of distress. By interviewing faculty, a better understanding of their lived experiences and perceptions …

The Effect Of Strategic Awareness On Organizational Brilliance: An Analytical Research In Dhi Qar Oil Company, Sherouk Naeem Jabbar, Suheir Adel Hamed

Journal of Economics and Administrative Sciences

The research deals with the impact of strategic awareness and its dimensions (Reframing, System Thinking, Reflecting, and Learning Orientation) on organizational Brilliance and its dimensions (Leadership Brilliance, Service Brilliance, and Knowledge Brilliance) of Dhi Qar Oil company. The research addresses the following question: “To what extent does strategic awareness affect the organizational brilliance of Dhi Qar Oil Company?”. The study followed the descriptive analytical approach to ensure the accuracy of the results and conclusions. The sample included the general manager and his assistants, directors of bodies, department managers, and division managers. Data were collected using a questionnaire distributed to 113 …

The Impact Of Social Marketing On Sustainable Development Goals: Aims & Challenges: An Analytical Study Of A Sample Of Mosul University Students, Anas Maaroof, Zainab Alhamdani, Omar Q. Alshebly, Abdulhamid Adam, Mohammed Alblewi, Murat Dedeoğlu

Journal of Economics and Administrative Sciences

This study aims to identify the impact of social marketing on the sustainable development goals at the University of Mosul. The study consists of two main variables: the independent variable, which includes social marketing, and the four dimensions: social product, social price, social promotion, and social distribution. The dependent variable represents the sustainable development goals, whose dimensions consist of: Goal 1: No Poverty, Goal 2: Zero Hunger, Goal 3: Good Health, and Goal 4: Quality Education. This research paper highlight on social marketing as a modern trend in business organizations linked to sustainable development goals, which has led many companies …

Technical Study And Conservation Treatment Of A Painted Wooden Figure, Attributed As An 18th-Century American Sternboard, Sutton Hastman

Art Conservation Master's Projects

This study focuses on the investigation of an object owned by the Memorial Art Gallery (MAG) that was cataloged as an 18th -century American sternboard. The MAG shared concerns regarding the object’s provenance and whether the object was correctly identified. Technical analysis, including multimodal photography, x-ray fluorescence spectroscopy (XRF), scanning electron microscopy with energy dispersive x-ray spectroscopy (SEM/EDX) and wood identification, was conducted to inform the museum on the fabrication of the object and on its material components. The information collected was examined alongside historical research regarding the authenticity of the provenance, aiming to better understand the nature of the …

Clostridioides (Clostridium) Difficile In Children And Adolescents In The Community In Cambodia, Lengsea Eng, Paul Turner, Kefyalew Addis Alene, Deirdre A. Collins, Su Chen Lim, Pisey Tan, Sona Soeng, Dylorng Hun, Sotera Yohn, Sarim Vong, Archie C.A. Clements, Thomas V. Riley

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Background: Clostridioides (Clostridium) difficile transmission between community and healthcare settings has been increasingly reported. We aimed to identify the prevalence and molecular epidemiology of C. difficile colonising adolescents and non-hospitalised children in Cambodia. Methods: Stool samples were collected from 266 students at the University of Health Sciences (UHS) in Phnom Penh, between July and August 2022, and 246 children ≥1 year old visiting the outpatient department (OPD) at Angkor Hospital for Children in Siem Reap, between January and August 2022. C. difficile culture, toxin gene detection and PCR ribotyping were performed. Results: Overall, C. difficile was recovered from 07/266 specimens …

Parenting In The Age Of Social Media: The Buffering Effect Of Parental Self-Efficacy On The Relationship Between Parental Social Media Use And Parent Child-Relationship Quality, Celeste Tipple, Cindy Branch-Smith

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

The widespread use of technology in daily life has raised concerns about its potential to disrupt social relationships, particularly within one of the most important human relationships: the parent-child relationship. This study assesses whether parental social media use (measured by a novel parental social media intensity scale) affects the parent-child relationship (measured by the child-parent relationship scale – short form), and whether parental self-efficacy (PSE, measured by the parenting sense of competence scale) moderates this effect. A cross-sectional, online survey study using correlational methods was utilised, with a final sample of 89 parents and caregivers (71.9 % women), averaging 42.6 …

Ed-Filter: Dynamic Feature Filtering For Eating Disorder Classification, Mehdi Naseriparsa, Suku Sukunesan, Zhen Cai, Osama Alfarraj, Amr Tolba, Saba Fathi Rabooki, Feng Xia

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Eating disorders (ED) are critical psychiatric problems that have alarmed the mental health community. Mental health professionals are increasingly recognizing the utility of data derived from social media platforms such as Twitter. However, high dimensionality and extensive feature sets of Twitter data present remarkable challenges for ED classification. To overcome these hurdles, we introduce a novel method, an informed branch and bound search technique known as ED-Filter. This strategy significantly improves the drawbacks of conventional feature selection algorithms such as filters and wrappers. ED-Filter iteratively identifies an optimal set of promising features that maximize the eating disorder classification accuracy. In …

Impact Of Biodegradation On The Mechanical And Fatigue Properties Of 3d-Printed Pla Bone Scaffolds, Hamed Bakhtiari, Alireza Nouri, Muhammad Aamir, Mohadeseh Najafi, Majid Tolouei-Rad

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

A proper degradation rate of bone scaffolds ensures optimal mechanical support and effective tissue regeneration. The present study examines the degradation effects of simulated body fluids (SBF) on the compressive and fatigue strength of 3D-printed PLA bone scaffolds. Scaffolds with varying surface-to-volume (S/V) ratios and identical porosity (60 %) were immersed in Hanks' solution for a maximum period of 30 days. Static and dynamic compression tests were performed at different immersion times to assess how S/V ratio influences the degradation process. CT images showed that scaffold pore structure remained interconnected after biodegradation, with no significant change in strut thickness or …

A Single Bout Of Resistance Or High-Intensity Interval Training Increases Anti-Cancer Myokines And Suppresses Cancer Cell Growth In Vitro In Survivors Of Breast Cancer, Francesco Bettariga, Dennis R. Taaffe, Cristina Crespo-Garcia, Timothy D. Clay, Mauro De Santi, Giulia Baldelli, Sanjeev Adhikari, Elin S. Gray, Daniel A. Galvão, Robert U. Newton

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Purpose: Breast cancer is the leading cause of cancer-related death in women, highlighting the need for strategies to mitigate recurrence and mortality. We examined the effects of a single bout of resistance training (RT) versus high-intensity interval training (HIIT) on anti-cancer myokines and in vitro cancer cell suppression. Methods: Thirty-two survivors of breast cancer were randomly allocated to a single bout of RT (n = 16) or HIIT (n = 16). Blood was collected before, immediately post (0P) and 30 min post (30P) exercise. We measured serum levels of decorin, interleukin 6 (IL-6), secreted protein acidic and rich in cysteine …

Compassionate Self-Care For Nurses And Midwives: A Sequential Explanatory Mixed Methods Study, Mary Steen, Shwikar Othman, Jennifer Fereday, Annette Briley, Qunyan Xu, Rachael Vernon

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Background: Awareness of being kind and compassionate to yourself is often overlooked despite emerging evidence that high levels of self-compassion decrease levels of anxiety and improves well-being. Aim: To explore what being compassionate to yourself means to nurses and midwives and increase knowledge and understanding of how self-compassion may enhance well-being. Methods: Mixed methods study design was utilised to investigate and explore the influence of self-compassion on nurses and midwives' well-being. Phase 1 involved quantitative data collection and analysis. Phase 2 qualitative data were collected to expand on quantitative results. Results: Fifty-four participants responded to a pre-workshop questionnaire, 55 completed …

Digital Tools To Promote Or Measure Health Literacy In Children Aged 3–5 Years: Scoping Review, Caron Molster, Jennifer Irvine, Amanda Devine, Ruth Wallace, Lennie Barblett, Leesa Costello

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Health literacy is a determinant of health that should be promoted and measured in early childhood. In the era of digitalization, this could involve digital platforms. However, little knowledge exists on the extent, range, and nature of literature on digital tools for promoting or measuring young children’s health literacy. Addressing this gap, a scoping review was undertaken to explore what digital health literacy tools for children aged 3–5 years could be identified in the literature, what their key features were, how they were designed, whether children were codesigners, and whether the tools had been evaluated. Eligibility criteria included the literature …

Discordance Of Small Dense Ldl Cholesterol Beyond Ldl Cholesterol Or Non–Hdl Cholesterol And Carotid Plaque, Jinqi Wang, Xiaoyu Zhao, Yanchen Zhao, Rui Jin, Yunfei Li, Jiahe Wang, Yueruijing Liu, Zhiyuan Wu, Xiuhua Guo, Lixin Tao

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Background: Different low-density lipoprotein (LDL) particles exhibit distinct proatherogenic properties. Objectives: This study sought to evaluate associations of small dense low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (sdLDL-C), large buoyant low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (lbLDL-C), sdLDL-C/LDL-C ratio, and sdLDL-C/lbLDL-C ratio with carotid plaque (CP) risk in the general population, and to perform discordance analyses to determine which biomarker better reflects CP risk beyond low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) and non–high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (non-HDL-C). Methods: This study enrolled 20,369 participants from Beijing Health Management Cohort. Discordant sdLDL-C, lbLDL-C, or ratio metrics (sdLDL-C/LDL-C and sdLDL-C/lbLDL-C) relative to LDL-C or non-HDL-C, and discordant ratio metrics relative to sdLDL-C, were …

Exploring Behavioural Motivations Of Treatment Refusal In Cancer: A Q-Methodological Approach, Ruby Koyllor A. Gleeson, Nicolas H. Hart, Darren Haywood, Frank D. Baughman

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Background: Cancer treatment refusal is known to lower survival rates and increase cancer symptoms in individuals with cancer. Behavioural motivations of treatment refusal need to be elucidated for better cancer care. Using Q-methodology, a mixed methods research approach, we explored behavioural motivations of treatment refusal in individuals diagnosed with cancer. Method: Thirty-nine individuals (n = 39; age = 49.2 ± 12.2 years) were recruited from Australia, the UK, and the USA, who had refused cancer treatment within the past decade. Participants completed an online demographic questionnaire and a Q-sort activity which required the organisation and ranking of 44 statements on …

Welding Fume In The Western Australian Mining Industry: Impact Of A Change To The Workplace Exposure Standard, Matthew Oosthuizen, Kerry Staples, Adelle Liebenberg, Kiam Padamsey, Marcus Cattani, Andy Mccarthy, Jacques Oosthuizen

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

The aim of this study was to analyse the Western Australian (WA) Safety Regulatory System (SRS) database to assess compliance of the WA mining sector regarding workers exposure to welding fumes and to identify trends over time. De-identified data analysed to assess the impact of reducing workplace exposure standards (WES) for general welding fumes on industry compliance. Historical trend analysis shows a shift from 100% compliance to 100% non-compliance, based on mean values and 95% confidence intervals, with exposure levels remaining consistent over time. These findings highlight the need for current, innovative engineering solutions, and raise questions about the validity …

A Global Movement Takes Shape – Physical Activity, Health, And The New Era Of Responsibility: “Global Alliance For Promotion Of Physical Activity”, J. M. Steinacker, W. Van Mechelen, C. Joisten, S. Zanuso, C. A. Jaworski, Y. P. Pitsiladis

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

No abstract provided.

High Flying Adored: How Ceo Narcissism Influences Firms’ Responses To Above-Aspiration Performance With Risky Organizational Change, Korcan Kavusan, Daniel Mack, Matthew P. Mount, Gokhan Ertug

Research Collection Lee Kong Chian School Of Business

Research Summary: Research on performance feedback presents conflicting views on how above-aspiration performance influences organizational change. Some studies argue that it constrains change due to a lack of organizational motivation, while others suggest that it enables change by expanding managerial discretion. Reconciling these perspectives, we suggest that managers’ narcissistic tendencies can fundamentally alter how a firm responds to above-aspiration performance. We theorize and find evidence that high-narcissism CEOs respond to above-aspiration performance with more acquisitions—attention-generating actions that align with their self-enhancement motives, while under similar conditions low-narcissism CEOs avoid acquisitions, due to their uncertainty and risk. Our findings highlight the …

Impact Of Patient Diaries On Children, Families, And Healthcare Professionals In Paediatric Intensive Care Settings: A Scoping Review, Fiona Lynch, Jos M Latour, Ruth Endacott

School of Nursing and Midwifery

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this scoping review was to understand the current landscape, features, and volume of evidence that address the review question: what is the impact of Paediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU) patient diaries on children, families, and healthcare professionals (HCPs)? To provide context: descriptions of diary models was also provided.

METHOD: The search strategy was structured using the Population, Concept, and Context model to focus the review question. The inclusion criteria were intentionally broad to include all studies published in English from January 2016 until November 2024. The databases CINAHL, Medline, and EMBASE were used to retrieve articles, …