Digital Commons Network^™

Customizing Ai Strategies Across Multiple Generations, Matthew Harrer

Theses

This project investigates how artificial intelligence can help brands and marketers connect more effectively with Generation X, Millennials, and Generation Z. The literature review lays the groundwork that focuses on consumer behaviors and the integration of AI into digital marketing practices for each generation. The second part of the project involves a secondary data analysis of 21 recent marketing surveys and reports that explores topics related to trust, personalization, and social media. By integrating the findings into an insightful guidebook, marketers will be able to maximize these insights into clear actionable strategies.

Fostering Resilience Through Near Peer Mentorship In Elementary School, Bway Paw

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects

Near-peer mentoring involves pairing students with peers who are close in age but slightly more advanced in experience ensures the students' needs are met in ways that feel supportive and accessible. This capstone project explores how peer mentoring fosters social-emotional resilience in elementary students. The project is designed for a ten-week curriculum using the Minnesota SEL standard, which uses CASEL’s five competencies to be integrated into the classroom. Frameworks that carry this project include Bandura's social learning theory and self-efficacy, Vygotsky's Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD), Identity-Based Motivation (IBM), along with Masten’s ordinary magic. Research on resilience highlights that resilience …

Childhood Obesity Body Mass Index And Gut Microbiome: A Cluster Randomized Controlled Pilot Feasibility Study, Marilyn Frenn, Nita Salzman, Vy Lam, Mary Holtz, Andrea Moosreiner, Mauricio Garnier-Villarreal, Maharaj Singh

College of Nursing Faculty Research and Publications

Background:

Prebiotic fiber has been examined as a way to foster gut bacteria less associated with obesity. Tests of prebiotic fiber in reducing obesity have occurred mainly in animals, adults, and Caucasians when the highest obesity rates are in African American and Latinx youth. Response to prebiotic fiber is determined by the pre-existing intestinal microbiota. The type of microbiota varies based on diet and physical activity (PA), so it is important to examine acceptability and response to prebiotic fiber in those most at risk for obesity.

Methods:

This cluster randomized controlled feasibility trial included an online program designed to improve …

Navigating Through Difficult Roads And Terrains: Novice Teachers’ Challenges In Teaching In Remote Mountainous Settings In The Philippines, Albert C. Albina, Sarah Jean A. Salmorin, Dannyla N. Cainos, Rhea Mae C. Montano

The Rural Educator

In rural areas, the adaptation of urban-originating elementary teachers to remote mountainous school locations poses substantial challenges and necessitates innovative strategies. This study primarily explored the lived experiences of newly hired elementary teachers residing in urban areas but assigned to remote mountainous locations, specifically focusing on their adaptation processes, the challenges they encountered, and support mechanisms that influenced their teaching roles. Using a descriptive phenomenological approach and reflexive thematic analysis, this study involved in-depth interviews with nine newly hired urban-originating elementary teachers who were assigned to teach in rural schools in the Municipality of Santa Catalina, Basay, and Bayawan City, …

Distinct Patterns Of Weight Gain, Age, And Subcortical Microstructure In Early Adolescence, Shana Adise, Zhaolong Adrian Li, Jonatan Ottino-González, Filip Morys, Peter A Chiarelli, Tamara Hershey

2020-Current year OA Pubs

IMPORTANCE: Associations between childhood obesity and brain microstructural differences have been observed. It remains unknown whether these associations are driven by sex-specific excessive weight gain. Restriction spectrum imaging characterizes brain tissue microstructural health via water diffusion, where the restricted normalized isotropic (RNI) compartment assesses neuronal and glial cellularity, which may reflect neuroinflammation, synaptic pruning, or both.

OBJECTIVE: To identify associations among RNI scaling factor values, normal neurodevelopment, and weight gain during early adolescence.

DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS: This cohort study used data from the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) Study, a 10-year, ongoing, multisite longitudinal cohort study conducted among youths …

Where Should The Cancer Control Interventions Target: A Geospatial Hotspot Analysis For Major Cancer Mortality 2018 To 2022 In The United States, Chongliang Luo, Saira Khan, Liyan Jin, Aimee S James, Graham A Colditz, Bettina F Drake

2020-Current year OA Pubs

BACKGROUND: Identifying changes in geographic disparities of cancer mortality reveals locations where cancer prevention and control efforts should be focused/targeted. We use recent cancer surveillance data to demonstrate the geographic disparity of major cancer mortality rates in the United States and its shift compared with previous data.

METHODS: This cross-sectional study used the 2018 to 2022 county-level mortality rates of colorectal, lung, breast, and prostate cancers from the Centers for Disease Control mortality data. Counties with suppressed death counts were imputed by spatial regression models. Getis-Ord Gi* statistics were used to evaluate the spatial clustering of county mortality. Identified hotspot …

Cultural Competency Of Teachers And Its Effect On Their Instructional Practices, Martin Sims

Theses and Dissertations

Core content teachers at S Middle School participate in a study that reveals how increased cultural competency levels among 7^th-grade core content teachers positively influences their instructional practices. The increased cultural competency led to a more inclusive and effective learning environment across all core content areas. Throughout the study, teachers reflected on their own cultural identities while also considering the diverse cultural backgrounds of their students in each class period. As a result, teachers gained a deeper understanding of how cultural factors shape students' learning experiences and needs. The participants adjusted their teaching strategies to better connect with …

Investigating Environmental And Socioeconomic Contributors To Adult Obesity In The Rio Grande Valley, John Nicholas Cauba, Jihoo Woo, Russel Wiggins, Shizue Mito

School of Medicine Publications

Obesity in the Rio Grande Valley (RGV) of Texas remains a critical public health concern, with rates (46.9%) significantly exceeding those of Texas (36%) and the U.S. (34%) (p < 0.001). This study used 2024 County Health Rankings data to analyze environmental and socioeconomic contributors to obesity across 240 Texas counties, with a population-weighted focus on Hidalgo, Cameron, Starr, and Willacy counties. The RGV exhibited markedly poorer access to exercise, higher rates of physical inactivity, lower Food Environment Index scores (FEI = 4.3 vs. 5.7 in Texas), higher rates of uninsurance, worse patient-to–primary care physician (PCP) ratios (2152:1 vs. Texas 1660:1), and increased preventable hospitalizations. Multiple linear regression identified physical inactivity (β = 0.6, p = 0.01) and access to exercise (β = −0.02, p = 0.02) as significant predictors of obesity. Notably, higher uninsured rates were associated with lower reported obesity, likely due to underdiagnosis in the absence of routine care. These findings emphasize the need for targeted interventions addressing food access, environmental and recreational infrastructure, along with healthcare infrastructure in the RGV, where socioeconomic disadvantage and structural barriers magnify the impact of national obesity trends on the regional level.

Foundations And Strategic Vision Of The Canadian Translational Geroscience Network, Guy Hajj-Boutros, Andréa Faust, John Muscedere, Perry Kim, Gilles Gouspillou, Lea Harrington, James L. Kirkland, George A. Kuchel, Jeremy Van Raamsdonk, R. Jane Rylett, Chantal Autexier, Louis R. Lapierre, Michael Kobor, Mohammad Auais, Ann Beliën, Jeroen Aerssens, George Sutphin, Kenneth Rockwood, Alexandra Papaioannou, Marc Sim, Jamie Justice, Nancy Mayo, Gustavo Duque

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Geroscience is an emerging interdisciplinary field that explores the biological connections between aging and the development of chronic diseases, with the ultimate goal of identifying interventions to extend healthspan and delay age-related conditions. Recognizing the growing importance of this field, the Canadian Translational Geroscience Network (geroscience.ca) was officially launched during a conference held in Montreal on September 5-6, 2024. Building on the momentum of successful Geroscience meetings in Toronto and Montreal in 2023, this milestone event marked a transformative step forward for geroscience in Canada. This event brought together key stakeholders, including the Canadian Frailty Network (CFN), the Canadian Institutes …

Breast And Prostate Cancer Survivors’ Understanding Of Risk And Management Of Cardiovascular And Musculoskeletal Side Effects Of Treatment: Findings From Focus Groups, Jack Dalla Via, Chris R. Andrew, Brenton J. Baguley, Nina Stewart, Jonathan M. Hodgson, Joshua R. Lewis, Mandy Stanley, Mary A. Kennedy

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Purpose: Survival after a cancer diagnosis is improving, increasing the importance of understanding and managing long-term treatment-related adverse effects. This study aimed to understand breast and prostate cancer survivors’ understanding of how cancer treatment may affect cardiovascular and musculoskeletal health. Methods: Australian breast and prostate cancer survivors treated with therapies with known cardiovascular adverse effects were recruited via a private cancer care provider. Participants completed an online background questionnaire, then participated in a focus group. Focus groups were recorded, transcribed, then analysed using reflexive thematic analysis. Results: In total, 26 cancer survivors (15 breast, 11 prostate; mean age 67 years) …

Blue Light Is A Key Factor In Regulating Stomatal Movement, Transpiration Rate And Aba Metabolism Under Varying Vapour Pressure, Sheona Noemi Innes, Sara Brunborg Jakobsen, Rikke Bryn Røsåsen, Haider Ali, Knut Asbjørn Solhaug, Jorunn Elisabeth Olsen, Sissel Torre

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Vapour pressure deficit (VPD) and blue light (BL) are import signals for stomatal regulation and highly relevant during cultivation of economically important crops such as cucumber in controlled environments. However, the information about combined effects of VPD and BL and the regulation of abscisic acid (ABA) in this respect, is limited and seems to vary between species. This study investigated how moderate (1.12 kPa) or low (0.28 kPa) VPD combined with 5% or 30% BL affect the foliar ABA metabolism, transpiration rate, nutrient uptake, and growth in well-watered cucumber plants (Cucumis sativus ‘Quatro’). Additional BL, regardless of VPD, resulted in …

Elucidating The Impact Of Common Stormwater Pollutants On Antibiotic Resistance: The Role Of Heavy Metals, Nutrients, And Salts, Kassidy N. O'Malley, Patrick J. Mcnamara, Walter M. Mcdonald

Civil and Environmental Engineering Faculty Research and Publications

Antibiotic resistance poses a significant global health threat, and the urban water cycle presents an opportunity to augment or limit the spread of antibiotic resistance. In particular, stormwater runoff has recently been revealed as a key conduit for antibiotic-resistant bacteria (ARB). The specific role of stormwater pollutants, however, on antibiotic resistance has not been isolated. Understanding the impact of specific pollutants common to stormwater could help optimize design and operation of stormwater systems for management of antibiotic resistance. The objective of this research was to establish the potential contributions of common stormwater pollutants to antibiotic resistance proliferation. Lab-scale stormwater microcosms …

Cazyme Gene Cluster Diversity In Human Gut Microbiome, Yi Xing

Department of Food Science and Technology: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

In gut microbiome research, carbohydrate-active enzyme gene clusters (CGCs) have emerged as key functional units for understanding microbial glycan degradation. Unlike taxonomic or broad pathway annotations, CGCs offer gene-cluster-level resolution and capture substrate-specific microbial functions. However, their diversity and distribution in relation to host metabolic phenotypes, such as obesity, remain poorly characterized. This study tests the hypothesis that the composition and abundance of fiber-targeting CGCs vary between obese and healthy human gut microbiomes, reflecting distinct microbial carbohydrate utilization strategies. To examine this, we constructed a high-quality reference CGC dataset comprising 94,019 clusters from the Unified Human Gastrointestinal Genome and profiled …

Overcoming Maternal Antibody Interference In Swine Influenza: Advancing Dna Vaccine Strateies For Enhanced Immune Protection In Piglets, Danh Cong Lai

School of Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Maternally derived antibodies (MDAs) play a vital role in protecting neonates from infectious diseases, but their presence at the time of vaccination can interfere with vaccine-induced immune responses, thereby reducing vaccine effectiveness. MDA interference has been documented in pigs vaccinated with whole inactivated virus (WIV) vaccines against swine influenza A virus (IAV). In this thesis, we evaluated the efficacy of a lipid nanoparticle encapsulated DNA (LNP-DNA) vaccine against swine IAV in the presence and absence of MDAs, comparing it to a WIV vaccine. In MDA-negative piglets, both the LNP-DNA and WIV vaccines induced strong immune responses and effectively prevented the …

Evaluation Of Snap-Ed New Mexico’S Pilot “I Choose H2o” Campaign To Increase Water Consumption, Theresa H. Cruz, Mahtab Soleimani, Camille R. Velarde, Belinda E. Vicuna

Reports & Documents

The “I Choose H2O” campaign is a school-based pilot initiative developed by the University of New Mexico Prevention Research Center with SNAP-Ed NM funding from the USDA. Designed as a three-week social marketing effort, the campaign aimed to increase daily water consumption and reduce intake of sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs) among middle school students. The campaign engaged students and staff through activities such as water challenges, events, tastings, and prize incentives, while also encouraging broader school-level policy, systems, and environmental (PSE) changes.

This evaluation used direct observation before and after implementation to assess changes in water fountain usage and lunchtime beverage …

Marketplace Summer 2025, Southern Adventist University

MarketPlace - School of Business Newsletter

The Summer 2025 issue of MarketPlace features an articles by Florence Merryman, '05 and Franklin Farrow, '93, and information on Southerns' Enactus chapter serving in Uganda,

Primary Investigation Of Rice-Fish Co-Culture: Investigating The Feasibility Of Raising Fish In Flooded Rice Paddies In The Southern Usa, Yulin Jia, Aaron K. Jackson, Bartholomew Green, S. Adam Fuller, Heather Box, Laduska Sells, Candis Ray, Paxton Harper, Brennan Smith

United States Department of Agriculture-Agricultural Research Service / University of Nebraska-Lincoln: Faculty Publications

With limited land and water resources available it has become critical to maximize output for agricultural products while maintaining sustainable farming practices. Ricefish co-culture can be used to maximize limited land and water resources for production of rice and fish concurrently and reduce the need of chemical inputs. While rice-fish co-culture has been practiced in Asia for centuries, very few studies have examined the feasibility and economic impact of rice fish co-culture in the U.S.A. Two studies were conducted in Stuttgart, Arkansas, U.S.A. from 2023-2024 to investigate the suitability of raising Koi carp in flooded rice paddies with a sushi …

Development Of Nanopocket Membranes For The Isolation And Purification Of Extracellular Vesicles, Munther Alsudais

Theses

Extracellular vesicles (EVs) play a crucial role in intercellular communication and serve as significant biomarkers for various diseases. EVs carry biomolecules such as lipids, proteins, DNA, and RNA, which reflect the physiological state of their cells of origin, making them promising tools for non-invasive diagnostics and therapeutic applications. Effective isolation of EVs is essential for advancing scientific understanding of their biological roles and unlocking their clinical potential. Porous membranes have been widely used for the purification of various biological species from biological fluids. While membranes have prove highly effective for general size-based separation, recent innovations have focused on structurally refined …

Identification Of Milk And Milk Product Adulteration By Molecular Methods, Isam Shaker Haza, Saad Sabah Fakhry

Al-Esraa University College Journal for Medical Sciences

The polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis sodium dodecylsulfate (SDS-PAGE) has been extensively used to separate native and denaturalized proteins. In various countries this has been useful to detect milk adulteration with whey, which is a fraud according to the current legal standards. The presence of glycomacropeptide (GMP) constitutes a marker of adulteration. It is released to the serum due to the hydrolysis of --casein peptide catalyzed by rennin incheese elaboration. In this work, the GMP detection was standardized as a pasteurized milk adulteration index, by means of GMP isolation with sequential precipitation in trichloroacetic acid at 24% and 50%, treatment with ethanol-ether …

Impact Of Hypocalcemia On Dickkopf-Related Protein 1 And Hmgb1 In Transfusion-Dependent Thalassemia Patients, Haneen Azeez Falih

Al-Esraa University College Journal for Medical Sciences

Background: Transfusion-dependent thalassemia (TDT) is associated with various symptoms including anaemia and bone problems. There is a need for more biomarkers of calcium disorders in TDT patients. In the present study, DKK 1 and HMGB1 are studied in TDT patients with hypocalcemia (TDT+Hypocalcemia) and normocalcemia (TDT+Normocalcemia) as a function of inflammation. Methods: TDT patients were classified according to the cut-off value (2.12 mM) of the adjusted serum calcium (Adj.T.Ca) into TDT+Normocalcemia (n = 54) and TDT+Hypocalcemia (n = 41) groups. Forty healthy controls have participated in the present study. DKK1 and HMGB1 were measured using the ELISA technique. Results: Both …

Φυσιολατρία (2), Eleni V. Angelos

Digressions: Literary & Art Journal

Artist Statement

"φυσιολατρία is a Greek word that refers to sympathetic perception of the natural world in its uncultivated state. My pieces were inspired by my time spent outside when I am fully conscious and being mindful of my surroundings. I wanted to portray my feelings of connectedness, along with patterns/colors that I notice when I fully present in nature."

Φυσιολατρία, Eleni V. Angelos

Digressions: Literary & Art Journal

No abstract provided.

Impact Of Insulin Resistance In Pcos (Lh/Fsh) In A Group Of Woman In Baghdad City, Roua Shehab-Aldeen Ahmed, Fatima Amer Abd Aljabar, Nadia Mohammed Mahdi Al-Shakir

Al-Esraa University College Journal for Medical Sciences

Background: Polycystic ovarian syndrome is an endocrinological disorder influencing ladies, and it is the foremost common cause of menstrual unsettling influence amid the regenerative age. Polycystic ovary disorder (PCOS) is in fact a chronic form of anovulation that is usually observed besides a large spectrum of clinical symptoms and signs. Objectives: The study's main goal is to evaluate the hormonal indicators of ``PCOS'' and insulin resistance and determine how insulin resistance affects these hormones. Materials and methods: This study included 130 women, aged 19--38, who were separated into three bunches: 40 women with ``PCOs'' who were treated with metformin and …

Full Issue

Digressions: Literary & Art Journal

No abstract provided.

Novel Approaches To Combat Neuro-Degradation: Investigations Of Two Supplemental Strategies Aimed At Improving Warfighter Performance, Blaine Lints

Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation examines the efficacy of two distinct nutritional supplementation strategies for improving physical and/or cognitive performance under stress. The first study investigated the effects of 150 mg caffeine plus 150 mg theacrine ingestion in tactically trained individuals. Results indicated that the combination of caffeine and theacrine was associated with significant improvements in reaction time, accuracy, and measures of ocular control following high-intensity interval (HII) exercise. The HII exercise protocol consisted of ten repetitions of 60s high-intensity intervals (≥90% maximal oxygen uptake [VO_2max]) followed by 120s low-intensity intervals (~40% VO_2max) on a treadmill. These benefits were …

Examining The Impact Of Teacher Participation In Pedagogical Content Knowledge Development Intervention On The Academic Achievement Of Culturally And Socioeconomically Diverse Students, Emelyne Viteve Baucicaut

Theses and Dissertations

This action research study examines the impact of a Pedagogical Content Knowledge (PCK) intervention on elementary teachers' instructional practices and student outcomes in Math and English Language Arts (ELA). The goal was to address student underperformance by enhancing teachers' PCK and exploring how improved content knowledge and pedagogical strategies influence classroom teaching and student achievement. Using a concurrent mixed-methods design, baseline data were collected through surveys, classroom observations, and student assessments. Over five weeks, teachers participated in professional development focused on lesson planning, student exemplars, and success criteria. Due to scheduling constraints, computer-based assessments were replaced by analyzing student work …

Camp In The Kitchen: Feminism And Craft In Liza Lou's Beaded Worlds, Aurora X. Bell

Theses and Dissertations

Kitchen (1991–96) was the first major work of art by American artist Liza Lou. It is an installation of a life-size kitchen in which every surface and object is covered in glass beads. Kitchen, which Lou refers to as a monument to women’s unsung domestic labor, received considerable critical attention and drew the artist into ongoing conversations around the relationship between “fine art” and “craft” and about the role of feminism in the art of the 1990s. In contemporary interviews, however, Lou expressed discomfort with the label of “craft” as well as with feminist art that she considered “didactic.” …

Multi-Dimensional Strategies Impacting Beginning Readers’ Word Solving And Engagement, Brooke Clayton

Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation studied the impact of reading instruction on beginner-level readers’ decoding skills and engagement among four first-grade students in Lexington, South Carolina. The following research question directed the study:

Will an instructional strategy foregrounded on direct, systematic phonics instruction in conjunction with multi-dimensional reading strategies improve beginner readers’ decoding skills and engagement?

The study is grounded in several theoretical frameworks, including Scarborough’s Reading Rope (Appendix A), the Simple View of Reading, the Active View of Reading (Appendix C), Onset-Rime phonics instruction, and Self-Determination Theory. Interventions included the LETRS Science of Reading Phonics Small Group Plan (Moats & Tolman, 2019) …

The Case For Indexing: Echocardiographic Dimensions In The Arab Gulf, Adil I. Jumani, Shaini C. Mani, Ghada A. Rashwan, Hadiza O. Ibrahim, Jumaa S. Aldhaheri, Safaa M. Almohdar, Khaled M. Alfakih

Saudi Medical Journal

Objectives: To evaluate echocardiographic parameters in young Emirati males and compare them to American Society of Echocardiography/European Association of Cardiovascular Imaging reference ranges, highlighting the need for population-specific or indexed normal ranges. Echocardiographic reference ranges for cardiac dimensions are primarily derived from Western populations, which may not be suitable for smaller-bodied populations, such as Asians. Methods: Echocardiography was performed on 60 healthy Emirati males undergoing military recruitment from September to December 2024. Measurements included left ventricular (LV), aortic, and left atrial (LA) dimensions and volumes. Parameters were indexed to body surface area (BSA) and compared to established Western norms. Results: …

Three Essays In Development Economics, Vardaan Chawla

Dissertations and Theses Collection (Open Access)

This dissertation explores policy-relevant questions through three empirical studies on issues related to education, human capital formation, and consumer protection in developing countries. The first two chapters focus on education policies in India and examine their intended and unintended impacts on children’s schooling and labour-market outcomes. The third chapter evaluates a new approach to tackle consumer protection issues in digital finance in Uganda and Bangladesh. Across all three, this dissertation reflects an interest and understanding in advancing evidence-based policymaking in developing countries, be it in education or consumer protection.

In the first chapter, we evaluate the impact of the midday …