Digital Commons Network^™

Chronic Kidney Disease: A Case Report On Its Leading Causes, Jhinyce Lonzanida

Bachelor of Science in Diagnostic Ultrasound Projects

No abstract provided.

The Day You Begin: A Case Study Of Culturally Responsive Pedagogy In Early Childhood Classrooms, Kim Shelton

Dissertations

Culturally responsive pedagogy (CRP) has garnered growing attention in early childhood education due to its potential to cultivate inclusive and equitable learning environments for increasingly diverse student populations. This qualitative case study examines how early childhood educators perceive and implement CRP in classrooms with high concentrations of immigrant and culturally diverse students. Additionally, it explores the perceived impact of these practices on instructional effectiveness, classroom climate, and teacher-student interactions.

Data was collected through semi-structured interviews, classroom observations, and document analysis. Thematic analysis yielded four central findings: (1) teachers’ understandings of CRP varied considerably, with some demonstrating strong intentionality and others …

Applied Optical Character Recognition And Large Language Models In Augmenting Manual Business Processes For Data Analytics In Traditional Small Businesses With Minimal Digital Adoption, Jose Ramon S. Ilagan, Joseph Benjamin R. Ilagan, Zachary Matthew Alabastro

Business Insights Laboratory for Development (BUILD)

The local business landscape in the Philippines presents a slow adoption to digitization. There are fears of inaccurate results and limited technical proficiency. Data analytics and artificial intelligence (AI) are crucial for business growth. By understanding the performance of stock-keeping-units (SKU) with technology, businesses can find better ways to handle products to increase profitability. In exploring optical character recognition (OCR) and large language models (LLM), a software pipeline can help businesses analyze handwritten sales data for business intelligence. The research aims to develop a system for translating logbooks into metrics by augmenting manual business processes performed by staff. The application …

Agricultural Research Facilities And Equipment, Brad Joyce, Purdue University Office Of Research

University General Facility Boilerplate Descriptions

This overview document describes Purdue University’s on and off-campus research facilities and key equipment related to agriculture, air and water quality, agronomy, and environmental regulation.

A Case Study Of Leveraging Auxiliary Data To Improve Treatment Effect Estimation Precision In An Hiv Clinical Trial, Lana Mai Huynh

Master's Theses

Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) are typically the gold standard for evaluating treatment efficacy in the medical field, yet they can have small sample sizes due to logistical, ethical, and financial constraints. This limitation can result in imprecise treatment effect estimates. Recent methods have sought to enhance the precision of RCT estimates by incorporating information from large, observational, “auxiliary” datasets. An auxiliary dataset includes units that were not randomized in the trial itself, but may be similar to the RCT sample. By leveraging predictive models trained on these auxiliary data, researchers can adjust for potentially more powerful covariates, thereby reducing variance …

Cooking With Confidence: An Inclusive Cooking And Kitchen Safety Course To Promote Quality Of Life And Life Skills Performance For Adults With Disabilities, Leo F. Readey

OTD DEx Reports - College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences

Cooking with Confidence is an inclusive life skills cooking course that utilizes the client-centered approach of Occupational Therapy (OT) to teach culinary basics and kitchen safety to community members with disabilities. The program aimed to increase confidence and quality of life of participants through therapeutic cooking for community members that have little or no cooking experience due to physical or intellectual disability and/or diagnosis. This study examined the impact of cooking on independence and confidence in cooking and how it can be beneficial to self-esteem, safety, socialization and overall quality of life.

Assessing Illegal Take Of Sea Turtle In Bocas Del Toro, Panamanian Caribbean, Daniela Carolina Rojas-Cañizales

Theses and Dissertations

In Bocas del Toro, Panama, sea turtles were exploited for generations to supply local, national, and international markets. Today, sea turtle species are globally protected by different laws, and Panama is no exception. However, the use of sea turtles in Bocas del Toro and local perceptions regarding the consumption of these reptiles are unknown. Accordingly, during May of 2024, I conducted twenty-five semi-structured interviews with key informants selected by targeted and snowball sampling. Sea turtle consumption persists, and there is a clandestine network to sell turtle meat and derived products in Bocas del Toro. This study provides the first assessment …

Trends In Diabetes Mellitus Prevalence And Gender Disparities In Jazan, Saudi Arabia: A Retrospective Analysis, Mohammed A. Jeraiby, Jobran M. Moshi, Sama M. Maashi, Ali I. Shubaili, Mayssa S. Nadeem, Siddig I. Abdelwahab, Manal M. Taha, Ajiad Alhazmi

Saudi Medical Journal

ABSTRACT Objectives: To analyze the prevalence of DM focusing on demographic trends, gender disparities, and age distribution. Additionally, it evaluates diabetes control rates. Methods: A retrospective cross-sectional study examined DM trends (2021–2023). It included patients with type 1 or type 2 DM from various healthcare settings. Results: The number overall number of diabetes cases has grown from 41,876 in 2021 to 46,889 in 2023, reflecting an annual rise of 5.7% (2022) and 6% (2023). The majority of cases (85.1%) were observed in individuals aged 40 and above, having the greatest prevalence in the 50–59 age group (25.3%). A significant gender …

Patterns Of Dermatological Emergencies At A Tertiary Hospital In Southwestern Saudi Arabia: A Descriptive Study, Hamad A. Alfahaad

Saudi Medical Journal

ABSTRACT Objectives: To examine the patterns and characteristics of dermatological emergencies managed at a tertiary hospital in the Southwest Region of Saudi Arabia. Methods: This study employed a retrospective cross-sectional design conducted at King Khalid Hospital in Najran, Saudi Arabia. The study included patients who either visited the dermatology or emergency departments or were hospitalized due to dermatological conditions treated between January 2019 and December 2024. Results: The study included 126 patients, with an almost equal distribution of males (50.8%) and females (49.2%), predominantly Saudi nationals (78.6%). Most patients were aged 18-60 (65.1%) years. The most common skin lesion was …

Resilience In Stem: How Gender-Professional Identity Integration (G-Pii) And Self-Compassion Empower Women To Thrive, Isabelle Chiew

Dissertations and Theses Collection (Open Access)

Fostering resilience is crucial for the retention of women in male-dominated fields such as STEM. This paper investigates the interplay between gender-professional identity integration (G-PII), resilience, and self-compassion through two complementary studies. It is hypothesised that G-PII positively predicts resilience, with higher levels of integration associated with greater resilience. Furthermore, self-compassion is expected to moderate this relationship. Study 1 employs a cross sectional survey design to explore the relationships between G-PII, self-compassion, and resilience, while Study 2 uses an experimental design to assess the causal impact of G-PII on resilience. Study 1 found that G-PII was significantly and positively associated …

Atep 537.50: Foundations Of Research & Evidence Based Practice In Athletic Training, Valerie J. Moody

University of Montana Course Syllabi, 2021-2025

No abstract provided.

Fermatean Neutrosophic Fuzzy Methodology For Teaching Quality Analysis In University Basketball Training, Yongzhi Wang, Ruifang Li, Mingtao Guo

Neutrosophic Sets and Systems

No abstract provided.

Type-2 Neutrosophic Numbers For Impact Evaluation Of Sports On The Psychological And Emotional Regulation Of Rural Children, Ming Yuan, Jing Huang, Xinhuan Duan, Xin Hu

Neutrosophic Sets and Systems

No abstract provided.

Hd-Epic: A Highly-Detailed Egocentric Video Dataset, Toby Perrett, Ahmad Darkhalil, Saptarshi Sinha, Omar Emara, Sam Pollard, Kranti Kumar Parida, Kaiting Liu, Prajwal Gatti, Siddhant Bansal, Kevin Flanagan, Jacob Chalk, Zhifan Zhu, Rhodri Guerrier, Fahd Abdelazim, Bin Zhu, Davide Moltisanti, Michael Wray, Hazel Doughty, Dima Damen

Research Collection School Of Computing and Information Systems

We present a validation dataset of newly-collected kitchenbased egocentric videos, manually annotated with highly detailed and interconnected ground-truth labels covering: recipe steps, fine-grained actions, ingredients with nutritional values, moving objects, and audio annotations. Importantly, all annotations are grounded in 3D through digital twinning of the scene, fixtures, object locations, and primed with gaze. Footage is collected from unscripted recordings in diverse home environments, making HDEPIC the first dataset collected in-the-wild but with detailed annotations matching those in controlled lab environments. We show the potential of our highly-detailed annotations through a challenging VQA benchmark of 26K questions assessing the capability to …

Electrospun Membranes From Bio-Renewable Poly (Ethylene Furanoate)/Poly (Ethylene Teraphthalate) (Pef/Pet) Blend For Emulsification Application, Aya Ismat Sayed

Theses

This thesis focuses on manufacturing electrospun fibrous membranes from a blend of poly (ethylene terephthalate) and poly (ethylene furanoate) and using in premix emulsification. Poly (ethylene furanoate), which is a 100% bio-renewable polymer being blended with synthetic poly (ethylene terephthalate) for membrane fabrication contributes towards sustainability in the production of food and pharmaceutical emulsions. The primary objective of this research is to optimize the fabrication conditions of poly (ethylene terephthalate)/poly (ethylene furanoate) porous membranes, characterize their properties, and evaluate their performance in emulsification. This study compares poly (ethylene terephthalate) / poly (ethylene furanoate) blend membranes with individual poly (ethylene terephthalate) …

Associations Between Vitamin D Deficiency And Sociodemographic Factors, Lifestyle Behaviors, And Metabolic Conditions: A Cross-Sectional Study From The Hnnhs In Greece, Asmae Mohamad Sadek

Theses

Vitamin D deficiency (VDD) is a widespread global health concern associated with various sociodemographic, lifestyle, dietary, and metabolic factors. While previous studies examined VDD in Greece, few provided a comprehensive analysis across multiple determinants using representative national data. This study aimed to assess the prevalence and predictors of VDD among Greek adults and to examine its associations with sociodemographic, dietary, behavioral, and metabolic variables using data from the Hellenic National Nutrition and Health Survey (HNNHS). A cross-sectional analysis was conducted among 978 adults (≥19 years) from the HNNHS. Serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D] concentrations < 20 ng/mL were defined as deficient and ≥20 ng/mL as normal. The median age of participants was 40.2 years, and 62.0% were female. The overall prevalence of VDD was 46.0%, with the highest rate observed among adults aged ≥60 years (62.2%). VDD was significantly associated with older age (p < 0.001), retirement status (62.9% among retired; p < 0.001), low and sedentary physical activity (32.7% and 32.6% vs. 50.8% among highly active; p < 0.001), higher HDL (median 52.0 vs. 49.0 mg/dL among VDD vs Normal; p = 0.001), elevated serum calcium (median 9.4 vs. 9.2 mg/dL among VDD vs Normal; p = 0.020), and lower insulin levels (median 7.5 vs. 8.0 μIU/mL among VDD vs Normal; p = 0.044). Dietary intake (total energy and macronutrients) and body composition were not significantly associated with VDD. In the multivariate model, significant independent predictors of VDD included being retired (AOR = 2.383; 95% CI: 1.596–3.558; p < 0.001), having higher serum calcium levels (AOR = 1.563; 95% CI: 1.078–2.266; p = 0.019), and higher HDL levels (AOR = 1.016; 95% CI: 1.005–1.027; p = 0.001). Physical activity level was also a key determinant; participants classified as sedentary or low active had significantly higher odds of deficiency compared to highly active individuals (AOR = 0.468; 95% CI: 0.319–0.690; p < 0.001). This counterintuitive result may be influenced by factors such as increased indoor physical activity, and warrants further investigation. Dietary intake and body composition were not significantly associated with VDD. The findings underscore the importance of incorporating sociodemographic and lifestyle factors into prevention strategies. Interventions should particularly focus on older adults, retired individuals, even if they have higher HDL and calcium levels, and are physically active.

An Examination Of Public Benefit Enrollment Data In Minnesota Immigrant Households As Evidence Of Public Charge Chilling Effect, Ana Pottratz Acosta

Minnesota Journal of Law & Inequality

No abstract provided.

A Digital Dive: Redesigning The Cabrillo High School Aquarium Website, Jacob V. Cacho

Graphic Communication

Tucked away on the Central Coast in Lompoc, you’ll find the Cabrillo High School (CHS) Aquarium. Started in 1986, the CHS Aquarium is the only high school aquarium of its kind in the nation run entirely by high school students. This 10,000+ square foot aquarium serves an underserved community at a Title I school, where students manage all aspects of animal care, nutrition, breeding, educational curriculum development, and visitor tours.

This program is truly one-of-a-kind and deserves the spotlight for just how unique it is. As a CHS graduate, I felt the current website lacked in many areas and could …

Raising The Roof For All: Integrating Companion Planting Ecology, Policy And Community In Portland's Green Roof Future, Zoe Edelman

University Honors Theses

Green roofs, or ecoroofs, provide environmental and social benefits in urban areas. Ecoroofs manage stormwater by absorbing rainfall, reducing rooftop temperatures, supporting pollinators, and offering green space in densely developed cities. Portland, Oregon has adopted progressive policies that encourage green roof installation through incentives and building requirements. However, many ecoroofs in the city are underperforming due to poor maintenance, low public awareness, and limited access to rooftop spaces. This thesis explores whether companion planting can improve the ecological performance and long- term viability of extensive green roofs. A rooftop experiment at Portland State University tested the growth of radishes, with …

Digesting The Details: How Cooking Shapes The Microbiome And Influences Obesity, Tracy Lieu

University Honors Theses

Obesity is a growing global health concern linked to chronic diseases and changes in the gut microbiome. While diet is known to affect gut microbes, less attention has been given to how food processing methods, such as heating, fermentation, and cold processing, change food in ways that influence the gut microbiome and health. This thesis reviews research on how different cooking and preparation techniques affect the availability of nutrients for microbial fermentation and the resulting effects on microbial diversity and metabolism. The findings show that fermentation and cold processing are the most supportive of gut health. These methods help preserve …

Non-Tariff Measures On Indonesian Tea Products: Do Sps And Tbt Impede Or Promote The Export?, Fikri Aldi Dwi Putro, Widyastutik Widyastutik, Nia Kurniawati Hidayat

Economics and Finance in Indonesia

Previous studies highlight the heterogeneous effects of Non-Tariff Measures (NTMs) on international trade. This study identifies the enforcement of NTMs and examines the effects on the export performance of Indonesian tea products. This study employed an inventory (coverage ratio) approach and panel regression with the Poisson-Pseudo Maximum Likelihood (PPML) method. The results indicate that 31 out of 36 analyzed destination countries enforce NTMs, with Vietnam imposing the most prevalent ones. Furthermore, SPS measures substantially promote the export of Indonesian tea products, whereas TBT measures show no significant effect. Therefore, the government needs to provide incentives and harmonize the national Voluntary …

The Impact Of Implementing The Women's Reproductive Rights Agenda On Climate Change, Marleen Temmerman, Emilie Peeters, Celine Delacroix, Malachi Arunda, Sara Khalid, Claudia Hanson, Samuel Ojong

Centre of Excellence in Women and Child Health

The 1994 International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD) established sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) as foundational to sustainable development. Thirty years later, advancing women's reproductive rights (WRR), encompassing agency, decision-making autonomy, and universal access to family planning—remains critical not only for health and gender equity but also for mitigating environmental degradation. By reducing unintended pregnancies and empowering women to align childbearing with personal and ecological capacity, WRR alleviates ecological stressors such as deforestation while enhancing health resilience in climate-vulnerable communities. Yet, despite well-documented linkages between population dynamics and environmental change, contemporary climate policies and funding mechanisms persistently …

The Effects Of Sirulina And Nannochloropsis Supplementation On Broiler Performance, Intestinal Morphology, And Gut Microbiology, Emily Beckerman

Master's Theses

The poultry industry is constantly searching for new nutritional strategies and better feed conversion ratio to enhance broiler growth and productivity. Microalgae have been shown to improve broiler performance and health depending on species and supplementation levels. The objective of this study was to determine the effects of Spirulina supplementation (Experiment I) and Nannochloropsis supplementation (Experiment II) on broiler production performance, intestinal morphology, and gut microbiology. In Experiment I, a total of 270 broiler chicks (one-day-old Ross 708) were obtained from a local hatchery after vaccinating against Newcastle, Marek’s disease, and Infectious Bronchitis. They were weighed and sorted into 18 …

Understanding Utilization And Prevention Measures Associated With A Caries Risk Assessment In Oral Health Transformation, Melody Mcgee, Ryan Brandon, Muhammad Walji, Joel White, Kristen Moses, Eric P Tranby, Lisa J Heaton, Kristen Simmons

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Objectives: Dental decay is endemic in the United States, underscoring the need to measure the utilization of caries risk management tools to elucidate the effect of prevention interventions in reducing the dental decay rates of individuals. An academic institution partnered with a third-party institute to call attention to the utilization and prevention measures associated with caries risk assessment (CRA) used with children 0-18 years. This environmental scan examined claims across the United States to evaluate the proportion of dental examinations, CRAs, and caries prevention procedures within a calendar year.

Methods: A 12-month deidentified participant list categorized by age, race, sex, …

Nutr 221n.50: Basic Human Nutrition, Laura M. Grandund

University of Montana Course Syllabi, 2021-2025

No abstract provided.

Atep:588.50: Healthcare Administration & Leadership In Athletic Training, Valerie J. Moody

University of Montana Course Syllabi, 2021-2025

No abstract provided.

Optimization Of Downy Mildew Management And Baby Kale Production On The Central Coast Of California, Emily M. Locke-Paddon

Master's Theses

Baby kale (Brassica oleracea and other species) is a vital commodity as a salad green in spring mix and is widely produced on the Central Coast of California. Downy mildew, caused by Hyaloperonospora brassicae, is a devastating disease infecting economically important crops like cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, horseradish, rapeseed, kohlrabi, Brussels sprouts, and kale. This foliar disease causes plant tissue to exhibit chlorotic and necrotic flecking and gray-white sporulation, affecting both the yield and quality of the crop and rendering the affected leaves unmarketable. The Central Coast’s cool climate and nighttime moisture, combined with dense plantings and sprinkler irrigation, …

The Northern Elephant Seals (Mirounga Angustirostris) Of The Piedras Blancas Colony: A Story Of Recolonization, Monitoring And Movement, Mackenzie Davidson

Master's Theses

Northern elephant seals (Mirounga angustirostris) are large, ocean migrating carnivores that have a wide distribution along the west coast of North America. Like other pinniped species, northern elephant seals spend considerable time out at sea foraging and return to land to molt and breed. Northern elephant seals were hunted to near extinction in the late 1800s. Due to conservation efforts they have since rebounded, and they currently occupy 27 known terrestrial breeding colonies. Much literature has documented the recolonization, population dynamics, and dispersion of this species. Currently, Piedras Blancas (San Simeon, California) is the largest mainland breeding colony of northern …

The Effect Of Whole Fruits High In Anthocyanins On Markers Of Glycemic Control In Women, Sophia C. Johnson

Master's Theses

Cardiometabolic diseases are a significant health burden worldwide and remain the leading cause of death among adults in the United States. Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is a central component of cardiometabolic dysfunction and substantially increases the risk for cardiovascular disease. As women enter the post-menopausal period, significant declines in estrogen levels lead to a heightened risk of T2DM in this population. Observational and experimental evidence has shown potential for fruits high in anthocyanins (ACs) to reduce the risk of T2DM and improve glycemic control. This systematic review and meta-analysis examined the current research on whole fruits high in ACs …

The Chumash War Of 1824: Revolution And Counterrevolution In The California Missions Santa Inés, Santa Barbara, And La Purísima, Joseph V. Payne

Master's Theses

In 1824, the Indigenous Chumash of Missions Santa Inés, Santa Barbara, and La Purísima de Concepción went to war against the settler-colonial system that bonded them to the mission lands and forced labor regime demanded by the Spanish Franciscan missionaries and compelled by Mexican military force in Alta California. The conflict lasted months and included violent battles and skirmishes at all three missions, the militant occupation and reclamation of La Purísima, a mass exodus to the interior of the territory, and the subsequent counterrevolutionary collaboration of the Spanish missionaries and Mexican military to return many (but not all) of the …