Digital Commons Network^™

Get Outside: The Moderating Effects Of Exposure To Nature On The Work Stress-Burnout Relationship, Meredith Pool

All Theses

This study explores the relatively uncharted territory of nature exposure within the workplace and its influence on mitigating burnout. While prior research has linked access to nature with enhanced well-being, a gap persists in understanding how exposure to nature moderates the relationship between work stress and burnout. Employing a cross-sectional design with 724 working individuals in the United States, a survey was conducted to assess burnout, work stress, nature exposure, and climate data. The present study explores how green workplaces, which involve the presence of physical and artificial greenery in the work environment, and the employees’ perceptions that the organization …

Suicidality: The Role Of The Workplace, Hailey Carroll

All Theses

Suicide is a major issue in the world today. Complex reasons explain why some people have higher levels of suicidal ideation or attempts than others. One theory that posits answers to why people die by suicide is the Interpersonal Theory of Suicide (IPTS). This theory states that thwarted belongingness (TB) and perceived burdensomeness (PB) work together to lead to suicidal ideation. The relationship between suicidal ideation and suicide attempts is moderated by the capacity for suicide. The current study sought to expand upon this theory, questioning what role the workplace plays in one’s suicidality. Specifically, the study looked at mattering …

Developing Holistic And Reduced Fertilization Guidelines For Southeastern Peach (Prunus Persica (L.) Batsch) Orchards, Richardson Bien-Aime

All Theses

Peach production in the southeastern United States requires optimizing fertilization practices to balance economic sustainability and environmental health. Current guidelines may overlook rootstock-specific nutrient requirements and fail to align with orchard-specific conditions, often resulting in overfertilization, increased costs, and environmental risks. This study, conducted at Clemson University’s Musser Fruit Research Center during 2023 and 2024, aimed to refine fertilization practices through two complementary experiments. The first experiment investigated how three rootstocks, ’MP-29’, Lovell, and Guardian, influence nutrient dynamics of ‘Carored’ peach trees. Nutrient concentrations were measured in various tree organs, including leaves, pruned wood, thinned fruitlets, and harvested fruits, along …

A Drosophila Model Of Mucopolysacchridosis Iiia, Rebecca Bishop

All Theses

Mucopolysaccharidosis IIIA (MPS IIIA) is a rare lysosomal storage disorder that arises from inability to break down heparan sulfate (HS) because of mutations in the N-sulfoglucosamine sulfohydrolase (SGSH) gene. We used a deletion mutant of the Drosophila melanogaster Sgsh gene along with three point mutations analogous to mutations observed in patients (S64W, L89P, S301P) to show an increase in the average percent of area with lysosomal puncta in the fly brains of our mutants using Lysotracker. RNA sequencing of brains of mutant and control flies showed 441 (Knockout), 337 (S64W), 155 (L89P), and 96 (S301P) differentially expressed …

Influence Of Hygrothermal Conditions Of The Bistability Of Asymmetric Carbon Fiber Laminate Composites, Celia Hill

All Theses

Carbon fiber-reinforced polymer (CFRP) laminates have widespread use in many industries because of their exceptional strength-to-weight ratio. Carbon fiber laminates following an asymmetric layup orientation can exhibit bistability meaning the laminate can exist at two stable geometric configurations. The morphing characteristics of bistable CRFP has a growing level of interest because of its potential in various applications including space aircraft structures for easy repair, automotive structures for energy dissipation and ergonomics, robotics for flexible motion and energy harvesting. Existing research shows that both moisture and temperature affect the material properties and behavior of CFRP laminates, however, the influence of moisture …

Bounding The Convex Hull Relaxation Of The Unit Commitment Problem With The Shapley-Folkman Theorem, Lauren Henderson

All Theses

The Unit Commitment (UC) problem finds an optimal schedule for a set of generators by minimizing the total operation cost subject to demand and operational constraints. The UC problem is often modeled with a mixed-integer linear program (MILP). We employ the Shapley-Folkman Theorem to provide a bound on the size of fractional solutions of its convex hull relaxation. This result is used to obtain a bound on the optimality gap between the MILP and the convex hull relaxation, which is further tightened using several problem-specific properties of UC. We conduct extensive numerical experiments to study the tightness of this threshold, …

The Relationship Between Aging Perceptions And Cognition Among Older Adults: A Cross-Sectional Study Using The Enact And Efit Studies, Ava Mcvey

All Theses

Maintaining cognition is critical to overall health and independence. While lifestyle predictors (e.g., cognitive engagement, social engagement, physical activity) of cognition have been established in current research, the relationship of one’s perceptions of aging and cognition have been less thoroughly investigated. This thesis cross-sectionally explores the relationships between self-perceptions of aging (SPA; including awareness of age-related change and expectations regarding aging) and cognition, including performance-based measures of executive function (Matrix Reasoning, Letter/Number Switching, Digit Symbol, Trails A & B, Visual Paired Associates) and self-reported cognition (Cognitive Self Report Questionnaire). Participants include community dwelling older adults from two studies: the Elucidating …

Comparing The Effects Of Traffic Speed And Driver Assistance On Different Age Groups: Mixed Methods User Testing, Alan Mintz

All Theses

Although much research exists investigating preferences towards transportation and driver assistance technologies, there is a gap in the literature related to taking a mixed methods approach investigating age-related differences in traffic management behaviors. Previous studies have established that older adults tend to avoid higher risk traffic situations more often than younger adults. This research builds on existing work that compares different aged participants simulated driving behaviors, self-reported workload, and interview responses. Benefits from this study include adding to our understanding of gap maintenance behavior, perceived workload at varying traffic speeds, and preferences among younger and older drivers towards offloading driving …

An Analysis Of The Properties Of Polar Codes, Luke Szramowski

All Theses

Polar Codes have risen to the forefront of practical coding theory, due to their incredible efficiency and ease of construction. Originally introduced by Arikan in his 2009 paper, they are the first code defined with an explicit construction that achieved channel capacity. Moreover, polar codes possess some physically practical properties that make their implementation alluring. In the same paper as mentioned above, Arikan elaborated on his construction and noted that the construction given was one specific instance of a polar code and that there is a family of polar codes that can be produced by the same method. Since this …

Toward Electrochemical Detection Of Salmonella Enterica Serovar Enteritidis On Hydroponically Grown Green Onions (Allium Fistulosum L.), Lisseth Casso-Hartmann

All Theses

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) established standards during the growing, harvesting, packing, and holding of produce for human consumption as part of implementing the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA). One of the main requirements for farmers is to detect environmental pathogens such as Salmonella enterica species in water and sprout samples. S. enterica is a bacterium of significant concern due to its pathogenicity and ability to survive and persist in diverse environmental conditions. S. enterica has been associated with recalls in ready-to-eat foods. Traditional detection methods include Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA), Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR), and plate counting, which …

Microbial-Chemical Degradation Of Styrene In Co-Mingled Plumes With Ethylbenzene, Benzene, And Carbon Tetrachloride, Marcela C. Flórez-García

All Theses

Industrial sites contaminated with a complex matrix of chemicals represent a problem for the ecosystem and a high risk for the health of all individuals. That is why remediation strategies are needed to mitigate this environmental impact. The latex zone, located at the Corteva industrial site in San Lorenzo, Argentina, is the subject of this research. The environmental impacts in this area are a consequence of petrochemical operations carried out for many years.

Monoaromatic hydrocarbons such as styrene, ethylbenzene, and benzene, and chlorinated methanes like carbon tetrachloride, chloroform, dichloromethane, and chloromethane are among the contaminants identified at the site that …

Synthesis Of Binary-Input Multi-Valued Output Optical Cascades For Reversible And Quantum Technologies, Ishani Agarwal, Miroslav Saraivanov, Marek Perkowski

Electrical and Computer Engineering Faculty Publications and Presentations

This paper extends the decomposition from the group theory based methods of Sasao and Saraivanov to design binary input multivalued output quantum cascades realized with optical NOT, SWAP, and Fredkin Gates. We present this method for 3, 5, and 7 valued outputs, but in general it can be used for odd prime valued outputs. The method can be extended to realize hybrid functions with different valued outputs. A class of local transformations is presented that can simplify the final cascade circuits. Using these simplifying transformations, we present an upper bound on the maximum number of gates in an arbitrary -variable …

Higher Abundance Of Disturbance-Favoured Trees And Shrubs In European Temperate Woodlands Prior To The Late-Quaternary Extinction Of Megafauna, Elena A. Pearce, Florence Mazier, Ralph Fyfe, Charles W. Davison, Signe Normand, Maria Antonia Serge, Paolo Scussolini, Jens Christian Svenning

School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences

Large herbivorous mammals strongly influence vegetation structure by creating and maintaining open areas and causing disturbance within closed woody habitats. The herbivores alive today in Europe are only a small remnant of the large species that existed in high diversity and abundance before modern humans. The extinction of so many large herbivores during the last 50,000 years, and the loss of megaherbivores (body weight ≥1000 kg) from most of the continent before the Pleistocene–Holocene transition, is likely to have had cascading effects on vegetation structure and composition. To evaluate these effects within the European temperate forest biome, we examine the …

Genetic Analysis Of A Novel Population Of Southern Flying Squirrels (Glaucomys Volans) Found In Lincoln, Ne, Jennifer Wettschreck

Biology Theses, Dissertations, and Student Creative Activity

In 2018 a novel population of southern flying squirrels (Glaucomys volans) was discovered in Lincoln, Nebraska, 80 km outside of their known range. Southern flying squirrels are designated as a “Tier-1” species of concern within Nebraska and the origin of this new population is of interest to state biologists. This study will provide insight into the probable origin of this new population by comparing genetic samples from known populations of southern flying squirrels. Museum specimens were collected from two well-established populations in Florida and Texas, as well as samples from individuals native to Nebraska (Indian Cave State Park) to compare …

Indigenous Ecocinema: Decolonizing Media Environments, Salma Monani

Gettysburg College Faculty Books

Introducing the concepts of d-ecocinema and d-ecocinema criticism, Monani expands the purview of ecocinema studies and not only brings attention to a thriving Indigenous cinema archive but also argues for a methodological approach that ushers Indigenous intellectual voices front and center in how we theorize this archive. Its case-study focus on Canada, particularly the work emanating from the imagineNATIVE Film + Media Arts Festival in Toronto--a nationally and internationally recognized hub in Indigenous cinema networks--provides insights into pan-Indigenous and Nation-specific contexts of Indigenous ecocinema.

This absorbing text is the first book-length exploration foregrounding the environmental dimensions of cinema made by …

New Approaches And Challenges Regarding Trade, Climate Action, And The Wto, Sunayana Sasmal

Columbia Center on Sustainable Investment

This report considers how the WTO, as an institution and its rules, can and should be a game-changer in undertaking climate action and the green energy transition globally. By leveraging its toolkit, the WTO has the potential to drive climate action, from regulating border carbon adjustments to promoting trade in green products, green electricity, and dissemination of climate technologies. However, unlocking this potential requires legal reforms, a proactive institutional role, and strong political will from WTO members.

Navigating Legal Currents: The Constitutional Quandary Of Redefining “Navigable”, Brodi Voight

University of Dayton Law Review

No abstract provided.

The Role Of Fitness Influencers In Shaping Hegemonic Masculinity Among Young Men, Ali Al Zamle

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

This study analyzes how fitness influencers on social media shape perceptions of hegemonic masculinity among young men. By examining content from influencers like Jay Cutler and Noel Dyzel, as well as insights from interviews, this research investigates the psychological and physical effects of adhering to idealized masculine body standards. The findings reveal that influencers reinforce traditional masculine norms but also offer alternative, more inclusive representations of strength and vulnerability. This analysis contributes to our understanding of how digital fitness culture influences young men's body image and mental health.

Impact Of Mental Health On The Academic Success Of Middle School Students, Kelsey Alcantara

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

This senior capstone research project examines the impact of mental health on the academic performance of middle school students. Mental health, such as anxiety and depression, has become a pivotal topic and more common among middle school students today. This research highlights the importance and the need for mental health support in schools and how it impacts students' focus, engagement, and academic performance. In addition, it further discusses how teachers identify and handle mental health issues in the classroom through the use of literature review and interview with middle school teachers, principals, and counselors. In order to improve academic performance …

Creating A Comprehensive, Inclusive, And Neurodivergent-Friendly Approach To Music Education Post Pandemic., Marlena Christensen

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

This paper will examine four key music education methodologies: Waldorf, Orff, Suzuki, and Kodály, each offering a unique approach to teaching music and how the integration of these various music education philosophies and methods can be utilized to develop a comprehensive, inclusive, and neurodivergent-friendly approach to music education, particularly in the current post-pandemic classroom setting.

The Elusive Nature Of Martian Liquid Brines, Vincent F. Chevrier, Rachel A. Slank

Space and Planetary Science Faculty Publications and Presentations

The possible presence of brines on Mars adds an intriguing dimension to the exploration of Martian environments. Their potential involvement in the formation of recurring slope lineae has sparked debates on the existence of liquid water versus alternative dry processes. In situ instrumentation on rovers and landers has been instrumental in providing valuable data for comprehending the dynamics of brines. Laboratory experiments and thermodynamic simulations conducted under Martian conditions offer insights into the formation and persistence of brines, shedding light on the planet’s current hydrological processes. Despite these findings, the prevailing surface conditions on Mars, characterized by a combination of …

Verification Of Past Beliefs Influences Current Beliefs, Michael Wolfe, Todd Williams, Alexander J. Denison, Liam W. Hart

Open Access Publishing Support Funded Articles

Background: It is important to understand the factors that influence belief formation and belief change.

Objective: We test the hypothesis that following belief change about contentious topics, verifying a past belief will influence current beliefs.

Methods: In Experiment 1, participants reported initial beliefs about television violence in a prescreening, then read a belief-inconsistent text in the experiment. Participants either verified or did not verify their initial beliefs before reporting current beliefs. In Experiment 2, participants were randomly assigned to verify their initial belief (about gun control effectiveness), a false belief that was the opposite of their initial belief or did …

The Reverse Lunge: A Descriptive Electromyographic Study, Barbara J. Hoogenboom, Madison Ferguson, Zac Krauss, Stephanie Tran

Open Access Publishing Support Funded Articles

Limited studies exist examining the reverse lunge. The purpose of this study was to describe the activation of the rectus femoris (RF), biceps femoris (BF), gluteus medius (GMed), and gluteus maximus (GMax) of both limbs during a bodyweight reverse lunge movement. A secondary purpose was to describe the phases of the stationary (non-moving) and lead (moving) limbs during the reverse lunge. Surface electromyography (EMG) was used to record the activity of the target muscles in 20 healthy adults (10 male, 10 female; aged 22–25). Root mean squared values for mean maximum and average percent activation normalized to maximum voluntary isometric …

Primary Industries Education Foundation Australia (Piefa) Storm And Flood Industry Recovery Program: Evaluation Report, Tamara Van Der Zant, Katherine Dix

Program monitoring and evaluation

Despite the growing diversity of careers in Primary Industries, young peoples’ pursuit of agricultural careers is often hampered by outdated perceptions of the sector and its opportunities. As Primary Industries adapt to the threat of natural disasters by turning to scientific and technological solutions, a diverse, highly skilled workforce will be required. In the wake of the devastating impacts of storm and floods in early 2021 across New South Wales, the Storm and Flood Industry Recovery Program (SFIRP): Creating resilience through empowering school curriculums about primary industries careers project was developed. To aid the long-term recovery and resilience of the …

Relative Muscular Effort In The Older Adults During The Sit-To-Stand Task: Monitoring Neuromuscular Reserve And Movement Limitations, Nayun Ahn, Michael H. Haischer, Cara L. Lewis, Kristof Kipp

Exercise Science Faculty Research and Publications

Background

Due to lower maximum strength, older adults purportedly need to exert greater muscular effort to stand up from a chair. This study investigated joint-specific muscular effort during a sit-to-stand by calculating relative-muscular-effort and investigating differences between healthy older and young adults.

Methods

Fifteen older (age: 69.9 ± 3.5 years) and 15 young (age: 22.2 ± 2.6 years) adults performed five self-paced sit-to-stand trials. Kinematic and kinetic data were collected and used to calculate inverse dynamics net joint moment. Peak isometric knee and hip extensor torques were measured and used as inputs to regression models that predicted angle- and velocity-dependent …

A Qualitative Exploration Of Barriers, Facilitators And Best Practices For Implementing Environmental Sustainability Standards And Reducing Food Waste In Veterans Affairs Hospitals, Bethany D Williams, Stephanie Jilcott Pitts, Stephen J Onufrak, Emma Sirois, Anne Utech, Michelle Wood, Jessi Silverman, Funke Ajenikoko, Meghan Murphy, Amy Lowry Warnock

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

BACKGROUND: To improve the healthfulness of foods offered while accelerating the use of environmental sustainability practices, it is important to engage hospital food service operators in the adoption of such practices. The purpose of this study was to explore barriers, facilitators and best practices for implementing environmental sustainability standards in food service among veterans affairs (VA) hospitals in the United States.

METHODS: We conducted an online survey with 14 VA hospital food service directors and then 11 qualitative interviews. The survey assessed motivations for initiating sustainability standards and included a self-rating of implementation for each of five standards: increasing plant-forward …

Environmental Light Controls The Daily Organization Of Breathing By Activating Brn3b-Expressing Intrinsically Photosensitive Retinal Ganglion Cells In Mice, Aaron A. Jones, Allison R. Spears, Deanna M. Arble

Biological Sciences Faculty Research and Publications

Rhythmic, daily fluctuations in minute ventilation are controlled by the endogenous circadian clock located in the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN). While light serves as a potent synchronizer for the SCN, it also influences physiology and behavior by activating Brn3b-expressing, intrinsically photosensitive retinal ganglion cells (ipRGCs). It is currently unclear the extent to which the external light environment shapes daily ventilatory patterns independent of the SCN. To determine the relative influence of environmental light versus circadian timing on the organization of daily rhythms in minute ventilation, we used whole-body plethysmography to measure the breathing of mice housed on a non-entraining T28 cycle …

Supervenience And Non-Naturalism, Michael Hogan

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Supervenience presents a problem for the moral non-naturalist. Supervenience states that one’s moral properties cannot differ without one’s natural properties differing. It, therefore, states a necessary connection between moral and natural properties. Moral properties for the moral non-naturalist are sui generis, which means they are not reducible to natural properties, but also they are utterly different in kind than natural properties and any other kind of property. How can these properties be necessarily connected? This requires an explanation. The challenge to the moral non-naturalist is to provide such an explanation. McPherson (2012) presents an explanatory challenge to the non-naturalist …

Investigating The Perceived Invisibility Of The Black Woman Leader In Fortune 500 Companies: Understanding Career Pathways Based On Insight And Intersectionality, Shana Jones Yarberry

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

There is a gap in the literature when examining the intersectionality of race, gender, and class. There is additional distance when evaluating the impact each intersection has on the career development of Black Women (BW) in Fortune 500 companies. The purpose of this study was to use a qualitative approach to investigate how the intersectionality of race, gender, and class impact the career advancement of BW while also identifying perceived barriers, historical patterns of career movement, and organizational efforts to support the ascension of BW in senior leadership. The Systems Theory Framework of Career Development and Intersectionality Theory were examined …

Design And Fabrication Of Graphene Solar Cells For Low-Power Energy Harvesting Systems, Tamzeed Bani Amin

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This study presents the design and fabrication of graphene-based Schottky junction solar cells integrated into a 3-volt power system for low-power applications. Utilizing standard semiconductor processing methods, including selective oxide removal, metal contact deposition, and large-area graphene transfer, we fabricated solar cells from a silicon wafer coated with a thermal oxide layer. Each individual solar cell generated up to 270 µA of short-circuit current and an open-circuit voltage of 420 mV under illumination. We connected multiple solar cells in series to produce a total output of 3.3 volts, which is sufficient to recharge a 3-volt battery. The system, comprising these …