Digital Commons Network^™

How Social Media Provides Access For Human Traffickers To Victimize Children: A Literature Review With Combative Measures., Ashton Lamb

Honors Theses

This literature review focuses on how human sex traffickers utilize social media to groom children. Social media is utilized by a great number of people around the world, including many children. While social media is intended to be fun and interactive, it does provide new access for dangerous people to reach victims. There is a very real, growing issue online that is not widely known to the public. This hidden danger is known as human trafficking. Human trafficking is defined as the involvement of any force, fraud, or coercion to obtain some labor or commercial sex act (Department of Homeland …

Teacher Perceptions On Technology Integration And Its Impact On Student Writing Skills In High School English/Language Arts Classrooms, Brittany Tischmak

Dissertations, Theses, and Projects

The rapid integration of technology in educational settings has transformed the landscape of teaching and learning, raising questions about its impact on foundational skills such as student writing. This qualitative phenomenological study explored the perceptions of high school English/Language Arts teachers with over ten years of experience regarding technology’s influence on student writing. Guided by the Technology, Pedagogy, and Content Knowledge (TPACK) framework, semi-structured interviews were conducted to capture educators’ lived experiences and understand their perceptions of how their pedagogical, content, and technological knowledge intersect in the classroom. Findings revealed that while technology offers tools that can enhance efficiency, educators …

The Implementation Of The Therapeutic Alliance In Aphasia Rehabilitation Research: A Narrative Review, Shelby Swiercz

Honors Theses

Background: The therapeutic alliance (TA), defined as the collaborative relationship between clinician and client, is widely recognized as a key factor influencing rehabilitation outcomes. However, within aphasia rehabilitation, its role remains underexplored and inconsistently measured

Methods: This narrative review examined peer-reviewed studies published between 1990 and 2025 that focused on adult aphasia rehabilitation and addressed the client-clinician relationship. Studies were identified through database searches, including PubMed, CINAHL, ComDisDome, EBSCO, and Google Scholar, and analyzed using thematic analysis.

Results: Most of the studies employed qualitative methodologies, particularly thematic analysis and semi-structured interviews, to explore patient and clinician perspectives. The therapeutic alliance …

Exploring Skill-Based Art Therapy Through Textile Arts For Adolescents, Phoebe Medeiros

Expressive Therapies Theses

This qualitative study explored how building textile art skills and learning techniques can help adolescents explore identity, improve self-esteem, and build resilience through art therapy. Two students engaged in individual sessions to explore an art therapy directive that asked them to upcycle an item of clothing using appliqué, patchwork, embroidery, embellishment, or modification to express an experience, strength, goal, or aspect of identity. Through this process, the students created a vest and an appliqué patch for an existing vest. The goal of this intervention was to explore identity, improve self-esteem, and build resilience. After analyzing the observations of the individual …

Three-Quarters In Massachusetts Disapprove Of Trump, Feel Country Is Headed In Wrong Direction 4/24/2026, Unh Survey Center

All UNH Survey Center Polls

Most Massachusetts residents disapprove of President Donald Trump's handling of foreign affairs, the economy, and his overall job performance. Bay Staters are also downbeat about the direction on the country, with three-quarters believing the country is headed in the wrong direction. Slim majorities in Massachusetts support requiring photo ID to vote, requiring physical evidence of citizenship to register to vote in federal elections, and requiring states to establish programs to remove noncitizens from the voter rolls, while nearly two-thirds oppose prohibiting the use of mail-in ballots unless due to illness, disability, military service, or travel.

Approval Of Trump's Foreign Policy Drops In Connecticut, Majority Support Federal Election Changes 4/24/2026, Unh Survey Center

All UNH Survey Center Polls

More than six in ten Connecticut residents disapprove of President Donald Trump's overall job performance. Approval of Trump's handling of foreign affairs has fallen since February, with support falling fastest among Connecticut Republicans. Three-quarters of Connecticut residents support requiring photo ID to vote in federal elections, and majorities support other changes to federal election laws. Two-thirds of Connecticut residents believe the country is headed in the wrong direction.

The Relationship Between Physical Activity, Stress, Distress, And Academic Coping Skills In College Students, Katie A. Lysne, Kayla Pratte, Eric M. Martin

2026 Undergraduate Research Showcase

Research suggests that participation in regular physical activity as defined by the recommended physical activity guidelines can have a positive impact on numerous aspects of physical health and mental well-being. One of the benefits of physical activity is a reduction in stress levels and an overall improvement in mental health. Due to the nature of the college environment, college students are vulnerable to experiencing stress, which may be compounded by a failure to reach minimum physical activity guidelines and an inability to cope with academic demands. This research study aims to explore the relationship between physical activity levels, stress, distress, …

The Bison, April, 24, 2026

The Bison Newspapers

No abstract provided.

The Burden Of A Hidden Illness, Alexa Abel

2026 Undergraduate Research Showcase

Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome (POTS) is a form of autonomic dysfunction that affects heart rate, circulation, and the body’s ability to regulate blood flow when standing. Despite its significant impact, it remains poorly understood and often overlooked. This project aims to explore how POTS affects individuals’ daily lives, particularly in school and workplace settings. The research question guiding this study is: How does POTS influence a person’s ability to participate in education, maintain employment, and perform everyday responsibilities? To answer this question, research will be conducted through a review of existing medical literature that will provide both scientific and lived-experience …

Cultivating Curiosity Across Academic Audiences: Biology And Evidence-Based Science Communication, Nathan D. Forbes

Whittier Scholars Program

Effective Science Communicators must speak to a variety of audiences, with varying quantities of prior interest and qualities of background knowledge. The purpose of this paper was to engage differing audiences in scientific learning. This was done through a hypothetical newsletter made up for four different segments exploring a variety of topics in biology. Each segment intends to speak to a different audience with a different level of interest and/or educational level. Simplifying or analogizing without sacrificing the statistical basis of this project was of paramount importance. In the two segments targeted towards younger audiences, the primary focus was on …

The Sky Is Not The Limit: Characterizing The Limiting Magnitudes Of The Ortega Observatory Telescopes, Joshua Benveniste

Aerospace, Physics, and Space Science Student Publications

Florida Tech’s Ortega Observatory has many high quality telescopes whose limits require empirical characterization. This project aims to do exactly that by calculating the point-source limiting magnitudes for three telescopes, including the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex Telescope

The Effect Of Burnout On Intention To Resign Among Adult Protective Services Investigators, Derek Frank Wachter

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Adult Protective Services (APS) workers play a crucial role in providing care, support, and services to older and adult clients with special needs. There was a lack of empirical data on the long-term retention of APS investigators and on how burnout affects their intentions to resign. Departments consistently rely on a cycle of using newer, less experienced investigators who may not know about community and state services or department policies and procedures to connect clients. The purpose of this quantitative correlational study was to examine the relationship between personal, work-related, and client-related burnout and APS investigators’ intention to resign. Data …

K–8 Teachers' Perceptions Of The Barriers To Educating Chronically Absent Homeless Youth, Daniel James Pangrazio

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Abstract The problem that was addressed through this study is that kindergarten through eighth-grade homeless students experience higher rates of chronic absenteeism and lower educational outcomes than their housed peers in California. Grounded in Bronfenbrenner’s ecological systems theory, the purpose of this study was to explore K–8 teachers’ perceptions of the barriers they face in educating chronically absent homeless youth. For this basic qualitative design, semistructured interviews were conducted with 10 K–8 teachers from one California school district. Creswell and Guetterman’s five-stage coding process was used for data analysis. Four themes emerged: Teachers discussed (a) barriers to addressing student academic …

Investigating The Relationship Amongst Nursing Students’ Academic Self-Efficacy And Mindfulness, Joshua Josey

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Undergraduate nursing education presents ongoing challenges related to student stress and persistence, and the COVID-19 pandemic further complicated these existing challenges for many students and programs. In this quantitative, correlational, cross-sectional study, the relationships among state mindfulness, trait mindfulness, and academic self-efficacy in undergraduate nursing students were examined and whether state and trait mindfulness predicted academic self-efficacy was tested. Participants were recruited through nursing student Facebook groups and completed an anonymous SurveyMonkey questionnaire that included the State Mindfulness Scale, the Mindful Attention Awareness Scale, the Academic Behavioral Confidence Scale, and demographic items. Data were collected over 6 weeks ending August …

Male Teachers' Experiences On The Gender Imbalance In Early Education, Erika White

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Diversity in the ECE workforce has been shown to have a positive social and academic influence on children and families within the ECE setting. The problem addressed in this study was that in an urban eastern school district (UESD), there was an educator gender imbalance in early childhood education (ECE). Grounded in Smith’s rational choice theory, the purpose of this basic qualitative study was to explore the experiences of male preschool and kindergarten (P—K) teachers in UESD. Data were collected through semistructured interviews with 13 male P—K teachers working in the UESD. Thematic analysis using inductive coding indicated male educators: …

Women Veterans’ Experiences Applying For Veterans Affairs Compensation For Military Sexual Trauma-Related Ptsd, Bridget Strong

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Military sexual trauma (MST)—sexual harassment or assault during military service—is more common among women and is a leading cause of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Veterans Affairs (VA) disability for MST-related PTSD offers financial support, free healthcare, and validation, but women face barriers and uneven access to supports (veteran service organizations, trained advocates, trauma-informed clinicians), reducing their chances of favorable decisions. In this generic qualitative study, semi-structured interviews were conducted with 11 purposively sampled women veterans representing diverse service eras, branches, and adjudication outcomes. Analysis was guided by feminist theory to shift focus from individual blame to structural factors, including how …

Swosu Standing Committees 2025-2026, Southwestern Oklahoma State University

University Standing Committees

2025 – 2026 SWOSU Standing Committees

Unsettling Settled Science: The Perils Of And Rationale Behind Blind Faith In Forensic Evidence, Jaclyn Marra

University of Miami Race & Social Justice Law Review

Science—a seemingly compelling and infallible adjudicative element—plays a pivotal role in criminal trials, serving as a cornerstone for evidence interpretation and decision-making. However, the perceived infallibility of scientific evidence often masks its inherent limitations and vulnerabilities. Forensic methods, widely regarded as objective and precise, can suffer from a plethora of inconspicuous constraints—including flawed methodologies, human error, and biases—which undermine their reliability. The American public and legal system frequently place undue trust in forensic evidence and experts, influenced by portrayals of their certainty in media and popular culture. This phenomenon has been referred to as the “Reverse CSI Effect.” This note …

Presumed Guilty By Proximity: How Geofence Warrants Undermine The Fourteenth Amendment, Radha Patel

University of Miami Race & Social Justice Law Review

Geofence warrants are utilized as a surveillance tool to gather location data on every user within a specific area and are being integrated into policing without a stable legal framework. This integration threatens individual rights and disproportionately impacts people and communities of color. While these warrants are often scrutinized under the Fourth Amendment, this note argues that they significantly undermine the Fourteenth Amendment by granting law enforcement excessive discretion. This unchecked discretion allows systemic bias and racial profiling to influence criminal investigations, creating the potential for wrongful convictions. The analysis in this note details the three-step execution process of geofence …

Separate But Equal In The Bold New City Of The South: A Shadow Of What Remains, Charity Dera

University of Miami Race & Social Justice Law Review

This project undertakes the task of analyzing the historical and contemporary landscape of Jacksonville, Florida, the “Bold New City of the South,”1 from a multidisciplinary vantage point. It argues that the spirit of the overturned “separate but equal” holding of Plessy v. Ferguson2 and its bold segregationist ideologies reverberate today in both subtle and overt ways. Yet, that reality has not come without the resilience and perseverance of pioneering natives who have resisted such ideals in bold ways. While segregation is deeply rooted in U.S. history and scholars have readily addressed the contemporary effects of landmark cases such as Plessy …

Mental Health Crisis Among Icu Nurses: A Global Study Across 65 Countries During Covid-19, Amal Mobarki, Hillary J. Dutton, Allison Squires

Creating Healthy Work Environments (CHWE)

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic imposed heavy demands on ICU nurses, who provided patient care while facing emotional exhaustion, staffing shortages, and limited resources(Boluarte et al., 2020; Shen et al., 2020). Evidence shows that working in critical care during pandemics greatly increases psychological distress among healthcare professionals (Azoulay et al., 2020). Given the significant differences in healthcare systems across countries, cross-national research is crucial for addressing the mental health of ICU nurses.

Aim: This study examines the prevalence of mental health symptoms and evaluates organizational supports provided to intensive care unit nurses throughout the COVID-19 pandemic across multiple international healthcare settings. …

Development Of A Preclinical Model That Can Be Used To Test Novel Therapeutics For The Treatment Of Mild And Moderate Traumatic Brain Injury, Hayden Anderson

Honors Theses

Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) occurs when a foreign object induces damage to the skull and brain through a forceful blow or whiplash. It is one of the most frequent injuries in the United States, with approximately 250,000 cases of different levels occurring annually. It is well known that severe TBIs can result in persistent physical, cognitive, and socioeconomic consequences and the timing of treatment following this injury can play a critical role in the ultimate outcome. It would be beneficial to develop a safe therapeutic that could be administered rapidly after impact and improve the recovery of the patient. However, …

Study On Influence Of Udl Hyd Raulic Parameters On Anti-Seepage Performance Of Slope Treate D With Cover Layer, Xiao Jie, Yan Dongq Ing, Chen Guanyi, Hu Linjie, Chang Jin

Journal of China & Foreign Highway

To explore the influe nce of hydraulic parameters of the drainage layer (UDL) on the anti-seepage performance of the capillary barrier cover (CBC) layer, the VG model was adopted to fit the soil-water characteristic curve and permeability function of soil based on the principle of unsaturated seepage in this paper. A simplified model of “fine-UDL-coarse ”-type CBC layer containing a UDL was established using Geo Studio finite element software. By carrying out the numerical simulation of seepage of expansive soil slope treated with the cover layer under heavy rain conditions, the influence rules of different hydraulic parameters of the UDL …

Advances In Properties Of Construction Waste Mixtures And Recycling Technologies For Road Construction, Liu Yuanqia Ng, Dai Wenbin, Jiao Weili, Xu Bin

Journal of China & Foreign Highway

Resource utilization of construction waste is an important approach for the sustainable development of infrastructure. To improve the diversified recycling system of construction waste in China and resolve the contradiction between the yield of construction waste and lagging treatment technologies, the physical-mechanical properties, modification methods, and pavement performance of construction waste were systematically summarized in this paper. Firstly, by analyzing the sources and treatment processes of construction waste, material variability was clarified as the key factor restricting its high-value application. Secondly, the application characteristics of construction waste mixtures in the subgrade, base, and asphalt surface layer of road engineering were …

Experimental Study On Compressive And Flexural Behaviors Of Pva Fiber-Reinforced Cement Soil, Lu Peng, Lu Bin, Zhang Jiahu, Zhou Siwei, Wang Jin, Hou Lijun

Journal of China & Foreign Highway

To address the problems of low toughness and poor deformation ability of cement soil, short-chopped polyvinyl a lcohol (PVA) fibers were added to modify and toughen the cement soil in this paper, and unconfined compressive and flexural tests were conducted on the PVA fiber-reinforced cement soil with different cement contents. The results show that compared with plain cement soil, the fiber-reinforced cement soil has stronger compressive deformation capacity, a flatter descending branch of the compressive stress –strain curve, a higher residual stress level, and better compressive toughness. When the cement content increases from 5% to 10%, the overall growth rates …

Preparation Of Composite Modified Mortar For Bonded Thin Overlay Of Cement Concrete Pavement, Zha Xudong, Lei Bingbing, Li Yunjie, Luo Runzhou

Journal of China & Foreign Highway

To address the surface distresses such as surface polishing, aggregate exposure, pitting, and unevenness in cement concrete pavement, a polymer composite modified cement mortar material incorporating both polypropylene fibers and redispersible latex powders was designed for the bonded thin overlay repair of existing cement concrete pavement. Based on the orthogonal test method, composite modified mortars with different mix proportions were prepared, and their performance indexes, including fluidity, flexural strength, compressive strength, and drying shrinkage, were tested to optimize and determine the optimal mix proportion. The corresponding workability, mechanical, bonding, and durability properties, as well as the microscopic characteristics, were verified …

Preparation Of Water-Resistant Solid Waste-Based Solidifier And Study On Properties Of Solidified Soil, Yao Yanbo, Zhu Ting, Yang Guowei, Li Menglong

Journal of China & Foreign Highway

Under the background of the “carbon peaking and carbon neutrality ” goals, the improvement and resource utilization of industrial solid waste and waste soil have become increasingly important. High carbon emissions are generated during the production of traditional cement and lime-modified solidifiers, which exhibit poor crack resistance and tensile properties. In contrast, a composite organic-inorganic membrane can be formed by waterborne epoxy resin combined with C‒S‒H gel in cement soil to cement the internal flaky or spherical soil particles, thereby improving the tensile strength and water erosion resistance of the soil. In this paper, slag and desulfurization gypsum were selected …

Review On Self-Healing Capacity Of Asphalt Mixtures By Microwave Heating, Deng Yue, Dong Yuming, Sun Daquan

Journal of China & Foreign Highway

Asphalt pavement generates cracking damage under the action of vehicle loads and other factors, which triggers various distresses. Microwave heating technology can rapidly increase the temperature of mixtures, enhance the self-healing capacity of asphalt, and thereby repair the damage. The research progress on the self-healing capacity of asphalt mixtures by microwave heating was reviewed in this paper and summarized from four aspects:the self-healing mechanisms under microwave heating, test methods, evaluation indicators, and influencing factors of the self-healing capacity. The results indicate that microwaves promote the flow and healing of asphalt through multiple mechanisms;the loading states of mixtures were simulated by …

Analysis Of Temperature Field In Negative Temperature Tunnel Based On Material Thermal Parameter Tests, Xin Quanming, Zhang Feng, Zhao Zhongliang, Sun Zhenhua

Journal of China & Foreign Highway

In view of the temperature field problem of Asia ’s first four-season cross-country skiing tunnel reconstructed from an existing tunnel, based on the study of the thermal conductivity of tunnel materials by the HOTDISK method, steady-state heat transfer models under different protection conditions were established by using the finite element method and the multi-layer cylinder heat transfer theory, respectively. The temperature field distribution characteristics of the negative temperature tunnel were analyzed, and the influence laws and sensitivities of various factors were investigated. The results show that the freezing of the tunnel affects the material properties of the tunnel structure;the thermal …

Simulation Study On Smoke Propagation Characteristics At Vault In Urban Bifurcated Tunnel Fire, Guo Xiao, Lyu Jianwei, Tan Xiangjun, Ni Chenyang, Wang Youwei, Li Yuyang

Journal of China & Foreign Highway

To explore the influence of wind speed on the smoke temperature and distribution characteristics of the bifurcated diverging tunnel fire, Hangzhou West Station Tunnel on National Highway G 235 was taken as the engineering background in this paper. The numerical simulation method was used to investigate the influences of different upstream wind speeds and fire source positions on the fire smoke propagation in the diverging expansion section. The results indicate that:① A higher wind speed at the tunnel entrance results in a shorter smoke backflow length in the tunnel, and the rate of smoke backflow in the tunnel decreases accordingly;② …