Digital Commons Network^™

What Do Healthy Eaters Do?: A Qualitative Analysis Of Self-As-Doer Healthy Eater Identities, Ava N. Krolnik, Esther A. Gauerke, Megan L. Ekern, Georgia R. Jeddeloh, Isabelle C. Okeson, Riley G. Buck, Madeline Bersch

Research & Creative Achievement Day

Healthy eating is critical for promoting longevity, lowering risk of chronic illnesses like heart disease and maintaining a healthy weight. However, only 1 in 10 Americans are meeting dietary guidelines and 60% have one or more diet-related chronic diseases. Research on psychosocial factors like the Theory of Planned Behavior and identity may help promote the engagement of healthy eating behaviors. Longitudinal research suggests that factors such as attitudes, subjective norms, perceived behavioral control and intentions predict long-term eating behaviors and lifestyle changes when intentions are internalized and believed. Research also demonstrates that constructs such as the self-as-doer identity predict healthy …

Growing Alum Crystals, Jackson A. Struhar, Alexis M. Freiboth, Ana N. Schneider

Research & Creative Achievement Day

Alum, also known as Potash, is used to can pickles. Alum powder was used to create seed crystals. The seed crystal was hung in a jar submerged in distilled water with alum powder dissolved to attempt to grow an Alum crystal over the Spring semester. Three different concentrations were used to determine changes associated with crystal growth and quality. Numerous strategies were employed throughout the semester as growth methods worked and did not work.

Growing Large Alum Crystals, Wyatt N. Laborde, Will Gunderson, Kyle R. Behrens

Research & Creative Achievement Day

Alum forms a colorless cubic crystal that can grow to the size of a small apple over the span of 2-3 months of growth in a concentrated solution. Many different seed crystal solutions were used to obtain large clear seed crystals. The best seed crystal was attached to a string and suspended in various concentrations of Alum solution to allow for the seed crystal to grow into a large crystal. By monitoring the weight of the crystal, the solution concentration was adjusted for optimum growth.

Health Education For Caregivers Of Individuals With Intellectual And Developmental Disability (Idd), Madison M. Conlin, Jack Lux, Megan Hesse, Sadie Olson, Violet Nelson, Christina Chao, Anna Peterson, Johanna Shubert

Research & Creative Achievement Day

Background: Winona State University nursing students partner with Home and Community Options (HCO) during their population health clinical experience. HCO’s mission is to “empower and support people with developmental disabilities,” with a vision of ensuring that all individuals thrive and are valued members of their communities (Home and Community Options, n.d.). The Healthcare Director at HCO identified a need for additional staff education related to common health conditions affecting individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD), including arthritis, diabetes, and depression or other mental health concerns. In response to this identified need, nursing students developed evidence-based educational strategies to enhance …

Social Dominance In Cd1 Female Mice, Hannah G. Casselman, Eli Illescas-Huerta, Nancy Padilla-Coreano

Research & Creative Achievement Day

Social rank and dominance have a profound impact on the survival of many animals. Social dominance fosters social stability and modulates neuroactivity, immune response, and endocrine function. Understanding and measuring social rank in laboratory mice is crucial when assessing social behavior. Previous research has focused primary on dominance in male mice based on measurements of aggressive and competitive behaviors. However, it remains unclear how social dominance is exhibited in female mice and which behavioral assays are most effective for measuring their rank. Males tend to be aggressive and territorial, whereas females engage in less aggressive and visibly competitive behaviors. Given …

Higher Than Cloud Nine By Grace Ahrens, Grace Ahrens

Research & Creative Achievement Day

This is a poster presentation on a novel written by me. The poster will feature the book's cover, synopsis, and a few printed lines and paragraphs from the book. This novel is my spring semester project for the Winona Wordsmiths club.

Moving And Grooving: Staying Safe, Active, And Connected, Seth J. Brewers, Norah Clough, Megan Hefti, Sydney Kiefer, Abigail Knoernschild, Jessica Miley, Boyd Skelley, Gavyn Soderstrom

Research & Creative Achievement Day

Background: The Holmen Area Community Center (HACC) is a community-based organization whose mission is to facilitate opportunities and interactions that connect all generations. Nursing students at Winona State University offered wellness checks for community members, mainly older adults, which included blood pressure screening, foot care, fall risk assessments, hearing checks, memory screens, and gentle shoulder massages. During these experiences, community members and staff requested more information and interactive sessions focused on safety education, disease prevention, wellness promotion, and emergency preparedness. Problem Statement/Purpose: Recent feedback showed a growing demand for interactive sessions and support that builds confidence in managing health needs …

Design And Fabrication Of A Composite Torpedo Baseball Bat, Peyton A. Lee, Carter Mathison, Jaden J. Schwantz, Noah Misukanis, Cole V. Stalberger

Research & Creative Achievement Day

Observing current trends in Major League Baseball, there has been increasing interest in torpedo-style wood bats due to their unique weight distribution. Unlike traditional bat geometries, the torpedo design shifts more weight toward the hands, improving balance and allowing for greater control throughout the swing. This project applies the same concept using composite materials so that high school and college players can also have access to this design innovation. The proposed bat is constructed from carbon fiber reinforced polymer with an epoxy resin to create a lightweight and durable structure. The design aims to maintain the performance benefits of the …

Purification And Investigation Of Bromelain Enzyme From Pineapple, Elsie J. Dahnert, Leah O. Hanson, Regan E. Stafanoni, Reyna Olson, Eion D. Hinkle, Muaj-Infinite S. Yang

Research & Creative Achievement Day

Bromelain proteins are a group of digestive protease enzymes that act as a chemical defense to prevent grazing. Bromelain is often taken as a dietary supplement in an attempt to support digestion, and it is used as a meat tenderizer in the restaurant industry. Extracting Bromelain from pineapple, especially the skin, leaves, and stem of the plant, can create a value-added product from what is widely considered to be agricultural waste. In this research, we examined the difference in Bromelain concentrations between the flesh of the pineapple and the skin, leaves, and stem of the pineapple, and the efficacy of …

2026 Conference Program, Georgia Southern University

GS4 Student Scholars Symposium

Conference Program

2026 Urs Abstract Booket, Undergraduate Research Center, Minnesota State University, Mankato

Undergraduate Research Symposium

Complete Schedule of Events for the 28th Annual Undergraduate Research Symposium at Minnesota State University, Mankato.

Ceramics Personified: Baba, Jennifer Trahant

Liberty University Research Week

Ceramics Personified explores the balance between functionality and artistic expression in ceramic design. This finished piece, created using wheel-throwing techniques, hand tools, and a green glaze, investigates how a utilitarian object can also serve as a visually engaging work of art. A process video accompanies the final piece, documenting each stage from formation to kiln firing. This work demonstrates that functional ceramics can also exist as expressive, visually compelling objects.

Rain: The Biologist, Jennifer Trahant

Liberty University Research Week

This mixed-media sculpture focuses on creating a stylized fantasy creature that tells a story through its design. The piece combines different materials and techniques, including sculpting, making miniature clothing, casting resin eyes, airbrushing color, and using yarn for hair, to build a character that feels expressive and intentional. Inspired by the custom doll redesign community, this project looks at how small details and material choices can shape personality and suggest a narrative. Each part of the sculpture works together to give the character a sense of life and individuality. Overall, this piece shows how pulling techniques from different art practices …

India: Live Model Portraiture, Jennifer Trahant

Liberty University Research Week

India: Live Model Portraiture explores how charcoal can balance accurate likeness with expressive mark-making. While careful attention to proportion, value, and line captures the model’s physical presence, looser marks in the background add movement and begin to blur the boundary between the figure and its surroundings. Rather than aiming for perfect realism, the drawing allows moments of abstraction to bring more life and energy into the subject. This piece shows how charcoal portraiture can move beyond simple replication to create a stronger sense of body and spirit.

The Role Of Group Guidance With Psychodrama In Promoting Self-Adjustment: Does It Really Work For Adolescents?, Hanifa Salsa Bila, Dian Ari Widyastuti, Sri Tutur Martaningsih, Agungbudiprabowo Agungbudiprabowo, Taquddin Abd Mukti

Buletin Konseling Inovatif

This study aimed to examine the effectiveness of group guidance using psychodrama techniques in improving self-adjustment among students. The study employed a quantitative approach with an experimental research design, specifically a pretest–posttest control group design. The participants consisted of ten students, divided into an experimental group of five students and a control group of five students. The experimental group received group guidance with psychodrama techniques, while the control group received treatment as usual. The research participants were selected using a simple random sampling technique. Data were collected using a self-adjustment scale, which had been analyzed for validity and reliability using …

System For An Interactive Ambient Character Using Mmwave Radar For Presence Detection And Acoustic Event Recognition, Hanumanth Godari

Defensive Publications Series

A system can use an on-screen digital character powered by an artificial intelligence framework to provide an interactive ambient display. The system may integrate a millimeter-wave radar sensor for camera-less presence detection and a far-field microphone array for acoustic event recognition of ambient household sounds. Based on data from these sensors, the digital character could, for example, acknowledge a user entering a room or react to specific sounds, such as music or a doorbell. This allows a display's idle screen on a computing device (e.g., a smart display, television, or tablet) to function as a dynamic, context-aware interface. The interface …

Speculative Media Delivery Protocol With Distributed Conditional Verification, Jinpeng Wang

Defensive Publications Series

Generative AI interactions typically suffer from sequential processing bottlenecks, leading to significant delays between user input and media playback. Existing streaming protocols are reactive and cannot transmit data before a request is finalized, while standard synchronization techniques fail to address the underlying generation latency. A speculative media delivery protocol is disclosed to mitigate these delays. Multiple sealed media streams represent competing predicted responses that are pushed concurrently to a playback buffer. These streams are governed by a logic manifest containing combinatorial and temporal unlock conditions. A designated verifier node evaluates interaction states, such as silence detection or safety tokens, to …

System And Method For Asynchronous Orchestration Of Physical Inventory Updates Using A Time-Bound Two-Phase Commit Protocol, N/A

Defensive Publications Series

A system and method for orchestrating physical inventory updates across distributed network infrastructures utilizing a time-bound two-phase commit protocol. The system decouples the validation of a material order from its execution to prevent data drift and partial failures in asynchronous environments. A commit token mechanism provides a temporary cryptographic key carrying the pre-validated state of a transaction. This allows the system to perform dry-run simulations and enforce inventory reservations over long latencies without locking underlying database resources.

Keywords: asynchronous orchestration, physical inventory, two-phase commit, commit token, distributed systems, supply chain management.

Split-Chassis Architecture For Hdd Memories, N/A

Defensive Publications Series

A modular architecture for data storage devices is described that decouples the electronic control circuitry from the electro-mechanical storage assembly. The architecture utilizes two separate modules: a logic sled and a sealed media cartridge. The logic sled contains the active processing and driving components, while the sealed media cartridge houses the mechanical storage elements and specific calibration data. A compression connector links the two modules, facilitating field-repairability, simplified data recovery, and interface upgrades without discarding the storage media. This modular approach mitigates electronic waste and enhances the adaptability of magnetic storage systems.

Keywords: Modular Storage, Split-Chassis, Logic Sled, Sealed Media …

Establishment Of A Hek293t Cell Model System To Investigate Direct Intracellular Interactions Between Amyloid-Β (Aβ) And The Nlrp3 Inflammasome, Cristina Sinobas Pereira

Dissertations

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder and the leading cause of dementia worldwide. While Amyloid-β (Aβ) aggregation is a defining pathological feature, increasing evidence highlights chronic neuroinflammation as a critical contributor to disease progression. Soluble Aβ assemblies can act as damage associated molecular patterns (DAMPs) including activation of the NLRP3 inflammasome, which links amyloid pathology to sustained inflammatory responses in the brain (Heneka et al., 2015; Nakanishi et al., 2018). However, the molecular mechanisms by which specific Aβ conformations influence inflammasome assembly remain incompletely understood.This study aimed to investigate whether distinct aggregation states of amyloid β42 (Aβ42) are …

April 23, 2026, James Madison University

The Breeze, 2020-

The Breeze is the student newspaper of James Madison University in Harrisonburg, Virginia.

Understanding Hospital-Based Nurses’ Perspectives On Workplace Well-Being, Frankie B. Hale, Holly B. Fontenot

Creating Healthy Work Environments (CHWE)

Purpose: Uncover nurses’ perspectives related to factors associated with well-being and garner opinions for interventions in the workplace.

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic profoundly impacted nurses and has led to a potential crisis in staffing. Poorer mental health and well-being stemming from personal and organizational issues have driven nurses to leave the profession. In a recent survey of nurses in Hawaii, individual factors such as working 36 hours or more per week, reports of burnout, having primary caregiving responsibilities outside of work, and lower self-reported physical health, along with organizational factors like the experience of workplace violence, all contributed to an …

Impact Of Stress On Novice Nurses During The Transition To Practice: A Literature Review, Ilona L. Ilyayev

Creating Healthy Work Environments (CHWE)

Background: The transition from being a student to a registered nurse is a challenging and stressful period for novice nurses. Stress is a universal human response to difficult situations, and it is important to recognize early on, as failure to do so can negatively impact nurses' well-being and decrease their long term ability to effectively function.

Purpose: The purpose of this literature review was to examine the impact of stress on novice nurses during the transition to practice.

Methods: An analysis of peer-reviewed literature from 2021 to 2025 was conducted using databases such as PubMed and CINAHL. The research studies …

Beyond The Numbers: Supporting Young Adults With Diabetes In The Transition To Adulthood, Alexis Salkovick

Honors Projects

This project focuses on the transition to adulthood for young people with diabetes, a chronic medical condition. Both Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes are included. The main research focus is two-part: first examining this transition including barriers to health care, changes in lifestyle, and mental health, and then creating a new, innovative tool to support young adults with diabetes. An independent literature review was conducted to investigate diabetes management, barriers to health care, how transitioning to adulthood impacts diabetes care, and the importance of patient support systems. Then, a board game was developed with the dual purpose of educating …

Reasonable, Legal, Voluntary? Grants Pass Decision Sparks Need For A Revised Fourth Amendment Search Analysis In The Context Of Homelessness, Hali R. Woods

Catholic University Law Review

On June 28, 2024 the Supreme Court decided City of Grants Pass, Oregon v. Johnson.  The case addressed whether the enforcement of city ordinances regulating camping on public property against individuals including respondents, unhoused individuals residing in the city of Grants Pass, constituted cruel and unusual punishment under the Eighth Amendment.  The Court upheld enforcement of the ordinances and since then approximately 150 cities across the United States have passed similar ordinances or strengthened existing similar laws.  This comment evaluates how Grants Pass is an Eighth Amendment case with Fourth Amendment consequences which sparks a need for a revised …

Pektus, Aisha Naz Khan, Aleksei Macatuno, Sylvia Thorton, Maribel Ramirez

Pacific Innovation and Entrepreneurship Summit (PIES)

Pectus excavatum, often referred to as "sunken chest," is a structural deformity of the anterior chest wall where the sternum and rib cage grow inward, creating a visible depression. This condition typically becomes more pronounced during adolescent growth spurts and can range from a mild aesthetic concern to a significant physiological impairment. In severe cases, the inward displacement of the breastbone can compress the heart and lungs, leading to decreased cardiovascular efficiency, shortness of breath, and chest pain during physical exertion. Beyond the physical symptoms, the noticeable indentation often results in profound self-consciousness and psychological distress for patients, highlighting a …

Powercatchat‑Dentistry: An Ai Clinical Coach For Pacific Dental Students, Han Nguyen, Vivek Krishnamani Pallipuram, Parvati Iyer Dr.

Pacific Innovation and Entrepreneurship Summit (PIES)

Ever wonder what would happen if every dental student had a seasoned medical risk consultant in their pocket? One that never gets tired, never forgets a guideline, and always explains the “why” behind every decision? That’s PowerCatChat‑Dentistry. Built by Dugoni and SOECS, it does not just answer questions; it ingests a patient’s medical history, medications, and clinical findings to deliver a comprehensive, structured risk assessment with clear rationale and step‑by‑step chairside management strategies. Drawing on medical association guidelines, current literature, and Pacific’s own lectures, PowerCatChat can detect student emotions, putting them at ease in a stressful clinical setting and nudging …

Recognizing Metaphorical References To Sexual Assault Resistance And Represented Rape Myths In Coraline (2009), Braden Slater

Theses and Dissertations

Is there any value in children’s horror literature and film? Literary theorists have shown that children’s horror is uniquely positioned to be not only captivating and accessible, but also educational and hopeful for some young audience members. Like most fictional monsters, those presented in children’s horror can be read as metaphors for the fears and experiences people face in real life. Scholars have argued that engaging with this type of frightening media may help people confront challenging ideas and feelings from a place of safety. Building on this theoretical foundation, I perform a close reading of the 2009 film Coraline, …

Nasa, Japan, And The Commercial Space Industry, William D. Haddock, Anonymous

Student Contributions

This policy brief analyzes China’s growing competition with the United States in the commercial space sector. China’s state-owned enterprises are expanding their influence in space development, challenging U.S. leadership. The brief proposes reforming NASA’s acquisition and bidding policies while strengthening U.S.-Japan cooperation to enhance joint space capabilities and preserve strategic influence.

How Should The U.S.-Japan Alliance Define Armed-Attack Thresholds To Effectively Respond To Gray Zone Threats In The Space Domain?, Michael O. Reedy, Michael L. Mclawhorn, Keelan Brenninkmeijer, Alexander B. Ross

Student Contributions

This policy brief outlines the need for a cohesive U.S.-Japan response framework to address gray-zone threats in the space domain. Interference with space assets is increasing in frequency and complexity, yet the alliance lacks a clearly defined joint escalation framework to guide responses. The brief recommends adopting a Space Conditions Matrix to identify conflict thresholds and strengthen coordinated decision-making in space operations.