Digital Commons Network^™

Personality And Perceived Police Legitimacy, Yuxuan Yang

Master's Theses

Police legitimacy refers to one’s trust in the police to be fair and make just decisions in their interactions with the public. Individuals’ perceptions of police legitimacy play a crucial role in predicting how they interact with police. More positive perceptions are associated with cooperative behaviors; less favorable views are associated with resisting behaviors. Few studies have examined the relationship of broad personality traits with perceptions of police legitimacy. The current study examined the HEXACO model of personality and right-wing authoritarianism as predictors of perceived police legitimacy among college students (N = 268). While taking gender, race, and social …

December 2025 Table Of Contents Newsletter - First Year Students & Library Instruction, Tiffany Hebb

Table of Contents Newsletter

College libraries (and their websites and resources) are larger and more complicated to navigate than most high school library media centers. Students are facing many new things when they get to DePauw; using the library shouldn’t be a barrier to their acclimation and success. So we prioritize getting the students in early - working with orientation leaders to have students explore the physical space before classes start, so that they know they’re welcome and there are people and services here to help them. Learn more about our library instruction engagement with FYS in this month's newsletter.

Early Career Setback And Future Achievement In Professional Sports, Suman Kalyan Maity, Yang Wang, Nima Dehmamy, Victoria Medvec, Brian Uzzi, Dashun Wang

Computer Science Faculty Research & Creative Works

A central tenet of human performance posits that past success is a key predictor of future outcomes. This principle underpins selection processes in various human endeavors, shaping opportunity, wage, and winner-take-all inequalities. Here we systematically examine the future performance of previous winners and non-winners across two sports contexts using two different empirical strategies. First, we track young athletes participating in world-class track and field competitions and compare the future performance of bronze medalists to those finishing just shy of the podium. Next, we study a novel natural experiment in tennis, where we compare future performances of 'lucky losers'—players who advanced …

The Impacts Of Artificial Intelligence (Ai) On Ethics And Ethical Gaps In Accounting, Isaac Hendren

Honors Theses

This study examines the ethical impacts of Artificial Intelligence (AI) on the accounting industry in Tennessee by identifying how national trends in AI adoption potentially surpass the ethical oversights established by the regulatory bodies, such as the AICPA, and relating these trends to Tennessee. A Qualtrics survey was distributed to accounting professionals across both firms and corporations across Tennessee, resulting in 64 responses. Results indicate that AI adoption is in its early stages and that significant awareness gaps remain regarding transparency and bias. As AI becomes more widely adopted, these ethical gaps could create risks that harm stakeholders. The study …

Mouthpieces Of The God: On Translating Bacchae, Finnegan N. Beaty

Honors Theses

Euripides’ Bacchae is one of the most well-known and most frequently performed Greek tragedies. However, it is too often distanced from its origins in the Dionysia, a religious festival celebrated in honor of the god Dionysus, at which it was performed as part of tragic ritual. This paper analyzes the specific translation choices of three authors, Anne Carson, Gilbert Murray, and Emily Wilson, and how they affect the meanings of their different translations as a whole. These choices are broken down according to three domains, inspired by Aristotle’s definition of tragedy in Poetics. The religious, cathartic effect of each play …

Influence Of Depressive Symptomatology On Vocal Production, Olivia Taylor

Honors Theses

Language has been widely recognized as a crucial form of social connection, providing both contextual and semantic information, including intonation, pitch, rate of speech, and pauses. As mental health conditions begin to rise while mental health providers begin to decrease, research in psychology has focused on investigating other factors that may aid in the diagnosis of mental health disorders. Research has indicated that physiological factors, including vocal production, may highlight specific shifts in speech patterns or vocal characteristics. Limited research has been conducted to investigate the possible implications for the emerging adult population, despite the group obtaining the highest prevalence …

“If He Be Mr.Hyde…I Shall Be Mr.Seek”: Crime, Surveillance, And Narrative Structure In The Strange Case Of Dr. Jekyll And Mr. Hyde, Haley N. Durrett

Honors Theses

This research seeks to situate Robert Louis Stevenson's novella, The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde into the historical context of the time period using 19th century criminal-typing, policing structures, and the genre of detective fiction. Focusing on the representation of the criminal, Edward Hyde, the layout of the detective novel, and narrative structure, the novel creates an implicit desire for the police, that is not fulfilled throughout the novel's unraveling.

Determinants Of Mental Health-Seeking Behaviour Among Upgrading Nursing Students At The Aga Khan University, Kenya, Cecilia Wanjiru Ndungu

MSc in Advanced Practice Nursing

Background: Mental health challenges are increasingly recognised, and nursing students often report higher stress and anxiety than other peers.Working nurses in upgrading programmes face additional pressure from balancing work, study and family,yet remain under-studied. At Aga Khan University in Kenya, the determinants influencing mental health-seeking behaviour among upgrading nursing students have not been documented, which is critical for addressing mental health needs. This study aimed to investigate the biological, psychological, and sociological factors influencing mental health-seeking behavior in this cohort.

Methodology: A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted among 106 upgrading nursing students at AKU, utilizing structured questionnaires to …

Determinants Of Utilization Of Skilled Birth Attendant Among Women Of Reproductive Age In Habeswein Ward, Wajir County, Kenya, Suada Hassan

MSc in Advanced Practice Midwifery

Background: Maternal care provided by a skilled birth attendant (SBA) during pregnancy, at delivery, childbirth, and the postpartum period is vital for reducing maternal and neonatal mortality. In sub-Saharan Africa, the overall prevalence of usage of SBA in a 2021 study was 63%. Tanzania recorded the lowest rate at 13.8%, while Kenya registered 89.3% in 2023. However, disparities exist within Kenyan counties, for instance, in Wajir County only 57% of births were assisted by skilled health providers, a disparity that could be due to socio-cultural differences.

Aim: This study aimed to determine the factors influencing the utilization of skilled …

Perceived Stress And Coping Mechanisms Among Nurses Working In Oncology Inpatient Units At Kenyatta National Hospital, Bole Ado

MSc in Advanced Practice Nursing

Introduction: Cancer is the second leading cause of death globally and the third leading cause of death in Kenya. Nurses in oncology units often experience stress because of the emotionally demanding nature of providing care for patients diagnosed with cancer. Global studies show that nurses in the oncology unit reported experiencing moderate to extreme work-related stress, with a prevalence of work stress globally varying between 9.2% to 68% globally. Many nurses experience stress, and because of ineffective coping mechanisms, this affects their psychological well-being and negatively impacts the quality of their care as well as patients’ outcomes.

Objective of the …

A Dangerous Challenge To The Constitutionality Of The Felon-In-Possession Statute: United States V. Bullock, Matthew Matherne

MC Law Review

In United States v. Bullock, Judge Carlton Reeves held that the federal felon-in-possession statute was unconstitutional as applied to Mr. Bullock. Although Mr. Bullock had been previously convicted of multiple violent felonies involving a firearm, including one that resulted in the death of an individual, Judge Reeves dismissed the charges because the government failed to establish a historical tradition of prohibiting felons from possessing firearms. Judge Reeves’ determination that § 922(g)(1) is unconstitutional as applied to Mr. Bullock is a decision that is not only “dangerous” to society, but it contradicts the historical tradition of firearm regulation in America. …

Codification In Mississippi: Nineteenth Century Efforts For A Mississippi Civil Code, Milton J. Hernandez Iv

MC Law Review

No abstract provided.

The Relationship Between The Development Of Tourism Special Economic Zones (Sezs) And Local Tax Revenue, Ibnati Misbha Hussudurri, Riatu Mariatul Qibthiyyah

Economics and Finance in Indonesia

This study employs dynamic two-way fixed effect (TWFE) event regressions to analyze the direct impact of SEZ policies, specifically focusing on tourism SEZs in 6 districts across Indonesia and neighbouring districts within the same province. By examining data from 2010 to 2022, the research aims to evaluate how tourism SEZ development influences local tax revenue. Our estimation results show no evidence that Tourism SEZs affect aggregate local tax revenues. However, by type of local taxes, we found that Tourism SEZs have increased hotel tax and entertainment tax but not restaurant tax revenues.

Vitality Tracking In Kenyan Adults Using Wearable Devices And Ecological Momentary Assessments, Karen Blackmon, Benard Alaka, Catherine Onyancha, Litha Musili, Raechel Kamau, Cyprian Mostert, Mansoor Saleh, Zul Merali, Chinedu Momoh, Thomas Thesen

Brain and Mind Institute

Background: Vitality is essential to healthy aging but is elusive to define and measure.Dynamic capture of fluctuations in vitality can uncover abnormal trajectories thatcould be a harbinger of frailty in older adults. Yet, these fluctuations are missed bystatic and/or sparse sampling strategies. To address the need for dynamic and high-density capture of vitality in older adults, we developed a passive sensing and activeprobing digital platform using wearable devices and smartphones. We deployed thisparadigm in older Kenyan adults and evaluated its potential for use in research on thedynamics of accelerated aging.

Method: Cognitively unimpaired (CU) Kenyan adults ≥ 35 years of …

The Role Of Law Enforcement In Sexual Assault Kit Submissions: A Statewide Analysis Of Decision-Making Processes & Focal Concerns In Kentucky., Rychelle Elizabeth Wilks

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Sexual assault case attrition persists throughout the criminal justice system, partly due to inconsistent Sexual Assault Kit (SAK) submission decisions. This dissertation examines factors influencing police officers' decisions to submit SAKs for forensic testing, applying the focal concerns perspective to understand how legal and extra-legal characteristics shape these decisions. Using statewide Kentucky data from July 2007 to March 2018, this study analyzed 2,194 adult sexual assault cases from 192 law enforcement agencies. Of these cases, 1,520 (69.3%) resulted in SAK submission. Logistic regression analyses examined the full sample, as well as four subsamples. Results provide mixed support for focal concerns …

Characterizing The Ethanol Sensitivity Of The Planar Cell Polarity Pathway In Endoderm Morphogenesis And Jaw Development., Raéden Omneil C. C. Rolle Gray

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASD) describes a large range of developmental defects due to prenatal alcohol exposure. It is characterized by neural and facial defects, including jaw hypoplasia. Many factors contribute to the susceptibility of ethanol-induced facial defects, including genetics, yet the genes involved, and the cell events they regulate, are poorly understood. Zebrafish have a large number of tools for genetic manipulation available, share 70% of genes with humans, are fertilized externally and are translucent during embryogenesis, making them great models to study FASD. Previous studies show that two members of the Planar Cell Polarity (PCP) pathway, zebrafish vangl2 …

The Role Of Psychological Capital And Case Management Intensity In Patient Activation In Permanent Supportive Housing Residents., Sarah J. Carter

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation explores patient engagement with health, or patient activation, in the formerly homeless population housed in Permanent Supportive Housing (PSH) and receiving case management support. Research is limited on patient activation in PSH residents; consequently, there is minimal understanding of factors contributing to one’s attitudes and behavior towards health care in this group. Psychological Capital refers to the components of hope, self-efficacy, resilience, and optimism. Research in other marginalized groups indicates increasing psychological capital may improve health behaviors. Case management provides support to PSH residents and forms of social support have been associated with improved health outcomes. Applying the …

An Objective Structured Clinical Examination For Cervical Plexus Block Utilizing Ultrasound Guidance And Landmark Technique, Morgan Sollie, Cathrine Warren

Doctoral Projects

Regional blocks have become an increasingly important part of anesthesia practice. Anesthetists have developed many of these regional blocks in recent years, and because of this, some certified registered nurse anesthetists (CRNAs) have not received training specific to each kind of block during their education. An example of a block that current CRNAs who graduated in earlier years may have yet to receive specific training on is a cervical plexus block. Developing a learning tool such as an objective structured clinical examination (OSCE) will address this knowledge gap.

An OSCE will allow CRNAs to take advantage of hands-on learning stepwise, …

A Subdural Hemorrhage, Marianne Koleng

be Still

This piece attempts to weave together an understanding of medicine, healing, trauma, and neuroscience through an exploration of past injury and how pivotal moments as such can influence a future career pursuing medicine. This piece also demonstrates how seeking attention can lead to deleterious health impacts and investigates the importance of tempering pride with humility.

Attention - Volume 10

be Still

No abstract provided.

Listening Beyond The Stethoscope, Lia M. Smerina, Priya Darbhanga

be Still

No abstract provided.

What The Stethoscope Can’T Hear: A Book Review Of Every Patient Tells A Story, Faith Abraham

be Still

My love for reading has always shaped the way I see people and stories. Through books, I’ve learned to listen deeply to characters, voices, and emotions. That same curiosity drives how I approach medicine and the humanities. Reading reminds me that every person carries a story worth understanding, and that healing often begins with paying attention.

Conversations In Silence: Connecting With Nonverbal Individuals With Intellectual And Developmental Disabilities, Allyson Nepomuceno

be Still

No abstract provided.

Smart Dressings Accelerating Wound Healing With Tranexamic Acid-Infused Aligned Electrospun Nanofibers: In Vitro And In Vivo Assessments, Eman Gomaa

Nanotechnology Research Centre

The development of advanced wound dressings capable of accelerating healing and achieving effective hemostasis remains a critical challenge in managing traumatic and surgical wounds. This study reports the fabrication and comprehensive evaluation of a novel multilayered, sandwich-structured nanofiber scaffold composed of Tranexamic acid (TXA), chitosan (CS), polyvinyl alcohol (PVA), L-arginine, and polylactic acid (PLA) for biodegradable wound dressing applications. Using sequential electrospinning, a four-layered scaffold was developed as a smart wound dressing, comprising an immediate-release TXA-CS-PVA layer for rapid clotting, a hydrophobic PLA barrier layer for protection, a sustained-release L-arginine-PVA layer to promote tissue regeneration, and a final PLA protective …

Host-Intrinsic Factors Determine Anti-Tumor Efficacy Of Exercise In Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma, Sumedha Pareek

Dissertations and Theses (Open Access)

Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is the third leading cause of cancer-related deaths with a low 5-year relative survival rate of approximately 13.3% for all stages combined. We have previously shown that exercise can improve quality of life and enhance functional capacity among patients with PDAC. Exercise induces a variety of changes in the tumor microenvironment with beneficial effects in several tumor types. However, our understanding of the clinical effects of exercise and the mechanisms that mediate anti-tumor effects are limited in pancreatic cancer.

In this project, using C57BL/6 mice from Taconic Biosciences (Tac) and Jackson Laboratories (Jax), we established a …

A Critical Analysis Of Alternative Section 1031 Proximate-Exchange Structures, Bradley T. Borden

UC Law Business Journal

Taxpayers have six wins and zero losses in cases that grant nonrecognition to exchanges that occur in proximity to tax-free business transactions (contributions to and distributions from entities) of the exchanged property. Those six cases (the proximate-exchange cases) were decided between 1983 and 1989. From those cases emerged the proximate-exchange principle: “[a] trade of Property A for Property B, both of like kind, may be preceded by the tax-free acquisition of Property A at the front end, or succeeded by a tax-free transfer of Property B at the back end.”1 Despite the explicit declaration of the proximate-exchange principle and the …

Floodings, Emilio R. Longoria

The University of New Hampshire Law Review

No abstract provided.

A Systems Approach To Shedding Sunlight On A.I. Black Boxes, Ran Xi

Hofstra Law Review

A substantial body of literature has emerged around concerns that machine learning and artificial intelligence systems are opaque, or "black boxes. " The black box nature ofA.I.-powered services and applications has resulted in alarming risks in social life, including insecurity, mistrust, lack of accountability, and exacerbated bias and discrimination. Despite the call to open the black boxes, corresponding legal and regulatory measures tend to run aground due to their infeasibility, inefficacy, and ambiguity. This Article offers a unique perspective on the A.I black box problem. Using systems theory as a heuristic tool, this Article views A.I. as a law-related system …

The Truth Will Set You Free: The Importance Of A Psychologically Rooted Framework That Encourages The Admission Of Expert Testimony On Eyewitness Memory, Emma C. Kiernan

Hofstra Law Review

No abstract provided.

Empowerment Through Creating An Adaptive Sports And Recreation Program For Persons With Disabilities, Sarah Kadri, Angela Labrie Blackwell

Fall 2025 OTD Capstone Symposium

Adaptive sports and recreation (ASR) refers to recreational and competitive physical activities modified to be inclusive and accessible for persons with disabilities (PWD), adjusting equipment, rules, instruction, and environmental setup to support participation across a wide range of physical, cognitive, and sensory abilities. PWD often report feeling disempowered due to social stigma, inaccessible environments, and limited opportunities to make meaningful choices about leisure and community life. A lack of diverse and consistent ASR opportunities within communities collectively hinders participation and negatively impacts overall well-being. Utilizing the Person Environment Occupation Performance (PEOP) theoretical framework, this capstone project developed a 10-week swimming …