Digital Commons Network^™

Investments Or Restrictions? China’S Influence On Freedom Of Expression In African Countries, Christina A. Oswalt

Departmental Honors & Graduate Capstone Projects

Between 2001 and 2018, China’s outward foreign direct investment increased by 66.3 times, with a particular focus on resource-rich countries in Africa. While the economic impact of these investments has been widely studied, their potential impacts on democratic freedoms have been neglected. This thesis investigates how Chinese foreign direct investment affects African countries’ free speech, free press, and internet freedom. Based on case studies of Zambia, Kenya, and Ghana, this thesis finds a causal relationship between increased foreign direct investment from China and decreased freedom of expression and internet freedom in host countries. This relationship is moderated by the proportion …

Strange Looking Creature, Bernadette K. Curl

Graduate Artistry Projects and Performances

"Self portraiture does not involve ego, vanity, or narcissism. Self portraiture is an open confrontation with the discomforting feeling of being perceived by others through projecting and encountering one’s own form in strange and delicate parallel realities."

This work confronts issues in the photographic art of self-portraiture through experimentation and metaphysical theories, the issue of an artist dealing with past versions of the self, still life used as metaphor, and the problems and considerations for an artist choosing to make their own tools.

Dion Horton V. Administrative Judge Jill Rangos

2025 Decisions

USDC for the Western District of Pennsylvania

Kelen Oliveira V. Attorney General United States Of America

2025 Decisions

Agency

Usa V. Tyler Goodnight

2025 Decisions

USDC for the Western District of Pennsylvania

Doc 2010-04 (Amended) The Common Academic Program, University Of Dayton. Academic Policies Committee

Senate Documents

The University of Dayton first adopted its General Education Program for all undergraduate students in the Fall of 1983 when Senate Doc #81-2 was approved. Its stated purpose was to make “students aware of the diversity of intellectual thought and theory represented by the sciences, the humanities and the social sciences. In addition, the general education component offers the students an opportunity to synthesize and evaluate information from various disciplines and thus enhance the study of a specific profession.” In 1991 significant curricular revisions were made to the General Education Program including the introduction of the Humanities Base and Thematic …

Typical Electron-Withdrawing Groups Are Ortho, Meta-Directors Rather Than Meta-Directors In Electrophilic Aromatic Substitution, Paul R. Rablen

Chemistry & Biochemistry Faculty Works

Electron-withdrawing groups are traditionally considered meta-directing in aromatic substitution reactions. However, when the pre-existing substituent is a π-acceptor, both experiment and calculation indicate that substantial amounts of ortho as well as meta substitution occur, with very little para reactivity. A simple perturbative MO argument rationalizes this finding. It is therefore suggested that these substituents are best understood as ortho, meta-directors, with a preference for meta, just as electron-donating groups are considered ortho, para-directors, with a preference for para.

Transportation’S Influences On Wellbeing: A Literature Review And Scoping Framework, William Bouck, Patrick Singleton, Louis Alloro, Kim Clark

Curiosity

This study investigates the relationship between transportation and wellbeing: the conditions humans need to flourish at all levels. Using the results gleaned from our literature review of 44 articles, we found correlations linkages between transportation elements and components of physical, psychological, economic, and social wellbeing. These transportation factors affected overall wellbeing, not merely wellbeing during travel. We find that active travel, followed by public transit, are the best travel modes for wellbeing, and that congestion, pollution, and transport disadvantage harm wellbeing. Our findings also indicate that multimodal, people-focused infrastructure corresponds to higher wellbeing. Generally, the four areas of wellbeing we …

Patterns Of Associations With Epidemiologic Factors By High-Grade Serous Ovarian Cancer Gene Expression Subtypes., Lindsay J Collin, Kara L Cushing-Haugen, Kathryn L Terry, Ellen L Goode, Anna H Wu, Holly R Harris, Naoko Sasamoto, Daniel W Cramer, Francesmary Modugno, Esther Elishaev, Zhuxuan Fu, Kirsten B Moysich, Peter A Fasching, Celeste Leigh Pearce, Usha Menon, Aleksandra Gentry-Maharaj, Simon A Gayther, Nicolas Wentzensen, Marc T Goodman, Joshy George, Aline Talhouk, Michael S Anglesio, Susan J Ramus, David D L Bowtell, Shelley S Tworoger, Joellen M Schildkraut, Penelope M Webb, Jennifer A Doherty

Faculty Research 2025

BACKGROUND: Ovarian high-grade serous carcinomas (HGSC) comprise four distinct molecular subtypes based on mRNA expression patterns, with differential survival. Understanding risk factor associations is important to elucidate the etiology of HGSC. We investigated associations between different epidemiologic risk factors and HGSC molecular subtypes.

METHODS: We pooled data from 11 case-control studies with epidemiologic and tumor gene expression data from custom NanoString CodeSets developed through a collaboration within the Ovarian Tumor Tissue Analysis consortium. The PrOTYPE-validated NanoString-based 55-gene classifier was used to assign HGSC gene expression subtypes. We examined associations between epidemiologic factors and HGSC subtypes in 2,070 cases and 16,633 …

Functional Morphology Of The Primate Knee And Its Implications For Hominin Bipedal Mechanics, Catherine K. Miller

Dartmouth College Ph.D Dissertations

Bipedal locomotion is central to the human condition, having shaped our evolutionary trajectory since its early emergence in the hominin lineage. Despite its importance, key questions remain about its origins and evolutionary trajectory. While many studies have focused on locomotor-related anatomies, comparatively less attention has been paid to the knee joint – a structure critical to the primate locomotor repertoire. This dissertation aims to clarify the form-function relationship of the knee in extant primates to better infer the locomotor behaviors of Miocene hominoids and Plio-Pleistocene hominins. To address these questions, this research employs a multifaceted analytical approach, integrating linear measurements, …

An Exploration Of The Economic And Social Impacts Of The Grupo Social Once, Annalaura B. Swinea

Honors Theses

This thesis explores the economic and social impacts of Grupo Social ONCE, a Spanish institution that operates at the intersection of business, philanthropy, and social inclusion. ONCE has evolved from a small lottery initiative for the blind into a multifaceted organization comprising JuegosONCE (its lottery operation), Fundación ONCE (a philanthropic foundation), and ILUNION (a business group promoting inclusive employment). Through historical analysis, organizational review, and employment statistics, this study evaluates whether ONCE successfully fosters economic inclusion for people with disabilities. It argues that the hybrid model of Grupo Social ONCE creates a self-reinforcing cycle of social and economic empowerment …

Impact Of Menstrual Cycle Phase On Upper Extremity Function, Emma D. Cochran, Kaitlyn M. Armstrong

Honors Theses

Abstract

The Impact of Menstrual Cycle Phase on Upper Extremity Function

Background: There has been a significant rise in the number of female athletes participating across the spectrum of sports. While there are a multitude of research studies looking at physiology in sports on performance, training methods, and injuries; this research is general across genders. When it comes to female-specific physiology concerning training and injuries, there is little research. One such gender-specific physiological focus is the menstrual cycle in the female population. The literature suggests changes in joint laxity and muscle repair throughout the various phases of the menstrual cycle, …

Identity Light Stories And Their Retellings, Xander S. Barney

Honors Program Theses and Projects

This project looked at entertaining stories and the different audiences they may be told to. The goal was to learn more about the relationships of the storyteller through their entertaining stories, specifically focusing on those they have told the story to and those present in the story they tell. Ten emerging adults from ages 18 to 29 were interviewed and asked to tell an entertaining story and then recount a time they remember telling it. Participants were all English-speaking from the northeastern United States and had completed some level of college. These interviews were coded to look for themes of …

Pressure Switch Tester, Michael Starasinich, Andrew Dobson, Jordan Huschen, Mitchell Smith, Melvin Brown Iii

Honors Capstones

Abstract—- The Pressure Switch Test Stand is a comprehensive and automated testing solution designed to streamline the actuation and validation of simultaneously. At the core of the system is a PLC-controlled architecture that enables precise control and simulation of pressure conditions, replicating real-world scenarios to ensure accurate and reliable switch performance.

This test stand integrates robust mechanical fixtures, a reliable pneumatic control system, custom-designed electrical circuits, and a modular software interface, working in unison to deliver consistent and high-fidelity testing outcomes. Each pressure switch undergoes a sequence of pressure ramps and holds, with the system continuously monitoring switch states, activation …

Healing The Body Politic: Integrating Death Café And Expressive Arts Therapy Open Studio Processes To Create ‘Death Literate’ Civic Spaces Of Support, Susan Oetgen

Expressive Therapies Theses

This community engagement project, conducted online and in-person at a local art gallery, focused on integrating Death Café and expressive arts therapy open studio processes to create more ‘death positive’ community-based spaces of support. An extensive literature review explored current research on the Death Café model and the related topics of death denial, death positivity, death education and death literacy primarily in the United States; surveyed extant international literature on the expressive arts therapy open studio model; and garnered select publications pertaining to third places and third spaces, dialogue as community empowerment, and the role of the ‘citizen therapist’. Key …

Resource-Oriented Music Therapy For Musicians' Maladies, Chelsea Ventura, Chelsea Ventura

Expressive Therapies Theses

Professional musicians often experience various stressors brought on by perfectionist training routines, racial and gender disparities, and other occupational challenges. This thesis aims to inform music industry professionals, music educators, and mental health clinicians of the psychological and physiological struggles professional musicians experience with a focus on music performance anxiety (MPA) and music-induced harm (MIH). Findings from this literature review indicate that musicians who identify as BIPoC or female struggle more with mental health and their musician identities than white, male-identifying musicians. The published literature tends to explore treating musicians’ mental health with Western-rooted cognitive behavioral therapy and has under-explored …

Patterns Of Total Body Connectivity As Support For Executive Functioning In Individuals With Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder: A Literature Review, Natasha A. Taylor

Expressive Therapies Theses

This literature review explores the potential use of the Patterns of Total Body Connectivity (PTBCs) to support executive functioning in individuals with ADHD. While research of Bartenieff Fundamental’s PTBCs is limited, its impact on EFs, such as working memory, inhibition control, emotional regulation, organization, and cognitive flexibility, remains under-explored. This review aims to synthesize studies on the correlation between PTBCs and executive function, highlighting the potential for movement-based interventions to address executive functioning deficits. It identifies significant gaps in current research, particularly regarding the specific advantages of developmental movement patterns as effective interventions for individuals with ADHD. Additionally, it critically …

The Demise Of Fossil Cycad National Monument As A Consequence Of Paleontological Resource Mismanagement, Nathaniel Valentine, Vincent Santucci, Justin Tweet, Aubrey Bond

Undergraduate Research Symposium Posters

Located in the Black Hills of South Dakota (Figure 1), Fossil Cycad National Monument boasted well-preserved specimens of cycadeoid fossils from the Cretaceous and concentrations of these fossil plants were greatest at the site’s location (Santucci and Hughes, 1998). I studied historical records to estimate the number of fossils removed by paleontologists at the site between 1890-1957.

Researcher Risks: A Typology For Qualitative Risks To Researchers In Communication Studies, Rebecca M. Rice, Kristie Mcallum

Communication Studies Faculty Research

Discussions of risk in qualitative research tend to focus on risks to research participants. However, qualitative researchers also face risks—or uncertainties with potential for harm—because they serve as the research instrument. Communication researchers are uniquely suited to problematize the meaning of risk and extend theory about what risk is by noting that risk is subjective and communicatively constructed, both in qualitative methods and in research contexts. We create a typology of five risk contexts that pose a danger to researchers: crisis, disruptive, vulnerable, emotionally risky, and ethically fraught contexts. For each context, we define the risk, propose representative examples, and …

Road Rage Or Road Cage: A Study Of The Ecological Impacts Of Roads On Wildlife Corridors And The Resultant Habitat Fragmentation, Addie Bagot

Design Research

As global road networks continue to expand, the resulting habitat fragmentation poses a significant threat to wildlife populations and ecological connectivity. In the United States, wildlife-vehicle collisions (WVCs) account for approximately 10 million animal deaths and 40,000 human fatalities annually, with incidents increasing by 50% over the past 15 years. This research investigates the ecological impacts of transportation infrastructure through a case study of Interstate 10 in Louisiana, specifically a 15-mile segment between Sorrento and LaPlace that cuts through the Maurepas Swamp Wildlife Management Area. This forested wetland, home to a rich diversity of species including the American alligator, has …

Assessing The Effect Of Covid-19 On Air Quality For Five Texas Metro Areas Using Daily Air Quality Index Values, Rahul Sahajpal

Theses and Dissertations

Air pollution is one of the biggest health hazards known to humans. The quality of the air that we breath is mainly determined by the level of six major air pollutants, Carbon Monoxide (CO), Nitrogen dioxide (NO₂), Particulate Matter 10 (PM 10), Particulate Matter 2.5 (PM 2.5), Sulfur dioxide (SO₂) and Ozone (O₃). The main source of these air pollutants are fossil fuels (Oil, Coal and Natural gas). Their levels in the air are reported using an Air Quality Index (AQI). Higher AQI values indicate bad air quality and vice versa. In this study …

Dynamic Approaches To Missing Data In Healthcare: Evaluating Ensemble Models, Feature Selection, And Meta-Features, Dylan Dominguez Sulca

Theses and Dissertations

Missing data is pervasive in healthcare, where incomplete observations commonly arise from patient dropout, sensor failures, or privacy constraints. This research presents an investigation into handling such data, focusing on (1) Missingness-Aware Dynamic Ensemble Weighting (MDEW), (2) feature selection under varying missing rates, (3) autoencoder-based imputation (ODAE), and (4) a meta-feature analysis guiding pipeline selection. We evaluate our experiments on four diverse datasets, Cleveland Heart Disease, Diabetic Retinopathy, Breast Cancer Wisconsin, EEG Eye State. Our research shows that MDEW adaptively selects imputer classifier pipelines, outperforming single model and uniform averaging baselines at moderate to high missingness 10% to 50%. Filter …

Examining Components Of The Interpersonal Psychological Theory Of Suicide In A Clinical Sample Of Children With Suicidal Thoughts And Behaviors, Alana Brixner Nunes

Theses and Dissertations

Suicide is the second leading cause of death among 10- to 14-year-olds. Despite a need to identify risk factors for suicide among children, there is limited research on suicidal thoughts and behaviors (STBs) in childhood. The interpersonal psychological theory of suicide (IPTS) suggests that the desire for suicide emerges from perceived burdensomeness and thwarted belongingness and that the transition from suicide ideation (SI) to a suicide attempt (SA) results from an acquired capability for suicide. However, no research has examined whether the IPTS applies to suicidal thoughts and behaviors among children. The present research examined components of the IPTS in …

Unpaired Virtual Histological Staining Of Tissue From Autofluorescence Using Regularized Cycle-Consistent Adversarial Networks, Zhesi Wen

Theses and Dissertations

We present a regularized CycleGAN with a Dense Residual U-Net to virtually stain autofluorescence images of tissue into H&E-like images. Our method outperforms standard architectures, reduces artifacts, and achieves superior FID scores, enabling efficient, label-free, and accurate digital pathology for unpaired datasets using multi-channel fluorescence inputs.

Inherited Fervor: Maternal Archive, Maria Angela Talavera Tejeda

Theses and Dissertations

Inherited Fervor: Maternal Archive investigates the deconstruction of the non-verbal language of Catholic ecstasy rituals to develop a choreographic language. Through the piece Doves Don’t Fly at Night, it explores the expansion of dancers’ physical range, positioning the body as an archive that embodies memories and mirrors the audience’s humanity.

Rewriting The Frontier: The Impact Of Collective Memory On The Mythos Of Western Settlement, Kelly E. Kooper

Theses and Dissertations

Using Paul Cohen’s methodological approach in History in Three Keys, this thesis examines the construction and debunking of the myths of manifest destiny, the rugged individual frontiersman, and the “noble savage” Native American in the writing about, experience of, and representation of the settlement American West. First, it analyzes the evolution of the historiography from Frederick Jackson Turner to William Cronon. Then it examines the experiences of four families (the Grices, Grahams, Deems, and McCormicks) who settled in Iowa and Nebraska from 1850 to 1880. Lastly, it surveys various popular cultural celebrations of the West. Through this triple lens, this …

Searching For Enslavement In Viking Age Iceland: An Exploration Of Making The “Invisible” Visible, Caitlin Moore

Theses and Dissertations

Enslavement was almost certainly a reality in Viking Age Iceland. However, the fields of Norse Studies and archaeology have traditionally used different lines of evidence to explore enslavement, and for archaeologists, the phenomenon has been left underexplored, and sometimes considered "invisible." While Norse Studies relies primarily on written texts, such as sagas and poems, archaeology focuses more on material remains, including burials and shackles. In Iceland, the archaeological evidence is more subtle - houses with annexes or pit houses, as well as signs of intensive farming and weaving, for example. The presence of any one of these could be otherwise …

Aquí Y Ahora A Dance Tribute To Gustavo Cerati And The Expression Of Hispanic Immigrant Identity In New York City, Karina Terán

Theses and Dissertations

This Thesis explores how dance serves as a language of cultural identity among Hispanic immigrants in New York City. Through a multidisciplinary performance and research, it reflects lived experiences, blending movement and music to celebrate legacy, resilience, and community, while honoring the influence of Argentine rock icon Gustavo Cerati.

Raised Spirits The Visceral Journey Of Black Generational Female Trauma And The Transcendent Healing Power Of Spiritual Dance, Wendy Ann Powell

Theses and Dissertations

Black female bodies have endured sustained trauma globally since the transatlantic slave trade, and it continues into 2025. The collective consciousness has carried the generational burden and mobilized it within the womb. Powell uses this intergenerational knowledge to frame the basis for spiritual dance practices as a healing praxis.

False Virtues And Fragile Honor: The Weight Of Reputation In Shakespeare’S Works, Amanda Sheps

Theses and Dissertations

"False Virtues and Fragile Honor: The Weight of Reputation in Shakespeare’s Works" analyzes the intersection between honor and social standing in William Shakespeare's Othello and Much Ado About Nothing, specifically in regards to the gender roles prevalent in the plays' societies. In both plays, women who are perceived as a threat to the prevailing norms of society are ostracized, ridiculed, and may even face violence at the hands of their male love interests. The innocence of Desdemona and Hero, however, calls into question the validity of this cruel treatment. These negative reactions reflect the pressure that men have to preserve …