Digital Commons Network^™

High Dose Intravenous Vitamin C In Breast Cancer Therapy, Brianna Solis

Physician Assistant Scholarly Project Posters

• Breast cancer remains one of the most prevalent malignancies globally, emphasizing the need for adjunct therapies to enhance treatment outcomes and improve patient care. Current breast cancer treatments, including radiation, chemotherapy, and surgery, are often effective but are frequently associated with significant side effects that can impact treatment tolerance and quality of life. This review examines the effectiveness of high-dose intravenous (IV) vitamin C as an adjunct therapy in breast cancer treatment, specifically its potential to reduce tumor size and alleviate chemotherapy-associated side effects. A literature review was performed using electronic databases PubMed and Google Scholar from April to …

Feral And Free: The Queering Of Motherhood In Rachel Yoder’S Nightbitch, Cassandra Haskell

Master's Theses

This thesis explores motherhood from a perspective that seeks to inform and challenge the patriarchal definitions of motherhood in order to simultaneously confront its restrictions and create new meanings from its institutionalized definition. The main text that this thesis analyzes is the 2021 novel Nightbitch by Rachel Yoder, as well as the 2024 film of the same name, critiquing how it successfully queers motherhood by questioning, challenging, and defying the impractical expectations placed upon mothers by society. Some secondary scholars whose works that I utilize to support my argument are authors such as Audre Lorde, Jessica Calarco, Adrienne Rich and …

The Struggles For Equality And Democracy In Modern China: Which Was More Influential?, Angelina K. Lambros

Publications and Research

This paper analyzes the struggles for democracy and equality in modern China, from the fall of the Qing Dynasty to the Tiananmen Square movement. It considers which struggle was more influential, evaluating the recurring theme of a fight for democracy in China since the New Culture Movement, and a quest for social and economic equality that Mao and the Chinese Communist Party committed themselves to. Ultimately, the paper concludes that the struggle for democratic norms and institutions was always present among the Chinese people, but it did not succeed in pushing the government or the Party to adopt political reforms. …

Approaches To Addressing Unsheltered Homelessness In Texas, Bashar Ahmed Aldulymi

Theses & Dissertations

In the United States, the trend of homelessness is increasing, which is causing negative impacts on society. The present study demonstrated the relationship of various socioeconomic factors with the trend of homelessness to address unsheltered homelessness in Houston, Texas. For this purpose, the study employed a cross-sectional quantitative research design. Under multiple linear regression analysis, the findings of the quantitative data analysis revealed that income level (p < 0.001) and employment status (p < 0.001) were the promotors of homelessness in the country. Though this statistical test revealed race as a less significant promotor of homelessness, chi-square highlighted a strong association of this variable with the trends of homelessness. Thus, the findings implied that policymakers and authorities must address low-income levels and unemployment to curb homelessness in Houston.

Intercellular Stress Generation During 1d Collective Migration Of Cancer Cells, Logan Waddle

Physics Undergraduate Honors Theses

Physical forces drive many cellular processes such as migration and proliferation. A metastatic tumor will have invasive strands/chains that extend from the main tumor. These chains of cells collectively migrate away from the main tumor to establish new colonies elsewhere in the body. However, how physical forces drive this collective invasion and the required energy for this process is not well understood. Invasion of a metastatic tumor to surrounding tissues leads to a majority of cancer-associated death and is often a collective effort among cells, it is therefore important to fully understand the process behind collective cancer invasion.

The goal …

The Perry Lewis Interview, Shane Hand, John Brundrett

Oral Histories

This is an interview related to the integration of Alvin Community College (ACC), which was called Alvin Junior College (AJC) from its founding in 1948 until 1976. The interview is with Mr. Perry Lewis and takes place on May 7, 2025. The interviewers are Dr. Shane Hand and Professor John Brundrett.

Narcissists In The Feedback Loop: Status Dynamics And Defensive Responses, Natalie Tal Bederman

Selected Full-Text Dissertations 2020-

The rising prevalence of narcissistic traits has sparked interest in how individuals with these traits navigate social interactions. Existing research often emphasizes antagonistic or provocative scenarios, potentially overlooking reactions in everyday contexts. This study examines responses to negative feedback in a less aggressive setting, where 205 undergraduate students wrote about something personally meaningful before receiving critical feedback from either a high-status or low-status evaluator. Emotional responses, including internalization, externalization, and self-protection strategies, were analyzed across varying levels of narcissistic traits. Findings revealed that evaluator status did not significantly influence emotional processing or self-protection strategies, regardless of narcissism levels, potentially due …

Menstruation Cycles And The Impact On A Female Athlete's Performance And Perception Of Performance, Mckenzie Mcaloon

Honors Projects in Biological and Biomedical Sciences

This two-part study investigates the impact of menstrual cycle hormone levels on performances and perception of performance among division I athletes. A survey was given to the captains of all Bryant University female sports teams for the dispersal amongst their teams. Each of the 13 female sports teams participated and contributed. A total of 107 survey responses were collected. Data regarding the perception of menstrual cycle on specific aspects of their athletic lives were collected, as well as whether they were on contraception, their age of menarche and heaviness of flow. The results indicate that 83% of athletes surveyed believe …

Large Mammal Herbivores As Gardeners Of Tropical Forest Ecosystems, Kathryn Garner

Student Scholarship

Ecosystems worldwide are experiencing changes in structure and function as populations of fauna decline and experience local extinctions (Torres-Romero et al. 2020). Due primarily to their body size, large mammal herbivores (LMHs) are disproportionately prone to extinction from human activities such as agricultural expansion, deforestation, and anthropogenic climate change (Pringle et al. 2023). Additionally, as the number of domesticated LMHs (i.e. cattle, pigs, etc.) continue to increase in both density and distribution, their wild counterparts are continually displaced, resulting in increased competition for resources and an increased risk of disease transmission between domestic to wild species (Pringle et al. 2023; …

How God Acts In Healing Miracles: Understanding Special Divine Action As God's Universal Creative Action Through The Theological Approach Of William R. Stoeger, S.J., Herintsitohaina Mahasedra Ratsimbarison

Jesuit School of Theology Dissertations

Mainly addressing secularized Christian communities, we explore how miraculous healing supports the thesis that special divine action is a specific instantiation of divine creative action. While Christians acknowledge Christ’s healing ministry, which is continued in various forms by the Church, a theology of divine action in healing is essential for engaging with contemporary scientific and medical perspectives. The theology of divine action, articulated by William Stoeger and Denis Edwards, provides a framework for understanding special divine action as a particular mode of God’s creative action. We examine three main insights of this theological approach: understanding God as the first cause, …

Tunable Optical Beam Focusing Using Static Water Droplets On An Electrospun Polymer Fiber, Marco Laurence M. Budlayan, Dina C. Palangyos, Jonathan N. Patricio, Susan D. Arco, Raphael A. Guerrero

Physics Faculty Publications

This work explores the use of static water microdroplets on a microfiber to vary the width of an optical beam. Varying the water droplet volume changes the beam width without replacing any optical components. A surface derived from glass deposited with polyvinyl chloride (PVC) microfibers via electrospinning was used to sustain the droplet shape on the surface. Scanning electron microscopy revealed the presence of randomly intertwined microfibers with diameters of less than 3 µm which afforded the surface a hydrophobic property. A decrease in the optical transmittance of the films and an increase in the water contact angle were also …

Running The Summer@Icerm Program, Amanda Harsy, Iris Horng, Adam Schultze, Brittany Stephenson

ACMS Conference Proceedings 2024

No abstract provided.

Creating The 15-Minute City: Public Engagement Strategies To Move People Away From Cars And Towards A More Walkable Worcester, Sarah Mount

Master of Public Administration

The study of urban planning there has recently been a resurgence in the idea of a 15-minute city. A 15-minute city is a city where vital destinations are within a 15- minute walk or cycle from any resident. These cities flip the current car-centric method of transportation planning on its head, and instead ask planners to prioritize pedestrians and cyclists when designing streets. Previous studies show that 15-minute cities don’t just exist, they will take planning, infrastructure implementation, and possibly most importantly, resident buy-in. It is hard to achieve change in cities without having the support of your residents. Becoming …

Position Utilization And Leadership Of Senior Woman Administrators In The Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference, Mattie J. Schimenz

Leadership Education Capstones

This study investigates the utilization and impact of the Senior Woman Administrator (SWA) position within the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference (NSIC), focusing on job satisfaction and career confidence. Historically, women led collegiate women’s sports, but with the consolidation of men’s and women’s athletics under a single governance structure, female representation in leadership declined. While women make up 44% of NCAA athletes, only 27.2% of athletic directors are women (Statista, n.d.). The SWA role was created to ensure women have a voice in athletic department decision-making. This mixed-methods study explores whether the SWA role is fulfilling its original purpose of promoting …

Creating A Multi-Sensory Room At The University Of Arkansas, Alexandra R. Smith

Crop, Soil and Environmental Sciences Undergraduate Honors Theses

Autism Spectrum Disorder, or autism, is a genetic neurological condition that can affect all aspects of an individual’s life, depending on their symptoms. Autistic people tend to struggle most significantly with social and emotional issues, which often results in declining academic success. With such a multifaceted disability, autistic students can struggle to perform at the same standards as their non-autistic peers, mostly due to the complications from their disability paired with limited accommodations. The consequences of these issues can manifest as lower admission rates, higher dropout rates, and higher stress levels for autistic students. This creative and service-learning honors thesis …

Examining Sustainable And Regenerative Viticultural Practices In The Rheinhessen Wine Region Of Germany, Claire Hoffmann

CISLA Senior Integrative Projects

No abstract provided.

Exploration Of Advanced Practice Registered Nurses’ Perception Of Barriers To Promoting And Supporting Breastfeeding In Primary Care, Devon L. Stubblefield, Allison L. Scott, Carmel Kruse, Marilou D. Shreve, Hope A. Ballentine

The Eleanor Mann School of Nursing DNP Capstone Projects

Background: Breastfeeding is the biological way to provide active and passive immunity, as well as necessary nutrients, to infants while concurrently providing multiple health benefits for mothers. Even though evidence is readily available to support the argument to breastfeed, United States’ breastfeeding rates fall below Healthy People 2030 goals. Advanced practice registered nurses (APRNs) in primary care settings are in a prime position to give education and create care plans to support breastfeeding mothers to improve breastfeeding rates but literature supports APRNs lack confidence to do so. An APRN is likely to defer care to another provider to address …

Survey Of A Paired Gravity Anomaly Within The Benton Uplift Of The Ouachita Mountains, Isaac B. Prud'homme

Physics Undergraduate Honors Theses

The Benton Uplift west of Hot Springs, AR is underlain by a paired gravity anomaly on the order of 80 mGal. Nicholas & Rozendal (1975) have theorized that the gravitational low is caused by a “downwarp of the crust into the mantle”1 however the cause of the gravitational high is still debated. This paired gravity anomaly within the Benton Uplift follows the Ouachita orogenic belt southwest for 500 miles where it meets the Marathon uplift in southwest Texas. We conducted a gravity survey along a 108-km-long transect east of two previous gravity surveys.2,3 We corrected the data from this transect …

Assessing Biochar And Industrial Hemp To Remediate Heavy-Metal-Contaminated Soil, Sophie W. Sward

Crop, Soil and Environmental Sciences Undergraduate Honors Theses

Environmental degradation is becoming increasingly prevalent as global industrialization runs rampant. Anthropogenic activity, such as mining, deposits inorganic pollutants into the environment, leading to potential soil and water contamination. Traditional, engineering-based remediation and containment procedures alter soil structure and aggregate stability and affect the biological function of the area impacted by mining activities. Phytoremediation is a more energy-efficient, and therefore cost-effective, method of environmental restoration. Phytoremediation, on its own, works in soils that are less contaminated so that the selected plant can actually grow. Soil amendments, such as biochar, can be added to improve remediation potential in more contaminated soils. …

Respiratory Syncytial Virus And Metapneumovirus Infect Human Induced Excitatory Neurons And Trigger An Innate Immune Response, Gage Greening, Rebecca Mclennan, Eric S. Geanes, Santosh Khanal, David Moore, Heather Mwitani, Daniel A. Louiselle, Todd Bradley

Research at Children's Mercy Month 2025

Certain respiratory viruses exhibit neurotropism, allowing them to invade the central nervous system and induce neuroinflammation. Neurotropic respiratory viruses can lead to a variety of symptoms including encephalitis, seizures, and acute flaccid paralysis, among others. Recent research also suggests that even in non-severe cases, long-term neurological sequelae can persist. Despite the known association of these neurotropic respiratory viruses with short- and long-term neurological manifestations, there are significant knowledge gaps regarding the basic mechanisms of neuropathogenesis that, if addressed, could provide a foundation for the development of prevention and treatment interventions. The goal of this study was to establish in vitro …

Variable Selection In Mixture Cure Models Using Elastic Net Penalty: Application To Covid-19 Data, Aluwani Ramalata, Akim Adekpedjou, Maseka Lesaoana

Mathematics and Statistics Faculty Research & Creative Works

In survival analysis, it is often assumed that all individuals will eventually experience the event of interest if followed long enough. However, in many real-world scenarios, a subset of individuals remains event-free indefinitely. For instance, in clinical studies, some patients never relapse and are considered cured rather than censored. Traditional survival models are inadequate for capturing this heterogeneity. Mixture cure models address this limitation by distinguishing between cured and susceptible individuals while modeling the survival of the latter. A key challenge in mixture cure modeling is selecting relevant covariates, particularly when dealing with time-varying effects. This study develops a penalized …

The Impact Of Elexacaftor/Tezacaftor/Ivacaftor On Perceived Quality Of Life In People With Cystic Fibrosis Aged 2-5 Years, Ashley Severin, Ellen Meier, Christopher M. Oermann, Stephanie Duehlmeyer

Research at Children's Mercy Month 2025

Elexacaftor/tezacaftor/ivacaftor (ETI) is a highly effective CFTR modulator therapy for people with cystic fibrosis (pwCF). It was originally approved in October 2019 for pwCF aged 12 years and older with one copy of the F508del CFTR mutation. Since that time, its FDA labeling has been expanded, with an indication down to age 2 years. It has been shown through clinical trials that ETI is associated with physical health improvements. The CF community and care teams have observed similar findings. To our knowledge, there are limited data regarding ETI and health-related quality of life (HRQOL) in the pre-school age group. The …

The Mechanics Of Angular Momentum Generation In Discus Throwing, Andreas Maheras

Track and Field Faculty Publications

Angular momentum development in the back of the ring, during the first double and first single support, is of paramount importance in discus throwing because this is where almost all the angular momentum the thrower can generate will be generated. From a purely mechanical point of view, to achieve that, the thrower should keep her arms spread apart, and also actively throw both the right leg and the left arm and shoulders CCW. Those actions will collectively contribute in slowing down the lower body, as the thrower actively chooses to pass as much angular momentum to the upper body at …

Effect Of The Sequencing Of Instruction On Students’ Perceptions Of Engagement And Learning, Ingrid Etherton

Master of Education Program Theses

Inquiry-based learning has become a hallmark of science education, in part through the introduction of the Next Generation Science Standards. Research has shown inquiry and direct instruction are effective and essential components of student learning; however, effective implementation of these strategies requires intentional sequencing and understanding of student cognition and motivation. This action research project sought to investigate the relationship between the sequence of inquiry and direct instruction and students’ perceptions of their learning through inquiry. The results of this study indicate that inquiry activities are effective for student learning and interest in the content; however, further research is needed …

From Great Migration To Gentrification: Heirs Property In The Urban Context, Codi Royall

Northern Illinois University Law Review

The current legal framework, including common law doctrine, individual state statutes, and the Uniform Partition of Heirs Property Act (UPHPA), fails to meet the needs of heirs property owners in urban communities. This oversight allows real estate speculators to exploit the law, accelerating gentrification, urban blight, displacement of heirs, and the erosion of generational wealth. While Thomas Mitchell’s scholarship has illuminated the challenges of heirs property, its focus on rural contexts neglects the distinct issues faced by urban heirs.

This Note addresses this gap by examining heirs property through an urban lens, emphasizing the unique historical and legal contexts of …

How To Message Plant-Based Diets And Products In Southeast Asia: A Social Media Analysis, Audrey Tsen, Thomas Manandhar-Richardson, Allison Troy Phd, Andie Thompkins Phd

Diet

This study will employ social listening analysis to identify key beliefs and misconceptions for South East Asians around plant-based diets and alternative proteins. It will use this rich understanding to recommend messaging strategies to address current misconceptions and inspire diet change. The details of the preregistration are provided in an uploaded PDF. It was adapted from the standard OSF Pre-registration template, which does not apply well to qualitative research.

Revealed And Hidden Social Preferences, Saika Cer Askin

Behavioral and Computational Economics (MS) Theses

This study investigates individuals’ social preferences by examining the impact of group identity on economic decision-making through Dictator Game and Lying Dictator Game experiments conducted in different cultural contexts. The research compares students from Chapman University (USA) and Wuhan University (China), with each participant informed of their counterpart’s university affiliation. This design allows for the comparison of behaviors exhibited in in-group versus out-group settings. The results show that in the Dictator Game, allocation behavior remained consistent regardless of group identity. However, in the Lying Dictator Game, Wuhan participants displayed different levels of honesty depending on their counterpart’s university affiliation. A …

Leaving California: The Price Impact Of Announcing A Headquarters Relocation, Marilyn Giselle Hazlett

Behavioral and Computational Economics (MS) Theses

Over the past decade, people and companies have left California for myriad reasons. This paper examines the effect of announcing a headquarters relocation on a firm's stock price. Using traditional event study methodology, I analyze over 400 move announcements from 2004-2024 to find a positive abnormal return in the short run when firms announce that they are moving their headquarters. There is a pronounced impact on stock prices for firms leaving California and moving to Texas.

A Hierarchical Soft Computational Model For Optimizing Agricultural Uavs: Recruiting Neutrosophic Theory And Tree Soft Sets, Mona Mohamed, Nurhan Alaa, Bilal Arain, Karam M. Sallam

Neutrosophic Systems with Applications

Precision agriculture is being transformed by Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs), which make it possible for yield optimization, targeted spraying, and sophisticated crop monitoring. With an emphasis on their operational capabilities, economic feasibility, and environmental implications, this research explores the revolutionary potential of UAV technology in contemporary farming systems. Practically speaking, the procedure of opting UAVs for agricultural applications is complicated by several competing aspects, inherent uncertainties, and differing stakeholder agendas. This paper suggests a new hybrid decision framework that combines Tree Soft Sets (TrSS), Neutrosophic theory, and Multi-Criteria Decision-Making (MCDM) to methodically handle these issues. Hence, the robust hybrid model …

Towards Explainable And Robust Nlp: Neutrosophic Probability Augmentation In Text Classification, Nabil M. Abdel-Aziz, Mahmoud Ibrahim, Khalid A. Eldrandaly

Neutrosophic Systems with Applications

The rapid growth of textual data necessitates advanced text classification models. However, traditional methods struggle with ambiguity and uncertainty in natural language, reducing classification reliability. To address this, we integrate neutrosophic logic, which explicitly models truth, indeterminacy, and falsity, into a DistilBERT-based text classification framework. Additionally, we employ data augmentation using synonym replacement to enhance generalization. Our approach is evaluated on the AG News dataset, classifying articles into four categories: World, Sports, Business, and Science/Technology. By incorporating neutrosophic attributes, the proposed framework assesses text quality, mitigates uncertainty, and improves robustness against ambiguous inputs. Experimental results demonstrate an accuracy of 94.10%, …