Digital Commons Network^™

How To Tell A True Food Allergy From An Intolerance, Sarah Gubara, Aarti Pandya

Pediatrics in Practice: A CME Podcast

This episode explains the key history elements and symptom timeline that differentiate an IgE-mediated food allergy from an intolerance or sensitivity, so clinicians and parents can make safer, evidence-based decisions. Aarti Pandya, MD, Medical Director of the Food Allergy Center at Children’s Mercy, reviews symptom patterns, timing and red flags for anaphylaxis. Learn about food allergy testing, IgE-mediated food allergy, anaphylaxis action plan, epinephrine auto-injector, food intolerance and when testing is truly warranted.

Click here to stream the podcast episode.

The Allure Of A Slow Life Strategy: How Mating Context And Ecological Harshness Shape Mate Preferences, Lynn K. L. Tan, Nicole Ruiying Chen, Kenneth Tan, Norman P. Li

Research Collection School of Social Sciences

Although mate preferences have been extensively studied across various factors such as physical attractiveness or social status, their connection to life history strategy remains underexplored. Specifically, do individuals prefer mates who display signs of a fast or slow strategy? And what might qualify these preferences? Drawing from life history theory, we suggest that mate preferences are sensitive to cues of prospective mates' life history strategy, and that these preferences are malleable and shaped by ecological conditions. We hypothesize that in general, individuals will favor slow (versus fast) strategists as a mate. This is because modern environments are generally defined by …

Cyberbullying Perpetration: A Systematic Review Of Global Prevalence, Profiles, Antecedents, Consequences, And Interventions, Ysabel A. Guevarra, K. T. A. Sandeeshwara Kasturiratna, Charlotte K. Y. Lee, Andree Hartanto

Research Collection School of Social Sciences

The anonymity afforded by cyberspace enables individuals to engage in harmful online behaviours, most notably cyberbullying perpetration, which has become a pressing social and psychological concern worldwide. Despite extensive research on its antecedents, outcomes and interventions, insights into cyberbullying perpetration remain scattered, highlighting the value of a comprehensive synthesis to capture its multifaceted nature. This systematic review synthesised findings from 54 meta-analyses, comprising 314 effect sizes (Sample size: Range = 3273–1,479,614, Mdn = 46,604) across diverse populations worldwide. Results indicate that approximately one in ten individuals engage in peer cyberbullying, with even higher prevalence in partner-directed forms such as cyber …

Income Tax Over-Withholding And Household Investment Decisions, Xi Novia Chen, Jungbae Kim, Ben Lourie, Chenqi Zhu

Research Collection School Of Accountancy

Over three-quarters of U.S. taxpayers over-withhold taxes, leading to tax refunds. This study explores how over-withholding impacts stock investments by comparing individuals' investment patterns from wages and tax refunds. We find that while some portion of tax refunds are promptly invested, the investment rate is lower than that of wages. This suggests that over-withholding, which alters the label and timing of wages into refunds, influences investment behavior. Our cross-sectional analysis indicates that the differential propensity to invest wages versus tax refunds are more pronounced for individuals with automatic investment setups and lower financial sophistication. These findings underscore the importance of …

Idenscarty: Sewing As A Coping Mechanism Beyond Reductive Aesthetics And Capitalism, Edward Berchie Osei

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The act of sewing, an intergenerational craft often subordinated to aesthetics and capitalism, is being recognized for its benefit to emotional well-being, identity (re)formation, cultural continuity, and communal interconnectedness. In this context, this thesis emerges from my lived experiences and artistic inquiry into how sewing, slow-sewing in particular, can serve as a therapeutic practice, with special consideration for contemporary art pedagogy. Central to the thesis is the concept of IDENSCARTY, which combines themes of identity, scars, and transcultural influence to project the responsive abilities of Therapeutic Sewing Practices (TSP), a term that highlights the workability of slow-sewing practices. Informed by …

Pengaruh Program Indonesia Pintar (Pip) Terhadap Angka Putus Sekolah (Apts) Di Indonesia, Hening Indreswari, Thia Jasmina

Jurnal Ekonomi dan Pembangunan Indonesia

Program Indonesia Pintar (PIP) is a Conditional Cash Transfer (CCT) provided by the government to improve access for poor students aged 6–21 years and prevent school dropout. The dropout rate (APTS) at the Senior High School (SMA) level is the highest among levels. Although SMA management was delegated to provincial governments in 2017, examining PIP’s effect at the district/city level remains important because PIP involves central and local governments and schools. This study uses a Fixed Effect method with panel data from 514 districts/cities during 2020–2022. Results show that PIP has no significant effect on APTS at SMA level.

Litigating The Youth Mental Health Crisis: Mechanisms To Regulate Addictive Social Media Design, Talia Elliott

Washington and Lee Law Review

While social media offers real benefits to users, such as providing access to information and facilitating the free exchange of ideas, excessive social media use is associated with increases in anxiety, depression, and other serious mental-health harms. Social media platforms are designed to maximize profit by capturing user attention, resulting in interfaces that are dangerously addictive and prone to exposing users to harmful content. Currently, social media users alone bear the burden of navigating the dangers of social media. This is untenable. Young users, whose less developed brains leave them more vulnerable to addictive design features, find self-regulation especially challenging. …

Classification Of Aircraft Checklist Usability Problems Using Natural Language Processing, Borvorn Kasemtanakul

Doctoral Dissertations and Master's Theses

The use of checklists has been identified as a recurring issue in aviation accident investigations, highlighting the need for continued improvement in aircraft checklist design. However, existing aviation safety taxonomies do not systematically address checklist usability problems. Therefore, a systematic classification of these problems is needed to support the extension of existing aviation safety taxonomies and to facilitate safety data analysis for checklist design improvements. Furthermore, applications of Natural Language Processing (NLP) techniques in aircraft checklist research remain underexplored, despite their potential to identify meaningful patterns in textual safety data.

This exploratory research aimed to develop a data-driven classification of …

Noise-Optimized Routes For Air Taxi, Waleed Raza

Doctoral Dissertations and Master's Theses

Community noise is a primary barrier to the public acceptance and deployment of Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) and Urban Air Mobility (UAM) air taxi operations. This dissertation develops a coupled siting, routing, and noise optimization framework that links vertiport placement to its downstream acoustic consequences, demonstrated through a Daytona Beach case study. Candidate vertiports are screened and selected using accessibility, safety, demand, and feasibility criteria, and the selected sites form a directed network of 20 routes. Each trajectory is evaluated with a physics-based acoustic pipeline reporting Lmax, SEL, and EPNL at school, hospital, and residential receptors, showing that received exposure …

Deporting Disability, Tania N. Valdez

Utah Law Review

Since the enactment of the earliest migration laws in the United States, people with disabilities have been targeted for exclusion and expulsion based on stereotypes that they are either dangerous or not productive. Although some of the pejorative language regarding disability in the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) has changed over time, certain statutory provisions and the very structure of the INA still allow ableism to operate broadly in immigration adjudications. This Article focuses on the subtle, but pervasive, ways that immigration law disfavors noncitizens with disabilities. In particular, this Article examines ableism in the context of removal (commonly known …

Assessing Hpv And Hpv Vaccine Awareness And Perception Amongst Undergraduate Students, Maura Hawkins

Honors Theses

Human Papillomavirus (HPV) is one of the most common sexually transmitted infections in the United States. Vaccination rates remain low among college-aged students despite an effective vaccine being available. This study investigates HPV and HPV vaccination-related knowledge, beliefs, and perceptions among undergraduate students to inform targeted intervention strategies. Participants included undergraduate students (n = 19) who attended one of three focus groups conducted in April 2025 at the University of South Alabama. Structured interview guides explored HPV knowledge, perceived risk and severity, attitudes towards vaccination, autonomy in health decision-making, trust in health information sources, and preferred educational strategies. Discussions were …

Fractured Focus: Understanding Stress In Second-Year Radiologic Science Students Across Alabama, Kelsi Clotfelter

Honors Theses

Higher education is a period of rapid transition and growing responsibility, where stress often becomes a routine part of students’ lives. In health professional programs, the combined demands of intensive coursework and clinical training can intensify emotional strain and negatively affect overall well-being. Radiography students experience uniquely high levels of academic, clinical, and emotional stress due to the simultaneous demands of didactic coursework, competency-based clinical training, and high-stakes professional expectations. A cross-sectional mixed-methods study was employed to evaluate the prevalence, sources, and perceived impact of stress among second-year radiography students across multiple Alabama institutions with the goal of identifying strategies …

Influence Of Stormwater Flooding Events On The Mobile County School District Student Population, Kadence Kali Johnston

Honors Theses

Mobile County, Alabama, receives among the highest annual rainfall totals in the United States resulting in frequent stormwater flooding that intersects with existing socioeconomic vulnerabilities. Within the Mobile County Public School System (MCPSS), 77% of students are economically disadvantaged and over 10% experience homelessness, creating heightened risk for educational disruption during flood events. This study investigates how stormwater flooding influences school attendance, closures, and academic performance across MCPSS, providing insight into how climate-driven hazards exacerbate educational inequities. The research integrates flood frequency, school performance metrics, and GIS flood-zone mapping and teacher perceptions to understand how flooding affects student learning opportunities. …

Scroll Control: Reducing The Influence Of Social Media Trends On Adolescent Risk-Taking, Camilla Vitola-Franchi

Psychology

Adolescents tend to take more risks than other age groups due to a combination of sensitive reward systems, lower impulse control, and stronger susceptibility to peer influences. These days, many adolescents spend a substantial amount of time on social media, which can further influence their decision-making. Although risk-taking plays an important role in adolescent development, social media can increase exposure to unhealthy and potentially dangerous forms of risk. Dangerous online trends and the addictive nature of social media algorithms contribute to the normalization of risky behavior and expose adolescents to social pressures, leading them to be more likely to take …

Religiosity And Female Autonomy In Indonesia, Milda Irhamni

Economics and Finance in Indonesia

This study estimates the effect of religiosity on married women’s autonomy within households in Indonesia using panel data from the 2007 and 2014 rounds of the Indonesia Family Life Survey (IFLS4 and IFLS5). Women’s autonomy is measured by the wife’s decision-making power relative to her husband across eighteen household decisions, complemented by indirect proxies such as asset ownership and contraceptive use. Applying household fixed-effect and IV estimation to control for endogeneity, the analysis finds little robust evidence that religiosity systematically reduces female autonomy, suggesting that any negative association is weak and sensitive to specification.

Food Insecurity, Economic Shocks, Poverty, And Inequality In Nigeria, Ibrahim Tijjani Salihu, Jahen F. Rezki

Jurnal Ekonomi dan Pembangunan Indonesia

Drawing on the 2018/2019 Nigeria General Household Survey — a nationally representative sample of 5,000 households across six geopolitical zones obtained using multi-stage stratified sampling — this study applied linear probability and probit models to examine poverty’s socioeconomic drivers. Findings show food insecurity and economic shocks worsen poverty, while remittances, credit access, employment, safety nets, and education help reduce it. Using poverty indices and the Gini coefficient, the analysis found rural households face greater poverty incidence, depth, and severity than urban households, despite urban areas showing marginally higher income inequality. Inequality among lower-income households, however, was nearly identical across both …

Reducing Missed Opportunities For Crc Screening Via Provider Reminder System In A Primary Care Setting, Komfort Cofield

Doctor of Nursing Practice Projects

Background: Although highly preventable with screening, colorectal cancer (CRC) continues to be a major source of illness and mortality in the United States. Healthcare providers at the Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) project site inconsistently ordered CRC screening for eligible patients due to deficiencies in the point-of-care reminder system. These system failures created missed opportunities for CRC prevention and reduced compliance with established practice guidelines.

Purpose: This DNP project aimed to implement and evaluate a CRC screening checklist given to patients at appointment check-in, serving as a reminder for providers to order appropriate screening tests.

Project Design: Using the National …

Addressing Hypertension Medication Non-Adherence Through The Use Of Reminders And Morisky Medication Adherence Scale In Adults Diagnosed Within The Past Year In A Rural Primary Care Clinic, Amanda M. Weaver

Doctor of Nursing Practice Projects

Background: Adherence to antihypertensive medications is essential for decreasing long-term consequences of uncontrolled hypertension, including stroke, kidney failure, and cardiovascular diseases. However, nonadherence is a widespread problem among patients diagnosed with hypertension. In patients who have been diagnosed with hypertension in the past year, more than half stop taking their medications. Mobile health interventions, such as text message or telephone reminders, are a low-cost way to improve medication adherence.

Purpose: The purpose of this Doctor of Nursing Practice project is to examine how a weekly text message or telephone reminder impacts medication adherence among patients taking antihypertensives in a rural …

Reducing Asthma-Associated Absenteeism At A School-Based Health Center Using Asthma Control Test (Act) Scoring, Concetta Terry

Doctor of Nursing Practice Projects

Background: Asthma is a common chronic condition that can lead to increased school absences and lower academic performance. A needs assessment at a rural school-based health clinic identified gaps in care for students with asthma and high absenteeism rates.

Purpose: This Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) quality improvement project aimed to reduce asthma-related absences by personalizing care using Asthma Control Test (ACT) scoring.

Project Design: Using a pre- and post-intervention design, this DNP quality improvement project followed the Plan-Do-Study-Act (PDSA) framework to evaluate the impact of implementing the ACT on asthma-related absenteeism in a rural school-based health center. The project …

Reducing Missed Appointments In An Ambulatory Infusion Center, Jacqueline G. Jones

Doctor of Nursing Practice Projects

Background: Missed appointments at ambulatory infusion centers (AIC) continue to be a problem, even with improved scheduling systems and care coordination efforts. Nationally, missed appointment rates average 10%–12%, and in Central Alabama, the rate is 11.7%. However, one local AIC has a much higher missed-appointment rate of 17.8%. Missed appointments lead to wasted facility resources, increased healthcare costs, and interruptions in infusion therapies.

Purpose: This Doctor of Nursing Practice project used live reminder calls to help lower missed appointments in an AIC. The goal was to improve attendance, reduce missed appointments, and maintain consistent care.

Project Design: Over ten weeks, …

Ethical Visual Truth: An Analysis On Vietnam War Photojournalism, Anna Lauryn Carmichael

Theses

This thesis examines the ethical dimensions of Vietnam War photojournalism through close analysis of four iconic photographs: Nick Ut's The Terror of War (Napalm Girl) , Eddie Adams's Saigon Execution , Catherine Leroy's Vietnam, February 1967 , and Gilles Caron's Untitled (Who's the Enemy Here?) . Rather than treating these images as transparent documentation, this thesis argues that Vietnam War photojournalism functioned as a contested medium of narrative construction, one whose most celebrated images achieved iconic status by conforming to Western visual conventions and institutional demands, rather than by capturing some unmediated truth. Drawing on the interconnected frameworks of visual …

Communication And Prosocialization: Understanding The Development Of Inclusive Morality, Hannah Smith

Dissertations and Doctoral Documents, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, 2023–

Relationships between individuals from different social or cultural groups are often impacted by ingroup favoritism, outgroup bias, and structural inequity determined by a person's social and cultural identities. Recognizing this, scholars and practitioners for the last few decades have attempted to address this by creating interventions, workshops, and other applied programs that aim to reduce this intergroup bias and ameliorate the negative consequences. The current dissertation complements this body of applied scholarship by shifting the focus from reducing and minimizing bias to focusing on processes that lead to a more prosocial and inclusive worldview.

The overall aim is to understand …

Purpose In Practice: A Master Of Social Work Professional Portfolio, Lexi M. Laird

Graduate Student Portfolios, Professional Papers, and Capstone Projects

No abstract provided.

Gender Differences In The Prevalence Of Anxiety And Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder And Associated Factors Among Adults In Sub-Saharan Africa: A Systematic Review And Meta-Analysis, Basil Masinza, Amina Abubakar, Joy Mukubuyi, Patrick Mwangala

Institute for Human Development, East Africa

Background: Sex and gender equity in research has a growing focus, but there are gaps in fully integrating it in mental health research, limiting adoption of sex and gender-sensitive interventions. This review adopted a gendered perspective to synthesize prevalence and associated factors contributing to differences in anxiety and PTSD in SSA.

Methodology: Electronic search was conducted in PubMed, PsycINFO, CINAHL, Scopus, Web of Science databases. Empirical studies conducted in SSA, targeting adults >18 years and having gender-disaggregated anxiety and PTSD prevalence and factors were included. Meta-analysis of proportions stratified by sex was done, and narrative synthesis of the …

David Edmonds, Parfit: A Philosopher And His Mission To Save Morality, T. J. Mawson

Faith and Philosophy: Journal of the Society of Christian Philosophers

No abstract provided.

Arts Integration In Special Education, Emily Sanderson

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects

This capstone examines the use of arts integration interventions in special education services. Art is inherently adaptable and can be used to create engaging lessons accessible to all learners. Grounded in inclusive education, constructivist, social-emotional learning, disability identity, and self-determination theories, the literature review examines how arts-integrated activities can support students with disabilities in communication and expression, emotional and behavioral development, and cognitive and academic engagement, as well as impact students’ identity, autonomy, and social development. Building on this research, the author studied the Welsh school system at Aberystwyth University, visiting five local schools and interviewing twelve teachers of students …

Teaching Through Turbulence: Social-Emotional Learning Resources For Students Experiencing Civil Unrest, Callista Pugh

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects

The U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) began operating in Minnesota in early 2026; this paper provides evidence that educators saw immediate negative impacts on students' academic performance and overall well-being. This capstone project investigated the question: What social-emotional learning (SEL) resources can teachers implement during times of community unrest that affect students' emotional regulation and sense of safety? The research examined the immediate and lasting impacts on students who experience and/or witness unrest in their community, analyzed the use of popular SEL curricula as interventions for civil unrest, and identified specific intervention areas useful for students experiencing civil unrest. …

Increasing Engagement Among Reluctant Learners: The Impact Of A High Interest Ela Media Analysis Unit In Secondary Classrooms, Anab Muqtar

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects

In the world of secondary education, figuring out how to engage our most reluctant students is one of the most difficult lessons for an early career educator to learn. This struggle during my early years of teaching prompted this capstone’s curricular focus. This capstone project sought to answer the following research question: How can a high interest ELA media analysis curricular unit impact the engagement of reluctant learners in a secondary grade level ELA course? Research found that through incredibly intentional curricular design, teachers can engage our most struggling students. Reconnecting students with their purpose for learning and teaching them …

Moving Minds: Regulation Through Rhythm A Cross-Cultural Exploration Of Movement, Music, Wellbeing, Learner Voice, And Inclusion In Elementary Education In Wales And The United States, Steven Nasshan

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects

This capstone project explored how movement, music, wellbeing, learner voice, and inclusive educational practices observed in Wales can inform classroom instruction in the United States. Originally conceived as a project to develop movement-based interventions for students with Emotional Behavioral Disorders (EBD) and Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), the study evolved into a cross-cultural qualitative exploration following participation in a study abroad experience in Wales. The guiding research question asked: How are movement-, music-, and wellbeing-based practices used in elementary classrooms in Wales compared with the United States, and how can these findings inform the development of practical resources that support student …

Read. Click. Grow: Comparing Digital And Traditional Print-Based Approaches To Support Foundational Reading Development In Elementary Classrooms, Carla Pliego-Java

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects

Early literacy instruction provides an essential foundation for children’s long-term academic development, while the increasing presence of digital technology has changed how young students encounter and interact with text. This capstone examines how early literacy instruction supported by digital tools compares to traditional print-based instruction in supporting foundational reading development in elementary classrooms. The project was informed by research on early literacy development, evidence-based literacy instruction, digital literacy, traditional print-based instruction, technology integration, and equity and access. The research process also included qualitative observations and conversations with educators during a study abroad experience in Aberystwyth, Wales, which were compared with …