Digital Commons Network^™

Parenting Styles And Experiences Of Parents Of Children With Down Syndrome Displaying Aggressive Behaviors, Melanie Ray

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

No abstract provided.

Transformational Leadership And Financial Sustainability Of American Fastfood Nonfranchise Restaurants, Amar Verma

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

No abstract provided.

New Graduate Nurses' Experiences Of Leaving The Emergency Department, Gemma John

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

No abstract provided.

Hunger, Hardship, And Distress In Late Life: A Moderated Mediation Analysis Of Wealth, Food Insecurity, And Psychological Distress Among Older Kenyans, James Muruthi, Gabrielle Maloney, Beatrice Oppong, Joy Ogingo, Diana Orawo, Risper Kirui

Psychological Science Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

The Effects Of Adverse Childhood Experiences On Female College Students' Social Emotional Development: Is Flourishing Possible?, Kaylee Kirkwood

University Honors Theses

Adverse childhood experiences are events of trauma and abuse that occur prior to age eighteen. High rates of sexual violence against girls and female undergraduate students inspired this study to explore how trauma may impact development and overall college experience. This thesis employed a small exploratory pilot study to investigate childhood trauma and social-emotional development among a small sample of female college students (ages 18-25; n = 41). Participants recruited through the Prolific Database completed an online Qualtrics survey consisting of screeners, demographic questions, measures of trauma history and emotional functioning, and optional open-ended experience-based questions. Measures were guided by …

A Twilight World Of Unspeakable Horror: Lesbian Camp And The Vampire Lovers (1970), Mirielle Lemay

University Honors Theses

From the late 1960s through the early 1970s, a wave of lesbian vampire themed exploitation films proliferated through UK, US, and Western European cinemas. In critical literature on this subgenre, camp reading is often dismissed, unacknowledged, or understood as circumscribed by authorial intent and/or intended audience. With this alternating lack of attention to and dismissal of camp, the interpretive agency of the queer spectator is constrained, their spectatorship implicitly subordinated to that of the "conventional" horror audience—the voyeuristic-sadistic male spectator. Through a reading of The Vampire Lovers, a 1970 British production from Hammer Studios, I seek to explore how …

Disability Experiences Of University Students: An Interview Study, Cece Austin

University Honors Theses

This thesis explores the experiences of college/university students with disabilities within the educational system. Using a qualitative research design, semi-structured interviews were conducted with students who identify as disabled or having disabilities in order to explore impacts of disability on their lives, with a focus on experiences navigating academic environments and accessing accommodations. Findings revealed two recurring themes: 1) the importance of both registered accommodations and accessibility efforts from faculty, and 2) difficulties with accommodations, internalized ableism, and disclosure. This research contributes to broader discussions on disability, inclusion, and educational equity by highlighting the lived experiences of students with disabilities …

Applications Of Prior And Novel Computational Tools In Mental Health Treatment, And Their Potential To Uncover The Explanatory Gap, Ambika Vyas

University Honors Theses

The explanatory gap is a widely discussed concept in scientific and philosophical literature. In neuroscience, the solution to the explanatory gap is highly sought out, but the general consensus is that it is unsolvable. Numerous articles discuss the explanatory gap alongside computational tools and how these tools could aid neuroscientists in uncovering the mental health explanatory gap. However, significant developments in machine learning have been made since 2020, coinciding with the rise in Large Language Models (LLMs). This thesis is a literature review on computational methods, tools, and devices developed and utilized by researchers to improve how mental health disorders …

Assistive Active Safety, Long Nguyen

Theses

As electric bicycles become faster and more prevalent in urban environments, the safety systems designed to protect riders face significant challenges. The current industry standard relies heavily on auditory warnings—which can exclude Deaf and Hard of Hearing (HOH) cyclists—and digital dashboards that often demand intense visual focus. Forcing a rider to process cluttered screen data while navigating high-speed traffic can contribute to cognitive overload and physical danger. This thesis explores how micro-mobility safety might be improved by shifting away from auditory-dependent alerts toward intuitive, multi-sensory communication. To address this safety gap, this project introduces the Assistive Active Safety (AAS) framework. …

Ecological And Political Grief In College Students: Making Meaning In Uncertain Times, Kate Hlad

University Honors Theses

The study aims to explore grief experiences of college students in relation to world issues, namely ecological and political concerns and ways of making/finding meaning, hope, and purpose. To address a gap in research on manifestations of combined and multifaceted world grief experiences, qualitative research was conducted in the form of semi-structured interviews with 6 different college students. Common themes arose from the interviewees' grief experiences including hopelessness, overwhelm, anger, and changed future planning. Additionally, participants shared their experience finding community, engaging in creative pursuits, and taking action against oppressive systems in order to experience hope and purpose individually and …

Facilitators And Barriers That Exist For Patients Receiving Dental Care In Rural Communities, Monse Sandoval Brumbaugh

University Honors Theses

Rising healthcare costs and limited access to care have exacerbated the shortage of healthcare providers. Although multiple factors contribute to a clinician’s preference for practicing in rural areas, the imbalance created leads to rural communities with significantly reduced access to essential services, particularly dental care. The disparity between urban and rural healthcare is a well-documented global problem, but it remains a pressing issue in the United States, particularly in Oregon. The Full Time Equivalents (FTE) count of full-time practicing dentists in rural regions is significantly lower than in urban areas. Statewide, there are about 0.48 dentists per 1,000 residents. However, …

Gps Tracking Smart Dash Cam Capstone Review, Simrah Saleem

University Honors Theses

This thesis details our design, implementation, and collaborative development of an intelligent vehicle logging system built on a Raspberry Pi 5. Unlike standard consumer dash cams that act as closed "black boxes," our system uses a dual-camera stereo vision setup integrated with centimeter-level accuracy. While we successfully built a functional Proof of Concept capable of event-triggered recording, dual-monitor visualization, and smart detection and recognition, this paper focuses on our engineering journey and the real-world challenges we faced. Using an Agile framework, we split into three specialized sub-teams to handle hardware, database, and interface design in parallel. This structure created unique …

School Counseling With Indigenous Students In Rural America: The Role Of A Counselor In Supporting An Indigenous Pedagogy Based Curriculum, Donovan Greene

University Honors Theses

Indigenous students are a huge population that are not fully supported by the school psychology field. This is primarily due to cognitive imperialism and the focus on a Western monoculture in education. This has led school psychologists and counselors feeling underprepared and lacking the tools to work with Indigenous students and as a result these  students are harmed academically and in terms of their mental wellness. This essay opens with a literature review of scholarship on school counselors working with Indigenous students. To improve relations, I suggest implementing more culturally focused interventions. Unfortunately there is a lack of research on …

Advancing Telehealth Pulmonary Rehabilitation For Individuals With Copd: Integrating Scoping Review, Quantitative, And Qualitative Studies To Inform A Multidomain Telewellness Framework, Pooja Arora

ETDs from 2020-2029

Background Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a heterogeneous, progressive respiratory condition and the third leading cause of death worldwide. It is associated with dyspnea, reduced exercise tolerance, significant psychological burden, and poor quality of life. Telehealth pulmonary rehabilitation (PR) has evolved as an effective approach to improve health outcomes and overcome barriers related to center based pulmonary rehabilitation. However, it is important to determine whether these programs are guided by intervention frameworks that effectively promote overall well-being in individuals with COPD. This dissertation examined current telehealth PR models and evaluated the effectiveness of a generic, comprehensive telewellness program (MENTOR: …

Contributor Bios, Editorial Board

Intertidal

No abstract provided.

Examining Agentic Ai-Human Collaboration In Malevolent Creativity, Alexis D'Amato, Emma Theobald, Ares Boira-Lopez, Meg Shercliffe, Jack Rygg, Sam T. Hunter, Joel S. Elson

Reports, Projects, and Research

As AI systems gain the ability to act, plan, and make decisions on their own, the potential for humans collaborating with them for malign use is unclear. Although there are some use cases of malign actors using agentic AI systems, there is a low baseline for why and in what ways this collaboration will occur. We used malevolent creativity as a proxy for understanding novel threats by the phases of idea generation, evaluation, and implementation desire. This research examined what happens when human users offload malevolently creative planning tasks to an autonomous AI system, and specifically, what occurs when that …

Volume 41, Issue 1, Full Issue, Journal Of Rural Social Sciences

Journal of Rural Social Sciences

No abstract provided.

Leadership Revisited, Allen Vean Dmd

Metro Denver Dental Society Articulator Magazine

This Reflections examines the importance of communication, collaboration and human connection in dental practice management. Dr. Allen Vean draws parallels between healthcare teams and organizational leadership models, and discusses how trust, morale and team engagement directly impact patient care and practice culture. The article also explores the evolving role of AI and technology in dentistry while emphasizing that human interaction remains essential to long-term success. The author implores dentists to foster stronger team relationships to create patient-centered practice environments.

Non-Judicial Mechanism For Resolving Past Human Rights Violence In Indonesia; How Does It Redress Women Victims Of Sexual Violence?, Sri Wiyanti Eddyono, Audrey Anggita Ayuningtyas

The Indonesian Journal of Socio-Legal Studies

This paper examines whether the Indonesian government's non-judicial settlement for addressing past gross human rights violations (PGHRV) offers redress for the victims of sexual violence of past human rights violations. Indonesia has grappled to address past human rights violations through formal justice mechanisms. There are about 12 unresolved cases, more than half of which concerning sexual violence during conflict. This paper combined a socio-legal approach with mixed methods to gather data on the issue PGHRV: desk research and interviews with key persons involved in the non-judicial mechanism. Due to the heavy political pressure, the formal judicial mechanism reached a dead …

Daily Problematic Smartphone Use Predicts Decreases In Self-Control Capacity: Evidence From Random-Intercept Cross-Lagged Panel Model, Adalia Yin Hui Goh, Andree Hartanto

Research Collection School of Social Sciences

Amidst the widespread increase in global smartphone screen time and the phenomenon of ‘The Great Exhaustion’, where multiple surveys indicate pervasive tiredness and feelings of being drained, there is growing concern about the link between problematic smartphone use and the capacity for self-control. While numerous studies have investigated the relationship between problematic smartphone use and self-control capacity, they are mostly cross-sectional. Thus, it is unclear whether the lack of capacity for self-control is an antecedent or consequence of problematic smartphone use. Addressing the research gap, we conducted a 7-day diary study to investigate the bidirectional relationship between problematic smartphone use …

Information Literacy Tutorials For High Enrollment Courses: An Iterative Design-Based Approach, Kimberly Casey, Rebekah Heleen

Communications in Information Literacy

The purpose of this paper is to provide academic librarians practical guidance on how to provide information literacy support to high enrollment, general education courses. It includes a detailed description and analysis of our approach and findings throughout the project, as well as reflections and lessons learned. The project team developed asynchronous information literacy tutorials for first-year students at the University of Arkansas, utilizing a flipped classroom approach, to address challenges in delivering personalized instruction to high-enrollment courses. Collaborating with program directors, the team created online tutorials embedded with feedback surveys, which collected nearly 2,000 student responses. We also surveyed …

June 2026 News Releases, University Of Montana--Missoula. Office Of University Relations

University of Montana News Releases, 1928, 1956-present

No abstract provided.

Screening Tools For Maternal Mental Health In Africa: A Systematic Review, Joyce Jebet, Irene Mageto, Benard Mutwiri, Abednego Ongeso, Ruth Wagathu, Rose Maina, Denis Munene, Kawira Kithuci, Peter Gatiti

School of Nursing & Midwifery, East Africa

Background:

Maternal health during pregnancy and the postnatal period encompasses mental health, which is a key aspect in enhancing a positive outcome. Despite screening for other possible complications during pregnancy and the postnatal period, very little attention has been paid to screening for mental health. Screening is a key tool in early diagnosis and, eventually, timely diagnosis and management in cases where complications arise.

Aim:

This study aimed to assess the available maternal mental health screening tools and compare the outcome on their utilization during pregnancy and postnatal periods in the African continent.

Methodology:

This was a …

Mapping Structural Mistrust In Medicine, Ashleigh Allgood

ETDs from 2020-2029

Much of the existing literature treats mistrust as resistance or noncompliance. A structural perspective reverses that logic. It views mistrust as a reflection of institutional behavior rather than individual belief. When systems repeatedly fail to protect or repair harm, withdrawal becomes a reasonable and protective response. Structural mistrust represents both an adaptation to inequality and a cumulative record of institutional unreliability. This dissertation develops and tests a theory of structural mistrust as a collective orientation that links institutional design to individual behavior and perceived health. It makes three contributions. First, it conceptualizes structural mistrust as a product of state institutions …

Aging Like A Pro: Altering Health Behavior Motivation Through Community Education Programs, Susan Eva Fox-Rosellini

ETDs from 2020-2029

ABSTRACT Population aging presents significant public health challenges, particularly in preventing cognitive decline and maintaining functional independence among older adults. Today in the United States, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) estimates that about 40% of people aged 65 or older have age-associated memory issues. That number is expected to more than double by 2060. Community-based education programs can represent a scalable strategy to influence behavior modification that may be linked to successful cognitive aging. This dissertation evaluated the Aging Like A Pro (ALP) community education program that focused on key aspects of health: sleep, mindfulness, nutrition, and fitness, encouraging …

Emotion In Absence: Omission, World War I, And Masculine Vulnerability In Ernest Hemingway's In Our Time, Anna Murph

ETDs from 2020-2029

This thesis analyzes Ernest Hemingway’s depictions of male-male and male-female relationships in his collection of short stories, In Our Time. By comparing heterosexual and homosocial relationships, I explore how Hemingway’s depictions of male bonds are not only unique due to his famed terseness but also rooted in shared understanding, prompting a reconsideration of how male bonds are interpreted textually. I consider Hemingway’s use of omission and focus on how his minimalistic style lends to a reading of male-male relationships as more emotionally intimate than heterosexual relationships. When analyzing omission and relational dynamics through concepts such as gesture, touch, identity, and …

Balancing Act: How Graduate Student Mothers Navigate Dual Roles, Jessica Seymour

ETDs from 2020-2029

Graduate student mothers represent a growing but often overlooked population within higher education. While research has examined the experiences of undergraduate student parents, significantly less attention has been given to graduate students who balance academic responsibilities with motherhood. This study explores the experiences of graduate student mothers enrolled at public four-year institutions, focusing on the institutional, financial, and social barriers that shape their academic success and participation in campus life. Using a phenomenological approach, this research seeks to understand how graduate student mothers navigate the dual roles of parenting and pursuing advanced degrees. The study employs a Borderland Theoretical Framework …

Exploring The Association Between Social Media Use Frequency And Violence-Related Behaviors Among U.S. High School Students: A Cross-Sectional Analysis Of The 2023 Youth Risk Behavior Survey, Luma Hammoudi

ETDs from 2020-2029

Youth violence remains a major public health concern in the United States (U.S.), with firearm injuries now the leading cause of death among children and adolescents. At the same time, social media use has become nearly universal among youth, raising concerns about how online interactions may influence violence-related behaviors. Social media platforms can facilitate peer conflict, electronic bullying, and public exposure to aggressive behaviors, which may extend into offline environments such as schools and communities. However, the relationship between social media use frequency and youth violence remains understudied. This study examined the relationship between frequency of social media use and …

Resisting The Neoliberal Postfeminist Sexual Objectification Matrix: A Critical Autoethnography Exploring Sexual Objectification, Mental Health, Relationship To Self, And Reclaiming Subjectivity, Ildiko Archer

ETDs from 2020-2029

Over the past two decades, women’s subjectivity and sexual experience have been dramatically reshaped by the rise of dating apps, the normalization of hookup culture, the popularization of BDSM, and the dominance of neoliberal postfeminist sexual discourses. In the South, this all unfolds in the lingering residues of purity culture, creating a perfect storm of sexual objectification. This autoethnographic dissertation examines a defining period of my life shaped by the mental health consequences of sexual objectification and self-objectification. During this time, I experienced two brief marriages, many sexual relationships, posed on social media, dating apps, sexted, and performed sexual ‘agency’, …

Electrophysiological Retinal Changes In Aging And Its Implication In Alzheimer’S Disease, Samuel Jacob Haskins

ETDs from 2020-2029

Alzheimer’s disease remains one of the most expensive and fatal diseases facing medical practitioners to this day. According to the CDC, statistics show that it is the seventh leading cause of death worldwide. In addition to fatalities, there is a tremendous financial and emotional cost of dementia to the patient and surrounding caregivers. Improved screening techniques and new treatments for this disease are a priority of several institutes within the NIH. Early detection and early intervention are critical to improve the outcomes of patients worldwide. Amyloid beta plaques and neurofibrillary tangles (NFT) are two of the most important protein aggregates …