Digital Commons Network^™

The Impact Of Land Use And Human Population Density On Benthic Macroinvertebrate Diversity In A Highly Urbanized River, Maleha Mahmud, David C. Lahti, Bobby Habig

Cities and the Environment (CATE)

Many studies have documented the detrimental effects of urbanization on aquatic ecosystems. What is less known is how “super urban” centers—areas with unusually high human population densities and immense infrastructures—impact biodiversity. Specifically, freshwater streams and rivers that are situated in highly urbanized metropolitan areas might be more susceptible to anthropogenic disturbance. Here, we evaluated the impacts of land use and human population density on benthic macroinvertebrate diversity along the Bronx River, a freshwater river situated in one of the largest urban centers in the world: the New York metropolitan area. We addressed the following research question: How does (1) high …

Music Borrowing And Copyright Law: A Genre-By-Genre Analysis, Hannah Rosborough

Articles, Book Chapters, & Popular Press

Edited by Enrico Bonadio and Chen Wei Zhu, Music Borrowing and Copyright Law: A Genre-by-Genre Analysis confronts the valuable task of addressing the following points of significance: First, the relationship between copyright law and music borrowing is dynamic. Second, copyright and music borrowing have most often been considered and centred around a Western perspective. Third, there is a concern that copyright may stifle creativity in the music space. And fourth, the relationship between copyright law and music requires a fulsome review to better understand the borrowing norms and practices of musicians.

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Music Borrowing and Copyright Law: A Genre-by-Genre Analysis …

The Mysterious Case Of The Attacks Against The Halifax Public Gardens: The Enclosure Of "Common" Property, Public Access To Nature, And Sustainability In The City, Sara Gwendolyn Ross

Articles, Book Chapters, & Popular Press

This Article will first describe the “thick” textured approach and methodological tools of urban legal anthropology applicable to researching and analyzing urban contact zones, which is then applied as the Article proceeds with the case study of the Halifax Public Gardens and the tree girdling and arson incidents that took place in 2022 to 2023. To situate the category of property within Halifax and within which the Halifax Public Gardens are found in order to move further into a discussion of property access and enclosure in the city, the Article then provides a description of the categories of urban property …

California And Europe Require Scope 3 Climate Disclosures Despite Sec Retreat, Michael B. Gerrard

Faculty Scholarship

In March 2022, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) issued proposed regulations on disclosure of climate-related information by public companies, including their material Scope 3 greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. This created a firestorm, drawing more than 24,000 comment letters.On March 6, 2024, the SEC issued its final rule, significantly narrowing the requirements and, notably, eliminating the Scope 3 disclosures. Companies that do not want to make Scope 3 disclosures should not rejoice and environmental advocates and others who do want to see such disclosures should not despair, because new requirements from both California and Europe do mandate this information …

Bail At The Founding, Kellen R. Funk, Sandra G. Mayson

Faculty Scholarship

How did criminal bail work in the Founding era? This question has become pressing as bail, and bail reform, have attracted increasing attention, in part because history is thought to bear on the meaning of bail-related constitutional provisions. To date, however, there has been no thorough account of bail at the Founding. This Article begins to correct the deficit in our collective memory by describing bail law and practice in the Founding era, from approximately 1790 to 1810. In order to give a full account, we surveyed a wide range of materials, including Founding-era statutes, case law, legal treatises, and …

Fast Fashion: Ethical Dilemmas And Suggestions For Change, Rachel Walden

Marketing Undergraduate Honors Theses

The fast fashion industry has grown immensely over the last decade, quickly capturing a large segment of the fashion industry as a whole. This industry is defined by a highly responsive and extremely cost-focused supply chain, allowing the curation of trendy and low-cost garments. These garments, while appealing to consumers for the stylish and affordability, are of poor quality and have short lifetime. The fast fashion model gives rise to serious environmental and social consequences, often contributing to high levels of air and water pollution, increased landfill waste, and unethical labor practices. The aim of this paper is to describe …

Crossing Borders And Breaking Barriers: A Strategic Analysis Of Chick-Fil-A'S Expansion Into The French Market, Avery Besson

Marketing Undergraduate Honors Theses

This thesis explores the strategic considerations and potential challenges of Chick-fil-A, a prominent American fast-food chain, establishing itself in France. The study investigates the cultural, economic, and regulatory factors that may impact Chick-fil-A's entry strategy, aiming to provide a comprehensive understanding of the opportunities and obstacles the company may encounter in France. This research will examine Chick-fil-A’s previous attempts at expansion, analyze an American company that has successfully established themselves in France, and provide market entry strategies to Chick-fil-A to establish its presence in the French market successfully.

The Swift Effect: How Popstar Taylor Swift Has Brought Business And Viewership To The National Football League, Mckenna Baron

Marketing Undergraduate Honors Theses

Big reputation. Two words that perfectly define the twelve-time Grammy award-winning, and Time’s 2023 Person of the Year, Taylor Swift. Swift had a monumental year in 2023. Her Era's tour is going down in history as one of the biggest tours to date. Swift is one of the most decorated music artists of all time. Swift’s love life had been kept quiet for the past few years until her recent relationship with football star Travis Kelce made headlines on the news. Kelce and Swift have taken the National Football League (NFL) and Swifties by storm, transforming the business and viewership …

Quantifying Marketing Lifts To Create A Data-Driven Model: Walmart Merchandising Operations Internship, Susannah Patton

Marketing Undergraduate Honors Theses

I assumed the role of a Merchandising Operations Intern, working directly under the guidance of Planner Candace Gooding in D71. Given the prominence of the furniture and mattresses department in the online retail space, due to the limitations of in-store infrastructure for large products, our focus within D71 is centered on expanding the digital business. Over the past couple of years, Walmart has strategically shifted towards launching higher-end retail items, particularly in the realm of stylish furniture, bolstered by robust marketing initiatives. Although historical performance, seasonality, and price elasticity have traditionally guided forecasting for these items, the oversight of additional …

The Rise And Fall Of A Video Game Dynasty And Its Road Back To Glory, Kade Rogerson

Marketing Undergraduate Honors Theses

For years the EA Sports NCAA Football series had been a long-standing success story in the world of sports video games. Combining the unique feel of collegiate athletics with the realistic nature of the game that its technology provides led the series to be a major source of revenue for Electronic Arts, Inc. in the extremely competitive and profitable industries of video games and sports merchandising.

However, the series came to an abrupt halt in 2013. Spearheaded by the O’Bannon v. NCAA lawsuit, EA was forced to discontinue the series after legal action was taken regarding the game’s unauthorized use …

Assessing Undergraduate Nonprofit Management Education Programs: Combining Industry And Student Perspectives, Benjamin Walworth

Marketing Undergraduate Honors Theses

Given the role of the nonprofit sector in the U.S. economy, as well as the growth of nonprofit management education (NME) programs, there is a need to specifically assess undergraduate NME programs. This study addresses the current research gap by examining the undergraduate nonprofit studies minor at the University of Arkansas. An assessment of the minor was conducted by surveying three groups: nonprofit professionals, current students pursuing the nonprofit studies minor, and alumni of the minor. These groups were surveyed to understand why students pursue the minor, what students want or gain from the experience, as well as what skills …

Genocide Dressed In Jeans: Does Sharing A Narrative About The Uyghur Population Alter Opinions About Fast Fashion, Danya Radhi

Marketing Undergraduate Honors Theses

One of the most cherished traditions on our University of Arkansas campus is the etching of names onto Senior Walk each year. On any given day, thousands of students stroll across these beautiful sidewalks as they venture to and from class. Dressed in the latest fashions from iconic brands such as Zara, H&M, and Nike, these students are far removed from the tragedy that has befallen the Uyghur population living in the Xinjiang province, 6,914 miles away. Evidence has been mounting that the Uyghur population has been suffering through massive displacement, forced labor camps, and atrocities that we cannot even …

Second Language Acquisition In The Era Of Technology And Artificial Intelligence: Exploring New Frontiers, Mimoun Akhiat

All Graduate Reports and Creative Projects, Fall 2023 to Present

This portfolio is the capstone project of the Master of Second Language Teaching program. It offers perspectives and insights into major themes of importance to the writer. It begins with a general introduction pertaining to the writer’s education and teaching background, his goals for joining the program and an overall reflection of this experience. Following this is the writer’s teaching philosophy comprised of a description of professional environment and a teaching philosophy statement centered on the principles of multimodality, authenticity, and collaboration. The second section of this portfolio is entitled hands-on teaching experience where the writer presents and reflects on …

Workflow And Best Practices Of Planting Design In Virtual Reality, Becca L. Springer

All Graduate Reports and Creative Projects, Fall 2023 to Present

The purpose of this study is to develop a technical workflow and deliver an instructional module for teaching planting design in Virtual Reality (VR). The developed workflow and instructional model will be presented to students enrolled at Utah State University in the Landscape Architecture and Environmental Planning (LAEP) Department. The first objective of this thesis project is to explore and create a successful workflow of basic planting design principles and apply them in virtual reality with the use of new technology. The virtual reality and planting design software that were explored were Twinmotion, VR Sketch, SketchUp, AutoCAD, Land FX, Gravity …

Increasing Utilization Of Community Resources To Address Social Determinants Of Health Barriers In Patients With Diabetes Mellitus Type 2, Kimberly Williams

The Eleanor Mann School of Nursing DNP Capstone Projects

PURPOSE: To determine if identifying SDOH barriers to care in adults with DMT2 and providing information about community-based resources designed to decrease the impact of these barriers will improve adherence, decrease SDOH barriers, and reduce HbA1c levels.

DESIGN/METHODS: Quasi-experimental design. Participants completed PRAPARE screenings and received handouts detailing contact information for local resources. HbA1c levels were collected prior to or at the initial appointment. Contact was attempted at 4-6 weeks to ensure resources were utilized. 3-month follow up appointments were completed during which PRAPARE screenings were repeated, HbA1c levels were collected, and post-intervention surveys were completed.

CONClUSIONS: Participants who did …

The Politics Of Gender Affirming Healthcare: A New Battleground For Morality Policy?, Reaves Robinson

Political Science Undergraduate Honors Theses

Morality policy as a discipline saw its peak during the transformative years at the turn of the 21^st century; however, there has been very little scholarship to follow new social policy issues that have arisen in the past two decades. Anti-transgender policy, specifically, can be considered under the morality policy scope following years of LGBTQ+ scholarship that fell under the morality policy umbrella. In 2023 alone, more than 200 pieces of anti-transgender legislation were introduced in state legislatures across the nation. A trend among the increasingly popular policy realm can be seen from gender affirming healthcare bans, where almost …

Vice President Nelson Aldrich Rockefeller And The Death Of Liberal Republicanism, Anthony Sterba

Political Science Undergraduate Honors Theses

Nelson Aldrich Rockefeller once stood as one of the most prominent figures in the Republican Party, standing as a champion of liberal Republicanism. But from the heights that he achieved with his ascension to the vice presidency, he fell from grace, not being re-nominated for the post alongside President Gerald Ford in 1976. This thesis seeks to explain why this occurred. In explaining this, Rockefeller's previous primary campaigns, vice presidential actions, and ideology are all explored to show the conservative opposition that rallied itself against him. In light of this, Ronald Reagan's challenge of Gerald Ford in 1976 for the …

Short-Term Rentals And Its Impact On Housing Attainability And Availability In Branson, Missouri, And Fayetteville, Arkansas, Sophie Mcadara

Political Science Undergraduate Honors Theses

Recent research in the short-term rental (STR) industry shows a positive relationship between the expansion of usage of home-sharing platforms and the cost of housing, as well as an inverse relationship between STR expansion and the availability of long-term housing units. In these studies, as short-term rental units increase, housing costs tend to go up, and long-term housing unit availability tends to decrease by a measurable amount. As the utilization of STRs can be a valuable source of income for citizens and assist with increasing housing prices and the cost of living, leaders, and researchers are also concerned about their …

Generative Ai In Education From The Perspective Of Students, Educators, And Administrators, Aashish Ghimire

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

This research explores how advanced artificial intelligence (AI), like the technology that powers tools such as ChatGPT, is changing the way we teach and learn in schools and universities. Imagine AI helping to summarize thick legal documents into something you can read over a coffee break or helping students learn how to code by offering personalized guidance. We looked into how teachers feel about using these AI tools in their classrooms, what kind of rules schools have about them, and how they can make learning programming easier for students. We found that most teachers are excited about the possibilities but …

A Framework That Explores The Cognitive Load Of Cs1 Assignments Using Pausing Behavior, Joshua O. Urry

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

Pausing behavior in introductory Computer Science (CS1) courses has been related to a student’s performance in the course and could be linked to a student’s cognitive load, or assignment difficulty. Having an objective measure of the cognitive load would be beneficial to course instructors as it would help them design assignments that are not too difficult. Two studies are presented in this work. The first study uses Cognitive Load Theory and Vygotsky’s Zone of Proximal Development as a theoretical framework to analyze pause times between keystrokes to better understand what types of assignments need more educational support than others. The …

Understanding Timing Error Characteristics From Overclocked Systolic Multiply-Accumulate Arrays In Fpgas, Andrew S. Chamberlin

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is one of the biggest fields of research for computer hardware right now. Hardware accelerators are chips (such as graphics cards) that are purpose built to be the best at a specific type of operation. AI hardware accelerators are a growing field of research. Part of hardware in general is a digital clock that controls the pace at which computations occur. If this clock runs too quickly, the hardware won't have enough time to finish its computation. We call that a timing error. This paper focuses on studying the characteristics of timing errors in a small custom …

Rejection, Creation, And Abolitionist Futures: Sustaining Ecosystems Of Care Under Neoliberal Violence 1980-Present, Maya Phelps

Senior Honors Papers / Undergraduate Theses

The enforcement of the child welfare system through policies, funding practices, and ideologies is a national investment in the nuclear family as a critical social institution to the United States (US); this investment communicates to the broader population that conforming to this heteropatriarchal, white supremacist conception of family provides protection from state intervention to those who conform. My project interrogates child welfare’s enforcement of normative families, and the resistance from Black family formations and kinship based on their social position and its relation to power. Focusing on the period between 1980 and the present, I examine the ways Black family …

The Impact Of One Night Of Sleep Restriction On Perception Of Subsequent Aerobic Exercise Performance, Erin G. Meier

Senior Honors Projects, 2020-current

Introduction: Previous research has established that poor sleep quality negatively impacts aerobic exercise performance. A majority of that research has examined extreme sleep disruption like complete sleep deprivation or multiple nights of reduced sleep. Little research exists examining the effect of a singular night of sleep restriction (SR) on performance, and there is even less research on the associated perceptual feelings and outcomes from SR that may influence performance. Previous research from our laboratory has suggested that a single night of SR may impair performance, but did not account for sleep inertia or examine any perceptual factors. Therefore, the …

Characterizing Modulators Of Protease-Activated Receptors With A Calcium Mobilization Assay Using A Plate Reader, Jacob T. Derousse, Chris Dockendorff

Chemistry Faculty Research and Publications

Changes in calcium concentration in cells are rapidly monitored in a high-throughput fashion with the use of intracellular, fluorescent, calcium-binding dyes and imaging instruments that can measure fluorescent emissions from up to 1,536 wells simultaneously. However, these instruments are much more expensive and can be challenging to maintain relative to widely available plate readers that scan wells individually. Described here is an optimized plate reader assay for use with an endothelial cell line (EA.hy926) to measure the protease-activated receptor (PAR)-driven activation of G_αq signaling and subsequent calcium mobilization using the calcium-binding dye Fluo-4. This assay has been used to …

Using Age-Adjusted D-Dimer Vs Traditional D-Dimer To Rule Out Acute Aortic Syndrome, Jacob Nelson, Divyani Patel, Sylvia Kashat, Gorune Geloian, Karen Childers, David A. Berger, Brett Todd

Conference Presentation Abstracts

Background and Objectives: Acute aortic syndromes (AS), including aortic dissection, are rare and life-threatening diagnoses. Early diagnosis is critical as mortality increases by 1%–2% per hour after symptom onset. D-dimer (DD) Methods: In this retrospective chart review, we identified all patients who presented to any Emergency Department (ED) at a multicenter health system between 2012 and 2021, received a D-dimer test, and underwent CTA Dissection, CTA Coronary Study, or CTA Triple Rule-Out. Patients under the age of 18, pregnant, had prior dissection or thoracic aorta repair, or who presented altered/unresponsive were excluded. For patients with multiple presentations, the first visit …

Foster Children Facing Communication Disorders, Ashlyn Carter

Rehabilitation, Human Resources and Communication Disorders Undergraduate Honors Theses

The foster care system is alarmingly overpopulated, which leads to many foster children experiencing neglect of care in many issues they face, whether medical, speech, or mental conditions; which is unacceptable. These children already face so many trials and difficulties throughout life and deserve to receive care and treatment in these situations the same as any other child. The purpose of this research is to work to make sure children who are dealing with speech and communication disorders are having those issues recognized, being taken to treatment, and being given the opportunity to fix these things, thus helping to avoid …

A Phylogenetic Analysis Of The Population Dynamics Of A Captive Colony Of Diploptera Punctata., Nick Peterson

Theses/Capstones/Creative Projects

The unique milk production of Diploptera punctata makes this species a promising model species in entomology for studying the evolution of milk production and for insect endocrinology. Despite this, the genetic diversity of captive populations of the species is not well studied. To better evaluate the captive diversity and population dynamics of Diploptera punctata at UNO we extracted the DNA of 20 random individuals and amplified their DNA using 4 different primers before cleaning the amplified products and sequencing the genes of the samples for use in both individual and concatenated phylogenetic trees. Our results indicate the UNO colony of …

A Revised Synthesis Of The Cationic Lipids Dmri And Mlri, Benjamin A. Kostic

College of Arts & Sciences Senior Theses

Lipid nanoparticles (LNPs) are an increasingly utilized method of intracellular delivery for nucleic acids. The COVID-19 vaccines from Moderna and Pfizer-BioNTech have used LNP technology to combat the recent global SARS-CoV-2 pandemic, saving millions of lives.^1,2 These vaccines consist of a lipid formulation that binds to the anionic phosphate groups of mRNAs and serves as an effective way to transport the nucleic acid across membranes into cells.⁹The mRNA encodes a viral protein. When introduced to cells, the viral protein is produced so that the immune system then can generate an appropriate antibody response.³ However, this approach …

The Influence Of Smoothness And Speed Of Stand-To-Sit Movement On Joint Kinematics, Kinetics, And Muscle Activation Patterns, Woohyoung Jeon, Xuanliang Neil Dong, Ashley Dalby, Chung-Hyun Goh

Health & Kinesiology Faculty Publications and Presentations

Background: Stand-to-sit (StandTS) is an important daily activity widely used in rehabilitation settings to improve strength, postural stability, and mobility. Modifications in movement smoothness and speed significantly influence the kinematics, kinetics, and muscle activation patterns of the movement. Understanding the impact of StandTS speed and smoothness on movement control can provide valuable insights for designing effective and personalized rehabilitation training programs.

Research question: How do the smoothness and speed of StandTS movement affect joint kinematics, kinetics, muscle activation patterns, and postural stability during StandTS?

Methods: Twelve healthy younger adults participated in this study. There were two StandTS conditions. In the …

Reforming International Investment Law To Advance Tax Justice, Madeleine Songy

Columbia Center on Sustainable Investment

Reforming International Investment Law to Advance Tax Justice" highlights the detrimental impact of current international investment treaties on tax justice and sustainable development objectives. It argues that Investor-State Dispute Settlement (ISDS) mechanisms often impede states' ability to implement effective tax policies by allowing foreign investors to challenge tax measures. The brief recommends a comprehensive reform of international investment law to ensure that investment treaties support rather than undermine tax justice. This can include eliminating ISDS provisions, drafting new treaties that safeguard the sovereign right of states to regulate taxation, and facilitating cooperation among states to reform tax systems at national, …