Digital Commons Network^™

Teacher-Implemented Scaffolding, Sara Dominguez, Vanessa Svihla

Organization, Information and Learning Sciences ETDs

Teacher-implementing scaffolding is fundamental in teaching that was disrupted by the sudden move to emergency remote teaching during the pandemic.  A review of research found trends based on grade and subject and that teacher’s responsiveness was the main contingent processes reported.  Based on this a survey was developed and an exploratory factor analysis was completed.  An analysis of the survey results found differences in teacher agency, self-efficacy, and the supports used when comparing in-person and online teacher-implemented scaffolding.  Qualitative results further support findings and describe teachers’ perspective on the change to the environment, adaptations made, and hinderances noted while supporting …

Size Discrimination In Goldfish (Carassius Auratus), Johnna Patrick

Theses & ETDs

Quantitative abilities in fish have been previously observed, including in natural behaviors such as shoaling and various laboratory tasks. Two-choice visual discrimination tasks require individuals to differentiate between stimuli, and when conditioned, individuals can demonstrate learning of stimulus value. The concept of understanding ordinal relationships has been reported in goldfish (Carassius auratus) before, although no studies have explicitly tested primarily size discrimination. The current study tested four goldfish on their ability to perceive and swim through large vs. small holes, using an adapted methodology and expansion of similar literature. It also tested what the goldfish were learning during the discrimination …

Comparing Autografts And Bioengineered Skin Equivalents In The Management Of Severe Burns, Madison Hill

The PA Department Journal of Medical Science

INTRODUCTION: Severe burns are associated with high morbidity, mortality, and treatment costs, often requiring surgical intervention to restore the skin barrier and prevent complications like infection and hypothermia. Autologous skin grafting is the current gold standard for burn wound closure but may not be feasible in cases of large TBSA injuries with limited donor sites. Bioengineered skin equivalents, including acellular dermal substitutes and cell-based therapies, offer potential benefits in wound healing and scar quality while reducing donor site morbidity. This review evaluates the effectiveness of autografts compared to bioengineered skin equivalents in severe burn management, with a focus on healing …

Outcomes Of Surgical Versus Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement: A Clinical Review, Grace Stang

The PA Department Journal of Medical Science

Introduction: Surgical aortic valve replacement (SAVR) has been the predominant

treatment for aortic stenosis (AS) for decades. However, transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) is becoming increasingly popular. Originally, TAVRs were only performed on patients who were deemed high-risk for surgery and would have died without the valve replacement. The purpose of this paper is to determine if TAVR or SAVR has better health outcomes for all patients no matter their surgical risk.

Methods: A search via PubMed database was done using the key words “aortic stenosis”, “surgical aortic valve replacement”, “transcatheter aortic valve replacement”, and “mortality.” Additional search filters were …

Effects Of Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme Inhibitors And Angiotensin Receptor Blockers On Covid-19 Outcomes In Severely Ill Patients, Madison L. Edwards

The PA Department Journal of Medical Science

Introduction: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a contagious disease caused by the virus SARS-CoV-2 and can cause debilitating illness in vulnerable patient populations. The purpose of this clinical review is to analyze the effects of angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors and angiotensin receptor blockers on the clinical course and severity in COVID-19 adult patients.

Methods: PubMed was searched with a specific search strategy using key terms “adult,” “COVID-19,” and “RAAS inhibiting medications.” Specific operators and filters narrowed the results to a total of five relevant, quality articles for review.

Results: Two articles were randomized controlled trials that directly compared the continuation of …

The Effects Of A Gluten-Free Diet On Patients With Hashimoto’S Thyroiditis, Chandler Blackburn

The PA Department Journal of Medical Science

Introduction: Hashimoto’s thyroiditis is a chronic autoimmune inflammatory condition of the thyroid gland. Hashimoto’s occurs in five percent of the American population and is the most common cause of hypothyroidism in the US. There are various comorbidities associated with Hashimoto’s, which treatment can help mitigate some of those risks. The purpose of this paper is to evaluate if a gluten-free diet, as an adjunct treatment, can lower autoimmune related antibodies while improving thyroid labs levels.

Methods: PubMed was searched for clinical reviews using key terms “Hashimoto’s disease”, “hypothyroidism”, “gluten”, and “anti-TPO antibodies”. Operators and additional filters narrowed down search results …

Physiologically Based Pharmacokinetic Modeling Of Acetaminophen In A Preterm Neonate Population, Sonia Sharma

Selected Full-Text Dissertations 2020-

Extremely preterm neonates are a pharmacologically vulnerable group due to their immature organ function and rapid developmental changes, which complicate optimal drug dosing. This thesis introduces a comprehensive physiologically based pharmacokinetic (PBPK) model for acetaminophen (APAP) tailored to this population, incorporating mechanistic ontogeny equations for key sulfotransferase (SULT) enzymes SULT1A1, SULT1A3, SULT1B1, and SULT2A1 developed from a unique dataset of pediatric liver samples. The PBPK model was calibrated and validated using observed pharmacokinetic data from neonates, infants, and children, demonstrating high predictive accuracy across developmental stages. By applying virtual twin simulations, the model was used on a nationwide children's hospital …

Better Off In The Big Leagues: Why Juveniles Who Get Direct Filed Have More Rights When Analyzed From A Constitutional Standpoint, Lexi Kest

Nova Law Review

No abstract provided.

Species-Specific Manipulation Of Microbially-Derived Volatiles By Burying Beetle Parents, Stephen T. Trumbo

EEB Articles

1. Hosts and microbes interact in dynamic relationships that can alter the volatile profile emitted by the microbial community. The extent to which closely related species diverge in these relationships is not well known.

2. Burying beetles associate with a rich microbial community that is present on their breeding resource, a small vertebrate carcass. Prior work demonstrated that Nicrophorus orbicollis manage the microbial community during parental care to alter the volatile profile emanating from the nest, reducing cues for competitors that would usurp the resource.

3. The present study extended this work to N. marginatus to first determine the distinctive …

Monkeywrenching The Curriculum: Curricular Subversion As An Act Of Care, Matthew Clay Ph.D., Paul Parkison

Teacher Education Faculty Publications

This conceptual analysis suggests that the practice of monkeywrenching, borrowed from environmental activism, can serve as an action by teachers to address this challenge. Monkeywrenching consists of direct action subversion, applied to curricula for the sake of specific students, and is constituted as an act of care as described by Nel Noddings. Specific consideration of sustainability education indicates that curriculum subversion through monkeywrenching can be a powerful tool in demonstrating care for place and students.

Peptide Sequencing Via Protein Language Models, Thuong Le Hoai Pham

Computer Science and Engineering Theses - Archive

Protein sequencing is fundamental to understanding biological processes, disease mechanisms, and therapeutic developments. Current protein sequencing techniques, primarily relying on mass spectrometry and Edman degradation, face significant limitations in accurately identifying all amino acids within a protein, hindering comprehensive proteome analysis. Recent advances in click chemistry and bioorthogonal chemistry have enabled the identification of specific amino acids and their positions within a peptide; however, these techniques are still limited by the number of amino acids that can be identified with high accuracy and specificity, resulting in partially known sequences. This thesis presents a novel computational approach that leverages protein language …

Untangling Ai Openness, Parth Nobel, Alan Z. Rozenshtein, Chinmayi Sharma

Faculty Scholarship

The debate over AI openness—whether to make components of an artificial intelligence system available for public inspection and modification—forces policymakers to balance innovation, democratized access, safety and national security. By inviting startups and researchers into the fold, it enables independent oversight and inclusive collaboration. But technology giants can also use it to entrench their own power, while adversaries can use it to shortcut years and billions of dollars in building systems, like China’s Deepseek-R1, that rival our own. How we govern AI openness today will shape the future of AI and America’s role in it.   Policymakers and scholars grasp the …

Implementing An Anxiety Management Bundle In Long-Term Nursing Facilities, Sundan G. Bryson

Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) Scholarly Projects - Archive

There is currently a gap in accurate screening and treatment of anxiety in Long-Term Care (LTC) nursing facilities. The question for this quality improvement project was: Will implementing interventions for long-term care residents aged 65 and older improve anxiety screening, non-pharmacological interventions, and mental health referrals by 10% compared to current practices? Interventions to enhance anxiety screening included the Geriatric Anxiety Scale-Long Term Care (GAS-LTC) tool to assess and score anxiety. In addition, a Non-Pharmacological Intervention (Non-PI) tool was created to evaluate interventions performed by facility staff. Referrals to the mental health care provider were submitted if a resident scored …

The Unspoken Workweek: Understanding The Impact Of Menstruation On Work Experiences, Cherie Kuriakose

Psychology Theses

Menstruation remains an underrecognized factor in workplace well-being, despite affecting a large portion of the workforce. Existing research shows significant gaps in understanding employees’ lived experiences and organizational responses. This qualitative study aims to explore how menstruation influences work life, productivity, and perceptions of support within U.S. workplaces. Thirty menstruating employees were recruited using convenience and purposive sampling to participate in semi-structured virtual interviews, and data were analyzed thematically, guided by grounded theory principles. Findings revealed three central themes: (a) stigma and non-disclosure, shaped by internalized norms and workplace culture; (b) invisible effort and struggles that impact work, including productivity, …

Capacity-Building Project To Progress The Implementation Of International Instruments To Combat Iuu Fishing (Capfish) : Summer Academy: West Africa, World Maritime University, Korea Maritime Institute, Ministry Of Oceans And Fisheries

Reports

The CAPFISH Project was created in response to an identified need for capacity-building to address illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing and related matters - a complex problem affecting aquatic ecosystems, coastal communities, fishers and fish workers, and economic and national security. Over the last five years, the CAPFISH Project has provided training and educational materials on IUU fishing to developing country administrations around the world, most recently with a two-week regional Summer Academy for West Africa. This Academy ran for two weeks and included delegates from fisheries, maritime and enforcement agencies, industry, maritime training institutions, regional fisheries bodies, and …

Programming Macrophage Phenotypes And Promoting Ischemic Heart Repair With Precision Immunomodulatory Therapy, Jing Zhang

Dissertations and Theses

Despite significant advances in reperfusion and pharmacological therapies, effective strategies to modulate the post-infarction inflammatory response remain limited, leaving a critical gap in improving cardiac repair and long-term outcomes. Excessive or prolonged inflammation after myocardial infarction (MI) drives cardiac remodeling and fibrosis, impairing myocardial recovery and increasing the risk of heart failure (HF) or recurrent ischemic events. I hypothesize that appropriate immunomodulation after MI may reduce unwanted inflammation and improve heart function. Interleukin‑10 (IL‑10) is a pleiotropic immunomodulatory cytokine with therapeutic promise for limiting excessive inflammation and improving tissue repair in ischemic hearts. However, two translational barriers remain for applying …

Early Results Of Custom 3d Printed Midfoot Cage For Segmental Bone Loss, Morgan Shano, Jake Shulmister, Emma Kayal, Alan Ng, Brett Sachs, Ronnie Pollard

Continental and Mountain Divisions GME Resarch Day 2026

No abstract provided.

Environmental Footprint Of Aortic Valve Replacement: A Comparative Life-Cycle Analysis Of Surgical And Transcatheter Procedures, Yves Najm Mrad, Ahmad Al-Taweel, Bahaeddin Shabaneh

Gulf Coast Division GME Research Day 2026

No abstract provided.

Elli’S Liquid Flow In A Wavy Channel With Slip Effect, Wall Properties, And Heat Transfer, P. Devaki, Yatin Sood

Mansoura Engineering Journal

The dual behavior of Elli’s fluid motivated us to work on it. The fluid behaves as both Newtonian/ non-Newtonian based on the low and high shear rates, respectively. The paper focused on the flow of Ellis fluid in a peristaltic channel with wall properties and heat transfer. The channel is symmetric in nature, and slip conditions are considered near the elastic walls. The governing equations of the flow are solved analytically using suitable boundary conditions, which yield velocity and temperature functions. The novelty of the paper is to analyze the nature of Newtonian/non-Newtonian fluids under the same conditions so that …

Crystal Structure Of Methanococcus Jannaschii Dihydroorotase With Substrate Bound, Jacqueline Vitali, Jay C. Nix, Haley E. Newman, Michael J. Colaneri

Physics Faculty Publications

Here, we report the X-ray structural analysis of dihydroorotase from Methanococcus jannaschii co-crystallized with dihydroorotate at pH 6.5. The crystals are isomorphous with the crystals of the apoenzyme, with space group P3₂21 and unit-cell dimensions a = b = 111.4, c = 101.2 Å. The structure was refined to R = 0.169 and R_free = 0.186 at a resolution of 1.87 Å at room temperature. During crystallization the degradative reaction took place, and the electron density in the active site corresponds to the substrate carbamoyl aspartate. Carbamoyl aspartate interacts with the protein in the active site …

Fishing For Father Relationships: Motivations, Successes, And Barriers To Participating In A Community-Based Program, Jordan A. Arellanes, Kyle Miller, Travis Hicks, Ryan J.S. Liew, Earl Kloppmann

Faculty Publications – Psychology

Fathers who participate in community programs experience a range of positive outcomes, including improved relationships with their children. However, many community programs struggle to gain fathers’ attendance at local events. To counteract this, we utilized Community-Based Action Research in collaboration with local and state agencies to develop a father-specific community program that capitalized on the traditionally masculine parenting activity of fishing. The program educated families on the basics of fishing and then provided them with all the necessary materials. Over the course of three years of data collection, 48 fathers participated in interviews, designed to gain a deeper understanding of …

“I Have Already Lost My Kids”: Mothering Experiences Of Women In Jail, Bothwell Piason, Dawn Beichner-Thomas

Faculty Publications - Criminal Justice Sciences

Although women represent a small proportion of the incarcerated population globally, their rate of incarceration in the United States has increased dramatically over the past four decades, outpacing that of men. As carceral trends return to pre-COVID-19 pandemic levels, jail populations continue to rise, with most incarcerated women being mothers of young children. Yet, research on motherhood behind bars has largely focused on prisons rather than jails. This study explores the mothering experiences of women incarcerated in two U.S. Midwestern jails, including both pretrial detainees and sentenced individuals. Using qualitative data from in-depth interviews with jailed mothers, the analysis examines …

Liver X Receptor Α (Lxrα) Regulates 5Β-Reductase (Akr1d1) Expression In Avian Embryos: Implications For Yolk Steroid Metabolism, Ryan T. Paitz, Sara E. Waters, Delaney K. Reynolds, Emily M. Drew, Emily P. Harders

Faculty Publications – Biological Sciences

Steroid-mediated maternal effects are well-studied as a source of phenotypic variation. In bird eggs, the yolk contains various steroids that can influence embryonic development. However, one complicating factor in understanding how yolk steroids affect development is that the embryo metabolizes yolk steroids to regulate exposure. The 5β-reduction of steroids by the enzyme 5β-reductase (AKR1D1) has been identified as a pathway through which yolk progesterone, testosterone, and corticosterone are all metabolized early in avian development. We set out to characterize the mechanism through which AKR1D1 expression is regulated in chickens (Gallus gallus) during embryonic development. We found …

Advancing Screening For Intimate Partner Violence In Pregnant Individuals Throughout The Perinatal Period To Prevent Adverse Pregnancy And Maternal Outcomes, Emilia R. Valdez

Nursing | Senior Theses

Background: Intimate Partner Violence experienced by pregnant individuals contributes to adverse pregnancy outcomes and maternal health. A mother’s exposure to Intimate Partner Violence (IPV) can affect their ability to carry a healthy pregnancy to term (38 – 40 weeks gestational age) and places them at risk for comorbidities including; Preterm birth, Intrauterine Growth Restriction, Low Birth Weight/ Small for Gestational Age, Premature Rupture of Membranes and Miscarriage. The incidence of IPV screening is not accessible to all pregnant individuals due to healthcare providers lack of education, time constraints in the workplace, bias and discomfort towards IPV. The implementation of IPV …

A Flupirtine Benzyl Carbamate Improves Neurocognitive Deficits And Molecular Pathology In The Cln6nclf Mouse, Victoria Chaoul, Omar Shmoury, Ramy Alam, Sara Saab, Joelle Makoukji, Lynn Al Aridi, Nadine J. Makhoul, Jihane Soueid, Angelica V. Carmona, Princess Simeon, Paul C. Trippier, Rose-Mary Boustany

Journal Articles: Pharmaceutical Sciences

Neuronal ceroid lipofuscinosis type 6 (CLN6) is a fatal, autosomal recessive neurodegenerative disorder characterized by cognitive/motor impairment, vision loss, as well as neuronal loss and gliosis in the brain, and premature death. Onset typically occurs in childhood. No approved pharmacological treatments exist that halt or reverse disease progression. A novel flupirtine benzyl carbamate was orally administered to male and female Cln6^nclf mice from 4 to 28 weeks of age to evaluate its neuroprotective and antispastic effects. Drug treatment produced significant, sex-dependent phenotypic improvements. Treated mice of both sexes exhibited reduced hindlimb spasticity, but only treated males demonstrated diminution in …

Genetic Determinants Associated With Persistence Of Listeria Species And Background Microflora From A Dairy Processing Environment, Vaishali Poswal, Sanjeev Anand, Jose L. Gonzalez-Hernandez, Brian Kraus

Dairy Science and Food Science Faculty Publications: 2022 to Present

Listeria monocytogenes is a persistent foodborne pathogen capable of surviving in food processing environments, often in association with diverse environmental microflora. This study examines genomic determinants of persistence, specifically stress adaptation and biofilm-associated traits, in environmental Listeria species and other environmental microflora from a dairy processing facility by analyzing whole-genome sequences of 6 environmental Listeria isolates, 4 ATCC reference strains, and 22 air and floor swab cultures, annotated using the RAST platform. Subsystem analysis revealed that Listeria isolates carried a defined set of genes linked to biofilm formation, antimicrobial resistance, and stress response, though in lower abundance than environmental cultures. …

A. Vs. I In Ai: Is There A Threshold To "Engineered" Intelligence?, Joshit Mohanty

Engineering Management & Systems Engineering Faculty Publications

Despite artificial intelligence reshaping the world, its development generates uncertainties regarding future capabilities. AI simultaneously exists as an artifact of engineering design and as autonomous intelligence, creating an observer-participant feedback loop. This paper proposes that embodied AI faces a bandwidth-limited intelligence threshold T_h that it arises from B = min(C_sens,C_Act). However, Shannon capacity measures bits while intelligence operates on concepts, necessitating a dual-channel model separating physical bandwidth B_io from representational capacity B_rep. Intelligence emerges as multi-dimensional rather than scalar, with components exhibiting different bandwidth dependencies. Surpassing T_h requires either new sensing methods expanding B, enhanced representational frameworks, or reconceptualization within …

Zero-Shot Segmentation Of Estuary Mudflats Using The Segment Anything Model, Jaren Unzen

Honors Theses and Capstones

Estuary mudflats are ecologically sensitive environments that require consistent monitoring. Traditional satellite-based classification workflows are often constrained by the high cost and labor-intensive nature of manual data annotation. This study evaluates the utility of Segment Anything Model 3 (SAM 3), a foundational computer vision model, to automate mudflat segmentation without domain-specific fine-tuning. By leveraging the model’s text-prompting capabilities alongside specialized pre- and post-processing techniques, we generated segmentation masks in a zero-shot framework. Our approach achieved an F1- score of 0.51, demonstrating the inherent challenges of spectrally complex coastal features. Despite this, the results highlight a promising pathway for adapting large-scale …

Modern Australian Liturgies, Angela M. Mccarthy

Pastoral Liturgy

No abstract provided.

A Project To Prepare Women As Theological Educators In Papua New Guinea And The Solomon Islands, Jenny O'Brien

Pastoral Liturgy

No abstract provided.