Digital Commons Network^™

Status Anxiety And Public Support For Reactionary Political Movements, Timothy E. Randall

Political Science Theses

In this enquiry, I explore the conditions that make members of the public receptive to the appeals of reactionary political movements. I also explore the means by which reactionary movements leverage those conditions to gain support. I argue that crisis and status threat conditions prime members of the public to be receptive to the appeals of reactionary movements and that the strategic leveraging of these conditions in their narratives gives rise to status anxiety which, in turn, moves members of traditionally dominant groups to support these movements. I develop an explanatory theoretical framework for understanding status anxiety and its role …

Meta-Analysis Of Probiotic Yeast Factors And Methodologies, Mones J. Hajizadeh

Biology Theses

In recent years, there has been an expanding interest in ameliorating the gut microbiome through the use of yeast probiotics, in contrast to the general focus on bacterial probiotics. The goal of this paper is to determine trends and variations in the probiotic evaluation of the yeast species Kluyveromyces marxianus, Pichia kudriavzevii, and Saccharomyces cerevisiae var. boulardii across 48 studies, and determine probiotic gene homology amongst the three yeasts. Much of the literature on novel yeast strains employs various approaches to assess probiotic efficacy. In this study, the evolutionary divergence of these three species of interest was also evaluated. Furthermore, …

Occurrence Of Microplastics In The Urban Air And Water Systems And Associated Exposure Risks, Jenny K. Nguyen

Earth & Environmental Sciences Theses - Archive

Microplastics (MP) pollution is an emerging health concern that affects humans and the environment. Urban areas are high exposure zones due to consistent anthropogenic and industrial activity. With air and water as important MP transport and exposure pathways, monitoring and estimating their human exposures are necessary. Air samples were collected from Dallas-Fort Worth (DFW) and Houston in Texas and Cusco, Peru and water samples were from Tarrant County (DFW), Texas. The samples were analyzed using the pyrolysis-gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (Pyr-GC/MS) and the EDI (estimated daily intake) of inhalation and ingestion (normal and high exposures) were calculated. PS, PP, PE, PVC, …

Mitochondria In Local Control Of Programmed Cell Killing & Resilience, Rashna Sharmin

Biology Dissertations - Archive

Specialized cells are commonplace and defined by different compartments. Organelle transport across cell compartments is critical for cell function, as in morphologically complex neurons. Specialized cells can undergo programmed elimination, an essential facet of normal development. My central thesis question asks how intracellular transport of mitochondria, the cell’s energy producers, regulate fated elimination of complex cells. I explored this using the specialized tail-spike cell (TSC) of the roundworm C. elegans. The TSC dies embryonically through the novel ‘tripartite’ developmental killing program, Compartmentalized Cell Elimination (CCE).  In my study, I defined and characterized events at the CCE initiation compartment of the …

Protecting Wetlands In The State Of Texas: Assessing Gaps In Regulations, Knowledge, And Professional Roles And Responsibilities, Grace A. Moy

Landscape Architecture Masters & Design Theses

Wetlands rank among earth's most productive ecosystems, providing crucial ecological services such as hydrological regulation, water purification, and habitat support (US EPA, 2015). In Texas, however, rapid urbanization, inconsistent policy enforcement, and the absence of statewide protection frameworks of hastened wetland degradation (Brody & Kang, 2011). Without a robust state regulatory framework (Environmental Law Institute [ELI], 2020), these ecosystems face increasing threats from development and hydrological disturbances.

This thesis aims to identify regulatory and knowledge deficiencies that influence Texas’ current wetland protection status and to offer targeted professional recommendations for landscape architecture professionals to address these shortcomings in future public …

In The Circle Of My Sistas: Blackmotherscholars (Re)Defining Scholarly Identity, Dawn Stephens Jenkins

Educational Leadership & Policy Studies Dissertations

This dissertation examines how Black mothers in doctoral programs develop scholarly identities at the intersections of race, gender, and motherhood within historically white academic spaces. Grounded in endarkened narrative inquiry, the study centers the lived experiences and collective reflections of BlackMotherScholars to interrogate how racialized and gendered mothering shapes scholarly becoming. The research responds to a gap in the literature that overlooks Black maternal experiences as sites of intellectual production and identity formation in doctoral education.

Findings indicate that Black mothering serves as an onto-epistemological foundation for scholarly identity development, shaping participants’ ways of knowing, research commitments, and sense of …

Emotional Intelligence In Blended Vs. Non-Blended Families With Childhood Trauma, Rose Johnson Rodriguez M.S.

Selected Full Text Dissertations, 2011-

This study examined whether family structure (blended vs. non-blended) influenced changes in emotional intelligence (EI) among adults, while controlling for baseline EI and childhood trauma. Participants were 420 adults (292 from non-blended families and 128 from blended families) who completed pre- and post-treatment assessments of emotional intelligence using the Assessing Emotions Scale and completed the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire (CTQ) at baseline. Multicollinearity diagnostics revealed some overlap between emotional and physical abuse on the CTQ, but no severe violations. The overall model was significant, F (7, 412) = 16.95, p < .001, R2 = .224, explaining 22% of the variance in EI change. Baseline EI significantly predicted change (p < .001), while CTQ subscales were non-significant. Family structure had a small but statistically significant effect on EI change, F (1, 412) = 4.79, p = .029, partial η2 = .011, with adults from blended families showing slightly greater increases in EI than those from non-blended families. Findings suggest that while family context may shape emotional growth, baseline emotional functioning remains the strongest predictor of change. Future studies should recruit larger samples to enhance power and explore the mechanisms underlying these associations.

Mental Health Stigma And Its Associations With Depression, Suicidality, And Help-Seeking Among Muslims Living In The United States, Tarnem Amer M.S.

Selected Full Text Dissertations, 2011-

Muslims living in the United States (MLUS) have higher rates of depression (Sloan & Haner, 2023) and are more likely to report a history of suicide compared to other faith groups (Awaad et al., 2021). Nonetheless, help-seeking rates among Muslims remain lower than those among non-Muslims (Ahmad et al., 2023). Mental health stigma has been identified as a key barrier to seeking care, but its mechanisms and outcomes have been understudied among MLUS. The present study examined three types of stigma (mental health public stigma, mental health self-stigma, and mental health help-seeking stigma) and their associations with psychiatric symptoms and …

The Lived Experience Of Intimate Partner Violence For Females In Emerging Adulthood: A Qualitative Study, Laurel Dobkin M.S.

Selected Full Text Dissertations, 2011-

Emerging adulthood is the developmental period between ages 18 to 25 where individuals begin to explore their worldviews and develop intimate relationships. This period is important for developing a sense of identity and self (Arnett, 2000, 2014). During this period, negative events or relationships, such as intimate partner violence (IPV), may have detrimental effects (Erikson, 1968; Barreto & Frazier, 2012). While literature suggests that IPV has high rates and negative consequences in emerging adulthood (Bhattacharjee & Gopal, 2022; Centers for Disease Control and Prevention [CDC], 2024; Shen & Kusunoki, 2019), there is little research on the subjective experience of females …

The Doctor Won't See You Now: Legal Proscriptions For Medical Tourism Control And Regulation, Shenley W. Wish

Case Western Reserve Journal of International Law

The Medical Tourism industry has experienced remarkable growth in the past decade and is tracking to exceed that growth dramatically in the coming decade. With this rapid expansion, however, comes growing pains—predominantly lackluster patient safety. This Note examines the opportunities and challenges that would arise from regulating Medical Tourism through an international treaty, recognizing that an international treaty approach provides the most comprehensive and practically feasible solution for addressing complex cross-border constraints to create a safer global medical industry. (from the author)

Timber Use And Forest Management In The Ancient Mediterranean, Tobey Russell

Undergraduate Papers

No abstract provided.

Ecological Tipping Points In The Mississippi Sound In Response To Modeled Bonnet Carré Spillway Openings, Kim De Mutsert, Aaron Ridall, Scott Milroy

Faculty Publications

This project examines ecological effects of the current operational strategy of the Bonnet Carré Spillway (BCS), a Mississippi River flood-control structure located about 21 miles northwest of New Orleans, Louisiana, and managed by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. The BCS is part of the larger Mississippi River and Tributaries Project, a network of levees and control structures designed to minimize flooding from the American plains to southern Louisiana. The spillway is opened when river discharge at New Orleans is forecasted to exceed 1,250,000 cubic feet per second, diverting significant volumes of Mississippi River water into the Mississippi Sound. The …

Graduate Research & Scholarship Symposium, Office Of Research

Graduate Student Research Symposium

No abstract provided.

Differences In Comorbidities, Presenting Symptoms, Demographics, And Patient Reported Outcomes In Long Covid By Initial Test Status, Stephanie Georgoudiou

Nursing Dissertations - Archive

Importance Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2), which causes coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), remains a major global health concern. Recovery may result in persistent symptoms known as post-acute sequelae of SARS-CoV-2 (PASC), or long COVID. Most studies focus on individuals with laboratory-confirmed infection; however, some patients with COVID-like illness and negative tests also develop persistent symptoms. Testing status should not delay appropriate interventions or specialist referrals. Early, symptom-based care is essential to improve outcomes.

Objective To compare patient-reported outcomes and demographics between long COVID patients who tested positive versus negative during their initial illness.

Design, Setting, and Participants This secondary …

2026 Conference On Undergraduate Research And Engagement Program Guide, Oseel

CURE Proceedings

Full program for the 2026 Conference on Undergraduate Research and Engagement with full listing of sessions presented

Advancing Culturally Sustaining Stem Instruction For Latinx Secondary Students: From Research To Practice Through The Monarch Migration, Maryam Saberi, Noushin Nouri

Teaching and Learning Faculty Publications

This chapter presents the development of a research-based STEM curriculum for Latinx students using Monarch butterfly migration phenomenon as context. Based on a systematic review of 196 articles, the study first maps eight STEM research categories for Latinx populations. It then conducts a meta-synthesis of 23 successful interventions to create a Latinx-Affirming STEM (La-STEM) curriculum framework organized around Akker's ten curriculum elements. Finally, it translates these theoretical foundations into practical implementation through a detailed Monarch butterfly migration curriculum. The Monarch phenomenon, chosen for its deep cultural resonance and scientific richness, demonstrates how each curriculum element can integrate STEM concepts with …

Long Acting Beta2-Adrenergic Receptor Agonists Reverse Diabetic Nephropathy And Liver Steatosis In Murine Models Of Diabetes And Are Associated With Protection In Retrospective Human Studies, Brennan Winkler

MUSC Theses and Dissertations

Diabetes Mellitus (DM) affects 13.9% of men and 14.3% of women worldwide, a total of approximately 828 million people. Patients with diabetes are at risk of several complications including diabetic nephropathy (DN) and metabolic-associated steatohepatitis (MASH). These diseases eventually lead to end stage kidney disease (ESKD) and liver failure requiring dialysis and organ transplantation. In addition, diabetes exacerbates disease severity of autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease (ADPKD), the most common potentially lethal genetic disease to affect humans with a prevalence of 1 in 500-1000. Therefore, a therapeutic approach that can attenuate organ damage and restore function in patients with DM, …

The Impact Of The Different Vdac Isoforms On Hbv Replication And Hbx Localization, Cody Mcumber

MUSC Theses and Dissertations

Chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection is the leading cause of hepatocellular carcinoma worldwide. Despite the availability of a preventative vaccine, there are approximately 254 million people living with a chronic HBV infection. There are 9 known HBV genotypes, each with their own clinical impacts and manifestation in infected patients. HBx is the only regulatory protein encoded by the HBV genome and is required for efficient viral replication. HBx has many effects in infected hepatocytes besides known effects on HBV replication, such as localization to the mitochondria. HBx is also known to have impacts on mitochondrial membrane potential, mitochondrial permeability …

Compassionate Care In The Library Workplace, Shannon D. Jones

MUSC Faculty Bookshelf

This chapter explores the role of compassionate care as a critical leadership practice in the library workplace, with a particular focus on academic health sciences libraries. Drawing on the author’s lived experience as a Black woman library leader and on over two decades in the profession, the chapter situates compassionate care at the intersection of compassionate and inclusive leadership and organizational well-being. In the context of ongoing collective trauma, including the COVID-19 pandemic, racial violence, political polarization, and sustained attacks on libraries, the chapter argues that compassion must move beyond empathy to intentional, actionable leadership. It examines how social identities, …

Expanding Access To Urban Nature: Floating Gardens As Equitable And Inclusive Blue-Green Infrastructure In The Chicago River, Michael Hendricks, Alec Foster, Noha Shawki, Mariela Fernandez, Sage Rossman, Sierra Mack-Erb, Eric Peterson

Faculty Publications – Politics and Government

This study examines the social dimensions of Urban Rivers’ Free Kayak Days at the Bubbly Creek Floating Gardens in Chicago, Illinois. Floating gardens are a form of blue-green infrastructure that provide ecological benefits, including nutrient removal, habitat creation, and shoreline stabilization, while also offering recreational and educational opportunities. Guided by environmental justice scholarship, our interdisciplinary team conducted participant observation to evaluate whether Urban Rivers’ Freek Kayak Days effectively engaged residents from surrounding marginalized communities. Four themes emerged: (1) access and inclusion, highlighting reduced financial barriers but ongoing challenges related to safety perceptions, cultural relevance, and physical accessibility; (2) community engagement …

Cross-Linking Peg Microgels With Mesoporous Organosilica Nanoparticles To Engineer Microporous Annealed Particle Scaffold Properties, Jonathan M. Zuidema, Alessandro Ajo, Marco Carofiglio, Luisa De Cola

Mechanical Engineering Faculty Publications

Microporous annealed particle (MAP) scaffolds composed of cross-linked microgels are emerging as important biomaterials due to their modular design, high porosity, and large surface area, which allow for highly tailored properties, cellular infiltration, nutrient and waste exchange, and improved drug release characteristics. To further expand on these technologies and enhance their modular design, thiolated mesoporous organosilica nanoparticles (ssMSN-SH), which degrade in response to glutathione, were first cross-linked inside of 4-arm poly(ethylene glycol) maleimide microgels. The microgel size, rheological properties, and payload release characteristics were determined. Hierarchical MAP scaffolds were then created by cross-linking 4-arm poly(ethylene glycol) maleimide microgels with ssMSN-SH. …

2026 Commencement Program, Seattle University

Commencement Programs

No abstract provided.

Evaluation Of Ferappease Administered At Arrival And Time Of Reimplant On Feedlot Performance And Carcass Characteristics Of Yearling Beef Steers, Carsten L. Loseke, Galen E. Erickson, Jessica L. Sperber

Nebraska Beef Cattle Reports

Summary with Implications

Cattle experience stress in the feedlot during handling events such as initial processing and reimplant that can negatively impact morbidity and mortality, feedlot performance, and carcass outcomes. Application of a maternal Bovine Appeasing Substance (mBAS) marketed as FerAppease (FERA Diagnostics and Biologicals) has been hypothesized to mitigate stress in cattle. A commercial feedlot study compared the effectiveness of FerAppease applied in 10mL doses to yearling native beef steers at initial processing and reimplant to a placebo product on cattle performance, morbidity and mortality parameters, and carcass traits. Steers administered FerAppease tended to have improved feed conversion on …

Modulation Of Heat Stress Responses In Cattle Supplemented With Dietary Ω-3 Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids, Shelley A. Curry, Melanie R. White, Ashley A. Hahn, Dustin T. Yates

Nebraska Beef Cattle Reports

Summary with Implications

Heat stress in beef cattle triggers physiological and metabolic disturbances that compromise performance, health, and welfare. In this study, Red Angus heifers exposed to heat stress for 5 days exhibited elevated body temperatures, increased heart and respiration rates, and altered hematological and acid–base parameters. A commercial ω-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) dietary supplement failed to improve heat stress-reduced ribeye area or red blood cell parameters but did resolve the reduction in blood chloride concentrations, which is consistent with restoration of electrolyte balance and hydration under heat stressed conditions. These results indicate that ω-3 PUFA supplementation offers some …

Undergraduate Catalog Of Studies, 2025-2026, University Of Arkansas, Fayetteville

Undergraduate Catalog of Studies

No abstract provided.

Graduate Catalog Of Studies, 2025-2026, University Of Arkansas, Fayetteville

Graduate School Catalog of Studies

No abstract provided.

Bringing Pandemic Science To The Classroom: Building Public Health Capacity At A Rural Kentucky High School, Sahar Alameh, Anna G. Hoover, James W. Keck, Scott M. Berry, Sagan Goodpaster, Savannah Tucker, Ashley Goodin

Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) Education Faculty Publications

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, a multidisciplinary team at the University of Kentucky developed an interdisciplinary science, technology, engineering, and mathematics and environmental health unit—the Wastewater Assessment for Coronavirus in Kentucky: Implementing Enhanced Surveillance Technology (WACKIEST) Unit—for high school students in summer 2022. This case study outlines the WACKIEST Unit, which focused on wastewater surveillance and COVID-19, the obstacles faced during development and recruitment, and implementation of the WACKIEST Unit in conjunction with a rural wastewater surveillance initiative. The unit was implemented in spring 2023 at a rural high school in Kentucky, spanning 12 days and engaging 190 students. …

Faculty Handbook, 2025-2026, University Of Arkansas, Fayetteville

Faculty Handbook

No abstract provided.

Further Investigation Of The Effect Of Estrogen On Candida Albicans Filament Growth On Different Liquid Media, Authors

Biology Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

The Crisis In U.S. Cancer Care: Law, Markets, And Privatization, Daniel G. Aaron

Minnesota Law Review Vols. 106:2 onward (2021-present)

Cancer is surging among youth and young adults in the United States, yet, instead of public regulation addressing its root causes, we have outsourced the management of cancer to the private sector. A suite of laws, embodying faith that corporations will cure cancer, has subsidized the cancer biomedical enterprise and transformed quasi-public institutions into marketized, profit-seeking entities. These changes, across patent law, healthcare law, innovation law, and Food and Drug Administration ( FDA ) law, have privatized cancer.

The market failures I describe in U.S. cancer care raise larger questions about who we entrust with managing critical social problems. This …