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2021-2022 University Awards Of Excellence, Georgia Southern University

University Awards of Excellence

• Student Success
• Teaching and Academic Excellence
• Research and Discovery & Innovation
• Inclusive Excellence
• Operational Efficiency, Effectiveness and Sustainability
• Integrity
• Leadership
• Team Award

An Unspoken Story Of Education: An Autoethnographic Exploration Of Racism In Education, Elisa A. Perez-Garcia

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

Privilege is when one voice is the norm, but some children’s voices are underheard within research. Extensive research has demonstrated that Hispanic face multiple barriers within the education system. This study examines how whiteness within the education system can impact a Hispanic student’s perspective of the world. An autoethnographic approach is used to analyze five stories. A grounded theory approach identified emergent themes from the stories shared. The four themes that emerged among the stories were intersectionality, privilege, social construct, and microaggression. It demonstrated minority students’ experiences and interactions could profoundly affect how they view their identity. There are measures …

African-American Men In Modern U.S. Basketball And Football: The Exploitation Of Collegiate Athletes And Underrepresentation In Coaching, Sydney Burroughs

Undergraduate Honors Theses

Racial inequalities have prevailed since the establishment of the United States government in 1776. Despite the moral wrongdoings that took place in this country’s past and laws which have been put in place to combat this, African Americans are still marginalized. Looking through the window to the sport world, this is still present as collegiate athletes of African-American descent are exploited in the two sports which generate the most revenue in American sport–football and basketball. Beyond the role of the athlete, Black men are restricted in the coaching world as well, as they are wildly underrepresented. Research provides understanding as …

Optimization Model For Maintenance Planning Of Loading Equipment In Open Pit Mines, Farshid Javadnejad, Mohammad Reza Sharifi, Mohammad Hossein Basiri, Bakhtiar Ostadi

Engineering Management & Systems Engineering Faculty Publications

Maintenance plays a significant role in operating costs in the mining industry. Improving this matter controls maintenance costs and enhances productivity and production effectively. Shovels are one of the most widely used loading machines in non-continuous activities. Thus, evaluating and optimizing their availability is one of the essential solutions to achieving high productivity and cost reduction. This paper presents a mathematical programming model to maximize availability and minimize the total expected costs. We programmed the proposed nonlinear planning model using the Symbiotic Organisms Search (SOS) meta-heuristic algorithm in Matlab software. It determines the optimal maintenance intervals for different parts of …

The Theory Of Mind Hypothesis Of Autism, Kendall Smith

Undergraduate Honors Theses

Present theory of mind research suggests that autistic individuals demonstrate deficits in theory of mind capabilities. A literature review was conducted to investigate the claim made by the theory of mind hypothesis of autism that theory of mind deficits are responsible for the social deficits present in autistic individuals. It was concluded that this hypothesis was prematurely accepted as an explanatory model for autism when it is better described as a symptom of autism. Alternative explanations for autistic social deficits such as executive function deficits and the theory of weak central coherence were analyzed. Implications and suggestions for future research …

A History Of The Department Of Psychiatry At Washington University In St. Louis School Of Medicine., Eugene Rubin Md, Phd

Washington University School of Medicine Histories

No abstract provided.

Every 66 Hours. Dead Or Disappeared. A Colonial Gendered Lens On Genocide: Case Study On Canada's Genocide Against Indigenous Women, Girls, And 2slgbtqqia People, Megan Uren

Denver Journal of International Law & Policy

Genocide is happening today, and it will be happening tomorrow. It is not yet time to tell volunteers to stop dredging the Red River for dead bodies of Indigenous women and girls nor time for red dresses to stop being hung on the Highway of Tears. There are dead bodies in the water. There are missing bodies who were taken along wooded highways...

This article evaluates the current rates of violence against Indigenous women in Canada within (1) the greater context of an ongoing colonial genocide against Indigenous peoples and (2) with a narrow-gendered lens on women. First, I will …

2022 Warbler, Eastern Illinois University

The Warbler

The 2022 Warbler, yearbook of Eastern Illinois University.

Theorizing Failed Prosecutions, Jon B. Gould, Victoria M. Smiegocki, Richard A. Leo

Journal of Criminal Law and Criminology

Over the last twenty years, the scholarly field of erroneous convictions has skyrocketed, with multiple articles and books exploring the failures that convict the innocent. However, there has been comparatively little attention to the other side of the coin, failed prosecutions, when the criminal justice system falls short in convicting the likely perpetrator. In this Article, we take up an analysis of failed prosecutions, simultaneously seeking to define its breadth and explain its relation to erroneous convictions. We explore potential hypotheses for the existence of failed prosecutions and then compare those theories to a set of failed prosecutions compiled from …

Towards Racial Justice: The Role Of Medical-Legal Partnerships, Medha D. Makhlouf

Faculty Scholarly Works

Medical-legal partnerships (MLPs) integrate knowledge and practices from law and health care in pursuit of health equity. However, the MLP movement has not reached its full potential to address racial health inequities, in part because its original framing was not explicitly race conscious. This article aims to stimulate discussion of the role of MLPs in racial justice. It calls for MLPs to name racism as a social determinant of health and to examine how racism may operate in the field. This work sets the stage for the next step: operationalizing racial justice in the MLP model, research, and practice.

To Explain Or Not To Explain?—Artificial Intelligence Explainability In Clinical Decision Support Systems, Julia Amann, Dennis Vetter, Stig Nikolaj Blomberg, Helle Collatz Christensen, Megan Coffee, Sara Gerke, Thomas K. Gilbert, Thilo Hagendorff, Sune Holm, Michelle Livne, Andy Spezzatti,, Inga Strümke, Roberto V. Zicari, Vince Istvan Madai

Faculty Scholarly Works

Explainability for artificial intelligence (AI) in medicine is a hotly debated topic. Our paper presents a review of the key arguments in favor and against explainability for AI-powered Clinical Decision Support System (CDSS) applied to a concrete use case, namely an AI-powered CDSS currently used in the emergency call setting to identify patients with life-threatening cardiac arrest. More specifically, we performed a normative analysis using socio-technical scenarios to provide a nuanced account of the role of explainability for CDSSs for the concrete use case, allowing for abstractions to a more general level. Our analysis focused on three layers: technical considerations, …

Letter From The Editor, Ashley A. Humphrey

International Journal of Nuclear Security

It is vital for women to share their experiences with others; it shrinks the distances among us, creating stronger bonds. It builds camaraderie and community. It is also vital for women to document and share their journey so others can see tangible progress and use it as a tool in their own right. So, here is my story, my confession, about being editorial liaison for the IJNS Special Issue on Women in Nuclear Security.

Women In Nuclear Science & Technology In India: Challenges & Opportunities, Arpita Datta, Dr. Alpana Goel, Ashok Kumar Jain

International Journal of Nuclear Security

Women have been actively contributing toward frontline research and development of various advanced technologies in the nuclear domain and playing a crucial role in key positions. However, proportional representation of women in various decision-making positions at higher levels in politics, diplomacy, military affairs, science, and technology remains low, and most of these positions remain male-dominated. We see that women often find it difficult to achieve leadership roles for several reasons, but often from an implicit bias in society. The stereotypical image of women in society is still propagated very discreetly. In recent times, Indian women have made big strides in …

The Role Of Nuclear Forensics For Determining The Origin Of Nuclear Materials Out Of Regulatory Control And Nuclear Security, Lekhnath Ghimire, Edward Waller

International Journal of Nuclear Security

The international community recognizes the rise in theft and illicit trafficking of nuclear materials and radioactive sources—for malicious use and nuclear terrorism—as a serious threat. That is why a well-developed nuclear forensics capability is an integral part of a robust nuclear security program and a key element of nuclear security infrastructure. Both pre- and post-detonation nuclear forensics are vital for controlling theft and illicit trafficking of nuclear materials, as well as identifying and tracing their sources. Nuclear forensics analysis and interpretation processes for nuclear security is a systematic process that includes: (1) sample collection and categorization techniques and (2) detailed …

Gift Baskets For South Asia: Nuclear Risk Reduction And Crisis Management, Amber Jamil, Megan Goyette

International Journal of Nuclear Security

Gift Basket diplomacy is an interest-based approach to negotiation that encourages voluntary commitments as incentives for cooperation. International diplomats used this approach during the Nuclear Security Summits (NSS), and it is the new standard for international cooperation. This model was successfully replicated in climate talks and led to a global effort to combat climate change. The use of house presents, and gift baskets encourages leadership and team building, to excel beyond intractable consensus-based stalemates. The Gift Basket Diplomacy model may reduce South Asia’s nuclear risk and enhance crisis management by increasing diplomatic efforts during regional party talks and cooperative engagements, …

Nuclear Security Awareness Survey At A University, Marcia P. Robinson, Naomi German, Destiny B. White, Shraddha V. Rane, Jason Timothy Harris

International Journal of Nuclear Security

The concept of assessing safety culture in an organization emerged with its application at the nuclear power industry and has expanded since then. An assessment of nuclear security, on the contrary, is still under-developed, especially at non-nuclear facilities, such as academic institutions and medical facilities. To identify the level of the awareness and understanding of credible nuclear and radiological threats, response preparedness, security culture, and the integrity of nuclear security systems among non-radioactive material users at a university setting; a campus-wide survey was deployed. A total of 3,336 non-radioactive material users, including students, faculty, and staff participated in the survey. …

Learning Deficits And Attenuated Adaptive Stress Response After Early-Life Seizures In Zebrafish., Harsimran Singh, Alfonsina Ramon, Dana Finore, Kaleigh Burnham, Scott Mcrobert, Jocelyn Lippman-Bell

PCOM Scholarly Works

Early-life seizures (ELS) are often associated with the development of cognitive deficits. However, methods to predict and prevent these deficits are lacking. To increase the range of research models available to study cognitive consequences of ELS, we investigated whether seizures in larval zebrafish (Danio rerio) lead to behavioral deficits later in life. We thus modified the existing pentylenetetrazole (PTZ)-induced seizure model in larval zebrafish, exposing zebrafish to PTZ daily from 5 to 7 days post-fertilization (dpf). We then compared later-life learning, social behavior (shoaling), and behavioral and chemical measures of anxiety in the PTZ-exposed zebrafish (PTZ group) to …

Antioxidant Activity Of Red Algae Extract (Rhodophyta) Eucheuma Spinosum With Dpph (2.2-Diphenyl-1- Picrylhydrazyl) Method, Nurlindah Hamrun, Nursyamsi Djamaluddin, Irvina Na. Dahri

Journal of Dentomaxillofacial Science

No abstract provided.

Nebraska Summary: 1231 John Deere 6r 120 Diesel Infinitely Variable Transmission, Nebraska Tractor Test Lab

Nebraska Tractor Tests

ABOUT THE TEST REPORT AND USE OF THE DATA The test data contained in this report are a tabulation of the results of a series of tests. Due to the restricted format of these pages, only a limited amount of data and not all of the tractor specifications are included. The full OECD report contains usually about 30 pages of data and specifications. The test data were obtained for each tractor under similar conditions and therefore, provide a means of comparison of performance based on a limited set of reported data. EXPLANATION OF THE TEST PROCEDURES Purpose The purpose of …

Psychology, Psychology

Program Revisions/Additions

No abstract provided.

Inferring Phylogenetic Relationships Using The Smith-Waterman Algorithm And Hierarchical Clustering, Rafael Hidalgo, Anthony Devito, Nesreen Salah, Aparna S. Varde, Robert W. Meredith

Department of Biology Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works

All biological species undergo change over time due to the evolutionary process. These changes can occur rapidly and unpredictably. Due to their high potential to spread quickly, it is critical to be able to monitor changes and detect viral variants. Phylogenetic trees serve as good methods to study evolutionary relationships. Complex big data in biomedicine is plentiful in regards to viral data. In this paper, we analyze phylogenetic trees with reference to viruses and conduct dynamic programming using the Smith-Waterman algorithm, followed by hierarchical clustering. This methodology constitutes an intelligent approach for data mining, paving the way for examining variations …

Development Of Hollow Vaginal Device Using Stereolithography (Sla) 3d Printing For Intravaginal Drug Delivery, Preethi Lakkala

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Vulvovaginal candidiasis is a condition caused by the polymorphic opportunistic fungus Candida albicans, which involves the first-line treatment with antifungal agents comprising azole groups. An intravaginal drug delivery device is an alternate approach to conventional therapy that transcend multiple daily administrations and systemic side effects associated with oral medications and offers effective drug concentrations at the target site for a sustained period. This study reports, for the first time, the development of a novel hollow vaginal device by exploiting stereolithography (SLA) 3D printing technology to achieve localized and extended delivery of Itraconazole. These devices were fabricated using a shape memory …

Evaluating The Effectiveness Of Mindfulness-Based Group Interventions On Reducing Externalizing Behaviors In Adolescent Populations, Erica Montgomery

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study explores the extent of the impact that mindfulness-based interventions, such as mindfulness-based stress reduction techniques, have on externalizing behaviors in adolescents. Specifically, the intended population receiving the intervention will be minority adolescents, ages 9-15, in rural Mississippi who have received disciplinary action from the school or community based on acting out and aggression. The Ohio Youth Rating Scale will be used to collect information from three primary sources: parents, teachers, and participants. Data will be collected at multiple points in the intervention. Based on previous research with similar age groups, outcomes should be favorable for reducing unwanted behaviors.

Do Policies Matter? An Exploratory, Qualitative Study Of The Lived Experiences On Campus Of Transgender And Non-Binary Education Employees, Sarah Clay

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The student population of American colleges and universities is becoming increasingly diverse. Though the racial and ethnic makeup of a campus population has been given the most attention in diversity and inclusion efforts, there has been a growing focus on LGBTQ issues in recent decades. As a result, institutions of higher learning have been working to develop responsive policies and programs that aim to promote LGBTQ inclusion amongst faculty, staff, and students.

However, the current socio-political climate in the United States is becoming intensely antagonistic toward gender non-conforming people. With gender identity being such a socially and politically divisive issue, …

Down The Stream: The Evolution Of Queer Stream-Of-Consciousness Novels Through The Works Of Virginia Woolf And Ali Smith, Turner Nat Byrd

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This thesis attempts to understand the evolution of the stream-of-consciousness genre as it applies to, is written by, or centers queer people. Through generous Marxist-feminist readings of the works of Virginia Woolf and Ali Smith—used in this project as exemplars of the genre—it attempts to understand the differences within both the formal and philosophical/political outlook of the two authors. Specifically looking at Woolf’s Mrs. Dalloway and To the Lighthouse and Smith’s Hotel World, The Accidental, and Girl Meets Boy, this project posits that Smith, intentionally or not, has effectively re-written the basic narratives and re-visited the same themes as Woolf, …

The Queer And Trans Ecologies Of Shakespeare's Ocean, Elijah Two Bears

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This thesis squarely approaches the overlooked theoretical nexus of early modern blue ecologies and LGBTQIA2S+ studies to argue that Shakespeare's ocean is a deeply queer space that inspires both queer and trans effects in his characters, plays, and audiences across time. I argue you can’t fully process Shakespeare’s aquatic environments, and the broader range of his more watery plays, without accounting for the queer destabilization and trans self-fashioning that is inextricably linked with encountering the ocean, whether it is through shipwreck, ship travel, or near-drownings. This project recreates a lost world using whatever small gems of textual and historical evidence …

The Effect Of Contextual Uncertainty On Confidence Judgements In Perception And Its Relation To Metacognition, Wing Kiu Lam

Bachelor of Social Sciences – Senior Theses

Our brain processes noisy and incomplete information to make adaptive decisions and chooses appropriate responses based on the strength of our subjective evaluation. Such subjective evaluation of our decisions could be referred to our metacognition— the ability to monitor and recognize our own successful cognitive processing. What information does our metacognitive system take in during subjective evaluation? To what extent our metacognitive judgements are influenced by the context? The current study aims to investigate whether there is an effect of contextual uncertainty on confidence judgments when perceptual performance is controlled. In this study, participants were required to perform both type …

To Investigate The Foveal Avascular Zone In A Young Healthy Population Using Optical Coherence Tomography Angiography, Susan O'Shea

Masters

Introduction/Aims Inflammatory diseases such as diabetes, glaucoma and age-related macular degeneration (AMD) can alter the size and shape of the foveal avascular zone (FAZ). Macular pigment (MP), a powerful antioxidant, located at the macula can protect the eye from oxidative stress damage. This study aims to investigate possible factors affecting the FAZ, such as vessel perfusion and overweight/obesity, in association with MP status in a young, healthy population. Normative values for FAZ size/shape and vascularity will also be proposed.

Methods One hundred and fifty-four subjects aged 18-35 years old were recruited. Superficial FAZ area, diameter, ganglion cell layer, central macular …

To Investigate The Effects Of Low Plus Prescription Lenses On Quality Of Life And Visual Performance In Children., Patricia Maher

Masters

Aims: The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of low plus prescription lenses on Quality of life and visual performance data. As part of the study opinions of optometrists regarding paediatric eye care was also explored. Methods: Each one of the 92 participants, aged between 8 and 12 years, attended for three visits, baseline, at 1 month and 3 months. A quality of life questionnaire was completed at each visit. Optometric probes including dynamic retinoscopy, relative accommodation, fusional reserves and stereopsis as well as reading speed were examined. A survey was sent out electronically to optometrists followed …

Increasing Detection Sensitivity For Rare And Endangered Species In Kansas Through Development Of An Aquatic Environmental Dna Sampling Protocol, Sarah Hallyburton

Master's Theses or Doctor of Nursing Practice

Anthropogenic global climate change is forcing the mass extinction of wildlife across the globe. Humans depend on freshwater ecosystems for many aspects of life including agricultural production, sanitation, and recreation. Healthy levels of biodiversity in freshwater environments ensure economically beneficial ecosystem services are maintained. Freshwater ecosystems are hotspots for biodiversity and have higher levels of imperiled organisms compared to terrestrial and marine systems. Within freshwater systems, freshwater mussels (Family: Unionidae) are the most imperiled with over 70% of North American species assigned to a conservation class as judged by state or federal management agencies. The objective of this study was …