Digital Commons Network^™

An Ecology Of Small Sorrows: Small Animals And The Fragile Ecosystems Inside Us, Haley H. Yarborough

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

In An Ecology of Small Sorrows, Haley Yarborough uses a series of personal essays to explore how encounters with small life shape her understanding of herself. This collection is inspired by many talented writers — Lucy Cooke’s insights into animal biology, Andy Weir’s humor and knack for explaining complicated topics, Ben Goldfarb’s insightful exploration of the overlooked, and Sabrina Embler’s beautiful, poetic reflections on the natural world.

These essays touch on how small animals serve as mirrors for us, through our experiences with illness, loss, insecurity, and survival. While a lot of modern media emphasize larger, charismatic species to tell …

Paternal Stress As A Contributor To Neuropsychiatric Disease Risk In Offspring, Chris Roberds

IdeaFest 2026

Chronic stress is increasingly common and may have consequences across generations. Paternal chronic stress has been shown to alter sperm small RNAs and influence offspring neurodevelopment and psychiatric disease risk. However, how stress signals from the brain reach the germline and how offspring respond to stress remains unclear. This study examines epigenetic inheritance of paternal stress and its effects on offspring stress responses. We compared offspring of chronically stressed and non-stressed sires and measured corticosterone following an acute stressor. Offspring of stressed fathers exhibited reduced corticosterone responses, with evidence of sex-specific differences in stress regulation.

Understanding Microglial Phenotype Switching Through Dimensionality Reduction And Clustering Analysis, Anthony Wolfe

IdeaFest 2026

Microglia are the brain’s resident immune cells, capable of shifting between pro- and anti-inflammatory states to regulate neural homeostasis. Disruptions to this balance contribute to neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s disease. We analyzed single-cell gene expression data from approximately 600 mouse-derived microglia across six weeks to identify genes that capture cellular variability in both high and low dimensional representations. We also performed unsupervised clustering to identify subpopulations within the dataset based on gene expression patterns. This allowed us to map the known spectrum of functional states these cells occupy and examine how these transcriptional states change over time.

Synthesis And Characterization Of Gold Nanoparticles For Oncology Applications, Brodie Lyons

IdeaFest 2026

Gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) are used in experimental cancer treatments and developed in various shapes and sizes to optimize drug delivery, imaging, and photothermal therapy. In this study, small gold nanospheres (20-30 nm), large nanospheres (50-60 nm), nanorods, and nanostars were synthesized and analyzed. Dynamic light scattering, ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy, and transmission electron microscopy were techniques deployed to determine particle size, level of uniformity, particle absorption of light, and overall AuNP morphology. AuNPs shape and size changed which altered their interaction with light. Our results aid in informing AuNP design for future cancer treatments.

Developing Culture-Based Methods To Assess The Function Of Burkholderia Sensu Lato In Pitcher Plants, Theo Murphy

IdeaFest 2026

Pitcher plants are host to a diverse array of microorganisms, one of which is Burkholderia sensu lato. Burkholderia s.l. is a group of bacteria that is positively associated with function in the pitcher plant, Sarracenia purpurea, though the mechanisms behind this functionality are poorly understood. In this study, I developed a culture-based method to isolate Burkholderia s.l. from a larger microbial community. I then characterized the Burkholderia isolates’ cellular morphology, oxygen requirements, motility, and nitrate reduction potential. I found that the characteristics of Burkholderia s.l. isolated from Sarracenia sp. diverges from that proposed in the literature.

Emergent Disorder Induced Transport In Active Matter Systems, Josh Steimel

IdeaFest 2026

Creating randomized obstacles for magnetic particles to traverse in varying magnetic fields in hopes of finding immerging patterns. Responsible for creating CAD files in large quantities and making functional resin prints with obstacles on the micro-scale.

Characterizing Regional Human Necromicrobiome Communities In A Semi-Arid Desert To Inform Postmortem Interval (Pmi) Estimation, Georgia Rane Swelstad

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Accurate estimation of the postmortem interval (PMI) remains challenging in forensic anthropology, particularly in arid and high-elevation environments where decomposition processes and insect activity are highly variable. Postmortem microbial succession has emerged as a promising alternative framework for PMI estimation. However, the effects of climate and elevation on microbial decomposition dynamics remain insufficiently characterized.

This study examines skin-associated microbial succession in human remains decomposing at the Forensic Investigation Research Station (FIRS) in western Colorado, a semi-arid, high-elevation environment. Microbial samples collected from five anatomical sites during the early postmortem interval are analyzed using 16S ribosomal RNA (rRNA) gene sequencing, and …

Public Lands In Public Hands, Adeli Burdeinii

IdeaFest 2026

Sage, Melia, and I were placed with the BLM Arcata field office to work on a variety of ecological restoration projects and public outreach. BLM Arcata Field Office's main mission is to help restore and preserve the natural environment for the good of the public and wildlife. This past year, our tasks included monitoring, upkeep, and outreach on public lands. In our time with the BLM, we educated the public on the resources they are using and how to treat them right so everyone can enjoy them for many years to come, worked on wildlife and plant monitoring projects to …

Methods For Degradation Of Pla-Quinoa Composites, Rafael Bernard

IdeaFest 2026

Polylactic acid (PLA) composites were created by integrating quinoa chaff that had been refluxed in a toluene and ethanol solution, with differing ratios of the chaff. These composites underwent testing such as bomb calorimetry, infrared (IR) spectroscopy, water uptake, water contact angle & degredation, antioxidant assay and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). A cellulase enzyme was also purified from E-Coli bacteria for use in degradation studies. Current tests indicate that the refluxing of raw chaff increases homogeniztion of composites, which in turn allows for the increase of certain physical properties as well as increased degredation. This gives promising results concerning the …

Unmuted: An Augmentative And Alternative Communication User’S Experience In Accessing And Engaging In Mental Health Care, Kanbi Faith Knippling

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Communication accessibility is a critical yet underexamined factor influencing access to and engagement in mental health care for individuals who use augmentative and alternative communication (AAC). Existing literature suggests that AAC users experience significant barriers to obtaining communication-accessible mental health services, including limited provider preparation, communication-related assumptions, and broader structural inequities. Despite growing recognition of these concerns, little research has explored how AAC users experience and navigate mental health counseling or how communication accessibility shapes participation in care.

This single-case study explored communication accessibility within the context of an adult AAC users' experiences accessing and engaging in mental health counseling. …

Prevention Of Escherichia Coli Biofilm Formation Using Slpa Protein Extracted From Lactobacillus Helveticus, Scarlet Renner

IdeaFest 2026

Dental health in pets is often neglected, leading to gingivitis and periodontitis. Probiotics are thought to inhibit oral pathogenic bacteria through surface layer proteins, preventing biofilm formation and occupying binding sites. We explored Lactobacillus helveticus and its protein SLpA in preventing biofilm formation in mCherry expressing Escherichia coli. SLpA was extracted using lithium chloride and centrifugation. E. coli was mixed with L. helvetius and SLpA. Fluorescence values were collected with a sodium alginate and calcium chloride gel in each well to allow bacterial adherence and compared to a blank. Results show L. helveticus and SLpA inhibit biofilm formation of E. …

Growing Agroecology: Two Case Studies From The U.S. Student Farm Movement, Amelia B. Armstrong

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Scholars and activists identify agroecology as a crucial science, practice, and movement to move towards more just, equitable, and sustainable agriculture and food systems. Yet, the exploitative industrial food system, that deepens inequalities like food insecurity (Clapp et al., 2025), reduces farmer autonomy (Rotz, 2015), and contributes to increased carbon emissions (Lin et al., 2011) and biodiversity decline (Rotz, 2015), still dominates. Understanding and mobilizing the different spaces that teach agroecology, then, is a crucial step in challenging the dominant industrial food system. Agroecology education in university settings is an important domain to investigate as potential contributors to this movement, …

Sustainability Employee Educators Developing Solutions (Seeds), Katie Koscielak

IdeaFest 2026

My poster shares information, photos, and lessons learned from four years of implementing a campus sustainability program called SEEDS (the acronym stands for: Sustainability Employee Educators Developing Solutions): Born from gaps identified in the triennial STARS report, SEEDS brings together volunteer staff and faculty to advance peer sustainability education at Cal Poly Humboldt. Now in its fourth year and contributing to EN 3 Staff Engagement & Training points earned in STARS, the program incentivizes the growth of sustainability champions across campus.

N Y State Dent J January 2026

The New York State Dental Journal

In the January 2026 issue, the reader will find the following feature articles:

• No Need to Travel the Road to Licensure Renewal Alone
• IPS Subperiosteal Implant for the Maxilla and Mandible
• Amyloidoma of the Palate
• Titanium Hypersensitivity as Possible Cause of Dental Implant Failures

This issue includes regular columns with regional news impacting the New York membership including editorial and perspectives columns, legal, association activities, component news, continuing education opportunities, and classifieds.

A Complete Diploid Human Genome Benchmark For Personalized Genomics, Nancy F. Hansen, Nathan Dwarshuis, Hyun Joo Ji, Arang Rhie, Hailey Loucks, Glennis A. Logsdon, Mitchell R. Vallger, Jessica M. Storer, Juhyun Kim, Eleni Adam, Nicolas Alternose, Dmitry Antipov, Mobin Asri, Sofia Barreira, Stephanie C. Bohaczuk, Andrey V. Bzikadze, Sara A. Carioscia, Andrew Carroll, Kuan-Hao Chao, Yanan Chu, Arun Das, Peter Ebert, Adam English, Mark Fleharty, Laura E. Fleming, Giulio Formenti, Andrea Guarracino, Gabrielle A. Hartley, Katharine Jenike, Jenna Kalleberg, Yu Kang, Robert King, Josipa Lipovac, Mira Mastoras, Matthew W. Mitchell, Shloka Negi, Nathan D. Olson, Keisuke K. Oshima, Luis F. Paulin, Brandon D. Pickett, David Porubsky, Jane Ranchalis, Desh Ranjan, Mikko Rautiainen, Harold Riethman, Robert D. Schnabel, Fritz J. Sedlazeck, Kishwar Shafin, Mile Sikic, Steven J. Solar, Alexander P. Sweeten, Winston Timp, Justin Wagner, Dongahn Yoo, Ying Zhou, Erik Garrison, Evan E. Eichler, Michaeel C. Schatz, Andrew B. Stergachis, Rachel J. O'Neill, Karen H. Miga, Steven L. Salzberg, Sergey Koren, Justin M. Zook, Adam M. Phillippy

School of Medical Diagnostics & Translational Sciences Publications

Human genome sequencing typically relies on mapping reads to a reference genome to call variants, but this approach introduces technical biases, excluding duplicated and structurally polymorphic regions of the genome. To overcome this, we present a telomere-to-telomere genome benchmark with near-perfect accuracy across 99.4% of the diploid HG002 genome. This benchmark adds 701.4 Mb of autosomal sequence and both sex chromosomes (216.8 Mb), which were absent from prior benchmarks. We annotated genes and repeats on both haplotypes, including 19,956 protein-coding genes on the maternal haplotype and 19,190 on the paternal haplotype, and developed new methods to measure the accuracy of …

Evaluating Multi-Year Transferability Of Single- And Multi-Class Machine Learning For Remote Monitoring Of Beaver-Engineered Landscapes, Harris J. Sloan

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Long-term satellite image archives enable ecological monitoring at large scales, but manual extraction of fine-grained features (e.g., beaver dams) remains time-consuming. Machine learning models may automate these tasks, but their temporal transferability for multiannual monitoring is still poorly resolved.

We evaluated the performance of two complementary neural-network frameworks across a 100,000-hectare watershed in Montana USA, using a decade of satellite imagery (2014-2024): (i) a single-class ResNet-50 beaver dam detector, and (ii) a multi-class ResU-Net landcover classifier.

In 2024, the dam detector identified 352 of 404 mapped dams, achieving balanced accuracy = 93.6%, precision = 79.8%, recall = 87.1%, F1 = …

The Connectedness Between Awareness And Practice Of Waste Control And Recycling In Urban Villages: A Cross-Sectional Community-Based Study., Nelifer Shreya Ammanna, Jeenal Valine Mendonca, Chethan Kunder, Sushwetha Poojary, Swagath Nayak, Ansuya Ansuya, Mitchelle Shilpa Lewis

Manipal Journal of Nursing and Health Sciences

Introduction: Waste management is an increasing problem that occurs globally due to expanding population around the globe. Researchers worldwide are working towards ending this problem that impacts the environment and people's health. The knowledge of the wastes produced and how we manage them is vital for the population to understand; knowing about it and practicing the same will create a ripple effect on the waste generated by the people.

Objective: To determine the condition of the urban villages in terms of awareness and practice of waste management, and to know whether these are interrelated.

Methods: A quantitative approach with …

Prediction Of Phytocompounds For Environmental Sustainability: A Framework Using Computational Tools, Ankita Halder, Sayoni Dam, Sisir Nandi, Asmita Samadder

Trends in advanced sciences and technology

In response to the abruptly elevated environmental impact caused by the usage of chemical-based synthetic compounds in agricultural fields and pharmaceutical pollution, phytocompound-based products have become the choice of use for their ability to foster environmental sustainability. The potential of new phyto-based compounds has been explored in agriculture, phytoremediation, etc. Computer-based in silico prediction through ADMETlab 2.0, SwissADME, and Way2Drug software secured an important role in screening of these phyto-based compounds in terms of lethal concentration (LC₅₀FM, LC₅₀DM), Bioconcentration Factors, IGC50, and role in the TOX21 pathway ahead of their environmental exposure. These aforementioned softwares also …

Predicting Tilt In Esports: A Psychophysiological Approach To Understanding Player Emotional Regulation, Nathan Rhea

University of the Pacific Theses and Dissertations

Emotional regulation and stress management are important to both casual and competitive esports players. When players become dysregulated, they experience a phenomenon known as “tilt” within the gaming community, where they often lose control of their emotions and their performance declines. This study aimed to investigate whether a psychophysiological variable in heart rate variability could predict tilt in college-age esports players. Additionally, the relationship between heart rate variability and emotions predicted by the Tiltometer system with gameplay performance and winning or losing was tested.

This study used a quantitative correlational research design. Participants for this study were college-age players (N=23) …

Organizational Executives’ Perspectives On Cultural Humility And Diversity, Lynette Piggee-Pinero

University of the Pacific Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this action-oriented dissertation was to understand how executives perceive their own cultural humility and how their perceptions impact diversity promotion in the workplace. This study used action research to examine the perspectives of executives on their own cultural humility and how cultural humility promotes diversity. This study included data collected from interviews with eight executives. Findings from the study revealed that executives perceived their own cultural humility as evident in a commitment to learning about others, their ability to suspend their own biases, and their commitment to ongoing learning. The findings were also that executives expressed connections …

What Makes A Family: Steepparent's Experiences Supporting Children With Autism In School Systems, Veronica Barrera

University of the Pacific Theses and Dissertations

This qualitative multiple case study explored the lived experiences of stepparents of children with autism spectrum disorder, examining how they navigate their roles within school and family systems during early elementary years (kindergarten through second grade). Despite the increasing prevalence of blended families, stepparent perspectives remain largely absent from research. Stepparents often occupy ambiguous legal and social positions that limit their access to educational information and participation in IEP meetings and school decision-making. Two stepparents of children with Level 1 autism participated in semi-structured interviews. Data were analyzed using inductive coding and thematic analysis, with narrative restorying to preserve participants’ …

Impact Of Cigarette Smoke On Immune And Stromal Cells, Justin Wong

Master's Projects

Cigarette smoke is a plight on human health, being a major contributor to lung diseases. The aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AHR) directs immune regulation and metabolic adaptation in response to environmental toxins. This study investigates transcriptomic changes between wild-type and AHR knockout mouse lung tissue under smoke and air conditions. Single-cell RNA sequencing data were generated by the Butcher Lab and analyzed in Seurat for differential gene expression (DGE) analysis. A two way ANOVA framework was used with DGE analysis to classify genes as smoke induced or suppressed in an AHR dependent or independent manner, and these gene sets were analyzed …

From Panels To Power: Empowering Middle Schoolers Through Comics, Ali Geigerman

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

This dissertation explores how craftivism, grounded in feminist theory and informed by multiliteracies, can be used to disrupt and reclaim the traditionally male-dominated genre of comics for girls and non-binary students. While the New London Group’s concept of multiliteracies expands definitions of literacy to include visual, spatial, and multimodal forms of meaning-making, it does not fully address questions of power, representation, and voice. Drawing specifically on the work of bell hooks as a theoretical anchor, this study positions comics not only as legitimate multiliterate texts but also as sites of feminist intervention. By blending multiliteracies, feminism, and craftivism, this research …

Subliminal Nature: Dialogues In Performance, Carlos A. Carvajal

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

I will discuss how my artwork sets for the development of various layers of experience within the same context and space, to stimulate the subconscious of the audience. This layering is a combination of stimuli of senses (the inclusion of sound and active participation) and the syntax of the dynamics of audience interaction. Sound and visuals create a performance to acknowledge and read, while also pertaining to participation by a sort of instruction for the viewer to partake in the work. These are all different layers of experience that happen simultaneously within a piece, setting up different possible outcomes from …

‘Prov[Ing] What You Already Know’: The Overreliance On Medical Evidence In Adjudicating Ontario Disability Support Program Applications, Alison Imrie

Journal of Law and Social Policy

The Ontario Disability Support Program (ODSP) relies heavily on medical evidence when adjudicating applications. In doing so, it positions healthcare providers as the undisputed experts on applicants’ disabilities. This poses particular challenges for applicants with under-recognized or misunderstood medical conditions like Myalgic Encelphalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME/CFS), who may struggle to obtain adequate medical care and thus adequate medical evidence for the purpose of ODSP applications. Through qualitative interviews with five individuals with ME/CFS who applied for ODSP, this paper illuminates the particular challenges faced by those with ME/CFS and other under-recognized disabilities in the ODSP application process. Drawing on literature …

Common Data Set, 2025-2026, Planning, Research, And Policy Analysis

Common Data Set (2001-present)

Common Data Set 2025-2026 for Illinois State University

Essays On Accelerated Failure Time Models For Recurrent Event Data, Emmanuel Masavo Djegou

Doctoral Dissertations

Recurrent event data arise in many fields such as medicine, reliability, insurance, and economics, where the same event may occur repeatedly for a subject. Accelerated Failure Time (AFT) models provide an intuitive framework for relating covariates to event times and offer a useful alternative to proportional hazards models, allowing direct prediction of event timing under right censoring. However, existing AFT extensions for recurrent events, such as accelerated gap time (AGT) models, often fail to account for interventions between events and may not capture complex temporal patterns.

In this work, we first propose a class of semiparametric AGT models incorporating an …

Differences In Dry Matter Intake In Grazing And Drylot Beef Cattle, Tylor John Yost

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Accurate measurement of individual dry matter intake (DMI) in grazing cattle remains a major challenge for evaluating feed efficiency traits in beef production systems. This study evaluated relationships among intake and efficiency traits measured in both pasture and drylot environments and assessed the potential for predicting pasture DMI using water intake and machine learning approaches. A total of 163 beef cattle across four experimental groups were evaluated in one of two grazing seasons (2024 or 2025). Drylot feed and water intake were measured using automated intake monitoring equipment, whereas pasture intake was determined using a long short-term memory …

Framing Addiction In The Age Of Vaping: A Journalism-Focused Reporting Toolkit, Jessica L. Riley

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

This project addresses a critical gap in journalism practice: the lack of accessible, evidence-based guidance for reporting on addiction. Particularly as it relates to nicotine, tobacco and vaping. Journalists play a key role in shaping public understanding of substance use, yet existing resources often focus on opioids, lack specificity, or fail to keep pace with rapidly evolving nicotine products and scientific research. As a result, reporters may struggle with inconsistent terminology, unclear risk communication and the potential for unintentionally stigmatizing language.

Grounded in media effects theory, health communication and stigma research, this project examines how journalistic language and framing influence …

Multi-Omics Analysis Of Immune-Metabolic Adaptation To Direct-Fed Microbial Supplementation In Newly Weaned Beef Steers, Adekunle Odunayo Ajiboye

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Immune and metabolic disruption during weaning represents a major challenge to health and productivity in beef cattle. This dissertation tested the hypothesis that supplementation with multi-strain direct-fed microbials (DFMs) modulates immune regulation and metabolic pathways associated with adaptation to weaning stress. To address this, whole-blood transcriptomics and plasma metabolomics were used to evaluate molecular and metabolic responses in newly weaned beef steers during the receiving period. Transcriptomic analysis identified differential expressions of genes associated with immune signaling and inflammatory regulation, indicating modulation of immune-related pathways without changes in growth performance. Metabolomic analysis revealed alterations in circulating metabolites related to amino …