Digital Commons Network^™

Msw Portfolio: Tributaries Of Growth, Madison Hergenrader

Graduate Student Portfolios, Professional Papers, and Capstone Projects

Tributaries of Growth reflects mastery in the field of Social Work; reflections on the five elements and ten competencies as seen through the academic and practicum experiences at the University of Montana.

Spiral & Wheel, Red Audiss

Graduate Student Portfolios, Professional Papers, and Capstone Projects

No abstract provided.

Becoming A Social Worker, Sheyanne Marie Herron

Graduate Student Portfolios, Professional Papers, and Capstone Projects

This portfolio is a reflective overview of my journey toward becoming a social worker. It highlights how my education, professional experiences, practicum placements, and coursework have shaped my development as a clinician, advocate, and leader. The portfolio demonstrates growth across the core MSW competencies, including ethical practice, assessment, intervention, research, policy, advocacy, cultural humility, and leadership. It also emphasizes my person-centered, strengths-based, and trauma-informed approach to practice and my commitment to social justice and lifelong learning.

Locating-Chromatic Number Of Bipartite Graphs, Dian Kastika Syofyan, Edy Tri Baskoro, Hilda Assiyatun, Ira Apni Purwasih, Zata Yumni Awanis, Arga Febriantoni

Baghdad Science Journal

The locating-chromatic number of a graph combines proper vertex coloring with vertex identification through distances to color classes. Although this parameter has been studied for many graph families, general results for bipartite graphs remain limited. Bipartite graphs contain structural symmetries, especially within each partite set, making it difficult to obtain distinct color codes. This paper establishes lower and upper bounds for the locating-chromatic number of bipartite graphs using neighborhood equivalence classes in the two partite sets. The bounds describe the effect of identical neighborhoods on the number of distinguishable color codes. They are shown to be tight, and regular complete …

Optical And Structural Characterization Of Sn@Zn And Sn Core-Shell Nanoparticles Synthesized By Plal: Evaluation Of Prostate Cancer, Aya K. Mahmoed, Sabah N. Mazhir

Baghdad Science Journal

In this study, Sn nanoparticles and Sn/Zn core-shell nanoparticles were synthesized using (PLA) techniques. Pulsed laser ablation with a (1064 nm) wavelength, (6 Hz) frequency, (300 mJ) energy, and (250 pulses) number of shots was used to subject colloidal dispersions of Sn and Zn, and bimetallic Sn@Zn core/shell nanoparticles were generated by the metal target in 15 mL of distilled water (DW). The investigation of nanoparticles was done by X-ray diffraction (XRD), atomic force microscopy (AFM), UV-VIS spectroscopy, FESEM, zeta potential, and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The efficiency of the prepared nanomaterial was assessed for cytotoxicity, as the test was …

Msw Portfolio, Allie Wright

Graduate Student Portfolios, Professional Papers, and Capstone Projects

No abstract provided.

Report Card On The Status Of Women 2025-2026, Leah Ward

Women's Center Reports, Commentaries and Other Resources

In this eighth iteration of the Report Card on the Status of Women, the University of Dayton’s Women’s Center maintains our Report Card annually, continuing to be aimed at increasing institutional diversity and promoting equity for underrepresented staff and faculty. In doing so, the report identifies areas where progress is being made and areas where more work is needed. The Report Card is also a space to share progress on gender equity initiatives led by the Women's Center and other units across campus.

Data presented in this Report Card was provided by the Office for Decision Support and represents data …

The International Adoption Movement From South Korea: A Sociological Analysis Of Its Rise, Fall And Relevance Today For Children’S Rights Issues, Madeline H. Engel

Sociology Between the Gaps: Forgotten and Neglected Topics

No abstract provided.

Early Immune Dysregulation In Mtb/Siv Co-Infection Resists Cart Treatment At The Single-Cell Level, Riti Sharan, Yi Zou, Zhao Lai, Korri Weldon, Todd Bradley, Xi Luo, Hulin Wu, Shabaana A. Khader, Deepak Kaushal

Manuscripts, Articles, Book Chapters and Other Papers

Using single-cell transcriptomics of bronchoalveolar lavage cells from Mtb/SIV co-infected rhesus macaques on cART, we reveal profound immune dysregulation during early SIV co-infection of latent tuberculosis. SIV induces a sharp decline in CD4+ T cells, NK, and NKT cells, with incomplete recovery of Mtb-specific TH1 effector responses despite viral suppression. Instead, a persistent TH17-skewed environment emerges, alongside sustained myeloid inflammation driven by Type I interferon signaling and pro-inflammatory regulators such as KLF6 and NFKB1. Ligand-receptor network analyses demonstrate expanded CD4+ T cell-macrophage crosstalk and loss of immune homeostasis that cART fails to fully restore. These findings expose …

Sporicidal Activity Mechanism Of Lactic Acid And Peracetic Acid On Bovine Pathogenic Bacillus Cereus Spores, Xin Zhang, Yunjiao Chen, Jingjing Zhao, Haiying Zheng, Lanlan Liu, Wei Liu, Mingshan Fu, Weijuan Jia, Zelin Jia, Jiayu Cui, Yuhang Zhang, Huisheng Xiong, Yujie Ma, Xueli Wang, Haifeng Wang

The Thai Journal of Veterinary Medicine

In recent years, the pathogenicity of Bacillus cereus (B. cereus) has increased significantly, its host adaptability has continued to expand, and the infection spectrum has also expanded. At the same time, food contamination by B. cereus is also common. Therefore, it is of practical significance to select green, safe and effective inhibitors. Lactic acid (LA) and peroxyacetic acid (PAA) possess good antibacterial properties, making them environmentally friendly, safe, and non-toxic. The purpose of this experiment was to preliminarily explore the inhibition mechanism of LA and PAA on B. cereus spores. The effects of LA and PAA on B. …

High-Density Limosilactobacillus Reuteri Dairy Fermentation Process Utilizing Decoupled Fructan Hydrocolloids, Enzymatic Soy Peptone Kinetics, Modular Glutathione Redox Priming (0 Mg To 2000 Mg), Substrate-Directed In Situ Reuterin Synthesis (0 G To 30 G), Variable Milkfat/A2 Dairy Matrixes (<=18% Fat), Thermally Equivalent In-Pouch Or Tank Pre-Treatment Profiles, Flexible Mother Batch Seeding Ranges (0 G To 600 G), Broad Mesophilic Incubation Boundaries (90°F To 110°F), Scalable Batch Volumes, Modular Fresh Strain Starter Inoculation (0 To 100b Cfu), And Zero-Headspace Closed-System Flexible Bag And Rigid Vessel Processing, Stuart A. Daniels

Defensive Publications Series

A high-density dairy fermentation protocol and composition for Limosilactobacillus reuteri LR08 are disclosed across liquid bovine dairy substrates ranging from skim milk to whole milk, A2 milk, and half-and-half (up to ~18% butterfat), as well as milk/heavy cream blends, scaled from small-batch home preparation (1 quart / 1 liter) up to industrial commercial bioreactor volumes. The method eliminates standard dairy fermentation rate bottlenecks, physical whey separation, oxidative stress, packaging inflation, equipment sterilization overhead, and airborne contamination by integrating modular biochemical and bioprocess mechanisms:

1. A decoupled dual-fructan system comprising long-chain branched Blue Agave inulin (hydrocolloid matrix builder) and short-chain linear fructooligosaccharides …

Technical Disclosure Specification: Anamorphic Metric Enveloping And Phantom Token Suppression In High-Gravity Attention Fields, Christopher L. Eckes

Defensive Publications Series

Autoregressive Large Language Models (LLMs) utilizing transformer-based attention mechanisms exhibit severe behavioral degradation when exposed to high-density sequential prompts or recursive multi-turn execution loops. This phenomenon, formalized as Prompt Gravity, induces an asymmetric structural warping of the Softmax attention matrix, forcing the model to generate ungrounded token vectors—Phantom Tokens—based entirely on localized statistical momentum rather than external data validation. Once written to the context substrate, these phantom vectors generate a recursive feedback loop that accelerates model collapse. [1]

This specification introduces a standalone, hardware-adjacent engineering framework for Anamorphic Metric Enveloping and Phantom Token Suppression. By applying a non-perturbative …

An Analysis Of Artificial Intelligence Systems On The Teaching Of Music Improvisation, Composition, And Instrumental Pedagogy, Carter K. Murphey

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Artificial intelligence (AI) has experienced a significant boom in the first half of the 2020s and has significant implications for the fields of music composition, music production, and music education. AI Large language models (LLMs) such as ChatGPT are frequently used sources for students on a wide range of academic subjects, and can provide in-depth, well-informed and eloquently written explanations in a matter of seconds. Music generative AI programs such as Suno and UDIO can almost instantaneously compose and produce musical recordings from word-generated prompts from users. Noise cancelling AI software such as Moises can create isolated instrumental tracks from …

A Study Of Combat Veterans Residing In Rural Communities Who Have Experienced Suicidality After Discharge, Kelly Muratorri

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this transcendental phenomenological study was to understand the lived experiences of combat veterans residing in rural communities who experienced suicidal ideation following discharge from military service. The central research question guiding this study was, What are the lived experiences of combat veterans who reside in rural areas and have contemplated suicide since discharge? The theories guiding this study were Joiner’s interpersonal theory of suicide, which emphasizes perceived burdensomeness, thwarted belongingness, and acquired capability for suicide, and Shneidman’s theory of psychache, which highlights the intolerable psychological pain that often is an underlying factor of suicidal behavior. Although there …

Comparing The Difference In Nurses’ Knowledge And Attitudes Toward Near-Death Experiences (Ndes) Before And After Receiving Nde Education, Renata B. Mcallister

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Near-death experiences (NDEs) have been reported in approximately 6.3% to 39.3% of patients who survived death or critical illness. Research indicated that health care professionals, of whom nurses are the largest group, received little education or training on NDEs. Nurses' responses to a disclosure could help the patient integrate the experience or contribute to stress and isolation. National nursing standards do not address education or competencies specific to NDEs, and few studies have examined educational programs on the topic. This quasi-experimental study examined changes in nurses' knowledge and attitudes before and after a three-part asynchronous training on NDEs, measured with …

Understanding The Lived Experiences Of Autistic Students As They Navigate Nutrition In Higher Education: A Hermeneutic Study, Amanda Beeman

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this hermeneutic phenomenological study is to interpret how adult students with ASD in higher education navigate nutritional choices. This study was guided by Bronfenbrenner’s ecological systems theory, which explains the relationship between environmental factors and individual health and well-being. A hermeneutic phenomenological approach was used to examine how students with ASD experienced nutrition within the higher education environment. The central research question asked how adult higher education students with ASD experienced and navigated nutrition in the context of college life. The sample included 10 adult participants with ASD enrolled in a higher education institution. Data were collected …

The Recurring Motif Of The Sexualization Of Women Within The Biblical Narratives And The Accompanied Theme Of The Providence Of God, Joseph S. Bernath

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This research project seeks to inform others on how selected women of the Bible, those of the Old and New Testament, may have made wrong choices regarding sexualization, whether it be prostitution, infertility, or adultery, that the plan of God did not deter from their lives—within the Old Testament God used a multitude of family dysfunctions to carry out His plan to bring about the Messiah, Jesus Christ. In the New Testament, it was to further the Kingdom of God.

In the gospels, Jesus had a heart for women who had been involved in sexual situations of some kind, and …

The Impact Of Choral Participation On The Mental Health Of Adolescents, Sheila L. Ramsey

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Adolescent anxiety and depression continue to present significant challenges for schools, prompting increased interest in educational experiences that may support students’ psychological well-being. The purpose of this quantitative causal-comparative study was to examine the relationship between participation in school-based choral ensembles and the mental health of adolescents. Grounded in Social Identity Theory, the study compared depression and anxiety symptoms between choir participants and nonparticipants and examined whether the length of choir participation was associated with these outcomes. Participants included 26 students enrolled in Grades 9-12 at a public high school in Mississippi. Data were collected using the Patient Health Questionnaire …

Building Sustainable Ministry Through Leadership Development: Evaluating A Biblically Grounded Leadership Model, Christopher David Brisco

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Many churches face declining participation, leadership fatigue, and inadequate succession planning, often due to a lack of intentional, structured leadership development systems. Although research indicates that mentoring, leadership training, and supervised ministry experiences strengthen leadership capacity and organizational sustainability, many congregations struggle to implement leadership development models that effectively integrate biblical principles with strategic organizational practices. This researcher examined the implementation and effectiveness of a biblically grounded leadership development model within The Church of the Redeemed of the Lord in Baltimore, Maryland, a multigenerational church with diverse ministry departments that provided an appropriate context for evaluating intentional strategic leadership development. …

Grace, Reciprocity Norms, Adverse Life Events, Religious Struggle, Salience Of Religion, Relationship To God As Modifiers, Calvin Jay Slot

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this quantitative study was to determine whether adverse life events, reciprocity norms, relationship to God, salience of religion, religious struggle and/or grace moderate the frequency of church attendance-physical health relationship or if the psychospiritual variables interact with adverse life events (ALE). 1,000 participants were recruited through Prolific to produce a sample representative of the United States population. An additional 20 participants were recruited through pastors of three churches in Illinois. Multiple linear regression revealed relationship to God, religious struggle, reciprocity norms, and ALE were moderators. Additionally, religious struggle and negative reciprocity norms interacted with adverse life events, …

Exploring How School Leaders Support The Academic Resilience Of Foster Youth: A Case Study, Melissa Gasser Myers

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this case study was to understand the resilience of foster care students in Oklahoma public schools. The study was guided by Garmezy’s resilience theory, which highlights the critical role of resilience in helping children recover from past trauma and thrive in academic settings. The central research question was: How do school leaders nurture academic resilience in foster children? This study was conducted using qualitative research methods. Data was collected through semi-structured interviews, physical artifacts, and journal prompts. The data first underwent analysis through open coding, followed by a round of axial coding and finally selective coding. Informed …

Forbear That Wicked Cant: Malthusian ‘Zero Sum’ Theory, Eugenics, And World Population Control, Aidan Grogan

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This dissertation traces the history of an idea: the “zero-sum” theory of human nature and humanity’s relationship with the natural world that lies at the core of the Malthusian worldview. Grounded in the belief that life is a ruthless struggle over scarce resources and that human beings are destined to reproduce beyond the earth’s “carrying capacity,” Malthusianism provided the key intellectual foundations for Darwin’s theory of evolution, which later informed the rise of eugenics. Although eugenics lost much of its scientific legitimacy and moral authority after the Holocaust and the Nuremberg Trials, many American eugenicists and eugenics organizations remained committed …

Comparative Analysis Of Metabolic Vulnerability In The Standard American And Carnivore Diets Using The Mvx Plus Biomarker Panel, Susan E. Fitzgerald

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Poor diet is a leading cause of mortality, contributing to an estimated one million deaths in the United States and eleven million deaths annually worldwide, with diet-related chronic disease accounting for approximately 85% of U.S. healthcare spending. The Standard American Diet (SAD) is widely recognized as causing systemic inflammation, while the carnivore diet is under-researched with unknown long-term effects. The purpose of this cross-sectional secondary analysis was to examine the impact of these two dietary patterns on metabolic vulnerability using the Metabolic Vulnerability Index Plus (MVX Plus), a multidimensional biomarker panel that quantifies systemic inflammation, metabolic malnutrition, and metabolic resilience …

Interstellar Faith: A Phenomenological Exploration Of Christian Reconciliation With Uaps And Nonhuman Intelligence, Christian Pedersen

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The researcher examined how Christian leaders interpret, respond to, and navigate questions surrounding Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena (UAP) and nonhuman intelligence (NHI) within their theological and ministerial contexts. Despite growing cultural and governmental attention to these phenomena, little empirical research has explored how Christian leaders engage these questions pastorally or theologically. Using a transcendental phenomenological design informed by Moustakas (1994), the researcher conducted semi-structured interviews with twelve Christian leaders across multiple traditions. Analysis produced ten major themes organized around three research questions addressing theological interpretation, pastoral ministry, and lived experience. Findings revealed a participant group marked by intellectual humility, theological seriousness, …

Navigating The Maternal Health Crisis: Enhancing Maternal Health Outcomes In New Jersey, Nyrobi Barnes

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of the study was to better understand the implications of race and ethnicity on perinatal health experiences and maternal health outcomes in non-Hispanic Black women (nHBw) in New Jersey and mitigate the maternal health crisis. A secondary outcome was to propose an evidence-based initiative to elicit equitable care in New Jersey via grant-funded programs at the New Jersey Department of Health. Although New Jersey has made progress in improving maternal and infant health outcomes, racial disparities continue to persist. The research aims to further understand implications of race and ethnicity on adverse perinatal health experiences and maternal health …

The Impact Of Teaching Evolution In Central Arkansas: A Sequential Explanatory Mixed-Method Study, Danya L. Utley

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this mixed-methods research was to assess the ethical implications that central Arkansas Christian science teachers faced when evolutionary theory was taught without critical examination. This study first collected data in a quantitative form to identify public high schools in Central Arkansas that taught evolutionary theory without presenting opposing views. This study then collected data in the qualitative form regarding Christian science teachers’ perceptions of the school system's alternative views contrary to evolution. The data was then analyzed to determine if teaching evolution without alternative views in Arkansas public high schools was considered either ethical or unethical. The …

The Impact Of Sexual Trauma On Survivor’S Affected Disposition, Savannah Fedorovich

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Sexually victimized women are an increasingly vulnerable population within our communities, states, and nations. Many survivors are experiencing a wide range of emotional and relational impacts on their overall well-being. The theoretical framework for this quantitative study will include Tracy and Robin's Model of Self-Conscious Emotion, Hellman’s Hope Theory, the Theory of Life Satisfaction, and Bowlby’s Attachment Theory. Additionally, sexually traumatized women and their emotional and relational functioning was conceptualized through multiple constructs and assessments, including the Adult Hope Scale, the Satisfaction with Life Scale (SWLS), the Test of Self-Conscious Affect (TOSCA), and the Attachment Style Questionnaire – Short From …

Pathways For Coordinating High-Quality Exploitation Of Marine Resources And High-Level Protection Of Marine Ecosystems, Jianping Yin, Peimin Duan, Si Zhang

Bulletin of Chinese Academy of Sciences (Chinese Version)

The ocean serves as a vital strategic space and a reservoir of resources essential for human survival and development, offering robust support for socioeconomic progress. Simultaneously, as a critical component of the Earth’s ecological environment, the ocean plays a pivotal role in regulating climate change, conserving biodiversity, and maintaining ecological balance. In recent years, China has continuously intensified the exploitation and utilization of marine resources, with the growth of the marine economy injecting blue momentum into the nation’s development. Nevertheless, the long-term, high-intensity exploitation of offshore resources, coupled with the ongoing advancement into deep-sea resource development, has led to frequent …

Multiple Secondary Risks Triggered By Rapid Rising Of Groundwater Level And Corresponding Tactics In The North China Plain, Yanjun Shen, Fubao Sun, Congqiang Liu, Fengchang Wu

Bulletin of Chinese Academy of Sciences (Chinese Version)

In recent years, following the implementation of the South-to-North Water Diversion Project and comprehensive control of groundwater over-exploitation, coupled with natural factors such as more frequent and intensified extreme rainstorms, the groundwater level at large extent of the North China Plain has stopped declining and even started rising, with gradual recovery of groundwater storage. Nevertheless, the rapid rise in groundwater levels has disrupted the long-standing hydrological-geological-ecological balance shaped by prolonged over-extraction, triggering multiple secondary risks. The rebounding water level markedly exacerbates potential seismic liquefaction hazards at construction sites and raises risks of water seepage, anti-float failure, and structural damage for …

Improving The Concrete Compressive And Flexural Strength With A Low Fraction Addition Of Carboxylated Nitro-Oxidized Cellulose Nanofibrils From Banana Rachis, Ngesa Ezekiel Mushi, Emmanuel Kagya

Tanzania Journal of Science

Conventionally, concrete strength depends on the bonding interface, especially in hydrated products such as calcium silicate hydrate (CSH). As a result, concrete is sensitive to tensile load. With its unique properties, a low fraction of carboxylated nitro-oxidized cellulose nanofibrils (NOCNF) from the banana rachis is employed to improve the mechanical performance of the concrete nanostructurally. Compressive and flexural strength using the NOCNF content at 0, 0.05, and 0.1 wt.%, cured for 7 and 28 days, were evaluated. Notably, the compressive strength increased by 16 % and the flexural strength by 13 % at 0.1 wt.% NOCNF compared to plain concrete …