Digital Commons Network^™

Resilience In The Face Of Climate Change: Exploring The Ecophysiology, Adaptation, And Conservation Of Mytilus Edulis In The Gulf Of Maine, Mackenzie J. Arnott, Justin Baumann

Standard Theses

The Gulf of Maine is among the fastest-warming marine environments globally, facing rapid increases in temperature and ocean acidification. These stressors jeopardize the Blue Mussel, Mytilus edulis, a foundational species vital for maintaining biodiversity, water quality, and coastal economies. This research investigates the resilience and vulnerability of M. edulis under combined thermal and acidification stressors, with a focus on thresholds of physiological breakdown. Key findings reveal critical thermal limits (>25°C) and pH thresholds (<7.3) beyond which metabolic, immune, and shell formation processes deteriorate. Conservation strategies such as selective breeding, habitat protection, and adaptive management are essential to ensure the survival of this keystone species in a changing climate.

Land Use Matters: The Interactions Between Soil Characteristics, Ecosystem Cycling, And Anthropogenic Influences At Valley View Farm, Heidi Nydam

Standard Theses

Soil characteristics are the foundation of forest and agricultural productivity. Therefore, understanding how soils change as a reflection of changing landscapes is essential for sustainable management. Valley View Farm is a small, multi use farm in central southern Maine, which seeks to balance conservation and successful farming in terms of providing for the owner and the surrounding community. There are a variety of management practices across the farm, but three distinct areas were examined: the Older Forest, which has been only minimally managed for the last 100 years; the Newer Forest, which was selectively logged 15 years ago and left …

What's For Dinner: A Carbon And Nitrogen Stable Isotope Analysis Of Carcinus Maenas In Maine Salt Marshes, Sydney G. Schuster

Standard Theses

Carcinus maenas, AKA the European Green Crab, is a highly invasive species that has established populations in many non-native sites, altering trophic systems and ecological well-being. In recent years, C. maenas populations have drastically increased throughout the Gulf of Maine, and have been particularly harmful to Maine’s estuarine and intertidal ecosystems (Miller et. al., 2014). In this study, we used carbon and nitrogen stable isotope analysis of green crab tissue to examine their dietary patterns, with the hope of parameterizing how they are feeding in and depleting the resources of Maine’s coastal ecosystems. Specimens for this study were collected from …

Modeling Buprenorphine Treatment Discontinuation In Opioid Use Disorder – Predictors And Disparities Using Statistical And Machine Learning Approaches, Wanru Guo

Dissertations and Theses (Open Access)

Background: Opioid Use Disorder (OUD) remains a major public health crisis in the U.S., and while buprenorphine is an effective treatment, early discontinuation undermines its impact. Existing statistical and machine learning (ML) models often overlook key social and healthcare-related predictors and fail to capture subgroup disparities, limiting their utility for equitable intervention design. This study addresses these gaps using a nationwide, longitudinal dataset and a two-stage modeling approach focused on disparity identification. Methods: We analyzed buprenorphine treatment episodes for OUD from the IQVIA Pharmetrics Plus database (2006–2023), defining discontinuation as episodes lasting under 180 days. A Cox proportional hazards model …

3d Bioprinting Of Hydrogel Scaffold Skin Equivalents For Cosmetic And Drug Testing, Allison Reno

All Dissertations

Tissue engineering scaffolds are a crucial element of generating larger 3D tissue equivalents for modeling and clinical grafting. Currently, much of scaffold technology has not been significantly updated since the introduction of manually pipetted hydrogels and electrospun fiber scaffolds. Both of these approaches have their advantages and disadvantages, but neither utilize emerging biofabrication techniques such as advanced 3D bioprinting and plotting. In addition to more precision in the outer geometries of the scaffold, the use of bioprinting also introduces the ability to shape hydrogels into very intricate porous inner patterns within the outer geometries. This allows for the design of …

Adolescent Identity And Belongingness: Using Arts-Based Participatory Action Research, Vivian Boyer, Kam Brooks, Emily Camp, Hannah Checkwicz-Grosberg, Jenna Newman, Renee O’Connor, Jacqueline Tardie

LMU Theses and Dissertations

This study explores the concepts of empathy and belonging through the collaborative creative arts process among high school-aged girls at an all-girls Catholic school in Los Angeles County, California. Employing a Participatory Action Research (PAR) framework, researchers and participants collaborated as co-researchers, founded on the principles of cross-cultural art therapy and in the hope of fostering youth advocacy. In partnership with the school community and institution, as well as supported by an Anti-Hate grant from The Jenesse Center, this study examines the intersectional identities of participants and how empathy and belonging can be affected through the art-making process. The project …

Investigating Fatty Acid Influence On West Nile Virus In Mosquitoes And Birds, Hayley Moree

Honors Program: Senior Projects (Public)

Vector-borne diseases, including Zika virus (ZIKV), Dengue virus (DENV), and West Nile virus (WNV), pose considerable global health threats, accounting for over 400 million infections and more than 700,000 deaths annually. Many vector-borne diseases are within the Flaviviridae family. Despite this, effective treatments have not been found for some flaviviruses. Flaviviruses exploit host cellular machinery to facilitate their replication and survival, reprogramming metabolic pathways, including lipid metabolism. Lipids play essential roles in the viral life cycle, providing structural components for the viral envelope, enabling membrane rearrangements for replication complexes, and supplying energy resources necessary for particle assembly.

Targeting lipid metabolism …

Novel Chloroviruses With Unique Glycans On Their Major Capsid Proteins, Cayden J. Homolka

Honors Program: Senior Projects (Public)

Chloroviruses, of the family Phycodnaviridae, are large, dsDNA viruses with a genome of 290 to 410 kb. These virus genomes are so large that they are classified as “giant viruses”. Within this genome, up to 16 tRNAs and 330 to 450 proteins are encoded. Among the massive amounts of genes and proteins are unique carbohydrate synthesis/metabolism genes, which are responsible for the glycosylation of chloroviruses major capsid proteins. In most viruses, these proteins are glycosylated by the host enzymes located in the endoplasmic reticulum. Instead, Chloroviruses encode their own glycosylation machinery; essentially decorating themselves. Furthermore, these chlorovirus glycans are unlike …

Computational And Functional Prioritization Identifies Genes That Rescue Behavior And Reduce Tau Protein In Fly And Human Cell Models Of Alzheimer Disease, Morgan C Stephens, Jiayang Li, Megan Mair, Justin Moore, Katy Zhu, Akash Tarkunde, Bismark Amoh, Alma M Perez, Arya Bhakare, Fangfei Guo, Joshua M Shulman, Ismael Al-Ramahi, Juan Botas

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Genome-wide association studies (GWASs) in Alzheimer disease (AD) have uncovered over 70 loci significantly associated with AD risk, but identifying the true causal gene(s) at these loci requires systematic functional validation that is rarely performed due to limitations of time and cost. Here, we integrate transcriptome-wide association study (TWAS) with colocalization analysis, fine-mapping, and additional annotation of AD GWAS variants to identify 123 genes at known and suggestive AD risk loci. A comparison with human AD brain transcriptome data confirmed that many of these candidate genes are dysregulated in human AD and correlate with neuropathology. We then tested all available …

Improvement Of Hanford Waste Vitrification Algorithms With Machine Learning, Uncertainty Quantification, And Gradient-Based Optimization, Lagrande L. Gunnell

Theses and Dissertations

Over 200 million liters of nuclear waste is stored in tank farms in Hanford, Washington, USA. An ongoing effort to immobilize non-solid nuclear waste is through waste vitrification, where waste is mixed and melted with glass-forming chemicals (GFCs) to form a waste glass. Algorithms to determine the ideal mixing recipes are formalized as constrained optimization problems to maximize waste loading in the glass product, with constraints on several properties of the glass melt and final product. These properties are on the glass melt, such as viscosity, electrical conductivity, and corrosion rates, as well as the final glass product, such as …

Evaluating Ai As A Design Tool In Architectural Workflows: Exploring Its Effectiveness In Addressing Design Problems And Integrating Into Studio Processes, Seth S. Cutlip

Architecture Undergraduate Honors Theses

This paper examines the integration of AI imaging tools into traditional analog workflows within architecture studios. This looks specifically at the early conceptual design phase and examines, through a research through design approach, how AI imaging tools like Comfyui and Krita can support ideation, material exploration, and spatial composition. This approach will be remaking design exercises from a prior architectural studio, the study critically evaluates the effectiveness of AI tools in addressing design problems, enhancing workflow efficiency, and supporting creative agency. The findings show both the generative potential and the limitations of these AI imaging tools. This emphasizes the need …

The Perceived Effect Of The Menstrual Cycle On Sleep, Mood, And Training In Ncaa Di Collegiate Athletes, Rachel Conhoff

All-Inclusive List of Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Purpose: This study aimed to understand whether collegiate female athletes perceived that their menstrual cycle influenced sleep, mood, and training. Additionally, it looked to identify which phases of the menstrual cycle (pre-menstruation, menstruation, and post-menstruation) were associated with a positive perception of these three variables. Methods: An online questionnaire was designed and sent out to all NCAA Division I (DI) female athletes whose schools had permitted them to participate in the study. The questionnaire was a novel instrument that assessed the perception of the menstrual cycle on the three variables across the three phases. Inclusion criteria included NCAA DI female …

Advancement Of Wrongful Conviction Prevention Strategies In Forensic Science, Isabella Pinto

Honors Projects

The National Registry of Exonerations (NRE) has identified 1,051 of its logged cases to involve forensic evidence in some way, nearly one-third of the total 3,600 exonerations in its database. Analysis of the NRE and Innocence Project databases revealed the most common factors in forensic-related wrongful convictions: expert testimony, flawed methodologies (most of which are no longer in use), and statistical misinterpretations of results. The majority of scholars agree that oversight in forensic casework must be improved in order to meaningfully resolve issues. Creation of commissions in each state would address all of the identified errors, though not a catch-all …

Quantifying Freshwater Salinization Impacts On Nitrate Removal Via Denitrification In Urban Streams, Brynnen Beck

Crop, Soil and Environmental Sciences Undergraduate Honors Theses

As the urban world expands, the construction of impervious surfaces increases erosion and runoff into nearby streams. Urbanization also adds waste from human activity into the environment. One of these wastes is runoff from road salt application in winter months, which can increase stream salinization and interfere with other important ecological processes, such as denitrification. Therefore, the objective of this study was to compare nitrate removal via denitrification between two urban streams to understand the role of road salts in freshwater salinization. We compared conductivity measurements between the streams to see how background conductivity (a proxy for salinity) influences resilience …

Personalized Model Of Cardiac Fibroblast Signaling Using Patient-Specific Data, Elizabeth A. Schuler

Chemical Engineering Undergraduate Honors Theses

Heart disease is the leading cause of death worldwide for both men and women, and cardiac fibroblasts are critical to heart form and function. Essential roles of cardiac fibroblasts include cell-cell communication, cell-cell signaling, and synthesizing and degrading the extracellular matrix (ECM), which controls structural support and tissue repair of the heart. Abnormal fibroblast signaling can lead to negative impacts, including fibrosis, impaired heart function, and inflammation. A computational model of cardiac fibroblast signaling on Netflux and MATLAB software was adapted and utilized to determine the effect of patient-specific levels of cytokines, hormones, growth factors, peptides, and membrane tension on …

Multifunctional Pvdf Ionogels With Magnetic Nanoparticles For Electroactive And Magnetic Actuation, Alfredo Carrillo Valverde

Chemical Engineering Undergraduate Honors Theses

The fast development of compact and multifunctional electronics has driven interest in smart materials capable of responding to multiple stimuli. Ionogels, polymers that have been swollen with ionic liquids (IL), offer several favorable electrochemical and thermal properties due to their intrinsic ion conductivity, wide electrochemical window, non-flammability, and high thermal stability. However, their poor mechanical properties (e.g., modulus and strength) limit their use in applications. In this work, multifunctional PVDF ionogel composites were made by blending magnetically responsive iron oxide nanoparticles (Fe₃O₄ MNPs) into the polymer matrix. The influence of MNP concentration (9-21 wt%) on composition, ionic …

Deepfakes On Trial: Developing A High-Accuracy, Court-Admissible Ai Pipeline For Deepfake Detection In Corporate Fraud Litigation, Aiden J. Green

Honors College Theses

As deepfake technology advances, cybercriminals are increasingly using AI-generated videos and audios to impersonate executives and carry out sophisticated CEO fraud schemes. These synthetic forgeries target human trust and corporate communication systems, creating an urgent need for forensic tools capable of authenticating digital evidence with legal accuracy. This thesis presents a forensic-grade AI deepfake detection pipeline designed for this purpose, emphasizing courtroom admissibility, reproducibility, and evidentiary integrity. Built entirely with free, opensource tools, the framework combines metadata analysis, AI-powered spectrogram analysis, neural artifact detection, and facial manipulation recognition into a transparent workflow that accurately identifies synthetic media. It was trained …

The Impact Of Public Health Authority On Emergency Response In State Health Departments, Jessica L. Baggett

Dissertations: Doctor of Public Health

Background

Public health authority plays a crucial role in enabling state health officials to implement emergency response measures such as isolation, quarantine, and vaccination campaigns. However, legislative changes following the COVID-19 pandemic have significantly curtailed these authorities in many states, raising concerns about the ability of public health officials to respond effectively to future health crises. The erosion of public health authority has highlighted gaps in the legal literacy of health officials and underscored the need for enhanced training in navigating political and legal challenges.

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to assess legal literacy among state health officials, …

An Exploration In Using Aesthetic Creative Modalities In Professional Supervision, Linda Young

Doctor of Ministry Theses and Dissertations

This project examines the integration of aesthetic and creative modalities into professional supervision, traditionally dominated by conversation-based methods. Drawing on over thirty years of experience in education, ministry, and supervision, it addresses the need for more creative, diverse, expressive, and reflective tools to be used in professional supervision practice. The study proposes a theoretically and theologically grounded curriculum to equip supervisors in postgraduate training with creative approaches that enrich learning, insight, and practice within the evolving landscape of professional supervision in Australia.

Over-Imitation In Adolescents With Autism Compared With Typically Developing Peers: An Expanded Literature Review, Elizabeth Floeck

Communication Disorders and Occupational Therapy Undergraduate Honors Theses

Abstract

Background:

Over-imitation, the act of imitating both relevant and irrelevant actions, is a behavior commonly found in human learning and social development. It is often observed in typically developing (TD) children and is believed to play a role in both social and learning development. While the exact motivations behind over-imitation remain a mystery, over-imitation appears to be a socially motivated behavior. Children may over-imitate when they know certain actions are unnecessary, suggesting this behavior stems from social acceptance and norms. In individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), social and communicative behaviors are drastically different from TD individuals. In individuals …

The Movement Ecology, Ranging Patterns, And Territoriality Of Azara’S Owl Monkeys (Aotus Azarae) In The Argentinean Chaco Forest, Jeremy D. Pustilnik

Master of Environmental Science Theses

Azara’s owl monkeys (Aotus azarae) are small, pair-living, socially monogamous primates that inhabit the Chaco Forest of South America. Their activity and life history patterns have been particularly well studied, however, their movement ecology and ranging patterns within their home ranges remains largely unknown. Herein I descriptively analyze these patterns with respect to time, space, ambient environment, and physical environment using spatial information on five owl monkey groups that were followed over the course of a year between 1998 and 1999 at a multi-decade-operating field site near Formosa, Argentina. Analysis of distance and speed moved during different diel …

Critical Period Constraints And Learning Strategies: Balancing Incidental And Intentional Vocabulary Acquisition In Japanese Second Language Acquisition, Emma Ward

Honors College Theses

The Critical Period Hypothesis (CPH) supposes there is a biologically determined window during which language acquisition occurs most efficiently. This theory has profound implications for Second Language Acquisition (SLA) research, suggesting the timing of language learning can significantly impact one's ability to achieve native-like proficiency. As vocabulary acquisition is a fundamental aspect of language learning, understanding how to optimize learning strategies within the constraints imposed by the critical period is essential for maximizing language learning outcomes. The Japanese language, with its complex writing systems and unique syntactic structures, presents significant challenges for learners, especially those who begin learning the language …

2025 Nsu Graduate Commencement Program, Nova Southeastern University

NSU Commencement Programs

May 9, 2025

• Barry and Judy Silverman College of Pharmacy
• Dr. Kiran C. Patel College of Allopathic Medicine
• College of Dental Medicine
• College of Optometry
• Dr. Pallavi Patel College of Health Care Sciences

May 15, 2025

• Shepard Broad College of Law
• Dr. Kiran C. Patel College of Osteopathic Medicine

2025 Nsu Undergraduate Commencement Program, Nova Southeastern University

NSU Commencement Programs

May 5, 2025

• Halmos College of Arts and Sciences and the Guy Harvey Oceanographic Research Center
• Abraham S. Fischler College of Education and School of Criminal Justice
• College of Psychology
• H. Wayne Huizenga College of Business and Entrepreneurship
• Shepard Broad College of Law

May 6, 2025

• Dr. Kiran C. Patel College of Osteopathic Medicine
• Dr. Pallavi Patel College of Health Care Sciences
• Ron and Kathy Assaf College of Nursing

Recognizing Injustice, Reclaiming Voices: Establishing A Missing Persons Database For Missing And Murdered Indigenous Women And Children In Nebraska, Bayly W. Watson

Department of Anthropology: Theses and Student Research

Indigenous people have been the victims of harsh persecution since the time of colonization; this has negatively impacted Native communities and has contributed significantly to the ongoing crisis of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Children (MMIWC) across the United States and Canada. Under Legislative Bill 154, Richards et al. (2021) conducted an initial study to identify missing Native cases in Nebraska and in 2023, the Attorney General appointed a Missing and Murdered Indigenous People (MMIP) Liaison to help combat the number of missing Indigenous in the state. This thesis contributes to previous research by analyzing 20,049 reports from three …

Heat Induced Diagenesis And Osteometrics: An Experimental Approach To Assessing Thermal Alterations To Forensic Anthropological Data On Dry Bone, Audrey Holbeck

Department of Anthropology: Theses and Student Research

Fire appears in forensic casework in instances of arson, vehicle fire, house fire, to conceal evidence, or, in increasing contemporary frequency, wildfire, as a result of climate change. Thermal alteration is a destructive process to osseous material and can impact the accuracy of identification methods and trauma analysis by alteration of the structure, appearance, and morphology of human remains. This study seeks to validate previous research on the metric and morphological changes bone undergoes when exposed to extreme heat, and how that may impede estimation of metric features such as stature. Three long bones, a humerus, femur, and tibia, from …

Comparative Analysis Of Gunshot Trauma And Decomposition In Southeast Nebraska, Alexandra C. Tieken

Department of Anthropology: Theses and Student Research

Accurately identifying gunshot trauma (GST) in forensic anthropology remains a significant challenge, particularly in distinguishing the effects it has on decomposition. This study investigates how different types of gunshot trauma influence the rate and characteristics of decomposition in a humid continental climate, specifically southeastern Nebraska. Utilizing Sus scrofa domesticus (domestic pigs) as human proxies, four pigs were euthanized by professionals and subjected to controlled conditions at the Reller Prairie Field Station. Three pigs were inflicted postmortem with close-range gunshot trauma using a 9mm handgun, a 12-gauge shotgun, and an AR-15 rifle, while a fourth served as a trauma-free control. For …

Wildfire And Decomposition: A Taphonomic Analysis Of Thermal Alterations And Decomposition, Ashley Novak

Department of Anthropology: Theses and Student Research

Within the field of forensic anthropology, practitioners may be faced with remains that have been thermally altered by thermal alterations caused by wildfire. Within the field, very little research has been conducted examining how these thermal events impact rates of decomposition. While research has been conducted generally on the effects of thermal alteration on decomposition, these studies do not look through this lens and provide answers to the question of how do thermal alterations caused by wildfires affect rates of decomposition? This research examines the effects of thermal alteration caused by wildfire on the rate of decomposition. A decompositional study …

Firearm Trauma Across Time: Investigating Civil War Gunshot Trauma And Their Impact On Modern Forensic Analysis, Morgan K. Reeder

Department of Anthropology: Theses and Student Research

This thesis will examine the ballistic trauma caused by Civil War-era firearms and ammunition. These weapons, each with distinct characteristics, had a profound impact on the nature of combat and the resulting injuries. By investigating how these firearms’ ammunition interacted with human bone structure, this research will offer a detailed analysis of the trauma these weapons produced.

This research intends to answer several key research questions. First, how did the different types of Civil War firearms affect skeletal remains? Second, what are the key characteristics of gunshot trauma caused by these firearms in terms of bone fracturing and fragmentation, and …

Trends In Dna Aanalysis To Determine Postmortem Interval: A Systematic Lilterature Review, Victoria S. Kashkin

Department of Anthropology: Theses and Student Research

Forensic taphonomy is a recently popular field within forensic anthropology with limited research in the Central Great Plains. Given decomposition varies by region, more studies must be done to understand aspects of decomposition in this region. However, it is one of the most important subfields of forensic anthropology since determining postmortem interval (PMI) is extremely important to successfully identifying a missing individual if other indications of who the individual is are nonexistent. In this study, a systematic literature review was conducted to answer what trends are seen in research being done for using DNA to determine PMI, and what methods …