Digital Commons Network^™

Invasive Species And Water Loss: Automating The Study Of Phragmites In Utah Wetlands, Alexander Atkinson, Dr. Rachel Wood

Library/Life Sciences Undergraduate Poster Competition 2025

Phragmites australis is an invasive reed threatening Utah wetlands by not only outcompeting native flora and disrupting ecological system but also potentially increasing evapotranspiration (ET), the combined process of evaporation and plant transpiration. Increased ET may accelerate water loss in the already shrinking Great Salt Lake (GSL), exacerbating ecological and economic consequences.

To address this, we are developing an automated R-based data analysis pipeline to analyze Utah Geological Survey (UGS) data at the GSL Phragmites site, and to validate evapotranspiration measurements with satellite estimates from OpenET. By making the data and analyses easily accessible, we can better understand and mitigate …

Effect Of Isostatic Rebound On Soil Biodiversity, Robert Candland, Blake Harrison, Solinus Farrer, Kyle Lake, Byron Adams

Library/Life Sciences Undergraduate Poster Competition 2025

Purpose: Understand the effect of shifting tide lines on organism diversity and abundance

Impact Of Trauma On Learning, Megan Rinerson

All Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Trauma has large and often long-lasting effects on individuals, particularly in how it influences learning in educational settings. When students experience trauma—whether from abuse, neglect, violence, or loss—it can significantly disrupt their ability to focus, process information, and regulate emotions, all of which are critical for academic success. This thesis explores the profound impact of trauma on students’ cognitive development and academic performance, emphasizing the neurological basis of trauma and its interference with the brain's learning pathways. Scientific research has shown that traumatic experiences can alter the structure and function of the brain, particularly in areas responsible for memory, attention, …

The Impact Of Hearing Loss On D/Deaf And Hard Of Hearing People: Strategies For Academic, Social, And Emotional Support For Students, Mikayla Magnuson

All Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Deafness is described as the complete loss of hearing, and the different degrees of hearing loss include mild, moderate, or severe or profound. According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, one in eight people ages 12 or older have hearing loss in both ears. More than 90% of deaf children are born to hearing parents. Hearing loss can affect numerous areas of development that impact different areas of life such as academic, social, and emotional skills. This paper discusses how hearing loss affects deaf and hard of hearing people and includes strategies that can be implemented to …

From Adversity To Achievement: The Resilience Of Black Students Raised In Single-Parent Households, Kim Loren Johnson

Selected Full Text Dissertations, 2011-

There is limited literature on the resilience strategies of Black students raised in single-parent households and their academic success. Black children are often portrayed as facing negative outcomes educationally. Yet, despite there being challenges they graduate from high school, go to college and are successful. This qualitative phenomenology study explores the lives of 12 Black college students raised in a single-parent household, aged 21-65 years and older, that persevered through adversity and the strategies they utilized to achieve academic success. It examines the internal and external motivational factors that contributed to their achievements as well as the role of support …

Proximal Remote Sensing: An Essential Tool For Bridging The Gap Between High Resolution Ecosystem Monitoring And Global Ecology, Z. Pierrat, T. Magney, W. Richardson, B. Runkle, J. Diehl, X. Yang, J Gamon Et Al.

School of Natural Resources: Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Ms Environmental Biology Capstone Project, Joseph W. Farace

Regis University Student Publications (comprehensive collection)

Coral reefs are some of the most biodiverse ecosystems on the planet (Knowlton el al., 2010). As they are home to millions of aquatic species, it is important for humanity to take diligent care of them both for their intrinsic and extrinsic qualities (Knowlton, 2001). Corals thrive by utilizing symbiotic algae cells called zooxanthellae to aid in obtaining energy (G. D., 2003). Living in the coral's polyps, the zooxanthellae are offered extra protection from predators (Wooldridge, 2010). This paper discusses the relationship between the zooxanthellae and the corals as well as the potential power dynamics between the two organisms. There …

Ms Environmental Biology Capstone Project, Emily A. Patton

Regis University Student Publications (comprehensive collection)

This is a masters Thesis for MS in Environmental Biology containing four chapters including a literature review, grant proposal, journal manuscript, and stakeholders report on a current environmental issue. (1) Noise Pollution and Avian Communication in Urban Ecosystems: When the Natural World Struggles to Hear Itself. Urban noise masks essential bird vocalizations, which harms avian fitness. Most species are displaced, and those few urban birds which counteract this noise with song adaptations likely experience trade-offs. America's noise policy remains undeveloped, threatening the health of both humans and avian wildlife (2) Application of Noise Barrier Technology for the Restoration of Urban …

2024-2025 Common Data Set, Southwestern Oklahoma State University

Common Data Sets

This document contains data compiled by the SWOSU Office of Institutional Research for the 2024-2025 academic year.

Parthenogenetic Pathways: Investigating The Expansion Of A Clonal Whiptail, Jordan Kirk, Vicente Fernandez Lara, Angelina Romero, Dallin Matthews, Reagan Mckee, Randy Klabacka

Library/Life Sciences Undergraduate Poster Competition 2025

Non-native species are defined as species who live in any area outside of their native range, and they often have unique adaptational strategies to be able to populate various areas, even those different from their native habitat

The New Mexico Whiptail (Aspidoscelis neomexicanus) is a parthenogenetic (asexual) species of lizard of family Teiidae. It’s native range extends from central to south-central New Mexico [1]

Parthenogenetic species can colonize/invade new territories easily due to their ability to reproduce asexually [4]

Established populations of this species of lizard in multiple localities outside of their native range have been identified in …

Prophylactic Resuscitative Endovascular Balloon Occlusion In The Management Of Placenta Percreta: A Case Report, Monica Rodriguez, Nicole Tenzel, Rachel Russo, Robert Cohen

North Texas Research Forum 2025

Introduction: Placenta accreta spectrum disorders (PASD) are associated with severe maternal morbidity, including hemorrhage requiring massive transfusion, intensive care unit (ICU) admission, coagulopathy, organ ischemia or failure, and death. The adherent placenta results in continuous mixed arterial and venous bleeding, preventing the uterus from adequately contracting. This can result in a blood loss rate of 600 mL or more per minute, posing a risk of exsanguination in less than five minutes. Few reports exist on the prophylactic use of resuscitative endovascular balloon occlusion of the aorta (REBOA) to reduce obstetric hemorrhage and its application for prolonged occlusion times exceeding 60 …

An Evaluation Of Nhmrc Funded Dementia And Diabetes Research, Etienne Vignola-Gagné Phd, Dmitrii Malkov, Elisabeth Browning, Jörg Hellwig Phd, Luigi Rocco Phd, Henrique Pinheiro, Alexandre Bédard-Vallée

Public Reports

This report, commissioned by the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC), provides comprehensive insights into the research outputs, outcomes, and impacts of NHMRC-funded health and medical research in the areas of dementia and diabetes to support NHMRC's mission of ‘building a healthy Australia.’

Examining The Role Of Religiosity In Dissociation Among Individuals With Complex Posttraumatic Stress Disorder, Emma Claire Sbarge

Selected Full-Text Dissertations 2020-

Recognized as a severe and pervasive disorder resulting from repeated, prolonged, and inescapable trauma, complex posttraumatic stress disorder (c-PTSD) is often characterized by fundamental alterations in consciousness and a loss of systems of meaning. This study sought to explore the mechanisms through which religiosity, as a system of meaning, might impact dissociation severity and posttraumatic growth (PTG) in those with c-PTSD. Participants included a non-clinical sample of 266 adults from a wide range of religious/spiritual backgrounds who endorsed some form of childhood maltreatment. Results demonstrated that c-PTSD severity significantly predicted greater dissociation severity, and was also positively associated with religiosity, …

Knocking Down Floral Symmetry Genes In Fedia Graciloflora (Caprifoliaceae), Jacob Vinson

Theses and Dissertations

Throughout angiosperm evolution, shifts between radial (actinomorphic) and bilateral (zygomorphic) symmetry have occurred repeatedly, often correlating with increased pollinator specialization and diversification. Evidence shows that the transcription factor CYCLOIDEA (CYC) plays a role in establishing the dorsoventral identity of a flower, leading to the formation of bilateral symmetry. Previous work in the lab used Virus-Induced Gene Silencing (VIGS) to transiently suppress the expression of four paralogous CYC genes: CYC2A, CYC2B, CYC3A, and CYC3B, in the non-model organism Fedia graciliflora (Caprifoliaceae), a species with strongly bilaterally symmetrical flowers nested within the more radially symmetric Valerianella. This study investigates the contributions of …

The Effects Of Exosomes In Lead And Lps Induced Inflammation In Microglia, Yitzchak Lax

Theses and Dissertations

Exosomes are membrane bound subcellular vesicles formed through membrane budding of a cell and play important roles in cell-cell communication. Studies have demonstrated inflammatory changes in various cell types depending on the etiology of the exosomes such as exosomes from cancer cells or exosomes derived from mesenchymal stem cells. The purpose of this study was to determine the inflammatory consequences of exosomes in microglial cells following exposure to lead, lipopolysaccharides (LPS) and lead+LPS. The cultured mouse microglial cells were treated at 0.01 μM, 0.1 μM and 1 μM of lead,- three environmentally relevant levels and LPS was used at 10 …

Historical Loss, Negative Emotions, And Ambulatory Blood Pressure Among An Urban Sample Of American Indians And Alaska Natives, Milena Valentina Tutiven Alarcón

Theses and Dissertations

Since the 16th century, American Indians/Alaska Natives have faced significant traumatic events including loss of tribal lands and forced removal of family; these events are historical trauma exposure. Historical trauma can be assessed through historical loss thinking, a potential sequela from historical trauma. Historical loss thinking is the frequency of thoughts about communal loss (e.g., land and language loss) and has been consistently associated with negative psychological outcomes including negative emotions (i.e., depression/sadness, anger, anxiety/nervousness), substance use, and suicidality (Edinoff et al., 2024; Gone et al., 2019; Smallwood et al., 2021; Whitbeck et al., 2004). Though historical loss thinking is …

From Scars Into Stars: Transforming The Pain Of Trauma Into Purpose In Academic Writing, Joseph B. Weisler

Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation argues for the value of acknowledging students' emotions in the writing classroom, inspired by a pedagogy which has generated extensive controversy over the past 30 years. This project investigates how writing teachers might carefully allow students to harness their emotional reactions as they write. My project’s first chapter defends the value of victims' stories and the ''talking cure,'' following an explanation of how this psychological work would be introduced to a classroom setting, and with what tools, recognizing the potential disruptions that trauma may bring to a learning space. My second chapter turns to writing teachers who have …

A Case Study Of Italian Teachers’ Culturally Responsive Pedagogy When Teaching U.S. Undergraduate Students Studying Abroad In Rome, Italy, Massimiliano Tomassini

Theses and Dissertations

For over two decades Italy has been the second destination, first non-Anglo-Saxon, for U.S. undergraduate students studying abroad, with 36,945 students in academic year 2017/2018 corresponding to a 10.8% share and a 4.5% increase from 2016/2017 (IIE, 2019). With over 150 North American college and university programs present in the country (AACUPI, 2019), a specifically designed law (Art. 2 of Law N. 4 of 14 January 1999) created to support study abroad in Italy, and a 40-year-old nonprofit association (AACUPI) focused on promoting and supporting American universities and colleges with programs in Italy, Italy is, and will be for some …

Hispanic Paradox In Covid-19: Protective Effects Of Ethnic Density, Gregory Alan Urena

Theses and Dissertations

The COVID-19 pandemic exposed racial and ethnic health disparities in the U.S., with Hispanic populations experiencing higher infection and population-mortality rates than non-Hispanic Whites (NHW). Case fatality rates are closely tied to medical comorbidities such as hypertension, diabetes, and chronic kidney disease, which are more prevalent among Hispanic individuals. Case-fatality rates showed mixed results. Some studies found no differences, while others reported better outcomes for Hispanics, aligning with the Hispanic Paradox, which suggests that despite socioeconomic disadvantages, Hispanics experience equal or better health outcomes. These effects may be tied to the immigrant health advantage, which suggests immigrants tend to be …

The Influence Of Culture And Personality On Interpersonal Functioning And Social Motivation, Kimberly Sookra

Theses and Dissertations

This study investigated the role of culture and personality in shaping interpersonal functioning and social motivation among undergraduate students. With the increasing interests in how individual characteristics and cultural backgrounds influence social behavior, this research aimed to examine the interaction between cultural orientation (individualistic vs. collectivistic) and personality (introversion vs. extroversion) on social competence and motivation. The study utilized online questionnaires, including the Big 5 Personality Test, a Culture questionnaire, and a Social Functioning Questionnaire, to assess how these factors contribute to interpersonal engagement and social drive. The primary hypothesis posited that individuals from individualistic cultures and those with introverted …

Textualism, Judicial Discretion, And The Philosophical Legacy Of Justice Antonin Scalia, Alanna Josephine Scalza

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis explores the interpretive theory of textualism as developed and practiced by Justice Antonin Scalia, examining its core commitments, methodological boundaries, and enduring influence on American constitutional law. While Scalia often emphasized the constraining force of text, his approach also reveals internal tensions that complicate the relationship between judicial restraint and discretion. Through detailed analysis of primary opinions, such as District of Columbia v. Heller and Crawford v. Washington, alongside critical commentary from legal scholars and Scalia’s own extrajudicial writings, this thesis demonstrates that textualism operates as a structured framework within which constrained interpretive judgment is exercised. The thesis …

Disordered Eating Tendencies: Investigating The Link With Attachment Styles, Emotional Dysregulation & Personality Dysfunction, Ndeye Marie-Charlotte Seck

Theses and Dissertations

Disordered eating (DE) refers to problematic eating habits that do not meet clinical criteria for eating disorders. However, if it goes unnoticed and escalates, it could eventually lead to an eating disorder (ED). The current study sought to investigate DE tendencies in relation to attachment styles, emotional dysregulation and personality dysfunction among university undergraduates (n = 254). The sample consisted of 74.8% female participants, 23.6% male participants, and 1.6% non-binary participants. The mean age of participants was 19.45 years (SD = 1.67). Emotional Dysregulation emerged as the strongest correlate of DE tendencies (r = 0.29, p < 0.05), indicating a moderate positive association between these two variables. Global Personality Dysfunction was also moderately associated with DE tendencies (r = 0.26, p < 0.05). Attachment style was positively correlated with DE tendencies (r = 0.25, p < 0.05). In a multiple regression analysis examining the predictive value of attachment, emotion regulation and personality, “Emotional Dysregulation” emerged as the sole and most robust predictor of disordered eating (DE) tendencies, demonstrating a statistically significant effect (β = 0.187, p = .026). However, when analyzed separately, Attachment and Personality Dysfunction still accounted for 4.8% and 11.5% of the variance in the outcome variable, respectively. These findings suggest that attachment insecurity, emotional dysregulation and personality dysfunction may be risk factors for developing an eating disorder. These findings also suggest that a thorough understanding of Eating Disordered behaviors should involve assessment of attachment styles, emotional regulation and personality dysfunction.

Digital Tools: How Specific Digital Tools Support Special Education Teaching Practices, Denise C. Pascullo

Theses and Dissertations

Early childhood education is intrinsically multimodal, involving many different digital tools. With such a big shift towards technology, this study is focusing on teaching strategies with the integration of flexible digital tools. It also presents how specific technologies can support different teaching strategies in elementary special education. The participants in this study are elementary special education teachers, working as special education teachers in an elementary school on Long Island, NY. The essential features of the research methodology are a digital survey for special education teachers to fill out. The researcher also conducted post-survey interviews about the use of flexible digital …

Aligning Exons, Introns, And Flanking Regions Of Cyc And Cuc Genes In Lonicera (Caprifoliaceae), Mark Mordukhay

Theses and Dissertations

The genus Lonicera (Caprifoliaceae) exhibits great diversity in floral symmetry, petal fusion, and organ arrangement, making it an ideal system for exploring the genetic basis of morphological evolution. We focus here on the roles of CYC and CUC gene families, (CYC2A, CYC2B, CYC3A, CYC3B, CUC2A, and CUC2B) and their potential contributions in shaping floral symmetry and organ fusion. The data set included nucleotide sequences from over 90 Lonicera species, extracted from samples collected from natural habitats or herbaria and then sequenced. A custom bioinformatics pipeline was developed in R using Bioconductor packages to automate BLAST searches, filter results, scan for …

Synthesis And Characterization Of Novel Coumarin Derivatives, Jeanmeil M. Nestor

Theses and Dissertations

An optimized approach toward the synthesis of representative coumarin derivatives is described. In addition to standard heat application methods, microwave-assisted coupling has proven beneficial in generating the targeted molecular hybrids which will serve as key templates in the development of new drugs to address resistance and specificity challenges. The coumarin moiety is a fantastic scaffold for molecular hybridization and has gained much warranted attention due to its efficacy in anticancer, antibacterial, and antitumor activity. In this research, novel molecular hybrids of umbelliferone were synthesized and fully characterized as new potential players in the anticancer, antitumor and antibiotic race, as well …

Undergraduate Student Decision-Making: Pursuing Graduate Studies At The Same Institution That Granted The Undergraduate Degree, Anthony C. Marziliano

Theses and Dissertations

Colleges and universities are under pressure to increase enrollment and avoid attrition. It is clear that institutions need to increase efforts to work against decreasing graduate enrollment trends and focusing on students already in-place on campus may be an avenue to do so. Research is lacking concerning factors that may be related to the decision by undergraduate students to pursue graduate studies at the same institution that granted the undergraduate degree. Understanding key characteristics of the group that remains at the institution allows us to identify a student profile to focus on to increase graduate enrollment, especially in light of …

Examining Adhd Diagnosed Young Adults’ Self-Perceptions Of Personal Reading Behaviors During Pleasure Reading Experiences, Nicole Cheramie Lobello

Theses and Dissertations

Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) impacts the lives of individuals with neurodivergent brains in varied and personal ways. This phenomenon mirrors the diversification of the minds I have been intrigued by for decades. In an effort to better understand the relationships between ADHD and pleasure reading, the lived experiences with pleasure reading of six young college students were examined. Participants were formally diagnosed with some form of ADHD before the study, yet did not have a reading disability diagnosis. One-on-one interviews were conducted to explore in-depth each participant’s experiences with pleasure reading. Through interpretative phenomenological study (IPA), four themes emerged: (a) perceptions …

British And South African Perceptions Of African Participation In The African Military Campaigns Of World War One, Eric Mathew Martinez

Theses and Dissertations

Historians interested in reconstructing the events of World War One have consistently noted that the military campaigns that occurred in sub-Saharan Africa have been given scant attention. It is commonly accepted among researchers that while there has been some focus on the impressions of the individual European soldiers involved in this conflict, wide gaps still exist in the literature. Very significantly, a thorough search of the literature clearly reveals that the perceptions of whites towards their African counterparts who participated in the military campaigns has been very much neglected. This dissertation helps to close this gap by focusing on the …

All Angry Youth Are Not The Same: A Latent Profile Analysis Of The Anger Regulation And Expression Scale, Natasha Toralba Kostek

Theses and Dissertations

This study identified youth subgroups with distinct dysfunctional anger patterns using an exploratory latent profile analysis (LPA) procedure. The analytic samples were derived from an archival sample of 10- to 17-year-olds (N = 1,348) who completed the Anger Regulation and Expression Scale (ARES; DiGiuseppe & Tafrate, 2011), a narrowband standardized measure of anger and aggression in youth. The study aimed to (a) verify whether previously identified clinical and subclinical Subjective, Expressive, and Combined Anger Types found in adult and youth samples would manifest in this dataset and (b) identify subtypes within these categories to clarify internalized and externalized anger patterns …

Opening Pandora’S Black Box In The Nexus Of Media, Consciousness And Ai, Gad Karmi

Theses and Dissertations

This research examines the intersection of media, artificial intelligence, and consciousness through an ethnographic analysis spanning 1940-2024. The study introduces the concept of "Darrative" as a framework for understanding how consciousness processes information, challenging traditional rational choice theory while extending beyond Fisher's narrative paradigm. A key contribution is the development of the "Thinking System" model, demonstrating how information processing occurs through darrative frameworks. The methodology employs Latour's actor-network theory to examine how scientific knowledge is constructed and stabilized through networks of human and non-human actors. Using a systematic Boolean search through academic databases, the study initially identified 15 relevant peer-reviewed …