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When You Consider The Radiance: Sergii Bulgakov, Beauty, Personhood, Daniel Adam Lightsey

Religious Studies Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation’s primary interlocutor is Sergii Bulgakov (1871-1944), the prominent Marxist economist later turned Idealist religious philosopher and finally Russian Orthodox priest and dogmatician who was forcibly exiled from his homeland in 1922 never to return. The thesis this manuscript pursues is that Bulgakov’s theology of beauty and metaphysics of personhood are inextricably enmeshed. Chapter 1 begins with beauty, specifically the problem or “tragedy of beauty,” a thematic to which Bulgakov consistently draws attention regarding the religious experience of postlapsarian persons. Chapter 2 assays Bulgakov’s chief rudiments of personhood as such, providing a kind of grammar for his metaphysical structuring …

What Is Mine, Yours And Ours: Bodily Metaphor And Neuropsychology, Alicia K.E Parham

Art Theses and Dissertations

Mapping the landscape of the brain has taken human lifetimes to navigate, both structurally to understand how our biological functions interact and functionally as our thoughts and emotions shape our existence. Neurological stimulus and response inform our reality, shape our thinking, and affect our bodies in profound physiological ways. Our nervous system acts as a bridge from what we experience physically to what we feel emotionally, through the sending of electrical signals to all parts of our body.

My art practice explores the interactions of neuroscience with outside stimuli. It is rooted in the personal: learning that a neurological condition …

Incorporating Principles And Wisdom From Hospital Chaplaincy And Pastoral Ministry To Create A Ministry Model To Address Social Isolation And Loneliness In Black Churches, Albert A. Kemp

Doctor of Ministry Projects and Theses

To address the growing and widespread epidemic of social isolation and loneliness, with special focus on Black churches, this dissertation developed a program with the following areas of application: 1) how healthcare trained chaplains can coordinate with churches to positively impact individuals identified as lonely and socially isolated with better social and physical health, 2) how principles of chaplaincy and pastoral care can mitigate and intervene competently when such people are identified, and 3) how the project’s model can be organized, taught, and incorporated into existing arenas of church ministry.

The purpose of the project was to create a ministry …

A Hospital Spiritual Care Volunteer Program: Embodying Vocation And Decreasing Social Isolation And Loneliness In Adults Sixty-Five And Older, Stacy L. Auld

Doctor of Ministry Projects and Theses

Social isolation and loneliness have become familiar terms since the COVID-19 pandemic, but the problem did not start there. We have seen a steady rise in the number of people who face social isolation and loneliness over the past fifty years, and now research shows that this problem is impacting people’s health, especially in adults sixty-five and older. These social diagnoses are being addressed by public policy and in health care settings, but they should also be addressed by United Methodist clergy in their care for their parishioners. Therefore, I am writing this dissertation to my clergy colleagues to raise …

Machine Learning And Formal Methods In Quantum Chemistry: Theory And Application, Ishna Satyarth

Computer Science and Engineering Theses and Dissertations

In recent years, the progress in inter-disciplinary application of machine learning and artificial intelligence (ML/AI) have truly transformed various fields, from weather forecasting and drug development to medical diagnostics, energy, and sustainability. Computational chemistry uses computational tools to model, predict, analyze, and explain chemical phenomena, while the Quantum chemistry specifically uses techniques based on quantum mechanics (as opposed to classical mechanics or empirical models). Quantum chemistry or Computational chemistry has also observed a momentum in application of ML techniques over the past decade significantly accelerating results and providing valuable insights into vast datasets, often surpassing traditional methods.

This dissertation explores …

Characterizing A Potential Cbp/P300 Histone Acetyltransferase Homolog In Tardigrade Germline Specification And Development, Brittney Michelle Hartshorn

Honors Projects

Germline specification is a fundamental process that ensures the proper development of germ cells. Germline specification occurs either through germ cell determinants maternally inherited through the mechanism of preformation or through induction, where cell interaction and epigenetic modifications direct specification. Determining how these mechanisms evolved and diverged remains an important question in developmental biology. Despite research on germline regulation in model organisms such as Caenorhabditis elegans or Drosophila melanogaster, such regulation remains poorly understood in many other animal groups. Tardigrades are an emerging model system for investigating developmental mechanisms due to their phylogenetic placement and experimentally tractable embryos. CBP/P300 is …

Microtubules In Breast Cancer: Exploring The Α/Β-Tubulin Toggle Switch And Its Implications In Human Breast Cancer, Annemarie Ianos

Student Theses and Dissertations

Microtubules, composed of a/b-tubulin heterodimers, play a central role in breast cancer tumor growth by polymerizing, leading to metastasis and depolymerizing, contributing to proliferation. Human enzymes protein kinase Ca (PKC-a) and cyclin-dependent kinase 1 (Cdk-1) mediate phosphorylation at sites a:Ser165 and b:Ser172, respectively, influencing the growth of microtubules. It is possible that alternating phosphorylation at these sites contribute to an a/b-tubulin “toggle switch” that mediates microtubule instability and tumor growth.

The project investigates the influence of the toggle switch model on microtubule stability by determining the impact of mutants (a:S165D, a:S165N, a:S165S_P, b:S172S_P and a:S165S_P/b:S172S …

Identification Of Aortic Centerline Shape Features, Bebel B. Trani

Mechanical Engineering and Materials Science Independent Study

Better predictions of the likelihood of an aortic event in patients are paramount to providing quality care in medicine. Ascending aortic aneurysms (AsAA) are typically asymptomatic until sudden complications, such as rupture or dissection, occur and are often fatal [1]. As a form of preventative care, physicians identify and monitor high-risk patients. Surgical interventions are also performed for high-risk patients, replacing the weakened segment of the ascending aorta before a catastrophic event occurs. Determining which patients require surgical intervention or close monitoring is therefore extremely important. These decisions are largely guided by maximum diameter measurements; for the ascending aorta, a …

Cfd Simulation Analyses Of The Blowdown Phase Of A Depressurized Loss Of Forced Cooling Accident In A Htgr, Keenan Kresl-Hotz

Nuclear Engineering ETDs

This research numerically investigates the helium-air mixing in HTGR containment cavities during the blowdown phase of a simulated DLOFC accident. The results of the performed CFD simulation analyses, using the commercial code STAR-CCM+, are compared with reported measurements from an experiment conducted at CCNY. The analyses investigate the effects of the RANS and LES turbulence models, numerical mesh refinement, time-step size, and flow rate and temperature of the injected hot helium into the scaled reactor cavity. Calculated parameters analyzed include the pressure and spatial distributions of temperature and oxygen concentration in the simulated reactor and steam generator cavities. CFD oxygen …

Shaping Emergent Competitive And Cooperative Behaviors In Multi-Agent General-Sum Games, Ethan F. Erickson

Honors Projects

Reinforcement learning (RL) algorithms can train agents to solve problems in environments using complex behaviors that are not explicitly programmed, known as emergent behaviors. The goal of our research is to investigate how different RL reward values influence the emergence of competitive and cooperative behaviors in games with teams of multiple agents. Specifically, we focus on general-sum games, in which the sum of gains and losses of each team may be non-zero, allowing situations for agents to mutually benefit or mutually fail. Using Unity’s ML-Agents Toolkit to train agents with RL self-play in bounded 2D environments, we identify high-level behaviors …

Efficacy And Equity In Type 2 Diabetes Care: Comparing Glp-1 Therapy And Dietary Interventions Through Clinical, Social, And Ethical Lenses, Makayla Bogle

Honors Projects

Objective: Explores the clinical and sociocultural dimensions regarding type 2 diabetes (T2DM) care, comparing GLP-1 receptor agonist (GLP-1 RA) therapy and dietary interventions for adults with T2DM. Part I consists of a narrative literature review examining clinical outcomes such as glycemic control, insulin sensitivity, and weight management for the two compared treatment methods. Part II conducts a narrative literature review examining the structural and social determinants that influence access to diabetes treatments. The review evaluates how social determinants of health (SDOH) shape the real-world implementation of both GLP-1 RA therapies and dietary interventions. The discussion highlights differences in measurable clinical …

Ab Initio Method Development For Electronic Structure Response And Symmetry Quantification, Duc Anh Lai

Chemistry Theses and Dissertations

Electronic structure provides a fundamental framework for understanding molecular properties and reactivity, as it encodes the spatial distribution of electrons and their response to external and internal perturbations. This dissertation develops theoretical and computational frameworks to characterize and manipulate electronic structure through two complementary directions: the response to oriented external electric fields and the quantification of symmetry regulation in electron density.

First, a rigorous theoretical and computational framework is established for treating electric fields with arbitrary orientations relative to molecular structure. The concept of the rotational potential energy surface is introduced to characterize the dependence of molecular energy on field …

Undergraduate Commencement Exercises Program, May 16, 2026

Bryant University Commencements

No abstract provided.

Musical Methods For Nonverbal Emotional Expression, Carrie Uddenberg

Music: Student Scholarship & Creative Works

No abstract provided.

Nanoscale Structure And Spontaneous Self-Assembly Of Hydrothermal Organic Products, Glorianne P. Dorce

Chemistry and Chemical Biology ETDs

Carbon nanomaterials derived from citric acid and urea exhibit behaviors that challenge conventional structure–property models based on static bulk descriptions. This study examines how precursor pairing and reaction duration, post‑synthetic thermal history, and time‑dependent aging govern nanoscale organization and optical response. Through controlled synthesis and processing, distinct nanostructures with tunable structural and spectroscopic profiles are generated.

A multiscale framework integrating nano‑FTIR, atomic force microscopy, and thermal analysis reveals chemical heterogeneity and continuous structural reorganization across length scales. By correlating local chemical environments with optical behavior, we show that fluorescence efficiency and photostability depend on specific nanoscale architectures rather than average …

The Formation Of Indian Health Services Within Imperial And Settler-Colonial Contexts, Jillian E. Grisel

American Studies ETDs

This dissertation examines the Indian Health Services as a Cold War biosecurity apparatus, showing how infectious disease was weaponized to dismantle treaty obligations, reorganize tribal lands into “service areas,” and reclassify Indigenous nations as surveilled populations. Against this carceral health economy, Indigenous nations refused. From the 1969 Alcatraz occupation to the 1976 Puyallup takeover of Cushman Indian Hospital, Native activists reclaimed health facilities as sovereign spaces, insisting that care is not a discretionary service but a treaty right grounded in land and kinship. Methodologically, I combine historical-legal analysis of congressional debates, Public Health Service reports, and IHS data with counter-archives …

Impact Of Third Trimester Alcohol Exposure (Ttae) On Oligodendrocyte Development And Behavior In Mice, Estrella Villicana

Biomedical Sciences ETDs

Prenatal alcohol exposure (PAE) during late gestation can cause cognitive, behavioral, and motor impairments associated with fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASDs). The third trimester corresponds to a critical period of brain growth and maturation. This study examined the effects of Third Trimester-equivalent Alcohol Exposure (TTAE) on oligodendrocyte development and adult behavior. Neonatal mice were exposed to ethanol or air vapor from postnatal day (P) 4–8. Immunohistochemical analyses were performed at P8 and P30 to assess myelination, apoptosis, and oligodendrocyte lineage progression. TTAE significantly reduced myelin basic protein (MBP) expression at P8, which was recovered by P30, indicating delayed developmental myelination. …

Spring Graduate School Commencement: May 16, 2026, University Of North Dakota

UND Commencement Programs

UND Spring Graduate School Commencement program from May 16, 2026.

Assessing Uranyl-Specific Dnazymes And Dna-Aptamers For Uranium Binding In Environmentally Relevant Waters, Ashley R. Apodaca-Sparks

Civil Engineering ETDs

The legacy of uranium mining affects many communities in the western United States, resulting in elevated levels of uranium in surface water. The ability to quickly and accurately detect uranium on site in affected communities can lead to real-time water quality analysis that informs risk assessment and remediation efforts. The objective of this work is to advance the application of biosensing technologies for the measurement of uranium in waters affected by mining legacy. The third chapter of this thesis compares ANDalyze by AlpHa Instruments, a commercially available uranium biosensor, and inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (an EPA-verified method for uranium …

Mapping Homogeneous Configuration States For Learning Based Motion Planners, Yazied Hasan

Computer Science ETDs

Reinforcement learning (RL) excels at solving complex tasks, but training times can become prohibitively large for challenging motion-planning problems. Methods that address this cost often require additional training or tuning, counteracting the goal of reducing training time. A more effective approach is to exploit inherent task equivalences: many elements of the state space, dynamics, or structure are functionally interchangeable, enabling simplification or knowledge reuse. We present learning solutions that leverage these equivalences to enhance the RL process. First, we leverage the symmetry of homogeneous multi-agent teams to simplify the task to a single strategy. Second, we map correspondences between distinct …

Does Adjunctive Low-Level Laser Therapy Provide Additional Benefit Following Temporomandibular Joint Arthrocentesis With Hyaluronic Acid? A Randomized Clinical Trial, Moataz Bahaa, Abdelrahman Fahmy Dr., Hesham Morsi, Mahmoud Elfaramawy

Dentistry

Purpose This study aimed to evaluate whether adjunctive low-level laser therapy (LLLT) provides additional clinical benefit over an optimized arthrocentesis protocol with hyaluronic acid in patients with ADDwoR. Materials and methods From December 2022 to December 2023, a single-blinded prospective randomized clinical trial was conducted at The British University in Egypt’s Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery. The study involved 40 female participants diagnosed with Anterior Disc Displacement without Reduction (ADDwoR). Following TMJ arthrocentesis, subjects were assigned to one of two parallel cohorts: Group A received ten subsequent sessions of low-level laser therapy (LLLT), while Group B served as the …

The Effect Of Acute Hypoxia Exposure, With Exercise, On Bone Metabolic Biomarkers, Alyssa Bailly

Health, Exercise, and Sports Sciences ETDs

Hypoxic environments, resulting from decreased atmospheric partial pressure of oxygen, reduce oxygen availability in the blood and tissues, leading to a mismatch between supply and demand. This elicits several physiological adaptations and may influence bone metabolism. Although evidence suggests that hypoxia can modulate bone remodeling through hypoxia-inducible pathways, findings remain mixed, with most data derived from chronic hypoxic exposures in animal and cell culture models. Exercise, an essential stimulus for bone health, may exacerbate hypoxic stress; however, the skeletal response to acute hypoxic exposure combined with exercise remains unclear. We propose that intermittent exercise in hypoxia may increase negative markers …

La Raza In The U.S.-Mexico Borderlands: A Comparative Regional Study Of Mexican American Elite Identity-Making From Texan Independence To The Mexican Revolution, Davis Diego Massey

History ETDs

After the U.S. annexed much of Mexico following the Mexican-American War, Mexicans in the incorporated regions began to think of themselves as a racial group within the U.S. rather than a distinctive nationality. The 1848 Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo promised citizenship rights to all Mexicans in the area. The Treaty promises rarely were put into practice, as they were left up to the enforcement of territories and states. Even where enforced, the rights of citizenship were restricted and defined on the basis of race. Local laws excluded Afro-Mexicans and Mexican Natives from exercising the rights promised by the Treaty. This …

La Raza In The U.S.-Mexico Borderlands: A Comparative Regional Study Of Mexican American Elite Identity-Making From Texan Independence To The Mexican Revolution, Davis Diego Massey

History ETDs

After the U.S. annexed much of Mexico following the Mexican-American War, Mexicans in  the incorporated regions began to think of themselves as a racial group within the U.S. rather  than a distinctive nationality. The 1848 Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo promised citizenship  rights to all Mexicans in the area. The Treaty promises rarely were put into practice, as they  were left up to the enforcement of territories and states. Even where enforced, the rights of  citizenship were restricted and defined on the basis of race. Local laws excluded  Afro-Mexicans and Mexican Natives from exercising the rights promised by the Treaty. This …

Technical Advancements In Single-Molecule Spectroscopy For High-Throughput Measurement Of Long-Time Dynamics, Quyen B. Le

Chemical and Biological Engineering ETDs

Single-molecule fluorescence spectroscopy is a powerful technique for resolving transient biomolecular dynamics and quantifying free energy landscapes, kinetics, and binding interactions. However, two fundamental limitations restrict its broader application: slow, labor-intensive data acquisition and the limited observation time imposed by fluorophore photobleaching. These limitations hinder its use in drug discovery and biomedical engineering applications that require both high-throughput and access to long-time dynamics. In this work, both challenges are addressed through technical advancements. First, a simple, generalizable approach is introduced to automate data acquisition, eliminating manual intervention during experiments. This increases the acquisition rate by more than an order of …

Computational Design Of Peptides And Proteins Through Machine Learning Approaches, Emily J. Hendrix

Chemistry and Chemical Biology ETDs

Advancements in machine learning have emerged as a pivotal tool in computational biochemistry, offering new advancements to address challenges in protein structure and function. However, current machine-learning approaches offer limited insight in understanding protein dynamics. The purpose of this work is to combine traditional physics-based computational tools, such as molecular dynamics and coarse-grained simulations, with recently developed AI-driven computational tools to bridge gaps and advance the understanding of proteins in both structural and dynamic aspects. I investigated several approaches such as (i) traditional physics-based methods to study protein conformation and ensembles; (ii) identifying a peptide inhibitor for the PICK1 PDZ …

Nuclear Deterrence: Enhancing The Mission Through Smart Factory Predictive Solutions, Jarrod Matthew Ronquillo

Chemical and Biological Engineering ETDs

To meet the stewardship and modernization initiatives set by the Department of Energy new technologies must enter the manufacturing facilities within the nuclear deterrent complex. Predictive solutions begin with collecting data. An equipment health monitoring device was created to streamline data collection and organization for equipment and processes. A predictive and process performance dashboard was developed for a deionized water system. The dashboard used Western Electric statistical process rules and a machine learning regression algorithm to predict when the resistivity would fall out of specification. Lastly, a remaining useful life calculation was developed for all equipment related to nuclear deterrent …

Active Memory Civil Association Vs. Argentina, Kamila Knaudt

Loyola of Los Angeles International and Comparative Law Review

This case is about the botched investigation of the bombing of the building hosting the Asociación Mutual Israelita Argentina, (AMIA) in Buenos Aires, Argentina. The State admitted responsibility for the faulty investigation, which took more than twenty years, and the Court found Argentina in violation of several articles of the American Convention.

Córdoba V. Paraguay, Madeline Prokop

Loyola of Los Angeles International and Comparative Law Review

This case is about the abduction in Argentina of a minor by a parent. The child was taken to Paraguay without the father’s consent. It took more than nine years for Paraguay to return the child to Argentina. The Court found Paraguay in violation of several articles of the American Convention for the prolonged return proceedings.

Heavy Metal And Metalloid Accumulation In The Gallinas River Following The Hermit's Peak / Calf Canyon Wildfire, Olivia A. Kelly

Geography ETDs

This study evaluates the persistence and bioavailability of heavy metals and metalloids in the Gallinas River three years after the Hermit’s Peak/Calf Canyon Wildfire of 2022 using a multicompartment sampling framework that includes water, sediment, and benthic macroinvertebrate tissue analysis via inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry (ICP-OES) and inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). Results indicate that the Hermit’s Peak/Calf Canyon Fire continues to influence the hydrogeochemical condition of the Gallinas River. Sediments contain elevated concentrations of several metals and metalloids, and these same elements are detectable in macroinvertebrate tissues, linking sediment contamination to biological uptake. Zinc (Zn), silicon …