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Caste Formalism: The Law And Politics Of Equality In India, Madhav Khosla, Pratap Bhanu Mehta

Faculty Scholarship

In modern constitutional democracies, achieving equality has long been a challenge. In recent years, theorists have focused on understanding the meaning of discrimination and determining when and how discrimination becomes problematic. One critical issue that has long animated discussions on both the general guarantee of equality and the specific goals of anti-discrimination law is the relationship between individuals and groups. If a constitutional order aims to take equality seriously, how should it address the experiences of specific groups historically subjected to discrimination? Indeed, questions of equality and discrimination often converge around the issue of affirmative action, sometimes at the expense …

Correcting Antitrust Monopsony Theory And Addressing Anticompetitive Conduct In Low-Skill Labor Markets, Grimes, Warren

Santa Clara Law Review

Addressing growing income inequality in the United States should begin with the plight of low-skilled workers, many subject to below subsistence income and stressful and dangerous working conditions. Antitrust cannot offer a comprehensive solution to this problem. It can, however, meaningfully contribute to a solution in two ways. The first is to adjust the classic definition of monopsony to address the special conditions that apply to unskilled labor markets and to clear away obstacles to meritorious antitrust claims. Under classic theory, a monopsonist lowers input prices causing some input providers to stop supplying. That premise, while it may hold for …

Factors Associated With Farm Service Agency Direct Farm Ownership Loan Delinquency, Mohammad Ismile Hossain

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This thesis investigates the factors associated with loan defaults in the USDA's Direct Farm Ownership (FO) loan program, emphasizing factors that affect how long it takes to default. This study uses a Cox Proportional Hazards model on a dataset of more than 47,000 loan records originated during 2011-2020 to identify loan characteristics, financial factors, and geographic settings related to the likelihood and timing of delinquency, which is defined as being 90 days past due. Recent research has focused on differences in loan outcomes based on demographics. This study, on the other hand, focuses on loan size, interest rates and terms, …

Using Inquiry Classroom Experiences To Correct Student Misconceptions In Elementary Science: An Action Research Study, Hope A. Ellison

Master's Theses

Misconceptions in elementary science education can significantly hinder students' ability to construct accurate and lasting conceptual understandings. Grounded in the constructivist learning theory, this quasi-experimental study investigates how inquiry-based instruction influences the identification and correction of third-grade students’ misconceptions in science, specifically in the domains of energy, force, and matter. Using a pre- and post-test design, along with data derived from daily teacher field notes, the research was conducted with a sample of fifteen third-grade students at a public elementary school in Mississippi. The results, discussed in the methods section, revealed a statistically significant improvement in students’ conceptual understanding following …

Trust Across Difference In Radical Social Movement Organizations: The Case Of The Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee, Kerstin Miller

Master's Theses

Social movement literature does not properly address trust between activists as a foundation of social movement organizations. This thesis aims to fill that gap by examining how trust within the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee, a radical civil rights organization in the sixties, was built and broken over the course of the decade. I drew on first-hand accounts written by SNCC activists to find patterns in how they thought about trust building and trust breaking in their own organization. I found that trust was built primarily through sustained interaction between activists, and that trust in the organization led to activists being …

Multicenter Span Trial Of Fasudil In Ischemic Stroke, Takahiko Imai, Andreia Lopes De Morais, Xuyan Jin, Tao Qin, Jessica Lamb, Karisma A Nagarkatti, Mu-Hsun Chen, Ligia S B Boisserand, Rakesh B Patel, Mariia Kumskova, Anjali Chauhan, Krishnan M Dhandapani, Mohammad B Khan, Pradip K Kamat, Yanrong Shi, Suyi Cao, Basavaraju G Sanganahalli, Joseph B Mandeville, Patrick D Lyden, David C Hess, Enrique C Leira, Anil K Chauhan, Jaroslaw Aronowski, Louise D Mccullough, Raymond C Koehler, Lauren H Sansing, Márcio A Diniz, Cenk Ayata

Children’s Nutrition Research Center Staff Publications

Background: The SPAN (Stroke Preclinical Assessment Network) is a confirmatory multicenter trial network to test cerebroprotective interventions in experimental acute stroke. In a first-of-its-kind trial, SPAN tested 6 interventions in a rodent model of transient focal ischemic stroke. Here, we report the efficacy of fasudil, an isoform-nonselective rho-associated kinase inhibitor, on primary and secondary outcomes in the SPAN trial.

Methods: Fasudil was administered at 10 mg/kg intraperitoneally every 12 hours for 6 doses starting 5 minutes before reperfusion in a 60-minute endovascular filament middle cerebral artery occlusion model. The active treatment arm (n=345) was compared with the pooled intraperitoneal and …

Human Salivary Gland Stem/Progenitor Cells For Tissue Engineering, Sars-Cov-2 Susceptibility, And Neurointegration, Caitlynn Barrows

Dissertations and Theses (Open Access)

Salivary glands and the saliva they secrete are important for digestion, chewing, and maintaining oral health. Reduced saliva production leads to a decreased quality of life for patients experiencing hyposalivation as a result of disease or injury, thus a large effort has been dedicated to developing materials and medium to recapitulate the structure of the gland for regenerative medicine. In doing so, we have come closer to developing a more complex model to study disease. These models, however, do not yet fully recapitulate the gland. In this dissertation, we describe a new cell source that can be used to develop …

Clonal Phenotype Mapping Reveals Genomic Alterations Underlying Tumor Immunosuppression During Immunotherapy, Er-Yen Yen

Dissertations and Theses (Open Access)

Tumors are dynamic ecosystems that evolve under selective pressures, shaping their ability to either elicit or evade immune responses. In pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC), where immunotherapy has yet to become an effective treatment option, we investigated the role of intratumoral heterogeneity in influencing immune interactions. Using orthotopic clonal replica tumors, we tracked clonal dynamics in response to anti-PD1 therapy and found that while treatment had limited impact on overall tumor volume, it induced profound shifts in clonal composition. Spatial lineage analysis of treatment-naïve tumors revealed that clones with distinct immunotherapy sensitivities occupy unique tumor microenvironments, a pattern that remained stable …

Onair: Applications Of The Nasa On-Board Artificial Intelligence Research Platform, Evana Gizzi, Conner Firth, Caleb Adams, James Berck, P. Timothy Chase Jr., Christian Cassamajor-Paul, Rachael Chertok, Lily Cloug, Jonathan Davis, Melissa De La Cruz, Matthew Dosberg, Alan Gibson, Jonathan Hammer, Ibrahim Haroon, Michael A. Johnson, Brian Kempa, James Marshall, Patrick Maynard, Brett Mckinney, Leyton Mckinney, Michael Monaghan, Robin Onsay, Hayley Owens, Sam Pedrotty, Daniel Rogers, Mahmooda Sultana, Jivko Sinapov, Bethany Theiling, Aaron Woodard, Caroline Zouloumian

Computer Science: Student Work

Infusing artificial intelligence algorithms into production aerospace systems can
be challenging due to costs, timelines, and a risk-averse industry. We introduce
the Onboard Artificial Intelligence Research (OnAIR) platform, an open-source
software pipeline and cognitive architecture tool that enables full life cycle AI
research for on-board intelligent systems. We begin with a description and user
walk-through of the OnAIR tool. Next, we describe four use cases of OnAIR for
both research and deployed onboard applications, detailing their use of OnAIR
and the benefits it provided to the development and function of each respective scenario. Lastly, we describe two upcoming planned deployments …

Spectacle And The Archipelagic Void: Mark Justiniani, Simulacra, And The Poetics Of Repetition, Luisa L. Gomez

Literary and Cultural Studies Program Faculty Publications

This paper examines the tension between spectacle and meaning in the immersive installations of Filipino artist Mark Justiniani, whose mirror-and-light works produce illusions of infinite regress. While Jean Baudrillard warns against the flattening of meaning in the era of simulacra, I argue that Justiniani repurposes the tools of spectacle to resist simulation. His “void of spectacles” stages not emptiness but layered depth, offering a spatial metaphor for archipelagic thinking—fragmented, entangled, and relational. I read Justiniani’s recursive visual structures alongside the poetics of repetition in the Filipino language, where reduplicated forms such as alaala (memory), guniguni (phantasm), bulong-bulong (rumor), or halakhak …

Loyal By Nature: How Uncertainty Avoidance Shapes Dispositional Brand Loyalty, Khondoker Sayeed Hossain

Theses and Dissertations

Loyal consumers are prized assets for brands, as even minor improvements in customer retention can lead to significant increases in company profits. Most research has examined brand loyalty as a brand-specific concept and explored what brands can do to develop loyal consumers, overlooking the role of individual-level psychological and cultural factors.

This dissertation aims to address this gap by examining brand loyalty as a personality disposition and investigating its relationship with cultural values. Drawing on the extensive body of research linking culture to consumer judgments and decisions, the central hypothesis proposes that cultural values, particularly uncertainty avoidance, systematically influence individuals' …

More Arguments For The Weakness Of The Empirical Evidence Used To Support Spanking Bans: Rejoinder To Afifi Et Al. (2025) And Kraus De Camargo (2025), Marjorie Lindner Gunnoe, Robert E. Larzelere, Christopher J. Ferguson, Ronald B. Cox Jr.

University Faculty Publications and Creative Works

In this rejoinder we address 13 concerns elicited by our invited commentary “An update on the scientific evidence for and against the legal banning of disciplinary spanking.” In addition to defending assertions made in the initial commentary, we make several new substantive arguments. In response to dissenters’ equating of non-experimental evidence against spanking with nonexperimental evidence against smoking, we demonstrate that the two are very dissimilar. We question the purpose of spanking bans, providing stronger evidence that they do not seem to prevent child abuse. We review Canada’s association with the UN’s Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) …

Evaluating Alpha Spending Functions Applied To Observational Time-To-Event Analysis, Moses Torgbenu

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This thesis explores the theoretical foundation of the alpha spending approach and extends its application beyond the conventional setting of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) to observational studies with time to event analyses. In these less structured environments, key design parameters such as the total number of events are often unknown, posing challenges for the standard implementation of sequential analysis methods.

Through simulation studies, this research delivers several important contributions. First, it presents a modified approach that uses calendar time to define the timing of interim analyses while relying on event-based information to estimate the correlation among test statistics. This adjustment …

The Impact Of Previous Police Contact And Attitudes Toward Police On Firearm Carriage In A College Student Population, Amanda Kroll

All-Inclusive List of Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study examines whether an association exists between police contact and firearm carriage. Additionally, the present study examines whether the intrusiveness of police contact has an association with firearm carriage. Questionnaires measuring participant demographics, perceptions of the police, contact with the police, and firearm carriage were administered to 222 participants recruited through undergraduate psychology courses at a state university in the Midwest. Results indicated that participants with a history of contact with the police were more likely to carry a firearm than participants with no contact with the police. Regarding frequency of firearm carriage, participants with a history of police …

Comparison Of Psychological Data Between Populations, A Measurement Perspective, Ype H. Poortinga, Hester Van Herk, Johnny Fontaine

Online Readings in Psychology and Culture

In cross-cultural psychology there is a strong tradition of psychometric analysis of bias and invariance (equivalence) after collection of data in distinct populations with identical instruments developed in one population. This implies a focus on measurement outcomes and an operationalist orientation to science. Here we explore how a focus on joint development and content validity of instruments combined with relaxation of the demand of item identity can provide an additional perspective. Three points are addressed:(1) Any comparison between participants from two, or more, populations presumes a common quality (property, attribute) and requires a common measurement scale, a “standard of comparison”. …

Academic Persistence And Rural Social Work Students: An Analysis Of Factors Impacting Decisions To Persist, Samantha Perales

Social Work Doctoral Dissertations

Academic persistence of rural students in higher education remains a growing concern as institutions across the United States seek to address changing patterns and trends in enrollment and graduation rates, particularly in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic. National trends show a relatively small increase in rural student enrollment. However, significant disparities in persistence and degree completion continue to exist between rural student populations and their urban and suburban counterparts. This study examines the factors that influence persistence among undergraduate social work students, specifically focusing on students from public, mid-sized universities in West Texas. Using a quantitative approach, the study …

Educational Attainment Patterns Among Mena Adults: A Comparative Study Of Native- And Foreign-Born Groups In The Us, Michael Okyere

Department of Sociology: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

This study examines educational attainment patterns among Middle Eastern and North African (MENA) adults in the United States, focusing on how nativity status, residential patterns, and gender shape these outcomes. Drawing on segmented assimilation and spatial assimilation theories, I analyze data from the 2018-2022 American Community Survey using ordered logistic regression models. Results indicate that educational attainment varies by gender, with MENA women consistently achieving higher education levels than men across all nativity groups, though this advantage varies considerably in magnitude between native-born and foreign-born subgroups. Residence in ethnic enclaves demonstrates a strong negative association with educational attainment among foreign-born …

Understanding The Dynamics Of Formal Mentoring In Professional Identity Development Of Early Career Extension Professionals: A Phenomenological Approach, Anuradha Choudhary

Department of Agricultural Leadership, Education, and Communication: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Formal mentoring plays a crucial role in shaping the professional identity of early-career extension professionals; however, limited research has explored how these dynamics affect professional identity development within formal mentorship structures. This study uses a transcendental phenomenological approach to understand how mentees and mentors perceive the impact of formal mentoring on professional identity development within the Nebraska Extension system. Using criteria-based random sampling and snowball sampling, the study engaged 10 mentees and 10 mentors, employing semi-structured interviews, focus groups utilizing ripple effect mapping, and document analysis of mentoring agreements, program guidelines, and mentoring checklists. Following Moustakas' (1994) transcendental phenomenology framework, …

Invisible Algorithms, Visible Outcomes: Roles Of Emotional Labor And Work Gamification In Gigs, Yali Zhang, Liaoliao Li, Xiaoyu Ma, Jun Sun, Yifei Dong, Zhaojun Yang

Information Systems Faculty Publications

As algorithm governance becomes increasingly crucial in gig economy ecosystems, understanding the behavioral impact of algorithmic transparency remains a key research gap. Using the stimulus-organism-response framework and uncertainty management theory, this study examines how platform algorithmic transparency affects gig workers’ in-role and extra-role service behaviors, with emotional labor acting as a mediator and work gamification as a moderator. Analyzing survey data from 325 ride-hailing drivers using partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM), the findings reveal that greater algorithmic transparency enhances both in-role and extra-role behaviors. Emotional labor mediates this relationship: deep acting strengthens both behaviors, while surface acting primarily …

The Effects Of Temperature And Cardiotonic Steroids On Cardiac Function And Metabolism In Snakes, Hannah Wilson

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

The function of the heart provides a window into the physiology of vertebrates and a means of evaluating their response to the stresses imposed by diverse activities. I developed a miniaturized instrument to record electrocardiograms (ECGs), using open-source Arduino technology, that a snake can wear as a backpack. The backpack can also be used when the snake is in a metabolic chamber, to record the metabolic rate and ECG simultaneously. I first used the ECG backpack to record the physiology of snakes under different temperature conditions, to verify that the system worked as expected. the backpack was then used on …

Exploring Methods For Quantifying Uncertainty In Neural Network-Based Turbulence Closures, Cody Grogan

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

Machine Learning (ML) is a very promising field for data-driven modeling of different phenomena. In the field of Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD), ML is an enticing alternative to traditional methods to improve the accuracy and computational efficiency of simulations. However, many ML models, like Neural Networks, don’t quantify their uncertainty or indicate their confidence in a prediction to those who wish to use them. This is especially important because the use of inaccurate ML predictions in a CFD simulation can greatly impact the validity of a simulation. However, with uncertainty quantification, an ML model can indicate to a modeler the …

Adapting To Change In Amenity-Oriented Communities: Innovative Strategies For Shifting Social And Environmental Needs, Emma L. R. Epperson

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

Amenity-oriented communities are places with significant and desirable natural amenities that are highly visited and plentiful within the Intermountain West. These high rates of visitation create complex challenges such as congestion in recreation spaces and in towns and increase costs of living. These communities are typically rural and often do not have the resources, funding, or infrastructure to combat these challenges. Although tourists provide financial stability and other amenities to these towns, local wellbeing is highly impacted. Outdoor recreation and the nature connections derived from outdoor experiences are major contributors to wellbeing in amenity communities. This research investigates the changes …

Examining The Predictive Validity Of Adolescent Complete Mental Health On High School Academic Performance, Nai-Jiin Yang

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

This multiple-paper dissertation examines how adolescent complete mental health, based on the Dual-Factor Model, predicts high school academic performance. The Dual-Factor Model considers both psychological distress (such as internalizing and externalizing symptoms) and subjective wellbeing (such as life satisfaction and positive affect). The main research objective is to determine whether this comprehensive framework offers stronger predictive power for academic success than symptom-based approaches alone.

Two studies were conducted using self-report mental health data collected at three time points during an academic year. These data were analyzed alongside end-of-quarter grade point averages in English Language Arts, math, and overall GPA using …

From Marriage To Migration: Analyzing Return Migration, Gender Inequalities And Household Resource Allocation Patterns, Saeed Ahmad

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

In Kyrgyzstan, a country shaped by deep-rooted traditions and high rates of migration, women's lives are often influenced by powerful cultural expectations, economic pressures, and limited choices. My research explores how these forces intersect—particularly through the lens of bride kidnapping, migration, and how families use money and resources. Together, these issues reveal how gender inequality operates in everyday life, and how women navigate both constraint and resilience.

This dissertation includes three connected studies. The first examines how the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted international labor migration, especially for Kyrgyz migrants working in Russia. Many returnees lost their jobs and faced hostility or …

Linking Variation In Mule Deer Nutritional Condition And Age To Population Performance In A Temperate Environment, Kent R. Hersey

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

The amount of body fat animals have as they enter and exit winter can have major impacts on how well they survive and reproduce. Mule deer are widely distributed herbivores whose survival and reproduction are strongly tied to weather patterns and the quality of vegetation they consume, which in turn impacts nutritional condition. The objective of this study was to identify and quantify the factors (animal specific, climatic, or habitat) influencing mule deer body fat during both summer and winter in Utah and examine how nutritional condition influences survival. We found December body fat was most affected by December lactation …

Using Disposition-Based Tools To Identify Highly Effective Teachers For School Hiring, Matthew W. Dias

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

A principal can impact student learning by hiring great teachers, but identifying great teachers is difficult. The goal of this study was to determine whether using a survey of teacher dispositions would be a useful tool to find effective teachers, in other words, teachers who help students grow academically at high rates. The study included a survey of teachers and a review of their students' academic performance on a reading assessment to see whether there was a correlation between self-reported surveys and student results.

Impacts Of 4r Nitrogen Management And Water Optimization On Soil Health, Kamaldeep Kamaldeep

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

Farmers in Utah and Idaho are facing growing challenges due to high fertilizer costs, limited irrigation water, and pressure to improve long-term soil health. To better understand current practices and grower attitudes, a survey was conducted in 2020 targeting 5,000 producers of small grains, corn, and potatoes. Although the response rate was low, 146 growers representing over 25,000 hectares of cropland participated. Survey results showed that most growers are open to improving nitrogen and irrigation practices and care about their soil health, even if not all are fully using 4R or precision agriculture methods.

This thesis includes two field studies …

The Pharmacology Of Gpr171 Ligands In The Treatment Of Pain: An In Vitro And In Vivo Preclinical Characterization, Max V. Mcdermott

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

Opioids are addictive, ineffective for long-term treatment, readily produce withdrawal and tolerance, and can cause overdose and death. These properties have contributed to an epidemic of addiction and overdose, which continues unabated in the United States. Therefore, new drugs to treat acute and chronic pain are needed. Opioids bind to receptors belonging to a superfamily of proteins called G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs). GPCRs are the most commonly targeted proteins among FDA-approved drugs. As such, under-researched GPCRs are a viable source of new targets in the field of drug development. One such underexplored GPCR is GPR171. Studies have demonstrated that a …

Enhanced Point Cloud Generation From A Novel 360° Underwater Lidar, Olagoke E. Daramola

Dissertations

This dissertation presents novel algorithms to improve the mapping capabilities of a 360-degree underwater Pulsed Laser Line Scanner LiDAR (PLLS-360°). Due to its 360° field-of-view (FOV), the PLLS-360° is a compact full-waveform omnidirectional imager suitable for seafloor mapping, underwater asset inspection, object detection, ice-sheet mapping, and construction progress monitoring. The proposed methodology includes an improved waveform fitting technique for saturated waveform recovery, detection array response correction, radiometric corrections, and fusion of LiDAR and sonar bathymetric datasets. The first part of this dissertation assesses the LiDAR’s performance and describes how the data for this unique 360° FOV architecture is processed. The …

The Effect Of An Acute Bout Of Rock Climbing On Cognitive Functioning And Cortisol Levels, Vanessa Steigauf

All NMU Master's Theses

Rock climbing is an understudied physical activity (PA) that demands active decision-making, integration of sensory and visual input, and continuous regulation of nervous system activity to produce complex motor outputs. The unique psychological demands of climbing warrant studying its effect on cognition and brain health. I recruited 26 generally healthy adults for a randomized-controlled study. Climbing experience, PA and perceived stress were self-reported. Each participant was randomly assigned to a climbing (10x2 minutes climb, moderate intensity) or control group (seated, watching climbing-related video). The primary outcomes, cognitive performance and salivary cortisol levels were assessed by the Stroop test. A linear …