Digital Commons Network^™

Anticipating The Adoption Of Quantum Computing Technology By Organizations, Kenneth Shui

Dissertations - ALL

This study investigated the challenges that may influence the successful adoption of adiabatic quantum computers based on an analysis of three case studies of organizations that adopted technologies adjacent to adiabatic quantum computers. Through the lens of the affordance framework, a mixed methods approach identified common challenges and themes when adopting different forms of classical computing. The qualitative method involved analyzing pre-existing documentation on classical computing technologies through a reflexive narrative review of the case studies. For the quantitative aspect, an A/B testing approach was used to compare the performance of D-Wave adiabatic quantum computers in solving a well-established computer …

Deformations Of Thin Membranes In Incompatible Geometries And Interactions In Mechanical Hysteron Systems, Zachariah Schrecengost

Dissertations - ALL

Soft reconfigurable systems exhibit behaviors which are highly dependent on their geometries. Thin membranes can deform in a myriad of ways as they navigate geometries different from their own in an energy efficient manner. Behaviors in mechanical hysteron systems are influenced by the geometry of the interactions and global driving. This dissertation focuses on two different types of systems which are governed in part by their geometries: thin membranes in geometrically incompatible configurations and interacting mechanical hysterons. A thin membrane forced into a conflicting geometry with an incompatible metric will deform in highly non-trivial ways. These deformations are an attempt …

Memetics Reinformed: Three Informational Developments Of Memes, Alexander O. Smith

Dissertations - ALL

Memetics and information have been connected since Richard Dawkins defined memes in 1976. Yet, information studies rarely contributes despite the connection. This dissertation develops a memetic program that exists within an information framework. An information-centric study of memes offers answers to questions of cultural dynamics, meaning production, and applies to questions in cultural heritage informatics and knowledge organization. This proposal offers a theoretically and empirically connected space within an information-centric development of memetics. What is provided is a three paper dissertation. These three papers include a (1) literature review and citation analysis paper, (2) a preliminary theory-method paper exemplifying a …

Volume 2 Complete Issue, James W. Gallagher

The Geographical Bulletin

Volume 2 Complete Issue

Land Use Bordering The Calumet River And Lake Calumet In Chicago, Illinois, William D. Curran

The Geographical Bulletin

The Calumet River-Lake Calumet area within the City of Chicago, Illinois comprises a complexity of manufacturing, transportation, service, and storage facilities at a magnitude rarely found other than in coastal port locations. The area contains a major portion of the Calumet district's heavy basic industries and constitutes the principal port area of metropolitan Chicago. The historical developments of the industrial and port activities in the area have been ably chronicled by Mayer' and Appleton' and do not bear repeating here. The objectives of this paper are to provide a detailed description and evaluation of the forty-nine sites bordering on the …

Australia An Dits Outback, Lewis Deitch

The Geographical Bulletin

So states Australian poet A. D. Hope as he vividly describes the land "Down Under.'" It is a continent of widespread aridity whose burnt red and brown colors predominate over much of the landscape. The Continent contains 2,941,526 square miles (with Tasmania, the island state, the Commonwealth comprises an area of 2,967,909 square miles): By comparison, Australia is slightly smaller than the 48 contiguous United States, and roughly the same latitudinal and longitudinal dimensions. In contrast however, the Australian continent is largely uninhabited or at best sparsely settled. The population (at the 1966 Census) of 11,550,4623 is primarily centered in …

Retracted: Enhancing Project Tracking Through Microsoft Power Platform Automation: A Case-Based Study Using Power Bi, Pirsab R. Attar, Quadri Ibad Ali, Arif Varsi, Khalid Sayed, Sameer Usmangani Sayyad

AUIQ Technical Engineering Science

Microsoft Power BI and Power Automate enhances project tracking by improving data accuracy, reducing manual effort, and delivering timely insights. The automation-driven approach leads to significant time savings and fewer reporting errors, contributing to more efficient and informed project management. Despite the availability of digital tools, there is limited research on unified frameworks that combine automation, data visualization, and real-time feedback for holistic project management. This study addresses this gap by evaluating an integrated system applied to a real-world project over one fiscal year, offering practical insights and measurable outcomes. Present study explores how Power BI enhances data accuracy and …

Integration Of Zero Trust Architecture And Machine Learning For Improving The Security Of Software Defined Networking: A Review, Manar H. Bashaa, Wesam S. Bhaya, Nabeel H. Kaghed Al-Aaraji

Journal of Intelligent Informatics, Networking, and Cybersecurity

Many add new networks, but management has a lot of work to do as well. Software Defined Networking (SDN) was conceived to address these challenges in a more structured way, SDN allows centralized management of the network and provision of software based traffic understanding making it relatively easier to manage large scale networks. The downside to SDN is its vulnerability to cyber attacks. The more centralized the structure the more efficient it is, however the more specific weaknesses it possesses such as DoS attacks for example. The ``perimeter'' approach to security is outdated with today's security technology. Zero Trust Architecture …

"Exploring Effective Practices For Inclusive Education: Impact On Student Achievement In Elementary Classrooms", Yolanda Harris

ATU Theses and Dissertations 2021 - Present

This study explores educators’ experiences with inclusive education, focusing on the strategies, challenges, and support structures that influence successful implementation in the classroom. Using qualitative interviews with general education and special education teachers, the study identifies key themes that shape inclusive practices: Collaboration and Teamwork, Challenges in Inclusion, Student Outcomes and Growth, Differentiation and Scaffolding, Administrative Support, and Resources and Professional Development. Findings indicate that effective collaboration between general education and special education teachers, especially through co-teaching and joint planning, is critical to fostering an inclusive learning environment. Despite the positive impacts on student academic and social outcomes, teachers face …

Science Of Reading Professional Development: The Perceptions Of Secondary Teachers In Arkansas, Teresa R. Moka

ATU Theses and Dissertations 2021 - Present

ABSTRACT SCIENCE OF READING PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT: THE PERCEPTIONS OF SECONDARY TEACHERS IN ARKANSAS

Teresa R. Moka

The study addresses the critical issue of low literacy proficiency among secondary students in Arkansas, where National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) data reveals declining reading scores. Despite scientific consensus on reading instruction, many teachers lack professional development in evidence-based reading strategies, particularly at the secondary level. Although Arkansas secondary teachers have received initial Science of Reading (SoR) professional development from the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE), the perceptions of secondary teachers regarding SoR professional development is not well documented. The purpose …

Spring Commencement, 2025, Marshall University

Marshall University Commencement

Program for the Commencement of Marshall University, Saturday, May 10, 2025 held at the Mountain Health Arena in Huntington, West Virginia.

Identification And Preclinical Assessment Of Novel Therapeutic Modalities In Environmental Exposure-Induced Lung Disease, Aaron D. Schwab

Theses & Dissertations

Environmental lung diseases are preventable respiratory conditions either caused or made worse by inhaled environmental exposures. Contemporarily, environmental lung diseases are most associated with workplace exposures given specific occupational processes aerosolize inflammatory agents that can be inhaled at high concentrations. Although a considerable amount is known regarding immunoglobulin (Ig)E-mediated responses to environmental exposures, little is known about non-IgE mediated respiratory conditions resulting from lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-enriched organic dust exposure(s). Chronic respiratory diseases such as asthma, hypersensitivity pneumonitis, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), and pulmonary fibrosis have all been identified as environmental lung diseases caused or exacerbated by such environmental dusts. Therapeutic …

Coxiella Burnetii Manipulation Of Membrane Contact Sites In The Intracellular Niche, Margaret F. Sladek

Theses & Dissertations

Coxiella burnetii is a highly infectious and environmentally persistent bacterium that causes the disease Q Fever. Its intracellular home, the Coxiella-Containing Vacuole (CVV), is formed from fusion of host-derived vesicles and is rich in sterols - yet cholesterol accumulation in the CCV is bacteriolytic. Our lab’s goal is to understand how Coxiella manages intracellular cholesterol levels and survives within the host. One way Coxiella may modulate CCV cholesterol is through membrane contact sites (MCS), areas where molecular complexes bridge two organelles and exchange lipids. This thesis explores how Coxiella uses both a mammalian lipid transfer protein and bacterially-encoded effector …

Multi-Modal Mri For The Pre-Clinical Evaluation Of Hiv-Linked Changes In The Central Nervous System, Gabriel Gauthier

Theses & Dissertations

Though the inception of anti-retroviral therapy (ART) has fundamentally changed the life expectancy of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) patients, accessibility and outcomes vary enormously along demographic lines. Even for people living with HIV (PLWH) with perfect access and adherence to anti-retroviral drugs (ARVs), modern treatment plans are fundamentally unable to secure complete viral remission for patients. The cause of this perpetual infection is the persistence of viral reservoirs in the central nervous system (CNS), hidden beyond the reach of modern ARVs, leaving patients to deal with lifelong medication side-effects and risks of developing HIV-associated neurodegenerative disorders (HAND). Despite improving outcomes …

Closing The Gap In Pre-Law Preparation: Founding A Pre-Law Club At Ole Miss, Nicolantonio Prentosito

Honors Theses

Attending public school from kindergarten through 12^th grade in a struggling Ohio school district, I experienced the inequities in the public education system from a young age, particularly with tests like the SAT that can have a major impact on our futures. After becoming a National Merit Finalist, I wanted to help even the playing field for students from poor districts like mine by founding a non-profit, Scholar Power, to offer free PSAT, SAT, and ACT education and preparation.

Starting college, I recognized similar inequities with the Law School Admissions Test (LSAT) and the pre-law process in general. As …

Wandering From The River: On- And Off-River Abundance Of Interior Least Terns Along The 59-Mile Reach Of The Missouri National Recreational River, Zoe D. Donelan

Honors Thesis

The Interior Least Tern, a summer nesting species native to the sandbars of the Missouri River, faces significant loss of foraging habitat and forage fish populations as a result of modern river regulation. Alternative foraging sites may be located several kilometers from tern nesting colonies at either on-river or off-river wetland sites. To understand how Least Terns use available foraging habitat, we conducted population surveys along the 59-mile reach of the Missouri National Recreational River (MNRR) in Southeastern South Dakota. We conducted land-based surveys at nine on-river public-access sites along the Missouri River and 12 off-river wetland sites within 30 …

Is Syria Truly On The Path To Democracy?, William Ulterino

Opinion Matters: Student Analyses of World News

This op-ed assesses the plausibility that Syria’s new government will usher in the first true democracy for an Islamic nation in the Middle East.

Coordinating Connections: A Mixed-Methods Exploration Of Relational Coordination And Interprofessional Team Development With Health Professions Students And Survivors Of Stroke, Teresa Marie Cochran

Theses & Dissertations

The need for effective healthcare teams is widely recognized, yet strategies for team education and evaluation remain areas of ongoing investigation. This study presents a longitudinal, interprofessional tele-team learning initiative designed to enhance health professions students’ collaborative skills through Salas’ “Big Five” of Teamwork and Gittell’s Relational Coordination Theory. Additionally, the project aimed to mitigate social isolation among stroke survivors by forming nine interprofessional tele-teams composed of students from medical nutrition therapy, nursing, occupational therapy, physical therapy, and speech-language pathology. Over six virtual meetings, these teams engaged with stroke survivors, assisting them in progressing toward self-selected goals.

Using an explanatory …

Restoring Confidence In Our Elections: An Analysis Of Post-Election Audits In South Dakota, Evan Sippel

Honors Thesis

Post-election audits have been a standard practice for election officials across much of the United States since the 2000 presidential election. However, there were still six states that had never performed a post-election audit as the nation prepared for the 2020 presidential election. Due to the controversies of the 2020 presidential election and the resulting decrease in voter confidence, particularly among Republican voters, there was a concerted effort in the few remaining states to pass legislation that would require election officials to conduct post-election audits. In response to this pressure, South Dakota passed a law to require that election officials …

From Fables To Facts: Discovering The World Through Stories And Science, Lucille Helen Vanek

Graduate Student Portfolios, Professional Papers, and Capstone Projects

From Fables to Facts: Discovering the World Through Stories and Science examines the integration of narrative storytelling and hands-on scientific exploration as a means of cultivating environmental literacy, ethical reflection, and sustained engagement with the natural world. Grounded in environmental philosophy, aesthetics, and ethics, the project draws on theoretical insights from Holmes Rolston III, Marcia Muelder Eaton, Allen Carlson, Arnold Berleant, and C. Thi Nguyen to develop a multidimensional model of education that unites imagination, cognition, and participatory experience. Implemented in diverse Montana community settings—including libraries, early learning centers, science museums, and faith-based organizations—the program paired fables, parables, and literary …

Storytelling: A Natural Mnemonic, Hailey Stephens

Honors Theses

The present study explored the effectiveness of storytelling as a teaching method in enhancing memory performance for educational material compared to traditional lecture-based instruction. Memory plays a crucial role in learning, and effective teaching strategies should facilitate information encoding, retention, and retrieval. Storytelling, an ancient yet often overlooked pedagogical tool, has been shown to engage students emotionally and cognitively, making presented content more memorable. In the present study, participants were randomly assigned to either a storytelling-based instruction group or a traditional lecture group. Both groups received instruction on the ASSURE Model and were tested immediately after the lesson and again …

From Fraud To Future: Accountancy Case Studies On Financial Illusions, Policy Failures, And The Economic Renaissance Of Mississippi’S Broadband Initiative, Hayden Brennan Adams

Honors Theses

This Honors Practicum is a compilation of case studies completed under the supervision of Dr. Victoria Dickenson across two semesters of the course Accountancy 420 — Independent Study. The first semester (Fall 2023) of case studies involved both individual and group case studies examining various geopolitical implications of contemporary accounting, as well as the surge in environmental, social, and governance (ESG) regulations affecting financial reporting. The second semester (Spring 2024) was mostly centered around a collaborative Mississippi economic development proposal project conducted by four other students and myself. In our project, we construct a business plan for a start-up broadband …

Church And State Relationships Explored In Mississippi's Foster Care System, Olivia Gray

Honors Theses

Historically, the entities of church and state were never meant to be wholly separate. Yet, varying ideas as to what this relationship should be evolved over centuries to become the notion of a separation of church and state that Americans cling to today. Despite common misconceptions regarding this ideal, Mississippi’s foster care system maintains strong and beneficial relationships with local churches throughout the state to better impact and meet the needs of foster children in local communities.

This research seeks to explore the relationship between the church and the state utilizing the example of Mississippi’s foster care system. The findings …

An Investigation Into Barriers Preventing Access To Health Insurance In Mississippi, Robert D. Tickner Iv

Honors Theses

As Mississippians continue to be one of the unhealthiest populations in the U.S. and the rate at which they are able to access health insurance remains low, it becomes more important than ever to understand what barriers are preventing them from gaining access to health insurance. This thesis will specifically explore what barriers are preventing access to health insurance in Mississippi, identify common factors that are preventing this access, and recommend policy solutions based on the results. To gain a better understanding of barriers preventing access to health insurance in Mississippi, I interviewed six healthcare professionals who work in Mississippi. …

An Articulation And Defense Of American Nationality, Clara E. White

Honors Theses

This thesis seeks to first provide an articulation of American nationality based on the five components outlined in David Miller’s book On Nationality. These components are Geographical Connection, Constitutive Belief, Public Culture, Active Identity, and Historical Continuity. In the case of American national identity, these components are satisfied by the founding documents meant to govern the United States as well as the sum of how citizens have interacted with these texts throughout history. Secondly, this thesis composes a defense from two widely known theories of political thought that I believe violate the articulated American nationality. These views are labeled as …

The Impact Of Sovereignty: Russian Foreign Military Interventions In De Facto States, Ella B. Chapman

Honors Theses

This thesis examines the role of sovereignty in foreign military interventions, utilizing a comparison of Russian foreign military interventions in de facto states to those in internationally recognized states. Through a qualitative approach combining English and Russian news sources, political documents, and statements from key political figures, the study identifies that the difference between these types of interventions is slight. The motivations were similar across the cases, while there were variations in conduct and effect. These findings suggest that sovereignty plays a minor role in foreign military interventions and that foreign military interventions increase the reliance of a de facto …

Breaking The Ice: China And Lawfare In The Arctic, Sophia Toner

Honors Theses

This thesis examines China's engagement with international legal frameworks in the Arctic through a lawfare lens, using a structured analytical framework to assess whether Chinese activities constitute lawfare. Focusing on two key cases—China's involvement in submarine cable infrastructure and its navigation of the Northern Sea Route—the research applies Andrea Beck's three-part definition of lawfare: "(1) the misuse of the law in order to, (2) achieve a military objective, and (3) undermine the legal framework." The analysis reveals that China's Arctic engagement does not fully constitute lawfare according to this definition. Rather than misusing legal frameworks, China operates within existing structures …

The Rural Cancer Paradox: When Poverty Outweighs Policy In Mississippi And Andalusia, 2010-2025, Elizabeth Hurst

Honors Theses

This thesis examines how regional economic histories and national healthcare policies interact to shape cancer care delivery in Mississippi (United States) and Andalusia (Spain)—two regions with parallel histories of agricultural dominance followed by economic decline, yet operating under fundamentally different healthcare systems. Through comparative policy analysis focused on the Affordable Care Act (2010) and Spain's Royal Decree Law 16/2012, this research challenges conventional fixation on healthcare system type as the primary determinant of patient outcomes. Instead, it reveals a “rural cancer paradox” where historically impoverished regions face similar barriers to effective cancer care despite their contrasting funding models. The research …

Japan And Its Hesitation In Legalizing Same-Sex Marriage, Morgan R. Lewellen

Departmental Honors & Graduate Capstone Projects

Japan is the only state in the G7 that has not legalized same-sex marriages despite increasing support of LGBTQ+ rights and norms for respecting human rights. While some local governments and constitutional courts have made progress with recognizing same-sex partnerships and deeming the ban on same-sex marriage unconstitutional, the Japanese national government has not enacted comprehensive pro-LGBTQ+ policy. Instead, the Diet (Japan’s legislative body) passed the “LGBT Understanding and Enhancement Bill” in 2023, which is a law that fails to legally recognize same-sex marriage or provide protections. This project aims to explore Japan’s hesitancy by examining politics, culture, history, and …

The Tests Of Time: An Examination Of Contemporary Indigenous Artwork On Display In Southern Museums, Gwendolyn R. Pfrenger

Honors Theses

This paper examines current practices in three Southern museums of varying sizes and missions as they relate to the curation and display of Indigenous art. Specifically, the paper aims to investigate the place of contemporary Native art in art and anthropology museums: How does display vary across the two disciplines? What is its role, now that cultural institutions are becoming more progressive and making a stronger push toward representing artists from minority groups? This is a fairly new area of study, especially for art history, so much of what is discussed here is drawn from art historians, anthropologists, and museum …