Digital Commons Network^™

The Central African Republic And Russia’S Wagner Group: A Principal-Agent Analysis Of The Costs Of Proxy Use In Civil Conflict, Jasmine Mccastler

Theses & ETDs

This thesis presents an in-depth qualitative case study of the use of a foreign proxy, the Russia-based Wagner group, in civil conflict in the Central African Republic. The analysis is set in the principal-agent theory to examine this specific case of how states contract Private Security Companies and Private Military Companies and the dynamics that emerge from these relationships. Those dynamics ultimately shaped Russia’s foreign policy agenda in the Central African Republic and goals for the region as well as the limitations the government of CAR had to accept for this proxy support.

Medieval Solutions To Modern Pandemics: A Comparative Analysis Of Social Reactions To The Black Death And Covid-19 Pandemics, Ciara Mcilvenny

Theses & ETDs

This thesis explores the various social reactions to pandemics, particularly the Black Death and COVID-19. During the Black Death, people struggled with displacement, sickness, and death due to the pestilence, causing them to turn to their scientific and religious institutions for explanations. 673 years later, the world was struck by the COVID-19 pandemic, resulting in the same consequences. The social reactions to the most recent COVID-19 pandemic are eerily similar to those recorded during the Black Death, revealing the consistency in human nature when responding and reacting to pandemics.

Anxious Flesh, Divine Machines The Body As A Canvas For Technology, Hanh Nguyen

Theses & ETDs

What remains of humans when we merge with machines? What is lost—and what is gained? I will examine the intersection between human and modern technology through a series of figurative paintings, prints and collages. Inspired by the critiques of Byung-Chul Han and the fiction of J.G. Ballard, the themes of alienation, hyper-connectivity, and the erosion of human agency are at the core of my works, I look at how technology has reprogrammed us, our bodies, or actions, our feelings and how this paradigm shift has influenced my artworks. Visually, I am interested in distorted depictions of human bodies; I draw …

Full Issue

Quidditas

No abstract provided.

Centering Maternal Breastfeeding In The Old English Metrical Charm 6, Kierra E. Burns

Quidditas

This article examines female authority and self-determination in relation to maternal lactation during early medieval England. While breastfeeding has always been essential to infant survival, its cultural significance extends beyond nourishment alone, reflecting broader social values and assumptions about gender and motherhood. Within this context, early English texts reveal that lactating mothers were regarded as natural authorities in the processes of childbearing and nourishing their infants. Through analysis of historical and literary evidence, this article argues that maternal breastfeeding was viewed in inherently positive and empowering terms with maternal self-determination and authority at the heart of that positivity. The article …

Risk Appraisal: An Investigation Of Personality Traits And Prior Injury On Thrill And Adventure Seeking Behavior In A High-Risk Modern Circus Performance Art Task, Rachael German

Wayne State University Dissertations

Introduction. Individuals make decisions every day that involve some assessment of risk.. Relevant psychological factors that require a deeper investigation include sensation seeking (SS), personality traits, anxiety, and self-efficacy (SE). The theoretical framework for the study is the biopsychosocial model of challenge and threat (BPSCT). Much of risk appraisal research has been done in a lab or on a computer, while this study presented a relevant, novel, and innovative physical task that incorporated risk in an ecologically valid setting. Purpose. The purpose of this research study was to examine participants' willingness to participate in a high-risk modern circus performance art …

Hdr Brachytherapy Treatment For Basal Cell Carcinoma​, Makayla L. Kester

Student Research Poster Presentations 2025

This research explains basal cell carcinoma (BCC), the most common form of skin cancer, and the role radiation therapy can play in treating patients with the disease. General information about BCC, common locations of occurrence, diagnosis methods, treatment options, side effects, and expected outcomes are discussed. BCC most often appears on sun-exposed areas such as the face, ears, and neck. For patients who are not good surgical candidates or when surgery could result in disfigurement, radiation therapy offers an effective, non-invasive alternative. One advanced technique is high-dose-rate (HDR) surface brachytherapy, which uses detailed imaging and customized applicators to deliver targeted …

Energy Dependence Of Polarized Γγ → E+E− In Peripheral Au + Au Collisions At √Snn = 54.4 And 200 Gev With The Star Experiment At Rhic, Star Collaboration

Physics and Astronomy Faculty Publications

We report the differential yields at mid-rapidity of the Breit-Wheeler process (γ γ → e+e−) in peripheral Au + Au collisions at √s NN = 54.4 and 200 GeV with the STAR experiment at the Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider (RHIC), as a function of energy √s NN , e+e− transverse momentum pT , p2 T , invariant mass Mee, and azimuthal angle. In the invariant mass range of 0.4 < Mee < 2.6 GeV/c2 at low transverse momentum (pT < 0.15 GeV/c), the yields increase while the pair √〈p2 T〉 decreases with increasing √s NN , a feature that is correctly predicted by the QED calculation. The energy dependencies of the measured quantities are sensitive to the nuclear form factor, infrared divergence and photon polarization. The data are compiled and used to extract the charge radius of the Au nucleus.

Grand Challenge In The Archives: Exploring Bias Through Experiential Learning, Karen W. Morse

Technical Services Faculty Publications

Considerations of diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility can inform and enhance all aspects of archival work, even and especially our most challenging. When tasked with creating a new course for the University of Rhode Island’s General Education Program, I focused on how to engage students from various disciplinary backgrounds with archives on a deeper level. The result is Bias: Interrogating the Archive (LTI 350G), which debuted in fall 2021. While based on my ongoing work on bias and silences in the documentary record, the course highlights the wider real-world implications of bias. A successful example of incremental growth, LTI 350G …

Modeling The Binding Of Salinosporamide A (Mzb) To The Human 20s Proteasome For Potential Cancer Treatment, Jayden J. Ross, Giezel Medina, Audrey Anand, Jayant Ari, Emily Schmitt, Arthur Sikora

Protein Modeling Reports

This project aims to model and observe the binding of the drug Marizomib (MZB) and compare its binding affinity to that of other similar drugs to the proteosome using the available PDB ID 9HMN and bioinformatics tools. MZB is an anti-cancer drug that was derived from the marine bacterium, Salinosporamide A. Its function is to inhibit the human 20S proteasome from breaking down misfolded and excess proteins, which eventually causes the cell to trigger apoptosis. Additionally, MZB has a unique ability to cross the blood-brain barrier and utilize three catalytically active amino acid sites. The existing PDB ID (9HMN) of …

Factors That Impact Customer Loyalty As Examined In Integrated Marketing Communications Agencies, Terry L. Hapney Jr.

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

Integrated Marketing Communications (IMC) agencies report high customer turnover, making it difficult for them to retain customers in the B2B realm. Relationship Marketing Theory informs this study, which centers on IMC firm growth from market share. Market share is a result of customer loyalty. There are factors that IMC agency leaders, such as CEOs and CMOs, can leverage to strengthen customer loyalty, including satisfaction, trust, quality, value, habit, engagement, attachment, image, and reputation. This study examines these concepts collectively for the first time in any context; it also examines them specifically in the IMC agency context for the first time. …

The Power Of Pets: Navigating Infancy, Early Development, And Eventual Loss/ Exploring The Mutual Human-Animal Bond Through Children’S Board And Picture Books With Critical Anthropomorphism, Mary Teresa Woodcock

Children's Book Writing and Illustrating (MFA) Theses

Pets are powerful elements of picture books. Alongside our animal companions, we navigate infancy, early childhood and adulthood, and better understand our relationships and life itself. Critical anthropomorphism allows us to represent our relationship to our animal companions ethically in the written and illustrated text. This paper acknowledges an array of primary and scholarly texts about animals and their roles in human experience as a foundation for my three book projects “A Colorful Night for Cat,” “Grandma, Sam, and Me,” and “Tired Old Socks.” I work to portray animal companions authentically, showing how both humans and animal companions benefit from …

Demand Characterization For Real-Time Cyber-Physical Systems: Algorithms, Analysis, And Applications To Control Systems, Aaron Thomas Willcock

Wayne State University Dissertations

This work adds novel co-design, demand characterization, and utilization bounding tools to the real-time community toolbox for the effective deployment of real-time, safety-critical cyber-physical systems. Specifically, this work exploits system dynamics for improved real-time analysis in: software-based short circuit detection, intelligent power distribution systems (IPDSes), robotic arm motion, and internal combustion engines (ICEs). In short detection, inductor sub-saturation back-EMF is exploited to link circuit size and task utilization. In the IPDS, sub-maximal loading is used to bound system utilization for variable-frequency current monitoring tasks. For the robotic arm, repeated motion and error-dependent worst-case execution time are leveraged for faster schedulability …

A Metadata Analysis Of Unionid Mussels Of The Greenup Pool Of The Ohio River Using Occupancy Modeling And Species Area Curves, Tyler Mitchell Annarino

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

Although North America contains the largest diversity of freshwater mussels in the world, only ~24% of species in the United States and Canada have stable populations. This group provides unique hurdles for surveying, and current unionid survey protocols include neither longitudinal studies nor randomization of sites. This project conducts a metadata analysis of freshwater mussels in the Greenup Pool of the Ohio River (GPOR) to answer three questions: 1. Does a combination of longitudinal scope, randomization of sites, and historic methodology of surveying result in useful occupancy/detection models (ODMs) of unionids in large streams at the family level? 2. Does …

Uncovering New Perspectives On Job Performance In Diverse Work Settings: A Job Demand-Resource Theoretical Approach, Myesha P. Holmes

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

The aim of this study was to integrate the agility literature within the theoretical framework of the Job Demand-Resource (JD-R) Theory to examine and validate whether employee agility (job resources) and work overload (job demands) influence the relationship between subjective wellbeing, work engagement, and job performance among remote, hybrid, and onsite workers. Data was collected through a Qualtrics Online panel, utilizing five standardized and validated scales, from a sample of 504 full-time employed respondents across the United States. The data was analyzed using Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) and Analysis of Variance (ANOVA). The results indicated a significant relationship between employee …

Exploring Educator Perceptions Of The Impact Of Career And Technical Education On Student Outcomes, Michael J. Mosca

Selected Full Text Dissertations, 2011-

This qualitative study demonstrated the benefits of Career and Technical Education (CTE) over the traditional educational system and identified key components necessary to implement CTE programs in smaller-sized secondary schools, like those found in the Long Island Region of New York. Although an abundance of research existed on the benefits of CTE, these studies focused on programs in large school districts with high student enrollment and, most often, multiple high schools. Long Island consisted of school districts that are unique from other geographical locations in that its school districts are community based and 87% contain a single high school with …

The Impact Of Gender On Literacy Engagement, Perception, And Academic Practice In Grades 3–12, Dennis John Wickes Jr.

Selected Full Text Dissertations, 2011-

Gender disparities in literacy persist across the globe, shaping academic and career opportunities in profound ways. Despite advances in educational research and interventions, boys continue to trail their female counterparts in literacy from an early age, and this gap persists. The purpose of this study was to examine gender differences in students’ self-perception, academic practice in literacy-based tasks, and enjoyment of these activities. A quantitative, cross-sectional design was employed. Participants included students in Grades 3–12 from international sites in the United States, the Philippines, Indonesia, Nigeria, and Sierra Leone, recruited through convenience and purposive sampling based on site access and …

The Safe Steps Project: Fall Prevention Amongst Older Adults In A Skilled Nursing Facility, Maiana Cabrera, Nicole Le, Yen Tran, Madeline Turcotte

ELMSN E-Portfolio. A collection of Scholarly and Creative Works

BACKGROUND: The Safe Steps Project aimed to reduce falls at Pine Creek Care Center, a skilled nursing facility located in Roseville, CA. Before this intervention, the fall rate at Pine Creek Care Center had been rising above their 15% goal in the first few months of 2025. Through an in-service education, this project has helped educate and increase nursing staff knowledge on fall prevention, such as intentional rounding with the 4 Ps (pain, position, potty, and possessions).

AIM: The Safe Steps Project addresses a major cause of injury in older adults, falls. The aim of this project was to improve …

Trust Us, We’Re Lawyers: Lucas And Neville On The Translation Of The Book Of Mormon, Brant A. Gardner

Interpreter: A Journal of Latter-day Saint Faith and Scholarship

In their book, James Lucas and Jonathan Neville present two major theses relative to translation of the Book of Mormon. The first is that the translation was always done by means of the interpreters that were delivered with the plates. The second is that Joseph Smith was an active participant in the translation process. A theory is laid out for how that might happen. Although this reviewer can agree that Joseph was an active participant in the translation, neither the first thesis nor their explanation of the second thesis can be accepted by those familiar with the historical record.

Brain-Targeting Polymeric Micelles For Intranasal Delivery Of Rapamycin In Alzheimer’S Disease Treatment, Vrashabh V. Sugandhi

Theses and Dissertations

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a long-term neurological disorder associated with neuroinflammation and amyloid-beta (Aβ) aggregation, which leads to a decline in cognitive and behavioral changes. Rapamycin (Rapa) is an immunosuppressive drug effective in preventing organ rejection after a kidney transplant. In the last few years, orally delivered Rapa has emerged as a potential candidate for improving cognitive function in patients with AD. However, it is evident that long-term oral treatment of Rapa causes systemic toxicity, and although controversial, it may even trigger the aggregation of Aβ deposition. This study investigated the therapeutic potential of intranasally delivered brain-targeting polymeric micelles carrying …

State Plan On Aging, Tennessee. Department Of Disability And Aging

State Plan on Aging

This document includes plans to be conducted by the Tennessee Department of Disability and Aging under the provisions of the Older Americans Act from the period of October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2027.

Biological And Chemical Evaluation Of Amide-Based Cjoc42 Derivatives As Potential Gankyrin-Inhibitors For The Treatment Of Breast, Lung, And Liver Cancer, Benita Britton-George

Theses and Dissertations

Gankyrin is an ankyrin-repeat protein overexpressed in certain cancers and is responsible for cell growth and proliferation. Gankyrin is important to the development of many types of cancer, including breast, lung, and liver cancer. Consequently, gankyrin and its various protein-protein interactions, are prospective therapeutic targets for inhibiting the progression of certain cancers. In 2016, the first small molecule inhibitor of gankyrin, cjoc42, was discovered and subsequently demonstrated modest antiproliferative activity against liver cancer cells. Previous work from our lab demonstrated that replacing the sulfonate ester of cjoc42 with an amide group significantly improved gankyrin binding while enhancing antiproliferative activity against …

Gastronomy At The Heart Of Communication: A Locus Of Human Conviviality, Victoria M. O’Keefe

Theses and Dissertations

The significance of food over time is central to humanity and can aid in making people humane in a myriad of ways. This study seeks to (a) define the role of food in communication across sectors of global society and in the media realm (b) by analyzing a data set of all food related publications of the flagship magazine of UNESCO, The Courier, (c) through ethnographic study and inductive coding, I draw themes and trends that alter food communication from a multinational organization and pass the content through a theoretical lens and Large Language Model tool, to (d) illuminate implications …

The Psychometric Properties Of A Spanish Version Of The Attitudes And Beliefs Scale-2 Short Form In A Mexican Sample, Verónica Compeán

Theses and Dissertations

The Attitudes and Beliefs Scale 2-Short Form (ABS2-SF) is one of the most widely used measures of irrational and rational beliefs central to Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy (REBT). While evidence supports its reliability and validity in English-speaking populations, little is known about its applicability across cultural and linguistic groups. This study investigated the psychometric properties and cultural validity of the Spanish version of the ABS2-SF in a Mexican sample (n = 579) collected from undergraduate students in Tampico, Mexico, and compared them with English-speaking American non-clinical samples (n = 1,167). Using a bifactor multi-group confirmatory factor analysis (MG-CFA), I examined …

Neural Congruency Contrastive Learning Framework Validation Using Artificially Created Eeg Data For Dyslexia Research, Jacqueline M. Torres

Theses and Dissertations

Analysis of electroencephalogram (EEG) recordings in children with dyslexia has been commonly used to explore the neural mechanisms underlying reading disorders. Yet, challenges such as low signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), high inter-subject and inter-trial variability, and the inherently multivariate nature of EEG signals hinder the isolation of neural components elicited during reading diagnostic tests. To mitigate these challenges, the neural-congruency analysis framework was recently proposed, leveraging traditional machine learning optimization methods to incorporate domain knowledge about the congruency of neural responses across participants (i.e., consistent neural responses among proficient readers). However, the application of deep learning techniques, specifically contrastive learning, remains …

Propelling Whole-Cell Biosensor Creation By Leveraging Gene Fusion To Assemble Synthetic Functional Transcription Factors For The Detection Of Biomarkers, Samuel J. Verzino

Theses and Dissertations

Biosensors are analytical devices that leverage biological modules for the detection of molecules of interest. As customizable tools designed to aid in a wide array of diagnostics, these instruments are rapidly advancing the field of synthetic biology. While varied in their construction and purpose, biosensors are ultimately concerned with converting a physicochemical stimulus into a detectable signal. Among the many existing variants, whole-cell biosensors (WCBs) stand out due to their versatility and engineering potential. WCBs are a type of biosensor in which a physiologically active cell sustains an array of biomolecular elements - receptors, transporters, regulators, etc. - capable of …

Breath, Body, And The Blank Page: An Autoethnographic Approach To Embodied Writing Practices In First-Year Writing, Kristen Garramone Hoffman

Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation explores how somatic awareness and trauma-informed pedagogies can be integrated into the teaching of writing. Drawing from autoethnography and pedagogical theory, it proposes that writing is not a purely cognitive act but a deeply embodied process, one shaped by the physiological and psychological dimensions of lived experience. Using autoethnography as both method and praxis, the study centers the author’s experiences of trauma, grief, and healing to investigate how body-based practices such as breathwork, visualization, and mindfulness can support writing, particularly for students navigating stress, anxiety, or disconnection from their academic identities. Chapter One situates the research within literature …

As I Type: An Autoethnography Of Italian (Sicilian) Family Literacies Across Generations In The United States, Kailyn Nicole Giaccone

Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation aims to investigate the racialization of my own family through the examination of migration and citizenship documents, primary sources, and oral histories as told by those who were present for or knew those present for events in question. Participants, including myself, were members of the same family, identified as either male or female, and ranged in age from 30 years to 80 years old. Participants were either monolingual English speakers or multilingual in English, Italian, and/or Sicilian. The methodology used to accomplish this research was autoethnography, which allowed the use of traditional database research, archival examinations of primary …

The Long Shadow Of Pride And Prejudice On Contemporary Fictions Of Arranged Marriage And Marriages Of Alliance, Candice Belluscio

Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation is an examination of the conflicts between arranged marriage and companionate marriage in selected contemporary Anglo-Indian novels and novels about Orthodox Judaism. The project’s guiding focus is how modern ideals of independence and choice in marriage coexist simultaneously with older ideals of marriage as family or personal “alliance.” The dissertation has a historical chapter that shows that although ideals of companionate marriage have become norms of 20th century western society and literature, the term “companionate marriage” is a recent invention and convention, and that various degrees and forms of arranged marriage, or marriages of alliance, continue despite their …

Ripples Of Support: A Mixed Methods Study Of Bystander Behavior In The Context Of Sexual Assault Among College Students, Miranda Levy

Theses and Dissertations

Emerging adulthood represents a period of elevated risk for sexual assault (SA), particularly among college students. Students are not only potential victims or perpetrators but also bystanders—individuals who may witness or become aware of risky or harmful situations and must decide whether and how to respond. Understanding what influences students’ decisions to intervene as bystanders in SA contexts is critical to improving peer responses and fostering safer campus environments. This study used a concurrent mixed methods design to examine how college students’ knowledge of campus SA policies, personal history of victimization, prior experiences receiving help, and SA disclosure reactions relate …