Digital Commons Network^™

Information Literacy Instruction Trifecta: Universal Design For Learning, Culturally Responsive Teaching, And Andragogy In Action, William Ortiz

Loex Conference Proceedings 2025

No abstract provided.

Supporting Trial Databases: Collaborating With Faculty And Integrating Library Instruction To Drive Student Engagement, Megan Graewingholt, Keri Prelitz

Loex Conference Proceedings 2025

No abstract provided.

2025 Extension Highlights

Lancaster County, Nebraska Extension: Reports

The work and programs highlighted in this report are a sample of how local residents count on Nebraska Extension in Lancaster County to:

• Strengthen Nebraska Agriculture & Food Systems

• Inspire Nebraskans & Their Communities

• Enhance The Health & Wellbeing Of All Nebraskans

Annual Report: Nebraska Extension In Lancaster County, January 1, 2025 Through December 31, 2025

Lancaster County, Nebraska Extension: Reports

Lancaster County Extension information from 2025. Contents include:

1) About Extension - mission statement, leadership and program area overview;

2) Staff and Programs - staff directory, 2025 program highlights and impact reports;

3) Financials - summaries of 2024-2025 expenditures and current fiscal year 2025-2026 budget; and

4) Media - website and social media information, samples of the Nebline newsletter and local newspaper articles.

Accelerating The Growth And Development Of Entrepreneurship Within The Neurodiverse Community, Donna Iucolano Ph.D., Jonathan Ali, Jason Schwartz, Christian Michaels

Business: Faculty Publications

This paper shares the results of student efforts in a Fall 2024 undergraduate Capstone course at Molloy University’s School of Business. During the 14-week semester, eight students worked in two teams to address an opportunity for Backyard Players & Friends (BYP), a nonprofit organization based in Rockville Centre (Long Island), New York dedicated to inclusivity for people 14+ years old. To help fulfill its mission, BYP ventured into retail by opening a boutique named Front Porch Market (FPM) in December 2022. FPM was the focus of a Capstone in Spring 2024, and those efforts led to this follow-up engagement. The …

German Cockroach Allergen Mitigation, Olivia Katz

Theses and Dissertations--Entomology

German cockroaches (Blatella germanica L.) remain one of the most challenging indoor pests to manage, due in large part to their cryptic nature, rapid reproduction, and resistance to insecticides. Because of their close proximity to humans, they also pose several serious health threats, including the production and dissemination of several potent allergens linked to asthma development and exacerbation. Given the risks associated with cockroach allergens, we examined the longevity of two distinct cockroach allergens (Bla g 1 and Bla g 5) in the home environment and the efficacy of cleaners at removing these allergens. Our findings show that Bla …

The Effects Of System Of Least Prompts To Promote Indpendence For A Student With Autism, Misty L. Brown

Theses and Dissertations--Education Sciences

This study examined the effects of a System of Least Prompts (SLP) intervention on the independent skills, such as completing a daily schedule, setting alarms on a personal device, and transitioning into set activities, for a high-school student diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and multiple co-occurring diagnoses. LB was a 15-year-old student who attended a specialized non-profit school for individuals with ASD and severe behaviors and was in the process of transitioning back into public school. He required support in self-management and choice making skills. The purpose of this intervention was to increase LB’s ability to evaluate his day …

U.S. Perspectives On Deconstruction And Reuse Of Structural Wood Products, Fiona A. O'Donnell, N. L. Post, J. J. Lesko, Amelia E. Landry , '26, Abigail R. Peters , '26, Zoe A. E. Sperduto , '26

Engineering Faculty Works

This paper identifies barriers, challenges, and requirements to the widespread adoption of Design for Deconstruction and Reuse (DfDR) of wood and engineered wood products in the United States (U.S.) to increase circularity in the built environment. A series of interviews with industry representatives were performed to summarize the state-of-the-art related to DfDR and gain insight into the perspectives and attitudes of the primary stakeholders; the results of these interviews were compared to the current academic literature. Results indicate that further emphasis is needed on closing the loop through the reuse phase, which is limited by a lack of regulations and …

Immersive Executive Functions Assessment System (Iexec): Integrating Embodied Cognition And Virtual Reality, Hamza Reza Pavel

Computer Science and Engineering Dissertations - Archive

Executive functions (EFs) are higher-order cognitive processes that include working memory, inhibitory control, and cognitive flexibility. These higher-order processes facilitate the achievement of goal-directed behavior and enable both adaptive decision-making and emotional regulation. Traditional EF assessment tools depend on static pen-and-paper tasks or basic computer-based tasks, which fail to capture real-world cognitive complexity and dynamics. Some of these assessment tools are specifically geared towards children or older adults, while others are more generic and designed to be used for people of all ages. This dissertation addresses these limitations by introducing iExec: The Immersive Executive Functions Assessment System, which functions as …

Enabling Energy And Water Sustainability Through Out-Of-Band Emi Sensing And Infrastructure Modeling, Pranjol Sen Gupta

Computer Science and Engineering Dissertations - Archive

As demand for Internet and cloud services surges, data centers have emerged as critical infrastructure—but they are also among theworld’s most energy- andwater-intensive facilities. Effective power management, particularly at the server level, is essential for improving efficiency, reliability, and sustainability. However, server-level power monitoring remains uncommon due to the high cost of hardware instrumentation and the intrusiveness of software-based solutions, especially in shared colocation environments. My research introduces a novel, low-cost, and non-intrusive method for server-level power monitoring using conducted electromagnetic interference (EMI). By analyzing EMI signals captured from higher levels in the power distribution network, this approach estimates individual …

Enhanced Separation Performance For Fractionally Liberated Materials Using The Hydrofloat™ Process Technology, Yucel Ozsoy

Theses and Dissertations--Mining Engineering

The advent of HydroFloat™ technology, developed by Eriez Manufacturing, marks a significant milestone in the evolution of the mineral processing industry, particularly for the coarse particle flotation by shifting the limits, well-known as the “Elephant Curve.” As the industry strives to process lower-grade ores with higher tonnages for financial reasons, the significance of processing coarse particles through HydroFloat™ technology becomes increasingly critical.

This approach offers substantial benefits by potentially reducing energy consumption within grinding circuits, making it a key solution in enhancing efficiency and cost-effectiveness. This study presents a comprehensive review of the existing literature, laying a solid foundation by …

Caregiver Perceptions Of Gobabygo Car Usage, Sierra L. Hays, Erin L. Hefner, Richelle Gray, Carrie Smith-Bell

Graduate Student Scholarship

This qualitative study aims to understand caregiver perceptions of their child’s play using a modified ride-on toy car (MROC). Caregivers of children with disabilities participated in a semi-structured interview and a photo-elicitation interview to better understand their beliefs, attitudes, values, and feelings about their children’s play with a MROC. A directed content analysis was used based on constructs of the model for the Process for Establishing Children’s Occupations (PECO; Wiseman et al., 2005). Most constructs of the PECO model, including stages of play and influences on play, were identified within the caregivers’ descriptions of children's play with the MROC. Additional …

Optimizing Indoor Localization Using Rssi And Iq Data With Machine Learning, Gokdeniz Tingur

Computer Science Theses

This paper explores implementing and evaluating a Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE)-based indoor localization system using Received Signal Strength Indicator (RSSI) and Angle of Arrival (AoA) data via machine learning. A survey of localization technologies (RFID, GPS, ZigBee, and BLE) provides context on capabilities and limitations in indoor positioning. IQ data and phase-based angle estimation show how BLE 5.1’s direction-finding features enable sub-meter accuracy. A multi-phase experiment in a three-story academic building examines model performance with different tag distributions, movement patterns, and environmental constraints. Machine learning models such as Support Vector Machines and Deep Neural Networks are trained and evaluated across …

Load Analysis And Material Optimization For An Underwater Autonomy Sensorized Task Platform, Andrew Vo

Engineering Theses

With developing technology, options for fabrication and material selection broaden. An example is 3D printable photopolymer resin used to create parts serving several applications. An application of this photopolymer resin is the ONR research project for the creation of the sensorized task platform for a robot to use underwater. The resin in this project was used to fabricate custom-made connecting brackets. These fabricated parts were hastily designed with no detailed analysis on stress distributions or material consumption. Using SolidWorks simulation analysis and Instron machines for experimentation, the goal of this project was to modify the original part with a reduced …

The Impact Of Parenting Behaviors On The Development Of Hope In Young Children Experiencing Homelessness, Gracie Munnie

Psychology Theses

Research in resilience science has revealed a “short-list” of protective factors that support positive development in contexts of risk and adversity (Masten, 2014). One such factor is hope, which includes agency thinking (i.e., the belief in one’s ability to accomplish their goals) and pathway thinking (i.e., the ability to produce attainable routes to those goals; Sparks, 2021; Synder, 1997). In families, parents with high levels of hope set intentional parenting goals and encourage their children to create goals as well; these parents also report better psychological functioning and increased ability to cope with parenting stressors (Cole & Molloy, 2023). Although …

Sedimentary Archives Of Late Quaternary Limnological, Ecological, And Environmental Change In The Eastern Sierra Nevada (California, Usa), Bailee Hodelka

Theses and Dissertations--Earth and Environmental Sciences

The Sierra Nevada essentially serve as the headwaters of California, providing crucial freshwater to the state through seasonal snowmelt. This water supply is threatened by climate change in complex ways that are not fully understood. Geological records provide a valuable source of information on how the hydrology, limnology, and ecology of the Sierra Nevada region has responded to climate changes of the past. This dissertation presents new sedimentary and paleoecological research from Mono Lake and Convict Lake (Mono County, California) and aims to shed light on environmental changes in the eastern Sierra Nevada from ~16 ka to present.

At Mono …

Counterspace, Vol. 2: 2024-2025, [email protected]

CounterSpace

No abstract provided.

Measurement Of Two-Point Energy Correlators Within Jets In P+P Collisions At Sqrt[S]=200  Gev, Star Collaboration

Physics and Astronomy Faculty Publications

Hard-scattered partons ejected from high-energy proton-proton collisions undergo parton shower and hadronization, resulting in collimated collections of particles that are clustered into jets. A substructure observable that highlights the transition between the perturbative and nonperturbative regimes of jet evolution in terms of the angle between two particles is the two-point energy correlator (EEC). In this Letter, the first measurement of the EEC at RHIC is presented, using data taken from 200 GeV p þ p collisions by the STAR experiment. The EEC is measured both for all the pairs of particles in jets and separately for pairs with like and …

Design Of The Ecce Detector For The Electron Ion Collider, J. K. Adkins

Physics and Astronomy Faculty Publications

The EIC Comprehensive Chromodynamics Experiment (ECCE) detector has been designed to address the full scope of the proposed Electron Ion Collider (EIC) physics program as presented by the National Academy of Science and provide a deeper understanding of the quark–gluon structure of matter. To accomplish this, the ECCE detector offers nearly acceptance and energy coverage along with excellent tracking and particle identification. The ECCE detector was designed to be built within the budget envelope set out by the EIC project while simultaneously managing cost and schedule risks. This detector concept has been selected to be the basis for the EIC …

What Is Eighteenth-Century Xiaoshuo?, Jessica Dvorak Moyer

East Asian Languages & Cultures: Faculty Publications

This article responds to the question, “What is eighteenth-century fiction?” with a focus on Chinese fiction. It begins with an overview of eighteenth-century Chinese fiction and a deeper reading of the explicit metafictionality of China’s most famous eighteenth-century novel, Story of the Stone (also known as Dream of the Red Chamber). Then it critically interrogates the assumed equivalency between the English term fiction and the Chinese term xiaoshuo through a historical overview of the unequal literary and linguistic engagements between Europe and China. The article concludes that “we can neither reduce Stone to fiction nor deny it the status of …

Interaction Mechanism Between Health Anxiety And Information Seeking Behavior From The Perspective Of Phenomenology, Yanfeng Zhang, Minqian Yu

Journal of Scientific Information Research

[Purpose/significance]To analyze the evolution characteristics of health anxiety before and after information search behavior from the perspective of phenomenological graph analysis, and to explain the internal mechanism of the interaction between health anxiety and information search behavior. [Method/process]By using the phenomenological qualitative research method, the interactive mechanism between health anxiety and information search behavior was deeply explored. Based on the I-PACE theoretical model framework, the model elements of users' health anxiety and information search behavior were analyzed from the four dimensions of "Person-Affect-Cognition-Execution". To construct a mechanistic relationship model between health anxiety and information search behavior. [Result/conclusion]The research results revealed …

Countering Workplace Wellness Bias Through Wellness-Legal Partnerships, Barbara Zabawa

Faculty Works

In the current United States economy, wellness is predominantly marketed to society’s privileged individuals, catering to a mostly white and high-income clientele. When marginalized communities encounter wellness services, such as in the workplace, they are faced with an Implicitly biased industry. These biases include an emphasis on individual behavior change without considering social determinants of health (SDOH), cultural appropriation of wellness activities for capitalistic gain, use of biased health measures like Body-Mass Index (BMI) and constant images of and expectations of achieving a stereotypical healthy body. The legal community must wake up to these biases and advocate for more equitable …

No More Wild West: The Need For Wellness Professional Standards, Barbara Zabawa

Faculty Works

The burgeoning wellness industry attracts a lot of practitioners who are largely unregulated. This “wild west” of wellness creates uncertainty for insurers, employers, consumers and practitioners as to what services and items wellness practitioners can offer, whether those practitioners are qualified and whether they behave in an ethical manner. Some guideposts for these wellness stakeholders would be welcome and may reduce consumer harm. Guideposts for wellness is especially crucial in a time when the Braidwood v. Becerra case threatens the delivery of preventive care services by the health care sector. As we have learned from the health care sector, the …

Historical Perspectives On Family Law: An Annotated Bibliography, Allen Roston

Faculty Works

This bibliography lists articles and books that provide historical perspectives on major aspects of family law. It focuses on legal history, but it includes some works that look at family relationships and issues through the broader lenses of social history, cultural history, or other historical approaches.

The Integrated Support Plan For End-Of-Life Care (Isp-Eolc), Kaitlin R. Sugarman

Entry Level Occupational Therapy Doctoral Capstone Projects Class of 2025

The Integrated Support Plan for End-of-Life Care (ISP-EoLC) workbook was developed to address the growing need for structured, occupation-based resources for occupational therapy practitioners (OTPs) working in end-of-life care. Rooted in evidence-informed practice, this workbook guides OTPs in supporting patients and caregivers through one of life’s most complex transitions. Each chapter of the workbook focuses on a key topic, including early recognition of OT needs, meaningful role participation, iterative interventions, caregiver support, and interdisciplinary collaboration. Designed to be both educational and interactive, the workbook includes patient and caregiver-directed activities that promote communication, reflection, and emotional connection. It also offers practical …

Know More Falling: Community-Based Fall Prevention, Edward R. Mcwithey

Entry Level Occupational Therapy Doctoral Capstone Projects Class of 2025

The aging population is expected to grow to 2 billion worldwide by 2050 (Rosado et al., 2021). Aging is classified as a determinant risk factor for falls and fall-related injuries (Rosado et al., 2021). This capstone project aimed to promote understanding and address fall prevention in the older adult population with multiple stakeholders throughout the Dallas, Pennsylvania community. Project goals included developing community partnerships, providing education and addressing wellness and health equity among community-dwelling older adults through multifaceted interventions. The literature search yielded a synthesis and analysis of current evidence focused on community-based fall programming, adding to the body of …

A Parent's Guide To Success, Marina D. Bucciarelli

Entry Level Occupational Therapy Doctoral Capstone Projects Class of 2025

A Parent’s Guide to Success, a doctoral capstone project, explored occupational therapy’s (OT) role in family-centered practice (FCP). The project focused on areas of education, advocacy, and program development which were informed by the completion of a scoping review. This capstone project was developed as a primary prevention resource for parents and caregivers of children from birth to three years. It was designed to prepare, inform, and support new parents and caregivers with educational videos and resources that depict the skills, knowledge, and support needed for optimized family outcomes. Education was also a valuable aspect of this project as the …

Death And Dying Across The Lifespan, Paige Sala

Entry Level Occupational Therapy Doctoral Capstone Projects Class of 2025

Death and Dying Across The Lifespan centers on the creation of three interdisciplinary educational courses focused on end-of-life care for three distinct age groups: geriatrics, adults, and pediatrics. The courses aim to improve undergraduate students’ competence in addressing death and dying with patients, caregivers, and other healthcare professionals within the team. The courses were developed in response to growing evidence that supports the need for education on death, dying, and caring for individuals at the end of life. Many students are not adequately exposed to these topics in current curricula, despite the importance of interdisciplinary collaboration in this area of …

Students Obtaining Tools To Achieve Regulation (Soar), Lacey D. Sanguinito

Entry Level Occupational Therapy Doctoral Capstone Projects Class of 2025

Students Obtaining Tools to Achieve Regulation (SOAR) is a doctoral capstone project that addressed the need for integrated social emotional learning (SEL) in elementary education. SEL is an evidence-based approach shown to improve academic outcomes, behavior, and long-term life success, yet implementation barriers remain in school settings. This project aimed to enhance student regulation, classroom engagement, and teacher confidence in SEL techniques through a multi-tiered approach. A scoping review of SEL literature identified the implementation methods and barriers to SEL curricula in elementary education, which informed the development of SOAR. SOAR consisted of (a) a 20-session, movement-based SEL curriculum targeting …

Meaning Within The Lines, Melody Kneller

Entry Level Occupational Therapy Doctoral Capstone Projects Class of 2025

“Meaning Within the Lines” was a doctoral capstone project developed to improve children’s handwriting through program development, education, and advocacy. Through an occupational therapy handwriting program at Misericordia University, local children struggling with handwriting received pro-bono occupational therapy services that improved their overall handwriting skills, using the Handwriting Without Tears curriculum and manipulatives. This project also advanced the knowledge of undergraduate occupational therapy students' through observation of OT sessions. Education workshop opportunities increased underclassman knowledge in handwriting development and provided resources that they can use for their future practice. Advocacy efforts to educate area school district personnel was completed to …