Digital Commons Network^™

Contributions Of Barad's New Materialism To Well-Being Research, M. Isidora Bilbao-Nieva, Alejandra Meyer

The Qualitative Report

In this article, we discuss the contributions that Karen Barad's theorizations can make to the study of well-being, particularly their ontoepistemological framework, “agential realism,” that emphasizes the inseparability of matter, ethics, and knowledge, as the relational entanglements of agencies. We use these ideas to imagine well-being as differential materializations, entanglements of human, and the non-human agencies that “intra-act” with each other and are inseparable from how we know about them and our responsibilities in their reconfigurations. From this perspective, we see well-being as a phenomenon, underpinning its dynamism and processuality. Analyzing an interview fragment, we exemplify how Barad's theorizations can …

Mutualism As Mutual Trust: An Ethnographic Case Study On An Elementary-School Teacher-Team Participation In A Science Pd Program, Olga Gould-Yakovleva, Xiufeng Liu

The Qualitative Report

This grounded in social constructivism yearlong ethnographic case study was conducted at the final stage of a larger, longitudinal, multisite, and multi-year project. The current research focused on a group of urban public elementary schoolteachers who volunteered to participate in the National Science Foundation (NSF)-funded interdisciplinary science and engineering partnership (ISEP) project. These teachers were enrolled in the professional development (PD) college courses in physics and engineering design, summer research in university laboratories, and interdisciplinary science inquiry (ISI) pedagogy sessions. This research sought to understand the factors which contributed to successful teamwork at the elementary school under investigation. Additionally, this …

The Emotional Impact Of Sensitive Topics: An Autoethnographic Account Of An Ovarian Cancer Research, Dinah A. Tetteh

The Qualitative Report

Growing evidence suggests that qualitative research about sensitive topics is emotional work with varied unanticipated risks for researchers. This autoethnographic essay adds to the extant literature by discussing the complexities added when the research topic is sensitive, and the researcher has not personally experienced the topic under study. I reflect on and analyze epiphanies in my research with 28 ovarian cancer survivors in northwest Ohio and southern Michigan in the United States, including how I processed the death of some participants. I suggest that practicing active listening, reflexivity, and flexibility can help manage limitations of a research project of this …

Intraprocedural Versus Initial Follow-Up Minimal Ablative Margin Assessment After Colorectal Liver Metastasis Thermal Ablation: Which One Better Predicts Local Outcomes?, Yuan-Mao Lin, Iwan Paolucci, Jessica Albuquerque Marques Silva, Caleb S O'Connor, Bryan M Fellman, Aaron K Jones, Joshua D Kuban, Steven Y Huang, Zeyad A Metwalli, Kristy K Brock, Bruno C Odisio

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Objectives: The aim of this study was to investigate the prognostic value of 3-dimensional minimal ablative margin (MAM) quantified by intraprocedural versus initial follow-up computed tomography (CT) in predicting local tumor progression (LTP) after colorectal liver metastasis (CLM) thermal ablation.

Materials and methods: This single-institution, patient-clustered, tumor-based retrospective study included patients undergoing microwave and radiofrequency ablation between 2016 and 2021. Patients without intraprocedural and initial follow-up contrast-enhanced CT, residual tumors, or with follow-up less than 1 year without LTP were excluded. Minimal ablative margin was quantified by a biomechanical deformable image registration method with segmentations of CLMs on intraprocedural preablation …

Survival Outcomes And Toxicity Of Adjuvant Immunotherapy After Definitive Concurrent Chemotherapy With Proton Beam Radiation Therapy For Patients With Inoperable Locally Advanced Non-Small Cell Lung Carcinoma, Kelsey L Corrigan, Ting Xu, Yuki Sasaki, Ruitao Lin, Aileen B Chen, James W Welsh, Steven H Lin, Joe Y Chang, Matthew S Ning, Saumil Gandhi, Michael S O'Reilly, Carl M Gay, Mehmet Altan, Charles Lu, Tina Cascone, Efstratios Koutroumpakis, Ajay Sheshadri, Xiaodong Zhang, Li Liao, X Ronald Zhu, John V Heymach, Quynh-Nhu Nguyen, Zhongxing Liao

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Introduction: Adjuvant immunotherapy (IO) following concurrent chemotherapy and photon radiation therapy confers an overall survival (OS) benefit for patients with inoperable locally advanced non-small cell lung carcinoma (LA-NSCLC); however, outcomes of adjuvant IO after concurrent chemotherapy with proton beam therapy (CPBT) are unknown. We investigated OS and toxicity after CPBT with adjuvant IO versus CPBT alone for inoperable LA-NSCLC.

Materials and methods: We analyzed 354 patients with LA-NSCLC who were prospectively treated with CPBT with or without adjuvant IO from 2009 to 2021. Optimal variable ratio propensity score matching (PSM) matched CPBT with CPBT + IO patients. Survival was estimated …

Juggling Academic Practice And Care: Collaborative Autoethnography Within A Basque University Research Group, Asunción Martínez-Arbelaiz, Aingeru Gutierrez-Cabello, Estibaliz Aberasturi-Apraiz, Jose M. Correa-Gorospe

The Qualitative Report

Many university scholars, including the authors of this article, acknowledge that they feel like they are riding an emotional roller coaster with academic success, as well as many project failures. Except for our PhD thesis, many of us complete our research tasks in relatively established research groups. However, little research has examined the potential these groups might have to mitigate feelings of academic isolation. To fill in this gap, we designed two methodological steps. First, we adopted the Woolfian metaphor of a room of our own, where we composed individual vignettes regarding our feelings of isolation. We read each other's …

Performance Characteristics Of The 5-Ring Ge Discovery Mi Pet/Ct Scanner Using Aapm Tg-126 Report, Refaat Y Almazrou, Shadei F Alanazi, Mohammed H Alzaid, Razan S Al-Fakhranee, Shanli Ding, Osama R Mawlawi

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

AIM: To report on the performance characteristics of the 5-ring GE Discovery MI PET/CT systems using the AAPM TG-126 report and compare these results to NEMA NU 2-2012 where applicable.

MATERIALS AND METHODS: TG-126 testing was performed on two GE 5-Rings Discovery MI scanners. Tests performed included spatial resolution, PET/CT image-registration accuracy, sensitivity, count rate performance, accuracy of corrections, image contrast, scatter/attenuation correction, and image uniformity. All acquired data were analyzed using scanner console or free software tools as described by TG-126 and the results were then compared to published NEMA NU 2-2012 values.

RESULTS: Both scanners gave similar resolution …

A Computer Vision Solution To Cross-Cultural Food Image Classification And Nutrition Logging​, Rohan Sethi, George K. Thiruvathukal

Computer Science: Faculty Publications and Other Works

The US is a culturally and ethnically diverse country, and with this diversity comes a myriad of cuisines and eating habits that expand well beyond that of western culture. Each of these meals have their own good and bad effects when it comes to the nutritional value and its potential impact on human health. Thus, there is a greater need for people to be able to access the nutritional profile of their diverse daily meals and better manage their health. A revolutionary solution to democratize food image classification and nutritional logging is using deep learning to extract that information from …

Clearing The Path: Improving Implementation Of Georgia’S Pathways To Coverage Program, Nicholas Smith

Emory Law Journal Online

Georgia’s Medicaid program is in flux. The State recently launched Pathways to Coverage, a partial Medicaid expansion program for non-disabled adults in households under 100% of the Federal Poverty Line, with eligibility contingent on reporting 80 hours of work per month. Pathways’ rollout coincides with Medicaid “unwinding,” an ongoing post-COVID redetermination process in which thousands of Georgians have already lost coverage. As such, Pathways could play an important role in offsetting the unwinding’s disenrollment effects. But Pathways may also serve as a test case for conservative lawmakers hoping to institute (or reinstitute) work requirements to restrict Medicaid coverage in their …

Automated Glacier Classification In High Mountain Asia Using Machine Learning And A Random Forest Classifier, Victoria Elizabeth Halvorson

Dartmouth College Master’s Theses

High Mountain Asia (HMA) is home to the largest mass of glaciers and ice outside the north and south polar regions. HMA glaciers are projected to experience accelerated mass loss from higher greenhouse gas emissions through the end of the century. Many studies of glacier mass balance and mass loss in HMA obtain glacier area from the Randolph Glacier Inventory (RGI). However, the RGI is designed to show glacier area across the world that is accurate to the year 2000 and, as a result, is not an accurate representation of the current state of glacier area in HMA. Additionally, glacier …

A Loon On Highland Lake, An Eco-Fantasy, Erin E. Bennett

Dartmouth College Master’s Theses

A Loon on Highland Lake is a fantasy play, adapted from Tchaikovsky’s ballet, Swan Lake, itself an adaption of a Russian “swan maiden” folktale. In this retelling, the spirit of an invasive tree species, Alder Buckthorn, endangers the inhabitants of the small lake town of East Andover, New Hampshire. On the night of the 4^th of July, Buckthorn places a curse on an unfortunate news reporter, transforming him into a loon, the solitary black bird known in the northeast for its distinct, haunting call. Figgy, a shy ecologist living in East Andover, stumbles upon the knowledge that her …

Admissions Magazine Spring 2024, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University

Admissions Magazine

Altitude: Students Take A Giant Leap Forward

• Science That Works
• Education At A Higher Altitude: At Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, Daring to Think Big and Push Boundaries Is A Way Of Life
• A Crash Course In Safety
• The Perfect Fit
• Seizing the Moment
• Broadened Perspectives
• The Perfect Bond
• Don't Let the Bed Bugs Bite
• A Well-Balanced Education
• Mechanical Engineering Major Looks to Make Environmental Impact
• Molecular Level Science
• Not An Optical Illusion
• Asia Campus Lab Advances Uncrewed Systems Training
• A Giant Leap Forward
• Getting His Hands on the Future
• An Additive Experience
• Space Launch System
• The M-Star Program
• A Giant Leap …

Investigating Essential Oils, Natural Compounds, And Marine Based Rumen Buffers As Feed Additives For Enteric Methane Mitigation And Improved Ruminant Productivity, Ian Hodge

Theses

Ruminant dietary additives were investigated for enteric methane (CH4) mitigation and their effects on rumen fermentation characteristics during both in vitro and in vivo supplementation trials. A meta-analysis of the peer reviewed published literature was initially performed to establish the state of the art in the field and allowed benchmarking of the performance of the dietary additives screened during the project. Investigated feed additives included garlic oil (GO), nitrate, Ascophyllum nodosum (AN), Asparagopsis (ASP), Lactobacillus plantarum (LAB), calcareous marine algae (CMA), chitosan (CHI), essential oils (EO) and 3-nitrooxypropanol (3-NOP). The development of an in vitro screening method to evaluate the …

The Need For Fentanyl-Specific Drug Education In Schools, Emma Guggenheimer

Cardozo Journal of Equal Rights & Social Justice

The note advocates for the implementation of state legislation requiring fentanyl-specific drug education in K-12 schools to combat the escalating opioid epidemic, particularly among teenagers. It emphasizes the critical role of schools in providing comprehensive education to raise awareness about the dangers of fentanyl and prevent overdose deaths. The proposal includes mandates for fentanyl-awareness campaigns, updated curricula, and the use of tools like fentanyl test strips and naloxone in schools.

Development Of A 3d-Printed Device To Study How Bacteria Alters The 3d Migration Of Breast Cancer Cells, Jack Bedell

Honors Capstones

No abstract provided.

Addressing The Opioid Crisis Through County-Widen Public Safety Agencies’ Post-Overdose Outreach Programs, Julia Keane

School of Professional Studies

The opioid epidemic not only kills thousands every year but sees thousands survive overdoses only to overdose again in a continuous cycle. Massachusetts is no stranger to this epidemic, with numbers and patterns mirroring national rates. Newer changes to the drug supply, with fentanyl becoming increasingly used, sold, and cut with other drugs., have been on the rise and impact current opioid overdoses rates. Preventative measures are needed to address this public safety and public health crisis, not only bettering the current rates but decreasing future ones. This paper will first look at the methodology and literature used to understand …

Identity-Driven Targeted Violence: Attending To Identity, Emotion, And Personality-Related Predictors Of Attitudinal And Behavioral Prejudice, Patrick Timothy Mcgonigal

Dissertations and Doctoral Documents, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, 2023–

Identity-driven targeted violence driven by gender identity, sexuality, race, and religion overwhelmingly impacts marginalized groups of individuals. Existing evidence suggests that acts of bias on college campuses are often unreported by students, leaving those who engage in these behaviors to continue without proper redress. A great wealth of data illustrates the deleterious impacts of identity-driven behavior on student victims, including heightened psychological distress, poorer academic performance, and lower retention. In contrast, limited research has examined relevant underpinnings of perpetrating identity-driven harassment. The current dissertation developed and disseminated a large survey to undergraduate students spanning three years of data collection. The …

Second Order Effects In Concrete Insulated Wall Panels, Salam A. Al-Rubaye

Dissertations and Doctoral Documents, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, 2023–

Insulated concrete panels (CIPs) have been used for over 60 years for their both structural and thermal resistance. The flexural behavior of CIPs has been investigated in recent years. The CIPs are rapidly becoming ubiquitous in the precast industry, and the tilt-up industry is initiating a study to determine their effectiveness as a tilt-up product. There are several known challenges associated with a tilt-up version of a partially composite wall and likely other unknown challenges. This study was initiated to investigate the behavior of load-bearing concrete insulated wall panels for use in tilt-up construction. The primary objective was to understand …

The Teacher Acute Concussion Tool And Return To Learn In West Virginia, Samantha Jane Windisch

Graduate Student Scholarship

Due to the complex nature and varying presentations of concussions or mild TBIs, multiple health categories are often involved in the recovery of post-concussion symptoms including physical, cognitive, emotional, and behavioral health concerns. The neurological side effects, along with the potential involvement of other health domains can propagate decreased participation and engagement in meaningful occupations or impact the overall quality of performance of these activities. One of those activities is being able to return to learning in the classroom. West Virginia (WV) has been providing education and training on the Teacher Acute Concussion Tool (TACT) to school staff and personnel. …

Pilot Study: Effects Of Whole Body Vibrational Therapy On Equine Epaxial Muscle Soreness, Riley Leibeck

Undergraduate Honors Thesis Projects

Whole body vibrational therapy (WBV) is well-studied in people, but there is a paucity of research of its effect on horses. It is suggested that WBV use in horses increases performance, aids in recovery, and stimulates nerves, bones, and muscles in ways that normal exercise does not. The purpose of this pilot study was to determine if frequent WBV therapy sessions affect back soreness in horses using pressure algometry. Most sporthorses will experience back soreness in their careers, and it is regarded as one of the most common causes of poor performance in equine athletes. Five horses were measured for …

U.S. International Adoption Subsidies: Shining Light On The Dark History Of The Baby "Black Market", Rachel Briner

The International Law Review Association Student Forum

While international adoption is a beautiful concept in theory, it often leads to dark consequences. From its inception, human trafficking has enabled international adoptions. While the United States alone cannot dismantle the entire baby “black market” and the likely black market for children’s organs intertwined with it, the U.S. can remove its large contribution. By limiting the federal adoption subsidy to only domestic adoptions, the United States can ensure it only aids systems within its control and address the needs of its own children without homes more effectively. Many other authors have also noted various human trafficking and potential organ …

0887: Gwenyth E. Hood Collection, 1889-2023, Marshall University Special Collections

Guides to Manuscript Collections

Gwenyth Elise Hood was born on December 10, 1955, to Thomas Arthur Hood and Marion Louise Snee Hood in White Plains, NY, but moved with her family to Brandon, Vermont at the age of seven. She developed a love of reading and writing at an early age, discovering some favorite authors—Rudyard Kipling, Shakespeare, and J.R.R. Tolkien—at roughly the same time, in early adolescence. Then came Dante. Dante drew her to learn Latin and Italian; she had already started on French due to family heritage and the availability of the language in High School. In 1979 she won a University of …

The Significant Role Of Seo In Effective Web Marketing, Ramtin Ranjpour

AMTP Proceedings 2024

With the ever-rising popularity of online shopping, the power of web marketing has become more essential than ever. And search engine optimization (SEO) plays a huge role in web marketing. This paper is a critical literature review that goes over the important scholarly and non-scholarly works of influential experts in SEO. It serves as a fun and engaging introduction for anyone interested in learning about SEO, specifically about its importance, benefits, top strategies, rivals, and how it can be combined with other marketing methods. The hope is that it helps individuals and small business owners with their web marketing and …

From Cough To Crip: The Development Of Codeine From A Purely Medical Substance Into A Popular Recreational Drug, Rhett C. Vaughn

Senior Theses

The research that was conducted aimed to elicit the influence that pop culture has on recreational drug consumption. Specifically, the usage of the drug codeine has become very popular in social media among many influencers. The research focuses on the prevalence of this drug across several media platforms, alongside the growing rate of consumption globally. Research was conducted primarily through combining various databases at various organizations and this study aims to compile the data into one coherent paper regarding codeine in pop culture. While, it cannot be solely attributed to one specific outlet or influence, this study found that alongside …

The Health Effects Of Chocolate: A Literature Review, Erika A. Pierce

Senior Theses

Chocolate has been a part of the human diet for centuries, but while it was once considered a healthy food, it is now seen as a dessert and unhealthy treat. It is known that chocolate contains polyphenols, flavonoids, and minerals that can affect body functioning. To determine the extent to which chocolate plays a role in health, a literature review was performed by searching the PubMed, CINAHL, and Web of Science databases for peer-reviewed articles published between 2004 and 2024. Of the 14 included studies, the health effects of chocolate fell into three overarching categories: neurological effects, including mental health, …

Decoding Implant-Related Sickness: Unraveling The Complexities Of Breast Implant Illness, Madison M. Stewart

Senior Theses

This thesis investigates the phenomenon of breast implant illness (BII), examining its potential correlation with individual factors such as obesity and poor lifestyle habits. BII, characterized by nonspecific symptoms, is often self-diagnosed by patients influenced by social media and internet sources, leading to requests for implant removal. Conducting a comprehensive meta-analysis, the study scrutinizes existing literature to evaluate the association between BII, obesity, and lifestyle choices. Employing inclusion criteria, peer-reviewed publications are analyzed through systematic review methodology to offer insights into the interplay between BII and adiposity, exploring inflammatory mechanisms and patient behaviors like exercise and smoking. The research aims …

"Fueling For A Healthy Life:" A Cooking Class For Adolescent And Young Adult Childhood Cancer Survivors, Hope Dominique

Senior Theses

Following cancer treatment, childhood cancer survivors (CCS) are at an increased risk of developing chronic diseases and face an increased risk of health-related death during adulthood. Recent literature demonstrates that modifying lifestyle factors such as nutrition can reduce the risk of late mortality in survivors, suggesting that interventions promoting a healthy lifestyle may improve quality and quantity of life for CCS. However, many adolescent and young adult (AYA) CCS do not adhere to national dietary guidelines and face both real and perceived barriers to adopting healthier eating habits while in a critical period for establishing behaviors that contribute to lifelong …

A Historical Analysis Of Health Institutions, Professionals, And Advocates In The Civil Rights Movement In Columbia, South Carolina, Anusha Ghosh

Senior Theses

From 1900 to 1970, widespread racism severely restricted healthcare access for Black citizens in the South, leading them to establish and staff alternative healthcare institutions to support their community.

Such institutions faced debilitating issues such as chronic financial shortages and patient overflow. Despite these problems, oral histories, media, and primary written sources show that Black healthcare workers in alternative healthcare institutions demonstrated a greater ability to meet the health needs of Black patients due to cultural understanding and external community involvement.

Dr. Matilda Evans was an African-American woman physician who became a leader in medicine, public health, and education in …

Facing Two Fronts: Asian Americans Grappling With Covid-19 And Xenophobic Tensions, Matthew Soos

Senior Theses

This thesis examines the impact of COVID-19-induced discrimination against Asian Americans (AsAms) and its effects on the mental health of college-aged individuals within this demographic. The study specifically targets East and Southeast Asians due to their heightened connection with the pandemic. Data was gathered via a survey disseminated among undergraduate AsAm students at the University of South Carolina. The survey sought information on the occurrence and forms of discrimination encountered pre-pandemic and during the pandemic, alongside the mental health condition and coping mechanisms of the respondents. Moreover, participants were prompted to assess the efficacy of suggested approaches in addressing discrimination. …

Focus Group And Survey Responses To Postural Feedback During Creative Movement Exploration, Mary C. Matthews

Senior Theses

John H. Riskind’s “appropriateness hypothesis” states that posture, positions, and gestures can be emotionally self-regulating if an individual holds a posture that is appropriate for its context. A litany of studies on power posing suggests expansive postures could increase Feelings of Power. One meta-analytic review demonstrates the “robust” significance for evidence of “power feelings, emotion, or self-esteem” due to postural feedback while cautioning researchers on the empirical invalidity of evidence for behavioral and physiological variables. A qualitative description of individuals’ experiences as they change posture, gesture, and position would direct future research on postural feedback. The current project qualitatively examines …