Digital Commons Network^™

Debatrix, Vivienne Lu, Huy Ngo, Luke Ponssen, Jonathan Preiss, Ryan Rani

Computer Science and Engineering Senior Theses

Developing public-speaking skills remains a persistent challenge in formal education, constrained by limited instructional time and the lack of scalable, individualized feedback. Existing automated tools address only narrow aspects of this problem, offering text-based coaching against rigid rubrics that fail to capture argument quality, evidence use, or real-time rebuttal skill. This thesis presents Debatrix, an AI-powered platform that enables K-12 students, university learners, and independent self-studiers to debate an intelligent opponent. The system combines automatic speech recognition, large language model-driven rebuttal generation, and a multi-dimensional rhetorical analysis engine that evaluates argument structure, evidence integration, and persuasive technique. Users receive explainable …

Fda Approval Of Etripamil For The Treatment Of Paroxysmal Supraventricular Tachycardia, Kiley Devoll, Daniella Egbujor, Katy Grainger, Katherine Cook, Victoria Niese, Connor Dains, Brenna Hissong, Andrew Roecker

Pharmacy and Wellness Review

Paroxysmal supraventricular tachycardia (PSVT) is characterized by sudden, brief, intermittent episodes that result in a heart rate of 150 to 250 beats per minute (bpm). PSVT is difficult to diagnose, making proper treatment challenging. According to the 2015 American Heart Association (AHA)/American College of Cardiology (ACC)/Heart Rhythm Society (HRS) guidelines, current pharmacologic recommendations for PSVT include adenosine, verapamil, diltiazem, or nonpharmacologic vagal maneuvers.¹ These treatments each have a variety of adverse effects, contraindications, and dosing considerations, which highlight a need for novel therapies for the acute treatment and maintenance of PSVT.¹ The NODE-301 trial assessed the safety and …

Making Kinship With Plants And The Multiple Meanings Of Care In Amazonian Indigenous Gardens, Ana Gabriela Morim De Lima

Tipití: Journal of the Society for the Anthropology of Lowland South America

This paper focuses on the bonds of kinship and care between humans, cultivated plants, and other-than-human beings in Indigenous gardens, myths, rituals, and shamanism, across Lowland South America. Drawing on Krahô ethnography and a review of ethnological literature, it highlights the contributions of Americanist ethnology to wider debates about multispecies relation, particularly with regard to vegetal agency. By exploring the ambivalent meanings of care- such as “caring,” “raising,” and “nurturing,” as well as “being careful,” “having respect,” and “taking precautions”- I examine how kinship relations between humans and their cultivated plants are made through care and unmade through its absence …

Clinician Perspectives On Fistula Mental Health, Victoria K. Leonard

Doctoral Dissertations

Background – Obstetric fistula is a childbirth injury caused by prolonged labor that leads to stillbirth and incontinence, spurring social exclusion and isolation. These layers of trauma put women with fistula at great risk for psychological suffering, which has profound negative socioeconomic impacts on them, their families, and communities. This study captured treatment as usual at Comprehensive Community Based Rehabilitation in Tanzania (CCBRT), the country’s largest provider of fistula care.

Method – Improving holistic fistula treatment requires engaging the clinicians who care for women with fistula. This study aimed to investigate the training, beliefs, and treatment approaches of nurses and …

Mri-Based Deep Learning Radiomics Model For Automated Classification Of Disc Degeneration In The Lumbar Spine, Shiv Patil, Om Gandhi, Mert Karabacak, Matthew Carr, Konstantinos Margetis

Student Papers, Posters & Projects

Disc degeneration in the lumbar spine is a major cause of low back pain (LBP). The accurate grading of disc degeneration on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is critical for clinical management and patient selection for spine surgery. This study aims to develop and evaluate machine learning (ML) models that combine features from deep learning (DL) and radiomics for the automated prediction of Pfirrmann grade (PG), a measure of disc degeneration, using multi-parametric lumbar spine MRI. Sagittal T1, T2, and T2 SPACE MRIs of 218 patients with LBP were acquired from the SPIDER dataset. For each intervertebral disc and available sequence, …

On The Brink Of Silence: Ethnographic Perspectives On Hunting And Forest Life Among The Awa Guajá In Eastern Amazonia, Uirá Garcia

Tipití: Journal of the Society for the Anthropology of Lowland South America

The central theme of this article basically resides in the relationship established by indigenous peoples between their hunting practices and the forest. Indigenous ways of connecting ‘hunting’ and ‘forest’ necessarily pass through other modes of knowing, only marginally – if it all – dependent on vision. On the contrary, sounds, smells and even dreams are, for many South American indigenous collectives, more trustworthy indices than what the eye sees. This article divides into two parts. In the first, I set out the main ideas related to the anthropological study of hunting in Amazonia at a conceptual level. In the second, …

A Call To Action: Towards A Compendium For Culturally Responsive And Inclusive Pain Management, Arvie Vitente, Rob Sweet, Lester Jones

Philippine Journal of Physical Therapy

Introduction: Pain is a pervasive global health problem, yet its assessment and management remain shaped by biomedical, monolingual, and culturally narrow assumptions that do not fully reflect the lived realities of diverse populations. Although contemporary pain science recognizes pain as a personal experience influenced by biological, psychological, and social factors, inequities persist across racial, ethnic, linguistic, and cultural groups.

Main Body: These inequities affect how pain is expressed, interpreted, documented, and treated, particularly among Indigenous peoples, migrants, refugees, and patients with limited English proficiency. In this perspective, we call for the development of a comprehensive compendium on culturally responsive and …

Leveraging Social Media Recruitment In Health Science Education: A Scoping Review, Crystalyn Richard, Natalie Nguyen, Luong Thien Nguyen, Alison Hansen

Philippine Journal of Physical Therapy

Background: Equitable recruitment practices are essential to the diversification of health science educational applicant pools. This scoping review aimed to understand the existing literature supporting the use and implementation of SM (SM) for recruitment in various health science educational programs. Methods: A comprehensive search utilizing the PRISMA Extension for Scoping Reviews (PRISMA-ScR) framework was used to collect and analyze existing articles. Keyword selection followed by an iterative process for article inclusion using Covidence application for article analysis and inclusion/exclusion. A thematic analysis method was employed to synthesize findings from the studies that met our inclusion criteria. Results: The initial keyword …

Between The Root And The Stem: On Women-Plant Relations, Predation And Familiarisation Among The Awajún (Upper Amazonas, Peru), Nils Haukeland Vedal

Tipití: Journal of the Society for the Anthropology of Lowland South America

What to do with the problem of predation? This is not only a conundrum for anthropologists working in what has become known as animist societies. The gardening activities of the Awajún people of northern Peru’s high jungle are modelled on the teachings of the original mother of cultivated plants, Núgkui, who granted the Awajún their cultivars. Yet gardening is not an easy matter. The manioc sprouts seek to suck the blood of gardeners unless they are treated correctly. This article explores how predation is constantly kept at bay through familiarisation practices in which garden plants are made into the vegetative …

Making Noise Through Law: Indigenous Legal Mobilisation Against A Power Plant In “French” Guiana, Pierre Auzerau

Tipití: Journal of the Society for the Anthropology of Lowland South America

In so-called “French” Guiana, or Guyane, the Kali’na village of Atopo Wipi has fought for years against a hydrogen power plant being built on their land. Drawing on ethnographic fieldwork conducted between 2023 and 2024 in Guyane and Western Europe, where I collaborated with various stakeholders to support Atopo Wipi’s resistance to the power plant, my research focuses on the legal dimensions of the Kali’na’s struggle to protect their land. Specifically, this article examines how the Kali’na navigated different normative frameworks, including international human rights standards and French law, to fight the project. Through this analysis, I show how the …

Working Out Your Self-Image: Strength, Self-Esteem, And Human Flourishing, Kingston K. Christie

Honors Projects

This project integrates empirical research in exercise science with theological anthropology to examine the psychological effects of resistance training and the meaning of strength within a Christian framework of human dignity and flourishing. The empirical component investigated the effects of a four-week progressive resistance training intervention on global self-esteem and physical self-concept among undergraduate university students with moderate-to-low baseline self-esteem. Eleven participants (N = 11; 20.15 ± 1.52 yrs) completed the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale (RSES) and Physical Self-Description Questionnaire Short Form (PSDQ-S) before and after the intervention, with muscular strength assessed via submaximal testing across the squat, bench press, deadlift, …

Customary Forest Management Based On Cultural Spatial Tripartite Scheme In Tenganan Pegringsingan, Aloysius Gonzaga Dimas Bintarta Raharja, M. Baiquni, S. Setiadi

Forest and Society

The customary forest of Tenganan Pegringsingan in Karangasem, Bali, received the Customary Forest Decree from the Ministry of Environment and Forestry in 2019 as a part of Social Forestry implementation. This decree marked the beginning of granting rights to manage the customary forest for the traditional village in Bali. The Tenganan Pegringsingan indigenous community manages their customary forest through a traditional bureaucratic scheme, employing the authority of Krama Desa and a set of customary laws (awig-awig). Krama Desa acts as the governance authority for the utilization of the Tenganan Pegringsingan customary forest, involving two parties: the inheritance rights …

Impetus 2025 – The Philippine Physical Therapy Association (Ppta) National Convention: Poster Presentations, Impetus 2026

Philippine Journal of Physical Therapy

No abstract provided.

Impetus 2025 – The Philippine Physical Therapy Association (Ppta) National Convention: Platform Presentations, Impetus 2026

Philippine Journal of Physical Therapy

No abstract provided.

Rocatinlimab As A Novel Treatment Strategy For Atopic Dermatitis, Haylee Whyde, Evan Blazek, Macy Davis, Parker George, Alex Lowery, Connor Dains, Brenna Hissong, David Koh

Pharmacy and Wellness Review

Atopic dermatitis is a common chronic inflammatory skin disease that affects millions of children and adults in the United States. Atopic dermatitis is characterized by recurrent pruritus, erythema, and relapsing symptoms that can significantly impair quality of life. The pathophysiology of atopic dermatitis involves epidermal barrier dysfunction, immune dysregulation, and genetic susceptibility. Atopic dermatitis guidelines follow a stepwise approach that begins with a severity assessment, trigger avoidance, and nonpharmacologic and pharmacologic treatments. First-line therapies include topical corticosteroids (TCSs), topical calcineurin inhibitors (TCIs), and emollients. Crisaborole and topical ruxolitinib are used for mild-to-moderate disease when prior therapy has been inadequate. Monoclonal …

Fda Approval Of Tradipitant: A Novel Approach To Motion Sickness Treatment, Haley Brown, Jennifer Cao, Allie Honigford, Leah Heitkamp, Sarah Hiett, Connor Dains, Brenna Hissong, Manoranjan D'Souza

Pharmacy and Wellness Review

Motion sickness is a prevalent neurophysiological condition affecting approximately one-third of the worldwide population, resulting from sensory mismatch and the brain’s internal model of motion. It is characterized by nausea, vomiting, dizziness, and autonomic symptoms during exposure to actual or virtual motion, which may significantly impair daily functioning and quality of life. Current guidelines recommend the prevention and treatment of motion sickness through pharmacologic, herbal, and non-pharmacologic strategies. Scopolamine and first-generation antihistamines are effective pharmacologic options, while ginger has demonstrated some benefit in reducing symptoms as an herbal option. Non-pharmacologic interventions such as habituation training, behavioral techniques, and sensory strategies …

Navigating Trust: The Impact Of Social Media Influencers On Gen Z Health Behaviors, Abigail Stelling

Honors Thesis

Social media plays a defining role in the daily lives of Gen Z, influencing how people communicate, access information, and make decisions. More than a form of entertainment, social media is a powerful source that shapes identity, perceptions, and behaviors. As the first generation to grow up fully immersed in a digital world, Gen Z is uniquely impacted by the content and interactions that occur on social media platforms. Within this digital landscape, social media influencers have emerged as powerful figures. These individuals use large online platforms to promote lifestyles, products, and behaviors. Influencers often have the ability to shape …

“Ese Dia Que Se Va El Patron An Hecho Fiesta”.* Historicities Of Successful Resistance Against Hacienda Bosses Among The Kukama (Peru, 1933-1945), Arno R. Holl

Tipití: Journal of the Society for the Anthropology of Lowland South America

This paper analyzes two cases of resistance by Kukama workers within the debt slavery system of habilitación in the Peruvian Amazon during the first half of the twentieth century. It discusses the similarities and differences between the two cases, and positions the workers and their accounts of events and agency within the historical, social and cosmological framework of the time and region. Through the examples studied here, the hierarchies, power dynamics, spirituality, lifestyles, traditions, and cultural changes that shaped Kukama communities at the time become visible from an emic perspective. The paper places special emphasis on how historical events are …

Effects Of A 10-Day Remote Ischemic Preconditioning Protocol On Anaerobic And Aerobic Performance And Post-Exercise Cytokine Responses, Paulina Brzezińska, Jan Mieszkowski, Madalena Kochanowicz, Andżelika Borkowska, Jędrzej Antosiewicz, Andrzej Kochanowicz

Baltic Journal of Health and Physical Activity

Background: Remote ischemic preconditioning (RIPC) consists of brief cycles of limb is-chemia and reperfusion and has been proposed as an ergogenic strategy. This study examined whether a 10-day lower-limb RIPC protocol affects anaerobic and aerobic performance and post-exercise cytokine responses in physically active men. Materials and methods: Sixty healthy, physically active men were assigned to anaerobic (Wingate Anaerobic Test (WAnT), n = 29) or aerobic (Bruce treadmill test (BTT), n = 28) protocols and completed a 10-day lower-limb RIPC (220 mmHg) or SHAM (20 mmHg) intervention. Serum IL-6, IL-10, and IL-15 were measured at baseline and immediately post-exercise before and …

Designing Captcha Systems With Reinforcement Learning For Adaptive Defense, Meghana Indukuri, Eman Naseerkhan, Joshua Rose, Martin Tran, Younghee Park

Faculty Research, Scholarly, and Creative Activity

CAPTCHA (Completely Automated Public Turing test to tell Computers and Humans Apart) systems remain a widely deployed defense against automated abuse, but advances in machine learning have reduced the effectiveness of traditional challenge-based designs and exposed limitations in proprietary risk-scoring systems. This paper presents an adaptive, reinforcement learning-based CAPTCHA defense framework for high-security web applications. The proposed system formulates bot detection as a partially observable Markov decision process and uses a Proximal Policy Optimization (PPO) agent with Long Short-Term Memory to analyze streamed behavioral telemetry, including mouse movements, clicks, keystrokes, and scrolling, over sequential interaction windows. During the observation phase, …

Beyond Behavior: Understanding Trauma As A Pathway To Transform Classroom Discipline, Jennifer J. Snead

Masters Projects

Many students entering early childhood and elementary classrooms have experienced trauma that impacts their ability to learn, regulate emotions, and fully participate in school. Research shows that adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) can affect brain development, particularly in areas related to attention, memory, and self-regulation—skills essential for success in the classroom. Even though trauma-related behaviors are becoming more common, many educators report feeling underprepared to recognize and respond to these behaviors due to limited training in trauma-informed practices. As a result, student behavior is often misunderstood as defiance, which can lead to discipline practices that do not address the root cause. …

Ho Chi Minh’S Thoughts On Gender Equality In The Political Sphere In Vietnam And Strategic Implications For Indonesia, Tri Minh Nguyen

Jurnal Wacana Politik

This paper provides an exhaustive examination of the theoretical foundations of Ho Chi Minh’s thought regarding gender equality and its institutionalization within the political fabric of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam. Focusing on the contemporary period (2021–2026), the analysis evaluates the efficacy of the Vietnamese model of State Feminism in achieving descriptive and substantive representation for women in legislative and executive bodies. Furthermore, the paper conducts a comparative analysis with the Republic of Indonesia, particularly following its 2024 general elections, to identify structural, cultural, and legal divergences. By synthesizing data from government reports, international indices, and academic literature, this study …

The Strait Of Hormuz As An Instrument Of Iran’S Geoeconomic Statecraft In Shaping Foreign Policy Amid The Dynamics Of Contemporary Conflicts, Daffa Rabbani Widy Hayat, Noeryfqa Okta Harizal, Ahmad Sahide

Jurnal Wacana Politik

This study examines how Iran strategically utilizes the Strait of Hormuz as an instrument of geoeconomic statecraft in formulating foreign policy amid intensifying international sanctions following the United States withdrawal from the JCPOA in 2018. Employing Neoclassical Realism and Geoeconomics as the theoretical framework, this study analyzes how domestic elite decision-making mediates systemic pressure and transforms geographical assets into sources of asymmetric bargaining power. Through a single-case study approach supported by qualitative deep analysis of institutional reports, academic literature, and policy documents, this study finds that Iran systematically operationalizes the Strait of Hormuz through three interconnected mechanisms: asymmetric military signaling, …

Developing A Framework For Mooc Dropout: The Role Of Utilitarian And Hedonic Values In Student Retention, Bipllab Roy, Mave D'Souza, Madhura Laghane

Northeast Journal of Complex Systems (NEJCS)

Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) have expanded access to higher education but continue to face persistently high dropout rates, raising concerns about their long‑term effectiveness and sustainability. This study develops and empirically tests a structural framework that links utilitarian values (perceived usefulness, certificate value, time flexibility), hedonic values (enjoyment, variety and novelty, personal interest alignment), and individual characteristics (goal orientation, self‑efficacy, motivation type) to MOOC student retention. Data were collected through a structured questionnaire administered to 200 MOOC learners from Christ University, Lavasa Campus, and analyzed using Structural Equation Modelling (SEM) in AMOS. The results show that goal orientation, self‑efficacy …

Analyzing The Impact: Foster Grandparent Program, Shanetta Weatherspoon, Miyue Chen, Monica Pereda

The Scholarship Without Borders Journal

The Foster Grandparent Program (FGP) is a multigenerational approach to community volunteerism. The study uses intergenerational solidarity to conceptualize the impact of the FGP. The study aims to examine the impact of two dimensions by analyzing data from the Assignment Assessment Forms and the New General Self-Efficacy Scale. Paired t-tests were conducted to determine whether there is a difference in the mentees’ behavior pre- and post-intervention over four years and by way of three priority areas. Results indicated that the FGP has an impact on both the mentees and volunteers. Findings suggest that the program’s activities are the vehicle for …

Educate. Don’T Annihilate: A Narrative Inquiry Into Students With Dark Personality Traits Who Orchestrate Bullying Campaigns Against A Target Through Mob Formation, Zoey Roosevelt

The Scholarship Without Borders Journal

Less is understood about how peer relationships can escalate into coordinated exclusionary dynamics and sustained group-based targeting within student populations than about acceptance into a higher education program. Moreover, existing literature grounded in Social Identity Theory and Organizational Ostracism has primarily focused on workplace and organizational settings, leaving a gap in understanding these processes in higher education contexts. This study addresses that gap using Dark Personality Framework, Social Identity Theory, and Conflict Escalation Theory to explain how and why this phenomenon occurs. The study asks, “What happens when a higher education student with dark personality traits orchestrates a coordinated bullying …

Institutional Responses To The College Mental Health Crisis: A Critical Systems Review, Angel Huerta

The Scholarship Without Borders Journal

The mental health crisis among U.S. college students continues to escalate, exposing structural, cultural, and systemic failures within higher education. This review synthesizes evidence on institutional responses, drawing on Bronfenbrenner’s Ecological Systems Theory and Critical Theory, to examine how policies, faculty interactions, campus climate, and resource distribution influence student mental health outcomes. Findings reveal persistent gaps between policy intentions and practice, insufficient counseling capacity, inconsistency in faculty accountability, and inequities affecting marginalized student groups. The review highlights how organizational structures can unintentionally reinforce power imbalances and reproduce harm. Recommendations include system-level alignment of policies and practices, mandatory faculty training, enhanced …

Ministry Leaders Applying Psychological Theories To Overcome Apathy: A Case Study, Glen A. Bowman

The Scholarship Without Borders Journal

This case study examines the persistent challenge of congregational apathy and the efficacy of integrating psychological motivational theories to revitalize a stagnant church culture. The research focuses on a congregation in California’s Central Valley characterized by a "lukewarm" spiritual atmosphere in much of its leadership and membership. The case study follows a newly appointed minister—representing a different age bracket and cultural background—as he navigates the resistance of an entrenched, change-averse leadership team. The researcher evaluated the practical application of three psychological frameworks to combat complacency and found that the Action-Trait Theory proved itself as the most successful method. The theory …

Defining The Opioid Crisis And The Limited Role Of The Criminal Justice System Resolving It, Julie A. Warren

University of Memphis Law Review

No abstract provided.

Integration Of Continuous Glucose Monitoring Data Into Electronic Medical Record To Improve Efficiency In Department Of Pediatric Endocrinology, Brantlee Mcconaughey Md

Quality Improvement & Patient Safety Forum

No abstract provided.