Digital Commons Network^™

Effect Of Curing Duration On Bridge Deck Concrete Performance, Zhaniya Omarova

Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

This study evaluates the influence of curing duration on the performance of bridge deck concrete and investigates the feasibility of reducing curing periods without compromising structural and durability properties. Two concrete mixtures, a standard Nebraska Department of Transportation (NDOT) bridge deck mix (47BD) and an optimized reduced-cement-content mix (O47BD-R100), were evaluated under multiple curing durations Fresh, early-age, mechanical, durability, and shrinkage properties were assessed to characterize the effect of curing on concrete behavior. Internal relative humidity and temperature were monitored using embedded sensors to investigate moisture diffusion and its role in shrinkage development for lab specimens and full-scale slabs.

Results …

Brain Candy: Wayne State University School Of Medicine Journal Of Arts And Culture, 13th Edition, Wayne State University School Of Medicine Gold Humanism Honor Society

Gold Humanism Honor Society

Brain Candy incorporates paintings, written pieces, and poetry from all the medical classes at Wayne State University School of Medicine to shed light on the creative process in medicine, the city of Detroit, and the experiences of health care providers. This year, the journal is organized into four sections, each of which denotes a particular time period within medical school. The first edition of Brain Candy was published online and in print in 2009, produced by a generous grant by the Gold Humanism Honor Society (GHHS). The edition featured poetry, nonfiction, short fiction, and different types of artwork. With generous …

Social Support And Mental Wellbeing Among Veterinary Clinic Employees, Madison Koons

Undergraduate Honors Thesis Projects

Mental wellbeing is a significant concern for veterinary professionals and the subject of much discussion in the veterinary and academic fields. To determine whether social support is an effective protective factor for the mental wellbeing of veterinary professionals, I administered a survey to 879 veterinary clinics in Ohio, with ninety-two responses received for final analysis. The scales assessed mental wellbeing, organizational support, and nonorganizational support. I found organizational support, friends support, and family support to be positively correlated with mental wellbeing. Significant other support was not correlated with mental wellbeing. A linear regression evaluating social support as predictors of mental …

Just Unmasking Knowledge? A Critical Interpretation Of Fluctuating Jellyfish Populations For A Mass Media Audience, Wrenne R. Grone

Undergraduate Honors Thesis Projects

While podcasts may not be the most popular form of mass media, they are growing in their accessibility and prevalence in educational discourse. My creative work, in the form of a podcast, unmasks scientific knowledge in an untraditional, mass-media form and will use podcast techniques, such as music transitions and storytelling techniques, to maintain engagement. Additionally, my podcast aims to transpose academic knowledge into a comprehensible, interesting form for a non-academic audience. Jellyfish have no brains, no heart, no blood, and no bones and yet, they have survived for millions of years. The goal of my podcast is to educate …

Leveraging Section 208 Water Quality Planning To Mitigate Pfas Contamination In Watersheds Across The Waccamaw Region, Anna Dimatteo

Goal 6: Clean Water and Sanitation

No abstract provided.

Upgrades To Carvers Bay Water System To Improve Safety And Water Quality, Samantha Stollenmaier

Goal 6: Clean Water and Sanitation

No abstract provided.

Bridging Gaps: Enhancing Sleep And Health Disparities In Latino Families With Young Adults With Autism Using A Culturally Adapted Intervention, Antonio F Pagán, Alejandro L Pagán, Linda Hernandez, Matthew R Cribbet, Katherine A Loveland, Ron Acierno

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

The present study examined the effects of a culturally adapted intervention, ¡Iniciando! la Adultez, on sleep and health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in Latino young adults with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and their Spanish-speaking parents. The intervention targeted the transition to adulthood, a period associated with increased challenges in sleep and HRQoL, particularly for underserved Latino populations. Participants included 26 young adults and 38 parents who completed assessments at baseline and post-treatment. The results indicated significant improvements in several HRQoL domains for both groups, with young adults reporting enhanced emotional well-being, social functioning, and general health. Parents experienced notable improvements …

Staying Power: A Case Study Of Teacher Retention In A Rural District, Amanda F. Mclellan, Amanda F. Mclellan

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Teacher attrition continues to be a significant challenge in K-12 education, particularly in rural school districts where limited resources and geographic isolation can intensify staffing instability. While much research has focused on teacher attrition, little research examines why tenured teachers choose to remain in rural districts. The purpose of this qualitative, single-case study was to examine the experiences and insights of tenured teachers regarding their decision to continue teaching in a small, rural Texas school district. Guided by Mason and Matas’s fourcapital framework for teacher retention, this study examined how human, social, structural, and positive psychological capital influenced teachers’ decisions …

Leading The Charge: A Qualitative Descriptive Study Exploring How Public Middle School Principals Perceive And Enact Their Role As Advocates For School-Based Mental Health, Tanya Irby Tucker

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Adolescent mental health concerns have increased significantly during the middle school years, requiring school leaders to expand their role in supporting students’ social, emotional, and psychological well-being. Although schools are uniquely positioned to deliver comprehensive mental health services, how public middle school principals perceive and enact their role as advocates for school-based mental health services remains underexplored. The purpose of this qualitative descriptive study was to explore how public middle school principals perceive and enact their role as advocates for school-based mental health services. Guided by social cognitive theory (SCT), this study examined how personal beliefs, behavioral practices, and environmental …

A Patient-Centric Chatbot For Improving Clinical Trial Accessibility, Yumeng Yang

Dissertations and Theses (Open Access)

Clinical trial enrollment remains a major challenge, and low accrual continues to delay study completion, increase research costs, and slow the development of new therapies. A barrier is the scale of the trial-matching problem: patients and clinicians must search through a large and growing number of studies, while each trial contains complex eligibility criteria that may overlap only partially with other trials. Although public registries such as ClinicalTrials.gov make trial information available, they do not adequately help patients identify which studies are most relevant to their clinical profile. This dissertation addresses that information problem by developing and evaluating a patient-centric …

Data Tracking And Analytics Within Inventory Management: Coffee Shop And Retail Store Optimization, Mateo J. Moyon

Senior Theses

This thesis examines the application of inventory management theory in the small and medium-sized business context, with a specific focus on the food and beverage industry. Drawing on the foundational academic literature spanning from Harris’s EOQ formula in 1913 through stochastic inventory theory, ABC analysis, and just-in-time strategy, this paper establishes the mathematical and operational bases for modern inventory management practice. Although there are proven value to these frameworks, research demonstrates that small to medium sized businesses adopt inventory management systems at lower rates citing cost and implementation as barriers. This thesis argues that the emergence of low-cost inventory and …

The Relationship Between Stress And Postpartum Depression-Related Behavior In Females And Its Potential Contribution To The Maternal Mortality Rate In The U.S., Sarah Chugh

Senior Theses

Stress, especially social stress, has been a leading cause of disruptive emotional behavior in humans, with pregnant and postpartum women being the most vulnerable to these effects. Our study aimed to investigate the effects of gestational social stress on postpartum behavioral outcomes. To accomplish this, we examined the following four key behaviors in female rats after being exposed to chronic witness stress (WS) during pregnancy: burying, freezing, rearing, and grooming. Burying behavior is used to assess a defensive response to threatening situations. Freezing responses are evaluated to show heightened fear or hypervigilance that follows stress. Rearing is measured as an …

Feeding The Mind: Dietary Consumption And Neural Aging, Bhavani Tuppale

Senior Theses

Neural aging is the process of physiological decline in the brain and increased vulnerability to neurodegenerative diseases. Neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s disease are associated with aging and the interaction of genetics and lifestyle choices. Previous research studies have connected Alzheimer’s disease with dysfunction in the metabolic system. To combat age-associated dysfunctions in the metabolic system, research studies propose using the ketogenic diet, which utilizes ketone bodies as an energy source instead of glucose. The thesis analyzes literature on the effect of neural aging on various model organisms, how a ketogenic diet affects aging model organisms, and how aging and …

Identifying Factors Influencing Occupational Therapy Decision-Making Regarding Telehealth, In-Person, And Hybrid Care Within A Veterans Affairs Healthcare Setting In South Carolina, Christina R. Smith

Senior Theses

Telehealth has become an increasing part of healthcare service delivery, expanding client access to services across disciplines, including occupational therapy. Existing research suggests that telehealth occupational therapy can produce similar outcomes to in-person care in certain populations; however, variability in patient characteristics, technological readiness, intervention demands, and environmental contexts influences its suitability, and limited research examines how practitioners determine the appropriate service delivery model. The purpose of this qualitative study is to explore the factors that influence occupational therapy practitioners within a Veterans Affairs healthcare setting in South Carolina when determining the appropriateness of telehealth, in-person, or hybrid service delivery …

The Role Of Community Health Workers In Rural South Carolina, Sarah W. Haselden

Senior Theses

This paper aims to explore the role of Community Health Workers (CHWs) in rural South Carolina through a literature review as well as the data supplied from the Community Health Alignment Initiative (CHAI) and Community Health Workers Changing Outcomes in SC (CCOSC). Through reviewing the collection of materials and data, the effectiveness of CHWs can be studied. Community Health Workers (CHWs) provide a unique aspect to primary care within communities through their aid in prevention of health conditions. CCOSC and CHAI collected data throughout South Carolina to determine the needs of communities and how CHWs can work to address those …

The Effects Of Climate Change On Competition And Recovery From Disturbance In An Iconic Marine Community, Lauren Tibbits

Senior Theses

This paper explores how the recovery of populations of Semibalanus balanoides is affected by climate variation. In intertidal marine ecosystems, larval recruitment is important in shaping all ecological processes. S. balanoides is a cold-water barnacle species that is competitively dominant over Chthamalus montagui and C. stellatus, two warm-water species. This competitive interaction is well studied, though it is not understood how that competition influences the recovery of S. balanoides after a disturbance nor how this process varies over a temperature gradient. 19 sites were studied across the United Kingdom, spanning from northern Scotland to southwestern England. At each site, a …

The Impact Of Targeted Marketing On The Health Of Teenagers In America: Regulatory Safeguards And Implications, Katelyn Overbay

Senior Theses

The rise of digital marketing has transformed how companies engage with consumers, particularly those that fall within the adolescent age group. Teenagers represent a uniquely vulnerable demographic due to the developmental stage they are in, making them especially susceptible to targeted advertising strategies that leverage data analytics, social media algorithms, and behavioral tracking. The aim of this study is to examine the direct and indirect impacts of targeted marketing on the physical, mental, and social health of teenagers in the United States. Drawing on existing literature, case studies, recent lawsuits, and regulatory analysis, the research gathered explores how industries such …

Evaluating The Impact Of Social Determinants Of Health On Outcomes Of Type Ii Diabetes In South Carolina, Alexander G. Downs

Senior Theses

Type II diabetes mellitus (T2DM) represents a significant public health burden in South Carolina, where 13.5% of adults are affected, surpassing the national rate of 12%. This integrative literature review examines the social determinants of health most strongly associated with T2DM morbidity and mortality in South Carolina, including race and ethnicity, socioeconomic status, rural or urban residence, educational attainment, healthcare access, and food insecurity. Evidence drawn from peer-reviewed studies, epidemiological reports, and state health data reveals that African American, rural, and low-income populations bear a disproportionate share of the diabetes burden in the state. These disparities arise through multilevel mechanisms …

Conservation Communication In Web 2.0: A Mixed Methods Analysis Of Alveus Sanctuary's Strategies On Twitch.Tv, Hope Denison

Senior Theses

This thesis examines how environmental creators can effectively transmit conservation messages in the evolving Web 2.0 media environment. The case of Alveus Sanctuary, a virtual sanctuary and education center on Twitch.TV, is used to explore the strategies currently used to engage audiences and raise ecological awareness online. Thematic analysis of interviews with the sanctuary’s founder revealed that Alveus combines traditional environmental education with an influencer business model to engage online audiences, leveraging parasocial behavior, interactivity, and collaboration to garner support. A quantitative content analysis of social media posts revealed that these strategies effectively induce parasocial engagement in online spaces. These …

Crystallization And Utility Of Brominated Phenylethynylene Bis-Urea Macrocycles, Paras Srivastava

Senior Theses

Macrocycles are large, cyclic molecules with central cavities that can encapsulate other molecules and that have uses in supramolecular chemistry. The Shimizu group has previously synthesized Macrocycle 1, a phenylethynylene bis-urea macrocycle that crystallizes in a columnar form, enabling its utility as a host in host-guest systems. Reactions within these systems can be used to modify stereospecificity, kinetics, and other physical properties. Previously, photodimerization reactions between coumarins and chromones have been studied in systems of Macrocycle 1, resulting in the improved specificity of photodimerization products. Herein, we apply a dynamic covalent chemistry (DCC) strategy to synthesize Macrocycle 1 and its …

America’S First Comic Role, “The Negro”: An Analysis Of Historical Caricatures And Their Influence On African American Characters And Archetypes, Skyla A. Praylow

Senior Theses

A stereotype is defined as “a set of ideas that people have about what someone or something is like, especially an idea that is wrong.”1 Even though stereotypes are understood to be harmful, “contributing to prejudice and discrimination,” they are still believed to have some “kernel of truth,” and are viewed as “overgeneralized beliefs about social groups in society.” These stereotypes are then used as propaganda to reinforce oppressive systems in the US.2 Stereotypes create the basis of opinions that are used to create caricatures. A caricature is “a picture, description, or imitation of a person in which certain striking …

The Shame Of Mass Torts, Anthony J. Sebok

Articles

No abstract provided.

Second Place Award: Cultivating Community While Reducing Food Insecurity For College Students In Clemson, Meg Davy, Keven Estrella, Gage Mcclatchey

Undergraduate Research Award

No abstract provided.

Third Place Award: Physical Activity Promotion For Older Adults With Hypertension In Rural Settings (Pacers), Blythe Bacon, Zach Skipper

Undergraduate Research Award

No abstract provided.

Navigating Cultural Biases And Self-Worth For Black Women Leaders In Higher Education, Robbin Mitchell

Interdisciplinary Leadership Dissertations

African American women leading at public universities share their thoughts and perspectives on days filled with more than just tasks; they bear silent struggles and the hidden expectation of being recognized for their work without being marginalized. While building inner strength, some find their voices amid doubt and pressure. Progress is made not through grand gestures but through small acts of care. Viewed through the lens of Black Feminist Thought (Collins, 2000), their lives reflect complex realities. Du Bois’s (1903) concept of split identities is relevant—not by choice but by context. Being Black and female reshapes their identities in leadership …

Evaluation Of Seal!Nd: School Year 2024-2025, Shawnda Schroeder, Rashid Ahmad

Indigenous Health Faculty Publications

Dr. Schroeder and Rashid worked with the team at the Oral Health Program to collect data on the clinical reach of the School-based Sealant program (SEAL!ND), the referral practices, dental sealant cost savings, and perceptions of school personnel regarding their experiences with the program. SEAL!ND continues to make a measurable difference in improving children’s oral health by increasing access to preventive care, reducing barriers for families, and supporting schools in meeting the needs of their students. The program’s impact is reflected not only in the thousands of services provided each year, but also in the strong satisfaction and gratitude expressed …

Using Artificial Intelligence Agents To Improve Identification Of Patients With Diabetic Retinopathy For Population Health Management, Mary H. Stanfill

Translational Projects (Open Access)

Population health management of patients in risk-adjusted payment plans requires new tools and techniques to control costs, enhance care, and ultimately improve patient outcomes. Effective population health management of risk-adjusted patients with complications of chronic conditions first requires identifying all the risk-adjusted patients with such complications, but common structured data sources in the electronic health record (EHR) to identify such patients are notoriously inaccurate. Thus, the mechanisms used today, based only on structured data to retrieve patients with complications of a chronic condition, are prone to problems. This makes current information retrieval (IR) approaches inadequate to support population health management …

Standardizing Anticoagulant Hold Orders In Computerized Provider Order Entry, Alicia Beebe

Translational Projects (Open Access)

Medication safety remains a persistent challenge, particularly for high-risk anticoagulants where even minor communication failures can result in catastrophic bleeding or thromboembolic events. This translational project aimed to address the systemic risks associated with temporary medication holds in the electronic health record of a 10-hospital health system. The project used a phased approach combining quantitative chart audits, qualitative clinician interviews, and workflow and cause mapping to examine anticoagulant medication hold processes. Findings revealed design limitations, fragmented workflows, and usability challenges. Additionally, baseline analysis of September 2024 data revealed a substantial safety gap: Communication hold orders had a 15.05% medication error …

Building A Monitoring And Tracking System To Optimize Radiation Quality In Clinical Trials, Andrea Molineu

Translational Projects (Open Access)

Imaging Radiation Oncology Core (IROC) is funded by a grant from the National Cancer Institute (NCI). One of the grant requirements is that IROC provides an annual remote independent verification of radiation output for all institutions participating in NCI-sponsored clinical trials. This involves shipping acrylic blocks that hold dosimeters to each of the institutions. Each institution is assigned a month to receive a shipment. However, mailing is often delayed. The goal of sending 100% of the shipments in the month they are scheduled has not been reached. This delays the institutions' independent dose verification. The delay is detrimental because it …

More Harm Than Good: Criminal Penalties For Wage Theft, Alia Al-Khatib

University of Richmond Law Review

“Wage theft is a crime.” Workers, their advocates, and even some policymakers have made this declaration repeatedly to emphasize the severity of violations of wage and hour laws. In recent years, this campaign has moved beyond mere rhetoric into increased criminal enforcement. Various obstacles to seeking remedies through the civil system have buoyed this expansion. This Article critiques criminal strategies to remedy wage theft. It first identifies three spheres of harm caused by wage theft: (1) to individuals laboring in low- wage industries; (2) to the workplaces where employers engage in wage theft, and (3) to communities to which impacted …