Digital Commons Network^™

Bridging The Rural Justice Gap: A Scalable Solution Rooted In Clinical Legal Education, Michelle Paxton

Northwestern Journal of Law & Social Policy

The rural justice gap significantly impacts child welfare legal representation, exacerbating the challenges families face when navigating juvenile courts in rural America. Attorneys in these communities frequently encounter geographic isolation, limited access to specialized training, professional burnout, and inadequate resources, all of which hinder effective advocacy for vulnerable children and families.

This article argues that clinical legal education, when paired with structured post-graduate training and multidisciplinary consultation, offers a replicable model for addressing the rural attorney shortages in juvenile court advocacy. The Nebraska Children’s Justice and Legal Advocacy Center (NCJC) illustrates how this model can be designed and scaled to …

Healthcare Access, Economic Stability, And Food Security And Inflammatory Bowel Disease In Hispanic Adults Living In The United States, Jennifer Rodriguez

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Hispanic adults in the United States experience disparities in chronic disease detection and outcomes, including inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Social determinants of health (SDoH), including economic stability, healthcare access, and food security, play a crucial role in shaping health risks and diagnostic opportunities in this population. The purpose of this quantitative cross-sectional study was to examine the relationship between selected SDoH factors and self-reported IBD diagnosis among U.S. Hispanic adults. This study utilized survey data from the 2023 National Health Interview Survey (n = 29,457). Weighted descriptive statistics and logistic regression were used to analyze the relationships between variables while …

Expressing Diversity And Anxiety Among Graduate Psychology Students, Paola G. Garcia Betancourt

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

This quantitative study examined the relationship between motivational factors that contribute to challenges in expressing diversity and the levels of anxiety experienced by graduate psychology students when discussing racial topics. The study was grounded in critical race theory, which posits that racism is embedded within social and institutional systems and influences interpersonal and educational dynamics. The purpose of the study was to determine whether motivational factors, as measured by the Color-Blind Racial Attitudes Scale, predicted anxiety levels, as measured by the Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System Emotional Distress Anxiety Short Form, and whether racial background moderated this relationship. Data were …

A Sedimentary Source Of Rare Earth Elements In The North Atlantic, Rylee D. Lindner

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Individually and as a series, the Rare Earth Elements (REEs) are powerful geochemical tracers of environmental processes. However, ambiguities in the oceanic budgets of the REEs hamper their application. Growing evidence suggests a sedimentary benthic flux via the pore water is the major source of REEs to the ocean, with extrapolated estimates of this flux being equivalent in magnitude to that “missing” from modern budgets. However, existing pore water REE data are available from only a few locations globally with no representative dataset from the open North Atlantic. This data scarcity limits our ability to constrain flux estimates and understand …

Academic Excellence And Student Experience Committee, December 10-11, 2025, Coastal Carolina University

Board of Trustees Committee Minutes

No abstract provided.

From Liahona To Talk: An Inspired Method 1, Yoshihiko Ariizumi

Spiritual Proficiency

If our past series, Actionable Insights from the Liahona, laid out essential principles like a detailed instruction manual, this time, I'm shifting gears into a softer narrative.

The core question is: "How do we make sure these essential principles stick?"

To answer that, I've sprinkled in approachable metaphors and a bit of humor that will make you want to slap your knee and exclaim, "That's exactly my story!" My goal is that, once you've finished reading or listening, these vital principles will adhere to your mind like a magnet on a refrigerator door.

Driving Roi Through Nurse-Led Initiatives: Ebp, Qi, And Research In Action, Devin Carr, Kristiina Hyrkas, Angela Bennett, Emily Calabro, Maddy Hirshan

Biennial Convention (CONV)

Explore the critical role of nurse-led initiatives in evidence-based practice, quality improvement, and research. This session highlights how nursing leadership transforms patient outcomes and drives ROI across teams. Discover actionable strategies, real-world case studies, and a live demo of Ovid Synthesis, a platform streamlining EBP and research. Learn how nurse-driven innovation improves care delivery, efficiency, and engagement—empowering nurses as evidence champions.

Presentation, Diagnosis, And Acute Treatment Of Secondary Hemophagocytic Lymphohistiocytosis: A Case Report, Alexandra Bartholomew, Michael Connick, Catherine Loehr, Shane Sanne

School of Medicine Faculty Publications

Secondary hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis (HLH) is a rare, immunologically driven disorder with a high mortality rate. It is typically diagnosed on the basis of clinical and laboratory criteria. We present the case of a 53-year-old woman with multiple previous hospitalizations for fever of unknown origin and fatigue. Her workup ultimately led to a diagnosis of HLH. We discuss the presentation, diagnostic criteria, and clinical treatment of secondary HLH to guide workup and management for future patients affected by this rare disease.

It’S Still Happening: Conversion Therapy Laws Leaving College Students And More At Risk, Emma L. Mcconnell

Honors Theses

Conversion Therapy is still legal for adults across the United States, and for minors in many states. The laws and case law facilitating or preventing this discredited practice hang in the balance of whichever direction the Federal political climate moves at any given times. Even in states where Conversion Therapy is celebrated as "banned", populations of Americans that include the uniquely vulnerable students at religious universities are still subjected to it. This exploration and policy proposal solution prompts the total ban of Conversion Therapy and explains how a true legislative movement to that aim could begin.

Self-Efficacy And Knowledge Of Uindy Pre-Licensure Nursing Students Caring For The Lgbtq+ Population, Alyssa Blue, Sarah Holmes

Biennial Convention (CONV)

Research has shown that LGBTQ+ identifying people face not only socio-political discrimination but also disproportionate healthcare disparities. Additionally, studies have found that LGBTQ+ identifying patients are burdened with the responsibility of educating healthcare providers about their identities. Multiple studies have shown that nursing students are underprepared by their academic programs to care for people who identify as part of the LGBTQ+ community. The resulting lack of knowledge and self-efficacy that nursing students experience may affect their care of LGBTQ+ patients and contribute to health disparities. The purpose of this project is to explore University of Indianapolis nursing students’ self-efficacy and …

Dc's Kitchen: A Comprehensive Business Plan, Mark A. Chesson Ii

Honors Program Theses and Research Projects

This business plan explores the creation of DC’s Kitchen, a Cajun-cuisine inspired restaurant aiming to provide customers with an experience that combines the Cajun heritage with modern entrepreneurial strategies. DC’s Kitchen is more than just a restaurant; it is a unique place that tells the story of how the Cajun people came to be, and the foods and traditional dishes that underline the significant cultural impacts it has had in the United States. This business aims to merge all of these factors into one, while competing with the highly touted competitive “foodie” market in San Antonio, Texas.

This combines a …

Microplastic Exposure Alters Tubulin Leading To Alterations In Insulin Secretion By Pancreatic Beta Cells, Anakaren Garcia

Honors Program Theses and Research Projects

Abstract

Diabetes mellitus is a metabolic disorder characterized by elevated blood glucose levels due to impaired insulin secretion or diminished cellular response to insulin (resistance). Pancreatic β-cells depend on a well-organized cytoskeleton, particularly microtubules composed of α- and β-tubulin heterodimers, to transport insulin granules to the plasma membrane during glucose-stimulated insulin secretion (GSIS). Disruption of microtubule organization can impair granule trafficking and reduce insulin release. However, emerging environmental toxicants such as microplastics that interfere with β-cell cytoskeletal function remains largely unexplored.

Microplastics (MPs) are small plastic particles (< 5 mm) that have become widespread environmental contaminants and can enter biological systems. Previous studies have shown that MPs can induce cellular stress and protein misfolding, but their effects on microtubules in pancreatic β-cells are not well characterized. This study investigates whether exposure to fluorescent polystyrene microplastics alters microtubule organization and insulin secretion in βTC-6 cells.

βTC-6 cells were treated with 10 µg/mL of fluorescent polystyrene microplastics for …

Predicting, Culturing, And Characterizing Beneficial And Detrimental Strains Associated With Plant Phenotypes., Anastasiia Onyshchenko

Arts & Sciences Graduate Student Theses and Dissertations

Modern agriculture’s reliance on chemical fertilizers has greatly increased crop yields but has also contributed to soil degradation, environmental pollution, and unsustainable resource use. Plant growth–promoting rhizobacteria offer a sustainable alternative, enhancing plant growth through mechanisms such as nitrogen fixation, phosphate solubilization, siderophore production, and phytohormone modulation, while also protecting plants against pathogens and abiotic stresses. However, soil microbial communities are highly diverse and structurally complex, making the isolation of individual beneficial strains challenging. Traditional approaches rely on selective media and labor-intensive phenotypic screening, which often capture only a small fraction of soil diversity. To overcome these limitations, we combined …

Oregon State Rank Assessment For Plumed Clover (Trifolium Plumosum Var. Plumosum), Nora Dunkirk

Institute for Natural Resources Publications

Oregon state conservation status assessment for Plumed Clover (Trifolium plumosum var. plumosum) using NatureServe methodology, 2025.

Effective Corporate Social Responsibility Strategies That Small Business Leaders Use To Improve Brand Reputation, William Cativo

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Ineffective corporate social responsibility (CSR) practices in small businesses can damage brand reputation, reduce employee retention, and hinder sustainability. Small business leaders are concerned about these risks, as a large majority of consumers expect companies to act on environmental, social, and governance issues. Grounded in Carroll’s CSR pyramid, the purpose of this qualitative pragmatic inquiry was to explore strategies small business leaders in the Western United States use to enhance brand reputation. The participants were six small business leaders with effective strategies to enhance brand reputation. Data were collected through semistructured interviews and a review of 10 CSR reports. Thematic …

Sonrisas Por Millas/Smiles For Miles, Kristi K. Westphaln, Carol Lynn Cunningham

Biennial Convention (CONV)

Hispanic/Latine children experience greater oral disease burden than other groups of US children. Attendees at the session will learn about the Sonrisas por Millas/Smiles for Miles program, within which UCLA School of Nursing faculty and nurse practitioner students will partner with the Refugee Children's Center (RCC) to provide and evaluate a novel community-based intervention to promote oral health for refugee children and their families.

Financial Barriers Of Emu Nursing Students, Deanna Gower, Melissa Kachaturoff, Meriam Caboral-Stevens

Biennial Convention (CONV)

Student loan debt for undergraduate BSN and Master’s prepared nursing students is growing. Many nursing students take out student loans to pay for their educational expenses. While some students apply for and obtain scholarships and grants, Eastern Michigan University (EMU) School of Nursing (SON) has had scholarships go unutilized during the annual scholarship cycle. Nursing student loan repayment can be a financial burden for nurses and their families. The purpose of the survey was to examine what financial barriers nursing students experience while enrolled at EMU SON. This study was performed utilizing a survey via google forms and data was …

Understand Caregiving Appraisal In Chronic Illness And Disability Caregiving Over Extended Period, Dingyue Wang, Michael Cary, Qing Yang, Tamryn Fowler Gray, Cristina Hendrix

Biennial Convention (CONV)

Caregiving appraisal is the subjective evaluation and interpretation of the holistic caregiving experience. We aim to investigate the underlying factors related to caregivers' perceptions and evaluations of their caregiving role and experience in chronic illness caregiving contexts. This study utilized a qualitative descriptive design. In-depth interviews were conducted with 20 caregivers to explore their experiences in providing care to adults with chronic illnesses or disabilities. Data were analyzed using conventional content analysis. We uncovered five interconnected themes: caregiving gain and loss tradeoff, caregiving competency, caregiving motivation, caregiving dyadic relationship, and caregiving meaning appraisal. Caregiving loss and gain tradeoff appraisal is …

Minority Stress In Nursing, Allma Swier

Biennial Convention (CONV)

Problem. The physiological and psychological stress caused by adverse social conditions affecting minority groups impacts their ability to function in academia, the workplace, and other areas of life.

Purpose. This literature review examines the impact of minority stress on nurses' and nursing students' perceptions of their environment and overall satisfaction with the profession.

Search Strategy. Articles for this literature review were found using electronic databases CINAHL and PubMed.

Results. Twenty-two articles were selected for analysis. All articles were appraised using Joanna Briggs Institute tools to ensure validity.

Synthesis of Evidence. Nurses and nursing students belonging to a minority group report …

Fragments, Luke C. Medley

B.A./B.S. Practicum Group Exhibit (ART 499)

I create artwork with physical durability and timeless conceptual ideas in order to leave behind a tangible legacy, or something permanent, in a world that is constantly changing. In this art form, I make functional artwork that is detailed with visible craftsmanship as well as a resiliant construction. I am truly fascinated with exploring how I can make art in a way that not only looks good but can be used and appreciated. Working with metal allows for a stronger medium and longer lasting material while also attributing to its longevity of life. Creating an object that can be passed …

High School Science Experience For Students With Cognitive Disabilities: A Pilot Study, Cassandra Wychers

Honors Theses

Although education has become more adaptive, inclusive of all students who learn differently including for people with cognitive disabilities, closer examination may reveal that high school science classrooms are still challenging learning spaces. Science is an important part of the school curriculum as it teaches students about engaging in the world around them while also encouraging skills involving evidence, inquiries, and critical thinking. All students are entitled to learn science in their classrooms even if they have a cognitive disability (Apanasionok, et al. 2019). Although there are many complexities to defining disability in the world and in education, this study …

From Liahona To Talk: An Inspired Method 2, Yoshihiko Ariizumi

Spiritual Proficiency

In my previous series, Actionable Insights from the Liahona, I introduced many principles that felt like tightly cut jewels. This time, I'm changing the tempo and delivering those same principles set to a heart-stirring melody. I've set aside the rigid outlining and repackaged the principles with relatable stories and humorous metaphors that I hope will make you chuckle and think, "Oh, I know that feeling!" My wish is that this new approach helps these vital principles to gently drop anchor deep within your heart.

Provider Perspectives Of Produce Prescription Programs In A Rural Community: Evaluating Barriers, Heather Joy Ward, Sarah Giaquinta, Susan Storey

Biennial Convention (CONV)

Poor diet is the leading identifiable cause of poor health.¹ Diets high in produce are recommended to improve chronic diseases.² Food insecurity, the inability to access sufficient food to meet basic needs,³ has higher rates among rural households.⁴ Produce Prescription Programs (PPP) successfully pair access to fruits/vegetables with education by a dietician⁶ for people with chronic disease. Health care providers (HCPs) are well-suited to screen for food insecurity and refer patients to PPPs. However, day-to-day practice demands make this challenging .^7,8 This project examined HCPs perceptions of and barriers to referring patients to PPPs. …

Challenges In Engineering Machine Learning (Software) Systems, Raffi T. Khatchadourian Ph.D.

Open Educational Resources

Lecture slides on the software engineering challenges unique to machine learning systems, for an undergraduate software engineering course. After contrasting traditional programming with machine learning, the deck examines why the usual tools for managing complexity—abstraction, reuse, and composition—are harder to apply to ML, given the lack of clear specifications and modularity. It covers concept drift, feedback loops (illustrated with crime-prediction and recommendation examples), and the accumulation of technical debt in ML systems, including the role and pitfalls of notebooks in moving from experimentation to production. Based on "Machine Learning in Production/AI Engineering" by Christian Kaestner and Eunsuk Kang (Carnegie Mellon …

Elementary Teachers’ Use Of Sphero Robots To Teach Computational Thinking, Marquita Jackson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The power of play has often been used in K–5 classrooms, but it has not always been implemented as a way to teach computational thinking skills. The use of educational robots such as Sphero have been explored, but not with young learners. The research problem addressed through this study was the lack of understanding of K–5 teachers’ experiences in using Sphero robots to teach computational thinking. The purpose of this basic qualitative study was to explore K-5 teachers’ experiences in implementing Sphero robot activities and specifically to teach computational thinking. The conceptual framework included Magana’s T3 model and Angeli’s computational …

Actionable Insights From The Liahona 2, Yoshihiko Ariizumi

Spiritual Proficiency

The original data exceeded 350 pages of Japanese text, resulting in a total of 37 different summarized principle/action plan sets. What is fascinating is that, while a certain amount of conceptual overlap is expected, intriguing new perspectives constantly emerge. Therefore, I highly recommend reviewing all 37 sets repeatedly (only a portion of which is included in this document). You will find countless hints for spiritual growth hidden throughout, often leading to significant breakthroughs.

This 63-page article is filled with treasures. Towards the end, you will also find shorter supplementary articles on techniques such as how to "zoom out" (gain an …

High-Resolution Lidar Observations Of Sedimentation-Induced Size Sorting Of Droplets Near A Laboratory Cloud Top, Fan Yang, Yong Meng Sua, Zipei Zheng, Jesse Anderson, Hamed F. Sadi, Jae Min Yeom, Suryadev Pratap Singh, Pei Hou, Will Cantrell, Ernie Lewis, Alex Kostinski, Raymond Shaw

Michigan Tech Publications

No abstract provided.

Patent Searching With Uspto, Derwent Innovation And Lens.Org, Ibis Anette Moreno-Lozano

Day Family Research Lab Workshop Series

No abstract provided.

Law As Performance: Sovereignty, Legal Indeterminacy, And The Chinese Private Security Industry, Alexandrya Pouliot

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis examines how the legal indeterminacy of international law facilitates state evasion of accountability through the use of private military and security companies (PMSCs) as proxies in extraterritorial operations. Focusing on China’s deployment of PSCs to safeguard Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) projects, it argues that ambiguities within the doctrines of attribution and responsibility under the Articles on the Responsibility of States for Internationally Wrongful Acts (ARSIWA) create a permissive legal environment that enables states to outsource coercive functions without incurring formal liability. Drawing upon Hobbesian Realist theory, Carl Schmitt’s concept of the sovereign exception, and insights from Critical …

Longitudinal Quality Improvement Project To Increase Colorectal Cancer Screening For An Underserved Population In A Resident Physician-Led Primary Care Clinic., Vivek Vardhan Jasti, Sarah N Grebennikov, Mariah Barlow, David Y Lo, Shail M Govani, Miram Chan, Aimee E Willett, Christopher Barlow

Medical Education Articles

BACKGROUND: The overall rates of colorectal cancer (CRC) in the US population have been declining steadily over the past 30 years, in large part due to timely cancer screenings. Despite the emergence of new screening modalities, a large portion of the population has not completed CRC screening in accordance with guidelines. Adequate and timely screening can prevent or detect CRC in earlier stages. Various factors have been identified that influence screening completion. Lower screening rates have been associated with the underserved population, especially in the immigrant community and patients with inadequate access to healthcare. In the USA, primary care clinics …