Digital Commons Network^™

Peer Mentorship Of Midwifery Faculty In Bangladesh: A Process Evaluation, Pronita Raha, Joy Kemp, Farida Begum, Rowsan Ara, Vibhavendra S. Raghuvanshi, Nabila Purno, Daniel Novak, Hoque Emdadul Hoque

Journal of Asian Midwives (JAM)

Development of midwifery faculty is key to strengthening quality midwifery education. This article presents a process evaluation of a peer mentorship programme, implemented between 2021 and 2023, for around 370 midwifery faculty in Bangladesh, including 40 newly deployed faculty. 20 peer mentors, prepared by international midwifery faculty, conducted quarterly visits to public midwifery education institutions (MEIs) to provide mentorship support to midwifery faculty and to monitor the quality of midwifery education. A digital community of practice was also created. Data were collected with a checklist based on the World Health Organization (WHO) midwifery educator competencies and entered into a digital …

Cardiac Transplantation Does Not Improve Exercise Tolerance, Muscle Mass, Or Substrate Metabolism In Barth Syndrome, W Todd Cade, Kathryn L Bohnert, Linda R Peterson, Lisa De Las Fuentes, Emily Poehlein, Cynthia L Green, Christina A Pacak, Barry J Byrne, Dominic N Reeds, Adil Bashir, Brian Feingold, Carolyn Taylor

2020-Current year OA Pubs

Barth syndrome (BTHS) is a rare X-linked recessive disorder characterized by mutations in the TAFAZZIN gene, leading to mitochondrial dysfunction, cardioskeletal myopathy, neutropenia, exercise intolerance, and growth delay. While cardiac transplantation can improve heart function in BTHS patients, the metabolic effects of this procedure remain poorly understood. This study aimed to compare skeletal muscle morphology, substrate metabolism, energetics, and exercise tolerance in individuals with BTHS who had undergone cardiac transplantation (BTHS-T) versus BTHS patients without transplantation (BTHS-noT) and healthy controls. Six (

Sustainability Of Recycling Perovskite Solar Cells: Economic And Environmental Perspectives, Juan P. Herrera Meza

Dissertations and Theses

Perovskite solar cells (PSCs) are among the most promising next-generation photovoltaic technologies due to their high efficiency and low production costs. Nonetheless, concerns about the toxicity of lead-based absorbers and the lack of standardized recycling protocols present substantial environmental and economic challenges. This thesis provides a comparative life-cycle environmental and economic evaluation of eight state-of-the-art PSC recycling processes. This assessment adheres to ISO 14040/44 standards and combines environmental and cost analyses. Solvent reuse is explicitly modeled for recovery of each functional layer (back contact, absorber, hole-transport, and TCO/glass) to reflect industrial practices. The results show that while most methods reduce …

Methane Removal Under The Paris Agreement, Romany M. Webb

Sabin Center for Climate Change Law

In the 2015 Paris Agreement, the international community agreed to “strengthen the global response to climate change” by limiting the “increase in global average temperatures to well below" 2 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels, and ideally to 1.5 degrees Celsius. As recognized in the Agreement, to stay within these limits, global greenhouse gas emissions must be rapidly reduced, “so as to achieve a balance between anthropogenic emissions by sources and removals by sinks of greenhouse gases in the second half of this century” — a situation commonly described as “net zero.” The need to reach net zero has prompted growing …

Daily Physical Activity And Cardiorespiratory Fitness In Adults With Down Syndrome With And Without Congenital Heart Disease., Julianne G. Clina, David A. White, Joseph R. Sherman, Jessica C. Danon, Daniel Forsha, Brian C. Helsel, Richard A. Washburn, Joseph E. Donnelly, Lauren T. Ptomey

Manuscripts, Articles, Book Chapters and Other Papers

BACKGROUND: Individuals with Down syndrome (DS) typically exhibit lower cardiorespiratory fitness and reduced moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) compared to persons without disability. Approximately 50-55 % of individuals with DS have congenital heart disease (CHD), which is associated with cardiopulmonary deficiencies and reduced MVPA participation in non-DS populations. It is unknown if CHD related comorbidities compound with DS associated deficits in physical activity and fitness.

OBJECTIVE: To compare physical activity, cardiorespiratory fitness, and cardiovascular function, of persons with DS with and without CHD.

METHODS: Baseline data were used from a 12-month randomized controlled physical activity intervention of adults with DS. Participants …

Effectiveness Of Allopurinol On Uric Acid And Pediatric Chronic Kidney Disease Severity In The Chronic Kidney Disease In Children Study., Derek K. Ng, Matthew B. Matheson, George J. Schwartz, Katherine E. Kurgansky, Bradley A. Warady, Susan L. Furth

Manuscripts, Articles, Book Chapters and Other Papers

RATIONALE & OBJECTIVE: Clinical trials have shown that serum uric acid reduction does not slow chronic kidney disease (CKD) progression in adults, but it is uncertain whether these findings apply to children.

STUDY DESIGN: An observational cohort study.

SETTING & POPULATION: The Chronic Kidney Disease in Children cohort with participants who initiated allopurinol with a comparison group matched on age, sex, uric acid, CKD diagnosis, estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR), and proteinuria.

EXPOSURE: Allopurinol initiation.

OUTCOMES: Uric acid, eGFR, and proteinuria before and after initiation, and longitudinal changes over time.

ANALYTICAL APPROACH: Allopurinol initiators were matched to noninitiators at a …

Increasing The Effectiveness Of Rural, Regional And Remote Food Security Initiatives Through Place-Based Partnerships—A Qualitative Study, Stephanie L. Godrich, Melissa Stoneham, Isabelle Chiera, Jess Doe, Amanda Devine, Emily Humphreys

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Issue Addressed: This work aimed to understand the ways in which local organisations were working in partnership to support food security action in rural, regional, and remote areas. Methods: Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 101 food security initiative leaders, representing 148 food initiatives within Australia's largest state, Western Australia (WA). A thematic analysis was undertaken using NVivo that indicated a total of 378 partnering organisations worked on the food security initiatives. Results: Organisations partnered to address food security in their regions through coordinated action; community consultation; food/financial donations; funding and grants; on-ground programme and service delivery and physical and human …

The Artichoke Model: A Conceptual Framework For Positive Food Environments In Early Childhood Education And Care (Ecec) Settings, Ros Sambell, Audrey Elford, Tori Overstone, Rebecca Byrne, Kirsty Elliott, Sandra Vale, Penelope Love, Lisa Vincze, Leanne Elliston, Fiona Nave, Janny Goris, Emma Esdaile, Amanda Devine

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

The Artichoke Model is a conceptual framework developed to support the understanding of the breadth and influence of food environments in Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC) settings. It identifies twelve interrelated components spanning food provision, mealtime practices, curriculum integration, staff capacity, family engagement, and systemic enablers such as policy, equity, and environmental sustainability. Represented visually as an artichoke with the child at its centre, the model encourages holistic analysis, recognising that sustainable change requires the interconnected operation of all components, rather than isolated interventions. The Artichoke Model is intended as a tool for researchers, policymakers, and advocates to guide …

Navigating Child Oral Health In Western Australia: A Caregiver's Perspective, Lesley Andrew, Elizabeth Wenden, Mohamed Estai, Ruth Wallace

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Background: Early childhood caries (ECC) is the most common chronic health condition among Australian preschool-aged children. Untreated, ECC can affect children's physical and emotional health and future social opportunities. ECC is largely preventable through primary caregivers' correct understanding of oral health promoting diets, oral hygiene practices and dental service engagement. The study aim is to explore Western Australian (WA) primary caregivers' child oral health knowledge, experience and practices. The Fisher-Owens socioecological model of child oral health was applied across the study to structure and interpret the findings across the complex, interactive sociocultural influences on child oral health. Methods: The mixed-methods …

The Impact Of Configuration Management Decisions On Firm Resilience: Integrating Resource Configuration, Operational Flexibility, And Collaborative Supply Chain Strategies, Zeplin Jiwa Husada Tarigan, Sahnaz Ubud, Zefanya Valentino Bastanta Tarigan, Ferry Jie

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Global competition requires the company's appropriate rules and policies. The company is trying to build strong, firm resilience to maintain sustainability. The research aims to analyze the influence of management configuration decisions on company resilience through the integration of resource configuration, operational flexibility, and collaboration in the supply chain. This study was conducted on 462 manufacturing companies in Indonesia that were experiencing changes in operational systems and global competitive pressures. Data was collected through questionnaires and analyzed using the Partial Least Square (PLS) method. The research results show that management configuration decisions influence resource configuration and supply chain collaboration integration …

What Are Safe Hemoglobin, Neutrophil And Platelet Counts For People With Hematological Malignancies To Participate In Exercise And Activities Of Daily Living: A Scoping Review, Joanne L. Houston, Kieran P. Boyd, Paul M. Gittings, Vinicius Cavalheri

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Purpose: The aim of this scoping review was to summarize the extent of the literature in relation to safe levels of platelet, hemoglobin and neutrophil count for people with hematological cancers to participate in exercise or activities of daily living (ADLs). Methods: A comprehensive search for this scoping review was completed in July 2024 across five databases: the Cochrane Library, Embase, PEDro, PubMed and OTSeeker. Original studies, reviews and expert opinion papers were included if they focused on people with active hematological cancer diagnoses or those undergoing treatment affecting bone marrow, and referenced safe levels of platelet, hemoglobin and neutrophil …

A Study On The Multifunctional Properties And Application Perspectives Of Zno/Sic Composite Materials, Mohammad Nur-E-Alam

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

ZnO/SiC nanocomposite materials possess significant potential for various technological fields due to their extraordinary optical, electrical, thermal, and mechanical properties. The synthesis methods, material properties, and diverse applications of ZnO/SiC composites have been systematically explored in this study. The potential application areas of this nanocomposite include their roles in photocatalysis, optoelectronic devices, gas sensors, and photovoltaic systems. The synergetic effects of ZnO and SiC are analyzed to highlight their advantages over their individual components. Future research directions must focus on the remaining challenges to optimize these nanoscale composite materials for industrial and emerging applications.

Aiding Depth Perception In Initial Drone Training: Evidence From Camera-Assisted Distance Estimation, John Murray, Steven Richardson, Keith Joiner, Graham Wild

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Remotely Piloted Aircraft (RPA) pilots frequently experience difficulties with depth perception, particularly when estimating distances between the drone and environmental obstacles. This study evaluates whether the use of onboard camera imagery can improve exocentric distance estimation accuracy among ab initio drone pilots operating under visual line-of-sight (VLOS) conditions. Two groups of undergraduate students performed distance estimation tasks at 20 and 50 m. One group used direct observation only to estimate the exocentric distance between the drone and an obstacle. The second group, as well as direct observation, had access to a live video feed from the drone’s onboard camera via …

Cross-Continental Analysis Shows That Disturbance Effects On Reptile Body Condition Do Not Predict Abundance Responses, Kristina J. Macdonald, Don A. Driscoll, Michael D. Craig, Robert A. Davis, Steven J. Hromada, C. M. Gienger, Lee A. Fitzgerald, Daniel J. Leavitt, Danielle K. Walkup, Rickard Abom, Adrian F. Wayne, Gordon R. Friend, Brent Johnson, Danielle Stokeld, Chris R. Dickman, Scott A. Thompson, Graham G. Thompson, Daniel F. Bohórquez Fandiño, Christopher K. Woolley, Annabel L. Smith, Calum Irvine, Tim S. Jessop, Jade E. Keehn, Chris R. Feldman, Xavier Santos, Josabel Belliure

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Ecological disturbances are discrete events that alter or transform the physical, chemical, or biological characteristics of ecosystems. Disturbance can cause animal populations to decline and, according to the risk-disturbance hypothesis and population collapse framework, these declines can be predicted by declines in animal body condition. However, no research has empirically examined the general relationship between body condition and abundance, nor their relationship in response to disturbance. We used a combined dataset representing 33 studies and > 42,000 observations of 75 species from Australia, New Zealand, Spain and the United States of America to test predictions relating to the relationship between reptile …

Decentralised Consensus Control Of Hybrid Synchronous Condenser And Grid-Forming Inverter Systems In Renewable-Dominated Low-Inertia Grids, Hamid Soleimani, Asma Aziz, S. M.Muslem Uddin, Mehrdad Ghahramani, Daryoush Habibi

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

The increasing penetration of renewable energy sources (RESs) has significantly altered the operational characteristics of modern power systems, resulting in reduced system inertia and fault current capacity. These developments introduce new challenges for maintaining frequency and voltage stability, particularly in low-inertia grids that are dominated by inverter-based resources (IBRs). This paper presents a hierarchical control framework that integrates synchronous condensers (SCs) and grid-forming (GFM) inverters through a leader–follower consensus control architecture to address these issues. In this approach, selected GFMs act as leaders to restore nominal voltage and frequency, while follower GFMs and SCs collaboratively share active and reactive power. …

Evaluating The Influence Of Carbon Quantum Dots On Starch-Based Bioplastics: Toward Potential Food Packaging Applications, Shima Jafarzadeh, Mitra Golgoli, Zeinab Qazanfarzadeh, Mehrdad Forough, Peng Wu, Wendy Timms, Colin J. Barrow, Minoo Naebe, Masoumeh Zargar

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Developing biodegradable food packaging films is crucial for reducing dependence on petroleum-based plastics. In this study, nitrogen-doped carbon quantum dots (CDs) were synthesized from citric acid and ethylenediamine via hydrothermal treatment and incorporated into sago starch films at concentrations of 0.5 %, 1 %, 3 %, and 4 % w/w of total solids using a solution casting method. The effects of CDs on structural, thermal, antioxidant, optical, and physicochemical properties were systematically investigated. CD addition enhanced the UV-shielding ability of the films. At 4 % CD content, UV transmittance decreased by 56.4 % (UVA), 66.7 % (UVB), and 73.9 % …

Exercise Effects On Symptoms Of Depression And Anxiety Vary By Patient, Clinical, And Intervention Characteristics In Cancer Survivors: Results From Pooled Analyses Of Individual Participant Data Of 26 Rcts, Marlou Floor Kenkhuis, Meike Doorenbos, Isa H. Mast, Neil K. Aaronson, Marc Van Beurden, Martin Bohus, Kerry S. Courneya, Amanda J. Daley, Daniel A. Galvão, Martine M. Goedendorp, Wim H. Van Harten, Sandi C. Hayes, Anouk E. Hiensch, Melinda L. Irwin, Marie José Kersten, Hans Knoop, Anne M. May, Alex Mcconnachie, Willem Van Mechelen, Nanette Mutrie, Robert U. Newton, Frans Nollet, Hester S. Oldenburg, Martina E. Schmidt, Kathryn H. Schmitz, Karl Heinz Schulz, Dennis R. Taaffe

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Purpose: This study aimed to investigate whether socio-demographic, clinical, and intervention-related variables moderate the effects of exercise on depression and anxiety symptoms in cancer survivors. Methods: Data from 26 RCTs in the POLARIS database were analyzed using a one-step individual participant data (IPD) meta-analytic approach with linear mixed models to assess exercise effects on depression and anxiety symptoms (z-scores). Interaction terms were added to these models to explore moderators. Results are presented as betas (corresponding to Cohen’s d effect size). Results: Albeit statistically significant, exercise demonstrated negligible effects on symptoms of depression (β = − 0.11; 95% CI = − …

Foundations And Strategic Vision Of The Canadian Translational Geroscience Network, Guy Hajj-Boutros, Andréa Faust, John Muscedere, Perry Kim, Gilles Gouspillou, Lea Harrington, James L. Kirkland, George A. Kuchel, Jeremy Van Raamsdonk, R. Jane Rylett, Chantal Autexier, Louis R. Lapierre, Michael Kobor, Mohammad Auais, Ann Beliën, Jeroen Aerssens, George Sutphin, Kenneth Rockwood, Alexandra Papaioannou, Marc Sim, Jamie Justice, Nancy Mayo, Gustavo Duque

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Geroscience is an emerging interdisciplinary field that explores the biological connections between aging and the development of chronic diseases, with the ultimate goal of identifying interventions to extend healthspan and delay age-related conditions. Recognizing the growing importance of this field, the Canadian Translational Geroscience Network (geroscience.ca) was officially launched during a conference held in Montreal on September 5-6, 2024. Building on the momentum of successful Geroscience meetings in Toronto and Montreal in 2023, this milestone event marked a transformative step forward for geroscience in Canada. This event brought together key stakeholders, including the Canadian Frailty Network (CFN), the Canadian Institutes …

Incorporating Waste Plastics Into Pavement Materials: A Review Of Opportunities, Risks, Environmental Implications, And Monitoring Strategies, Ali Ghodrati, Nuha S. Mashaan, Themelina Paraskeva

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

The integration of waste plastics into pavement materials offers a dual benefit of enhancing road performance and mitigating the environmental burden of plastic waste. This review critically examines the opportunities and challenges associated with incorporating waste plastics in pavement construction, with an emphasis on their impact on the mechanical properties, durability, and life cycle performance of pavements. Special attention is given to the environmental implications, particularly the potential generation and release of micro- and nano-plastics during the pavement life cycle. This paper further evaluates current monitoring and analytical methodologies for detecting plastic emissions from road surfaces and explores emerging approaches …

The Indian Pharmacopoeia: Enabling Open Access And Crafting A ‘Sovereign Function Exception’ For Government Works, Aparajita Lath

National Law School Journal

Standardisation of drugs and access to such standards are important levers for effective drug regulation. The Indian Pharmacopoeia, the official book of standards for drugs in the country prescribed by the Union government under the Drugs and Cosmetics Act 1940, are legally binding and enforceable. Not only do the standards have the force of law but are also government-created. The Indian Pharmacopoeia Commission (IPC), a division of the Union Department of Health and Family Welfare, has a legal monopoly over creating and publishing this compendium. Though it is legally binding, the Indian Pharmacopoeia is neither in the public domain …

The Procedural Architecture Of Climate Justice: Comparative Lessons From Regional Human Rights Courts, Indira Boutier

National Law School Journal

Climate change, once narrated through scientific data and economic costs, is now unavoidably framed as a question of rights and justice. This article examines how litigation before the African, European, and Inter-American human rights courts makes the procedural dimensions of climate justice visible. Procedural justice here is understood capaciously and includes not only rules of access, standing, and evidence, but also the recognition of corporations as duty bearers in transnational accountability regimes. A comparison of the three regions shows how colonial legacies, institutional architectures, and political economies shape the channels through which communities can contest climate harm. Litigation emerges less …

Human Rights Perspectives In Social Work Practice With African Immigrants In Australia: 'It Starts With Respecting Them And Making Them Feel Like Humans', Obed Adonteng-Kissi, Frank Darkwa Baffour, Matthew Mabefam, Nnaemeka Meribe, Elizabeth Archibong

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Increasing restrictionism and xenophobic policies in Western host countries curtail and endanger immigrants' civil and political rights as well as socio-economic well-being. This study is guided by the critical race theory (CRT), which provides a very important structure to critique social work practice with immigrants from a human rights lens and unpack the intersections of race, racism, and power. The objective of this study is to explore immigrants' perspectives on social work practices that prioritize human rights in Australia. To achieve this, a total of twenty-seven participants were interviewed, including eight social workers and nineteen immigrants of African background service …

Emergence Of Cellular Nematic Order Is A Conserved Feature Of Gastrulation In Animal Embryos, Jessica Sawyer, Mark Peifer, John B Wallingford, D Thirumalai

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Cells undergo dramatic morphological changes during embryogenesis, yet how these changes affect the formation of ordered tissues remains elusive. Here, we show that a phase transition leading to the formation of a nematic liquid crystal state during gastrulation in the development of embryos of fish, frogs, and fruit flies occurs by a common mechanism despite substantial differences between these evolutionarily distant animals. Importantly, nematic order forms early before any discernible changes in the shapes of cells. All three species exhibit similar propagation of the nematic phase, reminiscent of nucleation and growth mechanisms. The spatial correlations in the nematic phase in …

Clinical Assessment On Days 1-14 For The Characterization Of Traumatic Brain Injury: Recommendations From The 2024 Ninds Traumatic Brain Injury Classification And Nomenclature Initiative Clinical/Symptoms Working Group, Thomas J Bayuk, Shubhayu Bhattacharyay, David L Brody, Scott A Cota, Ari Ercole, Anthony Figaji, Guoyi Gao, Christopher C Giza, Fiona Lecky, Rebekah Mannix, Ana Mikolić, Kasey E Moritz, Claudia S Robertson, Abel Torres-Espin, Spyridoula Tsetsou, John K Yue, Hibah O Awad, Kristen Dams-O'Connor, Adele Doperalski, Andrew I R Maas, Michael A Mccrea, Nsini Umoh, Geoffrey T Manley

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

The current classification of traumatic brain injury (TBI) primarily uses the Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) to categorize injuries as mild (GCS 13-15), moderate (GCS 9-12), or severe (GCS ≤8). However, this system is unsatisfactory, as it overlooks variations in injury severity, clinical needs, and prognosis. A recent report by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (USA) recommended updating the classification system, leading to a workshop in 2024 by the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke. This resulted in the development of a new clinical, biomarker, imaging, and modifier (CBI-M) framework, with input from six working groups, including …

Value-Added Utilization Of Agricultural Wastes In Biocomposite Production: Characteristics And Applications, Nadir Ayrilmis, Ehab El Sayed Massoud, Murugesan Palaniappan, S Lakshmi Sankar

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Agro-waste-based biocomposites are reinforced with natural fibers derived from agricultural residues. These biocomposite materials have attracted a great deal of interest in recent years due to their environmentally friendly and sustainable nature as an alternative to conventional synthetic materials. Issues of environmental sustainability and the search for waste management solutions have driven research into the development of materials that minimize reliance on nonrenewable resources and have a low environmental impact. This review presents an overview of the physical and mechanical properties of some selected biocomposites derived from rice husk, coconut shell, and sugarcane bagasse. Critical properties such as density, water …

A Hypomorphic Model Of Cps1 Deficiency For Investigating The Effects Of Hyperammonemia On The Developing Nervous System, Rachel Reyes, Grace F Wu, Georgios Makris, Martin Poms, Isabel Day, Qin Sun, Irina Zhuravka, Lindsay Lueptow, Michelle Tang, Gareth A Cromie, Aimée M Dudley, Johannes Häberle, Gerald S Lipshutz

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Carbamoyl phosphate synthetase 1 (CPS1) deficiency is a rare metabolic disorder that, in neonatal onset, is typically characterized by severe life-threatening and neurologically injuring hyperammonemic episodes with high unmet patient need. Patients that retain limited enzyme activity may present later in life with less severe hyperammonemia. CPS1 drives the first step in the urea cycle, the pathway terrestrial mammals utilize to metabolize nitrogen. In order to probe the effect of hyperammonemia on the developing nervous system and explore new therapies, a murine Cps1 exon 3-4 mutant was previously generated. However, these mice die within 24 h of birth, limiting study …

The Experience Of Codependency In Young Adult Romantic Relationships, Amanda S. Soares

Undergraduate Theses and Capstone Projects

This qualitative study used Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) to explore the lived experiences of codependency among four young adults (ages 21–24) who had recently exited a codependent romantic relationship. Through in-depth interviews, themes around emotional enmeshment, identity loss, boundary erosion, emotional suppression, and healing were found. Findings indicate that early attachment patterns, trauma, and socialization intersect with emotional vulnerability and self-worth to create conditions ripe for codependent dynamics. Participants describe both the psychological toll of these relationships and the personal growth that followed. These insights contribute to the limited literature on young adult codependency and may inform prevention and intervention …

The Effect Of An Interdisciplinary Project On Students’ Understandings Of Mathematical Interdisciplinarity: A Qualitative Action Research Study, Jaime Krause

Theses and Dissertations

The siloed nature of education has likely caused some high school students to not recognize the interdisciplinary nature of mathematics, leading them to misunderstand its relationship to other subject areas. A misunderstanding of mathematical interdisciplinarity can cause issues when these students approach interdisciplinary problems later in life. The purpose of this study was to observe, investigate, and analyze the ways in which students understand mathematical interdisciplinarity following a collaborative and interdisciplinary project. I implemented a descriptive qualitative action research approach to determine how a collaborative interdisciplinary project on NASA technology in a high school mathematics course affects students’ understandings of …

Examining Coping, Individual Resilience, And Family Resilience As Strengths-Based Factors For Lgbtq+ Individuals, Elizabeth Moriarty Combs

Theses and Dissertations

Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer/Questioning, and More (LGBTQ+) individuals are part of a diverse and complex community that has unique considerations regarding physical and mental health. While there is ongoing health equity research regarding LGBTQ+ individuals, the focus is often on health disparities. A strengths-based approach to helping LGBTQ+ individuals through research and other avenues may be beneficial. This multi-manuscript dissertation includes two studies that explored the current literature on strengths-based factors such as coping, individual resilience, and family resilience within LGBTQ+ individuals, as well as determined the feasibility of utilizing these factors to assist LGBTQ+ individuals with health and …

An Efficient Detection And Deep Clustering Based Pipeline For Reliable Rodent Ultrasonic Vocalization Analysis, Sabah S. Anis

Theses and Dissertations

Ultrasonic vocalizations (USVs) are critical for understanding rodents' emotional states and social behaviors. However, manual analysis of USVs is time-consuming, subjective, and prone to errors. This thesis presents an automated pipeline that addresses these challenges by performing efficient USV detection and clustering. The proposed approach significantly reduces the time and effort needed to analyze USV data while improving accuracy and reproducibility.

To address this gap, we introduce ContourUSV, a five-step pipeline for USV detection. First, it begins with generating spectrograms from audio recordings, which are then pre-processed to enhance the contrast between USVs and background noise. Key steps include median …