Digital Commons Network^™

The Impact Of Nicu Death On Bereaved Mothers, Jennie Terranova

University Honors Theses

Infant loss in the United States occurs 5.6 per 1,000 live births. This paper examines risk factors that contribute to neonatal death. Prematurity is a risk factor for NICU admission. A portion of premature babies receiving care in the NICU will die. The stressful nature of the NICU has been studied widely in journals. The impact of NICU death on hospital staff and bereaved parents has been studied less. Mortality studies suggest that bereaved mothers are at a high risk of dying within the first 5 years after their child has died. Despite the frequency of maternal death post-child loss, …

American Consumer Culture And Social Media Polarization: Analyzing Twentieth Century Trends And Their Effects On Twenty First Century Politics, Max Lally

University Honors Theses

The emergence of social media as a mainstream communication technology during the early twenty first century has had an outsized impact on the United States' political system. By analyzing trends in American culture and economics beginning in the decades following the end of World War Two, the circumstances that shaped social media during its development can be tied to long term historical changes. Shifts away from traditional models of community and towards rising individualism reshaped communication with both political allies and opponents. Generational shifts in political attitudes have heightened these divisions as well, as younger and liberal perspectives challenge traditional, …

Cultural Shadows: Vampires And The Shifting Fears Of The West, A Creative Exploration Of Vampire Media And Its Reflection Of Evolving Social Anxieties, Tasha Sayre

University Honors Theses

Cultural Shadows: Vampires and the Shifting Fears of the West is a creative-critical thesis that explores vampire media as a reflection of evolving social anxieties in Western culture. Focusing primarily on film and television, with reference to key literary texts, this study examines how the vampire figure is used to articulate and dramatize recurring societal fears—particularly those surrounding women's sexuality and autonomy, queer identity, and class-based inequality. Through close readings of influential vampire narratives, the thesis demonstrates how these stories mirror cultural tensions and moral panics, transforming the vampire into a symbol of both fear and fascination. Drawing on gender …

Early-Stage Detection Of Copper Ion Release From Bronze Corrosion Using Uv/Vis Spectroscopy And Hydrogel Sensing, Hibah Khan

University Honors Theses

Detecting copper(I) (Cu⁺) release at early corrosion stages is important for preserving bronze heritage materials. This study investigated the use of neocuproine (NC), a Cu⁺-specific ligand, for simple and selective colorimetric detection of Cu⁺ in solution. NC reacts with Cu⁺ to form a Cu(NC)₂ complex, which produces a distinct orange-red color with peak absorbance at 455 nm. Solutions were prepared with varying concentrations of Cu⁺ generated by reducing Cu²⁺ with excess ascorbic acid. Ultraviolet/Visible (UV/Vis) spectroscopy was used to quantify absorbance changes. The absorbance at 455 nm increased linearly across the tested Cu⁺ concentration range (6.25–200 µM) with an R² …

A Postcolonial Re-Telling Of The Life And Times Of Dr. Bethenia Owens-Adair, Lucille Marie Walker

University Honors Theses

This thesis seeks to explore the story of Dr. Bethenia Owens-Adair, one of the first female doctors in the Pacific Northwest, who wrote the bill that would one day enact Oregon's long standing eugenic sterilization laws. Utilizing postcolonial framework primarily provided by psychiatrist and political writer Frantz Fanon, and supplemental literature from historian Ann Stoler, this paper will look into Dr. Adair's life story and her eugenic efforts in an attempt to understand the colonial roots of turn-of-the-century beliefs about bodies, behavior, and will ultimately aim to question how these beliefs may still reverberate through society today.

Surveying Management Strategies For Pediatric Autoimmune Hepatitis, Lillie Baca

University Honors Theses

Pediatric autoimmune hepatitis (PAIH) is a long-term condition that requires ongoing treatment and regular monitoring. It is characterized by its elevation of liver enzymes, interface hepatitis, and the specific presence of circulating autoantibodies. There is a general lack of consensus on appropriate measures of diagnostic criteria, treatment medication, and beneficial practices for monitoring the disease. The existing literature contains several subtle discrepancies that challenge a practitioner's judgement for care management of children with autoimmune hepatitis. This study is a retrospective chart review aimed at understanding the current diagnostics, treatment, and long-term management strategies of PAIH at a single center. Also, …

The Competitive Advantage Of Storytelling, Jennifer V. Carroll

University Honors Theses

Ava Roasteria Company, a family-owned coffee business in Washington County, Oregon, faces the challenge of expanding in a saturated market. Despite a compelling origin story rooted in environmental remediation and community revitalization, Ava has not utilized this narrative in its branding. This capstone project applied strategic business and marketing frameworks to identify narrative storytelling as a key competitive advantage. Research shows that authentic, narrative origin stories of small businesses that align with stakeholder's values and beliefs can foster emotional connection, loyalty, and brand differentiation. Ava's history and alignment with the Portland culture of sustainability and social responsibility is an untapped …

Assessing The Challenges Latin Immigrant Populations Face In Accessing Healthcare And Proposing Solutions To Improve Accessibility, Melina Khiabani

University Honors Theses

Access to healthcare is considered a basic human right, yet many Hispanic and Latin immigrant populations in the United States, especially those living in rural areas, face significant barriers that prevent them from receiving the care they need. These barriers include language differences, cultural misunderstandings, financial hardship, fear of legal consequences, and geographic isolation. This literature review explores the challenges that Hispanic/Latin immigrants aged 19-25 in rural areas encounter when trying to access healthcare, particularly preventative services.

Drawing from a wide range of existing research, this thesis identifies how policy restrictions, social determinants of health, and systemic discrimination contribute to …

Controlling Corsets: Commerce, Dress Reform, Medicine, And Misogyny In Nineteenth-Century Women's Dress, Emily Klesch

University Honors Theses

In the nineteenth century, women's dress depended on the usage of the corset. Without it, a woman's outfit was uncomfortable to wear and largely impractical. Because of how necessary the garment was to women's clothing, it became the focus of criticism from many different angels, including but not limited to the medical field, dress reform, and businesses which manufactured and sold corsets to consumers. These criticisms, although directed at the corset, were often thinly veiled insults to the female sex, and reflected larger societal fears about women's places in society as women's liberation movements began to gain more traction. It …

Messy Kitchens, Clean Hands, Emily Camp

University Honors Theses

Contemporary industrial food systems are well-tuned towards their primary goal: the efficient production of cheap food to generate high profits. Perhaps nowhere is this more acute than in the production of industrial meat. Here, workers, consumers and animals are trapped in a system that ignores their interests in order to achieve maximum profit for shareholders. But how does modern industrial meat production remain mostly hidden from view?

This interdisciplinary art and cultural history thesis explores this question by looking to the kitchen, and more specifically, to its decor. These decorative objects both reflect and enable a complex ideological transformation. I …

Glacial Lakes Segmentation Using Multispectral Remote Sensing Data And Deep Learning Models, Debankan Das

Master’s Dissertations

The identification and delineation of glacial lakes through segmentation is crucial for tracking glacial changes and evaluating potential dangers from sudden flood events (GLOFs). These floods can severely impact populated areas and man-made structures downstream. Recent advances in high-quality satellite imagery have sparked increased attention toward using advanced machine learning methods, particularly deep learning, to enable precise and automated glacial lake detection. In this study, we explore the effectiveness of deep learning-based pointwise semantic segmentation for glacial lake mapping using multisource remote sensing imagery, including both optical and synthetic aperture radar (SAR) data. We experiment with a novel stack combination …

Degradation Characterization Of Nopal-Based Biopolymer Made From Opuntia Sp. Juice, Beeswax, Animal Protein, And Polyvinyl Alcohol, Logan Williams, Mary Elizabeth Holland, Spencer Williams

Materials Engineering

Since the introduction of polymers in the 1960s, there has been an exponential increase in use. Driven by rapidly growing demand, the volume of polymers in the production, application, and end-of-life stages has surged. The widespread use of these materials has led to escalating environmental pollution, which disrupts ecosystems, and contributes to global ecological degradation. While advancements in recycling technologies and infrastructure have shown promise, they have not maintained pace with polymer production and disposal. This imbalance warrants research into sustainable alternatives. Environmentally benign polymers derived from renewable sources and exhibiting minimal ecological impact at the end of their life …

Automation Of Post Fermentation Must Removal, Grace Hurley, Jakob Spink, Ariel Metscher

Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering

The Harvest Haulers project addresses a critical operational inefficiency at Saucelito Canyon Winery, where post-fermentation must removal from wine barrels was labor-intensive and potentially hazardous. This project aimed to develop a custom forklift attachment that could securely handle Bordeaux and Burgundy barrels, streamline the dumping process, and improve worker safety.

The resulting solution is a forklift-compatible fixture designed to lift, secure, and tilt barrels using a robust combination of a modified aluminum pallet, padded hoop, ratchet straps, and a custom hinge mechanism. The design meets all engineering requirements, including a 600 lb. load capacity, 135° tilt, and a single-operator setup …

Synthesis And Testing Of A Biodegradable Composite From Agricultural Waste, Amanda Anne Avrit, Kyla Carlson

Materials Engineering

In this study, polylactic acid (PLA) and ground pistachio shells are combined into a biocomposite with 15 wt% shells through compression molding. To improve interfacial bonding, shells were treated by alkali cleaning and functionalized with tetraethoxysilane before processing. Two biocomposite sample types were fabricated: PLA/shells and PLA/shells/chemical additives. The chemical additives (maleic anhydride and dicumbyl peroxide) were investigated to improve matrix and reinforcement bonding. Difficulties in processing resulted in four testable samples. Mechanical property testing showed that plain PLA samples performed the best on average. Incorporation of the additives increased both ultimate tensile strength and Young’s modulus by 50% as …

Overcoming Vaccine-Associated Enhanced Respiratory Disease In Swine Flu With Lipid Nanoparticle-Dna Technology, The Nguyen

School of Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

The two primary challenges in developing vaccines against swine influenza A virus (IAV-S) are the continuous viral evolution and vaccine-associated enhanced respiratory disease (VAERD). Current vaccine strategies share a common limitation: the significant time required for licensing updated vaccines. Moreover, the strain selection for vaccine updates depends entirely on predictions, raising the risk that chosen strains may not match circulating viruses. Such mismatches not only reduce vaccine efficacy but also risk exacerbating disease severity through VAERD. Here, in this thesis, we developed and evaluated a novel DNA-based vaccine platform designed to address the need for rapid updates in response to …

Exploring Systems Of Discrimination And Violence Against Wayuu Indigenous Women/E’Rrajawaa Sucuaypaa Jutumaa Tu’U Muju’Ulaca Err’Uin Wayumuin Sumuin Tu’U Wayuu Jiertkaa Sumuin Tu Muilian Jain, Dayanna Palmar Uriana

Kroc IPJ Research and Resources

From the moment an Indigenous girl is born, her identity is shaped by two intersecting categories: gender and ethnic belonging. These identity categories influence various aspects of her environment, upbringing, education, work and life.

As a member of the Wayuu people, I understand the challenges of being an Indigenous woman. The Wayuu Indigenous people are the largest Indigenous group in both Colombia and Venezuela. They inhabit the desert and coastal territory of La Guajira, a region shared between the two countries. However, for the Wayuu, it is a single, unique territory, encompassing the physical, biocultural and spiritual dynamics rooted in …

A Review On The Cytogenetic Integrity Of Micropropagated Plants [Review Paper], Eliaza Alumbro Peniton Jr

The Philippine Agricultural Scientist

Cytogenetic stability is essential for the survival of micropropagated plants. While micropropagation allows rapid propagation of plants with desirable phenotypes, it may also produce genetic variations that are, at times, cytogenetically observable. Factors affecting these variations are not fully understood, and micropropagation protocols are optimized to produce genetically stable regenerants. The genetic stability of micropropagated plants is traditionally assessed by comparing the phenomorphological traits of the regenerants to the mother plant. However, genetic variation does not often result in obvious morphological changes. Therefore, molecular and cytogenetic markers are typically used to evaluate the genetic variations of regenerants. Moreover, analyzing plant …

Sustainability Analysis Of Olive Production In Hatay Province, Turkey, Gülșen Keskin, Ahmet Duran Celik, Tugce Sarioglu

The Philippine Agricultural Scientist

Hatay Province, located in the Southern Mediterranean region of Turkey, contributes approximately 7% of the country’s olive production. This study assessed the sustainability of olive enterprises in the province by interviewing 100 producers across 5 districts. A total of 33 variables (10 economic, 14 social, 9 environmental) were identified and used to evaluate sustainability. Results showed that 76% of the enterprises were considered “fragile”, 14% were considered “good”, and 10% were considered “poor”, with the highest scores obtained for social sustainability (58%), and the lowest obtained for environmental sustainability (7%). Statistically significant relationships were also found between sustainability and the …

Agricultural Research Facilities And Equipment, Brad Joyce, Purdue University Office Of Research

University General Facility Boilerplate Descriptions

This overview document describes Purdue University’s on and off-campus research facilities and key equipment related to agriculture, air and water quality, agronomy, and environmental regulation.

Understanding The Impact Of Labs Unleashed, An Applied Math Program: Instructor Perceptions Of Student Motivation And Achievement, Christine S. Columb

All NMU Master's Theses

The purpose of this phenomenological qualitative study was to gain an understanding of the Labs Unleashed instructors' perceptions and experiences of student motivation and achievement in the applied math program. This study includes findings from five interviews with instructors of the 2024 Labs Unleashed Program. The following themes were revealed during the interviews:

1. Real-world relevance and applied learning were the drivers of student engagement and motivation.

2. The supportive environment cultivated confidence and helped to overcome learning barriers.

3. Seamless integration of classroom content and lab practice was essential.

4. The program structure and instructor approaches contributed to student success.

The results of …

Langlands Reciprocity And The Splitting Behavior Of Primes In Number Fields, Skip E. Moses

Master's Theses

This thesis explores the evolution of reciprocity laws in number theory in order to provide a conceptual bridge between the classical ideas of quadratic reciprocity and the modern framework of the Langlands program. We develop the necessary algebraic background to understand how the splitting behavior of primes in number fields reflects deep arithmetic structure in ℚ. Starting with quadratic fields and cyclotomic extensions, we motivate the development of the Kronecker–Weber theorem and the characterization of abelian extensions of ℚ. We then introduce Artin reciprocity and show how it generalizes quadratic reciprocity through the formalism of Frobenius elements and Artin L-functions. …

Catalyzed Chemical Recycling Of Poly(Ethylene Terephthalate) For Enhanced Sustainability, Gilberto J. Hernandez-Leypon Jr.

Master's Theses

Plastics are ubiquitous in the production of consumer and industrial products; their chemical stability, low cost of production, and performance versatility make them the best option for many industries. Their inherent benefits, specifically durability, is the basis for the negative environmental impact of polymers. Improper containment of endof-life polymer products causes unintentional migration into the environment. The monomers for many common polymer types are also fossil fuel based further increasing the environmental impact of the plastic lifecycle. Recycling is a possible method of closing the loop of the plastic lifecycle. Currently most recycling is physical, thermally reprocessing used plastics into …

The Lesson Of Confucius For Today’S America: Education In Ethics Is The Road To Building A Just And Peaceful Society, Yeomin Yoon

KAUPA Letters

According to Confucius, what confers humans their special status and dignity among beings in nature is the moral virtues they can achieve. Humans should build good character, for which they need education to acquire values. He found no correlation between the ability to learn and the socio-economic status. He believed that people with the ability to learn deserved an opportunity to learn. Confucius would not approve of the prevalent American conception of education as transmitting technical knowledge and skills to students without an education in the values to promote by their use. Purely technical education would be an oxymoron for …

Why English Matters: The Case For Majoring In It, John J. Han

KAUPA Letters

No abstract provided.

Building Urban Resilience, Winston T. L. Chow

Asian Management Insights

Cities can lead on services, resources, and partnerships.

University Leadership, Singapore Management University

Asian Management Insights

The future belongs to institutions that advance impact and prepare minds for lifelong learning. An interview with Dr Andrew Hamilton, President Emeritus of New York University and former Vice-Chancellor of Oxford University.

Pacific Rxtracts - June 2025, Pacific Rxtracts

Pacific RxTracts

Articles:

• Atzumi Receives FDA Approval as First Nasal Powder DHE for Migraine Treatment
• IMAAVY: First and Only FDA-approved Neonatal Fc Receptor Inhibitor for gMG
• New Prophylactic Treatment Approved for Hemophilia A or B, With or Without Factor Inhibitors
• Cytisinicline: The Next Smoking Cessation Aid
• FDA Approves Dupilumab for the Management of Chronic Spontaneous Urticaria
• Study Shows Promise in Combining Behavioral Treatment with Phentermine
• Metformin for Osteoarthritis
• A New Direction in Atopic Dermatitis Treatment
• Orforglipron: A Potential Oral Alternative to Injectable GLP-1 Agonists
• Beyond GLP-1s: MariTide’s Dual Mechanism in Weight Loss Therapy
• Atrasentan Gains FDA Approval to Combat Proteinuria in Primary …

Irhunter: Universal Detection Of Instruction Reordering Vulnerabilities For Enhanced Concurrency In Distributed And Parallel Systems, Guohua Xin, Guangquan Xu, Yao Zhang, Cheng Wen, Cen Zhang, Xiaofei Xie, Neal N. Xiong, Shaoying Liu, Pan Gao

Research Collection School Of Computing and Information Systems

Instruction reordering is an essential optimization technique used in both compilers and multi-core processors to enhance parallelism and resource utilization. Although the original intent of this technique is to benefit the program, some improper reordering can significantly impact the program correctness, which we call instruction reordering vulnerability (IRV). However, existing methods detect IRV by defining CPU instruction reordering rules to schedule execution paths while neglecting compiler reordering, and thus generate false positives that require manual filtering and resulting in inefficiency. To bridge this gap, in this paper, we propose the IRV detection method, , which analyzes IRV characteristics and extracts …

Performance Evaluation Of Aminated Multi-Walled Carbon Nanotubes Incorporated With Green Synthesized Iron Nanoparticles For Toxic Dyes Sequestration From Textile Wastewater, Titus Chinedu Egbosiuba, Cynthia Chukwuemeka, Jonah Chukwudi Umeuzuegbu, Nwanneka Chibuzo Mmonwuba, Ugochukwu Ewuzie, Monday Uchenna Okoronkwo, Valentine Chikaodili Anadebe, Saheed Mustapha, Ambali Saka Abdulkareem, Jimoh Oladejo Tijani, Ashish Patel, Virendra Kumar Yadav

Chemical and Biochemical Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

This study evaluates the performance of aminated multi-walled carbon nanotubes (AM-MWCNTs) integrated with zerovalent iron nanoparticles (ZVI) synthesized using cashew leaf (Anacardium occidentale) extract (AM-MWCNTs@ZVI) for the removal of Congo Red (CR) and Methylene Blue (MB) dyes from textile industrial wastewater. The nanocomposite was characterized using FTIR, XRD, BET, HRSEM, and HRTEM analyses, confirming its functional groups, crystalline structure, and enhanced surface area of 1050.4 m²/g. The ecological risk degree of the textile pollutants was assessed to determine the percentage concentrations of crystal violet, Congo red, methyl orange, methylene blue and rhodamine B. Batch adsorption experiments identified optimal …

A Stacking Ensemble Model For Food Demand Forecasting: A Preventative Approach To Food Waste Reduction, Asmaa Seyam, Sujith Samuel Mathew, Bo Du, May El Barachi, Jun Shen

All Works

Building effective demand forecasting is crucial for better planning and ensuring sustainability within food supply chain systems. The food industry has received the least attention for building demand forecasting approaches, with a noticeable lack of utilizing ensemble stacking models. Additionally, while some models have achieved accurate predictions, they do not consider freshness variables and are not assessed for their impact on waste reduction. This paper develops a demand forecasting framework that is considered as a preventative approach to reduce food waste by enabling food retailers to better manage inventory and balance supply with demand. The paper first develops an ensemble …