Digital Commons Network^™

Retention In A Community College In A Rural State In The Midwest: Factors Associated With Persistence And Withdrawal, Samantha Reeves Grady

Dissertations and Theses

This qualitative case study examined the factors associated with students’ persistence or withdrawals from courses during the Fall 2025 semester at a community college in the Midwest. Guided by research questions exploring what factors supported students in completing their courses and what prompts course withdrawals. Data was collected through semi-structured interviews and focus groups with students who had withdrawn from one or more courses during the Fall 2025 semester. Using thematic analysis, several key themes emerged. Findings indicated that academic difficulties contributed significantly to student withdrawals. Additionally, course load intensity and competing external factors further hindered student persistence. Students, in …

Orexin Receptor Modulation In Amygdalar Stress Circuitry Differentiates Resilient And Vulnerable Phenotypes, Megan Marie John

Dissertations and Theses

Social stress is important for evaluating threats and resource opportunities, however, chronic exposure initiates the onset of psychological disorders, such as anxiety, depression, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Stress responsiveness varies between individuals and sexes, resulting in disproportionate diagnoses and ineffective treatment outcomes. Enhancing therapeutic efficacy requires understanding of stress responsivity, phenotype development, and neurocircuitry modifications. Key contributors to stress responsiveness, such as threat of aggression and motivational initiation, influence the development of resilient or vulnerable phenotypes through behavioral and molecular adaptations to stress-related neurocircuitry. The basolateral amygdala (BLA) is a brain region associated with fear learning and integrates stress …

Varied Environmental Enrichment Schedules Differentially Affect Behavioral Performance, Davis Aschemann

Research Honors

Cognitive decline is a widespread phenomenon affecting a significant proportion of older adults. The mechanisms that cause cognitive decline are still being investigated, with recent evidence indicating that senescent cells are a primary cause of neuroinflammation and neurodegeneration. Environmental enrichment has been linked with the potential curbing and reversal of cognitive decline, specifically the restoration of immune cell function and improved neuroplasticity. Despite the amount of research showing the beneficial effects of environmental enrichment for cognitive decline, paradigms for environmental enrichment are heterogeneous across the literature. A primary factor that differs across studies is the duration of administration of environmental …

Decentralization's Effects On Food-Insecure Households In Drought-Prone Woredas In Ethiopia, Vân Lê

Research Honors

In Ethiopia, more than 16 million people face hunger and malnutrition due to conflict, poverty, or extreme weather conditions caused by climate change. In 2005, the government launched its flagship social protection strategy, the Productive Safety Net Program (PSNP), to meet the food security needs of the rural population by providing humanitarian food access and boosting productive capacity to reduce vulnerability. This work-for-food/cash transfers program allows beneficiaries to buy food while working on public infrastructure. The transfers can then be used to help participants build livelihood assets and become more resilient to shocks. Although the PSNP has substantially improved food …

The Effects Of Hyperthyroidism On Mouse Corneal Innervation: Implications For Human Cornea Re-Innervation, Anjali Malali

Research Honors

To test the effects of elevated TH during cornea development, our lab has collaborated with Dr. Juan Davila (University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign) to develop an embryonic mouse model of hyperthyroidism. Embryos were exposed to high levels of TH in utero by adding TH to the pregnant mother’s drinking water. Upon collection of the embryos, elevated blood thyroid levels in the pregnant mother were analyzed with an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), and eye tissues were collected and preserved for analysis of corneal nerve innervation patterns. By utilizing immunohistochemistry in order to visualize corneal innervation in mouse embryos, this project studied whether …

Music And Mecha: An Analysis Of Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam, Jackson Grey Baker

Research Honors

Music within anime is a topic that has only recently gained traction in terms of academic study in the west. Consequently, there is not a particularly great body of literature yet. Much work has been done regarding the music that introduces the anime and accompanies the closing credits of the show, as these songs often become very popular, sometimes even outside of the anime sphere. But the soundtrack to the show itself is also very important. Within the show there is a large amount of music that connects to the plot, themes, characters, moods and more which greatly affect the …

Monetary Policy And Equity Market Reactions: Linking Monetary Theory To Sector Level Etf Performance, Joseph Freedman

Research Honors

This project examines how the economic framework of U.S. monetary policy translates into financial market outcomes by studying sector level equity responses to changes in the Federal Reserve’s effective federal funds rate. While monetary policy theory emphasizes how interest rates influence investment, borrowing costs and risk taking, financial markets reflect these mechanisms through asset prices. Exchange traded funds provide a useful lens for studying this connection, as they aggregate firm level behavior into tradable sector portfolios.

Using daily data from 2004 to 2025, this study analyzes eleven S&P 500 sector exchange traded funds to evaluate how monetary policy shocks are …

“We Only Care For White Germs”: How Black Chicagoans Used Community Care To Overcome Medical Discrimination, Kylie Power

Research Honors

This project examines the use of Community Care as a means of healthcare within Black American populations, specifically in Chicago. Background information is provided on the evolution of Community Care, from slavery, to post-emancipation, to the early 20th century. Provident Hospital of Chicago in particular is examined during the early 20th century section, with a look at how the 1918 Spanish Influenza affected the Hospital, it's patrons, and Chicago. Important pieces of literature from the time period are combined with newspaper articles and other reports, as well as secondary literature, to construct this social history.

5bfts Grove At The Nma 11 A New 5bfts Plaque At The Nma, Jenifer A. Harding

Documents

The UK National Memorial Arboretum (NMA) is at Alrewas, Staffordshire. The 5BFTS Association gave donations to the NMA which provided a Grove of five trees (five for number 5) comprising two English Birch trees and three American Birch trees and a Plaque. The Grove was dedicated in October 2002. Document 11 ‘A new 5BFTS Plaque at the NMA’ recounts a visit to the NMA in 2014 when the five birch trees in the 5BFTS Grove were found to be flourishing but the plaques needed renovation, and the subsequent placing of a new 5BFTS plaque in the 5BFTS Grove at the …

5bfts Grove At The Nma 06 Attendees At The 5bfts Annual Reunion September 2002, Jenifer A. Harding

Documents

The UK National Memorial Arboretum (NMA) is at Alrewas, Staffordshire. The 5BFTS Association gave donations to the NMA which provided a Grove of five trees (five for number 5) comprising two English Birch trees and three American Birch trees and a Plaque. The Grove was dedicated in October 2002. Document 06 ‘Attendees at the 5BFTS Annual Reunion 2002’ in September 2002 which will include the Dedication of the 5BFTS Grove at the NMA.

5bfts Grove At The Nma 02 Newsletter March 2001, Jenifer A. Harding

Documents

The UK National Memorial Arboretum (NMA) is at Alrewas, Staffordshire. The 5BFTS Association gave donations to the NMA which provided a Grove of five trees (five for number 5) comprising two English Birch trees and three American Birch trees and a Plaque. The Grove was dedicated in October 2002. Document 02 ‘5BFTS Association Newsletter March 2001’ introduces members to the idea of a 5BFTS Grove.

5bfts Grove At The Nma 12 1bfts, 4bfts And 5bfts – Working Together At The Nma, Jenifer A. Harding

Documents

The UK National Memorial Arboretum (NMA) is at Alrewas, Staffordshire. The 5BFTS Association gave donations to the NMA which provided a Grove of five trees (five for number 5) comprising two English Birch trees and three American Birch trees and a Plaque. The Grove was dedicated in October 2002. Document 12 ‘1BFTS, 4BFTS and 5BFTS – working together at the National Memorial Arboretum’ explains how the idea to install a plaque to remember RAF cadets who were at 4BFTS in Mesa, Arizona, in the 5BFTS Grove at the NMA was conceived in 2023.

5bfts Grove At The Nma 09 Newsletter November 2002, Jenifer A. Harding

Documents

The UK National Memorial Arboretum (NMA) is at Alrewas, Staffordshire. The 5BFTS Association gave donations to the NMA which provided a Grove of five trees (five for number 5) comprising two English Birch trees and three American Birch trees and a Plaque. The Grove was dedicated in October 2002. Document 09 ‘5BFTS Association Newsletter November 2002’ provides a summary of the 5BFTS Annual Reunion 2002 including the Service of Dedication and Tree Planting on September 22, 2002 at the NMA.

5bfts Grove At The Nma 13 Information About The 5bfts Grove Presented At A Falcon Field Day (4bfts) At Iwm Duxford In October 2023, Jenifer A. Harding

Documents

The UK National Memorial Arboretum (NMA) is at Alrewas, Staffordshire. The 5BFTS Association gave donations to the NMA which provided a Grove of five trees (five for number 5) comprising two English Birch trees and three American Birch trees and a Plaque. The Grove was dedicated in October 2002. Document 13 ‘Information about the 5BFTS Grove presented at a Falcon Field Day (4BFTS) at IWM Duxford in October 2023’ explained about the 5BFTS Grove to Falcon Field Association members at a reunion held at IWM Duxford on  October 7, 2023. The Chair of the Falcon Field Association: The Next Generation …

5bfts Grove At The Nma 07 Menu For The Reunion Dinner September 2002, Jenifer A. Harding

Documents

The UK National Memorial Arboretum (NMA) is at Alrewas, Staffordshire. The 5BFTS Association gave donations to the NMA which provided a Grove of five trees (five for number 5) comprising two English Birch trees and three American Birch trees and a Plaque. The Grove was dedicated in October 2002. Document 07 ‘Menu for the Reunion Dinner September 21, 2002’, part of the 5BFTS Annual Reunion 2002 in September 2002 which will include the Dedication of the 5BFTS Grove at the NMA.

Weatherford: Undergraduate Catalog 2026-2027, Southwestern Oklahoma State University

Undergraduate Catalogs

No abstract provided.

Graduate Catalog 2026-2027, Southwestern Oklahoma State University

Graduate Catalogs

No abstract provided.

Rare Manifestation Of Scapular Cutaneous Larva Migrans Infection Among Sand Porters In Warm Climate: A Case Report, Prio Hangudi Sampurno, Tri Wisesa Soetisna

Occupational and Environmental Medicine Journal of Indonesia

Background Cutaneous larva migrans is a serpiginous helminthic infection common among certain occupations dealing with contaminated soil especially in warm climate. Most common predilections include the feet, legs, and buttocks with only a fraction of cases found on the trunk and upper extremities.

Case Presentation A rare scapular cutaneous larva migrans manifestation on a thirty-six years old sand porter with high occupational exposure was described. Physical examination revealed progressive pruritic and warm rash in a serpiginous pattern on the left shoulder.

Results Diagnosis was established based on characteristic serpiginous rash physical findings supported by history of contact. This case needed …

Incident Of Sensorineural Hearing Disorder In Toll Road Workers Exposed To Noise And Lead, Fitria Rimadhanty Setyaningtyas, Muhammad Ilyas, Dewi Yunia Fitriani, Suryo Wibowo

Occupational and Environmental Medicine Journal of Indonesia

Background Toll road workers are exposed to traffic noise and lead, both of which may increase the risk of sensorineural hearing loss (SNHL). This study aimed to examine the association between noise and lead exposure and the occurrence of SNHL among toll road workers.

Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted using secondary data derived from medical check-up records of 1,445 toll road workers in 2022. Study variables included age, sex, length of employment, past medical history, smoking status, job position, blood lead levels and SNHL incidence. Descriptive analyses were performed, followed by bivariate analysis using the chi square test and …

Fatigue Assessment And Workplace Decision-Making: A Scoping Review, Tamio Papilika, Rony Catur Wibowo, Famelia Famelia

Occupational and Environmental Medicine Journal of Indonesia

Background Fatigue is a recognized contributor to impaired performance and increased occupational risk in safety-critical industries. Although various assessment tools are available, their real-world implementation and role in operational decision-making remain unclear.

Methods This scoping review mapped fatigue assessment methods in workplace settings and evaluated their application in operational contexts. A systematic search of PubMed and Google Scholar identified 693 records, of which 21 studies met the inclusion criteria for real-world occupational settings.

Results All included studies utilized combined subjective and objective fatigue assessment approaches; however, this finding should be interpreted in light of the search strategy. Administrative applications were …

Dampak Program Pembangkit Listrik 35.000 Mw Terhadap Tingkat Pekerjaan Dan Kemiskinan Di Indonesia, Yohanes Dwi Anggoro, Jahen Fachrul Rezki

Jurnal Ekonomi dan Pembangunan Indonesia

This research analyzes the 35,000 MW Program’s impact on employment and poverty levels in Indonesia using the Callaway and Sant’Anna Difference-in-Differences (CSDID) method. The research uses panel data at the district/city level from 2007 to 2022. The analysis shows the program has a significant impact on reducing poverty, with an average reduction of 5,208 poor people in Model 1; 4,277 people in Model 2; and 4,284 people in Model 3. Based on a subset of regions, the analysis shows the program had a significant impact on increasing the employment rate by 1.2 percent, reducing 16,034 poor people in the Java-Madura-Bali.

Dampak Peraturan Daerah Terkait Kesehatan Terhadap Prevalensi Stunting Tingkat Kabupaten/Kota Di Indonesia, Cakra Yudi Putra, Teguh Dartanto

Jurnal Ekonomi dan Pembangunan Indonesia

Stunting remains a major public health challenge in Indonesia with long-term impacts on health, cognition, and productivity. This study examines whether health-related regional regulations (Peraturan Daerah or Perda) reduce stunting prevalence across 338 districts/municipalities in 2007 and 2013. Using Difference-in-Differences (DiD) and DiD with Propensity Score Matching (DiD-PSM) on secondary data from Riskesdas, Statistics Indonesia (BPS), and the Legal Documentation and Information Network (JDIH), we find no statistically significant causal effect of cumulative health Perda on stunting reduction, although OLS shows a negative association. Sanitation significantly reduces stunting in eastern Indonesia. Findings highlight the need for evidence-based, multisectoral, measurable, implementable, …

Inside, Outside, And In Between: Black Homeplace As A Blueprint For Privacy Law, Nina-Simone Edwards

Library Scholarship

This essay reimagines the meaning of home and privacy for Black Americans by interrogating the legal and technological systems that routinely collapse the sanctity of the homeplace. Using the no-knock warrant as a central case study, this essay illustrates how state-sanctioned intrusions transform a space of rest, memory, and self-making into a site of violence. Although Fourth Amendment doctrine purports to guard against unreasonable searches, its prevailing binary framework–distinguishing only between “inside” and “outside” the home–renders Black domestic spaces uniquely vulnerable. Drawing from Critical Race Theory, particularly its social construction thesis, this essay shows how race, law, and technology co-produce …

The Normal Review, The Creative Arts Magazineof Montclair State University, Spring 2026, The Normal Review

The Normal Review

No abstract provided.

First Report Of A Trematode Infection In An Invasive Population Of Pomacea Maculata: Evidence Of A Phaneropsolid (Trematoda: Microphalloidea) And Recommended Methods For Surveillance, Jonah A. Nguyen, Lori Tolley-Jordan, Annie P. Slayton, Bradley M. Richardson, Thomas G. Rosser

Research, Publications & Creative Work

Giant apple snails, Pomacea maculata (Caenogastropoda: Ampullariidae), are native to South America but are now invasively established in subtropical freshwater habitats worldwide. In May 2017, P. maculata from an urban pond in Mobile, Alabama, USA were found infected with a larval trematode, prompting further collections to determine prevalence and investigate effects of infection by snail sex and size. In total, 284 snails (n = 184 female, n = 100 male) were collected in May, August, and October of 2017 and 2018. Of these, 60 females and 23 males were infected with prevalence per sampling event ranging from 4 to …

Timing Whistleblowing, Andrew K. Jennings

Faculty Articles

Whistleblower programs (WBPs) expose hidden corporate wrongdoing. They do so by offering retaliation protection and financial bounties to those who bring original information to law enforcement about unseen, and often complex, misconduct. Under a standard account, whistleblowing serves the public interest by increasing the ex post detection of illegal activity and the ex ante risk of its exposure. That standard view—which centers whistleblowing on detecting wrongdoing—is incomplete, however. To present a fuller view, this Article introduces a complementary model that refocuses whistleblowing as preventing wrongdoing. Working together, these models show that a WBP can do more than enable detection at …

Catholic Solidarity In American Jesuit Education Through The Radical Kinship Of Fr. Greg Boyle: A Conceptual Analysis, Sajit U. Kabadi

Journal of Catholic Education

This is a conceptual analysis that examines how American Jesuit secondary education can pursue greater Catholic solidarity in a polarized world through a framework of radical kinship, as espoused by Fr. Greg Boyle. Boyle is the founder of Homeboy Industries, the world’s largest gang rehabilitation program, in the city of Los Angeles. The purpose of this conceptual analysis is to delve deeper into Boyle’s conceptual framework of radical kinship in the context of American Jesuit secondary education. This conceptual analysis will use Catholic Social Teaching, Biblical references, and the values of the Jesuit mission.

Analyzing An Ai Summary Of An Executive Order, Natalie D. Ebolum

Open Educational Resources

This assignment asks students to critically analyze the Executive Order on Incarceration in Private Prisons by producing an independent summary of its intent, purpose, and implementation, along with best-practice recommendations for improving its effectiveness. Students then use the Grammarly AI Summary Tool to generate an alternative summary and compare it with their own analysis. Through structured self-assessment and revision, students evaluate differences in interpretation, identify gaps or insights, and reflect on the strengths and limitations of AI-assisted analysis. The assignment emphasizes critical policy analysis, ethical use of AI tools, and student-centered judgment.

Colorimetric Measurement Of Ammonium (Nh4+): A Comparison Of Hanna And Lamotte Meters, Abby Laughlin, Dalton Palmer, Bruce Bugbee

Techniques and Instruments

Both meters were similarly accurate. The LaMotte meter is about 25% lower initial cost than the HANNA meter, but the HANNA meter has other advantages: lower cost and more available test kits, greater range, and ease of use.

At The Crossroads Of Law And Society: Understanding The World Of Immigration Attorneys., Elvis Ariri

Senior Independent Study Theses

This independent study examines the professional experiences of immigration attorneys working with immigrant clients in the United States. Through qualitative, semi-structured interviews, the research explores how immigration law operates in practice, emphasizing systemic complexity, administrative delay, and discretionary decision-making. Findings reveal that attorneys navigate a fragmented legal framework shaped by shifting policies, inconsistent adjudication, and high emotional stakes. Beyond technical expertise, immigration practice requires emotional resilience, ethical judgment, and strategic adaptability. By centering attorneys’ perspectives, this study highlights immigration law as a lived social system that structures belonging, exclusion, and stability, illuminating the gap between statutory intent and human consequence.