Digital Commons Network^™

Advancing Maternal Health Equity In Nebraska: Examining Prenatal Care Access Disparities, Policy Context, And Doula Integration As A Complementary Solution, Marlette Grace Dulcinee Mabiala-Maye

Theses & Dissertations

Maternal health inequities persist across the United States, with Black, Native American, and immigrant-origin women facing disproportionate barriers to timely prenatal care. This dissertation examined access to prenatal care in Nebraska, a mixed rural and urban state with extensive maternity care deserts, through three interrelated aims. Aim 1 analyzed PRAMS data using survey-weighted regression with race-by-socioeconomic-status interactions to characterize disparities in the timing and barriers to care. Aim 2 evaluated the state’s October 2020 Medicaid expansion across pre-pandemic, acute pandemic, and post-expansion periods. Aim 3 applied qualitative description and the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research to interviews withtwenty-three maternity care …

For Weight Loss: Why Do Glp-1 Agonists Work, And How Can We Make Them Work Better?, Charlise Giang, Jieyi Meng, Mahmoud Ali Mohammad, Zhenqi Liu, Xinle Wu, Yi Zhu

Children’s Nutrition Research Center Staff Publications

Glucagon-like peptide 1 receptor agonists (GLP-1RAs) have revolutionized the management of not only type 2 diabetes but also obesity. However, even with rapid therapeutic advances in GLP-1RAs, questions regarding the fundamental principles of GLP-1-mediated weight loss and the enhanced efficacy of next-generation therapies remain. In this comprehensive review article, we first examine the milestones of GLP-1, from its initial discovery and biological characterization to its successful translation into clinical therapy. Furthermore, this review highlights the latest clinical trial data, specifically HbA1c reduction, weight-loss efficacy, and safety profiles, while exploring current pipelines of major pharmaceutical companies. Additionally, we delineate the mechanistic …

Church Tape Collection, Approximately 1969-2008, Ministers

Center for Restoration Studies Archives, Manuscripts and Personal Papers Finding Aids

No abstract provided.

Imsa Summer Symposium 2026, Student Inquiry And Research(Sir)

IMSAloquium Event Booklets

For nearly four decades, IMSA has worked to advance the human condition through educational innovation. The Summer Symposium is our annual showcase for the research projects that were conducted in IMSA’s experiential learning programs between May and August. These programs include Student Inquiry and Research (SIR), IN2 Business Internships, and the Student Research and Experiential Learning Opportunity (SRELO) program. For the first time, we are also excited to welcome IMSA Research, Inquiry Skills, and Experimentation (RISE) students to present at the Summer Symposium.

Fort Hays State University Tiger Weekly, August 14, 2026, University Relations

Tiger Weekly Newsletters

No abstract provided.

Mechanical Characterization Of Stereolithography 3d Printing Resins Using Tensile And Flexural Testing, Oliver Stitt

Mechanical Engineering and Materials Science Independent Study

This study characterized and compared Clear V5 and Tough 1500 Resin V2 specimens printed on a Formlabs Form 4 SLA resin printer using tensile and flexural mechanical testing. Tensile testing was based on ASTM D638-14 using Type IV specimen geometry, and flexural testing was based on ASTM D790-17 using three-point bending geometry. Clear V5 produced a mean tensile modulus of 1953.5 MPa and flexural modulus of 1479.1 MPa, compared with 1328.0 MPa and 1103.9 MPa for Tough 1500. Clear V5 also reached the higher maximum engineering stress in tension, while Tough 1500 showed a more compliant response. The results were …

Interpreting Title Vi: Translation Theory And The Making Of Language Policy, Olivia A. Allred

Undergraduate Honors Theses

Title VI of the Civil Rights Act provides the primary statutory basis for the development of policies supporting language access. Rather than explicitly requiring institutions to accommodate individuals with limited English proficiency (LEP), the statute establishes a broad prohibition against discrimination based on race, color, and national origin. This thesis examines the process through which that broad statutory mandate has been interpreted and applied to specific language-access policies.

To elucidate the application of language access polices at the federal level, this analysis focuses on three landmark Supreme Court decisions concerning Title VI: Lau v. Nichols, Regents of the University …

Helal V. Mclawrence

All Decisions

Tenant moved to extend the time to vacate an unregulated apartment after failing to locate alternative housing despite holding a CityFHEPS voucher. The court denied the motion, holding that RPAPL § 753 and CPLR § 2201 do not authorize further delay where the parties—each represented by counsel—entered into a clear, final stipulation of settlement after full litigation, and that courts must enforce such stipulations with rigor.

3338 Fish Ave Llc V. Malcolm

All Decisions

Tenant, who had been self-represented when she stipulated to a final judgment of possession, moved to vacate the stipulation on the ground that she unknowingly waived a complete defense—landlord's failure to plead the applicability of the Good Cause Eviction Law as required for proceedings filed after April 20, 2024. The court granted the motion, finding the stipulation was entered into inadvisedly, and vacated both the stipulation and the judgment and warrant of eviction.

Pushed To The Edges? Electivity Patterns Of Urban Stream Homeless Encampments In Environmentally Burdened Areas, Serena Alexander, Bennett Williamson, Jeff Wootton, Costanza Rampini, Gregory Brian Pasternack, Yufang Jin, Rune Storesund, Igor Lacan

Faculty Research, Scholarly, and Creative Activity

Urban stream corridors in the San Francisco Bay Area have increasingly become locations for homeless encampments, yet little is known about the environmental conditions of these spaces. This study uses a geospatial electivity index to examine whether urban stream encampments in Santa Clara and Contra Costa counties are disproportionately located in census tracts with high pollution burdens, as measured by CalEnviroScreen 4.0. Findings show a statistically significant overrepresentation of encampments in census tracts in the top 25% of pollution and vulnerability scores, and a significant underrepresentation in lower-pollution areas. These results suggest that homeless individuals are being pushed toward environmentally …

The Efficacy Of Transversus Abdominis Plane Block As An Adjunct To Spinal Anesthesia For Cesarean Delivery: An Evidence Synthesis And Implementation Toolkit, Alyssa Hebert, Alex Potts, Gabriela Robertson

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Capstones

Postoperative pain hinders cesarean delivery recovery and overall patient experience. Although spinal anesthesia with intrathecal opioids remains the standard of practice, associated side effects and concerns regarding opioid exposure highlight the need for effective opioid-sparing strategies. Anesthesia providers play a critical role in advancing postoperative pain management through evidence-based protocol development, provider education, and interdisciplinary collaboration to optimize maternal outcomes. The transversus abdominis plane (TAP) block provides somatic analgesia to the anterior abdominal wall by targeting the thoracolumbar nerves (T6–L1) and has increasingly been incorporated into multimodal postoperative pain management strategies for abdominal surgery. Nevertheless, a gap remains in obstetric …

Rickettsia Africae Discovered In A Short-Term Urban Traveller To South Africa: A Case Report, Zunairah Sikder

Binghamton University Undergraduate Journal

Rickettsia Africae is a pathogen that causes African tick-bite fever (ATBF). Transmission typically occurs from ticks within the Central and South African regions. Previous studies suggested that ATBF is not uncommon amongst travelers to rural sub-Saharan Africa, especially during the rainy months of November through April. However, this case report highlights a woman who contracted ATBF in novel conditions. The 70-year-old woman reported travelling strictly to and from the local church and hotel for her four-day stay in July. After returning to America, the patient experienced extreme irritation on her arm, as well as complaints of headaches. She presented to …

A Message From The Managing Editor, Carissa Bayack

Binghamton University Undergraduate Journal

A message from the 2025-2026 Managing Editor of the Binghamton University Undergraduate Journal, Carissa Bayack.

A Dosimetric Comparison Of Halcyon 6x-Fff And Truebeam 6x In Prone Left Whole Breast Radiation Therapy, Maritza Soto, Kelly Labant, M.S., Cmd, Rt(T), Kristen Vu, M.S., Cmd, Rt(T)

Masters Projects

Purpose:

This retrospective study compared dosimetric differences between prone left whole breast radiation (WBRT) treatment plans originally generated for Halcyon using 6X flattening- filter-free (FFF) beams and replanned for a conventional TrueBeam using 6X beams.

Methods:

Ten prone whole left breast treatment plans were paired and retrospectively analyzed. Clinically treated Halcyon 6X flattening filter free plans were replanned on TrueBeam using flattened 6X beams in Eclipse v16.1. Contours for all plans were generated using artificial intelligence-based autosegmentation, reviewed by a medical dosimetrist and radiation oncologist, and forward planned with a tangent technique in EZFluence to achieve identical planning objectives. Dose …

A Middle School Reading Intervention Framework, Ryan Patrick Eder

Masters Projects

Middle school students face increasing literacy demands as they transition from learning to read toward reading to learn content knowledge in science, social studies, and other subjects. However, reading intervention frameworks found in most elementary and middle schools may not fully meet the growing cognitive, academic, and affective needs of middle school students. The purpose of this project is to present a schoolwide reading intervention framework designed for middle school students. Drawing from current research, the proposed framework integrates daily, teacher-assisted intervention and enrichment with data-driven identification of students’ specific literacy growth points using rigorous, grade-level informational texts to provide …

Is Hanpp A Stressor Of Bird Species Richness?, Kaeli Mueller, Gustavo Ovando-Montejo, Christopher Lant

Environment and Society Student Research

One of the leading drivers of biodiversity loss is land use change due to the ever-increasing demand for food, livestock feed, biofiber, and biofuel. The concept of human appropriation of net primary production (HANPP) was developed to measure the impact that humans have on the environment by accounting for biomass removed from the environment in the form of crops, timber, and grazing. The species–energy hypothesis is an established ecological hypothesis postulating that greater species diversity is correlated with higher levels of energy from plant productivity; this can be measured as net primary production minus harvested HANPP or NPP_ecological. …

Enhancing Algae Biofilm Quantity And Value Through Controlled Light Intensity For Treatment Of Municipal Anaerobic Digestor Effluent, Joshua D. Wintch, Ronald C. Sims

Biological Engineering Student Research

Rotating algae biofilm reactors (RABRs) have been shown to remove nutrients from wastewater and to cultivate algae for bioproducts. Another key variable in RABR technology for cultivating microalgae biomass is light intensity. The goal of this study was to address a gap in the design and operation of algae biofilm reactors by analyzing the effects of light intensity on biomass quality and quantity, chemical precipitation of phosphorus, and phosphorus uptake into biomass. This study utilized a triplicate laboratory-scale experiment with PAR intensities from 10 to 2000 µmol m⁻²·s⁻¹. Municipal wastewater anaerobic digester effluent (ADE) was utilized …

Self-State Shifts During Nonsuicidal Self-Injury: Associations With Trauma History And The Functions Of Self-Harm, Katie E. Callahan

Dissertations, 2020-current

Nonsuicidal self-injury (NSSI) is a clinically significant behavior associated with substantial psychological distress and elevated suicide risk. Despite considerable research on the emotional triggers and functional implications of NSSI, the internal relational states activated during self-harm remain poorly understood. This study examined shifts in self-directed relational patterns during NSSI episodes using the Structural Analysis of Social Behavior (SASB) model and Interpersonal Reconstructive Therapy (IRT) theory. A cross-sectional secondary data analysis was conducted with 125 participants who reported current or past NSSI. Residualized change scores were computed to index shifts in self-state between general and NSSI conditions. Measures included the SASB-based …

Fall Risk In Community-Dwelling Adults: A Comparison Of English And Spanish-Speaking Individuals, Jesus D. Gomez

Dissertations, 2020-current

Falls are a leading cause of injury-related mortality among middle-aged and older adults. Although vestibular dysfunction, hearing loss, behavioral factors, and social determinants of health have been associated with increased fall risk, few studies have examined these relationships. Furthermore, limited research in audiology and vestibular science has investigated fall-risk vulnerability among Spanish-speaking individuals.

This study aimed to: (1) estimate the prevalence of fall risk among community-dwelling adults and compare prevalence between English-speaking and Spanish-speaking participants; (2) assess the prevalence of previously undiagnosed benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV) and compare prevalence between language groups; and (3) develop predictive models of fall …

Performing Methods Of Beethoven’S Violin Concerto In D Major, Op. 61, Third Movement: “Rondo: Allegro”, Zike Qi

Dissertations, 2020-current

This document examines the third movement “Rondo: Allegro” of Violin Concerto in D major, Op. 61 by Ludwig van Beethoven, focusing on how structural relationships in the score are transformed into auditory experience through performance methods. Rather than treating performance as a direct reproduction of the text, this research understands it as a process in which structure becomes perceptible in time.

Combining structural analysis, recording comparison, and self-recording practice, the study interprets the movement within a rondo–sonata framework (A–B–A–C–A–B–A). It demonstrates that the rondo theme assumes different functions—presentation, transition, and development—depending on its structural position.

Through comparison of recordings by …

African American Gold Star Mothers: Race, Black Motherhood, Loyalism And European Superiority In The First World War, Giovanni Nickolette Gibbs

Masters Theses, 2020-current

This thesis examines the US government’s pilgrimages for Gold Star Mothers of the First World War. It focuses on the Jim-Crowing of black Gold Star Mothers. Through the analysis of archival records, letters, telegrams, newspaper articles, poems, and secondary literature, the thesis explores how two domineering forces, the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People and the federal government of the United States of America, captured dissension when seeking to send black Gold Star Mothers on segregated pilgrimages to Europe. The War Department’s announcement that the widows’ pilgrimages to Europe in the 1930s would be segregated caused a great …

Imsa Summer Symposium 2026, Student Inquiry And Reserach Reserach (Sir)

IMSAloquium Event Booklets

For nearly four decades, IMSA has worked to advance the human condition through educational innovation. The Summer Symposium is our annual showcase for the research projects that were conducted in IMSA’s experiential learning programs between May and August. These programs include Student Inquiry and Research (SIR), IN2 Business Internships, and the Student Research and Experiential Learning Opportunity (SRELO) program. For the first time, we are also excited to welcome IMSA Research, Inquiry Skills, and Experimentation (RISE) students to present at the Summer Symposium.

Cover Design

Luke Berryman

Brain Perivascular Macrophages Regulate Endothelial Cell Function Via A Cmaf-Dependent Transcriptional Program In Mouse And Human, Simone Brioschi, Julia A Belk, Steffen E Storck, Yue Wu, Zhuoying Wang, Ziang Feng, Lynn Van Olst, Josie L Emery, Raki Sudan, Junjie Wu, Siling Du, Marco Genua, Federica La Terza, Alex J Edwards, Khai M Nguyen, Jessie Sanford, Daniel D Lee, Mattia Bugatti, Arnold J Federico, Yun Chen, Zuoxu Wang, Silvia Penati, Patrick Fernandes Rodrigues, Alina Ulezko Antonova, Hui Qi Loo, Igor Smirnov, Susan Gilfillan, Carmen M Halabi, Jennifer Ponce, Jun Yan, Howard Y Chang, Gwendalyn J Randolph, William Vermi, Marina Cella, Michael Meers, Renato Ostuni, David Gate, Aivi T Nguyen, Carlos Cruchaga, Song Hu, Jonathan Kipnis, Marco Colonna

The Brown Foundation: Institute of Molecular Medicine

Brain perivascular macrophages maintain brain physiology, yet their transcriptional regulators and functions in health and disease remain unclear. Using single-cell multi-omics and functional experiments, we identify cellular musculoaponeurotic fibrosarcoma oncogene (cMAF) as a key transcription factor for brain perivascular macrophages, and conditional deletion of cMAF disrupts their phenotype in vivo. Functionally, cMAF drives insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF1) expression in perivascular macrophages, enabling communication with endothelial cells. Consistently, cMAF deletion in perivascular macrophages causes transcriptional alterations in cerebral arteries, affecting vascular functions. Notably, cMAF emerges as the main transcription factor for human perivascular macrophages, suggesting conservation of this transcriptional module. During …

Infographic: The Lasting Impact Of Teachers, Dominique Russell

Teacher infographics

A national survey in the UK has looked into the long-lasting effects teachers have beyond the classroom. Adult respondents were asked about the qualities teachers have helped them carry into adult life, and their view of the profession.

Building Fluent Readers: Developing Comprehensive Reading Fluency In K-2 Classrooms, Erika Yersak

Masters Projects

Despite extensive research establishing reading fluency as essential to literacy development, many early elementary students fail to achieve grade-level fluency, compromising their reading comprehension and academic success.  Fluency instruction has been narrowed to measuring reading speed, dismissed beyond third grade, and taught as an isolated skill disconnected from authentic reading across content areas.  While research demonstrates that fluency encompasses accuracy, automaticity, and prosody and should be integrated meaningfully across disciplines, many K-2 teachers lack practical resources and guidance for implementing comprehensive fluency instruction in their classrooms.

To address this gap, this project presents a research-based fluency integration guidebook for K-2 …

Establishing Partnerships Between Families, Schools, And Communities To Support Family Involvement In Literacy Education, Matraca Bourdo

Masters Projects

As the percentage of fourth grade students reading at a proficient level continues to decline, schools are seeking effective ways to improve literacy education and student achievement. Research emphasizes the importance of early literacy development in supporting academic success and lifelong learning. However, not all families have the same background knowledge of literacy skills and how to develop them with their children. Partnerships between schools, families, and communities can provide the support and resources needed while working toward the goal of improving student achievement.

The purpose of this project is to implement a team that partners with families to educate …

Building Culturally Informed Classrooms Through Professional Learning, Samantha Grimm

Masters Projects

Black Americans remain disadvantaged within today’s current education system. Teachers are not always equipped with equitable resources and teaching practices to effectively teach literacy to historically marginalized groups, where cultural differences are complex. When teachers utilize a culturally informed pedagogy that values students’ cultural identities, personal and academic achievement are enhanced. Culturally informed instruction builds upon previous research by Gloria Ladson-Billings, Geneva Gay, and Gholdy Muhammad. This project is designed to support teachers when working alongside culturally diverse students. The resources created in this project are intended to create positive and equitable learning experiences for Black students. These students deserve …

Retired Doctors As Users Of Patient-Facing Electronic Health Records: A Mixed-Methods Survey In The Uk And Spain, Ray Jones, Shang-Ming Zhou, Angeles Lazcoz, Brian Mcmillan, Olanrewaju Bamidele, Richard Fitton, Brian Fisher, Mar Soler-Lopez, Charlotte R. Blease

School of Nursing and Midwifery

BackgroundOnline patient access to electronic records is expanding internationally but remains contested. Although practising clinicians’ concerns are well documented, less is known about the views of retired doctors who are more likely themselves to be patients. We explored the experience of retired doctors in accessing their own medical records as patients in the UK and Spain.MethodsWe conducted an anonymous mixed-methods online survey of retired doctors aged 60 years and over in the UK and Spain. Participants reported their experiences of accessing their own medical records and their views on whether online access should be available to all patients. Quantitative analyses …

The Parkinson's Pathway: Enhancing Knowledge And Care Management In Skilled Nursing, Kaitlyn Chau

Master's Projects and Capstones

Parkinson’s disease (PD) is commonly diagnosed among the older population, contributing to high utilization of skilled nursing facility (SNF) services. Objective: SNF A’s current onboarding and training program for staff discussed general geriatric topics but failed to include structured PD-specific education. This may lead to gaps in competence, confidence, and workflow related to PD care and management, resulting in low quality of patient care, poor health outcomes, and decreased safety and satisfaction. Aim: The project aimed to establish and incorporate a structured PD-specialized education program within a SNF located in Northern California, to increase employees’ self-reported confidence, competence, …

The Sound Of Branding: How Homophonic Store Names Shape Perceptions Through Pleasure And Persuasion, Tao Xu, Hua-Yu Cai, Yu-Hao Zheng, Xiazhao Chen, Juhua Meng, Lin-Rong Fan, Bo-Ya Wang

Plymouth Business School

PurposeDrawing on attribution theory and an interactive marketing perspective, this research examines how homophonic (vs. non-homophonic) store names, conceptualized as a form of offline consumer–message interaction, influence brand image through inferential and affective pathways and how informational cue type moderates these mechanisms.Design/methodology/approachAcross three scenario-based experiments, this research tests the effects of homophonic versus non-homophonic store names and examines the moderating role of informational cue types, including image-based, text-based and no-cue conditions.FindingsHomophonic names enhanced brand image via a dual-path mechanism: positively valenced persuasion knowledge, reflecting favorable inferences about merchant motives and perceived pleasure from meaning resolution. Image-based cues most clearly amplified …