Digital Commons Network^™

Intersensory Redundancy, Macey Cartwright, Heidi Kloos

Essays in Developmental Psychology

How does redundancy in the input affect the child’s attention? Consider, for example, a scenario in which the child is listening to a parent’s utterances, as well as watching the parent’s lips moving in synchrony with the speech. Intuitively, one might assume that there is an inherent advantage in such informational coherence. The match between sounds and visual input might help constrain attention in productive ways. Alternatively, a mismatch in intersensory information might affects attention negatively. The reality of how intersensory redundancy affects a child’s attention is more surprising than what intuition might suggest, as we discuss in this essay.

Psychomotor Speed In Old Age, Cheryl Chakranarayan, Nathan C. Weed

Essays in Developmental Psychology

Psychomotor ability is defined in terms of the relationship between cognitive functions and motor activities. It plays an important role in acquiring and carrying out a broad range of physical skills and coordinated behaviors, such as playing a sport, or in everyday activities like pouring a glass of milk or applying makeup. Psychomotor speed therefore is the rate at which a certain psychomotor behavior can be carried out. Because of the relevance of psychomotor speed to many areas of personal functioning, it has been extensively studied in a wide variety of applied contexts including sports performance, personnel selection within the …

Mailyn Iribar Junior Violin Recital, Andrews University

Student Degree Recitals 2024-2025

Mailyn Iribar presents her Junior Recital Liebesleid. Featuring works by Clara Schumann, Béla Bartók, Jessie Montgomery, Amy Beach, Johannes Brahms, and Fritz Kreisler.

The Dynamic Immune Behavior Of Primary And Metastatic Ovarian Carcinoma, Elaine Stur, Fuduan Peng, Pang-Ning Teng, Emine Bayraktar, Min Hu, Sara Corvigno, David J Brown, Sanghoon Lee, Kathleen N Moore, Nicholas W Bateman, Kathleen M Darcy, George L Maxwell, Thomas P Conrads, Nidhi Sahni, Ignacio Vázquez-García, Sohrab P Shah, Joseph Celestino, Nicole D Fleming, Nicholas E Navin, Linghua Wang, Anil K Sood

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Patients with high-grade serous ovarian carcinoma (HGSC) are usually diagnosed with advanced-stage disease, and the tumors often have immunosuppressive characteristics. Together, these factors are important for disease progression, drug resistance, and mortality. In this study, we used a combination of single-cell sequencing and spatial transcriptomics to identify the molecular mechanisms that lead to immunosuppression in HGSC. Primary tumors consistently showed a more active immune microenvironment than did omental tumors. In addition, we found that untreated primary tumors were mostly populated by dysfunctional CD4 and CD8 T cells in later stages of differentiation; this, in turn, was correlated with expression changes …

Comparative Efficacy And Acceptability Of Interventions For Universal, Selective And Indicated Prevention Of Eating Disorders: Study Protocol For A Systematic Review And Network Meta-Analysis, Sandra Schlegl, Felicitas Hirler, Andreas Gerich, Mikkel Højlund, Eric Stice, Tracey Wade, Denise Wilfley, James Downs, Ulrich Voderholzer, Jasmine Perry, Verena Haas, Marco Solmi, Christoph Correll

2020-Current year OA Pubs

BACKGROUND: Eating disorders (EDs) are severe psychiatric conditions, with prevalence rates ranging from 5.5 to 17.9% in women and 0.6 to 2.4% in men. EDs carry a high risk of chronicity and mortality, highlighting the need for effective prevention strategies. Primary prevention can target the entire population (universal), high-risk groups (selective), or individuals with early signs (indicated). Despite substantial research, prior reviews often show limitations, such as single-author data extraction, lack of quality assessment, reliance on endpoint data, exclusion of obesity prevention programs, or outdated findings. No review has yet evaluated the comparative effectiveness of multiple interventions across risk groups. …

Development And Evaluation Of A Non-Invasive Brain-Spine Interface Using Transcutaneous Spinal Cord Stimulation, Carolyn Atkinson, Lorenzo Lombardi, Meredith Lang, Rodolfo Keesey, Rachel Hawthorn, Zachary Seitz, Eric C Leuthardt, Peter Brunner, Ismael Seáñez

2020-Current year OA Pubs

Motor rehabilitation is a therapeutic process to facilitate functional recovery in people with spinal cord injury (SCI). However, its efficacy is limited to areas with remaining sensorimotor function. Spinal cord stimulation (SCS) creates a temporary prosthetic effect that may allow further rehabilitation-induced recovery in individuals without remaining sensorimotor function, thereby extending the therapeutic reach of motor rehabilitation to individuals with more severe injuries. In this work, we report our first steps in developing a non-invasive brain-spine interface (BSI) based on electroencephalography (EEG) and transcutaneous spinal cord stimulation (tSCS). The objective of this study was to identify EEG-based neural correlates of …

Adipose-Derived Leptin And Complement Factor D Mediate Osteoarthritis Severity And Pain, Kelsey H Collins, Kristin L Lenz, Hope D Welhaven, Erica Ely, Luke E Springer, Sophie Paradi, Ruhang Tang, Lauryn Braxton, Antonina Akk, Huimin Yan, Bo Zhang, Xiaobo Wu, John P Atkinson, Arin K Oestreich, Ron K June, Christine T N Pham, Farshid Guilak

2020-Current year OA Pubs

Obesity is a risk factor for osteoarthritis (OA), and leptin is among the adipokines implicated in obesity-induced OA. However, the specific role of leptin in OA severity and pain is not known. Using lipodystrophic (LD) mice, we show that fat-secreted factors are required for knee OA development, implicating a fat-cartilage cross-talk. Fat pad implantation or systemic leptin restoration in LD mice reintroduced structural OA and pain, whereas implantation of leptin-deficient fat pad did not change OA susceptibility. Isochronic parabiosis and spatial transcriptomics confirmed that a fat-joint cross-talk likely occurred via soluble mediators. Global unsupervised multiomics of conditioned media from fat …

Functional Screening Identifies Kinesin Spindle Protein Inhibitor Filanesib As A Potential Treatment Option For Hepatoblastoma, Ruth Nousiainen, Katja Eloranta, Jani Saarela, Antti Hassinen, Tamara J Luck, Stefano Cairo, Emilie Indersie, Swapnil Potdar, Michaela J Feodoroff, Jouko Lohi, Lassi Paavolainen, David B Wilson, Vilja Pietiäinen, Markku Heikinheimo, Marjut Pihlajoki

2020-Current year OA Pubs

Hepatoblastoma is a rare pediatric liver malignancy usually treated with surgery and chemotherapy. To explore new treatment options for hepatoblastoma, drug screening was performed using six cell models established from aggressive hepatoblastoma tumors and healthy pediatric primary hepatocytes. Of the 527 screened compounds, 98 demonstrated cancer-selective activity in at least one hepatoblastoma model. The kinesin spindle protein (KSP) inhibitor filanesib was effective in all models and was further evaluated. Filanesib induced G2/M arrest and apoptosis in hepatoblastoma cells at concentrations tolerable to primary hepatocytes. Prominent nuclear fragmentation was observed in filanesib-treated hepatoblastoma cells. Genes participating in cell cycle regulation were …

Bayesian Methodology To Model Field Failures Using Precise Operating Time, Ravi Teja Chikkam, Sean C Pegado, Colin Joseph Lacy

Defensive Publications Series

Field failures of products are frequently modeled using a constant failure rate assumption along with biased device usage times. This methodology provides convenience but may be inaccurate due to the failure rate assumptions and unavailability of precise device usage data. Techniques described herein provide for computing the precise device usage time along with assuming varying failure rates to better estimate field failures.

Use It Or Lose It: Examining The Language Use, Acquisition, And Transmission Of Irish In Ireland And Minority Languages In The United States Through Study Abroad, Taylor Mcpadden

Academic Festival

This paper explores the interplay of language use, acquisition, and transmission, with a primary focus on the Irish language in Ireland and comparisons to minority languages in the United States. It delves into the historical, cultural, and societal factors including colonization, educational policies, and societal attitudes that have influenced the status of the Irish language. Through the lens of pragmatics, this analysis highlights how language serves as both a tool for communication and a carrier of cultural identity, emphasizing the importance of meaningful language use in sustaining minority languages. Comparisons to the United States illuminate parallels in challenges such as …

What The Focal?, Christopher Iles

Academic Festival

This paper focuses on exploring the rich oral tradition of Irish storytelling through a linguistic and cultural lens, highlighting its distinct narrative structures. Focusing on alliterative runs—mnemonic, rhythmic linguistic patterns unique to the Irish language—the study compares traditional Irish storytelling with the predominantly written American narrative tradition. The Irish storytelling's oral heritage fosters unique linguistic features that can be misunderstood or misdiagnosed in clinical contexts when assessed through a standard American English framework. The paper emphasizes the need for cultural competence in speech-language pathology, especially when evaluating narrative skills across different linguistic traditions. Translation and cultural misunderstanding can obscure the …

Understanding The Well-Being Of Aging Refugees In The United States, Julia A. Fernandez, Alexa Charleus, Ellarose Capparelli, Gianna M. Cicalese, Daniella Stanzione

Academic Festival

Background and Objectives: Refugees endure psychological distress from traumatic experiences such as war, persecution, and forced displacement when migrating to nations like the US for safety. This affects their ability to navigate resettlement and aging. Demographics, cultural background, and social networks are sparsely researched in the context of older refugees and affect quality of life. This study explores how sociodemographic factors influence quality of life among aging refugees in the U.S.

Research Design and Methods: A survey of 108 refugees aged 50+ from Bhutan, Burundi, and Somalia was conducted in a small Midwestern city. The survey assessed how their …

Rfid Security For Iot Airport Infrastructure, Owen Guerra-Mondragon Saenz, Sawyer Hansen, Aaron Tulino, Philippe Shchetinin

Discovery Day - Prescott

Radio Frequency Identification (RFID), a methodology that uses active and passive tags to communicate through radio signals at different frequencies, has made its way to different implementations, including tracking of merchandise in transit, inventory management, access restrictions to authorized personnel, different data-sharing applications embedded with Near Field Communication (NFC). This technology has been mainly used in airports for tracking people and tracking luggage. In the tracking people line, was found that the main targets are the employees; to allow them to enter specific locations in the airport and give them permissions based on the role/hierarchy they have in the company …

My Leadership Story, Claire Ferguson

Academic Festival

This presentation explores my leadership journey, intertwining personal experiences with key leadership theories. Using the metaphor of a river, I illustrate how pivotal moments—such as committing to play Division 1 lacrosse, overcoming an ACL injury, and winning a championship—have shaped my resilience, adaptability, and ability to support others. The most profound challenge, losing my father during my senior year, further solidified my understanding of leadership as a process of perseverance and empathy.

Throughout this course, I have deepened my understanding of leadership by engaging with theories such as Peter G. Northouse’s definition of leadership as an influence process and insights …

The Relationship Between Psychological Distress, Work Burnout, And Firearm Ownership Among Correctional Officers, Corey Tolliver

Academic Festival

Introduction. This study examines the relationship between psychological distress, work burnout, and firearm ownership among correctional officers. Methods. Using secondary cross-sectional data, we investigated psychological distress, work burnout, and the impact of firearm ownership among 211 correctional officers (COs). Results. Psychological distress is alarmingly high across all racial/ethnic groups, with the vast majority classified as likely to have a severe mental disorder. White COs exhibit the highest mean distress scores. Over half of the COs enrolled reported owning a firearm (54.5%). Those who reported having to own a firearm tended to have higher work burnout compared to those who never …

Performance Of Quasi-Isotropic Gf/Pet Laminates In Impact And Compression After Impact Loading, Yubo Ma, Shuoyan Niu

Research & Creative Achievement Day

The impact resistance and residual compression strength of two types of glass fiber/ polyethylene terephthalate composites are investigated in this research project. The first materials are glass fiber/ polyethylene terephthalate glycol (GF/PRTG) and the second material is glass fiber/ amorphous polyethylene terephthalate (GF/PETa). Both matrix materials are ductile thermoplastic polymers. The ductility of the matrix is expected to improve the impact resistance of the composites. The advantage of the first material is higher ductility and improved fire resistance, and the advantage of the second material is high bonding strength with the reinforcing fiber glass. Both matrixes and low cost engineered …

Differences In Peak Relative Landing Forces In Division Ii Women’S Gymnastics, Basketball, And Soccer, Hailey J. Meyers, Kalli Van Tassell

Research & Creative Achievement Day

PURPOSE: Female athletes tend to be at high risk for lower limb injuries during non-contact landing. Relative peak landing force (RPLF) is the metric being monitored in this study to compare landing forces among three different women’s sports teams. RPLF is the amount of force the athlete is landing with compared to their body weight. This gives insight into athletes that could be at risk for lower limb injuries. METHODS: 16 gymnasts (height: 163.04 ± 4.84cm; BW: 62.17 ± 5.01kg) from the Winona State University gymnastics team participated in five weeks of countermovement jump (CMJ) testing using two force plates …

Modeling Cis/Trans Preferences Of Sn("Acac")2cl2 Complexes, Luke L. Rising, Hanna Sunsdahl, Matthew Burrows, Juan Carlos Feregrino Ponce

Research & Creative Achievement Day

Tin(IV) complexes bearing two chloride ligands and two symmetric β-diketonate ligands exhibit octahedral geometries. As such, they can theoretically present in two geometric isomer forms, cis and trans. Modeling of isomeric forms of these Sn(IV) complexes with five different β-diketonate ligands has been conducted to identify overall preference as well as to attempt to ascertain any influence the ligand's own electronic properties has on exhibited isomeric preference. Additionally, modeled IR spectra of cis and trans forms were compared to determine the utility of that characterization method in distinguishing these isomers.

Capturing Women's Birth Experiences Through Photos, Kristen Montgomery, Betsy Crabtree, Samantha Grayson, Alyssa Harmon, Rachael Robbins, Sarah Shelton, Hannah Sobas, Alexis Taliaferro, Nolan Willard

Epsilon Sigma at-Large Research Conference

Purpose: Each year 3.5 to 4 million women give birth in the United States. Childbirth is a life-changing event that induces various emotions in women. Many women report having a negative experience due to short staffing, inadequate care, and a loss of autonomy. Aims: The aim of the study was to understand what factors contribute to a positive or negative birth experience.

Methods: A descriptive qualitative study was conducted using photo elicitation. Photos were collected from participants and included a description of how the photo represented the participant’s experience. Demographic data were collected through a survey. Participants …

Utilizing The Mdq For Bipolar I Screening In The Primary Care Environment, Jamie Strozier

Epsilon Sigma at-Large Research Conference

Abstract- Utilizing the MDQ for Bipolar I Screening in the Primary Care Environment

Bipolar disorder is a chronic mental health condition characterized by episodes of depression, mania, or mixed symptoms, affecting approximately 5.7 million adults in the U.S. and 40 million individuals worldwide. Despite its significant impact, bipolar disorder is frequently misdiagnosed as major depressive disorder (MDD) in primary care settings, leading to inappropriate treatment and worsening patient outcomes. Research indicates that 78% of bipolar patients are initially misdiagnosed, with only 32% of primary care providers (PCPs) screening for the disorder. This quality improvement project aims to enhance bipolar disorder …

Development Of A Hybrid Synthetic And Computational Teaching Lab Exercise Featuring Budotitane, Kezia J. Lemke

Research & Creative Achievement Day

Budotitane is notable for its reported activity against cancer cells as well as its array of geometric structural possibilities. Preparation of budotitane, bis(1-phenyl-1,2-propanedionato)bis(ethoxy)titanium(IV), and its subsequent characterization by 1H NMR and IR spectroscopies as well as mass spectrometry has been implemented in an upper-level inorganic chemistry course. Computational modeling has also been utilized to predict the most energetically favorable isomer, as well as to generate modeled spectra for comparison to experimentally obtained results.

Progress Towards The Synthesis Of Trans-4-Bromo-2-Heptene, Ava L. Dillon

Research & Creative Achievement Day

trans-4-Bromo-2-heptene (1) is a simple compound that has never been synthesized in pure form and could be a useful starting material for organic synthesis. Therefore, the goal of this research is to synthesize 1 with a multistep synthesis. The synthesis starts with the preparation of hept-2-yn-4-ol (2) via a Grignard synthesis with the triple bond acting as a masking group for the alkene. The alcohol is converted to 4-bromo-2-heptyne (3). Step 3 is the most crucial step of selectively reducing the triple bond to the desired double bond. Finally, because the reduction should produce the cis alkene, the …

The Relationship Between Player Age And Reporting Injuries To Coaches And Medical Personnel, Drew O. Lingen

Research & Creative Achievement Day

It is estimated that there are 1.6 to 3.8 million concussions sustained each year in the USA. While most athletes recover from concussions in just a few days or weeks, prolonged symptoms can affect one's everyday life. This is an essential topic for me because I have first-hand experience with concussions. In 2021-2022, I had four concussions in nine months, with one concussion lasting six months. That concussion ended my college-catching career. I would never want someone to go through what I have gone through in this experience, which is why I have been conducting this study for the past …

Changemakers For Students With Severe Disabilities, Kelsey Lamountain

Research & Creative Achievement Day

Students with severe disabilities continue to face multiple barriers in accessing their education compared to their non-disabled peers. Specifically, they can be segregated from their peers without disabilities, general education teachers, and the general education curriculum. Despite these barriers, special education teachers can work within their role to disrupt ableism and stop harmful practices. In addition to being case managers and teachers, special education teachers can take on the role as advocate as they work towards persisting past the above barriers. Research has documented the importance of teacher educators preparing special education teachers as change agents (Olson & Roberts 2017; …

Ipar Internship, Steven R. Goodnow

Research & Creative Achievement Day

One focus of this poster presentation will be focused on how I used Power BI to visualize institutional data from here at WSU. Another focus point will be how we used data of other institutions from IPEDS to find similar schools to WSU. This internship is a part of my 120 credits toward graduating.

Disparities In Women's Healthcare, Allie Sonnleitner

Research & Creative Achievement Day

Purpose: Women's health care disparities remain an understudied topic within the scientific community, despite the emergence of the Women's Health Movement in the 1960s. It wasn't until 1986 that women were allowed to participate in clinical research and trials. In 2017, the National Institutes of Health launched its first dedicated program to address disparities among women. Studies have consistently found disparities between biological men and women in areas such as pain management, treatment and diagnostics, and inclusion in clinical trials. These studies highlight significant differences in care and provide substantial evidence to support their findings.

Methods and Results: To address …

Harnessing Ai For Small Business Feasibility: A Paddleboard Guiding Venture In Winona, Minnesota, Grace M. Baden, Clay A. Craker, Isabella Howe, Patrick Wright, Andrew A. Regner

Research & Creative Achievement Day

This project explores the integration of artificial intelligence in constructing a feasibility study for a proposed paddleboard guiding business in Winona, Minnesota. Conducted as a six-week applied learning experience within the Commercial Recreation course, students systematically employed AI tools to develop a feasibility analyses, covering business concept development, market research, financial forecasting, and operational planning.

A core focus of this project was AI prompt engineering—students iteratively designed, tested, and refined AI-generated responses to improve the accuracy, clarity, and applicability of feasibility study components. The project also examined AI's efficiency in generating data-driven insights, its limitations in niche market research, and …

Comparison Of Morphological Characteristics And Dna Sequences Of Platyhelminthes Within Dabbling And Diving Ducks Species, Elise A. Betcher, Karolyn M. Kolstad, Ashley L. Marks, Marguerite C. Reitano, Alexander J. Train

Research & Creative Achievement Day

Platyhelminthes, also known as flatworms, are among the most common parasites found in North American duck species. This phylum of parasites includes tapeworms and flukes. This study focused on identifying various Platyhelminthes found in Minnesota and Wisconsin wild ducks using both morphological characteristics and genetic sequencing. Both diving and dabbling species of ducks were used for this study, including green winged-teal (Anas carolinensis) and ring-necked ducks (Aythya collaris). Platyhelminthes were removed from legally harvested ducks and stained before examining and imaging under the microscope to identify key morphologic features for a presumptive identification. Subsequently, DNA was extracted …

Environmental Concerns Of Women In Appalachia, Kristen Montgomery, Adebayo Adeeko, Jessica Binns, Sarah Hall, Paula Hawkins, Allyson Newer, Michaela Outlaw, Karenna Turley

Epsilon Sigma at-Large Research Conference

Purpose: Environmental contamination is rampant in the United States and other parts of the world. There are potential health implications related to environmental contamination.
/="/">/="/">
/="/">/="/">

Aims: The purpose of this study was to investigate how concerned women in Appalachia are regarding the environment. The following research question was addressed: What concerns do women have regarding the environment? The objective of this study was to understand how women perceive their environment and to evaluate what concerns they have regarding the environment. We also evaluated demographic factors to see if any demographics contributed to particular concerns related …

What Impact Does Ai Have On American Elections?, Andrea Villalba Simon

Academic Festival

This paper explores how artificial intelligence (AI) is reshaping the concept and practice of power in the context of voting in the United States. AI has allowed campaigns and institutions to communicate more efficiently, analyze voter behavior, and manage elections with greater precision. However, this same technology introduces major risks. These include the manipulation of public opinion, misinformation, cybersecurity threats, and unequal access to political influence. Through real-world examples and expert insights, this paper examines how AI impacts who holds power, how it is exercised, and what that means for democracy in the U.S. It draws on Robert Dahl’s influential …