Digital Commons Network^™

Voting Rights Expansion To Achieve Voting Equity: Comparing Michigan's 2020 And 2024 Elections, Quinn Murphy

Honors Theses

Socioeconomic disparities often correlate with lower voter participation, potentially leading to underrepresentation of disadvantaged communities in policy decisions. Lower voter participation has been partly attributed to restrictive voting laws. In 2023, Michigan enacted legislation to expand voting rights, driven by a citizen-initiated ballot proposal that was overwhelmingly supported by Michiganders. The law expanded absentee voting, required statewide early in-person voting, protected voting rights of military members, and expanded options for providing photo ID to vote. To examine whether these voting rights expansions improved voting participation, particularly in low-income counties, this study examined the relationship between county-level poverty and voter turnout …

Exploring The Impact Of Relational And Geographic Search On Firm Innovation, Manish K. Srivastava

Michigan Tech Publications

This paper explores the interplay between geographic and relational search behaviors and their impact on innovation generation within firms. Extending previous research, our study explores the dual influences of geographic proximity and relational dynamics on both the quantity and quality of innovations. We develop a conceptual framework to examine the combined effects of these factors, identifying four distinct types of firm knowledge search behaviors and analyzing their repercussions on innovation outcomes. The study highlights the necessity for managers to adopt a balanced approach in strategic knowledge search. By acknowledging the trade-offs between different search strategies, managers can more effectively navigate …

Skyline Views & Career Moves, University Of Dayton

School of Business Administration Blog

From the trading floors of Chicago to the boardrooms of New York City, students from the Davis Center for Portfolio Management are taking their education far beyond the classroom.

Cmsi Translations #17: Analysis Of Problems With Warship Damage Control Plans And Methods For Preparing Damage Control Plans, Jian Huajun, Zhu Haishi

CMSI Translations

“Damage control” (sunhai kongzhi, or just sunguan) refers to measures and actions taken by a warship for the prevention, control, and elimination of damage in order to maintain or recover its vitality (shengmingli). If a warship suffers an accident, this could result in major casualties among the crew and cause damage to the ship’s equipment; it might also impact the ship’s vitality. The crew’s normal level of damage control training determines the success or failure of damage control. In order to fully leverage the active role of crew members in damage control and fully leverage the effectiveness of damage control, …

Colloidal Control Via Micellar Solutions, Timothy F. Niper

Theses

Mesoscale colloids composed of polyoctahedral silsesquioxanes (POSS) are promising candidates for the self-assembly of hierarchical structures as a continuum of size and morphology can be readily synthesized. However, there are substantial challenges in creating customized colloids that exhibit specific structural features, programmable binding, and stimuli responsiveness. Here, we explore a novel route to gain structural and directable control of these colloids by pairing them with thermoresponsive, polymeric micelles. These polymeric micelles cannot only swell the interstices of oligomeric colloidal droplets with the accuracy provided by the well-defined polymer micellization transition, but also act as absorbable colloidal depletants—a new class of …

Spectator 2025-04-17, Editors Of The Spectator

The Spectator

No abstract provided.

Analyzing The Drivers Of Airline Profitability, Brady Noble

Honors Theses

The commercial aviation industry, despite its transformative impact on global connection and economy, has historically struggled with consistent profitability. This thesis investigates the drivers of financial success within the airline industry, with a particular focus on the relationship between passenger load factors and profitability. Passenger load factors, defined as the percentage of available seats occupied by paying customers, have emerged as a key performance indicator, offering important insights into operational efficiency and revenue generation.

The study utilizes comprehensive data from the Bureau of Transportation Statistics, encompassing quarterly metrics on revenue, load factors, operating costs, and fuel prices from 2002 to …

Usa V. Andrew Steel

2025 Decisions

USDC for the Western District of Pennsylvania

Lily Streeton Wins $2,000 Prize In Gardner-Webb Godbold College Of Business’ Dawg Pitch Competition, Office Of University Communications

Gardner-Webb NewsCenter Archive

The Gardner-Webb University Godbold College of Business recently hosted Entrepreneurship Week. The event was highlighted by business pitch competitions for high school and community college students as well as Gardner-Webb students. Community partners— Uptown Shelby Association, Cleveland County Economic Development Partnership, Cleveland County Chamber and the Town of Boiling Springs—helped to sponsor the event.

Gardner-Webb Announces Formation Of Presidential Search Committee, Office Of University Communications

Gardner-Webb NewsCenter Archive

Officials at Gardner-Webb University have announced the formation of the committee that will guide the search for the institution’s 14th President.

Characterizing The Host-Microbe Interactions Of Citrullus Colocynthis, Miranda Procter

Thesis/ Dissertation Defenses

Desert ecosystems impose substantial plant growth and survival limitations, including high radiation, temperatures, and drought. To endure these extreme conditions, plants have developed a range of physiological and biochemical adaptations and established symbiotic partnerships with microbes that significantly enhance their resilience. Citrullus colocynthis, the wild relative of domesticated watermelon, has multiple applications in pharmacology and the biomedical field. Although many studies have examined this plant, few have investigated its microbiome, and those that did often focused on limited aspects. Understanding the microbes associated with this plant and their contributions to its survival can yield important insights into developing C. colocynthis …

36. Protest 2025. Protest At Applied Engineering Building 1 [Article], University Of Northern Iowa

LGBTQIA+ Archive Class Projects

Citation: Klinkhammer, B. (2025, April 9). Students make their voice heard at Applied Engineering building opening. Northern Iowan, 2.

This article is a description of a recent protest at the new Applied Engineering Building. Well over 100 UNI students, Cedar Falls High School students, and the Cedar Valley came together to protest Kim Reynolds appearance for the ribbon cutting ceremony. Kim Reynolds failed to appear to give a speech and to help cut the ribbon. I think that in itself is so powerful, to know that she didn't show up because people showed up to protest against someone so …

The Effects Of Excessive Screen Time On Children, Emma Bock

Psychology Student Publications

This paper examines the effects of excessive screen time in children. Screen time is considered “excessive” in children when it is over an hour or two per day. Too much screen time can heavily impact a child’s life physically, psychologically, developmentally, and socially. This paper focuses specifically on how screen time affects attention, language development, eating habits, and sleep.

Voice Honors Recital

Bailey School of Music Concert Programs

Each year, the Bailey School of Music Voice Faculty selects students that have demonstrated significant artistry and scholarship to be featured in the KSU Voice Honors Recital. This evening's program features our brightest and best singers performing their favorite music from this academic year. We thank you so much for joining us this evening and hope you enjoy this beautiful night of singing.

Progestogens As Modulators Of Motor Behaviors And Microtubule Dynamics In Embryonic And Larval Stage Zebrafish, Mandarin Mathouchanh

Electronic Theses and Dissertations Archive

Progestogens are steroid hormones based on progesterone (P4) that play many critical roles in early developmental stage and adult zebrafish (Danio rerio). In addition to their functions in reproduction, they play important roles in the central nervous system (CNS). P4 and its metabolites are known to modulate the excitability of neurons and promote neural inhibition. This dissertation aims to elucidate the physiological and developmental effects of progestogens on zebrafish embryos and larvae. Through the use of motility assays, we report significant findings in this dissertation that suggests both the membrane progesterone receptor (mPR) and GABAA receptor facilitate the rapid deep …

Inclusive Science Education: High School Biology Educator’S Voice, Experiences, Attitudes, And Challenges Instructing Students With Extensive Support Needs, Jessica Nichole Minton

Electronic Theses and Dissertations Archive

Students with extensive support needs are moving into inclusive general education science classrooms in higher concentrations. Teachers’ commitment to their students and their attitudes towards their students can influence student success in the classroom and educator experiences or challenges can influence attitudes (Bhatnagar & Das, 2014; Carter & Hughes, 2006; Gonzalez, Henneman, & Schluter, 2019). In this CDT narrative inquiry study, I examined high school biology teachers’ narratives to address the following research questions: (1) What do the narratives of high school inclusive biology teachers reveal about their attitudes regarding the inclusion of students with extensive support needs in the …

Faith In Action: An Evaluation Of An Hiv Stigma Reduction Scale Used In Faith-Based Communities, Andrea Williams Stubbs

Electronic Theses and Dissertations Archive

HIV-related stigma remains a substantial barrier to enhancing access to prevention, testing, and treatment, thereby perpetuating health disparities. Faith-based organizations, which serve as integral components of many Southern communities, possess the capacity to function as influential platforms for addressing this stigma and are pivotal allies in the Ending the HIV Epidemic (EHE) initiative. These environments, encompassing churches and health clinics, have the potential to cultivate supportive atmospheres for individuals living with HIV (PLWH) and to contribute to stigma reduction initiatives actively. A significant challenge in these efforts lies in the pressing need for more effective measurement tools to assess HIV-related …

Exploring Factors That Contribute To Students' Persistence In Undergraduate Biology Programs, Kendra Wright

Electronic Theses and Dissertations Archive

Several factors influence persistence in STEM programs. However, without a deep understanding of students' experiences, identifying the specific factors that contribute to their success or departure can be challenging. By investigating students enrolled in the undergraduate biology program at the University of Memphis, I have gained valuable insights into the several factors that impact academic success. This mixed method study first explores how students' metacognition develops and how students' engagement in metacognition can contribute to student s final grades and later explores how Black student's experiences in biology can contribute to persistence, and the impact of a formative assessment assignment …

Associations Between Family History Of Alcohol Misuse, Drinking Risk, And Alcohol Demand Among Emerging Adults, Destinee M. Cruthird

Electronic Theses and Dissertations Archive

Purpose: Individuals with a positive family history of alcohol misuse (FH+) are at an increased lifetime risk for alcohol use disorder compared to those without such a history (FH-). Risk associated with family history may manifest during emerging adulthood, given that alcohol consumption often increases during this period. However, the behavioral mechanisms underlying these risks remain less clear. This study aimed to examine FH status differences in alcohol consumption, alcohol-related consequences, and behavioral economic mechanisms (i.e., alcohol demand) in a sample of emerging adults who reported recent heavy drinking. Method: Emerging adults (N = 569; 29% FH+, 71% FH-; Mage …

Book Of Abstracts: 2025 Honors College Research Symposium, Honors College, North Carolina Agricultural And Technical State University

2025 Honors College Research Symposium

This booklet contains the collection of research abstracts presented at the 2025 Honors College Research Symposium, held on April 17, 2025, at North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University. The symposium highlights original undergraduate research across disciplines including science, engineering, humanities, health, education, business, and agriculture. The publication documents the scholarly contributions of Honors students through both oral and poster presentations.

The Psychological And Social Effects Of Asset Building Among Low-Income Consumers, Al Maurice Fleming

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Low-income consumers face social and psychological barriers to economic self-sufficiency. This qualitative inquiry aimed to bridge the knowledge gap by examining how social and psychological factors that impede single mothers from achieving economic self-sufficiency. Grounded in Fishbein and Ajzen’s Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB), this study examined factors influencing single parents’ financial behaviors. The findings supported TPB, showing that financial literacy shapes intentions, perceived control increases with stability, and social norms influence financial behavior. Demographic questionnaires were administered, and structured interviews were conducted with 15 single African American mothers. The data was analyzed using themes, code annotations, and categorical classification. …

Historicizing The Prison In The History Of Capitalism, James Parisot

Sociology Faculty Publications

The goal of this paper is to rethink the timeline through which scholars have conceived of the history of capitalism and imprisonment. Scholars including Oliver C. Cox, Fernand Braudel, and Giovanni Arrighi, among others, have presented a story of capitalism centered around the Italian-city states, followed by the Netherlands, Britain, and the United States. Yet discussions on the origins of capitalism and imprisonment, eventually resulting in the invention of the penitentiary as an institution of reform, usually start around the sixteenth century. Incorporating insights from both of these angles, this paper shows the historical ways that different centers of capitalist …

Novel Therapeutics For Myeloid Malignancies, Tim Kong

Arts & Sciences Graduate Student Theses and Dissertations

Myeloid malignancies are a group of heterogenous and clonal disorders that include myeloproliferative neoplasms (MPNs) and acute myeloid leukemia (AML). These blood cancers are driven by characteristic oncogenes and propagated by pro-inflammatory niches; MPNs demonstrate hyperactive JAK-STAT signaling and upregulate cytokines including TNF, IL-6, and IL-8. Current therapeutics such as ruxolitinib targeting JAK2 providing symptomatic benefit to MPN patients but are not curative and do not prevent disease transformation to acute myeloid leukemia (AML). As such, greater understanding of the underlying disease biology is still required with means of uncover cancer dependencies. Here, we utilize a series of multi-omic approaches …

Senescent Cancer-Associated Fibroblasts Mediate Immunosuppression And Promote Breast Cancer Progression, Jiayu Ye

Arts & Sciences Graduate Student Theses and Dissertations

Breast cancer is the most frequently diagnosed cancer among women worldwide, and aging is the largest risk factor for breast cancer development. The process of aging is typically accompanied by a progressive accumulation of senescent cells, which are characterized by a series of markers such as p16INKA4 (p16) positivity and a distinctive profile of secretory factors including mitogens, cytokines, and extracellular matrix (ECM) proteins that are collectively recognized as senescence-associated secretory phenotype (SASP). Numerous data so far have shown that senescent stromal cells play critical roles in modulating tumor microenvironment and progression. For example, senescent fibroblasts induced in vitro could …

Using Machine Learning, The Cloud, Big Data, Citizen-Science, And 200+ Environmental Predictors Towards Proposing Modern Add-Ons To Improve Conservation Management Plans For Squirrel Species In Alaska And Its Indigenous Lands(Vers2), Moriz Steiner, Falk Huettmann

Faculty

Context. Squirrel species in Alaska generally lack thorough conservation management plans, while all species are actively hunted with no bag limits, closed seasons, or any other restrictions, and the current ‘management’ is based on ambiguous hand-drawn distribution maps. This indicates a laissez-faire approach to Alaskan squirrel conservation management. Aims. Here, we attempt to improve this current situation by assessing the effectiveness of ensemble machine-learning prediction models as proposed add-ons to the traditional components of conservation management plans toward a more state-of-the-art approach to species conservation. Methods. We combined the Machine Learning algorithms TreeNet, CART, Random Forest, and Maxent with over …

Alaska Earthquake Center Quarterly Technical Report October-December 2024, Heather Mcfarlin, Alexandra Farrell, Beth Grassi, Stephen Holtkamp, Elisabeth Nadin, Carolyn Parcheta, Angelica Stabs, Michael West

Alaska Earthquake Center Reports

This series of technical quarterly reports from the Alaska Earthquake Center (AEC) includes detailed summaries and updates on Alaska seismicity, the AEC seismic network and stations, fieldwork, our online presence, public outreach, and lists publications and presentations by AEC staff. Multiple AEC staff members contributed to this report.

Apoe Genotype Distribution In A Mexican Population: A Comparative Study And Its Implications For Alzheimer’S And Cardiovascular Disease, Carlos Perezcano, Andrea Sánchez, Josué Nava, Christian Rosete

Human Biology Open Access Pre-Prints

The apolipoprotein E (APOE) ε4 allele is a major genetic risk factor for Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and cardiovascular risk (CVD). This study analyzes the distribution of APOE alleles in 143 patients from a Mexican population based in Mexico City. The ε3 allele was the most prevalent (82.9%) followed by ε4 (12.5%) and ε2 (4.5%). Notably, the APOE 3/4 genotype, associated with increased risk for AD and CVD, was observed in 21% of the cohort, while the APOE 4/4 genotype, representing the highest genetic risk for both conditions, was rare (2.1%). The APOE 2/2 genotype, linked to type III …

Gc Minutes Apr 17, 2025, Graduate Council

Graduate Council Minutes

No abstract provided.

Effect Of Police Corruption On Former Residents Of The Philippines Upon Their Return To Their Homeland, Larry Dean Doyle

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Corruption in law enforcement is particularly heinous because it deprives the citizens living under the threat of police corruption of the rule of law and takes away the constitutional protections that are guaranteed and enforced by the courts. The purpose of this qualitative phenomenological study was to explore the perceptions of former residents of the Philippines regarding the effect of police corruption on them. Schultz’s behavioral theories and the reward neurophysiology provided this study's framework. Data were collected from twenty-four surveys of former residents of the Philippines when they visited their homeland. Findings indicated that former residents of the Philippines …

Staff Council Minutes, Georgia Southern University

Staff Council Meeting Minutes & Agendas

No abstract provided.