Digital Commons Network^™

A New Look At Sex Offender Rehabilitation: Embracing Elective Chemical Castration, Alli Florence

Advanced Issues in Criminal Law: Sex Offenses

This essay analyzes the historical and modern use of castration efforts on sex offenders and advocates for federally supported, elective chemical castration as an effective means of rehabilitative treatment and relapse prevention post-incarceration.

Dykebreaking: The Homophobic Rape Of Lesbian Woman And The Next Frontier Of Hate Crime Laws, Mallory L. Harrington

Advanced Issues in Criminal Law: Sex Offenses

This article will explain the motivations behind homophobic rape by examining it as both a sex offense and a hate crime, before arguing that its unique status at the intersection of both categories of offenses places its victims in a particularly vulnerable position and situates those who offend in this way in a more serious category of offender than other sex offenders.

Does Friend Groups’ Co-Rumination Explain Depression Homophily Among Undergraduate Women’S Friendship Groups?, Alyssa Chapman Klas

GS4 Student Scholars Symposium

No abstract provided.

Decolonial Critical Qualitative Research Design, Mayra Garcia-Diaz

GS4 Student Scholars Symposium

No abstract provided.

A Jewel In The Crown Is Better Than Money In The Pocket": Historical Data On The Role Of Midwives In Caring For Families In Southern Appalachia, Kristen Montgomery

Epsilon Sigma at-Large Research Conference

Background: Midwives have provided care to women since the beginning of time. Early midwives had little training but learned their craft from experienced women. Later, formal training became available. Midwives have a rich history in Appalachia.

Purpose: to explore the rich history of all types of midwives in Appalachia.

Methods: Materials from the Archives of Appalachia were reviewed. Both written and oral materials were evaluated. This included a review of the document, identification of themes, and then comparing those themes with previously identified themes. Documents were reviewed in a random order by two researchers who met to discuss results.

Results: …

Kentucky House Bill 159: Health Care Policy Analysis, Lindsey Frasure

Epsilon Sigma at-Large Research Conference

Lindsey Frasure MSN-Ed., RN

Lincoln Memorial University, Caylor School of Nursing

DNP Student

An Educational Presentation: Kentucky House Bill 159: Health Care Policy Analysis

Abstract:

Purpose/Background: Kentucky House Bill 159 is a bill that passed through the state congress in 2024. It is known as the decriminalization bill. The aim of this presentation is to analyze and discuss the bill in its entirety, why the bill continues to be important in healthcare, implications for nursing, the future of nursing, and advocation for change. The significance of the presentation is to educate fellow healthcare professionals on the importance of policy …

Factors Influence Homeless People’S Psychological Well-Being And Suicidal Ideation, Pi-Ming Yeh

Epsilon Sigma at-Large Research Conference

Introduction/Significance: About 582,462 individuals are experiencing homelessness in America. Homelessness is devastating, regardless of age. But for children, it can have serious physical, emotional, and psychological implications.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to examine the influences of spiritual well-being, coping strategies, family interaction, and personality on psychological well-being, and suicidal ideation among people with homelessness.

Methods: Sixty people with homelessness were recruited in the Eastern Tennessee Downtown Day Center, USA. IRB was approved. This was a cross-sectional descriptive research design. Questionnaires were used to do data collection. SPSS 28.0 was used to do the data analysis. Descriptive …

Using Keystroke Dynamics Behavioral Biometrics To Identify Users, Bradley F. Budach

Research & Creative Achievement Day

This study explores the use of keystroke dynamics as a behavioral biometric for user identification. Unlike physiological biometrics, such as fingerprints or facial recognition, keystroke dynamics leverages the unique typing patterns of individuals to create a distinctive signature. This research was to develop a machine learning-based system that utilizes keystroke dynamics for continuous and unobtrusive user authentication. By collecting and analyzing keystroke data from multiple users, relevant features were extracted and used to train a machine learning model to identify user keystroke signatures with an equal error rate of 0.11. This model allows for reliable and scalable authentication that can …

Revisiting Least Restrictive Environment In Adapted Physical Education: A Framework For Evidence-Based Practice, Samantha K. Charron

Research & Creative Achievement Day

This article addresses the implementation of Least Restrictive Environment (LRE) principles in adapted physical education. Despite the legal mandates established by the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, the field faces significant challenges, including a shortage of qualified professionals, overemphasis on universal inclusion, and the exclusion of student voices from placement decisions. Through analysis of historical context, implementation challenges, and a proposed Student-Centered APE Placement Model (SCAPM), this article provides a framework for making evidence-based placement decisions that prioritize student success. By integrating perspectives from preservice teacher education and current practice, the framework offers practitioners a structured approach to navigating the …

Parlez-Vous Français? You Betcha: Revitalizing A French Cultural Center By Connecting To Its Minnesota Roots, Ashley R. Flygare

Research & Creative Achievement Day

The Alliance Française Minneapolis-St. Paul (AFMSP) is an independent chapter of an international organization aimed at promoting the French language and various francophone cultures. It provides language instruction, cultural programming, social events, and access to a range of resources. However, participation in its events and courses has declined in recent years, putting the organization’s financial stability at risk. This project employs research and analysis to identify strategic and creative solutions to help AFMSP thrive.  A review of applied research was conducted, which included industry reports, performance data, and local cultural trends. Key insights revealed the need for enhanced community engagement, …

Experimental Impacts Into Sloped Targets, J.L.B. Anderson, Tyler S.L. Kadrie, A.L. Miller, C.J. Cline Ii

Research & Creative Achievement Day

Asymmetric craters have been ob-served on sloped surfaces on the Moon [1] and extensively across Vesta [2] and Ceres [3]. For example, Lowell Crater (Fig. 1A) is a large crater on the surface of the Moon that has a small-er crater, Lowell H, which formed when an asteroid impacted the sloped surface of Lowell’s crater rim [1]. The topography map of Lowell H (Fig. 1B) shows the original sloped crater wall, the highly asymmetric and slumped Lowell H crater, and the debris flows that formed during its collapse.

Typically, impact cratering experiments are performed into smooth, flat-lying targets as a …

The Impacts Of Virtual Tourism On Tourist Destinations, Samantha R. Dischinger, Grace M. Baden, Natalia C. Miller

Research & Creative Achievement Day

New technologies, including virtual reality (VR), offer exciting new opportunities for tourism, especially in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. While these technologies provide tourism experiences for those who are not comfortable with or able to physically travel, they may have adverse effects on tourist destinations by reducing the number of physical visitors. To assess this, the study will include questions to analyze whether VR experiences increase or decrease the incentive to physically travel to a given destination. This question will be answered through a laboratory experiment involving exposure to a virtual tour, either with a VR headset or a …

A Comparison Of The Bacterial Communities Of The Yamuna River (India) And Mississippi River (Usa), Jacob Gareis, Osvaldo Martinez, Silas Bergen

Research & Creative Achievement Day

This study compared the bacteria in the Yamuna River in India and the Mississippi River in the USA. Water samples were taken from 11 sites (2 in the Mississippi River and 9 in the Yamuna River). The bacteria were identified using 16S rRNA gene sequencing. Some phyla such as Proteobacteria and Bacteroidetes were seen in abundance regardless of country. However, principal-component analysis showed three distinct groupings: Mississippi/Ganga/Tons and other Yamuna River locations (7 sites), Yamuna River at Delhi (2 sites), Yamuna River below Glacier (2 sites) Additionally, the Yamuna River below Glacier had the highest bacterial diversity, with a Shannon …

Stay Fit, Stay Safe: Sports Safety For Community-Dwelling Older Adults, Kierra A. Pickard, Lauren G. Cahalan, Allie Sonnleitner, Hanna G. Crabtree, Emily J. Myszewski, Claire R. Privatt, Maya L. Vosters

Research & Creative Achievement Day

Purpose: With the growing older adult population, defined as 65 years and older, the importance of safety in activities, such as sports, is becoming more important. It is vital to address the needs of this population through increasing education to prevent or address injuries related to physical activity. The overall purpose of this project was to determine the impact of providing sports safety education at the Holmen Area Community Center (HACC). Moreover, we sought to explore and educate the clients at HACC on ways to prevent such injuries and what to do if an injury does occur.

Many older …

Durafold Premium: Composite Folding Table, Regan G. Harvey, Hendrik J. Welti, Parker D. Buth, Stadler J. Lucas, Grace Eischens

Research & Creative Achievement Day

Current folding table designs are made to be lightweight, but the table surface made of high density polyethylene (HDPE) can break and is not repairable. Our team designed the DuraFold Premium as an alternative to the traditional folding tables. The table surface and legs use a sandwich construction consisting of top and bottom face sheets made with carbon and glass reinforcing fibers in an epoxy resin system. In between the two face sheets is a honeycomb core material. This approach results in the DuraFold Premium being extremely durable while remaining lightweight. Over the past academic year, our team has been …

Carbon Club Carrier: A Lightweight Motorized Golf Pushcart, Tanner J. Conniff, Eric M. Courneya, Alex Hilo, Max R. Kauphusman, Luis M. Rodriguez

Research & Creative Achievement Day

The Carbon Club Carrier is a lightweight, motorized golf pushcart designed to enhance convenience and ease of use for golfers. Traditional golf push carts can be cumbersome and require significant effort to maneuver across varying terrain. Our design integrates a carbon fiber frame for durability and weight reduction, coupled with an electric push-assist motor to reduce strain on the user. The use of carbon fiber composite materials ensures a strong yet lightweight structure, optimizing portability and performance. The push-assist motor system is designed to provide variable-speed assistance, allowing golfers to move their clubs effortlessly across the course. The carrier is …

Comfort Women Surviving Sexual Slavery, Willa Carman Carman

Research & Creative Achievement Day

This research examines the cruelties of sexual slavery committed by the Japanese Imperial Army during World War II. Around 150,000 to 200,000 women were taken and used as sex slaves between 1928 and 1945, primarily in Korea and the Philippines. These women have come to be known as "comfort women," a former demeaning term suggesting that these women were comforting Japanese soldiers. However, "comfort women" were not voluntary prostitutes but young women and girls coerced, forced, and deceived into the comfort system. These women were kept in military brothels for multiple days up to numerous years, repeatedly raped by sometimes …

Alien Out, Stephanie M. Dasbach

Research & Creative Achievement Day

Alien Out is a space-themed pop-up board game where players complete mini challenges on different planets to help lost aliens return home, offering multiple ways to play: solo, competitive, or team-based. The goal is to create a versatile gameplay experience that accommodates different player dynamics, ensuring that individuals, small groups, or larger teams can engage with the game without limitations. The concept is inspired by a love for astronomy and a desire to incorporate interactive pop-up elements into board game design. By combining these elements, Alien Out aims to provide an immersive, strategic, and visually dynamic experience.

The development of …

The Economic Impact Of The Emerald Ash Borer In Inver Grove Heights Mn, Nicholas Ruch, Noah Anderson

Research & Creative Achievement Day

Emerald Ash Borer (EAB) is an insect that bores under the ash tree's bark. This effectively kills the tree by girdling its cambium. In this analysis of EAB, we looked at the financial effect it had on Inver Grove Heights, Minnesota. Expert Tree Service removed most of their ash trees and provided us with data to help calculate how much it cost. Brian Swoboda, the head forester for Inver Grove Heights, provided us with all of the information about their plan to reforest.

In total, for the years 2022 and 2023, the removals done by Expert Tree Service cost $83,690.68 …

Evaluating The Causal Effect Of Receiving Transthoracic Echocardiography On 28-Day Mortality In Mimic-Iii Intensive Care Unit Patients With Sepsis, Monserrath Velez, Jack O'Connor, Nicholas Della Pesca, Rio Baliga

Research & Creative Achievement Day

❏ Sepsis (an infection associated with vital organ dysfunction) is an emergent

medical condition estimated to occur in about 30% of intensive care unit

(ICU) patients[1] and is responsible for 20% of all deaths worldwide[2]

❏ Transthoracic echocardiography (TTE; an imaging modality that uses

ultrasound technology to record heart structure and function) is widely used in

medical treatment [3]

❏ 28-day mortality (whether or not a patient dies within 28 days after receiving a

treatment) is a measure considered to closely approximate ICU mortality[4]

Objectives

❏ Assess and quantify the causal effect of receiving a TTE on …

Implementation Of Palliative Care In Relation To Quality Of Life For Adults With Chronic Conditions, Zoe Dreckmann

Research & Creative Achievement Day

Palliative care is care focused on maintaining or improving one's quality of life. Many patients suffer from chronic conditions that impact quality of life due to high symptom burden and other factors that impact physical and emotional health. According to Calsina-Berna et al. (2022) in patients with advanced chronic conditions, 69-82% will need palliative care before death but only 12% will actually receive palliative care (Teixeira et al. 2023). Hence the majority of people with advanced illness need palliative intervention but fail to benefit from the services offered. Palliative care for these patients focuses on quality of life (QOL) which …

Plasma Profiling Reveals Proteins Specific To Primary Disease Origin Of Retroperitoneal Fibrosis, Thomas J. Pelowitz, Benjamin Hurr, Matthew Koster, Jaeyun Sung

Research & Creative Achievement Day

Retroperitoneal fibrosis (RPF) is a rare inflammatory disease characterized by the formation of scar-like tissue in the retroperitoneum, which can lead to life-threatening obstructive nephropathy. RPF is typically a secondary disease, arising from various underlying conditions. Currently, no objective and highly accurate diagnostic methods exist. Identifying blood protein biomarkers specific to RPF could facilitate the development of objective minimally invasive diagnostic tests.

In this study, blood plasma samples were collected from 45 participants spanning 5 different primary causes of RPF, including idiopathic cases where no underlying condition was identified. Six participants without significant diseases at the time of sample collection …

Operation Dumbass, Kyurim Oh, Luke W. Krzyszkowski

Research & Creative Achievement Day

Operation Dumbass is a stylized multiplayer social deception game developed by Kyurim Oh and Luke Krzyszkowski as part of their Advanced Design Project at Winona State University. Inspired by the absurdity and charm of viral games like Fall Guys and the immersive environments of Super Mario Odyssey, the game was born from our shared frustration with limited party sizes in current multiplayer games—and a desire to make something we would genuinely love to play. The game is set in a lively city full of AI-controlled citizens, where up to 16 players take on the role of spies disguised as ordinary …

Geomorphic Monitoring Of Cedar Valley Creek: Investigating The Impact Of Restoration Projects And Stream Systems Over Time, Kyle Borske

Research & Creative Achievement Day

Streams and rivers are dynamic systems shaped by natural forces, but can be influenced by human intervention. This project focuses on Cedar Valley Creek to examine how geomorphic processes such as erosion, deposition, and sediment transport have been influenced over time by restoration efforts. By collecting data during field surveys, areas of instability will be identified and the effectiveness of the restoration project will be determined. This will give an understanding of the long term impacts of restoration projects and further insight on how to artificially maintain stream health.

From Seurat To Skynet - Pros And Cons Of Ai In The Studio Arts, Drake W. Onyx, Grace M. Larsen, Grace A. Robins, Grace A. Seidel, Elizabeth A. Tischler, Alivia A. Tima

Research & Creative Achievement Day

AI generated imagery is now everywhere and accessible to almost everyone… for better or for worse. There are many artists worldwide who have been using artificial intelligence / machine learning for years to create fascinating, research or experimentally driven art. There are also many artists who are using AI simply as a tool, and there is a long history of artists using tools to help them work more efficiently (camera lucida, photography, Photoshop, etc).  Conversely, many artists are concerned about the use of their original artwork being scraped without their permission to train these bots, and artists whose jobs have …

“I Didn’T Understand What It Was To Be A Mom Until I Became One:” Gender And Cultural Influence On Hmong Mother-Daughter Relationships And Communication, Serenity Xiong

Research & Creative Achievement Day

The relationship between mothers and daughters is a complex bond that differs from person to person and is significantly shaped by cultural influences. The research in this area aims to reveal those cultural norms--the Hmong culture being the primary focus of the study--and values play a crucial role in defining the dynamics between mother-daughter relationships impacting their communication, expectations, and expression. To first understand the different dynamics that may exist between mothers and daughters in the Hmong culture, grasping the history of the importance of familial roles is essential. The Hmong demographic is an existing ethnic group part of various …

Development Of An Adhd Scale In The United Arab Emirates: An Exploratory Mixed-Methods Study, Abeer Arafa Eldib

Thesis/ Dissertation Defenses

This study aims to develop culturally sensitive rating scales for teachers and parents to identify students at risk for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in the United Arab Emirates. An exploratory mixed-method research design was utilized for this study. The Eldeeb Teachers’ and Parents’ ADHD Rating Scale (ETPARS) was created to provide a reliable and valid culturally-based tool for identifying students at risk for ADHD. The scale comprises an item pool of 25 items that assess attention deficits and hyperactivity across three domains: inattention, hyperactivity/impulsivity, and the effects of ADHD. The scale was administered to 465 children, which is essential …

Sustainable Desalination: Carbon Capture From Reject Brine Using Uae Date Palm Leaf, Haneen Ahmed Abu Saifan

Thesis/ Dissertation Defenses

The United Arab Emirates faces significant challenges in managing reject brine from desalination processes. Additionally, the energy-intensive nature of desalination contributes to greenhouse gas emissions, particularly carbon dioxide (CO2). This study explores the potential of date palm leaf ash, an underutilized agricultural waste, as a sustainable material for brine desalination and CO2 capture. Date palm leaves were converted into ash through incineration at 550°C and 750°C, followed by chemical activation using potassium hydroxide. The study evaluated the ash's efficiency in removing key ions (Na+, Mg2+, Ca2+, K+) from reject brine and capturing CO2, while optimizing process conditions using response surface …

Assessment Of Process Parameters Influence On Ultrasonic Wave Propagation And Characteristics In Metal Additive Manufacturing, Michael Luhofet

GS4 Student Scholars Symposium

No abstract provided.

How Prepared Are Online Schools To Identify And Respond To Student Abuse?: Not Well, But There Is Hope, Monika Krah, Analisa Lewis, Juliann Sergi Mcbrayer, Chad Posick, Eric Landers

GS4 Student Scholars Symposium

In our rapidly-advancing technological world, little is known about school safety planning in online school settings. We expanded the Crisis Event Perception Survey (CEPS) to the Sustainable, Accessible, Feasible, and Effective (SAFE) Crisis Event Perceptions Survey to assess verbal, physical, relational, and cyberbullying prevalence and administrator preparedness in online school settings. We found that almost half of school administrators assessed were untrained in responding to physical (48%) and relational (43%) bullying and approximately one-third of school administrators surveyed felt unprepared to address physical and/or relational bullying in online schools. Furthermore, we found that only about half of administrators are trained …