Digital Commons Network^™

Detection And Evaluation Of Hazardous Mercury Contamination In Various Biological Samples, Krish Italiya

Biochemistry and Molecular Biology

Mercury is a toxic environmental pollutant that threatens ecosystems and human health. This study investigates mercury contamination in Lactuca sativa (lettuce) and selected fish species, including tuna and salmon, focusing on plant responses and the limitations of X-ray fluorescence (XRF) analysis. In a controlled experiment, lettuce plants were exposed to mercury to evaluate uptake and toxicity, and XRF spectroscopy was used for quick, non-destructive elemental analysis. Results confirmed mercury accumulation in lettuce, along with visible stress symptoms such as leaf yellowing, purple pigmentation, and tissue damage. Mercury was not detected in tuna and salmon samples, likely due to concentrations below …

Screening Tools For Maternal Mental Health In Africa: A Systematic Review, Joyce Jebet, Irene Mageto, Benard Mutwiri, Abednego Ongeso, Ruth Wagathu, Rose Maina, Denis Munene, Kawira Kithuci, Peter Gatiti

School of Nursing & Midwifery, East Africa

Background:

Maternal health during pregnancy and the postnatal period encompasses mental health, which is a key aspect in enhancing a positive outcome. Despite screening for other possible complications during pregnancy and the postnatal period, very little attention has been paid to screening for mental health. Screening is a key tool in early diagnosis and, eventually, timely diagnosis and management in cases where complications arise.

Aim:

This study aimed to assess the available maternal mental health screening tools and compare the outcome on their utilization during pregnancy and postnatal periods in the African continent.

Methodology:

This was a …

Perceived Risk Of Substance Use And Associations With Early Experimentation: A Latent Profile Analysis Using Abcd Study Data, Alejandra Fernandez, Deanna M. Barch, Micah E. Johnson, Hugh Garavan, Alexandra S. Potter, Sarahjane L. Dube, Nicholas Allgaier, Ethan T. Hunt, Miguel Ángel Cano, Sandra Estrada Gonzalez

Psychological Science Faculty Publications

Objective: The current study aims to determine heterogenous latent profiles of substance use perceived harm and examine the concurrent associations between profiles and substance use experimentation.

Methods: We used data from the Adolescent Brain Cognitive DevelopmentSM Study (5.1 data release) 1-year follow up. Participants (N = 11184) were 52.2% male between the ages of 9 and 14 (M age = 10.48, SD = 0.65). Latent profile analysis was used with 11 perceived harm indicators. Multinomial logistic regression was used to determine the association between profile membership and substance use experimentation (i.e., alcohol sipping, tobacco puffing, and cannabis puffing).

Results: …

The Fellowship Of Christ's Sufferings: Toward A Practical Philosophy Of Worship For Missions In The Latin American Church, Moriah Hope Joseph

Senior Honors Theses

Within Latin America, evil and suffering are ever-present realities that cannot be concealed, and the Hispanic society is aching for relief. Liberation Theology and the prosperity gospel – and their accompanying worship practices – have been offered as tools to help alleviate the experience of suffering. But these theological perspectives and practices have accomplished little in edifying the Church by way of truth. Thus, the call for the modern missionary is to instead preach worship that is a response to the incarnate Christ in suffering. The missionary must advocate for worship practices that provide space for biblical lament, reveal a …

Impact Of Institutional Expected Practice Guidelines On Oral And Long-Acting Intravenous Antibiotic Use For Serious Bacterial Infections, William Bradford

ETDs from 2020-2029

Expected practice interventions are a type of antimicrobial stewardship intervention in which local guidelines regarding antimicrobial prescribing are developed and released at an institutional level to establish an institutional standard of care. An expected practice intervention to encourage use of oral and long-acting IV (PO/LAIV) antibiotics for serious infections was performed at the University of Alabama at Birmingham Hospitals in November of 2022. We conducted a quasi-experimental pre/post study using a difference in differences approach to evaluate the effect of these guidelines on a primary outcome of length of stay (LOS) and secondary outcomes of inpatient antibiotic days, 3-month readmission, …

Mapping Structural Mistrust In Medicine, Ashleigh Allgood

ETDs from 2020-2029

Much of the existing literature treats mistrust as resistance or noncompliance. A structural perspective reverses that logic. It views mistrust as a reflection of institutional behavior rather than individual belief. When systems repeatedly fail to protect or repair harm, withdrawal becomes a reasonable and protective response. Structural mistrust represents both an adaptation to inequality and a cumulative record of institutional unreliability. This dissertation develops and tests a theory of structural mistrust as a collective orientation that links institutional design to individual behavior and perceived health. It makes three contributions. First, it conceptualizes structural mistrust as a product of state institutions …

Investigating The Effects Of Increased O-Glcnaylation On Pathology In Alzheimer’S Disease, Melissa Louise Garcia

ETDs from 2020-2029

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is currently the 7th leading cause of death, with few treatment options. It is known that AD pathology begins 20-30 years before clinical symptoms manifest. Some of the earliest pathological changes occur in glial cells of the hippocampus, causing them to become chronically reactive, as well as the accumulation of Amyloid-β (Aβ) in the hippocampus and hyperphosphorylated Tau (pTau) in the locus coeruleus, resulting in dysfunction of the noradrenergic (NA) system. Preclinical studies have shown promise in the abilities of the post-translational modification O-linked β-N-acetylglucosamine (O-GlcNAc). O-GlcNAc is a tightly regulated reversible enzymatic modification controlled by the …

The Impact Of Economic Stability On Diagnostic Timing Of Autism Spectrum Disorder In Children, Leslie Box Simms

ETDs from 2020-2029

Diagnosis of neurodevelopmental delays in children, including autism spectrum disorder, is an often lengthy and burdensome process, potentially placing children with economic instability at risk for diagnostic delay. The first aim of this dissertation was to explore the impact of economic stability on diagnostic timing of autism spectrum disorder via a scoping review of the literature. Papers were summarized by study design, data sourcing, handling of variables, statistical methodology, and the effect of economic stability factors on diagnostic timing of autism. Income and healthcare insurance were the most frequently employed measures of economic stability, with transportation, housing, and food security …

What If?, Jennifer Love

ETDs from 2020-2029

WHAT IF? JENNIFER LOVE MASTER OF ARTS IN ENGLISH – CREATIVE WRITING ABSTRACT What If? is a contemporary romance novel set in Birmingham, AL and Manhattan, NY. The story follows ex high school sweethearts, Liyah Mason and Max Thomas, who broke up shortly after their graduation. One night, while at the same restaurant, Max and Liyah reconnect. Their reconnection results in Liyah’s boyfriend, Owen, breaking up with her. Feeling the need for a reset, Liyah goes to New York. Due to a career ending injury, Max’s career as a major league baseball player is cut short. In the midst of …

Aging Like A Pro: Altering Health Behavior Motivation Through Community Education Programs, Susan Eva Fox-Rosellini

ETDs from 2020-2029

ABSTRACT Population aging presents significant public health challenges, particularly in preventing cognitive decline and maintaining functional independence among older adults. Today in the United States, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) estimates that about 40% of people aged 65 or older have age-associated memory issues. That number is expected to more than double by 2060. Community-based education programs can represent a scalable strategy to influence behavior modification that may be linked to successful cognitive aging. This dissertation evaluated the Aging Like A Pro (ALP) community education program that focused on key aspects of health: sleep, mindfulness, nutrition, and fitness, encouraging …

The American Revolution As America’S Civil War: Rethinking National Transformation, 1776-1877, Lucille Harlow

ETDs from 2020-2029

This thesis reinterprets the American Revolution by examining it not solely as a colonial rebellion against British authority but as a conflict that unfolded within American society itself. Long before independence was declared, political authority in British North America had already begun to fracture. Imperial institutions weakened, while revolutionary committees, militias, and local associations asserted competing claims to legitimacy. Rather than emerging from a unified population rising together in common purpose, the Revolution developed within communities already strained by suspicion, surveillance, and contested allegiance. Drawing on soldiers’ diaries and memoirs, including those of John Adlum, Jeremiah Greenman, Joseph Plumb Martin, …

Elucidating The Role Of The Rnf20 Histone Modifier In Pancreatic Beta Cells, Tanya Hans Pierre

ETDs from 2020-2029

Diabetes is defined as a loss of functional beta cell mass. It is classically categorized into Type 1 Diabetes (T1D), immune-mediated beta cell destruction and Type 2 Diabetes, which is characterized by whole body insulin resistance alongside beta cell dysregulation. The incidence of diabetes worldwide has risen annually. Despite the presence of therapeutic interventions, diabetes’ heterogeneity can prompt ineffective glycemic control and the development of diabetes-associated comorbidities. For that reason, new approaches to glycemic control for individuals with diabetes are required. One approach to restore glucose homeostasis is beta cell replacement therapy, in which stem cells are programmed into beta-like …

Exploring Medical Mistrust In A Higher Education Context: A Mixed Methods Study, Kiera Denise Walker

ETDs from 2020-2029

Medical mistrust, a type of institutional distrust, has been identified as a social determinant of health and a barrier to utilization of healthcare services. It has been negatively associated with preventive disease screenings, vaccine hesitancy, medication adherence, organ donation, research participation, and overall lower healthcare satisfaction. This can result in a widening of health disparities, an increase in prevalence of preventable diseases, and negative health outcomes despite accessibility to healthcare. The purpose of this study is to assess how medical mistrust manifests across the higher education context and explore what factors contribute to its existence among this population. An explanatory …

Emotion In Absence: Omission, World War I, And Masculine Vulnerability In Ernest Hemingway's In Our Time, Anna Murph

ETDs from 2020-2029

This thesis analyzes Ernest Hemingway’s depictions of male-male and male-female relationships in his collection of short stories, In Our Time. By comparing heterosexual and homosocial relationships, I explore how Hemingway’s depictions of male bonds are not only unique due to his famed terseness but also rooted in shared understanding, prompting a reconsideration of how male bonds are interpreted textually. I consider Hemingway’s use of omission and focus on how his minimalistic style lends to a reading of male-male relationships as more emotionally intimate than heterosexual relationships. When analyzing omission and relational dynamics through concepts such as gesture, touch, identity, and …

Characterizing The Role Of The Paraventricular Nucleus Of The Thalamus D2r+ Neurons In Interoceptive Predictions, Briana Machen

ETDs from 2020-2029

Interoceptive predictions are internal models through which the brain anticipates future bodily states based on past experiences and environmental cues. Under healthy conditions, these predictions allow organisms to anticipate physiological needs and proactively adjust behavior to maintain homeostasis. When these processes become dysregulated, however, environmental cues can trigger maladaptive physiological responses. Although interoceptive prediction is increasingly recognized as a key mechanism underlying adaptive behavior, the neuronal circuits responsible for generating these predictions remain poorly understood. The paraventricular nucleus of the thalamus (PVT) receives convergent inputs from brain regions involved in processing both interoceptive signals and exteroceptive cues, positioning it to …

The Association Of Motherhood And Maternal-Related Life Events And Cardiovascular-Related Health, Disease Events, And Mortality, Taishayla Mckitt

ETDs from 2020-2029

More than 40% of U.S. women have cardiovascular disease (CVD), and nearly half have at least one major risk factor. Sparse evidence exists related to the role of childrearing (regardless of prior pregnancy) on CVD. A recent literature review highlighted the influence of reproduction on CVD and health and identified opportunities for advancement. At present, it has yet to be discovered from prospective epidemiologic studies the extent to which parenting and maternal events have influence on cardiovascular health and clinical events. It has been demonstrated that parous women have greater prevalence of cardiovascular risk factors (e.g., short sleep duration and …

Balancing Act: How Graduate Student Mothers Navigate Dual Roles, Jessica Seymour

ETDs from 2020-2029

Graduate student mothers represent a growing but often overlooked population within higher education. While research has examined the experiences of undergraduate student parents, significantly less attention has been given to graduate students who balance academic responsibilities with motherhood. This study explores the experiences of graduate student mothers enrolled at public four-year institutions, focusing on the institutional, financial, and social barriers that shape their academic success and participation in campus life. Using a phenomenological approach, this research seeks to understand how graduate student mothers navigate the dual roles of parenting and pursuing advanced degrees. The study employs a Borderland Theoretical Framework …

Self-Adjoint Extensions Of Symmetric Operators, Malak Mousa

ETDs from 2020-2029

This thesis introduces operators in Hilbert Space, definitions and properties. And then introduce a method for constructing a self-Adjoint extensions of a symmetric operator and illuminating the method by example.

Exploring The Association Between Social Media Use Frequency And Violence-Related Behaviors Among U.S. High School Students: A Cross-Sectional Analysis Of The 2023 Youth Risk Behavior Survey, Luma Hammoudi

ETDs from 2020-2029

Youth violence remains a major public health concern in the United States (U.S.), with firearm injuries now the leading cause of death among children and adolescents. At the same time, social media use has become nearly universal among youth, raising concerns about how online interactions may influence violence-related behaviors. Social media platforms can facilitate peer conflict, electronic bullying, and public exposure to aggressive behaviors, which may extend into offline environments such as schools and communities. However, the relationship between social media use frequency and youth violence remains understudied. This study examined the relationship between frequency of social media use and …

Resisting The Neoliberal Postfeminist Sexual Objectification Matrix: A Critical Autoethnography Exploring Sexual Objectification, Mental Health, Relationship To Self, And Reclaiming Subjectivity, Ildiko Archer

ETDs from 2020-2029

Over the past two decades, women’s subjectivity and sexual experience have been dramatically reshaped by the rise of dating apps, the normalization of hookup culture, the popularization of BDSM, and the dominance of neoliberal postfeminist sexual discourses. In the South, this all unfolds in the lingering residues of purity culture, creating a perfect storm of sexual objectification. This autoethnographic dissertation examines a defining period of my life shaped by the mental health consequences of sexual objectification and self-objectification. During this time, I experienced two brief marriages, many sexual relationships, posed on social media, dating apps, sexted, and performed sexual ‘agency’, …

Electrophysiological Retinal Changes In Aging And Its Implication In Alzheimer’S Disease, Samuel Jacob Haskins

ETDs from 2020-2029

Alzheimer’s disease remains one of the most expensive and fatal diseases facing medical practitioners to this day. According to the CDC, statistics show that it is the seventh leading cause of death worldwide. In addition to fatalities, there is a tremendous financial and emotional cost of dementia to the patient and surrounding caregivers. Improved screening techniques and new treatments for this disease are a priority of several institutes within the NIH. Early detection and early intervention are critical to improve the outcomes of patients worldwide. Amyloid beta plaques and neurofibrillary tangles (NFT) are two of the most important protein aggregates …

Comparative Evaluation Of Translucency, Fluorescence, And Structural Analysis Of 3d-Printed Vs. Conventionally Fabricated 3y, 4y And 5y Zirconia, Surabhi Chhabra

ETDs from 2020-2029

Statement of Problem: Additive manufacturing has emerged as an alternative to conventional milling for zirconia-based dental restorations because of its potential to reduce material waste and increase design flexibility. However, whether 3D-printed zirconia can provide optical and structural properties comparable with those of conventionally milled zirconia for esthetic applications remains unclear. Purpose: The purpose of this in vitro study was to compare the optical properties of 3D-printed zirconia and conventionally milled 3Y, 4Y, and 5Y zirconia, as measured by translucency and fluorescence, and to evaluate their structural characteristics, as measured by density, porosity, phase composition, and surface morphology. Materials and …

Bridging Gaps In Federally Qualified Health Centers: Examining Enabling Services And Their Role On Care Delivery, Shanequa Roscoe-Nelson

ETDs from 2020-2029

Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs) are a vital provider of comprehensive healthcare for vulnerable and underserved communities. They serve populations that are disproportionately impacted by chronic health conditions and socioeconomic related barriers to healthcare. To provide adequate support and reduce barriers faced by patients, some FQHCs deliver not only primary and preventative care but also a range of enabling services. These enabling services range from providing transportation to health education and case management. This dissertation includes three studies that examine how environmental conditions are related to the use of enabling services in FQHCs, the relationship between enabling services and process …

How Did We Get Here? Mental Health Accessibility For Adults In Alabama, 1819-Present, Juliana Sea

ETDs from 2020-2029

Alabama remains one of the worst states in the nation for adult mental health access despite decades of reform and explicit commitments to improving care. Framing access as the ability to recognize need, locate services, reach them, enter care in a reasonable time, and continue or adjust care, this mixed-methods, three-paper dissertation examines how Alabama’s adult mental health system structures those pathways and how adults and providers navigate its constraints. It argues that inadequate access in Alabama contributes not only to suicide, psychiatric hospitalization, and disability, but also to shortened lifespan in the context of high burdens of chronic disease, …

Recognizing Patients In Places: A Multilevel Analysis Of Severe Heat-Related Illness Risk In Birmingham, Al, Andria Cimino

ETDs from 2020-2029

Socially marginalized people face a higher risk of adverse health outcomes from extreme heat—as many as 12,000 U.S. deaths a year are attributable to heat-related illness (HRI), a preventable but multifactorial condition. Where one lives plays a critical role in HRI incidence, with evidence linking historically segregated and disinvested urban environments to a higher risk. The literature also suggests that Black adults experience worse HRI outcomes than non-Hispanic White adults, and that men are often, though not always, at higher risk than women. Individuals with heat-sensitive conditions and socially isolated adults also face elevated risk. Yet the mechanisms by which …

Protein Glycosylation In Natural And Synthetic Minimal Genome Mycoplasmas, John Sanford

ETDs from 2020-2029

Mycoplasmas are cell wall-less bacterial symbionts with remarkably streamlined genomes. Mycoplasmas offer two intriguing model organisms for studying concepts of minimal life. Mycoplasma genitalium has streamlined its genome to 580-kbp while maintaining virulence to suit its niche of parasitizing the human urogenital tract. The J. Craig Venter Institute has synthesized and transplanted a 543-kbp genome into a recipient cell, resulting in a non-pathogenic organism termed JCVI-syn3A. The conservation of a biological process in M. genitalium and JCVI-syn3A strongly implies an essential function in mycoplasmas, and potentially all life. Despite common thought of mycoplasmas being the simplest cells, much of their …

An Examination Of Physical Activity And Arterial Stiffness Among Urban And Rural Older Adults, Michael J. Hankes

ETDs from 2020-2029

Rural populations in the United States experience a disproportionate burden of cardiovas-cular disease, yet how rural‑urban context shapes physical activity (PA) and vascular health is not fully understood. Because vascular dysfunction links PA to cardiovascular risk, rural‑urban differences in movement may help explain disparities in cardiovascular health. Rurality is often treated as a static, binary exposure, which may obscure meaning-ful geographic variation and accumulated life course influences. The overarching goal of this dissertation was to examine associations among rural‑urban exposure, objectively measured PA, and vascular health using national cohort data and a pilot study. This dissertation begins with a conceptual …

The Predictive Roles Of Teacher-Student Relationship Qualities In The Implementation Of Restorative Practices In Elementary Schools, Farid Johnson

Education Doctoral

Although restorative practices have been broadly embraced as equitable alternatives to punitive discipline in K–12 education, their effectiveness remains underexamined, particularly regarding how implementation success is influenced by the quality of student–teacher relationships. The purpose of this quantitative, nonexperimental study was to examine the extent to which three teacher-reported qualities of the student–teacher relationship (i.e., closeness, conflict, and dependency) predicted the implementation of two types of restorative practices (relationship building and community development, and restorative responses to conflict) in elementary schools. Guided by social capital theory and restorative justice theory, the study surveyed 72 certified elementary teachers in New York …

Design, Build, Fly 2026, Unique Barnes, Dante Black, Kyle Greiner, Gabriel Kern, Justin Mayer, Charles Olsen, Jack Quinn, Ben Randall, Tate Schurman, Mark Williams, Brendan Yarusso

Mechanical Engineering Senior Theses

This thesis follows the design, manufacturing, and testing of Santa Clara's 2026 AIM Design, Build, Fly Team. The project is built on one main system with multiple subsystems related to the payload and integration of payload. The main system is the Wings of Theseus which is a 5 ft span electric remote controlled plane designed to complete 4 four missions: rapid loading and unloading of payload, airworthiness, internal payload flight, and towed payload flight. Each of these missions is directly related to the aforementioned subsystems. The Wings of Theseus incorporated a rectangular wing with geometric twist as well as a …

Book Review: Obama And The Bomb: New Start, Russia And The Politics Of Post-Cold War Arms Control, Brennan Deveraux

Parameters Bookshelf – Online Book Reviews

Author: Frank Leith Jones

Reviewed by: Brennan Deveraux, US Army Strategist

A close examination of how nuclear arms control shaped military planning, diplomacy, and domestic politics during a pivotal moment in post–Cold War relations. This review explores how treaty negotiations became a test of trust, strategy, and civil-military engagement at the highest levels of US national security decision making.