Digital Commons Network^™

A Socio-Computational Framework For Understanding Information Campaigns Through A Collective Action Perspective, Sayantan Bhattacharya

Theses and Dissertations

In a time when social media significantly influences public dialogue, grasping the elements that contribute to the success of information campaigns has become vital for understanding modern social movements and political engagement. This dissertation explores the essential factors that affect the efficacy of information campaigns across digital platforms, addressing a notable gap in existing research that frequently neglects the systematic connection between information spread and outcomes of collective action. Instead of viewing these as distinct phenomena, this study constructs an integrated framework that highlights three crucial dimensions of successful information campaigns: the human factor, which emphasizes the role of influential …

Reflective Telemetry Replay For Performance Analysis In Extended Reality, Atit Kharel

Theses and Dissertations

Extended Reality (XR) environments are increasingly used for training, simulation, and skill development. However, conventional feedback mechanisms such as summary performance scores or first-person video recordings often lack the spatial and contextual detail necessary to support effective reflective learning. As a result, users may observe what occurred during an immersive task without fully understanding how their movement strategies and navigation decisions influenced performance outcomes. This work presents DataEcho, a telemetry-driven replay framework designed to capture, store, and reconstruct structured XR session data for interactive performance review and behavioral analysis. The system records frame-level telemetry from Unity-based XR applications, including object …

Monotone Traveling Waves In A General Discrete Model For Populations With K-Generation Long-Term Memory, Austin Kernel Sanders

Theses and Dissertations

We investigate the spatial dynamics of a population modeled by a general discrete integrodifference equation incorporating k-generation long-term memory. While classical models rely solely on the im- mediately preceding state to determine population growth and dispersal, introducing multiple past states causes the associated evolution operator to lose compactness. Consequently, standard fixed- point theorems are insufficient to prove the existence of traveling wave solutions. We overcome this difficulty by constructing a time-independent moving frame operator and employing the monotone iteration method. By assuming the fecundity function is locally Lipschitz, bounded, and nondecreasing on a specified interval, and by relaxing continuity requirements …

Cloud-Deployed Rna-Seq Analytics For Identifying Imaging And Therapeutic Targets In Chemotherapy-Induced Toxicities, Zhimu Wang

McKelvey School of Engineering Graduate Student Theses & Dissertations

Chemotherapy has significantly improved cancer survival rates; however, many anticancer agents induce severe acute and chronic side effects that substantially reduce patient quality of life and limit therapeutic efficacy. Despite their clinical importance, the molecular mechanisms underlying chemotherapy-induced toxicities across different organs remain incompletely understood, in part due to the lack of integrated, scalable, and accessible analytical platforms capable of synthesizing large transcriptomic datasets across tissues and experimental models.

This thesis describes the development of a cloud-deployed RNA-seq analytics platform designed to identify candidate imaging biomarkers and therapeutic targets associated with chemotherapy induced toxicities. The platform integrates large-scale transcriptomic datasets …

Expertise First: Reflections On Informal Artificial Intelligence Mentoring In An Asynchronous Nursing Faculty Community, Anna Liza D. Villena Phd, Rn, Fnp-Bc

Journal of Online Mentoring

The integration of generative artificial intelligence (AI) into higher education has arrived faster than the support structures designed to help faculty navigate it. This article reflects on one faculty member’s experience providing informal AI integration mentoring to nursing colleagues at Walden University, a fully asynchronous online graduate nursing program, where clinician-educators with deep disciplinary expertise often struggled to recognize that expertise as an asset in their interactions with AI tools.

Drawing on Rogers’ (2003) diffusion of innovations theory, the article describes the mentoring approach that emerged from practice, the central insight that faculty are not failing to integrate AI because …

Esports Cosmopolitan Canopy, Reice Hicks

Honors Theses

This thesis concerns the area of sociology. Specifically, it is a sociological study of a community on Ole Miss’s campus and how they form what is known within the sociology field as a “cosmopolitan canopy,” a term coined by Elijah Anderson. Using this term, I proceed to prove not only how the Ole Miss Esports club falls under this jurisdiction, but the effects of esports on the youth as a whole, both positive and negative. All of my data was extracted via literature review, online research, note-taking, visual observation, and one-on-one interviews with people involved with the club. The entire …

Listen To Your Parents: An Exploration Into Why Mississippi Foster Parents Enter, Stay In, And Exit The System, Howell D. Jenkins Iii

Honors Theses

Like many states across the country, Mississippi’s foster care system has faced a shrinking pool of foster parents to care for the state’s most vulnerable children. When states do not have adequate numbers of foster parents, children are susceptible to negative outcomes such as developmental delays, broken attachments with adults, and extended stays in the system. This thesis seeks to understand what motivates individuals to become foster parents, how they experience the system, and what pressures influence their decision to remain fostering or close their doors. To place this research within the appropriate contexts, the thesis draws on literature from …

Community Composition Of Antibiotic-Resistant Bacteria On The Mississippi Gulf Coast, Marisa Martin, Colin Jackson

Honors Theses

The Mississippi Gulf Coast is an important resource for transportation, economic development, and recreation. Given its economic and cultural importance, it is crucial to maintain clean and safe conditions along the coast for public health, but other than routine beach monitoring, few studies have examined microbial contamination of coastal waters in this region. This study aimed to determine the quantity, composition, and distribution of bacteria resistant to six different antibiotics (Vancomycin, Kanamycin, Tetracycline, Ciprofloxacin, Erythromycin, or Amoxicillin) in seawater at seven public beaches along the Mississippi Gulf Coast. No bacteria resistant to Ciprofloxacin were detected, and bacteria resistant to Kanamycin …

Empirical Results From The Eliminations Of Municipal Minimum Parking Requirements, David A. Griffith

Honors Theses

Minimum Parking Requirements (MPR) are municipal zoning ordinances mandating a set number of off-street parking spaces for new developments. Since the 1950s, MPR has been the near-universal way American municipalities supply parking, though growing criticisms since the late 1990s have targeted the policy for distorting development patterns, imposing high costs, and subsidizing personal vehicle use. Beginning in the early 2010s and increasingly in the early 2020s, cities and counties across the United States have moved to reform or eliminate MPR. This paper is the first empirical study of the economic effects of these removals. Using a two-way fixed-effects difference-in-differences OLS …

Unequal Paths: Experiences Navigating The U.S. Naturalization Process And The Role Of Education, Cecilia Rayburn

Honors Theses

This study examines how educational attainment shapes immigrants’ experiences with the U.S. naturalization process, with a focus on how education influences confidence, access to resources, and the ability to manage bureaucratic demands. While the legal requirements for naturalization are standardized, the ability to navigate them varies widely across individuals. Applicants’ experiences reveal that the U.S. naturalization process is often more complex and unequal than it may appear. This research was conducted through five semi-structured interviews with naturalized citizens of varying levels of higher education. These interviews explored participants’ experiences with the application process, including their preparedness, access to support systems, …

Final Practicum Thesis And Portfolio From Accy 421: Professional Development Reviewing The Economic Effects Of Maha Initiatives On Conagra Brands Financial Statements And Studies On Business Professionals, Everett B. Heuer

Honors Theses

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the potential legislative changes brought about by Robert F Kennedy Jr. and the “Make America Healthy Again” campaign to uncover possible financial effects to Conagra Brands’ next fiscal year. This was achieved through research on RFK’s opinions on American food culture from sources such as interviews and Senate confirmation hearings. Findings included disapproval of seed oils and artificial food dyes that could affect Conagra Brands’ subsidiaries. After reviewing Conagra Brands’ 10k for the previous fiscal year as well as mission statements and core values, the team developed multiple plans for Conagra Brands …

How Do Minimum Wages Affect Workplace Injuries?, Michael Davies, R. Jisung Park, Anna Stansbury

Employment Research Newsletter

No abstract provided.

I Am God's Masterpiece: Ministry For Adults With Idd, Kerrigan J. Creech

Occupational Therapy Doctorate Capstone Posters

Executive Summary 

My capstone Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education (ACOTE) focus area included program development, with additional focus on education, advocacy, and leadership. For my Applied Leadership Experience (ALE), I worked with three other occupational therapy graduate students to develop and implement an inclusive Vacation Bible School (VBS) for adults with disabilities at Parkway Ministries. The purpose and overall goal of the project was to increase opportunities for adults with disabilities to participate in an inclusive Vacation Bible School through individualized supports and activity adaptations.

A needs assessment and SWOT analysis were completed and revealed that adults with disabilities …

Countering Negative Language Attitudes: Adopting A Critical Multidialectal Approach To Language Teaching, Farah Ali, Kristen Terry, Rebecca Pozzi, Chelsea Escalante, Tracy Quan, Xinye Zhang

Global Language Studies Faculty publications

Language attitudes have been recognized as an important area of study in sociolinguistic research (Evans & Preston, 2023; Preston, 2013), and the consequences of prescriptive ideologies and negative attitudes toward non-privileged varieties extend to language instruction. These ideologies regard certain uses of the language as unacceptable if they diverge from what is considered the “standard” variety, established through linguistic imperialism and a colonial heritage (Benaglia & Smith, 2022) and perpetuated by linguistic authorities. Adherence to a prescriptive perspective without questioning its ideological and discriminatory function leads to the reproduction of a “deficit perspective”, in which those who use alternative varieties …

Clemson Commencement Program, May 2026, Clemson University

Clemson Commencement Programs

No abstract provided.

Systemic Α₂-Agonist Use And Lower Hazard Of Glaucoma Compared With Β-Blockers: A Cohort Study, Ibrahim Abboud, Amin Z. Khudari, Abdelaziz Abdelaal, Amr Almobayed, Subhi J. Al'aref, Jonathan S. Myers, Richard K. Lee, Abdelrahman M. Elhusseiny

Wills Eye Hospital Papers

OBJECTIVE: Systemic antihypertensive medications may influence glaucoma-related outcomes through intraocular pressure-dependent and vascular mechanisms. While topical α₂-agonists are established glaucoma therapies, the association between systemic α₂-agonists and glaucoma hazard remains unexamined; we compared their hazard with systemic β-blockers in adults with hypertension.

METHODS AND ANALYSIS: We conducted a multicentre retrospective cohort study using deidentified electronic health records. Adults aged ≥40 years with hypertension and chronic exposure to systemic α₂-agonists or β-blockers were included. Patients with pre-existing ocular hypertension (OHT), primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG), concomitant comparator use, or inadequate ophthalmic follow-up were excluded. We balanced cohorts using propensity score matching (PSM) …

Illness Perception, Depression, And Anxiety Among Middle-Aged Adults With End-Stage Chronic Kidney Disease, Zioleyda Soto

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

No abstract provided.

County Policy Enforcement And Fentanyl Overdose Rates In North Carolina, Christopher Lyle Parks

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

No abstract provided.

Strategies U.S. Defense Industry Government Contractors Use To Train Unskilled Workers, Dartagnan Holmes

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

No abstract provided.

Exploring North Carolina’S Teen Pregnancy Prevention Initiative In Rural Communities, Annie Belle Perry

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

No abstract provided.

Staff Education On The Phq-9 Tool And Its Use, Claudine Agwi Mbah

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

No abstract provided.

Staff Education To Improve Gad-7 Screening For Generalized Anxiety Disorder In Outpatient Behavioral Health Settings, Senami Olubunmi Edalere-Lukula

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

No abstract provided.

An Educational Module Focusing On Glycemic Events In Inmates With Diabetes, Vivian Yidmia

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

No abstract provided.

Pharmacogenomic-Guided Prescribing And Polypharmacy Across Age Groups In Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder: A Retrospective Study, Sheldon R Garrison, Matthew W Boyer, Anthony W Zoghbi, Rachel A Schwartz, Nicolette Weisensel, Martin E Franklin, Madeline M Hartig, Maharaj Singh, Sreya Vadapalli

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Background: This study evaluated medication utilization in children, adolescents, and adults with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), a chronic psychiatric condition characterized by intrusive thoughts and repetitive behaviors. Although first-line treatments include selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) and cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), the heterogeneous biological underpinnings contribute to suboptimal outcomes, with 40-60% of individuals not responding to SSRIs. This complex phenotype often leads to psychotropic polypharmacy, which may be mitigated by incorporating combinatorial pharmacogenomic (PGx) testing into protocol-based care to identify potential gene-drug interactions.

Methods: A retrospective review was conducted of individuals with OCD aged 8 to 65 years who received either …

Exploring The Skills Gap And Implications Of Science Technology Engineering And Mathematics Graduates And Professional Laboratory Staff, Indrajee Wewaliyadda

Dissertations, Theses, and Projects

The noticeable expansion of the biotech and research industries, fueled by increased funding due to the 2019 pandemic (Wallace et al., 2022), which increased the existing skills gap among fresh STEM graduates entering professional laboratories. This study aims to evaluate whether bachelor’s degree holders in biological sciences possess the necessary laboratory competencies to meet professional demands. Utilizing survey methods and Kolb’s experiential learning model (Kolb, 1984), the research examines the extent and implications of the skill deficiencies observed. The study helps to understand the gap in practical laboratory skills among new graduates. Further, results from this work will show the …

Strength, Growth, And Self-Discovery: A Journey Of Reflection And Development, Kristen M. Glover

Dissertations, Theses, and Projects

The self-analysis is a way to dive into personal strengths and growth that have shaped the growth of a career and profession. The self-analysis project examines the past, present, and future. The process of self-analysis reflects one’s ability to relate and educate with full potential, while understanding that more personal experiences determine the ability to accept and recognize other perspectives. Reflecting on individual growth and development enables one to serve and support others in the counseling field. This self-analysis analyzes intimate thoughts, theoretical assessments, significant others’ perspectives of the author, and theoretical conceptualizations allowing for more successful individualized planning and …

My Journey Into Discovering How My Experiences Shape Who I Am Today, Sabrina K. Forde-Kerbaugh

Dissertations, Theses, and Projects

This is an ‘Analysis of Self’ portfolio that goes through many key points and people that have shaped the person I am today. This paper will start with going through my background information, which will range from my close relationships, to my favorite activities and hobbies. The second section will go through two different self-assessments and what I learned from completing each of them. The third section of this paper will go through the results of the interviews I completed with a handful of my close family members and friends. After going through the themes from conducting my interviews, I …

A Moment For Pause, Jared J. Saunders

Dissertations, Theses, and Projects

This essay outlines the life of Jared Saunders, from his birth in 1995 to the day this was written in 2026. Born, raised, and educated in Minnesota, he grew up in a stable household with a moderate sized family. Trained to be an educator, he has recently redirected his career path towards becoming a school counselor in the hopes that he can better serve his students. Throughout the process of researching and writing for this essay, the author reflected on his life and the mechanisms that steadily sculpted him into the person he is today. After chronologically reflecting on his …

My Existence And Experience, Ava Aigner

Dissertations, Theses, and Projects

This analysis of self-paper aided me in exploring and reflecting on personal experiences that had a direct impact on my development and identity. Several elements aided in developing an indepth analysis of self, including taking and interpreting assessments, engaging in interviews with significant individuals and reflecting on their responses, and the integration of relevant theories throughout the paper in order to develop a conceptualization of self. Through this analysis, I have reflected on my life, which has helped me become more self-aware and confident in my professional abilities as I continue to evolve and learn. Keywords: Attachment styles, relationships, family, …

Exploring The Impact Of Ungrading On Student Engagement And Motivation In A First-Year Composition Class, Mary B. Gruis

Dissertations, Theses, and Projects

This study investigated the association between student engagement, motivation, and self-efficacy in college-level writing-intensive courses using an ungraded approach. Motivated by disillusionment with traditional grading methods and inspired by texts on equitable grading and culturally responsive teaching, the researcher explored how ungrading could foster deeper learning and equitable educational practices. Grounded in Bandura’s (1997) self-efficacy framework, this qualitative case study examined the lived experiences of first-year composition students at a two-year institution. Data collection included student interviews, student reflections, and an instructor interview. The analysis revealed themes aligned with self-efficacy, engagement, and motivation, suggesting that ungrading positively impacted students' perceptions …