Digital Commons Network^™

The Distillers’ And Cattle Feeders’ Trust, Divisions In The United States Whiskey Industry, And The War Fought Over Massive Copper Worms, 1865-1895, Phoebe V. Matthy

Honors Program Theses and Projects

No abstract provided.

Far Beyond Words: Analyzing Information Gained Through Nonverbal Communication Across Neurologically Diverse Populations, Addison Bracken

Honors Theses

Nonverbal communication (NVC) refers to all communicative acts except speech that convey messages through signals. Humans perceive and express emotional information through nonverbal cues such as facial expressions, proximity, body language and movement, gestures, eye contact, and haptics. NVC can be just as if not more informative than verbal language as long as the observer is aware of the communication’s meaningful cues. Recognizing the varying nonverbal communicative abilities of a neurologically diverse population allows for more significant interpersonal communication. Despite the different trends of NVC comprehension for populations with varying levels of neurological ability, these paralinguistic cues prove to be …

Slow Cook Off Of Insensitive Munitions Test Final Design Report, Matthew Vaudrain, Ethan Twitchell, David Canavan

Mechanical Engineering Capstone Design Projects

The purpose of this capstone project is to create a device that can safely and accurately test the efficacy of an insensitive munition under constant thermal stress over a large period of time. Before the design of this capstone project the testing apparatus used by several branches of the military was not well thought out and often was made of materials found around the test site. This Capstone project brought a more analytical and effective approach to this problem to give a single slow cook off device that could be used universally for all applications of slow cook off testing. …

24 Conference Program - Syntactic And Composite Foams Vi, G.M. Gladysz, K.K. Chawla, A.R. Boccaccini, Nikhil Gupta, Andrei Shishkin

Syntactic and Composite Foams VI

No abstract provided.

Revenue Collections, May 2024, Tennessee. Department Of Revenue

2024 Revenue Collection Reports

No abstract provided.

A Multi-State Look Into Early Intervention Speech-Language Pathologists’ Confidence Identifying And Diagnosing Autism, Adelaide Parr

Honors Capstones

Although autism can be reliably diagnosed by 18 months of age, long wait times and limited access to qualified providers prevent families from obtaining diagnostic services. Trained speech-language pathologists (SLPs) are qualified to diagnose autism, ideally as part of a multidisciplinary team. SLPs working on early intervention (EI) teams are well-situated to help close this diagnostic wait time gap. The purpose of this survey study was to explore EI SLPs’ experiences serving autistic children on their caseloads, confidence in identifying and diagnosing autism, and potential barriers/facilitators to increasing diagnostic confidence and decreasing wait times. 287 EI SLPs from 23 states …

Addressing Stroke Care Disparities Through Patient Education, Christina Annerino

Honors Capstones

It has been found across current studies and evaluations of stroke care and patient outcomes that there is a disparity in disability and mortality between male and female patients who have experienced stroke. The aforementioned studies did not identify the cause of this disparity, although a number of hypotheses for this phenomenon were provided. This study then conducted a preliminary survey of 130 participants, both men and women, aged 18-80 years old, to evaluate potential barriers to accessing stroke care and receiving treatment effectively. Preliminary survey data demonstrated consistent gaps in knowledge related to stroke risks, stroke symptoms, and when …

Improving The Power Efficiency Of Woodward’S High-Power Inverter (Hpi) Using Algorithmic Part Selection., Jaron Holder, Ali Al Gazwi, John Childers, Jose Soublett

Honors Capstones

Woodward Inc. is a secondary aerospace manufacturer based in the USA that specializes in aircraft power and control systems. This senior design project was concerned with a power systems platform currently in development by Woodward, the High-Power Inverter (HPI) system. In this report, the senior design group from Northern Illinois University (NIU) demonstrated the creation of an algorithmic part selection process to choose more power-efficient electrical components, the prototyping using MATLAB Simulink, and the practical testing that showed an increase of 7% in the power efficiency of the HPI system.

The Economic Value Of Indonesia's Tropical Rainforest Park (Th2ti) In South Kalimantan, Arfa Agustina Rezekiah, Abdi Fithria, Yasinta Nur Shiba, Wahyuni Ilham

Jurnal Penelitian Kehutanan Wallacea

Urban forest is a form of environmentally oriented development. One form of urban forest in South Kalimantan is the Indonesia’s Tropical Rain Forest Park (TH2TI). This study aims to calculate the total economic value and future value of TH2TI. The total economic value calculated in this study consists of direct use value (recreation, wood, carbon and oxygen), indirect use value (water absorption), and option value (existence and heritage). The method used in this research was quantitative research method to calculate the value of wood, carbon, oxygen, and water absorption and qualitative research method to calculate the value of recreation, existence, …

Elementary Art And The Pride Program: Discovering Effective Practices For Enhancing Accessibility To Curriculum And Instruction For Students Who Are Severely Impacted By Autism, Kara Lynch

Art 895 Research Papers

In this case study, I use my position as the school’s art teacher to examine the challenges faced, while in the art room, by students who are severely impacted by autism. Our elementary campus has created a PRIDE program that comprises students in grades K-5 who are severely impacted by Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and other disabilities. This case study considers how educators can provide better access to curriculum and instruction for students who are severely impacted by autism. It also examines the importance of understanding this population’s needs to achieve a higher rate of success in the art room …

Efficacy Of Intravesical Nadofaragene Firadenovec For Patients With Bacillus Calmette-Guérin-Unresponsive Nonmuscle-Invasive Bladder Cancer: 5-Year Follow-Up From A Phase 3 Trial, Vikram M. Narayan, Stephen A. Boorjian, Mehrdad Alemozaffar, Badrinath R. Konety, Neal D. Shore, Leonard G. Gomella, Ashish M. Kamat, Trinity J. Bivalacqua, Jeffrey S. Montgomery, Seth P. Lerner, Joseph E. Busby, Michael Poch, Paul L. Crispen, Gary D. Steinberg, Anne K. Schuckman, Tracy M. Downs, Joseph Mashni, Brian R. Lane, Thomas J. Guzzo, Gennady Bratslavsky, Lawrence I. Karsh, Michael E. Woods, Gordon Brown, Daniel Canter, Adam Luchey, Yair Lotan, Brant A. Inman, Michael B. Williams, Michael S. Cookson, Sam S. Chang, Alexander I. Sankin, Michael A. O'Donnell, David Sawutz, Richard Philipson, Nigel R. Parker, Seppo Yla-Herttuala, Dorte Rehm, Jørn S. Jakobsen, Kristian Juul, Colin P.N. Dinney

Department of Urology Faculty Papers

Purpose: Nadofaragene firadenovec-vncg is a nonreplicating adenoviral vector–based gene therapy for bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG)–unresponsive carcinoma in situ (CIS) with/without high-grade Ta/T1. We report outcomes following 5 years of planned follow-up.

Materials and Methods: This open-label phase 3 trial (NCT02773849) enrolled patients with BCG-unresponsive nonmuscle-invasive bladder cancer in 2 cohorts: CIS ± Ta/T1 (CIS; n = 107) and Ta/T1 without CIS (Ta/T1 cohort; n = 50). Patients received 75 mL (3 × 1011 vp/mL) nadofaragene firadenovec intravesically once every 3 months with cystoscopy and cytology assessments, with continued treatment offered to those remaining high grade recurrence–free (HGRF).

Results: One hundred fifty-seven …

Test Anxiety Inflation, Brian Podkulski, David P. Valentiner

Honors Capstones

Mental health conditions are higher than ever worldwide, despite best efforts to increase public awareness and deliver informed solutions. To account for this rise, some suggested models argue that measures taken to ameliorate mental health problems are actually contributing to their inflation through iatrogenic effects. The current proposed study seeks to identify the possibility of iatrogenic effects on test anxiety as a product of psychoeducational material. The scope of this study includes the immediate effects of viewing a typical short-form informational video on core and adjacent symptoms of test anxiety. Participants will engage with our study entirely through an online …

No Fly Zone, Jerry Zezima

Erma Bombeck Writers' Workshop Blog

Most people would say — especially in the winter, when insects are vacationing in Florida — that they wouldn’t hurt a fly. Not my wife.

Reimagining Work: Examining Work Under The Fair Labor Standards Act, Dustin W. Tucker

Honors Theses

The Fair Labor Standards Act is a document created in 1938 to protect workers in the United States. This literature review points to the idea that times have changed. The research presents a timeline to understand the fight for labor standards in the United States. Americans at one point in time were working 14-hour days leaving little to no room for anything else. The research presented offers context to working standards in America. The paper examines the Fair Labor Standards Act through a multi-perspective lens to understand how exactly the document meant to protect workers might be contributing to long …

The Missing Piece: How Should The Deaf Community Be Represented In Children’S Literature?, Sarah M. Williams

Honors Theses

Considering the impact of inaccurate representation on the Deaf community, the present study is focused on determining exactly what message about the Deaf community needs to be represented in children’s media. Using a standardized survey, it was expected that the most common responses would correlate with messages presented in past research. These common responses include, but are not limited to, a need for authentic representation of Deaf characters who do not rely on medical interventions to function in society (Emmett, 2022). Additionally, an increase in accurate representation of the Deaf community in early childhood classes, through children’s books and classroom …

Preschool Survival Guide: Gardening, Beth Ann Weaver

Honors Theses

Nature-based learning can be defined as utilizing nature in learning experiences to meet developmental domains. The benefits of nature-based learning and play in early childhood are significant. Children who engage in nature have active imaginations, learn new concepts and vocabulary, have respect for their environments, learn and understand biodiversity, have better problem-solving skills and so much more. Despite these benefits, the low prevalence of nature and science-based activities in early childhood classrooms continues to exist due to the lack of knowledge and confidence in these specific subjects. This thesis analyzes developmentally appropriate practices needed to effectively implement science and nature …

Expressive Therapies And Resiliency – Resistance In Mental Health: A Literature Review, Gabrielle Lopez

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

This review evaluates the current literature on psychological resistance amongst human service professionals experiencing burnout and the effect of Expressive Arts interventions on resiliency. Concepts include identifying the main symptoms, risk factors, causes, and treatments for burnout in education faculty, medical staff, and clinicians. Qualitative, quantitative, and meta-analysis studies are included to identify the most prevalent intervention frameworks for reducing stress including Arts-Based and Mindfulness-compassion based techniques. The effectiveness of Arts-based tools on strengthening identity, self-esteem, emotional regulation, and meaning-making in combating burnout is presented. Based on analysis of the literature, the author proposes a three-step intervention framework for utilizing …

Identity, Intimacy And Power: From Self Consciousness To Self Trust: A Holistic Approach To Identity In Women To Support Authentic Expression, Aliveness, Freedom And Intimacy With Life During Times Of Change, Jennifer Shields

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

This Dance/Movement Therapy Capstone Thesis is a literature review and heuristic exploration of women’s experience of the patriarchal effects on identity and intimacy. After establishing an understanding of power within the roots of patriarchy and its internalized effects on women’s relationship with their inner knowing this thesis aims to understand power in a new, counter cultural way that is tethered to a source within. Through the lens of Tantrik Hatha Yoga and Authentic Movement this thesis offers a counter cultural way to understand identity as layered, malleable and rooted in a relationship to awareness. This shift in relationship to identity …

Peering Through The Window: Engaging Older Adults In Different Art Media To Build Community And Find Identity Through Play And The Challenge Of Trying Something New, Kate Hunter

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

Some older adults experience physical and cognitive changes that can lead to social isolation and can impact identity, health, and wellbeing. Research has shown that arts-based group psychosocial interventions have the potential to improve the quality of life for older adults along with fostering connections in community and building confidence and acceptance of self-identity. From this research, I developed a crafts-based intervention that focused on the interests and hobbies of the group members. The group was offered in an independent living facility with women over the age of 62 who were American and Asian-American. Over the course of the sessions, …

A Literature Review Examining Current And Future Directions Of Dyadic Expressive Therapies Work With Persons With Dementia And Their Informal Caregivers, Olivia Griffin

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

The onset of dementia and resulting adjustment of the relationship between the person with dementia (PWD) and their family caregiver can result in stress and strain for both individuals. This relational adjustment, and the stressors caused by the symptoms of dementia can also lead to relational strain. Although research on the use of the arts with PWD and the use of the arts with caregivers exists, as well as research on various interventions with the caregiving dyad, research on the use of the arts specifically with the caregiving dyad is minimal. This paper reviewed the current state of the literature …

Culture Matching And Its Impact On The Therapeutic Relationship: A Literature Review, Taylor Marsyla

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

As cultural competency and cultural humility move to the forefront of therapeutic treatment so does a need for understanding the effects of culture on the therapeutic relationship. Often individuals who belong to minority groups are less likely to seek mental health care and more commonly receive subpar treatment. This project attempts to examine the effects of matching patients and therapists based on a shared identity and/or culture as a form of culturally responsive treatment – also known as culture matching. In this literature review, the selected peer reviewed articles considered the perspectives of both therapists and patients. Research was divided …

A Scoping Review Of Drama-Based Interventions With Migrant Populations For Health Outcomes, Cassandra Doria

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

This scoping review investigates the breadth and nature of literature that currently exists on the topic of utilizing drama-based interventions with migrant populations for therapeutic goals. This author searched for empirical studies on the topic and charted data to understand the quality, number, and type of studies that have been done, and risk factors for epistemic injustice or misrepresentation of marginalized participants. A brief overview of methods, results, and discussions of articles revealed the most prevalent outcomes, limitations, and forms of data collection. Social connection and belonging, education, communication skills, empathy, identity reconstruction, meaning making, and adaptive adjustment to the …

An Expressive Arts-Based Community Well-Being Initiative For Intensive Care Unit Staff: Fostering Self-Compassion And Peer Support Through Patchwork Murals, Megan Bell

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

This community engagement project, conducted at a large hospital complex in Northeast Pennsylvania, focused on Intensive Care Unit (ICU) staff well-being. A brief literature review explored the multidimensional challenges experienced by healthcare professionals, particularly amidst the aftershocks of the COVID-19 pandemic, citing an urgent need for integrated support systems. Supported by the Center for Professionalism and Well-Being (CPW), the initiative aimed to co-design and co-create an arts-based well-being initiative that met the direct needs of ICU staff. Through meetings with the Nursing Operations Manager (NOM) and staff interactions, specific concerns and preferences were identified, informing program design. Participants created individual …

Exploring Puppet Making And Identity Formation With Adolescents, Melissa Walsh

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

The formation of identity is a critical developmental process during adolescence, characterized by self-exploration and the establishment of a stable sense of self. This capstone thesis presents a novel intervention, the Puppet Protocol, designed to facilitate identity exploration and positive self-expression among adolescent clients through the creation and manipulation of puppets. The intervention's theoretical foundation draws from embodiment theory, which posits that physical actions and sensory experiences influence cognitive and emotional processes (Gibbs, 2005; Glenberg, 2010; Koch et al., 2012). By engaging adolescents in the embodied experience of puppet-making and puppetry, the Puppet Protocol aims to provide a creative and …

Neuroqueering Art Therapy: Bringing Neurodivergent Gender Diversity Into The Creative Arts Therapy Room: A Literature Review, Avital Eisen

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

Recent research across disciplines has established the significance of the overlap between neurodivergence and gender diversity, a truth long espoused by the community. Acting on this research, some mental health disciplines have begun addressing neurodivergent transgender and gender diverse people as a unified population in their research, but the field of art therapy has not yet followed suit. Theoretical frameworks of intersectionality, queer theory, and disability justice highlight the importance of centering the unique experiences and needs of neurodivergent gender diversity. Using these frameworks, this literature review synthesizes community knowledge with art therapy research on both neurodivergence and gender diversity, …

Coming Out, Letting Go, Getting Naked: A Community Engagement Arts Based Project, Tim Aumiller

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

Creating a healthy sexual minority identity remains a challenge in the 21^st century, despite significant advances in social acceptance and civil rights. Sexual minorities are more likely than cis gender heterosexuals to be exposed to traumatic events, and experience shame and mental and physical health symptoms as a result. Despite this, sexual minorities do overcome obstacles to develop resilience. While the coming out process looks different depending on the background of the individual, many gay men find connection and build community through this often difficult process where even rejection may play a part. The author found connection and community …

The Hero’S Journey Through Therapy: A Literature Review, Rylee Blake

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

The Hero’s Journey (Campbell, 1949) is a common narrative structure throughout ancient mythology and modern storytelling which describes the transformation of a hero through a journey of trials and represents the experience of psychological healing throughout various cultures. Because of the ancient and common nature of this structure and the psychological importance of personal narrative and storying even from an early age (Boyd, 2018; Klees, 2016), this thesis hypothesizes that a client’s experience throughout psychotherapy will follow the stages of the Hero’s Journey and that invoking this structure within the therapy room, particularly for drama therapists, will empower clients toward …

Tailored Therapeutic Musical Theater Community Engagement Project, Taylor Windle

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

The purpose of this thesis is to introduce the Tailored Therapeutic Musical Theater model (TTMT) and investigate the observable reduction in social anxiety and increase in mental wellness in children and adolescents through participation in a production. The literature review provides justification for the creation of this model while refining understanding of therapeutic theater, Erikson’s stages of development, and community based, trauma informed care. This thesis culminates in a detailed explanation of the 4-phase model of TTMT during a production of Newsies: The Musical and a discussion on next steps for future research. The findings indicate the use of therapeutic …

Method Acting As A Therapeutic Intervention For Trauma Recovery, Remi Moses

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

While considered controversial by some, Method acting as popularized by Lee Strasberg is a technique that elicits powerful and authentic results on stage and screen. The foundational Method acting techniques, the Relaxation Exercise (RE) and the Sense Memory Exercise (SME), share similarities to bottom-up therapeutic processes like Somatic Experiencing and Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing. By implementing a trauma-informed drama therapy framework with these two exercises, the RE and SME were restructured as a therapeutic intervention for people in trauma recovery. The author implemented a study of three consecutive group therapy sessions for people healing from trauma where clients participated …

Tarole Theory: Alchemizing The Drama Therapy Role Sort With The Tarot, Brooke Ferguson

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

In this mixed-methods qualitative and arts-based research project, the researcher conducted a community engagement workshop infusing role theory into a personalized tarot reading for each participant. The participants considered the types of roles they currently play and have played in their lives, gave themselves a tarot reading with the researcher’s guidance, and created individual expressive arts presentations based on their reflections of their readings. Data were extrapolated from the prevalent themes observed in the reflections and the performances, which included protection, self-limitation, openness, trust in self, and connection and collaboration. Lack of a focused population was one limitation of this …