Digital Commons Network^™

Demonstration Of The Relationship Between Irwin Spire Quantity And Boundary Layer Depth In The Chemical Hazards Research Center Wind Tunnel, Jace D. Beckwith

Chemical Engineering Undergraduate Honors Theses

Atmospheric Dispersion Models (ADMs) are computer-based simulations used to model gas releases for enforcing regulatory compliance, designing facilities, and responding to emergencies. Because ADMs rely on complex mathematical models, they require experimental validation to ensure accuracy. Wind tunnels offer a controlled, repeatable method for gathering validation data. The Chemical Hazards Research Center (CHRC) at the University of Arkansas operates an ultra-low speed wind tunnel for this purpose. A key feature of this tunnel is its simulated Atmospheric Boundary Layer (ABL). The simulated ABL is a turbulent layer in which wind speed increases logarithmically with height from near zero at the …

Sumset Lower Bounds In Abelian Groups, Van T. Huynh

Honors Theses

This thesis investigates sumset lower bounds across discrete and continuous settings. We begin with general inequalities in torsion-free abelian groups and then specialize to the integers modulo prime p, where we present the Cauchy–Davenport Theorem, which establishes the bound ∣A+B∣≥min(p,∣A∣+∣B∣−1). The equality case is further examined via Vosper's Theorem, which characterizes subsets attaining this bound as arithmetic progressions under suitable conditions. The continuous analogue in Euclidean spaces is then considered, where cardinality is replaced by Lebesgue measure. In this setting, the Brunn–Minkowski Inequality provides a sharp lower bound for the Lebesgue measure of A+B and serves as a geometric counterpart …

Reimagining The Cadenza: Bluegrass And Mozart, Linna Zheng

Honors Theses

The bluegrass-inspired cadenza for the first movement of Mozart’s Violin Concerto No. 5 is a parallel with the “Turkish” episode of Mozart’s composition. While introducing the bluegrass idiom into a Classical concerto may not be idiosyncratic, it can be understood and seen as an extension of Mozart’s own practice and approach to stylistic disruption. This approach can be understood through the concepts of Sonata Theory, revealing the cadenza as a site of productive deformation within a normative formal framework. Along with this, Robert S. Hatten’s concept of troping further supports the idea that the interaction between Classical and bluegrass idioms …

Spatial And Temporal Patterns Of Bike-Share Use In A Small City: A Case Study Of Fort Smith, Arkansas, Brianna L. Buenger

Civil Engineering Undergraduate Honors Theses

Many small and mid-sized cities in the United States face ongoing transportation challenges due to limited public transit options. This can prevent residents from being able to reach essential destinations. While bikeshare systems have been widely studied in large metropolitan areas, there is limited understanding of how usage patterns vary across space, time, and trip characteristics in small-city contexts. This study addresses this gap by examining spatial and temporal patterns of bikeshare use in a small U.S. city through a case study of the Fort Smith, Arkansas, SMILIES bikeshare program. Using approximately 10,000 trips over three years, the analysis examines …

The Artificial Artist: Considering Ai’S Impact On Image Copyright, Alyse Mandelblatt

Communication Undergraduate Honors Theses

This thesis seeks to create empirical results to ground what has been a largely theoretical discussion about the effect of artificial intelligence (AI) on copyright law in the United States. AI has disrupted traditional ideas of creativity and expression, which are vital communication tools. Copyright is a regulatory agent to encourage the production of unique communication products by giving owners complete rights to their work. Copyright principles conflict with current AI model training practices. This research considers how AI literacy may provide insight into copyright knowledge and AI attitudes for prediction of how common law and AI regulation policy may …

Of The Land And Sea: A Critical Ecocultural Analysis Of Disney's Frozen And Moana, Maggie A. Andress

Communication Undergraduate Honors Theses

Within the modern era of performative inclusivity and widespread greenwashing, it is critical to examine popular media through an ecocultural lens to determine if said media is being handled responsibly as a social practice and if a discursive atmosphere is being created. This paper takes an ecocultural critical analysis of Disney’s worlds of Frozen and Moana, inspecting their treatment of the human, treatment of the more-than-human, and human/more-than-human relationships. This study finds that although both franchises have been broadly praised for cultural representation of Indigenous people groups, Disney’s failure to effectively acknowledge the intrinsic relationship between humankind and the …

"Deadly Imports": Populism, Demagoguery, And The Contemporary Rhetoric Of U.S. Immigration, Summer N. Wolfe

Communication Undergraduate Honors Theses

This project examines former CNN and Fox Business anchor Lou Dobbs’s meteoric success to understand his rhetorical choices and appeals surrounding immigration discourse in the United States. As the first rhetorical assessment of Dobbs’s immigration rhetoric, this project centers him as a key figure who defined how U.S. culture operates within immigration discourses. The project relies on Michael Calvin McGee's work on ideographs to perform a close textual analysis of news programs featuring Dobbs to understand how ideologies about immigrants and immigration are built, circulated, and maintained in the Right’s media ecology. The project advances three arguments about Dobbs’s anti-immigration …

Waring Library Society Newsletter, Spring 2026, Waring Library Society, Waring Historical Library, Medical University Of South Caroilna, Jude Arendall, Joann Livingston Zeise, Brooke Fox

The Waring Library Society Newsletters

In this issue, the Waring Library Society welcomes its new President and shares updates on recent and upcoming renovations to Waring Historical Library. Waring Historical Library's staff reflect on insights gained from a recent sabbatical, and highlight several events and engagements the Waring has been part of this season.

The Effects Of Sugammadex Vs. Neostigmine On Intraoperative Heart Rate In Pediatric Patients Under Two Years: A Scoping Review, Saumel Abston, Jackson Cobb, Elle Dean, Tanner Dillard, Pauline Dinh, Dwayne Accardo Dnp, Crna, Faana, Margaret Harvey Phd, Aprn, Acnp-Bc, Chfn, Fhrs

Doctor of Nursing Practice Projects

Purpose/Background

Neuromuscular blockade (NMB) reversal is a critical component of anesthesia care, particularly in infants under two years of age who have immature autonomic regulation and heightened vagal tone, predisposing them to bradycardia. Neostigmine, the traditional reversal agent, is associated with parasympathomimetic effects such as bradycardia, requiring anticholinergic co- administration. Sugammadex, a selective relaxant binding agent, offers rapid and predictable reversal of aminosteroidal neuromuscular blocking agents with less cholinergic side effects. Although the safety profile of sugammadex is well established in older pediatric populations, limited evidence exists regarding its cardiovascular effects in infants under two years of age.

Methods

A …

Discharge Education Bundles And Evaluating The Effect On Readmission And Satisfaction Rates: A Scoping Review, Jane Campo Bsn, Rn, Charlotte Edwards Bsn, Rn, Mary Catherine Hall Bsn, Rn, Sarah Moore Bsn, Rn, Allison Walker Bsn, Rn, Tracy Mcclinton Dnp, Aprn, Agacnp-Bc, Hget-C, Ebp-C

Doctor of Nursing Practice Projects

Purpose/Background

Transitioning children with a chronic medical condition from hospital to home is a critical and difficult process, leaving many families feeling anxious and unprepared. Nationally, 1 in 7 pediatric patients are readmitted within thirty days, making readmission rates an important quality indicator with both clinical and financial implications. To address these challenges, multiple discharge bundles have been developed; however, their effectiveness has not been consistently evaluated. The aim of this project is to summarize the current literature and highlight its positive outcomes, with the intention of promoting further research, reducing 30-day readmission rates, and increasing parental satisfaction (Shermont et …

Improving Access And Early Identification Of Anxiety Disorders Through Annual Gad-7 Screening In High Schools: A Scoping Review, Joshua Richard Yumul Bsn, Rn, Cindy Thao Msn, Rn, Justin Doyle Borden Bsn, Rn, Rebecca Lizette Johnston Bsn, Rn, Bobby Bellflower Dnsc, Nnp-Bc, Faan, Faanp, Fnap

Doctor of Nursing Practice Projects

Background: Anxiety disorders affect nearly one-third of adolescents in the United States, yet many cases remain undiagnosed due to inconsistent screening and limited access to school-based mental health services. The Generalized Anxiety Disorder 7-item (GAD-7) questionnaire is a validated screening tool, but its routine use in high school settings is not well established.

Purpose: This scoping review aimed to synthesize current evidence on the use of the GAD-7 in high schools to support early identification of anxiety disorders and improve access to mental health care.

Methods: A comprehensive literature search was conducted using PsycINFO, ERIC, PubMed, CINAHL, and Google Scholar. …

Illuminating The Shadows: Building An Empirical Dataset To Analyze The Shadow Docket, Natalie Marx

Senior Honors Theses

No abstract provided.

Design, Simulation, And Experimentation Of A Box Barge Model Under Asymmetrical Conditions, Kylie Sink

Senior Honors Theses

This study investigates the ability of numerical simulations to predict vessel motion responses under asymmetrical loading conditions. A raked barge model was designed, constructed, and tested in a towing tank to evaluate the response amplitude operators (RAOs) for heave, roll, and pitch under various wave conditions. The model included six internal compartments that allowed different flooding scenarios to be simulated in order to create asymmetric loading conditions. Experimental testing was conducted under head seas (0 degrees) and beam seas (90 degrees) with multiple wave periods.

A numerical model of the vessel was developed using GHS to generate predicted RAOs for …

Experimentation To Study Ship Motions Under Asymmetrical Conditions, Elise Simon

Senior Honors Theses

The pioneers of ship motion analysis often used the symmetry assumption to reduce computation time and complexity. For the symmetry assumption to be valid, a ship must be upright with no heel angle, which is rarely the case. An increased interest in damaged ships has motivated further analysis of ship motions in the asymmetric condition; however, only a limited number of physical experiments have been conducted in towing tanks. This paper presents an experiment carried out to analyze vessel motions in the asymmetric condition for a box barge model. The method includes model construction, experiment setup, the test matrix, and …

Preservice Teachers’ Noticing Of Students’ Quantitative And Covariational Reasoning In Dynamic Mathematical Situations, Alfred M. Limbere, Joseph Dinapoli, Steven Greenstein

Department of Mathematics Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works

Understanding rate of change requires reasoning about measurable quantities and how one quantity changes relative to another. To support this kind of reasoning, teachers should develop the ability to notice students’ quantitative and covariational reasoning. This study examines how preservice teachers (PSTs) attend to, interpret, and respond to students’ quantitative and covariational reasoning in video-based analyses of water-filling rate-of-change tasks. Drawing on relevant research, professional noticing is examined through the lenses of quantitative reasoning and covariational reasoning. Using a design-based qualitative approach, secondary PSTs participated in structured analyses of students’ problem-solving discussions related to rate of change. Data were collected …

Between The One And The Many: Considering Community And Individualism - Opening Essay, John Schmalzbauer

eJournal of Public Affairs

This issue had its genesis thirty years ago at a campus lecture, a lecture that helped launch Missouri State University’s public affairs mission. Speaking on the “moral crisis in American public life,” sociologist Robert Bellah criticized the toxic individualism of the global elite, calling for a renewed commitment to the common good. Addressing an audience of 1,700 students, faculty, and local residents, Bellah ignited a community-wide discussion that reverberated across university classrooms, Ozarks congregations, and in the pages of the Springfield News-Leader.

Bellah’s questions remain no less relevant today: How can we balance individualism with our shared commitments? How …

Good Freedom: Prioritizing The Anti-Secessionist Characteristics Of Good Jazz, Wesley J. Watkins Iv

eJournal of Public Affairs

In broad terms, jazz is a useful metaphor for American democratic ideals because both are a process, not a product. To the musicians who make it, jazz is not so much a genre as it is a way of making music, even a philosophy of music making. Similarly, democracy is not a destination so much as it is the structural means of co-existing with people who have politically liked-minded agendas as well as with those who have competing, contrary goals. Theoretically, if the American ideals of freedom and equality were ever attained, we could no more take our hands off …

Are We Still Bowling Alone – Part Iii: Our Diminished Life In Public And Its Consequences, Kenneth Woodward

eJournal of Public Affairs

Editor’s note. The following is based on a panel session from the 2024 Public Affairs Conference, presented by Nancy Ammerman, Harry Bruinius, and Kenneth Woodward. The panel was a reflection on what has happened since authors Robert Putnam and Robert Bellah issued warnings on the decline of community in America.

Changes In Opioid Prescribing Patterns In Opioid Naive Patients Can Translate To Improved Outcomes In The Opioid Non-Naive Patients With Anterior Cervical Surgery: A Michigan Spine Surgery Improvement Collaborative (Mssic) Study, Anisse Chaker, Geoff Kahn, Michael Melhem, Jian-Hui Hu, Kari Jarabek, Heegook Yeo, Bhargav Ayloo, Trevor Ruesch, Adam Junn, Jad Khalil, Kenneth Easton, Richard Easton, Doris Tang, Miguelangelo Perez-Cruet, Noojan Kazemi, Ilyas Aleem, Muwaffak Abulhak, David Nerenz, Victor Chang

Conference Presentation Abstracts

Introduction: Though often necessary for adequate analgesia after spine surgery, continued opioid use can lead to chronic dependency. The Michigan Spine Surgery Improvement Collaborative (MSSIC) has demonstrated in prior work the promise of utilizing a multi-institutional morphine milliequivalent (MME) cutoff for elective anterior cervical surgery in the opioid naıve population. However, the effect of this cutoff in patients who were already on opioids pre-operatively have not previously been studied. The goal of this study was to evaluate whether changes in prescribing patterns in the opioid naıve population would also translate to the non-naıve populations, and whether the non-naıve population would …

Implementation Of A Multi-Institutional Enhanced Recovery After Surgery (Eras) For Elective Spine Surgery: Two-Year Michigan Spine Surgery Improvement Collaborative (Mssic) Experience, Anisse Chaker, Kylie Springer, Kari Jarabek, Michael Melhem, Heegook Yeo, Jian-Hui Hu, Jad Khalil, Kenneth Easton, Richard Easton, Doris Tong, Miguelangelo Perez-Cruet, Noojan Kazemi, Ilyas Aleem, Muwaffak Abulhak, Victor Chang

Conference Presentation Abstracts

Introduction: Enhanced Recovery After Surgery (ERAS) protocols have been introduced to several surgical specialties with the intention to reduce peri-operative adverse events and improve various health-system quality metrics including length of stay and patient satisfaction. Though this has been studied in the setting of spine surgery, the vast majority are single institution protocols biased toward academic teaching hospitals. There is a paucity of literature studying the utilization of a multi-institutional ERAS protocols that is applicable to community hospitals without associated training programs. We present the Michigan Spine Surgery Improvement Collaborative (MSSIC) two-year experience implementing a multi-institutional ERAS protocol for elective …

The Impact Of Covid-19 On Spine Surgery: Temporal Trends In Complications And Patient-Reported Outcomes Across A Statewide Cohort, Ali Mehaidli, Richard Easton, Ahmad Almaat, Gary George, Alqasim Elnaggar, Victor Chang, Doris Tong, Jad Khalil, Kevin Taliaferro

Conference Presentation Abstracts

Introduction: The COVID-19 pandemic caused major disruptions in elective surgical care, including spine surgery, due to widespread hospital restructuring and resource limitations. Although previous studies have examined surgical volumes and safety during the pandemic, limited data exist on how outcomes varied across multiple phases of the pandemic, especially in real-world, multicenter spine surgery populations. Material and Methods: This retrospective cohort study used data from the Michigan Spine Surgery Improvement Collaborative (MSSIC) to compare outcomes in patients undergoing lumbar or cervical spine surgery across four COVID-19 timeframes: pre-COVID (1/2019-2/2020), onset-COVID (3/2020-9/2020), active-COVID (10/2020-2/2022), and post-COVID (3/2022- 12/2022). Patient demographics, surgical characteristics, …

Halo Effect Of Prescribing Guidelines For Opioid Naive Patients Translates To Opioid Non-Naive Patients Undergoing Lumbar Decompression: A Michigan Spine Surgery Improvement Collaborative (Mssic) Study, Anisse Chaker, Geoff Kahn, Michael Melhem, Jian-Hui Hu, Kari Jarabek, Heegook Yeo, Jawad Saad, Abdullah Al-Tekreeti, Kenneth Easton, Jad Khalil, Richard Easton, Doirs Tong, Miguelangelo Perez-Cruet, Noojan Kazemi, Ilyas Aleem, Muwaffak Abulhak, David Nerenz, Victor Chang

Conference Presentation Abstracts

Introduction: Chronic opioid dependency in spine surgery is an ongoing concern given the ongoing opioid epidemic. We have previously reported on our cohort of opioid-naıve patients, however the literature has shown that patients with opioid use at baseline are at higher risk of less favorable outcomes. Starting in 2022, MSSIC instituted state-wide prescribing guidelines for opioid naıve patients undergoing one- or two-level lumbar decompression surgery (laminectomy, laminotomy, foraminotomy, microdiscectomy) with performance goals of 80% compliance. The goal of this study was to evaluate whether there would be a form of a “halo” effect on prescribing patterns for patients with baseline …

Postoperative Ileus After Lumbar Spine Surgery: Modifiable Risk Factors And Impact On Outcomes, Ali Mehaidli, Richard Easton, Alqasim Elnaggar, Gary George, Ahmad Almaat, Victor Chang, Jad Khalil, Kevin Taliaferro

Conference Presentation Abstracts

Introduction: Postoperative ileus (POI) is an infrequent but impactful complication following lumbar spine procedures. While well-characterized in abdominal surgery, spine-specific data remain limited, particularly regarding modifiable risk factors. Materials and Methods: We analyzed 41,164 patients who underwent elective lumbar spine surgery between 2018 and 2023 using the Michigan Spine Surgery Improvement Collaborative (MSSIC) registry. Multivariable generalized estimating equation models were used to identify independent risk factors for POI. We also evaluated the association between POI and postoperative outcomes, including patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs). Results: POI occurred in 1.1% of patients (n = 447). Independent risk factors included older age (RR …

Accentuating Wetlands: Designing Restorative Wetlands To Clean The Red River Of The North Near Selkirk, Manitoba, Grace Stein

Landscape Architecture Theses

Research was conducted looking into how wetlands clean water with a focus on nutrient removal through plant uptake, sedimentation, and absorption. Additional research was done to determine the methods of constructing a wetland. This thesis focuses on improving water quality for the Red River of the North by intaking 720,000 gallons of water per day out of the river and treating it for different agricultural runoff pollutants. This is achieved by using a series of constructed wetlands, each designed to remove a specific nutrient from the water. After nutrients have been removed, the water will be pumped back into the …

The Green Spine: Reimagining The Central Campus Of North Dakota State University Through Social Green Spaces And Pedestrian Connections, Lydia Ham

Landscape Architecture Theses

This thesis studies how landscape architecture can reimagine university campuses as connected, flexible, and functional environments that enhance how people will interact with the outdoor environment. Focusing on North Dakota State University in Fargo, North Dakota, the project focuses on adding green space where there are currently underutilized open spaces. Key principles of successful campus landscapes focus on including well defined circulation systems, spatial variety, and multifunctional use. Where research has developed three focus zones including Bison Green, Prairie Common, and Herd Crossing to show how integrated landscape systems can support movement, learning, and recreation while still maintaining an overall …

Temporality Waters: Connecting People To The Brays Bayou Through Memory, Culture, And Identity Experiences In Houston, Texas, Khulda Aamir Obaid

Landscape Architecture Theses

Communities across Texas face increasing hydrological pressures from natural climate variability, changing precipitation patterns, and rapid urban growth. Although directly attributing extreme precipitation events to anthropogenic climate change is complicated by internal variability and observational limitations (de Vries et al., 2023; Griffin et al., 2024; IPCC, 2021; National Academies, 2016), cities such as Houston are preparing for more frequent and intense storms. Historical floods—including Tropical Storm Allison, the Memorial Day and Tax Day floods, and Hurricane Harvey—have exposed the limits of Houston’s predominantly hard-infrastructure flood management. The Brays Bayou watershed, particularly the Meyerland neighborhood, shows heightened vulnerability, where impervious surfaces, …

Significantly Elevated Procalcitonin In Aki Reliable Or Not Reliable?, Sally Othman, Sujata Kambhatla, Chadi Saad

Conference Presentation Abstracts

Introduction Procalcitonin (PCT) is a biomarker that helps distinguish bacterial infections from other causes of infection or inflammation and can be used as a helpful adjunct to clinical judgment to resolve diagnostic uncertainty. However, the reliability of procalcitonin goes down when a patient has Acute kidney injury (AKI). Yet is there any significance for procalcitonin if it is extremely high, in hundreds, same in our patient, despite the patient in AKI and can PCT still be used to help determine mortality along with all other markers, or independent from other markers. Case report 36 years old male with PMH of …

Grit, Nikita Nenashev

All Graduate Reports and Creative Projects, Fall 2023 to Present

Grit is the pursuit of intuition and sustained attention in the search for expression. My work aims to create a sense of both familiarity and mystery by operating between the framework of utility and abstraction. I investigate the liminal space between what is known and unknown, creating surfaces and forms that challenge our perceptions of beauty.

Working gesturally and swiftly invites the clay to reveal indicators of its character, leaving evidence of the forces involved in the creation of each form. Textured and scorched surfaces, produced through the firing process, reflect the transformation of malleable material into a state of …

Assessing The Use Of Exon-Skipping Morpholino Antisense Oligonucleotides Targeting The Different Sumo Paralogs As Enhancers Of The Antitumor Activity Of Chemotherapeutic Agents, Andrea Teresa Garcia-Morin

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Post-translational modifications (PTMs) are critical regulators of protein function, stability, and localization, with SUMOylation emerging as a key modulator of cellular stress response and survival in cancer. Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is characterized by heightened dependence on SUMOylation to sustain pro-survival signaling, DNA repair, and resistance to chemotherapy. This dissertation investigates a novel chemosensitization strategy based on the splice-switching of SUMO transcripts in NSCLC cells using exon-skipping morpholinos (ESMs), which redirect splicing toward non-conjugatable SUMO alpha isoforms, thereby reducing global SUMOylation. We hypothesized that decreasing global SUMOylation through forced alternative splicing of SUMO transcripts would impair the stress-protective functions …

Application Of Path Analysis To Determine The Impact Of Age And Sex On The Neural Circuits That Promote Nicotine Withdrawal Severity, Veronika Espinoza

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

The rising prevalence of electronic cigarette (e-cigarette) use presents a major public health concern, particularly in adolescent females who are most susceptible to nicotine use and its long-term negative health consequences. The goal of this dissertation was to utilize preclinical rodent models to understand how group differences in age and sex influence neural activation patterns in brain circuits believed to promote nicotine withdrawal. Prior pre-clinical work, conducted largely in male rodents, has established that there are two major brain pathways that modulate the behavioral effects of nicotine withdrawal. These include the mesolimbic and medial habenula-interpeduncular nucleus (MHb-IPN) pathways. To assess …