Digital Commons Network^™

The Great Debate, Britain 1868-1876: An Exploration Of British Politics Via Reacting To The Past, Ryan Jurich

Honors Theses

The Victorian era (ca. 1830 – 1900) in Britain saw massive economic and social transformations brought about by industrialization and the emergence, for the first time, of a modern class society. This research project focused on creating an innovative way for students of history to learn about the various political, economic, and social changes shaping and being shaped by the decisions of the British government in the latter half of the 19^th century by using the Reacting to the Past curriculum framework. In particular, it focused on the historical first ministries of William Gladstone and Benjamin Disraeli, their famous …

Fritz Lang's Critique Of Capitalism Through Body Language In "Metropolis", Nathan Bailey

Honors Theses

This honors thesis argues that Fritz Lang’s 1927 silent film Metropolis contains nonverbal narrative elements (including body language, architectural proxemics, and phallic imagery) that align the film with Marxist class structures. The film provides a moral epigram, “the mediator between head and hands must be the heart,” which this paper aims to define through a Marxist lens. This thesis narrates Metropolis’ verbal and nonverbal narratives through observing intertitles in the film alongside the elements that perplex the viewer and overload the senses. The aim of this paper is to notice where the head, hands, and heart make …

The Effects That Spaces And Places Of Campus Have On Undergraduate Students, Ashley Davis

Theses and Dissertations

Student sense of belonging on campus is changing post COVID-19 pandemic, and this is because the way students utilize spaces on campus has evolved. Facilities on campus can impact the way students feel they belong based on how the spaces are set up and where students go in between classes (Samura, 2018). This study investigated the relationship between providing accessible, specific physical spaces and the participants' perception of student belonging. Undergraduate students enrolled full time at Rowan University were interviewed to collect data, and a qualitative research approach was used to analyze the data. Results conclude that there is a …

Anxious Times Call For Additional Goal Setting Measures: A Look At How Math Anxiety Is Impacted By Setting Goals In An Algebra I Class, Raegan Palacio

Masters of Education in Teaching and Learning

This study examined the impact that goal setting would have on Algebra I students’ math anxiety by comparing a control group to a treatment group. Students took the Math Anxiety Survey (Godbey, 1997) as a pre- and post-assessment. The researcher taught a goal setting mini lesson at the beginning of the data collection period to the treatment group (Class B), and students set weekly goals for themselves in relation to Algebra I class. Students in Class B journaled weekly, and some students participated in focus groups depending on their levels of math anxiety. The qualitative data was analyzed using the …

Staar Preparation: How It Affects The Perceptions Of Third-Grade Students, Taylor Whitworth

Masters of Education in Teaching and Learning

Test preparation is a hot button topic in education today. Many studies have looked at students’ and teachers’ perceptions after the administration of the STAAR test. This study investigated third-grade students’ perceptions of the STAAR before and after previous-form test preparation interventions. The researcher used observations, surveys, and interviews to collect data. The data was analyzed using the constant comparative method and descriptive statistics. The author found five major themes that answered the two original research questions. Most students had negative perceptions of the STAAR test prior to intervention, and these often stemmed from information from family members. Overall, the …

Mega Math Workshop: Perceptions Of Dual-Class Cooperative Learning Stations, Lindsay Dilbeck

Masters of Education in Teaching and Learning

This study investigated student and teacher perceptions of Mega Math Workshop, a model combining learning stations, small-group intervention, cooperative learning, and content repetition, as well as its effect on academic achievement. The researcher used surveys, student work samples, interviews, and observational notes to compile data. The qualitative data was analyzed using the constant comparative method, and the quantitative data was analyzed according to measures of central tendency. This data showed a large range in student perspectives on Mega Math Workshop, both negative and positive. Generally, students had a positive opinion of Mega Math Workshop, and their achievement was not adversely …

Perceptions Of Introverted Students And Their Teacher In A Middle-School Elar Classroom, Kimberly Rempel

Masters of Education in Teaching and Learning

The purpose of this study was to determine introverted students’ perceptions about their honor’s ELAR class and to determine if they succeed better with choice board assignments versus non-choice assignments. This study was conducted at a West Texas middle school in an honor’s eighth-grade ELAR classroom. Students completed the Myers-Briggs personality test to determine their status as introverted or extroverted (Myers & Myers, 2014). Data was collected through a survey, student and teacher interviews, and student assignment grades. Data was analyzed through the constant comparative method, and students’ grades were compared using descriptive statistics. The study found that teacher and …

Teacher And Student Perceptions Of The Concept Of A Multi-Campus School With A Stem Home Campus, Lars Lindgren

Masters of Education in Teaching and Learning

A classroom is a place filled with many different attitudes and people. Understanding different factors that lead to teacher and student perceptions of how a multi-campus classroom works play a vital role in figuring out how to improve those classrooms and schools. Throughout this study, the researcher was in a year-long clinical teaching placement. The researcher sought to understand how students and teachers view the concept of multi-campus education with the home campus being a STEM school. The researcher also sought to understand how students and teachers thought a multi-campus education could run better. The researcher collected data through surveys, …

Noteworthy Notes: Student Perceptions Of Online And Paper Notes, Hannah Hamaker

Masters of Education in Teaching and Learning

Notetaking is an often overlooked but important factor of student learning. Studies that have focused on notetaking in the past have highlighted performance over perceptions. This study investigated the importance of fifth-grade students’ perceptions of online and paper notetaking. The researcher collected data through pre- and post-surveys, interviews, observation field notes, student artifacts, and a data tracker. The researcher analyzed the data collected using the constant comparative method and a primary and secondary coding scheme. The resulting secondary codes were the copying process, features of online notes, features of paper notes, and use of notes. Findings suggest that students vary …

Mindfulness Practices In A First-Grade Classroom: Impact On Student Behavior And Student And Teacher Perceptions, Lesslie Picena

Masters of Education in Teaching and Learning

There has been a rising interest in examining the effectiveness of implementing mindfulness practices to improve students’ behavior. The purpose of this study was to measure the effects that implementing mindfulness practices had on first-grade students’ off-task behaviors during lessons and transitions and to understand students’ and their teacher’s perceptions of the mindfulness practices that were implemented. A mindfulness intervention was implemented for three weeks. Tally sheets and journal entries were gathered to record and reflect on student behavior. Post-intervention surveys, individual student interviews, and a teacher interview were utilized to gather the participants’ perceptions. Quantitative data was analyzed using …

Don't Forget Me: A Discussion On Social Memory And Commemoration, Anfernee Murray

LSU Master's Theses

This thesis examines the relationship between social memory and social identity development among groups who share contested interpretations of their shared social memory. With social memories being a collaborative process that requires consensus and compromise, there arises conflict when groups are divided in deciding on what event of their shared history is relevant to remember - for it is these memories that influence and shape how a group identifies itself.

For Black Americans, this contention arises in the conversations surrounding the difficult and traumatic histories of their enslaved ancestors by the ancestors of their white counterparts. This is further complicated …

A Descriptive Study Of Screening Practices And Outcomes Of Bilingual Spanish/English Children, Mariajose Bosanko

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to: 1) examine the screening practices and outcomes of Latinx bilingual Spanish/English-speaking children, 2) compare screening practices and outcomes to those of sex and age matched Black and white monolingual peers, and 3) extend and reflect on professional practices. I also explored variables that may affect screening outcomes, including the children’s race/ethnicity, sex, and socioeconomic status (SES).

The participants were 41 Spanish/English bilingual Latinx children aged two- to four-years-old (Latinx), 41 same sex and age monolingual Black children (Black), and 41 same sex and age monolingual white children (white) receiving speech/language screenings during a …

Viral Coinfections In Kawasaki Disease: A Meta-Analysis, Hannah C Neubauer, Michelle A Lopez, Heather A Haq, Lara Ouellette, Andrea A Ramirez, Sowdhamini S Wallace

Library Staff Publications

CONTEXT: Viral infections are suspected triggers in Kawasaki disease (KD); however, a specific viral trigger has not been identified.

OBJECTIVES: In children with KD, to identify (1) overall prevalence of viral infections; (2) prevalence of specific viruses; and (3) whether viral positivity was associated with coronary artery aneurysms (CAAs) or refractoriness to intravenous immunoglobin (IVIG).

DATA SOURCES: We searched Embase, Medline, and Cochrane databases and gray literature.

STUDY SELECTION: Eligible studies were conducted between 1999 and 2019, and included children diagnosed with KD who underwent viral testing.

DATA EXTRACTION: Two investigators independently reviewed full-text articles to confirm eligibility, extract data, …

Art Therapy As A Comprehensive Complementary Treatment For Parkinson’S Disease, Tom Ettinger, Marygrace Berberian, Ikuko Acosta, Alberto Cucca, Andrew Feigin, Danilo Genovese, Travis Pollen, Julianne Reiders, Rohita Kilachand, Clara Gomez, Milton Biagioni, Alessandro Di Rocco, Felice M. Ghilardi, John-Ross Rizzo

Department of Exercise Science Faculty Papers

Introduction: Parkinson’s disease (PD) is the second most prevalent neurodegenerative disease. Complementary and alternative therapies are increasingly utilized to address its complex multisystem symptomatology. Art therapy involves motoric action and visuospatial processing while promoting broad biopsychosocial wellness. The process involves hedonic absorption, which provides an escape from otherwise persistent and cumulative PD symptoms, refreshing internal resources. It involves the expression in nonverbal form of multilayered psychological and somatic phenomena; once these are externalized in a symbolic arts medium, they can be explored, understood, integrated, and reorganized through verbal dialogue, effecting relief and positive change.

Methods: 42 participants with mild to …

School Social Work And Autism Competency: A Mixed-Methods Assessment Of Pennsylvania School Social Workers, Jami Imhof

Social Work Doctoral Dissertations

Autism is a neurodevelopmental disorder which currently affects 1 in 44 individuals in the United States. Autism manifests as symptoms that impact the areas of communication, social interaction, and behavior (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2020). Symptoms may create challenges in the school setting, requiring social work intervention. School social workers must be knowledgeable about autism as well as how to best support autistic students. A mixed methods study was conducted among 84 school social workers in Pennsylvania to understand current autism knowledge via an online survey. Ways in which social workers have learned about autism, as well as …

Social Work Best Practices In Schools: Effect Of Family-Focused Case Management On Rural School Students’ Success, Sheryl L. Mcklveen

Social Work Doctoral Dissertations

Rural families and children have historically been challenged by a lack of public investment in their communities. Over generations, such deprivation created cycles of pervasive, persistent behavioral health and well-being disparities that negatively impact contemporary families and children, and threaten the socioeconomic future of America (Branson, 2019; Showalter et al., 2019; U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, n.d.). The purpose of this dissertation was to build a model of school social work best practices employing strategies intended to break cycles of unmet needs by reducing social determinant of health (SDOH) risks in rural environments, thereby enhancing the health and …

Synthesis, Characterization And Spectroscopic Studies Of Novel Donor-Acceptor Complexes, Shiyue Gao

Chemistry and Chemical Biology ETDs

Square-planar compounds of the (dichalcogenolene)Pt(diimine) series are possess unique photophysical properties that include long-lived excited state lifetimes, which result in their being potential candidates for numerous applications. These applications include solar energy conversion, photocatalysis, nonlinear optics, and photoluminescent probes of biological systems. The most interesting feature of the (dichalcogenolene)Pt(diimine) series of molecules is the bpydichalcogenolene ligand-to-ligand charge transfer (LL’CT) band. To better understand their photoluminescent decay mechanism, and understand their excited dark state properties, we have synthesized and characterized new compounds that include (Thp-bpy)Pt(CAT), (Thp2-bpy)Pt(CAT), (Thp-bpy)Pt(bdt), and (Thp2-bpy)Pt(bdt). Through interpretation of electronic absorption, resonance Raman, XAS, photoluminesce spectroscopy, in addition …

Exploration Of Feature Selection Techniques In Machine Learning Models On Hptlc Images For Rule Extraction, Bozidar-Brannan Kovachev

Honors Theses

Research related to Biology often utilizes machine learning models that are ultimately uninterpretable by the researcher. It would be helpful if researchers could leverage the same computing power but instead gain specific insight into decision-making to gain a deeper understanding of their domain knowledge. This paper seeks to select features and derive rules from a machine learning classification problem in biochemistry. The specific point of interest is five species of Glycyrrhiza, or Licorice, and the ability to classify them using High-Performance Thin Layer Chromatography (HPTLC) images. These images were taken using HPTLC methods under varying conditions to provide eight …

Evaluation Of The Geotechnical And Foundation Components On Jud Site, Mirabel W. Nkanor

Honors Theses

This thesis is part of the senior design final project of the Civil Engineering Department at the University of Mississippi. Geotechnical and foundation analyses were done on a proposed construction project for a multi-family home in Orlando, Florida. This evaluation done in this thesis follows the pre-existing geotechnical report on the side, USDA soil reports, ASCE Code 32-01 (Design of Foundations), and ASCE-7 Section 12.31.1 (Foundations and Superstructure-to-Foundation Connections).

A structural system was selected from the proposed location, on the corner of South Conway and Judge Road, and an evaluation of the Bearing Load capacity was completed to determine the …

A Cost-Benefit Analysis Of Preserving The Great Barrier Reef, Taylor Cox

Honors Theses

This paper investigates both the economic benefits and costs of protecting Australia’s Great Barrier Reef (GBR). The benefits associated with the Reef come from a 2016 Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu Limited report and quantifies direct economic contributions, nonuse values, and a social, economic, and icon value. The costs of protecting the Reef come from a collection of sources, including the Reef 2050 Long-Term Sustainability Plan, “The Cost and Feasibility of Marine Coastal Restoration”, and a number of annual reports from governmental and non-governmental organizations. By analyzing these documents, the net benefits were calculated. The Great Barrier Reef contributes $6.4 billion to …

Personal Thoughts, Reflections, And Accounting, Caleb Colley

Honors Theses

This work consists of two portions. The first portion concerns the research, findings, and conclusions regarding various accounting-related topics. These topics include a reflection on the September 11 attacks and their impact on accounting and the United States in general, research on potential places to settle for my future career, an analysis of Pfizer Inc.'s financial performance in 2020 in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, and an interview with my mother regarding her previous experiences as a business professional. The second portion of this work pertains to several analyses of the Target Corporation from five perspectives. These topics consist …

Crafting Comfort: The Design And Production Of A High-End Poolside Lounge Chair, John Hollis Tackett, Robert Griffis

Honors Theses

This report focuses on the development, design, and manufacturing of the Adjustable Lounge Chair, a high-end poolside lounge chair created to address un-met customer demand in the market. The investigation began with a market analysis to identify sought-after features not currently offered by competitors' products. This analysis drove the design of the chair, which was developed using CAD software, followed by the construction of a physical prototype to validate the concept.

The chair's innovative features include adjustable lumbar support and chair height, as well as a removable face-piece that enables users to comfortably lie prone without straining their necks. These …

Safety And Efficacy Of Fecal Microbiota Transplantation In Treatment Of Inflammatory Bowel Disease In The Pediatric Population: A Systematic Review And Meta-Analysis, Mark Hsu, Kyaw Min Tun, Kavita Batra, Lubaba Haque, Tahne Vongsavath, Annie S. Hong Md

School of Medicine Faculty Research

Background and Aims: Fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) has been increasingly studied in the inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) population. However, most studies have focused on the adult population, and the safety and efficacy of FMT in a pediatric population is less well understood. This systematic review and meta-analysis investigates the safety and efficacy of FMT in a pediatric IBD population.

Methods: A comprehensive literature search of publications published prior to 30 June 2022 was undertaken. Safety data, IBD-related outcomes, and microbiome analysis were obtained from these studies when accessible. Individual estimates of each study were pooled, and sensitivity analysis was conducted. …

Access Granted: A Demographic Analysis Of How The Pandemic Has Disrupted The Monocentric City, Jaylin Terreau Jones

Honors Theses

Abstract

This study shows the disruption that the Covid pandemic has had on the national relationship between changes in quarterly House Price Index (HPI) values and distance from Metropolitan statistical areas (MSAs). This disruption is statistically modeled through linear regressions where quarterly changes in HPI values are set equal to distance as well as factors such as change in population, housing units, and home ownership. Special recognition is also given to the distance relationship during years affected by Covid. This disruption is then analyzed in relation to demographic factors such as age and race. The study showed that the disruption …

Design And Synthesis Of Dinucleating Phthalazine-Based Ligands Toward Bimetallic Ruthenium Catalysts For Water Oxidation, Alex Bromley

Honors Theses

Two synthetic pathways were developed to construct dinucleating ligands towards the synthesis of bimetallic ruthenium-based water oxidation catalysts. The motivation for this work stems from earlier observations of related ligands that are susceptible to oxidative decomposition. The design pursued here incorporates a phthalazine core into the dinucleating ligand, which, we hypothesize, will prevent the previously established cleavage of a pyridazine unit at the same position. The ligand precursors involved in the multi-step syntheses are characterized by Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) spectroscopy. Synthetic protocols were refined to ensure reproducibility. In addition, our hypothesis for which of the two target ligands will …

20230512_Pharmacy Student Uses Hslic’S 3d Printer For Prize-Winning Poster Project, Jonathan Seyfried

HSLIC Blog Post

No abstract provided.

Leadership And Project Management In Engineering: Baja Tube Bender, Maysyn Tm Sorensen

Honors Program: Senior Projects (Public)

Typical coursework for Undergraduate Mechanical Engineering students does not deeply focus on project management and leadership. Detailed in the following documentation is review of my Mechanical Engineering Senior Design capstone project as well as analysis of final presentations of other capstone projects. The Senior Design capstone projects spanned both semesters of the ‘22-’23 academic school year. After the first semester of my project I produced a post-mortem report to analyze the project’s progress and suggest improvements for the project, design, and team interaction. These improvements were compiled into an action plan and implemented in the spring semester. When the project …

Regulating Strategic Sovereign Wealth, Paul Rose

BYU Law Review

In an era of ascendant globalization, sovereign wealth funds were used by governments around the world – and, in particular, by governments with massive natural resource wealth or balance-of-trade surpluses – to invest widely in foreign markets. Sovereign wealth funds were products of the international economic order then in existence, adapted to a political and economic environment in which borders could be easily crossed and foreign assets seemed abundant and easily acquired. After the Financial Crisis, and with the increasing nationalization seen in the 2010s, this environment began to change. Both domestic and international forces spurred the development of new, …

The Impact Of A Design-Based Engineering Curriculum On High School Biology: Evaluating Academic Achievement And Student Perceptions Of Epistemology, Self-Efficacy, And Self-Determination In Life Science, Courtney Cox

Doctor of Education in Teacher Leadership Dissertations

Integration of the engineering design process (EDP) into the high school biology classroom may improve academic achievement, alter epistemological beliefs about learning science, and positively influence student perceptions of science self-efficacy and self-determination. This quasi-experimental research study tested these claims by implementing an EDP curriculum within two honors biology classes (n=36) at an independent high school in a large urban city in the Southeastern United States. Two additional honors biology courses at the school (n=34) were instructed using the department's traditional curricular resources. Achievement data were collected from both groups and compared for statically significant differences using independent t-tests …

The Next Revolution? Negligence Law For The 21st Century, Allan C. Hutchinson

Dalhousie Law Journal

Donoghue’s neighbour is still the defining concept of Canadian tort law. Indeed, the whole history of modern negligence law can be reasonably understood as a concerted judicial effort to adapt and accommodate that principle to changing social, commercial and legal conditions. Now, 90 years later, it is perhaps time to recommend another revolution in negligence law. The Donoghue-inspired doctrine has done sterling work, but it is now weighed down with a bewildering range of conditions, clarifications and complications. When the duty analysis is complemented by other related requirements of causation and remoteness, the law of negligence has become something of …