Digital Commons Network^™

Examining Effective Charter School Methods And Practices Of Selected Houston-Area Charter Schools That Support Academic Achievement To Reestablish Traditional Public Schools As The School Of Choice: A Constructivist Grounded Theory, Monea R. Beene

All Dissertations

The public education sector is currently in turmoil (Calimeris, 2016; Meckler, 2022). In the early 90s, Fortune Magazine (1990) labeled the United States’ school system as “our most endangered institution, one in need of progressive work to support reform” (p 114).

Thus, this study examined, addressed, and identified effective systemic and organizational practices among public charters that would yield high academic performance annually for TPS. This research approach explored the collection and analysis of qualitative data using a constructivist grounded theory design supported by a case study for data collection. This research aimed to address the organization of charter schools …

Women In Science At Depauw University, Lauren Nguyen '23

Student Research

Women in Science at DePauw is a research project conducted in Spring 2023 to honor the women in science in the history of DePauw University. This project utilizes resources from the Archives, including the Archives and Special Collections and the Digital Library, to gather information about the lives and accomplishments of female faculty and alumni in science at DePauw. The final product of the project is 8 posters created in Adobe Photoshop, highlighting 10 female figures that studied and/or taught science at DePauw. By recognizing the presence and contributions of these women at DePauw, the project raises public awareness of …

How To Solve The Initial Appearance Crisis, Malia N. Brink, Pamela R. Metzger, Jiacheng Yu

Deason Center Reports

Across the United States, people are arrested and held behind bars for days, weeks, and sometimes even months, without ever seeing a judge or attorney. These delays violate the United States Constitution’s promise that an arrested person—who is innocent unless proven guilty—will have prompt access to the courts, the assistance of counsel, and a fair and speedy trial.

These due process milestones begin at initial appearance: the first time an arrested person sees a judge about their case. At an initial appearance, the judge should inform an arrested person of the charges against them. The judge should also make an …

Mental Health And Psychological Well-Being Of Kenyan Adolescents From Nairobi And The Coast Regions In The Context Of Covid-19, Gideon Mbithi, Adam Mabrouk, Ahmed Sarki, Rachel Odhiambo, Mary Namuguzi, Judith Dzombo, Joseph Atukwatse, Margaret Kabue, Paul Mwangi, Amina Abubakar

Institute for Human Development, East Africa

Background Despite the high burden of mental health problems during adolescence and its associated nega- tive consequences, it has remained neglected especially in sub-Saharan Africa. The 2019 novel Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic has placed additional stress on adolescent mental health. However, there are few studies docu- menting the burden of mental health problems and even fewer mental health services in the region. In relation to the limited body of knowledge, the present study aims to determine the psychological well-being of adolescents and to assess the risks and associated factors of mental health problems among adolescents in the context of COVID-19 …

Brif: A Novel And Efficient Implementation Of Random Forests Based On Bit Packing And Parallel Computing, Yanchao Liu

Industrial and Systems Engineering Faculty Research Publications

Random forests are powerful and popular machine learning methods. While general principles of tree induction are straightforward and well-understood, the numerous algorithmic treatments implemented in software tools, as well as their impacts on performance, are less familiar to most users. This paper introduces a new random forest toolkit (the ‘brif’ package in R and Python) along with its key algorithmic design features, and demonstrates the effects of the forest’s hyper-parameters such as the split search method, tree depth and the voting mechanism, on the classification performance. Summaries of benchmarking experiments are also presented. Results show that ‘brif’ stands out among …

May 2023 Newsletter

Ergo

No abstract provided.

Exploring The Experiences Of Deaf/Hard Of Hearing Students Seeking Healthcare At Gallaudet University, Shane Carrizales

Undergraduate University Honors Capstones

Currently, there is not much known about the Deaf/Hard of Hearing (HH) college student population's experience of learning about and navigating the healthcare system both as young adults and as college students. When a student starts college, especially further away from their home, they will get less support from their family which leaves them to rely on their health literacy. As an added challenge, Deaf/HH individuals often experience additional communication barriers. The purpose of this project was to explore the experiences of Deaf/hard of hearing students seeking healthcare at Gallaudet University. This researcher facilitated two workshops that provided education in …

Sand Escarpments As A Potential Barrier To The Nesting Distribution Of Sea Turtles, Dakota Ronco

Undergraduate University Honors Capstones

Sea turtles are a part of both the marine and terrestrial ecosystems as primary and secondary consumers. By laying nests on the beaches and migrating across the ocean, sea turtles are significant in maintaining the nutrient (nitrogen and phosphorus) flux between terrestrial and marine ecosystems. Nests bring nutrients into the sand by decomposing unhatched eggs and egg remains. The distribution of their nests is significant in getting insights into the population density of sea turtles and what drives the nesting location, which ultimately regulates nutrient flux. The location of their nests is driven by sandy beach ecosystem structures, especially active …

Mechanical Evaluation Of In Vitro Simulated Myocardial Infarction, Caroline Peak

Honors College Theses

The leading cause of death worldwide is cardiovascular disease, responsible for 32% of all global deaths and the leading cause of death for men and women across most racial and ethnic groups in the United States [1]. Between 2016 and 2017, cardiovascular disease cost the U.S. $363 billion in medical costs, research, and healthcare services [1].

Finding new therapies to treat heart disease is very slow and very expensive, which has driven many research companies to develop in vitro screening platforms for testing therapies in cultured cardiac tissue. In Clemson University’s Systems Mechanobiology Lab under the leadership of Dr. Will …

Inhibitors Of Human Eno2 Are Potent Anti-Trypanosomal Agents, Danielle Lavigne

Honors College Theses

Kinetoplastid parasite infections remain a global health burden. Here, we have characterized inhibitors of an essential Trypanosoma brucei glycolytic enzyme, enolase (TbENO). We anticipate TbENO inhibitors will be potent anti-trypanosomals, as T. brucei relies on glycolysis for ATP production in the blood of infected mammals. Additionally, the phosphonate enolase inhibitors being considered are well-tolerated in mammals, suggesting their potential in developing novel therapeutics for kinetoplastid infections. TbENO was cloned into the bacterial expression vector, pQE-30, and the heterologously-expressed protein was purified by nickel affinity and assayed in a coupled enzyme assay. Enzyme activity paralleled the abundance …

A Systematic Review Of Factors Associated With Sport Participation Among Adolescent Females, Casey S. Hopkins, Chris Hopkins, Samantha Kanny, Amanda Watson

Honors College Theses

Sports participation provides a direct means to attain health-enhancing physical activity, however, participation in sport declines during adolescence and over 85% of adolescent females fail to meet recommended levels of physical activity. Given the importance of overcoming barriers to sport and increasing equity in women’s sports, the purpose of this systematic review was to identify factors associated with sport participation among adolescent girls and operationalize those factors into theoretical constructs to guide future research. Six databases were systematically searched and 36 records were included for review. Factors impacting girls’ sport participation were categorized as personal, peer, family, socioeconomic, environmental, or …

Genetic Investigation Of Spontaneous Harlequin Coat Patterning In A Family Of Australian Shepherds, Katherine Grace Singleton

Honors College Theses

In dogs, a white base coat with black patches is termed harlequin patterning. In the Great Dane, harlequin is caused by a mutation in the ubiquitin-proteasome system, a highly complex process through which damaged proteins are degraded1. All harlequins are also heterozygous for the Merle allele of SILV, which harbors a retrotransposon that leads to production of abnormal protein2. In melanocytes with impaired protein degradation, aberrant SILV is thought to cause cell death, resulting in the characteristic white base coat of a harlequin dog1. We identified a novel, spontaneous form of harlequin patterning in a family of Australian shepherds. To …

Polyadenylation Mediated By Line-1, Gillian E. Barnard, Miriam K. Konkel

Honors College Theses

Transposable elements (TEs) are sequences that change position within the genome and play an important role in genome expansion. TEs are grouped into two categories based on their transposition mechanism. Class 1 retrotransposons spread via target-primed reverse transcription (RNA to DNA) into different genomic locations. Long interspersed element 1 (L1) is a class 1 retrotransposon that is able to move autonomously, as they encode the protein machinery with an endonuclease and reverse transcriptase activity, to insert themselves back into the genome. L1s were the focus of this study, because they are implicated in creating alternate poly(A) sites in genes. We …

Investigating The Role Of Cnag_05113 In The Carnitine Biosynthesis Pathway In Cryptococcus Neoformans., Jasmine Meltzer, Rodrigo Catalan-Hurtado, Perry Kezh, Kerry Smith

Honors College Theses

Cryptococcus neoformans, the leading cause of fungal meningitis, is a fungal pathogen that causes severe infection of the central nervous system in patients with compromised immune systems, typically caused by HIV/AIDS. C. neoformans infections are present in developed countries including the United States, but most fatalities occur in sub-Saharan Africa where antiretroviral therapy, the treatment for HIV/AIDS, is less accessible. Current treatments for severe cryptococcal infections are extensive and outdated. There is a critical need for an improved understanding of the fungus and new targeted therapies. Our goal is to identify metabolic pathways important to the survival of C. …

Nutrient Dynamics In Restored And Unrestored Urban Streams: A Study In The Southern Piedmont Ecoregion Of South Carolina, Emily Jordan

All Theses

The United States invests billions of dollars annually to perform stream restoration projects, yet few studies have investigated the effects ecological manipulation has on nutrient cycling and associated water quality. Water quality improvement remains a substantial motivation for mitigating catchment scale disturbances, especially in urban streams. Various land use practices impact the transfer and transport of nutrients such as ammonium (NH₄-N), nitrate plus nitrite (NO₃-N + NO₂-N) and soluble reactive phosphorus (SRP) from land into the flowing waters of a watershed. The uptake length (S_w), or the distance (m) a dissolved nutrient …

Disinfectant Efficacy Against Sars-Cov-2 Surrogates, Bovine Coronavirus And Human Coronavirus Oc43, On Hard And Soft Non-Porous Surfaces, Breanna Kimbrell

All Theses

The novel human coronavirus (HCoV), severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), emerged from Wuhan, China in the latter part of 2019. The rapid spread of SARS-CoV-2 amid the most recent COVID-19 pandemic forced countless foodservice establishments (FSEs) across the United States to close, taking a tremendous toll on the foodservice industry. Although primarily transmitted person-to-person, previous studies indicate that the duration of SARS-CoV-2 survival on different environmental surfaces provides adequate time for secondary transmission to occur. To prevent the further spread of SARS-CoV-2, effective disinfection of surfaces in FSEs is necessary. While disinfectants approved for use against SARS-CoV-2 are …

The Modern Ncaa Landscape: An Analysis Of Early Implications And Trends For Ncaa Division 1 Fbs Football, Matthew Mcmahan

All Theses

Over the past few decades, NCAA Division 1-A FBS football has exploded in popularity and revenue generation. With recent TV rights deals for “Power Five” conferences inching into the yearly payout range of billions, the stakes have never been higher to compete and win at the highest level of collegiate football. Despite this growth in revenue and popularity, the NCAA football model and transfer rules remained largely stagnant until the rapid liberalization of its policies began in 2018. A more streamlined approach to the transfer process, reduced restrictions on eligibility requirements, and increased financial incentives for college athletes have changed …

Using Immersive Technology To Improve Mechanical Design: Use Cases, A Review Of Current Technology, And An Experiment In Requirement Elicitation In Virtual Reality, William Hawthorne

All Theses

There has been a growing trend in the use of immersive technologies within engineering design. This research is focused on understanding how Virtual Reality (VR) technologies support design reviews. Modern tools including virtual reality hardware and software were tested for current capabilities and challenges. In a review of literature, two key gaps are identified: the rapid advancements of VR and AR technology and limited formal studies to determine the costs and benefits of immersive technology within engineering design reviews. This research has resulted in three key outcomes. First, use cases of immersive reality technologies are identified, through the lens of …

The Perfect Fit? Relationships Between Recreationist-Environment Fit, Benefit Attainment, And Place Attachment, Tristan Jilson

All Theses

Management efficacy in parks and protected areas can be assessed and improved with knowledge about park visitors’ compatibility with the setting, their ability to attain desired visitation or recreational benefits, and the development of place-based connections. Additionally, the relationships between compatibility (i.e., recreationist-environment fit), the attainment of benefits, and place-based connections such as place attachment have been perennial interests to a suite of disciplines, including landscape architecture, urban and regional planning, environmental psychology, conservation social sciences, and human-dimensions of natural resource management. Therefore, this study employed a quantitative, cross-sectional survey research design to determine the degree that the attainment of …

Masthead, University Of The Pacific, Mcgeorge School Of Law

University of the Pacific Law Review

No abstract provided.

Table Of Contents, University Of The Pacific, Mcgeorge School Of Law

University of the Pacific Law Review

No abstract provided.

Note From The Chief Comment Editor, Grace Bransen

University of the Pacific Law Review

No abstract provided.

Three Ring Circus: Collins’ Impact On Congressional Authority And The Federal Bureaucracy, Grace Bransen

University of the Pacific Law Review

No abstract provided.

Resolving The Circuit Split Regarding The “Exceptional And Extremely Unusual Hardship” Standard In Favor Of Fairness And Accuracy, Courtney Lamb

University of the Pacific Law Review

No abstract provided.

It’S Time To Take Accountability: California Is Ready And Able To Solve Homelessness, Ismael Perez

University of the Pacific Law Review

No abstract provided.

Cerebrospinal Fluid Biomarkers Provide Evidence For Kidney-Brain Axis Involvement In Cerebral Malaria Pathogenesis, Andrea L. Conroy, Dibyadyuti Datta, Robert Opoka, Anthony Batte, Paul Bangirana, Adnan Gopinadhan, Kagan A. Mellencamp, Ayse Akcan-Arikan, Richard Idro, Chandy C. John

Paediatrics and Child Health, East Africa

Introduction: Cerebral malaria is one of the most severe manifestations of malaria and is a leading cause of acquired neurodisability in African children. Recent studies suggest acute kidney injury (AKI) is a risk factor for brain injury in cerebral malaria. The present study evaluates potential mechanisms of brain injury in cerebral malaria by evaluating changes in cerebrospinal fluid measures of brain injury with respect to severe malaria complications. Specifically, we attempt to delineate mechanisms of injury focusing on blood-brain-barrier integrity and acute metabolic changes that may underlie kidney-brain crosstalk in severe malaria.

Methods: We evaluated 30 cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) markers …

Applied Predictive Analytics, Matt Brown

ATU Faculty OER Books and Materials

The materials in this text are a collection of lecture notes for a course entitled “Applied Predictive Analytics” offered at Arkansas Tech University. The purpose of this text is to provide all of the necessary written material to students in this course free of charge. The work to compile the material was supported by a zero-textbook cost / open education resource grant provided by Arkansas Tech University. The text uses R software which is open source and also available to students at no cost.

Mental Health Disorders And Psychotropic Medication: Prevalence And Related Characteristics Among Individuals In Foster Care, Jill Mcleigh, Lauren Malthaner, Madeline Tovar, Mohsin Khan

Behavioral Health/Developmental Delay

This study sought to provide prevalence data for mental health (MH) diagnoses and psychotropic medication prescriptions among individuals in foster care and to examine their relationships with physical health status, maltreatment type, placement type, and demographic variables.

For questions about this study or others, please email [email protected]

childrens.com/fostercare

Pioneer To Welcome Shane Anderson As New Lead Pastor In June, Debbie Michel

Lake Union Herald

No abstract provided.

Communication Professors Publish Book On Relationships, Nicholas Gunn

Lake Union Herald

No abstract provided.