Digital Commons Network^™

Effects Of Increased Levels Of Relaxin Hormone In Women During Pregnancy In Relation To Spondylolisthesis: A Literature Review, Joselin R. Guerrero Rapalo

Honors Theses

No abstract provided.

Female Students’ Perception Of Stem Identity At Utrgv, Kristen L. Hallas

Honors Theses

Despite the increase in representation of women in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) undergraduate programs, they are still underrepresented in the workforce. Recent statistics published by the National Science Foundation show that the rate of females and Hispanic/Latina females earning degrees does not match the rate in which they earn STEM occupations, especially advanced degrees. Moreover, out of early career doctorate holders, women are less likely to hold post-doctoral scholar positions and are more likely to hold an academic, non-tenure track position. In response to these disparities, I sought to identify the strongest motivators driving the ambition of female …

Wearing An Apple A Day Won’T Keep The Doctor Away: Diagnosing Wolff-Parkinson-White Syndrome With An Apple Watch, Grace Judd, Jason Heino

Providence Portland Medical Center Internal Medicine 2022

No abstract provided.

Sku Time Series Forecasting Methods For Fmcgs, Mohammad Al Orbani

Theses

This research aims at using forecasting algorithm that predicts the demand that is to be needed on a monthly basis while factoring in occasional inconsistent patterns, seasonality, and non-stationary and cyclical patterns of the data. The prediction is to predict around 3000 SKUs in 19 end markets and since the data is necessary for marketing enhancement and strategies, the Forecasting accuracy must be high. Since market strategies will be based on those predictions and revenue will be lost in the case of an error. Hence, we need to keep in mind that the model is not overfitted and that it …

Deeprm: Deep Recurrent Matching For 6d Pose Refinement, Alexander Avery

Theses

Precise 6D pose estimation of rigid objects from RGB images is a critical but challenging task in robotics and augmented reality. To address this problem, we propose DeepRM, a novel recurrent network architecture for 6D pose refinement. DeepRM leverages initial coarse pose estimates to render synthetic images of target objects. The rendered images are then matched with the observed images to predict a rigid transform for updating the previous pose estimate. This process is repeated to incrementally refine the estimate at each iteration. LSTM units are used to propagate information through each refinement step, significantly improving overall performance. In contrast …

Modeling Intra-Patient Planned Dose Change To Better Understand Dose Response In Cancer, Lauren Burke, Lin Hui Jiang, Tyler Frediani, Drew Haiber, James Winger

Theses

In this paper, we attempt to find the most efficient trial design to determine the optimal dose of cancer treatment. The two trial designs being evaluated are a standard trial design and intra-patient dose-switching trial. The optimal dose is the lowest dose that still causes a decrease in the tumor size. The most efficient trial is defined as the trial in which the distribution of parameters from the data set mostly closely matches the distribution from a simulated trial. We developed an ordinary differential equation to model the change in the sum of the length of tumor diameters over time. …

Feeding Preference Of The Sea Urchin Arbacia Punctulata For Algal Turf Over Kelp In A Degraded Kelp Forest Ecosystem, Kenneth J. Hamel

Theses, Dissertations and Culminating Projects

Increasingly severe ocean warming and marine heatwave events are driving declines in habitat-forming kelps worldwide. Direct mortality from extreme temperatures, coupled with destabilization of kelp forest communities, commonly trigger ecological community shifts from dominant kelp forests to an algal turf dominated state. Opportunistic algal turf species are more resilient to warming and lack the fundamental structure of kelp forests, and thus reduce ecosystem services and biodiversity. Once in place, algal turf communities contain ecological feedback mechanisms, diminishing kelp recruitment, and potential recovery. The various feedback mechanisms and ecological thresholds that maintain or drive community shifts between kelp forest and algal …

How Will God And The Church Fit Into The Metaverse?, Grace Rose

Comm-entary

In this paper, I tell a story about the argument over whether God and the Church will be part of our coming “metaverse.” While we can be pretty sure that the metaverse will be good for the full range of “congregations,” good, reasonable citizens disagree about whether the metaverse will be just a tool in God’s creation or whether the metaverse will move us past traditional notions of God. In this story, I introduce some of the characters who engage in and contribute to this argument. My story also animates some of the argumentative moves that these characters make.

Tiger King: A Case Study In Environmental Media Representation And Effects, Ashley White

Comm-entary

Over the past decades, tiger populations have drastically fallen worldwide to the point where most tigers are listed as endangered or critically endangered. Furthermore, there are currently more tigers living in captivity in the US than in the wild. In this paper, the relationship between the environmental issue of conservation and the effects of mass media productions is explored through a critical analysis of Tiger King. Specifically, the purpose of this paper is to answer the following questions. First, does Tiger King perpetuate or disrupt existing models of documentary narrative and cinematography? (Q1) Second, to what extent is Tiger King …

Rhetorical Analysis Of Setting: Boston Children’S Hospital, Aimee Rothman

Comm-entary

This paper sorts out the architectural and interior design of the hospital. It treats the place as an important aspect of the broad range of messages the hospital sends to its various publics.

Equity Vs. Equality: How Differing Viewpoints Choose To Portray History, Sara Donatello

Comm-entary

This paper explores the themes of equity and equality, defining the terms and applying them to projects done by civil rights activists Nikole Hannah-Jones and Robert Woodson, and a government commission created by Donald Trump. The 1619 Project, founded by Hannah-Jones, pushes the narrative of equity, following the idea of the politics of difference. 1776 Unites, founded by Robert Woodson, provided a counterargument to the 1619 Project, and follows the politics of universalism and equality, holding everyone in the same esteem. Finally, the 1776 Commission, created by Donald Trump, is not associated with 1776 Unites but follows the same narrative …

The Resurrection Of Yik Yak, Lily Neher

Comm-entary

In this paper, I discuss the impact of the app Yik Yak on college campuses, after it returned as a platform in 2021 post 2017 removal. The key aspects of the app include its location-based nature, anonymity, and user moderation system. I discuss advantages and disadvantages of the culture that it fosters, as well as greater social, political, and philosophical implications of Yik Yak as a hybrid space, or a space that permits communication both online and in the real world.

The Ruinous Northern Frontier: The Decline And Collapse Of Frontier And Roman Civilizational Integrity On The Danube, A.D. 370 - 500, James Knight

Masters Theses

The imperial Roman advance to and entrenchment along the Danube from the times of Augustus to Aurelian, mirrored by the slow development of various Germanic peoples beyond the 1,700-mile river’s northern bank, set the stage for a series of climactic engagements between the late Roman Empire and their various barbarous neighbors along what had quickly become the Empire’s most important and unstable frontier. The immigration and settlement of Goths from the Pontic Steppe, fleeing the Huns as they emerged from Central Asia, within the Roman Balkans undermined the Danube frontier, eviscerated the Eastern Roman field army, and enabled Alaric’s role …

Psychotherapeutic Skills Group For Parents And Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder And Co-Occurring Anxiety, Alexius R. Friesz

Dissertations, Theses, and Projects

Children and adolescents with autism spectrum disorder are often diagnosed with comorbid anxiety disorders. Anxiety for those with comorbid autism can have disastrous effects on the child’s physical, emotional, and social well-being, causing more physical symptoms and problem behaviors. These physical and emotional effects can have equally dangerous effects on their caregivers, resulting in parenting practices that are not supportive or meaningful to the children in their care. With the impact that anxiety can have on both the child with a comorbid diagnosis of autism and their caregivers, creating a psychotherapeutic skills group for both the child and the adult …

Covid-19 Conversation Analysis, Luca Tosi

Comm-entary

In this paper, I present the findings from an empirical project completed for a college-level Communication Analysis class. These findings, while containing scholarly terms and nomenclature, are highly applicable to any day-to-day interactions had between any multitude of participants. It is my goal, throughout this paper, to provide readers with a more in-depth look at the ways in which our words and actions convey our messages in ways we didn’t even consciously mean.

The Impact Of Upzoning On Housing Construction In Auckland, Ryan Greenaway-Mcgrevy, Peter C. B. Phillips

Cowles Foundation Discussion Papers

There is a growing debate about whether upzoning is an effective policy response to housing shortages and unaffordable housing. This paper provides empirical evidence to further inform debate by examining the various impacts of recently implemented zoning reforms on housing construction in Auckland, the largest metropolitan area in New Zealand. In 2016, the city upzoned approximately three quarters of its inner suburban land to facilitate construction of more intensive housing. We use a quasi-experimental approach to analyze the short-run impacts of the reform on construction, allowing for potential shifts in construction from non-upzoned to upzoned areas (negative spillovers) that would, …

The Relationship Between Perceived Support And Post Traumatic Growth Among Nurses During The Covid-19 Pandemic, Anna Nieman

The Eleanor Mann School of Nursing Undergraduate Honors Theses

Background: Nurses continue to experience significant challenges related to the COVID-19 pandemic, putting them at risk of occupational stress, burnout, and turnover. The post-traumatic growth model focuses on growth and knowledge that comes from experiences of stress and trauma.

Aim: Identify post-traumatic growth (PTG) in a population of nurses affected by the COVID 19 pandemic.

Method: PTG was measured by the Post-Traumatic Growth Inventory, a 21-item questionnaire with five factors: relating to others, new possibilities, appreciation of life, personal strength, and spiritual change. Participants (n=22) responded on a 6-point Likert scale, 0 for no change and 5 for great degree …

An Overview Of Extended Ventilation Requirements Related To Comorbidities., Kaitlyn Horrell

The Eleanor Mann School of Nursing Undergraduate Honors Theses

Mechanical ventilation is a machine that that allows patients to breathe when they are unable to adequately do it themselves. This could be due to illness or injury. Ventilators pump oxygen into the lungs through a tube that travels through the trachea. When a patient is put on a ventilator, they will be placed in the Intensive Care Unit. While ventilation is typically a short-term intervention, some patients require ventilation for extended periods of time, and some may not come off the ventilator, eventually dying. Dozens of patients were ventilated in the ICU at Mercy, and most of them spent …

To Flash Or Not To Flash, Christy Overly

The Eleanor Mann School of Nursing DNP Capstone Projects

In 2015, healthcare-associated infection (HAI) prevalence survey found that there were an estimated 110,800 surgical site infections (SSIs) associated with inpatient surgeries in 2015. Consequently, instruments and implants sterilized by immediate use steam sterilization (IUSS) have been found to increase the patient’s risk for an SSIs. Due to these risks, the Joint Commission (TJC) determined that organizations should implement evidenced-based protocols to reduce IUSS use. A needs assessment revealed a gap in care in that the increasing SSI rates appeared to be correlated with the misuse of IUSS at the physician owned surgical hospital in Tulsa, Oklahoma. This Doctor of …

Glazier Recieves Bla Student Art Award, Communications And Marketing

Campus News Archive

Rhiannon Glazier '22, Dell Rapids, South Dakota, earned the University of Minnesota Morris Briggs Library Associates Art Award for her piece "Mushroom Ladies" in the 2022 Juried Student Art Exhibit.

How Corporate America Has Been Impacted By Remote Work, Jack Berg

Finance Undergraduate Honors Theses

This thesis evaluates how the new era of remote work has affected organizations and their employers. Specifically, it focuses on the effect remote work has had on productivity and revenue within companies, as well as the mental health and work-life balance implications it has had on employees. Furthermore, this analysis focuses on the history of remote work, how companies have had to adapt in recent years due to the COVID-19 pandemic and how remote work will look in post-COVID-19 times. In addition, all possibilities will be assessed to examine how efficient remote work is in the workplace.

Multiple resources were …

Insomnovation – Natural Sleep Solutions Business Plan, Nikolas Limperis

Finance Undergraduate Honors Theses

Currently, 70 million Americans suffer from some sort of sleep issues from trouble falling asleep, trouble staying asleep, and daytime drowsiness. However, the sleep solutions on the market today are either highly artificial or only address the symptoms of sleep issues rather than the underlying cause. This is what Insomnovation seeks to address. By providing supplementation to seven key vitamins and minerals, Insomnovation hopes to bring a natural solution to put the issue of sleep disorders to rest.

Sona Oral History With A Focus On Corporate Philanthropy, Caleb Fairchild

Finance Undergraduate Honors Theses

The arts scene of Northwest Arkansas has become increasingly woven into the culture of the ever-progressing region, and one of the longest-lasting players in this field is the Symphony of Northwest Arkansas. As a forerunner for so many other fine arts organizations in the area, there is much to learn from the Symphony of Northwest Arkansas. SoNA requested that the University of Arkansas record these experiences of past and present alike in the form of an oral history. As SoNA looks to the future, they recognize the many players who helped the organization to both survive and thrive at various …

Financial Planning Through A Pandemic: A Northwestern Mutual – Fayetteville Internship Experience, Grant Hoeldtke

Finance Undergraduate Honors Theses

For my internship, I worked as a College Financial Representative. As a College Financial Representative, I essentially worked as a full-time financial representative, but without some of the certifications required to offer the full line of products offered by Northwestern Mutual. Throughout the internship, I went through the process of kickstarting my financial advising practice and growing my connections around the Northwest Arkansas and Tulsa areas. I gained experience setting and hosting meetings with potential clients, then creating personalized and customizable financial plans based on the information I received during the client's meeting. Every single meeting and financial plan were …

Theranos: Case Study And Examination Of The Fraud Triangle, Abbey Jennings

Finance Undergraduate Honors Theses

Fraud is a serious issue which carries significant implications. Fraud committed by top level managers is particularly grievous, as it ripples through a firm, harming the company’s shareholders, employees, and credibility, while posing a threat to individuals and society (Zahra, et al.). A common framework in auditing, the fraud triangle, outlines three factors that if present, increase the risk or enable fraud to occur. The three factors are incentive, opportunity, and rationalization to commit fraud (Barlow).

In 2018, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) charged Elizabeth Holmes, founder and CEO of a supposedly groundbreaking health tech company, Theranos, with what …

Target Internship During The Covid Pandemic, Laura Jo Randall

Finance Undergraduate Honors Theses

The coronavirus pandemic has triggered both social and economic changes around the world. Retail companies have been at the forefront of these changes due to widespread supply chain disruptions and supply shortages. Companies have struggled to meet the challenges caused by the pandemic including supply shortages and social distancing. Target Corporation is the eighth largest big box retail chain in the United States (Tanha, 2022). It has faced the challenges with innovation and implementation of new programs this year. During the summer of 2021, I had the pleasure to intern at Target and witness firsthand how this large corporation embraced …

A Gateway To Housing Discrimination: A St. Louis Case Study To Identify Home Loan Denial Rates Among Black And White Citizens, Emily Schlichtig

Political Science Undergraduate Honors Theses

This project seeks to investigate residential segregation and the reasons that it still occurs within the United States. The presence of residential segregation demonstrates how the 14^th amendment is being underutilized. Currently, there is a lack of research that points to home loan denial rates among black citizens compared to white citizens as a reason for residential segregation occurring. This paper includes a St. Louis case study to identify home loan denial rates between races and arguments for why those loan denial rates cause residential segregation. The disparities in the loan denial rates do not allow blacks an option …

Determinants Of Public Corruption In Arkansas And The Nation, Jason Neeley

Political Science Undergraduate Honors Theses

Through reviewing the existing scholarly literature on corruption, factors that seem to increase the likelihood or contribute to rising numbers in reported cases of corruption will be used to determine which factors are most highly correlated with the amount of reported public corruption in a state’s government. With this, one will gain knowledge on which states have the highest levels of reported corruption and what factors are present in the state that can help explain the high levels of corruption. This combination of relationships will answer the question as to what a state should look for to address issues related …

Understanding And Improving The System: The Effects Of Weighting On The Accuracy Of Political Polling In Arkansas, Beck Williams

Political Science Undergraduate Honors Theses

In an effort to increase the accuracy of statewide political polling in Arkansas, we explore the statistical strategy of weighting with a focus on one yearly opinion poll: The Arkansas Poll. We conduct over 70 weighting experiments on the 2016 and 2020 Arkansas Polls using a variety of variables and opinion questions. From these experiments, we find that while some weighted variables tend to create larger changes, weighting typically results in a single-digit percentage change that does not substantially shift or “flip” the majorities. Due to a greater rate of change through weighting in the 2020 Poll compared to the …

Designing An Americans With Abilities Act: Consciousness, Capabilities, And Civil Rights, Laura C. Hoffman, Zachary E. Shapiro, Allison Rabkin Golden, Gregory E. Antill, Katherine Fang, Chaarushena Deb, Elizabeth Clarke, Alexis Kallen, Hanya M. Qureshi, Kai Shulman, Caroline V. Lawrence, Megan S. Wright, Joseph J. Fins

Law Faculty Articles and Essays

The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) is a seminal piece of legislation aimed at protecting those with disabilities from discrimination. The ADA, however, has not been consistently able to integrate people with disabilities successfully into society. With a specific focus on individuals with serious brain injuries, this Article aims to provide insight into the shortcomings of the ADA, specifically focusing on lackluster enforcement of the legislation and its failure to incorporate promising new technologies. These limitations of the ADA are made even more clear in light of the evolution occurring in the understanding of rights and capabilities. As such, the …