Digital Commons Network^™

Simulation And Projection Of Glaciers And Their Runoff In Xinjiang Based On Tgsgs, Zhongqin Li, Yefei Yang, Bowen Liu, Huilin Li, Zexin Zhan, Feiteng Wang, Chunhai Xu, Weibo Zhao

Bulletin of Chinese Academy of Sciences (Chinese Version)

Glaciers are large flowing ice bodies formed from snowfall in cold regions. Due to the intrinsic physical properties of ice and the complexity of boundary conditions, physically based modelling of glacier change remains a global challenge. With support from the Chinese Academy of Sciences’ key science infrastructure program for the field station, the Tianshan Glaciological Station completed the Tianshan Glacier Station Glacier Simulator (TGSGS) in 2025. TGSGS features advanced representations of the physical mechanisms driving glacier change and multi-scale ensemble strategy, and is integrated with a reference glacier observation network based on terrestrial laser scanning (TLS), a low-temperature laboratory for …

When The Beat Drops, Do Patients Rise? Critical Care Utilization At Electric Daisy Carnival, Las Vegas, Jie Ren, Kavita Batra, Vidhani Goel, Taya Jensen, San Tran

Undergraduate Research Symposium Posters

Electronic dance music (EDM) festivals are associated with recreational drug use and medical emergencies, yet comparative data on the severity of festival-related overdoses are limited. This study compared hospital outcomes, particularly critical care utilization, between patients transported from the Electric Daisy Carnival (EDC) and those with non–festival-related overdoses during the same period. We conducted a retrospective cohort study of adults (≥18 years) presenting with drug or alcohol overdose to an urban tertiary care teaching hospital between May 17, 2019, and May 20, 2024. Patients were classified as EDC-related or non-EDC based on electronic medical record documentation. Group differences were assessed …

Toward A Local Governance Model For Green Building Regulation: Lessons From A Philippine City, Mikaela Amihan S. Arrosa, Aileen V. Lapitan

Journal of Public Affairs and Development

The study analyzed local governance in implementing green building regulations in a city in Metro Manila, Philippines, through a case study. Compliance rates were calculated by comparing projects with Green Building Compliance Certification to those with Green Building Pre-Compliance Certification issued by the city. The Delphi method explored environmental sustainability implications of compliance, while key informant interviews and policy landscape analysis identified the factors affecting Green Building Code management. Fewer than half of the pre-compliance and construction permit holders also received occupancy certificates. Three rounds of the Delphi method were conducted, resulting in consensus on recommendations to enhance governance mechanisms …

Socially Constructing ‘Climate Change’ In Fishing Communities Of Sarangani, Philippines, Samantha Geraldine G. De Los Santos, Ma. Larissa Lelu P. Gata

Journal of Public Affairs and Development

The intensifying impacts of climate change have become more evident in recent years. While policies and programs have been implemented in the Philippines for decades, questions remain about how climate change is understood and experienced by fishing communities, the country’s poorest sector. By applying the Ecological-Symbolic Approach, this paper inquired into the fisherfolk’s social definition of climate change. A Qualitatively Driven Sequential Explanatory (QualDSE) mixed-methods design guided the study in developing an informed, substantiated, and context-based definition of climate change. This definition was also analyzed vis-a-vis the widely held definitions in national climate policy.

The terminology “climate change” remains unknown …

When Flood Warnings Fail: Psychological Predictors Of Information Clarity And Evacuation Intention, Katsuya Tanaka, Tadashi Kito, Kohji Tanaka

Center for Public Service Publications and Reports

Flood warnings are often assumed—particularly within traditional average-effect models—to prompt uniform behavioral responses, yet real-world evidence suggests that message effectiveness varies widely across the population. This study empirically identifies and explains such heterogeneity using a factorial survey experiment (n = 1671) conducted among residents in flood-prone regions of Japan. We estimate finite mixture beta regression models to disentangle the distinct behavioral patterns underlying information clarity and evacuation intention. Results reveal two psychological segments: a Responsive majority, whose decisions are shaped by concrete and credible warning attributes (e.g., specific breach point, forecast basis, large-font display), and a Non-Responsive minority, who remain …

Competition As A Solution To High Prices And Low Capacity In U.S. Healthcare: A Synthetic Control Analysis Of Certificate Of Need Repeal As A Lever For Hospital Market Reform, Eve Velasquez, Wyatt Greco

School of Public Policy Capstones

The U.S. healthcare system faces dual challenges: rising hospital prices and declining capacity. Between 2000 and 2024, average hospital expenses per adjusted inpatient day increased from approximately $1,000 to over $3,000, while hospital beds per capita declined from 3.11 to 2.45. This capstone evaluates three policy alternatives to address affordability and accessibility: restrictions on most-favored nation clauses in insurance-provider contracts, elimination of federal tax exemptions on employer-sponsored health insurance, and repeal of certificate of need (CON) laws. Through a comprehensive literature review and a synthetic control analysis of Indiana's 2019 nursing home CON reinstatement, we assess the empirical effects on …

Zero Tolerance Policies In Schools & Subsequent Outcomes, Annalise Loucks

SACAD: Scholarly Activities

Zero tolerance policies refer to policies and practices that disproportionately push marginalized students out of classrooms and into the criminal justice system. These patterns contribute to long-term negative outcomes, including higher dropout rates, increased incarceration, and reduced economic and social opportunities.

Exploring How Long-Term Residents Influence Environmental Policy Decisions In The Takushara Settlement In Abuja, Nigeria, Agbanusi Uchechukwu Jonathan

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Rapid urbanization of Nigeria’s Federal Capital Territory (FCT) has increasingly marginalized indigenous communities, creating a significant disconnect between top-down environmental governance and how it affects residents. Previous research has found that this land swap displaces indigenous stewards and erodes their traditional ecological knowledge, endangering local livelihoods, food security, and sustainable management of natural resources. The purpose of this narrative qualitative study was to explore how long-term residents perceive and experience their influence in environmental policy decisions through the lens of the social-ecological systems framework and the theory of resilience. This study examined the systematic exclusion of long-term residents of the …

Brokerage Competition In Demographically Differing Neighborhoods: A 25-City Study, Jason Beck

Atlantic Marketing Association Proceedings

No abstract provided.

Predicting Request Resolution In Coordinated Care Networks For Military-Affiliated Populations, Zachary Bridgewater, Joshua-Paul Miles, Catherine Annis, Julia Carboni, Gilly Cantor, Michelle Shumate

Voices of Service Symposium

Coordinated care is an interorganizational network approach to care that connects individuals to diverse services (e.g., housing, income assistance, job support, social and spiritual support, etc.) via human navigators and shared referral platforms. This approach has become prevalent in the military-connected sphere to help service members, veterans, and their families (SMVF) access care. Yet, prior research suggests variation in the resolution of coordinated care referrals"”25% for one United Way 211 (Boyum et al., 2016), and 66% and 88% for two Unite Us networks (Drake et al., 2024; White et al., 2025). This research explores why some referrals resolve while others …

Va Wholehealth Approaches To Treatment Of Ptsd, Mackenna Murphy, Justin Hirschberg, Emily Rabinowitz, Joseph W. Ditre

Voices of Service Symposium

The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs has implemented the Veterans Health Administration Whole Health model as a system-wide transformation toward personalized, proactive, and patient-driven care. Whole Health emphasizes the integration of conventional medical treatment with complementary and integrative health (CIH) approaches, including mindfulness, yoga, meditation, tai chi, acupuncture, health coaching, and peer support. Given the high prevalence of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression, anxiety, chronic pain, and substance use disorders among veterans, Whole Health programming may offer a non-stigmatizing and holistic pathway to mental health support.

Psychological Distress, Hazardous Duty, And Alcohol Risk Among Student Veterans, Anna Lupardo, Emily Rabinowitz, Victoria E. Carlin, Dezarie Moskal, Stephen A. Maisto, Joseph W. Ditre

Voices of Service Symposium

Introduction: Military service and college environments are each associated with higher alcohol risk. Psychological distress is consistently linked to alcohol risk, and hazardous duty exposure is associated with both greater distress and problematic alcohol use. However, it remains unclear whether hazardous duty influences the relationship between psychological distress and alcohol risk among student service members. Clarifying this relationship is critical to informing targeted prevention and support efforts for veterans in higher education. Method: Participants included 3,258 current and former service members who responded to the American College Health Association 2023-2025 National College Health Assessment IIIb. Participants completed measures on alcohol …

Ethics And Interventions In Substance Abuse Treatment For Military Service Members, Ken Marfilius, Allyson Donovan

Voices of Service Symposium

Substance use disorders (SUDs) among military service members and veterans remain critically underdiagnosed. Ethical barriers such as stigma and fear of career repercussions contribute heavily to this gap in treatment-seeking behavior. Culturally informed, evidence-based interventions, such as Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and Motivational Interviewing, are essential to addressing SUDs within this population in an ethically grounded manner.

Hazardous Alcohol Use And Chronic Pain Co-Occurrence And Comorbidity Rates: A National Study Of Veterans Affairs Primary Care Patients, Dezarie Moskal, Jacob L. Scharer, Jennifer S. Funderburk, Joseph W. Ditre, Gregory P. Beehler

Voices of Service Symposium

Hazardous alcohol use (HAU) and chronic pain are each common among U.S. veterans and are associated with poorer health outcomes when they co-occur. Primary care plays a central role in the identification and management of both conditions. However, national estimates of their co-occurrence and related comorbidity burden are limited. Accordingly, this study aimed to estimate the prevalence of HAU and chronic pain and compared comorbidity patterns in a national Veterans Affairs (VA) primary care sample.

This national retrospective VA electronic health record study included 3,900,633 veterans aged 18+ seen in primary care between July 2022 and December 2023. HAU was …

Navigating High-Stakes Transition: An Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis Study Of The Information Experiences Among Green Berets During Military Transition, Christian Teodoro, Ken Marfilius

Voices of Service Symposium

Transitioning Service members face a complex mix of challenges as they transition back to civilian life, including the need to make sense of career-related information while renegotiating identity, belonging, trust, and purpose. Often overlooked, however, is the informational side of that experience and how leaving the military, either voluntarily or involuntarily, impacts one's ability to judge relevance, evaluate credibility, and act on guidance when familiar military structures no longer exist. This is especially true for our nation's elite U.S. Army Special Forces soldiers. Special Forces are mission-driven and possess highly distinct character traits that allow them to perform effectively under …

Examining Tobacco Use Among Student Servicemembers And Veterans: The Unique Role Of Hazardous Duty Exposure, Holly Schmidt, Victoria E. Carlin, Emily Rabinowitz, Joon Kyung Nam, Joseph W. Ditre

Voices of Service Symposium

Introduction: Student servicemembers and veterans (SS/V) use tobacco products at higher rates than the general college student population. These students face unique stressors during and after military service, which may influence their health behaviors, including tobacco product use. One such stressor is hazardous duty exposure, as previous research indicates that veterans with riskier deployments and greater deployment stress are more likely to engage in tobacco use. However, no prior research has examined the relationship between hazardous duty exposure and tobacco use among SS/V. Method: Participants included 4,626 SS/V who completed the 2023-2025 National College Health Assessment (NCHA) III. Participants were …

Florence Gets Special Stage, Montgomery Alabama Journal And The Times

Documents

Memorial to Men Enlisted in World War Added to State Teachers College, 1930s

Street-Level Bureaucrats In Public Higher Education: The Ethical Obligations To Support Psychologically At-Risk Students, Michael Turtz

Electronic Theses and Dissertations 2020 - Present

To fill the gap in the current literature, the purpose of this dissertation was to explain how and why Street-Level Bureaucrats (SLBs) in public higher education helped psychologically at-risk students during the pandemic. This qualitative study was intended to examine the role of SLBs in public higher education as it relates to their utilization of administrative discretion when advising psychologically at-risk students. In addition to administrative discretion, this dissertation also explored the role of ethical obligations and the use of a therapeutic lens when SLBs are faced with some of the most difficult situations for which they were not equipped …

Complex Systems Mapping Of Fiscal Growth Dynamics At Strategic Maritime Chokepoints Using Time-Series Slopes, Rahul Balamurugan, Preethi Nanjundan, Avichal Sharma

Northeast Journal of Complex Systems (NEJCS)

This study examines how maritime and trading states allocate public resources between defence, health, and economic growth around three strategic chokepoints the Strait of Malacca, the Strait of Hormuz, and the Suez Canal. The analysis extends the classic “guns versus butter” framing by treating defence and health spending as co-evolving components of an interconnected fiscal-growth system. Using World Development Indicators data (1999-2024), trend slopes are estimated for military spending (% of GDP), healthcare spending (% of GDP), and GDP growth (annual %). Two derived indicators are computed, a defence-to-health slope ratio (military slope/health slope) and a fiscal-balance proxy (health slope …

The Hypocrisy Of The Wizards—A Proposal To Correct Incentives In Higher Education Loan Financing, Caden Benedict

School of Public Policy Capstones

This paper explores the origins of the student loan debt crisis and proposes tying university incentives to graduates' repayment plans and disclosing median earnings for degrees before students apply. Specifically, while there are numerous factors explaining why the price of education has increased dramatically since the 1970s, this paper proposes solutions that will specifically target university moral hazards by requiring universities fund: (1) the current subsidies to federal student loan repayments under income-driven plans as the House of Representatives intended before the Senate removed "risk-sharing," and (2) bankruptcy law discharge amounts. Moreover, requiring universities to disclose the median earnings of …

Navigating The Thin Blue Line And Single Parenthood: An In-Depth Exploration Of Police Officers’ Experiences In Highlands County, Florida, Stress Reduction, And Work-Life Balance, Courtney Lashae Hamilton Toney

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The present study examined how the demographic of single parent police officers reduced and coped with stress, whether coping mechanisms utilized were effective or not, changed overtime, and whether the coping mechanisms were influenced by personal factors and leadership within their departments. This study took place in Highlands County, Florida with a sample size of 13 participants. The participants responses were captured through in-depth semi-structured interviews within this qualitative descriptive study. Majority of participants described how their coping mechanisms changed over time to better their lives or the lives of their family. The changes were affected mostly by their children …

Goals And Budgets: An Exploratory Study Of Sequencing In Budget Simulation Engagement, Frankline Muthomi

Public Administration Faculty Publications and Presentations

Purpose:

The purpose of this study is to examine how the sequencing of budget simulations influences the alignment between priority goals and budgetary decisions. Drawing on behavioral perspectives, the study posits that two simulation sequences—goal setting to budgeting (default) and budgeting to goal setting (alternative)—shape individuals' budgetary responses, particularly the proximity between a program's total cost and the corresponding budgetary allocations. Design/methodology/approach This study employs a quasi-experimental research design using Balancing Act modules that enable participants to articulate their priority goals and corresponding resource allocations. Adult Americans (aged 18 and above) were recruited through an online crowdsourcing platform and randomly …

Administrative Burden: The Hidden Costs Associated With Participating In The Department Of Veterans Affairs’ Disability Compensation Process, Christopher Anthony Campagno

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has characterized the Appeals Modernization Act (AMA) as a procedural success, citing reductions in remand rates and increases in grant rates. However, VA’s reporting on AMA performance has generally focused on adjudicatory outcomes and has not addressed the administrative burden costs veterans incur while navigating the disability compensation process. Although current scholarship documents administrative burden in other public programs, little empirical work has examined how it manifests in VA’s disability compensation process. The purpose of this general qualitative study was to examine how veterans describe the learning, psychological, and compliance costs they experienced …

A Multiple Case Study: Communicating Uncertainty In Intelligence Community Analytic Judgments, Donald S. Terry Jr.

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

U.S. Intelligence Community (IC) analysts face incessant challenges in expressing and explaining uncertainty (dependent variable) when communicating analytic judgments to their clients. IC analysts theorize and apply estimative language and levels of confidence in their analysis, and then it is received by decision-makers, ultimately having an impact on policy making. Historic case studies of the pre-war intelligence assessment of Iraqi WMD, the operational and diplomatic outcome of the 2011 raid on UBL, and the intelligence surprise of COVD-19 reflect the impact that uncertainty has on strategic analysis. Data is collected from primary sources, coded, and interpreted to survey ideas and …

Systemic Poverty Amongst Puerto Ricans In New Jersey, Karen M. Acevedo-Quintana

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Puerto Ricans account for over 20% of Hispanics in New Jersey. It is estimated that 27.8% live below the poverty line. The poverty rate amongst this community is higher than the state average. Prior to this study, no known study examined what advocates for improving socioeconomic conditions amongst Puerto Ricans in New Jersey believed were the barriers to and/or facilitators of reducing poverty. The purpose of the generic qualitative study was to identify and analyze the perceptions of expert advocates regarding the current barriers to and/or facilitators of reducing poverty amongst Puerto Ricans in New Jersey using interpretivism through the …

Are Missourians Voting For Conservative Candidates And Liberal Policies? A Case For Ballot Measure Ticket Splitting, Kimberly L. Casey, Andrew Strunc

Missouri Policy Journal

Missouri voters have recently been observed engaging in a form of ticket splitting in which support for Republican candidates is accompanied by approval of liberal ballot measures. This study examines that phenomenon using data from the Northwest Policy and Civic Engagement Center’s exit poll of the 2024 general election, conducted in Maryville, Missouri. The data reveal a strong tendency among voters to support candidates from a single party, Democratic or Republican, yet split their votes on ballot measures aligned with opposing ideological positions. We define this behavior as Ballot Measure Ticket Splitting (BMTS): the act of casting a straight-ticket …

Abortion Policy Opinions: Results From 2022 And 2024 Election Day Exit Polls, Mariliz Kastberg-Leonard

Missouri Policy Journal

Missouri has approached abortion policy in a post-Dobbs world, in an interesting way. As one of the states with a trigger law in effect, following the overturning of Roe v. Wade (1973), abortions were banned in Missouri except in very few cases. Just two years later, a constitutional amendment, Amendment 3, was added to the 2024 general election ballot to restore the right to abortion. This paper explores the results of two exit polls administered on Election Day 2022 and 2024, asking voters in Maryville, Missouri, their opinions about abortion. The results show Maryville voters support abortion protections, in …

Framing Artificial Intelligence In Higher Education: A Narrative Policy Analysis Study Of Higher Education Institutions With Particular Reference To Missouri, Taylor D. Corlee

Missouri Policy Journal

This study examines how higher education institutions narratively frame students’ use of artificial intelligence through policy-related documents, focusing on how these stories shape AI policy and how they can guide Missouri-based research. Using the Narrative Policy Framework and directed content analysis, 59 documents from 12 US public universities were coded for characters, plots, and morals and analyzed with descriptive statistics, Pearson correlations, and difference-of-means tests. Findings reveal that institutions frame AI policy through narratives that cast faculty as guides, students as both capable and vulnerable, and AI as both tools and threat. For Missouri, recognizing how narratives shape AI governance …

Applying Andragogy In The Legal Field: Implications For Missouri Trial Courts, Grant Shostak, Somanita Kheang

Missouri Policy Journal

Adults involved in legal proceedings—such as jurors, attorneys, and judges—engage in cognitive and emotionally demanding learning processes. However, little research has examined how principles of adult learning theory are applied within the legal system. This article examines the potential of andragogy to inform and enhance the justice system, and improve juror efficacy in Missouri trial courts. Drawing on interdisciplinary research from both adult education and legal studies, this article demonstrates how andragogical principles can be used to support juror comprehension and efficacy, thereby leading to more fair outcomes. The findings reframe trial judges as facilitators of adult learning, highlighting opportunities …

Missouri Policy Journal -Volume 2, Issue 3 (2026) -Full Issue

Missouri Policy Journal

No abstract provided.