Digital Commons Network^™

Always Sunny In Zanzibar: Exploring Solar Power On The Island, Quinn Brannan

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

As Zanzibar continues along its developmental path, the island’s energy infrastructure takes on a central role in future plans for growth. Critically, as the population grows and tourist presence is predicted to increase, the island is presented with the combined problem of supplying a greater volume of energy, while also providing a more reliable source to its existing populace. In this study, I will examine existing solar energy systems for capacity, accessibility, and reliability, as well as evaluate their efficacy in providing a functional source of power, both now and in the future. I conduct interviews with assorted stakeholders in …

Minimum Exchange Rate And A Negative Interest Rate: The Swiss National Bank’S Unconventional Monetary Policy During Eurozone Volatility, Wally Bargeron

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Monetary policy is one of the most important tools that a government has to influence its economy. This means the ability for a country to determine their own monetary policy is important to that country’s autonomy. Switzerland has consistently based its decisions on what would afford it the highest level of autonomy, including the decision not to join the European Union and subsequently the decision to retain their own currency.

The Swiss National Bank retains the mandate to keep price levels (inflation) stable, but it is challenged by an appreciating currency. Because the Swiss Franc is a safe-haven currency, money …

Climate Change, Malnutrition, And Hiv: The Impact Of Food Insecurity On Hiv Response In Sub-Saharan Africa, Olivia Walshak

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Climate change is a key driver of an unprecedented global food crisis, exacerbated by rising temperatures and the vulnerability of crop yields. Sub-Saharan Africa is particularly susceptible, and case studies demonstrate the fragility of food systems in the region, leading to severe food insecurity and famine in the face of climate shocks.

There are a variety of health implications, particularly the syndemic relationship between malnutrition and HIV. HIV interacts bidirectionally with malnutrition, creating a vicious cycle of poor clinical outcomes. Expanding access to antiretroviral therapy in Sub-Saharan Africa is hindered by rampant food insecurity, including inadequate food intake, reduced dietary …

Universal Health Coverage: A Basis For Pandemic Preparedness?, Merline Feero

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Amid extensive research and reporting on the effects of COVID-19 on Universal Health Coverage (UHC) progress, this study explores an often neglected topic: the potential of UHC to contribute to the foundations of pandemic preparedness. Herein, quantitative analysis reveals that countries with higher UHC coverage tend to exhibit greater pandemic preparedness (as determined by the UHC Service Coverage Index and the Global Health Security Index). Complementary qualitative analysis is used to further illustrate and explain the correlation between UHC and pandemic preparedness using four case study countries, integrating literature reviews and relevant expert interviews. Through these methods, a clear tie …

Hidden Hurdles: Evaluating Informal Barriers To Primary Healthcare Access Among Undocumented Migrants In Switzerland, Arantxa Bonifaz Rosas

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Undocumented migrants face heightened difficulties in accessing healthcare due to a combination of legal, financial, and social challenges. Informal barriers to accessing healthcare further exacerbate poor health outcomes among undocumented migrants. In Switzerland, where undocumented migrants have the right to health insurance, barriers to receiving healthcare continue to restrict their access to essential services, such as primary healthcare (PHC). Employing a meta-analysis approach, this qualitative study aimed to broaden existing research on informal barriers hindering access to PHC for undocumented migrants, with a particular focus on the Swiss context. The identified informal barriers centered around health insurance, fear of deportation, …

The Implications Of Politicizing Global Health Diplomacy In A Multipolar World, Haley Stock

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

This research paper is the result of an independent study project that details the implications of politicizing global health diplomacy. With a mixture of interviews, primary sources, and secondary sources, this project aims to explain how and why global health has become entrenched in politics in the world today. This paper explores the intersection between global health and foreign policy and analyzes the extent to which countries use medical interventions to achieve political and economic success. Medical interventions, like vaccines, have become increasingly significant, especially looking back at the recent pandemic. Therefore, this paper will also explore the complex nature …

A Reflection Of Change: Evolutions In International Water Law Principles Through The Lens Of Euphrates-Tigris Dispute, Maeve Sullivan

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

As climate change intensifies, water scarcity will increase. Coupled with a growing global population, water security is a major modern challenge. To bring stability to international watercourses, states must establish effective sharing agreements. On this matter, international water law can help. International water law captures some of the major principles and considerations that states must account for while considering issues related to water security. This paper uses primary interviews and secondary sources to identify some of the major characteristics, features, and developments in international law to develop a conceptual framework for the topic. It then moves into a case study …

The Legacy Of War: A Holistic Analysis Of Socio-Economic And Healthcare Resources For People Affected By Agent Orange In Việt Nam, Ashley Malone

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

The war between the United States of America and Northern Việt Nam lasting from 1955 to 1975 did not end with the removal of American troops from Vietnamese soil, but it rears its ugly head daily in the lives of those affected by Agent Orange and other various Rainbow Dioxins utilized as herbicides. This paper delves into the enduring legacy of the Resistance War Against America, specifically focusing on the socio-economic and medical ramifications for families and individuals affected by Agent Orange that persist half a century after its prohibition. The study scrutinizes the disparities in aid between American veterans …

Education To Employment: The Role Of University Career Guidance In Reducing Youth Unemployment In Jordan, Anoushka Saraf

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

This paper addresses the need for effective career guidance for university students, and sustainable post-graduation alumni support systems, to improve the employability of university graduates and reduce youth unemployment in Jordan. Through interviews and surveys, this paper will identify the key problems contributing to the skill mismatch between university graduates and the demands of the labor market. It will try and tackle how career centers can help their students develop soft skills like communication and teamwork, build a portfolio to differentiate themselves to employers, empower themselves with skills through online courses on software development, data science, research, and other technological …

Irex And The Community Solutions Program, John Porten

Kroc IPJ Research and Resources

The community of practice (CoP) made up of the alumni Community Solutions Program (CSP) caters to a diverse and globally distributed group of professionals in the peacebuilding, humanitarian and development fields. Facilitating such a community without substantial reliance on communications technology and distanced relationship-building would be impossible. Yet this kind of distanced practice community faces a trust hurdle: members will only contribute quality content if they believe others will do the same. This creates a classic “free-rider” problem that leads to the death of many distanced practice communities. Despite this challenge, the CSP alumni that make up the program’s community …

The Uganda Nextgen Framework: Guidelines For Intergenerational Peacebuilding, Briana Mawby, Noah Mirembe Gabigogo, Cassandra Barrett

Kroc IPJ Research and Resources

This report provides a practical framework for creating intergenerational peacebuilding partnerships drawn from the lived experiences of women peacebuilders across Uganda and outlines key considerations when addressing generational divides and gaps in peacebuilding efforts.

The report provides analysis drawn from the debates and discussions held between 2020 and 2023 as the cohort of peacebuilders engaged in the Uganda NextGen initiative worked across generations to create social change throughout the country. The framework provides a guide for others trying to create mutually beneficial and equitable peacebuilding partnerships among people of different generations.

Framing Automation Trust: How Initial Information About Automated Driving Systems Influences Swift Trust In Automation And Trust Repair For Human Automation Collaboration, Scott Anthony Mishler

Psychology Theses & Dissertations

The study examines how trust in automation is influenced by initial framing of information before interaction and how later active calibration methods can further influence trust repair or dampening after an automation error in a three-experiment study. As more human drivers begin to use automated driving systems (ADSs) for the first time, their initial understanding of the system can influence their trust leading to a miscalibration of trust. Prior studies have investigated how trust develops through interactions with an automated system, but few have looked at integrating swift trust and framing to calibrate trust before interaction and investigate further active …

Dealing With The Effects Of Covid-19 Job Demands On Public Sector Employees’ Work Engagement And Job Burnout: The Role Of Public Service Motivation, Servant Leadership, And Mission Valence, Phillip Joseph Dillulio

Psychology Theses & Dissertations

The global recession stemming from the COVID-19 pandemic had a significant impact on the public sector of the U.S. economy. Specifically, reduced tax revenues from a dramatic decline in economic activity and increased demand for public services resulted in new and increased job demands for public sector employees (Eggers et al., 2020). However, limited research has examined the effects of COVID-19-related demands on job burnout and work engagement among public sector employees, and the role of personal, social, and organizational resources to protect their well-being (Demerouti & Bakker, 2023). The current study addressed this gap by employing the Job Demands …

A Special Message To You From Your Mda Dental Pac Chair, Elizabeth Ralstrom Dds, Ms

The Journal of the Michigan Dental Association

This article is a message from the chair of the Michigan Dental Association’s political action committee thanking members for their contributions and encouraging them to make a contribution with their 2024 dues statement. It includes a listing of all contributors to the PAC over the past year.

J Mich Dent Assoc October 2023

The Journal of the Michigan Dental Association

The October 2023 issue of the Journal of the Michigan Dental Association provides: A message from the chair of the Michigan Dental Association political action committee with a listing of donors and a report on MDA advocacy during 2023, which are this month’s cover stories. Also included is a Q&A feature on dealing with dental benefits companies. This month’s clinical article is a discussion of the management of a failing implant using guided bone regeneration and esthetic crown lengthening. Other features include a listing of 2023 MDA life members and a President’s Message on the dental workforce crisis in Michigan. …

A Bike System For All In Silicon Valley: Equity Assessment Of Bike Infrastructure In San José, Ca, Ahoura Zandiatashbar, Jochen Albrecht, Hilary Nixon

Mineta Transportation Institute

Investing in sustainable, multimodal infrastructure is of increasing importance throughout the United States and worldwide. Cities are increasingly making strategic capital investment decisions about bicycle infrastructure—decisions that need planning efforts that accurately assess the equity aspects of developments, achieve equitable distribution of infrastructures, and draw upon accurate assessment methods. Toward these efforts, this project uses a granular bike network dataset with statistical and geospatial analyses to quantify a bike infrastructure availability score (i.e., bike score) that accounts for the safety and comfort differences in bike path classes in San José, California. San José is the 10th largest U.S. city and …

Public Perceptions Of Cross-Sector Collaboration And Sector Bias: Evidence From A Survey Experiment, Seulki Lee, Minjung Kim

Research Collection School of Social Sciences

In recent years, public service delivery models have changed to include non-state actors and cross-sector collaboration as service providers. Using a survey experiment, we investigate if service providers’ sector (including single-sector and cross-sector providers) and their performance information shape public perceptions of their legitimacy. We find that cross-sector collaboration does not produce legitimacy gains over traditional public service provision. While providers’ sector has overall little impact on legitimacy perceptions, we find an anti-for-profit sector bias regarding value-laden aspects of perceived legitimacy. Additionally, performance information affects legitimacy perceptions. These findings have implications for legitimacy build-ing in contemporary governance settings.

Críticas Contrahegemónicas De La Estrategia Nacional Del Litio: Hacia El Postextractivismo, Sarah Reyes

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

En abril de 2023, el presidente chileno Gabriel Boric anunció su esperada Estrategia Nacional del Litio, diseñada para expandir la extracción de litio y desarrollar una cadena de valor productiva nacional a través de una estructura de asociación público-privada con mayor participación estatal. El plan ha sido objeto de diversas críticas y niveles de oposición por parte de la izquierda, comunidades indígenas y organizaciones ambientales. Basándose en la creciente literatura de ecología política y decolonial sobre la extracción de litio, junto con marcos teóricos de decrecimiento decolonial y postextractivismo, este documento sintetiza y analiza críticas de estos tres grupos (no …

An Overview Across Three Generational Packages: Pioneer Generation, Merdeka Generation, And Young Seniors, Paulin T. Straughan, Yi Wen Tan, Rachel Ngu, Zidane Tiew, Wensi Lim

ROSA Research Briefs

In Singapore, there has been a concerted effort to implement diverse programs and initiatives to cater to the needs of the ageing demographic. In Singapore, it is expected that those aged 65 and above will make up 27% of the population by 2030 (Soh et al., 2020). It is also crucial to acknowledge that within this ageing population, each cohort follows a distinct life trajectory (Hooyman & Kiyak, 2010). For instance, older generations in Singapore may have navigated through uniqueevents like World War II, profoundly impacting their life trajectories. Meanwhile, newer generations are likely to experience remarkable economic growth alongside …

Mda Advocacy Report: 2023 To Date, And What’S Next, Jason Mashni Dds

The Journal of the Michigan Dental Association

This article is a recap of MDA legislative advocacy accomplishments and what is on the horizon for the remainder of 2023, written by the chair of the MDA Committee on Governmental and Insurance Affairs.

Considering Equity In Infrastructure Planning Processes And Outcomes For Coastal Resilience, Wie Yusuf, Marina Saitgalina, Tom Allen, Nicole S. Hutton, Jennifer L. Whytlaw, Joshua Behr

School of Public Service Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Hope And Optimism In Pediatric Deep Brain Stimulation: Key Stakeholder Perspectives, Natalie Dorfman, Lilly Snellman, Ynez Kerley, Kristin Kostick-Quenet, Gabriel Lazaro-Munoz, Eric A Storch, Jennifer Blumenthal-Barby

Center for Medical Ethics and Health Policy Staff Publications

Introduction: Deep brain stimulation (DBS) is utilized to treat pediatric refractory dystonia and its use in pediatric patients is expected to grow. One important question concerns the impact of hope and unrealistic optimism on decision-making, especially in "last resort" intervention scenarios such as DBS for refractory conditions.

Objective: This study examined stakeholder experiences and perspectives on hope and unrealistic optimism in the context of decision-making about DBS for childhood dystonia and provides insights for clinicians seeking to implement effective communication strategies.

Materials and methods: Semi-structured interviews with clinicians (n = 29) and caregivers (n = 44) were conducted, …

Ethics Education For Healthcare Professionals In The Era Of Chatgpt And Other Large Language Models: Do We Still Need It?, Vasiliki Rahimzadeh, Kristin Kostick-Quenet, Jennifer Blumenthal Barby, Amy L Mcguire

Center for Medical Ethics and Health Policy Staff Publications

In this paper, we contend with whether we still need traditional ethics education as part of healthcare professional training given the abilities of chatGPT (generative pre-trained transformer) and other large language models (LLM). We reflect on common programmatic goals to assess the current strengths and limitations of LLMs in helping to build ethics competencies among future clinicians. Through an actual case analysis, we highlight areas in which chatGPT and other LLMs are conducive to common bioethics education goals. We also comment on where such technologies remain an imperfect substitute for human-led ethics teaching and learning. Finally, we conclude that the …

Hope And Optimism In Pediatric Deep Brain Stimulation: Key Stakeholder Perspectives, Natalie Dorfman, Lilly Snellman, Ynez Kerley, Kristin Kostick-Quenet, Gabriel Lazaro-Munoz, Eric A Storch, Jennifer Blumenthal-Barby

Center for Medical Ethics and Health Policy Staff Publications

Introduction: Deep brain stimulation (DBS) is utilized to treat pediatric refractory dystonia and its use in pediatric patients is expected to grow. One important question concerns the impact of hope and unrealistic optimism on decision-making, especially in "last resort" intervention scenarios such as DBS for refractory conditions.

Objective: This study examined stakeholder experiences and perspectives on hope and unrealistic optimism in the context of decision-making about DBS for childhood dystonia and provides insights for clinicians seeking to implement effective communication strategies.

Materials and methods: Semi-structured interviews with clinicians (n = 29) and caregivers (n = 44) were conducted, …

Professional Virtue Of Civility And The Responsibilities Of Medical Educators And Academic Leaders, Laurence B Mccullough, John Coverdale, Frank A Chervenak

Center for Medical Ethics and Health Policy Staff Publications

Incivility among physicians, between physicians and learners, and between physicians and nurses or other healthcare professionals has become commonplace. If allowed to continue unchecked by academic leaders and medical educators, incivility can cause personal psychological injury and seriously damage organisational culture. As such, incivility is a potent threat to professionalism. This paper uniquely draws on the history of professional ethics in medicine to provide a historically based, philosophical account of the professional virtue of civility. We use a two-step method of ethical reasoning, namely ethical analysis informed by pertinent prior work, followed by identifying the implications of clearly articulated ethical …

Rural-Urban Disparities In Video Telehealth Use During Rapid Mental Health Care Virtualization Among American Indian/Alaska Native Veterans, Isabelle S Kusters, Amber B Amspoker, Kristen Frosio, Stephanie C Day, Giselle Day, Anthony Ecker, Julianna Hogan, Jan A Lindsay, Jay Shore

Center for Medical Ethics and Health Policy Staff Publications

Importance: American Indian/Alaska Native veterans experience a high risk for health inequities, including mental health (MH) care access. Rapid virtualization of MH care in response to the COVID-19 pandemic facilitated care continuity across the Veterans Health Administration (VHA), but the association between virtualization of care and health inequities among American Indian/Alaska Native veterans is unknown.

Objective: To examine differences in video telehealth (VTH) use for MH care between American Indian/Alaska Native and non-American Indian/Alaska Native veterans by rurality and urbanicity.

Design, setting, and participants: In this cohort study, VHA administrative data on VTH use among a veteran cohort that received …

Factors Associated With Internalizing And Externalizing Symptoms In A Clinical Sample Of Youth With Misophonia, Gabrielle M Armstrong, Rebecca L Greenberg, Orri Smárason, Renee M Frederick, Andrew G Guzick, Sophie C Schneider, Samuel D Spencer, Matti Cervin, Eric A Storch

Center for Medical Ethics and Health Policy Staff Publications

Misophonia is an often chronic condition characterized by strong, unpleasant emotional reactions when exposed to specific auditory or visual triggers. While not currently defined within existing classification systems, and not clearly fitting within the framework of extant psychiatric conditions, misophonia has historically been studied most frequently within the context of obsessive-compulsive and related disorders. Internalizing and externalizing psychiatric symptoms are common in misophonia, but specific factors that confer risk for these symptoms remain unknown. The present cross-sectional study examined whether sensory sensitivity and cognitive emotion regulation facets are associated with co-occurring internalizing and externalizing symptoms in 102 youth with misophonia …

2023 October, Morehead State University. Office Of Communications & Marketing.

Morehead State Press Release Archive, 1961 to the Present

Press releases for October of 2023.

Pay-As-You-Go Driving: Examining Possible Road-User Charge Rate Structures For California, Asha Weinstein Agrawal, Samuel Speroni, Michael Manville, Brian D. Taylor

Mineta Transportation Institute

This report lays out principles to help California policymakers identify an optimal rate structure for a road-user charge (RUC). The rate structure is different from the rate itself. The rate is the price a driver pays, while the structure is the set of principles that govern how that price is set. We drew on existing research on rate setting in transportation, public utilities, and behavioral economics to develop a set of conceptual principles that can be used to evaluate rate structures, and then applied these principles to a set of mileage fee rate structure options. Key findings include that transportation …

The Legal Case For Equity In Local Climate Action Planning, Amy E. Turner

Sabin Center for Climate Change Law

Over the last half decade, local climate action plans have regularly come to incorporate considerations of racial and socioeconomic equity, recognizing the ways in which low-income communities and communities of color experience earlier and worse consequences from global warming, and these communities are also at risk of being harmed by policies meant to address climate change. Until now, however, the discourse on equity in climate action planning has largely pertained to policy; it acknowledges the disproportionate harm that certain communities experience as a result of climate change and policies to address climate change, and suggests policy tools that can address …