Digital Commons Network^™

Issue 26: Labour, Poverty, And Health Concerns Of Migrant Women And Girls Working As Kayayei In Ghana's Urban Centres, Comfort Baidoo, Robert Mcleman

International Migration Research Centre

Over the past four decades, growing numbers of women and girls have left northern Ghana for the country's cities, drawn by the promise of work, independence, and a chance to support their families. Many end up as kayayei, head porters who carry goods through Accra's crowded markets for a negotiated fee. Their labour keeps the informal economy moving, yet it comes at a steep personal cost: unpredictable earnings, punishing physical strain, unsafe housing, and a healthcare system that too often leaves them out. This brief draws together the available evidence on the economic and health conditions of kayayei in Greater-Accra. …

Leapp Scope And Sequence, Chenell Loudermill, Tamar Greenwell

Purdue-LEaPP Assessment Toolkit

The LEaPP Scope and Sequence provides a structured guide for explicit and systematic teaching of phonics, morphology, syllabification, and word study to strengthen orthographic mapping skills and support the development of reading and spelling skills. The document is arranged in order of early basic concepts (EBC; 1-31), Late Basic Concepts (LBC; 32-44) Early Advanced Concepts (EAC; 45-66) and Late Advanced concepts (LAC; 67-86). The Scope and Sequence outlines 86 concepts and allows educators to track skills that have been taught and mastered in reading and spelling for each learner. It contains a form for early learners that allows educators to …

Leapp Writing Rubric, Chenell Loudermill, Tamar Greenwell

Purdue-LEaPP Assessment Toolkit

The LEaPP Writing Rubric can be used to assess foundational and compositional writing skills for all learners. Foundational skills that are assessed include capitalization, spacing, punctuation, and spelling. Compositional skills that are assessed include writing purpose, topic maintenance, vocabulary, sentence structure, grammar usage, and organization. This rubric allows an educator to quantify and categorize a learner’s writing skills as poor, emerging, developing or consistent. It can be tailored for use with any writing sample at the sentence, single paragraph, or essay level. This document contains directions for use and a brief scoring guide.

Leapp Decoding Screener, Chenell Loudermill, Tamar Greenwell

Purdue-LEaPP Assessment Toolkit

The LEaPP Decoding Screener is an educational tool to systematically map a learner's phoneme/grapheme knowledge and decoding skills along a progression. The screener starts with establishing phoneme/grapheme knowledge and continues to word level decoding skills from basic to advanced. The screener can be used in part or whole and can be repeated as needed for progress monitoring. Tables for data analysis are provided. Data from the decoding screener can be mapped to the scope and sequence progress monitoring form to help determine point of instruction.

Leapp Basic And Advanced Spelling Inventories, Chenell Loudermill, Tamar Greenwell

Purdue-LEaPP Assessment Toolkit

The LEaPP Basic and Advanced Spelling Inventories are educational tools to systematically map and track a learner’s ability to encode words containing spelling features along a progression. The Basic screener starts with single graphemes and closed syllable words and moves through additional concepts such as digraphs, blends, VCe, vocalic r, basic vowel teams, and basic roots and affixes. The Advanced screener starts with beginning advanced code such as blends and moves through additional advanced concepts such as vocalic r, vowel teams, diphthongs, complex consonants, roots, affixes, and syllable junctures. The screeners can be used in part or whole and can …

Parkinson's Disease: Immunometabolic Control Points Across Neural, Vascular, And Peripheral Systems, Y Narvaez Irizarry Felix, Alondr M. Bermudez Adorno, Boris Ermolinsky, Lilia Kucheryavykh, Mikhail Inyushin

School of Integrative Biological & Chemical Sciences Faculty Publications

Parkinson's disease (PD) is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder most associated with degeneration of dopaminergic neurons in the substantia nigra pars compacta. Increasing clinical and experimental evidence, however, indicates that PD is a multisystem disease in which immune, metabolic, vascular, and peripheral nervous system dysfunction precede and shape motor circuit failure. Nonmotor manifestations, including olfactory impairment, sleep and autonomic disturbances, gastrointestinal dysfunction, and cognitive decline, often arise years before motor diagnosis, highlighting pathogenic mechanisms beyond dopamine deficiency alone. In this review, we synthesize evidence supporting the view that PD represents a disorder of chronic immunometabolic dysregulation rather than isolated neuronal loss. …

Commitment To Community (2026), University Of Dayton. Campus Ministry, University Of Dayton. Student Development

Student Development Documents

Catholic Marianist vision of education makes the University of Dayton community unique. It shapes the warmth of welcome we experience and the family spirit we treasure. It calls us — across a variety of faith traditions and perspectives — to a learning and working environment where faith and life are integrated. It challenges us to take up the hard work necessary to build the spiritual, moral, physical and social dimensions of our community.

Behavior, expectations, policies and relationships at UD are guided by the Catholic moral tradition. This Commitment to Community highlights three Catholic Marianist principles for learning, working and …

Content Mapping: An Experimental Analysis Of Missing Message Content, Jeannette Sutton

Emergency Preparedness, Homeland Security, and Cybersecurity Faculty Scholarship

The Warning-Response Model recommends the inclusion of five key content areas in warning messages to reduce information seeking that can lead to warning response delay: the message source, hazard (including its impact), affected location, recommended guidance, and time. Research has found that complete messages, that is, those that include all of five recommended content areas, help people make decisions about the protective actions they may take.  Unfortunately, a large majority of WEA messages omit information from one or more of the recommended content areas. This study examined the impact of omitting each of the five recommended content areas on message …

Dnp Final Report: Improving Diabetes Self-Efficacy Through Nutrition Education: A Quality Improvement Project, Lakimberely S. Wooten

DNP Final Reports

Diabetes affects 12.7% of residents in Northeast Texas and is the 7th leading cause of death. Internal evidence indicates low health literacy and a heavy disease burden in the service area, underscoring the need for a standardized, low-cost, and feasible approach to nutrition education. This quality improvement project evaluated the feasibility of implementing an instructor-led nutrition education session. Guided by the Johns Hopkins Evidence-Based Practice Framework and the ADKAR behavioral change model, adult participants with Type 2 diabetes received instruction on the Plate Method. Participants enrolled in a 4-week, instructor-led diabetes education class completed a 1-hour, nutrition education session using …

Dnp Final Report: Improving School Nurse Confidence In Managing Student Anxiety Through Simulation-Based Training, Jessica Marish

DNP Final Reports

Evidence has shown that students with untreated or poorly managed mental health concerns are at higher risk for absenteeism, psychiatric hospitalization, and school dropout. School nurses are often among the first healthcare professionals students encounter when experiencing emotional distress; however, many report limited preparation in mental health screening, grounding techniques, and referral support. The purpose of this quality improvement project was to determine the feasibility of a simulation-based educational intervention for school nurses in managing student anxiety. Guided by the Johns Hopkins Nursing Evidence-Based Practice Model and Neuman Systems Model, this initiative also included the Plan-Do-Study-Act (PDSA) quality improvement model …

Ultraviolet Imaging Of Sr 12 C With Hst/Wfc3: Accretion And Variability Of A Giant Planet At The End Stages Of Growth, Claire O. Finley, Brendan P. Bowler, Ya-Lin Wu, Adam L. Kraus, Yifan Zhou, Yuhiko Aoyama, William Best, Ian Czekala, Catherine C. Espaillat, Katherine B. Follette, Gregory J. Herczeg, Raquel A. Martinez, Connor E. Robinson, Quang H. Tran, K. Ward-Duong

Astronomy: Faculty Publications

Many details of the gas accretion phase during giant planet formation remain untested. We present new 0.2–0.7 μm UV-through-red optical imaging of the young, wide-orbit planetary-mass companion SR 12 c from the Wide Field Camera 3 (WFC3) instrument on board the Hubble Space Telescope. SR 12 c exhibits strong accretion-related continuum excess blueward of∼5000 Å and clear signs of the Balmer jump at 3646 Å. We derive a total accretion luminosity of1.65 ±0.19× 10⁻⁵L_⊙and a mass accretion rate of 8 ±2 × 10⁻¹² M_⊙yr⁻¹. Based on its mass and age,SR12 c …

Perceived Effectiveness Of Cigar Warnings Among Young People In The U.S., Leah M. Ranney, Rime Jebai, Michael Jetsupphasuk, Sonia A. Clark, Kristen L. Jarman, Sarah D. Kowitt, Jim Thrasher Ph.D., Ma, Ms, Adam O. Goldstein, Jennifer Cornacchione Ross

Faculty Publications

Introduction: The effectiveness of warning size and format on cigar packaging in influencing youth and young adult smoking behaviors is not well understood. This study tested these cigar warning characteristics among youth and young adults who use or are susceptible to using little cigars or cigarillos.

Methods: The study recruited 506 U.S. youth and young adults, aged 15−20 years, between April and June 2023. Participants reported ever or past 30-day use of little cigars or cigarillos or were susceptible to using little cigars or cigarillos. A 2 £ 2 between-subjects online experiment was conducted where youth and young adults were …

Historical Impact Of Climate Change And Progress Of Genetic Traits On Yield In The Major Soybean (Glycine Max L.) Growing Provinces Of South Africa, Vuwani Makuya, Michael Van Der Laan, Montserrat Salmerón, Gianni Bellocchi, Annelie De Beer, Robert Mangani

Plant and Soil Sciences Faculty Publications

Context and objective: Soybean production in South Africa is increasingly threatened by climate change; but the historical interplay between changing climate and genetic improvement on yield remains unexplored. This study assessed the historical influence of climate change and genetic trait improvement on soybean yield from 1998 to 2022 across four different South African localities: Bethlehem, Delmas, Brits and Potchefstroom. Methods: Seasonal climate trends were evaluated using the non–parametric tests, yield anomalies were quantified using detrended standardized residuals, and the effects of rainfall and temperature on yield were analyzed through Bayesian hierarchical modelling. The contribution of genetic improvement to yield gains …

Issue 25: Beyond Blame: Gender-Based Violence Prevention And African Diaspora Communities In The Waterloo Region, Halima Ahmed, Valdrin Dragusha, Stella Omonigho, Fadhilah Balogun

International Migration Research Centre

Gender-Based Violence (GBV) remains a critical social, public health, and governance challenge in Canada, particularly for migrant and refugee women (Tastsoglou, 2025). This is increasingly prominent at the local level in the Waterloo Region, particularly for African and racialized diaspora communities navigating settlement, integration, and institutional access. While multi-level governance and frameworks exist at the city, regional, provincial, and federal levels to address GBV, they tend to work in silos, and local implementation gaps persist. The gaps are shaped by cultural stigma, fragmented service delivery, precarious immigration status, formalinformal networks of support, and unequal access to culturally responsive support systems. …

Vol 71 #4, Rebecca Chavez

MPLA Newsletter

No abstract provided.

Ai-Ready Libraries Require Ai-Ready Librarians: Building Organisational Capability For Digital Transformation, Salihin Mohammed Ali

Research Collection Library

Academic libraries worldwide are rapidly experimenting with artificial intelligence (AI) to enhance research, learning, discovery, operations, and user engagement. However, many institutions continue to approach AI adoption primarily through isolated pilots, individual experimentation, or technology-centric initiatives. While these efforts generate innovation, they often struggle to scale sustainably without corresponding organisational capability development. This presentation argues that AI-ready libraries require AI-ready librarians and proposes an organisational capability approach for sustainable AI transformation in academic libraries. Drawing from the development of a library-wide AI strategy plans at Singapore Management University, the presentation explores how AI capability-building can be operationalised across diverse functional …

Business Responsibility And Sustainability In India : A Comprehensive Analysis Of Brsr Disclosures Of India’S Top 1,000 Listed Companies For Fy 2024–25, Rajeev Ranjan Tripathi, Aditya Gupta, Mohan Krishna, Sonika Gandhi

Monograph and Other Reports

The intersection of capital markets, corporate governance, and sustainable development has, over three decades, given rise to a transformative shift in management practice: the systematic disclosure and evaluation of Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) performance. Once confined to niche ethical investment circles, ESG reporting has evolved into a mainstream imperative, shaping investment decisions, regulatory frameworks, and stakeholder expectations across both developed and emerging economies. Today, ESG performance is no longer an addendum to financial reporting but a substantive dimension of enterprise value and long-term organisational legitimacy. India’s ESG reporting journey reflects a trajectory of incremental but decisive policy evolution. The …

Sex-Specific Adaptive Immune Responses In Spinal Cord Injury, Reena Kumari, John C. Gensel

Markey Cancer Center Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Prediction Of Pasture Condition In The Kimberley Rangelands Of Western Australia Using Simple Classification Tree Models, Ben Nestor, Kath Ryan, Charles Martin, Philip Thomas, Chris Hetherington, Matthew Fletcher, Robert Sudmeyer, Karyn Reeves

Natural Resources Research Articles

Pasture condition assessments assist pastoralists, regulators, and policy makers in making informed decisions around livestock production and the preservation of natural resources in the Kimberley rangelands of Western Australia (WA). Reliable qualitative assessments of pasture condition require assessors with extensive expertise, which means frequent and reproducible assessments can be difficult to achieve. To develop a quantitative approach that can complement existing qualitative assessment approaches in the Kimberley, we investigated the use of simple classification tree models to predict pasture condition using assessment data from the Western Australian Rangeland Monitoring System (WARMS). Quantitative traits were derived from WARMS observation data for …

Wisdom In Counseling And Psychotherapy: A Conceptual Model For Practice, Mitchell Waters

Posters

Wisdom is increasingly recognized as an important construct in counseling and psychotherapy, yet its clinical application remains underdeveloped. This article presents an integrative model of wisdom as a dynamic, context-sensitive capacity that coordinates cognitive, affective, temporal, and spiritual processes in response to complex life challenges. The model includes four dimensions: (a) cognitive-affective integration, combining emotion and reason; (b) temporal integration, linking past experiences with future possibilities; (c) intrinsic spirituality, fostering meaning-making and reducing egocentric bias; and (d) regulatory flexibility, enabling adaptive shifts among domains. Implications for therapeutic practice, outcomes, and future research are discussed.

Pre-Post Changes In Physiological, Cognitive, And Motivational Outcomes Following An Active Video Game Intervention In Adolescents And Adults: A Pilot Study, Ashley Williams, Danielle D. Wadsworth, Thaangiah Geetha

Publications

Active video games (AVG) are emerging as a promising home-based strategy to increase physical activity by integrating movement into interactive gameplay. However, evidence remains limited regarding their effectiveness across physiological, cognitive, and motivational outcomes in adolescents and adults within household settings.

Natural Resource Managment Department Roundup, August 2026, Department Of Natural Resource Management

NRM Newsletter

Department Head's Message
Upcoming Events
NRM Highlights
Department Events
Extension and Outreach Activities
2025 - 2026 Dean's LIst
2025 - 2026 NRM Graduation

The Price Of Possessiveness: How Parental Materialism Undermines Child Psychological Wellbeing, Miao Li

Sociology Publications

Materialism, a value system that places the pursuit of possessions at the core of happiness and life meaning, is a dominant cultural force in modern societies. While its associations with individual well-being are well-documented, its intergenerational implications remain understudied. This study conceptualizes materialism as a potential family stressor contributing to the intergenerational transmission of stress. An intergenerational crossover model of materialism was tested using data from 1,996 parent-child pairs in Zhengzhou, China. Results indicate that higher parental materialism is associated with stronger materialistic values in children, weaker family relationships, and more frequent parental comparisons, each of which is linked to …

Nitrate Levels In The Tap Water Of Several Northeast Iowa Communities In 2026, Kamyar Enshayan

Faculty Publications

Tap water samples were taken from numerous sites in several northeast Iowa communities along the Cedar River to learn what levels of nitrate people are actually drinking over a several-months period in 2026, with the hope of inspiring public conversations, understanding and action. Samples were taken from February to June 2026.  None of the tap water samples violated the current outdated nitrate limit of 10 mg/l set 35 years ago. However, published public health studies in the past 15 years reveal that consuming nitrate in drinking water at levels as low as 5mg/l for a long time can increase the …

A Longitudinal Multi‑Proxy Geospatial Classification Of Peri‑Urban Transitions Across Community Health Units In Coastal Kenya, Prissy Makena, Felix Oluoch, Rosebella Iseme, Fredrick Gudda, Alfred Keter, Jai Das, Zulfiqar Bhutta, Anthony Ngugi

Population Health, East Africa

Background Urbanization is spatially heterogeneous in many sub-Saharan African settings. This complicates community health planning when rural and peri-urban labels are applied informally or updated inconsistently. We assessed whether multiple publicly available geospatial proxies could characterize settlement dynamics and support Community Health Unit (CHU) level classification within the Kaloleni Rabai Health and Demographic Surveillance System (KRHDSS) in coastal Kenya.

Methods We conducted a longitudinal ecological analysis across 10 CHUs in Kilifi County with annual observations from 2017 to 2024. Five geospatial proxy indicators of settlement intensity were summarized within CHU boundaries: Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite (VIIRS) nighttime lights radiance, …

Wisdom In Counseling And Psychotherapy: A Conceptual Model For Practice, Mitchell Waters

Papers

Wisdom is increasingly recognized as a critical construct in counseling and psychotherapy, yet it remains conceptually diffuse and underdeveloped for clinical application. This article proposes an integrative conceptual model of wisdom that extends the Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) WISE MIND framework by incorporating temporal and self-transcendent dimensions. Wisdom is defined as a dynamic, context-sensitive capacity to coordinate cognitive, affective, temporal, and spiritual processes in response to complex life demands. The model includes four components: (a) cognitive–affective integration, reflecting the synthesis of emotion and reason; (b) temporal integration, involving adaptive coordination of past experiences and future possibilities; (c) self-transcendent orientation, conceptualized …

Paperless Society, Paperless Future And Borderless Libraries, Ukoha O. Igwe

Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal)

Purpose: This study explores the indispensability of books and physical libraries despite the digital technologies and digital transformation engulfing our lives, work and society.

Design/Methodology: This study used qualitative design and methodology utilizing a systematic review and synthesis of empirical research, institutional reports and documents published between 1978 and 2025 to achieve its objectives. An extensive review of the pertinent literature was undertaken to underscore the journey and permutations of the death of books and libraries. This conceptual review synthesizes the interplay between digital technologies, digital transformation,and libraries in information dissemination. This provided a basis for inferences and extrapolation of …

Borderplex Business Barometer, Volume 10, Number 8, Thomas M. Fullerton, Steven L. Fullerton

Border Region Modeling Project

No abstract provided.

Transfusion Intensity In The Icu: Reasons And Triggers, Merijn Reuland, Senta Raasveld, Jimmy Schenk, Claudia Oord, Sanne Bruin, Caroline Schaap, Andrew Flint, Jan Bakker, Maurizio Cecconi, Marcus Lance

Anaesthesiology, East Africa

Background The reasons and physiological triggers for blood transfusion in critically ill patients are not well characterized. Beyond hemoglobin levels, hemodynamic instability is frequently cited, but its role across clinical contexts remains unclear.

Aims (1) To determine whether reasons and triggers for RBC transfusion differ across intensive care unit (ICU) days with varying transfusion intensity. (2) To describe reasons for non-RBC transfusions across these intensity groups.

Methods This sub-study of the prospective International Point Prevalence Study of Intensive Care Unit Transfusion Practices (InPUT) classified ICU days by transfusion intensity: nonmajor (1 RBC unit), major (≥2 units), and massive (≥6 units …

Executive Board Annual Summary, 2025-2026, Emeriti Society, University Of The Pacific

Emeriti Society History and Reports

No abstract provided.