Digital Commons Network^™

Natural Climate Solutions For Canada, C. Ronnie Drever, Susan C. Cook-Patton, Fardausi Akhter, Pascal H. Badiou, Gail L. Chmura, Scott J. Davidson, Raymond L. Desjardins, Andrew Dyk, Joseph E. Fargione, Max Fellows, Ben Filewod, Margot Hessing-Lewis, Susantha Jayasundara, William S. Keeton, Timm Kroeger, Tyler J. Lark, Edward Le, Sara M. Leavitt, Marie Eve Leclerc, Tony C. Lemprière, Juha Metsaranta, Brian Mcconkey, Eric Neilson, Guillaume Peterson St-Laurent, Danijela Puric-Mladenovic, Sebastien Rodrigue, Raju Y. Soolanayakanahally, Seth A. Spawn, Maria Strack, Carolyn Smyth, Naresh Thevathasan, Mihai Voicu, Christopher A. Williams

Geography

Alongside the steep reductions needed in fossil fuel emissions, natural climate solutions (NCS) represent readily deployable options that can contribute to Canada's goals for emission reductions. We estimate the mitigation potential of 24 NCS related to the protection, management, and restoration of natural systems that can also deliver numerous co-benefits, such as enhanced soil productivity, clean air and water, and biodiversity conservation. NCS can provide up to 78.2 (41.0 to 115.1) Tg CO2e/year (95% CI) of mitigation annually in 2030 and 394.4 (173.2 to 612.4) Tg CO2e cumulatively between 2021 and 2030, with 34% available at ≤CAD 50/Mg CO2e. Avoided …

Identifying Disability Level In Multiple Sclerosis Patients In A U.S.-Based Health Plan Claims Database., Regina Berkovich, Edward Fox, Annette Okai, Yao Ding, Magdaliz Gorritz, Lauren Bartolome, Rolin L Wade, Wendy Su, Kristen M Johnson, Patricia Russo

Student Papers, Posters & Projects

AIMS: In clinical trials, disability progression in multiple sclerosis (MS) is measured by the Kurtzke expanded disability status scale (EDSS), which is not captured in routine clinical care in the U.S. This study developed a claims-based disability score (CDS) based on the EDSS for assigning MS disability level in a U.S. claims database.

METHODS: This retrospective cohort study of patients with MS in the U.S., utilized adjudicated health plan claims data linked to electronic medical records (EMRs) data. Patients were identified between 1 January 2012 and 31 December 2016 and indexed on the first date of MS diagnosis. The CDS …

A Near-Real-Time Approach For Monitoring Forest Disturbance Using Landsat Time Series: Stochastic Continuous Change Detection, Su Ye, John Rogan, Zhe Zhu, J. Ronald Eastman

Geography

Forest disturbances greatly affect the ecological functioning of natural forests. Timely information regarding extent, timing and magnitude of forest disturbance events is crucial for effective disturbance management strategies. Yet, we still lack accurate, near-real-time and high-performance remote sensing tools for monitoring abrupt and subtle forest disturbances. This study presents a new approach called ‘Stochastic Continuous Change Detection (S-CCD)’ using a dense Landsat data time series. S-CCD improves upon the ‘COntinuous monitoring of Land Disturbance (COLD)’ approach by incorporating a mathematical tool called the ‘state space model’, which treats trends and seasonality as stochastic processes, allowing for modeling temporal dynamics of …

Green Talent Management And Turnover Intention: The Roles Of Leader Stara Competence And Digital Task Interdependence, Samuel Ogbeibu, Charbel Jose Chiappetta Jabbour, John Burgess, James Gaskin, Douglas W.S. Renwick

Faculty Publications

Purpose – Congruent with the world-wide call to combat global warming concerns within the context of advancements in smart technology, artificial intelligence, robotics, algorithms (STARA), and digitalisation, organisational leaders are being pressured to ensure that talented employees are effectively managed (nurtured and retained) to curb the potential risk of staff turnover. By managing such talent(s), organisations may be able to not only retain them, but consequently foster environmental sustainability too. Equally, recent debates encourage the need for teams to work digitally and interdependently on set tasks, and for leaders to cultivate competencies fundamental to STARA, as this may further help …

Rest And Therapeutic Interventions Following Sport-Related Concussion: An Evidence-To-Practice Review, Alyssa L. Bolno, Brittni G. Hoover, Ryan J. Michels, Allison B. Smith, Zachary K. Winkelmann

Clinical Practice in Athletic Training

Sport-related concussion (SRC) is among the most common injuries seen in both sports and recreation, especially collision and full contact sports. However, there has been controversy surrounding which recovery protocol would be best used in the rehabilitation of a person who has suffered from SRC. Symptoms and dysfunctions can vary from patient to patient. The average recovery time for adults is 14 days post incidence. Although most patients recover over the first few days/weeks post-injury, 15% reported recovery time of 30 or more days. Previous research determined a need for cognitive and physical rest of 24-48 hours, or until acute …

Spectroscopic Investigation Of Radiation-Induced Reoxygenation In Radiation-Resistant Tumors, Sina Dadgar, Joel Rodriguez Troncoso, Eric R. Siegel, Natalie Curry, Robert J. Griffin, Ruud P.M. Dings, Narasimhan Rajaram

Biomedical Engineering Faculty Publications and Presentations

Fractionated radiation therapy is believed to reoxygenate and subsequently radiosensitize surviving hypoxic cancer cells. Measuring tumor reoxygenation between radiation fractions could conceivably provide an early biomarker of treatment response. However, the relationship between tumor reoxygenation and local control is not well understood. We used noninvasive optical fiber-based diffuse reflectance spectroscopy to monitor radiation-induced changes in hemoglobin oxygen saturation (sO₂) in tumor xenografts grown from two head and neck squamous cell carcinoma cell lines - UM-SCC-22B and UM-SCC-47. Tumors were treated with 4 doses of 2 Gy over 2 consecutive weeks and diffuse reflectance spectra were acquired every day …

Investigating The Relationships Among Leisure, Coping, And Personal Growth Among People With Physical Disabilities, Junhyoung Kim, Jaehyun Kim, Chungsup Lee, Namyun Kil

University Faculty Publications and Creative Works

Little information exists with regard to the relationship between leisure and coping mechanisms among people with physical disabilities. The purpose of this study is to investigate the relationships among leisure, coping, and personal growth among people with physical disabilities living in the U.S. Using a purposive sampling strategy, 121 participants completed all 3 instruments: assessment of leisure and recreation involvement, coping strategy indicator, and personal growth. Frequency, descriptive analysis, Pearson correlations, and path analysis were utilized to test the relationship between leisure involvement, coping strategies, and personal growth. There were statistically significant direct effects of leisure involvement and avoidance-withdrawal coping …

Left Out A Review Of Women’S Struggle To Develop A Sense Of Belonging In Engineering, Denise Wilson, Jennifer Vanantwerp

University Faculty Publications and Creative Works

Unmet or thwarted belonging needs have been implicated in multiple studies of women in engineering in college and in the engineering workforce. A wide range of other challenges that women face in engineering are tightly linked to deficits in belonging. Furthermore, many women face intersectional factors across race and ethnicity that make it even more difficult to belong. This literature review looks at women’s struggles in engineering in the context of the fundamental psychological need to belong. Studies that investigate belonging are reviewed, as are major contributors to unmet or thwarted belonging including gender identity threat and normative and numerical …

Heller (2008) And The Language Of The Second Amendment: Grammar, Meaning, And Canonical Conventions, James Vanden Bosch

University Faculty Publications and Creative Works

Legal scholars use linguistic tools in their work as a matter of course, and scholars of Constitutional law regularly engage in semantic analysis, trying to determine what specific words and phrases mean in context. Historical linguistics (the study of how language changes over time) and corpus linguistics (the analysis of large bodies of text, now typically aided by computers) also have roles to play in the study of Constitutional law, and these tools prove to be particularly helpful in the study of the 2008 Supreme Court decision on the Second Amendment.

Parental Knowledge Of Pediatric Car Seat Safety Recommendations, Stephanie Edwards, Erica Elkin, Danley Herring, Maggie Hyer, Joni Stewart

MSN Research Projects

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), in 2018, 634 children were killed in traffic accidents. One-third of children killed in car accidents are not restrained properly in the vehicle. Improper car seat use in infants and toddlers results from a lack of knowledge from guardians regarding car seat safety usage. Therefore, education from providers is vital to the health and safety of all children. According to these statistics, car seat safety is a large public health concern and needs to be addressed more often. Even though there are many factors related to traffic accidents, studies show that …

Implementation Of The 2017 Aha Guidelines By Primary Care Providers In Managing Elevated Blood Pressure A Modifiable Risk Factor Of Stroke, Chelsi Archie, Chelsea Bullock, Nekesha Johnson, Elizabeth Lishman

MSN Research Projects

Elevated blood pressure is a condition in which systolic blood pressure is 120-129 mmHg and diastolic blood pressure is less than 80 mmHg, according to the CDC (2020), which points out that elevated blood pressure often leads to hypertension. In 2017, The American Heart Association (AHA) released guidelines to aid providers in the early detection and management of hypertension. These guidelines integrate nonpharmacological and pharmacological therapies. The nonpharmacological therapies include following a heart-healthy diet, weight loss, sodium restriction, limitation of alcohol and tobacco consumption, and increased physical activity (AHA, 2018). Hypertension, “the silent killer” is one of the major causes …

2021 School Performance Report: Innovation In Learning, Grand Valley State University

Charter School Portfolio Performance Reports

No abstract provided.

Mothering Through Our Pain: Single Black Mothers’ Narratives, Yolanda E. Surrency

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

Black women’s voices and historical contributions have been dismissed, and even excluded, making it difficult for their cultural knowledge to be transmitted to future generations. Black women battle with an unsettled consciousness from subscribing to the normalization of what dominant culture defines as good mothering. This study uses Black feminism to examine single Black mothers who navigate the negative images of the welfare queen and the matriarch. This narrative study uses Black feminism to examine the stories of single, Black mothers and their daughters. The purpose is to investigate Black mothers’ lived experiences to understand their struggles and resistance. Purposeful …

How Do Special Education Teachers View The Phenomenon Of Black Male Overrepresentation In Special Education?, Lelon B. Jeffers

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

As the student population in many U.S. public schools grows increasingly more diverse, the need to assess the educational practices utilized in public schools grows as well. It is imperative for educators to make a concerted effort to ensure the rights and needs of minority students are being addressed in public schools. It is the duty of educators and policy makers to protect those students who are most marginalized by society. The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore the phenomenon of Black male overrepresentation in special education, and to ascertain the views and perspectives of special education teachers …

Free-Roaming Cat Abundance Across A Habitat Gradient, Rachel E. Bird

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

There are an estimated 172 million owned and feral cats in the United States, and wildlife enthusiasts and cat owners are often at odds over how best to manage free-roaming cats. Management is needed because of the documented impacts of free-ranging cats on wildlife. Targeting these management efforts, however, is hampered by an imperfect understanding of cat distribution in the landscape. My study used game cameras and capture-recapture sampling to estimate abundance of free-roaming cats across a habitat gradient in Bulloch County, Georgia, USA. In all, I detected cats at 51% (25/49) sites with a mean of 2.1 cats per …

Perceptions Of Local Board Of Health Effectiveness In Georgia, Amber Erickson

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

Objective: The purpose of this study is to examine the perceptions of the local board of health chairpersons in Georgia on their engagement in six governance functions and examining the challenges faced and facilitators perceived by local boards of health in performing the governance functions properly. Methods: For this descriptive mixed method study design, a survey was administered to all local board of health chairpersons and key informant interviews were conducted with a small selection of board of health chairpersons. Descriptive statistics were produced for recoded survey data variables and themes from qualitative data collected through the surveys and interviews …

Lack Of Plasticity In Gopher Tortoise (Gopherus Polyphemus) Nesting Behavior And Fecundity In A Translocated Population, Jennifer N. Desha

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

Lack of Plasticity in Gopher Tortoise (Gopherus polyphemus) Nesting Behavior and Fecundity in a Translocated Population

Evaluation Of Supervised Deep-Learning For Improved Pneumonia Diagnosis, Andrew Kalaani

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

Pneumonia is one of the leading causes of infections in the lung area and deaths worldwide. The mortality rate is 24.8% for patients over 70 years of age due to other health complications present along with it. In least fortunate countries, pneumonia can often times go untreated because of how cost extensive it is to diagnose, especially severe cases that cannot be seen by a plain X-ray. Other scanning methods can find the lung abnormality but are time-extensive and not cost effective. An autonomous approach however can help aid diagnosing pneumonia with a plain X-ray scan due to the structural …

Qualitative Study Of Factors Contributing To Fertility Service Use Among Cancer Survivors Of Reproductive Age In The Us, Angela Rodgers Moore

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

Cancer remains the second leading cause of death in the United States; however, there has been a decline in incidence and mortality due to advances in screening and treatment. Currently 16.9 million survivors are thriving within the United States, and the population of cancer survivors has been projected to grow to 22.2 million by 2030. Although cancer survivors report an increased surge of vitality and vigor, they often face physical, mental, psychosocial, or financial challenges that threaten their quality of life. A late treatment effect of particular concern for cancer survivors of reproductive age that has both physical and psychosocial …

Career Motivations And Aspirations Of Dietetic Students: Applying The Social Cognitive Career Theory, Whitney Linsenmeyer, Rabia Rahman

Internet Journal of Allied Health Sciences and Practice

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to describe the career motivations and aspirations of dietetic students using the Social Cognitive Career Theory (SCCT). The objectives were to identify and quantify 1) the factors that motivate current students to choose dietetics as a career, 2) the future career aspirations of dietetic students, and 3) the way in which dietetic students make career decisions. Methods: This descriptive study utilized the validated Career Aspirations and Motivations of Dietetics Students (CAMDS) survey. Program directors of the Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics (ACEND)-accredited programs shared the CAMDS survey with their students …

In-Situ Process Monitoring For Metal Additive Manufacturing (Am) Through Acoustic Technique, Md Shahjahan Hossain

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

Additive Manufacturing (AM) is currently a widely used technology in different industries such as aerospace, medical, and consumer products. Previously it was mainly used for prototyping of the products, but now it is equally valuable for commercial product manufacturing. More profound understanding is still needed to track and identify defects during the AM process to ensure higher quality products with less material waste. Nondestructive testing becomes an essential form of testing for AM parts, where AE is one of the most used methods for in situ process monitoring. The Acoustic Emission (AE) approach has gained a reputation in nondestructive testing …

Self-Confidence And Perceptions Of Athletic Training Students Following Simulated Experiences: A Mixed-Methods Pilot Study, Hannah L. Stedge, Valerie Herzog

Internet Journal of Allied Health Sciences and Practice

Purpose: Athletic training clinical education provides students with a variety of real-life patient encounters under the supervision of a credentialed athletic trainer. However, clinical education experiences may not allow for all students to practice more invasive or less common skills such as rectal thermometry. The purpose of this study was two-fold: 1) determine the effect of a series of low to high-fidelity simulated rectal thermometry experiences on athletic training students’ self-confidence scores; and 2) through a phenomenological qualitative approach, explore athletic training students’ perceptions following the simulated rectal thermometry experiences. Method: This study used a quasi-experimental, mixed methods, one-group …

Students’ Response To The Covid-19 Remote Learning Transition, Sandra Dunbar-Smalley, Roy Lukman, Joe Hawkins

Internet Journal of Allied Health Sciences and Practice

Background: The global pandemic has created a need for several higher education institutions to transition to emergency remote learning. Students and faculty have experienced a significant disruption to their daily academic routines. It is critical to understand the perceptions of students in relationship to their learning experiences and ability to effectively manage the new and changing learning environment and expectations. This study sought to understand the students’ response to the transition to remote learning, as a necessary strategy for managing learning during the pandemic. Methods: A 15-item electronic survey was provided to approximately 1600 students at a private faith-based university …

Feeding Difficulties In Children: A Guide For Allied Health Professionals An Evaluation Report, Carmel M. Blayden, Kate Holland, Sonia Hughes, Jennifer Nicol

Internet Journal of Allied Health Sciences and Practice

Purpose: An evaluation of Feeding Difficulties in Children: A Guide for Allied Health Professionals (2016) was undertaken to determine how the publication has been utilised amongst allied health professionals across NSW. This evaluation aimed to identify the usefulness of the Guide in supporting the assessment and management of children with feeding difficulties. Results will inform future education and support strategies. Method: The evaluation targeted allied health professionals employed by NSW Health. An online questionnaire formed the primary method of data collection. Four semi-structured focus groups also occurred to provide complementary qualitative information. Results: Clinicians from a range of professions and …

Myelination: A Plastic Religion, Cody A. Thomas

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

Plastic products are convenient, abundant and our use of them has become routine. This acceptance of

plastics’ presence has become a dogma that most humans adhere to. The continual consumption of

these single-use plastics in our daily lives has unknowingly shaped our environmental consciousness,

behaviors, and justification for them. This belief in plastics function has been strategically developed by

companies that rely on our behaviors to distribute their products. Humans have become the faithful

consumers of these goods and this belief. The brain and its ability to remain plastic and develop

decision-making skills are known as Myelination. New experiences enhance …

Assessing Short-Term Microalgal Community Responses Over Altering Hydrological Conditions In Experimental Wetlands Of Costal Georgia, Maggie M. Kuhn

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

Wetlands provide valuable ecosystem services such as nutrient cycling and carbon storage. Microalgae (i.e., diatoms) provide the foundation of primary production and determine rates of energy transfer throughout the system. Climate change models predict an increase in frequency of intense storms and severe drought conditions that pose a threat to known hydrological regimes and wetland ecosystem stability. The purpose of my study was to assess the effects of water permanence (i.e., duration of flooding) on diatom community structure in experimental wetlands. I predicted that wetlands with prolonged periods of flooding (i.e., permanent) would harbor a consistent diatom community throughout flooding …

The First Amendment And Algorithms, Stuart M. Benjamin

Faculty Scholarship

No abstract provided.

Life Without Parole Sentencing In North Carolina, Brandon L. Garrett, Travis M. Seale-Carlisle, Karima Modjadidi, Kristen M. Renberg

Faculty Scholarship

What explains the puzzle of life without parole (LWOP) sentencing in the United States? In the past two decades, LWOP sentences have reached record highs, with over 50,000 prisoners serving LWOP. Yet during this same period, homicide rates have steadily declined. The U.S. Supreme Court has limited the use of juvenile LWOP in Eighth Amendment rulings. Further, death sentences have steeply declined, reaching record lows. Although research has examined drivers of incarceration patterns for certain sentences, there has been little research on LWOP imposition. To shed light on what might explain the sudden rise of LWOP, we examine characteristics of …

The City’S Second Amendment, Dave Fagundes, Darrell A. H. Miller

Faculty Scholarship

Cities are increasingly common sites of contestation over the scope and meaning of the Second Amendment. Some municipalities have announced their opposition to firearm restrictions by declaring themselves Second Amendment sanctuaries. Others have sought to curtail gun violence by passing restrictive local regulations. Still others have responded to police violence by moving to demilitarize, disarm, or even disband their police forces. The burgeoning post-Heller legal literature, though, has largely overlooked the relationship between cities, collective arms bearing, and the Second Amendment. In sum, to what extent do cities themselves have a right to keep and bear arms? This Article tackles …

Pointing Guns, Joseph Blocher, Samuel W. Buell, Jacob D. Charles, Darrell A. H. Miller

Faculty Scholarship

The American gun debate is increasingly populated with scenes of people pointing and otherwise displaying guns. What is the legal regime governing gun displays, and how well can it address the distinct social and legal problems they pose? In this Essay, we argue that the current structure of criminal law does not supply clear rules of conduct sufficient to avoid the negative effects of gun displays, and that the rhetorical and expressive effects of Second Amendment debates threaten to make the situation worse. We also suggest how the legal rules might be improved, and how battles over norms—as much as …