Digital Commons Network^™

Community Engagement And Planning: Reading Center For Active Living (Recal), Ceara Somerville, Caitlin Coyle, Beth Rouleau

Center for Social and Demographic Research on Aging Publications

This report describes research undertaken by the Center for Social & Demographic Research on Aging (CSDRA) within the Gerontology Institute at the University of Massachusetts Boston, on behalf of the Town of Reading. The goals of this project were to (1) engage the community and (2) investigate the needs, interests, preferences, and opinions of Reading residents regarding the possibility of a new community or senior center. The content of this report is meant to inform the Reading Center for Active Living Committee (ReCalc) on its mission to “explore the current and future needs of the community and initiate planning for …

The Fan Program Plan: Creating A Healthy Church Environment For Physical Activity And Healthy Eating, John A. Bernhart Ph.D., Mph, Ches, Caroline G. Dunn, Sara Wilcox Phd, Jessica Stucker, Deborah Kinnard

Faculty Publications

Background: Faith, Activity, & Nutrition (FAN) helps churches create a healthier environment for physical activity (PA) and healthy eating (HE) through policy, systems, and environmental changes. Objective: The purpose of this paper is to describe the implementation, evaluation, and revision of the FAN Program Plan across a two-phase study to help churches create guidelines and policies for PA and HE. Methods: In Phase 1, church committees attended trainings led by Community Health Advisors (CHA) where they assessed current practices to PA and HE. Committees used the FAN Program Plan to outline an implementation plan to increase opportunities, programs, messages, pastor …

Bevers: A General, Simple, And Performant Framework For Automatic Fact Verification, Mitchell Dehaven

School of Computing: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Fact verification has become an important process, primarily done manually by humans, to verify the authenticity of claims and statements made online. Increasingly, social media companies have utilized human effort to debunk false claims on their platforms, opting to either tag the content as misleading or false, or removing it entirely to combat misinformation on their sites. In tandem, the field of automatic fact verification has become a subject of focus among the natural language processing (NLP) community, spawning new datasets and research. The most popular dataset is the Fact Extraction and VERification (FEVER) dataset. In this thesis an end-to-end …

Global Adverse Effects Of Scientific Prescribed Medications: Covid-19 Vaccines, Albert Mcbell Ninepence

Young African Leaders Journal of Development

The impact of scientific prescribed medications are tremendous and cannot be overemphasized. Irrespective of scientific prescribed medications impacts, in recent epoch it has attracted some criticisms on its efficacy. Prescribed medications are medications from scientific treatments or cure which is the widely accepted approach to curing or treating illnesses and diseases. On the other hand, traditional prescribed medications which are non-scientific tend to be less utilized, ignored and extremely criticized by pure scientists. The criticisms surrounding scientific prescribed medications escalated during the era of COVID-19. While some people resorted to the use of scientific prescribed medications of COVID-19 vaccines to …

The Implication Of Corruption On Sustainable Development In Africa: (Using Nigeria As A Case Study), Ezeifekwuaba Tochukwu Benedict

Young African Leaders Journal of Development

The scenario of the rise of corruption in Africa particularly in Nigeria is so much a problem. It cuts across the various Private Sectors including different tiers of government. This research paper applied collected secondary data from library materials, government publications, journals, the internet and daily newspapers. The kernel of the research paper is on the facts that corrupt practices among the class of political leadership have led to the undermining of the stability and growth of the country's economy. Also, it is discovered that corruption maximizes the poverty level that triggers criminal exercises in the Nation. The paper suggests …

Black Minds Matter: Exploring The Double Trauma Of Anti-Blackness And War On The Psycho-Political Well-Being Of African And African-Descent Refugees From Ukraine, Macire Aribot, Nassim Ashford, Korea S. Badio

Young African Leaders Journal of Development

Amid the horror of the Russia-Ukraine war, Black refugees from Ukraine have suffered multiple traumas: The trauma of war and the trauma of anti-blackness. The world caught a glimpse of this via social media and news reports that African people were physically blocked from boarding trains and buses by Ukrainian officials, as well as neighboring countries denied entry to people who were not “Ukrainian.” These double traumas have undoubtedly placed Black refugees in Ukraine among the most vulnerable group of people in this humanitarian crisis. However, despite the psycho-political suffering Black refugees have experienced during the Russia-Ukraine war, their voices, …

The Benefits Of Integrating Physical Activity For Elementary School Students, Miriam Olmos

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

This capstone examines the benefits of Physical Activity (PA) for elementary school students. Recently, many schools have dedicated most of the school day to teach core subjects where students remain desk bound with greater sedentary time. Many schools have also decided to either cut or reduce Physical Education (P.E.) activities for students. However, through literature review, a 45- anonymous student and teacher survey and an ethnographic interview with a teacher along with class observations, the findings revealed that integrating physical activities along with other core subject matters throughout the school day could help student concentration, motivation and improve their academic …

Access To Music Among Air Traffic Controllers: Perceptions, Performance, Stress, And Ethics, Vincent Paul Domen

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine the interactions between music listening, stress, and performance among 268 air traffic controllers. The research questions included: (1) What is the relationship between air traffic controller perceived performance and music listening?; (2) What is the relationship between air traffic controller stress level and music listening?; (3) Should music listening be considered an ethical and/or effective solution to improve emotional and physiological outcomes among air traffic controllers? The results showed that as ratings increased for (1) agreement that participants listened to music while working, (2) time spent listening to music; (3) beliefs that …

Indigeneity In Space Governance Discussions: Centering Indigenous Knowledges Beyond Earth, Erin Edwards

Theses and Dissertations

Space policy and space law are expanding fields given the recent boom of commercial space flight, yet we hear less about space governance. These conversations are happening, but the discussions generally replicate western democratic practice with little input from other knowledge traditions, despite recent socio-political strain seen in senior democracies.This work focusses the discussion on missing voices. Those of the many Indigenous cultures that have routinely been silenced from terrestrial governance discussions. These voices, however, reflect thousands of years of collective knowledge of managing societies in a holistic manner. Some of these societies have developed in areas considered extreme environments …

Determining Optimum Coal Bottom Ash Content For Sustainable Concrete Infrastructure, Samrawit Menda

Theses and Dissertations

Concrete usage is increasing rapidly; subsequently, the industry's carbon footprint is increasing. Coal Bottom Ash (CBA)/Boiler Slag Bottom Ash (BS) is a byproduct of coal-burning power plants. This material can replace fine aggregate in concrete to reduce global natural material depletion. Using CBA/BS in the construction industry will reduce the technical and economic problems associated with power plants by reducing solid waste. This project's objective was to determine whether using new sustainable materials, such as CBA/BS, in concrete will reduce natural raw material usage and energy consumption. This study included three projects: comparing increased CBA/BS content to the three-control projects …

Vertical Transfer Student Integration At A Technical University: A Case Study Of A Large, Urban, Private Institution, Eric Michael Pope

Theses and Dissertations

This study examined the experiences of vertical transfer students currently enrolled at a technical university and the academic and social integration of these students into their new institution. The purposes of this study were two-fold. The first objective was to better understand how community colleges prepare students academically and socially for their eventual transfer. The second objective was to understand the academic and social integration of students entering a technical university. A qualitative case study was conducted to learn more about the experiences of vertical transfer students entering this institution. The data collection method included one-on-one interviews with ten recently …

Top Ten Issues In De-Spac Securities Litigation, Wendy Gerwick Couture

University of Arkansas at Little Rock Law Review

I am delighted to contribute to this symposium on special purpose acquisition companies (SPACs). The securities litigation associated with the de-SPAC transaction is at an early stage, but courts are already wrestling with a number of unsettled issues that cast a mirror on SPACs and the securities laws more broadly. As these issues are resolved, they will affect the future of de-SPAC transactions as well as the regulatory environment in which they operate. In this essay, I identify ten such issues, drawing from the pleadings, briefings, and hearings in pending de-SPAC securities cases, with the goal of highlighting the key …

Energy Law—The Green Squeeze: Net Metering’S Negative Externalities And Societal Consequences For The Poor, Steven Cox

University of Arkansas at Little Rock Law Review

No abstract provided.

Civil Rights Law—Preserving Female Athletics: Arkansas’S Fairness In Women’S Sports Act, Chandler Little Bray

University of Arkansas at Little Rock Law Review

No abstract provided.

Real Property Law—Easements—Why Arkansas Should Adopt The Uniform Easement Relocation Act., Adam Conrady

University of Arkansas at Little Rock Law Review

No abstract provided.

Municipal Law—A Wedge In Climate Initiatives: How State Legislatures’ Preemption Of Local Government’S Role In Climate Change Policy And Arkansas’ Act 308 Of 2021 Are Misplaced., Travis Golliher

University of Arkansas at Little Rock Law Review

No abstract provided.

Analysis Of Precipitation Reversals Over The State Of Arkansas, Mallory Hoff

Crop, Soil and Environmental Sciences Undergraduate Honors Theses

Recent studies have examined hydroclimate precipitation reversals, but because it is a newly defined concept, there is minimal research available on how reversals are changing, and it has not been widely investigated. Precipitation reversal is the rapid switch between wet and dry periods or “precipitation extremes and the opposite” (McKay, 2018), based on precipitation measurements in this case. A single reversal is the immediate transition from a wet to a dry period or from a dry to a wet period. Changes in reversals have not been thoroughly reported and this gap in research creates a risk of unpredictable conditions that …

Data Management Report December 2022, Tennessee. Department Of Intellectual And Developmental Disabilities

Compliance & System Data/Reports

This monthly report provides data on various aspects of the department's activities and programs.

Pilot Testing A Survey To Evaluate Horse Owner And Trainer Perceptions Of The Importance And Ideality Of Equine Hoof Balance, Katherine Gilmore

Animal Science Undergraduate Honors Theses

Balance plays an integral role in the healthy equine hoof, yet there is a significant deficiency of research investigating horse owner and trainer knowledge of hoof balance. This study aimed to pilot test an online survey instrument evaluating horse owner and trainer perceptions of proper hoof care and balance. The survey instrument sought to collect demographic information of horse owners and trainers, determine horse owners’ and trainers’ abilities to identify ideally balanced equine forehooves, and assess horse owner and trainer knowledge of best hoof trimming and shoeing practices. Ninety-one horse owners and trainers with facilities that were within a 150-mile …

Sisters Of The Fin: A Nonprofit Start-Up Connecting Women Veterans Through Fishing In Alaska, Shelly Berna

Student Projects for Graduate Degrees

Sisters of the Fin (SOTF) is a prospective nonprofit organization (NPO) startup focusing on connecting women veterans by offering recreational fishing opportunities in Alaska. This SOTF project objective proposed development of a nonprofit organization business plan using research and application of project management principles and Project Management Institute (PMI) PMBOK® Guide Knowledge Areas. In combination with an NPO business plan, a project management plan (PMP), an integrated project schedule, relevant templates, and metrics for project monitoring and control were developed and utilized. The SOTF Project Manager employed selected project management tools and techniques to determine suitability for nonprofit application. Online …

Examining Community Engagement Strategies In Richmond, Va Nonprofits Addressing Food Insecurity: A Case Study, Moné Bailey

School of Professional and Continuing Studies Nonprofit Studies Capstone Projects

Food in America is often a reflection of values, cultures and customs. Food choices give way to your upbringing, geographic location and even socioeconomic status. In the United States, 8.6 million adults live in households with very low food security. As nonprofits begin to shift from a charity-based structure in addressing food insecurity to an equity-based approach, it is important to understand how they are effectively engaging the community. Community engagement is a fundamental practice for nonprofits to build trust, foster relationships and empower the community. Though the concept of community engagement has been an important theme across disciplines, there …

Spontaneous Coronary Artery Dissection Is Infrequent In Individuals With Heritable Thoracic Aortic Disease Despite Partially Shared Genetic Susceptibility, Regina Husman, Akiko Tanaka, S Keisin Wang, Kourosh Keyhani, Arash Keyhani

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Spontaneous isolated celiac artery dissection (SICAD) is a rare condition, defined as dissection of the celiac artery without aortic involvement. Because of its low prevalence, most studies have been limited to case reports and case series. We have described the case of a 44-year-old woman who had presented with symptomatic SICAD that had resulted in compromised flow to the hepatic arteries and was successfully treated with balloon angioplasty. Angioplasty alone might be effective for cases of extensive false lumen thrombosis in SICAD for immediate flow restoration to the true lumen, expediting positive remodeling.

En’S Adventure: Exploring Modern Design Mechanics In Retro Adventure Games, Frank Fasola

Theses

This project focuses creating a small game prototype that can be used to build a full game around. The primary focus is to create a short experience to establish the mechanics and gameplay of the game. Games made in the style of retro games are released every year, but most of these games strive to provide the same experience from the late 1980s. The project is a top down 2D retro adventure game made using modern techniques and learning from game development in the 30 years since these games were released.

Efficiency Of Primary Spine Care As Compared To Conventional Primary Care: A Retrospective Observational Study At An Academic Medical Center, Serena Bezdjian, James M. Whedon, Robb Russell, Justin M. Goehl, Louis A. Kazal

Dartmouth Scholarship

Background: Primary Spine Care (PSC) is an innovative model for the primary management of patients with spine-related disorders (SRDs), with a focus on the use of non-pharmacological therapies which now constitute the recommended first-line approach to back pain. PSC clinicians serve as the initial or early point of contact for spine patients and utilize evidence-based spine care pathways to improve outcomes and reduce escalation of care (EoC; e.g., spinal injections, diagnostic imaging, hospitalizations, referrals to a specialist). The present study examined 6-month outcomes to evaluate the efficiency of care for patients who received PSC as compared to conventional primary care. …

Front Matter

Hofstra Law Review

No abstract provided.

Textualism's Immigration Problem: Stabilizing Interpretive Rules On Noncitizens' Rights And Remedies, Peter Margulies

Hofstra Law Review

The article focuses on textualism immigration problem as the U.S. Supreme Court has applied textualist methodology in immigration cases and misread the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA). It mentions application of linguistic canons occurs in a comparative, probabilistic assessment to resolve conflicts and analysis of statutory interpretation generally and immigration law in particular. It also mentions discusses inconsistencies in multi-member tribunals, such as appellate courts.

Put Down The Phone! The Standard For Witness Interviews Is In-Person, Face-To-Face, One-On-One, Sean D. O'Brien, Quinn C. O'Brien, Dana Cook

Hofstra Law Review

The article focuses on professional standards for investigative interviews, the social science supporting the in-person, face-to-face interview standard. It mentions standards that apply to capital mitigation work, the problems created by remote witness interviews are not unique to death penalty work. It also mentions police officers, social workers, parole officers, and defense investigators knock on doors and mental health experts investigated prevailing standards of performance.

2022-December-01-Sweaters For Cameron, University Marketing And Communication, East Tennessee State University

ETSU News

JOHNSON CITY – Students, employees and visitors to the East Tennessee State University campus who strolled University Commons recently enjoyed a colorful – and meaningful – sight: a special tree wrapped in a lovingly crafted “sweater.”

“Sweaters for Cameron” is the brainchild of Abigail “Abby” Simpson, a sophomore rehabilitative health sciences major from Church Hill who is a student in ETSU’s Roan Scholars Leadership Program. Through the Roan Impact Focus Project, students read a book over the summer that centered on healthy habits and were encouraged to do meaningful projects using the healthy habits they picked up as a …

Circadian Genes In, Ewd-8, Triple-Negative Breast Cancer Cells May Demonstrate Rhythmicity In Vitro, Kayla Garza

Undergraduate Honors Theses

Studies have shown a link between greater rates and risks of breast cancer in women that work night shifts, such that this type of work has been labeled a probable carcinogen. It has been suggested that the disruption of circadian genes- PER and CRY - could be partly responsible for this increased breast cancer risk. The suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN) in the brain is the central circadian pacemaker; however, how and if Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) cells, an aggressive type of breast cancer that is characterized by the absence of estrogen receptors (ER), progesterone receptors (PR), as well as HER-2 growth …

Misinformation Of Mental Health On Social Media And How It Affects Those Who View It, Kathryn Johnson

Undergraduate Honors Theses

Social media’s prevalence has grown through the years with 4.63 billion users around the world as of January 2022 (Global Social Media Stats). With the prevalence of social media, the question of the information, or in this case, the misinformation, that is on media platforms, especially about mental health, is one that needs to be brought to light. Mental health issues and disorders have become more of an open topic recently, and with the outreach on social media around mental health, the spread of misinformation can reach many audiences. This study analyzes just how potent the misinformation on mental health …