Digital Commons Network^™

Usa V. Russell Teter

2024 Decisions

USDC for the Middle District of Pennsylvania

In Re: Oliver Vaughn Douce

2024 Decisions

USDC for the District of New Jersey

Karin Wolf V. State Of New Jersey

2024 Decisions

USDC for the District of New Jersey

Jerome Washington V. John E. Wetzel

2024 Decisions

USDC for the Western District of Pennsylvania

Performing Masculinities: The Assumption Of Men’S Roles By Women Left Behind By Male Migrant Labourers In Southern Tanzania, Nives Kinunda, Angelus Mnenuka, Samwel Mhajida

Journal of Humanities and Social Sciences

This article examines the empowerment of female farmers in the Southern Highlands of Tanzania due to male labour migration during the British colonial rule. The study sought to highlight the history of gender-based division of labour, the dynamics of labour division during the colonial period, the trend of females’ adoption of males’ activities, and women’s empowerment resulting from their assumption of males’ responsibilities. Data were collected through oral interviews, documentary reviews, group-focused discussions, and archival sources. The data were analysed and interpreted using a gender framework theory, which includes, among other things, gender roles and gender relations. Findings show that …

Memories Of Resistance To Slavery In South-Eastern Tanzania, Nancy Rushohora

Journal of Humanities and Social Sciences

This paper examines the historical representation and memory of slavery in Tanzania, arguing that the current curriculum predominantly employs a Marxist lens that emphasizes the economic dimensions of slavery while overlooking the complexity of resistance. The study’s objective is to present a more comprehensive understanding of Tanzanian slavery, focusing on forms of resistance at Mgao, a 12th–18th century Swahili site. Methodologically, this study draws on ethnographic accounts, documentary sources, and archaeological findings to uncover diverse acts of defiance, including seeking refuge, negotiating relocation, and engaging in violent confrontations. The results reveal that resistance was a widespread, multi-dimensional phenomenon in Tanzanian …

Ad Hominem Arguments In Zimbabwean Political Discourse: An Analysis Of Political Argumentation, Jack Mutsvairo, Mawande Dlali

Journal of Humanities and Social Sciences

The article investigates the motivation behind the prevalent use of the subtypes of ad hominem (personal attacks) arguments in Zimbabwe political discourse in the build-up to the 2023 harmonised council, parliamentary and presidential elections. This qualitative case study research looks at the use of ad hominem arguments by Zimbabwean politicians. Using analytical tools and concepts from informal logic and pragma-dialectical argumentation theories, this article focuses on identifying, analysing, and evaluating ad hominem arguments used in Zimbabwean political discourse, particularly in parliamentary debates and broadcast interviews. Data were purposively sampled and gathered from Hansard records, and a television interview transcript. It …

Leadership Strategies Indigenous Canadian Entrepreneurs Use To Sustain Their Business, Sherry Tyeesum Mattice

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Indigenous Canadian small business entrepreneurs face a high risk of failure within five years of operation. These entrepreneurs encounter challenges such as limited access to capital and skilled employees and must develop strategies to sustain and grow their businesses. Grounded in the theory of constraints, the purpose of this qualitative multiple-case study was to explore strategies employed by Indigenous small business entrepreneurs to effectively sustain their businesses beyond 5 years. The participants were six Indigenous small business entrepreneurs in British Columbia who implemented strategies to sustain their businesses beyond 5 years. Data were collected through semistructured interviews and by reviewing …

Staff Education Project Staff Education To A Medical Surgical Unit, Kay-Ann Wilson-Phipps

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

This Doctor of Nursing (DN) project aimed to educate staff on set protocols for preventing catheter-associated urinary tract infection (CAUTI) in a medical-surgical unit. The CAUTI rates in the unit were rising beyond the national standards. The purpose of this project was to effectively reduce the CAUTI rates by at least 25% by providing knowledge in the form of best practices to the nursing staff about catheter insertion, care, and removal. The practice-focused question attempted to answer whether staff education on CAUTI protocols would increase knowledge. Thirty-seven staff members voluntarily participated in the education project, including nursing staff, infection control …

Structural Variant Allelic Heterogeneity In Mecp2 Duplication Syndrome Provides Insight Into Clinical Severity And Variability Of Disease Expression., Davut Pehlivan, Jesse D. Bengtsson, Sameer S. Bajikar, Christopher M. Grochowski, Ming Yin Lun, Mira Gandhi, Angad Jolly, Alexander J. Trostle, Holly K. Harris, Bernhard Suter, Sukru Aras, Melissa B. Ramocki, Haowei Du, Michele G. Mehaffey, Kyunghee Park, Ellen Wilkey, Cemal Karakas, Jesper J. Eisfeldt, Maria Pettersson, Lynn Liu, Marwan S. Shinawi, Virginia E. Kimonis, Wojciech Wiszniewski, Kyle Mckenzie, Timo Roser, Angela M. Vianna-Morgante, Alberto S. Cornier, Ahmed Abdelmoity, James P. Hwang, Shalini N. Jhangiani, Donna M. Muzny, Tadahiro Mitani, Kazuhiro Muramatsu, Shin Nabatame, Daniel G. Glaze, Jawid M. Fatih, Richard A. Gibbs, Zhandong Liu, Anna Lindstrand, Fritz J. Sedlazeck, James R. Lupski, Huda Y. Zoghbi, Claudia M B Carvalho

Manuscripts, Articles, Book Chapters and Other Papers

BACKGROUND: MECP2 Duplication Syndrome, also known as X-linked intellectual developmental disorder Lubs type (MRXSL; MIM: 300260), is a neurodevelopmental disorder caused by copy number gains spanning MECP2. Despite varying genomic rearrangement structures, including duplications and triplications, and a wide range of duplication sizes, no clear correlation exists between DNA rearrangement and clinical features. We had previously demonstrated that up to 38% of MRXSL families are characterized by complex genomic rearrangements (CGRs) of intermediate complexity (2 ≤ copy number variant breakpoints < 5), yet the impact of these genomic structures on regulation of gene expression and phenotypic manifestations have not been investigated.

METHODS: To study the role of the genomic rearrangement structures on an individual's clinical phenotypic variability, we employed a comprehensive …

Higher Education Reform In Roman Catholic Ecclesiastical Institutions: Responses From French Institutions To Quality Management Imperatives, Marine Condette

Journal of Comparative & International Higher Education

No abstract provided.

Minutes From December 18 2024, University Senate

University Senate Minutes

Minutes from December 18 2024 University Senate Meeting

Technology Development Of High-Resolution Single-Cell Lineage Tracing For Cell Reprogramming Systems, Sadie Vanhorn

Arts & Sciences Graduate Student Theses and Dissertations

A critical element of cell identity is the cell that created the observed cell. This parent cell dictates many aspects of its identity, whether measured by function, phenotype, or specific assays. The cell’s lineage impacts the ability of the cell to differentiate into final cell types in development or successfully reprogram in direct cell reprogramming. Here, we evolve molecular barcoding techniques to increase the resolution of lineage recording at single-cell resolution. Using single-cell RNA-sequencing as the readout for this measurement, polyadenylated reporter gene transcripts with engineered 3’ untranslated regions were designed to initially label and then record lineage information. While …

Leadership Strategies Indigenous Canadian Entrepreneurs Use To Sustain Their Business, Sherry Tyeesum Mattice

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Indigenous Canadian small business entrepreneurs face a high risk of failure within five years of operation. These entrepreneurs encounter challenges such as limited access to capital and skilled employees and must develop strategies to sustain and grow their businesses. Grounded in the theory of constraints, the purpose of this qualitative multiple-case study was to explore strategies employed by Indigenous small business entrepreneurs to effectively sustain their businesses beyond 5 years. The participants were six Indigenous small business entrepreneurs in British Columbia who implemented strategies to sustain their businesses beyond 5 years. Data were collected through semistructured interviews and by reviewing …

Connections Between Household Socioeconomic Status, Modifiable Risk Factors, And Diabetes Status Among Adults In Jamaica, Sheriann Elizabeth Reid

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Globally, diabetes is one of the most prevalent and challenging disorders. In Jamaica, the prevalence of the disease has increased by 42% since 2001. This study explored the connection between household socioeconomic status, modifiable risk factors, and diabetes status among adults in Jamaica using the social-ecological model. The study explored whether household socioeconomic status and modifiable risk factors were associated with diabetes and whether they predicted diabetes among Jamaican adults. A quantitative cross-sectional design was used to analyze data with 11,206 respondents from the Jamaica Survey of Living Conditions 2019 dataset. Binary logistic regression analysis revealed statistically significant associations between …

Briar Hill Realty Llc V. Reisner

All Decisions

In this nonpayment proceeding, the landlord obtained a default judgment against the tenant. The tenant moved to vacate the default judgment, arguing that the landlord's agent misled him into believing he did not need to respond to the court proceedings. The court granted the tenant's motion, finding that the landlord's agent's actions constituted extrinsic fraud, which warranted vacating the judgment even without a showing of a meritorious defense. The court emphasized the importance of preserving the integrity of the legal process and preventing situations where parties are misled into believing they do not need to defend themselves in court.

Selling The City: A Qualitative Study On The Image Construction Of Times Square Through Its Media Environment, Sheetal Pandey

Theses

As a globally recognized symbol of indulgent consumerism and urban spectacle, the media environment of New York City’s Times Square plays a pivotal role in constructing its iconic image. This qualitative study uses a media ecology framework to analyze how Times Square’s digital displays, interactive installations, and live performances create an immersive experience that informs one’s image of it. Through participant observation and visual content analysis, this study examines how visitors interact with Times Square’s media landscape and identifies recurring media-driven themes. Observations reveal that Times Square’s media ecosystem invites constant public interaction, actively engaging visitors in a feedback loop …

Feasibility Of Large Language Models For Ceus Li-Rads Categorization Of Small Liver Nodules In Patients At Risk For Hepatocellular Carcinoma, Jiayan Huang, Rui Yang, Xiaotong Huang, Keyu Zeng, Yan Liu, Jun Luo, Andrej Lyshchik, Qiang Lu

Department of Radiology Faculty Papers

BACKGROUND: Large language models (LLMs) offer opportunities to enhance radiological applications, but their performance in handling complex tasks remains insufficiently investigated.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the performance of LLMs integrated with Contrast-enhanced Ultrasound Liver Imaging Reporting and Data System (CEUS LI-RADS) in diagnosing small (≤20mm) hepatocellular carcinoma (sHCC) in high-risk patients.

MATERIALS AND METHODS: From November 2014 to December 2023, high-risk HCC patients with untreated small (≤20mm) focal liver lesions (sFLLs), were included in this retrospective study. ChatGPT-4.0, ChatGPT-4o, ChatGPT-4o mini, and Google Gemini were integrated with imaging features from structured CEUS LI-RADS reports to assess their diagnostic performance for sHCC. …

Staff Education Project Staff Education To A Medical Surgical Unit, Kay-Ann Wilson-Phipps

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

This Doctor of Nursing (DN) project aimed to educate staff on set protocols for preventing catheter-associated urinary tract infection (CAUTI) in a medical-surgical unit. The CAUTI rates in the unit were rising beyond the national standards. The purpose of this project was to effectively reduce the CAUTI rates by at least 25% by providing knowledge in the form of best practices to the nursing staff about catheter insertion, care, and removal. The practice-focused question attempted to answer whether staff education on CAUTI protocols would increase knowledge. Thirty-seven staff members voluntarily participated in the education project, including nursing staff, infection control …

Examining The Internet Hunting Styles Of Violent Sexual Predators Who Rape And Murder Their Victims, Rebecca Meyers

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The proposed study sought to explore the impact of the internet on the hunting styles of sexual predators who sexually assault and kill their victims. A sample of 32 cases, divided equally among offenders who used the internet to target adult females and those who did not use the internet, was used for the study. The findings showed that various internet-based platforms were used for targeting, including dating apps such as Grindr, Match.com, Meetme.com, Tinder, Craigslist, Sex chat rooms, Kik Messenger, and BDSM sites. Three themes emerged about the impact of the internet on the hunting styles of sexual predators …

Exploring Kindergarten Teachers' Perspectives On The Interpretation Of Standards In A Developmentally Appropriate Way In Kindergarten Classrooms, Shawanza Demetrist Lockett

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Many kindergarten teachers are feeling the effects of standard-based education. The problem is that it is unknown whether teachers implement mandated state standards in a developmentally appropriate way. The purpose of this basic qualitative study was to investigate kindergarten teachers’ perspectives on implementing standards in a developmentally appropriate manner. Shulman’s theory of teacher knowledge was the conceptual framework for the study. The research question focused on kindergarten teachers’ perspectives of implementing standards in a developmentally appropriate way. Twelve kindergarten teachers were recruited from three Title 1 elementary schools in a rural southeastern state in the United States. Thematic data analysis …

Autoethnographic Examination Of Moral Distress While Working For The For-Profit Substance Use Disorder Treatment Sector, Kapil Nayar

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Interpersonal conflicts and moral distress due to authority figures' unethical and illegal practices are widely discussed topics in the literature. Coping with these experiences and becoming a whistleblower, however are understudied in the counseling field, and are often stigmatized yet advocated for in our codes of ethics. The purpose of this qualitative autoethnographic study is to (1) show moral distress exists in the for-profit sector of substance use disorder treatment; (2) moral distress results from counselors discovering evidence of unethical and illegal activities; (3) moral distress results from the act of blowing the whistle and (4) offers a roadmap for …

Reducing Attrition In Medication-Assisted Treatment: Strategies From Behavioral Health Leaders, Tony Shaw

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

This qualitative case study explores strategies to reduce attrition rates in medication-assisted treatment programs, drawing on the perspectives of behavioral health leaders and guided by the principles of the Baldridge Excellent Framework. It aims to implement effective strategies to enhance client retention and improve treatment outcomes. Drawing from 18 years of professional experience in behavioral health, this research analyzes current practices and identifies interventions to improve program effectiveness. Data collection includes case studies, surveys, and interviews with behavioral health leaders, providing a comprehensive view of the challenges and opportunities within these programs. The study revealed several key factors affecting retention …

Methodological Report Of A Cross-Sectional Survey Of Abortion-Related Knowledge, Attitudes And Practices Amongst Health Professionals In Britain, Strategies Adopted And Lessons Learned: Evidence From The Sacha Study, The Sacha Study Team, R. S. French, M. J. Palmer, O. Mccarthy, N. Salaria, R. Meiksin, J. Shawe, M. Lewandowska, R. Scott, K. Wellings, G. Wong, S. Sheldon, J. Reiter, W. V. Norman, C. Murphy, P. A. Lohr, L. Keogh, C. Free, S. Cameron, P. Baraitser, A. Aronsson

School of Nursing and Midwifery

Background: Most surveys examining health professionals’ knowledge, attitudes and practices around abortion have used convenience samples and have targeted doctors. Our goal in the SACHA Study, drawing on evidence-based strategies to maximise response rates, was to achieve a representative sample of a wider range of health professionals, working in general practice, maternity services, pharmacies, sexual and reproductive health (SRH) clinics and specialist abortion services in Britain, to explore the knowledge, attitudes and experience of abortion care and views on future models of delivery. Methods: A cross-sectional questionnaire-based survey of midwives, doctors, nurses and pharmacists in England, Scotland and Wales was …

Engagement And Access To Support For Oral Health, Substance Use, Smoking And Diet By People With Severe And Multiple Disadvantage: A Qualitative Study, Neha Jain, Emma A. Adams, Emma C. Joyes, Gillian Mclellan, Martin Burrows, Martha Paisi, Laura J. Mcgowan, Lorenzo Iafrate, David Landes, Richard Watt, Falko F. Sniehotta, Eileen Kaner, Sheena E. Ramsay

Peninsula Dental School

Background Severe and multiple disadvantage (SMD) is the combined effect of experiencing homelessness, substance use and repeat offending. People experiencing SMD have high burden of physical and mental health issues. Oral health is one of the most common health problems in people experiencing SMD which interacts with substance use, smoking, and unhealthy diet to create a cycle of harm and disadvantage. However, burden of these conditions is worsened by poor access to health services. This study aimed to identify pathways to improve engagement and access to health interventions, for oral health, substance and alcohol use, smoking and diet. Methods Using …

Targeting Corticotropin-Releasing Hormone Receptor Type 1 (Crhr1) Neurons: Validating The Specificity Of A Novel Transgenic Crhr1-Flpo Mouse, Mason Hardy, Yuncai Chen, Tallie Z Baram, Nicholas J Justice

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH) signaling through its cognate receptors, CRHR1 and CRHR2, contributes to diverse stress-related functions in the mammalian brain. Whereas CRHR2 is predominantly expressed in choroid plexus and blood vessels, CRHR1 is abundantly expressed in neurons in discrete brain regions, including the neocortex, hippocampus and nucleus accumbens. Activation of CRHR1 influences motivated behaviors, emotional states, and learning and memory. However, it is unknown whether alterations in CRHR1 signaling contribute to aberrant motivated behaviors observed, for example, in stressful contexts. These questions require tools to manipulate CRHR1 selectively. Here we describe and validate a novel Crhr1-FlpO mouse. Using bacterial artificial …

Schedulability Analysis Of Multi-Phase Limited-Preemption Tasks, Benjamin Standaert

McKelvey School of Engineering Graduate Student Theses & Dissertations

This work addresses hard real-time systems, in which tasks must be scheduled so that they are guaranteed to meet deadlines. In particular, when tasks execute across multiple domains with high preemption costs, the combined cost of these preemptions can cause the system to become unschedulable. The number of preemptions must therefore be bounded to limit the overall task execution time, while ensuring that task blocking times are small enough to allow the system to be schedulable. Prior work introduces the Multi-Phase Secure model, which describes a more exact version of this scenario, and an algorithm to determine schedulability of sporadic …

Codifying Domesticity: The Story Of The Recommended Minimum Requirements For Small Dwelling Construction Of 1923, The Housing Policy Of The Hoover Secretariat, And The Impact On American Residential Architecture, Noah Morris

Graduate School of Architecture & Urban Design Theses & Dissertations

During the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, fire disasters and health-safety issues led to the widespread adoption of building codes. While the National Board of Fire Underwriters published the National Building Code in 1905, the code did not maintain regulatory consistency across the nation. This lack of consistency across the nation and socio-economic factors contributed to a nation-wide housing shortage of a million units by 1919. During World War I, the government addressed the housing crisis through the United States Housing Corporation and Emergency Fleet Corporation, building public housing based on the ideals of the Garden City Movement.[1] Following the …

Examining The Internet Hunting Styles Of Violent Sexual Predators Who Rape And Murder Their Victims, Rebecca Meyers

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The proposed study sought to explore the impact of the internet on the hunting styles of sexual predators who sexually assault and kill their victims. A sample of 32 cases, divided equally among offenders who used the internet to target adult females and those who did not use the internet, was used for the study. The findings showed that various internet-based platforms were used for targeting, including dating apps such as Grindr, Match.com, Meetme.com, Tinder, Craigslist, Sex chat rooms, Kik Messenger, and BDSM sites. Three themes emerged about the impact of the internet on the hunting styles of sexual predators …

Connections Between Household Socioeconomic Status, Modifiable Risk Factors, And Diabetes Status Among Adults In Jamaica, Sheriann Elizabeth Reid

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Globally, diabetes is one of the most prevalent and challenging disorders. In Jamaica, the prevalence of the disease has increased by 42% since 2001. This study explored the connection between household socioeconomic status, modifiable risk factors, and diabetes status among adults in Jamaica using the social-ecological model. The study explored whether household socioeconomic status and modifiable risk factors were associated with diabetes and whether they predicted diabetes among Jamaican adults. A quantitative cross-sectional design was used to analyze data with 11,206 respondents from the Jamaica Survey of Living Conditions 2019 dataset. Binary logistic regression analysis revealed statistically significant associations between …