Digital Commons Network^™

Gingival Inflammation And Microbial Load In Iraqi Patients Fitted With Fixed Orthodontic Appliances: A Longitudinal Study, Maryam Aljbouri, Thaer Jaber Al-Khafaji, Nebras N. Al-Dabbagh

NJF Biomedicine Journal

Background: Fixed orthodontic appliances are widely used to correct malocclusions and improve dental aesthetics and function. However, their placement can significantly alter the oral microenvironment, promoting plaque accumulation and microbial colonization, which may lead to gingival inflammation and periodontal complications. In particular, opportunistic pathogens such as Staphylococcus aureus and Candida albicans have been reported to proliferate in orthodontic patients. Methods: A total of 40 (20 males, 20 females) patients undergoing fixed orthodontic treatment were enrolled in this longitudinal study. Unstimulated saliva samples were collected by passive drooling method (Navazesh, 1993) at three intervals: baseline (T0), two weeks (T1), and four …

Neuroadaptive Return On Investment In Education: A Critical Review Of Eeg And Eye-Tracking For Decision Optimization, Piper Hutson, James Hutson

Faculty Scholarship

This article advances a critical synthesis of a proposed neuroadaptive return on investment framework that integrates electroencephalography and eye-tracking into educational decision systems. The analysis situates neuroadaptive ROI within scholarship on neurodiversity, engagement, and adaptive learning, arguing that process-level indicators of attention, cognitive load, and persistence merit inclusion alongside conventional outcome metrics in investment models. Methodological scrutiny examines construct validity for neural and gaze indices, requirements for multimodal fusion, calibration across heterogeneous learner profiles, and threats to internal and external validity in classroom contexts. Evidence from pilot implementations suggests feasibility for real-time pacing, friction-point detection, and targeted resource triage, although …

How Gen Z Makes Sense Of Csr Communication: The Role Of Perceived Altruism And Cultural Ideology In Responses To Internal And External Csr, Yezi Hu, Yanni Ma, Di Mu

Communication Faculty Publications and Presentations

This study aims to examine how Generation Z consumers respond to internal and external corporate social responsibility (CSR) posts on social media. By exploring the mediating role of perceived altruism and the moderating role of cultural ideology, this research seeks to provide a nuanced understanding of how ideological orientations shape CSR communication effectiveness.

This study conducted an online experiment (N = 509) to examine how Gen Z, an emerging powerhouse of consumers, responds to corporate social responsibility (CSR) communication. Participants were randomly assigned to view a social media post highlighting either internal CSR, external CSR, or a neutral control message. …

Improving Palliative Care Knowledge And Intentions Among Great Plains American Indians: Efficacy Results From A Randomized Clinical Trial Testing A Culture-Centric Palliative Care Message, Mary J. Isaacson, Kah Meng (Charlie) Soh, Christopher S. Wichman, Gina Johnson, Kelly Le Beaux, Semhar Michael, Lisa Sparks, Karla M. Hunter

Communication Faculty Articles and Research

Background

Methods

Results

Genomic Annotation And Biological Characterization Of Three Novel Gordonia Rubripertincta Bacteriophages, Sri Rishitha Nannapaneni

All HCAS Student Capstones, Theses, and Dissertations

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a global crisis, with 1 in 6 bacterial infections being resistant to antibiotics and causing 40 million deaths between 1990 and 2021 worldwide. This threat has resulted in the demand for alternative therapies, like bacteriophage therapy which uses viruses to treat bacterial infections by killing them. Gordonia rubripertincta is a gram-positive bacterium that is found in various habitats: water, soil, and on the exterior of plants. Gordonia species are rare, however, they are emerging as opportunistic human pathogens that may cause various infections in any individual. G. rubripertincta infections occur from surgical complications with a catheter …

A Generative Ai Pipeline For Rare Road Scenario Augmentation From Existing Training Datasets, Debarghya Goswami

Electronic Theses and Dissertations 2020 - Present

Autonomous Vehicle (AV) systems have the potential to transform the transportation ecosystem significantly by improving safety and accessibility. One of the core components of any AV is a real-time object detection system. It helps an AV localize its position in the surrounding environment and perform tasks such as maneuver planning and obstacle detection. To make a deep-learning-based object detection system safe and robust, it must be trained on diverse and rare scenarios that can occur in road conditions. However, it is expensive and time consuming to manually create training datasets containing rare road objects or conditions. Synthetic training data can …

A Curriculum For Teaching English-Speaking Fluency, Jue Xia

Master's Projects and Capstones

This field project intends to apply theories of second language acquisition to practical implementations. The purpose of this project is to design a curriculum that teaches speaking fluency to low level English literacy English as a Second Language (ESL) learners. The theoretical frameworks it uses are Stephen Krashen’s Input Hypothesis Theory (Brown 2014, p.288), Barry McLaughlin’s Attention-Processing Model (Brown 2014, p.292), Lev Vigotsky’s Sociocultural Theory (Brown 2014, p.295). Fink’s (2003) Integrated Course Design model gives important insights when designing the curriculum. In the project, the author developed three themed units to teach speaking skills. In each unit, three modules are …

December 3, 2025 Faculty Senate Minutes, University Of South Carolina

Faculty Senate

No abstract provided.

The Perspectives And Experiences Of Prospective Parents Declining Diagnostic Prenatal Genome Sequencing In Continuing Pregnancies With Fetal Structural Anomalies, Lisa S Weingarten, Allison Rosenbaum, Jessica De Voest, Stephanie Galloway, Jessica L Giordano, Samantha Stover, Lauren E Westerfield, Grant Bonesteele, Kelly L Gilmore, Leandra Tolusso, Beatrix Wong, A Theresa Wittman, Daniel T Swarr, Nancy Leslie, Anthony Johnson, Ignatia B Van Den Veyver, Neeta L Vora, Rebecca G Clifton, Aaron B Caughey, Ronald J Wapner, Wendy K Chung

Duncan NRI Faculty and Staff Publications

Objective: This study evaluates an understudied perspective: the experiences of prospective parents who decline prenatal genome sequencing (pGS) for continuing pregnancies with fetal structural anomalies.

Method: We recruited a total cohort of 300 parents of 150 pregnancies who declined pGS, including 33 individuals who underwent an invasive procedure. These parents were invited to participate in a semi-structured interview between 1 and 15 months post-partum. We used Thematic Analysis to code and analyze interviews.

Results: We interviewed 22 parents of 16 pregnancies. Reasons for declining testing included risks of invasive procedures (n = 19, 86%), lack of prenatally actionable findings (n …

Social Thinking And Me: Effectiveness For A Middle School Student, Grace Vetter

Dissertations, Theses, and Projects

This project explored the effects of the Social Thinking and Me intervention curriculum with an eighth-grade male student diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, oppositional defiant disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and anger aggression. The student engaged in disruptive behaviors such as stomping, growling, and refusal, which interfered with student learning. The student was taught using the Social Thinking and Me curriculum, which targets self-regulation, self-awareness, social problem-solving, and empathetic communication. The intervention was delivered in one-on-one sessions for nine weeks, supplemented by classroom support. The student’s goal was to increase his use of social thinking strategies when frustrated. …

Influence And Excess: A Study Of Alcohol’S Governmental, Societal, Biochemical, And Enzymatic Impact In The U.S And Other Countries Around The World, Thomas W. Snider

Senior Honors Theses

The conduct of the thesis is to explore the intricacies of alcohol consumption. The thesis will outline the history of alcohol and the societal pressures and conduct of drinking with relation to the government. After the history of alcohol has been defined, the thesis will move into the chemistry portion, delineating the absorption, digestion, metabolism, and excretion of alcohol. This is the portion of the thesis that will contain the quantitative data and source material as much research has already been conducted regarding these components of alcohol consumption. The condition of the research is that the data will be collected …

Commonwealth Times 2025-12-03

Commonwealth Times, 1969-

No abstract provided.

Talinghaga At/Ng Pakikibaka: Pagsusuri Sa Mga Pahayag Ng All Up Academic Employees Union - Los Baños, 2019-2020, Cris Lanzaderas, Jennifer Cruz Delfin, Rowell Madula

Dalumat: Multikultural at Multidisiplinaryong E-Journal sa Araling Filipino

Mahalaga sa anomang organisasyong panlipunan ang mabisang pakikipag-ugnayan sa mga pinagsisilbihan nito. Sa kaso ng mga unyon, tungkulin nito ang regular na pakikipagkomunikasyon sa mga miyembro at hindi miyembro nito hinggil sa iba’t ibang usaping may kaugnayan sa sariling kagalingan at kagalingan ng mga kapwa manggagawa. Isa na sa mga paraang ito ang paglalabas ng mga pahayag o statement. Nagagamit din ang pahayag bilang isang kasangkapan sa paglalatag ng tindig at paniniwala ng mga kasapi nito sa isang partikular na isyu. Para sa papel na ito, sinuri ng mga mananaliksik ang dalawampu’t anim (26) na pahayag o statement ng All …

Spring Creek Rehabilitation And Nursing Center Llc V. Nlrb

2025 Decisions

USDC for the District of New Jersey

2026 Favorite Foods Festival Participation Packet For Rockingham And Strafford Counties, Caitlin Wollack

UNH Cooperative Extension

No abstract provided.

Operationalizing Passive Sensors Into Scalable, Reproducible, Neurobehavioral Digital Markers For Alzheimer's Disease: Lessons Learned Over 10 Years, Ganesh M Babulal, Matthew Blake, Chen Chen, Yiqi Zhu, Subrata Pal, David C Brown

2020-Current year OA Pubs

No abstract provided.

The Lumberjack, December 03, 2025

Cal Poly Humboldt's Student Newspaper

The student newspaper of Humboldt State University.

Presenteeism Among Health Care Personnel With Covid-19, James C. Crosby, Eliezer Santos Leon, Brian Chinnock, Karisa K. Harland, Anusha Krishnadasan, Nicholas M. Mohr, Ian D. Plumb, Melissa Briggs Hagen, Kelli Wallace, David A. Talan, Project Prevent Network, Anne Zepeski, Tracy Young, Howard A. Smithline, Lilly C. Lee, Stephen C. Lim, Et Al

School of Medicine Faculty Publications

IMPORTANCE: Presenteeism-defined as continuing to work during an illness-poses a public health risk in the workplace and is especially hazardous within health care institutions where vulnerable patients may be exposed to nosocomial infections. Understanding the frequency and characteristics of health care personnel (HCP) who report presenteeism while ill with COVID-19 may help mitigate SARS-CoV-2 spread in hospitals and other health care institutions. OBJECTIVES: To determine the frequency of presenteeism among HCP with symptomatic COVID-19, and to evaluate the demographic, occupational, and clinical factors associated with it. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS: This is an observational cohort study that uses data from …

The College Voice, Vol. 62, No. 7 [December 3, 2025], Connecticut College

2025-2026

No abstract provided.

How Does The Intersectionality Of Race, Gender, And Organizational Culture Influence The Utilization And Consequences Of Code-Switching Among Black Men In Executive-Level Positions Within Nonprofit Settings?, Lepra George

Dissertations (1934 -)

Black men in executive roles within U.S. nonprofit organizations lead under racialized and gendered expectations that shape when and how they are perceived as leader-like. This qualitative study examines how these leaders interpret their lived experiences of code-switching, across speech and broader self-presentation, within White-normed nonprofit cultures. Guided by intersectionality and informed by impression-management theory, the study employed an interpretivist, phenomenological design and Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) of in-depth, semi-structured interviews with six Black male executives. Four themes emerged: (1) Black Male Leaders Consciously Navigate Authentic Identity, balancing cultural self-expression with perceived professionalism; (2) Confronting the Race–Gender Double Bind in …

Dopaminergic Regulation Of Aversive Motivation, Elaine M. Grafelman

Dissertations (1934 -)

We all experience adversity in our lives, and we must be able to effectively respond to these challenges in order to thrive. One way to respond to stressors is to change one’s behavior to cope with the stress. This can include escaping or avoiding the stressor, focusing effort to diminish the effect of the stressor, or other coping strategies such as drug use. In fact, stress is one of the principal triggers of relapse for those in the abstinence phase of a substance use disorder and it exacerbates a variety of other disorders. Therefore, it is critical to understand the …

Building A Data-Driven Security Ai Framework Using Machine Learning Models, Christopher Chan Vi

Master's Theses

This research project explores a modern approach to Intrusion Detection System (IDS) anomaly detection by leveraging Artificial Intelligence (AI), Machine Learning (ML), Large Language Models (LLM), and Explainable AI (XAI). The purpose is to assess the effectiveness of these technologies in enhancing the understanding of intrusion events. This research study addresses the challenges of threshold determination and the interpretability of anomaly detection results. The proposed solution involves an LLM-based framework with XAI capabilities, integrated with a Retrieval Augmented Generation (RAG) architecture, to provide clear explanations for detected anomalies, utilizing both custom and pre-trained datasets. The study navigated inherent challenges, including …

Experience From A Distance: Improving Transparency For The Multnomah Athletic Club, Matthew Penner

University Honors Theses

Portland is home to the largest and one of the most prestigious athletic clubs in the world: Multnomah Athletic Club. In many ways, it is the pinnacle of luxury and innovation, and over time, it finds any way to entice prospective members to pay the expensive upfront fee of $6000 and monthly membership fees exceeding $300. Due to the previous technological barrier, which was not being able to see the full extent of what amenities the club had to offer, the club faced major challenges in recruitment and marketing. Over two academic terms, a team of six computer science capstone …

Towards Resilient Data Governance: An Industry Study On Practitioner Perspectives On The Current State Of Data Governance, Anthony Mazzarella Iii

Theses and Dissertations

Experts agree that data governance is crucial for managing data as an asset, yet in practice, it remains inconsistently defined, unevenly implemented, and poorly understood. Earlier industry studies offered valuable descriptive benchmarks of governance adoption and professional roles, but provided limited theoretical insight and little empirical evidence explaining how governance functions within organizations. Building on this foundation, the current research offers a more substantial and analytically rigorous contribution by transforming descriptive observations into empirical explanations. Through a collaborative academic–industry partnership, the study utilizes a global survey of 565 respondents (348 valid cases) to analyze governance structures, motivations, challenges, and the …

Primary School Teachers’ Perceptions On The Implementation Of Positive Behavioral Interventions And Supports, Heather Page

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Student disruptive behaviors are a growing problem affecting schools and teachers. Positive Behavioral Intervention and Support (PBIS) is designed to help educators reduce disruptive students. The problem at a southeastern primary school was, despite implementing PBIS, teachers were concerned the model was ineffective in terms of managing students’ disruptive behaviors. Framed using the PBIS model by Sugai and Horner, the purpose of this qualitative study was to examine teachers’ perceptions regarding implementing the PBIS model for behavior modification and what was needed to improve the program. Data were collected from 11 primary school teachers in grades K-3 using semistructured interviews. …

Young Adults' Experiences With Text Messaging Intervention For E-Cigarette Cessation In Rural Areas, Redson Biswick Machongo, Vipavee Thongpriwan, Seok Hyun Gwon, Devon Noonan

Biennial Convention (CONV)

Introduction: Electronic Nicotine Delivery Systems (ENDS, commonly known as e-cigarettes) use has increased rapidly among young adults (YAs, 18-24 years) in rural communities. E-cigarette use is a higher risk factor for both cardiovascular and pulmonary diseases. Addressing the disturbing rates of e-cigarette use in YAs requires cessation resources to be available and accessible. Regrettably, rural community residents have limited access to cessation resources. The purpose of this study was to explore YAs' perceptions and experiences engaging in text-message intervention to assist with vaping cessation effectively.

Methods: A qualitative investigation with individual interviews was conducted. Participants (n = 8) were from …

Understanding Medical Information And Emotional Support Needs In Mental Health Questions With Large Language Models, Chen Liu, William Yu Chung Wang, Gohar Khan

All Works

Purpose – This study seeks to bridge the gap between users’ multidimensional needs and the single-task capabilities of existing Mental Health Question Answering (MHQA) systems by tackling the underexplored challenge of jointly understanding medical informational needs and emotional support needs within complex consumer mental health inquiries. Design/methodology/approach – Grounded in Rhetorical Structure Theory (RST), the proposed Multi-Needs and Context Recognition (MNCR) framework decomposes mental health question understanding task into four interrelated subtasks: Medical Needs Recognition (MNR), Medical Needs-related Context Extraction (MNCE), Emotional Needs Recognition (ENR) and Emotional Needs-related Context Extraction (ENCE). A new benchmark dataset, MHQ-MedEmo, was constructed through multi-layered …

A Harmonious Equation: How To Facilitate The Interdisciplinary Nature Of The Arts In A High School Math Classroom, Myah Medendorp

Honors Theses

The education system is constantly evolving and advancing, and the teaching methods should advance along with it. Musical involvement has long been cited as having a positive effect on mathematical proficiency and being an easy way to boost mathematical performance but is most often used in an elementary school setting and the early learning years. Are there ways to use this scientific relationship to boost performance and engagement in a secondary school environment?

This literature review functionalization takes a closer look at this relationship and how it can be implemented effectively in a high school math classroom beyond the young …

Identifying Draft-Worthy Pitchers: A Statistical Analysis Of Northwoods League Performance Metrics, Stephen Tyrpak

Honors Theses

The Northwoods League (NWL) is a collegiate summer wooden-bat baseball league that provides college athletes with an opportunity to maintain and enhance their skills during the offseason while competing in game-like conditions. Although prior research has explored player performance in other summer leagues, such as the Cape Cod Baseball League, academic investigation into predictors of draft outcomes in the NWL remains limited. This study addresses this gap by evaluating whether pitch-tracking metrics collected via Trackman systems can predict a pitcher’s likelihood of selection in the Major League Baseball (MLB) draft and by identifying which performance characteristics are most strongly associated …

Examining The Impact Of Social Media On The Nutrition Decisions Of College Students And Their Attitudes Toward Nutritional Guidelines, Katlyn Neibaur

Undergraduate Honors Theses

Social media is becoming an increasingly popular platform used by young people to garner information, but this information is not always accurate. Understanding the degree of influence social media has on college students’ dietary habits and attitudes toward nutritional guidelines is vital for improving nutrition literacy efforts and creating policies to protect against nutritional misinformation. This study examined the associations between the social media habits of college students, their attitudes toward nutritional guidelines, and their ability to detect nutritional misinformation. A cross-sectional survey was conducted with 457 undergraduate students at Brigham Young University. The content validity of the survey was …