Digital Commons Network^™

Action Research: Improving Literacy With Tracker Systems For Students With An Iep, Annamaria Weigel

Graduate Student Dissertations, Theses, Capstones, and Portfolios

This action research study examined the effectiveness of the Prescribed Tracker System and structured literacy instruction on improving reading proficiency among elementary students with individualized education programs. The purpose of the study was to determine whether systematic phonics instruction, combined with data-driven progress monitoring, could increase decoding accuracy and oral reading fluency for students performing below grade level. The research was grounded in the science of reading framework and zone of proximal development, emphasizing explicit instruction, guided practice, and scaffolded learning within a supportive environment.

Five students in Grades 3 through 5 participated in a 6-week intervention, conducted twice a …

Of Felons And The Mentally Ill: Range, § 922(G)(4), And The Dangerousness Solution, Colin Hitt

Penn State Law Review (2003 - Present)

No abstract provided.

A Qualitative Study Of Health Priorities Of People With Dementia And Care Partners In Emergency Department And Hospital Care In A Public Safety-Net Setting, Anita Chary, Sumin Yoon, Victor Lara, Annika Bhananker, Michelle Suh, Kei Ouchi, Maura Kennedy, Aanand D Naik

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Background: Over half of the people with dementia visit the emergency department (ED) each year. Little is known about how people with dementia and their care partners conceptualize or communicate about health outcome goals or care preferences during acute care episodes.

Participants and setting: We conducted interviews with 14 Hispanic people with dementia and 19 care partners recruited from a public safety net hospital system in the southeastern United States. Participants were community-dwelling and had recently visited the ED.

Methods: We used a qualitative study design informed by phenomenology and guided by the patient priorities care (PPC) framework. Interviews elicited …

Oh, Oh, No Ozempic: The Dangers Of Ozempic’S Direct-To-Consumer Advertisements, Taylor Blicht

Journal of Law and Policy

On average, viewers are exposed to about nine drug advertisements a day. Direct-to-consumer pharmaceutical advertising (“DTCPA”) is when pharmaceutical companies market their prescription drugs straight to consumers. Ozempic is a weekly injection of semaglutide, developed by the pharmaceutical company Novo Nordisk in 2017 for adults with Type-2 diabetes. After people started to show signs of weight loss on Ozempic, Novo Nordisk created Wegovy in June 2021, targeting towards people with obesity. Due to the exploding weight-loss effect of Wegovy, celebrities and social media influencers started taking the medication and sharing their weight loss journeys. DTCPA can be harmful to consumers …

El Leñador, December 2025, El Leñador Staff

El Leñador Newspaper

El Leñador is an English and Spanish newspaper produced by Humboldt State University students. Our staff cover and provide news to Latinx and other diverse communities on campus and in Humboldt County. We are committed to providing relevant news and expanding the representations and stories told about people of color and other marginalized groups. Our work helps create more social, political and cultural diversity in local media.

El Leñador es un periodico en español y inglés producido por estudiantes de la Universidad Estatal de Humboldt. Nuestro personal cubre y provee noticias a la comunidad Latinx y otras comunidades diversas en …

Disability Rights On Probation And Parole, Alexis Karteron

Michigan Law Review

This Article addresses disability discrimination in community supervision programs, a large—but frequently overlooked—component of the criminal legal system and important contributor to America’s mass incarceration crisis. The long-standing concerns of legal scholars and advocates about disability discrimination in prisons and policing, particularly against people with mental health disabilities, apply with equal measure to probation and parole. This Article examines the experiences of people with intellectual/developmental, cognitive, and mental health disabilities to understand how disability discrimination manifests in probation and parole programs and identifies numerous policies and practices that likely run afoul of two major federal disability rights laws: the Americans …

Annual Report, Fiscal Year 2024/2025, Tennessee. Department Of Safety & Homeland Security.

Annual Report

No abstract provided.

A Phenomenological Study Of The Lived Experiences Of Administrators, Teachers, And School Personnel With Justice-Involved Students, Kandra Cosby

Dissertations

This hermeneutic phenomenological research study examined the experiences of six educational professionals, including administrators, teachers, and support staff, as they supported justice-involved students in their reintegration into traditional public schools. The study was based on Bronfenbrenner’s ecological systems theory, Hirschi’s social control theory, and Glasser’s choice theory. Semistructured interviews were used and revealed six themes: (a) fighting systems while trying to serve students, (b) relationships as safety nets, (c) protecting students from the stigma of judgment, (d) fighting bureaucratic silos, (e) philosophy wars in action, and (f) seeing the whole child. The findings indicated successful reintegration was less connected to …

An Empirical Investigation Of The Effects Of Gunshot Detection Technology In Detroit, Joe Davis

All Graduate Reports and Creative Projects, Fall 2023 to Present

This paper evaluates the impact of acoustic gunshot detection technology (GDT) on crime and policing outcomes in Detroit, Michigan. Leveraging the implementation of ShotSpotter across high-crime neighborhoods, I analyze outcomes including crime rates, emergency calls, police response times, and case clearance. My findings indicate that ShotSpotter installation is associated with a 6% reduction in violent crime but a modest increase in nonviolent crime. The technology also produces a large increase in the reporting of gunfire incidents—over 300% more gunshot-related calls for service—yet police respond 7% slower to ShotSpotter alerts than to citizen-reported gunshots. Consistent with prior research, I find no …

Crime Statistics And Taxi Transportation In New York City: An Exploratory Data Analysis, Adelyn J. Fleming

All Graduate Reports and Creative Projects, Fall 2023 to Present

In a heavily populated city as busy and vibrant as New York City, people are constantly on the move. Some of that movement might be connected to the occurrence of certain crimes. This study explores how movement, especially from yellow taxicabs, relates to crime occurrences within different parts of the city. By looking at the 2018 taxi trip and crime data, alongside population data from the 2020 U.S. Census, this project aims to explore how individuals travel within the city and whether there is any relationship with the types of crime that occur within those areas. Visual tools and maps …

When The Grid Goes Dark: A Digital Forensics Study Of Industrial Control System Cyberattacks, Katie Kettler

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Industrial Control Systems (ICS) and Operational Technology (OT) maintain the grid, ensure water safety, and keep transportation running. Because they influence nearly every aspect of daily life, these systems have become prime targets for cyberattacks. The need for this research arises from the fact that when ICS and OT systems are compromised, the consequences go beyond data loss, and they can directly disrupt communities and endanger public safety. This thesis introduces digital forensics fundamentals and explains how investigations in ICS environments differ from those in traditional IT environments. This work then examines major attacks, including Stuxnet, the Ukrainian Grid Attacks …

Harnessing The Communities Of Resilience And Excellence Framework To Advance Population Health: The Healthy West Kendall Experience, Cristina Brito, Simone Cheong, Stephanie Norling, Michelle Mejia, Sandra R. Mclean, Carlos E. Hernandez, Lourdes Boue, Zuanel Diaz, Javier Hernandez-Lichtl

Nursing & Health Sciences Research Journal

Introduction: Fragmented community efforts often dilute health‐improvement initiatives. The Communities of Resilience and Excellence (C.O.R.E) Guide offers a Baldrige-based systems approach that aligns cross‐sector partners around shared metrics and continuous improvement cycles for collective impact. West Kendall, an unincorporated area of Miami-Dade County with over 340,000 residents, adopted the framework in response to rising chronic disease burden and socioeconomic disparities.

Methods: West Kendall Baptist Hospital served as the backbone organization that aligned multi-sector partners, implemented evidence-based interventions, and tracked community-level outcomes. We conducted a cross-sectional evaluation of the Healthy West Kendall initiative's impact across various regions in Miami-Dade County and …

Does Investing In Schools Reduce Violent Crime?, Jamein Cunningham, Monique E. Davis, Kenneth Whaley

Presentations

No abstract provided.

The Impact Of Career Development Education In Rural Communities: A Program Evaluation, Hayden S. Austin

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study examined the impact of a regional career development education program using a post-test-only, exploratory descriptive design with middle and high school students from rural and urban school districts in West Central Texas. Students who participated in the Career and Education Outreach (CEO) program received four classroom sessions focused on labor market information, high-demand industries, employability skills, and career pathways. The purpose of this research was to explore whether students’ perceptions of the value of career development education differed based on geographic region, economic level, educational level, ethnic composition of the district, and the students’ own demographic characteristics. A …

New Hampshire Coastal Flood Risk Summary, Part 1: Science, Jamie Carter, Anna Simpson, Chris Gloninger, John Trowbridge, Kirk Bosma, Jayne F. Knott, Mary Lemcke-Stampone, Elizabeth Burakowski, Jennifer Gilbert, Kirsten Howard, Lisa Wise

UNH Cooperative Extension

The New Hampshire Coastal Flood Risk Summary – Part 1: Science provides a synthesis of the state of the science relevant to coastal flood risks in New Hampshire. Specifically, this document provides updated trends projections of sea-level rise, coastal storms, groundwater rise, precipitation, and freshwater flooding for coastal New Hampshire. This 2025 report updates the earlier 2019 report. This information is intended to serve as the scientific foundation for the updated companion resource, Part II: Guidance for Using Best Available Science, which will be published in 2026.

Exploring Electric Bicycle Safety Performance Data And Policy Options For California, Asha Weinstein Agrawal, Kevin Fang

Mineta Transportation Institute

This study was conducted as directed by California Senate Bill 381 (2023), which called for research to help policymakers develop effective laws and policy to support the twin goals of expanding electric bicycle use and protecting the safety of electric bicycle riders and other road users. The three major strands of findings presented in this report are (1) a review of how California and other states (and countries) regulate electric bicycle use, (2) a review of the electric bicycle safety literature, including original analysis of primary data on crashes, injuries, and deaths, and (3) strategies that the state could adopt …

Detecting Fraud In Police Reports Using Machine Learning And Natural Language Processing, Maryam Almarar

Theses

The paper explores how statistical analysis and machine learning can be used to identify the fraud patterns in the police reports. The study aims at establishing the most important predictive factors and indicators distinguishing fraudulent and valid cases with the use of structured data of police databases. The work was done in the background of the increase in financial fraud instances and the rising necessity of the introduction of automated detection systems in police departments. Police reports of the pastwere mined down to data and analyzed on SPSS 1, to carry out statistical operations. The sample was structured data which …

Leveraging Ai In Traffic Monitoring For Improved Accident Prediction In Uae, Mahra Alattar

Theses

This paper investigates how Machine Learning (ML) models can be used in traffic surveillance and predict accidents in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). In spite of large infrastructure developments and stringent traffic laws, traffic accidents continue to be a major problem with an increase in fatalities and injuries. There is a gap in effective detection and responses since traditional monitoring and forecasting techniques are unable to capture the intricate, nonlinear, and time-dependent character of traffic patterns. This thesis fills that void by utilizing sophisticated the potential use of Artificial Neural Network (ANN), Recurrent Neural Network (RNN), Deep Neural Network (DNN), …

Lanthorn, Vol. 60, No. 08, December 1, 2025, Grand Valley State University

Volume 60, August 4, 2025 – April 20, 2026

Lanthorn is Grand Valley State's student newspaper, published from 1968 to the present.

Navigating Ai-Nature Frictions: Autonomous Vehicle Testing And Nature-Based Constraints, Prerona Das, Orlando Woods, Lily Kong

Research Collection College of Integrative Studies

In cities, the application of Artificial Intelligence (AI) is being directed towards transforming different aspects of urban life. These applications take material form in urban spaces, with autonomous vehicles (AVs) providing a prominent example. AI systems rely on large volumes of data on their surroundings to refine the algorithms and enhance the accuracy of prediction for operational efficiency and safety. However, such algorithmic learning and execution can present challenges when dealing with the unpredictable, complex, and dynamic aspects of urban spaces. Nature is a paradigmatic example of such unpredictability, because natural phenomena usually defy consistent patterns and precise data-based modelling. …

Aiding And Abetting Scientific Integrity In U.S. Federal Government Agencies, Keeley Townsend

Theses and Dissertations in Business Administration

Science can play a critical role in supporting sound public administration and policy decisions. However, the value that science provides to government decision-making is contingent on a government’s scientific integrity standards and the degree to which employees adhere to those standards when conducting, managing, using, or communicating about science. Within the U.S. federal government, scientific integrity standards have historically been defined and applied inconsistently, at times resulting in harmful government actions.

Since at least 2000, the U.S. Congress and several executive administrations have taken steps to strengthen scientific integrity in government operations. One recent step included requiring all federal government …

Piezoelectric Energy Harvesting From Roadways: Challenges, Advances, And Future Directions, Heba Gaber, Mohamed Abdelraheem

Faculty Publications

As the global demand for renewable energy intensifies, piezoelectric energy harvesting from roadways has emerged as a promising avenue for sustainable power generation. This systematic literature review analyzes 61 peer-reviewed studies to assess the feasibility, performance, and potential of integrating piezoelectric systems into roadway infrastructure. While technology faces challenges, such as high installation costs, limited energy output, and a scarcity of thorough economic evaluations, findings suggest it holds considerable promise as a supplementary renewable energy source. The review analyzes the operational characteristics and efficiencies of various piezoelectric transducers, identifies key factors influencing system performance, and evaluates recent technological advances. It …

Piezoelectric Energy Harvesting From Roadways: Challenges, Advances, And Future Directions, Heba Mohamed Gaber, Mohamed Abdel-Raheem

Civil Engineering Faculty Publications

As the global demand for renewable energy intensifies, piezoelectric energy harvesting from roadways has emerged as a promising avenue for sustainable power generation. This systematic literature review analyzes 61 peer-reviewed studies to assess the feasibility, performance, and potential of integrating piezoelectric systems into roadway infrastructure. While technology faces challenges, such as high installation costs, limited energy output, and a scarcity of thorough economic evaluations, findings suggest it holds considerable promise as a supplementary renewable energy source. The review analyzes the operational characteristics and efficiencies of various piezoelectric transducers, identifies key factors influencing system performance, and evaluates recent technological advances. It …

Advancing 3d Infrastructure Utilities Mapping Through The Integration Of Multi-Method Digital Modelling Techniques, Adil Abdulla Aldashti

Theses

With urban growth accelerating, cities increasingly need precise 3D information about their underground service networks to support sustainability goals and digital systems. Older 2D maps are often outdated, incomplete, and misaligned, making them difficult to use within 3D GIS environments. Moreover, conventional surveying tools may fall short in accuracy, struggle to reach buried assets, and require high costs when dealing with existing utilities. This thesis aims to develop and evaluate a field to 3D methodology for mapping underground utilities in Dubai, integrating multi-sensor and surveying approaches, and GIS 3D models in alignment with ASCE 38-22(American Society of Civil, 2022a), PAS …

Data-Driven Crime Prediction: Toward Smarter Reduction Strategies, Zayed Almarri

Theses

This study explores how machine learning and weather data can be used for the prediction of crime more accurately in the city of Seattle. Predictive policing is a method in law enforcement that uses data and computer algorithms to forecast the locations that crimes are likely to happen. Although many studies focused on using past crime data alone, this research also includes weather conditions like temperature, rainfall, and humidity, which may influence when and where crimes occur. Several machine learning models, including Random Forest (RF) and Support Vector Machines (SVM), were used to classify areas of the city into high-risk …

Early Electrical Fault Detection In Power Systems Using Data Analytics, Hessa Alraeesi

Theses

The increasing penetration of renewable energy, especially solar generation, has introduced higher variability into power system loading, making early detection of electrical faults more challenging yet more essential for maintaining network reliability. This research presents a machine-learning–based framework for early electrical fault detection using a Random Forest model developed in DataRobot. Due to confidentiality constraints on DEWA operational data, a Kaggle dataset was adopted and enriched with simulated solar irradiance variability to mirror real network conditions in the UAE. After comprehensive data preprocessing and feature engineering, the Random Forest model demonstrated strong generalization performance, accurately distinguishing early fault signatures from …

Optimizing Human Resource Decisions: Predicting Promotions Using Data Analytics, Mohammad Khalid A Mohammad Abdulrahim

Theses

Proper and objective selection of high potential employees to promote them is a major dilemma in the Human Resources (HR) department, more so in sensitive and hierarchal environments in the public sector where subjectivity is likely to take place. This paper is based on this ubiquitous issue, and it seeks to develop, experiment, and examine a clear and equitable machine learning model that can forecast the possibility of an employee to get a promotion according to organized past HR records. The technique was solid preprocessing, alleviation of extreme class imbalances on the basis of the Synthetic Minority Over-sampling Technique (SMOTE), …

A Narrative Review Of Dual Loyalty Conflicts In Custodial Settings And Implications For Community Practice, Michelle Suh, Marc David Robinson, Holland Kaplan

Center for Medical Ethics and Health Policy Staff Publications

Dual loyalty dilemmas are conflicts between health care professionals' obligations toward their patients and third-party interests. These conflicts are more common and starker in custodial settings, such as jails and prisons, military detention facilities, immigration detention centers, and involuntary psychiatric institutions. Despite encountering patients in custody, health care professionals (HCPs) in community settings have limited knowledge and training. In this narrative review, we examined dual loyalty conflicts faced by HCPs working in custodial settings and then applied the identified themes to community-based hospitals where HCPs care for patients in custody. We searched databases for original papers relating to patients in …

Wide Nets, Heavy Burdens: Unpacking Executive Order 14105’S Final Rule, Breanna Li

UC Law Journal

Executive Order 14105 “Addressing United States Investments in Certain National Security Technologies and Products in Countries of Concern” was enacted to protect U.S. national security interests in light of China’s military technological growth. This Executive Order creates an outbound investment review program that restricts investments by a U.S. person into companies in specified countries operating in certain technology sectors. This Note will discuss the background of geopolitical tensions between the United States and China, review E.O. 14105, and argue that the program it creates results in burdensome unintended consequences to the U.S. economy. These unintended circumstances include: (1) high regulatory …

Working With The Irs: The New Exempt Organizations Program In Audit, Donald W. Bacon

Tax Adviser

No abstract provided.