Digital Commons Network^™

October 2025, Robert Kelly

Robert Kelly Manuscripts

No abstract provided.

From Deforestation To Regeneration: Modeling The Potential Of Chakra Agroforestry To Restore Edaphic Invertebrates And Soil Health In The Ecuadorian Amazon, Annika Vikstrom

Ecuador: Comparative Ecology and Conservation

Tropical edaphic invertebrates lie at the intersection of three historically understudied domains: tropical habitats, soil ecosystems, and terrestrial invertebrate biodiversity (Boyle et al. 2024; Lugo et al., 2024). Approximately 80% of tropical invertebrates remain undescribed, leaving major gaps in the understanding of how land-use change and climate change may affect their diversity and ecological function. The Amazon Basin, one of the world’s most biologically and culturally diverse regions, is increasingly threatened by land use change and deforestation. While agriculture is the second main driver of forest conversion in the basin, Indigenous Agroforestry systems such as Kichwa Chakras in the Ecuadorian …

Size Matters: Linkage Between Bromeliad Traits And The Spider Communities They Host In A Disturbed Habitat, Alesandra Fairchild

Ecuador: Comparative Ecology and Conservation

Bromeliads are a plant group that have been praised for their ability to create unique microhabitats, hosting an abundant and diverse faunal community due to their unique structural characteristics. Unfortunately, as deforestation rates rise, this plant group is at risk of decreasing in both abundance and diversity, which puts their associated organisms at risk of losing essential habitat (e.g. spiders). In this study, the effect of bromeliad structural characteristics and forest disturbance was assessed in a mature and secondary forest by classifying bromeliad abundance by forest type, characterizing forest structure, and by analyzing spider abundance and diversity based on these …

The Price Of Gold: Macroinvertebrate Responses To Mining In The Upper Jatunyacu River, Clara Chae

Ecuador: Comparative Ecology and Conservation

Gold mining is rapidly expanding in the upper Jatunyacu River basin of the Ecuadorian Amazon, an ecologically and culturally important region where Indigenous Kichwa communities depend on streams for drinking water, agriculture, and fisheries. This study assessed the ecological condition of five tributary streams across a variety of land uses: primary forest, chakra agroforestry, a stream recovering from historical mining, and a stream downstream of active small-scale gold mining. Benthic macroinvertebrates were collected and identified to morphospecies, and hydromorphological parameters, biodiversity indices, beta diversity metrics, and two biotic indices (AAMBI and BMWP/Col) were used to evaluate ecological integrity. Results showed …

Reforming Maryland’S Loss Of Chance Doctrine: Expanding Recovery For Cancer Patients With Survival Chances Below Fifty Percent, Iman Aziz

University of Baltimore Law Forum

No abstract provided.

Recent Developments: In Re Estate Of Schappell, Jamison Young

University of Baltimore Law Forum

No abstract provided.

Multi-Material Printer Development, Jessica Hu, Phoebe Eplett

College of Engineering Summer Undergraduate Research Program

Surgeons require pre-surgical models to practice procedures and improve success rates. However, the current process of creating physical models for practice using 3D printing is limited to producing homogeneous mimics of the human body, while the human body is a heterogeneous structure composed of multiple materials with varying properties, including bones, muscles, and skin. Additive manufacturing methods cannot easily print multiple materials simultaneously, as current AM machines only print homogeneous material, unlike the human body. In this proposal, we aim to develop a multi-material additive manufacturing system, from software to hardware, to manufacture pre-surgical models. We will investigate multi-material AM …

What Do Rural Caregivers Need? Implications Of Formal Service Usage And The Role Of Cooperative Extension Systems, Naomi R. Meinertz, Jeong Eun Lee, Erin L. Martinez, Leacey Brown, Chelsey Byers, Sara Richie, Kathy Tutt

Journal of Human Sciences and Extension

The well-being of caregivers in the U.S. is a public health crisis. Caregivers experience greater rates of depression, chronic disease, and social isolation; however, the context of rural and urban living experiences creates different caregiving realities. Using two representative datasets of caregivers in the North Central and Northeast regions of the U.S., this paper examined the experiences of rural and urban caregivers in using formal support services. Rurality was negatively related to formal support service usage. Results from a multiple regression revealed a positive association between formal service utilization and caregiver well-being. These findings suggested that formal services can play …

A Comprehensive Nutrition Education Program Promotes Behavior Change And Perception Of Food Access Across The Older Adult Age Span, Sarah Misyak, Camille Mcguire, Victor Olayemi, Maria Denunzio, Paige Harrigan, Elena Serrano

Journal of Human Sciences and Extension

Strategies to promote healthy behaviors among older adults are needed to mitigate vulnerabilities to negative health outcomes, especially for those with low income. Healthy Eating and Staying Active as We Age (HESA), a nine-lesson educational series for Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program-eligible older adults, was created to promote health among aging audiences. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the behavior change of older adults following participation in HESA, which covers food resource management, nutrition, food safety, and physical activity behaviors, as well as perceived food affordability and accessibility, and to determine if HESA is appropriate across the age span …

Women Leaders, Personality Traits, Leadership Self-Efficacy, And Leader Role Occupancy, Lisa M. Bragg

PhD in Organizational Leadership

The purpose of this quantitative, correlational study was to examine the relationships among personality traits (extraversion), leadership self-efficacy (LSE), and leader role occupancy (LRO). Grounded in trait theory and social-cognitive perspectives, the study examined whether (a) LSE related to LRO, (b) personality traits (extraversion) related to LRO, (c) personality traits (extraversion) related to LSE, and (d) LSE moderated the personality trait–LRO relationship. Participants completed the Big Five Inventory (John et al., 1991) and the Multidimensional Leadership Self-Efficacy Scale (Bobbio & Manganelli, 2009). The correlational methodology involved descriptive statistics, Pearson correlation, chi-square test of independence, one-way analysis of variance, and Hayes’ …

Mhc Gene Analysis And Immune Variation In Lepidodactylus Lugubris (The Mourning Gecko), Helen T. Vu

2025 Fall Honors Capstones Projects - Archive

The major histocompatibility complex (MHC) plays a central role in vertebrate immune defense by enabling pathogen recognition and initiating adaptive immune responses. While MHC diversity has been extensively studied in sexually reproducing species, comparatively little is known about its evolution in asexual lineages. The parthenogenetic gecko Lepidodactylus lugubris provides a unique opportunity to investigate how clonality and hybrid origins influence immune gene diversity. By leveraging whole-genome data, this study overcomes the limitations of previous transcriptome-based analyses and provides a more comprehensive view of MHC diversity in a clonal vertebrate. As the first step towards understanding MHC evolution in parthenogenetic lizards, …

2025 Commencement Program - Fall, Morehead State University. Registrar's Office.

Morehead State Commencement Programs

2025 Fall Commencement program for Morehead State University.

Dna Methylation Correlates With Transcriptional Noise In Response To Elevated Pco2 In The Eastern Oyster (Crassostrea Virginica), Yaamini R. Venkataraman, Ariana S. Huffmyer, Samuel J. White, Alan Downey-Wall, Jill Ashey, Danielle M. Becker, Zachary Bengtsson, Hollie M. Putnam, Emma Strand, Javier A. Rodríguez-Casariego, Shelly A. Wanamaker, Katie E. Lotterhos, Steven B. Roberts

Biology

Ocean acidification significantly affects marine calcifiers like oysters, warranting the study of molecular mechanisms like DNA methylation that contribute to adaptive plasticity in response to environmental change. However, a consensus has not been reached on the extent to which methylation modules gene expression, and in turn plasticity, in marine invertebrates. In this study, we investigated the impact of pCO₂ on gene expression and DNA methylation in the eastern oyster, Crassostrea virginica. After a 30-day exposure to control (572 ppm) or elevated pCO₂ (2827 ppm), whole-genome bisulfite sequencing (WGBS) and RNA-seq data were generated from adult female gonad tissue …

Study Of Parental Substance Use Effects On Children, Cydnee R. Lacy

2025 Fall Honors Capstones Projects - Archive

Many children with substance use and mental health problems witness substance use and mental health struggles in their household. Research has shown a strong connection between parental substance use disorders (SUDs) and the likelihood of children engaging in similar behaviors. Existing literature uses data collected before the COVID-19 pandemic, whereas this study utilizes data collected during the pandemic. It is essential to examine whether the relationship between parental substance use and children’s substance use increased, as children spent more time at home during the COVID-19 pandemic. Prevalence of substance use and mental health problems will be used to examine the …

Investigation Of Metals And Incidental Nanomaterials In Wildland-Urban Interface Fire Ashes And Their Impacts On Marine Phytoplankton, Talal Abdullah Alshehri

Theses and Dissertations

Wildfires are natural processes that have played a vital role in ecosystems for millions of years. However, with increasing anthropogenic activities and climate change, wildfires' frequency and intensity have increased. A wildfire is an uncontrolled fire that burns forests, grasses, and savannas. In addition to vegetation combustible materials, wildfire burn structure items such as homes, stores, and storage sheds in areas where the transition zone between urban and wildland is defined as the wildland-urban interface (WUI). Moreover, wildfires in WUI can burn vehicles, including automobiles, tractors, and boats on trails. Recently, there have been concerns regarding the metals, metalloids, and …

Designing Equity-Focused Pedagogy In Mathematics Teacher Preparation With Digital Data Tools, Nadia Stoyanova Kennedy, Boyan Kostadinov, Sandie Han

Publications and Research

This study examines the implementation of a course module that integrated computing and data analysis. The module aimed to engage prospective mathematics teachers in the practice of working with datasets and analyzing data to investigate questions related to local Brooklyn schools, as well as to gain deeper insight into the students and communities where they conduct their field experiences. Throughout the module, teacher candidates explored issues such as student learning opportunities, achievement gaps, school segregation, educational (in)equity, and other social justice concerns through readings, data analysis, and direct engagement. They shared and reflected on their findings with peers, deepening their …

Fixing The Fix: The Case For Unifying The Remedial Framework Of Apa Rulemaking Challenges, Dea Devlin

Fordham Law Review

Vacatur is the default remedy for successful administrative rulemaking challenges brought under the Administrative Procedure Act (APA). Yet its broad and sweeping effects raise critical questions regarding its appropriateness as a one-size-fits-all remedy. Unlike injunctive relief, which is subject to a rigorous heightened standard, and remand without vacatur, which has a comparable standard of its own, vacatur is routinely awarded without similar scrutiny, leading to inconsistencies in the judicial application of remedies in APA challenges.

Although vacatur can provide a plaintiff with relief, its award conflicts with underlying principles of equity and proportionality. In rulemaking challenges, vacatur can create regulatory …

October 2025 News Releases, University Of Montana--Missoula. Office Of University Relations

University of Montana News Releases, 1928, 1956-present

No abstract provided.

Impulse, Fall 2025, Jill Fier, Sierra Brown, Jerome J. Lohr College Of Engineering

Impulse (Jerome J. Lohr College of Engineering Publication)

2 | Faculty News
3 | SDSU Vet Hua to Head Civil Engineering
6 | Ad Lunam — To the Moon
10 | Building A Safety Culture
11 | Department News
12 | Surface Mount Technology Kickoff
14 | Construction Management Student, Volleyball Player Building Success Piece by Piece
16 | Student Awards, Honors
18 | Student Competition Results
20 | NASA Win Opens Doors for New Product Development Order
22 | SDSU Engineering Student Tabbed as Noblereach Fellow
26 | Knabach Award Recipient from Apprentice Lineman to Company President
28 | Metzger Create Faculty Endowment for SDSU Engineering
30 …

Trauma And Coparenting Stress In African American Mothers, Mikyaila Romey

Distinguished Student Scholarship Collection

This study explores how childhood trauma impacts parenting stress and coparenting relationships among African American mothers, especially those in nontraditional coparenting arrangements. It focuses on how early experiences like neglect, abuse, household dysfunction, and bullying can influence the way mothers manage stress and interact with their coparent. Nine participants completed surveys that measured their childhood trauma experiences, current levels of parenting stress, and the quality of their coparenting relationships. The findings show a clear connection: mothers who experienced more trauma in childhood reported higher levels of stress as parents and more challenges with coparenting, including poor communication, lack of emotional …

Alumni Journal - Volume 96, Number 3, Loma Linda University School Of Medicine

Alumni Journal, School of Medicine

Editorials
2 | From the Editor
4 | From the President
6 | From the Dean

News
8 | APC 2026 Preview
10 | Alumni News
14 | School of Medicine News
16 | This & That
20 | Students: Street Medicine
22 | AIMS Report: The Living Body of Christ

Features
24 | Transforming Loss: A Family's Journey to Redefine Compassionate Care
28 | Japan Lifetime Experience Trip
32 | Hope is Always Present: Despite Life's Circumstances
34 | Anchored by Faith: A Story of Family, Service, and Spiritual Growth
38 | Answering the Call: To Serve in Guam …

Advancing Self-Powered Continuous Glucose Monitoring: A Comprehensive Simulation Of Sensor-On-Chip Development And Analog Interface Circuit Design, Sameh O. Abdellatif, Kyrillos Selim, Adham Farag

Electrical Engineering

The advent of continuous glucose monitoring (CGM)technology has revolutionized diabetes management, facilitating real-time blood glucose assessment that optimizes insulin therapy and dietary modifications, thereby significantly enhancing patient outcomes. This study presents comprehensive modeling, simulation, and integration of a continuous glucose monitoring system on-chip, featuring an optimized electrochemical glucose sensor equippedwith dual-energy harvesting units. In the assessment of glucose sensor performance at optimized conditions, the simulated characteristic curve showed a sensitivity of 8063 mA. m mol−1 at a working electrode width of 90 μm and height of 200 μm. The developed system incorporates a battery managementsystem that effectively bridges the harvested …

U-Shaped Relationship Between White Blood Cell Counts And Incident Hypertension In Military Young Adults: The Chief Study, 2014–2020, Kun-Zhe Tsai, Chia-Wei Hong, Yun-Chen Chang, Wei-Chun Huang, Xuemei Sui, Carl J. Lavie, Gen-Min Lin

Faculty Publications

Background

Systemic low-grade inflammation, which is characterized by increased counts of blood leukocytes (white blood cells, WBCs), can lead to hypertension, while reduced WBC counts caused by the use of some substances, e.g., alcohol, can also lead to hypertension. However, there have been no studies on the association between WBC counts and the risk of hypertension in young adults.

Methods

This cohort study conducted in Taiwan included a total of 2351 military personnel who were aged 18–39 years, were free of baseline hypertension and were followed up for incident hypertension from 2014 to the end of 2020. Resting blood pressure …

Changing The Game Plan: Using Section 504 To Protect Transgender Athletes From Title Ix’S Shortcomings, Christina Charikofsky

University of Baltimore Law Review

No abstract provided.

Exploring Dynamics Of Nature’S Raincoat: Comparing How Nano-Scale Silk Fibers Produced By Dryland And Tropical Species Of Webspinning Insects Interact With Water, Richard P. Barber Jr, Emily A. Arias, Andrew M. Schatz, Aidan Kaneski, Janice Edgerly-Rooks

Biology

Embiopterans are reliant on silk for protection and produce the finest silk fibers known in nature. This report compares silk–water interactions for four species representing two different lifestyles: two tropical arboreal species that feed on lichens on bark and two detritivores from arid regions that typically live in leaf litter and underground. Water droplets placed on spun silk transformed the fibrous top layer to a film. Arboreal embiopterans spun a denser silk covering than did the detritivores. The films that formed after exposure to water were also denser for the arboreal species. A possible underlying cause for the difference between …

Growing South Dakota (Fall 2025), College Of Agriculture, Food And Environmental Sciences

Growing South Dakota (Publication of the College of Agriculture, Food and Environmental Sciences)

[Page] 2 Mesonet at SDState: A benefit to every South Dakotan
[Page] 6 Governor’s Ag Ambassador — Glenn Muller
[Page] 8 Precision agriculture cooperative agreement signed with University of Debrecen
[Page] 10 Students experience international agriculture, culture in Vietnam, New Zealand
[Page] 12 Legen-dairy! SDSU students claim national judging awards
[Page] 13 SDSU Rodeo Team continues storied rodeo tradition at nationals
[Page] 14 SDSU wheat breeders helping feed the world
[Page] 20 SDSU drone holds promise for soil, leaf sampling
[Page] 22 Don't be a fish out of water
[Page] 24 A passion for academic advising
[Page] 25 One takeaway …

Teacher Mindfulness In Classrooms And The Association With Student Mindfulness And Anxiety, Abagail Graeser, Brianna Pacquette, Caroline G. Richter

Expo Student Presentations

2025 Fall Expo Online Poster Presentation

• Works in Progress

Part 1: Mathematical Alchemy, Corey Brady, Luis Moreno-Armella

The Mathematics Enthusiast

In this set of four articles, we invite Calculus teachers to encounter some of the ideas that shaped and motivated the innovation of the subject, presented in story form. We find that in traditional treatments of these topics, the dramatic tension between ways of thinking, representations, and phenomena in the world can be lost in a sea of calculations, procedures, and partially-understood formal proofs. However, the fundamental ideas and insights can be identified in nascent form in students’ ways-of-thinking about Calculus, and in their struggles to connect Calculus with their prior mathematical experiences.

We are honored to contribute these Stories …

First-Year University Students’ Mathematics Capital And Identities, Paola Valero, Lisa Österling, Nhu Truong, Anna Danielsson, Bruna Nunes, Maria Berge

The Mathematics Enthusiast

Based on a survey of 150 respondents and 16 timeline interviews with first-year university mathematics students in Sweden, we explore how the material resources and conditions available to them —mathematics capital— connect to their mathematical identities. We found that mathematics capital has bearing on how early in life students start to consider doing mathematics. We also found individually different trajectories among students with low mathematics capital into university mathematics. The study expands both existing theoretical and methodological ways of researching the material bearings of identity and opens up for new ways of understanding and exploring the conditions that may facilitate …

To Calmly Rest: Frances E. W. Harper’S Sensational Black Disability Poetics, Vivian Delchamps Wolf

English and Creative Writing | Faculty Scholarship

This article argues that Frances E. W. Harper’s poetics generate a broad understanding of disability, one that accounts for entanglements of race and structural debilitation. Drawing on Black disability studies, a field that examines intertwining oppressions of ableism and racism, the article shows how Harper’s poetry challenges expectations that Black people perform strength and resilience while they survive debilitating oppressive systems. Her work resists the reductive association of Blackness with deficiency while refusing to ignore the material effects of racial capitalism, which has long extracted from Black bodies while denying them care and rest. Centering pain and fatigue not only …