Digital Commons Network^™

Optimizing Subgroup Selection In Petrochemical Industries: A Robust Data Envelopment Analysis Approach For Uncertainty Management, Sadegh Niroomand, Hilda Saleh, Morteza Shafiee, Dragan Pamucar, Ali Mahmoodirad

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

This study addresses the critical challenge faced by organizations in selecting an optimal subgroup of decision-making units (DMUs). Such a selection procedure can significantly influence efficiency, profitability, and strategic development. Recognizing the limitations of existing methods in handling inexact data and incorporating managerial preferences, this study proposes a novel framework that integrates data envelopment analysis (DEA) with binary linear programming models. The model applies belief-degree–based representations of uncertainty to capture imprecise inputs and outputs. For this model, two solution approaches—namely, chance-constrained programming and expected value approaches—were developed. These approaches are suitable for real-world applications using standard optimization software. The effectiveness …

Pharmacist-Led Educational Intervention To Improve Knowledge, Medication Adherence, And Asthma Control Among Asthma Patients At Ayder Comprehensive Specialized Hospital: A Protocol For Randomized Controlled Trial, Mekuriaw Dereje Tekele, Goitom Belay Kassa, Yainu Welegerima Welekidane, Derbew Fikadu Berhe, Abadi Kahsu Gebre, Afewerki Gebremeskel Tsadik

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Objective: To evaluate the effect of a pharmacist-led educational intervention on medication knowledge, adherence, and asthma control among adult asthma patients at Ayder Comprehensive Specialized Hospital, Ethiopia.

Methods: A single-blind, parallel-group randomized controlled trial will be conducted. All eligible adult asthma patients on active follow-up at the chest clinic of Ayder Comprehensive Specialized Hospital will be included. Participants will be randomly assigned via a computer-generated sequence to an intervention group (structured pharmacist-led education using teach-back, illustrated pamphlets, a follow-up phone call and SMS) or a control group (routine care). Outcome assessors will be blinded to group allocation. Outcomes will be …

Rrto: A High-Performance Transparent Offloading System For Model Inference In Mobile Edge Computing, Zekai Sun, Xiuxian Guan, Zheng Lin, Yuhao Qing, Haoze Song, Zihan Fang, Zhe Chen, Fangming Liu, Heming Cui, Wei Ni, Jun Luo

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Deploying Machine Learning (ML) applications on resource-constrained mobile devices remains challenging due to limited computational resources and poor platform compatibility. While Mobile Edge Computing (MEC) offers an offloading-based inference paradigm using GPU servers, existing approaches can be divided into non-transparent and transparent methods, with the former necessitating source-code modifications. Non-transparent offloading achieves high performance but requires intrusive code changes, limiting compatibility with diverse applications. Transparent offloading, in contrast, offers wide compatibility but introduces two challenges: performance degradation under MEC's low and fluctuating bandwidth, where per-operator remote procedure calls (RPCs) inflate end-to-end latency and energy consumption; and black-box logic reconstruction, which …

State Responsibility For Violations Of International Humanitarian Law And Human Rights Law By Private Security Companies In Africa: The Case Of The Wagner Group And Africa Corps, Shannon Joy Bosch, Matthew Kimble

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

The outsourcing of traditionally military functions in Africa to private military companies (PMCs) such as the Wagner Group and the Africa Corps has been accompanied by violations of international humanitarian law and international human rights law. According to the International Law Commission's Articles on Responsibility of States for Internationally Wrongful Acts, state responsibility for these violations can be imputed to the states that employ PMCs to function as their agents, to exercise government authority or to act in the vacuum left by official authorities. States that do not intervene to prevent these abuses fail their obligations of due diligence through …

Addressing Professional Tensions Through Intellectual Candour And Stewardship, Thoughtful Dialoguing As A Duoethnographic Collaborative Exploration, Sarah Barradell, Narelle Lemon

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Using duoethnography, we explore our experiences of physiotherapy practice and education and argue that the profession’s desire for credibility is at the expense of vulnerability, risk and intellectual candour–of imagining the profession and education of its graduates differently. We identified key themes around: alignment/misalignment, reflection/reflexivity and professional scope. This methodology models risk and questioning through the juxtaposition of different perspectives. Through our contrasting narratives, we remain open to new forms of learning, modelling what intellectual candour demands from us: facing the problems of the past so that we might learn from our history and change our future. This can be …

Effect Of Caffeine Ingestion On Cycling Performance: A Systematic Review And Meta-Analysis, Jinyan Wu, Kai Xu, Mingyue Yin, Xianming Ding, Tong Wang, Qiubo Zhang, Xiaowei Wu, Ningkun Xiao

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

This study aimed to determine the effects of acute caffeine ingestion on cycling performance through a systematic review and meta-analysis, while also exploring the moderating roles of caffeine dosage, training status, and athlete age. A comprehensive search was conducted across five databases, yielding 20 eligible studies with a total of 226 participants. A three-level mixed-effects model was applied to pool main effects on cycling time trial performance, mean power output, mean heart rate, and ratings of perceived exertion (RPE). Subgroup analyses and meta-regression were performed to examine potential moderators. Caffeine intake significantly reduced cycling completion time (SMD = −0.36, 95% …

Creatine Monohydrate For Lean Mass, Strength, And Bone Density In Postmenopausal Women: A Systematic Review And Meta-Analysis, Siavash Naddafha, Jose Antonio, Richard B. Kreider, Jeffrey R. Stout

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Background: Menopause is accompanied by accelerated losses in muscle mass and strength and declining bone density. Whether creatine monohydrate benefits postmenopausal women are uncertain. Methods: We systematically reviewed randomized, placebo-controlled trials examining creatine supplementation, with or without resistance training (RT), in postmenopausal women. MEDLINE, Embase, Scopus, Web of Science, SPORTDiscus, and Cochrane CENTRAL were searched from 2000 to August 2025, supplemented by trial registries and reference-list screening. Eligible studies included postmenopausal women aged ≥40–45 years, intervention durations ≥6 weeks for primary analyses, and outcomes including DXA-derived lean mass, one-repetition maximum (1RM) strength, bone mineral density, physical function, and safety. Dual …

Shedding Light On Cellular Glycolysis Pathway Kinetics: Combining Kinetic, Mechanistic Modelling Approaches With Label Free Microspectroscopic Imaging. (Spectralomics), Nitin Patil

Doctoral

Cellular metabolism and its intricate biochemical mechanisms which allow the conversion of nutrients into energy to sustain life are well understood, leading to numerous breakthroughs in science and technology, human health and wellbeing. From an industrial perspective the pathway kinetics are significant for monitoring cellular bioprocesses, screening desired metabolite phenotypes in drug discovery processes, etc.

An initial review of glycolysis pathway kinetics highlighted the lack of sophisticated approaches to monitor the metabolic pathway kinetics as a function of time in a non-destructive, non-invasive, label-free manner. Fluxomics, a metabolomics based approach providing high-throughput insights, can be considered a gold standard approach, …

An Investigation Into The Use Of The E1 Gene As A Target Gene For Molecular Detection And Differentiation Of Hr-Hpv Types, Shannon Reina

Masters

Human Papillomavirus (HPV) is the most diagnosed sexually transmitted infection (STI) in the world and high risk (HR-HPV) types are associated with 96% of cervical cancer cases. Cervical cancer is the fourth leading cause of cancer death amongst women and screening for cervical cancer has led to a 70% reduction in deaths. Medical professionals currently use the HPV vaccine and screening to prevent the spread of HPV and to diagnose precancerous lesions in the cervix before they develop to late grade cancer. The World Health Organisation (WHO) recommends that HPV testing be used as a primary screening method as a …

Development Of An Active Crosslinked Nanocomposite Film Based On Gelatin-Ethyl Cellulose, Trans-Cinnamaldehyde, And Silver Nanoparticles For The Preservation Of Sliced Meat, Elham Sarmast, Shiv Shankar, Stephane Salmieri, Sahra Amel Rahmouni, Monique Lacroix

Research Outputs: 2025-Present

This study aimed to develop a novel bioactive biobased packaging film combining gelatin (G) and ethyl cellulose (EC), cardanol and glycerol as plasticizers, trans-cinnamaldehyde (TCA) as a crosslinker/bioactive compound, and silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) as bioactive agents. The degree of crosslinking, mechanical and thermal properties, water solubility (WS), and water vapor permeability (WVP) of the films were analyzed. Molecular interactions within the film matrix were determined by FTIR spectroscopy. The G-EC film, in a 1:2 weight ratio, exhibited improved physicochemical properties compared to the pure G film, with a low WS (7.8%). The incorporation of TCA and AgNPs—to form bioactive nanocomposite …

Exploration Of Best Practice Of Market Surveillance And Type Approval Of Internal Combustion Engines Emissions For Non-Road Mobile Machinery (Examine_Nrmm), Rita Hagan, Eoin Mcgillicuddy, Aoife Donnelly

Research Outputs: 2025-Present

This study examines market surveillance methods for engines in non-road mobile machinery (NRMM) in selected European Union (EU) Member States and the UK, to inform the development of an Irish NRMM market surveillance process in accordance with Regulation (EU) 2016/1628. The research found NRMM market surveillance approaches vary across Europe, with no uniform market surveillance strategy in place. Some countries, including Ireland, are currently developing an approach, while other countries have no set process in place. In countries, with an existing strategy, the process can be proactive, reactive or a combination of both.Findings highlight opportunities for Ireland to design a …

Characterization Of Nutritional And Flavor Profiles Of Aromatic Black Rice, India, Babli Waribam, Raju Sasikumar, T. Selva Kumar, Phani Kumar Garlapati, Sandeep Janghu, S. Chakkaravarthi, Paul Mansingh, Vidisha Tomer, Amit K. Jaiswal

Research Outputs: 2025-Present

Chakhao is an indigenous aromatic black rice variety from Manipur, India, valued for its distinctive flavor, high anthocyanin content, and associated health benefits. Despite its geographical indication status, limited information exists on how regional cultivation conditions influence its compositional attributes. This study characterizes and compares the nutritional composition, mineral content, volatile profile, and fatty acid methyl esters (FAMEs) composition of Chakhao sourced from five major cultivation regions in Manipur. Proximate analysis quantified moisture, protein, ash, fiber, fat, and carbohydrate content, whereas GC-MS/MS and ICP-MS were employed to profile volatile compounds, FAMEs, and mineral elements. Carbohydrates were the predominant macronutrient (73.88%–74.21%), …

Open Contacts Adjacent To Posterior Dental Implants: Current Understanding And Emerging Preventive Concepts, Chiun-Lin Steven Liu, Shih-Cheng Wen, Ching-Jung Chang Chien, Je-Kang Du

Journal of Dental Sciences

Open proximal contacts between posterior dental implant restorations and adjacent natural teeth are a common yet underappreciated complication. This review examines the multifactorial etiology of open contact formation, including biomechanical discrepancies, prosthetic and surgical factors, occlusal force dynamics, and natural tooth migration. The clinical consequences-ranging from food impaction and gingival inflammation to proximal bone loss and diminished patient satisfaction-are also analyzed. These complications not only affected oral hygiene and comfort but might also contribute to peri-implant tissue breakdown and increased maintenance needs. Existing preventive and corrective strategies, such as prosthetic over-contouring, splinted restorations, and occlusal equilibration, are reviewed with attention …

The Silent Language Of Trauma: Defendant Behavior, Juror Bias, And Expert Testimony, Jensen Goldman

Scripps Senior Theses

Trauma can profoundly influence behavioral presentation, yet jurors often rely on demeanor as a diagnostic cue for guilt, credibility, and remorse. Such reliance poses risks within a legal system that seldom equips jurors to interpret trauma related behaviors accurately. The proposed study will examine how two trauma-linked affective presentations– overemotionality and flat affect– shape juror perceptions of credibility and guilt, and whether expert psychological testimony about trauma-related affect can mitigate these biases. Online survey participants will read one of five trial vignettes with varying defendant conditions (flat affect vs. overemotional) and varying expert testimony conditions (present or not present) and …

Startle Habituation And Vagally Mediated Heart Rate Variability Influence The Use Of Emotion Regulation Strategies, Xiao Yang, Fang Fang, Angela Ximena Babb

Psychology Faculty Publications

Emotion regulation refers to the processes through which people modulate their emotional experiences and expressions, and difficulties in these processes underpin many forms of psychopathology. According to the process model, emotion regulation encompasses five classes of strategies, commonly grouped into antecedent-focused strategies (e.g., cognitive reappraisal) and response-focused strategies (e.g., expressive suppression). These strategies involve both explicit and implicit processes, which can be objectively assessed using physiological indices. The present study examined the effects of startle habituation and vagally mediated heart rate variability (vmHRV) on the use of cognitive appraisal and suppression. Forty-nine college-aged participants were recruited, and their resting heart …

Social Exclusion, Social Support, And Trauma, Eric D. Wesselmann

Faculty Publications – Psychology

Humans have an inherent need to forge stable and quality social connections. One key benefit of having social connections is obtaining social support for navigating traumatic or otherwise stressful events. Ostracism (i.e. being both ignored and excluded, Williams, 2009) and other forms of social exclusion rob individuals of the opportunity to receive social support and likely contribute to stress-related mental health concerns. My colleagues and I tested this premise in different stress-related contexts, ranging from college students struggling with potentially stigmatizing secrets to community members who have experienced various types of traumatic incidents (e.g., miscarriage, military combat). We examined the …

Nh 4-H Livestock Quiz Bowl Packet, Unh Cooperative Extension

UNH Cooperative Extension

No abstract provided.

Preservice Teachers’ Perceptions Of Ai- And Human-Generated Feedback On Lesson Plans, Gui Ying Annie Yang-Heim, Xi Lin

Faculty Publications - College of Education

This study examines the role of AI peer reviewers in evaluating preservice teachers’ guided reading lesson plans at a U.S. university. A quasi-experimental design compared two groups: one receiving traditional human peer reviews and another using ChatGPT as a peer reviewer. Data sources included peer review reports and student survey responses. Grounded in the Zone of Proximal Development and effective feedback literature, the study investigates how AI feedback influences critical thinking and engagement during lesson planning. It also explores preservice teachers’ attitudes toward AI versus human feedback. The findings demonstrate both the advantages and disadvantages of AI-generated feedback which provides …

They Don't Talk Very Good: Attending To Raciolinguistic Socialization In Early Childhood, Erin Quast

Faculty Publications - College of Education

In this article, I share experiences from my roles as a teacher, researcher, and parent to show how raciolinguistic ideologies take hold in early childhood. Specifically, I illustrate how children come to uphold English superiority, map language to belonging, and make judgments about whose language counts. In sharing these experiences, I call on educators and caregivers to attend to raciolinguistic socialization and work toward disruption so that all children's languages are valued in literacy learning. I suggest centering multiple languages, cultivating curiosity, and questioning curricular assumptions as ways to work alongside children in challenging hierarchies and creating learning spaces that …

The Retrograde Pendulum: Reversing Course On Standards-Based Grading, Jay C. Percell

Faculty Publications - College of Education

This commentary details one large, suburban school district that, after a decade-long commitment to implementing standards-based grading (SBG), reversed course, abandoned the initiative, and returned to traditional grading. This article provides a postmortem of the ambitious reform effort, drawing upon previous research and recent district survey data from teachers and parents. Among the factors leading to the reform's reversal are that, despite a carefully planned, multi-year rollout, the initiative was unable to resolve persistent concerns about implementation inconsistency, student motivation, and the technology reporting platform. Internal pressures were exacerbated by external turmoil, including personnel turnover and the COVID-19 pandemic, and …

Teacher Agency: Finding Spaces To Transform Ela Classrooms, Kathryn Mitchell Pierce, Carol Gilles, Sarah D. Reid

Faculty Publications - College of Education

Amid ongoing attacks on teachers and their professionalism, we studied three middle school ELA teachers who exercised their agency to transform their classrooms and curricula through social justice pedagogy (SJP). Using Pantić's (2017) model, we examined their sense of purpose, competence, autonomy, and reflexivity in confronting barriers. This multiple-case study drew on interviews, focus group transcripts, artifacts, and responses to our analysis of their reported beliefs regarding their agency about dialogic talk in literature discussions as part of SJP. We found that teachers' agency, dialogic talk, literature discussions, and SJP were deeply interwoven. Teachers valued dialogic talk in literature discussions …

Making Sense Of Cuba's National Literacy Campaign: A Reflexive Study Of Lra Delegates’ Engagement With The Museo De La Alfabetización, Erin Quast, Brooke Ward Taira, Deborah M. Sanchez, Grace Pigozzi, Marco Bravo, Dorothy Shapland Rodriguez, Crystal N. Wise

Faculty Publications - College of Education

In December 2024, as part of the Literacy Research Association (LRA) Advancing Reading and Literacy Education Delegation to Cuba, delegates visited the Museo de la Alfabetización in Havana, which documents the 1961 Cuban Literacy Campaign. This collaborative reflexive self-study examines how delegates—literacy scholars and educators—collectively interpreted and negotiated national literacy narratives through engagement with the museum. Data sources included a transcript of a post-visit critical conversation, individual reflexive memos, and artifacts gathered during the museum visit. Iterative thematic analysis identified four sensemaking processes: shifting from pedagogy to shared purpose; holding inspiration and discomfort together; questioning narrative ownership and erasure; and …

Building A Digital Altar For The Justice-Centered Torch-Bearers: The Role Of Digital Networks In Supporting Contemporary Racial Justice Activists Through Contemplative Practices, Renée L. Bradford

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

This mixed-methods study aimed to identify factors critical in building a digital support network employing contemplative practices to support activists engaging in racial justice work in the United States. The research question that guided this study was: What factors do racial justice activists regard as critical in building a digital support network employing contemplative practices? The study’s importance lies in addressing the evolving landscape of digital activism while honoring the spiritual and relational foundations that have historically sustained social justice movements, particularly as contemporary activists navigate new technological tools while seeking to maintain authentic connection and contemplative grounding. Key findings …

Beyond The Brotherhood: Exploring Communal Leadership In Masculinity Contest Cultures, Scott A. Metzler

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

This phenomenological study explores the lived experiences of formal and informal leaders who exercise communal leadership, characterized by collaboration, inclusion, and relational focus, within the masculinity contest cultures of law enforcement and the fire service, where strength, competition, and hierarchical leadership often rule the day. Through in-depth qualitative interviews with 19 participants across the United States, this research investigates how and why leaders choose to challenge organizational norms, how they perceive the effects of their decisions on themselves and others, and how they navigate the tensions and contradictions between communal leadership and hypermasculine cultural expectations. The findings reveal that leaders …

Navigating Financial Futures: A Case Study Of A Targeted Financial Literacy Program For African American College Students, Michael L. James

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

This dissertation presents a qualitative analysis of a targeted financial literacy program designed for African American college students. The dissertation examined how African American college students describe and make meaning of their participation in a targeted financial literacy program, particularly in relation to the program’s structure, content, and delivery. Despite growing interest in financial literacy education, interventions that acknowledge the persistent wealth gap and systemic financial inequities faced by African Americans remain underexplored. Employing a case study research method within a program understanding framework, this study investigated a program at Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs). Findings reveal that the …

Righteous Defenders And Evil Challengers: The Morally Polarized Battle For Books On Reddit, Erika Casburn

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

The issue of book bans has moved to the forefront of public and political debate over the past few years. Anti-censorship advocates who defend against these challenges have yet to be studied. The purpose of this study was to examine the beliefs and worldviews as expressed by those defenders in a public forum—Reddit. Data in the form of Reddit threads was collected from subreddits belonging to states that have seen the greatest number of book challenges. This data was subjected to discourse analysis, first manually, then by qualitative analysis software (MAXQDA). Analysis revealed that defenders spent a majority of discursive …

We’Re The Aunties Now: Intersections Of Mourning Practices, Intergenerational Trauma, And Matrilineal Responsibility In Oneida Life, Marena Bridges

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

This dissertation examines how Oneida and broader Haudenosaunee mourning practices, as I have lived and understood them, shape grief, healing, and matrilineal responsibility in my family. Using Indigenous autoethnography and storywork, I first present a crafted narrative, then return to that narrative through reflexive thematic analysis. The analysis identifies patterned meanings in how grief is structured, shared, and carried across closely stacked deaths in the maternal line. Mourning practices function as community infrastructure that organizes time, redistributes labor, transmits knowledge, and sustains continuing bonds with the dead. At the same time, repeated loss produces a form of matriarchal ascension, concentrating …

The Conservation Value Of Silvicultural Systems For Breeding And Post-Fledging Bird Communities In Northeastern North America, Christopher Andrew Liazos

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

Forest bird community decline in the eastern United States is partly due to the lack of early-and-late-successional forests stemming from historic land use. Silviculture can create underrepresented forest age classes and structures to support avian communities during the breeding and post-fledging periods. In southwestern New Hampshire, we conducted a case study evaluating avian conservation value indices across silvicultural systems. Our goal was to observe how avian conservation value indexes and abundance differed between recently managed and unmanaged stands. We surveyed 215 breeding and 118 post-fledging points across 22 sites using point counts and vegetation surveys. Conservation values in the breeding …

Interpersonal Reckoning: The Liminal Space Between Rupture And Repair In Counselor Education, Phoenix E. Rosewood

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

The purpose of this study is to understand and explore the phenomenon of the rupture, reckoning, and when possible, the repair process with racial, ethnic, and cultural (REC) microaggressions in counselor education. Participants (n = 14) included counselor educators who had either enacted a REC microaggression and attempted repair, or had been the recipient of an REC rupture and a meaningful attempt at repair. This study utilized a thematic analysis as a methodological framework in interpreting the data with the perspective of borderlands theory, critical embodied phenomenology, relational cultural theory and relational neuroscience analytical frameworks to account for and explain …

One Tree, Many Roots: A Care-Centered Cultural Philosophy Of Education For Collective Flourishing, Darshini Margaret Elizabeth Stark

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

Public education in the United States is often framed as a neutral pathway to opportunity, democratic participation, and individual success. Yet for many students, particularly those from historically marginalized communities, schooling has functioned as a site of self-abandonment, where compliance means survival. This dissertation argues that persistent educational harm is not the result of individual curriculum failure or isolated policy shortcomings, but something far more insidious: the intentional use of schooling as a mechanism of political control and socioeconomic hierarchy, shaped over centuries by authoritarian governance and colonial ideology. In response, this work advances Oru Maram (Stark, in preparation) as …