Digital Commons Network^™

Carrying The Call: A Literature Review On Pastoral Burnout, Nisaa Robinson

College of Arts and Cultural Studies

This literature review examines theory and practice related to the leadership challenge of burnout among Black full-time pastors serving mid—sized urban churches in the Midwestern United States. Utilizing 21 sources across peer—reviewed, professional, popular, and action—network literature, the review applies pragmatic and interpretive research philosophies to evaluate contributing and mitigating factors, conceptual frameworks, validated assessments, and leadership practice implications. The review synthesizes foundational literature, clergy—specific extensions, and culturally responsive scholarship to identify evidence—based insights. Significant gaps in culturally specific, regionally disaggregated research are identified, with implications for future inquiry and organizational leadership practice.

Online Learning During Covid-19: A Case Study Of Ict Equity And Access In A Rural Ghanaian Primary School, Angelina Arrington

Howard University Journal of African Studies (HUJAS)

The COVID-19 global pandemic has caused significant disruption to the continuity of instruction in many countries in Sub-Saharan Africa (Africa Centers for Disease Control, 2020). School closures that resulted from the COVID-19 pandemic have exacerbated Sub-Saharan Africa’s acute problems with the education systems, especially in terms of access to human and financial resources to effectively make education accessible and equitable to all students. Education in Sub-Saharan Africa has been recognized by education researchers and policy makers as one of the world’s most significant problems (Asongu and Odhiambo 2019; Dembélé and Lefoka 2007; UNESCO Institute for Statistics 2011). The continuation of …

Accounting For Non-Monetary Exchange: A Systematic Review Of Barter Literature From Colonial Ledgers To Digital Economies, Christian Timotius Peilouw, Unti Ludigdo, Imam Subekti, Yeney Widya Prihatiningtias

Markets, Globalization & Development Review

Non-monetary exchange systems persist throughout human history, challenging assumptions about monetary dominance and revealing fundamental limitations in conventional accounting frameworks. This systematic literature review examines how accounting practices adapt to and shape non-monetary exchange across diverse historical and contemporary contexts, investigating patterns in accounting practices, challenges to conventional theory, and implications for economic resilience. Following PRISMA guidelines, the review analyzed 28 peer-reviewed articles from 1979 to 2025 identified through Scopus database searches combining barter-related and accounting terms. The analysis reveals four major themes: historical foundations showing sophisticated proto-banking systems in colonial America that operated without currency; crisis-driven alternatives demonstrating how …

Engaging Young People In Sustainable Finance: Opening Up Opportunities For Transformation, Allison Guerette

Markets, Globalization & Development Review

The field of sustainable finance could benefit from more meaningful engagement with young people, who offer a unique perspective and have a vested interest in addressing climate change and other global issues that will shape their future. In this post-qualitative study, three young people document what they see, hear, and experience as they attend a symposium for experts on sustainable finance and environmental, social, and governance (ESG) investing. These raw tellings are used in the cocreation of a youth sustainable finance assemblage and analysis tool, which the young people then apply to the Return on Sustainable Investment (ROSI™) methodology. Relationality, …

Pengaruh Penggunaan Peta Pikiran Dan Gaya Belajar Terhadap Hasil Belajar Geografi Siswa Smp, Sigit Purwoko

Jurnal Pendidikan Humaniora

Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk mengetahui pengaruh penggunaan peta pikiran, gaya belajar dan interaksi penggunaan peta pikiran dengan gaya belajar terhadap hasil belajar geografi. Penelitian ini merupakan penelitian eksperimen semu, dengan desain faktorial 2 x 3. Subjek penelitian terdiri dari dua kelas yaitu kelas VII G sebagai kelas eksperimen dan kelas VII F sebagai kelas kontrol. Variabel penelitian terdiri dari: (1) variabel terikat adalah hasil belajar siswa; (2) variabel bebas adalah penggunaan peta pikiran; dan (3) variabel moderator adalah gaya belajar. Hasil belajar geografi diukur menggunakan tes objektif, sedangkan gaya belajar dengan angket. Data hasil pengukuran dianalisis menggunakan anova dua jalur …

The Ways Green Chile Impacts The Land Of Enchantment, Edith Hancock

The Agora

Using a Follow-the-Thing format, this paper shows the process of green chile production from start to finish. From seedlings being planted on a farm, the farming process, production, marketing, distribution, and consumption. It also entails all the actors involved in the process and the unfortuante reality of workers exploitation and inequalities.

Infective Endocarditis Hospitalizations In Kentucky, 2008-2018: Spatial And Temporal Trends, Meera Marji, Steve Browning, W. Jay Christian, Richard Charnigo, Steve W. Leung, Anna Kucharska-Newton

Journal of Appalachian Health

Introduction: Infective endocarditis (IE) hospitalization rates have increased significantly in the last decade, primarily due to the opioid epidemic. In 2016, Kentucky (KY) ranked among the top ten states for opioid-related overdose deaths, but limited data exist on IE trends in KY.

Purpose: This study seeks to examine county-level spatial and temporal trends in IE hospitalization rates in KY.

Methods: Hospital inpatient discharge data from 2008–2018 for KY residents aged 18 and older were analyzed. IE admissions and drug use status were identified using ICD-9 & 10 diagnosis codes. U.S. Census data calculated yearly IE hospitalization rates per 100,000 residents. …

Starting With Story, Not Symptom: Narrative Collapse And Cultural Repair In Appalachia, Wayne Coombs Ph.D.

Journal of Appalachian Health

Appalachia’s opioid crisis reflects uneven burdens, especially in distressed coalfield counties, and it cannot be solved by symptom tracking alone. This commentary argues for a narrative shift, starting with story and cultural repair alongside clinical care. Narrative collapse is defined here as the loss of shared, dependable public meaning across groups, not the absence of storytelling in families, churches, and recovery circles. Trauma science suggests that chronic threat reshapes nervous systems across generations, making safety a prerequisite for renewed trust. Drawing on narrative identity research, the piece proposes peer story work as infrastructure that can reduce shame, support treatment engagement, …

Pengaruh Penggunaan Peta Pikiran Dan Gaya Belajar Terhadap Hasil Belajar Geografi Siswa Smp, Sigit Purwoko

Jurnal Pendidikan Humaniora

Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk mengetahui pengaruh penggunaan peta pikiran, gaya belajar dan interaksi penggunaan peta pikiran dengan gaya belajar terhadap hasil belajar geografi. Penelitian ini merupakan penelitian eksperimen semu, dengan desain faktorial 2 x 3. Subjek penelitian terdiri dari dua kelas yaitu kelas VII G sebagai kelas eksperimen dan kelas VII F sebagai kelas kontrol. Variabel penelitian terdiri dari: (1) variabel terikat adalah hasil belajar siswa; (2) variabel bebas adalah penggunaan peta pikiran; dan (3) variabel moderator adalah gaya belajar. Hasil belajar geografi diukur menggunakan tes objektif, sedangkan gaya belajar dengan angket. Data hasil pengukuran dianalisis menggunakan anova dua jalur …

Implications Of Wilderness Management: Buffalo Creek Case Study, Isaiah M. Anderson, Julia Ampe, Anne Rehberger

University of Montana Conference on Undergraduate Research (UMCUR)

The US Forest Service’s Buffalo Creek Yellowstone Cutthroat Trout Conservation Project is a current case study in the challenges of managing Wilderness according to the 1964 Wilderness Act. This proposed management action involves removing introduced rainbow trout (RBT) from tributaries of the Yellowstone River within the Absaroka-Beartooth Wilderness. The project also aims to introduce Yellowstone cutthroat trout (YCT) to Buffalo Fork Creek, to bolster the YCT population and reduce the effects of hybridization with RBT. Before the project's initiation, a non-profit advocacy organization, Wilderness Watch, sued the US Forest Service over the project’s violations of the Wilderness Act, including the …

“The Real Guards Are The Jungle And The Sea”: The History Of Island Prisons As Landscapes Of Fear And Discipline For Migrants, Dissidents, And Others, From Devil’S Island To The Contemporary United States, Iliana Capozzoli

University of Montana Conference on Undergraduate Research (UMCUR)

By the 1850s, France established the infamous “Devil’s Island” penal colony in tropical French Guiana, an isolating place of punishment described as “the dry guillotine,” where the commandant would declare, “the real guards here are the jungle and the sea.” Upon being "freed," convicts were required to stay and work to build the "colony." Decades later, France would later send Vietnamese and Algerian political dissidents to the prison, which remained open until 1938. The threat of being sentenced to offshore detention has endured. Refugees crossing the Mediterranean are kept by the European Union on island sites, while Australia has received …

Hope Among Venezuelan Migrants In Colombia, Chadrick Tyler D. Bailey Jr

Undergraduate Research Conference

This paper looks at how hope shows up in the lives of Venezuelan migrants living in Colombia. Because of ongoing political and economic problems in Venezuela, many people have been forced to leave their homes in search of safety and better opportunities. In Colombia, even though migrants may find more stability, they still face challenges like low wages, discrimination, and difficult living conditions. Despite all of this, hope continues to play an important role in how they move forward.

Rather than treating hope as just positive thinking, this paper shows how it is something people build through real-life experiences, culture, …

Concurrent Meckel Diverticulum And Horseshoe Kidney In A Cadaver: Insights Into Developmental Field Effects, Kezia Itua, Nadine Belony, Josh Searles, Sophia Guo, Carl Yem, Jorgo Zi, Kavitha Vudatha, Shiv Dhiman, Rasheed Agboola

Research Day

Introduction: Meckel diverticulum is the most common congenital anomaly of the gastrointestinal tract and results from incomplete regression of the omphalomesenteric duct during early embryogenesis. Horseshoe kidney arises from abnormal fusion and arrested ascent of the metanephric kidneys during weeks 6–9 of development. Although both anomalies occur during overlapping gestational windows, their coexistence is rarely described. Recognition of such co-occurrence may provide insight into patterns of congenital variation and early developmental susceptibility.

Methods: During routine cadaveric dissection of a 74-year-old male donor, the abdominal cavity, small intestine, and retroperitoneum were systematically examined. A Meckel diverticulum was identified, measured (~60 cm …

Cardiometabolic Risk Factor Burden And Early Cardiovascular Disease Onset Among Asians: Insights From The Nih All Of Us Cohort And Georgia Oasis, Riya S. Patel, Anirudh Veludhandi, Thomas Last

Research Day

INTRODUCTION: Cardiometabolic risk factors including diabetes, obesity, and smoking are major contributors to cardiovascular disease (CVD), yet the cumulative impact of multiple risk factors on age of onset across cardiovascular phenotypes remains incompletely defined. Cardiovascular risk patterns in Asian populations may differ from those in the general population, and the influence of cumulative cardiometabolic risk burden on early disease remains insufficiently characterized. Understanding how cardiometabolic risk burden influences early cardiovascular disease among Asians may help identify high-risk individuals and guide prevention strategies.

OBJECTIVES: To determine whether increasing cardiometabolic risk factor burden is associated with earlier cardiovascular disease onset among Asians …

Missing Puzzle Piece: Adding Novel Locations To The Map Of Synechococcus A/B Diversity, Max Q. Berndt

University of Montana Conference on Undergraduate Research (UMCUR)

Synechococcus A/B (SynAB) cyanobacteria are found only in North America and include the most thermotolerant photosynthetic organisms on Earth.  As thermophiles, SynAB have intriguing implications for understanding the process of thermal adaptation with potential insights for how organisms may respond to our steadily warming climate. This study aims to compare the genomes and thermotolerance of three newly isolated strains of SynAB from previously unstudied Idaho hot springs. I will first place the isolated strains into an existing phylogenetic tree of SynAB comprised of samples from Oregon and Yellowstone National Park. Next, I will use growth …

Kearifan Lokal Masyarakat Adat Dalam Pelestarian Hutan Sebagai Sumber Belajar Geografi, Sukmawati Sukmawati, Sugeng Utaya, Singgih Susilo

Jurnal Pendidikan Humaniora

The purpose of this research is to identify the values of Adat Ammatoa’s local wisdom in pre serving forests that will serve as a geography’s learning resources. This study is a qualitative study with ethnographic approach. Data about Local wisdom values of Adat Ammatoa retrieved from observa tions and interviews of Adat Ammatoa’s people. Data analysis was performed through the stages of data reduction, data presentation, drawing conclusions and verification. Result of this study is forest conservation of people in Adat Ammatoa always respect Pasang’s law. The values of Adat Ammatoa’s local wisdom is important to known by student. So …

Exploring Mount Mitchell: An Adventurer Searches For The Dispute That Named The Highest Peak East Of The Mississippi, Lisa Ballard

Appalachia

Writer Lisa Ballard hikes the trails of North Carolina's 6,684-foot Mount Mitchell and researches the history behind the mountain's name.

Warga Negara Dan Ekologi: Studi Kasus Pengembangan Warga Negara Peduli Lingkungan Dalam Komunitas Bandung Berkebun, Wibowo Heru Prasetiyo, Dasim Budimansyah

Jurnal Pendidikan Humaniora

This research aims to describe of the development concerns of citizens towards the environment in Bandung Gardening community who has run a series of pro-environment program. The research method uses a qualitative approach with case study method. The informants are Bandung Berkebun’s members and data collection techniques such as interviews, observation, and study the document. The results show that the Bandung Berkebun community with programs such as urban farming, urban farming school, street urban farming and urban campus has succeeded in intensifying agriculture farming town (urban agriculture) as an environmentally conscious lifestyle in Bandung. The success from the standpoint of …

System For Modeling Coexisting Speed Limits Via Parallel Propagation Of Conditional, Statutory, And Variable Rules, Danendra Singh, Mert Kalender

Defensive Publications Series

Digital map systems may represent speed limits as static, single-value attributes, which can limit their ability to model real-world scenarios with multiple, context-dependent rules for a single road segment. A system is described for modeling coexisting speed limits via a multi-stage processing pipeline that may feature a parallel propagation architecture. This mechanism, which can be referred to as smearing, can propagate different speed limit types as independent, overlapping layers along a road network. The process can generate a dynamic, multi-dimensional map layer that consolidates explicit rules from physical signs and implicit legal rules. This framework may enable a vehicle's computing …

System And Method For Cross Issuer Payment Coordination, Gaurav Gupta, Ritesh Saini, Haseen Ahmad

Defensive Publications Series

This disclosure relates generally to the field of payment systems, in particular to a system and method for enabling cross issuer payment coordination with real-time temporary card issuance. A merchant interface may provide a customer with an option to obtain a temporary payment card in real time to avail an offer associated with a different issuer. Upon selection, a transaction request including an indicator for temporary card issuance may be transmitted through a merchant bank to a payment network, which routes the transaction for authorization and facilitates issuance and provisioning of the temporary card with a predefined limit. The payment …

A Review Of Energy Storage Technologies With Hydro Energy System Design For Off-Grid Electricity, Daniel H. Ngoma, Banet L. Masenga

Tanzania Journal of Engineering and Technology (TJET)

Many renewable energy sources such hydropower—particularly small-scale run-of-river and micro-hydro—offers reliable, low-cost generation. However, their inherent intermittency (due to seasonal flow variations) and inability to instantly match demand necessitate integrated energy storage to ensure a stable, continuous power supply. This review synthesizes contemporary energy storage technologies in the context of their integration with off-grid hydro energy system design.

The study examine a spectrum of storage solutions, evaluating their technical characteristics, costs, and suitability for hybrid hydro applications. Pumped Hydro Storage (PHS), while highly efficient and large-scale, is often geographically constrained and capital-intensive for small off-grid projects. Battery Energy Storage Systems …

One Of These Things Is Not Like The Other: Differences Between The New Deal And Great Society, Brayden T. Gallagher

Harding Undergraduate Research Conference

This paper examines the differences between the New Deal of Franklin D. Roosevelt and the Great Society of Lyndon B. Johnson, challenging the prevailing interpretation that the latter administration was the logical continuation of the former. Through comparative historical analysis of policy and rhetoric, the research finds that, despite clear similarities such as expanded government involvement and social welfare programs, the two initiatives diverged significantly. The New Deal prioritized economic recovery through short-term job creation while often tolerating or reinforcing racial inequality. In contrast, the Great Society directly confronted systemic racism and struck at the roots of poverty through education, …

Inside Looking Out The Joslyn Museum Geoportal Field Guide, Harmon D. Maher Jr.

Geography and Geology Faculty Publications

Inside Looking Out: The Joslyn Museum Geoportal Field Guide presents the Joslyn Museum as a unique interdisciplinary space where art and geology intersect. The guide invites readers to explore the museum not only through its paintings but also through its architectural materials, treating both as “portals” into broader narratives of Earth’s history, landscapes, and human experience. Organized as a series of flexible “field sites,” the book examines artworks and building stones side by side, highlighting how geological processes—such as sedimentation, metamorphism, and erosion—inform both the physical structure of the museum and the imagery within its collections. By blending scientific inquiry …

From Crown To Communism To Crown: Reconstruction In Budapest's Castle District Reveals How Heritage Is Selectively Rebuilt To Shape National Identity, Risae Carlson, Daniel Olsen

FHSS Mentored Research Conference

This project examines how reconstruction in Budapest’s Buda Castle District shapes perceptions of authenticity and historical memory. Following World War II destruction and socialist rebuilding, post-1989 reconstruction has emphasized a return to imperial-era aesthetics. Using visual and historical analysis, this study shows how different political periods have reshaped the same space to reflect shifting cultural priorities. While the district appears historically cohesive, many structures are reconstructed rather than preserved. This creates tension with UNESCO’s standards of authenticity and integrity. The findings suggest that reconstruction does not simply restore the past but actively reshapes it by prioritizing certain narratives while downplaying …

How Far Is Too Far? Travel Planning Burdens In Autism Families, Risae Carlson, Daniel Olsen, Ruth Kerry

FHSS Mentored Research Conference

This study examines how the burden of planning and risk management influences travel distance and destination choice among families with a child on the autism spectrum. Survey data from Utah-based parents indicate that higher planning burden is associated with a preference for familiar, closer-to-home destinations and shorter travel distances. Despite these constraints, families report that travel remains highly valuable for bonding, fostering a sense of normalcy, and supporting developmental growth.

Data Centers In Mountain West Markets, 2026, Maisoon Faris, Cason Noll

Undergraduate Research Symposium Podium Presentations

Our presentation, based on research conducted with Brookings Mountain West at UNLV, will focus on the distribution and geographic concentration of data centers across Mountain West markets. We will present data from our recently published fact sheet, """"Data Centers in Mountain West Markets, 2026,"""" which derives data from DataCenterMap, a platform that tracks global data centers in real time. Our presentation will include state and market level data on data center counts and geographic concentration as of March 6th, 2026. We will present two data figures highlighting data on each Mountain West state and market: Table 1 provides the national …

Implementing Power Strategy Combined With The Animated Film To Improve The Writing Ability In Narrative Text For Junior High School, Muhari Muhari, Utami Widiati, Furaidah Furaidah

Jurnal Pendidikan Humaniora

This study aimed to improve students' narrative writing by implementing POWER strategy combined with the animated film at class VIII of SMP. It was CAR design conducted in 2 cycles. The findings showed an improvement in writing ability in which 29 students achieved the minimum passing grade and the rest 6 students were in fair level of writing, and the result of teaching and learning process showed that 82.5% respond positively

The Alpha Chi Faculty Scholar Award, Julie E Harris

Ex Sapientia Loqui

List of Alpha Chi Faculty Scholar Award Winners

The Social Determinants Of Health And Cancer, Joshua Williams

Ex Sapientia Loqui

The social determinants of health, as defined by the World Health Organization (WHO), are “the conditions in which people are born, grow, live, work and age, and people’s access to power, money and resources.” Epidemiologists have long studied the nexus between social forces and disease and have widely agreed that such forces are directly causal of pathologies. This paper is an analytic review of the existing literature on several social determinants— namely socioeconomic status (SES), race and ethnicity, age, working and living conditions, and social integration— and how they pertain to the causation, progression, and treatment of cancer.

An Integrative Description Of Euscorpius Diagorasi Sp. N. From Rhodes, Greece (Scorpiones: Euscorpiidae), Konstantinos Kalaentzis, Francesco Frigioni, Eliza Kaitetzidou, Alessio Iannucci, Alexandros Triantafyllidis

Euscorpius

The genus Euscorpius Thorell, 1876 comprises a diverse and taxonomically challenging group of scorpions in the Mediterranean, with Greece representing one of its principal centers of diversity. In this study, we provide an integrative description of Euscorpius diagorasi sp. n., a new species from Rhodes Island, Greece. The new species is described on the basis of adult male and female morphology and mitochondrial COI sequence data. It is a small oligotrichous species characterized by a total length of approximately 21–25 mm, pale yellow to light brown coloration with darker reddish-brown pedipalps, pectinal tooth count of 8 in the male …