Digital Commons Network^™

Physical Drivers Of Pismo Clam (Tivela Stultorum) Populations At The Northern Range Edge In Monterey Bay, California, Olivia M. Beaudoin

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

Environmental factors and physiological tolerances shape species abundance and distribution across their geographic ranges. Species inhabiting coastal systems are subject to a range of conditions driven by both geology and oceanography. For example, infaunal organisms are influenced by sediment characteristics and beach morphology, nearshore wave dynamics, and sea surface temperature (SST). An infaunal resident of the sandy beach intertidal, the Pismo clam (Tivela stultorum), was once a valuable commercial resource along the California coast, ranging from Santa Cruz County, CA to Magdalena Bay, BCS, Mexico. Pismo clams experienced considerable population declines due to overexploitation in the early 20th century. Populations …

Evaluating Variety- And Market-Class-Specific Effects Of Dietary Pulses On Human Health, Jiayu Tang

Department of Food Science and Technology: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

While pulses are globally recognized for their high levels of dietary fibers, protein, and polyphenols, research often focuses on characterizing the physiological effects of a single variety. This approach overlooks the substantial genetic and compositional diversity that exists across pulse varieties and individual market classes, which can differ extensively in nutrient content and structure. These compositional differences have the potential to produce distinct physiological and microbial responses in humans, yet variety- and market-class-specific effects remain poorly characterized.

This thesis uses two complementary research methodologies to investigate the health-relevant effects of different pulse varieties and market classes, providing foundational knowledge to …

Fy 2024-2025 Annual Report (Lwlc), Lwlc Faculty And Staff

LWLC Publications

No abstract provided.

Dnp Final Report: Implementing The 5-2-1-0 Lifestyle Framework To Address Elevated Bmi In Pediatric Primary Care, Mary K. Williams

DNP Final Reports

Pediatric obesity remains a significant public health concern, particularly in rural areas where access to specialty care is limited. Primary care settings provide an important opportunity for early identification and intervention through family-based lifestyle modification. The purpose of this quality improvement project was to evaluate the feasibility and preliminary impact of implementing the 5-2-1-0 healthy habits framework, developed by researchers at Penn State, in a rural pediatric primary care clinic to promote improved lifestyle behaviors among children with elevated body mass index (BMI).

This project included pediatric patients ages 5–16 years presenting for well-child visits with a BMI at or …

Toward Intentional Praxis: A Design Thinking Multi-Case Study Of Cognitive-Constructive Toolkit Implementation In An Elementary Professional Learning Community, Azam Nathaniel

Dissertations

Among several learning theories that were dynamic and constantly evolving with time, cognitive and constructive theories were predominant in the field of education. However, these theories often included overlapping and contrasting concepts, contributing to confusion in terminology among teachers and limited explicit use in instructional practice. Within the context of K-12 education, teachers demonstrated conceptual awareness of cognitive and constructive learning theories; however, the theories were not a part of day-to-day conversations and were minimally identified in practice. Instead, the theories were implicitly applied as teachers balanced competing professional responsibilities, including daily routines, syllabus requirements, district standards, new initiatives, differentiated …

Production Country Origin Impact On Soybean Oil Quality, Huazhen Liu, Micah Pope, Todd Doehring, Pradeep Kachroo, David Hildebrand

Plant and Soil Sciences Faculty Publications

Previous studies have suggested variability in soybean oil quality depending on geographic origin of the soybeans. In this study, 1035 crude degummed soybean oil (raw oil unrefined except for degumming) samples collected from vessels and crushers over five harvest years (2020–2024) were analyzed for 11 key quality attributes. Soybean oil samples were sourced from soybeans that originated from the United States, Brazil, and Argentina. The results indicate that US-grown soybeans consistently produce the highest-quality oil, characterized by the lowest free fatty acid (FFA) levels and lowest neutral oil loss (NOL). Oils from US soybeans also exhibited the highest iodine values. …

Lawyers' Manual For Appealing Parole Denials: Administrative Appeals And Article 78 Petitions, Parole Preparation Project

All Categories

No abstract provided.

Co-Designing Multimodal, Multilingual Text Sets: Centering Caregiver Choice, Katie M. Crook, Emily Howell, Lindsey W. Rowe, Hazel Vega Quesada, C. C. Bates

Publications

Early literacy instruction in the U.S. often centers monolingual, English-dominant practices that marginalize multilingual learners and their families. This qualitative design-based research study examines a family literacy initiative that engaged caregivers and teachers as co-designers of a multilingual, multimodal literacy resource bag. Using the MultiSemiotic Architecture Framework, we analyzed qualitative data to explore how collaborative text selection can advance linguistic justice in early childhood education. Findings highlight five themes that shaped intentional text selection and supported multilingual home literacy practices: content, language, cultural relevance, curricular alignment, and collaborative modifications. By centering families' cultural and linguistic resources, the project disrupted monolingual …

Commedia Dell’Arte - Serious Funny Business, Caleb Dransfield

Course Materials

[From Introduction]

Picture this. It’s the year 1570. You fi nd yourself in Venice for the fi rst time and you are delighted by the unique culture around you. It’s a city built on the water, streets are replaced by canals. St Mark’s Basilica, the Doge’s palace, and the piazza do not disappoint. The Rialto is a hive of markets and vendors. As you wander the city you encounter something you haven’t seen before. A wooden stage erected, backed by a simple cloth. Onstage, actors in masks are leaping about and speaking to each other animatedly. Even with your limited …

“We're Just Relics Of A Bygone Era!”: The Portrayal Of Librarians In Short Films, Alessandro Camarra

Staff publications

While on the hunt for examples of "librarian" characters portrayed in popular culture, it can be thrilling when said characters make an appearance in feature length films or Hollywood blockbusters. However, sometimes a higher level of satisfaction can be found when examples come from smaller, more personal, projects.

One person films a three-minute clip of their friend wearing glasses and a fake "bun" wig, then uploads it to YouTube. Another person works all semester on a half-hour documentary of their university library, then submits it as the final project for their Film Studies class. Not to mention examples that go …

Public Perceptions Regarding Fire And Fuel Mitigation, Jennifer Schmidt, Kathryn Davis, Nicholas Link, Joseph Little

ISER Reports

In fall 2025, UAA researchers held focus groups to talk to Anchorage municipality residents about their attitudes towards a wildfire mitigation technique called fuel treatments. Findings indicated residents support fuel treatments, but had questions about aesthetic and environmental implications, financial barriers, and the policy process.

“A Place For Every Book, Every Book In Its Place … ”: The Portrayal Of Librarians In Video Games, Alessandro Camarra

Staff publications

The role of "librarian" can follow several well-worn tropes within the world of interactive media. These can be referred to as:

*The All-Knowing Guide (teaches the player how to actually play the game, i.e. accessing the inventory menu or revealing which button combination will unlock the ability to cast spells)

*The Lore Keeper (provides exposition and backstory about the game world to the player)

*The Clueless Collector (begs the player for help recovering lost/overdue books)

*The Secret Sexpot (an object of desire for the player to romance/seduce)

*The Unforgiving Tyrant (demands silence at all costs)

And then we have those …

Lawrence B. Solum, Lawrence B. Solum

Faculty CVs

No abstract provided.

Who Owns And Who Survives? Ownership Concentration, Governance, And Corporate Financial Distress In An Emerging Economy, Mai Ngoc Anh, Thuy Thanh Nguyen, Thi Kieu Phi Anh, Thi Minh Nguyet Bui

DLSU Business & Economics Review

This study investigates the impact of ownership structure and board characteristics on corporate financial distress in Vietnam, an emerging market characterized by underdeveloped institutional frameworks, concentrated ownership structures, and a sharp rise in foreign investor participation. Based on panel data from 288 non-financial listed firms over the period 2017– 2024, the baseline results indicate that institutional ownership and board size are positively associated with firms’ financial health, whereas foreign ownership and ownership concentration are associated with a higher likelihood of financial distress. Additional robustness and endogeneity analyses generally support the baseline findings. However, some relationships appear sensitive to model specification …

Association Between Thumb Hypoplasia, Radial Longitudinal Deficiency, And Radial Polydactyly, Emma Payne, Charles A Goldfarb, M Claire Manske, Apurva Shah, Andrea Bauer, Lindley B Wall, Could Study Group

2020-Current year OA Pubs

PURPOSE: The expression of the sonic hedgehog protein has been associated with induction of both radial longitudinal deficiency (RLD) and radial polydactyly in animal studies. We sought to investigate the co-occurrence of thumb hypoplasia/RLD and radial polydactyly in a large registry patient cohort and to investigate the clinical presentations of such patients.

METHODS: The Congenital Upper Limb Differences (CoULD) registry was queried for all patients with contralateral diagnoses of thumb hypoplasia/RLD and radial polydactyly, as defined by the Oberg-Manske-Tonkin classification system, between June 2014 and January 2026. The demographic information, medical and musculoskeletal comorbidities, radiographs, and clinical images were collected. …

U2af1s34f And U2af1q157r Myeloid Neoplasm-Associated Hotspot Mutations Induce Distinct Hematopoietic Phenotypes In Mice, Michael O Alberti, Sridhar Nonavinkere Srivatsan, Jin Shao, Dennis L Fei, Mengou Zhu, Claudia Cabrera Pastrana, Monique Chavez, Stefan P Tarnawsky, Sarah Grieb, Timothy A Graubert, Omar Abdel-Wahab, Matthew J Walter

2020-Current year OA Pubs

Recurrent somatic mutations in the spliceosome genes SF3B1, SRSF2, and U2AF1 are frequently identified in patients with myeloid neoplasms, such as myelodysplastic syndromes. We characterized the in vivo consequences of expressing two hotspot mutations in U2AF1 that code for the S34F and Q157R substitutions. Our results indicate that the two mutations induce distinct hematopoietic phenotypes in mice, suggesting that the U2AF1

Spatiotemporal Sycophancy: Negation-Based Gaslighting In Video Large Language Models, Ziyao Tang, Pengkun Jiao, Bin Zhu, Huiyan Qi, Jingjing Chen, Yu-Gang Jiang

Research Collection School Of Computing and Information Systems

Video Large Language Models (Vid-LLMs) have demonstrated remarkable performance in video understanding tasks, yet their robustness under conversational interaction remains largely underexplored. In this paper, we identify spatiotemporal sycophancy, a failure mode in which Vid-LLMs retract initially correct, visually grounded judgments and conform to misleading user feedback under negation-based gaslighting. Rather than merely changing their answers, the models often fabricate unsupported temporal or spatial explanations to justify incorrect revisions. To systematically investigate this phenomenon, we propose a negation-based gaslighting evaluation framework and introduce GasVideo-1000, a curated benchmark designed to probe spatiotemporal sycophancy with clear visual grounding and temporal reasoning requirements. …

July 2026 News Releases, University Of Montana--Missoula. Office Of University Relations

University of Montana News Releases, 1928, 1956-present

No abstract provided.

Digital Teaching In Midwifery Education Since 2021: A Literature Review Of Trends, Technological Advancements And Challenges, Michelle Gray, Kristina Vogel, Annette Bernloehr, Terri Downer, Melanie Welfare, Nicola H. Bauer

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Aim: To produce an updated synthesis of digital learning and teaching approaches in midwifery education since 2021. Background: Globally, there is an increasing trend towards using digital technologies in midwifery education with little examination of trends, terminology or impact by midwifery academics. Design: A comprehensive literature review. Methods: Ten databases were searched (2021–March 2025) guided by JBI methodology and PRISMA-ScR reporting, resulting in 36 empirical studies focusing on digital technologies used with midwifery students. The review mapped recent technological developments, associated benefits and emerging challenges. Results: Digital innovations were in 15 countries and ranged from immersive virtual reality, augmented and …

Ontogenetic Variation In Palatal Morphology In Tufted And Untufted Capuchins, Valerie Contreras

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

ABSTRACT Craniofacial variation and its relation to diet have been widely examined, but with less attention exclusively to the palate. Previous studies have shown that groups consuming a more resistant diet exhibit morphological differences in the craniofacial skeleton, including a longer and wider palate when compared to groups consuming a less resistant diet; similar patterns have been observed among captive vs. wild populations. Here, I present a 3D morphometric analysis of palatal ontogeny in tufted (Sapajus spp.) and untufted (Cebus spp.) capuchins and compare captive vs. free-ranging semi-provisioned Sapajus. Tufted capuchins are known to consume more mechanically resistant foods compared …

Valorization Of Rice Bran For Functional Film Fabrication Using Cold Plasma For Food Packaging And Biomedical Applications, Saydul Md Safwa

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Abstract Over the past few years, conventional plastic packaging materials have become increasingly concerned with their environmental impact. Therefore, the demand for bioplastics has been increasing significantly over the years. Rice milling, a process that modifies paddy rice into edible rice, generates by-products such as rice bran. Rice bran has cellulose, hemicellulose, lignin, and protein, which makes it a potential material for bioplastic fabrication. However, like most biodegradable films, rice bran films fall short when it comes to practical packaging applications. They often lack the strength, flexibility, moisture resistance, and barrier performance needed to compete with synthetic plastics. Most importantly, …

Legal Terminology, Or: How Do Definitions Work For You?, Liliana Tymchenko

GHEA21 Publications

No abstract provided.

Freewrite: Synchronizing Mind, Hand, And Pen – An Excavation Of A Basic Practice, Ibrahim Marazka

GHEA21 Publications

No abstract provided.

Idioma Tutor, Oralia Mijares

Systems Manuals - 2026

The Idioma Tutor was developed specifically for individuals who desire to learn English through a non-traditional approach, eLearning. Idioma Tutor is an interactive game designed to strengthen individual’s English language adaptation, using an individual-learner approach. The game uses immediate feedback to provide self-analysis for learners. It captivates users and applies best-practices in eLearning and game development to retain and fully engage learners. This system manual outlines provides detailed information for using the Idioma Tutor. This system will be used as a catalyst to support the success of individuals who desire to learn the English language in a fun and interactive …

Spirals Of Light: A Healing Journey Through Somatics, Dance, And Pedagogy, Jessica Batha

MFA in Dance Theses

This thesis investigates dance as an embodied practice of healing, attunement, and belonging through phenomenology, somatics, and environmental engagement. Grounded in Sondra Fraleigh’s eco-phenomenological framework, the research weaves personal narrative, artistic inquiry, and interdisciplinary scholarship to examine how thresholds of birth, injury, and recovery shape sensory orientation across the lifespan. Drawing from lived experiences as a dancer, mother, educator, and researcher, the study explores tone, breath, light, and movement as formative forces in identity and resilience. Central to the inquiry is a knee injury and subsequent surgical recovery, which catalyzed a somatic practice aligned with circadian rhythms, sunrise ritual, and …

Machine (Un/Re) Learning, Jordan Shadley

MFA in Dance Theses

This thesis document is an exploration of the interaction between live performance art and digital content creation such as Generative A.I. In this work, I draw from several courses I completed during my time in Saint Mary’s College of California MFA in Dance and Creative Practice program, including Dance and Social Justice, Phenomenology, Somatic Movement Seminar and Dance and Performance Studies. Each offers a throughline of my scholarly explorations and embodied research into the spheres of adapting and challenging how concert dance spaces respond to digital information and creation. I utilized live movement collaboration and distorted videography through Generative A.I. …

Kinesthesis: A Choreographic Study Of The Somatic Effect Of Fascial Intervention, Mira Larsen

MFA in Dance Theses

This master’s thesis was a choreographic study that experimented with the somatic effects of fascial intervention practices, culminating in a final performance in June of 2026 at the LeFevre Theatre at Saint Mary’s College of California. Each chapter of this document investigates the topic of fascial awareness supported through somatic practice and its effect on creating impactful emotional and physical connections in ballet choreography and pedagogy. This document offers the conceptual framework for the choreographic process of the thesis project, titled Kinesthesis. Through the lenses of phenomenology, somatics, social justice, and performance studies, the research goal involved the utilization of …

Valorisation Potential Of Microalgae As A Sustainable Source Of Lipids And Health Promoting Compounds, Bozena Mccarthy

Theses

The transition toward a circular bioeconomy requires sustainable strategies for managing and valorising food industry effluents while reducing reliance on environmentally damaging raw materials such as palm oil, which is associated with deforestation, biodiversity loss and greenhouse gas (GHGs) emissions. Microalgae represent a promising platform for converting nutrient rich industrial by-products into biomass and high-value compounds for food, nutraceutical and bio-based applications. Dairy processing generates large quantities of whey, creating environmental challenges due to its high organic load. Improved whey treatment and valorisation strategies are therefore essential for enhancing sustainability in food production systems. In this study, the biomass productivity …

The Bulletin: Sidney Kimmel Medical College At Thomas Jefferson University, Volume 104, Issue 1, Summer 2026

The Bulletin (formerly the Jefferson Medical College Alumni Bulletin)

This issue includes:

• 5 - Dean's Column
• 6 - Time Machine
• 8 - TJU News
• 12 - Discovery
• 14 - Remembering a Renaissance Man
• 20 - A Conversation with a Jefferson Legend
• 24 - 2026 Scholarship Celebration Recap
• 26 - Bridging Gaps - and Building Bridges
• 28 - Looking Out for the Next in Line
• 30 - Welcome SKMC Class of 2030
• 32 - Meet Our Alumni
• 34 - Class Ambassadors
• 36 - A Message From the SKMC Alumni Board President
• 38 - Class Notes
• 42 - In Memoriam
• 46 - By the Numbers

Haint Country: Dark Folktales From The Hills And Hollers, Samantha Duncan

The Southeastern Librarian

Haint Country: Dark Folktales from the Hills and Hollers
Matthew R. Sparks and Olivia Sizemore
Lexington: University Press of Kentucky, 2024
ISBN: 9781985900974
216 pp., $24.95 (Pbk)