Digital Commons Network^™

Sermon-Sounding Synoptic: A Literary Analysis Of The Sermon On The Mount Throughout Matthew, Garrett T. Redstone

Senior Honors Theses

Scholarship has rowed over redaction to determine how much of Matthew is in the Sermon on the Mount. This analysis evaluates the opposite: how much the of Sermon on the Mount is in Matthew. After establishing a narrative-literary method that centers on Sermon-discourse intertextuality, Matthew’s fivefold structure which the Sermon occupies and the narrative, and literary disciple-focus the discourses share, this analysis traces themes and vocabulary through Matthew and back to the Sermon, which influences much of Matthew’s sound and prepares disciples both in and abreast of the story to better learn from Jesus’ teachings in Matthew’s Gospel account.

Cancerseg-Xa: Medical Histopathology Segmentation System Based On Xception Backbone And Attention Mechanisms, Alaa Youssef, Wessam H. El-Behaidy, Aliaa Youssif

Computer Science

Accurate segmentation of histopathological images is essential to support early diagnosis and effective treatment planning in cancer care. This study presents CancerSeg-XA, a deep learning-based histopathology segmentation system designed to deliver robust performance across diverse tissue types and imaging sources. Built upon the DeepLabV3+ framework, CancerSeg-XA incorporates architectural enhancements to strengthen feature representation and improve model stability. The system was evaluated on three widely recognized datasets—BCSS, PanNuke, and PUMA—each presenting distinct structural and clinical challenges. Across all datasets, CancerSeg-XA consistently outperformed the baseline DeepLabV3+ in terms of segmentation accuracy, recall, and F1-score. Specifically, it achieved accuracy improvements of 4.78%, 4.31%, …

Improving Vaccination In People With Ckd: Report From A National Kidney Foundation Working Group, Susan F. Massengill, Kenneth A. Andreoni, Keith A. Bellovich, Cheryl Courtlandt, Vimal K. Derebail, David L. Feldman, Gia J. Oh, John W. Sleasman, Kristina A. Bryant, Improving Vaccination In Ckd Working Group

Department of Surgery Faculty Papers

People with chronic kidney disease (CKD) are particularly vulnerable to vaccine-preventable infections. Therefore, the National Kidney Foundation organized a multidisciplinary working group, including people with CKD and family care partners, to develop recommendations to improve vaccination rates, vaccination effectiveness, and health care for the CKD population. A modified Delphi process was used to achieve consensus on the recommendations. Recommendations on vaccination in CKD patients were organized into these categories: (1) patient preferences; (2) assessing the vaccination status of patients with CKD; (3) assessing vaccine response in patients with CKD; (4) vaccination of immunocompromised patients; (5) vaccination in posttransplant patients; (6) …

To Hunt Or Not To Hunt: Is It That Simple For Female Hunters?, Hayley Nash Jackson, Lauren Redmore, Christopher A. Cheek, Jennifer Zavaleta Cheek

Natural Resource Management Faculty Publications

Natural resource agencies and researchers have often focused efforts to reduce the constraints women face in hunting. However, many women continue to hunt despite these barriers, suggesting a need to understand the complex decisions they make. This study explores the decision space that women navigate despite logistical, cultural, and personal constraints. This mixed method study used free lists (n = 50) and semi-structured interviews (n = 22) to identify the most salient decisions women make to go hunting. These included decisions about gear, household responsibilities, hunting partners, land access, and pre-planning. Interviews revealed how women strategically make decisions to navigate …

The Social And Biological Frontiers Of Polio: Comparing Global Eradication Strategies, Srisai A. Turangi

Honors Program: Senior Projects (Public)

This paper provides a comparative analysis of the divergent global strategies for poliomyelitis (polio) eradication, examining the historical and structural contexts of developed nations – the United States and United Kingdom – alongside the enduring challenges in endemic regions such as Nigeria and Pakistan. Biomedical innovations like the Inactivated Polio Vaccine (IPV) and Oral Polio Vaccine (OPV) have helped bring the world to a state of almost complete global eradication, but progress is still uneven due to variations in funding, healthcare infrastructure, and the legacy of colonialism. Studies reveal how a framework where global health inequalities remained, allowed for resource-rich …

Parent-Child Interactions Across Contexts And Children’S Adaptive Classroom Behaviors In Second Grade, Hannah Dalton

Honors Program: Senior Projects (Public)

Adaptive classroom behaviors are important for children’s success in the classroom by supporting their abilities to learn academic concepts and positively engage with peers. Research indicates that parents’ behaviors during interactions with their children are important for their social and academic outcomes, but there may be variance in parents’ behaviors based on their goals for the interaction. The current study examined interaction quality across three parent-child interaction tasks and correlations with their second-grade children’s adaptive classroom behaviors. The sample included 170 second-grade children and their parents who completed three joint tasks: a puzzle task, a homework task, and a conflict …

Program Management And Building Partner Capacity: A Tangled Thicket, Phil W. Reynolds

Publications

This chapter explores how the U.S. Department of Defense plans and executes Building Partner Capacity projects in lower-middle and low-income partners. U.S. planners and practitioners rarely understand the effective pre-conditions that influence partner security apparatus and infrastructure. Consequently, security capabilities provided to the partner are rarely sustained and provide questionable security to the affected population. The U.S. Department of Defense uses a three-part approach to building security with partners: training and equipping, building institutional capacity, and monitoring and evaluating. U.S. security planners should manage all three parts concurrently to produce a security capability that the partner uses and sustains and …

A Phenomenological Study Of Teacher And Student Experience Within A Community Of Inquiry: Utilizing Wonder-Infused Pedagogy In An Elementary Outdoor Classroom, Andrew Gilbert, Steph N. Dean

Publications

This interpretive phenomenological study explores how wonder-infused pedagogy, enacted within an elementary outdoor classroom, supported the development of a community of inquiry. We position the community of inquiry as the overarching framework for cultivating social, cognitive, and teaching presence; wonder as the pedagogical driver; and outdoor learning as the authentic context for engaging in science practices. In response to schooling contexts that often privilege testing and individual achievement over collaborative inquiry, we examined an eight-week outdoor wonder project with third- through fifth-grade students. Data sources included group interviews, student journals, teacher reflections, and photographs. Students engaged in weekly wonder journaling …

Exploring Adolescent Hearing Aid Usage And Appearance Of Psychiatric Symptoms In Adolescents Using Hearql-28 Surveys, Courtney J. Austin, Dylan Chan

MEDI 9331 Scholarly Activities Clinical Years

Approximately 2% of DHH people in need of mental health services actually receive these services. Among pediatric hearing loss populations, co-occurring cognitive and physical impairments are risk factors for poor mental health status. Due to language barriers and isolation, more children with hearing loss do not have access to mental health services. Cochlear implants have been shown to improve mental health status among the DHH population. Current literature focuses on the mental health status of children with cochlear implants, with little focus on hearing aid users. Using HEAR28 data and surveys, we can quantify the incidence of psychiatric symptoms among …

Data To Accompany "Test-Retest Reliability And Internal Consistency Of The Occupational Resilience Measure (Orm 1.0)", Bernard A. Muriithi, Milan Bimali, Kara Gore

Occupational Therapy Faculty Scholarship

Data to accompany upcoming paper published in The Human Occupation and Wellbeing Journal titled "Test-retest reliability and internal consistency of the Occupational Resilience Measure (ORM 1.0)"

Strong Classrooms: Geodata Go-Along Training: A Challenge Grant Workshop (Report No. 13), R. Mckenna, L. Cheek, A. Cano, R. Zarger, L. Longworth, E. Barrientos, C. Baron, M. Trotz

Strong Coasts Collection

The Strong Coasts Strong Classrooms workshop training was a five-day, classroom- and field-based event designed to equip Belizean Natural Resources students with skills in interdisciplinary methodologies for field data collection. The workshop took place on the Placencia Peninsula, with classroom sessions hosted at the Seine Bight Multipurpose Center and fieldwork conducted in the villages of Riversdale, Seine Bight, and Placencia.

In total, there were 22 participants, including 16 students—6 from the University of Belize (UB), 9 from Independence Junior College (IJC), and 1 from Georgetown Technical High School. 3 teachers participated in the training (two from UB and one from …

Time-Dependent Amplification Of Growth Rates In A Plankton-Oxygen Model, Rapha Coutin

Master's Theses

Near-bottom hypoxia occurs when dissolved oxygen levels drop to a level that is harmful to marine biology, creating biological dead zones along the ocean floor. Recent years have seen a dramatic increase in the percentage of coastal, near-bottom, hypoxic water, with the average in 2021 nearly double that of the average from 2009 to 2018 and about twenty-eight times the average from 1950 to 1980. Recent literature has linked this increase in oceanic hypoxia to the increase in upwelling-favorable winds caused by climate change. Upwelling brings low-oxygen, nutrient-rich water up to the surface, leading to plankton blooms and mass consumption …

Recommendations For Developing A Regulatory Sandbox And A Comprehensive Legal Framework For Fintech In Vietnam - Part Ii, Sue M. Altmeyer, Phan Dang Hai

Akron Law Faculty Publications

Fintech, a product of the 4.0 revolution, has experienced rapid growth in Vietnam, attracting significant attention from investors and government agencies. In encouraging innovation, the authors write, the need for a practical legal framework to regulate fintech activities has become a critical issue. The authors believe that this new legal framework should include a regulatory sandbox, which would allow fintech startups to test their products in a controlled environment, helping to mitigate risks, foster creativity, and enhance regulatory oversight. This two-part article discusses challenges in creating and implementing a regulatory sandbox and provides recommendations for overcoming these hurdles. The first …

Digital Maker Education In Project-Based Learning Through Design For English As A Second Language Skills Development, Pratima Rani Banick

Journal of Research Initiatives

This study investigated the effectiveness of integrating a Maker Education (ME) approach within the PLT design, assisted by Computer-Mediated Tools (CMT), in enhancing the reading skills of Grade 10 ESL learners (aged 15–16) in an online ELT setting. Motivated by the growing need to foster creative and critical thinking and to address learners' lack of interest in traditional approaches to teaching academic reading, the study adopts an experimental design. Students were divided into two groups—a control group (n = 10) and an experimental group (n = 10)—using random sampling. The control group received instruction using the conventional teaching approach, while …

Elevating The Underrepresented And Marginalized Using Experiences In Stem (Lumens): A Stem Diversity And Inclusion Initiative, Robert Cobb Jr, Paula E. Faulkner, Deiadra Modlin, Obinna Chiekezi, Victoria Cobbold, Madison Beaudoin

Journal of Research Initiatives

The study offered a 5-week summer immersion program to address the shortage of students from underrepresented populations enrolling in degree programs and seeking careers in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). The study also addressed the importance of offering summer immersion programs to close the achievement gap. A quantitative descriptive design was used to gather data from participants related to STEM lessons during the program. Gender, grade level, and race served as the demographic variables. The study included 21 secondary students in grades 9–12. Pre- and post-tests assessed participants' knowledge gain regarding STEM lessons. Data analyzed with SPSS version 29 …

Examining The Relationship Between Transformational Leadership Behaviors And Faculty Job Satisfaction At Hbcus: An Explanatory Correlational Study, Demissie L. Karorsa, Monica E. Allen

Journal of Research Initiatives

By inspiring followers to pursue and attain exceptional levels of performance, transformational leadership (TL) has been associated with high levels of follower job satisfaction and organizational commitment (Asencio, 2016; Banks et al., 2016; Bass & Riggio, 2006). The purpose of this quantitative correlational study was to examine faculty perceptions of transformational leadership behaviors of their department chairs and their own job satisfaction at Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) in the southeastern United States. The transformational leadership dimensions examined were idealized attributes (IA), idealized behaviors (IB), inspirational motivation (IM), intellectual stimulation (IS), and individualized consideration (IC). Data were collected using …

The Impact Of Academic Service Learning On Community Self-Service Efficacy: An Exploratory Study Of Four Ethical Types, Niall Hegarty, John Angelidis

Journal of Research Initiatives

Academic Service-Learning (ASL) literature reveals that most studies assume students are a homogeneous whole and thus draw overly-generalized conclusions regarding students perceived self-service efficacy as well as their disposition towards future service. To rectify this problem, this study utilizes Forsyth’s (1980) conceptual model of two dimensions, idealism and relativism, to categorize students into four categories: situationists (n=53), subjectivists (n=34), absolutists (43), and exceptionists (n=52). These students (n=182) were measured on the Community Service Self-Efficacy Scale (CSSES) before and after participating in an ASL project. The CSSES, developed by Reeb et al. (1998), measures an individual’s confidence that their service efforts …

Exploring Preservice Teachers’ Design Thinking Mindset In A Technology-Enhanced Active Learning Environment For Stem Courses, Areej Elsayary

All Works

This study explores how a technology-enhanced active learning environment, supported by interactive technologies, may influence preservice teachers’ perceptions of their design thinking (DT) mindsets in interdisciplinary STEM courses. Using a blend of digital tools and the design thinking process, the research aimed to engage students in activities that promote key DT traits, including managing uncertainty, empathy, mindfulness, collaboration, learning orientation, and creative confidence. Ninety-four preservice teachers from an early childhood education program in a UAE university participated, receiving two weeks of intensive training on digital tools (e.g., Genially, Canva, PowToon, AR/VR apps), concluding in earning an Apple Teaching Certificate. These …

Madwoman Makings: The Modern Girl As An Object Of Fear And Fascination In Unno Jūza’S "Mrs. Hirumi's Refrigeration Bag", Eliza Joy Mortimer

University Honors Theses

This thesis argues that Unno Jūza's 1937 short story "Mrs. Hirumi's Refrigeration Bag" uses the sensational tropes of deviant detective fiction to both stage and interrogate interwar Japanese anxieties around gender, science, and modernity. Focusing on the figure of Mrs. Hirumi—a scientifically empowered and sexually assertive female plastic surgeon who dismembers and cryogenically preserves her husband—the author reads her as a radical iteration of the Japanese Modern Girl character. By drawing on scholarship on deviant detective fiction, imperial modernity, and Kazue Harada's concept of (re)productivity, this thesis demonstrates how the short story both reproduces misogynistic criminological discourse and unsettles heteronormative …

Business Capstone Review: An Analysis Of A Local School Foundation, Emily Carlile

University Honors Theses

This capstone review thesis analyzes a school foundation in the Portland Metro Area. The capstone project was designed to conduct research to support the local school foundation, specifically the 18-35 demographic, and to increase overall funding. The project required navigating a compressed ten week timeline and coordinating a large, eleven member team to meet our client’s complex expectations. Beyond our hurdles with research, we managed multiple clients' expectations during the presentation, which were not part of the original consulting process. To maintain the project workload, we communicated with the client through a weekly email, four presentations, and a final recommendation …

Effect Of Dental Treatments On Reduction Of Preterm Birth: A Systematic Review And Meta-Analysis, Camille Thomas, Shakil Ahmed, Vincenzo Berghella, Romina Brignardello-Petersen, Mohamed El-Rabbany, Catherine Devion, Stefania Ronzoni

Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology Faculty Papers

OBJECTIVE: Periodontal disease is associated with increased risk of preterm birth. Effective management during pregnancy may reduce preterm birth, though clinical trial evidence has been inconsistent. This study aimed to assess whether treating dental disease during pregnancy reduces preterm birth.

DATA SOURCES: A systematic search was performed of EMBASE, MEDLINE, PubMed, Cochrane Library, and trial registries up to December 2023 and re-run in January 2025.

STUDY ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA: Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) enrolling pregnant persons with any dental disease randomized to receive dental treatment vs no treatment were included. No language restriction was applied.

STUDY APPRAISAL AND SYNTHESIS METHODS: Data …

Implementation And Outcomes Of The Men Of Strength (Most) Club, Marni Kan, Ashley N. Lowe, Jason Williams, Cheryl Roberts, Katherine Suellentrop, Nichole M. Scaglione

Journal of Youth Development

Evidence is lacking for positive youth development programs for boys that use gender transformative approaches and promote peer leadership to prevent sexual violence and teen dating violence. This study aimed to address gaps in violence prevention research and youth development practice by evaluating implementation and outcomes of the Men of Strength (MOST) Club. Sixteen high schools were randomized to MOST Club or a control condition and 60 boys from nine of the schools completed baseline and follow-up surveys. Trained program facilitators completed logs after each session. Although the COVID-19 pandemic interfered with both program implementation and data collection, MOST Clubs …

Creating Inclusive Educational Environments For Students With And Without Disabilities: Examining Dual Credential Pathways In California, Nat Hansuvadha, Andrew Wall, Meghan Cosier, Kaylie Holke, Audri Sandoval Gomez, Marquita Grenot-Scheyer, Linda Blanton

Thompson Policy Institute on Disability Policy Reports

"In this report, we examined system-level alignment in educator preparation policy, with a particular focus on California’s efforts to prepare teachers to support inclusive PK–12 environments. Central to this analysis was the state’s 'Common Trunk' approach to teacher credentialing. Adopted in 2016 by the California Commission on Teacher Credentialing (CTC), the Common Trunk establishes a unified set of teaching performance expectations (TPEs) that apply across multiple subject, single subject, and education specialist credential pathways. This policy reflects a deliberate shift toward a shared professional foundation for all teachers that emphasizes competencies related to supporting diverse learners, fosters inclusive and culturally …

The Presence And Persistence Of Social Rights In U.S. Constitutional Law, Mila Versteeg, Emily Zackin

William & Mary Law Review

Although the U.S. Constitution is widely described as lacking enforceable social rights, a recent line of cases from the Ninth Circuit recognizes a limited right to shelter. Relying on the Eighth Amendment, the Ninth Circuit held that individuals who lack access to shelter have a limited right to stay on public land with their belongings. The Supreme Court reversed in 2024, portraying the Ninth Circuit’s approach as an anomalous departure from accepted constitutional norms.

This Article argues that the Ninth Circuit’s decisions were not an aberration but instead exemplify a longstanding and globally common mode of social-rights adjudication. The common …

Family Nurse Practitioner Workforce Response To The Public Health Opioid Crisis Through Curriculum Revision, Dayle Sharp, Marcy Doyle, Michelle Capozzoli

All Materials

The opioid crisis continues to pose a critical public health challenge in the United States, demanding an adequately trained primary care workforce. In response, a Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP) program revised its curriculum to prepare students to care for individuals with Opioid Use Disorder (OUD) through a multi-pronged educational intervention. Grounded in Social Cognitive Theory, Situated Learning Theory, and Community of Practice Theory, the revised curriculum integrated a 24-hour Medication for Opioid Use Disorder (MOUD) waiver training, clinical shadowing with MOUD providers, and participation in a 10-month Project ECHO telementoring series based on SAMHSA’s Treatment Improvement Protocol (TIP) 63. Results …

Developing Collaborative Care At The Intersection Of Maternal Health And Substance Use Disorders: A Case Study On Building Community Through Shared Virtual Learning, Kimberly Persson, Susy Hawes, Sam Leiper

All Materials

This report documents the activities conducted as part of the Maternal Opioid Misuse Model (MOMM) implementation in New Hampshire. The activities detailed within are the result of partnerships between The Elliot Hospital, the New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services, and the University of New Hampshire Institute for Health Policy and Practice. All efforts were made possible thanks to funding provided by the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation.

Impact Of Suaahara, An Integrated Nutrition Programme, On Maternal And Child Nutrition At Scale In Nepal, Edward A. Frongillo Jr. Ph.D., Shalini Suresh, Deependra K. Thapa, Kenda Cunningham, Pooja Pandey Rana, Ramesh P. Adhikari, Subir Kole, Bhim Pun, Indra Kshetri, Debendra P. Adhikari, Rolf Klemm

Faculty Publications

Suaahara was an innovative, complex, multi-sectoral, large-scale, nutrition programme in Nepal to increase exposure to nutrition-related information and services, improve nutrition-related knowledge and practices among pregnant women and mothers of infants and young children, and improve their nutrition. This study evaluated the effectiveness of Suaahara to improve nutrition and nutrition-related practices by comparing changes over 10 years between intervention and comparison districts. The samples of households at baseline in 2012 and endline in 2022 were 2040 and 2480, respectively, from 120 old wards. The impact was estimated using intent-to-treat regression models in which survey year, arm and their interaction were …

Exposure To Suaahara Ii Interventions And Knowledge Of Maternal And Child Nutrition And Health Among Mothers, Grandmothers, And Male Household Heads: An Association Study In Nepal, Shalini Suresh, Edward A. Frongillo Jr. Ph.D., Deependra K. Thapa, Ramesh P. Adhikari, Subir K. Kole, Femila Sapkota, Manisha Laxmi Shrestha, Kristine Garn, Pooja Rana Pandey, Indra Kshetri, Dipak Sharma, Kenda Cunningham

Faculty Publications

Suaahara was a USAID-funded multi-sectoral integrated nutrition program that aimed to improve the nutritional status of children under the age of five and their mothers in Nepal. The program included multiple interventions targeted to mothers and children, as well as other caregivers. Caregiver knowledge of optimal nutrition and health practices among household members is an important driver of healthy child and maternal nutrition behaviors. This study investigates the associations between exposure to Suaahara interventions and knowledge of maternal and child nutrition and health practices among mothers (n =, grandmothers (n =, and male household heads (n =. Linear and logistic …

What Equity Requires Of Special Education Research And Practice, Paul Luelmo, Christopher Brum, Lauren Collins

The Journal of Special Education Apprenticeship

No abstract provided.

Embrace-Ing Cultural Diversity In Educational Service Delivery: A Framework For Building And Sustaining Equitable Learning Environments, Miguelina Zapata, Devon Dee-Mbappe, Brandan Persaud

The Journal of Special Education Apprenticeship

This paper explores the importance of collaboration in educational service delivery by exploring culturally responsive classroom management practices for education professionals. Educators must understand and critically reflect on their own biases that could impact their interactions with students, families, and colleagues. This is essential not for providing inclusive learning opportunities that address the unique needs of each student. This could lead to misunderstandings and misinterpretations of student behaviors, further complicating effective management and service delivery. Ultimately, the paper argues that through the use of the EMBRACE (Evaluate, Mentor, Build, Reflect, Adapt, Collaborate, and Empower) framework smooth collaboration between and amongst …