Digital Commons Network^™

An Interview With Dan Leach, Author Of Junah At The End Of The World, Melissa Lockaby

The Southeastern Librarian

Dan Leach Spartanburg: Hub City Press, 2025 ISBN: 9798885740494 217 p. $17.95 (Pbk)

News From The States

The Southeastern Librarian

No abstract provided.

I Hate It Here, Please Vote For Me: Essays On Rural Political Decay, Peter R. Dean

The Southeastern Librarian

Matthew Ferrence Morgantown: West Virginia Uni-versity Press, 2024 ISBN: 9781959000273 228 p. $21.99 (Pbk)

Parent To Child Intergenerational Transmission Of Direct And Indirect Weight And Shape Communication, Emily Ferrer, Shannon Marhan, Leora L. Haller, Shannon M. O’Connor

Department of Psychology Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works

Parental communication about body weight and shape is associated with offspring’s eating behaviors and body image. However, predictors of parental weight/shape communication are less known. The present study explored whether direct (i.e., comments to the child about their weight and encouragement to diet) and indirect (i.e., modeling of the importance of body weight/shape via parent’s own dieting and comments about their own weight) communication about weight, shape, and eating from parents in childhood predicted women’s direct and indirect communication about weight/shape to their own child in adulthood. Participants were 634 adult mothers who provided retrospective reports of their parents’ direct …

Executive Functioning And Mental Health In Emerging Adults: Type 1 Diabetes Status As A Moderator, Hannah Margot Mcdaniel

Theses and Dissertations

Emerging adults (ages 18-26) with type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM) are especially vulnerable to diabetes management challenges when taking on increased disease responsibility during this critical period of development. They may experience higher cognitive and psychological demands compared to peers. The study examined whether having T1DM moderated the association between executive functioning (EF) and mental health symptoms (i.e., depression, anxiety, stress, and disordered eating) in emerging adults. Exploratory analyses investigated the associations between EF, disease management, and mental health symptoms. Participants were 35 emerging adults with T1DM and 35 healthy controls. Participants completed questionnaire measures of mental health and performance-based …

"Common Good Constitutionalism": Rule Of Law, Rule By Law, Or Something Else Entirely?, Jan-Werner Müller

Law and Contemporary Problems

No abstract provided.

Caste Formalism: The Law And Politics Of Equality In India, Madhav Khosla, Pratap Bhanu Mehta

Law and Contemporary Problems

No abstract provided.

Real Earnings Management Among Industries: Does Market Competition Matter?, Michał Comporek

Journal of Banking and Financial Economics

This paper investigates real earnings management (REM) practices in public non-financial companies listed on the Warsaw Stock Exchange (WSE) from 2014 to 2023, focusing on sectoral differences and the influence of market competition. REM, defined as deviations from normal business operations aimed at manipulating reported earnings, can distort financial information and harm long-term firm value. This study contributes to the existing literature in two key ways. First, it examines variations in abnormal levels of production costs, sales, and discretionary expenditures – REM proxies based on Roychowdhury’s methodology – across sectors classified according to the WSE’s industry framework. This sectoral classification, …

Ocean And Coastal Acidification Monitoring Priorities For The Northeast Us And Eastern Canada, Christopher Hunt, Austin Pugh, Jake Kritzer, Samantha Siedlecki, Kumiko Azetsu-Scott, Parker Gassett, Diane Lavoie, Adam Pimenta, Amy Trice, Elizabeth Turner

Faculty Publications

The Interagency Working Group on Ocean Acidification Monitoring Prioritization Plan 2024 calls for Coastal Acidification Networks to identify the ocean and coastal acidification (OCA) monitoring needs most important for their regions. The Northeast Coastal Acidification Network (NECAN) organized a webinar series to study regional needs, which culminated with a workshop in November 2023. This workshop led to the identification of six priority new Monitoring Needs in addition to the maintenance of current monitoring efforts:

• Improve spatial and temporal scale of monitoring co-located OCA variables and biological measurements to better resolve variability of acidification dynamics in concert with biological processes …

A Meta-Analysis Of Historic Drinking Water Emergency Events Reported In News Articles, Victor Yu, Haiying Wang, Weiwei Mo

Faculty Publications

This study seeks to investigate historical drinking water contamination events that reported by news media to find the key determinants of their outcomes, including the duration and economic cost, and to quantitatively describe the characteristics of past contamination events. ProQuest Global Newsstream and Regional Business News were used to identify an initial list of events and supplemented by additional search on specific information including the response actions, economic cost, and more. These events were analyzed using descriptive statistics, correlation analysis, and regression modeling. Smaller community water systems were found to be more frequently impacted by contamination events. Use restrictions, except …

Understanding The Interplay Between The Digital And The Physical In Shared Augmented Reality Gaming: Probing Through Urban Legends, Jiangnan Xu, Sanzida Mojib Luna, Garreth W. Tigwell, Nicolas Lalone, Michael Saker, Samuli Laato, John Dunham, Yihong Wang, Alan Chamberlain, Konstantinos Papangelis

Articles

Shared Augmented Reality (Shared AR) is an emerging technology that enables multiple users to interact synchronously within a collocated AR environment. Yet, there is limited research on the group interactions and dynamics in Shared AR, particularly in the context of gaming. To address this gap, we investigate Shared AR group interactions using a phone-based Shared AR mobile game called Urban Legends. Through in-situ observations, focus groups, and one-on-one interviews with 22 participants, we examine how users collaborate and communicate within the game. Our findings reveal that while verbal communication predominates, non-verbal cues are often overlooked by collocated participants, and …

Self-Distraction As A Positive Coping Mechanism For Adolescents Of Incarcerated Parents, Tysha Deve' Ushry

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Children of incarcerated parents have been an increasing area of scholarly focus, especially considering that the United States holds one of the highest rates of incarceration in the world. The purpose of this qualitative basic study was to explore the perceptions of adolescents, ages 18-21, whose parents are incarcerated in prison, and their use of self-distraction from parental incarceration as a positive coping mechanism. The study was grounded in Hill’s family stress theory. Purposive and snowball sample strategies were employed in this study to obtain participants from a private Facebook group. Data were collected through semistructured interviews with 12 participants …

Staff Education To Reduce Compassion Fatigue Among Emergency Department Nurses, Ruth Anne Dirschuweit

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

I created this Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) project as a staff education initiative to inform emergency department (ED) nurses about the emotional toll of caring for patients in distress. This condition, known as compassion fatigue (CF), is characterized by emotional exhaustion from ongoing exposure to trauma and can lead to increased stress, reduced job satisfaction, and a decline in care quality. A gap in staff support and coping strategies was identified among frontline nurses in a large, urban healthcare environment. I developed the project to increase nurses’ knowledge and self-awareness of CF through an evidence-based educational session. The guiding …

Evaluation Of Nibin-Generated Leads And Whether They Contribute To Solving Violent Crimes, Massi Martin

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The client organization had not previously analyzed the impact of its NIBIN program. This lack of analysis potentially impeded informed decision-making regarding staffing and resource allocation. The purpose of this study was to address the practice-focused research question: What impact do NIBIN leads have on case closure rates for aggravated assaults and homicides involving firearms? A Cox proportional hazards regression model, a type of survival analysis, was used to analyze the data, which was based on the Locard exchange principle. Data were collected from the organization’s record management system. The findings were that NIBIN leads significantly contributed to faster case …

Staff Education To Improve Knowledge And Adherence To Diabetic Foot Ulcer Screening Protocols Using The Brief Diabetic Foot Ulceration Risk Checklist Tool, Sandrine Happi

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

This doctoral project implemented a structured nurse education module on the Brief Diabetic Foot Ulceration Risk Checklist to improve knowledge and adherence to diabetic foot ulcer screening, supporting preventive care, clinical consistency, and equitable patient outcomes in primary care. The practice-focused question guiding the project was whether providing structured education on the BDFURC would improve nurses’ knowledge and adherence to DFU screening protocols within 12 weeks. The goal was to equip nurses with standardized screening tools to support the early identification of high-risk patients and reduce the burden of DFU-related outcomes. The project involved 12 nursing staff and used a …

A Qualitative Study Exploring The Prenatal Care Experiences Of Pregnant And Postpartum Women In Arochukwu, Nigeria, Esther Ejim

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

This basic qualitative research study explored the perceptions and lived experiences of pregnant and postpartum women in Arochukwu, Abia State, Nigeria, where access to quality prenatal and maternal healthcare is limited. Nigeria records the highest maternal and infant mortality rates in sub-Saharan Africa, largely due to weak healthcare systems, poverty, and entrenched sociocultural norms. Grounded in the Health Belief Model (HBM) and guided by the lens of social constructivism, the study explored how health beliefs, perceived risks, benefits, barriers, and cues to action shaped women’s healthcare decisions. Using semistructured, open-ended interviews with 13 purposefully selected women, the study captured how …

Leadership Strategies To Enhance The Sustainability Of Virginia United Methodist Churches, Randolph Raymond Shelton

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Walden University August 2025 United Methodist church attendance has declined for numerous years in the United States and other areas worldwide. Many United Methodist church leaders face challenges in achieving church sustainability. The purpose of this descriptive phenomenological study was to explore the lived experiences of Virginia United Methodist church leaders concerning leadership strategies to enhance church sustainability. The study’s conceptual framework consisted of Bass and Avolio’s full range leadership model and Lewin’s three-stage change model. The participants comprised United Methodist church leaders who held positions as Virginia Conference district superintendents, pastors, and the bishop. The data collection method was …

Large-Scale Crispr Screening In Primary Human 3d Gastric Organoids Enables Comprehensive Dissection Of Gene-Drug Interactions, Yuan-Hung Lo, Hudson T Horn, Mo-Fan Huang, Wei-Chieh Yu, Chia-Mei Young, Qing Liu, Madeline Tomaske, Martina Towers, Antonia Dominguez, Michael C Bassik, Dung-Fang Lee, Lei S Qi, Jonathan S Weissman, Jin Chen, Calvin J Kuo

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Understanding how genes influence drug responses is critical for advancing personalized cancer treatments. However, identifying these gene-drug interactions in a physiologically relevant human system remains a challenge, as it requires a model that reflects the complexity and heterogeneity among individuals. Here we show that large-scale CRISPR-based genetic screens, including knockout, interference (CRISPRi), activation (CRISPRa), and single-cell approaches, can be applied in primary human 3D gastric organoids to systematically identify genes that affect sensitivity to cisplatin. Our screens uncover genes that modulate cisplatin response. By combining CRISPR perturbations with single-cell transcriptomics, we resolve how genetic alterations interact with cisplatin at the …

Genome Sequences Of Eight Fusobacterium Watanabei Sp Isolates, Martha A Zepeda-Rivera, Falk Ponath, Kaitlyn N Lewis, Rutika P Gavate, Floyd E Dewhirst, Junko Tomida, Yoshiaki Kawamura, Kaori Tanaka, Susan Bullman, Christopher D Johnston

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

We report draft genome sequences of eight Fusobacterium watanabei clinical isolates, ranging from 1.95 to 2.09 Mbp. Analysis against the Genome Taxonomy Database indicates that F. watanabei genomes are part of the "Fusobacterium nucleatum_J" group.

Cover And Contents

Turkish Journal of Veterinary & Animal Sciences

No abstract provided.

Safe Real-Time Obstacle Detection And Navigation Using Cbf–Clf And Cbf–Pid Control, Nicolas M. Hernandez

McKelvey School of Engineering Graduate Student Theses & Dissertations

Traditional robotic navigation pipelines typically follow a three stage architecture: obstacle detection, path planning, and low-level control for trajectory tracking. While effective in static environments, these methods often introduce latency and lack formal guarantees of safety in dynamic or unplanned for scenarios. Our work addresses these limitations by developing a real-time controller grounded in Control Barrier Functions (CBFs) and Control Lyapunov Functions (CLFs), unified through a Quadratic Program (QP). We first investigate a hybrid CBF-PID-QP controller on a 1/10 scale car, where the CBF serves as a real-time safety filter, modifying the PID output to prevent constraint violations. While this …

From Livestream To Table: Psychological Drivers Of Purchase Intention In Restaurant Livestreaming, Qingchuo Zhang, Rong Huang, Qian Chen, Jinhua Zhang

Plymouth Business School

Purpose – Restaurant livestreaming, where consumers interact with real-time digital content that promotesphysical dining experiences, has emerged as a distinctive form of digital marketing. It integrates onlineengagement with offline consumption in a novel way.Design/methodology/approach – Thisstudy builds upon the stimulus-organism-response (S-O-R) framework.It incorporates insights from flow theory and perceived value theory to examine how emotional immersion andcognitive evaluation influence consumer purchase intentions in the context of restaurant livestreaming.A structural model is then tested using survey data collected from 482 livestream consumers.Findings – Using a sequential mixed methods design, this study first identifies key environmental stimuli throughin-depth interviews. These stimuli include …

August 14, 2025, James Madison University

The Breeze, 2020-

The Breeze is the student newspaper of James Madison University in Harrisonburg, Virginia.

Planetary Health: At The Crossroads Of Cvd Prevention, Tasveer Khawaja, Sanjay Rajagopalan

Faculty Scholarship

Purpose of Review: To highlight important recent findings demonstrating the interconnectedness of planetary and human health with a focus on cardiovascular disease. Recent Findings: Data continue to demonstrate a clear interconnectedness between the health of the planet and human health, with cardiovascular disease as an important outcome. The central roles of air pollution, non-optimal temperatures, water/waste management, and food/biodiversity are highlighted. We also highlight the clear opportunity for healthcare organizations to facilitate change that will yield positive environmental and patient outcomes. Summary: The undeniable interconnectedness of the health of the planet and human health serves as a call to action …

Re: Butte Mine Flooding Site Cd, Cv 02-35 Bu-Rfc, 2025 Second Quarter Report, Mark Thompson, Dave Griffis

Silver Bow Creek/Butte Area Superfund Site

No abstract provided.

A Reconstruction Of Late Pleistocene And Holocene Paleoclimate Record Using Radiocarbon Dating And Noble Gas Thermometry Of Groundwater In Shelby County, Tennessee, Megan Marie Purvis

Electronic Theses and Dissertations Archive

Paleoclimate proxies, including groundwater, tree rings, ice, deep-sea sediments, and speleothems, have identified climate changes of various magnitudes throughout Earth’s history. Previous research has utilized noble gas temperatures and radiocarbon (14C) dating of groundwater to understand prehistoric climate, and the groundwater under Shelby County, Tennessee, is ideal for obtaining high-precision paleoclimate data for the south-central region of North America. This research derived groundwater recharge temperatures ranging from Pleistocene and Holocene ages utilizing available noble gas data modeled with the program PANGA. The program estimated paleotemperatures using inverse modeling with the unfractionated excess air (UA) and closed-system equilibration (CE) model. The …

Maya Migrants And Psychotherapy: Recommendations And A Case Study From Comunidad Sol In Canton, Ohio, Robin Chancer, Gerónimo Ramírez, Ernesto Ajanel Calel, María Ixcoy Mejía

Maya America: Journal of Essays, Commentary, and Analysis

This article approaches the question: How can non-Indigenous mental health practitioners work appropriately with Maya K’iche’ and Ixil communities in the United States? The authors are three Maya leaders and one non-Indigenous psychotherapist, the four of whom have worked together for several years. Psychological treatment rooted in Euro-American paradigms can be minimally helpful—if not harmful—to many Indigenous communities (Dudgeon & Bray, 2016). Traditional approaches such as cognitive-behavior therapy continue the colonial preoccupation with individual pathology and the separation of mind, body, spirit, and nature. The authors suggest that more appropriate approaches would include acknowledging structural oppression and centering the K’iche’ …

Highly Oligomeric Drp1 Strategic Positioning At Mitochondria-Sarcoplasmic Reticulum Contacts In Adult Murine Heart Through Actin Anchoring, Celia Fernandez-Sanz, Sergio De La Fuente, Zuzana Nichtova, Marilen Federico, Stephane Duvezin-Caubet, Sebastian Lanvermann, Hui-Ying Tsai, Yanguo Xin, György Csordás, Wang Wang, Arnaud Mourier, Shey-Shing Sheu

Department of Medicine Faculty Papers

Mitochondrial fission and fusion appear to be relatively infrequent in cardiac cells compared to other cell types; however, the proteins involved in these events are highly expressed in adult cardiomyocytes (ACM). Therefore, these proteins likely have additional non-canonical roles. We have previously shown that DRP1 not only participates in mitochondrial fission processes but also regulates mitochondrial bioenergetics in cardiac tissue. However, it is still unknown where the DRP1 that does not participate in mitochondrial fission is located and what its role is at those non-fission spots. Therefore, this manuscript will clarify whether oligomeric DRP1 is located at the SR–mitochondria interface, …

Using The Epic (Exposure, Persuasion, Identification, And Commitment) To Develop A Measure Of Student Buy-In To Laboratory Learning Goals, Elizabeth Blanche Vaughan, A. Montoya-Cowan, Jack Barbera

Chemistry Faculty Publications and Presentations

Buy-in has been described as the series of judgements students make when deciding to engage with a pedagogical practice. Buy-in to pedagogical practices is known to have a meaningful impact on students’ engagement in learning environments, making it a construct of interest for researchers and practitioners. This study develops a measure of student buy-in to faculty defined laboratory learning goals by adapting an existing measure which operationalizes the construct in terms of Exposure, Persuasion, Identification, and Commitment (EPIC). The adapted measure presented in this study, deemed the EPIC-LaG (Laboratory Goals), was developed using learning goals for general and organic chemistry …

Proteomics-Based Aging Clocks In Midlife Or Late-Life And Their Associated Risk Of Dementia, Sanaz Sedaghat, Saeun Park, Rob F Walker, Shuo Wang, Jialing Liu, Timothy M Hughes, Behnam Sabayan, Weihong Tang, Josef Coresh, James S Pankow, Keenan A Walker, Ramon Casanova, Ruth Dubin, Rajat Deo, Jerome I Rotter, Alexis C Wood, Peter Ganz, Pamela L Lutsey, Weihua Guan, Anna Prizment

Children’s Nutrition Research Center Staff Publications

Background: Biological age can be quantified by composite proteomic scores, called proteomics-based aging clocks (PACs). We investigated whether a discrepancy between chronological and biological age in midlife and late-life is associated with cognition and dementia risk.

Methods: We used two longitudinal population-based studies: the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities (ARIC) Study and the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis (MESA). PACs were created in ARIC at midlife (mean age: 58 years, 57% female, n = 11,758) and late-life (mean age: 77 years, 56% female, n = 4934) using elastic net regression models in two-thirds of dementia-free participants and validated in the remaining one-third …