Digital Commons Network^™

Role-Playing For Learning: Enhancing Skills In Doctrinal Courses, Yael Efron, Nellie Munin

DRI Press

This book addresses the need that educators have to make theoretical concepts tangible. Teachers across various subjects and educational settings grapple with the challenge of communicating abstract ideas to diverse audiences while aiming to ignite curiosity and sustain engagement. The authors offer their insight into the method of role-playing in various law courses in a highly diverse class. The book contains thirteen simulations with teaching notes, along with the theoretical background for this method of teaching.

This is the first in a series of skills books published as part of Mitchell Hamline School of Law’s Laboratory for Advancing Dispute Resolution …

A Cancer Education Needs Assessment: Informing Middle-Aged Female Patients About The Relationships Between Obesity And Women’S Health Concerns In The Reproductive System, Breast, And Endometrial Health, Batul Mirza

MUSC Theses and Dissertations

Obesity significantly impacts women’s health, particularly among middle-aged women, by increasing the risk of hormone-sensitive cancers such as breast, endometrial, and reproductive system cancers. This study examines the educational needs of this demographic group regarding obesity-related cancer risks and explores effective intervention strategies. Obesity-induced mechanisms – hormonal imbalances, chronic inflammation, and insulin resistance – drive cancer susceptibility, emphasizing the need for targeted health education. The study employs a qualitative design, which includes interviews with subject matter experts (SMEs) and surveys of middle-aged women. The goal is to assess awareness, perceived barriers, and preferred learning methods. Findings suggest that with many …

July 18, 2025 Ereporter, University Of Alabama At Birmingham

eReporter (campus newsletter)

No abstract provided.

Life Cycle Assessment Of New Jersey Offshore Wind, Meghann Smith, Nawal Shoaib, Pankaj Lal

Department of Earth and Environmental Studies Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works

As offshore wind gains momentum within US (United States) renewable energy goals, New Jersey's ambitious targets for offshore wind development represent a significant opportunity to reduce emissions and transition towards cleaner energy sources. This study presents a life cycle assessment (LCA) of a planned offshore wind farm off of New Jersey's coast, emphasizing the implications of a domestic supply chain. Key findings suggest that the offshore wind farm is projected to produce 0.013 kg CO2 kWh−1 of electricity generated, reflecting a 98 % decrease in carbon emissions compared to natural-gas-derived electricity. Further, when compared to carbon emissions from other renewable …

Comparing And Evaluating Contralateral Breast Dose Relative To Median Ptv Tumor Bed Dose For Hypo-Fractionated Breast Treatments Using Import High Dose Constraints., Shannon J. Nordby

Masters Projects

This study is aimed to compare two different planning constraints for post-lumpectomy whole breast radiation treatments to evaluate whether or not the mean dose to the contralateral breast can be significantly reduced while maintaining plan quality for treatment. A total of 10 patients who had first undergone a lumpectomy were included into this study. Each patient’s initial treatment plan was created using a conventional approach with a mean dose constraint of < 600 cGy (Plan A) and then was replanned using the Import High protocol of a mean dose constraint, aiming to further push for a mean dose < 150 cGy (Plan B) to the contralateral breast. Both of these plans were analyzed for PTV coverage and dose to the surrounding critical structures. The results have shown that the contralateral mean dose was significantly reduced from an average of 216.32 in Plan A to 126.53 cGy in Plan B. All while meeting the target coverage of > 95% isodose line. Statistical testing showed a significant difference between the two planning techniques of lowering the contralateral dose (p < 0.0001), and normality testing supported the validity of the data analysis. In addition to a substantial dose reduction to the contralateral breast, Plan B maintained equal or improved dose constraint to other surrounding critical organs at risk, including the heart, lungs, spinal cord, and thyroid. The Import High protocol demonstrated consistent outcomes across diverse patient anatomies. These findings suggest that by using the Import High mean dose constraint, it is possible to maintain plan quality while reducing dose to the contralateral breast. This approach may help reduce the risk of long-term side effects and improve the patient’s overall outcomes in whole breast radiation treatments.

State-Level Immigrant Policies And Diabetes Prevalence In Latino And Asian American Groups: A Weighted Multilevel Analysis, Md Towfiqul Alam, Jennifer Toller Erausquin, Erica Payton, Elizabeth Vásquez, Sandra Echeverria

Faculty Scholarship

Introduction: Growing literature has shown that immigrant-related policies influence population health by limiting or enhancing immigrants’ rights. However, less is known about the role of state-level immigrant policies shaping chronic health conditions such as type 2 diabetes (T2DM). This cross-sectional study examined the association between state-level immigrant policies (both criminalising and inclusive) and prevalence of T2DM among individuals of Latin American and Asian American origin.

Method: We included adults aged 18+years sampled in the 2014–2018 behavioral risk factor surveillance system (BRFSS) (n=201 824), a survey design that allows the calculation of state-level estimates. Using existing policy measures, states …

Beyond Translating Cultures: Organizational Cultural Brokering And Latin@/E/X Community Resilience After The "Mobile Home Parks" Fire, Christine Atalie Da Rosa

Dissertations and Theses

As wildfires increase in frequency and severity in rural communities, disaster management agencies are seeking to collaborate with community-based organizations (CBOs) working with rural, low-income Latin@/e/x communities to build wildfire resilience. This qualitative case study examines the critical role of CBOs rooted in their local, predominately low-income Latin@/e/x communities as cultural brokers in supporting Latin@/e/x wildfire survivors following the 2020 "Mobile Home Parks" Fire in a rural county in Oregon. Drawing from 23 semi-structured interviews, three focus groups, a review of relevant documents, and participant observations, the research investigates how Latin@/e/x CBOs navigated the complex cultural landscape between wildfire survivors …

The Silent Identity: Asexuality, Aromanticism, And Convention In Le Roman De Silence And The Story Of Silence, Anita Farrell

English and Creative Writing Summer Fellows

Le Roman de Silence is a 13th-century French romance about Silence, a woman raised as a man to protect their family’s inheritance. Heldris of Cornwall, the author, develops a rich inner world to help the audience connect with Silence, allowing them to experiment with gendered, sexual, and romantic boundaries. This romance intrigues modern scholars, especially feminist and queer researchers due to narrative pressure on conventions like gender and sex. In 2020, Alex Myers, a transgender author, updates Silence’s tale in The Story of Silence, where Silence explores their identity in greater detail. Silence eventually identifies themselves as non-binary and …

Prenatal Psychosocial Distress Screening For Individuals Experiencing Pregnancies Complicated By Fetal Anomalies., Kara Hansen, Lisa Mische Lawson, Abigail Wilpers

Manuscripts, Articles, Book Chapters and Other Papers

Pregnant individuals who receive a fetal anomaly diagnosis experience significantly elevated rates of depression, anxiety, and traumatic stress-up to four to six times higher than those for individuals with low-risk pregnancies. In low-risk pregnancies, perinatal mental health conditions are the leading cause of maternal mortality and are associated with adverse birth outcomes, including preterm birth and low birth weight. These risks are likely compounded in pregnancies involving fetal anomalies due to the intersecting psychological and social burdens that complicate maternal well-being and access to care. However, there is a critical gap in understanding how these mental health symptoms translate into …

Using Artificial Intelligence To Improve Customer Engagement: User Experience With Chatbot Technology, Aicha Zemmouri, Salma Choufari

Journal of Marketing and Consumer Behaviour in Emerging Markets

This study examines the impact of artificial intelligence (AI) on improving customer loyalty through the use of chatbot technology, with a specific focus on the user experience of Moroccan consumers. The increasing integration of AI into customer service, especially through chatbots, represents a significant shift in how companies interact with their customers. Given Morocco’s growing digitalization and the strategic importance of customer loyalty, it is critical to understand how consumers perceive and interact with these technologies. To achieve this, the study used a qualitative research method of semi-structured interviews to investigate consumers’ perceptions, interaction behaviours, and challenges with chatbot usage. …

2025, 1(20)

Journal of Marketing and Consumer Behaviour in Emerging Markets

Full Issue 2025, 1(20)

A Web Application For Generating Argument Maps For Essays Using Llms, Alexis R. Chalmers

Theses

Argumentative writing is a critical skill that strengthens students’ reasoning, communication, and analytical abilities. However, maintaining a clear and organized argument structure while writing can be challenging. Argument maps — visual diagrams which explicitly show an argument’s structure — have been shown to improve students’ writing, but are rarely used outside of the planning stage of an essay due to the time and effort required to create them. Automatically generating argument maps from student essays helps students to evaluate the structure of their argument as they write and makes identifying unsupported claims visible. To evaluate whether large language models (LLMs) …

Big Ugly Lumps? (Counter)Terrorism And The Everyday Atmospheres Of Hostile Vehicle Mitigation, Carrie Benjamin, Sam Berlin, Sara Fregonese, Paul Simpson

School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences

Adopting an atmospheric lens on the everyday and open-ended crisis of contemporary terror threats in cities in Western Europe, this article unpicks the contemporary logics, desires, and effects of the State in matters of urban counterterrorism by exploring the felt qualities and dispositions of the public around Hostile Vehicle Mitigation (HVM) measures in Birmingham (UK). It argues that the atmospheres around counterterrorism that security officials and business representatives aim to produce, which seeks to reassure the public rather than cause alarm, has led to ambivalent acceptance of HVM by city centre users. The paper shifts away from discursive and socio-technical …

Reimagining Information Literacy In The Age Of Artificial Intelligence: A Nudge In The Right Direction, Kay Coates, Lili Li

University Libraries: Faculty Presentations

No abstract provided.

A Qualitative Exploration Of Self-Harm Among Autistic Women, Jessica Rebbettes, Alison Bacon

School of Psychology

Background: Autistic individuals, particularly females, demonstrate a higher prevalence of self-harm compared to those who are not autistic. Core cognitive, affective, and sensory differences inherent to autism are linked to the increased vulnerability within autistic populations. However, these factors are not sufficiently explored in relation to individuals’ social and environmental contexts, resulting in a gap in understanding the self-harm experiences of autistic females. Methods: Eleven autistic women participated in semi-structured interviews to explore their experiences of self-harm. Data was transcribed and analysed using reflexive thematic analysis. Results: Three key themes were identified: Regulation of Emotional States, highlighting self-harm as a …

The Flash Technique As An Effective Low-Intensity Intervention For Migrants At The U.S. Point Of Entry, Selma D. Yznaga, Sik-Lam Wong, Suzanne Maniss

Counseling Faculty Publications

Migrants often face severe trauma before and during their journey, leading to mental health challenges such as post-traumatic stress disorder and acute stress. This study explores the Flash Technique (FT) as a one-time intervention for newly arrived migrants. Twelve healthcare professionals and 11 student interns trained in FT provided interventions to 55 migrants, who showed substantial improvements in subjective units of distress scores. The findings highlight the efficacy of a low-intensity intervention in a humanitarian context, which can serve to mitigate the long-term psychological impact of trauma.

Personalized Emoji Prediction Framework Using Personality, Emotion, And User Preferences, Mariam Lotfy Gaafar

Theses and Dissertations

Emoji prediction plays a vital role in digital communication by enriching text with personality, individual style, and emotional tone. However, existing frameworks primarily rely on user-generated text combined with statistical or language models, often overlooking the importance of individual user traits and contextual information. Recent research highlights that integrating user-specific features, such as historical usage patterns and emotional context, can significantly improve emoji prediction accuracy. Building on these insights, we propose a comprehensive emoji prediction framework that incorporates user history, personality traits, and real-time emotional context. We leverage the Pan17 corpus, which contains a sufficient number of posts per user, …

Ai Project Facilitation Guidance For Research Computing And Data (Rcd) Professionals, Anna Alber, Laura Briggs, Paul Brunk, Manasvita Joshi, Atish P. Kamble, Amira Kefi, Timothy Middelkoop, Semir Sarajlic, Ana Maria Sokovic, Jeffrey N. Valdez, Ying Zhang

Administration and Staff Articles and Research

The role of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in research and education continues to rapidly grow, resulting in increased collaboration between researchers in AI and Research Computing and Data (RCD) professionals to meet the research and teaching demands. RCD professionals bridge the gap between research and technology by guiding and collaborating with researchers and educators through the process of selecting the hardware, software, and services best suited for executing their AI projects. This includes ensuring compliance with funding and regulatory requirements across the entire lifecycle of the project. In this paper, we present an overview of the AI project lifecycle and how …

Limited Soil Water Recharge In Summer Affects Seasonal Isotopic Signatures Of Tree Xylem Water, Marius G. Floriancic, Gregory R. Goldsmith, Harsh Beria, Scott T. Allen, James W. Kirchner

Biology, Chemistry, and Environmental Sciences Faculty Articles and Research

Recent studies have reported that xylem waters in forest trees during the summer growing season are often isotopically similar to winter, rather than summer, precipitation. Several hypotheses have been proposed to explain this observation, which can be viewed as a form of ecohydrological separation, but empirical tests spanning space and time remain limited. We hypothesise that variations in the seasonal origin of precipitation found in tree xylem waters can be explained by seasonal differences in soil water recharge. We test this hypothesis by evaluating to what extent climatic aridity can explain seasonal signals in extensive surveys of the isotope ratios …

Granulocyte-Colony Stimulating Factor Effects On The Mesolimbic Dopamine Circuitry And Adaptations With Chronic Ethanol Exposure, Rachel Ji-Hyae Campbell

Theses and Dissertations

The mesolimbic dopamine (DA) system contributes to reward and reinforcement learning for ethanol (EtOH). The nucleus accumbens (NAc) receives DA input from the ventral tegmental area (VTA) encoding rewarding information. Acute EtOH increases NAc DA levels, and this DA response is attenuated with chronic EtOH exposure. Furthermore, chronic EtOH results in reduced DA release, increased DA clearance and presynaptic D2-type auto-receptor sensitization. Further research into EtOH-induced neural adaptations that modulate NAc DA release is explored herein, including changes in cholinergic interneurons (CIN), which are known regulators of DA transmission. One potential class of regulators are immune related cytokines, that can …

Research On Simulation Training Technology For Special Vehicle Command Based On Gesture Behavior Cognition Interaction, Xiangyang Li, Zhili Zhang, Rui Wang, Xiao Wang, Cheng Chi

Journal of System Simulation

Abstract: To overcome the practical shortcomings in the driving command training of special vehicles, a simulation training technology framework based on gesture behavior cognition and command interaction was proposed. A somatosensory interactive motion capture device and human skeleton model were used to conduct the real-time dynamic recognition and spatial coordinate transformation of the gesture actions of the command training personnel. The median filtering method was applied to eliminate the abrupt data and random noise. The spatial coordinates were processed consistently by using the human skeleton centralization and normalization method. Based on the command gesture action behavior model library and the …

On The Use Of Wearable Continuous Glucose Monitors (Cgms), Jovita Ozonnadi

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

This DNP project implemented an educational module on the use of continuous glucose monitoring devices (CGM) to increase staff knowledge of diabetic care and glycemic control for the diabetic population in a community healthcare clinic. Diabetes mellitus is a significant health concern that poses a substantial challenge to the community and the American healthcare system with a higher burden of diabetes complications found among the low income, uninsured, and minority populations. Poor glycemic control is a major health issue that significantly increases the risk of developing diabetes-related complications such as heart and kidney diseases, and obesity. The adoption of CGM …

Perspectives Of Childcare Center Directors Regarding Barriers To Naeyc Accreditation, Jessica Baffoe

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

NAEYC accreditation is a hallmark of quality in early learning and lack of accreditation suggested a gap in practice. The problem that was the focus of this research is that only 12% of early childhood center-based programs in the United States are accredited by the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC). The purpose of the study was to explore perspectives of childcare center directors regarding NAEYC accreditation. Knowles’s adult learning provided the conceptual framework for this study and guided 3 research questions about directors’ perspectives of barriers, benefits, and the necessary support they associated with NAEYC accreditation. …

Staff Education To Improve Preceptors’ Knowledge Base To Adapt Teaching Methods Across Generations, Lucretia Dennise Sanders

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Today’s nursing workforce consists of individuals from multiple generational cohorts, which creates a dynamic mix of nurses whose behavior and work reflect the cultural and historical events that shaped their generation. As the nursing workforce becomes increasingly multigenerational, nurse educators and leaders face growing challenges in ensuring that onboarding practices meet the needs of diverse learners. In the local organization, leaders and clinical educators observed inconsistencies in preceptorship practices and onboarding experiences, particularly for newly hired nurses. As a result, leaders determined that an educational intervention focused on generational teaching strategies was needed. Thus, the purpose of this Doctor of …

A Glyoxal-Specific Aldehyde Signaling Axis In Pseudomonas Aeruginosa That Influences Quorum Sensing And Infection, Christopher J. Corcoran, Bonnie J. Cuthbert, David G. Glanville, Mailyn Terrado, Diana Valverde Mendez, Benjamin P. Bratton, Daniel E. Schemenauer, Valerie L. Tokars, Thomas G. Martin, Lawrence W. Rasmussen, Matthew C. Madison, Andrew F. Maule, Joshua W. Shaevitz, Boo Shan Tseng, Julian P. Whitelegge, Catherine Putonti, Amit Gaggar, Jordan R. Beach, Jonathan A. Kirk, Alfonso Mondragón, Abby R. Kroken, Jonathan P. Allen, Celia W. Goulding, Andrew T. Ulijasz

Biology: Faculty Publications and Other Works

The universally conserved α-oxoaldehydes glyoxal (GO) and methylglyoxal (MGO) are toxic metabolic byproducts whose accumulation can lead to cell death. In the absence of a known, natural inducer of the GO-specific response in prokaryotes, we exploited RNA-seq to define a GO response in the bacterial pathogen Pseudomonas aeruginosa. The highest upregulated operon consisted of the known glyoxalase (gloA2) and an antibiotic monooxygenase (ABM) domain of unknown function - renamed here Aldehyde responsive quorum-sensing Inhibitor (ArqI). The arqI-gloA2 operon is highly specific to GO induction and ArqI protein responds by migrating to the flagellar pole. An ArqI atomic structure revealed several …

Data Please!: Expanding The Role Of Libraries In Data Science Through Digital Scholarship, Halie Kerns

Library Scholarship

Objective: As data science becomes more integrated into research and teaching, libraries are well-positioned to support this work. This study examines how a digital scholarship team at Binghamton University enhanced engagement with data science by assessing faculty, staff, and graduate student needs. Through focus group interviews, the study identifies key support gaps and outlines strategic initiatives to strengthen interdisciplinary data science programming within the library.

Methods: A qualitative approach was used, involving 26 focus group interviews with faculty, staff, and graduate students across STEM and related fields. Participants discussed their data science work, tools, training, and perceived resource …

Deepfakes Deconstructed, Jacob Noti-Victor

Articles

With the rapid advancement of photorealistic generative Al technology, the problem of sexually explicit deepfakes has grown more urgent than ever. Thanks to widely available Al systems, users can now easily create images that appear to depict real people engaging in sexual acts. Not only have Taylor Swift and other celebrities been targeted, but deepfakes are also now alarmingly prevalent in American schools.

Critical Black Expressionism: A Womanist Manifesto, Rolanda Jw Spencer

Theses

This thesis introduces Critical Black Expressionism (CBE) as a visual, spiritual, and intellectual methodology rooted in Black feminist traditions, ancestral knowledge systems, and artistic practice. Grounded in womanist theory and decolonial inquiry, the central argument asserts that Black women’s lived experiences, cultural memory, and spiritual cosmologies constitute a rigorous and sovereign framework for artmaking. Rather than borrowing from Eurocentric pedagogies, this approach draws from oral traditions, sacred ritual, and master-apprentice models that have long existed within African and African American communities. The Iyami Aje: Mothers + Witches collection is the visual embodiment of this research. Composed of multimedia sculptures, altar-based …

Fort Hays State University Tiger Weekly, July 18, 2025, University Relations

Tiger Weekly Newsletters

No abstract provided.

I, As In We, Cj Maruyama

Dissertations and Theses

I, as in We is a hybrid collection of poems, essays, fictional letters, documents, and photographs through which the author revisits ancestors and explores their multiracial roots. Drawing on stories, interviews and research grounded in the Japanese American experience, the collection develops a call-and-response polyvocality that spans generations and geographies. In its use of white space, form experimentation, and tonal shifts, the work confronts the fluid, often ambiguous boundaries that shape identity. The compiled written and visual materials evolve into an original document--one that reaches toward heritage, belonging, and truth.