Digital Commons Network^™

Improve Mentor Communication And Listening By Implementing Jim Knight’S Impact Cycle With Preservice Teachers, Molly Montavon

Master's Theses & Capstone Projects

Early childhood education preservice teachers encounter a variety of mentors throughout their education journey with a varying degree of success. The problem is that early childhood education (ECE) students completing preservice teaching experiences within a community college lab school are not provided with equitable mentoring experiences, resulting from using inconsistent techniques across all classrooms and mentors. The purpose of the inquiry-based research is to explore the use of Jim Knight’s (2022) Impact Cycle to support the mentoring process for early childhood education preservice teachers. Consistent, high-quality coaching and mentoring are vital to the success of preservice teachers. This belief has …

Instructional Design: An Overview Of Critical Sources, Robyn Hartman

Library Faculty Publications

Instructional design serves as the backbone of effective education and training across diverse learning environments. From traditional classrooms to corporate training programs and online learning platforms, thoughtfully designed instruction creates the foundation for meaningful learning experiences. This essay provides a comprehensive overview of key resources in instructional design in higher education, offering both historical context and contemporary applications for professionals in the field. This essay is intended for novice higher education instructional designers seeking to build their foundational knowledge and experienced subject-matter educators looking to deepen their understanding of design principles and practices for their courses.

Clinico-Epidemiological Characteristics Of Cerebral Venous Sinus Thrombosis In Kenya: A Retrospective Case Series, Taby Siika, Jaskirat Sokhi, Juzar Hooker, Sheila Waa, Anne Mwirigi, Jasmit Shah, Dilraj Sokhi

Internal Medicine, East Africa

Background: Cerebral venous sinus thrombosis (CVST) is a rare cause of stroke that is more common in young, especially female, adults and can be challenging to diagnose due to its frequently non-specific presentation and diverse risk factors. Most cases are idiopathic, and international guidelines do not recommend routine investigations for underlying thrombophilia. Timely diagnosis, with prompt neuroimaging and guideline-based treatment, leads to good outcomes. However, in the literature on CVST from sub-Saharan Africa, the gap is substantial, with the few cases described as being related to systemic and/or brain infections. We describe here the largest cohort of CVST from the …

Numerical Approach To The Optimization Of The Bandwidth Tunability Of A Non-Cascaded Multifunctional Optical Filter, Ramon Benedict L. Lapina, Benjamin B. Dingel, Clint Dominic Bennett

Ateneo Innovation Center

Previously, we reported a multifunctional optical filter which is a Photonic Integrated Circuit (PIC)–based, noncascaded bandpass filter wherein the Ring Resonators-based Direct-Coupled-All-Pass Filter (D-APF) and Cross-coupled All-pass Filter (C-APF) are attached to each of the arms of a single Mach Zehnder Interferometer (MZI). This device is an alternative platform to the conventional platform of programmable photonic filters that does not rely on combining different photonic elements to implement various filter functionalities. For one, it can generate (i) Narrowband Filter, (ii) Asymmetric Interleaver (AI) and (iii) Symmetric Interleaver (SI) responses by varying limited number of specific parameters of the device. It …

Flight Of The Clipped Wings, Thaily Jeanty

Digressions: Literary & Art Journal

Author Statement

"'Flight of the Clipped Wings' delves into the emotional journey of struggling with mental health issues and the stigma that often surrounds them. The pressure to conform to societal norms is a constant struggle, especially when fear of discrimination is at play. The pet birds represent two contrasting aspects: Charlotte symbolizes freedom and hope, while Cassiel embodies isolation and loneliness. These birds act as foils to one another, reflecting the tension between societal expectations and personal non-conformity. The piece aims to raise awareness by immersing readers in this complex experience."

Principal Component Analysis Of Emotion Related Concepts, Ana Kellermann Jimenez

Clinical Psychology Dissertations

Past research has established the overlap between several emotion-related factors, such as alexithymia, empathy, emotional intelligence, mindfulness, and mentalization. The aim of the present study was to analyze where these variables overlapped and how they related to different psychological and psychopathological variables. This was accomplished through the use of a Principal Component Analysis (PCA) and four canonical correlation models. The results indicated that there was an eight-component structure that included Alexithymia, Valuing Emotions, Mistrusting Emotions, Positive Reframe, Perspective-Taking, Empathetic Concern, Emotional Pessimism, and Avoiding Emotions. The internal reliability of the components ranged from adequate to excellent. The validity of the …

Distributed Monitoring Of Moving Thermal Targets Using Unmanned Aerial Vehicles And Gaussian Mixture Models, Gustavo Vejarano, Yuanji Huang, Pavithra Sripathanallur Murali

Electrical and Computer Engineering Faculty Works

This paper contributes a two-step approach to monitor clusters of thermal targets on the ground using unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and Gaussian mixture models (GMMs) in a distributed manner. The approach is tailored to networks of UAVs that establish a flying ad hoc network (FANET) and operate without central command. The first step is a monitoring algorithm that determines if the GMM corresponds to the current spatial distribution of clusters of thermal targets on the ground. UAVs make this determination using local data and a sequence of data exchanges with UAVs that are one-hop neighbors in the FANET. The second …

Diet, Gut Microbiota, And Histidine Metabolism Toward Imidazole Propionate Production In Relation To Type 2 Diabetes, Hongbo Yang, Kai Luo, Brandilyn A Peters, Yi Wang, Yanbo Zhang, Martha Daviglus, Amber Pirzada, Christina Cordero, Bing Yu, Robert D Burk, Robert Kaplan, Qibin Qi

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Objective: To examine associations of serum imidazole propionate (ImP), histidine, and their ratio with incident type 2 diabetes (T2D) and related dietary and gut microbial factors in U.S. Hispanic/Latino people.

Research design and methods: In the Hispanic Community Health Study/Study of Latinos, we evaluated serum ImP, histidine, and ImP-to-histidine ratio at baseline (2008-2011) and their cross-sectional associations with dietary intake and prospective associations with incident T2D over ∼12 years (n = 4,632). In a subsample with gut microbiota data during a follow-up visit (2016-2018), we examined gut microbial species associated with serum ImP and their potential interactions with dietary intake. …

Mutualistas: La Sociedad Auxiliar De Mutua Beneficiaria, Antonito Colorado, 1937-1994, José A. Rivera Ph.D

Faculty Publications

Mutual Aid Societies proliferated in the American Southwest during a period of rapid social change, 1880-1930. In Hispanic towns, these societies were referred to as mutualistas, with a large number concentrated in the San Luis Valley of Colorado and rural counties of northcentral New Mexico. One of the men’s organizations, La Sociedad Protección Mutua de Trabajadores Unidos (SPMDTU), started in Antonito, Colorado, and quickly spread to other communities of southern Colorado and northern New Mexico and eventually to a few mining towns in Utah. With a tri-state model in place, women formed their own mutual protection societies: Sociedad Protectora …

Shared Genetic Architecture Of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder With Cardiovascular Imaging, Risk, And Diagnoses, Jie Shen, Wander Valentim, Eleni Friligkou, Cassie Overstreet, Karmel W. Choi, Dora Koller, Christopher J. O’Donnell, Murray B. Stein, Joel Gelernter, Haitao Lv, Ling Sun, Guido J. Falcone, Renato Polimanti, Gita A. Pathak, Edward Trapido, Ariane Rung, Et Al.

School of Public Health Faculty Publications

Patients with post-traumatic stress disorder face increased cardiovascular risk. This study examines shared genetic regions between post-traumatic stress disorder and 246 cardiovascular conditions across electronic health records, 82 cardiac imaging, and health behaviors defined by Life’s Essential 8. Post-traumatic stress disorder is genetically correlated with cardiovascular diagnoses in 33 regions, imaging traits in 4 regions, and health behaviors in 44 regions. Potentially shared causal variants between post-traumatic stress disorder and 17 cardiovascular conditions were observed in 11 regions. Subsequent observational analysis in AllofUS cohort showed post-traumatic stress disorder is associated with 13 diagnoses even after accounting for socioeconomic factors and …

Eeg Based Real Time Classification Of Consecutive Two Eye Blinks For Brain Computer Interface Applications, Masud Rabbani, Nafi Us Sabbir Sabith, Anubhav Parida, Iysa Iqbal, Sayed Mashroor Mamun, Rumi Ahmed Khan, Farhad Ahmed, Sheikh Iqbal Ahamed

Computer Science Faculty Research and Publications

Human eye blinks are considered a significant contaminant or artifact in electroencephalogram (EEG), which impacts EEG-based medical or scientific applications. However, eye blink detection can instead be transformed into a potential application of brain–computer interfaces (BCI). This study introduces a novel real-time EEG-based framework for classifying three blink states: no blink, single blink, and two consecutive blinks in one model. EEG data were collected from ten healthy participants using an 8-channel wearable headset under controlled blinking conditions. The data were preprocessed and analyzed using four feature extraction techniques: basic statistical, time-domain, amplitude-driven, and frequency-domain methods. The most significant features were …

The Aggregate Welfare And Trade Implications Of Contracting Frictions In Global Sourcing, Davin Chor, Lin Ma

Research Collection School Of Economics

How much do contracting frictions between global firms and their suppliers impact country welfare and trade? We answer this by developing a model of global sourcing under partial contractibility, where firm-supplier relationships are exposed to a bilateral holdup problem. Sourcing decisions aggregate into a gravity equation for trade flows by organizational mode (intrafirm vs. arm’s length), which we take to structural estimation. We can then evaluate welfare changes with an extended Arkolakis, Costinot and Rodriguez-Clare (2012) formula that incorporates these contracting frictions. Our counterfactual analysis reveals a sizeable average country welfare gain of 9.2% from eliminating contracting frictions in global …

Seconds From Impact: Anticipatory Vehicular Crash Prediction Using Video Vision Transormers, Ryan P. Geisen

Master's Theses

Vehicular collisions represent a significant public health concern, necessitating re search into advanced emergency notification systems. While deep learning has shown promise in accident detection, a research gap persists in applying state-of-the-art transformer architectures to the task of anticipatory, real-time crash prediction from video. This thesis addresses this gap by developing and evaluating a Video Vision Transformer (ViViT) for the binary classification of imminent vehicular collisions. Utilizing a curated dataset of 1,493 unique collision sequences, this study systemati cally investigates the impact of temporal context by comparing the ViViT against a single-frame Vision Transformer (ViT) baseline and conducting comprehensive exper …

Effects Of Science Of Reading Pedagogy On Student Self-Efficacy In The Elementary Intervention Classroom, Emily Marie Robinette

Theses and Dissertations

This action research study investigated the effects Science of Reading pedagogy and curriculum have on students’ reading self-efficacy within the setting of the elementary intervention classroom. The theoretical framework, Albert Bandura’s self-efficacy theory, guided the study’s research questions, review of literature, methodology, and data analysis. The conceptual framework of the Science of Reading theory and educational movement served as the primary source of design and implementation of the intervention. Students participated in pre-, mid-, and post intervention interviews which measured students’ perceptions about their reading self-efficacy throughout the intervention period. They also participated in weekly reading self-efficacy questionnaires, which provided …

Retaining Teacehrs In A Small, Rural District In A Post-Pandemic World, Sonya Murrah Bryant

Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation in practice uses improvement science to examine the system in an attempt to improve teacher retention. The improvement project centers around improving teacher retention in a small, rural school district in a post-pandemic world. The district in question saw a stark increase in teachers leaving the district after the pandemic. The improvement team consisting of six district certified staff members including the superintendent, the assistant superintendent for personnel and instruction, the director of special services, the public information officer, a primary school principal, and a teacher. After collaboratively designing a fishbone diagram and driver diagram to analyze the …

The Impact Of Teachers’ Cultural Competence On Curriculum Development In Advanced English Courses, Rhine D. Kirkland

Theses and Dissertations

As student demographics become increasingly more diverse, it is imperative that classroom teachers are responsive to the needs of learners from varied backgrounds. The purpose of this study was to examine the impact of teachers’ cultural competence on their curriculum development in advanced English courses. This case study provided insight on the use of administrative instructional coaching as a professional learning approach to aid in teachers’ creation and implementation of culturally responsive curriculums based on the tenets of Culturally Relevant Pedagogy. The analysis and triangulation of survey, interview, document, and observation data yielded key themes regarding the considerations and conditions …

Impact Of Simulation On Project Management Knowledge, Self-Efficacy, And Student Perceptions: An Action Research Study With Non-Traditional Undergraduate Students In A Project Management Capstone Course, Deborah Marindin

Theses and Dissertations

This study investigated the effectiveness of a project management simulation in enhancing non-traditional undergraduate students' project management knowledge, self-efficacy, and perceptions in a project management capstone course. The simulation tool, SimulTrain®, provided an authentic, real-world context to bridge the gap between theoretical knowledge and practical application. Utilizing mixed-methods action research, the study comprehensively evaluated the simulation’s impact on students’ learning. The research was guided by three questions: (1) How does a simulation activity affect non-traditional students’ project management knowledge in a capstone course? (2) To what extent does the simulation impact their self-efficacy? (3) What are students’ perceptions of learning …

Exploring Professional Development Of Expatriate Teachers In Kuwait Through Mentoring, Taji Abdul-Raheem

Theses and Dissertations

Professional growth as a teacher is fundamental for teacher retention and an overall determinant of favorable student outcomes. Academic research underscores professional development as an indicator of success for a school’s success as well. Expatriate teachers in Kuwait, who comprise a significant portion of the workforce, come from various backgrounds and levels of readiness for teaching in a contextually and culturally unfamiliar setting. Due to how teachers are hired and approved for teaching without induction, an implementation for continuous professional development has yet to be materialized for teachers in the private sector. This qualitative study leverages Improvement Science to diagnose …

Apathy Or Agency: Exploring Civic Engagement With Ap Psychology Students, Regina Dilley

Theses and Dissertations

Sensing my high school students’ apathy toward civic engagement, I used a community of inquiry framework to address this problem of practice. Through mixed-methods action research, I explored participants’ perspectives on community, civic engagement, and their involvement in both spheres. A community of inquiry framework was the foundation for my research questions, and as I collected data, I launched an intervention based upon my findings. Although the results of this study were not statistically significant and are not generalizable, I collected a wealth of survey, interview, and reflection data from 48 students across two classes. Analysis grounded in my observations …

Expenditures Of Title I Funds To Maximize Student Performance, Cornethia Danielle Pressley

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This mixed methods case study investigates how Title I funds are allocated and perceived in relation to student achievement in six rural elementary schools in the southeastern United States. Drawing on the Distributive Justice Theory by John Rawls, the study explored the perspectives of three principals and three instructional coaches regarding the effectiveness of Title I expenditures in improving outcomes for economically disadvantaged students. Quantitative data from school report cards (2019-2023), Title I expenditure plans, and SC-Ready English Language Arts assessment scores were analyzed alongside qualitative data from semi-structured interviews about the expenditures.

Findings revealed that expenditures most strongly associated …

Smu Celebrates 25 Years Of Its Communityservice Programme During Silver Jubilee Year, Singapore Management University

SMU Press Releases and News

The first university in Singapore to make community service a graduation requirement commemorates another major milestone in its 25th anniversary. SMU has consistently championed community engagement as a cornerstone of its educational mission.

Feedback Frequency And Skill Learning In College Athletes: "A Multivariate Analysis", Andrew Gannon

Doctorate in Kinesiology

This study aims to look at feedback frequency with college athletes through augmented feedback with a novel sports skill. While there is research on feedback frequency, much of that research has been conducted using children and general population college students as participants; there is very limited research on athletes as participants. Athletes possess a unique characteristic as they are typically advanced in motor skills and routinely receive feedback in the practice of their sport. Participants in the study were NCAA Division II college athletes (N=82) from one of nine sports. Using a modified golf putt, participants tried to land a …

Sepsis: I Can Catch Your Lies – A New Paradigm For Deception Detection, Anku Rani, Dwip Dalal, Shreya Gautam, Pankaj Gupta, Vinija Jain, Aman Chadha, Amitava Das, Amit P. Sheth

Publications

Deception is the intentional practice of twisting information. It is a nuanced societal practice deeply intertwined with human societal evolution, characterized by a multitude of facets. This research explores the problem of deception through the lens of psychology, employing a framework that categorizes deception into three forms: lies of omission, lies of commission, and lies of influence. The primary focus of this study is specifically on investigating only lies of omission. We propose a novel framework for deception detection leveraging NLP techniques. We curated an annotated dataset of 876,784 samples by amalgamating a popular large-scale fake news dataset and scraped …

Future-Proofing Careers: Unlocking The Potential Of Ai-Driven Digital Badges, Harika Rao

Faculty and Staff Publications & Presentations

This poster explores the transformative role of AI-driven digital badges and microcredentials in addressing the urgent need for adaptable, workforce-ready graduates in an era of rapid technological change. By offering personalized, stackable, and industry-aligned credentials, higher education institutions can empower learners with just-in-time skills that traditional degree programs often fail to provide. This poster highlights how AI can support granular competency assessment, flexible online delivery, and lifelong learning pathways, enabling students to showcase evidence of skill mastery in ways that are both affordable and scalable.

What To Know About Release Of Information, Authorization, And Records Requests, Jennifer Cosey

The Journal of the Michigan Dental Association

This article clarifies HIPAA regulations regarding the disclosure of protected health information (PHI). It distinguishes between a "Right of Access" request, where a patient directly seeks their own record (no authorization needed), and an "Authorization," which is required for disclosures beyond treatment, payment, or health care operations, or to third parties for ongoing access. The author details activities permissible without authorization, such as coordination of care, billing, and quality improvement. Specific examples are provided for situations requiring authorization, like disclosing PHI to attorneys or for marketing. The article also outlines seven essential elements for a HIPAA-compliant authorization form

The Back Page: Commentary: Going Non-Par: My Perspective, And 10 Lessons I’Ve Learned, Robert Antolak Dds

The Journal of the Michigan Dental Association

Dr. Robert Antolak shares his experience and ten lessons from transitioning his dental practice to a non-participating (non-par) status with insurance in January 2025, driven by declining reimbursements and the need to prioritize patient care. He highlights the unfairness of lower PPO reimbursements for newer dentists. Key lessons include securing a trusted coach, early patient communication, building a financial safety net, ensuring full team buy-in, committing with faith, tightening billing systems, frequent patient reminders, advocating for patients, creating an in-office payment plan (not percentage discounts), and clearly articulating the "why". Though revenue initially dropped, he anticipates full recovery, aiming to …

Sph Simulation Of Isothermal Sloshing In A Circular Tank: A Ccp-Wsi Blind Test Study, Jiaxin Chen, Yong Yang, Martyn Hann, Robert Rawlinson-Smith, Munira Raji, Deborah Greaves

School of Engineering, Computing and Mathematics

This study delves into the complex sloshing dynamics in a circular tank, a critical challenge for applications like aerospace and marine systems, as part of the CCP-WSI Blind Test Series 5. Leveraging the GPU-accelerated SPH-based DualSPHysics code, we uncover unique resonant and nonlinear wave behaviours under horizontal and vertical excitations. Key findings include significant free-surface amplifications and symmetry-breaking effects at resonance. Sensitivity analysis of dimensionality, viscosity, and resolution highlighted SPH's adaptability for highly nonlinear flows, establishing it as a powerful tool for tackling intricate fluid-structure interactions.

A Multifunctional Platform For The Production And Customization Of Polymer-Based Microneedle Devices, Om Prakash Singh, Carlota Marquez-Grana, Andrea Bocchino, Eva Melnik, Steffen Kurzhals, Giorgio C. Mutinati, Sion Coulman, Christopher Martin, Keng Wooi Ng, Mariane Massufero Vergilio, James Birchall, Paul Donovan, Paul Galvin, Conor O’Mahony

School of Nursing and Midwifery

Polymer microneedles (MNs) have significant potential for use in transdermal delivery and diagnostics applications due to their low cost, versatility, and compatibility with medical grade materials and industrial manufacturing processes. These polymers can also have a wide range of different and desirable properties such as biocompatibility, degradability, and flexibility.To facilitate rapid development of these devices, a multifunctional manufacturing process, easily adaptable to a range of different materials and use cases, would be highly beneficial for research and prototyping purposes. With that in mind, we have developed a multifunctional platform that may be used to produce sharp-tipped microneedle arrays with a …

Fostering Human Rights Awareness In Kosovo: A Case Study On The Sustainability Of Ngo Trainings, Hana Kaja

Theses

The sustainability of human rights trainings in Kosovo remains a critical issue, particularly as the country seeks to develop a rights-oriented society aligned with Euro-Atlantic values. This case study evaluates the sustainability efforts of two trainings conducted by a non-governmental organization, focusing on their alignment with objectives, participant feedback, and systemic factors such as institutional support and follow-up mechanisms. It also explores broader challenges like participant disengagement and the limited integration of human rights education into the national curriculum. A mixed-methods approach was used, combining survey data from participants, interviews with NGO representatives, and analysis of internal documents. To ensure …

Utilizing Natural Language Processing To Optimize Business Processes, Olt Kondirolli

Theses

This Capstone project explores the potential of Natural Language Processing (NLP) techniques in optimizing decision-making and organizational workflows across various domains. The Capstone project uses three case studies to demonstrate how sentiment analysis, frequency analysis, and topic modeling can analyze unstructured textual data to provide insightful findings. The first case study evaluates employee satisfaction using sentiment analysis, uncovering trends across departments and roles to guide targeted organizational interventions. The second case study focuses on student feedback at a higher education institution, using sentiment and frequency analyses to identify key areas for improvement in academic programs and services. The third case …