Digital Commons Network^™

Alignment Of Projects With Business Strategy, Lyndon Leathan Martin

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Some organizations lack strategies to ensure that project outcomes are aligned with organizational objectives. Business leaders are concerned when project outcomes are misaligned with organizational objectives, as this can lead to decreased profitability and a loss of competitive advantage. Grounded in Porter’s Five Forces model, the purpose of this qualitative, pragmatic inquiry was to explore the strategies business leaders use to ensure project outcomes are profitable and aligned with organizational objectives. The participants were six executive leaders of real estate and development companies in the Caribbean, purposefully selected because their organizations had successfully fulfilled organizational objectives through project outcomes. Data …

What Is Alive? Students’ Conceptions Of The Traits That Unite Living Organisms, Jeremy L. Hsu, Meredith A. Dorner, Kate Hill

Biology, Chemistry, and Environmental Sciences Faculty Articles and Research

Biology is the study of life, but students often hold misconceptions about what it means to be alive, with children often associating life with movement. These misconceptions can lead to biases in what students think is alive, with younger children often not thinking of plants as living given their lack of discernable movement. Despite this past work, there have been no prior studies that we are aware of that have examined how students in introductory biology conceptualize what it means to be alive. Here, we draw upon a fortuitous dataset collected from an in-class activity done on the first day …

Learning Ordinal Geometry: Semantic–Aware Kernels For Ordered Categorical Data, Ernest Fokoue

Articles

Ordinal data arise ubiquitously in survey research, psychology, medicine, economics, and recommender systems, yet kernel methods for such data typically rely on either nominal encodings or arbitrary numeric codings. The former discards order information; the lat- ter imposes a fictitious metric structure. This paper develops a principled framework for kernel design on ordinal scales and introduces a new class of Semantic–Aware Ordinal Ker- nels (SAOK) that simultaneously capture ordinal order and semantic proximity between categories. We begin by formalizing order–preserving embeddings of finite chains and characterizing a broad family of chain distances that are conditionally negative definite. Through Schoen- berg …

A Randomized Study Of Digital Versus Genetic Counselor Return Of Actionable Genetic Research Results To Biobank Participants (Respect3 Study), Anuja Rajendra Godbole, Elisabeth Wood, Brian Egleston, Lily Hoffman-Andrews, Sarah Brown, Sarah Howe, Sanjana Shastri, Rajia Mim, Justin Feng, Anjali Owens, Susan Domchek, Reed Pyeritz, Bryson Katona, Staci Kallish, Giorgio Sirugo, Joellen Weaver, Linda Fleisher, Kuang-Yi Wen, Elena Elkin, Katherine Nathanson, Daniel Rader, Angela Bradbury

Department of Medical Oncology Faculty Papers

BACKGROUND: There is consensus that research participants should be informed about plans for return of genetic research results. However, best practices for return of results in large biobank and cohort studies do not exist currently, and how best to communicate actionable genetic research results remains unclear. While having genetic counselors disclose these results may be ideal to ensure understanding, minimize distress, and optimize medical follow-up, genetic counselor (GC) workforce shortages and costs are barriers. The RESPECT3 study evaluates whether digital delivery alternatives for pre-disclosure education and return of actionable genetic research results is non-inferior to remote telehealth disclosure by a …

Scotus Rules Colorado’S Ban On Conversion Therapy For Minors Probably Violates First Amendment, Arthur S. Leonard

Other Publications

No abstract provided.

Venous Thromboembolism Attenuates Brain Cortical Thickness: Evidence From Mendelian Randomization Study, Wenli Gu, Xiu Liu, Christopher Tze-Wei Tsang, Si Yeung Yu, Yan Chen, Jiayi Huang, Yuk Ki Yukie Lam, Tim Yan, Meizhen Wu, Ran Guo, Jingnan Zhang, Ferit Böyük, Yap Hang Chan, Kai Hang Yiu

Journal of the Hong Kong College of Cardiology

Background: Emerging evidence suggests an association between vascular risk factors and changes in brain cortical structure and function. However, the relationship between venous thromboembolism (VTE) and brain cortical remodeling remains unclear, impeding further research on brain cortical dysfunction. Methods: Using summary statistics obtained from genome-wide association studies (GWAS), we conducted two-sample Mendelian randomization (MR) analyses to explore potential causal effects of genetically predisposed pulmonary embolism (PE, N = 361,194), deep vein thrombosis (DVT, N = 462,933) and unspecified VTE (N = 218,792) on brain cortical structure (N = 51,665). Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)-based measures of brain cortex including …

The Lawyer, The Law, The Case: Teaching Legal Readers To Co-Create The Law, Sara Cates

St. Mary's Law Journal

No abstract provided.

Esl 103 - Intermediate English As A Second Language, Maria L. Plochocki

Open Educational Resources

The enclosed is a sample syllabus for an intermediate ESL class, created with Open Educational Resources. It includes essential course information such as a schedule of meetings and assignments, as well as course and institutional policies and resources.

Joint Channel–Spatial Attention With Curriculum Learning For Robust Crowd Density Estimation, Heba M. El-Hoseny, Heba F. Elsepae, Ehab K. I. Hamad, El-Sayed M. El-Rabaie

Mesopotamian Journal of Big Data

Accurate crowd counting remains a major challenge in computer vision due to perspective distortion, background clutter, occlusion, and poor illumination, which degrade feature representation and limit model generalization. This study introduces a robust and well-structured approach that integrates hybrid attention mechanisms with curriculum learning to enhance accuracy and stability in complex crowd scenarios. Gamma correction and CLAHE preprocessing enhance image visibility, facilitating the reliable detection of small and distant individuals under challenging lighting conditions. A mixed attention mechanism further enhances feature discrimination by emphasizing crowd-relevant regions while suppressing background noise. In addition, curriculum learning, guided by scoring and pacing functions, …

Ventilator Weaning Through Spontaneous Breathing Trials In Children With Tetralogy Of Fallot In The Picu: A Case Report, Megah Fitrian, Kadek Ayu Erika, Muhammad Yunus

Jurnal Keperawatan Indonesia

Tetralogy of Fallot (TOF) is a congenital heart defect that causes chronic low oxygen levels, increased right ventricular workload, and a higher risk of complications. Weaning mechanical ventilation in patients with TOF is particularly challenging due to right ventricular dysfunction, muscle weakness, and the risk of heart failure. This study evaluates the use of a spontaneous breathing trial (SBT) strategy with pressure support ventilation (PSV) mode for mechanical ventilation weaning in pediatric patients with TOF. An observational study was conducted on a six-year-old pediatric patient with TOF and a cerebral abscess who underwent mechanical ventilation weaning using the SBT technique …

การปฏิรูปงานแก้ไขฟื้นฟูผู้กระทำผิด: การประเมินผลกระทบจากการแปรรูปรัฐวิสาหกิจแบบบางส่วนในงานคุมประพฤติของสหราชอาณาจักร (Transforming Rehabilitation: Evaluating The Impact Of Part-Privatisation In The Probation Services Of The United Kingdom), Suphat Phoophanichjaroenkul

Chulalongkorn University Law Journal

บทความนี้วิเคราะห์ผลลัพธ์ของนโยบาย “Transforming Rehabilitation” ซึ่งเป็นการปฏิรูปโครงสร้างงานคุมประพฤติในสหราชอาณาจักรโดยให้ภาคเอกชนเข้ามามีส่วนร่วมในการดำเนินงาน ภายใต้ความประสงค์ในการลดอัตราการกระทำผิดซ้ำ เพิ่มประสิทธิภาพในการปฏิบัติงาน และเสริมสร้างนวัตกรรมในการบริหารจัดการผู้กระทำผิด การปฏิรูปนี้ได้มอบหมายหน้าที่โดยให้บริษัทเอกชนที่เป็นผู้รับผิดชอบในการดูแลผู้กระทำผิดที่มีความเสี่ยงต่ำถึงปานกลางผ่านวิสาหกิจเพื่อการแก้ไขฟื้นฟูผู้กระทำผิดในชุมชน (Community Rehabilitation Companies) ในขณะที่หน่วยงานคุมประพฤติแห่งชาติ (National Probation Service) ยังคงรับผิดชอบผู้กระทำผิดที่มีความเสี่ยงสูง การประยุกต์ใช้เครื่องมือทางการเงิน เช่น “ค่าตอบแทนตามการให้บริการ” และ “การจ่ายเงินตามผลลัพธ์” ถูกนำมาใช้เพื่อดึงดูดการลงทุนจากภาคเอกชนและคาดหวังว่าจะเกิดนวัตกรรมด้านเทคโนโลยี จากการศึกษาพบว่าผลการดำเนินงานตามแผนปฏิรูปไม่เป็นไปตามเป้าหมายที่กำหนด ผู้ให้บริการเอกชนไม่สามารถจัดทำบริการเพื่อสนับสนุนการกลับคืนสู่สังคมได้อย่างเพียงพอ ส่งผลให้ผู้กระทำผิดที่ได้รับการแก้ไขฟื้นฟูไม่ได้รับความช่วยเหลือ การให้บริการงานคุมประพฤติขาดความคิดริเริ่มใหม่ และมาตรฐานงานและคุณภาพลดลง ซึ่งสาเหตุหลักเกิดจากการขาดการทดลองนำร่องที่เพียงพอก่อนการขยายผล รวมถึงข้อบกพร่องในกระบวนการประเมินความเสี่ยง ปัญหาทางการเงินทำให้วิสาหกิจเพื่อการแก้ไขฟื้นฟูผู้กระทำผิดในชุมชนหลายแห่งล้มละลาย ผลกระทบต่อเสถียรภาพของงานคุมประพฤติและความเชื่อมั่นของประชาชนที่ลดลง จนกลายเป็นปัจจัยให้แนวคิดการลงโทษได้รับความนิยม ขณะที่แนวทางการแก้ไขฟื้นฟูผู้กระทำผิดในชุมชนถูกลดบทบาทลง บทความเสนอแนวทางแก้ไขที่สำคัญ ได้แก่ การจำกัดบทบาทของภาคเอกชนให้เป็นเพียงผู้สนับสนุนงานคุมประพฤติ เสริมสร้างความแข็งแกร่งให้กับหน่วยงานคุมประพฤติแห่งชาติในฐานะผู้ให้บริการในการจัดทำงานคุมประพฤติ และการออกแบบเครื่องมือทางการเงินใหม่ที่สร้างแรงจูงใจและส่งเสริมการมีส่วนร่วมของภาคีเครือข่ายและภาคประชาชน นอกจากนี้ บทความยังเสนอแนะให้มีการนำร่องอย่างเป็นระบบเพื่อให้สามารถประเมินความเสี่ยงได้อย่างแม่นยำ และสร้างกลไกการกำกับดูแลที่มีประสิทธิภาพ เพื่อรักษาคุณภาพบริการและสร้างความเชื่อมั่นต่องานคุมประพฤติอย่างยั่งยืน

Using The Four-Quadrant Model Of Think/Feel/Fast/ Slow To Understand The Decision-Making Of Self-Managed Superannuation Fund Trustees, Roger Colbeck, Steven D’Alessandro, John Minas

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

This research focuses on decision-making by trustees of self-managed superannuation funds (SMSFs) in Australia. Behavioral attributes are examined using the four-quadrant model (FQM) developed by Lovric et al. (2010), comprising the cognitive, affective, controlled, and automatic quadrants. The FQM integrates two closely related dual-process theories (DPT). Both the DPT framework and the FQM draw on foundational principles from the cognitive and behavioral sciences. The result of the mixed methods study uses the FQM to explain investment decision-making. The dataset was examined using cluster analysis to identify underlying group structures, followed by regression modelling to assess the relationships between key variables. …

Evaluating Forearm Strength Variability In Collegiate Tennis Players Over The Course Of A Competitive Season, Jeffrey Williams, Payton Jensen, Kevin Laudner

Clinical Practice in Athletic Training

The muscles of the forearm undergo routine, forceful, and repetitive contractions while playing tennis and may experience adaptive changes that can precede injury. An understanding of forearm strength profiles of tennis players following a competitive season would assist clinicians’ evidence-based management of the forearm’s readiness for training, competition, and return-to-sport participation. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to explore the effects of a competitive tennis season on forearm strength among collegiate tennis athletes. A prospective, case-series design was used to examine a convenience sample of 15 asymptomatic NCAA Division I tennis players (males = 10, height = 182.88 [SD …

Comfort Level Of Collegiate Student-Athletes In Opposite And Same-Gender Patient/Provider Relationships In Athletic Training, Samantha Dickie, Yashu Tang, Sydney Nelson, Emily Madrak

Clinical Practice in Athletic Training

Gender-based comfort in patient-provider relationships is a vital aspect of athletic training care. As the profession continues to evolve—particularly with a growing number of women athletic trainers (ATs) and progression of athletic training curriculum—it is essential to understand how gender dynamics influence the comfort of collegiate athletes when receiving care. This cross-sectional survey study examined how athlete comfort varies when treated by same- versus opposite-gender ATs in general patient care and in pathology-based scenarios. Ninety-six collegiate student-athletes (62.5% female) with the mean age of 20.26 (SD 1.7) years from NCAA and NAIA institutions completed the Gender Comfort with Athletic Trainer …

Comparison Of Vibrating And Non-Vibrating Foam Roller On Hamstring Range Of Motion, Rakhoon Sung, Portia B. Resnick, Karen G. Roos, Mimi Nakajima

Clinical Practice in Athletic Training

Tightness in the distal hamstring is a common complaint among active individuals. While a foam roller is used to release muscle tension, there are limited studies about the effect using a vibrating foam roller (VFR) on hamstring flexibility and knee range of motion (ROM). For this reason, the purpose of the research was to compare the effect of a VFR and nonvibrating foam roller (NVFR) on hamstring flexibility and knee ROM in active college students. It was hypothesized that there would be more improvement in hamstring flexibility and knee ROM with a VFR than an NVFR. A randomized controlled trial …

The Link Between Atrial Fibrillation And Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease - Pathophysiology, Emerging Evidence And Treatment Options, Wojciech Jakub Bajda, Jakub Juszczyk, Negin Fani, Dongwoo Kang, Jerzy Gregorczyk

Journal of the Hong Kong College of Cardiology

Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) and atrial fibrillation (AF) are common conditions that significantly impact gastrointestinal and cardiovascular health. Emerging evidence suggests a bidirectional relationship between these conditions, mainly driven by inflammation and vagal nerve stimulation. Shared risk factors include obesity, obstructive sleep apnea, and hiatal hernias. This review explores the underlying pathophysiological mechanisms that may link GERD and AF, focusing on the roles of autonomic dysregulation, systemic inflammation, and mechanical interactions that may cause symptoms for both diseases. Lifestyle modifications including weight management, along with pharmacological treatments like proton pump inhibitors, have shown promise in managing the symptoms of both …

Blockchain Technology As A Tool To Enhance Information Security Elements In The Government Organizations Sector: An Exploratory Study In The Nineveh Governorate Traffic Directorate, Saif Khalid Zakaria

Muthanna Journal of Administrative and Economics Sciences

Purpose: The objective of this study is oriented to investigate what are the determinant features of Blockchain Technology (BCT) that contribute in boosting ISE factors in governmental institutions. The research work is grounded on referring to the most popular features of Blockchain (BC) in enhancing the core and supportive (ISE). Research Design/ Methods and approach: The data for this research was based on a crosssectional and correlational survey (95 responses were finally analyzed). The collected data were first analyzed using SPSS v.26 and then through variance based structural equation modeling (SEM; Smart PLS v.4) for assessing validity and …

The George-Anne Daily, Georgia Southern University

George-Anne Media Group: Newsletters & Magazines

No abstract provided.

Motion To Approve Revisions To The Articles Of Authorities – Revised 2026 Version – Part Of Article Iii, Section 5, Faculty Senate, Academic Support Committee

Faculty Senate Motions

A Motion to Approve Revisions to the Articles of Authorities – Revised 2026 Version – Part of Article III, Section 5

Implementation Of Direct Corpus Applications To L2 Collaborative Writing Pedagogy: The Impact On Learner Interaction, Written Output And Development, Ahmet Egemen Curuk

Electronic Theses and Dissertations Archive

This dissertation examines the implementation of direct corpus applications within L2 collaborative writing pedagogy and investigates their impact on learner interaction, as well as measurable gains in syntactic complexity, lexical complexity, and accuracy during collaborative writing and in subsequent individual writing. Although prior research has established the pedagogical value of corpus-based instruction and collaborative writing separately, little is known about how these approaches function when integrated, particularly with an emphasis on the learner experience and the interactional mechanisms that mediate learning. To address this gap, this dissertation adopts a mixed-methods design to explore how corpus-guided collaborative writing shapes dyadic interaction, …

Developing Empathy In Middle And High School Adult Educators Within Multicultural Contexts, Warren M. Grimm

Electronic Theses and Dissertations Archive

This qualitative study examined how school-based professional development reflection programs influence teachers’ empathy across cultural differences within an independent school context. Grounded in Multicultural Theory and scholarship on empathy, the study explored how structured, sustained reflective practices shape educators’ understanding, relational engagement, and collective organizational culture. The problem of practice addressed in this study was the need for independent school leaders to cultivate culturally responsive environments within limited time and resource constraints, while serving increasingly diverse school communities. Using a qualitative design, data were collected through in-depth interviews with educators who participated in a structured, research-based reflective professional development program. …

Spacecube: Interactive Real-Time Uas Hyperspectral Processing, Thomas Pascarella Watson

Electronic Theses and Dissertations Archive

Hyperspectral cameras capture hundreds of data points per sample (pixel), thereby providing numerous advantages in remote sensing tasks. Many tasks can be effectively conducted with such a camera mounted on a small uncrewed aerial system (sUAS). However, obtaining results traditionally requires significant post-processing of captured data after flight, delaying insight. To mitigate the delay, this work proposes Spacecube, a program that implements a complete interactive hyperspectral processing pipeline. Spacecube's novel inverse georectification algorithm processes entire datasets in seconds, compared to hours for traditional methods, and eliminates pixel coverage artifacts. This allows immediate high-quality viewing and adjustment of captured flight data. …

Deep Learning-Based Structural Displacement Identification And Quantification Under Target Feature Loss, Lishuai Zhu, Guangcai Zhang, Qun Xie, Zhen Peng, Li Ai, Ruijun Liang, Taochun Taochun Yang

Civil Engineering Faculty Publications

Structural displacement monitoring faces significant challenges under complex environmental conditions due to the loss or degradation of target features, making it difficult for traditional methods to ensure high accuracy and robustness. Therefore, this study proposes a structural displacement identification and quantification method that integrates YOLOv8n with an improved edge-orientation gradient-based template matching algorithm. By combining deep learning techniques with traditional template matching methods, the accuracy and robustness of monitoring are enhanced under adverse conditions such as noise and extremely low illumination. Specifically, in the edge-orientation gradient matching stage, the Canny-Devernay sub-pixel edge detection technique and an improved ellipse-fitting method are …

Markov-Modulated Queueing Network For Mobile Traffic Aggregation With Threshold-Controlled Buffers, Anton A. Esin, Elmira Yu. Kalimulina

Mathematical Modelling and Numerical Simulation with Applications

We study the problem of data transmission from mobile platforms operating in high-speed transit between cellular base stations, under conditions of unstable and intermittent connectivity. Conventional queueing and connectivity models often fail to capture the combined effects of rapidly changing signal conditions, finite buffer capacity, and dynamic topology. We aim to develop a tractable yet expressive model that integrates stochastic link availability, queue dynamics, and buffer control. We propose a mathematical framework based on queues whose service intensities are modulated by a continuous-time Markov chain (CTMC) representing signal conditions along a high-speed trajectory. The core subsystem is a two-stage (aggregation …

Measuring Market Risk Through Entropic Var, Dragomir Nedeltchev, Tsvetelin Zaevski

Mathematical Modelling and Numerical Simulation with Applications

The article aims to measure the market risk beyond the basic risk measures like the Value-at-Risk (VaR) and the Expected Shortfall (ES). The Entropic Value-at-Risk is selected among the available measures based on its advantages -- it is the coherent upper bound of the VaR and ES. This risk measure is applied to the classical Black-Scholes model as well as to some more realistic ones, such as the exponential tempered stable model (the log-returns are presented by a tempered stable L\'evy process), the stochastic volatility model of Heston, its jump extension of Bates, and another stochastic volatility model but with …

Free Versus In Situ Right Internal Mammary Artery As A Conduit In Coronary Artery Bypass Surgery: A Meta-Analysis, Yuta Kikuchi, Tomoki Sakata, Tomonari Shimoda, Shinichi Fukuhara, Junichi Shimamura, Makoto Hibino, Tsuyoshi Kaneko, Hiroo Takayama, Hisato Takagi, Michel Pompeu Sa, Toshiki Kuno

Department of Medicine Faculty Papers

OBJECTIVES: There is debate regarding the optimal choice for a second conduit in coronary artery bypass grafting. The right internal mammary artery (RIMA) is commonly employed as a second conduit; however, it is unclear whether the free (fRIMA) or in situ (isRIMA) configuration yields superior outcomes. We performed a systematic review and meta-analysis to compare clinical outcomes between fRIMA and isRIMA as the second conduit.

METHODS: A comprehensive search of PubMed (MEDLINE), EMBASE, and CENTRAL was performed through May 2025 to identify studies comparing outcomes in patients undergoing coronary artery bypass grafting with either fRIMA or isRIMA as a second …

High-Power Dual-Channel Chamber For High-Frequency Magnetic Neuromodulation, Xiaoyang Tian, Hui Wang, Boshuo Wang, Jinshui Zhang, Dong Yan, Jeannette Ingabire, Samantha Coffler, Guillaume Duret, Quoc-Khanh Pham, Gang Bao, Junzhe Wang, Ashok Veeraraghavan, Jacob T Robinson, Stefan M Goetz, Angel V Peterchev

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Objective. Several novel methods, including magnetogenetics and magnetoelectric stimulation, use high frequency alternating magnetic fields to precisely manipulate neural activity. To quantify the behavioral effects of such interventions in a freely moving mouse, we developed a dual-channel magnetic chamber, specifically designed for rate-sensitive magnetothermal-genetic stimulation, and adaptable for other uses of alternating magnetic fields.

Approach. Through an optimized coil design, the system allows independent control of two spatially orthogonal uniform magnetic fields delivered at different frequencies within a 10 × 10 × 6 cm3 chamber suitable for mouse studies. The two channels have nominal frequencies of 50 and 550 kHz …

Projections Of The Characteristics Of Extreme Precipitation In East Africa Using Bias-Corrected Cmip6 Models, Exavery K. Makula

Tanzania Journal of Science

In the context of ongoing global climate change, the intensification of the hydrological cycle is expected to modify the frequency, magnitude, and spatial distribution of extreme precipitation events. Understanding how precipitation extremes will evolve under climate change is critical for East Africa (EA), a region highly vulnerable to hydroclimatic hazards and strongly dependent on rainfall-driven socioeconomic systems. The region experiences two main rainfall seasons, namely the long rains (March-May, MAM) and the short rains (October-December, OND). This study investigates future projections of the characteristics of extreme precipitation across the EA using an ensemble of biascorrected CMIP6 global climate models. Extreme …

Experimental And Ai-Based Simulation Study Of Photovoltaic Thermal Collector With Cooling Techniques Integrated Into A Hybrid Solar Chimney, Ayat Ahmed, Khalid F. Sultan

Engineering and Technology Journal

As a result of increasing demands of efficient renewable energy systems as well as the hazards posed by high operating temperatures of the photovoltaic modules, advanced cooling and heat recovery solutions are now necessary. The paper involves an experimental and AI-filed research on a solar collector (photovoltaic/thermal, PV/T) with a combination of a hybrid solar chimney (HSC) to improve the electrical and thermal efficiency in hot climatic conditions, under hot weather conditions. The system was examined using three cooling configurations: air cooling, water cooling, and combined bi-fluid cooling. Energy balance equations were developed to evaluate electrical and thermal efficiencies, and …

Father Of The Bride: Shakespeare's Daughter Issues Played Out, Allison G. Lincicome

Global Tides

Shakespeare, throughout the majority of his plays, fixated on the relationship and expectation of obedience between fathers and daughters. Given the prevalence of his works in children’s media and secondary public education, recognizing the moral messaging of his works can help those who interact with his work better interpret and share this popular media in proper context. This essay analyzes three of Shakespeare’s plays, conduct literature from early modern England, and historical documents referencing Shakespeare’s own relationship to his daughters. These sources in conversation paint a more comprehensive picture of the expected behavior of daughters during Shakespeare’s time, and the …