Digital Commons Network^™

Stacking Moves: How Digital Platforms Sequence Value Creation, Jonathan M. Dickson

Undergraduate Honors Theses

This thesis examines how large digital platform firms evolve by adding new platform types over time. Using the four-type framework developed by Bryce, Dyer, and Van Alstyne—transaction, connection, innovation, and collaboration—I trace the platform histories of seven firms: Apple, Alphabet, Microsoft, Amazon, Meta, Tencent, and Alibaba. For each firm, I classify every qualifying platform event as a base platform, a stacking move (a new interaction that draws on an existing platform's users or architecture), or a standalone platform (a new platform that operates independently). Across seventy-plus events, four findings emerge:

1. Firms stack new platform types in predictable sequences shaped by …

The Influence Of Presurgical Mandibular Incisor Inclination On The Stability Of Surgical Class Iii Patients: A Systematic Review, Houda Ousli, Youssef Oualalou, Fatima Zaoui, Asmae Bahoum

International Arab Journal of Dentistry

Objective: This study aims to assess the impact of presurgical mandibular incisor inclination on the stability of surgical class III patients.

Methods: An electronic search was conducted on PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, EBSCO, and the Cochrane Library from 2014 to February 2025, initially identifying 351 publications relevant to our review.

Results: Four retrospective studies were included in this review, with the risk of bias ranging from low to serious. A preoperative retroinclined incisal axis leads to an increased post-surgical overjet and inadequate interincisal contact, indicating that retroclined mandibular incisors may affect skeletal stability. However, Overcorrection of mandibular incisor inclination …

The Vanishing Enforcer: Consumer Protection In An Era Of Dual Retrenchment, Alisher Juzgenbayev

Northwestern University Law Review

Recent developments, including reductions in the federal workforce, effective suspension of certain enforcement activities, and attempted centralization of independent agency rulemaking in the White House, have significantly weakened administrative agencies. This administrative retrenchment is concerning as private enforcement of a number of consumer protection statutes has been simultaneously curtailed through the Supreme Court’s decisions in Spokeo, Inc. v. Robins and TransUnion LLC v. Ramirez, which dramatically narrowed plaintiffs’ standing. These decisions rely in part on a vision of strong executive authority, positing that broad private standing conflicts with an Article II framework where a politically accountable President faithfully implements laws …

Radiation Doses To Cardiac Substructures Predict Elevation In High-Sensitivity Cardiac Troponin T Levels In Radiation Therapy For Lung Cancer, Xinru Chen, Xiaodong Zhang, Ting Xu, Radhe Mohan, Ruitao Lin, Mei Chen, Rachel C Maguire, Yao Zhao, Efstratios Koutroumpakis, Nicolas L Palaskas, Anita Deswal, Ali Ajdari, Joshua S Niedzielski, Sanjay S Shete, Laurence E Court, Jinzhong Yang, Zhongxing Liao

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Purpose: Cardiotoxicity is a major concern for patients undergoing thoracic radiation therapy. This study compared the predictive power of radiation dose-volume histogram (DVH) parameters and radiomic/dosiomic features of the whole heart (WH) and cardiac substructures for elevated circulating high-sensitivity cardiac troponin T (hs-cTnT), a biomarker for early detection of cardiac adverse events.

Methods and materials: A retrospective cohort of 160 patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) from a completed prospective trial and a prospective cohort of 57 patients with NSCLC enrolled in an ongoing trial were analyzed. The endpoint was hs-cTnT elevation, indicated by an increase of ≥5 ng/L …

Mind–Body Medicine Training For Incarcerated Men And Women, Julie K. Staples, Jesse Rice, Kathleen S. Farah, Sabrina N'Diaye, James S. Gordon

Student Publications

Background/Objective: Mind–body programs teaching mindfulness-based techniques have benefits for incarcerated people, as do programs in which individuals teach yoga to their incarcerated peers. However, there are no studies of comprehensive programs that combine a variety of self-care techniques with group support and enable people in prison to enhance their own well-being and then share what they have learned with their peers. This study evaluated the effects of such a training program in the United States. Methods: Thirty-eight incarcerated men and women began the 8-day mind–body medicine training and 31 completed the training. Mind–body techniques taught included soft belly breathing, meditation, …

Embodied Transcendence: Psychedelics And The Evolution Of Moral Abstraction, Emanuel Jas

Journal of Conscious Evolution

This paper explores the role of psychedelics in the context of evolutionary brain development and the conceptual capacity for moral realism. Drawing on theories from evolutionary anthropology, neuroscience, and moral philosophy, the first part provides a brief overview of human evolution and brain expansion. From here, recent empirical data from the neurosciences is assessed on the effect psychedelics have on the brain, along with speculations on the role of psychedelics in our hominoid evolutionary history—specifically, the capacity for phenomenologically rich, conscious, subjective experiences that are incredibly vivid and real. This imaginative capacity for transcendence and disembodiment could enable the realization …

Medical Detection Dogs: A Visual Exploration Of Canine Olfactory Anatomy & Volatile Organic Compounds As Applied To Non-Invasive Biomedical Detection, Kirsten Santiago

Theses

Medical detection dogs provide a non-invasive early method of disease and medical alert detection that is underrepresented in the medical visualization sector. The domesticated dog, or Canis familiaris, is known for its loving nature and has become an important member of many households, but they are also incredibly intelligent with a capacity for specialized training. Dogs have a specialized olfactory system, allowing them to detect scents with high acuity (Guest & Otto, 20). Volatile organic compounds or VOCs are molecular substances associated with metabolic processes that are often a result or byproduct of certain diseases and can be influenced by …

Weaving Healthcare Needs Of Maine Law Enforcement Officers With Exercise Is Medicine, Patricia Hubel

Doctorate in Kinesiology

A law enforcement officer’s health is impacted by an occupation of high stress, shift work, sleep disruption, mental stresses, and primarily sedentary work which is interrupted by brief periods of highly intense physical demands (Adams et al., 2010; Boyce et al., 2008, 2009). This descriptive study explored the use of exercise is medicine by primary care practitioners on patients who are law enforcement officers in the state of Maine. It also examined physical activity and health of the law enforcement officers. An online survey collected demographic data, responses from two validated surveys, and information from their last physical examination. The …

Turning Point: Usa, 2020 Election Denialism And Its Consequences, Zack George

University Honors Theses

Current President of the United States, Donald Trump interrupted the peaceful transfer for power for the first time in 250 years. In the typical study of the events surrounding this interruption, much focus is made on the events of the January 6th Capitol Riot. Firstly, this thesis examines the 2 months in the leadup to the 2020 election and how the Trump administration acquired and attempted to execute their plans to commit a self-coup, keeping the administration in power in the face of the election victory and transition to the Presidency of election-winner, Joe Biden. Secondarily, it will contextualize and …

Critical Reading Competencies In Short Stories Among Iraqi Efl Female Students In Colleges Of Education For Women, Ayat Muthana Flaifil, Hanan Dhia Alsalihi

Alustath Journal for Human and Social Sciences

Critical reading is important for students to comprehend, analyze, synthesize, and evaluate texts effectively, but EFL students often face challenges due to a lack of linguistic knowledge and cognitive understanding, particularly with literacy texts like short stories. This study aims at identifying the level of Iraqi EFL female students' critical reading competencies (comprehension, analysis, synthesis, and evaluation) in short stories. Finding out the differences in critical reading competencies across four categories. A sample of (200) female students is selected randomly from the Iraqi EFL second-year university students in English departments in the Colleges of Education for Women: University of Baghdad …

Investing The English Academic Writing Lesson For Developing College Of Languages Graduates Employability, Farah Muayad Issa

Alustath Journal for Human and Social Sciences

Employment and employability requirements are currently a substantial concern for many Iraqi and international institutions and universities due to their vital role in empowering and enhancing graduates' opportunities of obtaining a job that suits their specializations and mends the gap between job applicants and employers. Most Iraqi universities and institutions lack a supportive mechanism that provides employment skills, requirements, and training courses to empower an eligible applicant. This study invests academic writing lesson to qualify (110) students from the English department who participated in a one-month training course aimed at raising awareness of the importance of understanding and mastering employability …

Investigating Efl Learners' Attitude Toward Emergency Remote Teaching: A Probe Into Learning Strategies, And Reading Achievement, Ihsan Dinnar Mohammad, Dariush Nejadansari, Zargham Ghabanchi

Alustath Journal for Human and Social Sciences

The experience of Iraqi university students with Covid-19 emergency remote learning – a situation compounded by political instability, substandard internet infrastructure, and scarce technological resources – remains a relatively underexplored area of academic study. To address this gap, the current study aimed to explore Iraqi EFL learners' attitude toward emergency remote teaching (ERT). Moreover, it sought to examine the relationship between learners' attitudes towards ERT and their reading achievement. Moreover, the researcher tried to find out the relationship between participants' reading achievement and learning strategies. Accordingly, 100 students from two leading universities in Iraq were investigated by focusing on their …

Translation Assessment Of The Conditional Sentences In “The Dream Of A Ridiculous Man” Story By Dostoevsky, Rana Sameer Abdulrahman

Alustath Journal for Human and Social Sciences

“The Dream of a Ridiculous Man” is a short story written by Fyodor Dostoevsky in 1877. This story is full of deep meanings about love, misery, responsibility and selfishness, and it is full of various grammatical structures. Due to its importance as an emotional story and as a literary text, it has been analyzed by a number of critics and researchers. Similarly, the translation is as important as its language, and it needs to be assessed systematically. The significance of the study is to identify whether the translator is familiar with the structure of Arabic conditional sentences and that he …

Speleoco: An Open, Low-Cost Arduino Co₂ Datalogger For Cave Microclimate Monitoring, Christos Pennos, Dimitrios Christaras

International Journal of Speleology

Carbon dioxide (CO₂) dynamics in caves are critical for karst processes, speleothem growth and dissolution, microclimate regulation, and caver safety. In cave atmospheres, CO₂ commonly derives from soil respiration, epikarst degassing, microbial activity, and, in tectonically active regions, deep-seated fault-related emissions. Fault-related CO₂ degassing may also track tectonic activity. However, continuous monitoring remains limited due to the cost and inflexibility of commercial instruments. Here we present an open-source, low-cost Arduino-based CO₂ datalogger designed for cave applications. The logger integrates a COZIR NDIR CO₂ sensor, a DS1337 real-time clock, microSD storage, and power-gating for extended deployment in humid environments. Firmware and …

Simulated Hearing Loss In Healthy Young And Older Adults Results In Poor Reaction Time In Older Adults., Victoria Kowalewski, Nicoleta Bugnariu, Rita M. Patterson, Jessica Hartos

Pacific Journal of Health

Emerging evidence links hearing loss to increased fall risk in older adults, yet mechanisms remain unclear. This study examined the impact of simulated hearing loss on reactive balance control in healthy young and older adults. Participants performed dual-task scenario involving auditory sentence repetition and unexpected surface translations. Hearing loss was simulated using Adobe Audition, applying frequency-specific attenuation based on moderate sensorineural hearing loss levels from the literature.

Speech-in-noise performance significantly declined under simulated hearing loss for both age groups (p < .001), confirming effective simulation, but not significant differences were found between age groups. Maximum COP-COM displacement (the scalar distance between Center of Pressure and Center of Mass) increased with perturbation intensity (Level 1 vs. Level 2: p < .001), but no significant differences were found between hearing conditions or age groups (p > .05), suggesting compensatory step execution was preserved.

Reaction time analysis revealed a significant interaction between hearing condition and perturbation level …

Flight Of The Gods: Charting The Terra Incognita Of Belief Through Dragon Literature, Alanna Hess

Undergraduate Honors Theses

“Flight of the Gods” is a fantasy short story that portrays a religious relationship between humans and dragons to explore themes of religious questioning. In doing so, “Flight of the Gods” unites with modern dragon literature by adapting the dragon motif to address real-world issues. Drawing from research on falcons and falconry, the dragons in this short story exhibit a complex relationship with their human counterparts that emphasizes themes of religious doubt and the complexity of belief. The thesis begins with a critical introduction discussing these topics and then presents the short story.

Sharon Denise Baul Spencer

African American Funeral Programs

Program for the funeral of Sharon Denise Baul Spencer, held at St. Mary's Baptist Church on March 14, 2026.

Knee Arthroscopy Versus Magnetic Resonance Imaging In The Diagnosis Of Acl Injury – A Comparative Study, Hussein Habeeb Mhawesh, Ayoub Yosif Hamdan, Ahmed Khalaf Hamad, Alseddiq Oday Latof

Hilla University College Journal For Medical Science

Background: Accurate diagnosis of anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injuries is critical for selecting appropriate treatment strategies and preventing long-term knee dysfunction. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is widely used as a non-invasive diagnostic tool, while arthroscopy remains the gold standard. Objectives: This study aimed to compare the diagnostic accuracy of MRI against arthroscopic findings in ACL injuries and to assess its current performance in clinical settings for the years 2024–2025. Methods: A total of 40 patients (31 males, 77%; 9 females, 23%) aged 20–50 years (median age 35 years) who presented with suspected ACL injury were enrolled. All patients underwent MRI …

The Effect Of (Tongue-Tie: Ankyloglossia) On Dentition And Occlusion: A Review, Suhad Mohammed Ali Sadeq, Sedeeq Al-Owayef, Zena Kamel Kadhem

Hilla University College Journal For Medical Science

This review discusses definitions, complications, etiologies, diagnoses, and management of ankyloglossia. Ankyloglossia is defined as a developmental anomaly of the tongue, which occurs when the lingual frenulum attachment is too tight to the tongue. Several protocols exist for the diagnosis of this condition, including that proposed by Hazelbaker, who assessed tongue movements (seven different movements) and five appearance characteristics (Hazelbaker Assessment Tool for Lingual Frenulum Function), as well as Kotlow's classification method, which categorizes the severity of ankyloglossia through the attachment of the lingual frenulum to the tongue. In addition, scenarios suggested for case management are related to the severity …

Stromal Vascular Fraction And Plasma-Jet: A Synergistic Approach To Enhance Acne Scar Treatment Outcomes, Pary Mohammed Ali, Jalal Hamasalih Fattah

Hilla University College Journal For Medical Science

Background: Acne scars represent a significant dermatological concern, manifesting as marks and indentations on the skin surface following severe or prolonged acne. Both Plasma-Jet and Stromal Vascular Fraction (SVF) have been used in a synergistic approach to treat moderate to very severe types of acne scars. Objectives: The aim of this study is to evaluate the efficacy and safety of combining SVF and Plasma-Jet in the management of acne scars. Materials and Methods: This prospective single-arm clinical trial was conducted from September 2024 to September 2025 at Rizgary Teaching Hospital and Zheen International Hospital in Erbil, Iraq. Twenty patients aged …

Age Of Menopause Among Women In Mosul City, Iraq, Omaima A. Zubair

Hilla University College Journal For Medical Science

Background: Low women's awareness of their health during the menopausal period is creating a global hidden problem that affects women's quality of life and their related families and communities. Objectives: The aim of this study was to find changes in the menopausal age after wartime conflict and assess women's knowledge of their health during this critical period. A mixed-method design was adopted. A mixed approach of a multistage cross-sectional study with a sample of 382 women aged ≥ 60 years attending primary health care centers in Mosul, Iraq, was included, supported by private in-depth qualitative interviews with 14 women. Proper …

Prevalence And Awareness Of Obesity And Overweight Among Sulaimani University Students In Kurdistan, Iraq, Banaz Hussien Karim, Zhian Salah Ramzi

Hilla University College Journal For Medical Science

Background: Weight disorders, including obesity and overweight, are major global public health concerns, particularly in developing countries where underweight and obesity coexist. These conditions lead to serious health problems like diabetes, heart disease, hypertension, and cancer. University years are critical for forming lifelong health habits, yet data on obesity prevalence and student awareness remain limited. Aim: To assess the prevalence of overweight and obesity among university students and evaluate their awareness of these conditions and related health risks. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among 756 students selected from eight colleges at Sulaimani University, using a stratified random sampling method. …

Segmentation And Morphometry Of Intracranial Internal Carotid Artery Calcification In Relation To Brain Atrophy, Xiao Xu, Nikhil N. Chaudhari, Phoebe E. Imms, Nahian F. Chowdhury, Fangyun C. Liu, Jorge A. Solis Galvan, Bavrina Bigjahan, Grant Schleifer, Maria Ashna, Blake Hannagan, Giuseppe Barisano, Daniel K. Cummings, Daniel Eid Rodriguez, Paul L. Hooper, Edmond Seabright, Randall C. Thompson, Benjamin C. Trumble, Michael D. Gurven, Jonathan Stieglitz, Caleb E. Finch, M. Linda Sutherland, James D. Sutherland, Helena C. Chui, Margaret Gatz, Wendy J. Mack, Hillard Kaplan, Andrei Irimia

ESI Publications

Purpose

Intracranial internal carotid artery calcification (iICAC) is a form of intracranial arteriosclerosis and is associated with an elevated risk of stroke and dementia. However, iICAC’s relationship with brain atrophy remains poorly understood. We aimed to automatically quantify iICAC morphometric characteristics and evaluate their associations with regional brain volumes (BVs).

Methods

We developed an automated approach to compute iICAC surface area and thickness from CT brain scans in a sample of physically active South American subsistence farmers (n = 1,232, age range: 40 years to 92 years, 48.1% female, 794 Tsimane and 438 Moseten). Linear regression models were used …

Decision-Making At The Edges Of Capacity: Brain Science And Caregiving, Dr. Julie Yonker

University Faculty Publications and Creative Works

Keynote address at the Disabilities Resources Symposium at City Hope Church in Grand Rapids on 3/14/2026. Attached is her powerpoint.

• Describe why our brains don’t like decisions
• Understand the impact of different types of decisions
• Value suggestions for more sustained decision making
• Consider a faith perspective

Witness-Washing Facial Recognition Technology, Nathan E. Rouse

Denver Law Review

Law enforcement investigations are increasingly driven by hidden algorithmic tools, without disclosure of those tools to the people being prosecuted or the public at large. Facial Recognition Technology, for example, has been used by police to identify suspects in investigations since 2001. Despite the widespread and growing use of Facial Recognition Technology in police investigations, its scientific validity has never been tested in court, and its secret use has prevented it from being challenged on constitutional grounds. This Article coins the term “witness-washing” to describe the mechanism by which this immense evasion has occurred. Witness-washing occurs when law enforcement uses …

Voting Rights In Kansas After League Of Women Voters V. Schwab, Richard E. Levy

Denver Law Review

Recently, in League of Women Voters of Kansas v. Schwab (League II), the Kansas supreme court addressed the constitutionality of a Kansas statute that purported to combat election fraud. In League II, the court invalidated a provision criminalizing conduct that leads others falsely to believe the actor is an election official, rejected some challenges to a signature verification requirement but remanded for further consideration of others, and upheld a provision limiting the number of ballots that a single person could submit on behalf of others during an election. The decision has important implications not only for voting rights in Kansas …

Asynchronous Trials: A New Approach To High-Volume Civil Adjudication, Henry Z. Wang

Denver Law Review

For thousands of years, trials were held in brick-and-mortar courthouses. Then COVID-19 ravaged the world, forcing many businesses and institutions—including courts—to move their operations online. For the first time, many people experienced the benefits of online trials that are held via videoconference software such as Zoom. But Zoom fatigue is real. Now that the pandemic has lessened and courts are no longer urgently adapting to a virtual format, we must more thoughtfully consider what judicial innovations should come next. Outside of the courtroom, this revolution in communication methods has profoundly affected people’s daily lives: we have switched from almost entirely …

Development Of A Problem-Based Learning Model Assisted By The Interactive Canva Application To Improve Critical Thinking And Collaboration Skills Of Fourth Grade Elementary School Students, Fitri Dwi Utami, Heris Hendriana, Galih Dani Septyan Rahayu

Jurnal Pendidikan: Teori, Penelitian, dan Pengembangan

Penelitian ini dimotivasi oleh rendahnya kemampuan berpikir kritis dan kolaborasi siswa kelas empat sekolah dasar yang disebabkan oleh pembelajaran konvensional dan kurangnya penggunaan media pembelajaran interaktif. Studi ini bertujuan untuk mengembangkan model Pembelajaran Berbasis Masalah (PBL) yang dibantu oleh aplikasi interaktif Canva yang layak dan efektif untuk meningkatkan kemampuan berpikir kritis dan kolaborasi siswa. Metode penelitian yang digunakan adalah model Penelitian dan Pengembangan (R&D) Borg & Gall yang meliputi tahapan analisis kebutuhan, perencanaan, pengembangan produk, validasi ahli, revisi produk, dan uji lapangan. Subjek penelitian terdiri dari 21 siswa pada uji terbatas, 30 siswa pada uji luas, dan 60 siswa pada …

Litigating With No Receipts: How The Denial Of Access To Trial Transcripts Denies People The Opportunity To Access Justice, Madisen Zent

University of Cincinnati Law Review

No abstract provided.

"Tuah Much To Handle": Why The Current Oversight On Cryptocurrency Is Insufficient, Adam Gross

University of Cincinnati Law Review

No abstract provided.