Digital Commons Network^™

The Toll Of The Bridge: Affective Citizenship And The Negative Dialectic Of The `Promised Land' In Arab American Fiction, Muhammad Khaled Alatrash

Journal of Arabic Sciences and Humanities

Scholarship on Arab American literature frequently follows a linear decline from Mahjar-era optimism to the disappointments of post-9/11. This article complicates that trajectory by reading Khalil Gibran's The Broken Wings (1912) and Laila Halaby's Once in a Promised Land (2007) as stages of a negative dialectic—contradiction held in tension without resolution. Gibran envisions America as a sanctuary unreached by the hands of the thieves, where the self might be understood correctly rather than sorted into hostile categories. Halaby reveals how sanctuary becomes a checkpoint: inclusion demands permanent performance of harmlessness, and failure is punished not through formal exclusion but through …

Improving Cultural Competence Among Healthcare Professionals Through A Targeted Staff Training Program, Oyindamola Akinkugbe

Doctor of Nursing Practice Projects

Limited culturally competent care for Hispanic patients worsens existing health disparities, creates misunderstandings, leads to poor health outcomes, and reduces satisfaction with the quality of care. In an outpatient clinic, more than 70% of patients are Hispanic, yet healthcare providers reported a lack of confidence in caring for culturally diverse patients. Extensive literature supports staff training to improve provider cultural competence, but implementation remains inconsistent across healthcare settings. This quality improvement project addressed this gap by implementing a targeted staff training program grounded in the Culturally and Linguistically Appropriate Services (CLAS) in Nursing framework. The purpose of this project was …

Enhancing Shared Decision-Making In Mental Health Care: A Quality Improvement Initiative, Joanna L. Hysler

Doctor of Nursing Practice Projects

Shared decision-making (SDM) is an evidence-based approach that enhances patient engagement, treatment adherence, and clinical outcomes in psychiatric care. Despite strong support in the literature, SDM remains inconsistently implemented in mental health settings due to limited provider training, time constraints, and organizational barriers. The purpose of this Doctor of Nursing Practice quality improvement project was to implement and evaluate an educational intervention designed to improve SDM utilization and provider confidence within a private outpatient psychiatric practice. The project was guided primarily by the Plan-Do-Study-Act framework to support structured practice change, with Lewin’s Change Theory providing additional conceptual support. The intervention …

Building Community Resilience In The Wabash Valley Region, Abby Chappell, Jacob Harmon, Corbyn Irwin, Aiden Askins

2026 Spring Reports (Terre Haute)

The focus of this project is investigating how to improve community resilience against disasters among citizens of the Wabash Valley from an interdisciplinary perspective. Chandra, et al. (2011) defines community resilience as “the ongoing and developing capacity of the community to account for its vulnerabilities and develop capabilities that aid that community in (1) preventing, withstanding, and mitigating the stress of a health incident; (2) recovering in a way that restores the community to a state of self-sufficiency and at least the same level of health and social functioning after a health incident; and (3) using knowledge from a past …

Quality Improvement Project: Reimplementation Of Bedside Reporting, Veronicah Banga

Doctor of Nursing Practice Projects

Communication breakdown during nursing shift handoffs is a major patient safety challenge in healthcare today. At the project site, 85% of handovers occurred at the central nursing station, and most staff nurses expressed dissatisfaction with the quality of the bedside reporting. In psychiatric nursing, unique barriers exist that make bedside reporting challenging, including patient confidentiality and an individual's diagnosis. Such barriers eroded bedside reporting (BSR) over time, leading to measurable safety risks and nursing dissatisfaction. The purpose of this quality improvement project was to reintroduce bedside handoffs using the Situation, Background, Assessment, and Recommendation (SBAR) framework and to maintain BSR …

Systematic Literature Review: Preservasi Tacit Knowledge Dalam Komunitas Literasi Informasi, Fadillah Derra Azhari, Muhammad Prabu Wibowo

Jurnal Ilmu Informasi, Perpustakaan, dan Kearsipan

Tacit knowledge is implicit knowledge that plays a crucial role in experiential learning within information literacy communities, yet it is difficult to preserve due to its intangible nature. This study aims to identify transfer mechanisms, preservation strategies, and factors contributing to the vulnerability of tacit knowledge in volunteer-based communities. The study employs a Systematic Literature Review (SLR) following PRISMA 2020 guidelines using the Scopus database. A total of 10 articles were analyzed through qualitative thematic synthesis. The findings show that tacit knowledge transfer occurs through shared practices, mentoring, and experience-based learning. Preservation strategies include narrative documentation, reflective practices, and community …

Perilaku Informasi Seniman Digital Terhadap Karya Artificial Intelligence Di Media Sosial, Anindita Ferrensya, Indira Irawati

Jurnal Ilmu Informasi, Perpustakaan, dan Kearsipan

The rapid development of AI has introduced new capabilities, including generating artwork without direct human intervention. However, this advancement has also raised concerns in the art world, such as unauthorized use of artists’ works and the potential decline of human creative labor. This study examines the information behavior of digital artists who are students at the University of Indonesia toward AI-generated artwork, using Wilson’s Model of Information Behavior (1996). A descriptive qualitative method was employed, with data collected through structured interviews with five informants and literature review, and analyzed using thematic analysis. The findings show that participants generally held an …

Optical Mechanisms Behind Vitrinite Reflectance Suppression Caused By Strong Anisotropy: A Case Study Of Contact Metamorphic Coals, An Yanfei, He Shuyang, Chen Kaixin, Gao Junhan

Coal Geology & Exploration

Objective For vitrinite with weak anisotropy, which proves uniaxial and optically negative, replacing random vitrinite reflectance (R_ran) with the maximum vitrinite reflectance (R_max) allows for the accurate correction of vitrinite reflectance suppression induced by anisotropy. However, as its anisotropy intensifies, vitrinite exhibits increasingly complex optical properties, rendering it challenging to reflect the thermal metamorphic temperature of vitrinite using R_max. Methods This study investigated the strongly anisotropic vitrinite in coals and natural coke subjected to magma intrusion in the Shitai coal mine, Huaibei City, Anhui Province. Using a reflected-polarized light microscope (R-PLM), an …

Eeg Studies Of Pre-Stimulus Activity During Turn-Taking In Naturalistic Conversation, Seyedmohamadreza Manzourolajdad

Student Works (2020-2029)

This study integrates conversational analysis principles and neural activity to investigate natural cognition and examine event-related brain changes. A wireless electroencephalography (EEG) device was used in an ecological validity setting to analyse pre-stimulus brain activity preceding conversational turns. This study aims to identify aspects of the conversation that reflect its naturalness in the aspect of listening and the corresponding brain activity by analysing the signals before and after a turn in a conversation. This research contributes to an ecologically valid understanding of natural conversation as a social action that enables seamless communication. Seven Malaysian participants (aged 19–22, M=20.46) engaged in …

Examining The Psychometric Properties Of The Big Three Perfectionism Scale–Short Form (Btps-Sf) Among Malaysian Chinese Students At A Private University, Kam-Fong Lee, Ashraf Sadat Ahadzadeh, Shin Ling Wu

Makara Journal of Health Research

Background: Perfectionism is increasingly prevalent among young adults and is a significant predictor of pathological and behavioral outcomes. Despite its relevance, validated and reliable measures of perfectionism tailored to university students, particularly within the Malaysian cultural and academic context, are lacking. This study addresses this gap by examining the psychometric properties of the BTPS-SF among Chinese students at a private university in Malaysia.

Methods: Data were collected using a cross-sectional design with convenience and snowball sampling from 380 students aged 18–25 years, predominantly from a Chinese student population.

Results: The results of the exploratory factor analysis, conducted …

Knowledge Of Parents And Guardians Of Computed Tomography Examinations And Radiation Risks In Children In Malaysia, Nur Maisarah Ali Wahab, Nur Hamizah Mohd Zainudin

Makara Journal of Health Research

Background: Early exposure to computed tomography (CT) imaging during childhood increases cancer risk, emphasizing the critical need to minimize unnecessary imaging in pediatric patients. This study aimed to assess parents and guardians’ knowledge about CT examinations and their associated risk following pediatric CT.

Methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted among parents and guardians who accompanied their children to a private hospital radiology department for CT examinations. The survey enquired about their socio-demographic, knowledge of CT examinations, and their radiation risks. Data were analyzed using descriptive analysis and the Kruskal-Wallis test.

Results: A total of 144 responses were …

Frailty And Fall Risk In Older Adults With Type 2 Diabetes: A Cross-Sectional Study, Hatice Yılmaz, Nazmiye Çıray

Makara Journal of Health Research

Background: This study aimed to examine the effect of frailty on the risk of falls in older adults aged 65 years with type 2 diabetes.

Methods: The study is cross-sectional and correlational. The sample included 146 individuals aged 65 years who had type 2 diabetes and visited the internal medicine outpatient clinic of a state hospital in Türkiye. The participants were assessed based on a personal information form, the Mini-Mental State Examination, Edmonton Frail Scale, Morse Fall Scale, and Katz Index of Independence in Activities of Daily Living. IBM SPSS Statistics version 22.0 was used for data analysis. …

Questionnaire For Eudaimonic Well-Being: Psychometric Validation Among Malaysian Youth, Mohd Ahsani A. Malek, Nurulwahida Saad, Suzana Mohd. Hoesni, Muhamad Ariff Ibrahim, Nurul Shafira Adi, Mohd Nazir Mohd Nazori

Makara Journal of Health Research

Background: The rising prevalence of mental illness underscores the need to understand how individuals can live and flourish under such conditions. In Malaysia, research has largely emphasized diagnosis and treatment, with limited focus on positive psychology and few validated instruments. This study aimed to translate and validate the questionnaire for eudaimonic well-being (QEWB) among Malaysian youth.

Methods: The QEWB was translated into Malay using back-to-back translation and administered to undergraduates from four public universities through a cross-sectional survey design. Convenience quota sampling was used, resulting in 229 respondents completing the online form to measure sociodemographic characteristics, eudaimonic well-being, …

Making It Work For The Future: Enslaved Contributions To Southern Baking And The Rise Of Black Culinary Entrepreneurship, Christiana Bell

Honors Theses - Providence Campus

This thesis investigates the two roles African Americans have in shaping Southern baking: first, as the foundational yet historically erased creators of techniques, ingredient traditions, and signature dishes; and second, as contemporary entrepreneurs reclaiming this heritage through the baking industry. Using a conceptual framework of Culinary Justice, Critical Race Theory (with a focus on counter-narratives), and Culinary Entrepreneurship, this study analyzes historical knowledge, cookbooks, and primary source narratives, alongside present-day interviews with Black culinary and pastry professionals. The research tests two hypotheses: first, that the contribution of enslaved Africans was significant and measurable across specific techniques, ingredient adaptation, and “making …

From Input To Narrative: Authoring Processes In Ai-Generated Discourse, Fahad Ahmed Otaif

Journal of Arabic Sciences and Humanities

With the growing use of generative AI bots in different disciplines and professions, AI bots have been increasingly adopted to compose, revise, translate, and author content, yet without much research evaluating their quality, particularly when it comes to the processes and features of AI-authored discourse. The current study investigates, based on corpus-based evidence, the extent to which one-theme AI-generated sentences can be reorganised/turned into meaningful discourse through four AI bots (ChatGPT, Gemini, Copilot, and DeepSeek), i.e. by which discourse processes and in what coherent and cohesive patterns. These four AI-bots were fed with well-designed prompts instructing them to produce both …

An Intersectional Analysis Of Multicultural Education Discourse: Neoliberalism, Racism, And Sexism In South Korea, Inui Kim, Younkyung Hong, Eunhye Cho, Myeong Ko

Teaching and Learning Faculty Publications

This study addresses the urgent need to approach multicultural education in South Korea through a social justice lens. It aims to tackle the unique structural and systemic oppressions and exclusions often overlooked in research. Using critical discourse analysis, we explore how the discourse on multicultural education intertwines with oppressive ideologies and perspectives in South Korea. The present study builds upon scholarship emphasizing the importance of considering the influence of neoliberalism and ethnocentric nationalism in the South Korean context when examining multicultural education. It addresses the unique structural and systemic oppressions and exclusions that have remained underaddressed by the current multicultural …

Breathing-Controlled Electrical Stimulation (Breestim) Selectively Modulates Affective And Cognitive Components Of Pain-An Eeg Study, Ahmad Z Rao, Michael Houston, Hao Meng, Shengai Li, Yingchun Zhang, Sheng Li

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Breathing-controlled electrical stimulation (BreEStim) is an innovative neuromodulation intervention that synchronizes deep voluntary breathing with peripheral electrical stimulation. Prior studies have shown its analgesic effects in healthy adults and spinal cord injury patients with neuropathic pain. The present study used EEG to examine BreEStim's neural effects on sensory, affective, and cognitive components of pain. Fourteen healthy participants (7 M, 7 F) completed 30 min of BreEStim and conventional electrical stimulation (EStim) interventions in a randomized, crossover within-subject design. Electrical pain thresholds (EPT) and EEG were recorded pre- and post-intervention. Event-related potentials (ERPs) at pre-EPT-level stimuli before and immediately after each …

Calcium Channel Blockers In Critical Care Medicine: Current Clinical Applications And Future Investigational Perspectives, Akram M. Eraky, Yasser Mokhtar, Guy Grabau, Adnan Khan, Ashish Acharya, Nichole Gadd, Mark Jarosz, Abhishek Premkumar

GME Publications

Calcium channel blockers (CCBs) are frequently used in the emergency department and intensive care unit for a wide range of critical conditions, including atrial fibrillation, hypertensive emergencies, acute pulmonary edema with sympathetic crashing, pulmonary hypertension, and vasospastic syndromes. However, their toxicity can lead to significant hemodynamic compromise, underscoring the importance of understanding their pharmacologic effects and safety profile. This review summarizes the current applications of CCBs in critically ill patients, evaluates their safety in congestive heart failure, and highlights emerging therapeutic roles and recent advances in the management of CCB toxicity.

Whitestone Equities Llc V C.C.

All Decisions

In this nonpayment proceeding, a guardian ad litem (GAL) sought compensation from the landlord for services rendered to a tenant residing permanently in a nursing home. The court denied the GAL's post-judgment motion, finding no statutory basis or justification to obligate the landlord to pay, as the litigation was not "unnecessary, unfounded or purely self-serving." The decision highlighted the systemic issues of the underfunded GAL Program, noting that the Human Resources Administration (HRA) typically declines to fund GALs for individuals "safely housed," even if they are rent-stabilized tenants. The court emphasized the need for legislative or agency-level solutions for GAL …

An Atlas Of Human Siglecs Integrates Expression, Affinity, And Cis/Trans Sialoglycan Recognition Profiles, Shani Leviatan Ben-Arye, Edward N Schmidt, Zeinab Jame-Chenarboo, Claire Guetta-Oz, Fahima Mozaneh, Jaesoo Jung, Kelli A Mccord, Ronit Rosenfeld, Kan Zhong, Hongzhi Cao, Hai Yu, Xi Chen, Lori J West, Matthew S Macauley, Vered Padler-Karavani

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

All living cells have a sugar-coat that facilitates communication. Sialic acids cap mammalian glycans and are recognized by immune cells through sialic acid-binding immunoglobulin-like lectins (Siglecs) that regulate signaling by their cytoplasmic motifs. Inconsistent reports of Siglecs expression and sialoglycan recognition limit their therapeutic potential. Here we investigate 14 functional human Siglecs for their expression, glycan interactions and affinities. SIGLEC mRNA is broad in blood-derived monocytes and dendritic cells, restricted in natural-killer/B cells and absent in T cells, with similar Siglec-proteins expression in splenocytes. Binding to 114 glycans across 274 glycan microarrays, 220 splenocytes-assays and 132 cell-based arrays, reveal Siglecs …

Ai-Based Facial Expression Detection As A Support Feature For Cybercounseling: A Systematic Literature Review, Zahid Zufar At Thaariq, Hengki Tri Hidayatullah

Buletin Konseling Inovatif

The rapid expansion of digital mental health services has increased the use of cybercounseling, while simultaneously introducing challenges in interpreting nonverbal cues, particularly facial expressions, within technology-mediated interactions. This study aims to systematically examine the potential of artificial intelligence (AI) in facial expression detection as a support feature in cybercounseling. A systematic literature review (SLR) was conducted following PRISMA guidelines, drawing from multiple indexed academic databases. The included studies covered AI-based facial expression recognition, micro-expression analysis, depression detection, and relevant multimodal approaches. The findings indicate that deep learning–based models are capable of identifying facial patterns associated with emotional and psychological …

Tutoring And Bilingual Support Program, Amy V. Estrada, Brenda Ochoa, Mia Junez

Service Learning Showcase

Tutoring can strengthen academic skills, build confidence, and support language development for young learners. At Clairmont Elementary through the Lodi USD Bridge Program, we implemented a Tutoring and Bilingual Support Program for first- and second-grade students during enrichment hours. The program focused on improving early reading skills while providing language support for bilingual students. Sessions combined guided reading practice with engaging, hands-on activities designed to make learning enjoyable and accessible. Activities included storytelling, interactive games, and creative projects that reinforced vocabulary and comprehension. The program created a supportive and inclusive environment where students felt comfortable practicing both English and their …

Using Action Research To Inform Graduate Research Theories, Methods, And Praxis Among Master’S And Phd Multilingual And International Students, Thomas Maldonado

Frontera Retórica Symposium

In an attempt to provide multilingual and international graduate students food for thought, this work-in-progress presentation examines a day in the life of a multilingual PhD student’s use of action research during the teaching of RWS 1301 in both Fall 2025 and Spring 2026 to better inform his data collection via student questionnaires.   Action research, “generally involves inquiring into one’s own practice through a process of self-monitoring that […] includes entering a cycle of planning, acting, observing, and reflecting on an issue or problem in order to improve practice” (Farrell, 2007, p.94).   My research question answers how using action research …

From Dilemma To Decision: Rhetorical Positionality As A Framework For Designing A Doctoral Dissertation Topic, Purna Bhusal

Frontera Retórica Symposium

Finding a dissertation topic for doctoral students in liberal arts education is one of the most difficult and defining moments of their academic journey. In my experience and observation, most graduate students struggle to identify a research topic that is both intellectually meaningful and aligns with their personal and scholarly commitments. To address this challenge, in this presentation, I propose rhetorical positionality as a framework for designing and formulating a doctoral research topic. To develop this framework, I draw on theoretical and methodological insights of the rhetorical situation as discussed by Scott Consigny, Richard Vaz, and Lloyd Bitzer, as well …

Smartphone Use, Social Media, And Academic Procrastination In Secondary Education: A Multi Method Approach Investigation With Implications For School-Based Interventions, Haslee Sharil Lim Abdullah, Riza Amalia, Henny Indreswari, Im Hambali, Ronal Surya Aditya, Rusnila Rusnila

Buletin Konseling Inovatif

Academic procrastination has become a significant challenge in digital learning environments, particularly among adolescents with high smartphone and social media usage. This study examines the relationship between mobile phone use and academic procrastination among 262 high school students in Indonesia using a cross-sectional survey, narrative review, and network analysis. Results show 75.6% of students exhibit medium and 20.2% high procrastination levels, with "alternative activities" like digital distractions as the main form (M = 15.87, SD = 2.92). No significant differences were found by gender (p = .067) or age (p = .412), but strong positive correlations emerged between gadget use …

K–8 Teachers' Perceptions Of The Barriers To Educating Chronically Absent Homeless Youth, Daniel James Pangrazio

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Abstract The problem that was addressed through this study is that kindergarten through eighth-grade homeless students experience higher rates of chronic absenteeism and lower educational outcomes than their housed peers in California. Grounded in Bronfenbrenner’s ecological systems theory, the purpose of this study was to explore K–8 teachers’ perceptions of the barriers they face in educating chronically absent homeless youth. For this basic qualitative design, semistructured interviews were conducted with 10 K–8 teachers from one California school district. Creswell and Guetterman’s five-stage coding process was used for data analysis. Four themes emerged: Teachers discussed (a) barriers to addressing student academic …

Disruption Of The Lrrk2 Substrate Rab12 Facilitates Neurotransmission And Causes Hyperactivity In Mice, Xingjian Li, Yuanxin Chen, Huaixing Wang, Xue Zhang, Noah Guy Lewis Guiberson, Xianting Li, Jacqueline Burré, Junmin Peng, Hui Zhang, Zhenyu Yue

Department of Neuroscience Faculty Papers

RAB12 is a small GTPase and a validated substrate of LRRK2, a kinase genetically linked to Parkinson's disease (PD). While RAB12-LRRK2 signaling has been implicated in ciliogenesis and immune regulation, the neuronal function of RAB12 remains largely unexplored. Here, we investigated the role of RAB12 in synaptic physiology using Rab12 knockout (KO) mice. Rab12 KO mice developed normally but exhibited increased locomotor activity in adulthood. Electrophysiological recordings from striatal slices revealed enhanced presynaptic release probability and increased excitatory drive onto medium spiny neurons. Consistently, live-cell imaging of cultured cortical neurons revealed that Rab12 deletion facilitated, while Rab12 overexpression inhibited, synaptic …

Attitudes Toward Menstruation In Transgender/Nonbinary Menstruators, Destiny J. Pacchelli

Departmental Honors & Graduate Capstone Projects

The purpose of this mixed-methods study was to examine the unique experiences and attitudes that transgender and/or nonbinary (TNB) menstruators have related to menstruation. Participants (n = 103) were 19 to 60-year-old Americans who identified as TNB and have menstruated, and whose primary language is English. They were recruited through Prolific and asked to describe their first period and how their gender identity influenced their feelings toward menstruation. Additionally, participants responded to quantitative questions related to menstrual symptoms, attitudes, beliefs, and emotions, body image, well-being, and demographic questions to determine family culture at childhood and now. TNB menstruators reported …

The Minutes Of The Marshall University Graduate Council Meeting, April 24, 2026, Marshall University Graduate Council

Graduate Council Minutes

No abstract provided.

Narrative Traditions In Francophone Africa And The Caribbean, Elizabeth Kill

Honors Projects

This research paper explores the cultural significance and the roles of folktales in francophone countries in Africa and the Caribbean. By analyzing recurring themes and character types in folktales, this study argues the importance of storytelling and traditional folklore in the shaping of a culture. Through close reading of a selection of folktales from a variety of francophone countries in Africa and the Caribbean, the research highlights themes of wisdom, greed, and explanations of the natural world, among others. Additionally, this paper touches on the historical importance of storytelling in cultures around the world. The research draws on information from …