Digital Commons Network^™

Girls’ Education Roadmap: 2026 Report, Meredith Kozak, Miriam Temin, Lina López-Lalinde, Amaranta Martinez Martinez

Adolescents and Young People

This Roadmap highlights where the gender and education field can align on coordinated action and investment to close critical gender gaps in education and improve learning for all. Building on findings from the original 2021 Girls’ Education Roadmap, it brings together data on the greatest gender and education needs, evidence on evaluated approaches, and where current practice reaches or misses vulnerable learners. From this foundation, the Roadmap organizes insights around 18 gender-related barriers to education, giving decision makers a framework for diagnosing context specific challenges and identifying proven approaches to address them.

The Cross-Section Of Empirical Evidence And Personal Experience: A Deeper Look At School Resource Officers Through The Lens Of Demarcus A. Jenkins' Research On The Public Opinion Of Their Potential Removal From Public Schools, Quin Armstrong

University Honors Theses

Following the 2020 Black Lives Matter and Anti-Police movements, there were many discussions across the nation about possible changes to law enforcement operations. Among these discussions included specific discussions about what to do about law enforcement officers stationed in schools. These law enforcement officers are known as school resource officers, or SROs.

The focus of this thesis is specifically on Portland, Oregon's Portland Public School (PPS) district's decision to sever ties with the Portland Police Bureau, and what may have contributed to that ultimate decision. This is accomplished through an analysis of a research paper written by fellow Criminal Justice …

Benchmarking Zero-Shot Open-Vocabulary And Fine-Tuned Object Detectors For Underground Mine Personnel Detection, Ellen Essien, Samuel Frimpong

Mining Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Reliable personnel detection is critical for the safe deployment of autonomous haulage systems in underground mining, where challenging environmental conditions demand robust real-time perception. Existing research has focused primarily on fine-tuned convolutional detectors, while systematic comparisons with zero-shot vision-language models remain limited. This study presents a cross-paradigm benchmark comparing four zero-shot vision-language models (YOLO-World, Grounding DINO, OWL-ViT, and OWLv2) with four fine-tuned YOLO detectors (YOLOv8s, YOLOv9s, YOLO11s, and YOLO26s) using 31,396 real-world underground coal mine images. Detection performance was evaluated using precision, recall, F1-score, average precision, inference speed, and condition- and target scale-specific recall. The experimental results show that the …

Metrological Characterization Of Pavement Friction Measurements For High-Friction Surface Treatments: Si Traceability, Uncertainty Evaluation, And Adhesion–Hysteresis Separation Via Water–Soap Bpt Protocol, Alireza Roshan, Magdy Abdelrahman

Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Laboratory friction measurements are central to material screening for High-Friction Surface Treatments (HFST), yet metrological aspects including a proposed metrological traceability framework or uncertainty, and reproducibility are consistently underreported. This study applies a metrology-aligned framework to British Pendulum Tester (BPT) measurements performed in three states: dry, wet (water), and water–soap to assess operational adhesion and hysteresis components, document traceability to the International System of Units (SI), and report GUM-style uncertainty with covariance for the adhesion difference. Measurements were obtained for calcined bauxite (CB) and rhyolite (Rhy) in HFST and Coarse gradations across seven polishing protocols (baseline; LAA-1000/2000; MDA-105/180; PSV-10 h/20 …

Optimization Of Bonding Behavior Of Crumb Rubber-Modified (Crm) Asphalt For Sustainable High-Friction Surface Treatment (Hfst) Applications, Abdallah Aboelela, Magdy Abdelrahman

Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Binder bonding strength (BBS) is critical to aggregate retention and friction performance in high-friction surface treatment (HFST). Although epoxy resin is traditionally used, asphalt-based binders offer a sustainable alternative; however, their bonding behavior and influence on polishing performance remain insufficiently understood. This study investigated the evolution and optimization of BBS in crumb rubber-modified (CRM) asphalt for rhyolite-based HFSTs. BBS was measured under dry and wet-conditioned states for two CR contents (10% and 15%), two CR types (cryogenic and ambient), two interaction temperatures (170 and 200 °C), and interaction times from 10 to 240 min. HFST performance was assessed using the …

Flexural Performance Of Deficient Rc Beams Repaired With Gfrp Composite, Zena Aljazaeri, Hayder Alghazali, Zuhair Al-Jaberi, John J. Myers

Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Fiber-reinforced polymer composite materials have been improved for use in repairing and strengthening existing infrastructure over the past few decades. This case study focuses on the effect of confinement with GFRP strips on the structural performance of out-of-service beams in bridge applications due to the impact of over-height vehicles or inadequate lap-spliced reinforcements. In this study, beams with inadequate lap splices in the tension zone were utilized to mimic the damaged area in out-of-service RC beams. The proposed repair technique is a glass fiber-reinforced polymer (GFRP) composite in the form of longitudinal sheets and U-wrapped strips. The experimental study determined …

Editorial For The Special Issue “Advances And Applications Of Polymer Gels For Subsurface Energy And Storage”, Baojun Bai, Jingyang Pu

Geosciences and Geological and Petroleum Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Polymer gels are essential functional materials for subsurface energy operations, playing a critical role in conformance control, fluid diversion, hydraulic fracturing, and leakage mitigation. As reservoirs become increasingly complex and the demand for sustainable energy grows, continued innovation in gel technologies is crucial. This editorial introduces a Special Issue titled "Advances and Applications of Polymer Gels for Subsurface Energy and Storage," which compiles seven original research articles exploring recent developments in gel synthesis, characterization, and applications. The featured studies highlight the versatility of polymer gels, including nanoparticle-reinforced composites, foam–gel hybrids, recrosslinkable preformed particle gels, and advanced fracturing fluids. The contributions …

Characterising The Beyond 50 Cohort: Preliminary Exploration Of Physical And Psychosocial Health Factors And Substance Use Among A Cohort Of Community Dwelling Adults Aged 50–70 Years, Rose Laing, Tina Lam, Bosco Rowland, Paul Dietze, Aislinn Lalor, Keith D. Hill, Laura Alfrey, Nadine E. Andrew, Shalini Arunogiri, Stephen Bright, Louisa Picco, Suzanne Nielsen

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Introduction: Older adults exhibit unique risks associated with poor mental health and substance use. The Beyond 50 study is a longitudinal cohort investigating the determinants of healthy ageing, including relationships between physical and psychosocial health and substance use. We aim to characterise the Beyond 50 cohort and explore patterns of physical and psychosocial health and substance use. Methods: Baseline data collection was completed between September 2023 and August 2024. Annual follow-up data collection commenced in September 2024. Descriptive statistics will be used to characterise the cohort at the time of baseline survey completion. Results: Of the 1059 participants, the mean …

Capacity Development Priorities For Enduring Biodiversity Conservation: A New Methodology And Evidence From Peru, Katia Nakamura, Jennifer Zavaleta Cheek, Johanna Eklund, Jenny Brooks, Daniel C. Miller

Natural Resource Management Faculty Publications

Capacity development is essential for long-term biodiversity conservation. Yet knowledge of conservation capacity development needs and priorities remains limited, particularly in low- and middle-income countries with high biodiversity and limited institutional capacity. This study addresses this gap by identifying and analyzing the priorities highlighted by conservation professionals in Peru. Using Q-methodology and open-ended surveys, we found three distinct perspectives from 27 conservation professionals working in Peru: strengthening legal enforcement and financing, shifting power to Indigenous Peoples and local communities, and embedding conservation values in public norms. These perspectives reflect fundamentally different theories of change, yet converge in their call for …

Building Wellbeing Through Nature And Adventure For Justice-Involved Youth, Lewis Kogan, Meagan Ricks, Janna Coulter, Miranda Margetts, Lori Butterfield, Ben Ukoh-Eke

Outcomes and Impact Quarterly

Justice-involved youth often experience elevated levels of stress, mental health challenges, and reduced access to positive developmental opportunities. A nature- and adventure-based youth development program designed to strengthen resilience, self-efficacy, nature-connectedness, and well-being among justice-involved youth was piloted in 2025 to address these challenges. Pilot findings indicated improvements in resilience, self-efficacy, hopefulness, and connectedness to nature.

Brooding Upon The Waters: A Memoir Of Farming, Fishing, And Failure In America's Lost Landscape (Book Review), Abby De Groot

Pro Rege

Reviewed Title: Brooding Upon the Waters: A Memoir of Farming, Fishing, and Failure in America's Lost Landscape by Howard Schaap. Slant Books, 2025. 238 pp. ISBN: 9781639822096.

Undergraduate Commencement Address 2026: Let's Go Exploring, Tom J. Clark

Pro Rege

No abstract provided.

2026 Safety Belt Usage Survey In Kentucky, Erin Lammers-Staats, Derek S. Young, Kenneth R. Agent

Kentucky Transportation Center Research Report

No abstract provided.

The Unintended Consequences Of Metaphors On Navigating Careers In The U.S.: Focus On International Students And Women Of Color, Yeongbin (Ellen) Jeon

Proceedings of the New York State Communication Association

This paper examines how workplace metaphors such as the glass ceiling, sticky floor, maternal wall, and motherhood/fatherhood penalty continue to illuminate structural inequality in the contemporary U.S. labor market. Focusing on the experiences of international students and women of color, it argues that these metaphors are not merely symbolic descriptions but practical frameworks for understanding how race, gender, immigration status, and caregiving expectations shape unequal career outcomes. Drawing on class readings, policy analysis, and personal experience, the paper shows how visa-based hiring restrictions, limited parental leave protections, and racialized gender stereotypes constrain access to employment, advancement, and leadership. It further …

A Qualitative Exploration Of Drinking Culture For Women In The Workforce, Anna Savage

Proceedings of the New York State Communication Association

This study investigates how the drinking culture of companies differ for women in male-dominated industries compared to female-dominated industries. Through interviews with six women in a convenience sample, I compared the experiences of women in different industries to examine a variety of factors including whether they felt pressured to drink alcohol in social settings, how their experiences at office events impacted how they view and are viewed by their coworkers and managers, and what the effects of the drinking culture are on the culture inside their company. I found that women in male-dominated industries were much more likely to be …

Postoperative Complications In Patients With Sickle Cell Disease After Total Shoulder Arthroplasty, Katie Zehner, Gwyneth C. Maloy, John Slevin, Wesley Day, Mitchell K. Ng, Xuan Luo, Jonathan N. Grauer, Arya G. Varthi

Rothman Institute Papers

BACKGROUND: Sickle cell disease (SCD) encompasses a spectrum of genetic hematologic disorders characterized by erythrocyte sickling. Patients may experience musculoskeletal manifestations, such as osteonecrosis, which may warrant consideration for total shoulder arthroplasty (TSA). While prior literature suggests patients with SCD more frequently suffer complications after orthopaedic procedures, this is not well characterized for TSA.

METHODS: Adult TSA patients (older than 18 years) were identified in the 2010 to 2023 PearlDiver M170 database. Patients with SCD were matched 1:4 to patients without SCD based on age, sex, and Elixhauser Comorbidity Index (ECI). Ninety-day postoperative complications, emergency department (ED) visits, and readmissions …

Timing Of Isotretinoin Exposure And Early Postoperative Complications After Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction, Areeb Ahmad, Ronald J. Shamus, Kassem Ghayyad, Daryl C. Osbahr, Adam J. Money, Michael G. Ciccotti, George J. Richard

Rothman Institute Papers

INTRODUCTION: Isotretinoin (ITN) is widely prescribed for severe acne in adolescents and young adults, a population where anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction (ACLR) is commonly performed. Long-standing concerns about impaired wound healing have prompted many surgeons to delay procedures, despite limited orthopaedic-specific evidence. This retrospective case series evaluates early postoperative clinical complications in patients with documented ITN exposure undergoing ACLR.

METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed primary ACLR cases from 2015 to 2025 at a multisite orthopaedic practice with documented ITN exposure within 12 months of surgery and at least 3 months of follow-up. ITN exposure was categorized as perioperative (≤10 days), recent …

The Cranial Nerves And Electrical Stimulation, Devin K. P. Adair

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Cranial nerves provide afferent pathways that enable bottom-up modulation of central autonomic and cognitive neural pathways. Because these pathways project to brainstem nuclei such as the nucleus tractus solitarius and engage neuromodulatory systems, including the locus coeruleus, electrical stimulation offers a mechanistically grounded approach to influencing brain function. This thesis tested whether active transcutaneous auricular vagus nerve stimulation (taVNS) produces physiological responses indicative of parasympathetic engagement, defined as decreases in heart rate, increases in heart rate variability, and decreases in respiration relative to a dose-matched earlobe control condition. Using cardiac and respiratory measures as physiological markers, taVNS at the tragus …

Exploring Factors Affecting The Use Of Blended Diets For Children And Young People In Health, Education And Social Care Settings In The Uk: The Protocol For A Realist Mixed Methods Study, Gemma Phillips, Jane Coad, Mary Hickson, Joseph C. Manning

School of Health Professions

Background Enteral tube feeding provides supplementary or alternative nutrition for individuals who cannot meet their nutritional needs orally and remains essential for a number of children and young people with complex health needs. Commercial formula remains standard practice in the UK, although increasing numbers of children and their families are choosing a blended diet and reporting significant physical and social benefits. However, support for families in using blended diets varies across health, education and social settings in the UK. Aim To explore factors affecting the use of blended diets in health, education and social care settings. Methods This sequential mixed …

Characterization Of Mettl3/14-Mediated M6a Modification In Human Transcriptome Using Nanopore Direct Rna Sequencing, Emily Kurtyan, Andrew J. Stein, Kelly J. Abdalla, Zhangerjiao Yuan, Miten Jain, Fadia Ibrahim

Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Faculty Papers

Post-transcriptional RNA modifications modulate diverse aspects of RNA metabolism. N6-methyladenosine (m6A), one of the most abundant internal RNA modifications, is deposited by the core methyltransferase complex, METTL3 and METTL14. Oxford Nanopore Technologies (ONT) platform permits direct, single RNA molecule sequencing while preserving native modifications. However, without rigorous benchmarking, the accuracy and reproducibility of modification detection remain uncertain. Here, we leveraged ONT to comprehensively profile bona fide m6A modifications in cellular RNAs at single-nucleotide resolution by integrating two direct RNA sequencing chemistries (RNA002 and RNA004) with the m6Anet and Dorado modification-detection models. We independently depleted METTL3 and METTL14 in human cells …

Why Did Medieval Chroniclers Copy Other Histories?, Christopher Berard

Humanities Program Faculty Publications

Medieval chroniclers sometimes borrowed entire passages from earlier works, adapting old words to describe new people and events. Christopher Berard examines this understudied practice and shows how such borrowing could be more than a shortcut, allowing writers to draw meaningful connections between the past and their own times.

Fluorescence-Based Methods For The Determination Of Selected Β-Lactam Antibiotics (Amoxicillin, Cefixime, And Cephalexin): A Review, Kardos Musheer Khorsheed, Tara Fuad Tahir, Ahmad F. Hama Sdiq

Polytechnic Journal

β-Lactam antibiotics constitute one of the most extensively prescribed classes of antimicrobial agents in human and veterinary medicine. However, their widespread use has raised growing concerns regarding antibiotic resistance, drug safety, and the presence of residual antibiotics in pharmaceutical products, biological fluids, foodstuffs, and environmental samples. As a result, the development of sensitive, selective, and rapid analytical methods for the determination of β-lactam antibiotics has become critically important. Among the available analytical techniques, fluorescence-based methods have gained increasing attention due to their high sensitivity, operational simplicity, low cost, and suitability for trace-level detection. This review presents a comprehensive overview of …

Emergency Contraception, Children's Mercy Kansas City

Clinical Pathways (Formally Known As Care Process Models)

No abstract provided.

A Systematic Review Of Recommendations For Asynchronous Teledentistry, Helen Chen D.D.S., Seeun Mo D.D.S., Rami Habib D.D.S., Hannah Kim D.D.S., Madusha Perera D.D.S., Courtney H. Chinn D.D.S., M.P.H.

The New York State Dental Journal

Background: COVID-19 renewed interest in teledentistry to improve access to oral healthcare. This review assessed recommendations for asynchronous teledentistry regarding image capturer, device, target population, capture protocol and diagnostic ability.

Methods: Five reviewers conducted a PRISMA guided search for eligible studies published from 2000–2023. Articles were independently evaluated using a four-point rubric.

Results: Sixteen articles were included, with a mean score of 5.38/15. The lowest score was for image capturer, and the highest for diagnosis of oral disease.

Conclusion: Limited evidence supports standardized protocols, underscoring the need for further research on best teledentistry practices.

Designated Eld Through Evidence-Based Practices, Aida Walquí, Ph.D., Magaly Lavadenz, Ph.D.

Center on English Language Proficiency Implementation Briefs

Designated English Language Development through Evidence-Based Practices is the third in a four-part series assisting educational agencies in implementing high-quality, comprehensive English Language Development (ELD) systems. This brief bridges the gap between research and practice by illustrating what implementation looks like for evidence-based practices in Designated ELD (DELD) curriculum and instruction. It introduces an ecological model of learning—conceptualizing education across macro- and micro-systems—alongside five fundamental shifts in classroom practice: Teaching as Apprenticeship, Language as Action, No Isolated Language Practice, Non-Linear Spiraling Design, and Vocabulary Taught in Context. Additionally, the brief outlines key guidelines for heterogeneous group composition and a productive …

Understanding Fdtco Decision-Making Through Observable Activity, Samuel T. Hunter, Amanda N. Moeller, Alex Bruens

Reports, Projects, and Research

This report provides a framework for how analysts can leverage observable activities of foreign terrorist organization-designated transnational criminal organizations (FDTCOs) as indicators for underlying decision-making processes around organizational stress, adaptation, and other strategic tradeoffs. Building on our understanding of FDTCOs as operating within entrepreneurial ecosystems, we apply a decision domain framework to three groups through case studies: Sinaloa Cartel, Jalisco New Generation Cartel, and MS-13. These groups pose a persistent as well as growing threat to American communities and the broader Western Hemisphere.

Bulletin Ninth District Ny September 2026

Bulletin of the Ninth District Dental Association

In the September 2026 issue, the reader will find the following feature articles:

• "2026 D. Austin Sniffen Medal of Honor Recipient" with "Past Medal of Honor Recipients"
• "ADA Commons: Connecting Dentists to Research, Publications and History"
• "The History of Communal Water Fluoridation and its Continued Safe and Efficacious Use Today"

Also included are your monthly President's Message, event updates, continuing education opportunities, membership news and classifieds.

Targum Jonathan (Tgj) On Isaiah 6, A Literary-Interpretative Translation, Maksim Astashinskiy

Faculty Papers and Publications

[1] The pointed text is from “Targum Jonathan on Isaiah 6,” Sefaria Library, accessed August 16, 2026, https://www.sefaria.org/Targum_Jonathan_on_Isaiah.6?lang=bi; the public domain source text on Sefaria is from The Chaldee paraphrase on the prophet Isaiah [by Jonathan b. Uzziel], Trans. Rev. C.W.H. Pauli (London: London Society’s House, 1871), 20–22, https://archive.org/details/chaldeeparaphra00uzzigoog/page/n36/mode/2up. A hyperlinked, alternative public domain version with textual variants is available as “51012: TgJ Is” in The Comprehensive Aramaic Lexicon (CAL): Hebrew Union College, accessed August 16, 2026, https://cal.huc.edu/get_a_chapter.php?file=51012&sub=06&cset=H. Researchers can also view a superliner pointed text, see: “51012: TgJ Is,” CAL, accessed August …

2026-09-15 Executive Council Minutes, Susie Salazar

Executive Council Minutes

No abstract provided.

2026-09-08 Executive Council Minutes, Susie Salazar

Executive Council Minutes

No abstract provided.