Digital Commons Network^™

The Well-Being Of International Doctoral Students—What Does It Look Like, What Affects It, And How Can We Support It?, Sean Nicholas, Pinjia Chan, Ivana Chan

Journal of Comparative & International Higher Education

There are multiple reviews on the well-being of international students and doctoral students, but to our knowledge, none on the well-being of international doctoral students. We undertook a scoping review to understand the state of well-being of international doctoral students, the factors that affect it, and the strategies that support it. We searched PsycInfo, EBSCO, Scopus, and ERIC for full-text, peer-reviewed articles published in English from 2003–2023. Fourteen studies were included in our scoping review. These studies suggest that international doctoral students report relatively low well-being in terms of negative emotions, attitudes toward the self, and social relationships. Their well-being …

Navigating Uncertainty: A Fulbright Scholar’S Journey, Mary Ann Bodine Al-Sharif

Journal of Comparative & International Higher Education

This critical autoethnography provides insights to a Fulbright U.S. Scholar’s experience amid financial and geopolitical uncertainty. It addresses being abroad as an academic ambassador while also navigating feelings of frustration and uncertainty in managing one’s living expenses and research protocol while trying to preserve research partnerships despite U.S. political rhetoric.

Investigating The Connection Between Liberal Arts And Sciences Education And Democracy: Representing Marginal Groups, Hamdi Echkaou, Jaouad Elbakili

Journal of Comparative & International Higher Education

This study investigates the role of liberal arts and sciences (LAS) education in fostering democratization through the representation of Morocco’s Amazigh community. Drawing on interviews and focus groups with Amazigh students at Al Akhawayn University (AUI), the research employs a qualitative framework to explore themes of linguistic identity, curriculum inclusivity, and institutional support. Findings reveal gaps in cultural representation despite AUI’s commitment to global citizenship, highlighting the need for representative curriculum, cultural programming, and faculty representing that community. The study contributes to comparative higher education by underscoring LAS institutions’ potential to advance democracy through equitable representation of marginalized groups. Recommendations …

A Proposed Urban Branding Strategy As Sustainable Urban Regeneration Policy, A Case Study Of Burj-Al Burullus City, Dalia S. Shebl, Kariman A. Shawky

Mansoura Engineering Journal

This study examines the importance of a branding strategy that can be applied in Burj Al-Burullus city to promote and catalyze cultural heritage branding and invest in these facilities for economic and tourism purposes. By measuring the indicators of how urban branding may be achieved. Burj Al-Burullus city is empirically examined using Identity-Based Approach. Based on profound theoretical and analytical studies, the branding concept was studied and analyzed composing a list of indicators for tangible and intangible elements that illustrate the urban branding value of cities. Followed by an analysis of Burj Al-Burullus city using GIS and city data base …

Assessing Community Extension Initiative In Developing Culture-Based Iped For Teachers And Learners In Sultan Kudarat, Philippines, Ramil M. Arciosa, Lovelyn C. Llanillo, Anneril R. Lorio, Mary Grace Gallego, Leizel Meriales, Armando Dardo, Dennis Valdez, Jonalyn Perfecio, Noriana Aguil

ASEAN Journal of Community Engagement

One of the tenets of higher education is the extension of the community that responds to the social and cultural surroundings, including the Indigenous Peoples (IP) and their rights to education. A supportive and relevant education with respect to cultural identity becomes important. This study aims to assess a community extension initiative at its preliminary stage in developing IPEd in the Philippines based on the teachers’ and learners’ awareness level of such programs. The study was conducted in two IPEd schools, Manirub Integrated School and Ugis Elementary School, at Esperanza, Sultan Kudarat. The study examined the teachers’ and learners’ awareness …

The Architecture Of Encounter: Intercultural Communication, Collaboration, And Community Immersion As Pedagogical Space, Yonghyun Yu, Caecilia Srikanti Wijayaputri, Yenny Gunawan, Franseno Pujianto, Yonav Partana

ASEAN Journal of Community Engagement

Being community responsive in such a multicultural context requires an intercultural approach to bridge the mutual understanding and collaboration. There is a surge to introduce intercultural learning to students within their role as a global community. This study analyzes the 2023 International Architecture Workshop (IAW) taking place in Bali, a collaboration among the University of Ulsan, Universitas Gunadarma, and Parahyangan Catholic University, through the lens of intercultural learning. Due to an increasing demand for intercultural competence, transnational collaboration, and community-responsive design literacy, this workshop provides important capacities in architectural education. This workshop shows how a situated pedagogy can reconfigure students’ …

Multi-Criteria Decision Making Methods In The Organisations' Maturity Assessment: Prisma And Delphi Techniques Perspectives, Jailos Mrisho Mzumile, Victoria Mahabi, Ismail W. R. Taifa

Tanzania Journal of Engineering and Technology (TJET)

Researchers often find it challenging to identify the appropriate Multi-Criteria Decision Making Methods (MCDM) to employ in various research areas that involve prioritising conflicting alternatives or criteria. A systematic literature review was conducted using the PRISMA technique to determine the most frequently and commonly employed MCDM methods in assessing organisational maturity across its functional areas. A total of 120 articles were identified for review, and a bibliometric analysis was conducted to map the relationships within the identified articles using VOSviewer 1.6.20 software. Moreover, frequent content analysis was performed to determine the most frequently employed MCDM methods in assessing an organisation’s …

Towards Computational Methods In Medical Data Analysis: From Speech And Text To Imaging, Kristin Qi

Graduate Doctoral Dissertations

Early detection of cognitive decline and efficient medical image analysis remain critical challenges in healthcare. Traditional clinical assessments are infrequent and resource-intensive, while everyday speech data and unlabeled medical images remain largely unexploited. This dissertation develops computational methods integrating machine learning and artificial intelligence across speech, text, and imaging modalities to address challenges in medical data processing. For cognitive monitoring, this work first introduces methods using voice assistant systems to collect longitudinal speech data in home environments, demonstrating that incorporating historical session patterns significantly enhances detection of mild cognitive impairment. Building on this foundation, a framework combining large language model-driven …

Psoriasis Treatments In The Stabilization Of Atherosclerosis: A Systematic Review, Lixin Ji, Sowmya Ravi, Laura Wright, Vi Nguyen, Jose Wiley, Milena Vukelic, Sangkyu Kim

School of Medicine Faculty Publications

This systematic review explores the relationship between achieving minimal disease activity in psoriasis and the progression of atherosclerosis. It investigates how biologic therapies and other treatments impact atherosclerosis markers, offering insights into therapeutic strategies. A comprehensive search of PubMed, Embase, and Web of Science was conducted from January 1, 2000, to April 1, 2023, using terms such as psoriasis, psoriatic arthritis, atherosclerosis, biologic therapy, vascular stiffness, carotid intima-media thickness (CIMT), and coronary computed tomography angiography (CCTA). Eligible studies were those involving human subjects over 18, written in English, that provided quantitative atherosclerosis markers, including CIMT, CCTA, arterial pulse wave velocity …

The “Four Concentric Circles Of Russian”: Toward A Model, Timothy G. Reagan

Russian Language Journal

Braj Kachru suggested that one way of understanding the role and use of English around the world was to distinguish among three concentric “circles”: the inner circle, the outer circle, and the expanding circle. In this article, I will use Kachru’s model as the foundation for the development a similar model for positioning the Russian language in the contemporary world. The historical differences in Anglo-American linguistic expansion and Russian linguistic expansion lead to somewhat different divisions among speakers of the respective languages. The model proposed here has four concentric circles: an inner circle (consisting of the Russian …

Book Review: Water, Whiskey, And Vodka: A Story Of Slavic Languages., Ronald I. Kim

Russian Language Journal

There are more speakers of Slavic languages in Europe today than of the continent’s two other major Indo-European branches, Romance and Germanic. Yet over a generation after the end of the Cold War, despite economic growth, tourism, and steadily increasing cultural exchange, ignorance among North Americans and Western Europeans about the basic facts of the Slavic languages remains sadly widespread. Even from speakers of Slavic languages themselves one continues to hear all sorts of linguistic myths, such as that all Slavic languages sound essentially identical to Russian or, at the other extreme, nationalistic claims that Polish and Ukrainian are nothing …

Spotlight: Resources For Ukrainian, Margaret Godwin-Jones

Russian Language Journal

The Digital Resources Corner (DRC) offers reviews of new digital resources that could be beneficial in the teaching and/or learning of Slavic languages. It is intended for instructors looking for or evaluating different materials to use in the classroom.

Applying A Neo-Bakhtinesque Concept Of Dialogue In The Elementary Russian Classroom, James M. Curtis

Russian Language Journal

This forum piece invites readers to consider how Bakhtin’s concept of dialogue can reshape the teaching of elementary Russian. Instead of treating beginners as passive recipients of rules and forms, a neo-Bakhtinian, constructivist approach views them as active co-creators of meaning whose prior experiences, beliefs, and anxieties matter for learning. The author argues that engaging students in genuine dialogue—about their assumptions, about English–Russian contrasts, and about how grammar is named and presented—can reduce intimidation, increase confidence, and make Russian feel more accessible. In this way, Bakhtin’s ideas move beyond literary theory into the practical realities of the introductory language classroom.

The Role Of Working Memory In The Acquisition Of L2 Russian Case, Natalia V. Parker

Russian Language Journal

With the development of cognitive psychology and psycholinguistics, the view of individual differences has been evolving and now includes concepts such as cognitive processing and Working Memory (WM) (e.g., Doughty, 2019; Jackson, 2020; McConnell, 2023; Wen & Teng, 2023). The present study contributes to this line of research by investigating the relationship between WM capacity and the accuracy of L2 Russian case inflection production by complete beginners in instructional settings, which is an under-researched area. The data are part of a larger study, which involved a 20-week teaching intervention with English-speaking volunteers (n=27), who were taught two Russian cases (Prepositional …

Teaching Russian Verbs Of Motion Through Russian-Language Cinema: A Cognitive Perspective, Sergei Motov

Russian Language Journal

The practice of foreign language teaching is paradoxical in nature. On the one hand, such teaching is communicative; on the other hand, it often continues to rely on structuralist linguistic theory, which contradicts its communicative nature. In the case of teaching Russian verbs of motion to second-language learners, the dynamic nature of these verbs is often considered not dynamically, but statically—in the form of abstract textual examples or static images—which is also paradoxical. Such an abstract treatment of verbs of motion contradicts a number of postulates of modern cognitive science and certain areas of cognitive linguistics. From the perspective of …

Metastatic Uveal Melanoma Surveillance: A Delphi Panel Consensus, Juan Alban, R. Christopher Bowen, David A. Reichstein, Meredith Mckean, Jose Lutzky, Ezekiel Weis, Richard D. Carvajal, Susan Dulka, Brian G. Morse, Marcus O. Butler, Suthee Rapisuwon, Kevin B. Kim, Sanjay Chandrasekaran, Allison Betof Warner, Jonathan S. Zager, Bartosz Chmielowski, Sapna P. Patel, Leonel Fernando Hernandez-Aya, Zelia M. Correa, Leslie A. Fecher, Yana G. Najjar, Kamaneh Montazeri, Alexander N. Shoushtari, Asad Javed, Dan S. Gombos, April K. S. Salama, Katy Tsai, Frank H. Miller, Nikhil Khushalani, Rino S. Seedor, Evan J. Lipson, Sunil A. Reddy, Elizabeth Buchbinder, Shailender Bhatia, Anna Pavlick, Inderjit Mehmi, Thomas Aaberg, Alexandra P. Ikeguchi, Ivana K. Kim, Scott D. Walter, Arun D. Singh, Ryan J. Sullivan, Jacob S. Choi, Basil K. Williams, Marlana Orloff, Prithvi Mruthyunjaya, Megan D. Schollenberger, Namita Gandhi, J. William Harbour, Sunandana Chandra

Department of Radiology Faculty Papers

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: Uveal melanoma is a rare but aggressive intraocular malignancy that metastasizes in up to half of patients, most commonly to the liver, despite effective local treatment. In the absence of robust evidence, there are no standardized guidelines for post-treatment surveillance, resulting in wide variation in imaging modalities, frequency, and duration across physicians and institutions. This study aimed to develop expert consensus recommendations for surveillance strategies in patients with uveal melanoma.

METHODS: A modified Delphi method was conducted across three iterative survey rounds between September 2024 and February 2025 using an online platform. Panelists included medical oncologists, ocular oncologists, radiologists, …

Perspectives Of Russian Language Educators On Meeting The Needs Of Heritage And L2 Learners In Mixed Classes, Maria Goebert

Russian Language Journal

In less commonly taught languages, such as Russian, heritage and non-heritage learners often share the same classes. Teachers in these settings must differentiate instruction to meet the diverse needs of their students. Online teaching adds an additional layer of complexity that instructors must address in their course design. This qualitative study explores the perspectives of 12 Russian language educators, working across various educational settings, on the language learning needs of heritage and non-heritage learners in mixed classes. It examines how these teachers adapt their instruction to support their students and meet the demands of different teaching modalities. The study also …

Dynamic And Stable Motivation Patterns In Intensive Second Language Learning: Insights From A Russian Summer Immersion Program, Dmitrii Pastushenkov

Russian Language Journal

Understanding what shapes student motivation is essential to improving second language (L2) programs. While motivation is among the widely studied individual differences (IDs) in second language acquisition (SLA), research has largely focused on commonly taught languages, limiting broader applicability. This mixed-methods study, grounded in Dynamic Systems Theory (DST), explores the motivational development of learners studying a less commonly taught language (LCTL), Russian, during an eight-week summer immersion program. Data were collected from 52 students across four instructional levels. Motivation was assessed through two brief online surveys, developed based on research by Gardner, Dörnyei, Lanvers, Thompson, and others, and administered during …

Why Russian? Language Choice And Enrollment In U.S. Universities, Emma Calderwood, Teresa R. Bell, Jennifer Bown, Grant H. Lundberg

Russian Language Journal

Russian language enrollments at U.S. universities have declined steadily since 2009 (MLA, 2023), yet little research has examined current student motivations for studying Russian, particularly after the 2022 escalation of the Russo–Ukrainian War. This study surveyed two groups: (a) students enrolled in any 101-level language course at University X and (b) students in Russian courses at six U.S. universities. Results show that motivations for studying Russian are primarily integrative—general interest in the language, desire to converse with Russian speakers, aspirations to travel to Russian-speaking countries, and previous Russian knowledge—rather than instrumental. Students who considered but did not choose Russian most …

The Mediating Role Of Positive Psychology: Mindfulness And Learner Beliefs In The Russian Language Classroom, Kelly Knickmeier Cummings

Russian Language Journal

Language learning is an inherently emotional process, shaped by both positive and negative experiences that influence the individual difference of learner beliefs. This article explores the mediating role of positive psychology (PP) in second language acquisition (SLA), with a particular focus on mindfulness and its potential to reshape learner beliefs in the Russian language classroom. Drawing on theories such as Seligman’s PERMA model and Fredrickson’s broaden-and-build theory, as well as evidence-based interventions, the article argues that mindfulness-based interventions (MBIs) provide practical tools for cultivating positive learner beliefs and inclusive, growth-oriented classroom environments. Examples of MBIs—including practices of noticing, savoring, exploring …

International Education And Spiritual Emptiness A Reflection From Europe, Nitya N. Timsina

Journal of Comparative & International Higher Education

This essay is a revolt against a biased understanding called “internationalization” in education which grounds all historical, geographical, philosophical, ecological, and cultural distinctions in the world into a Platonic absolute. The key to this problem, this essay argues, lies in the drive to ontological, conceptual, or theoretical understanding in our approach to knowledge with its primacy in the Western thought. This essay calls into question this absolute sphere of influence, power and mastery enjoyed by the Western sciences, and a sense of space and authority it enjoys to make others impossible in the world. It does so by bringing different …

Novel Physical And Biological Applications Of Carbon Ion Radiotherapy, Danushka Seneviratne, Prapannajeet Biswal, Sunil Krishnan

The Brown Foundation: Institute of Molecular Medicine

Carbon ion radiation therapy (CIRT) is a high-LET radiotherapy, which distinguishes itself from traditional low-LET radiation, such as photons and protons, through its unique physical aspects, biological attributes, and the dramatically increased damage it causes within cellular DNA. Given its distinctive characteristics, it is expected to improve the therapeutic ratio of radiation treatments and enhance treatment outcomes in traditionally radiation-resistant tumor histologies. Despite these unique properties, much remains to be understood regarding the clinical use of CIRT before its full potential can be realized. In this review, we summarize the distinct advantages of CIRT with regard to its physical and …

Mental Health And Beliefs About Abortion Access Following Changes To Reproductive Healthcare Laws In 2022: Findings From Oklahoma, Munjireen Sifat, Laili K. Boozary, Tina N. Le, Julia Mcquoid, Brittany Zaring-Hinkle, Sarah Tonkin, Lizbeth Benson, Bingjing Mao, Motolani Ogunsanya, Ruosi Shao, Amy M. Cohn, Allyson Shortle, Darla E. Kendzor

Department of Medical Oncology Faculty Papers

INTRODUCTION: A secondary analysis of cross-sectional survey data was conducted to characterize beliefs about abortion access in Oklahoma, measure stress associated with the overturn of Roe vs. Wade (2022), and evaluate the potential relationship between post-Roe stress (PR stress) and mental health.

METHODS: From August through September 2022, adult Oklahomans (N = 1793) were surveyed about their sociodemographic characteristics, beliefs about abortion access, frequency of past-month stress related to the overturn of Roe vs. Wade, and mental health. Beliefs about abortion access were characterized overall and within sociodemographic groups. The relationship between PR stress and mental health was evaluated, and …

Knowledge Of Cpr And Code Status Discussions In Traumatically Injured Older Adults: Does Health Literacy Matter, Mokunfayo O Fajemisin, Ashna S Karpe, Stephanie Martinez Ugarte, Gabrielle E Hatton, Krislynn Mueck, Lillian S Kao, Martin L Blakely, Gina H Khraish, Aanand Naik, Shreyans Sanghvi, Jessica L Lee, Thaddeus J Puzio

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Code Status Discussions (CSDs), CPR understanding, and health literacy is understudied in traumatically injured older adults. We hypothesized that traumatically injured older adults and their families would have limited understanding of CPR and code status, and that lower health literacy would be associated with reduced advance care planning knowledge. We surveyed injured adults ≥65 or their surrogates to assess baseline code status, health literacy, and CPR discussions. Univariate and multivariable analyses were conducted. Among 201 respondents 55% had low health literacy. Only 38% had discussions about CPR, and 21% were asked about code status during admission. Surrogates similarly overestimated CPR …

My Research Journey Into Family Domestic Work: Methodological Reflections Of Conducting Research With Sister-Maids And Sister-Madams In Limpopo, Percyval Bayane

The Qualitative Report

Research has been conducted on domestic work in South Africa with studies focusing on domestic workers’ conditions during Apartheid and examining the little to no changes post-Apartheid. Domestic work in post-Apartheid South Africa involves the hiring of family and friends as domestic workers, and this is an under-researched area. As a young black man researching family domestic work, I was confronted with methodological challenges relating to negotiating access and conducting interviews with older black women hiring relatives and those working for family members as domestic workers. This reflexive paper reflects on my personal journey and experiences of conducting qualitative research …

Fostering Multicultural Education And Building Community Resilience In Post-Pandemic Schools In Southwest England, Suparna Bagchi

School of Law, Humanities and Social Sciences

This article explores the complexities of practicing meaningful multicultural education in varied sociocultural landscapes, including areas with limited ethnic diversity. Highlighting how the COVID-19 pandemic revealed deep-rooted structural inequalities, the article emphasises the need for education systems to address the specific realities of Black, Asian, and Minority Ethnic (BAME) communities. This is because the study findings reveal a lack of curricular representation of BAME communities, time constraints that prevent teachers from incorporating multicultural education into their daily routines, limited understanding around multicultural education among teachers, and a need for recruiting and retaining teachers from diverse communities. This article revisits existing …

Invasive Candidiasis In Critically Ill Patients: Fundamental Concepts And Future Directions, María Alejandra Pérez, Wesley J Hoffmann, J Christian Pérez, Max W Adelman

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Topic importance: Invasive candidiasis (IC) is a common complication in patients in ICUs. IC can be divided into bloodstream infections (candidemia) and deep-seated infections. Candida infections are associated with high mortality and longer hospital stays. Moreover, the emergence of Candida auris and other species prone to cause ICU outbreaks highlights the importance of this pathogen.

Review findings: Candidemia represents about 20% of bloodstream infections in ICU patients, whereas intraabdominal candidiasis, the most common form of deep-seated infection, predominantly affects surgical ICU patients. Regarding species distribution, Candida albicans is the most common species; however, non-albicans species have become more prevalent in …

Psychological Resilience As A Predictor Of Occupational Stress Among Teaching Staff In Course X, Indah Kusuma Wardani, Fajaria Nurcandra, Dr. Dyah Utari, Afif Amir Amrullah

Jurnal Epidemiologi Kesehatan Indonesia

Workplace stress is a common condition that may be triggered by the demands of professional involvement. Psychological resilience functions as a protective factor that enables individuals to maintain their level of work engagement despite experiencing job-related stress arising from work–life imbalance. This study aimed to examine the relationship between psychological resilience and occupational stress among teaching staff at Course X. The research employed a quantitative approach with a cross-sectional design, utilizing chi-square testing and Cox regression analysis, with a total sample of 98 participants. Data collection was conducted from April to June 2024. The instruments used included the Workplace Stress …

Composition Of Essential Oil From Dried Basil (Ocimum Basilicum L.), Ajargul Abdiganievna Mambetsheripova, Shakhnoza Abduvaxitovna Sultanova, Jasur Esirgapovich Safarov

Technical science and innovation

Ushbu ishda maydalangan rayhon (Ocimum basilicum L.) o‘simliklaridan olingan efir moylarini (EM) ajratish va tahlil qilishga oid metodologik yondashuv bayon etilgan. Rayhon efir moyi klassik Klevenger apparati yordamida uch soat davomida gidrodistillyatsiya usulida ajratib olindi. Olingan distillyatlar n-geksan bilan ishlov berildi, so‘ngra qoldiq namlikni yo‘qotish maqsadida suvsiz natriy sulfat yordamida degidratatsiya qilindi. Ushbu sharoitda efir moyining chiqishi 0,74–0,81 % oralig‘ida bo‘ldi. Izolyatsiya qilingan moylar rang jihatdan och sariq, harakatchan suyuqliklar bo‘lib, rayhonga xos o‘ziga xos aromatik hidga ega ekanligi aniqlandi. Kimyoviy komponentlarni aniqlash uchun efir moyining sifat va miqdoriy tarkibi gaz xromatografiya-mass-spektrometriyasi (GXM-S) usulida o‘rganildi. Tahlillar Agilent 5975C inert MSD/7890A …

Examining Herd Behavior In The Saudi Stock Market, Salah Ahmed Oraby

Journal of King Abdulaziz University: Economics and Administration

The study aims to determine whether market conditions motivate individual investors to engage in herd behavior from 2013 to 2023 for the Saudi stock capital as an emerging market. To achieve this goal, the study used the cross-sectional absolute mean–median difference as the proxy for herd behavior and as the dependent variable, market returns as the independent variable. In addition, the study used descriptive statistics to describe the study variables and the least square regression models to test the study's hypotheses. The overall results for the entire study period found that individual investors exercised irrational herd behavior. However, the yearly …