Digital Commons Network^™

Effects Of Acute Caffeine Ingestion On Physical Performance And Skill Execution In Volleyball Players: A Systematic Review And Meta-Analysis, Raoof Negaresh, Shihab Aldin A. Al-Riyami, Alireza Paahoo, Rastegar Hoseini, Juan Del Coso

International Journal of Exercise Science

International Journal of Exercise Science 18(6): 922-948, 2025. It is well established that oral caffeine administration (3-9 mg/kg) is ergogenic, enhancing numerous aspects of physical performance including strength and power. However, the extent to which these effects translate to volleyball-specific skills remains unclear. The purpose of this study was to systematically review the effects of acute caffeine ingestion on performance outcomes in volleyball-specific actions. A systematic review of published studies was conducted using scientific databases from their inception through December 2024 (registered in PROSPERO, CRD420251006314). We included studies with blinded crossover experimental designs that compared caffeine ingestion to a placebo …

Healing The Sacred: The Fight To Restore Onondaga Lake And Honor Indigenous Land, Adam Dj Brett, Betty Lyons Hill

International Journal on Responsibility

The Onondaga Nation is petitioning the Organization of American States (OAS) for land rights to Onondaga Lake, a notoriously polluted body of water in Central New York State. The Onondaga Nation is one of six nations of the Haudenosaunee Confederacy (Iroquois), and Onondaga Lake is the sacred site where Gayanashagowa, the Great Law of Peace, was established. As Keepers of the Central Fire, the Onondaga Nation bears the responsibility of maintaining unity and peace within the Haudenosaunee Confederacy. This article examines the history of the lake, its significance to the Haudenosaunee Confederacy, and the consequences of its desecration through …

Make It Pink: Superman, Pink Kryptonite, And Fandom, Tom Ue, Kristofer Starzomski-Wilson

Proceedings from the Document Academy

This paper explores several representations of pink kryptonite. In Doug Murphy’s animated short film True Colors (2017), Superman (Jason J. Lewis) transforms into a woman when he’s exposed to this substance. This short, as we have shown elsewhere (2025), offers a useful lens for examining the perpetuation and the critique of gender stereotypes in superhero media: Superman may be equally capable regardless of his sex, but the film pokes fun at, rather than celebrates, his transformation. Pink kryptonite rarely appears in the canon. A single panel in Supergirl (2003) has received perhaps the most sustained attention. Tom Ue’s archival work …

How Subversive Is Shipping Really? An Analysis Of Heteronormative Elements In Same-Sex Relationships Focused On German-Language Anime And Manga Fan Fiction, Saskia Dreßler

Proceedings from the Document Academy

This study investigates whether German-language fan fictions featuring lesbian and gay characters within the anime and manga domain can be regarded as genuinely queer. It situates these fan works within the specific traditions and practices of German fandom. Employing qualitative content analysis, the research examines two prominent fandoms, Naruto and Sailor Moon, focusing on the presence of heteronormative narrative patterns in fan fiction with queer protagonists. The study analyzes which aspects of the original media are adapted and how these adaptations shape the portrayal of queer identities. Furthermore, fan comments are examined to assess the extent to which readers …

An Exceptive Account Of ‘Unless’ Clauses: Corpus Evidence, Wajed Al-Ahmad

Jordan Journal of Applied Science-Humanities Series

This paper provides corpus evidence to demonstrate that ‘unless’ clauses function like exceptive constructions (ECs). It adopts Galal et al. (2019) classification of ECs into two categories: paradigmatic ECs (connected/regular exceptive) and hypotactic ECs (free exceptive). The current analysis applies this classification to ‘unless’ clauses to examine their behavior. Corpus evidence shows that unless clauses consistently occupy a fixed position relative to their antecedent, similar to paradigmatic ECs. However, the two constructions differ in that ‘unless’ clauses occur before the antecedent regardless of the position of the consequent (the statement), whereas paradigmatic ECs occur after the antecedent. Additionally, unless allows …

A Content Analysis Of Pronunciation And Spelling Activities In Action Pack Ten, Sana’ Al-Smadi, Ruba Bataineh, Mohammad Al-Hawamdeh

Jordan Journal of Applied Science-Humanities Series

Pronunciation and spelling are crucial skills for any intelligible form of spoken or written communication. Both serve as important indicators—among others—that determine the quality of speech or writing. However, EFL learners often face challenges with these fundamental skills during real-life communication. This content analysis aims to examine whether pronunciation and spelling are adequately covered in the Student Book and Activity Book, the extent to which these activities are emphasized, and their focus within Action Pack 10. To achieve these objectives, a mixed-methods approach was employed, including the development of four content analysis sheets. Frequencies and percentages were used for analysis, …

The Effect Of Using The Snowball Strategy On Reading Speed Among Third Grade Students In Mafraq District Directorate, Noor Al-Khaza'leh

Jordan Journal of Applied Science-Humanities Series

This study aimed to investigate the effect of using the snowball strategy on the reading speed of third-grade students in Mafraq Directorate. The researcher employed a quasi-experimental design. The study was conducted on a purposive sample of 34 third-grade students from two selected schools. The experimental group consisted of 18 students, while the control group included 16 students. The results indicated that the use of the snowball strategy significantly improved overall reading speed as well as individual rapid reading skills. The effect size ranged from 16.3% to 33.5%. The study recommended using the snowball strategy in teaching reading skills and …

The Effect Of The Hot Seat Strategy On Listening Comprehension Skills In The Arabic Language Subject Among Ninth Grade Female Students In Jordan, Zikrayat Al-Amro, Raed Mahmoud Khodair, Khaled Al-Omari

Jordan Journal of Applied Science-Humanities Series

The study aimed to investigate the effect of the Hot Seat strategy on listening comprehension skills in Arabic among ninth-grade female students at Al Mazar Secondary Comprehensive School, under the Northern Mazar District Education Directorate. The participants consisted of 67 female students selected by the convenience sampling method. The students were divided into two groups: an experimental group and a control group. Prior to the intervention, all students were pretested in listening comprehension skills at the beginning of the second semester of 2018/2019. The experimental group received training on listening comprehension skills using the Hot Seat strategy, while the control …

The Effect Of Using Semantic Maps On Vocabulary Learning Among Jordanian Efl 8th Grade Students, Bassmah Fraihat

Jordan Journal of Applied Science-Humanities Series

This study investigated the effect of using semantic maps on vocabulary retention among Jordanian EFL 8th-grade students. The participants were 83 female eighth-grade students from two intact sections at Balleh Secondary School for Girls. One group was assigned as the control group, which was taught according to the guidelines of the teacher's book, while the other group served as the experimental group and was taught using a semantic map-based instructional program. The instructional program lasted for eight weeks during the first semester of the 2018-2019 academic year. Data were collected using pre- and post-vocabulary tests. The findings showed statistically significant …

Psychometric Properties Of The Jordanian Picture Test From The Wexler-4 Intelligence Scale In Sign Language For The Deaf (Ages 6–16.11 Years), Samer Abu Drea, Farouq Al-Rawsan

Jordan Journal of Applied Science-Humanities Series

This study focuses on developing and validating a Jordanian version of the WISC-4 intelligence scale in sign language for deaf children aged 6 to 16.11 years. The aim is to assess the psychometric properties, including validity and reliability, of this version to serve as a trustworthy tool for measuring the cognitive abilities of deaf children in Jordan using sign language, aligned with their linguistic and cultural characteristics. A descriptive approach was employed, and the sample consisted of 413 deaf children from various regions across the country. The results demonstrated that the Jordanian version exhibits high content validity, with strong correlations …

The Effect Of An Electronic Collocation-Based Instructional Program On Jordanian Efl Tenth Graders’ Word Knowledge, Marouf Assaf, Dina Al-Jamal, Ebtesam Rababah

Jordan Journal of Applied Science-Humanities Series

This quasi-experimental study investigated the effectiveness of an electronic collocation-based instructional program on Jordanian EFL tenth-grade students' word knowledge. Two sections of 25 students each, from a government school in Irbid, were randomly assigned as experimental and control groups. A word knowledge pre-test, which included a section measuring word meaning and another assessing word collocation, was administered to determine whether the two groups were homogeneous before implementing the program. Lexical collocations in Action Pack 10 were identified through a content analysis of selected reading passages, and these collocations were taught to the experimental group using Quizlet, a flashcard mobile application. …

Generalized Transversality Conditions For Fuzzy Quantum-Symmetric Variational Problems Via Granular Approach, Martin Bohner, Ewa Girejko, Agnieszka B. Malinowska, Linh Nguyen, Baruch Schneider, Tri Truong

Mathematics and Statistics Faculty Research & Creative Works

This paper investigates fuzzy q-symmetric variational problems with natural boundary conditions. Based on the relative distance measure fuzzy arithmetic and horizontal membership functions (HMFs), we propose novel concepts of differentiability and integrability for fuzzy functions on quantum geometric subsets of real numbers. Then, fundamental foundations of q-symmetric calculus of variations based on HMFs are provided. With the help of HMFs and granular q-symmetric differentiability, we derive necessary optimality conditions for fuzzy q-symmetric variational problems that depend on free endpoints. Moreover, sufficient conditions for minimizers of q-symmetric variational problems are obtained. Some numerical examples illustrating the proposed approach are presented.

What Next? A Challenging Case Of Refractory Hypertension With End-Organ Dysfunction In A 33-Year-Old Male, Rezane Miftari Md, Shaun Abid, Anton Stolear, Irma Fotjhadi

Posters

We present a challenging case of a 33-year-old male with history of longstanding hypertension since high school, which progressed to RH complicated by severe left ventricular hypertrophy and hypertensive nephrosclerosis.

Novel Statistical And Topological Data Analyses Of 2d Electronic Images, Robert L. Paige, Vic Patrangenaru

Mathematics and Statistics Faculty Research & Creative Works

In this paper, novel statistical and topological data analyses of 2D images are developed. One considers methodologies based on the Region Covariance Descriptor (RCD) and Topological Data Analysis (TDA) rooted in the simplicial as well as cubical persistent homologies. These methods provide statistical methods for data from populations of complex data objects that are elements of non-Euclidean spaces. The 2D image data considered consist of pictures of two leaves—A and B—from the same tree, twenty of each leaf, from different perspectives. The novel statistical procedures developed are used for correctly determining that leaf A images and leaf B images are …

The Information Edge - Library Newsletter - September 2025, Sarah Burns-Feyl, Jennifer Rosenstein

University Library Newsletter

No abstract provided.

Learning In Virtual Environments With Varying Levels Of Sensory Information, Maryam Derayati Far

Psychology Theses and Dissertations

The sensory environment plays a critical role in shaping learners’ attention, engagement, and retention. This thesis investigates how varying levels of sensory input in virtual reality (VR) classrooms influence learning for two age groups—children and young adults—and explores how individual differences in sensory processing moderate these effects. Using immersive VR technology to simulate classroom settings, two experimental studies were conducted. Study One involved 60 children aged 6–15 years, recruited primarily through a university-run summer camp. Study Two included 57 undergraduate students aged 18–36 years, recruited through a research participation pool. In both studies, participants were randomly assigned to either a …

Risk Premia-Return Spillovers Among Commodity-Us Equity Markets, Marinela Adriana Finta

Sim Kee Boon Institute for Financial Economics

This study examines the risk premia-return spillovers of eight commodities (corn, soybean, wheat, copper, silver, gold, oil, and natural gas) and the U.S. equity market from 2008 to 2016. We define volatility, skewness, and kurtosis risk premia as the difference between implied and realized moments. Our results reveal an increasing trend in cross-market and cross-moment spillovers until mid-2012, with various announcements explaining these effects. Moreover, we document substantial cross-energy and cross-metal spillovers to the equity market and cross-return spillovers to risk premia. Higher-order risk premia also exhibit the highest effects on returns. In addition, we underline the prominent influence of …

Item 4: Assignment 1: Life In Puerto Rico Vs. The Mainland: Shopping At The Supermarket, Leila Rodriguez

Leila Rodriguez, Civic Engagement in/for Puerto Rico (English)

The Jones Act, a protectionist law which requires domestic water transport to be performed by vessels that are US-made, crewed, owned, and flagged, imposes inflated costs on consumers in Puerto Rico. To better understand how this translates into everyday impacts, in this assignment students compare the cost of a grocery run in Puerto Rico and the United States. To do this, they find the price of various products in two supermarkets: Pueblo, the largest grocery store chain in Puerto Rico, and Kroger, the second-largest grocery chain in the United States. Finally, they reflect on how their shopping habits might differ …

Item 2: Activity 1: Ethnocharette: The History And Imagined Futures Of Puerto Rico, Leila Rodriguez

Leila Rodriguez, Civic Engagement in/for Puerto Rico (English)

For this in-class activity, students work in small groups to conduct collaborative deep thinking on the history of Puerto Rico. To do this, they will first watch the Suncoast Emmy award-winning documentary, The Last Colony to learn about the history of Puerto Rico and its complex political relationship with the United States. Then, guided by the professor, they will use a modified version of the ethnocharette experimental pedagogy, developed by the University of California at Irvine’s Center for Ethnography, to understand, organize, and think more deeply about the themes of the documentary. Finally, they use this information to imagine possible …

Research On The German Jewish Writer Ruth Rewald, Hiltrudis M. Arens

University Grant Program Reports

I received a University Research Grant for the fall of 2024 that allowed me to travel to Germany to conduct research on the German Jewish writer Ruth Rewald (1906-1942), whose estate is archived in the Federal Archive (Bundesarchiv) in Berlin.

Greedy Algorithm For Neural Networks For Indefinite Elliptic Problems, Qingguo Hong, Jiwei Jia, Young Ju Lee, Ziqian Li

Mathematics and Statistics Faculty Research & Creative Works

The paper presents a priori error analysis of the shallow neural network approximation to the solution to the indefinite elliptic equation and a cutting-edge implementation of the Orthogonal Greedy Algorithm (OGA) tailored to overcome the challenges of indefinite elliptic problems, which is a domain where conventional approaches often struggle due to the lack of coerciveness. A rigorous priori error analysis that shows the neural network's ability to approximate the solution of indefinite problems is confirmed numerically by OGA. We also present the error analysis of the relevant numerical quadrature. In particular, massive numerical implementations are conducted to justify the theory, …

The Question Of Textbooks In Academic Libraries: To Purchase Or Not? A Scoping Review, Jeanette Aprile, Danielle Aloia, Deborah A. Crooke, Marie T. Ascher

NYMC Faculty Publications

Objectives: Textbook costs have escalated for students and the library. The objective of this scoping review is to assist libraries in developing a collection policy for course-required textbooks informed by themes and outcomes recognized in the existing body of research.

Methods: The scoping review was conducted using Arksey and O’Malley’s framework and the JBI Manual for Evidence Synthesis. The team did an environmental scan, constructed a comprehensive search strategy in six databases, and conducted hand and cited-reference searching. Included papers were quantitative or qualitative studies with outcomes described and mapped to prevailing themes.

Results: Nine hundred twenty-three records were identified …

Item 1: Syllabus: African American Literature, Scott Hicks

Scott Hicks, African American Literature

This syllabus surveys African American literature via the reading and discussion of canonical texts enriched by relevant documentaries. It is divided into a series of topics, organized thematically and roughly chronologically, that foreground consideration of core concepts (such as consciousness, freedom, love, and self-actualization) and tropes (such as tricksters, enslavement, vernacular, and double consciousness) and culminate in consideration of voting advocacy within the context of civil rights activism. Finally, the syllabus makes space for synchronous collaborative writing, in support of students’ development of skills of interpretation and critical thinking in relationship with each other.

Item 1: Syllabus: English 3xx: Argumentation: “The Ballot Of The Bullet”, Sarah Rudewalker

Sarah RudeWalker, The Ballot or the Bullet

This syllabus for an upper-level undergraduate course in argumentation, rhetoric, or communication contains a course concept, assignment descriptions, and a detailed course schedule with readings centering Malcolm X’s provocative ultimatum of “the ballot or the bullet” as the way forward for African American liberation and a functioning American democracy. The first half of the course provides students with a foundation in core theories and concepts of argumentation, and the second half of the course asks them to apply them by participating in public address, deliberation, and debate in the class and out in the world.

Item 1: Shakespeare For Civic Action Course Syllabus (Upper-Level Undergraduate Course), Molly Slavin

Molly Slavin, Shakespeare for Civic Action Course Syllabus (upper-level undergraduate course)

This syllabus sets out a general overview for an upper-level literature class titled “Shakespeare for Civic Action.” The syllabus contains readings, a course schedule, and brief sketches of assignments. This syllabus would be useful for English or other literature professors who would like anywhere from a full-fledged syllabus to ideas and inspiration for how to incorporate civic education into a class on a canonical author. Five other deliverables (three activities and two assignments) are also submitted as part of this class/syllabus.

Keynoter, September/October 2025, Boise State University Association Of Office Professionals

Boise State University Association of Office Professionals - Keynoter

President's Message

Talent Show

Guest message: Prioritizing

Professional & Personal Development

Recipes

NAEOP

Enrichment Program

Treasurer's Report

Readership

PSP Certification

Membership

General AOP Info

Calendar

Premenopausal Transition In Neurodivergent Women With Musculoskeletal Syndromes: Mechanisms, Risks, And Neuroinclusive Therapeutics, Piper Hutson, James Hutson

Faculty Scholarship

Neurodivergent women with chronic musculoskeletal syndromes experience disproportionate premenopausal symptom burdens that are poorly characterized in extant clinical paradigms and practice. The compounded interplay of estrogen fluctuations in premenopause with sensory–executive differences and baseline nociception from joint or connective-tissue pathology yields intensified pain, mood dysregulation, and functional decline. Evidence indicates estrogen modulates nociception, neuroinflammation, bone remodeling, and monoaminergic signaling; premenopausal variability magnifies pain, affective lability, and cognitive drift—effects accentuated in autism and ADHD. Coexisting hypermobility, fibromyalgia, or connective-tissue disorders compromise joint integrity and proprioception, increasing susceptibility to estrogen-dependent changes in bone microarchitecture and tendon homeostasis. This article advances an integrative …

A Complicated History Of Mitogenome Introgression Among Luxilus Species (Teleostei, Family Leuciscidae) In The Ozark Highlands, David D. Duvernell, Carson Arnold, Shila Koju, Abby J. Wicks, Thomas E. Dowling

Biological Sciences Faculty Research & Creative Works

Hybridization is common among minnows and shiners in the family Leuciscidae, and mitonuclear discordance can reveal evidence of historical hybridization and introgression events that have shaped extant species and populations. We have identified a notable case of serial mitogenome replacement in populations of two shiner species, Luxilus zonatus and L. chrysocephalus, which are syntopic in drainages throughout the northern and eastern Ozark Interior Highlands of North America. These mitogenome replacement events involved L. zonatus acquiring the mitogenome of L. chrysocephalus, and populations of L. chrysocephalus acquiring the mitogenome of an allopatric congeneric species, L. cornutus. The latter species has a …

Strengthening The Rule Of Law In Ecuador: A Conversation With Jhoel Escudero Soliz, President Of The Constitutional Court, Jhoel Escudero, David Collins

Judicature International

No abstract provided.

Item 5: Assignment 2: The Social Media Posts Of Puerto Rico’S Main Political Parties, Leila Rodriguez

Leila Rodriguez, Civic Engagement in/for Puerto Rico (English)

The purpose of this assignment is for students to analyze the differences among Puerto Rico’s main political parties, and how they represent themselves on social media. Students work in small groups to conduct content analysis of the Facebook posts of Puerto Rico’s main five political parties. After reviewing a brief description and history of each political party, students access their Facebook accounts and review the last twenty-five posts that each party made. Then, using a guide included in this assignment, they analyze the content of those posts to determine: the main topics addressed through social media; the sentiment attached to …