Digital Commons Network^™

When The Wind Is Right, Luke Matthew Kuennen

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Rural Ukrainian Life Under, After, and Near Russian Occupation

Ukraine is endowed with several significant economic assets and plays a crucial role in global trade, particularly due to its rich agricultural resources and strategic location in Eastern Europe. Ukraine's agricultural strength largely stems from its geography and the quality of its soil. The country has about 41 million hectares of arable land, which is approximately 70% of its total land area. The soil is primarily chernozem, or black soil, which is highly fertile and rich in organic matter. This makes Ukraine's land among the most productive in the world.

When …

Climate And Seasonal Influences On Indo-Pacific Sea Level: Insights From 30 Years Of Satellite And Tide Gauge Data, Karlina Triana

ASEAN Journal on Science and Technology for Development

We analyze Indo-Pacific sea-level variability using monthly satellite altimetry (1993–2025) validated against records from 16 tide-gauge stations. Cross-comparisons show strong agreement, especially in the western Pacific, confirming the reliability of altimetry for regional assessments. Seasonal SLA variability is largest in the Bay of Bengal and South China Sea and reflects monsoonal forcing, whereas interannual fluctuations in the eastern Indian and western Pacific oceans are dominated by ENSO and modulated by PDO. Harmonic decomposition isolates annual and semi-annual cycles, and an EOF/PCA framework identifies the leading modes: EOF1 (30.8%) captures basin-scale interannual variability and EOF2 (20.9%) reflects the seasonal cycle. Spectral …

Sinn Féin And The Anglo-Irish Agreement, Agnès Maillot

New England Journal of Public Policy

No abstract provided.

Transportation Needs And Commuting Stress Among Hospitality Employees: A Perspective From The Las Vegas Strip Corridor, Mehmet Erdem, Shashi Nambisan, Jehun Moon, Billy Bai, Juliana Byzyka, William Werner, Bethany Khan

ICHRIE Research Reports

This study examines the determinants of commute-related stress by integrating behavioral and situational perspectives within Las Vegas contexts. Grounded in the spillover theory, this study conceptualizes commuting stress as a cross-domain process in which strain generated during commuting extends into broader psychological outcomes. Employing an ordinary least squares (OLS) regression model, this study identifies the key components associated with commuting stress using survey data from 1,224 union workers in the Strip Corridor in Las Vegas. Findings reveal that experiential and situational factors play a dominant role in shaping stress perceptions. Specifically, traffic disruptions and behavioral adaptations (e.g., leaving earlier) emerge …

Digital Colonialism In Ai-Enhanced Sustainability Education: A Decolonial Systematic Review, Matthew Sauber

Faculty Scholarship 2026

As artificial intelligence reshapes higher education globally, its integration into sustainability programs raises urgent questions about equity, epistemological justice, and the reproduction of colonial power structures through technological systems. Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) is premised on inclusive, justice-oriented pedagogy, yet the AI tools increasingly deployed in these programs originate predominantly from the Global North and embed Western epistemological assumptions. This study investigates how AI integration in higher education sustainability programs operates as a form of digital colonialism, creating systematic inequities that contradict ESD’s foundational commitments. We conducted a decolonial systematic review synthesizing 61 empirical studies identified through structured searches …

Pancreatic Cancer Detection Consortium Biomarker Bakeoff: A Phase Ii Blinded Biomarker Validation And Panel Discovery Study, Ann L. Oberg, William R. Bamlet, Grant Izmirlian, Seetharaman Balasenthil, Surinder K. Batra, Masataka Hayashi, Daniel S. Herman, Michael A. Hollingsworth, Maneesh Jain, Ann M. Killary, Brianna M. Krusen, Suyu Liu, Shounak Majumder, Gopalakrishnan Natarajan, Subrata Sen, Lynette M. Smith, Sudhir Srivastava, Brian M. Wolpin, Kenneth S. Zaret, Michael G. Goggins

Journal Articles: Biochemistry & Molecular Biology

PURPOSE: The Pancreatic Cancer Detection Consortium (PCDC) performed a blinded Early Detection Research Network-defined phase II biomarker bakeoff study of blood-based biomarker panels. The aims were to evaluate panel performance, to compare the panels' performance with that of cancer antigen 19-9 (CA19-9) alone, and to evaluate the performance of new combinations of the individual biomarkers.

EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN: Ten biomarkers representing eight biomarker panels and CA19-9 were evaluated using plasma, serum, and germline DNA from 140 stage I to IV pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) cases and 140 controls from three tertiary care institutions, with controls frequency matched to cases on age …

Strengthening Ocean Literacy: Marine Science Education And Training To Ensure Australia's Blue Future, Prue Francis, Rachel Kelly, Louise Swanson, Tanveer M. Adyel, Benjamin Arthur, Kirsten Benkendorff, Melanie J. Bishop, Helen Bostock, Marnie L. Campbell, Emma Church, Corrine Condie, Vaibhavi Dwivedi, Michelle Dyer, Matthew England, Liam Fullbrook, Charlie Huveneers, Malcolm Johnson, Brianna Le Busque, Rebecca R. Mcintosh, Amelie Meyer, Benjamin Mos, Jana Mrazova, Allyson O'Brien, Gretta T. Pecl, Amandine Schaeffer, Rebecca J. Shellock, Grant A. Smith, Scott Smithers, Ana Vila-Concejo, Graham Wood

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

This white paper sets out a national vision for advancing ocean literacy in Australia and outlines the role of marine science in fostering an informed, engaged society capable of addressing the challenges and opportunities of our changing oceans. As environmental pressures intensify, and marine resource demands increase, Australians’ capacity to engage with ocean issues, understand risks and opportunities, and participate in marine decision-making has never been more urgent. Marine science will play a central role in building ocean literacy by delivering credible, actionable science, and strengthening education and training systems that enhance understanding of, and connection to, the ocean. Our …

Forest Island Reforestation In The Llanos De Moxos, Bolivia, Ethan Tam

Graduate Studies Theses and Dissertations 2026

Within the Llanos de Moxos of Bolivia thousands of forest islands dot the landscape. These forest islands have been shown to have been integral aspects of the pre-Contact indigenous cultures which existed there for thousands of years. Based on 1967 CORONA imagery and statistical analysis, this work provides insight into how these forest islands are integrated as infrastructure features within their landscape and surrounding network of other archaeological features. This research is carried out through investigations into changes in the size of the forest islands across an interval of 57 years, statistical attempts to categorize the forest island into smaller …

Human-Centered Governance Of Climate Resilience: Integrating Sustainability, Equity, And Mental Health, Chelcee A. Pangerl

Graduate Studies Theses and Dissertations 2026

This dissertation examines how sustainability and resilience are defined, implemented, and experienced across three levels of climate governance: household perception, community experience, and federal policy. Climate resilience is often evaluated through infrastructure performance, emissions targets, restoration timelines, and preparedness systems, yet these measures do not fully capture how residents experience uncertainty, support, equity, and mental health. To address this gap, the dissertation develops and applies the Integrated Policy Framework for Sustainability and Resilience (IPFSR). IPFSR organizes six domains into three functional categories: policy outcomes, human-centered dimensions, and implementation mechanisms. Sustainability and operational/physical resilience are treated as policy outcomes; mental health …

A Hybrid Geospatial And Remote Sensing Methodology For Drought Vulnerability Assessment In Semi-Arid Ecosystems, Kaifi Fakhir Chomani

Mansoura Engineering Journal

The Kurdistan Region of Iraq (KRI) faced significant drought challenges due to global and environmental changes, necessitating drought assessments. Advanced techniques of remote sensing, Geographic Information Systems (GIS), and Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) were combined in this research to perform drought vulnerability zonation for KRI. Average annual rainfall, Average number of rainy days, Average annual temperature, slope, elevation, normalised difference water index (NDWI), normalised difference vegetation index (NDVI), land surface temperature (LST), and temperature condition index (TCI) were selected as contributing parameters for drought vulnerability assessments. The considered parameters were weighted using pairwise comparison, and thematic maps were created to …

Democratizing Restitution: Trust As An Equitable Approach To Competing Claims On Cultural Heritage Objects, Britta Redwood

Articles

As formerly colonized states began to win their independence in the mid-twentieth century, a growing chorus of voices called on museums in London, Paris, Berlin, and other European cities to return objects taken during the colonial period. Having largely ignored these requests until recently, museums throughout Europe and the United States have begun negotiating returns of these objects to their rightful owners. There is a growing recognition among Western cultural institutions that continuing to hold cultural heritage objects taken under conditions of coercion or violence is morally untenable. More recently, some scholars have argued for a human rights approach to …

The Desecration Of Sacred Spaces In The Dead Sea Scrolls And Pre-Nicene Latin Christianity: A History Of Interpretation Of The Eschatological Motif Of The Defiling Enemy In Apocalypticism, Rodrigo De Galiza Barbosa

Dissertations

Problem

The motif of the polluting enemy in the sanctuary is an important point of departure in the articulation of community boundaries in Hebraic-Christian culture. This particular motif has the potential to explain, at least in part, how Jewish and Christian communities would have understood the apocalyptic evil other and, from this understanding, set boundaries for their holy communities. Texts such as Dan 8 and 2 Thess 2 have been the locus classicus of the so-called antichrist, and ever since their interpretation has shaped how Christians and Jews have understood the enemy to their respective communities. In the history of …

Just Prosecution, G. Ben Cohen

Akron Law Faculty Publications

Prosecutors were once envisioned as the heroes of the criminal legal system, wielding immense power to secure justice. Yet their role remained largely untethered to a coherent, principled framework. Without clear guardrails, traditional prosecution contributed to mass incarceration, racial disparities, and punitive excesses. Progressive prosecution sought to redress these deficiencies, but a lack of cohesive theoretical grounding, accompanied by a divestiture of power, left prosecutions weak. Reform was fragmented by electoral pressures but remained subject to abolitionist critiques. This article asks readers to consider the idea of Just Prosecution as a way of reimagining the prosecutor’s role—raising the question of …

The Bridwell Quarterly, Issue 30 Winter 2026, Anthony Elia, Michelle S. Ried

Bridwell Library Publications

No abstract provided.

The Ywca Goes To The Countryside: The Rural Work Of The Chinese Young Women’S Christian Association, 1926-1947, Elizabeth Littell-Lamb Phd

Asia Pacific Perspectives

This is the first study of the Chinese YWCA’s rural work. The decision to “go to the countryside” in part grew out of a critique by Chinese YWCA women of its Westerninfluenced agenda. That critique led the YWCA national committee to establish rural work as a first step toward a China-centered agenda. Key aspects of that agenda were the empowerment of rural secretaries in the field and the inclusion of rural women as members. The empowerment of rural secretaries contributed to the democratization of professional relationships within the association. The inclusion of rural women as members allowed the YWCA to …

Lower Suicidal Ideation Linked To Easier Access To Urban Green Spaces During The Covid-19 Pandemic: A Nationwide Study In Japan, Zheng Xian, Tomoki Nakaya, Clive E. Sabel, Ryo Okubo, Kun Liu, Jinguang Zhang, Takahiro Tabuchi

School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences

Urban green spaces (UGSs) have been linked to improved mental health and lower suicide rates, yet their protective role during large-scale crises remains underexplored. We examined associations of UGS accessibility with long-term and pandemic induced new-onset suicidal ideation during the early phase of the COVID-19 pandemic in urban Japan, using data from a nationwide health survey of 17,376 participants (August 2020). Modified Poisson regression models estimated prevalence ratios (PRs) for suicidal ideation by UGS accessibility (area, number, and type) within 5, 10, and 15-minute walking thresholds from home, controlling for individual and area-level confounders. UGS accessibility exhibited dose-response relationships with …

Direct And Indirect Metal Contamination Of Estuarine Sediments By Boat Paint Particles, Andrew Turner, Ho Kwan Cheung

School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences

Surface and subsurface estuarine sediments close to a cluster of abandoned boats have been fractionated (between <250 and 5000 μm) and analysed microscopically for paint particles. Paints were encountered in all samples, with concentrations calculated for whole sediment samples up to 1450 per kg (dry weight). X-ray fluorescence (XRF) analysis of paint particles retained by the coarsest (>5000 μm) size fraction revealed heterogeneous concentrations of Ba, Cu, Pb, Sn and Zn that reflect pigments and antifoulants used in various recent and historical antifouling and above waterline boat paints. Analysis of sediments by XRF revelated heterogeneous distributions of these metals between locations, size fractions and depths, and among replicate measurements at different positions of the same sample. Consequently, no relationship with grain size (evaluated using Rb as a proxy) was evident and concentrations often greatly exceeded predicted effect levels for sediments. Re-analysis …

Assessing The Application Of Optical-Photothermal Infrared Spectroscopy For Single-Grain Chemical Palynology, Laura Scoble, Hao Meng, Simon J. Ussher, Mark F. Fitzsimons, Lauren Ansell, Mustafa Kansiz, Billy Simmonds, Nick Stone, Ralph M. Fyfe

School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences

Single-grain pollen analysis is essential for advancing chemical palynology, which classifies morphologically similar taxa based on taxon-specific pollen and sporopollenin chemistry. Fourier-Transform Infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy and microspectroscopy (μFT-IR) are widely used to differentiate morphologically similar grains but face limitations from Mie scattering and coarse spatial resolution. Here, we present the first application of Optical-PhotoThermal Infrared (O-PTIR) spectroscopy to chemically treated single pollen grains, using Molinia caerulea as a model taxon to fully test and evaluate the technical capabilities and limitations of this technique. O-PTIR achieves sub-micron “super-resolution” infrared spectroscopy through non-contact, non-destructive measurements by exploiting the photothermal effect. O-PTIR spectra …

Ottoman Wikālas In Cairo: Islamic Architecture Beyond The Mosque, Yumna Moussa

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis traces one of the largest architectural typologies in Cairo: the wikāla, a type of urban caravanserai unique to Egypt. Estimated to have reached more than five hundred buildings by the 18^th century, the wikāla was the building of choice for most patrons in Ottoman Cairo. This study initially investigates the evolution of commercial architecture within the Islamic city. It then explores the defining architectural features of Cairene wikālas built between the 16^th and 18^th centuries—their plans, decorative/iconographic programs, and urban distribution—based on waqfiyyas, chronicles, travelers’ accounts, and photographic archives. Since many of …

The Birth Of Afghanistan: From Ancient Persia To A Modern-Day Multiethnic And Linguistic Country, Tyler A. Worm

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

This thesis offers a comprehensive historical analysis of the formation and evolution of Afghan identity from antiquity through the early medieval period, emphasizing the region’s role as a dynamic crossroads of civilizations. It traces the origins of Afghan populations to Indo-Iranian pastoralist migrations and examines the successive influence of major imperial formations, including the Median and Achaemenid Persian empires, the conquests of Alexander and the Seleucid period, and the rise of the Kushan, Parthian, and Sasanian states. Through this longue durée approach, the study demonstrates how Afghanistan’s geographic position facilitated continuous cultural interaction, economic exchange, and political contestation, producing a …

Workshop Outcomes Report: 2nd International Workshop On Seismic Resilience Of Arctic Infrastructure And Social Systems, Majid Ghayoomi, Daniela Morganti

Faculty Publications

The report provides an overview of the second international workshop on Seismic Resilience of Arctic Infrastructure and Social Systems. The report discusses agenda, workshop activities, interdisciplinary working groups, and results. It ends with several strategic questions and investigation plans that were developed as part of the workshop activities.

Predictive Analytics For Optimising Delivery Performance In Supply Chain Management, Vishwanath Sai Krishna Teja

ICT

Supply chain management has always been a challenging area where delivery delays stand as one of its main ongoing issues. Many companies continue to use outdated data collection systems despite the advancements in data collection tools. This study investigates how predictive analytics can help companies to prevent their operational problems from reaching their customers.

In this study, two datasets were used. The first is the Data Co Smart Supply Chain dataset which covers order level operations from 2015 to 2018, and the second is the World Bank Logistics Performance Index, which covers logistics quality across more than 160 countries. After …

Predicting Co₂ Emissions From Cattle-Driven Deforestation In The Amazon Rainforest Using Machine Learning, Daniel Ambrosio, Suelen Rocha

ICT

Deforestation has become a major environmental issue worldwide, especially in the Amazon Rainforest, which is known as one of the world’s largest carbon sinks. This region has been significantly impacted by cattle farming, contributing to increased CO₂ emissions and land degradation. As Brazil is one of the world’s largest beef producers and exporters, the environmental impact of livestock production has attracted increasing attention from organisations, governments, and sustainability analysts.

This project aims to analyse the relationship between cattle farming, deforestation, and CO₂ emissions in the Amazon using Machine Learning. Using the CRISP-DM framework, the project explored each stage of the …

Play-Based Learning In Private International Preschools In Cairo: Teachers' Perspectives, Kesha L. Stovall

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis explores how play-based learning is practiced and contextualized in private, international preschools in Cairo, Egypt through the perspective of teachers. It calls upon both historical and contemporary theories of play and play pedagogies ranging from the times of Plato and Al-Farabi to the 21st century with Montessori and Dewey. Using a contemporary theory of play presented by Stuart Lester and Wendy Russell as a guiding framework, it examines how play and play-based learning are implemented, shaped and even challenged in a Cairene context. These contexts include sociocultural factors such as parents’ expectations and aspirations, institutional barriers, teacher development …

Today And Yesterday, Vol. 50, 2026, Illinois State University, Department Of History

Today and Yesterday

Newsletter of the Illinois State University Department of History

The Impact Of Rurality On Durable Medical Equipment Access And Discharge Planning For Tracheostomy And Ventilation Care In Nebraska, Karissa Nichols, Kayley Anderson, Morgan Bintner, Teresa Rodriguez, Jana L. Wardian, Jayme Dowdall

Journal Articles: Hospital Medicine

OBJECTIVES: Recognize how rurality impacts safe discharge planning and home management for complex airway patients. This study explores the distribution of durable medical equipment (DME) companies for patients with tracheostomies and/or ventilators, aiming to identify patterns in service access statewide.

METHODS: Key informant phone surveys assessed active DME companies statewide. DME companies were identified through hospital referral lists, discharge directories, and online searches. Data collected included service radius, respiratory supplies, and ventilation types. Geographic information system (GIS) mapping visualized coverage. Rural-urban status was classified using rural-urban commuting area (RUCA) codes.

RESULTS: Of 16 companies identified, 6 were closed, leaving 50 …

Scholars Called: Ten Years Of Doctorates In Biblical Studies At Asbury Theological Seminary, David B. Schreiner, Jason A. Myers

Academic Books

No abstract provided.

A Quest For Food In Bedford-Stuyvesant And Brooklyn Heights: Residential Interactions With Neighborhood Food Resources, Aidan Carroll , ‘26

Senior Theses, Projects, and Awards

This thesis examines urban inequalities situated across Brooklyn, New York by speculating residential interactions with food resources in their neighborhood such as gardens, grocery stores, restaurants, and food pantries. With a specific focus on the areas Bedford-Stuyvesant and Brooklyn Heights of Brooklyn, New York, the study utilized qualitative data such as interviews and dietary food logs during ethnographic fieldwork in order to assess the ways in which experiences with accessing food can reveal a deeper message about systemic inequalities along the lines of racism and class if we are to consider food apartheid. That said, I found that food apartheid …

Essays In Housing And Consumer Finance, Spencer Stone

Theses and Dissertations--Finance and Quantitative Methods

In my first chapter, I show how consumer left-digit bias affects borrowing costs in the US residential mortgage market. I find that the distribution of mortgage rates bunch at .99-ending rates just below left-digit changing thresholds, and that this bunching is greater in the distribution of rates selected by borrowers than those simply offered by lenders. Comparing observably similar borrowers within the same 1-bp interest rate band, selecting similar mortgage products, in the same census tract and origination month, I show that borrowers receiving .99-ending rates pay significantly more fees than borrowers receiving the nearest whole-number rate just above them, …

Perceived Use Of Web-Based Videoconferencing For Social Connectedness Among Older Adults Living In Long-Term Care: Qualitative Study, Anna Garnett, Halyna Yurkiv, Denise M. Connelly, Richard Booth, Lorie Donelle Phd, Rn, Fcan, Faan

Publications

Background:

The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted how restrictions on in-person interactions within long-term care homes (LTCHs) severely compromised social connectedness among older adults and their families. Post pandemic, despite policy changes supporting greater in-person family engagement, frequent outbreaks continue to disrupt face-to-face interactions, and factors such as geography, life circumstances, and health can constrain family members’ ability to make regular in-person visits. Research suggests that web-based videoconferencing technology (WVT) may be a practical solution to help older adults within LTCHs to maintain social connection in the absence of physical gathering. However, increased understanding of end user experience is lacking, and more …