Digital Commons Network^™

Labor Productivity Losses Across Construction Trades: A Machine Learning Approach, Tamima Elbashbishy, Islam H. El-Adaway

Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Labor productivity is a major concern in the construction industry. Existing research on construction labor productivity (CLP) within specific trades has produced inconsistent findings due to differences in the factors analyzed. This lack of consistency makes it difficult to identify the most critical drivers of productivity losses across trades. To address this gap, this study adopts a cross-trade analytical approach to systematically identify and evaluate the inefficiencies impacting labor productivity in multiple construction trades. Specifically, the study (1) identified common organizational and project-level inefficiencies that influence labor performance; (2) conducted an expert-based survey to measure the frequency and perceived impact …

A Mobility Data-Driven Approach To Analyzing And Modeling Park Accessibility Inequities And Use In U.S. Cities, Michaelmary Chukwu

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Urban Park accessibility inequities have been a longstanding issue globally and the United States in particular. Despite the benefits that urban parks provide, use and access is not equitably distributed among the population, often favoring historically privileged populations over others (disadvantaged). Fortunately, improvements have been made in recent years to promote balanced park distribution in some cities; however, evidence still shows that most cities are behind. Interestingly, the rise in human mobility data has facilitated the study of human behavior and use of activity spaces. This thesis advances the existing studies on park accessibility and emerging human mobility to study …

Sound Decisions: The Impact Of Music Genre In Fashion Advertising On Consumer Perceptions And Purchase Intention, Cassandra Thomas

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This study examines how music genre, brand type, and the perceived congruency between the two influences consumer perceptions of fashion advertising. Guided by Congruity Theory and Attitude Theory, this study employed a 3x3 experimental design in which 252 participants viewed one of nine advertisement conditions varying by music genre (pop, hip-hop, electronic) and brand type (activewear, fast fashion, luxury). A series of one-way ANOVAs, bivariate correlations, and regression analyses were conducted to interpret the effects of music genre, brand type, and perceived congruency on attitudes toward 1) the advertisement and brand, 2) credibility of the advertisement and brand, and 3) …

Week 1: Can I Get A Witness?, Calvin University

Campus Ministries Resources

No abstract provided.

Mentors The Hidden Beneficiaries Of Mentoring, Mona Behl, Sarah Clem, Colleen Mouw, Sonya Legg, Erin Hackett, Kristin Burkholder, Kristopher B. Karnauskas, Sarah T. Gille, Lauren A. Freeman, Karan Venayagamoorthy, Jerry L. Miller

Marine Science

The community-based mentorship program MPOWIR (Mentoring Physical Oceanography Women+ to Increase Retention) supports late-stage graduate students and early-career professionals who identify as women or non-binary genders. Its participants engage in mentorship training and professional development, facilitate group mentoring, and draw attention to barriers women and non-binary genders face in physical oceanography. MPOWIR was created to increase the retention of women in physical oceanography in early career stages but has unexpectedly benefited the MPOWIR community beyond graduate students and early career professionals. Senior leaders participating as mentors in MPOWIR report a renewed sense of purpose, new research collaborations, a chance to …

The Fragrance Muse: Musk As A Symbolic Tapestry In Classical Persian Poetry, Akbar Shirini, Shen Xudong, Zhao Dan

Comparative Civilizations Review

This paper explores the symbolic representation of musk in classical Persian poetry, uncovering its role as a multifaceted emblem of Iranian cultural identity and human experience. Drawing on a qualitative analysis of primary texts from the Ganjoor archive and secondary sources, the study traces musk’s historical significance across China, Iran, and Islamic world. In China, musk is prized for its rarity, medicinal properties, and metaphysical roles; in Iran, it intertwines with mythology, Zoroastrian cosmology, and trade; in Islamic contexts, it holds commercial and therapeutic value, cherished by figures like Mohammad. Within Persian poetry, musk transcends its material origins, symbolizing blackness …

Full Issue

Comparative Civilizations Review

No abstract provided.

Changes In Child Placement After Child Abuse Pediatrics Consultation For Suspected Physical Abuse., Kristine A. Campbell, Antoinette L. Laskey, Daniel M. Lindberg, M Katherine Henry, Porcia Vaughn, James Anderst, Megan M. Letson, Angela N. Bachim, Nancy S. Harper, Carmen M. Coombs, Lori D. Frasier, Joanne N. Wood

Manuscripts, Articles, Book Chapters and Other Papers

BACKGROUND: The association between child abuse pediatric (CAP) assessments and child welfare outcomes is unknown.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the association between a CAP determination of the likelihood of physical abuse and change in child placement. We hypothesized that child race would be associated with CAP determination of abuse likelihood and child welfare outcomes.

PARTICIPANTS AND SETTING: Children under age ten years with in-person CAP consultation and referral to child protective services for suspected physical abuse at a U.S. pediatric referral center participating in CAPNET, a CAP research network, from 02/2021 to 01/2023.

METHODS: We created a series of generalized estimating …

Effects Of Gibberellic Acid (Ga3) And Cluster Thinning On Fruit Quality, Cluster Quality And Yield In Seedless Table Grape Cultivars, Radhika Rani

Master's Theses and Capstones

Seedless table grape production in cool-climate regions like the Northeastern U.S. is limited by cold temperatures, short growing season, and relatively few adapted cultivars. American species (Vitis labrusca) or interspecific hybrids offer more disease and cold resistance as compared to European species (V. vinifera), however, small berry size, lower yields, and low fruit quality have been some of the limitations for these cultivars. This study evaluated the effects of gibberellic acid (GA3) and cluster thinning under different training systems to improve cluster and berry quality in seedless table grape cultivars. The first experiment focused on ‘Concord Seedless’, examining the effects …

September 2025 Library & Learning Newsletter, Minnesota State University, Mankato. Library & Learning Dean’S Office Communications Team

Library & Learning Newsletters

PDF version of the September 2025 (Volume 4, Issue 2) Library & Learning Newsletter.

Consumer Carbon Footprint Of Fashion E-Commerce: A Comparative Analysis Between Omnichannel And Pure-Player Models In Spain, David Antonio Rosas Espín, Carlos Lli Torrabadella, María Tamames Sobrino, Irene Miguel Corbacho, José Luis Olazagoitia

Artículos científicos

The rapid expansion of fashion e-commerce has raised concerns over the environmental cost of last-mile deliveries, especially in pure-player models. This preliminary study examines the estimated carbon footprint of TENDAM’s omnichannel model—based on in-store pickup and returns—compared to pure-player home delivery, using a customer-level approach across 11 Spanish cities of varying sizes. A total of 3106 face-to-face surveys were conducted in TENDAM stores, capturing data on mobility behavior, transport modes, trip chaining, and service types. Emission factors were applied using a Python-based analytical model, and results were contrasted with Monte Carlo simulations from existing literature on pure players. Our findings …

Editorial: Building The Future Of Education Together: Innovation, Complexity, Sustainability, Interdisciplinary Research And Open Science, María Soledad Ramírez‑Montoya, M.A. Montoya, Diana Hernández-Montoya, Genaro Zavala-Enríquez, Antonio Martínez-Arboleda

Artículos científicos

On the eve of building the future of education, the need arises to seek unexplored paths toward an educational future built from the collective and for the collective. The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), through its international commission, issued a report in which it invites us to reimagine the future of education, stating that education is a fundamental pillar for forging a common and shared future, connecting humanity in the face of global challenges such as climate change and disinformation (UNESCO, 2021a). UNESCO mobilized a major conference “Transforming Knowledge for a Just and Sustainable Future” on the …

Review Of Jerusalem And Other Holy Places As Foci Of Multireligious And Ideological Confrontation, Rivka Ulmer

Other Faculty Research and Publications

No abstract provided.

Case Article—Optimizing Transportation And Equity In A District Zoning Problem For Orville Public Schools, Kelly M. Sullivan, Ashlea Bennett Milburn

Industrial Engineering Faculty Publications and Presentations

“Optimizing transportation and equity in a district zoning problem for ORville public schools” is a case developed to expose students to an optimization decision problem with ethical considerations incorporated. Specifically, students are asked to solve a school district zoning problem in which all residential addresses in a school district must be assigned to middle schools having capacity limits on the numbers of students that they can accommodate.

Interrogating The Racial Wealth Gap: Thinking Locally -- Event Program, Lender Center For Social Justice

The Lender Center for Social Justice

A pamphlet for the Interrogating the Racial Wealth Gap: Thinking Locally event.

The Uk's Intended Move To Electric And Connected And Autonomous Vehicles: Are Infrastructural Barriers Preventing Successful Transition?, Katy Ferris, James Marson

Transportation Law Journal

The advent of Connected and Autonomous Vehicles (CAVs) is poised to transform global transportation systems, offering unparalleled opportunities to enhance safety, sustainability, and efficiency. Given that CAVs are most likely also to be electric vehicles (EVs), and in the UK, CAVs/EVs are a central element of government efforts to modernise mobility while achieving net-zero emissions by 2050, it would seem the UK is ready to embrace the transition to this new and disruptive form of transportation. However, while technological innovation has surged, critical questions remain about the readiness of physical, digital, and policy infrastructures to support the widespread adoption of …

From Displacement To Design: Reframing Work, Skills, And Education For The Ai-Transformed Economy A Review, James Hutson

Faculty Scholarship

Between 2023 and 2025, the U.S. labor market entered a period of accelerated restructuring driven by generative artificial intelligence (AI) and automation. Routine, entry-level cognitive roles—particularly in clerical, customer service, and junior technical positions—contracted sharply as intelligent systems assumed high-volume, rules-based tasks. While these displacements echo past automation cycles, the present transformation is distinct in its scope, affecting both knowledge work and creative functions, and in its speed, amplified by enterprise-scale adoption. Simultaneously, demand has surged for specialized AI-related positions, interdisciplinary roles blending domain expertise with AI fluency, and ―durable skills‖ that remain resistant to automation. Drawing on labor market …

Gphy 400.01: Gepgraphy Capstone, Anna E. Klene

University of Montana Course Syllabi, 2021-2025

No abstract provided.

Distribution Of Block Grant Funding: Considerations For Rural Communities, Kate E. Beatty, Casey P. Balio, Margaret M. Francisco, Michael B. Meit, Stephanie M. Mathis

ETSU/NORC Rural Health Research Center Policy Briefs

No abstract provided.

A Rural Lens On Federal Block Grant Distribution, Casey P. Balio, Stephanie M. Mathis, Margaret M. Francisco, Michael Meit, Kate E. Beatty

ETSU/NORC Rural Health Research Center Policy Briefs

No abstract provided.

A Review Of Common Limitations In Rural-Related Studies In The Peer-Reviewed Literature, Stephanie M. Mathis, Olivia A. Sullivan, Margaret M. Francisco, Nicole Galler, Kate E. Beatty, Michael B. Meit, Chyanne Morrison, Christiana Keinath

ETSU/NORC Rural Health Research Center Policy Briefs

No abstract provided.

Balancing Acts: Student Rights, Parental Authority, And State Interests In Modern Sex Education, Linda S. Anderson

Marquette Benefits and Social Welfare Law Review

The article explores the complex interplay between parental rights, state authority, and student interests in the context of sex education in American public schools. It highlights the ongoing tension between abstinence-only and comprehensive sex education approaches, emphasizing the need for a student-centric framework that balances the rights and responsibilities of all stakeholders. The current legal landscape is examined through historical development, seminal court decisions, and recent legislative trends. Empirical evidence is presented to demonstrate the effectiveness of comprehensive sex education in promoting public health and supporting adolescents' development. The article advocates for a framework that incorporates student autonomy, age-appropriate content, …

From Stories To Strategy: Oral Histories As Qualitative Evidence For Neighborhood Planning, Randip K. Parhar

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Developments in neighborhood planning have sought more grounded and community- engaged approaches to space and service design. This capstone project examines how oral history recordings can serve as a data source for neighborhood planning. It asks “How can computational methods of analysis be applied to oral history recordings to provide a source of information for neighborhood planning?” using Jamaica, Queens, as a testbed. Using R as a computational tool, the project applies foundational text mining techniques, such as term frequency analysis, n-gram analysis, and topic modeling, to explore patterns and themes within the recorded narratives. These methods can provide a …

The Crisis Of Safety, Well-Being, And Belonging Facing Lgbtq Children: Mad/Crip Of Color Critique Towards A Curriculum Of Radical Care, Jameson Goetz

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

In this thesis, I turn toward the study of educational experience, defined broadly to include lived experiences both within and outside of formal schooling institutions. I approach curriculum as an ongoing project of self-understanding in which one becomes mobilized for engaged pedagogical action alongside others in the pursuit social justice. I am guided by the following question, foundational to the field of curriculum studies: for those of us who work alongside LGBTQ children, what knowledge is of most worth? Critically reflecting on ways of working alongside LGBTQ children in the pursuit of social justice, I formulate a mad/crip of color …

Exploring The Role Of Ecological Traits In Shaping Spatial Patterns Of Genetic Diversity, Rilquer Mascarenhas Da Silva

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

The field of comparative phylogeography aims at uncovering common underlying causes for shared patterns of diversity and diversification at the population level. However, it is now widely accepted that intraspecific genetic diversity patterns can differ considerably across co-occurring taxa due to ecological processes acting at the population level (and influencing individual movement and abundance). To model the processes underlying lineage diversification and demographic shifts in response to environmental changes, phylogeographers and population geneticists are now faced with the challenge of incorporating measurements of species ecological traits into their molecular studies. This dissertation aimed at investigating how different types of ecological …

The Floodnet Community Engagement Guide, Véronëque Ignace, Sofia Mariyamis, Kendra Krueger, Polly Pierone, Hayley Elszasz, Hannah Eisler Burnett

The Science and Resilience Institute at Jamaica Bay, SRIJB

"At the Intersection of Science, Policy, and Community: The FloodNet NYC Community Engagement Strategy” is a public-facing community engagement guide that documents the strategies, tools, and lessons developed through FloodNet NYC, a cross-sector partnership among researchers at NYU and CUNY and New York City agencies. Designed as a practical resource, this guide shares our approach to community engagement and dissemination so that researchers, practitioners, community organizations, and public agencies can adapt these methods to their own urban climate science projects and other community-centered efforts that address climate challenges.

Grounded in community-based participatory research (CBPR) principles, the guide presents community engagement …

Cubic Spherical Neutrosophic Numbers For Communication Effectiveness Evaluation Of Intangible Cultural Heritage Traditional Music, Fanfu Lu

Neutrosophic Sets and Systems

No abstract provided.

Racial Moderation Of Infant Mortality Risk And Protective Factors In The United States, Temitope Oluwaseun Akinsola

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The rate of infant mortality is a pressing health issue in the United States, as ethnic minorities are disproportionately affected. This study addressed how race controls the predictive power of demographic, socioeconomic, and geographic factors on infant mortality. Using a quantitative correlational design, secondary data from 181 individuals listed in the CDC-National Vital Statistics System database were used, which contains nationally aggregated data related to infant mortality rates. Bronfenbrenner’s social ecological model guided the study, and multiple regression and moderation models were used to examine socioeconomic status and access to healthcare on infant mortality outcomes. Results indicated that race significantly …

Dietary Modulation Of Obesity-Specific Gut Microbial Signatures And Their Functional Roles, Anjula Swathi Sagam

Tennessee State University Alumni Theses and Dissertations

Obesity remains a major global health concern, contributing significantly to chronic diseases. While diet is a well-known driver of obesity, emerging evidence suggests the key role of gut microbiota in mediating diet-related metabolic outcomes. Numerous epidemiological and microbiome studies suggested diet-microbiome-obesity associations. However, consistent microbial markers and mechanistic insights remain limited. To address this gap, this study aimed to identify consistent microbial species associated with obesity and investigate how diet influences their growth and function. A review of over 200 publicly available 16S rRNA and shotgun metagenomic studies revealed consistent microbial patterns in obesity, including members of Firmicutes and Bacteroidetes. …

Korea’S Unification: Unifying Visionary Leadership, Paul Hong

KAUPA Letters

This third essay highlights the critical role of unifying visionary leadership in advancing Korea’s unification—a goal that cannot be achieved through policy frameworks or economic integration alone. While shared history, language, and culture provide the foundation for national unity, it is bold and ethical leadership that transforms these foundations into strategic action and reconciles entrenched ideological and institutional divides. A brief analysis of prominent figures in Korean history—Dangun, Kim Choonchu, Wang Geon, Yi Seong-gye, King Sejong, Yi Sun-sin, Kim Gu, Syngman Rhee, and Park Chung-hee—reveals recurring leadership traits such as moral authority, long-term vision, cultural stewardship, and inclusive governance. These …