Digital Commons Network^™

Commentary On Blaser's "Antibiotic Use And Its Consequences For The Normal Microbiome", Fred C. Tenover

AMR Commentary

If you have not read this eye-opening commentary by Dr. Martin Blaser about the negative impact of the widespread use of antibiotics in children, you should. The goal of giving antibiotics to children usually is to treat an infection — an earache, a respiratory tract infection, or perhaps a potentially deadly bloodstream infection. Those antibiotics, however, will often kill more than just the bacteria that are causing the infection. Humans have large quantities of “good bacteria” in our intestinal tracts, on our skin, and elsewhere on our body that play an important role in keeping us healthy.

Illinois Longitudinal Data System: Data Governance, Processes, And Integration, Benjamin Boer, Kate Eischens

Practitioner Toolkits and Resources

The Illinois Longitudinal Data System (ILDS) supports data-driven policy and practice across Illinois’ education and workforce sectors by facilitating secure, interagency data sharing and governance. Established by state statute, ILDS’s mission is to provide high-quality, timely, and actionable information from birth through career to inform equitable outcomes and engaged communities. This document provides an overview of the ILDS and documents policies and processes for its governance; data management, staging, and request; technologies and data security; legal; and, communications.

Skin Bacteriome Structure And Batrachochytrium Dendrobatidis Prevalence Differs Amongst Two Sympatric Salamanders In The San Francisco Bay Area., Aria Norwood, Jadyn Jamora, Micuel Madison, Jamiee Nguyen, Azan Yousaf, Katya Morales, Emily Vu, Obed Hernández-Gómez

Natural Sciences and Mathematics | Student Professional Publications

Microbial surveys are becoming an important component of wildlife health research, especially in cases where environmental change and infectious diseases are serious issues. Amongst amphibians, Batrachochytrium spp. have the potential to be fatal pathogens that can impact the population health of numerous species. We assessed the skin bacteriome, prevalence of Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd) and body conditions of two salamander genera with different life histories: the California slender salamander (Batrachoseps attenuatus) and members of the Pacific newt species complex (Taricha torosa and Taricha granulosa; Taricha sp.). We used 16S rRNA V4 amplicon sequencing to characterise the bacterial communities. Taricha sp. had …

Comparing Conventional And Alternative Mechanisms Of Discovering And Accessing The Scientific Literature, William H. Walters

Articles

This study compares the bibliographic and full-text coverage of 15 conventional and alternative discovery/access mechanisms: two multidisciplinary library databases (Scopus and the Web of Science Core Collection), five single-subject databases, the integrated library search (ILS) mechanism of Manhattan University, a scholarly search engine (Google Scholar), two web-based scholarly databases (Dimensions and OpenAlex), two academic social networks (Academia.edu and ResearchGate), and two pirate sites (Anna’s Archive and Sci-Hub). The analysis is based on known-item searches for 875 target documents in chemistry, materials science, cardiology, public health, economics, education, and psychology. Overall, Google Scholar, OpenAlex, and the ILS are the most comprehensive …

Issue 468: July 2025, The Local Voice

The Local Voice

No abstract provided.

How To Become A Statesperson: A Practical And Aspirational Guide For Students And Young Professionals, John Shaw

Institute Publications

How do you become a statesperson? This aspirational and practical guide is Shaw's considered response to such an intriguing and consequential question. The author's hope is that the reader explores these ideas and uses them as a springboard to assemble his or her own plan to become a superb citizen and then an effective statesperson. This will be a life-long journey. Shaw firmly believes that statesmanship is not a gift or a genius bestowed on a select few. Rather, it is a cast of mind, a pattern of behavior, a set of skills, and a serious commitment that can be …

Analyzing Racial And Geographic Distribution In Clinical Trial Enrollment Among Women With Advanced Stage Ovarian Cancer, Paxton Gillispie, Dhruva Dave, Gerald Mcgwin, Ashwini Katre, Ashley Anderson, Teresa Boitano, Nneka Ijeli, Purva Pawar, Rebecca Arend

Expo Student Presentations

2025 Summer Expo Poster Presentation

• Physical & Applied Sciences
• Health Sciences & Health Professions

Adaptation Planning To Mitigate Flood Risk: Bellevue, Nebraska As A Case Study, Michael Nti Ababio

Community and Regional Planning Program: Theses

Flooding remains one of the most pressing natural hazards in the United States, with increasing frequency and intensity driven by climate change. This thesis explores the adaptation planning strategies employed to mitigate flood risks in Bellevue, Nebraska, a city significantly impacted by the 2019 floods in eastern Nebraska. Using a mixed-methods approach, the study combines quantitative analysis of flood vulnerability with a critical review of local planning policies using documents, zoning ordinances and institutional frameworks. Spatial analytical tools such as Global Moran’s I and Hot Spot Analysis (Getis-Ord Gi*) were used to detect clustering of inundated buildings during the 2019 …

Aeolus-Ds: Dust-Aware Ai Decision Support For Coccidioidomycosis (Valley Fever) — A Design Science Research Framework Integrating Aerosol Remote Sensing, Land Disturbance, And Clinical Sentinel Signals, Harsha Sammangi, Aditya Jagatha, Harshini Balaga

Research & Publications

This paper presents Aeolus-DS, a design science research (DSR) artifact that integrates aerosol remote sensing (MAIAC AOD; dust fraction), mesoscale meteorology and soil moisture (ERA5), land-disturbance telemetry (construction, off-road vehicle activity, nightlights) and clinical sentinel signals (syndromic ED chief complaints, pneumonia rule-out) into a dust-aware, AI-driven early warning and decision-support system for Coccidioidomycosis (Valley Fever). Methodologically, we propose a graph spatiotemporal transformer with direction-aware attention and physics-guided regularisation reflecting aeolian transport. Using county-week panels (2014-2024) for the U.S. Southwest (AZ–CA–NV), Aeolus-DS improves now-casting mean absolute error (MAE) by 18% and two-week area under precision-recall curve (AUPRC) by 21% over …

Assessment Of Spatial Autocorrelation And Scalability In Fine-Scale Wildfire Random Forest Prediction Models, Madeleine Pascolini-Campbell, Joshua B. Fisher, Kerry Cawse-Nicholson, Christine M. Lee, Natasha Stavros

Biology, Chemistry, and Environmental Sciences Faculty Articles and Research

Wildfire prediction models that can be applied across diverse regions at fine scales (<  100 m) are critical for wildfire management. Remote sensing offers a path forward by providing heterogeneous and dynamic measurements of fuel load, type, and flammability. Machine learning methods such as random forests provide an empirical framework that are high-accuracy, computationally efficient, interpretable and able to model complex ecological relationships. Here we use high resolution (70 m, every 3–5 days) remote sensing observations of evapotranspiration and evaporative stress index, which represent plant water stress, from Ecosystem Spaceborne Thermal Radiometer on Space Station (ECOSTRESS), as well as topography and weather data, to predict burn severity and occurrence for 8 large wildfires that burned 3715 km² from 2021 and 2022 in New Mexico, USA. These fires ranged from low to high burn intensity, and covered a diverse range of ecoregions (deserts, grasslands, forests), plant species, and topographies. We used a single model to predict the burn severity of all wildfires one week before occurrence. The prediction accuracy was greatest when using all predictors (ECOSTRESS, weather, topography) (R² = 0.77). We assessed the role of spatial autocorrelation in driving model performance by: (1) increasing the sample spacing of our dataset, (2) …

2025-2026 Self-Study Report For The Bachelor Of Science In Engineering, Kettering University

ABET Engineering

This document is intended to fulfill the self-study requirement associated with ABET’s 2025-2026 initial accreditation review of the Bachelor of Science in Engineering program at Kettering University.

Music, Poetry And Identity In Badakshan, Tajikistan: Singing And Sounding Community, Chorshanbe Goibnazarov

Music & Performance in Muslim Contexts

An illuminating account of Ismaili music, spiritual poetry and social change in Badakhshan.

In the riverine valleys of the Pamir Mountains of Tajik Badakhshan, a thriving millennium-old community of Nizari Ismaili Muslims created a unique spiritual culture in which the performance of music and poetry plays a central role. This book focuses on the central musical and poetic tradition of the Pamiri Ismailis, qasīda-khonī (also known as maddo), tracing its origins, evolution, delocalisation and relocation.

This book introduces readers to leading performers of qasīda-khonī and to the Ismaili gnosis that inspires its music and poetry.

• Based on six …

Seeding Science: Exploring Impacts From Interdisciplinary Project-Based Learning Experiences On Preservice Teachers Science Teaching Self-Efficacy, Kathryn Ruth Madden

Theses and Dissertations

Early childhood and elementary education preservice teachers often report having limited firsthand experiences in constructivist, inquiry-based science instruction. This can be a factor in contributing to nervous or anxious feelings about teaching science to young learners. To address this critical problem, this study explored the impact of interdisciplinary project-based learning (PBL) experiences on preservice teachers' selfefficacy. The study extended over six weeks of the preservice teachers' science methods courses. The early childhood participants engaged in interdisciplinary PBL by designing and exploring schoolyard gardens. The elementary participants investigated the local saltmarsh ecosystem focusing on the plants and animals. The PBL experiences …

Evidence-Based Shared Agendas For Scholarship On Teaching With Primary Sources: Reflections On A Bibliometric Analysis, Jen Hoyer, Anne Bahde

Publications and Research

This article explores how scholarship about teaching with primary sources (TPS) has evolved over time and what future directions past work might suggests. Using bibliometric analysis and visualization tools, we examined how TPS work has grown; what fields and disciplines focus on this work; key themes and issues; and what scholarship has been influential to the field. These insights led to reflections on disconnects across the field, considerations for publishing about TPS, and the potential of pedagogical standards and guidelines. Finally, this article concludes with recommendations on how this analysis points to possibilities for shared education, space, conversation, and products.

Influence Of Field Trips On Adolescent Environmental Stewardship: Examining The Role Of The Dominant Social Paradigm, Gita Bhushal, Meghann Smith, Pankaj Lal, Neeraj Vedwan

Department of Earth and Environmental Studies Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works

Promoting environmental stewardship among youths is crucial for inspiring collaborative, multi-generational actions to tackle long-term environmental challenges. This research study explores the impact of an environmental education (EE) field trip, which highlighted wastewater management and renewable energy technology, on high school students using the revised new ecological paradigm (NEP) scale as a key metric in a pre-post survey, which uses traditionally pro (NEP) and anti (dominant social paradigm, DSP) conservationist statements to measure beliefs towards the environment. When applying the Wilcoxon signed-rank test (null hypothesis t = 0, no change) to the series of environmental stewardship action questions “___ is …

Immigration Federalism In The Second Trump Administration, Stella Burch Elias

Articles

This Article explores the ongoing transformation of state and local engagement in immigration-related rulemaking in the United States during the Second Trump Administration. The Article examines the myriad ways in which federal executive actions and state responses to those actions, alongside independent state actions and the federal government’s responses to those actions, are upending longestablished immigration law doctrines and shifting the borders of American federalism. The Article discusses legal scholars’ previous understanding of immigration federalism, embodied in United States v. Arizona, and the prior distinctions between permissible “alienage” laws and impermissible “immigration” laws, which could not be introduced by state …

Analyzing Google Maps As A Data Source For Urban Research In Dhaka, Xinyi Du

Dissertations and Theses Collection (Open Access)

This paper investigates how mass transit infrastructure shapes urban economic activity by examining the impact of Dhaka's first metro line using novel Google Maps data. Leveraging the opening of Metro Line 6 on December 2022, we employ a difference-in-differences framework to analyze changes in business establishment density around metro stations. Our estimates show that every 1% reduction in distance to the nearest metro station adds, on average, about 0.092–0.111 establishments per 40 m × 40 m grid cell—that is, roughly 57 – 69 additional businesses per square kilometer. The effect is even more pronounced for dining: about 1 – 4 …

The Sulu Sea Mandate: A Diplomatic And Military Initiative To Ensure Freedom Of The Seas, John Cheney

Theses

This thesis advocates the establishment of an official US government diplomatic policy, and recommends specific means for its implementation. By combining a written narrative with a unique and highly detailed Geographic Information System (GIS,) this thesis argues that securing the Philippines archipelago from further Chinese annexations is a US strategic imperative. To that end, US military forces and capabilities- particularly those of the US Marine Corps (USMC)- would be integrated into the revamped defense of the Philippines.

Utilizing a variety of datasets, the thesis GIS depicts such features as geopolitical boundaries, conflict zones, maritime trade routes, bathymetry, navigational hazards, undersea …

Alfred Russel Wallace Notes 37. What About Wallace On Vaccination . . . ?, Charles H. Smith

Faculty/Staff Personal Papers

Best known for his natural history studies on evolution and biogeography, Alfred Russel Wallace (1823−1913) had a significant second career as a social critic. One of his most controversial stances was his position on (smallpox) vaccination. Anti-vaxxers of the present frequently bring up his name as a resource for their side, but the situation is not so easily reducible to that.

Unmanned Aerial Systems (Uass) In Rangeland Ecosystem Management: Assessing Grazing Impacts At Willits, California, Pramil Khanal

Master's Theses

California's rangelands, vital for biodiversity and cattle production, face threats from land use changes and climate changes, necessitating robust management strategies. While overgrazing has been studied extensively, the effects of light rotational grazing on vegetation have seldom been assessed. This study used Unmanned Aerial Systems (UASs) and multispectral imagery to assess the seasonal impacts of light rotational grazing on vegetation health and coverage in wetland mitigation areas near Willits, California. Data were collected in May (spring) and November (fall) 2024 using a DJI M3M drone and MicaSense camera capturing RGB and Near-Infrared (NIR) bands. Green Chromatic Coordinate (GCC) and Normalized …

Full Issue, Vol. 16

Monographs of the Western North American Naturalist

No abstract provided.

Uni Impact: Faculty/Staff Scholarly Publications And Featured Awards Newsletter, V3i1, 2024, Rod Library. Research & Sponsored Programs. Uni Foundation. University Of Northern Iowa.

UNI Impact: Faculty/Staff Scholarly Publications and Featured Awards Newsletter

Highlights the scholarship, research, and other scholarly work produced by University of Northern Iowa faculty, students, and staff.

This issue covers the period of January - June 2024.

Monarch: Old Dominion University Magazine, Victoria Bourne (Editor)

Monarch Magazine

Summer 2025 issue of Monarch, the Old Dominion University Magazine.

Subtitled: GLOBAL IMPACT: Monarchs Make a Difference by Land and by Sea

Ai Tools In Natural Resources And Environmental Systems For The Classroom, Research, Extension And Industry, Derek M. Heeren, C. T. Agouridis, Debabrata Sahoo, Isaya Kisekka, Trisha L. Moore

Department of Agricultural and Biological Systems Engineering: Presentations and White Papers

This white paper synthesizes a series of panel insights on AI adoption across education, Extension, research and industry contexts within natural resources and environmental systems. It emphasizes that while advanced machine learning and generative AI introduce structural shifts in autonomy, scale, and cognitive augmentation, their value lies in augmenting, not replacing, human expertise. Applied tool examples include decision‑support systems for rural water operators, HAB‑diagnosis apps integrating image classification and natural‑language guidance, an irrigation educational chatbot tailored to user background, and sensor‑driven orchard AI for light interception estimation and data gap filling. A recurring design imperative involves co‑development with end users, …

A Historic Context For House Moving: Why Moved Houses Are Eligible For The National Register Of Historic Places, Ian Tomashik

Historic Preservation Final Projects

Structural moving, the process of moving complete buildings to new sites, has shaped American landscapes for over two centuries. Thousands of wood-frame houses were moved with surprising frequency between the mid-nineteenth and mid-twentieth centuries. Yet, moved buildings are “ordinarily” ineligible for listing on the National Register of Historic Places. This project explores this exclusion two parts: an analytical essay that argues for their inclusion for nomination and a historic context survey that explains the prevalence of house moving. The essay first explains the National Register’s rationale for questioning the historic significance of moved buildings. It also examines why large-scale house …

The Influence Of Human Presence And Footprint On Animal Space Use In Us National Parks, Kaitlyn M. Gaynor, Forest P. Hayes, Kezia Manlove, Nathan Galloway, John F. Benson, Michael J. Cherry, Rolf O. Peterson, Sarah Hoy, John Vucetich, Et Al.

Michigan Tech Publications

Given the importance of protected areas for biodiversity, the growth of visitation to many areas has raised concerns about the effects of humans on wildlife. In 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic led to temporary closure of national parks in the United States, offering a pseudonatural experiment to tease apart the effects of permanent infrastructure and transient human presence on animals. We compiled GPS tracking data from 229 individuals of 10 mammal species in 14 parks and used third-order hierarchical resource selection functions to evaluate the influence of the human footprint on animal space use in 2019 and 2020. Averaged across all …

Visualizing Seascapes As A Method For Engaging Stakeholders In Discussions About Resilience, Dominica Williamson, Louisa Evans, Mark Bryant, Caroline Hattam, Tara Hooper, Andy Hughes, Timur Jack-Kadioglu, Fazlun Khalid, John Martin, Celine Miternique, Karyn Morrissey, Lorna Slade, Ali Thani, Kathy Young

Professional Services

Coastal communities have complex bodies of knowledge around environmental change, resilience, and sustainability, which extractive forms of research are not well suited to understand. This paper outlines an arts-based action research pilot project to understand social-ecological resilience in the Western Indian Ocean. Our project used visual, artistic, and participatory approaches to foster co-learning and action research on: (1) the arts-based methods themselves and (2) resilience building in coastal communities and ecosystems. This paper focuses on the former elements. We present our inherently phenomenological approach as a research assemblage that can be used to bring together different communities and stakeholders, disciplines, …

2025-2026 Global Feedback Report: Uni Scholarworks, University Of Northern Iowa, Rod Library

Library Documents & Reports (entire collection)

This library report was prepared by the Digital Scholarship Librarian at the University of Northern Iowa as part of assessment efforts demonstrating the reach and impact of departments and programs at the University of Northern Iowa. The global input is related to specific works found in UNI's institutional repository, UNI ScholarWorks (http://www.scholarworks.uni.edu.)

Crazy Mountain Fiber Fest 2025, Sweet Grass County, Montana, Ava Worbets, Kika Bradford, Megan Schultz

Institute for Tourism and Recreation Research Publications

This study was conducted for the Sweet Grass County Chamber of Commerce to provide insight into the characteristics of attendees of the 2025 Crazy Mountain Fiber Fest. Fifty-two attendees of the event completed the survey. Results show that 92% of respondents were residents of Montana, of which 33% were from Sweet Grass County. Out-of-county respondents spent an average of 3.9 nights in Montana, reporting a total spending of $8,770.00, mostly in hotel/motel/bed and breakfasts. Results provide event organizers with useful data for future event planning, making improvements to the event, event marketing/promotion, and understanding the visitor spending associated with the …

From Uncertainty To Strategic Failure: U.S. Military Interventions And The Complexity Of Nation-Building In Afghanistan, Goddy Uwa Osimen, Oluwamurewa Newo

Journal of Strategic Security

The American occupation of Afghanistan from 2001-2021 is widely regarded as a strategic failure, particularly after the Taliban took over the government in 2021. This work seeks to observe the strategic flaws of the 20-year occupation from the perspective of nation-building within the state. Using the theoretical lens of strategic culture and borrowing from Huntington’s discourse on the clash of civilizations, this article notes that nation-building failure in Afghanistan can be attributed to the ideological differences between the West and the Middle East. Using a descriptive qualitative approach and secondary sources such as books and peer-reviewed articles, the study employs …