Digital Commons Network^™

Render, Katherine Nikolau

Project Mend Books

render, a publication created by Writing and Rhetoric graduate Katherine Nikolau, celebrates the creative work and activism of nine justice-impacted artists, considering how different acts of composing can be healing for people who have experienced incarceration. The nine featured artists create artwork that spans across genres, including poetry, spoken word, visual art, music, theater, and fabric art. At the same time, these artists are also working on the frontlines of criminal justice reform, getting involved with various advocacy organizations and working to heal others in their communities. Through profile pieces chronicling multiple-hour-long interviews conducted with each of these artists, …

Fors 350.00: Forestry Applications Of Gis, R. Kyle Bocinsky

University of Montana Course Syllabi, 2021-2025

No abstract provided.

Smart Cities, Smart Systems: A Comprehensive Review Of System Dynamics Model Applications In Urban Studies In The Big Data Era, Gift Fabolude, Charles Knoble, Anvy Vu, Danlin Yu

Department of Earth and Environmental Studies Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works

This paper addresses urban sustainability challenges amid global urbanization, emphasizing the need for innovative approaches aligned with the Sustainable Development Goals. While traditional tools and linear models offer insights, they fall short in presenting a holistic view of complex urban challenges. System dynamics (SD) models that are often utilized to provide holistic, systematic understanding of a research subject, like the urban system, emerge as valuable tools, but data scarcity and theoretical inadequacy pose challenges. The research reviews relevant papers on recent SD model applications in urban sustainability since 2018, categorizing them based on nine key indicators. Among the reviewed papers, …

Investor Justice, Nicole Iannarone

Minnesota Law Review Vols. 106:2 onward (2021-present)

There is a systemic flaw in the investor protection landscape. Unrepresented investors face off against well-resourced repeat- player firms that almost always have lawyers. While consumers face similar challenges in civil courts, in forced securities arbitration, the decisionmaker may not have a law degree, is prohibited from conducting any outside legal research, and has no monetary incentive to read materials the parties submit. These realities amplify already-existing informational and resource asymmetries between Main Street investors and stockbrokers and undermine the market-legitimizing function of securities arbitration. Despite being designed to permit investors to recoup losses without the aid of an attorney, …

Spatiotemporal Deep Learning For Land Cover And Impervious Surface Mapping With Satellite Imagery, Rylie Fleckenstein

Masters Theses & Doctoral Dissertations

This research explores the dynamics of land cover classification using remote sensing time series data, emphasizing the need for efficient monitoring and resource management on Earth’s surface. With advancements in computational power and analytical methods, deep learning techniques, including Convolutional Neural Networks (CNNs) and Transformer neural networks, have emerged as state-of-the-art approaches for automating and operationalizing land cover classification at regional and global scales. This study introduces two distinct methodologies for land cover time series classification: Spatial Recognition and Temporal Alignment (SpaRTA) and Land Cover Artificial Mapping System (LCAMS). SpaRTA employs a U-Net architecture coupled with a Transformer encoder for …

A Systematic Review Of Research On The Experiences Of Rural Black Men Attending Four-Year Institutions Within The Us Since 2002, Jarvis Marlow-Mccowin

The Rural Educator

This systematic literature review focuses on the experiences of rural Black men attending four-year colleges and universities within the US. The review addresses three research questions: How is rurality defined within the literature reviewed? What characteristics (e.g., identity dimensions) are included within the literature? What does the available research say about the experiences of rural Black students, mainly rural Black men, specific to factors explored and identified to foster success? These research questions were answered by reviewing literature published in academic journals from 2002–2023. Findings from the data collection, extraction, and analysis process are relevant to how rurality is discussed …

Life Among The Sand Grains, Will M. Ballentine, N. G. Roberts, M. K. Yap-Chiongco, K. M. Halanych, K. M. Kocot

Biology Faculty Works

Have you ever played with sand at the beach? Did you know you were also playing with thousands of tiny animals? The sand in the ocean is home to many small creatures called meiofauna, but you can only see them under a magnifying glass or microscope. Meiofauna are so tiny that sand grains seem like boulders to them. Meiofauna are too small to move these boulders, so they wriggle through spaces between them. Living in such tight spaces has led them to evolve long, skinny body shapes like worms. They also have special body parts to grip sand grains and …

Laina Farhat-Holzman: Distinguished Iscsc Author, Incisive Thinker, Fearless Commentator, Innovative Leader, Joseph Drew

Comparative Civilizations Review

It is a sad duty to report that a luminary who was long associated with this journal and with the leadership of the International Society for the Comparative Study of Civilizations, Dr. Laina Farhat-Holzman, has died.

Full Issue

Comparative Civilizations Review

No abstract provided.

The Global Epidemiology And Health Burden Of The Autism Spectrum: Findings From The Global Burden Of Disease Study 2021, Global Burden Of Disease Study 2021 Autism Spectrum Collaborators, Lourdes Bernadette Tanchanco, Angel Belle Dy

Ateneo School of Medicine and Public Health Publications

Background

High-quality estimates of the epidemiology of the autism spectrum and the health needs of autistic people are necessary for service planners and resource allocators. Here we present the global prevalence and health burden of autism spectrum disorder from the Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors Study (GBD) 2021 following improvements to the epidemiological data and burden estimation methods.

Methods

For GBD 2021, a systematic literature review involving searches in PubMed, Embase, PsycINFO, the Global Health Data Exchange, and consultation with experts identified data on the epidemiology of autism spectrum disorder. Eligible data were used to estimate prevalence …

Why World Language Teachers Stay: Teacher Retention In West Virginia, Challenges And Opportunities, Laura Guglani, Tori Gastón

Dimensions

The present study investigates World Language (WL) teacher retention and the challenges and opportunities of teaching a WL in a rural state. Data came from ethnographic interviews conducted with 10 participants, current Spanish teachers teaching throughout West Virginia. Through thematic analysis, eight themes emerged: Lack of Exposure to Cultural Diversity, Lack of Qualified Teachers, Toll on Mental Health, Pressure to Defend the Value of WLs, Remaining in West Virginia, Passing on the Love of Language and Cultural Learning, Innovative Pedagogical Approaches, and Strong Professional Support Systems.

Aast 291.50: Black Montana - Race In The West, Anthony W. Wood

University of Montana Course Syllabi, 2021-2025

No abstract provided.

An Investigation Of Travel Distance And Timeliness Of Breast Cancer Treatment Among A Diverse Cohort In The United States, Swann Arp Adams Ph.D., Ms, Face, Oluwole Adeyemi Babatunde, Whitney E. Zahnd, Peiyin Hung Ph.D., Karen E. Wickersham Phd, Rn, Nathaniel Bell Ph.D., Jan M. Eberth Ph.D.

Publications

Travel to and from distant cancer treatment facilities can place a significant burden on cancer patients, particularly rural and minority survivors. Thus, the purpose of our investigation was to examine the association between patient travel distance and delays in types of treatment for breast cancer (surgery, radiation, chemotherapy, and hormonal therapy) and treatment delays. Using a novel linkage between the state cancer registry and administrative data from Medicaid and a private insurance plan, 2155 BC patients were successfully linked to create the cohort. ArcGIS was used to geocode all case residences and treatment facility addresses and calculate network distance between …

Empowering Citizens Through The Development And Deployment Of A Community-Based Environmental Health Reporting Tool, Willow Sauermilch, Jennifer Irving, Margaret Reams, Chuqi Guo, Stephania Cormier, Jennifer Richmond-Bryant

Division of Basic Science Faculty Publications

Community-based participatory research provides communities with an avenue to actively collaborate with environmental researchers. The research aims to gain insight into critical problems of concern to community members while maintaining community autonomy over the research and its outcomes. This article describes the development and implementation of an environmental health communication tool designed to meet the needs of residents of Colfax, Louisiana, a rural community with limited technological access, which is engaging in advocacy with federal and state regulatory agencies to prohibit open burning and open detonation of military and Superfund wastes at a nearby thermal treatment site. We discuss how …

Butterfly Species Vary In Sex-Specific Sodium Accumulation From Larval Diets, Luis Y. Santiago-Rosario, Alexander M. Shephard, Emilie Snell-Rood, Achim D. Herrmann, Kyle E. Harms

Faculty Publications

Sodium is essential for animals, and its heterogeneous distribution can cause a range of phenomena, from sodium-seeking behaviours to impacting their performance. Although sodium content in soils and plants is relatively well documented, data for higher trophic levels are limited. Knowledge of the variation in sodium in lower trophic levels could have implications for understanding the behaviour and physiology of species at higher levels. We investigated the variation in tissue sodium concentration between males and females of four butterfly species. Puddling behaviour of Lepidoptera suggests sodium needs of males are generally greater than females, thus, we predicted males would accumulate …

Editor’S Note: Want To Help Develop A Textbook On Comparative Civilizations?, Joseph Drew

Comparative Civilizations Review

Is anyone here in the United States or elsewhere teaching a course in the comparative study of civilizations at the undergraduate level these days?

Since I was thinking about organizing the writing of a textbook on the topic, I began recently by considering what the major areas were to be covered in such a book. What, I wondered, have been the significant approaches scholars have taken over the past century or so to address the fluid, debatable, tenuous meanings and shapes of civilizations?

Russia’S Geopolitical Civilizational Narratives And Strategic Direction In The Contemporary Multipolar World Order, Sharyl Cross, Igor Okunev

Comparative Civilizations Review

This article sets forth the foundations for recent geopolitical civilizational narratives in Russia that are influencing Moscow’s contemporary foreign policy behavior and the future direction of the Russian “civilizational state” in the global multipolar world order. This article is not intended to provide justification for Russia’s foreign policy choices and actions, but rather the purpose is to explain Moscow’s official geopolitical narratives, and thus to provide a deeper and more comprehensive understanding of the considerations informing Russia’s foreign policy behavior.

Vladimir Putin has been at the helm of leadership in Russia exerting unparalleled influence as President and Prime Minister since …

Environmental Monitoring Report: For Work To Be Performed: July 1, 2023 Through June 30, 2024, Tennessee. Department Of Environment And Conservation

Environmental Monitoring Reports

This FY2024 EMR presents results for independent projects, originally defined in TDEC’s FY2024 Environmental Monitoring Plan (EMP) and subsequently completed over the course of FY2024 period of performance.

Environmental Monitoring Plan: For Work To Be Performed: July 1, 2025, Through June 30, 2026, Tennessee. Department Of Environment And Conservation.

Environmental Monitoring Plans

The Tennessee Department of Enviornment and Conservation, Division of Remediation, Oak Ridge (TDEC DoR-OR), provides the annual Fiscal Year 2026 EMP for the period of July 1, 2025, through June 30, 2026. This report is submitted as a comprehensive plan for TDEC DoR-OR monitoring and assessment activities across the Oak Ridge Reservation, Oak Ridge, Tennessee, (ORR) in accordance with terms of both the Environmental Surveillance and Oversight Agreement (ESOA), as well as in support of activities being conducted under the Federal Facilities Agreement (FFA).

Virginia Heat Watch: Collaboration To Assess Climate Vulnerability At Local To Regional Scales, Todd R. Lookingbill, Karin P. Warren, J. Christopher Haley, Elizabeth G. Malcolm, Lisa Jordan Powell, Scott M. Starr, Srarah Melissa Witiak, Michael J. Wolyniak, Beth Zizzamia

Geography and the Environment Faculty Publications

Systematic studies of temperature using consistent, field-validated methods are needed to make inter- and intra-urban heat comparisons and to prioritize resources and mitigation strategies. This study investigated spatial patterns of heat hazard across 10 small- to medium- sized cities in Virginia, USA, using a community science approach. Air temperature data were collected on a high-heat day in July 2021, employing a network of 213 volunteers. Geolocated one-second temperature and humidity measurements were used to create and validate 10-m resolution temperature models for each locality. Results indicate substantial intra-urban temperature differentials even in the smallest localities, averaging 3.2 °C for …

Girl Innovation, Research, And Learning (Girl) Center: Innovation Hub Overview 2025, Population Council

Girl Innovation, Research, and Learning (GIRL) Center

The GIRL Center, established in 2017 at the Population Council, envisions a gender-equitable world, where adolescents, especially girls make a healthy and safe transition into adulthood and reach their full potential. This brief provides an overview of the GIRL Center, an innovation hub of the Population Council.

Wireless Access: A Barrier To Success?, Kara Dees Auger

The Kennesaw Journal of Undergraduate Research

This study investigates the differences in the speed of the Internet among various libraries in rural and urban counties, as well as how this difference affects KSU students' access to educational materials. The primary purpose was to determine how download and upload speeds compare across libraries and what impact those differences have on academic performance. A sample of libraries in counties with over 500 KSU students was selected, and speed tests were executed at two major libraries per county.

Data analysis by the Kruskal-Wallis test revealed the presence of considerable differences, with rural libraries like Maude P Ragsdale Public Library, …

Breaking Up Bottlenecks In Big Tech And Everywhere Else: Two Remedies That Keep Your Packages Arriving In Two Days, Peter Carstensen, Darren Bush

UC Law Journal

This article addresses the colossal problem of remedy in antitrust and regulatory cases combatting monopoly “bottlenecks.” A bottleneck monopoly lies somewhere along the chain of production and distribution of goods or services. Often both before and after the monopoly, the markets are workably competitive. When a bottleneck owner also participates in those workably competitive markets, the bottleneck owner has the incentive and ability to self-preference, discriminating against other competing products in the markets. As a monopolist, a bottleneck owner will also seek to constrain access to the bottleneck, assuring that the use of the bottleneck is not optimized. Traditional remedies …

Beyond Water Surface Profiles: A New Iterative Methodology For 2d Model Calibration In Rivers Using Velocity Data From Multiple Cross-Sections, Fabian Rivera-Trejo, Gabriel Soto-Cortes, Kory M. Konsoer, Eddy J. Langendoen, Gaston Priego-Hernandez

Faculty Publications

Observed longitudinal water-surface profiles are commonly used to calibrate river hydrodynamic models, relying on assumptions of lateral uniformity in water surface elevation and velocity distribution. While suitable for 1D models, this approach has limitations in regard to 2D model calibration. When 2D flow measurements are available, a more robust quantitative evaluation is necessary to assess model accuracy. This study introduces a novel methodology to improve 2D model calibration and evaluate performance. High-resolution bathymetric and hydrodynamic data collected with a multibeam echosounder (MBES) and acoustic Doppler current profiler (ADCP) were aligned to compare observed and simulated flow velocities at matching spatial …

Earliest Ancient Maya Salt Production In Southern Belize: Excavations At Jay-Yi Nah, Heather Mckillop, E. Cory Sills

Faculty Publications

Salt works along the Yucatan coasts of Mexico and Belize provide a record of salt production for inland trade during the height of Late Classic Maya civilisation (AD 550-800). At the Paynes Creek Salt Works in Belize, production focused on the creation of salt cakes by boiling brine in pots supported over fires in dedicated salt kitchens. Underwater excavations at the Early Classic (AD 250-550) site of Jay-yi Nah now indicate there was a longer and evolving tradition of salt making in the area, one that initially employed large, incurved bowls to meet local or down-the-line trade needs before inland …

Science Across The Elementary Curriculum, Cora E. Fields

Undergraduate Theses

Science has increasingly become marginalized in the United States today. This is largely due to educational reforms and movements placing an emphasis on standardized testing and mastery of math and reading exclusively. This focus stems from initiatives such as the Back-to-the-Basics movement (1980s), the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) (2001), and the development of the Common Core standards (2010), which prioritize data collection and test results over the hands-on experiences and inquiry-based learning that good science education gives. Because of this, many of our students are not receiving consistent, meaningful access to science instruction. This limits their engagement with …

Christopher Dawson And The Challenges Of Interdisciplinary Studies, Joseph T. Stuart

Comparative Civilizations Review

The following interview was conducted by Ms. Bibi Pelic, the Director of Communications for the International Society for the Comparative Study of Civilizations. The recording is available on the ISCSC YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=so-hS2SdoZc

How The State Replaces Civilization: The Japanese Exception, Robert Bedeski

Comparative Civilizations Review

By conceptualizing civilization and state as integrated systems consisting of interacting subsystems, their similarities and differences can be analyzed. The central hypothesis is that civilization consists of three material subsystems — economy, government, and knowledge — and one non-material subsystem, transcendence. When the transcendent subsystem is diminished or destroyed by decree or overwhelming rational and scientific evidence, the emergence of the state occurs as in the cases of the Mongol Empire, the Soviet Union, and communist China.

The apparent universality of this observation is countered by an examination of the Japanese civilization and state, where imperial transcendence dominated and reinforced …

Ceres: Organic-Rich Sites Of Exogenic Origin?, R. Sarkar, A. Nathues, M. Hoffmann, E. Cloutis, K. Mengel, P. Singh, G. Thangjam, J. Hernandez, S. Karunatillake, M. Coutelier

Faculty Publications

Ceres, the largest object in the asteroid belt, is the only potential ocean world in the inner Solar System. Previous studies identified deposits of aliphatic organics in and around the Ernutet crater, and at small locations at Inamahari and Urvara craters. The origin of organics, either endogenic or exogenic, in these fresh exposures is still under debate. This study addresses the origin of the organics by analyzing their global distribution and geologic context. Our first step involved a global search for organic-rich sites that might have escaped previous detections. We achieved this by using a deep neural network, utilizing spectral …

Assessing Vegetation Changes And Ecosystem Impacts Of Invasive Species In Florida's Water Conservation Area 3a (2004–2024) Using Landsat Data, Gideon Tandoh

Research, Papers & Creative Work

The spread of invasive species is a concrete problem, threatening biodiversity, ecosystem integrity, and the functional status of wetlands. As these species continue to advance, it is crucial to assess their spread as well as management success through the more sophisticated invasive monitoring methodologies. This research examines the change in vegetation communities and the spread of invasive plants in the Water Conservation Area 3A (WCA-3A) using Object-Based Image Analysis (OBIA) and Support Vector Machine (SVM) classifiers on time series Landsat images. Unlike traditional pixel-based methods, OBIA enhances classification accuracy by incorporating spatial, spectral, and contextual information, enabling precise differentiation between …