Digital Commons Network^™

Private Management Of African Protected Areas Improves Wildlife And Tourism Outcomes But With Security Concerns In Conflict Regions, Sean Denny, Gabriel Englander, Patrick Hunnicutt

Biology, Chemistry, and Environmental Sciences Faculty Articles and Research

Protected areas can conserve wildlife and benefit people when managed effectively. African governments increasingly delegate the management of protected areas to private, nongovernmental organizations, hoping that private organizations’ significant resources and technical capacities actualize protected areas’ potential. Does private sector management improve outcomes compared to a counterfactual of government management? We leverage the transfer of management authority from governments to African Parks (AP)—the largest private manager of protected areas in Africa—to show that private management significantly improves wildlife outcomes via reduced elephant poaching and increased bird abundances. Our results also suggest that AP’s management augments tourism, while the effect on …

A Criteria To Reduce Interhospital Transfer Of Traumatic Brain Injuries In Greater East Texas, Jason Murry, Alan D. Cook, Rebecca J. Swindall, Hirofumi Kanazawa, Carly R. Wadle, Musharaf Mohiuddin, Stephen V. Nalbach, Tuan D. Le, Brandi N. Pero, Scott H. Norwood

School of Medicine Faculty Publications and Presentations

Background

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) due to single-level falls (SLF) are frequent and often require interhospital transfer. This retrospective cohort study aimed to assess the safety of a criteria for non-transfer among a subset of TBI patients who could be observed at their local hospital, vs mandatory transfer to a level 1 trauma center (L1TC).

Methods

We conducted a 7-year review of patients with TBI due to SLF at a rural L1TC. Patients were classified as transfer/non-transfer according to the Brain Injuries in Greater East Texas (BIGTEX) criteria. The primary outcome measure was the occurrence of a critical event defined …

Transcriptome Reveals The Key Genes Related To The Metabolism Of Volatile Sulfur-Containing Compounds In Lentinula Edodes Mycelium, Zheng Li, Fei Pan, Wen Huang, Shuangshuang Gao, Xi Feng, Meijie Chang, Lianfu Chen, Yinbing Bian, Wenli Tian, Ying Liu

Faculty Research, Scholarly, and Creative Activity

Lentinula edodes (L. edodes) is a globally popular edible mushroom because of its characteristic sulfur-containing flavor compounds. However, the formation of the volatile sulfur-containing compounds in the mycelium of L. edodes has not been studied. We found that there were also sulfur-containing aroma compounds in the mycelium of L. edodes, and the content and composition varied at different stages of mycelial growth and development. The γ-glutamyl-transpeptidase (GGT) and cysteine sulfoxide lyase (C-S lyase) related to the generation of sulfur compounds showed the highest activities in the 15-day sample. Candidate genes for the metabolism of volatile sulfur compounds in mycelium were …

Revised Draft Final 2024 Residential Metals Abatement Program (Rmap) Quality Assurance Project Plan (Qapp) Annual Update (Non-Residential Parcels And Residential Daycares), Pioneer Technical Services, Inc.

Silver Bow Creek/Butte Area Superfund Site

No abstract provided.

Artificial Intelligence In Perinatal Mental Health Research: A Scoping Review, Wai Hang Kwok, Yuanpeng Zhang, Guanjin Wang

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

The intersection of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and perinatal mental health research presents promising avenues, yet uncovers significant challenges for innovation. This review explicitly focuses on this multidisciplinary field and undertakes a comprehensive exploration of existing research therein. Through a scoping review guided by the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) framework, we searched relevant literature spanning a decade (2013–2023) and selected fourteen studies for our analysis. We first provide an overview of the main AI techniques and their development, including traditional methods across different categories, as well as recent emerging methods in the field. Then, through our …

Applying Machine Learning Models Derived From Administrative Claims Data To Predict Medication Nonadherence In Patients Self-Administering Biologic Medications For Inflammatory Bowel Disease, Christian Rhudy, Courtney Perry, Michael Wesley, David Fardo, Cody Bumgardner, Syed Hassan, Terrence Barrett, Jeffery Talbert

Biostatistics Faculty Publications

BACKGROUND: Adherence to self-administered biologic therapies is important to induce remission and prevent adverse clinical outcomes in Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). This study aimed to use administrative claims data and machine learning methods to predict nonadherence in an academic medical center test population.

METHODS: A model-training dataset of beneficiaries with IBD and the first unique dispense of a self-administered biologic between June 30, 2016 and June 30, 2019 was extracted from the Commercial Claims and Encounters and Medicare Supplemental Administrative Claims Database. Known correlates of medication nonadherence were identified in the dataset. Nonadherence to biologic therapies was defined as a …

Β-Aminopropionitrile Induces Distinct Pathologies In The Ascending And Descending Thoracic Aortic Regions Of Mice, Michael K. Franklin, Hisashi Sawada, Sohei Ito, Deborah A. Howatt, Naofumi Amioka, Ching Ling Liang, Nancy Zhang, David B. Graf, Jessica J. Moorleghen, Yuriko Katsumata, Hong S. Lu, Alan Daugherty

Biostatistics Faculty Publications

BACKGROUND: β-aminopropionitrile (BAPN) is a pharmacological inhibitor of LOX (lysyl oxidase) and LOXLs (LOX-like proteins). Administration of BAPN promotes aortopathies, although there is a paucity of data on experimental conditions to generate pathology. The objective of this study was to define experimental parameters and determine whether equivalent or variable aortopathies were generated throughout the aortic tree during BAPN administration in mice. METHODS: BAPN was administered in drinking water for a period ranging from 1 to 12 weeks. The impacts of BAPN were first assessed with regard to BAPN dose, and mouse strain, age, and sex. BAPN-induced aortic pathological characterization was …

Maternal Sacrifice And Resilience: The Legacy Of Harriet Jacobs And Enslaved Black Motherhood, Beverly A. Duran

GLI MA in American History Student Works

This paper explores the unique role of enslaved Black women in preserving family and cultural identity during the American slavery era, focusing on the life and writings of Harriet Jacobs. Through her autobiography, Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl, Jacobs exemplifies the extraordinary sacrifices and resilience of enslaved mothers, who navigated the dual burdens of racial and gender oppression. The study delves into Jacobs’s years-long confinement in an attic to avoid separation from her children and her use of storytelling, education, and cultural practices to resist dehumanization. It highlights how enslaved women, despite systemic constraints, developed strategies to …

Parent And Community Involvement In Schools, Katie Freking

Master's Theses & Capstone Projects

This school improvement plan at Carlisle Elementary focuses on enhancing parent and community involvement through structured strategies and collaborative efforts. Despite the existing engagement frameworks, the school recognizes the need for more effective integration of caregivers and local stakeholders in educational processes. The plan proposes forming committees, increasing communication, providing inclusive training sessions, and fostering an environment that respects diverse backgrounds. Utilizing the Positive Behavior Intervention System (PBIS) and Tiered Fidelity Inventory (TFI), the project aims to systematically improve family and community participation. Initial data suggest areas such as household communication and caregiver training need significant enhancement. The anticipated implementation …

Cte Can Be For Me: Middle School Counselors’ Perception Of Their Knowledge And Abilities To Guide Students In Career And Technical Education In The State Of Texas, Justin W. Hooten, Ronald S. Rhone, Lesley F. Leach, Juanita M. Reyes

Journal of Educational Leadership in Action

A renewed emphasis on career and technical education has guided the transformation of high school education to support alternatives to college achievement. Research shows that career identity development begins in middle school or earlier, though the literature is scarce when discussing career guidance at the middle school level. Through phenomenological interviews, this research attempted to understand the processes and perceptions of middle school counselors when discussing career and technology education with their students. This study revealed recommendations for district officials and those in academia to assist in creating more robust career development programs at the middle school level.

Leading With Hope: A Grounded Theory Exploration Of Trauma Informed Leadership For School Principals, Christopher Bottoms, Robert J. Lynch, Shawn Ricks, Julie Hasson

Journal of Educational Leadership in Action

Before the age of 18, 60% of U.S. youth are estimated to have experienced at least one adverse childhood experience (ACE), with 1 in 6 experiencing four or more ACEs. This study sought to uncover the ways in which school principals understand and enacted ways to support students that have experienced trauma. Using grounded theory methods (n=15), we explored how school principals utilize trauma-informed leadership as a means to support students. The impact of this study may help in the revision of how school principals are evaluated, professional development for school principals, and the academic preparation for school administration candidates.

Unveiling The Socioeconomic Impact Of The Covid-19 Pandemic On Academic Staff: A Qualitative Analysis Of Financial Perspectives And Job Satisfaction, Saheed Oluwaseun Lawal, Habibat Bolanle Abdulkareem, Omoniyi Adeyemi Rasaq, Tajudeen Ade Jamiu

Journal of Educational Leadership in Action

The study investigated how the Covid-19 pandemic affected lecturers' views on income and satisfaction in private Nigerian universities in Kwara State. It aimed to understand this impact as an opportunity for growth and resilience in the education system. Researchers asked four main questions and involved faculty members from various universities using purposive and convenient sampling methods. Results showed lecturers were generally satisfied with consistent salary payments and associated benefits, but the pandemic had diverse impacts on private universities: decreased spending, staff layoffs, reduced fee payments, and lower student enrollment. To enhance lecturer satisfaction, the study recommended exploring alternative income sources, …

Preparing Teachers For The Rise Of Challenging Behaviors, Abbie Chesling

Master's Theses & Capstone Projects

Previous research indicates the increase of challenging behaviors observed and how those behaviors impact the classroom. Findings from the research show the lifelong effects of adverse childhood experiences, trauma manifestations, and educational impacts. Other studies acknowledged educators and their experiences with negative behaviors in the classroom. Those same studies recognized a lack of teacher readiness to manage challenging behaviors in the classroom. A school improvement plan was designed to provide all school staff with targeted professional development to help mitigate challenging behaviors and the lasting impact in the school setting.

Teaching Practices To Prevent And Support Challenging Behaviors In Early Childhood Classrooms, Abigail Koster

Master's Theses & Capstone Projects

search is finding that challenging behaviors are occurring in classrooms more and more. Challenging behaviors are one of the main reasons that teachers are leaving the profession along with large workloads, and lack of administration and community support. Research shows that teachers need to have a strong classroom management plan and high consistence expectations to diminish challenging behaviors from occurring in the classroom. With research in mind, a school improvement plan was created to provide professional development for teachers in the fall to support them in creating strong classroom management plans for the following school year. Teachers will using the …

Adopting Trauma-Invested Practices, Strategies, And Interventions, Tara F.K. Lynn

Master's Theses & Capstone Projects

The aim of this school improvement plan is to implement professional development by raising trauma awareness, developing a trauma-invested lens, and implementing trauma-invested practices, strategies, and interventions across all elementary school environments. Existing literature emphasizes the prevalence of trauma among children and its adverse effects on their well-being and academic performance. National, State of Iowa, and Iowa County, Iowa data indicates a rise in traumatic childhood experiences, proving the need for increased professional development. Many educators and administrators do not understand the effects of trauma on the emotional well-being, brain growth, and learning of students with trauma and how to …

Impact Of Social-Emotional Programs, Heidi Nannemann

Master's Theses & Capstone Projects

This research investigates the impact of Social/Emotional Learning (SEL) programs on elementary school children, particularly focusing on their emotional well-being and academic performance. Conducted in a K-6 public school, the study involved teachers, parents, and administrators, utilizing a mixed-methods approach with online surveys to gather data. Findings revealed that SEL programs significantly enhance students' emotional regulation, social skills, and academic engagement. However, the research also highlighted challenges in consistent implementation, underscoring the need for ongoing professional development and support for educators. The study suggests that integrating SEL into the curriculum is vital for fostering holistic student development and calls for …

Research And Benefits Of The Outdoor Learning Lab: A School Improvement Project, Crystal A. Berkenes

Master's Theses & Capstone Projects

This school improvement plan (SIP) is a comprehensive review of research, action plan and steps to provide evidence-based strategies for implementing an effective Outdoor Learning Lab (OLL) at North High School (NHS). The literature review will detail foundational research, which has demonstrated students’ academic and social-emotional gains in a science-based outdoor learning or garden-based education setting. The goal is to increase student conscientiousness in the self-contained earth science classroom during the 2024-2025 school year.

Implementing Restorative Practices To Reduce Suspension Rate, Haley Spohr

Master's Theses & Capstone Projects

Data from schools around America have shown that suspension rates have increased, resulting in lower student outcomes. Studies have revealed that using restorative practices as an alternative to discipline can have a positive effect on student success, relationships at school, and school culture/climate. A school improvement plan was created to decrease the use of exclusionary discipline by embedding whole-school restorative practices. This comprehensive plan is designed to provide staff members with a skill set to keep students in the building more and to teach students accountability, respect, and empathy.

Strengthening Parental Involvement, Danielle M. Castaneda

Master's Theses & Capstone Projects

Parental involvement has been empirically shown to improve assessment growth over the years throughout a teacher’s career. Research has revealed foundational pillars, Bronfenbrenner’s bioecological model and Epstein’s six types of parental involvement, that are used to encourage parents to understand the importance of parental involvement. Barriers to consistency have been identified as having differing attitudes based on culture and climate, discrepancies in school leadership related to policies and programs, effective communication among teachers and parents, and advocation in early childhood parental involvement. Three components are linked to implementing an operational plan that addresses and overcomes these barriers. This school improvement …

Implementing Pbis With Fidelity, Emily Distler

Master's Theses & Capstone Projects

Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports is a data-driven framework aimed at improving student behavior, school climate and academic performance, but its successful implementation requires staff buy-in and consistent application despite its potential. This school improvement plan aims to implement PBIS with fidelity, address student behavior and staff buy-in barriers and ensure consistent applications for a positive school climate and improved student outcomes. The implementation strategy involves staff training, continuous professional development and regular data collection and analysis. Training will focus on PBIS principles, emphasizing its benefits for students and the school environment. Continuous professional development will incorporate feedback and adapt …

Students Speak: A Qualitative Examination Of The Intersection Of Identity And Sexual Violence In A University Setting, Danika M. Charles

Theses and Dissertations

Sexual violence remains a public health concern in the United States. Much of the research has focused on gender-binary individuals, despite the heightened vulnerability of Black, transgender, and nonbinary (BTN) individuals due to societal stigma and discrimination. Campus climate surveys have been recommended by the Obama Administration to address sexual violence, though they often underrepresent BTN students, failing to capture their unique experiences. This study aims to bridge this gap by focusing on the intersection of gender and racial identities, using an intersectional stigma framework to explore the prevalence and impact of sexual violence on BTN students and advocate for …

Us Military Foreign Disaster Relief: Challenges And Proposed Mitigations, James M. Ward

Journal of Strategic Security

Climate Change will increase the frequency and intensity of disasters necessitating United States Department of Defense (DoD) intervention. The US Congress and DoD have produced reports and demanded action for climate change-related security concerns, but have largely left foreign disaster relief capacity unaddressed. The DoD does not have dedicated force structure for humanitarian assistance and disaster relief (HA/DR), potentially compromising mission readiness and operational effectiveness as well as jeopardizing U.S. foreign interests. Proposed mitigations for the status quo include bolstering international organizations, expanding the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) capacity to respond to disasters, and creating dedicated DoD …

Online Teaching And Learning At Chinese Universities During Covid-19: Insiders’ Perspectives, Youliang Zhang, Yidan Zhu, Tongjie Chen, Tongfei Ma

Journal of Global Education and Research

During attempts to prevent and control the COVID-19 pandemic in China, higher education programs shifted their traditional educational models to online models. This paper aimed to explore how Chinese universities organized online teaching and learning during the pandemic. It investigated the factors affecting the implementation of online teaching and provided policy recommendations for improving the quality of education in the post-pandemic period. The primary data for this study came from in-depth interviews with nine students and five teaching and administrative staff at eight major universities in mainland China. Literature was obtained in both English and Chinese from January 2020 to …

Supplier-Complementor Alliances: Enhancing Value Creation For The Ecosystem, Liang Chen

Asian Management Insights

1. Suppliers can better protect their positions in an ecosystem by building stronger relationships with ‘complementors’, which are businesses that offer products or services that enhance the value of the core product. Such supplier-complementor alliances (SCAs) can enhance the value of the entire ecosystem, including that of the leader.

2. SCAs such as Nvidia-Adobe drive innovation by encouraging suppliers to develop products that cater to broader needs beyond the ecosystem leader’s specific demands. This strategic alignment between suppliers and complementors also ensures that suppliers build a more resilient and diversified business model.

3. SCAs present both opportunities and challenges within …

Entrepreneurial (Re)Vision, Patricia Lui, Jovina Ang, Lipika Bhattacharya

Asian Management Insights

Transforming DMK footwear for the next-gen market.

The Growth Of Southeast Asia’S Msmes, Shoeb Kagda

Asian Management Insights

Funding winter presents opportunities to reboot for the future.

Lessons From Developing A Rubric For Evaluating Need Statements On Health Technology Innovation Projects, L. Denend, R. Venook, R. D. Pamnani, K. Sheth, Joseph D. Towles

Engineering Faculty Works

In design-oriented biomedical engineering courses, some instructors teach need-driven methods for health technology innovation that use a “need statement” to reflect a student team’s hypothesis about the most fruitful direction for their project. While need statements are of the utmost importance to the projects, we were not aware of any comprehensive rubric for helping instructors evaluate them. Leveraging resources such as the Biodesign textbook along with input from faculty teaching health technology design at our university, we created a rubric for evaluating the construction of need statements. We then introduced the rubric to undergraduate students in a 3-week intersession course …

Q2 Roller Implementation In Medical Icu: A Quality Improvement Project, Kelsey Sawyer

Covenant Nurses Week 2024

No abstract provided.

Effects Of Compassion Fatigue And Burnout On Overall Patient Outcomes: An Integrated Research Review, Stephanie Pigg

Covenant Nurses Week 2024

No abstract provided.

Impact Of Rehab Among Stroke Patients Affecting Anxiety And Depression; Faith 4 Neurosurgical Icu, Stephanie Pigg, Stephan R Smith

Covenant Nurses Week 2024

No abstract provided.