Digital Commons Network^™

How Is Going To War Like Buying A Car?: The Bargaining Model Of War, Richard R. Johnson

The US Army War College Quarterly: Parameters

The bargaining model of war, a popular, yet complex international relations theory, emphasizes how nations communicate signals regarding military strength, resolve to fight, and foreign policy goals. Since the military plays a major role in communicating these signals, its leaders should understand this theory, despite its complexities. This article explains the model and its components through the used car sale bargaining process and supplements the analogy with real-world examples of international events. This article will help military and foreign policy professionals easily grasp the concepts of the model.

The Impact Of Employment On Sense Of Belonging And Metacognitive Awareness: A Mixed-Methods Study Of Undergraduate Students’ Mathematical Performance, Erin Ryan

Theses

This study investigated how employment intensity affects two critical factors for academic success: a student’s sense of belonging and their metacognitive awareness (the ability to monitor and manage their own learning). Using a mixed-methods approach at the Rochester Institute of Technology, we analyzed survey data through multi-level modeling and conducted qualitative interviews to capture the personal experiences of employed students. Results reveal that students working off-campus for more than eleven hours a week showed significantly lower sense of belonging and metacognitive awareness scores than unemployed students. However, on-campus employment did not show the same effect. Both quantitative and qualitative results …

A Survey Of Health Professions Learners’ Attitudes Towards Social Media In Medical Education: A Substance Use Disorders Education Case Study, Gregory A. Jaffe, Sarah Lawson, William Leach, Mallika Kodavatiganti, Erin Avanzato, Katherine Fesperman, Heather Klusaritz

Department of Family & Community Medicine Faculty Papers

BACKGROUND: Social media is a ubiquitous part of the modern world and plays a key role in the dissemination of information. While utilizing social media for educational purposes has been repeatedly demonstrated as feasible, it has been underutilized in medical education and remains a critical opportunity to integrate microlearning and stigma reduction curricula.

METHODS: A cross-sectional survey on social media usage, attitudes, and beliefs was sent to medical and nursing students at two large academic institutions within Philadelphia. Descriptive statistics are reported, and non-parametric tests were utilized for exploratory analyses.

RESULTS: Health learners were low consumers of social media, reporting …

An Overdue Message: Increasing Colorectal Cancer Screening Rates Among Black Residents Of Massachusetts, Lauren R. Ritterband

Capstones

Colorectal cancer is widely understood as a potentially devastating diagnosis. Late-stage diagnosis portends a high likelihood of morbidity and mortality, in stark contrast to survival rates for patients whose cancer is diagnosed when localized. Early detection through screening is therefore of critical importance. Black residents of Massachusetts have a higher incidence of colorectal cancer than white residents and are more likely to be diagnosed at stage four. Lower screening rates amongst Black residents represent one of multiple factors leading to worse morbidity and mortality from colorectal cancer. Despite clear recommendations from the US Preventive Services Task Force [USPSTF] that all …

Effects Of The Rotor Screw Edge Angle Of Twin-Screw Extruder On The Extrusion Process Of Polylactic Acid, Sun Chenhao, Wang Xilin, Wu Yuntao, Huang Zhigang

Food and Machinery

[Objective] To investigate the effects of the flight edge angle at the end face of the screw rotor in a counter-rotating twin-screw extruder on the extrusion performance of polylactic acid (PLA). [Methods] Experimental screws with flight edge angles of 70° and 80° were compared with a standard screw (90° flight edge angle) as the control. Mesh generation of the screw elements was conducted using Gambit software, followed by numerical simulations in Polyflow to compare the differences in pressure fields and shear rates within the flow channels of the three screws. The residence time and distribution of tracer particles were obtained …

A Tactile Trans-Flexor Carpi Radialis Surface Landmark Technique For Median Nerve Local Injection: A Cadaveric Study, Clark Chen, Keenan Sobol, Connor Hickey, Duncan Vannest, John Ibrahim, James Raphael

Einstein Health Papers

PURPOSE: Median nerve (MN) block under local anesthesia at the wrist is commonly performed but can be limited by anatomic variation, particularly absence of the palmaris longus tendon. This study investigates a novel trans-flexor carpi radialis (trans-FCR) technique for MN anesthesia that uses the flexor carpi radialis (FCR) tendon as a consistent surface landmark.

METHODS: Fourteen fresh frozen upper extremity cadaver specimens were used. A 25-gauge needle was inserted through the FCR sheath approximately 4 cm proximal to the wrist crease in a transverse fashion, angled approximately 0° to the vertical and parallel to the wrist crease. The trans-FCR technique …

Healthcare Leaders’ Information And Communication Technology Competencies Relationship To Their Information And Data Literacy Levels, Kenreka Tiwan Yeadon

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

No abstract provided.

Exploring The Lived Experiences Of Mid-Level Managers In The Technology Industry Supervising Subordinates During Crisis Events: A Phenomenological Study, Christianna Emily Kellman

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

No abstract provided.

Luxury Of Entertainment: Positioning Live Events As Third Places, Kelsie T. Martin

Honors College Theses

This study examines the shift of live entertainment into a luxury commodity and its implications for social accessibility and cultural participation. Rising ticket prices, dynamic pricing models, and industry consolidation restrict access to concerts and festivals to higher-income audiences, as seen through companies such as Live Nation. This increasing trend in the entertainment industry contradicts the original purpose of live entertainment and music events as a shared cultural experience.

By incorporating Ray Oldenburg’s theory of “third places,” this research explores how live events can function as inclusive social spaces that foster community, belonging, and social connection. Using an applied case …

Wrike Or Wrong: Exploring Impacts Of Wrike Erp On Productivity And Effectiveness Of Financial Institutions, Sadie Perkins

Honors Theses

This study evaluates the effect of implementing an enterprise resource planning (ERP) system on workforce productivity and effectiveness in a financial institution (Mariner Finance, LLC). To evaluate these metrics, employees self-selected to participate in a survey that measures their general productivity sentiment, general effectiveness sentiment, user experience of the ERP system, and job satisfaction. This survey was given after the ERP system was implemented. Analysis of results from the survey provided insights into the ERP system's effect. The survey was sent to 21 employees and 9 partially or fully completed the survey. While there was variability among employees’ perceptions of …

The Paradox Of Ambition:Global South Leadership And Brazil's Stalled Rise To Global Power, Valentinna De Melo Ferrarini

Honors Theses

Brazil possesses the material resources, territorial size, and regional influence typically associated with global powers, yet remains excluded from recognition as one. This thesis examines how Brazil's leadership of the Global South has shaped and at times constrained its ambition to become more than a middle power. Using Wang and Chen's comprehensive national power measurements, it tracks Brazil's dramatic trajectory: a 72% increase in national power between 2005 and 2010, followed by a 43% decline by 2020. To explain this reversal, the thesis develops a delta framework identifying six key impediments: regional leadership failure, recognition deficit, military limitations, political instability, …

Assessment And Mitigation Of Covid-19 Occupational Hazards Among Small Businesses In A High-Risk Community, Sadie H Conway, Denise Vasquez, Soyoung Kwon, Kristina D Mena, Louis D Brown, Janelle Rios

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Purpose –: This project explored COVID-19 workplace hazards and factors influencing the implementation of risk mitigation approaches among small businesses in a high-risk community.

Design/methodology/approach –: Using a novel framework, data were collected from 90 workplaces through site visits and consultations with at least one owner, manager or supervisor ("employer") and at least one non-managerial staff member ("employee"). A risk assessment and mitigation plan were prepared based on site-specific hazards; later, a follow-up visit assessed whether recommendations had been implemented and factors influencing these decisions.

Findings –: A total of 84 businesses (93.3%) implemented at least one recommendation, citing ease …

Exercise And Longevity In A Changing World, Andrew Rowan Dphil, Kathleen Rowan

WellBeing News

This article explores how exercise contributes to longevity and overall well-being in the face of changing environmental, technological, and lifestyle conditions. It highlights the importance of maintaining regular physical activity throughout life to support resilience, healthy aging, and long-term physical and mental health.

Wnt-Dependent Ontogeny Of Acellular Cementum-Forming Cementoblasts On The Tooth Root Surface, Taishi Komori, Mizuki Nagata, Natnicha Praneetpong, Hanwen Fan, Yuxiao Zhou, Noriaki Ono, Wanida Ono

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Cementum is a specialized mineralized tissue that covers the tooth root surface and anchors the tooth to the surrounding periodontal ligament. The cervical acellular cementum (AC) is indispensable for periodontal attachment and represents a key target for periodontal regenerative therapies. However, the developmental origin and molecular identity of AC-forming cementoblasts remain poorly understood. Here, through an integrated spatial and single-cell transcriptomic analysis, we identify AC-forming cementoblasts as a distinct population of noncanonical mineralizing cells enriched for cell-matrix organization and Wnt signaling signatures, distinguishing them from cellular cementum-forming cementoblasts localized in the apical portion. Lineage tracing using a Wnt inhibitory factor …

2026 Revised Draft Final Bpsou Backfill And Cover Material Quality Assurance Project Plan (Qapp), Pioneer Technical Services, Inc.

Silver Bow Creek/Butte Area Superfund Site

No abstract provided.

Lindenwood Digest, May 13, 2026, Lindenwood University

Lindenwood Digest

• Event & Date: The St. Charles County Executive Debate on June 2, 2026; the 2026 Assessment Summit on May 14, 2026; and the Seeing the Unseen session on May 18, 2026. 

• Geographic Grounding: J. Scheidegger Center for the Arts and the Lindenwood Learning Academy (LARC), Lindenwood University, St. Charles, Missouri. 

• Key Honorees/Awards: Candidates Steve Ehlmann, Bill Eigel, and Jason Law; Assistant Registrar Julie Owens; Academic Service Representative Alexander Otto; Director Teresa Cole; Staff Admin Coach Brittany Brown. 

• Institutional Context: The Lindenwood University Employee Digest for May 13, 2026, details a modified summer distribution schedule and facilitates university-wide review of the …

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Exploring Virtual Nurse Perceptions Of Caring Through Acute Care Teleconferencing, Monika Lu

Doctoral Projects

Virtual nursing programs have emerged as innovative solutions to address hospital operational challenges and workforce shortages. However, concerns remain about the potential for decreased human connection in telehealth environments. Limited evidence exists regarding virtual nurses’ perceptions of caring behaviors and their ability to develop therapeutic relationships through teleconferencing technology. Purpose: This exploratory study examined virtual nurses’ (ViRNs) perceptions of caring and identified strategies for fostering patient relationships in telehealth settings. Methods: A mixed-methods custom survey was distributed to 25 eligible ViRNs at Stanford Health Care, with 19 respondents (76% response rate). ViRN caring perceptions were measured quantitatively using a 5-point …

Selective And Differential Roles Of Pvhcrh Neurotransmitters In Diet-Induced Obesity In Mice, Zhiying Jiang, Yuhan Cao, Michelle He, Cunjin Su, Runzhou Yang, Maojie Yang, Jing Cai, Hongli Li, Yuanzhong Xu, Shi-Bin Li, Hiroshi Yamaguchi, Luis De Lecea, Benjamin R Arenkiel, Qingchun Tong

The Brown Foundation: Institute of Molecular Medicine

Stress and diet are known to synergistically promote risks of obesity but the underlying neural basis remains elusive. Corticotropin-releasing hormone neurons in the paraventricular hypothalamus (PVHCRH) are stress responsive and release both CRH and glutamate. Here we generated a mouse model with gain or loss of release in CRH or glutamate from PVHCRH neurons. While these models showed no changes in body weight when fed chow, they exhibited contrasting effects when fed high-fat high-caloric diets (HFD). Whereas disrupting glutamate release from PVHCRH neurons led to diet-induced obesity (DIO), that of CRH caused no impact. Conversely, augmented CRH release led to …

From Passage To Place: Reimagining The Transit Hub, Amber Henry

Bachelor of Architecture Theses - 5th Year

Transit hubs are a vital backbone for commuters in major US cities. Despite this backbone, the design priority of the transit hubs is not given the same commitment. When designing transit hubs, there is a focus on the circulation of the hub, often neglecting community engagement and the opportunity to design the space for more than just a transit center. This hyper fixation on circulation just exacerbates the problem of lost space within the urban city. Lost space is the space that is left over and unused due to urban blight. Urban blight occurred in the mid-20th century with people …

A Place To Return: Reimagining Rehabilitation Through Architecture In Tijuana, Mexico, Karen J. Reyes

Bachelor of Architecture Theses - 5th Year

Addiction in Mexico is often associated with stigma, isolation, and institutional models of rehabilitation that reinforce punishment rather than healing. Many rehabilitation centers remain socially invisible, poorly maintained, and disconnected from the communities they aim to serve, particularly in border cities such as Tijuana, where displacement, instability, and addiction frequently intersect. The project responds to these conditions by exploring how architecture can redefine rehabilitation as a process rooted in dignity, belonging, and renewal rather than shame and confinement.

Grounded in Aaron Antonovsky’s Salutogenic Model and theories of community-centered healing, the proposal reimagines recovery through the concept of work as therapy. …

Implementation And Effectiveness Of An Enhanced Recovery Protocol For Children Undergoing Surgery: The Enrich-Us Stepped-Wedge Cluster-Randomized Trial, Mehul V Raval, Yao Tian, Willemijn Schäfer, Salva N Balbale, Mallory N Perez, Martha-Conley E Ingram, Alison Lehane, Charesa J Smith, Gwyneth A Sullivan, Audra J Reiter, Andrew Hu, Johanna M Borst, Sarah C Blake, Sharron Close, Teaniese L Davis, Bonnie S Essner, Kurt F Heiss, Lynn W Huang, Erin Wymore, Deysi Paniagua-Perez, Kirsty M Engelhardt, Peter M Graffy, Julie K Johnson, Craig W Lillehei, Brian W Gray, Seth D Goldstein, Scott S Short, Samir R Pandya, Janice A Taylor, Christopher Gayer, Adam B Goldin, Matthew M Boelig, Kristy L Rialon, Tim Jancelewicz, Aaron M Lipskar, Mubeen Jafri, Elisabeth T Tracy, Matthew T Harting, Jason P Sulkowski, P Benson Ham, Kaveh Vali, Robert A Cina, David T Schindel, Saleem Islam, Erin A Teeple, Sohail R Shah, Ankush Gosain, David H Rothstein, Megan A Brockel, Jillian Chown, Jane L Holl

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Importance: Despite evidence that enhanced recovery protocols (ERPs) improve outcomes in adults undergoing surgery, adoption for pediatric populations has lagged.

Objective: To assess the implementation and clinical effectiveness of a consensus-based ERP for pediatric patients undergoing elective gastrointestinal (GI) surgery.

Design, setting, and participants: A prospective type 2 hybrid implementation-effectiveness, stepped-wedge, cluster-randomized by entry date into implementation phase, trial of pediatrics patients, 10 to 18 years of age, undergoing elective GI surgery at 18 US sites from September 2019 to June 2024.

Interventions: Sites were randomized into 3 groups, each spending at least 9 months in a control phase, with …

Migration-Related Predictors Of Posttraumatic Stress Symptoms In Two Samples Of Latinx Immigrants, Renee M. Frederick, Maria Cuervo Barron, Sita G. Patel, Ashley Bautista, Daniel Oconnell, Alfonso Mercado, Luz M. Garcini, Cecilia Colunga-Rodríguez, Mario Angel-Gonzalez, Amanda Venta

Psychological Science Faculty Publications

Trauma exposure and posttraumatic stress (PTS) symptoms are well-documented health disparities in Latinx migrants, explaining a diverse array of physical and mental health complaints as well as role limitations for both youth and adults. Few studies have examined the influence of the migration journey on PTS in Latinx migrants. We examined the added effect of migration-related predictors, above and beyond general trauma exposure, of PTS in two samples of Latinx migrants with the broad aim of uncovering unique predictors of PTS in this high-risk population. Both studies investigated predictors of posttraumatic distress using information collected about individuals’ demographics (e.g., age, …

Reining It In: From Reflexive To Intentional Instructor Self-Disclosure, Rona Miles, Alla Chavarga, Chelsea Blaney

Essays in Education

Instructor self-disclosure is often promoted as a means of humanizing the classroom environment and improving learning outcomes. Though disclosure has the potential to be highly beneficial, it also carries a risk to students and learning that is often overlooked. This paper presents a point of departure perspective that instructor self-disclosure should be approached with far greater caution than most educators consider. We argue that disclosures should occur only when they are justified with a clear pedagogical purpose. Casual or spontaneous disclosures, by contrast, carry sufficient potential for unintended harm such that their risks outweigh presumed benefits to classroom rapport and …

Adherence To The Eat-Lancet Diet And The Risk Of Heart Failure In Individuals With Cardiovascular-Kidney-Metabolic Syndrome Stages 0–3: A Prospective Cohort Study, Peng Fu, Hong Zheng, Kuangyi Wu, Yulong Lan, Dan Wu, Weiqiang Wu, Huancong Zheng, Zefeng Cai, Yuxian Wang, Qiuyue Lin, Bo Zhang, Youren Chen

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Background and objective – In 2019, the EAT-Lancet Commission on Healthy Diets from Sustainable Food Systems proposed the EAT-Lancet planetary health diet as a universal reference dietary pattern aimed at promoting human health while minimizing environmental degradation. However, epidemiological evidence regarding the association between adherence to the EAT-Lancet diet and the risk of heart failure (HF), particularly among individuals with cardiovascular-kidney-metabolic syndrome (CKMs) stages 0–3, remains limited. Therefore, this study aimed to examine the associations between adherence to the EAT-Lancet dietary pattern, its individual dietary components, and the risk of HF among individuals at CKMs stages 0–3. Materials and methods …

Solving Affordability Challenges In Education, Housing And Childcare, Brad J. Hershbein, Michelle Miller-Adams, Brian J. Asquith, Chloe R. Gibbs

Presentations

These three presentations emphasize that affordability challenges across education, housing, and childcare stem from structural market and policy frictions, and that effective solutions require coordinated public investment, simplified systems, and attention to both supply and demand. The first presentation argues that while college tuition growth has slowed and aid has increased, affordability challenges persist due to complexity, misperceptions, and uneven costs, and it advocates for simple tuition-free programs combined with investments in advising, streamlined pathways, and stronger school-to-work connections. The second presentation highlights a growing housing affordability crisis in the Rust Belt driven by aging housing stock and limited supply, …

Do I Have To Eat That?, Kate Graves

UNH Cooperative Extension

No abstract provided.

Baby & Me Mindful Moments, Kendra Lewis, Kate Graves

UNH Cooperative Extension

No abstract provided.

A Lifecycle Governance And Learning Health System Framework For Trustworthy, Generalizable, And Sustainable Human-Ai Partnership In Clinical Practice: Lessons From The Asthma-Guidance And Prediction System (A-Gps), Chung-Il Wi, Shauna Overgaard, Momin Malik, Dave Watson, Deepak Sharma, Jennifer Le-Rademacher, Dan Kelleher, Lu Zheng, Joshua Ohde, Brian Lynch, Ashwani Khurana, Sunghwan Sohn, Mahmoud M Aljuhani, Chris Carpenter, Manuel Arteta, Jason Greenwood, Martha Hartz, Randy Foss, Elif Polat, Imad Absah, Carla Davis, Meera Gupta, Lynnea Myers, Björn Nordlund, Cui Tao, Mark L Wieland, Christi Patten, Amie Jones, Prathibha Varkey, Brenna T Loufek, David E Vidal, Nari Gopala, Eric Klee, Vijay H Shah, John D Halamka, Matthew R Callstrom, Nicholas L Rider, Hongfang Liu, Constantin Aliferis, Vesna D Garovic, Young J Juhn

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

The integration of artificial intelligence (AI) into clinical decision support (CDS) holds promise for proactive, personalized, and precision care. However, current understanding of how to establish trustworthy human-AI partnerships is in its infancy, despite its critical importance for implementing AI in healthcare. We present the Asthma-Guidance and Prediction System (A-GPS) as a case study of a practice-integrated AI platform that demonstrates how trustworthy, generalizable and sustainable AI can be developed, evaluated, and implemented in real-world asthma care. We describe major challenges and solutions based on our real-world experience during the process and offer the practical framework, approaches, tools and workflow …

Robust Magnetoelectric Backscatter Communication System For Bioelectronic Implants, Fatima Alrashdan, Joshua E Woods, Ellie C Chen, Wendy Tan, Zhanghao Yu, Wei Wang, Mathews John, Lukas Jaworski, Drew Bernard, Allison Post, Angel Moctezuma-Ramirez, Abdelmotagaly Elgalad, Kaiyuan Yang, Mehdi Razavi, Jacob T Robinson

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Wireless communication technologies for bioelectronic implants enable remote monitoring for diagnosis and adaptive therapeutic intervention without the constraints of wired connections. However, wireless data uplink from millimeter-scale devices deep in the body struggles to achieve low power consumption while maintaining large misalignment tolerances. Here, we report a passive wireless backscatter communication system based on magnetoelectric transducers that consumes less than 0.3 pJ/bit and achieves less than 1E-6 bit error rate at a distance of 55 mm while tolerating a misalignment of 10 mm. Using this robust data uplink, we designed a wireless cardiac sensing node that can transmit electrocardiogram signals …

Obesity Rise Plateaus In Developed Nations And Accelerates In Developing Nations, Ncdrf Collaboration, Bin Zhou, Nowell H. Phelps, Agnese Galeazzi, Olivia N. O’Driscoll, James E. Bennett, Lakshya Jain, Ysé D’Ailhaud De Brisis, Gladys E. Maestre, Jesus D. Melgarejo

School of Medicine Publications

Global reporting of obesity is commonly based on comparisons over multiple decades1 and lacks a granular and systematic analysis of its dynamics. We used 4,050 population-based studies with measured height and weight data on 232 million participants to assess the worldwide dynamics of obesity from 1980 to 2024. The rise in obesity decelerated in school-aged children and adolescents throughout the 1990s in many high-income countries, and subsequently plateaued in most at age-standardized prevalences spanning 20 percentage points, from 3–4% for girls in Japan, Denmark and France to 23% for boys in the USA. There were indications of a small …