Digital Commons Network^™

Exploring The Role Of Community Leaders In Building Community Resilience Against Climate Disasters: A Case Study Of A Rural Climate Vulnerable Community, Daniel Tinyogtaa Adama

Dissertations and Doctoral Documents, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, 2023–

Community resilience is widely recognized as a participatory approach to managing climate disasters. However, limited empirical research specifically examines how community leaders carry out the work of building that resilience in rural, climate-vulnerable communities. This qualitative case study addressed that issue by exploring the role of community leaders in building resilience against climate disasters in a rural, climate-vulnerable Midwestern community with a history of such events. Guided by three research questions, the study investigated how leaders identified and leveraged local assets and social networks, the strategies they used to promote collaboration, communication, and shared decision-making, and how their roles and …

Facilitating Conditions And Gender Gaps: Predicting Intention To Adopt Digital Education Resources Among Teachers, Bijaya Shrestha, Virginia Clinton-Lisell

Education, Health & Behavior Studies Student Publications

This study examined factors shaping school teachers’ intention to adopt Digital Educational Resources (DER) in Kathmandu Valley, Nepal, based on the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT). Factors included were performance expectancy, effort expectancy, social influence, facilitating conditions, and behavioural intention. Fifty-six (56) teachers completed an online survey measuring those factors. Among all the factors, facilitating conditions were the marginally significant positive predictor of behavioural intention to adopt DER. Male teachers reported marginally higher behavioural intention (p =.05) to adopt DER compared to female teachers. However, gender was not a significant moderator in relationship between behavioural intention …

Non-Adherence To Antidiabetic Medications Among Rural Jamaicans, Norma Edwards

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) poses significant health challenges globally, with individuals and health care systems in rural communities particularly affected. Adherence to antidiabetic medication is crucial for effective management of T2DM. Still, people with T2DM encounter barriers that lead to nonadherence, resulting in poor glycemic control, increased complications, and higher health care costs. The purpose of this study was to explore the perceptions and experiences of rural Jamaicans regarding the factors influencing nonadherence to antidiabetic medications. The basic qualitative study was underpinned by social cognitive theory. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with eight rural Jamaican participants with T2DM. Interview data …

Comments Re: Regulation For Federal Financial Assistance, Fred D. Ledley, Edward Zhou, Brian C. Fox

CISI Publication

This comment focuses on the proposed modifications to §200.205 “Federal Agency Merit Review of Proposals” and §200.340 “Termination and suspension” of Title 2 of the Code of Federal Regulations. We argue that the pre-issuance review, discretionary termination provisions, and other constraints of federal research support that would be established under this proposal create impediments to the scientifically-driven process of discovery and innovation that has long provided the foundation for advances in American prosperity, influence, health, and wellbeing. Our comments focus specifically on federal support for biomedical research by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) for the purpose of advancing healthcare …

Research Highlights Concussion Challenges For Athletes With Adhd, Marisa C. Atkinson

University of Mississippi News

OXFORD, Miss. – New research from the University of Mississippi indicates that athletes with ADHD need even more scrutiny when head injuries are involved.

Feasibility Of Using Untreated And Treated Rice Straw Fibers As A Modifier For Hot Mix Asphalt, Aditya Chowdhury

Civil Engineering Theses

Flexible pavements are subject to progressive deterioration driven by repeated traffic loading, environmental exposure, and material degradation, which causes distress. This study presents an integrated research framework that combines laboratory performance evaluation of rice straw fiber (RSF)-modified hot mix asphalt with machine learning-based pavement distress prediction to advance sustainable pavements. Three plant-produced HMA mixtures were modified with untreated and alkali-treated RSF at dosage levels of 0.2%, 0.4%, and 0.6% by total mixture weight. FTIR spectroscopic analysis confirmed that alkali treatment induced significant chemical modifications to the fiber surface, increasing hydroxyl group availability and enhancing fiber–binder adhesion. Alkali-treated RSF consistently outperformed …

How Migrants Fleeing The Mexican Drug War Changed American Labor Markets, Mark Borgschulte, Yuci Chen, Eduardo Medina-Cortina

Upjohn Institute Policy and Research Briefs

No abstract provided.

“This Place Is My Home”: A Phenomenological Study Of The Academic Experiences And Sense Of Belonging Of Specially Admitted Student-Athletes At Division I Universities, Jana Alexandra Valentine

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to further understand the experiences of specially admitted student-athletes regarding their sense of belonging. In addition, this study aims to add to the existing literature regarding support services for student-athletes. The three research questions for this study were: 1. How do specially admitted student-athletes at Division I Universities make meaning of their admissions experiences? 2. What contributes to developing a sense of belonging of specially admitted student-athletes at Division I universities? 3. How do specially admitted student-athletes make meaning of their academic experiences at their university? A qualitative, descriptive phenomenological research approach was used …

Scraping The Earth: Testing Ndvi As An Indicator Of Military Ground Maneuver Within The Israeli Invasion Of The Gaza Strip, Thomas A. Bergeron

LSU Master's Theses

The advancement of open-source (OSINT) and geospatial intelligence (GEOINT) has allowed independent researchers to study human conflict in new ways, with tools that were previously reserved only for state intelligence agencies. In order to advance methodologies, researchers must continue to evaluate new tools to study war.  Valued for its accessibility and moderate spatial resolution, the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) is one such tool that has not been widely systematically tested for its use in an open-source GEOINT investigation of modern conflict. This study tests NDVI as an indicator of military maneuver by leveraging a mixed-method approach against open-source kinetic …

Human-Driven, Autonomous, Or Hybrid? The Optimal Fleet Configurations For Ride-Hailing Platforms, Wenjing Li, Yali Zhang, Jun Sun, Zhaojun Yang

Information Systems Faculty Publications

The growing commercialization of autonomous vehicles (AVs) is reshaping consumer service preferences and prompting ride-hailing platforms to redesign fleet structures that accommodate the coexistence of human-driven vehicles (HVs) and AVs. This article develops a queueing game framework that incorporates vehicle heterogeneity and consumer preference differences to systematically compare three fleet configuration strategies: the pure HV (PHV) strategy (HVs only), the pure AV (PAV) strategy (AVs only), and the hybrid strategy (both HVs and AVs). The analysis highlights how consumer mismatch losses, AV operating costs, and service rates jointly shape equilibrium outcomes. Results show that when consumer mismatch losses are moderate, …

Staff Education On Improving Abnormal Involuntary Movement Scale (Aims) Documentation And Monitoring For Adult Psychiatric Patients Prescribed Antipsychotic Medications In An Outpatient Clinic, Simisola M. Asekun

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

In outpatient psychiatric settings, inconsistent recordkeeping and a lack of systematic monitoring continue despite the availability of established tools like Abnormal Involuntary Movement Scale (AIMS). The goal of this Doctor of Nursing Practice project was to enhance the documentation and quality improvement through staff education and monitoring of AIMS in adult mental patients receiving antipsychotic medications. Tardive dyskinesia (TD) is still a serious, frequently misdiagnosed side effect of long-term antipsychotic therapy that significantly affects functional outcomes and patient quality of life. This project was guided by the following practice-focused question: How does implementing standardized AIMS documentation and electronic health record …

Different Minds, Same Great Care: Effects Of Specialized Care Plans On Patient Satisfaction, Danielle Castillo, Sarah Aguilar

2025

No abstract provided.

Biotic Therapies For Irritable Bowel Syndrome: Current Interventions, Gina Wodarczyk, Maria Winte, Diana Mastellone, Termen Singh, Joshua Desipio, Sangita Phadtare

Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology Faculty Papers

Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is a common functional gastrointestinal disorder characterized by recurrent abdominal pain and changes in bowel habits without measurable disease processes. Recent research emphasizes the gut-brain-microbiome (GBM) axis and explores how microbiota influence gastrointestinal and central nervous system functions. Here, we first discuss a brief overview of various treatment approaches for IBS, focusing on interventions such as probiotics, prebiotics, or synbiotics that target the GBM axis in adults with IBS. Relevant trials discussed the use of probiotics, prebiotics, or synbiotics.

Sources And Potential Risks Of Micro- And Nanoplastics In Foods, Zhao Xinlong, Li Wei, Zhang Mengling, Xing Liwen, Tian Huafeng

Food and Machinery

Plastics are widely used in food packaging, storage, processing, and other food-related applications, playing a vital role in extending food shelf life, reducing material loss, and promoting food circulation. However, these plastic products that come into direct or indirect contact with foods can release micro- and nanoplastics through various physical and chemical processes. These micro- and nanoplastics can accumulate in the human body through bioaccumulation and other pathways and have become one of the emerging contaminants threatening food safety and human health. This review provides a comprehensive summary of the research progress on the generation pathways, release mechanisms, potential health …

Advances In The Application Of Electroencephalography In Food Sensory Science, Li Wenbin, Hou Xiaoyi, Deng Na, Leng Tuo, Fu Haohua, Wang Jianhui

Food and Machinery

Traditional sensory evaluation of food is affected by subjectivity and other factors, resulting in significant limitations. Electroencephalography (EEG), owing to its advantages of high temporal resolution, non-invasiveness, and real-time dynamic monitoring, offers an objective neurophysiological perspective and analytical approach to address this issue, effectively advancing food science research from subjective descriptions to objective neural decoding. This paper systematically reviews the applications of EEG in food flavor recognition and prediction, objective evaluation of food quality, and analysis of food nutrition and consumer behavior. In light of the current state of technological development, it is proposed that multimodal technology integration and machine …

Law Enforcement Help-Seeking Behaviors And Organizational Mental Health Supports, Jordan Elizabeth Longendorf

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Due to the traumatic and repetitive nature of law enforcement work, mental health support is often needed by officers, but is not consistently sought. Law enforcement leaders need to understand this concern as a leading indicator of workforce well-being, organizational effectiveness, and officers’ willingness to seek needed mental health support. Guided by the conceptual framework of Rickwood and Thomas’s help-seeking behaviors, the purpose of this descriptive phenomenological study was to explore law enforcement officers’ lived experiences of help-seeking behaviors for emotional and mental health issues. Data were collected through six semistructured interviews with current law enforcement officers in four different …

Contemporary Cybersecurity Challenges In Emerging Technologies: A Systematic Literature Analysis, Faztudo Languisse Prof

Journal of Cybersecurity Education, Research and Practice

The accelerating convergence of artificial intelligence (AI), the Internet of Things (IoT), cloud computing, blockchain, and quantum computing has fundamentally transformed the global threat landscape, introducing cybersecurity challenges of unprecedented complexity and scale. This systematic literature review synthesizes findings from peer-reviewed publications, institutional reports, and regulatory documents published primarily between 2020 and 2025 to provide an integrated analysis of contemporary cybersecurity challenges across five key emerging technology domains. The review identifies critical vulnerabilities inherent to each domain, documents the evolution of threat actors and attack methodologies — including AI-powered ransomware, adversarial machine learning, and harvest-now-decrypt-later quantum attacks — and evaluates …

Metabolic Syndrome Is Associated With Increased Mortality In Patients With Breast Or Prostate Cancer, Jessica P Hwang, Ning Zhang, Mercy W Misoi, Sabhi Gull, Zayd A Razouki, Justin R Gregg, Natalia I Heredia, Sharon H Giordano

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

We investigated the association of metabolic syndrome (MetS) with mortality in patients with breast and prostate cancer. Breast and prostate cancer cohorts were created retrospectively using the SEER-Medicare database. Patients with first primary breast or prostate cancer diagnosed in 2008-2019 were identified using ICD-O-3 site and histology codes. Among those, patients with MetS were identified using ICD-9/10-CM codes, CPT/HCPCS codes, and prescription drug use from Medicare claims files. We defined continuous enrollment from 12 months before through 12 months after diagnosis, exposure during the first 12 months after diagnosis, and survival follow-up starting 12 months after diagnosis. We used multivariable …

Deep Learning Single-Cell Analysis For Cytologic Evaluation Of Oral Potentially Malignant Disorders, Michael P Mcrae, Kritika S Rajsri, Nadarajah Vigneswaran, A Ross Kerr, Spencer W Redding, Martin H Thornhill, Craig Murdoch, Paul M Speight, Nancy Ruel, Rachelle Wolk, Ryan R Ruff, John T Mcdevitt

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Oral potentially malignant disorders (OPMDs) such as leukoplakia and erythroplakia may harbor dysplasia or progress to oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC), yet visual inspection alone is unreliable for risk assessment. Cytology offers a minimally invasive adjunct, but conventional approaches depend on manual feature extraction and subjective review. Herein we report a deep learning (DL) object detection model that directly classifies four cell phenotypes: differentiated squamous epithelial (DSE) cells, small round (SR) cells, leukocytes, and lone nuclei. The DL model produced cytology-derived parameters that correlated strongly with histopathologic diagnoses across 692 subjects with OPMDs, OSCC, and healthy controls, including declining DSE …

Firms In The Flood: Is Fema Failing Small Businesses?, Lauryn Charles

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

When faced with a natural disaster, small businesses remain largely outside the direct reach of federal assistance. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) estimates that up to 65% of small businesses close within two years of direct impact by a hazard event. Despite this vulnerability, existing research has focused primarily on infrastructure and household recovery, leaving the small business sector underexamined. This study is the first to link county-level IRS income data, FEMA mitigation grants, and SBA disaster records to empirically evaluate whether federal pre-disaster mitigation spending and community social resilience moderate the relationship between disasters and small business recovery …

Board Of Directors Meeting Minutes (July 13, 2026), Dmacc Board Of Directors

Board of Directors Meeting Minutes

This file contains the minutes from the Des Moines Area Community College Board meeting held on July 13, 2026.

Aligning Horizon Scanning Approaches With Differing Needs And Topics At The Science–Policy Interface On Chemicals, Waste, And Pollution, Gabriel Sigmund, Ricardo O. Barra, Michael G. Bertram, Miriam L. Diamond, Alex T. Ford, İPek İMamoğLu, Jinhui Li, Rainer Lohmann, Andreas SchäFfer, Martin Scheringer, KateřIna ŠEbková, Maria Clara V. M. Starling, Noriyuki Suzuki, Penny Vlahos, Roland Weber, Bryan W. Brooks

Graduate School of Oceanography Faculty Publications

Knowledge on chemicals, waste, and pollution is shaped by geographical, financial, and disciplinary biases, which can cause blind spots for key emerging issues, including those relevant to low income countries and vulnerable communities. Scientists, practitioners, affected communities, and policy makers working in the areas of the newly established Intergovernmental Science-Policy Panel on Chemicals, Waste, and Pollution (ISP-CWP) have interest in identifying issues of potential and emerging relevance that currently escape their attention. Horizon scanning offers a critical tool to identify such issues. Here, we provide guidance on aligning horizon scanning approaches with differing objectives, audiences, and thematic scopes. We structure …

Barry Conservation Camp Family Guide, Andy Schafermeyer

UNH Cooperative Extension

No abstract provided.

An Automated Surrogate-Assisted Optimization Framework For Rapid Microfluidic Channel Design Of Point-Of-Care Diagnostic Devices, Ronald Jose, Yunjian Qiu, Lin Jiang, Yun Wang

Faculty Research, Scholarly, and Creative Activity

Saliva-based point-of-care diagnostic devices provide accessible, non-invasive health monitoring but face engineering challenges in ensuring reliable, cost-effective performance outside laboratory settings. Traditional design approaches rely heavily on repeated cycles of simulation, design, and prototyping, creating computational bottlenecks that slow innovation. This work introduces an automated surrogate-assisted optimization framework that integrates multiphysics simulation data, surrogate modeling, and multi-objective optimization to accelerate microchannel design. Synthetic datasets generated through multiphysics simulations are used to train a neural network surrogate model capable of predicting flow performance metrics, including the Dean number and pressure drop. This trained model achieved a mean squared error of 0.000012 …

Using “You” As A Subject In Biology Assessment Questions: Examining Student Preferences For Second-Person Framing, Noelle Clark, Kate Hill, Jeremy L. Hsu

Biology, Chemistry, and Environmental Sciences Faculty Articles and Research

In college biology courses, exams and quizzes are often used to assess students’ knowledge and performance. Since assessments are a crucial part of biology classes, there has been a wide range of work examining how assessment questions are written, revealing that small changes in how such questions are worded may have large impacts on students’ reading comprehension and performance. One aspect that instructors consider when writing a question is subject framing, i.e., which individual, if any, is being placed as the focal point of the question. In this study, we focus on the following subject framings, an authentic scientist, a …

Blue Economy In Madura: Research Trends And Structural Change, Herry Yulistiyono, Aditya Tri Prasetyo, Ari Warokka

Jurnal Ekonomi dan Studi Pembangunan

This study examines the development of the blue economy in Madura through bibliometric analysis, focusing on research trends and economic structural changes from 2020 to 2024, as well as analyzing gaps and potential areas for future research. The methodology employed is a quantitative approach utilizing bibliometric methods. Data were obtained from scientific publications and analyzed using metrics that measure the ratio of citations to publications.

The results indicate a significant increase in the number of publications on the blue economy in Madura, peaking in 2023 with 29 researchers focusing on diverse topics. Performance metrics analysis revealed Marine Policy as the …

The Concept Of Maritime Wrecks, Farid Hatimy

Revue Marocaine de Droit, d'Economie et de Gestion (Moroccan Journal of Law, Economics and Management)

This paper examines the concept of maritime wrecks under Moroccan law, addressing the high number of shipwrecks and ancient wrecks found along Morocco's maritime public domain. The author, Farid Hatimy, highlights the concentration of wrecks near major ports, coastal capes, and other hazardous areas, posing risks to navigation, marine environment, and public health. The paper notes that wrecks often occupy port public domain, remain unmarked, and result from adverse weather, international hostilities, or human negligence. The author emphasizes the difficulty posed by the absence of a legal definition of "wreck" and the confusion with similar concepts, aiming to clarify the …

A Review Of Juvenile Solitary Confinement In The United States: Why Developmental Science Supports Banning Isolation Of Youth, Morgan R. Wagner, Krystia Reed, April Thomas

Northwestern Journal of Human Rights

The use of solitary confinement in carceral settings has been prevalent in the United States for as long as the justice system has been in place. The practice of isolating people who are incarcerated from the general prison population was adopted in the juvenile justice system as well, despite the system’s purported focus on rehabilitation. This paper reviews the developmental psychological literature suggesting that solitary confinement can harm adolescents in a variety of ways (psychological, psychosocial, and physical). We then discuss the prevalence of juvenile solitary confinement in federal and state courts. Finally, considering this research, we identify goals for …

The Impact Of Leadership Communication And Organizational Trust On Psychological Safety And Employee Voice In Healthcare Organizations, Crystal D. Smith

M.S. in Leadership

Healthcare organizations operate in increasingly complex environments where effective communication, employee engagement, and patient safety are essential to organizational success. Despite the importance of employee voice, many healthcare professionals hesitate to express concerns, report errors, or share ideas for improvement because of perceived interpersonal and organizational risks. This study examines how leadership communication and organizational trust influence psychological safety and employee voice within healthcare organizations. Using a qualitative literature review, the study synthesizes scholarly research from healthcare leadership, organizational behavior, organizational psychology, healthcare management, and patient safety. The review explores major themes, including psychological safety, leadership communication, organizational trust, employee …

Nurses’ Knowledge And Practices Regarding Infection Prevention Measures In Cardiac Intensive Care Unit, Marwa G. Abouheiba, Maha Adel Salem, Jean Bertin Mudenge

Nursing

Abstract: Background: Healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) remain a major global patient safety challenge, contributing substantially to morbidity, mortality, prolonged hospitalization, antimicrobial resistance, and increased healthcare costs. Patients admitted to cardiac intensive care units (ICUs) are particularly vulnerable because of their critical illness, frequent exposure to invasive devices, and complex cardiovascular interventions. Nurses play a pivotal role in preventing HAIs through the consistent implementation of evidence-based infection prevention and control (IPC) measures. Therefore, assessing both nurses' knowledge and their observed clinical practices is essential for identifying strengths, potential gaps, and opportunities for quality improvement. Aim: To assess nurses' knowledge and observed practices …