Digital Commons Network^™

Characterizing Risk And Protective Factors For Alzheimer's Disease And Related Dementias In American Samoa, Danielle Eakins, Jessica Williams-Nguyen, Nancy Schoenberg, Va'atausili Tofaeono

Anthropology Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Ahms 144.51: Medical Terminology, Luke M. Alford

University of Montana Course Syllabi, 2021-2025

No abstract provided.

(De)Funding Family Separations, Joshua Gupta-Kagan

Faculty Scholarship

Federal foster care funding exists in tension with foundational family law principles. The law protects family integrity: the state may only separate parents and children in extreme cases, and, when it does, the state must work to reunify families. Yet the federal funding system directs billions of federal dollars to support CPS agencies and pay subsidies to foster parents, adoptive parents, and guardians. It does so via an open-ended entitlement, so that the more families a state separates, the more federal funds it receives. This system makes it relatively cheaper for CPS agencies to take custody of children, incentivizes states …

On The Causality Between Cognitive Stress And Physiological Stress: The Stroop Test As A Case Study, Abdelmounaam Rezgui

Faculty Publications - Information Technology

Wearable devices are revolutionizing smart computing in healthcare. In particular, electroencephalography (EEG) devices (e. g., electrode cap bundles, headbands) are currently enabling many healthcare applications that require real-time monitoring of brain electrical activity. Examples of those applications include: epilepsy diagnosis, sleep disorder diagnosis, tumor detection, autonomous navigation (e. g., to control wheelchairs), and stress reduction. In many of these applications, the use of clinical-grade EEG devices may not be feasible because of factors such as high cost, privacy concerns, and inconvenience. In this paper, we used the Granger causality test to study whether consumer-grade EEG devices can detect levels of …

Blood And Mettle: The Effects Of Civil Unrest On Economic Mobility, Nathan D. Parks

Honors Projects

Civil unrest is a global phenomenon that often emerges through a combination of grievances and opportunity sparking change. Civil unrest is often used as a tool by the populace to initiate political, societal, or economic transformation. Economic mobility or the belief in it is a key contributor to mitigating individuals’ level of grievances. This paper uses lagged panel analysis to investigate the question of how civil unrest affects economic mobility beyond the time of unrest. Civil unrest is associated with changes in economic mobility, varying between positive and negative associations based on the type of unrest. Analysis was conducted using …

Farmnav-Uav: A Field-Ready Autonomous Uav For Tracking Static And Dynamic Trajectories In Agricultural Applications, Veera Venkata Ram Murali Krishna Rao Muvva

Department of Agricultural and Biological Systems Engineering: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

This study presents the design and development of a custom-built uncrewed aerial vehicle (UAV) tailored for precision agriculture. Unlike commercial UAVs, which are often constrained by proprietary systems and limited hardware customization, the proposed platform emphasizes modularity, upgradeability, and cost-effectiveness. The UAV is equipped with a Cube Blue flight controller for reliable low-level actuation and a Raspberry Pi 4 companion computer that executes a Model Predictive Control (MPC) algorithm for high-level trajectory optimization and stability enhancement.

Most conventional UAV autopilot systems rely on non-optimal control strategies, such as proportional–integral–derivative (PID) controllers, which can be inadequate for dynamic or resource-constrained environments. …

Environmental-Friendly Consumption: Measuring The Impact Of Lifestyle On Household Carbon Emissions, Faisal Madjid Alyasa, Adam Hawari, Afif Akbar Syawala, Estro Dariatno Dariatno Sihaloho

Economics and Finance in Indonesia

In 2060, Indonesia aims for a clean, emissions-free society. However, achieving this goal requires understanding how lifestyle choices affect household carbon emissions. This study, based on data from the Indonesian Family Life Survey 2014, examines the impact of different diets (plant-based, vegetarian, Mediterranean, full meat-based, and mixed) on carbon emissions. Using Ordinary Least Square Panel Data Regression, the research finds that plant-based and vegetarian diets have a lower carbon footprint compared to mixed and full meat-based diets. The findings suggest that transitioning to more environmentally friendly consumption patterns can help reduce carbon emissions and benefit the environment.

Scoring Large Muscle Movements In Pediatric Sleep Studies: An Educational Module For Sleep Technologists, Shauna Michelle Vandoren, David G. Ingram

Posters

Introduction Restless Sleep Disorder (RSD) has recently been recognized as a distinct sleep disorder, with Large Muscle Movement (LMM) scoring being a crucial component of its diagnostic criteria. This project aimed to develop and implement an online educational module to enhance the knowledge and skills of sleep technologists to accurately score LMMs. Methods We constructed an online learning module that included training on the identification and scoring of LMMs in pediatric sleep studies. The module consisted of a 10-question pre-assessment, the educational content (which explained the background of RSD diagnosis, the role of LMMs in diagnostic criteria, and current scoring …

Cornelius Nepos: Fortune, Biography, And The Late Roman Republic, William H. Merrick

History Undergraduate Honors Theses

Abstract: This paper examines ancient biography and the late Roman Republic by analyzing the surviving writings of Cornelius Nepos. Cornelius Nepos was a late Republican intellectual and friend of several of the most prominent literary figures of his day. The literature on Nepos tended to be dismissive of the author until the 1980s, when it began to shift towards viewing Nepos through the lens of ancient biography. By examining the theme of fortuna [fortune] throughout Nepos’ work and contrasting it with usage of the theme in other Latin authors or Greek historians, this paper demonstrates that Nepos adapts a longstanding …

Correlation Of Magnetic Resonance Imaging Findings With Clinical Outcomes In Acute Transverse Myelitis: A Comprehensive Retrospective Study, Anjlee Shankar, Faheem Soomro, Dipanty Khastoori, Tahira Maqsood, Sajjad Jalbani, Alam Ibrahim Siddiqui

Pakistan Journal of Neurological Sciences (PJNS)

Background and Objective: Acute transverse myelitis (ATM) is an inflammatory spinal cord disorder presenting with motor, sensory, and autonomic dysfunction. The objective of this study was to assess the prognostic value of spinal MRI findings and treatment timing in predicting neurological outcomes in patients with acute transverse myelitis.

Methods: A retrospective analysis was conducted on 90 patients diagnosed with ATM at Chandka Medical College Hospital, Larkana, between January 2021 and December 2023. All patients underwent spinal MRI at presentation, and imaging characteristics—including lesion location, longitudinal extent, and enhancement pattern—were recorded. Clinical outcomes were assessed at one month, three months, and …

Impact Of Physical Exercise On Reducing The Frequency And Severity Of Migraine Without Aura: A Multi-Center Cross-Sectional Study, Amir Hamza, Abdul Wahid, Abdul Bari, Mohammad Azam, Riaz Ahmed, Ikram Ullah

Pakistan Journal of Neurological Sciences (PJNS)

Background and Objective: Migraine without aura is the most common subtype of migraine and causes significant distress to its sufferers. The objective of this study was to evaluate the role of physical exercise in reducing the frequency and severity of attacks in patients with migraine without aura.

Methods: This multicenter cross-sectional study was conducted from March 2024 to February 2025 in departments of neurology and medicine in two tertiary care hospitals in Quetta and Khuzdar. A total of 384 adults age 18–60 years with migraine without aura, diagnosed using ICHD-3 criteria, were selected through consecutive sampling. Patients with other headache …

Raising Awareness In South Punjab: The Importance Of Consulting Neurologists For Neurological Disorders, Muhammad Fahad Saleem, Mohammad Wasay, Sohaib Hassan, Muhammad Wahab Qureshi, Muhammad Hamza Khan, Muhammad Wazir

Pakistan Journal of Neurological Sciences (PJNS)

No abstract provided.

The Compassionate H.E.A.R.T. Of Relationship-Centered Care, Dustin Willis

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

The patient-provider interaction (PPI) represents a critical dimension of healthcare delivery that significantly influences clinical outcomes, yet the nuanced dynamics of compassionate care remain operationally elusive. This dissertation presents the Compassionate H.E.A.R.T. (Helping Ease, Alleviate, & Relieve Therapeutically) framework—a novel theoretical model for understanding and enhancing relationship-centered care—and examines its validity, reliability, and therapeutic impact.

Through four interconnected studies, this research explores the multifaceted nature of compassionate care. First, a comprehensive literature review excavates the landscape of patient-provider interactions, highlighting terminological inconsistencies, incomplete theoretical frameworks, and methodological challenges in measuring these ethereal qualities. Second, the Compassionate H.E.A.R.T. model is introduced, …

Sunlight Exposure And The Risk Of Mortality And Breast Cancer Incidence, Noor Nadhim

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

Background: Prolonged sun exposure increases the risk of skin cancer. However, multiple sunlight-related health benefits have been identified. The overall impact of sun exposure on mortality is not clear. Sunlight could be associated with breast cancer risk via stimulating vitamin D photosynthesis; however, evidence has been mixed. Objectives: To investigate the association of time spent outdoors in daylight (in warmer and cooler months, and the total [annual]) and UV irradiance using the residential locations of participants with the risks of mortality (all-cause and cause-specific: cancer, cardiovascular [CVD], and non-cancer non-CVD) and primary invasive breast cancer.

Methods: This research …

Vestibulo-Ocular Reflex Function In Individuals With Chronic Motion Sensitivity, Oluwaseun Ibitunde Ambode

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

Objective: The purpose of this study was to 1) determine whether Vestibulo-ocular reflex (VOR) integrity is different between young adults with and without chronic motion sensitivity (CMS), 2) assess correlation between VOR integrity and postural stability in young adults with and without CMS; and 3) Compare postural stability across different levels of physical activity in young adults with and without CMS.

Design: A Cross-sectional study design.

Methods: Forty healthy young adult men and women (age, 20-40 years) were stratified into CMS and Non-CMS groups, VOR integrity was assessed using Bertec Vision Advantage (BVA), postural stability was assessed …

Feasibility And Effectiveness Of A Mindfulness Stress Reduction Intervention, Diana Guadalupe Marin

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

Health disparities in low-resource communities lead to poor physical and mental health outcomes. To reduce health disparities, the United States has looked to global health initiative and is starting to rely on lay health workers more consistently as a promising and sustainable force. Community Health Worker (CHWs) work alongside the local health care system to connect vulnerable populations to needed care. However, the demand of their role puts CHWs at risk for stress, burnout, and vicarious trauma. Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) is a stress reduction intervention that has been empirically supported to reduce stress and burnout in numerous populations. To …

Nursing Advocacy In Maternal Health For Women With Sickle Cell Disease, Jodian Lyn

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

Over 80% of pregnancy-related deaths among Black women in the U.S. are preventable. Racial disparities, biases, and discrimination negatively impact maternal health, by contributing to higher stress levels, affecting pregnancy outcomes. The maternal death rate for Black women with sickle cell (SCD) is 629, Black women without SCD is 12, and the general population 6 per 100,000. The voices of these women are often missing in research.

This qualitative study, using Hermeneutic Phenomenological approach, explores the lived experiences of Black women with SCD during pregnancy. Data analysis was completed using an interpretive framework to elucidate the essence of the lived …

Religiosity And Mental Distress In U.S. Healthcare Workers During Covid-19, Jasmine Logan

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

A major impact of the COVID-19 pandemic is the global increased rates of mental distress and decreased levels of resilience in healthcare workers. The development of quick, effective interventions for healthcare workers are all the more needed to maintain job performance and increase well-being. Associations between religion and health have been clearly established, and evidence suggests religious coping as an effective strategy for mental wellbeing. The current study investigated whether religious coping could predict levels of mental distress and resilience in a U.S. cohort of healthcare workers. The sample consisted of 137 healthcare workers from a large healthcare institution who …

Tobacco, Alcohol, And Poverty In Lao Pdr Based On National Survey Analysis, Robert M. Semakula

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

Tobacco and alcohol use are among the most prevalent and harmful addictive behaviors globally, including in the Lao People’s Democratic Republic (Lao PDR). In Southeast Asia and the Western Pacific, substance use patterns are shaped by cultural, social, economic, policyrelated, and environmental factors. This study aimed to: (1) explore associations between different patterns of alcohol and tobacco use among men and women in Lao PDR, and (2) investigate the effect of poverty on the relationship between alcohol and tobacco use. We conducted a secondary analysis of the 2013 Lao National Adult Tobacco Survey (N = 9,706), a nationally representative sample …

Best Practices For A Competency-Based Curriculum In Critical Care Ultrasonography For Fellows, Paru Patrawalla, Frances West, Navitha Ramesh, Paul Mayo, Amik Sodhi

Division of Pulmonary, Allergy, and Critical Care Medicine Faculty Papers

New guidelines from the Accreditation Council on Graduate Medical Education for critical care ultrasound (CCUS) training went into effect on July 1, 2024, for critical care medicine and combined pulmonary and critical care medicine fellows. Fellowship programs will need to ensure that their fellows demonstrate competence in skills that are essential to CCUS, which currently encompasses applications in basic cardiac, lung/pleural, abdominal, and vascular ultrasonography (US). This may be a challenge for fellowship programs that have nascent CCUS curricula and limited faculty expertise. In this Perspective, we share expert and evidence-based recommendations on how to implement a competency-based curriculum in …

Redesigning Post-Incarceration Employment Tax Credits: Making Work Opportunity Credits Work For Former Felons, Stephanie Hunter Mcmahon

University of Michigan Journal of Law Reform

Former felons have a significantly higher unemployment rate than other groups of American workers. This unemployment increases recidivism as well as broader societal problems. Consequently, Congress enacted the Work Opportunity Tax Credit to encourage employers to hire former felons (and other groups of targeted workers) by offsetting their wages. For the credit to increase employment, employers must know whether potential workers would likely qualify for the credit before hiring decisions are made. However, the growing Ban the Box Movement seeks to defer or eliminate conviction history questions in hiring. After examining the credit’s stated purpose, its operating mechanism, and some …

Front Matter

Hofstra Law Review

No abstract provided.

Exonerees Working For Work's Benefits: Prison Work For Social Security And Medicare, Stephanie Hunter Mcmahon

Hofstra Law Review

Exonerated individuals are released from prison, but they cannot recover the time they were incarcerated. The time is gone, as is its potential to qualify for the nation’s social safety net. Most people earn a right to the safety net and for retirement through their employment; however, even when prisoners work, they are denied employment-related benefits that would be enjoyed by those not incarcerated. Inmate labor does not earn toward Social Security, Medicare, and Social Security Disability Insurance, and the exclusion applies even if the inmate is later exonerated of the crime for which they were imprisoned. Therefore, exonerees’ mandatory …

Treading Water: Striking A Delicate Balance In Wetland Conservation In The Wake Of Sackett V. Environmental Protection Agency, Ryan Donofrio

Hofstra Law Review

No abstract provided.

Step, Prep, And Leap: How Choreographers Can Overcome The Hurdles Placed By Copyright Law, Anne Henderson

Hofstra Law Review

No abstract provided.

Gerald Templer's Leadership In The Malayan Emergency (1948-1960): Its Enduring Relevance, Kumar Ramakrishna

New England Journal of Public Policy

This article explores the leadership contributions of General Sir Gerald Templer, who was both High Commissioner and Director of Operations, during the counterinsurgency campaign waged by the British colonial authorities in Malaya against the Malayan Communist Party, between 1948 and 1960. This campaign has become known as the Malayan Emergency. The article explores how Templer’s leadership—marked by a combination of high intellect, sound practical nous, and the ability to galvanize governmental action and ultimately inspire the population to eventual victory—was instrumental in transforming the nature of the problematic initial British response to the Communist insurgency. The article suggests that Templer’s …

Addressing Emergency Situations Among The Unhoused In Paterson, Nj, Fanny Lauby

Department of Political Science and Law Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works

Earlier this year, the Paterson City Council proposed an ordinance to criminalize homelessness. Many residents were unhappy with the proposed ordinance, feeling that it was unjust to treat the homeless in Paterson that way, and that it wouldn’t effectively address the root causes. The ordinance was withdrawn, but homelessness in Paterson still needs to be addressed. This paper proposes alternate solutions to homelessness; through increasing shelter capacity, affordable housing, modifying the ordinance, increasing in voluntary commitment, measures, and alternatives to involuntary commitment.

Service-Learning For Teachers/Exegetes: A Postcolonial Avenue For Biblical Sustainability Education, Maricel S. Ibita

Theology Department Faculty Publications

While textual excavation mainstreams biblical scholarship, studies on biblical pedagogies for social justice have also proliferated. In Activism, Bible, and Research-based Teaching (2024), the contributors expound on their biblical research and activism in areas of disability studies, gender-sexuality, community grounding and university pedagogies, Judaeophobia, climate change, etc. Although the book mentioned sustainable development, there is no discussion yet of “education for sustainable development”. In this study, I will briefly present the debate on education for sustainability (EfS), especially in relation to faith-based organizations, including educational institutions. Next, I will delve into the participative, community-based methodology of service-learning and its limits, …

Perioperative Fluid Therapy Impairs Lymphatic Pump Function In Male Rats, Rebecca C Harlow-Adamek, Reetu Singh, Randolph H Stewart, Cristine L Heaps, Glen A Laine, Charles S Cox, Ranjeet M Dongaonkar

The Brown Foundation: Institute of Molecular Medicine

Because of its life-saving benefits, perioperative IV fluid therapy remains a cornerstone of medical treatment. However, it also induces sustained edemagenic stress. The resulting persistent interstitial edema-excessive fluid accumulation in the interstitium-significantly delays recovery and worsens patient outcomes. Therefore, to gain a detailed understanding of the lymphatic functional consequences of perioperative fluid therapy, this study aimed to test the hypothesis that perioperative IV fluid therapy compromises lymphatic pump function within 3 days after major surgery. Following a midline laparotomy, animals received IV fluid therapy over 48 h during recovery (FLTP). Three days post-surgery, mesenteric lymphatic vessels from FLTP and sham …

Redirecting Power Into The Hands Of Communities Through Neighborhood Resilience Hubs, Yasmin Urzua-Gutierrez

Silicon Valley Power Sustainable Futures Program

Climate change has been on the global agenda for decades now, whether that is through the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, the annual Conference of the Parties summits, or varying regional agreements across the world. Policy suggests that global cooperation will address the increasing natural disasters and rising temperatures, but new initiatives are challenging this traditional model of climate change solutions. One of these emerging, innovative solutions are Neighborhood Resilience Hubs. As we know, climate change disproportionately affects historically marginalized communities, especially BIPOC and low-income populations. In Santa Clara, Neighborhood Resilience Hubs offer a path forward by empowering local communities …