Digital Commons Network^™

Anterior Cingulate Cortex Connectivity And The Role In Neuroticism: A Diffusion-Weighted-Imaging-Based Investigation Of Limbic And Prefrontal Circuits., Jake Cox Ii

College of Arts & Sciences Senior Theses

Neuroticism is a trait which has been shown to significantly predict psychopathology. Investigating its neurobiological underpinnings may uncover a brain-based relationship that allows clinicians to conceptualize a shared predispositional factor across multiple psychopathologies, implicating treatment protocols. Inter-connectivity network and structural variation has been shown to be implicated in neuroticism, more specifically the frontoparietal network, default mode network, salience networks, and limbic networks. These networks tackle executive, salience, and emotional information, respectively. The anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) is a brain region nested between and functionally related to various networks stated above that are implicated in neuroticism. As such, it was hypothesized …

Mckee Minute October 2025, Southern Adventist University

McKee Minute – McKee Library This Month

The October 2025 edition of McKee Minute includes information on International Open Access Week, National Book Month, course reserves, and the library's mid-semester break hours.

Cybersecurity Risk Disclosure And Regulatory Compliance: Evaluating Market Sensitivity And Disclosure Effectiveness In U.S. Public Companies, Kingsford Brakye, Abdul Basit Karim Adam

Research & Publications

This paper analyzes disclosing cybersecurity risk and regulatory compliance by the U.S. public companies, with reference to the sensitivity of the information in the market and the effectiveness of disclosure. With rising cyber threats, there is mounting pressure on firms to safeguard their financial systems and adhere to rules such as the 2011, 2018, and 2023 guidelines issued by the SEC, which require firms to report incidents in time and to disclose detailed risk management. However, the disclosure is often done in generic, boilerplate terms, and this limits its use by investors and raises the question of transparency. The study …

Ciwag Policy Papers #1: Seabed Warfare Is Here: A U.S. - Led Global Strategy To Secure The Ocean Floor, Dave Brown

CIWAG Policy Papers

Dr. Jahara Matisek, James Langan, Andrew Rolander, and CIWAG Director David A. Brown, COL (Ret.) build on discussions from CIWAG's 2025 Maritime Symposium, co-sponsored with the Naval War College Foundation, and expanding on key insights shared in "The Trident" podcast episode on maritime sabotage, this paper demonstrates why protecting critical undersea infrastructure is no longer optional—it’s urgent. "Growing numbers of incidents and the destruction of pipelines and cables in the waters around Europe and Taiwan signal a global shift: the seabed has become a contested battlespace. The combination of difficulty of detection and attribution, plus the severe consequences to economic …

Transforming Educators: Uncovering Factors In Secondary Education Premise Shift To Active Processing Structures Using A Transcendental Phenomenological Approach, Matthew J. Flugum

Education Doctorate Dissertations

The skills students will need to be successful in an unpredictable future differ from those needed to thrive today. Where the teachers of today were acculturated in systems of knowledge acquisition through systems of transmission, the future of learning requires active processing of new information. Students will need to meta-learn to upskill and reskill in an ever changing environment. Learning environments need to shift in order to support students to learn these skills requiring teachers to adjust traditional systems of structuring learning. This transcendental phenomenological study explores the lived experiences of secondary educators who have undergone a transformative shift in …

Table Of Contents (V. 32, No. 1)

William & Mary Journal of Race, Gender, and Social Justice

No abstract provided.

Masthead

William & Mary Journal of Race, Gender, and Social Justice

No abstract provided.

Border Decriminalization As A State Project: Lessons From Marijuana And Assisted Suicide Legalization Across The United States, Victor C. Romero

William & Mary Journal of Race, Gender, and Social Justice

My prior work argued for the decriminalization of border crossings without proof of specific intent to violate another law (like drug trafficking), which is even less likely to happen now than it was when the piece was published, given the current presidential administration’s zealous deportation strategy and Congress’s seeming acquiescence. As such, I advocate for a second-best solution involving federal-state cooperative agreements wherein border states abutting both Mexico and Canada are given the option by the federal government to pass local legislation decriminalizing border crossings into their states as their communities desire. To the extent that the current presidential administration …

The Demonization Of America's Economic Engine, Ediberto Roman

William & Mary Journal of Race, Gender, and Social Justice

In a 2013 book entitled Those Damned Immigrants: America’s Hysteria Over Undocumented Immigration, I warned of a conservative political trend that I believed would lead to an all-out assault on undocumented immigrants. This trend occurred despite the fact that these immigrants are critical economic boons to our economy.

On his first day in office in 2025, President Trump made the book’s warnings prophetic. That day, President Trump issued a series of executive orders, including 10 focused on limiting entry into the United States and questioning many who previously entered the United States legally. These orders include, 1) enhanced deportation …

Behind The Prompt: The Environmental Impact Of Llm Inference, Lucy Hegenderfer, Isaac Huang

College of Engineering Summer Undergraduate Research Program

As the size and demand for large language models (LLMs) increase, the environmental impact of computational inference often exceeds training; yet industry lacks a standardized method of calculating this expanding environmental footprint. Complexity arises with task-specific computational demands, infrastructure overhead, and various GPU architectures, making cross-model assessments burdensome. Combining environmental engineering and computer science principles by validating Jegham et al.’s meta-model, we predict the carbon emissions and water consumption during inference, providing metrics to raise user awareness of AI’s growing environmental footprint. Additional work supports integration into a multi-agent conversational system that encourages responsible scheduling and prompting, guiding the user …

Augmented Reality Application For Real-Time Coastal Data Visualization, Nithyasri Palanisamy

College of Engineering Summer Undergraduate Research Program

This project aims to develop an Augmented Reality (AR) application that overlays real-time coastal environmental data onto physical landscapes when viewed through AR devices such as smartphones and mixed reality headsets. By integrating data from machine learning models, computer vision-based event detection, coastal sensors, and geospatial mapping technologies, the application will provide users with an immersive and interactive experience, enhancing their understanding of coastal dynamics and environmental changes. The application will focus on observing coastal phenomena such as rip currents, tracking endangered coastal species and marine mammals, monitoring crowd levels on beaches, etc. Data sources will include NOAA's National Data …

A Biomimetic Fe Model Of The Human Foot For Kinematic And Footwear Analysis, Brady K. Nakamura

College of Engineering Summer Undergraduate Research Program

The idea of the present proposal is to develop a biomimetic foot model and validate the model accuracy in predicting plantar stresses on the foot, using insole pressure sensors. The incidences of foot pain can often be coupled with uncomfortable footwear and prolonged usage of a shoe may be associated with long-term musculoskeletal disorders in the lower limb. While multiple studies have tracked the progression of knee osteoarthritis (OA) or midfoot OA and have studied the effect of orthotic treatment on the foot pain across individuals [1], there are few biomimetic models of the foot that can study and associate …

Motivation And Engagement In Outreach Activities, Aurora Geisen

College of Engineering Summer Undergraduate Research Program

If the four elements of motivation and engagement are present in engineering outreach activities, does this affect the desire to become an engineer? Four elements: Autonomy, Purpose, Community, Mastery.

If the four elements of motivation and engagement are present/increased, and thereby motivation and engagement increase, do more students attending an engineering outreach event want to become engineers? If yes, then those activities where the four elements are increased/present should show an increase in students who are engaged and motivated to become engineers. If no, then the design of activities is not a major deciding factor in whether a student wants …

Hands-On Vs. Critical-Thinking Labs And Engineering Pathways: A Gender-Comparative Analysis, Stacey Rodas Duarte

College of Engineering Summer Undergraduate Research Program

The purpose of this study is to compare short-term changes in students’ interest in engineering following two instructional formats: a hands-on lab activity (metal casting) and a critical thinking based lecture/lab (bmed). Using pre and post lab surveys, we evaluated changes in student engagement, confidence, and perceptions of engineering as a potential career. We also examined whether these patterns varied by gender among middle and high school students.

Understanding The State Of Neuroinclusive Teaching, Jovita Maria Joseph

College of Engineering Summer Undergraduate Research Program

We build on prior work by others and by the PI investigating the needs and the state of support for neurodiverse students in STEM at the college level—beginning with the state of support at Cal Poly. Key questions we explore include institutional and peer support and belonging; neuroinclusive course design and the efficacy of syllabi; and the impact of low- versus high-stakes assessments on neurodiverse students. The project consists of three pillars: (1) theory—situating our research with respect to prior work; (2) empirical analysis—learning from the previous survey refining our research questions, and designing further experiments; and (3) institutional research—gathering …

Math+Cs Integrated Curriculum For K-12 Computer Science Education, Amogh Arora

College of Engineering Summer Undergraduate Research Program

This is a proposal for an activity to initiate an effort to create a series of X+CS integrated curricula for learning Computer Science (CS) in K-12. As a start, we examine Mathematics and CS standards, to find the cross-cutting concepts between the two fields. By leveraging these concepts, we bring to the foreground the ways CS can be used in the mathematical context. The goal for this research is to create a 15-week teacher training curriculum that will expose teachers to the CS concepts of Abstraction, Data Representation, Problem Comprehension and Decomposition, Control Structures, Functions and Generalization. Historically, Mathematics and …

The Lawyer: Fall 2025, Seattle University School Of Law

Lawyer

The Briefcase

Faculty Showcase

A look at the Technology, Innovation Law, and Ethics (TILE) Institute

Out & About

The Legal Writing Program's past, present, and future

Alumni Profile: Stephanie Nichols

Alumni Profile: Kelly Vomacka

Class Notes

Governance In The Absence Of Government, Tracy H. Pearl

Dickinson Law Review (2017-Present)

Artificial intelligence (AI) is advancing at an unprecedented pace, with generative systems exerting growing influence over social, economic, and political life. While AI offers opportunities for innovation and efficiency, it also poses risks ranging from misinformation and job displacement to existential threats if highly autonomous systems evade human control. Across industry, government, and civil society, there is broad consensus that AI requires oversight. Yet traditional U.S. regulatory approaches face six significant barriers: (1) technology outpacing legislation, (2) limited AI expertise among policymakers, (3) regulatory capture, (4) political gridlock, (5) outdated governance structures, and (6) the inherent complexity of AI. Combined …

Cytotoxic Effects Of Microplastics On A549 Lung Cancer Cells, Tykel Eddy

Theses (2016-Present)

Investigation of cytotoxic effects of 10μm polystyrene based microplastics on A549 lung cancer epithelial cell line utilized multiple in-vitro assays. Cell viability was analyzed and compared between the control and treated groups using MTT assay using three separate doses (25, 50, and 100 μL). Results indicated that dosage was not a factor, but mainly, a significant time dependency of exposure to microplastics for treated cells compared to control group. Live/Dead assay gave a visual representation of microplastic cytotoxic effects as over the course of three days there was an increase of dead cells withing the treated group, as confirmed by …

Beyond The North Star: The Southward Flight Of Enslaved People To Mexico, Kayro Gonzalez

Theses (2016-Present)

When most people think of the Underground Railroad, they often picture brave individuals escaping the slave-owning South, seeking safety in the northern United States or Canada. However, it's essential to recognize that the fight for freedom went far beyond those regions. In 1830, Mexico abolished slavery, leading many escapees from enslaved areas across the United States. With freedom just a few miles away, hundreds of American slaves established several secretive and advanced routes into Mexico’s northern states, settling in newly founded free black colonies like San Lorenzo de los Negros and El Nacimiento de los Negros, among others. Using data …

The Lack Of Representation Of Black Women In The Sports Industry & Media, Rylan A. Harvey

Theses (2016-Present)

This thesis examines how Black women navigate and thrive within white, male- dominated sports media and industry spaces, utilizing the frameworks of Black Feminist Rhetoric and Co-Cultural Communication Theory. Using rhetorical and media discourse analysis of public figures, including Jemele Hill, Maria Taylor, Pam Oliver, Serena Williams, and Venus Williams, the study examines how Black women employ communicative strategies such as assimilation, accommodation, and separation, alongside rhetorical acts of voice, resistance, and representation, to navigate systemic inequities. These cases illustrate how language, credibility, and identity function as tools of survival and empowerment within institutions designed for exclusion. Findings reveal that …

An Evaluation Of Reading Proficiency Examination College Completion Among Black Neurodiverse Women, Makayla J. Graham

Theses (2016-Present)

This study establishes the college completion experiences of Black neurodiverse women (n=53), a population historically rendered invisible in higher education research. Grounded in Dis/ability Critical Race Studies (DisCrit), Black Feminist Thought, the Black Feminist Disability Framework, and the Neurodiversity Paradigm, the research documents how intersectional identity, structural barriers, and mental health outcomes shape degree attainment. Data was collected through a mixed-methods online survey targeting this specific demographic. The findings demonstrate that college completion for this population is an act of resistance against racialized sexist ableism. Thematic analysis identified six central themes: Systemic Barriers in Higher Education, Intersectional Identity Burdens, Internal …

Proceedings Of The 2025 Santa Fe Bone Symposium: Current Concepts In The Care Of Patients With Osteoporosis, Parathyroid Disorders, And Rare Bone Diseases., E Michael Lewiecki, Robert A. Adler, Paul A. Anderson, John P. Bilezikian, David W. Dempster, Pouneh K. Fazeli, Michael R. Mcclung, Eric T. Rush, Christine M. Swanson, S Bobo Tanner

Manuscripts, Articles, Book Chapters and Other Papers

The 2025 Santa Fe Bone Symposium (SFBS) was a combined in-person and virtual "hybrid" meeting based in Santa Fe, New Mexico, USA, on August 8-9, 2025. There were an equivalent number of in-person and remote attendees from throughout the USA and other countries. The SFBS was immediately preceded, on August 6-7, 2025, by the 2-day Endocrine Fellows Foundation-Santa Fe Bone Symposium Workshop on Metabolic Bone Diseases. This preceptorship included basic bone biology, osteoporosis, parathyroid and rare bone diseases. Most of the fellows attended the SFBS, for a total of 4 days of non-stop education in skeletal health. The topics covered …

The Impact Of Long-Term Exposure To Lip Cosmetics On The Fertility Of Female Drosophila Melanogaster, Neeka Oghli

Holster Scholar Projects

Are products marketed as safe to use, truly safe to use? Inspired by an article exposing the dangers of Tampax tampons, this study examines potential reproductive risks from consumer lip products marketed as natural and safe18. Drosophila melanogaster, a model organism with genetic and reproductive similarities to humans, was utilized to test the impacts of Rhode and Avène lip cosmetics. Avène’s Cicalfate + Lips Repair Lip Balm is the closest alternative to Rhode’s unscented peptide lip treatment, which was mindfully chosen to test if affordability comes at the expense of safety. Various concentrations of these products will be exposed to …

Developing A Low-Temperature Pathway For The Synthesis Of Two-Dimensional Ws2 Nanosheets, Akhil Potdar

Holster Scholar Projects

Since their discovery in 2004, two-dimensional (2D) materials have attracted great attention due to their unique mechanical, electrical, and chemical properties. However, their integration into devices is limited by the high temperatures required for crystalline growth, which prevents the use of flexible and biocompatible substrates like polymers for biomedical and next-generation electronic devices. This project aims to therefore develop a low-temperature synthesis process for two-dimensional tungsten disulfide (WS₂), a material particularly promising due to its tunable bandgap and biocompatibility. We propose that by first depositing an intermediate tungsten oxide film (WOx) via Hollow Cathode Plasma-Assisted Atomic Layer Deposition (HCP-ALD) and …

Foundations For Multi-Bit-Per-Cell Phase Change Memory Modeling Gst Crossbar Arrays, Sashah Wilson-Thompson

Holster Scholar Projects

This project builds a simulation foundation for selective cell heating in a phase-change memory (PCM) crossbar using Ge2Sb2Te5 (GST) as the active material. Using COMSOL Multiphysics® a 3D modeling software, couples Electric Currents, Electric Circuits, Heat Transfer in Solids, and Electromagnetic Heating for the simulation. A parameterized Tungsten (W)/GST-Amorphous/GST-Crystalline(phases) /W embedded in Silica Dioxide (SiO2) and surrounded in Silica Nitride (Si3N4) is validated at the single-cell level and scaled to small GST crossbars A terminal voltage (V_active/V_inactive, or 0 V if unselected) is applied through MOSFET and diode selector elements at the ends of each word line and bit line. …

Filipino Military Professionalism And Leadership Within The Context Of The Comprehensive Archipelagic Defense Strategy, Leslie Advincula-Lopez, Sharon A. Caringal, Julian V. Advincula Jr.

Development Studies Faculty Publications

The study examines how expertise, responsibility, and identity are developed and maintained by the services formally and informally and provides an updated understanding of how military professionalism functions today among the members of the AFP. The research results provide an updated understanding of how the members of the AFP dynamically construct military professionalism and leadership within the context of more complex and global security challenges. Specifically, it examines the construction and practice of professionalism and leadership across the different branches of service, the Philippine Army, the Air Force, and the Navy, as well as their geographic locations. Given the fluid …

The Receptivity Principle For Effective Evangelism: Its Biblical Basis, Mike Morris

Great Commission Research Journal

Donald McGavran’s receptivity principle remains relevant today as Christian mission agencies and individuals make decisions about prioritizing evangelistic efforts. This article examines the scriptural basis of the principle. The author analyzes various passages that confirm the logical progression of the following statements: The preliminary work of God is necessary for evangelistic effectiveness. God works unevenly around the world as he works in the evangelistic process. Because of God’s uneven work, some individuals and groups are more receptive to the gospel than are other individuals and groups. Christians can and should discern where God is causing increased receptivity, and they should …

October 2025 Library & Learning Newsletter, Minnesota State University, Mankato. Library & Learning Dean’S Office Communications Team

Library & Learning Newsletters

PDF version of the October 2025 (Volume 4, Issue 3) Library & Learning Newsletter.

Minority Farmer And Rancher Delinquency And Local Cultural Climate: Evidence From Farm Service Agency's County Office Committees, Lawson Connor, Bruce L. Ahrendsen, Charles B. Dodson, Logan Moss

Agricultural Economics and Agribusiness Faculty Publications and Presentations

Farm delinquency is linked to many negative indicators of farm survival, including increased risk of bankruptcy and farm failure. Minority farmers and ranchers (MFR) have been found to exhibit higher rates of delinquency on U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Farm Service Agency (FSA) loans compared to their non-Hispanic White male counterparts. These findings persist even after accounting for economic/financial factors expected to predict loan repayment performance. In this study, to further explore the existing discrepancy between loan default rates for MFR and White, non-Hispanic borrowers, we look more broadly than financial indicators and introduce MFR representation on the FSA County …