Digital Commons Network^™

Enhancing Inclusivity In Sports: A Focus On Adaptive Synergy For Disabled Athletes, Lawrence W. Judge, Matt Moore, Aidan Biddle, Adam Smith, Donald L. Hoover

International Journal of Exercise Science

International Journal of Exercise Science 18(1): 470-494, 2025. Sport science serves many crucial functions in facilitating improvements in human performance, including advancing inclusivity. This may be realized through the conceptual framework of Adaptive Synergy, which integrates Adapted Physical Activity for athletes with physical disabilities while simultaneously optimizing athletic performance for all individuals. This paper introduces the Adaptive Synergy conceptual framework to sport science, applying this cross-disciplinary concept to biomechanics, exercise physiology, sport psychology, and neuroscience to more specific application of adaptive techniques and methods, which are essential to improving both accessibility and innovation in sports. Key areas of focus include …

Transformer Decoder-Enhanced Swin Unetr For Multi-Organ Semantic Segmentation On Openkbp: Improving Radiotherapy Planning Accuracy, Zainab Adnan Jwad, Israa Hadi Ali

Karbala International Journal of Modern Science

Accurate segmentation of organs-at-risk (OARs) in head and neck CT scans is crucial for radiotherapy planning. The CNN-based decoder limitation of Swin UNETR hinders its capacity to process meaningful information from multiple organ positions essential for accurate medical segmentation. The proposed Transformer Decoder-enhanced Swin UNETR model targets the OpenKBP dataset multi-organ segmentation through its dedicated design for this purpose. The model utilizes transformers along with cross-attention approaches in its decoder to improve segmentation mask outputs through analysis of extensive global information. The model gets additional feature representation power through the addition of squeeze-and-excitation (SE) blocks linked with spatial attention mechanisms …

Language Teaching In Palestine: Leveraging Cultural Sustainability Through A Video Project, Layth R. Awwad, Imad Abu Dayyeh, Anita L. Bright

Journal of Multicultural Affairs

In recognition of the ways learners need to see themselves present within their curricula, and in response to the ongoing opportunity to leverage digital media, through this paper, we describe the creation, implementation, and refinement of a video project, included across multiple English language courses at Bethlehem University in the West Bank of Palestine. With cultural sustainability at the center, through qualitative methodology (Maxwell, 2013), and calling specifically upon sociocultural theory (Bakhtin, 1984) as well as figured worlds (Holland et al., 1998), we offer perspectives informed by a range of life experiences and standpoints. This study of what students and …

Advancement & Communications Committee Meeting - Open Session Book 05/22/2025, Uc Law Sf

2025 Board of Directors Agenda and Materials

No abstract provided.

Structural Covariance And Episodic Memory: Sex Differences In Schizophrenia, Delaina Brooke Cimmino

Theses and Dissertations

Schizophrenia (SCZ) is a chronic brain disease characterized by patterns of positive, negative, and cognitive symptoms that interfere with daily functioning and persist throughout the lifespan. Clinical and cognitive symptoms differ between males and females with the disease, suggesting neurobiological abnormalities that vary on the basis of biological sex. The present study used high-dimensional brain mapping and network analysis procedures of cortical and limbic regions known to be involved in memory formation to investigate sex differences in brain correlates of episodic memory among patients with schizophrenia. This study analyzed multi-site archival data from 363 male (M) and 108 female (F) …

Educational Policy Committee Meeting – Open Session Book 05/22/2025, Uc Law Sf

2025 Board of Directors Agenda and Materials

No abstract provided.

The Interplay Of Coercive Institutional Pressures, Environmental Attitudes And Perceived Behavioural Control In Adoption Of Environmental Management Accounting Among Tanzania’S Manufacturing Firms, James Dendula, Helena Thomas Haule, Henry Zeno Chalu

Business Management Review

Environmental Management Accounting (EMA) facilitates firms’ ability to identify, collect, record and evaluate environmental information critical for informed decision-making. EMA adoption is vital in controlling environmental costs, fostering innovation in eco-friendly technologies/products, and improving overall environmental performance. This study examined the drivers of EMA adoption, focusing on the influence of Coercive Institutional Pressure (CP), the mediating role of environmental attitudes and the moderating role of Perceived Behavioural Control (PBC). Data were collected from 146 manufacturing firms in Tanzania and analysed using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modelling (PLS-SEM) via SmartPLS v.4.0.9.5. Findings indicates that CP significantly and positively influences EMA …

Spectator 2025-05-22, Editors Of The Spectator

The Spectator

No abstract provided.

Policy Proposal For Integrating Pediatric Mental Health Into Nursing Practice In Uganda, Giselle S. Perez

Doctor of Nursing Practice Final Manuscripts

Abstract

Background: Mental health disorders affect over 1 in 7 individuals aged 10 to 19 globally. In low- and middle-income countries like Uganda, limited access to mental health specialists and pervasive stigma exacerbate the gap in care. Nurses, often the first point of contact, typically lack adequate pediatric mental health training. The proposal aims to address this gap by equipping nurses with the knowledge and competencies to identify, intervene, and support children with mental health disorders. Purpose: This proposal advocates for implementing targeted, continuing education in pediatric mental health for Ugandan nurses. The goal is to enhance the quality of …

From Fee For Service To Outcome Based Care: A Policy Proposal To Reduce Provider Burnout In Assertive Community Treatment, Amanda M. Thompson

Doctor of Nursing Practice Final Manuscripts

Purpose: This project examines the impact of the fee-for-service (FFS) reimbursement models on provider burnout within Assertive Community Treatment (ACT) programs and proposes a hybrid reimbursement framework that integrates case-rate and outcome-based payment structures. The goal is to enhance care quality, improve provider retention and optimize patient outcomes by addressing financial and administrative inefficiencies inherent in the current model.

Background: Mental illness affects over 59 million U.S. adults with serious mental illness (SMI) presenting significant challenges in healthcare delivery. ACT is an evidence-based, multidisciplinary approach designed to provide intensive, community-based psychiatric care to individuals with serious mental illness (SMI). However, …

A History Of Post-Roe America And Canada: From Intertwined Abortion Battles To Dobbs, Mugambi Jouet

Northwestern Journal of Human Rights

The changing landscape on abortion following Dobbs has not only sparked a vigorous debate in the United States, but also abroad. Its recriminalization in America led to an outcry in peer Western democracies, whose leaders widely condemned the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision. Yet the social and historical reasons for this international divide are poorly understood.

This Article sheds light on the question through an in-depth comparison of America and Canada from Roe to Dobbs, as the neighboring nations’ abortion histories have been intertwined in intriguing and overlooked ways. When the U.S. Supreme Court decided Roe v. Wade in 1973, …

Vocational Education Leaders’ Perceptions Of Institutional Readiness For Online And Blended Learning, Gennette P. Clacken

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Recent studies highlight institutional readiness as critical to the successful adoption of online and blended learning (OBL) in higher education; however, limited research in Jamaican vocational institutions presents a risk of implementation failure and reduced return on investment for stakeholders. This basic qualitative study explored how institutional leaders in Jamaican vocational education institutions describe institutional readiness for OBL adoption and implementation. Grounded in facilitating conditions as a construct of the unified theory of acceptance and use of technology and guided by the blended learning adoption framework, the study focused on the readiness of institutional strategy, structure, and support. Semistructured interviews …

The Influence Of Compensation From Wages And Benefits On Healthcare Workers' Performance In Healthcare Services, Jiddan Azizan Hakim, Ghania Danisha Maharani, Riswandy Wasir, Alif Indah Melani, Cahya Arbitera

Journal of Indonesian Health Policy and Administration

This study aims to evaluate the influence of compensation, including wages, incentives, and benefits, on the performance of health workers in primary health centers and hospitals. A literature review was conducted using Google Scholar and PubMed, focusing on articles published in the last 5–10 years. From an initial search yielding 1,021 articles, nine were selected based on inclusion criteria. The results show that direct compensation (salary) and indirect compensation (benefits) have a positive impact on health worker performance. However, the effect of incentives varies depending on implementation. Motivation and job satisfaction were mediating factors that strengthened the relationship between compensation …

Motivations To Learn English Among First-Year Undergraduate Chinese Students, Yunyu Chen

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This study investigates the motivations to learn English among first-year Chinese undergraduates enrolled at an American university in the southeastern United States and it is essentially grounded in theories such as Self-Determination Theory and Achievement Goal Theory. It addresses a central research question about how is motivations to learn English shaped by external and internal factors among the first-year undergraduate Chinese students? Recognizing that many Chinese students experience low levels of interest and confidence in English, the study explores internal and external factors that shape motivations, including emotional engagement, cultural and academic expectations, and supportive roles played by teachers and …

Exposure To And Impact Of Unhealthy Food Marketing On Adolescents And Young Adults: A Narrative Review And Research Agenda, Nicholas Freudenberg, Rositsa Ilieva

Publications and Research

Consumption of unhealthy food has become a leading cause of premature deaths and preventable illnesses around the world. Research shows that marketing by the companies that produce, distribute, and sell unhealthy foods and beverages is associated with increased consumption of these products. To date, however, limited research has focused on the cumulative exposure and impact of various modes of marketing employed to reach distinct populations. In this narrative review, we summarize 25 years of scientific evidence and findings from 108 empirical studies and 19 systematic and scoping reviews of various forms of unhealthy food marketing to adolescents (aged 13 to …

Impact Of Nursing Home Staff Hours And Administrator Turnover On Quality Of Care Post-Covid-19 Pandemic In Texas, Kendra King

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Nursing facilities experienced heightened unfavorable outcomes related to quality of care and staffing patterns during the COVID-19 pandemic. The purpose of this quantitative, quasi-experimental, retrospective study was to determine if there was a relationship between nursing home administrator turnover, total nurse staffing (i.e., LPN, RN, and nurse aides) hours per resident per day, and the quality of care as measured by the Long Stay Quality Measure (LSQM) rating in Texas after the COVID-19 pandemic in 2023. The Donabedian model, using the elements of structure, process, and outcomes, served as the theoretical framework for this study. Structure was represented by the …

Addressing Barriers In A Domestic Violence Program For Balkan American Women, Yasmina Isa Malas

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The issue of domestic violence is a pressing concern, both globally and within specific communities, remaining a significant issue with unique implications for Balkan American women. It is important to understand the unique challenges faced by Balkan American women in accessing and benefiting from domestic violence support services and programs. The focus of this case study was a nonprofit behavioral health organization that serves a population of women who have experienced domestic violence abuse in the northeastern part of the United States. Grounded in the Baldrige Excellence Framework, the research investigated the strategies and initiatives of Organization X in reducing …

Age, Race, Religious Commitment, And Fertility Quality Of Life, Dana L. Ward

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Infertility is a major health issue that impacts an individual’s physical, social and mental well-being. Women who are childless due to infertility experience a reduced fertility quality of life. Quality of life is directly related to an individual’s overall well-being and happiness. Using family systems theory, this quantitative research study aimed to answer how age, race, and religious commitment influence the fertility quality of life in women aged 25 to 50 who are involuntarily childless due to infertility. Data were collected from 132 participants using a demographic survey, The Religious Commitment Inventory (RCI-10), and the Fertility Quality of Life Survey …

The Impact Of Transformational Leadership By Chiefs And Supervisors On Law Enforcement Turnover Intention: An Examination Of Job Satisfaction And Commitment As Mediators, Myunghyun Choi, Sohee Kim, Youngki Woo

Criminal Justice Faculty Publications

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to investigate how law enforcement officers’ turnover intentions are affected by their perceptions of transformational leadership from both chiefs and supervisors as well as their job satisfaction and organizational commitment.

Design/methodology/approach

Utilizing a large sample of 13,072 sworn law enforcement officers from 85 agencies across the United States, this study employs structural equation modeling (SEM) to examine the impacts of transformational leadership by chiefs and supervisors on turnover intention. Additionally, this study investigates the mediating effects of job satisfaction and organizational commitment in these relationships.

Findings

The findings indicate that transformational leadership from …

Effects Of Fibrogenic And Non Fibrogenic Nanomaterials On Cellular And Molecular Responses In Thp-1 Macrophage, Adedayo E. Oyerinde

Biotechnology Theses

Traditional toxicological testing of nanomaterials is often low-throughput and time-consuming. Here, we aimed to develop an economically viable in vitro assay to prescreen nanomaterials with fibrogenic potential. To this end, we tested the generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) as well as cytokines (pro- and anti-inflammatory) by macrophages following treatment with fibrogenic and non-fibrogenic nanomaterials. Both classes of nanomaterials induced ROS indistinguishably, suggesting that ROS production doesn’t predict nanomaterial fibrogenicity. We observed higher levels of IL1β and IL6 in macrophages treated with fibrogenic nanomaterials. Analysis of single-cell RNA-Sequencing data of fibrotic lungs from rodents and humans revealed overexpression of Brain …

A Data-Driven Approach To Smart Shopping: Optimizing Grocery Trips Using Geolocation And Store Inventory Data, Kien T. Giang

Honors Theses

This project presents a data-driven web-based application, Smart Shopping, designed to help customers optimize their grocery purchases based on location and store inventory information. The application allows users to add items to a shopping list and either enter an address or use their browser’s location services to identify nearby stores. It then retrieves product availability and prices from a mock database representing stores at user’s selected locations. The program compares prices across stores to provide users with two optimized options: the cheapest shopping bill from a single store, and the lowest individual item prices across multiple stores. Additionally, the …

Causation Analysis Of Crane-Related Accident Reports By Utilizing Chatgpt And Complex Networks, Yifan Wang, Junyu Chen, Bo Xiao, Shane T. Mueller, Jingjing Guo

Michigan Tech Publications

This study integrates ChatGPT and complex network (CN) techniques into an accident analysis framework designed to reduce manual effort in accident causation analysis. The proposed framework supports construction stakeholders in extracting causal factors (CFs) from accident reports and identifying both critical CFs and key causal paths. A multistep research design was adopted to develop and validate this novel framework for analyzing crane-related construction accident reports using ChatGPT and CN techniques. First, ChatGPT was prompted to extract CFs from a database of crane-related accident reports. Second, evaluation metrics and an expert questionnaire survey were developed to assess ChatGPT’s performance in CF …

Instructional Strategies In Virtual Reference Services To Support User Learning In Indonesian Universities, Nove Eka Variant Anna

Student Works (2020-2029)

This study aims to investigate the instructional strategies used in Virtual Reference Services (VRS) to support users' learning in Indonesian universities. The focus of the study is to explore the librarians' understanding of their roles as instructors in virtual reference service and the practices of instructional strategies used in VRS. Finally, the study identifies the opportunities and improvements in instruction strategies to generate the initiatives to advance the instructional strategies in VRS.  The theoretical lens that is used in this research is Just-in-Time Learning (JITL), which consists of four characteristics: flexible, uses real-world cases, provides learning materials, and is customised …

Navigating Knowledge: An Autoethnographic Journey Through Instructional Decision-Making And Educational Technology Development, Daniel James Clark

Theses and Dissertations from DePaul University

Have you ever felt lost while learning? Guided by this curiosity, the researcher embarked on a decade-long journey to understand how students navigate learning environments and how educational technology might offer clearer pathways. In response, the researcher designed and developed Navigating Knowledge, a learning platform informed by his dual roles as a higher education instructor and educational technology developer. This capstone is distinct in its simultaneous integration of theory, design, and implementation to bridge pedagogical insight with technological innovation. Using an analytic autoethnographic methodology, this qualitative research critically examined 33 instructional, platform development, and reflective journal artifacts from 2013 to …

Balancing The Workload In Executive Protection: Is It Time To Outsource The Advance?, Alan Saquella, Tim Sharpe

Publications

In the evolving world of executive protection (EP), the days of focusing solely on physical security are over. Today’s EP professionals are responsible for an ever-expanding array of duties, from travel logistics and site assessments to digital threat monitoring and cyber hygiene education. This growing workload is pushing teams to rethink traditional approaches, and one question now stands at the forefront of that discussion: Should executive protection teams begin outsourcing advance operations to specialized agencies or companies?

Teachers’ Perspectives On The Obstacles To Implementing Inquiry-Based Learning In Secondary Science Classrooms, Gabrielle Gonzales

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The research problem for this study was that teachers are inconsistent in using inquiry-based instruction in secondary science classrooms. Guided by Vygotsky’s theory of constructivism, the purpose of this basic qualitative study was to explore teachers’ perspectives of the obstacles to implementing inquiry-based instruction in secondary science classrooms and what they believe will be needed to allow them to overcome these obstacles. Semistructured interviews were conducted with 10 certified, current Grade 8 to 12 teachers within the United States who had experience and familiarity with inquiry-based instruction. The data were analyzed through thematic analysis with open coding. The five themes …

Strategic Practices Of Muslim-Led Nonprofits Operating Successfully Beyond 4 Years, Tayyab Yunus

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Muslim-led nonprofit organizations experience high levels of organizational failure during the startup phase, often failing to operate beyond 4 years of existence. Muslim nonprofit founders, funders, and community leaders are concerned with this lack of sustainability, often attributed to strategic planning and talent management missteps. Grounded in the entrepreneurial value creation theory, this qualitative pragmatic inquiry explored strategies successful Muslim-led nonprofit organizations used to sustain operations beyond 4 years. Data collection occurred through semistructured interviews with six expert consultants who have supported Muslim-led nonprofits operating across the United States. Data were triangulated with publicly accessible U.S. Muslim-led nonprofit website data …

Student Affairs Professional Preparation: A Scholar-Practitioner Guide To Contemporary Topics, Nikheal Patel

Journal of Higher Education & Student Affairs

This review examines a recent edited volume that offers a timely and comprehensive exploration of the Higher Education/Student Affairs (HESA) field. The book distinguishes itself through its dual emphasis on foundational knowledge and contemporary challenges, while weaving together faculty and practitioner perspectives—a structural choice that reflects the collaborative ethos of the field itself. Organized into three parts, the book addresses traditional curriculum areas, institutional type considerations, and emerging topics shaping HESA practice today.

The review highlights how the authors thoughtfully engage Student Development Theory (SDT) as a framework not only for student growth, but also for the professional evolution of …

A Review Of Medical Ethics In Orthopaedic Surgery: Current Foci And Future Considerations, Ryan X Lam, Zhi Mei Sonia He, Ruhi Thapar, Maggie Wang, Dion G Birhiray, Matthew Milad, Lara Ouellette, Umar Ghilzai, Tucker J Cushing, M Brent Price, Brenden B Ronna, Omar H Atassi, Christopher H Perkins, John R Dawson, William M Granberry, Melvyn A Harrington, Douglas R Dirschl, Lorenzo R Deveza

Library Staff Publications

Medical ethics education is a required component of orthopaedic surgery resident training per the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) guidelines, although no standardized curriculum currently exists.

Beyond the 4 principles of bioethics (autonomy, beneficence, nonmaleficence, justice), additional ethical concepts relevant to orthopaedic care include utilitarianism, deontology, virtue ethics, moral intuitionism, microethics, and narrative ethics.

Ethical themes identified in the literature relevant to orthopaedic surgery include the ethics involved in medical decision-making, use of new technologies, caring for vulnerable patients, performing high-stakes procedures, the impacts of trainee status on patient care, and patient attitude regarding conflict of interest.

Ethical …

The Transformative Effect Of A Foundation Year: ‘I’M A Totally Changed Person’, Louise Webber, Jessica Austin

School of Law, Humanities and Social Sciences

Developing academic skills and preparing students for university-level study areonly two important outcomes of a foundation year programme. Drawing on thework of Mezirow, this paper will, with a focus on five students, consider thetransformative element of adult learning through transforming previousassumptions and beliefs. The qualitative research was based on a university insouth west England and consisted of several interviews over a four-yearlongitudinal research project, tracking the experiences of five foundation yearstudents, assessing how well it prepared them for university-level study. Thisarticle will consider the transformative nature of the foundation year, highlightingspecific changes in students’ self-belief, agency, power and confidence. Drawing …