Digital Commons Network^™

Draft Final 2023 Unreclaimed Sites Sampling: Ur-43 Site Evaluation Summary Report, Pioneer Technical Services, Inc.

Silver Bow Creek/Butte Area Superfund Site

No abstract provided.

Draft Final 2023 Unreclaimed Sites Sampling: Ur-43 Site Evaluation Summary Report, Pioneer Technical Services, Inc.

Silver Bow Creek/Butte Area Superfund Site

No abstract provided.

Catching A Glimpse Of Complex Relaxation: A Theoretical Phase Transition Is Finally Experimentally Observed In A Material, Yogesh Joglekar

Physics Faculty Publications and Presentations

A bulk crystal, as small as 0.5 mm in size, contains more than a quintillion atoms that behave collectively like a large-scale object. When such a crystal is disturbed by an outside influence, it quickly transitions into a new steady state after a brief transient phase known as relaxation. When this phase is the shortest in duration, the system can exhibit extreme sensitivity to even a tiny perturbation. Examining changes in relaxation in a bulk material could help engineer new sensors and rapid response devices. However, the transient response only lasts for a few picoseconds, making observation difficult. On page …

Draft Final 2023 Unreclaimed Sites Sampling: Ur-43 Site Evaluation Summary Report, Pioneer Technical Services, Inc.

Silver Bow Creek/Butte Area Superfund Site

No abstract provided.

A Database Of Reliability-Targeted Snow Loads For The United States, Nicholas Brimhall, Cameron Swapp, Brennan Bean

Browse all Datasets

This data release provides the data and code necessary to create a database of 10,625 site-specific Reliability-Targeted Snow Loads (RTSLs) for locations in the Conterminous United States and Alaska. RTSLs are the design snow load requirements necessary to achieve the reliability targets set forth in Chapter 1 of the ASCE 7 Standard, which is the national standard that largely governs hazards-based design in the United States. The data and methods used in this data release are based upon the methods described in Bean et al. (2021), with updated data and refined methodology as applicable.

A Global Database Of Winter Wind Values, Jayden Gardner, Hannah Fluckiger, Nicholas Brimhall, Brennan Bean

Browse all Datasets

This repository contains the data and code necessary to create winter wind (W2) estimates for international locations. It is an extension of the approach outlined in Bean et al. (2025) to include additional data from European locations. Winter wind is defined as the proportion of time that the wind speed exceeds 10 mph during the months of October to April, which is used in snow load design to calculate the potential severity of drifting on a roof.

Base Maps And Other Source Files For: A Global Database Of Reliability-Targeted Snow Loads, Shaveen Britto, Nicholas Brimhall, Cameron Swapp, Brennan Bean, Jayden Gardner, Hannah Fluckiger

Browse all Datasets

The 2022 edition of ASCE 7 introduced reliability-targeted snow loads (RTSLs) for structural design. The development of design snow loads for locations outside the Conterminous United States (OCONUS) requires methods that can provide reliable estimates in regions with varying station density and climatic conditions. This repository contains the data and code used to develop and evaluate a climate-analog approach for estimating RTSLs at international locations. The climate-analog method identifies reference stations with similar climatic and geographic characteristics and uses their estimated RTSLs to predict snow loads at locations where direct observations are limited or unavailable. The methodology relies on station-level …

A Global Database Of Reliability-Targeted Snow Loads, Nicholas Brimhall, Cameron Swapp, Brennan Bean, Shaveen Britto, Jayden Gardner, Hannah Fluckiger

Browse all Datasets

This data release provides the data and code necessary to create a database of 18,809 site-specific Reliability-Targeted Snow Loads (RTSLs) for locations outside of the United States. RTSLs are the design snow load requirements necessary to achieve the reliability targets set forth in Chapter 1 of the ASCE 7 Standard, which is the national standard that largely governs hazards-based design in the United States. The intent of this release is to provide engineers seeking to use US-based design standards in international settings a database of snow load values consistent with the methodologies used to establish ground snow loads in ASCE …

The Impact Of The Keller The Marzano Model Of Learning The Skills Of Serving And Receiving Serves In Volleyball For Students, Ali Abbas Taher

Modern Sport

This research aims to identify the impact of the Keller and Marzano models on learning the skills of serving and receiving serves in volleyball, and to determine the superiority of the educational models compared to the standard method. The researcher used an experimental design with equivalent groups, and the sample included (45) female students, with (15) students in each group: two experimental groups that implemented the Keller and Marzano models, and one control group that followed the standard method. The implementation lasted (6) weeks. The results showed statistically significant differences between the pre- and post-tests for all groups, in favor …

On-Shell Compression And Reconstruction (Oscar) Of Monochromatic Wave Fields In Weakly Scattering Media, Pablo Jara, Alexey Yamilov

Research Data

Overview

This deposit contains one realization of each of the two simulation platforms of Ref. [1], a two-dimensional (2D) scalar field and a three-dimensional (3D) vector-field component, together with two self-contained Python scripts that perform On-Shell Compression and Reconstruction (OSCAR) on them. Each script Fourier-transforms the stored field, measures the shell radius from the spectrum, retains only the Fourier components inside the shell of full width α/ℓs around it for α = 1, 3, 5, 8, 12, reconstructs the field by the inverse transform, and plots the reconstructed intensities, panels (a)–(e), next to the original field, panel (f), on a …

Intensive Longitudinal Assessment Of Stress And Stress-Related Concepts Across A Weight Loss Program: Protocol For A Longitudinal Ecological Momentary Assessment Study., Chelsea L. Kracht, Ann M. Davis, Udayan Apte, Madigan Snodgrass, Taylor Y. Collier, Jeffery J. Honas, John M. Jakicic

Manuscripts, Articles, Book Chapters and Other Papers

BACKGROUND: Fluctuations in daily stress and the inability to cope with this stress (i.e., coping) can negatively impact behavior and potentially weight loss. Longitudinal studies using ecological momentary assessment (EMA) of psychological factors and behavior may inform interventions that can be adapted in real-time to modify stress and stress-related factors to enhance weight loss. This study's purpose is to examine variability in stress and stress-related concepts and weight loss during a behavioral weight loss program with the intent of this informing future interventions.

METHODS: Individuals with obesity (body mass index: ≥ 30 kg/m2) who are newly enrolled in an existing …

Kenyon Collegian - September 10, 2026

The Kenyon Collegian

No abstract provided.

Preclinical Efficacy Of A Gene Therapy For Chkb-Mediated Muscular Dystrophy, Mahtab Tavasoli, Mariam Alkandari, Gabriel Dorighello, Jennifer Devitt, Laura Hagerty, Jesse Damsker, Eric P. Hoffman, Christopher R. Mcmaster

Pharmacy Faculty Scholarship

Loss-of-function variants of the CHKB gene cause an autosomal recessive disease described as an early onset congenital megaconial (large peripheral mitochondria) muscular dystrophy. CHKB encodes choline kinase β, the first enzyme in the biochemical pathway for synthesis of the major membrane phospholipid phosphatidylcholine. Chkb-/- mice recapitulate the human disease with affected skeletal muscle displaying a decrease in strength, myofiber atrophy, megaconial mitochondria, fat accumulation within muscle cells, and an increase in muscle injury. Here, we assessed the therapeutic potential of an AAV therapy for the treatment of CHKB-mediated muscular dystrophy. Chkb-/- mice were injected once suborbitally with three different doses …

Taut And Dupin Submanifolds (Updated Version), Thomas E. Cecil

Mathematics and Computer Science Department Faculty Scholarship

This is an updated version of the paper [29] by the author which originally appeared in 1997. The original paper was a survey of the closely related fields of taut and Dupin submanifolds of Euclidean space, and this updated version includes many results in the field that have appeared since the publication of the original version. The emphasis is on stating results in their proper context and noting areas for future research, and relatively few proofs are given. The important class of isoparametric hypersurfaces is surveyed in detail, as is the relationship between the two concepts of taut and Dupin. …

Displaced By Disaster: Examining The Effects Of Hurricanes Maria And Irma On Chronic Homelessness In The United States Virgin Islands, Clinton Hart

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The United States Virgin Islands (USVI) is an island territory that is geographically isolated and has a fragile economy that has a limited capacity to address homelessness particularly when exacerbated by natural disasters. Existing literature demonstrated that major hurricanes can be associated with displacement, housing instability, and increased demand for emergency housing resources among socially vulnerable populations. However, limited longitudinal quantitative research has examined the impact of hurricanes on changes in homelessness trends in the USVI, representing a gap in territory-specific research. The purpose of this quantitative interrupted time series study was to examine homelessness trends associated with hurricanes Irma …

Drug Court Graduation Rates Of African American Males Attending Habilitation Empowerment Accountability Therapy, Tierney President

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

African American males between the ages of 18 and 29 have lower rates of successful completion in drug court programs compared to other populations, increasing their risk of incarceration and recidivism. This study examined whether participation in the Habilitation Empowerment Accountability Therapy (HEAT) program, a culturally responsive intervention, was associated with improved drug court graduation outcomes among African American male participants. Guided by cognitive behavioral theory, a quantitative retrospective causal-comparative design was used to analyze archival data from 96 African American male participants enrolled in a drug treatment court program in Columbia, Missouri. A chi-square test of independence was conducted …

Visual Narratives Of Forced Displacement, Schooling, And Re-Settlement Among Refugee And Asylum-Seeking Students In Grand Forks, Nd, Pempho Chinkondenji, Giovanni Whyte

Education, Health & Behavior Studies Faculty Publications

This study examines how school-aged refugee and asylum-seeking students, most of them girls from the "Global South," experience schooling, resettlement, and belonging within the Grand Forks community and the broader U.S. education system. Using a two-phase visual/arts-based participatory design, the research team engaged 34 co-researchers from various countries including Somalia, Afghanistan, Liberia, Burundi, Ecuador, Venezuela, Mexico, and Guinea Conakry. In the first phase, 20 co-researchers aged 14 to 20 took part in a photovoice study, using photography, focus groups, and interviews to document their lived experiences. A subsequent arts-based Youth Participatory Action Research (YPAR) project extended this work through comics, …

Development And Usability Assessment Of A Health Education Conversational Agent For Patients With Gastric Cancer: Action Research Study, Yichen Kang, Yamin Yan, Tianxiao Wang, Zhenghong Yu, Yan Hu, Zhixun Wang, Jiyang Zhang, Jos M Latour, Yuxia Zhang

School of Nursing and Midwifery

Background:To provide patients with gastric cancer with adequate health education information for effective overall management is crucial, while traditional manners exposed certain challenges. Conversational agents have increasingly been adopted for health care use to provide innovative solutions for patient education.Objective:This study aimed to develop a health education embodied conversational agent to focus on gastric cancer disease using an action research approach and test its accuracy, usability, and user experience among patients and other related stakeholders.Methods:The AI-guided conversational agent was developed based on the OpenMEDLab 2.0 foundation model and the Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG) architecture. A 4-phase action research approach was adopted …

Design And Fea Of Composite Spur Gears: A Comparative Study Using Anfis, Xgboost, And Variational Quantum Regression, P. H. J. Venkatesh, Pothala Raghu, Mohd Rafeeq Ur Rahman, Saikumar Amda, T. S. Vamsi Krishna

Babylonian Journal of Mechanical Engineering

The parametric FEA dataset for an automotive involute spur-gear pair in three materials, train an ANFIS, XG Boost, and four-qubit Variational Quantum Regression (VQR) surrogate on that dataset, and compare their accuracy, uncertainty, and computational cost against the FEA ground truth. The study also ranks the three materials using an auditable multi-criteria decision procedure. The gear pair was sized using the Lewis equation, modelled in CATIA V5, and solved in ANSYS Workbench for SAE 8620 low-alloy steel, a Steel Matrix Composite (SMC), and a Low-Cost Iron Metal-Matrix Composite (Fe-MCS). The nominal duty is 350 N-m of wheel torque, derived from …

2026 September 10 - Tennessee Weekly Drought Summary, Tennessee Climate Office, East Tennessee State University

Tennessee Climate Office Weekly Drought Summaries

No abstract provided.

Editorial: Invisible Hazards, Lasting Impact: Airborne Toxicants And Systemic Disease From Environmental And Occupational Exposures, Tammy Butterick, Julie Tomáška, Pamala Ginex, Janeen Trembley, Paul Barach

College of Population Health Faculty Papers

No abstract provided.

Fractured Identities: Military–Civilian Dissonance And The Well-Being Of Women Veterans, Melissa D. Smith

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

For many women leaving military service, the path to civilian life involves a fundamental renegotiation of identity. Gender-specific pressures, institutional norms, and fractured belonging compound reintegration, yet the lived experiences of women veterans navigating competing identities remain underexplored. The purpose of this phenomenological study was to understand the lived experiences of women veterans at least 5 years postdischarge who struggled with identity dissonance between their military and civilian identities. The study was informed by reculturation theory. Seven women veterans participated in semistructured interviews, and data were analyzed using Braun and Clarke’s thematic analysis, revealing five themes: institutions, culture, and unequal …

The Effectiveness Of A Prenatal Educational Programme On Fear Of Childbirth Among Primigravida Women: A Quasi-Experimental Pretest–Post-Test Study, Mozah Al Mamari, Amal Al Hadi, Fahima Al Harthy, Shamsa Al Ghusaini, Kadhiya Al Riyami

Sultan Qaboos University Medical Journal

Objectives: Fear of childbirth is commonly reported among primigravida women and may negatively influence labour and birth outcomes. This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of a structured prenatal educational programme in reducing fear of childbirth among primigravida women. Methods: A quasi-experimental single-group pretest-post-test design was conducted from January to June 2025. The study included primigravida women attending antenatal clinics in selected health centres in Muscat Governorate, Oman. No control group was included. Participants completed the baseline assessment during the third trimester (28–40 weeks of gestation) prior to the intervention. Post-intervention assessment was conducted at two weeks postpartum using the …

September 10, 2026, The Daily Mississippian

Daily Mississippian (all digitized issues)

No abstract provided.

Functional Capacity, Participation In Cardiac Rehabilitation, And Perceived Barriers Among Patients With Coronary Artery Disease, Sidra Ashraf, Maryam Shabbir, Ashfaq Ahmad, Naveed Arshad, Aqsa Majeed

Journal of the Hong Kong College of Cardiology

Background: Reduced functional capacity and limited participation in cardiac rehabilitation (CR) adversely affect recovery among patients with coronary artery disease (CAD). This study evaluated functional capacity, CR participation, perceived barriers, and factors associated with reduced functional capacity and CR non-participation among patients with CAD.
Methods: A hospital-based cross-sectional study was conducted among 178 clinically stable adults with CAD attending the University of Lahore Teaching Hospital and the University Institute of Physical Therapy clinics, Pakistan, from March to June 2026. Functional capacity was assessed using the Duke Activity Status Index (DASI), and perceived barriers were evaluated using the Cardiac Rehabilitation Barriers …

Pre-Participation Echocardiographic Clue To Anomalous Aortic Origin Of The Left Anterior Descending Artery In An Endurance Athlete, Asterios Deligiannis, Maria Anifanti, Evangelia Kouidi

Journal of the Hong Kong College of Cardiology

Anomalous aortic origin of a coronary artery may remain undetected during standard pre-participation cardiovascular screening. We report a 45-year-old asymptomatic marathon runner with normal physical examination and electrocardiogram. Transthoracic echocardiography showed a retroaortic tubular vascular structure with color flow, prompting coronary computed tomography angiography. Imaging demonstrated anomalous origin of the left anterior descending artery from the right sinus of Valsalva with an interarterial course and a coexisting retroaortic left circumflex artery. Functional and rhythm testing were reassuring. This case illustrates the potential incremental diagnostic value of echocardiography in selected athlete evaluations.

Base Maps And Other Source Files For: A Database Of Reliability-Targeted Snow Loads For The United States, Nicholas Brimhall, Cameron Swapp, Brennan Bean

Browse all Datasets

This data release provides the supporting data and files to create a database of 10,625 site-specific Reliability-Targeted Snow Loads (RTSLs) for locations in the Conterminous United States and Alaska (see Brimhall et al. (2026)). RTSLs are the design snow load requirements necessary to achieve the reliability targets set forth in Chapter 1 of the ASCE 7 Standard, which is the national standard that largely governs hazards-based design in the United States. The data and methods used in this data release are based upon the methods described in Bean et al. (2021), with updated data and refined methodology as applicable.

Curriculum Minutes 09/10/2026, Curriculum Committee

Curriculum Committee Minutes

No abstract provided.

Wmu Board Of Trustee Board Meeting, Thursday, September 10, 2026, Wmu Board Of Trustees

WMU Board of Trustees Meetings

Acceptance of the Agenda

Approval of the Minutes (June 25, 2026)

Remarks by the Chair of the Board

Remarks by the President

Updates by the Faculty Senate President

Updates by the Western Student Association President

Updates by the Graduate Student Association President

AFSCME Adopt-A-Highway Project and Food Drive

WMU Particle Accelerator Lab, Physics Department

Western Michigan University Employee Graduates

Public Comments Regarding Action Items

Action Items

American Association of University Professors (AAUP) Labor Agreement

Honorary Degree Recommendation for David Dombrowski

Consent Items

• Donation of Real Estate to the City of Kalamazoo
• Personnel Report
• Curriculum Proposals
• Annuity and Life Income Funds …

Representing Post-Fire Reality: An Empirically Informed Temperature Index Approach To Post-Fire Hydrologic Modeling In Oregon's Western Cascades, Logan Hastings

Dissertations and Theses

The invaluable water resources stored in snowpack face mounting threats from rising temperatures, drought, shifts in precipitation regimes, and increased fire frequency, which pose challenges to operational hydrologic modeling in Oregon's sensitive maritime snowpacks. The gridded temperature index (GTI) approach in operational models like the Hydrological Engineering Center's Hydrologic Modeling System (HEC-HMS) from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers remains in common use for its minimal data requirements, but how GTI parameterizations should adapt to post-fire conditions is largely unknown.

This research assessed the impact of the 2020 Lionshead Fire on HEC-HMS performance in the North Santiam River basin across …