Digital Commons Network^™

Using Constructivist Grounded Theory Study To Understand The Retention Rate Of The School Of Automotive, Southern Illinois University Carbondale, Illinois, Lana Rizzo

Ed.D. Capstone Reports

This study explored students’ reasons for returning and continuing their education in the School of Automotive. Therefore, this study developed an understanding of the higher-than-average retention rate for the School of Automotive at Southern Illinois University at Carbondale, Illinois. This study used a constructivist grounded theory approach, and the data came from semi-structured interviews. As this is a constructivist grounded theory study, the students and I co-created the theory behind this phenomenon.

Remote Sensing Of American Revolutionary War Fortification At Butts Hill (Portsmouth, Rhode Island), James G. Keppeler, Marcus Rodriguez, Samuel Koontz, Alexander Wise, Philip Mink, George Crothers, Paul R. Murphy, John K. Robertson, Hugo Reyes-Centeno, Alexandra Uhl

Anthropology Faculty Publications

The Battle of Rhode Island in 1778 was an important event in the revolutionary war leading to the international recognition of U.S. American independence following the 1776 declaration. It culminated in a month-long campaign against British forces occupying Aquidneck Island, serving as the first combined operation of the newly formed Franco-American alliance. The military fortification at Butts Hill in Portsmouth, Rhode Island, served as a strategic point during the conflict and remains well-conserved today. While LiDAR has assisted in the geospatial surface reconstruction of the site’s earthwork fortifications, it is unknown whether other historically documented buildings within the fort remain …

Three Cheers For Print!, Jillian Lacross

AADEJ - The Communicator

This guest feature argues that print magazines are a worthwhile and necessary investment for associations, focusing on the three pillars of expectation, engagement, and experience. Print publications establish trust because they imply an inherent vetting process; affluent consumers trust print magazines the most, and print advertisements are significantly more trusted than social media ads. Print provides a respite from digital fatigue, with Worldmetrics finding that readers spend an average of 41 minutes engaging with a printed magazine, far exceeding the 3 to 7 minutes typically spent online. Printed materials enhance retention, recall, and emotional processing, strengthening the association's brand. Ultimately, …

All-Cause And Cause-Specific Mortality Among Patients With Narcolepsy., Chih-Wei Hsu, Yen-Shan Yang, Yang-Chieh Brian Chen, Liang-Jen Wang, Mu-Hong Chen, Yao-Hsu Yang, Chih-Sung Liang, Edward Chia-Cheng Lai

Children’s Nutrition Research Center Staff Publications

Importance: Narcolepsy is a sleep disorder potentially affecting mortality, yet evidence on this association remains sparse.

Objective: To examine whether narcolepsy is associated with an increased risk of all-cause and cause-specific mortality.

Design, setting, and participants: This retrospective cohort study used data from the Taiwan National Health Insurance Research Database (NHIRD) from 2001 to 2021, with patients followed up until death or December 31, 2022. Patients were aged 6 years or older with 2 or more narcolepsy diagnoses from psychiatrists or neurologists. Controls were selected from the NHIRD as a population-based sample. Controls without narcolepsy were matched in a 1:4 …

Menopause Factors And Alterations In Gut Microbiota And Insulin Homeostasis: A Cross-Sectional Analysis Of The Microbiome And Insulin Longitudinal Evaluation Study (Miles), Vincent J Maffei, Alain G Bertoni, Alexis C Wood, Jerome I Rotter, Osa Crago, Yii-Der I Chen, Joseph F Petrosino, Kristi L Hoffman, Mark O Goodarzi, Elizabeth T Jensen

Children’s Nutrition Research Center Staff Publications

Aim: To assess the risk for impaired insulin homeostasis as a function of menopause-related factors and gut microbiota dysbiosis in non-diabetic, post-menopausal women.

Materials and methods: Baseline data (n = 175 women) from the Microbiome and Insulin Longitudinal Evaluation Study (MILES) were used, including insulin and dysglycaemia indices calculated from a 2-h oral glucose tolerance test, untargeted peripheral metabolomics, targeted peripheral short chain fatty-acid levels and faecal bacterial microbiota surveyed by whole-metagenomic sequencing.

Results: After adjustment for covariates, menopause age < 50 years and use of hormone replacement therapy (HRT) were associated with lower Matsuda et al. insulin sensitivity index levels (β = -0.232, confidence interval (CI) = [-0.450, -0.014] and β = -0.275, CI = [-0.444, -0.107], respectively) but not pre-menopausal gynaecologic surgery. Pre-menopausal gynaecologic surgery was significantly associated with faecal microbiota beta diversity driven by a relative increase in diabetogenic Ruminococcus gnavus and Clostridium species and a decrease in protective Alistipes species and Akkermansia muciniphila relative abundances. A reduction in two glycerophospholipids in the plasmalogen class significantly statistically mediated an inverse association between gynaecologic surgery before menopause and insulin sensitivity.

Conclusions: Menopause age and history of HRT are more strongly associated with insulin resistance than gynaecologic surgery before menopause. However, …

Leads Data Insights: Affinity Core Value Metrics Summary — Fall 2025, University Of North Dakota

LEADS Development Documents

Summary and analysis of Fall 2025 metrics for the AFFINITY core value of UND LEADS. The document reviews levels of achievement and changes since Spring 2025 for Affinity strategic priorities, including campus environments, workforce retention, first-year experience, athletic excellence, global engagement, and military-friendly initiatives.

Who Owns Our Knowledge: Open Access Week 2025, Devon Olson, Rosemary Pleva Flynn, Zeineb Yousif

Librarian Publications

Commemorating Open Access Week 2025, this zine includes educational content on concepts central to open access scholarship as well as games and activities, and comics illustrating reader feedback to works posted on UND's Scholarly Commons.

Leads Data Insights: Affinity Core Value Metrics Summary — Fall 2025, University Of North Dakota

LEADS Implementation Documents

Summary and analysis of Fall 2025 metrics for the AFFINITY core value of UND LEADS. The document reviews levels of achievement and changes since Spring 2025 for Affinity strategic priorities, including campus environments, workforce retention, first-year experience, athletic excellence, global engagement, and military-friendly initiatives.

Leads Data Insights: Affinity — Fall 2025, University Of North Dakota

LEADS Implementation Documents

Presentation of Fall 2025 data insights for the AFFINITY core value of UND LEADS. The slides summarize Activity Inventory and UND Today story coverage, compare Affinity progress between April 2025 and January 2026, and review outcome measures connected to belonging, workforce retention, first-year experience, athletics, global engagement, and military-affiliated students.

Comprehensive Library Access For Hybrid And Remote Researchers, Tressa M. Graves

EERC Publications, Papers, & Presentations

As hybrid and remote work continues, special libraries are continually evolving to meet the needs of their communities. This includes remote and hybrid researchers at the University of North Dakota’s Energy & Environmental Research Center (EERC). While the EERC is physically located in eastern North Dakota, EERC employees are scattered throughout Mountain Plains Library Association states. Using embedded librarianship principles, the EERC’s Library & Information Services team fulfills complex and time-sensitive information needs by providing creative solutions and building partnerships with researchers.

Dcrda: Deadline-Constrained Function Scheduling In Serverless-Cloud Platform, Priyanka Ashok Birajdar, Divya Meena, Anurag Satpathy, Sourav Kanti Addya

Computer Science Faculty Research & Creative Works

The serverless computing model frees developers from operational and management tasks, allowing them to focus solely on business logic. This paper addresses the computationally challenging function-container-virtual machine (VM) scheduling problem, especially under stringent deadline constraints. We propose a two-stage holistic scheduling framework called DCRDA targeting deadline-constrained function scheduling. In the first stage, the function-to-container scheduling is modeled as a one-to-one matching game and solved using the classical Deferred Acceptance Algorithm (DAA). The second stage addresses the container-to-VM assignment, modeled as a many-to-one matching problem, and solved using a variant of the DAA, the Revised-Deferred Acceptance Algorithm (RDA), to account for …

Sovereign Solutions: Reclaiming Reproductive Autonomy In Oklahoma Indian Country After Dobbs, Morgan Sandler

Dickinson Law Review (2017-Present)

In the United States, Native American women face disproportionately high rates of sexual violence and adverse maternal health outcomes. In addition to these ongoing challenges, they continue to face significant barriers to reproductive healthcare access. Oklahoma’s near-total abortion ban—without exceptions for rape or incest—exacerbates these negative trends, particularly for Native women and the Two-Spirit community. Following the Supreme Court’s decision in McGirt v. Oklahoma, approximately 42 percent of Oklahoma’s land area is recognized as Indian Country. This Comment explores how Oklahoma’s abortion ban disproportionately impacts Native women due to systemic inequities stemming from the federal government’s long history of …

A Call For Canceling Compassionate Release And Restoring Federal Parole, Honorable Chief Judge C.J. Williams

Washington and Lee Law Review

The current federal sentencing scheme is a patchwork quilt of provisions that grant judges virtually unfettered and unreviewable discretion imposing sentences on the front-end and in granting compassionate release on the back end. It was not designed in the beginning to be this way. The advisory-only sentencing guidelines scheme we have now resulted from the Supreme Court’s finding that mandatory guidelines violated the Constitution. The recent sentencing reform movement—of which compassionate release is a significant part—has sought to find ways of ameliorating what is seen as the draconian result of the war on drugs. The question is whether granting Article …

Diseases And Redemption: Two Forms Of The Convalescent In Nałkowska’S Choucas, Ming Irwin

Mountains and Modernity

By examining two characters in Zofia Nałkowska’s novel Choucas, this paper explores how two different understandings of illness and germ theory exist simultaneously within the book. Published in 1926, the novel follows moments in the lives of a diverse cast of characters from across Europe who have come to a villa in the Swiss Alps. Many of the characters have come because they are sick, including Mademoiselle Sossé and Monsieur Est, the two youngest and sickest characters. Although Sossé reflects nineteenth-century Romantic ideas of the consumptive and Est represents modern disease theory and fears of contagion through tuberculosis, they are …

A Holistic Look At Swiss Primary Education In The 1870s-80s, As Reflected In Johanna Spyri’S Heidi, Hazel Handy

Mountains and Modernity

Education is a cornerstone theme in Johanna Spyri’s treasured novel Heidi, which tells the story of a young girl living in the Swiss Alps with her grandfather. Heidi has many triumphs throughout her youth, but these are not without hardship with regard to educational attainment. This paper examines how the educational experiences described in Heidi fits into its historical context, having been set in the 1870s-80s in Switzerland and Germany. Legal precedents, labor relations, and a mountainous environment set the stage for educational access and success for both Heidi and her friend Peter. Heidi depicts how the emotional experiences of …

Perceptions Of Skiing And Gender In The Alps And Carpathians In The Interwar Period, Eleanor Millard

Mountains and Modernity

The present paper analyzes two texts set in the mountains of central Europe in the 1920s and 30s. Arnold Fanck’s film The Holy Mountain, filmed in the Swiss Alps and released in 1926, and Mihail Sebastian’s novel The Accident, published in 1940 and set partially in the Southern Carpathians, both depict women engaged in mountain sports from a male point of view. However, the two differ in their presentation: whereas The Holy Mountain treats women as a decorative aspect of the film and women’s skiing as a product of necessity rather than enjoyment, The Accident allows its female protagonist to …

Strategic Branding: The Critical Role Of Brand Strategy For Successful Branding Initiatives, Sara Virginia Abell

Senior Honors Theses

In the increasingly saturated world of branding, the ability to rise above the noise and establish meaningful connections with an audience is essential. This thesis explores the relationship between brand strategy development and successful branding outcomes. An initial review of relevant literature is conducted, focusing on the importance and creation of strategy. Further consideration is given to the unique challenges associated with rebranding efforts. The practical impact of brand and rebrand strategies is underscored through case studies across varying contexts. Following this, the implementation of strategy is discussed, with an emphasis on the role of design elements and principles in …

Case Global: A Winning Tradition, Case Western Reserve University School Of Law, The Frederick K. Cox International Law Center

Case Global Newsletter

Volume 17, No. 1 (2025)

• CWRU once again ranked among the best in 2025 PreLaw magazine and US News & World Report rankings of International Law Program...
• Case Western Journal of International Law Tackles the Need to Update the Geneva Conventions
• Building on a Winning Tradition
• CWRU Launches New International Development Law Lab
• CWRU Establishes Spring Break in the Hague Program
• Professor Michael Scharf leads Team to Prepare Ukrainian Judges and Prosecutors to Try Environmental War Crimes
• Professor Rapp teaches Comparative Law to Saudi Administrative Judges in Riyadh
• Yemen Accountability Project publishes two new White Papers
• Immigration Clinic Builds Momentum …

(Si15-084) Application Of Differentiation Matrices Corresponding To Scaling And Wavelet Functions To Integral Equations, Viresh Kumar, Rakesh Kumar

Applications and Applied Mathematics: An International Journal (AAM)

In the present paper, we have studied the technique by which a differentiation matrix corresponding to scaling and wavelet function is helpful in representing an integral equation in discrete form. In this technique, only finite times continuously differentiable scaling and wavelet functions were used for the differentiation matrix. This method explores the applications of compactly supported wavelets in discretization of Fredholm integral equation and provides us with a bridge for the solution of integral equations via compactly supported finitely differentiable wavelets.

(Si15-017) Modeling Construction Project Uncertainty Using Fuzzy Inference And Nature-Inspired Metaheuristic Knowledge-Based Algorithms, M. Kapoor, B. K. Pathak, R. Kumar

Applications and Applied Mathematics: An International Journal (AAM)

Construction projects are influenced by various uncertain factors, including supervisory knowledge, labor expertise, and weather conditions. These uncertain factors have linguistic properties that are challenging to quantify with the help of traditional set theory. To address this, the study applies fuzzy inference systems, specifically the Mamdani fuzzy inference system, to model and evaluate the impact of these uncertainties on construction projects. This fuzzy inference system provides a more nuanced understanding of these factors compared to traditional set theory methods. Experimental results indicate that uncertainties significantly impact construction projects. These findings establish a valuable framework for developing adaptive strategies, enhancing project …

(Si15-142) Selection Of Single Sampling Plans Based On Zero Inflated Binomial Distribution Using Cost Optimization, Sangeetha S., Shalini K., Hemalatha R., Priyadharshini R.

Applications and Applied Mathematics: An International Journal (AAM)

Economic design of sampling plans involves creating sampling plans that minimize the total cost associated with the inspection process while ensuring quality. It aims to address the quality risk concerns of both producer and consumer, ensuring product quality while minimizing inspection costs. This article’s objective is to design single sampling plans by attributes based on Zero-inflated Binomial (ZIB) distribution, using cost optimization principles by developing an economic model aimed at achieving optimal total cost by considering the Average Total Inspection (ATI). Numerical illustration is provided to illustrate the selection of single sampling plans under ZIB distribution that minimizes producer’s total …

(Si15-113) Augmenting Cryptographic Security Through Inventive Application Of The Kharrat-Toma Transform Algorithm, Prabakaran Raghavendran, Tharmalingam Gunasekar, K. Sakthivel, Kamalendra Kumar, Shalini Gupta

Applications and Applied Mathematics: An International Journal (AAM)

This paper introduces a cryptographic technique combining the Kharrat-Toma Transform and congruence modulo operators to improve the security of message encryption. The proposed model uses the mathematical properties of the Kharrat-Toma Transform and its inverse for direct scrambling and unscrambling processes while embedding sufficient complexity to resist modern cryptanalytic attacks. The model is subjected to experimental tests, including encryption quality analysis, Shannon entropy, and NIST randomness tests, in order to prove the strength of the model. Through encryption quality analysis, symbol frequencies in the ciphertext are masked heavily from having much correlation between plaintext and ciphertext. Entropy values indicate near-theoretical …

(Si15-067) Ahp And Moora Decision Making Methods On Bipolar Fuzzy Sets, S. Anita Shanthi, R. Preethi

Applications and Applied Mathematics: An International Journal (AAM)

Decision making, in the present contemporary world, has been inherently complicated. Nowadays, the major challenge is the selection of an appropriate option. The arrival of numerous brands and models makes a purchase challenging. Hence, in this paper, four different models of the same branded laptops are considered, for the selection of an appropriate option, using the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) and Multi-Objective Optimization on the basis of Ratio Analysis (MOORA), with bipolar fuzzy sets, which help decision makers arrive at the most logical choice based on their preferences. The bipolar fuzzy Analytic Hierarchy Process efficaciously supports decision making in cases …

Gender And Tax Scholarship As Critical Method, Bridget J. Crawford

Elisabeth Haub School of Law Faculty Publications

Part I of this Essay offers an overview of the legal scholarship that laid the intellectual foundation for the field of gender and tax scholarship. Part II briefly recaps the organization of the symposium and the work presented. The collective work arising from the symposium reflects both the breadth and complexity of contemporary thinking on gender and taxation. In many cases, the symposium essays push the boundaries of the field in new and generative directions. Part III then turns toward the future, identifying areas of inquiry that remain underexplored, with an eye toward paths for continued research. This Essay closes …

Equine-Based Occupational Therapy To Develop Social And Emotional Skills In Adolescents: An Educational Video Series, Annabeth Dorris, Steven Gerardi, Angela Blackwell

Fall 2025 OTD Capstone Symposium

Adolescents experience rapid physical, emotional, and social changes that often challenge self-regulation and social-emotional skill development. Occupational therapy (OT) practitioners are equipped to address these needs through a variety of ways, like equine-based occupational therapy (EBOT), yet resources on this setting remain limited. This capstone project developed an educational video series to guide OT practitioners in using equine-based occupations to promote social-emotional learning (SEL) skills in adolescents, targeting self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, relationship skills, and responsible decision-making. The seven videos were posted to YouTube for easy access. This resource serves as a tool OT practitioners can use for knowledge and …

Regain Confidence Postpartum: A Guide For Pelvic Floor Health​, Taylor Jackson, Mary Jan Greer, Donna Carver

Fall 2025 OTD Capstone Symposium

Postpartum pelvic floor dysfunction can disrupt daily occupations such as toileting, hygiene, mobility, sexual health, sleep, and infant care. These challenges often reduce confidence and limit participation. Although pelvic floor issues are common, occupational therapy has not been widely recognized in this emerging area, leaving a gap in functional, client-centered support.

This capstone project developed Regain Confidence Postpartum: A Guide for Pelvic Floor Health, an occupation-focused resource designed to help postpartum individuals understand pelvic floor dysfunction and return to meaningful routines. A needs assessment was completed through clinical observation, discussions with providers at Purely Pelvic Floor, and a review …

Staying In The Game: Understanding The Impact Of Gaming On Musculoskeletal Health And Occupational Performance, Sereniti A. Forkey Dr, Zeida Gutierrez

Fall 2025 OTD Capstone Symposium

The purpose of this capstone is to examine the physical demands that gaming places on the musculoskeletal system and to gain a deeper understanding of gamers’ habits and behaviors. The goal of this project is to explore the population within its context, including psychosocial impacts and the potential need for intervention. By doing so, this research aims to provide valuable insights to both gamers and clinicians, supporting and enhancing occupational performance in gaming.

Increasing Play Opportunities To Improve Development And Health For Children, Kallie S. Ellis, Wendy Tremaine, Emily Bush

Fall 2025 OTD Capstone Symposium

Children with disabilities often experience reduced opportunities for meaningful peer play, which can negatively influence their physical, cognitive, and social-emotional development. Early childhood environments play a critical role in supporting inclusive participation, yet many barriers—physical, social, and environmental—limit access to developmentally rich play throughout the school day. The purpose of this capstone project was to develop, implement, and evaluate a Tier-1, school-based program designed to increase meaningful play opportunities for preschool children ages 3–6, with and without disabilities.

A needs assessment was conducted with teachers and parents to identify developmental concerns and participation barriers related to fine motor, gross motor, …

Improving Rest And Sleep For Hospitalized Individuals: An Occupation Based Approach, Margaret R. Greene, Lakesia Boykin

Fall 2025 OTD Capstone Symposium

Design and create an educational program for occupational therapy practitioners working within hospital environments, patients, and occupational therapy students on evidence grounded, occupation-based sleep activities to use with patients in inpatient rehabilitation hospitals. The educational program will contain modules focusing on the importance of sleep for overall health, how sleep impacts recovery, common environmental and personal factors impacting sleep, and interventions to help improve patient sleep. These educational modules and interventions will focus on the specific client and environmental factors within the occupational therapy scope of practice (American Occupational Therapy Association, 2020).

A Golfer's Guidebook For Prevention And Intervention For Golf Injuries, Brianna A. Martinez, Lesley Khan-Farooqi Phd, Otd, Otr

Fall 2025 OTD Capstone Symposium

The purpose of this capstone project was to create a guidebook for golfers who can be at increased risk for medial epicondylitis focused on prevention and intervention strategies to support productivity, leisure participation, and self-care.