Digital Commons Network^™

Finding Aid For The Nadine Cohodas Collection (Mum00831)

Archives & Special Collections: Finding Aids (alphabetical)

Collection contains interviews transcripts, handwritten and typed notes, photocopied articles, and newspapers researched by Nadine Cohodas from 1995/1996 on African American students on the University of Mississippi from 1950-1985.

Measuring How Much Judges Matter For Case Outcomes, Ryan W. Copus, Ryan Hübert

Faculty Works

A large empirical literature examines how judges’ traits affect how cases get resolved. This literature has led many to conclude that judges matter for case outcomes. But how much do they matter? Existing empirical findings understate the true extent of judicial influence over case outcomes since standard estimation techniques hide some disagreement among judges. We devise a machine learning method to reveal additional sources of disagreement. Applying this method to the Ninth Circuit, we estimate that at least 38% of cases could be decided differently based solely on the panel they were assigned to.

Teaching Learning Newsletter Vol 5 Issue 1, Sastra Deemed To Be University

TLC Newsletter

No abstract provided.

In Situ Thrust Measurement Of Fish During Locomotion; Test Case: Sharks, Braedon Payne, Bryan A. Keller, Daniel Weihs, Roi Gurka

Physics and Engineering Science

We present a novel method of measuring thrust of aquatic animals using in situ video data of swimming motions. To demonstrate its utility, the method was applied to several large elasmobranch species, which are typically highly challenging to measure. Using motion tracking software, we analyzed video footage of wild and captive sharks to track their instantaneous position and speed. In order to estimate the force output, we used the tail/body motion based on the swimming modes of the fish to calculate the water displaced by this motion during locomotion. Using Newton 3rd law, we have calculated the instantaneous force exerted …

Statistical Power To Detect Simultaneous Violation Of Proportionality In Hazards And Additive Assumption In Cox Regression Model, Lawrence Mensah Agbota

Theses and Dissertations

The Cox proportional hazards regression model is a widely employed semi-parametric tool in epidemiological and medical research for analyzing time-to-event data and assessing the relationship between patient survival times and one or more predictors. This method involves regression analyses necessitating a meticulous approach to careful examination of the covariates and the relationship among covariates included in the model through a series of critical decisions and steps. Violation of the additivity of the effects and the proportionality in hazards (PH) assumption can lead to biased results and misleading scientific findings. We conducted a Monte Carlo simulation study to assess the performance …

Understanding Wildfire Risk Perception, Evacuation Readiness And Preparedness Information Awareness In The United States, Dominic Kyei

Theses and Dissertations

Wildfires disproportionately threaten lives, properties, and ecosystems within the U.S. states.Despite varying regional risks and demographic vulnerabilities, factors shaping public preparedness remain understudied. This study analyzes data from the 2023 Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) National Household Survey (NHS), consisting of 507 participants, to identify key predictors of wildfire risk perception, evacuation readiness, and preparedness awareness across diverse demographic groups residing in high-risk states, including California, Arizona, and Florida. Using independent sampled t-test, ordered logistic regression analysis and correlation modeling, the study results indicate that past wildfire experience, preparedness efforts, geographic location, and perceived efficacy shape risk perception, with experienced …

Serving Others Using Generative Ai, Kenneth C. Arnold

University Faculty Publications and Creative Works

Ken Arnold, computer science professor at Calvin University, explores the idea of use Generative AI as a tool to help us serve others.

Shsp Dean's Newsletter, Summer 2025, Robert W. Amler

SHSP Dean’s Newsletter

No abstract provided.

Ai-Based Classification Of Pediatric Breath Sounds: Toward A Tool For Early Respiratory Screening, Liu Lichuan, Wei Li, Elizabeth Moxley

Faculty Articles, Papers, and Other Scholarship

Context: Respiratory morbidity is a leading cause of children’s consultations with general practitioners. Auscultation, the act of listening to breath sounds, is a crucial diagnostic method for respiratory system diseases. Problem: Parents and caregivers often lack the necessary knowledge and experience to identify subtle differences in children’s breath sounds. Furthermore, obtaining reliable feedback from young children about their physical condition is challenging. Methods: The use of a human–artificial intelligence (AI) tool is an essential component for screening and monitoring young children’s respiratory diseases. Using clinical data to design and validate the proposed approaches, we propose novel methods for recognizing and …

Evaluating The Predictive Value Of Basc-3 Anxiety Scale And Working Memory Index Scores For Clinically Significant Test Anxiety: A Comprehensive Analysis Of Non-Classifiable Cases, Des'tiana S. Williams

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation will explore how test anxiety (TA) affects working memory (WM) and whether certain factors can help predict higher levels of test anxiety. Anxiety has been defined as a common experience that can show up in various forms—like general worry, social fears, panic attacks, and specific phobias (APA, 2022). It was described as often triggering our natural “fight-or-flight” response, which can impact our ability to focus, think clearly, and remember things. For students, test anxiety has been especially challenging, affecting how they perform in high-stakes academic settings. Using data from a university based psychological assessment center, this study will …

Evaluating The Predictive Value Of Basc-3 Anxiety Scale And Working Memory Index Scores For Clinically Significant Test Anxiety: A Comprehensive Analysis Of Non-Classifiable Cases, Des'tiana S. Williams

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation will explore how test anxiety (TA) affects working memory (WM) and whether certain factors can help predict higher levels of test anxiety. Anxiety has been defined as a common experience that can show up in various forms—like general worry, social fears, panic attacks, and specific phobias (APA, 2022). It was described as often triggering our natural “fight-or-flight” response, which can impact our ability to focus, think clearly, and remember things. For students, test anxiety has been especially challenging, affecting how they perform in high-stakes academic settings. Using data from a university based psychological assessment center, this study will …

Psychology And Dispute Resolution: Looking Forward, Jennifer K. Robbennolt

Journal of Dispute Resolution

There is a long and deep history of interconnection between dispute resolution and psychology. Concepts like procedural justice permeate the literature. Psychologists have investigated and provided data about phenomena such as the fixed pie bias, impasse aversion, and reactive devaluation. Research drawing on the psychology of heuristics and biases has been influential, particularly in work on settlement decision making. Studies in this tradition have explored how framing, anchoring, anticipated regret, and different ways of considering options can influence the decisions made by disputants. Psychologists have explored the role of apologies in dispute resolution, the role of emotion in negotiation, and …

“America’S Peacemaker” Needs A Makeover: The Department Of Justice’S Community Relations Service Should Use Transformative Mediation And Restorative Justice In Today’S Black Lives Matter Movement, Julianna Leung

Journal of Dispute Resolution

On March 7, 1965, civil rights leaders John Lewis and Hosea Williams led hundreds of people across the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma, Alabama. Their goal was to march to the state capitol of Montgomery in protest of racial segregation and the suppression of African American voters. On the other side of Pettus bridge, state troopers and spectators waving Confederate flags waited for them. When the protesters reached the end of Pettus, state trooper Major John Cloud ordered them to stop the march and leave. Williams tried to speak with Major Cloud, but Major Cloud rebuffed him. When the protestors …

Expanding And Mainstreaming Sociohydrology Toward Transdisciplinary Praxis, Shinichiro Nakamura, Heidi Kreibich, Melissa Haeffner, Jenia Mukherjee, Giuliano Di Baldassarre, Maiko Sakamoto, Mikiko Sugiura, Günter Blöschl, Taikan Oki, Murugesu Sivapalan

Environmental Science and Management Faculty Publications and Presentations

Since its development in the early 2010s, sociohydrology has deepened our understanding of the long-term coevolution of humans and water by integrating insights from both the natural and social sciences, while also fostering an interdisciplinary community. Its modus operandi to date has been to focus on emergent phenomena, manifesting as unintended consequences, in a variety of contexts. The compound disaster that struck Japan’s Noto Peninsula in 2024, and similar experiences in other parts of the world, underscore the urgent need for systemic approaches that are co-developed by academia and practitioners and focus on context-specific solutions. This perspective piece thus calls …

Gender Representation Of Composers In Recommended Wind Band Literature And Prominent Performances, Devon Alexis Gray Porter

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this research was to evaluate gender representation in recommended literature in wind band repertoire and prominent performances. I collected data from music lists approved by the National Band Association (NBA) state chapters, programs from the Midwest Clinic and College Band Directors National Association, music vendor catalogues, the Teaching Music Through Performance in Band series, and Florida Bandmasters Association (FBA) Music Performance Assessment (MPA) past performances. I evaluated names of composers to determine the male-female ratios and quantities for recommended works from these sources. I conducted further analysis to determine if trends existed in the relationships between composer …

Home Visitor Well-Being In Oregon: Influences On Stress, Mental Health And Risk For Staff Turnover Oregon’S 2023 Home Visiting Workforce Survey, Beth L. Green, Yumi Lee, Nicole Lauzus, Ron Joseph, Erin Gaines

Regional Research Institute for Human Services

This learning brief is the fourth in a series to share findings from a 2023 statewide survey of over 700 members of Oregon’s home visiting workforce. In this brief, we share information about home visitors’ well-being across several dimensions, including 1) job-related well-being (job satisfaction, feelings of emotional/physical safety on the job, work-related stress, and job burnout); 2) personal well-being (financial strain, depression and anxiety); and 3) risk of staff turnover.

Second, we explore whether there are differences in these aspects of well-being for home visitors who have different backgrounds and life experiences. We then ask the question, “What things …

The Answer To Perimenstrual Distress Is Not Automatically Prescription: Review Of Allopathic And Integrative Approaches To Mental Health Care For Pms & Pmdd Symptoms, Grace Oja

University Honors Theses

Premenstrual syndrome (PMS) and premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD) affect a notable percentage of people who menstruate. PMS/PMDD have a wide range of symptoms that negatively impact mental well-being and quality of life. This review is the culmination of a database search to review current allopathic treatments for PMS/PMDD, which often include oral contraceptives and antidepressants, and explore evidence-based methods for integrative and alternative treatments to address some of the limitations of standard allopathic care, including limitations on which symptoms they address and side effects. This paper aims to examine how integrative medicine may expand existing treatments for PMS and PMDD …

The Effects Of Digitized Social Stories On Classroom Routine Completion: A Single-Case Study Of Students With Developmental Disabilities, Huda A. Almumen

Journal of Educational and Psychological Studies

The current study examined the effects of a digitized Social Story, supported by embedded video prompts, on the classroom routine skills of fifth-grade Kuwaiti students with moderate intellectual disability, with or without co-occurring autism spectrum disorder. Using a single-subject, multiple baseline design across six participants, data were collected using an observational card with a checklist of the steps required to perform classroom routines. Participants significantly increased the percentage of correctly completed steps in daily classroom routines, indicating that digitized Social Stories, supported by video prompts, are effective tools for teaching classroom routines to students with developmental disabilities. Implications for future …

Centering Justice: The Role Of Women's Centers In Advancing Reproductive Justice And Gender Equity, Amber Byrd Ndukwe

Mather Center Research Briefs

An overview of how women's and gender equity centers play a role in doing reproductive justice work.

Response Of Soybean To Variable Irrigation Levels In Eastern Nebraska Using The Aquacrop Model, Anmol Singh

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

AquaCrop was calibrated and validated for soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.] using 19 irrigation treatments from five years using data from field experiments. The model accurately simulated canopy cover (CC), soil water content (SWC), and grain yield, with overall validation nRMSE values of 12%, 7%, and 7%, respectively. The overall validation nRMSE for SWC in individual 30-cm soil layers was comparatively higher, at 19%. The model was subsequently applied for long-term simulations (2010–2024) to estimate soybean yield and water requirements for two dominant soil types, Yutan silty clay loam and Tomek silt loam under three irrigation levels - rainfed, …

Rachel B. Griffis, Julie Ooms, And Rachel M. De Smith Roberts, Deep Reading: Practices To Subvert The Vices Of Our Distracted Age, Christopher Evan Franklin

Faith and Philosophy: Journal of the Society of Christian Philosophers

No abstract provided.

Cappadocian Theory Of Matter, Dispositionalism + Bundle Theory, And Modern Cosmogony, Flavius D. Raslau

Faith and Philosophy: Journal of the Society of Christian Philosophers

No abstract provided.

Engage & Empower: Foundations Of Social Work Practice, Elhanan Marvit

Open Touro Created

2025

Engage & Empower: Foundations of Social Work Practice is an open educational resource for social work students in “foundations of social work practice” courses. It begins by explaining Open Educational Resources and their benefits. Students then explore social work fundamentals, including the diverse roles of social workers.

With this foundation, students engage with the NASW Code of Ethics’ key terms, and principles. This ethical grounding prepares them for the “growth work” needed to develop cultural competence and cross-cultural awareness. They then learn to apply various Generalist Practice skills across different-sized systems to empower client populations.

Next, the book explores …

La Isla De Los Sonidos: Acercamiento Al Arte Sonoro Del Público Infantil-Juvenil A Través De Una Instalación Interactiva Multisensorial, Javier Fernández De Gorostiza

Divulgación

La Isla de los Sonidos Automáticos (LISA) es un proyecto subvencionado por la FECyT como proyecto de divulgación científica en la categoría de proyectos singulares. LISA propone un espacio ACTS (Arte, Ciencia, Tecnología y Sociedad), en la que participa el artista sonoro Pedro Buschi, y el colectivo de acciones artistas Chicotrópico (https://chicotropico.com/) El proyecto tiene 4 líneas de acción diferenciadas:

• Muestras al público de los laboratorios de investigación de la UDIT. Como por ejemplo, las propuestas que se lanzaron dentro de la Semana de la Ciencia 2025 (https://www.udit.es/semana-de-la-ciencia-y-la-innovacion-2025/)
• Talleres de construcción y programación de sensores. Que …

Measures Of Muscle Strength, Rate Of Force Development, And Fatiguability Across The Menstrual Cycle, Cassidy Wisler

All NMU Master's Theses

BACKGROUND: Hormone fluctuations and inconsistencies across the menstrual cycle paired with a shortage of literature on female physiology in exercise have made understanding on female exercise performance troublesome. Performance-based research has fallen behind and the increase in women participation and current evidence does not warrant general guidance on modulating specific exercise across the menstrual cycle. PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of estrogen and progesterone on muscle strength, rate of force development, and fatiguability. METHODS: Nineteen recreationally active and eumenorrheic females (25.3 ± 5.8 yrs, 73.4 ± 12.2 kgs) volunteered to participate in the study. …

The Effect Of Ischemic Preconditioning On Rock Climbing Performance, Jordan Fleury

All NMU Master's Theses

Rock climbing involves isometric contractions of the finger flexors, limiting forearm blood flow and causing ischemia-induced fatigue. Ischemic preconditioning (IPC) has been shown to improve time to failure (TTF) during climbing-specific tasks, though its mechanisms remain unclear. The purpose of this study was to assess the effects of IPC on hemodynamics and muscle oxygenation during a finger flexor endurance test. This study assessed the effects of IPC on TTF, brachial artery blood flow (BF), vessel diameter (VD), and tissue saturation index (TSI). Variables were measured before (BL1) and after intervention (BL2), and throughout a finger-flexor fatiguing task (FT), including TSI …

Elucidating The Role Of Mir-10a/B In The Wound Healing Process In Larval Zebrafish, Jacquelyn E. Jacobs

All NMU Master's Theses

This study explores the regulatory role of microRNA-10 (miR-10) in larval zebrafish caudal fin regeneration, a model with broad implications for the future of regenerative medicine. Building on prior research from the lab, which indicated that miR-10 knockdown impairs regeneration, we verified this finding through rescue experiments, assessed its influence on healing projections, and examined its role in the innate immune response during the wound healing process. To address these questions, we employed a multi-faceted approach, including timed matings, microinjections, immunohistochemistry, fixed sample microscopy, and live imaging. Our results show that the experimental introduction of exogenous miR-10 can rescue the …

Unauthorized Connections: Censorship As Collective Punishment In The Policing Of Bob Mizer’S Social Relations, Farrah Freibert

Publications

Bob Mizer ran his physique photography company, the Athletic Model Guild, for nearly half a century and his work has been celebrated from many perspectives, including historical scholarship, art books, and the development of a dedicated archive. The numerous legal battles that Mizer endured throughout his career have sometimes been interpreted through the lens of individuality, both as a testament to Mizer’s prominence in the development of queer visual culture and as evidence of the lengths anti-gay police would go to stymie his homoerotically-infused artistic endeavors. Yet, importantly, the criminal cases against Mizer also embroiled his associates in the field, …

Jme4110: Hydro-Excavator Robot, Diane L. Evans, Nathan Fenton, Grant Cole, Nicholas Sipe

Washington University / UMSL Mechanical Engineering Design Project JME 4110

In an environmental situation wherein, diesel has leaked into soil surrounding high voltage lines in an underground confined space where workers cannot access physically and for safety reasons. To alleviate the situation, the project goal is to create a remotely controlled robot, with umbilical attachments. Due to the nature of the environment containing sensitive and electrically charged equipment, mechanical means of removing the soil are not feasible. For this reason, the robot is to remove contaminated soil by using a powerful water sprayer and vacuum combination. Other options for features of this robot are that it uses tracks for movement, …

Jme 4110: Automatic Umbrella Opener, Sam Nieder, Adam Freeman

Washington University / UMSL Mechanical Engineering Design Project JME 4110

Manually opening and closing a patio umbrella can be time consuming and laborious. While there are remote controlled umbrellas for sale, they are expensive and may not be a reasonable option for most people. Our task was to create a device that can be retrofitted onto any patio umbrella, that allows it to be opened and closed remotely.