Digital Commons Network^™

Incalculable Harm: Analyzing The Impact Of The Covid-19 Pandemic On Immigration Detention In Canada, Efrat Arbel, Molly Joeck

All Faculty Publications

This paper reflects on the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on immigration detention in Canada. Drawing on research spanning 2020 to 2022, we analyze how the pandemic impacted rates of detention, conditions of detention, and other related issues. Data released by the Canada Border Services Agency shows that despite an initial decrease in absolute numbers, Canada detained people at a higher rate after the onset of the pandemic than it did prior. Canada also held people for longer periods of time and relied more heavily on jails than dedicated Immigration Holding Centres. Conditions of confinement deteriorated significantly across all detention …

Earth Day 2025 - Our Power, Our Planet, Tiffany Villarreal, Raquel Estrada, William Flores

Library Display Posters

Poster of library resources created for Earth Day 2025. This year we focused on resources for Earth Day 2025 topic: Our Power, Our Planet. Book and video covers are hyperlinked. Curated UTRGV theses and UTRGV authored publications are also showcased.

Rapid Flips Between Warm And Cold Extremes In A Warming World, Sijia Wu, Ming Luo, Gabriel Ngar-Cheung Lau, Wei Zhang, Lin Wang, Zhen Liu, Lijie Lin, Yijing Wang, Erjia Ge, Jianfeng Li, Yuanchao Fan, Yimin Chen, Weilin Liao, Xiaoyu Wang, Xiaocong Xu, Zhixin Qi, Ziwei Huang, Faith Ka Shun Chan, David Yongqin Chen, Xiaoping Liu, Tao Pei

Plants, Soils, and Climate Faculty Publications

Rapid temperature flips are sudden shifts from extreme warm to cold or vice versa–both challenge humans and ecosystems by leaving a very short time to mitigate two contrasting extremes, but are yet to be understood. Here, we provide a global assessment of rapid temperature flips from 1961 to 2100. Warm-to-cold flips favorably follow wetter and cloudier conditions, while cold-to-warm flips exhibit an opposite feature. Of the global areas defined by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, over 60% have experienced more frequent, intense, and rapid flips since 1961, and this trend will expand to most areas in the future. During …

Impact Of Hypertension Education On The Self-Efficacy Of Patients With Uncontrolled Hypertension, Sharita Thompson

Doctor of Nursing Practice Projects

Self-efficacy is an essential aspect of patients being able to manage their uncontrolled hypertension. While it is important to give patients medications for their hypertension, it is just as important to educate the patients about their disease process. Teaching patients risk factors, acceptable blood pressure readings, and signs/symptoms of the disease process can help with decreasing further harm that the disease can cause to the body. This quality improvement project aimed to close the knowledge gap and increase self-efficacy among adult individuals, ages 18-75, who have uncontrolled hypertension by generating data that shows that education on the disease process will …

Gardner-Webb Online Programs In Nursing, Business, Education And College Of Arts And Sciences Start On May 27, Office Of University Communications

Gardner-Webb NewsCenter Archive

Through Gardner-Webb University Online Undergraduate programs, earning a bachelor’s degree is affordable and flexible. With several start dates during the year, students can choose when to begin and determine how many hours to take.

Program Development & Implementation Of Mindfulness Practices For Adults With Down Syndrome At Gigi’S Playhouse, Kelly Nydahl

OTD Capstone Projects

This doctoral capstone project was completed through partnership with GiGi’s Playhouse Nashville, a non-profit that offers free educational and therapeutic programming to individuals of all ages with Down syndrome. The focus of this project was to create and implement an entire semester worth of curriculum for two adult education classes, GiGi Prep and U. The goal of GiGi Prep was to enhance various career readiness skills, while GiGi U builds upon these skills to prepare an individual for real-world settings like independent living, college, and/or working a job. Topics such as communication skills, emotional regulation, money management, coping strategies, self-advocacy, …

Defined Places, Contested Memories: An Analysis Of Historical Memory In La Ascensión, Chihuahua, Mexico, Joel Gonzalez Parra

The Agora

La Ascensión, a town in Chihuahua, Mexico, was founded between 1871 and 1872 and represents a unique case of Mexican repatriation after the Mexican-American War. Its settlers underwent a double relocation, first from Doña Ana, New Mexico, in 1850 and again after the Mesilla Riot of 1871. While the Mexican government saw the town’s formation as a strategic emigration to modernize and defend the frontier, historical memory has largely overshadowed this foundational event, favoring the town’s role in the Mexican Revolution of 1910. This paper argues that broader historical narratives and political violence have obscured the town’s original settlers in …

Mythology Of Autism: Pop Culture, Rhetoric, And Vaccines, Makenzi Strate

Theses and Dissertations

Myths are stories told to provide an explanation for the unknown, reflect cultural beliefs of populations that hold them, and lack scientific evidence to support these stories. Some myths, such as the myth that vaccines cause autism, are harmful toward the groups that they target. Popularized in 1998 with the publication of the Wakefield study, the myth that vaccines cause autism continues to spread and thrive today. To understand the widespread nature and detriments of belief in harmful myths such as this, I implement mythology rhetoric to examine how celebrity Jenny McCarthy utilizes elements of myth to persuade others to …

Advancing Global Flood Inundation Mapping From Srtm To Fabdem, Taylor James Miskin

Theses and Dissertations

This study evaluates how elevation and hydrography inputs influence flood extent accuracy using ARC (Automated Rating Curve), a raster-based flood inundation model. It focuses on how spatial resolution and vertical accuracy, reflecting the satellite mission from which each dataset was derived, and bare-earth processing of the DEM affect the accuracy of predicted flood extents. The assessment compares four dataset combinations--FABDEM with GEOGLOWS River Forecasting System Version 1(RFS1), FABDEM with GEOGLOWS River Forecasting System Version 2(RFS2), SRTM with RFS1, and SRTM with RFS2--across five study locations: the Suncook River in New Hampshire, North Fork Kentucky River in Kentucky, Nimishillen Creek in …

Teaching Information Synthesis In First-Year Writing: A Replication And Extension Study, Rachel M. Terry

Theses and Dissertations

This study investigates the challenges and strategies associated with teaching information synthesis to first-year college students. Synthesis, a higher-order cognitive skill described as "knowledge-transforming," is critical for academic success and informed engagement in an information-saturated society. However, many students enter college with underdeveloped foundational reading and writing skills, compounded by declining literacy rates and the prevalence of fragmented digital content consumption. This study builds on prior research in composition, education, and information literacy to address three key questions: (1) How do students understand synthesis? (2) What strategies do students employ when attempting to synthesize information? (3) What instructional implications arise …

Enhancing Holistic Patient Care Of Black Individuals Diagnosed With Hiv And Comorbid Chronic Conditions, Marc Fleming, Saharnaz Nejdat, Jon C. Schommer, Crystal K. Hodge

Pharmacy Faculty Articles and Research

Background

Pharmacists can play a crucial role in delivering the holistic care model. Research suggests that HIV-positive African American patients particularly benefit from this approach compared to other communities. Typically, pharmacists in community pharmacy settings are limited in their access to a patient's medical record, preventing holistic care delivery.

Objectives

This study addressed the impact of access to medical records on a holistic patient care approach among pharmacists engaged in medication therapy management.

Methods

This was a sub-analysis of a randomized controlled trial of the impact of community pharmacist access to medical records during MTM for African Americans diagnosed with …

April 22, 2025 Blazer Weekly, University Of Alabama At Birmingham

Blazer Weekly (student newsletter)

No abstract provided.

Structural, Electrical And Sensing Properties Of Znfe2O4 Nanoceramics Synthesized By Solid-State Reaction Method, Enass Ahmad, Rasha Yousef, Abla Alzoubi, Nasser Saad Aldin

Baghdad Science Journal

Metal ferrite nanomaterials have emerged as promising materials for gas sensor fabrication due to their high surface area, which provides a large number of adsorption sites for gas molecules. In this research, a zinc ferrite nanoparticle-based gas sensor was prepared using the solid-state reaction method to achieve high sensitivity and a fast response time. The powder zinc ferrite was annealed at different temperatures within the range (500-700) °C for six hours. The optimum temperature for synthesis was 675°C. The structural properties of the prepared compound were studied using X-ray diffraction. The results showed that the compound crystallizes in a cubic …

Assessing The Efficacy Of Soil Amendments On Water Use Efficiency And Wheat Productivity For Different Soil Textures, Saadi Sattar Shahadha, Ammar Al-Zubade, Mahmood Raam Sh., Mohamed Ahmed Youssef

Baghdad Science Journal

Irrigation practices on agricultural fields use more water than any other human activity. As a result, the sustainability of water use and food output is intimately tied to how fields are managed. This research was conducted to enhance the long-term viability of water and agricultural production. Soil amendments of compost and perlite were applied in an experiment to investigate the possibility of enhancing soil textures (sandy clay and silty clay) and, consequently, improving the production of crops and water sustainably. The Root Zone Water Quality Model (RZWQM2) was utilized to simulate the water dynamics and water requirement for wheat production …

A Comparison Of Anti-Citrullniated Peptide Antibody, Lactate Dehydrogenase, Zinc And Copper In Sera Of Patients With Rheumatoid Arthritis And Healthy Control: A Cross Sectional Study, Fatima Qasim Al-Obaidy, Abdulnasser M. Al-Gebori, Mohammed Hadi Munshed Alosami

Baghdad Science Journal

Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) is a chronic, systemic autoimmune disease associated with synovial tissue proliferation, cartilage destruction and pannus formation. The study aimed to determine the link among each anticyvlic anti-citrullinated peptide antibody (ACPA), lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), zinc (Zn), and copper (Cu) levels in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients and healthy control. Across sectional study was carried out at the Baghdad Teaching Hospital in Baghdad Iraq, and involved 110 patients (95 females and 15 men), who were matched for age and sex with 40 healthy controls (28 females and 12 males). Patients with RA were diagnosed by a specialist rheumatologist utilizing ACR/EULAR …

Jadriyah And Umm Al-Khanazeer Island Sites, Baghdad, Iraq: Status And Eligibility As An Important Bird Area, Aya Yaqoob Jasim, Nadheer Abod Fazaa

Baghdad Science Journal

In Baghdad, the site of Jadriyah and Umm Al-Khanazeer Island (JUKI) was the only IBA nominated by the Birdlife International in 1994 (based on data from 1984). Unfortunately, the JUKI site was deleted from the IBA list in 2017 without proper investigation. We compared our 2022 data with two previous surveys and successfully calculated the trend of the site for the first time. JUKI, as compared to 1984 as baseline data, has currently a medium level of threats (land use change and climate change). Status assessment shows that the site in 2022 has 58.9 % of its 1984 potential habitat …

Characterization And Enzymatic Evaluation Of Ecoenzyme Derived From Fruit And Vegetable Waste: An Effort To Achieve Zero Waste Concept, Gun Gun Gumilar, Asep Kadarohman, Muhammad Fauzan Fakhrurozi, Nahadi, Florentina Maria Titin Supriyanti, Heli Siti Halimatul Munawaroh

Baghdad Science Journal

Food waste has accounted for 44% of the total amount of waste produced in Indonesia. From that total, fruits and vegetables waste constitute the main dominant contributors. Production of ecoenzyme has the potential to reduce the environmental waste problem and convert as well the waste into valuable products. This study was employed to characterize and evaluate the enzymatic activity of ecoenzymes produced from the fruit and vegetable waste. The fruits used to produce these ecoenzymes were pineapple, avocado, and orange, while the vegetables-ecoenzymes were generated from lettuce, Chinese cabbage, and broccoli. The ecoenzyme was produced through a fermentation process for …

Research And Economic Development Committee Minutes, Clemson University Board Of Trustees, 2025 April 22, Clemson University Board Of Trustees

Minutes

No abstract provided.

Quality Of Perinatal Care: Experiences Of Clients And Providers In Three District Hospitals Of Western Uganda– A Mixed Methods Study, Mercy Muwema, Joaniter Nankabirwa, Dan K. Kaye, Gorrette Nalwadda, Joanita Nangendo, Gloria Odei Obeng-Amoako, Jean Claude Nkurunziza, Wilson Mwanja, Elizabeth N. Ekong, Joan N. Kalyango, Grace Edwards, Emmanuel Otieno, Robert Basaza

School of Nursing & Midwifery, East Africa

Background: It is anticipated that closing the quality gap through provision of effective antenatal, intrapartum and postnatal care for mothers and newborns in facilities will reduce morbidity and mortality. Mothers’ and health care providers’ experiences play a vital role in achieving quality care during the perinatal periods.

Purpose: To assess the health care providers’ (HCPs) and clients’ experiences on quality of perinatal care at three district hospitals in Bunyoro region, Western Uganda.

Methods: A convergent parallel mixed methods study design was utilized to explore experiences of 1) mothers as they sought antenatal, intrapartum, and postnatal care; and 2) …

Executive Committee - Agenda, 4/22/2025, Academic Senate

Academic Senate Agendas

No abstract provided.

Inpatient Length Of Stay And Mortality Prediction Utilizing Clinical Time Series Data, Junde Chen, Mason Li, Miles Milosevich, Tiffany Le, Andrew Bahsoun, Yuxin Wen

Engineering Faculty Articles and Research

Electronic Health Records (EHRs), which include demographic information, clinical notes, vital signs, laboratory test results, and others, provide rich information for clinical outcome prediction. In this work, we propose a novel attention embedded residual long short-term memory (LSTM) fully Convolutional Network (FCN) to perform the clinical predictions of inpatients’ length of stay (LoS) and mortality. The proposed model is uniquely composed of a convolutional neural network (CNN) layer, three residual blocks, an LSTM unit, an FCN module, and a self-attention module. This innovative architecture allows for comprehensive feature extraction, where the CNN and residual blocks enhance clinical data features, the …

From 180 To 30: A Case For Shortening The Asylum Ead Clock, Faith Hegstad

Immigration Law Blog

This article explores the challenges posed by the mandatory 180-day wait for work authorization for asylum applicants in the United States, and evaluates the potential solutions offered by the Asylum Seeker Work Authorization Act and the ASPIRE Act. Although these proposed bills have expired, this article posits that Congress should pass future bills modeled after either the ASPIRE Act, the House version of the Asylum Seeker Work Authorization Act, or both.

Moderate Exercise And Tirzepatide Versus Tirzepatide Alone For Long-Term Weight Loss Maintenance, Edward Amoah Acheampong

Nursing Capstones

Background: Glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonist (RA) drugs have been transformative when managing obesity in the clinical setting. Though these medications are effective for weight loss, questions regarding their efficacy for long-term weight loss or maintenance remain unanswered.

Purpose: The purpose of this scoping review was to answer the following clinical question: Can overweight or obese patients (P) who use tirzepatide without exercise (I) as compared to those incorporating 150 minutes a week of moderate aerobic exercise (C) sustain a ≥5% weight loss (O) one-year post-treatment (T)?

Methods: Five electronic article databases were searched to locate articles …

Nature's Relief: Efficacy Of Plant-Based Therapies Vs. Placebo In Easing Vasomotor Menopausal Symptoms, Megan N. Schneider

Nursing Capstones

Background: Vasomotor symptoms (VMS) impact the lives of menopausal women. Plant-based therapies are frequently used as alternatives to hormonal therapy, warranting evaluation of their effectiveness.

Purpose: This literature review evaluates the efficacy of plant-based therapies in alleviating VMS during menopause and compares their effectiveness to placebo treatment.

Methods: A literature review was conducted utilizing PubMed and Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL).

Results: The review includes a synthesis of 16 primary studies, highlighting five therapies: black cohosh, soy, red clover, evening primrose, and combination therapy in managing VMS. Soy consistently reduces VMS. Black cohosh, red clover, evening …

The Effect Of Breastfeeding On Maternal Mental Health, Quinn Packineau

Nursing Capstones

Postpartum depression (PPD) is a significant public health issue impacting maternal and infant well-being, and though breastfeeding benefits both mother and baby, its effect on PPD is uncertain. This scoping literature review explores whether breastfeeding versus bottle feeding reduces PPD risk within six months postpartum using CINAHL and PubMed search of studies from the last five years on breastfeeding, bottle feeding, and PPD correlations. From 17 qualifying studies, results display exclusive and prolonged breastfeeding linked to lower PPD rates. However, the relationship is bidirectional because PPD can also prompt early breastfeeding cessation. Maternal self-efficacy, lactation support, and socioeconomic- demographic factors …

April 22, 2025 Ereporter, University Of Alabama At Birmingham

eReporter (campus newsletter)

No abstract provided.

Note From The Editor, Jessica Barrio

The Agora

A note from the Editor-in-Chief, welcoming you to the third issue of The Agora

The Overmedicalization Of The Female Orgasm And The Orgasm Gap, Mackenzie Dybvik

The Agora

This paper, as the title suggests, dives into the overmedicalization of the female orgasm, and subsequently, the orgasm gap. It touches on five commonly believed reasons for the orgasm gap– women’s orgasm difficulty, biology, men’s fault, interpersonal communication issues, and sociocultural influence– and it links all of them to overmedicalization. It describes overmedicalization as the actual issue that needs to be resolved, and thus proposes a solution of increased and more comprehensive sexual health. It argues that better sexual health will help tackle overmedicalization as both clinicians and citizens become more aware of how to fight overmedicalization. It concludes by …

Language Choice And Russian Course Enrollment Among University Students, Emma Calderwood

Theses and Dissertations

University Russian enrollments have been steadily declining in the United States since 2009 (MLA, 2023). No research has been done to examine student motivation for studying Russian since long before the 2022 increase in conflict between Russia and Ukraine. This study surveys two groups of students at the university level: students enrolled in BYU 101-level language classes, and students enrolled in Russian classes at six universities in the United States. The findings report that the most common reasons students choose to take university Russian classes is because they have a general interest in the language, they want to travel to …

We Give Laws A Bad Name: An Empirical Examination Of How Misleading Law And Pac Names Pollute Legal Perception, Brian Sheppard, Andrew Moshirnia, Charles Sullivan, Brian C. Jones

Texas A&M Law Review

Journalists and commentators have dismissed acronym-titled laws like the SAFE Act (Secure Access to Firearms Enhancement Act) and slogan-based political action committee (“PAC”) names like Americans for America as window dressing concocted by uncreative political operatives. Beyond the fact that law titles and PAC names have become punching bags in the press, they share another quality: they both appear with frequency in political ads about ballot initiatives and sometimes appear on ballots themselves. Because of their salience in election and voting scenarios, law titles and PAC names have been used tactically in an apparent effort to increase the memorability or …