Digital Commons Network^™

A Systematic Review Of The Acceptability Of Function-Based Assessments Of Student Behavior, Siani Ym Amidon

Dissertations - ALL

Function-Based Assessments are widely used to identify the antecedents and consequences of maladaptive behaviors across age groups. While social validation of intervention goals and procedures has long been emphasized (Wolf, 1978), the integration of acceptability assessments within Function-Based Assessments remains underexplored. This systematic review examined the extent to which acceptability assessments have been incorporated into Function-Based Assessments, along with their influence on intervention development. A total of 21 studies (N = 72) met inclusion criteria. Among the 33% of studies that reported demographic information, the majority of participants were Black, male children with disabilities in preschool or elementary settings. Physical …

Atropisomer Mechanochemistry Of Diarylethene Mechanophores: A Study Of Structure-Mechanical Activity Relationships, Cijun Zhang

Dissertations - ALL

Stimuli-responsive organic structures are advanced, intelligent platforms that dynamically adjust their physical or chemical properties—such solubility, or color—in response to external stimuli including light, heat, pH, redox conditions, mechanical force, or magnetic fields. Among these structures, mechanophores represent an important class that is specifically responsive to mechanical force. Synthetic mechanophores can be rationally engineered to exhibit tunable mechanosensitivity as well as tailored chemical and physical properties. In this work, we designed and synthesized a type of atropisomeric mechanophores based on sterically congested diarylethene photoswitches, and systematically investigated their mechanical and photochemical properties. Chapter 1 Chapter 1 provides a general introduction …

Scaling Logical Reasoning On Modern Hpc Hardware, Yihao Sun

Dissertations - ALL

Deductive logic reasoning has evolved from a theoretical symbolic artificial intelligence tool into a massive computational workload. Modern domains, ranging from static program analysis and binary reverse engineering to knowledge-graph reasoning, rely on Datalog, a logical query language, to express deeply recursive, declarative specifications. However, scaling logic reasoning to these industrial workload exposes two interlocking ceilings in traditional engines. Architecturally, the memory bandwidth and parallel throughput of single-node CPUs fall drastically short of the read- and write-heavy demands of semi-naive evaluation. Asymptotically, traditional query processing algorithms, such as binary join algorithms generate massive intermediate relations that exhaust device memory on …

Three Essays On Collaborative Policymaking: Examining The Influence Of Procedural Dynamics On Policy Outputs In Collaborative Marine Fisheries Management, Shuping Wang

Dissertations - ALL

This dissertation advances the study of collaborative policymaking by examining an underexplored relationship: how the collaborative policymaking processes shape policymaking outputs. Drawing on scholarship on collaborative policymaking, adaptive policymaking, and collective learning, this dissertation proposes and tests three approaches to measuring both processes and outputs, using U.S. Marine Fishery Management Councils as the empirical context. Three essays collectively demonstrate that policymaking outputs are systematically shaped by the dynamics of the collaborative process itself. Essay 1 shows that knowledge diversity among stakeholders affects the passage of council decisions, revealing that engagement with diverse knowledge forms is not always positively associated with …

Impure Evidentialism: Essays On The Sources & Structure Of Doxastic Normativity, Felipe Oliveira

Dissertations - ALL

The four papers of my dissertation provide a new defense of Impure Evidentialism. The combination of evidentialism about normative reasons for belief with pragmatic encroachment (i.e. impurism) about epistemic justification is a familiar and intuitive view. However, many of the combo view’s finer points, unique advantages, and objections have not been addressed. My dissertation fills this gap by offering a new defense and in-depth look of what I take to be the most plausible version of the combo view. My version of Impure Evidentialism offers an improved and comprehensive account of the norms that govern our beliefs, explains why these …

A Comparative Study Of Attitudes Towards Trust In Ai And Ethics In Ai Between Indian International Students And American Students In The Us Universities, Niraj Sitaula

Dissertations - ALL

This dissertation shows that Indian international students studying AI in the US universities have different attitudes towards trust in AI and ethics in AI compared to American students studying AI in the US universities. This dissertation used the survey method and examined 447 survey responses from Indian international students and American students from 97 universities in the US. Trust in AI was analyzed with three constructs of trust: dispositional trust, functionality trust, and institutional trust. Likewise, the attitude towards ethics in AI was examined using three constructs: the importance of ethical principles for AI, attitude towards transparency in AI, and …

Three Essays On Political Economy And International Trade, Shuo Zhang

Dissertations - ALL

This dissertation is composed of three papers that explore how institutions, globalization, and trade shocks affect individuals' political preferences and firms' behavior. The first paper studies how mass protest events drive political change among citizens. I exploit the 2019 Anti-Extradition Law Amendment Bill Movement (ANTI-ELAB protest) in Hong Kong and its impact on the subsequent 2019 Hong Kong District Council Election. Taking advantage of a granular dataset of organized events during the protest, I exploit spatial variation in protest intensity, as measured by the number of events, across Constituency Areas. Empirical results show that in Constituency Areas with higher protest …

Essays On Urban Economic Geography In Developing Countries, Taylor Lathrop

Dissertations - ALL

This dissertation contains two papers on urban economic geography in a developing country context. In the first, I identify and quantify local spillovers between firms of heterogeneous ownership type using a rich dataset of Indonesian manufacturing firms with granular location information. Within local clusters of manufacturing employment, I find an elasticity of domestic firm productivity with respect to the average quality of domestic neighbors of 0.025, and an elasticity of domestic firm productivity with respect to the average quality of foreign neighbors of 0.002. For foreign-owned firms, I find little evidence of productivity spillovers from neighbors of either ownership type. …

Bio-Inspired Visual Intelligence: Improving Efficiency And Robustness Through Foveal-Peripheral Sampling And Learned Saccades, Jiayang Liu

Dissertations - ALL

Deep neural networks have achieved state-of-the-art performance across a wide range of computer vision tasks, yet their deployment in real-world and safety-critical domains remains limited by two major challenges: vulnerability to adversarial perturbations and high computational cost. While adversarial training can improve robustness under certain threat models, it is computationally expensive and often generalizes poorly to black-box or transferable attacks. At the same time, conventional vision pipelines process uniformly sampled high-resolution images, introducing substantial data redundancy, latency, and energy overhead. In contrast, the human visual system achieves efficient and robust perception through space-variant foveal-peripheral sampling, attention-guided saccadic eye movements, and …

Legitimacy And Reputation In Sports Corporate Social Advocacy: The Role Of Communication Strategies, Issue Position, And Fan Identification, Maria Grover

Dissertations - ALL

Corporate social advocacy (CSA) has become increasingly common in professional sport, yet most research has examined individual athlete activism or sport consumer brands rather than leagues and teams. This dissertation examined how two public-relations communication strategies – highlighting a collaborative decision-making approach and creating a strong explanatory link between an organization and an issue – impact perceived CSA legitimacy and organizational reputation, and how audience-level factors such as fan identification and pre-existing issue position condition those evaluations. A 2 × 2 between-subjects experiment with a control group (N = 302) presented U.S. NFL fans with a fictitious league statement advocating …

Older Recent Widows’ Physical Activity Before And After Spouses’ Deaths A Qualitative Investigation Of The Impact Of Duration And Intensity Of Care Work And Social Support, Mary Theresa Pagan

Dissertations - ALL

Abstract This study investigates and expands understanding of how care work, widowhood, social support, and physical activity intersect in the lives of older recent widows. The study addresses three primary research questions examining the duration and intensity of care work, pre- and post-death social support, and factors that influenced widows’ physical activity before and after the death of their spouses. Thirty semi-structured, face-to-face interviews conducted with heterosexual widows aged 60 and older residing in Upstate New York who were widowed within 6–24 months prior to interview. Interviews explored care work experiences, social support, widowhood transitions, and both structured and non-structured …

Wmu Board Of Trustee Board Meeting, Thursday June 25, 2026, Wmu Board Of Trustees

WMU Board of Trustees Meetings

• Acceptance of the Agenda
• Approval of the Minutes (April 16, 2026)
• Remarks by the Chair of the Board
• Remarks by the President
• Updates by the Faculty Senate President
• Updates by the Western Student Association Speaker of the Assembly
• Updates by the Graduate Student Association President
• Western Michigan University Employee Graduates
• Academic Tenure and Promotion
•  Public Comments Regarding Action Items

Action Items

• Academic Tenure and Promotion
• Fall 2026 Differential Tuition Rates
• Fall 2026 Tuition and Required Fee Rates
• 2026-27 General Fund Operating Budget
• Teaching Assistants Union (TAU) Labor Agreement
• Michigan State Employees Association (MSEA) Labor Agreement
• President’s Annual Review/Compensation/Contract
•  Memorandum of …

Agentic Ai-Enabled Physics-Informed Machine Learning Framework For Intelligent Building Modeling, Control, And Automation, Zixin Jiang

Dissertations - ALL

Buildings account for a significant share of global energy consumption, and meeting the 2050 net-zero decarbonization targets requires retrofitting approximately 10,000 buildings per day in the United States alone. However, current human-centered workflows for building modeling, simulation, control, and operation remain too slow and labor-intensive to support deployment at this scale. This dissertation proposes an integrated two-pillar framework consisting of a physics-informed machine learning framework for integrated building modeling, control, and simulation, and a multi-agent agentic AI framework for automating building energy engineering workflows built on top of that foundation. The first pillar introduces a Physics-Informed Modularized Neural Network (PI-ModNN) …

Cerebrovascular And Bleeding Outcomes Of Warfarin Versus Direct Oral Anticoagulants Therapy For Atrial Fibrillation: A Systematic Review And Meta-Analysis Of Randomized Controlled Trials, Abeer A. Alomairi, Rana Alduhaysh, Alaa Samandar, Abeer Alshehri, Ghada Alabdullah, Saud Almutairi, Faisal Althekair

Neurosciences

Objectives: To compare the effects on cerebral health in atrial fibrillation patients receiving either warfarin or direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs). Atrial fibrillation is linked to a higher likelihood of both stroke and cognitive impairment. While warfarin has historically served as the leading anticoagulant treatment, DOACs are now more frequently viewed as alternatives with an improved safety profile.

Methods: The methodology involved an extensive search of multiple databases, completed up to June 2024. This search yielded randomized controlled trials, which together enrolled over 60,000 participants between the ages of 70 and 84. The DOACs studied were dabigatran, rivaroxaban, apixaban, and edoxaban, …

A Systematic Comparative Review Of Antipsychotic Efficacy And Safety In The Treatment Of Hiccups, Omar Alshargi, Samah Alzaid, Zainab Albahouth, Muradi Hassan Albanji, Hala Makki, Rawan. F. Alboqami, Maram Al Shammari, Huda Alruwaili, Fawaz Alruwaili, Rahmah Ali Algarni, Omar Ibrahim Albahouth

Neurosciences

Objective: To evaluate and compare the safety and effectiveness of antipsychotic medications for the treatment of hiccups, thereby guiding clinicians toward evidence-based treatment guidelines. Hiccups are often benign and self-limiting; however, they can become persistent and intractable, adversely affecting the quality of life. Antipsychotics have been identified as a therapeutic option for the management of hiccups; however, the available evidence supporting their safety and efficacy has not been synthesized.

Methods: This review utilized the revised Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. The Cochrane Risk of Bias Assessment Tool was modified to evaluate the quality of the …

Sub-Regional Motor–Somatosensory Connectivity And Lifespan Plasticity In Functional Networks, Adnan A. S. Alahmadi

Neurosciences

Objectives: To determine how cytoarchitectonically defined subdivisions of the primary motor cortex, somatosensory cortex, and supplementary motor area (SMA) reorganize their integration with large-scale brain networks during healthy aging. This study investigated the lifespan trajectories of functional connectivity within cytoarchitectonically defined subregions of the primary motor cortex, somatosensory cortex, and supplementary motor area (SMA).

Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional analysis of resting-state fMRI data from 150 healthy individuals (aged 23–80 years), stratified into young, middle-aged, and older groups. Data were sourced from the Southwest University Adult Lifespan Dataset (SALD) and analyzed between June 2024 and June 2025. Using the Jülich …

The Top 50 Cited Articles In Pediatric Neurology: A Bibliometric Analysis, Anas Alyazidi, Osama Muthaffar, Ahmed Bamaga, Hebah Qashqari, Abdulmalek Alhithlool, Ahmad Alanezi, Sameer Almehmadi, Mohamed Babiker, Fahad Bashiri

Neurosciences

Objectives: To identify and analyze the most influential articles within the field of pediatric neurology through a bibliometric lens. As pediatric neurology continues to expand across subspecialties, identifying landmark studies is critical for understanding clinical and research priorities. Bibliometric analysis enables the evaluation of citation trends to highlight impactful contributions that have shaped the field.

Method: A bibliometric analysis of the 50 most-cited pediatric neurology articles was conducted. Articles were assessed by citation metrics, study design, subspecialty, journal impact factor (JIF), and funding status. Correlation and regression analyses evaluated associations between variables.

Results: Citation counts ranged from 185 to 1,440 …

Prevalence Of Depression Among Patients With Epilepsy In Saudi Arabia: A Nationwide Systematic Review And Meta-Analysis, Mothana Y. Al Jabr, Aryam M. Alenizi, Faisal S. Aleisa, Mazen A. Alghamdi, Noura I. Alfehaid, Muteb M. Alqahtani, Abbas S. Almutair

Neurosciences

Objective: To assess the pooled prevalence of depression among epilepsy patients and find the associated demographics and psychosocial factors. Mood disorders are significant comorbidity between patients diagnosed with epilepsy, adversely influencing quality of life and complicating disease management. However, the incidence, prevalence, and associated risk factors of depression in patients diagnosed with epilepsy in Saudi Arabia are not well elucidated.

Methods: This review was employed used studies retrieved from medical databases and the Saudi Digital Library. Observational and cross-sectional studies assessing depression between patients diagnosed with epilepsy in Saudi Arabia were included. Data were analyzed using the Freeman–Tukey double arcsine …

Wearable Sensor Technology And Biomechanical Gait Analysis In Post-Stroke Rehabilitation: A Review With Implications For The Saudi Healthcare System, Abdullah H. Alzahrani

Neurosciences

Stroke remains a major cause of disability worldwide, with gait impairment affecting up to 80% of survivors and contributing to long-term dependence, fall risk, and reduced quality of life. In Saudi Arabia, stroke incidence is rising, with a significant burden on younger populations and disparities in access to post-stroke rehabilitation services. Conventional gait analysis tools rely on expensive, specialized laboratory equipment, which limits their availability in low-resource and rural settings. Recent advances in wearable sensor technologies, including inertial measurement units, pressure insoles, and electromyography systems, offer portable, scalable, and cost-efficient options for assessing gait in real-world environments. These systems can …

Efficacy And Safety Of Plasma Exchange And Immunoadsorption For Acute Optic Neuritis In Patients With Demyelinating Diseases: A Systematic Review And Meta-Analysis, Mehenaz A Hanbazazh, Mohammed Ridha Algethami, Abdulwahhab Omar Anbarserry, Ruba Mohammed Alghanmi, Lama Nawaf Alanazi, Ahmed Ayed N Alanazi, Bashaier Gubran Alqahtani, Mohammed Abdullah Alamri

Neurosciences

Background: Optic neuritis (ON), a common manifestation of demyelinating disorders such as multiple sclerosis (MS), neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder (NMOSD), and myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein antibody-associated disease (MOGAD), often leads to significant visual impairment. Although high-dose corticosteroids are a first-line therapy, many patients experience incomplete recovery. Apheresis therapies, including plasma exchange (PLEX) and immunoadsorption (IA), are being increasingly used as rescue treatments, but their efficacy and safety are debated.

Methods: We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis of studies evaluating PLEX and IA for acute ON in patients with demyelinating diseases. Four databases were searched up to January 2025. The included …

(R2153) Advanced Numerical Method For One Dimensional Burgers Equation With A Source Term, Yahaya Alassane Mahaman Nouri, Djibo Moustapha, Maman Yarodji Abdoul, Saley Bisso

Applications and Applied Mathematics: An International Journal (AAM)

This paper investigates a numerical strategy for the one-dimensional Burgers equation with a nonzero source term. Such equations arise in simplified models of transport and diffusion processes and are often used to assess the performance of numerical schemes for nonlinear evolution problems. The proposed approach combines a second-order Crank–Nicolson time discretization with a projection-based procedure that separates the nonlinear convective contribution from diffusive effects. Spatial approximation is carried out using a Chebyshev spectral collocation method, which provides high accuracy for smooth solutions with a limited number of degrees of freedom. The resulting fully discretized system is solved through an iterative …

(R2167) Global Stability Of Seirs Model With Single Dose Vaccination In Varying Population, Govind Jha, Prabhat Mandal, Sarita Jha

Applications and Applied Mathematics: An International Journal (AAM)

Understanding the evolution of infectious diseases within a dynamic population is essential for formulating effective public health strategies. This work introduces an enhanced SEIRS epidemic model that incorporates demographic variation and a single-dose vaccination strategy, supporting that immunity can be reduced over time. The model reflects diseases in which individuals may return to the susceptible state after recovery. Extending prior reduced three-dimensional models, this study develops a complete four-dimensional SEIRS framework, thereby increasing the model’s applicability to real-world scenarios. The inclusion of the full system presents greater analytical challenges. To overcome this, we extend the second additive compound matrix and …

(R2175) Application Of Similarity Measures On Bipolar Complex Neutrosophic Matrices In United Nations’ Sdg-17 Using Python, T. Muthuraji, N. Krishnapraveen

Applications and Applied Mathematics: An International Journal (AAM)

The increasing complexity of decision-making environments demands mathematical frameworks capable of modeling bipolar, indeterminate, and phase-dependent uncertainty simultaneously. Bipolar Complex Neutrosophic theory provides such a structure, but the extension of similarity measures to matrix-based environments remains largely unexplored. In this study, we formally develop cosine, Dice, Jaccard, and hybrid vector similarity measures for Bipolar Complex Neutrosophic Matrices (BCNMs). Each matrix element is represented by a Bipolar Complex Neutrosophic Number (BCNN), enabling structured representation of multidimensional uncertainty within a matrix framework. We also design and implement efficient Python-based computational tools to automate similarity evaluation for BCNMs. The proposed algorithms reduce computational …

(R2185) Operations On Bipolar Complex Neutrosophic Matrices And Its Application In Un’S Sdg-14 & Sdg-3 Using Python, N. Krishnapraveen, T. Muthuraji

Applications and Applied Mathematics: An International Journal (AAM)

Decision-making in sustainability oriented environments frequently involves bipolar evaluations, indeterminate information and phase dependent uncertainty that cannot be adequately represented by existing neutrosophic matrix models. To address this limitation, this study introduces a Bipolar Complex Neutrosophic Matrix (BCNM) framework that integrates bipolar semantics with complex valued uncertainty in a coherent algebraic structure. Fundamental operations and structural properties are rigorously established to ensure mathematical consistency. To facilitate practical multi criteria decision analysis (MCDA), novel score, accuracy, and hybrid aggregation operators are developed. The computational feasibility of the proposed approach is analyzed, demonstrating linear complexity with respect to the number of alternatives …

R Code And Supporting Data For "Fast And Slow Water Handling Strategies Explain Pinyon Pine Decline And Juniper Expansion", Andrew Kulmatiski, Muhammad Faraz Rehman

Browse all Datasets

This repository contains the datasets, R scripts, HYDRUS-1D model files, weather data, and supporting materials used for the M.S. thesis, "Fast and Slow Water Handling Strategies Explain Pinyon Pine Decline and Juniper Expansion." The study investigated root water uptake and water-use strategies of pinyon pine (Pinus edulis) and Utah juniper (Juniperus osteosperma) using stable isotope tracer experiments, soil water flow modeling, leaf water potential measurements, stomatal conductance measurements, and environmental data collected across an aridity gradient in southern Utah, USA.

Locate Alternative Media In The Digital News Ecosystem: A Cross-Country Comparative Study Of Alternative-Mainstream Audience Overlap Networks, Qinfeng Zhu, Fan Liang, Gabriel Miao Li

Communication Faculty Articles and Research

This study examines alternative media within the digital news ecosystem in six European countries: Norway, Sweden, Austria, Germany, France, and Spain. Using a network approach and a cross-country comparative design, we analyze audience overlap between alternative and mainstream media, the positions alternative media occupy within these networks, and how media systems and political contexts may shape these dynamics. Our findings show that while overall audience overlap is low, it is higher in countries where far-right populist parties have greater institutionalized access to political discourse. We also identify alternative media enclaves within the Northern-type media system characterized by strong professional journalism—particularly …

Masthead, Cleveland State Law Review

Cleveland State Law Review

No abstract provided.

Behavioral Drafting: Defining A Field Hiding In Plain Sight, Christopher R. Trudeau

Cleveland State Law Review

Fine print is everywhere. It governs how we bank, shop, work, travel, and even receive medical care. Yet most people never read it—and those who try often give up because they are overwhelmed by technical jargon, impenetrable legal clauses, and strategically hidden terms. Still, these documents are not neutral. Every choice of wording, structure, and design quietly shapes behavior: nudging people to click “I agree,” to remain enrolled, or to give up rights they never realized they had.

This Article gives that reality a name—behavioral drafting. Borrowing insights from behavioral science, it shows how legal documents exploit well-documented tendencies to …

Studying Noncitizens: Immigration, The University, And The First Amendment, Peter Margulies

Cleveland State Law Review

From its campaign against anti-war protesters in World War I to the present, the government has tried to restrict the pure political speech of noncitizens, defined as noncitizens’ expression of views about the structure and policies of the U.S. government and governments of foreign nations. Threats to academic freedom are also a hallmark of government action in this domain. Taking a page from this book, the Trump administration has targeted noncitizen students who participated in campus protests against Israel’s military actions in Gaza after Hamas’s brutal attacks on October 7, 2023.

The Trump administration’s effort has viewpoint discrimination at its …

A Bone To Pick: Back To The Basics In Food Product Liability With A Necessary Reformation Of The "Hybrid" Negligence Standard, Clay Cutteridge

Cleveland State Law Review

Ohio does not use the traditional negligence standard in determining negligence in food product liability cases. Instead, Ohio uses what is called the hybrid test. The hybrid test analyzes what a consumer would reasonably expect to find in their food, and Ohio courts consider the naturalness of an object to the food it is in to be the determinative factor: natural objects should be reasonably expected and cannot give rise to successful claims of negligence. This hybrid test fails to consider that food is complex, and consumers often cannot know what to reasonably expect in the food they buy. The …