Digital Commons Network^™

Accounts Of Student Financial Aid Counselors: Identifying And Reducing Obstacles In Their Counseling Roles And Responsibilities, Andrew Joshua Marx

Graduate Doctoral Dissertations

In the financial aid office, student financial aid counselor positions are held by professionals often new to the field of financial aid. Their work supports students’ access to financial aid through routine updates to students’ accounts, counseling students on navigating the financial aid process, and guiding students on petitions for exceptions. Their ability to resolve the financial aid concerns of students may be constrained by obstacles that result from financial aid policy, challenging work conditions, or resource limitations. Their attitudes, behaviors, and conduct not only shape how financial aid policy is implemented but, crucially, place it in the context of …

The Marginalizing Effect Of Special Education: Investigating The Overrepresentation Of Black Males Identified With Emotional Impairment In A Separate School In An Urban Setting, Cindie Neilson

Graduate Doctoral Dissertations

The American public education system relies heavily on normed and standardized mechanisms to define competence, behavior, and academic success. By design, such systems cannot accommodate the full range of human variation and instead reproduce expectations rooted in dominant culture norms. When embedded within a racially stratified educational system, Special Education, while intended to provide access and opportunity for students with disabilities, can function as a mechanism through which inequality is reproduced. This qualitative study examined the persistent overrepresentation of Black males identified with Emotional Impairment in highly restrictive separate day school settings. The research was conducted in a public separate …

Talk To Me: Exploring The Sociocultural Ecology Of Home Language And Literacy Practices Of Families In India, Surbhi Puri

Graduate Doctoral Dissertations

Existing research highlights the role of home language and literacy environments (HLLE) in shaping early language and literacy development, yet few studies have examined the practices of multilingual families in India. While home environments offer rich learning opportunities, broader sociocultural and policy contexts influence how families support literacy and language development. Families’ insights into home language use, literacy routines, and cultural practices remain underexplored in early childhood education research.

The purpose of this qualitative multiple case study was to explore the HLLE of preschool-aged children in India and examine how families support early language and literacy development within multilingual home …

Transformative Teaching And Learning - Practicing Emancipation Through Co-Construction And Dialogue In Workplace Learning, Lisa Roe

Graduate Doctoral Dissertations

ABSTRACT

TRANSFORMATIVE TEACHING AND LEARNING: PRACTICING EMANCIPATIONTHROUGH CO-CONSTRUCTION, AND DIALOGUE IN WORKPLACE TEACHING ANDLEARNING

June 2026

Lisa A. Roe, B.A., University of Maine

M.Ed., Suffolk University

Ph.D. University of Massachusetts Boston

Directed by Professor Patricia Krueger-Henney

This dissertation investigates how emancipatory and creative practices can transform vocational high school classrooms into spaces of shared power, dialogue, and mastery-based learning. Using an autoethnographic methodology, I examined my practice as a vocational educator in information technology over the course of an academic year.

Grounded in Wheatley’s fractal organization theory, Kincheloe’s critical constructivism, Lave and Wenger’s situated learning, and dialogic pedagogy, …

Negotiating Complementary Pathways In Europe: Faith-Based Actors And Humanitarian Corridors In Italy And Belgium, 2015-2017, David J. Sulewski

Graduate Doctoral Dissertations

For decades, migration has ranked among the most pressing issues in European domestic and regional politics as the number of forcibly displaced persons seeking protection continues to rise. Complementary Pathways, developed as an alternative to the retrenchment of state-led refugee resettlement and restricted access to asylum, have gained increasing prominence in policy discourse and practice. Existing scholarship often explains their emergence through transnational policy transfer or government-led initiatives. Less attention, however, has been given to cases in which civil society actors initiate and negotiate such policies with the state. This dissertation examines the development of one such model—Humanitarian Corridors—focusing on …

Computer-Aided Development Of Novel Antioxidants, Rita Bernadett Vlocsko

Graduate Doctoral Dissertations

Physiological redox homeostasis is a fine balance between prooxidants and antioxidants that are integrated elements of several reduction-oxidation mechanisms at molecular, organellar, cellular and tissue levels. When this equilibrium is disrupted and prooxidants become dominant, the body relies on endogenous and exogenous antioxidants to counterbalance the dysregulation and ultimately prevent the progression of oxidative stress. Reactive species (reactive oxygen species, reactive nitrogen species, or reactive sulfur species) are significant contributors to prooxidant activity. Over the years, substantial knowledge has been accumulated regarding their origin and roles in disease development, leading to the discovery and development of antioxidants that effectively target …

Whose Knowledge Is Sustained?: Dominican Students’ Cultural And Linguistic Experiences Navigating White, Female, And Monolingual Pedagogical Spaces, Carminia Lissette Castillo

Graduate Doctoral Dissertations

This qualitative study examined how Dominican newcomer youth experience schooling in U.S. secondary schools, with emphasis on language, curriculum, identity, belonging, and students’ visions for more humanizing educational environments. Grounded in student testimonios, the study explored how school structures, pedagogical practices, and teacher–student relationships shape students’ academic engagement, emotional well-being, and sense of recognition as they navigate migration, language transition, and racialized identity formation. Informed by raciolinguistic, culturally sustaining, and critical interpretive frameworks, this study centered Dominican students’ voices as sources of knowledge about schooling, exclusion, and possibility. The findings comprise three central themes. First, students described raciolinguistic schooling …

Pernicious Anemia Presenting As Pseudothrombotic Microangiopathy: A Case Report, Sai Sushrutha M Vemula, Shreeya Adhikari, Shreya Motkur, Alfarooq Alshaikhli, Borys Hrinczenko

School of Medicine Publications

Thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura (TTP) is a rare, life-threatening thrombotic microangiopathy (TMA) characterized by microangiopathic hemolytic anemia, thrombocytopenia, and end-organ dysfunction, with high untreated mortality that can be effectively reduced with timely plasma exchange (PLEX) and immunosuppressive therapy. However, several conditions can produce a clinically similar pseudo-TMA picture, among which severe vitamin B12 deficiency is an underrecognized and potentially treatable mimic that occurs due to ineffective intramedullary erythropoiesis, megaloblastic fragmentation of structurally abnormal erythrocytes, and pancytopenia in the absence of true endothelial injury or ADAMTS13 deficiency. We present a 74-year-old female patient who presented with altered mental status, bradycardia, and severe …

Xanthogranulomatous Osteomyelitis As A Bone Tumor Mimic: A Systematic Review Of Pre-Biopsy Diagnostic Clues And Management Decision Points, Ethan J. Sack, Max Deneroff, Austin Khau, Zubair Mohammed, Chadi Ellaham, Jared Nichols

Student Publications

Xanthogranulomatous osteomyelitis (XO) is a rare inflammatory form of osteomyelitis that can closely resemble a primary bone tumor or metastatic lesion at presentation. This systematic review was conducted in accordance with Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines and focused on pre-biopsy diagnostic clues and management decision points in published skeletal XO reports. PubMed, Embase, and Scopus were searched from January 2026 to May 2026, identifying 86 records. Eligible studies included human case reports and case series describing histologically confirmed skeletal XO or xanthogranulomatous inflammation involving bone; non-skeletal xanthogranulomatous disease, duplicate reports, review articles without extractable patient-level …

Immunoglobulin A (Iga)-Mediated Vasculitis As A Paraneoplastic Clue In Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia: A Case Report, Sai Sushrutha Mudupula Vemula, Soumith Sanka, Dheeraj Peddinti, Ujwala Koduru, Richa Tikaria

Student Publications

Immunoglobulin A (IgA)-mediated vasculitis is a small-vessel vasculitis defined by IgA-dominant immune complex deposition. Although common in children, adult-onset cases are rare and may signal underlying malignancies. In this case report, we present a 60-year-old male with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) under observation for his painful purpura and non-healing leg ulcers, with a biopsy confirming IgA vasculitis. His course was further complicated by steroid-induced diabetes, poor wound healing, recurrent infections, and fatal respiratory failure. He remained steroid-dependent with recurrent ulcer flares on tapering and infections, including pneumonia and varicella-zoster. Flow cytometry revealed persistent clonal B-cell populations with stable lymphocyte counts, …

Drilling Fluid Enhancement Via Addition Of Sustainably Synthesized Nanoparticles, Hasan A. Abbood, Sarmad Al-Anssari

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

The addition of nanoparticles to the drilling fluids for geological projects is a promising application for enhancing the stability, rheological properties, and overall performance of the mud. This study aims to thoroughly analyze and compare the effects of silica and alumina nanoparticles on the properties and effectiveness of polymer drilling mud. Silica and alpha-alumina nanoparticles were synthesized using the sol-gel process and characterized through several techniques, including X-ray diffraction, Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, field-emission scanning electron microscopy, and atomic force microscopy. The effects of silica and alumina nanoparticles on various properties of drilling mud were then measured using a permeable plugging …

Developing The Evidence And Associated Service Models To Improve Pain Management In Older People Living With Frailty: A Synopsis Of The Poppy Mixed Method, Co-Design Study: Poppy, Patricia Schofield

School of Nursing and Midwifery

Background: Frailty increases vulnerability to adverse events (falls, illness) resulting in poorer health outcomes in later life. Persistent pain is common and impactful in older adults with frailty. Pain impact is potentially modifiable, and addressing it is important for supporting this population. The Pain in Older People with Frailty study aimed to generate evidence and develop service models to improve pain management for older adults with frailty and inform service provision for this underserved population. Objective(s): Phase 1: Map research evidence and synthesise findings from randomised controlled trials of multi-component pain management programmes and psychological therapies for community-dwelling older adults. …

Enhancing Physiological Complexity Through Mindfulness: A Wearable-Based Intervention For First Responders And Their Partners, Thurmon Lockhart, Rahul Soangra, Christopher W. Frames, Sun-Kyung Lee, Amberlee Martin, Susanne Lee, Abigail H. Gewirtz

Physical Therapy Faculty Articles and Research

Background/Objectives: First responders frequently encounter high-stress environments that challenge physiological resilience and autonomic regulation. Heart rate variability (HRV) complexity is a critical marker of adaptive capacity and stress regulation. This study assessed the impact of a wearable-based mindfulness intervention on HRV complexity among first responders using a smartwatch. Methods: A total of 87 first responders participated in a one-month wearable-based intervention. Participants wore Garmin Vivosmart 5 devices to continuously collect PPG data (photoplethysmogram), focusing on beat-to-beat intervals (BBIs). The intervention involved daily Ecological Momentary Assessments (EMAs) and individual randomization to either a mindfulness message, a prompt to access an audio …

Rethinking Flow: The Paradox Of Renoprotection Without Increased Renal Blood Flow In Cardiopulmonary Bypass, Shiksha Mohan, Ronald A Shaju, Sharan Misra, Titiksha Sharma, Veeraj K Sirivolu, Abhinav Rajkumar, Anthony Rodas-Camacho, Aizah Zaidi, Dhruv Dhingra, Ilma Khan, Rishav Bhattacharya, Vishal Pancholy, Shivam Banerjee, Shreyo Ghosh, Shiyi Li, Kenneth K Liao, Carl P Walther, Nandan K Mondal

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

No abstract provided.

Perinatal Mental Health Screening And Care Among Those With Pregnancy Complications, Alison N Goulding, Terri L Fletcher, Emily S Miller

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Perinatal mental health conditions are common and, without effective treatment, can contribute to adverse maternal and child outcomes. In the United States, mental health conditions are a leading cause of maternal morbidity and mortality, contributing to over 20% of pregnancy-related deaths. This expert review aims to assess current literature and provide recommendations regarding mental health care in high-risk patients who experience pregnancy complications. Individuals experiencing pregnancy complications are at increased risk for perinatal mental health conditions, including depression, anxiety, and post-traumatic stress disorder, as compared to those with uncomplicated pregnancies. Despite this increased disease burden, there is limited research on …

Ai-Based Simulated Patient Encounters For Clinical Reasoning: A Needs Assessment, Alex Sorrick, David Liebovitz, Sarah Vick, Andrew S. Parsons, Brian W. Locke, Jonathan Herskovitz, Cory Rohlfsen

Graduate Medical Education Research Journal

Background. Artificial Intelligence (AI) offers an opportunity to enhance formative assessment of clinical reasoning skills. Traditionally, these skills have been assessed through workplace-based assessment or simulated patient encounters, both of which are limited by variability in case exposure, faculty resources, scheduling logistics, and cost. AI-based simulated patient encounters provide a scalable solution for convenient, low-stakes practice. At the University of Nebraska Medical Center (UNMC), we piloted an AI-based simulated patient case and conducted a needs assessment to explore current practices and user experiences.

Methods. From June to August 2025, participants trialed an AI-based simulated patient case and received feedback on …

Artificial Intelligence In Healthcare: Ethical Frameworks, Challenges, And Global Approaches To Responsible Implementation: A Perspective, Vikas Vaibhav, Arwinder Singh, Yashpal S, Raviprakash Meshram, Varun Chandran A, Kshitiza Sharma

Graduate Medical Education Research Journal

Major advancements in domains like diagnosis and personalised treatment will be seen because of the rapid growth of artificial intelligence (AI) in healthcare. But this shift additionally presents significant ethical concerns that need to be carefully considered at every stage of AI's research, use, and impact on society in medical settings.

This review summarises the findings of multiple systematic and scoping reviews, as well as studies of specific AI applications published between 2013 and 2025. Additionally, it examines ethical norms from different countries and international organisations objectively. Consistent ethical challenges identified include the "black box" problem (lack of transparency and …

Knowledge And Perception Of Patients Regarding A Postpartum Standardized Hypertensive Disorder Educational Program, Arin Everett, Niranjana Balu, Santiago Ortiz Barragan, Marly Azzi, Sanela Potchileev, Courtney Bisson, Ariel Mueller, Lea Runesha, Sajid Shahul, Sarosh Rana

Graduate Medical Education Research Journal

Background. Hypertensive disorders of pregnancy (HDP) are a major contributor to rising maternal mortality in the United States. The postpartum period represents a critical window to provide education aimed at reducing the risks of complications. This study evaluates the patients’ understanding of HDP and their retention of key education concepts during the first six weeks postpartum after participation in a structured quality improvement program.

Methods. Prospective cohort study of patients diagnosed with HDP were enrolled in the remote blood pressure monitoring program (RPM) and delivered between June 2023 and January 2024. Baseline surveys were administered prior to discharge and repeated …

A Literature Review Of Burnout And Associated Tools In Residency Programs, Foluso Obisanya, Fatima Mncube-Barnes, Kudiratu A. Proctor, Charles A. Mcdaniel, Donna M. Alexander, Tyrece D. Hunter

Graduate Medical Education Research Journal

Background. Burnout poses considerable challenges in workplaces, particularly for resident physicians. This intricate phenomenon stems from a myriad of factors that include, but are not limited to, staff shortages, excessive workloads, specific job responsibilities, work environments, and individual psychological factors. The Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education encourages institutions to incorporate wellness as a fundamental component of residency training programs.

Methods. The aim of this review was to investigate burnout among resident physicians via a comprehensive literature review to elucidate this significant issue and identify potential preventative intervention strategies. We analyzed the issue of burnout across various residency specialties, providing …

Recent Progress In Aircraft Structural Health Monitoring: Sensors, Data And Intelligence, Abeer Kadhum Abd, Qasim Abbas Atiyah, Imad Abdulhussein Abdulsahib

Engineering and Technology Journal

Structural Health Monitoring (SHM) systems are essential technologies that contribute to enhancing the safety, reliability, and efficiency of aircraft structures throughout their operational lifespan. With the increasing use of lightweight materials and complex structural designs, coupled with longer maintenance intervals, traditional scheduled inspection methods have become insufficient, leading to a shift towards continuous, sensor-based monitoring systems. This research aims to provide a systematic and comprehensive review of the latest developments in aircraft structural health monitoring, focusing on sensing technologies, data collection methods, and intelligent processing techniques based on artificial intelligence. This study is based on a systematic analysis of the …

Towards Sustainable Agentic Artificial Intelligence In Medical Diagnosis For Autonomous Heart Disease Prediction, Thura J. Mohammed, Dhiaa M. Abed

AUIQ Humanities and Social Sciences

Diagnosis of heart disease is a procedure that requires fast, accurate predictions and conventional fixed machine learning (ML) pipelines may not fully accommodate. Although models, such as Logistic Regression and Naïve Bayes are effective on structured clinical data however they do not have self-assessment or adaptive reasoning mechanisms. In this work, we present an agentic AI framework that turns the classical models into self-evaluating diagnostic agents managed by a performance conscious supervisory component. We trained and tested the system on the UCI Heart disease dataset over three different splits (70:30, 80:20, 85:15) to test its diagnostic stability with respect to …

Civil Liability Arising From Damages Resulting From The Use Of Artificial Intelligence In The Profession Of Robotic Medicine, Hisham Jadallah Mansour Shakaterh, Dr. Ahmed Bin Saleh Bin Nasser Al-Barwani

AUIQ Humanities and Social Sciences

Civil liability for damages arising from the use of artificial intelligence in the practice of robotic medicine is considered a modern topic of significant importance across various countries worldwide, particularly in the United Arab Emirates, which is well known for its progress in all sectors, especially the healthcare sector. The adoption of artificial intelligence in this field aims to employ advanced technologies to enhance the quality of medical services and provide sophisticated healthcare to the community. The importance of this study lies in highlighting the role of artificial intelligence in the practice of robotic medicine, with a focus on the …

National Report Of United States (2025), Christine Speidel

Research Reports & White Papers

The Observatory on the Protection of Taxpayers’ Rights (OPTR) identifies principles, minimum standards and best practices for the effective protection of taxpayers’ rights. It allows for the permanent monitoring of global compliance with such minimum standards and their amendment and development in different regions of the world.

Software Engineering: Ai-Enhanced Full Stack Development, Huixin Wu, Haiying Xiao

Open Educational Resources

This course provides instruction in full‑stack web application development using modern JavaScript technologies. Students design, implement, and deploy web‑based solutions while applying AI‑assisted development tools in an ethical and effective manner. The curriculum emphasizes problem‑solving, system design, teamwork, and industry‑standard best practices, with dedicated focus on cloud‑native development—including containerization, distributed services, and modern deployment pipelines—as well as API‑first architecture, enabling students to build scalable, maintainable, and interoperable applications aligned with current industry expectations.

Increasing Access To Medications For Opioid Use Disorder For All Justice-Associated Populations, Edgar Rodriguez

Doctor of Nursing Practice Final Manuscripts

The purpose of this paper is to support a federal mandate requiring universal access to medication of opioid use disorder for all the justice-involved populations. The policy proposal aims to standardize evidence-based treatment across correctional systems, improve treatment initiation during incarceration, strengthen continuity of care after release, reduce overdose mortality, and address disparities in access for racial and economic groups and rural communities. This policy paper calls for the increase of access to medications of opioid use disorder across the United States for all justice-involved population. The opioid crisis has created a public health problem in the United States by …

Making Kinship With Plants And The Multiple Meanings Of Care In Amazonian Indigenous Gardens, Ana Gabriela Morim De Lima

Tipití: Journal of the Society for the Anthropology of Lowland South America

This paper focuses on the bonds of kinship and care between humans, cultivated plants, and other-than-human beings in Indigenous gardens, myths, rituals, and shamanism, across Lowland South America. Drawing on Krahô ethnography and a review of ethnological literature, it highlights the contributions of Americanist ethnology to wider debates about multispecies relation, particularly with regard to vegetal agency. By exploring the ambivalent meanings of care- such as “caring,” “raising,” and “nurturing,” as well as “being careful,” “having respect,” and “taking precautions”- I examine how kinship relations between humans and their cultivated plants are made through care and unmade through its absence …

The Importance Of Socialization: Family, School, Peer, And Media Influence On White Identity Development, Miandria Erickson

Honors Projects

This study aims to explore the different aspects of socialization that can impact one’s White racial identity development, in order to analyze why White individuals struggle to describe their racial identity. Acknowledging an individual’s White identity is an imperative aspect to understanding diversity and race, and yet, White individuals will often have difficulty recognizing and explaining their racial identity. This qualitative study used data collected from semi-structured interviews of 60 young White college participants (ages 18-25) in two different geographical locations, the Northwest and Southeast of the U.S.^[1] Several themes were extracted from these interviews, among them were family, …

Mri-Based Deep Learning Radiomics Model For Automated Classification Of Disc Degeneration In The Lumbar Spine, Shiv Patil, Om Gandhi, Mert Karabacak, Matthew Carr, Konstantinos Margetis

Student Papers, Posters & Projects

Disc degeneration in the lumbar spine is a major cause of low back pain (LBP). The accurate grading of disc degeneration on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is critical for clinical management and patient selection for spine surgery. This study aims to develop and evaluate machine learning (ML) models that combine features from deep learning (DL) and radiomics for the automated prediction of Pfirrmann grade (PG), a measure of disc degeneration, using multi-parametric lumbar spine MRI. Sagittal T1, T2, and T2 SPACE MRIs of 218 patients with LBP were acquired from the SPIDER dataset. For each intervertebral disc and available sequence, …

Alumna Supports Ole Miss Faculty And Graduate Students, Bill Dabney

University of Mississippi News

OXFORD, Miss. – Frances Permenter Smith, a longtime public service professional from Oxford, has included the University of Mississippi in her estate plans with a major gift that will benefit graduate students and faculty in the College of Liberal Arts.

On The Brink Of Silence: Ethnographic Perspectives On Hunting And Forest Life Among The Awa Guajá In Eastern Amazonia, Uirá Garcia

Tipití: Journal of the Society for the Anthropology of Lowland South America

The central theme of this article basically resides in the relationship established by indigenous peoples between their hunting practices and the forest. Indigenous ways of connecting ‘hunting’ and ‘forest’ necessarily pass through other modes of knowing, only marginally – if it all – dependent on vision. On the contrary, sounds, smells and even dreams are, for many South American indigenous collectives, more trustworthy indices than what the eye sees. This article divides into two parts. In the first, I set out the main ideas related to the anthropological study of hunting in Amazonia at a conceptual level. In the second, …