Digital Commons Network^™

First-Generation Doctoral Student Book, Stacey Horn

Doctoral Student Association Conference

Thriving as a First-Generation Doctoral Student: How to Navigate Academia Without a Map is a useful, encouraging, and strategic guide for students who are the first in their families to go to college and want to get a PhD. This book talks about the problems that first-generation doctoral students often face but don't always see, like imposter syndrome, the hidden curriculum of academia, financial stress, mental health issues, and not having enough access to mentors and professional networks. It does so from the point of view of someone who has lived through them and as a scholar-practitioner.

Instead of seeing …

Lightning Talk: Ai Adoption In The Workplace (Utaut Model), Arnetta Knight

Doctoral Student Association Conference

Lightning Talks (Short Presentation with Discussion)

• AI adoption in the workplace (UTAUT model) – Track 1
  Arnetta Knight

Critical Friends Groups (Organizational Intervention Angle), Valerie A. Storey, Amiee Wagner

Doctoral Student Association Conference

Online doctoral programs face a persistent crisis with completion rates of only 40-60%, and alarming attrition rates 10-30% higher than traditional programs. While research identifies social and academic isolation as primary factors, few studies examine actionable interventions that higher education institutions can implement to reverse the trend. This sequential mixed-methods study bridges the gap between knowing the problem and implementing a solution.

Our study investigates how a Doctoral Student Association (DSA) employs Critical Friends (CF) protocols to address the challenges faced by online doctoral students. Drawing on Tinto’s model of institutional departure and Astin’s student involvement theory, we examine both …

Librarian–Teacher Collaboration Study, Beth Kiernan Ferrigno

Doctoral Student Association Conference

Educational organizations in a suburban-rural county in the New York metropolitan region struggle to support systematic librarian-teacher collaboration despite evidence of its benefits for student learning. This proposed phenomenological study will examine the lived experiences of certified public school librarians regarding collaboration and the organizational conditions that enable or constrain collaborative practice.

All certified public school librarians (estimated N=200-250) across the county will receive an invitation to participate in the study. Phenomenological interviews with 15-20 certified school librarians will explore their lived experiences of organizational conditions, organizational learning systems, and the meanings they attribute to collaboration.

The study will integrate …

Mexican Gray Wolf Reintroduction: Community Impact & Policy Tension, Jennifer Boer Vis

Doctoral Student Association Conference

The reintroduction of the Mexican gray wolf under the Endangered Species Act (ESA) falls between a highly contested crossroads. Tensions in Catron County are felt in local ranches, hunting camps/communities, and rural living. In Catron County, ranching and hunting are the backbone of the economy. The reintroduction has proven to be a highly controversial topic among the communities, with most against the ESA.

Using a mixed-method approach to my research, this study unifies gathered data from government entities and oversight reports, and academically published articles. The qualitative evidence gathered during in-depth interviews with local Catron County ranchers and hunting guides …

Mainehealth Investigator Vignettes

Journal of Maine Medical Center

No abstract provided.

Reimagining Graphical Representation: A Case Comment On The Registration Of India’S First Scent Trademark, Siddhant Shinde

Indian Journal of Law and Technology

This case comment analyses the Trade Marks Registry’s decision of permitting the registration of India’s first scent trademark, filed by Sumitomo Rubber Industries Ltd. for a “smell reminiscent of roses as applied to tyres”. This decision raises a key question concerning the graphical representation requirement under the Trade Marks Act, 1999. While the Registry accepted a seven-dimensional scientific vector model of the scent as sufficient graphical representation, the Order offers little engagement with the legal reasoning required to support such a departure from conventional understandings of graphical representation. Thus, this case comment attempts to doctrinally justify such an interpretive expansion …

Retraction Notice: Reliability-Based Design Optimization Using Differential-Algebraic Equations, Iraqi Journal For Computer Science And Mathematics

Iraqi Journal for Computer Science and Mathematics

NOTICE OF RETRACTION FOR: Abed, Saad Abbas; Ghassan, Mona; Latef, Shaimaa Qais; and Hassan, Hind S. (2025) ``Reliability-Based Design Optimization Using Differential-Algebraic Equations,'' Iraqi Journal for Computer Science and Mathematics: vol. 6, Iss. 3, Article 8. DOI: https://doi.org/10.52866/2788-7421.1280.
Available at: https://ijcsm.researchcommons.org/ijcsm/vol6/iss3/8.

Waste-To-Energy Innovations And Advances In Hydrothermal Carbonization, Microwave, And Pyrolysis Processes: A Review, Ali Mohammed Saleh, Noah Mohammed Saleh, Mahmod A. Abdulqader, Hadi Hamdi Mahdi, Jafar Keighobadi, Omar K. Ahmed, Khalil Farhan Yassin, Azil Bahari Bin Alias, Omar Abed Habeeb, Ibrahim Awad Mohammed

AUIQ Complementary Biological System

The accelerating global generation of municipal solid waste, coupled with escalating energy demands, presents one of the most pressing sustainability challenges of the 21st century. Conventional waste disposal pathways, such as landfilling and incineration, exacerbate environmental degradation and resource loss. In response, thermochemical technologies—specifically hydrothermal carbonization (HTC), microwave-assisted processing, and pyrolysis—have emerged as promising strategies for waste valorization and renewable energy recovery. This review critically examines recent advancements in these technologies, emphasizing their roles in converting diverse waste streams into high-value energy carriers and carbon-rich materials. Comparative analysis reveals that HTC operates efficiently under subcritical water conditions, producing hydrochar with …

Role Of Continuous Positive Airway Pressure In The Prevention Of Cardiovascular Events In Patients With Obstructive Sleep Apnea: A Systematic Review And Meta-Analysis Of Randomized Clinical Trials, Saif Almuzainy, Mohamed Lemine, Rayan Aljubeh, Ahmad Alilo, Maryam Altaher, Mohamed Almuzainy, Sami Alsalem, Mohamed Dawdi

Journal of the Saudi Heart Association

Background: Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is prevalent among patients with cardiovascular disease and is associated with increased risk of major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE). Continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) is the standard treatment for OSA, but its impact on cardiovascular outcomes remains uncertain, particularly in randomized controlled trials (RCTs).

Objectives: To evaluate the effect of CPAP therapy on cardiovascular outcomes in patients with OSA, and to explore the influence of adherence on treatment efficacy.

Methods: We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis of RCTs comparing CPAP with placebo or usual care in adults with OSA. Databases including PubMed, Scopus, Ovid, …

Unh Students And Faculty Walk Out In Protest Of Campus Carry Bill, Rebecca Colby

Digital Edition

No abstract provided.

Modeling The Impact Of Shade Pavilions On Wet Bulb Globe Temperature And Activity Modification In Outdoor Sports Across Diverse U.S. Climates, Andrew Grundstein, Susan W. Yeargin Ph.D., Atc, Lat, Earl Cooper, Lilly Cargile

Faculty Publications

Extreme heat is an ongoing hazard for outdoor sports. In response, schools, recreation departments, and fitness clubs are increasingly installing shade pavilions over venues like football fields and tennis courts. While shading is known to improve thermal comfort and reduce heat stress, its effects on wet bulb globe temperature (WBGT) and related activity modification guidelines in sports remain underexplored. This study uses a modeling approach to quantify the impact of shade pavilions on WBGT and activity modification across a range of U.S. climates.

WBGT values were calculated using a model based on historical data from 221 weather stations, each with …

Paul’S Porneia: A Lexical Study Of Sexual Ethics And Communal Boundaries In The Pauline Corpus, Robert G. Flores

Undergraduate Honors Theses

This thesis thoroughly examines the Apostle Paul’s use of the Greek term πορνεία within the Pauline corpus to challenge the normative translation of sexual immorality and the accompanying assumptions connected to this broad phrase. Modern scholarship continually isolates individual occurrences of πορνεία leading to inconsistent and reductionistic interpretations. Rather, through sustained philological analysis of πορνεία and its cognates, this thesis aims to situate Paul’s πορνεία within its contemporary cultural, historical, and lexical milieu with the objective of making Paul’s πορνεία distinct. With this background, it is posited that πορνεία functions as a communal boundary marker used to differentiate between the …

Teaching Through Latin American And Spanish Dance: Strategies For Every Subject, Norma Luján-Quiñones

LAII Events

This workshop will explore the benefits of dance for social and emotional growth, its connection to language and literacy, and practical strategies for classroom implementation. The main theme is integrating dances from Latin America and Spain into general education, connecting movement to any subject area.

Norma Luján-Quiñones is a devoted wife and mother of four daughters. She graduated from the University of New Mexico with a bachelor’s degree in elementary education. For fifteen years, she taught first grade dual language at Dolores Gonzales Elementary School where she currently still teaches. In 2018, she earned her master’s degree in theatre and …

The Sentience Of The Horse And The Philosophy Of Natural Horsemanship: Implications For Hrd Leadership, Rob E. Carpenter

Human Resource Development Faculty Publications and Presentations

This paper advances a biologically grounded philosophy of leadership through the lens of Natural Horsemanship. It reframes leadership as an embodied, sentient process rather than a purely cognitive or behavioral construct. Drawing from neuroscience, affective biology, sociology, and human resource development (HRD), it proposes that the horse–human relationship provides a living model for relational intelligence. The horse’s exquisite attunement to human emotion—mediated through limbic regulation and bio-behavioral synchrony—reveals that influence arises not from authority but from coherence. Leadership, like horsemanship, is a reciprocal act of co-regulation in which trust, safety, and communication are revealed through physiology before language. By examining …

Examining Factors Associated With Higher Percentages Of Women In Executive Leadership Positions In College Sport, Kelly Jean Brock

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The underrepresentation of women in executive leadership roles within intercollegiate athletics remains a persistent issue despite decades of progress in gender equity following the passage of Title IX. The purpose of this study was to examine the institutional and organizational factors associated with higher percentages of women in executive leadership positions within NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) athletic departments. Specifically, this research investigated whether institutional characteristics, such as athletic department budget size, the gender of the athletic director, the gender of the university president or chancellor, and institutional commitments to diversity, equity, and inclusion were associated with the …

An Empirical Study On The Self-Compassion Among College Students In Sabah, Malaysia, Fung Lan Yong, Loreta Ling Ling Uie

Jesselton Journal of Educators and Scholars

The purpose of this study was to examine the self-compassion among 51 college students in Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, Malaysia.  Data were collected by administering the Self-Compassion Scale by Kristin D. Neff (2003), and subsequently analyzed using SPSS 26.0.  Wilcoxon signed rank test showed that four items were significant at p < 0.001, while another eight items were significant at p < 0.05 based on a hypothesized value of 3.5. Overall percentages indicated that college students tend to have a low-average level of self-compassion.  Lastly, some recommendations on ways to increase their self-compassion were made in light of the findings.

The Role Of Pet-Parenting Attitudes In Shaping Consumer Behavior Toward Preventive And Wellness-Oriented Pet Care, Jin Hua Jian, Chee Vui Wong, Jiangwei Yang

Jesselton Journal of Educators and Scholars

The increasing tendency to view pets as family members has transformed consumer behaviour in contemporary pet care markets, particularly in relation to preventive and wellness-oriented consumption. This study examines how pet-parenting attitudes shape consumer decision-making and expenditure on preventive pet care in an emerging urban context. Grounded primarily in Consumer Culture Theory, with the Theory of Planned Behavior as a supporting lens, the study adopts a quantitative approach using survey data collected from 400 urban pet-owning households. The findings indicate that pet-parenting attitudes exert a significant positive influence on preventive and wellness-oriented pet care expenditure. This influence operates both directly …

Determining The Optimal Management Of Geriatric Type Ii Odontoid Fractures: A Comparative Network Meta-Analysis, Shaan Patel, Shiva A. Nischal, Kush M. Kale, Stavros Matsoukas, Joshua Heller, Jack Jallo, James S. Harrop, Srinivas K. Prasad

Department of Neurosurgery Faculty Papers

UNLABELLED: Type II odontoid fractures are the most common cervical injury in geriatric populations, yet optimal management remains debated. This study compared the safety and effectiveness of non-surgical management (NSM), anterior dens screw (ADS) fixation, and posterior arthrodesis (PA) in these patients. A systematic review and frequentist network meta-analysis was conducted according to PRISMA-NMA guidelines. PubMed/MEDLINE, Embase, and CENTRAL were searched from inception to October 2025. Comparative studies including patients ≥ 60 years with Anderson-D’Alonzo type II fractures and reporting at least one primary outcome (mortality, union, stable non-union, unstable non-union) were eligible. Random-effects network models generated pooled odds ratios …

Flisser, Miriam, Philip Chan

Bronx Jewish History Project

Miriam Flisser was born in Europe right after World War II to Jewish partisan parents. They fled danger and arrived in New York as refugees, settling in the Bronx. She grew up in safe, lively neighborhoods like Mott Haven and Pelham Parkway, speaking Yiddish at home until she learned English from kids on the street. Her dad was a skilled kosher butcher who later bought apartment buildings; the family kept a warm, traditional Jewish home.

Miriam excelled in Bronx schools, went to Bronx Science, then NYU’s Bronx campus and Albert Einstein Medical School (graduating a year early). She became a …

Fastpca: An R Package For Fast Singular Value Decomposition., Kimberly R. Ward, Mitchell Hayes, Lauren C. Peres, Brooke L. Fridley, Steven Eschrich, Alex C. Soupir

Manuscripts, Articles, Book Chapters and Other Papers

The FastPCA package provides an interface to optimized matrix multiplication libraries (libtorch) for the purpose of singular value decomposition. Using FastPCA to perform randomized singular value decomposition (SVD, (Halko, Martinsson, & Tropp, 2011)) with the torch or pytorch backend drastically reduces the computational time compared to base R prcomp and other truncated singular value decomposition. Developed for biological data such as single-cell RNA-sequencing, spatial transcriptomics, or matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization (MALDI imaging), FastPCA can efficiently and accurately identify the leading singular values in high-dimensional data.

Kinetic Human Movement Ontology: A Semantic Terminology Model To Symbolically Represent Physiological Movement, Muhammad Amith, Vivian Ha, Eloisa Nguyen, Yang Gong, Ahsiya Lin, Cui Tao, Licong Cui

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Cataloging physiological and anatomical terminologies may provide a fundamental basis for bridging the involvement of muscles, skeletal, and other essential parts in human movement, in addition to understanding their role on human morbidity. We present a general formalized ontology model that focuses on anatomical and physiological entities that are active during human movement, called the Kinetic Human Movement Ontology (KHMO). We developed a model to represent human movement that links human postures using OWL2. We used the model to assemble various open-sourced controlled terminologies involved in human movement - anatomical entities, physiological terms, etc. KHMO presents 1954 classes, 42 properties, …

Integrating The Glycemia Risk Index Into Clinical Practice And Research: A Consensus Report, Guillermo E Umpierrez, Viral N Shah, Veronica Brady, Mark A Clements, Juan Espinoza, Elizabeth Healey, Michael A Kohn, David M Maahs, Ralph Oiknine, Jane J Seley, Steven P Weitzman, David Kerr, Halis K Akturk, Grazia Aleppo, Mohammed E Al-Sofiani, Eda Cengiz, Francis J Doyle, Osagie Ebekozien, Steven V Edelman, Laya Ekhlaspour, Guido Freckmann, Lutz Heinemann, Irl B Hirsch, Victoria C Hsiao, Sun H Kim, Boris Kovatchev, Rayhan A Lal, Marcus Lind, Julia K Mader, Nestoras Mathioudakis, Tracey Mclaughlin, Sultan A Meo, Deborah A Osafehinti, Moshe Phillip, Priya Prahalad, David Scheinker, Michael P Snyder, Jing Wang, Jenise C Wong, Eugene E Wright, Mandy M Shao, Agatha F Scheideman, Ashley Y Dunova, David C Klonoff

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

A panel of experts in the use of continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) data in the treatment of diabetes met in Burlingame, California on October 27, 2025 to discuss the utility of the glycemia risk index (GRI) for clinical care research and population health management. The GRI composite metric is a single number (on a 0-100 percentile scale-lower is better) based on an expert-determined weighting of the seven individual components in the existing ambulatory glucose profile (AGP). The GRI describes the quality of glycemia based on glucose values collected in a 14-day CGM tracing, thus providing additional insights into CGM profiles …

Post-Traumatic Pituitary Stalk Transection Syndrome, Raya Albusaidi, Asma Alhatmi, Azza Al Shidhani, Eiman Al-Ajmi

Sultan Qaboos University Medical Journal

No abstract provided.

J.K. Rowling’S Loss Of Control: Authorial Anxieties Within The Actor Network, Casey Sausville

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This thesis investigates how traditional ideas of authorship are contradicted in the 21st century as authorial power is distributed through an actor network. In this case study, I apply Bruno Latour’s Actor Network Theory (ANT) to the authorship of the fantasy series Harry Potter, in which J.K. Rowling, Warner Bros, and the fandom are all among the co-creators. In doing so, I find that when power has been exercised by other actors in the network, this has in multiple cases been experienced by Rowling as a threat to her security as an author, a woman, and a mother. This is …

Finding Our Tempo: Exploring Embodied Synchrony Through Full-Body Play In Children, Sena Beste Ercan, Belén González Mateo, Olga Galí Pérez, Gray Atherton, Liam Cross, Narcís Parés

School of Psychology

This study advances the design of timing-sensitive, full-body interactive experiences supporting both collaboration and individual agency in children’s group play. We investigate how temporal structuring within an improved version of a full-body interactive system influences behavioral and perceived synchrony among children aged 9–10. Prior research has often focused on dyads, required human facilitation, or neglected relationship between perceived and actual synchrony. Addressing these gaps, we conducted a multi-user study comparing synchronous and asynchronous interaction modes using system-logged behavioral data and self-reports. Results demonstrate the synchronous condition fosters higher user performance, tighter temporal coordination, and stronger perceptions of shared movement. In …

Investigating Barriers Toward Implementation Of Harm Reduction, Mati Abrahami, Ali Cunningham Abbott, Melissa Lehman

Faculty and Staff Publications & Presentations

No abstract provided.

Three-Dimensional Printing Of The Epineurium For Peripheral Nerve Repair: A Comprehensive Review Of Novel Scaffolds For Nerve Conduits, Alynah J. Adams, Iulianna C. Taritsa, Kaavian Shariati, Aaron Dadzie, Jose A. Foppiani, Maria Jose Escobar-Domingo, Daniela Lee, Angelica Hernandez-Alvarez, Kirsten Schuster, Helen Xun

School of Medicine Publications

Background: Nerve conduits are used to bridge peripheral nerve defects caused by trauma, iatrogenic injury, or oncologic disruption. Three-dimensional (3D) biomimetic scaffolds for peripheral nerve regeneration have advanced significantly in recent years, driven by improvements in printing technology and neuronal seeding techniques. We report on published designer conduits that can recreate the epineurium, a critical yet challenging-to-manufacture feature of nerve tissue.

Methods: A medical librarian conducted a literature search for our systematic review on EMBASE, Web of Science, and PUBMED, following PRISMA guidelines, for articles from January 2010 to January 2026 for the systematic review. Descriptive statistical analysis was performed …

Undergraduate Research Conference Experiences: A Pre- And Post-Conference Comparison, Deniz Kuester, Alanna L. Lecher, Patrick J. Cooper, Melissa Lehman

Faculty and Staff Publications & Presentations

No abstract provided.

Symptomatic Dermatographism Misattributed To Cockroach Exposure: A Diagnostic Pitfall, Simona Kogan, Sumeet Bhardwaj, Suchana Ghimire, Arushi Tewari, Rishima Tewari

Student Publications

Allergen exposure can present with a broad clinical spectrum. Individuals exposed to allergens may develop respiratory diseases such as asthma, skin manifestations such as urticaria, and potentially anaphylaxis. For those who reside in urban or unsanitary environments, cockroaches can serve as an unfortunate and persistent exposure to such allergens. Cockroach allergens are classically associated with IgE-mediated respiratory diseases. However, reliance on exposure history alone may lead to diagnostic misattribution when cutaneous symptoms occur without systemic allergic features. We describe a 22-year-old woman from Philadelphia who presented with a 48-hour history of diffuse pruritus and widespread erythematous linear and maculopapular wheals …