Digital Commons Network^™

The Effects Of Physical Activity On Bone Health In Women As They Age, Shannon A. Matthews, Deborah Rhea, Phil Esposito, Ryan Porter

International Journal of Exercise Science: Conference Proceedings

Osteoporosis affects one in three women over 50, often resulting in fractures that impair mobility and quality of life. Although bone mass and density decline with age, achieving higher peak values before menopause may reduce this risk. Physical activity (PA) is a modifiable factor in skeletal integrity, yet its impact across life stages remains underexplored. Since 80–90% of peak bone mass is accrued by age 16, PA during adolescence and early adulthood is critical. Few studies have examined how specific PA patterns during these periods relate to adult bone health in pre‑menopausal women. PURPOSE: To investigate the relationship between early‑life …

Blood Flow Restriction Circuit Training Model Improves Gait Speed And Lower Limb Muscle In Adults Over 60, Pablo Cruz, Sten O. Stray-Gundersen, Regine Rossi, Teresa Gingles, Graham Trawick, Ronan Miller, Sameena Mathew, Ethan To, Savannah V. Rauschendorfer

International Journal of Exercise Science: Conference Proceedings

Blood flow restriction (BFR) training is a low intensity modality capable of inducing neuromuscular and functional adaptations. While BFR has been implemented using isolated resistance or walking protocols in older adults, less is known about the effect of BFR application to popular circuit-based training modalities that integrate multi- exercise strength training, cardiovascular, and muscular endurance. PURPOSE: This study evaluated the effects of a 6-week BFR circuit training (BFRT) program on functional performance and thigh muscle cross-sectional area in healthy adults over 60, compared to a health education control group. METHODS: 45 healthy adults ≥60 years were randomly assigned to either …

Association Of Body Mass Index With Gait Dynamics And Fall Risk In College Students, Diego Diaz-Vega, Heontae Kim, Ho Han, Jungyu Lee

International Journal of Exercise Science: Conference Proceedings

PURPOSE: Although falls are typically associated with older adults, identifying early indicators of fall risk among young populations may help prevent future mobility decline. Because body mass index (BMI) is a modifiable factor that can influence balance and gait stability, understanding its role in early fall risk is important. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to examine differences in fall risk and gait characteristics across BMI categories in college students. METHODS: Fifteen college students participated in this study and were classified into normal, overweight, or obese groups according to BMI. Fall risk was assessed using the Fall Risk Assessment …

Cross-Validating The Healthy Step Length Equation: Evaluating Prediction Accuracy In Community-Dwelling Older Adults, Jungyu Lee, Ho Han, Heontae Kim, Diego Diaz-Vega

International Journal of Exercise Science: Conference Proceedings

Step length is a key indicator of gait efficiency and mobility in older adults, closely associated with fall risk, frailty, and overall health. However, most available prediction equations are based solely on height or have not undergone empirical validation, which limits their precision and applicability in aging populations. PURPOSE: This study aimed to cross-validate the newly developed Healthy Step Length Equation, which incorporates age, sex, height, weight, and walking speed, by comparing it with three commonly used height-based models to evaluate its predictive accuracy, and clinical relevance in older adults. METHODS: A total of 174 healthy, community-dwelling adults …

Administering Sustainability: How Trust In Government And Managerial Support Strengthen Green Core Competence And Organizational Advantage, Mohammed Hassan, Nassr Mohammed Ali, Methaq M. Alisaa

AUIQ Humanities and Social Sciences

This study examines how green core competence contributes to competitive advantage in Iraqi firms, and how this relationship depends on both organizational and governance conditions. Drawing on the Resource-Based View, the Job Demands–Resources model, and stakeholder theory, the study tests a mediation–moderation model in which positive mental health mediates the effect of green core competence on competitive advantage, while trust in government and top management support strengthen key links in the process. Using survey data from top-management respondents in Iraq and partial least squares structural equation modeling, the results show that green core competence is positively associated with competitive advantage, …

Behavioural–Personality Framework For Adaptive E-Learning, Hisham Al Ghunaimi

AUIQ Humanities and Social Sciences

Purpose: This study examines the limited integration of behavioural theory—specifically the Myers–Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI)—in the design of e-learning systems. MBTI is considered because personality variation influences learner motivation, engagement, and behavioural responses, yet most digital platforms rely on uniform instructional strategies. The study focuses on higher-education e-learning, where behavioural disengagement and psychological strain are increasingly reported.

Design/methodology/approach: A qualitative conceptual content-analysis approach is used to synthesise secondary evidence from peer-reviewed literature, policy documents, and institutional reports (2015–2024). The analysis identifies three theoretical categories—behavioural reinforcement, personality-based differentiation, and adaptive learning interaction—which shape the proposed behavioural–personality framework.

Findings: Three core patterns …

The Role Of Artificial Intelligence In Macroeconomic Forecasting: A Systematic Literature Review, Thura J. Mohammed, Xinying Chew, Khai Wah Khaw

AUIQ Humanities and Social Sciences

Macroeconomic forecasting remains difficult because aggregate dynamics are nonlinear, regime-dependent, and increasingly informed by high-dimensional, mixed-frequency data, conditions under which traditional econometric models often lose accuracy, especially around turning points. This study systematically reviews how artificial intelligence (AI) is being used to address these challenges and what reliable evidence exists on its forecasting value. Using a PRISMA-aligned protocol, we searched Web of Science, Scopus, and ScienceDirect, identifying 1,627 records; after de-duplication and multi-stage screening, 178 studies were retained for qualitative synthesis. The review develops an evidence-based taxonomy of AI model families in macroeconomic forecasting and synthesizes their motivations, performance patterns, …

Quality Improvement Project: Leveling Pharmacology: A Faculty Development Initiative, Allison Berg

Doctor of Nursing Practice Projects

The purpose of this Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) quality improvement project was to address limited faculty self-efficacy in developing higher-level, competency-based pharmacology questions for clinical quizzes within an Associate Degree in Nursing (ADN) program. A faculty needs assessment identified an overreliance on recall-based pharmacology assessments, contributing to gaps in students’ clinical reasoning and medication competency. Guided by Bandura’s Theory of Self-Efficacy and Lewin’s Change Theory, a structured faculty development session was implemented to improve faculty confidence and skills in writing application-based pharmacology questions. A pre- post intervention design was used with ADN faculty participants (N = 5) at a …

“Sometimes You Need A Middleman”: Negotiating Family Engagement For Foster And Kinship Caregivers Involved With Child Welfare, Anna Wasim, Catherine A. Labrenz, Nelkasia Graves, Samantha Zuniga Thompson, Monica Faulkner

Graduate School of Social Work: Student Scholarship

Family engagement is increasingly prioritized in child welfare policy and practice, yet limited research has explored how foster and kinship caregivers perceive and navigate this process. Understanding caregivers’ experiences is critical to advancing relational permanency and improving outcomes for children in foster care. Using an adapted grounded theory design, this qualitative study examined the experiences of 24 foster and kinship caregivers from two agencies participating in a family engagement practice model in one state. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews and focus groups, and were analyzed thematically. All participants provided informed consent, data were de-identified, and pseudonyms were assigned to …

Designing A Systemic Intervention For Student Loneliness And Social Connectedness Using A Mixed-Methods, Co-Creation Approach, Sophie Homer, Jackie Andrade, Jon May, Edward Meinert, Madison Milne-Ives, Onshell Relf, Alvise Rogers, Emily Cornford, Rebecca Richardson

School of Psychology

Loneliness and social (dis)connectedness are significant public health concerns, particularly among university students. Despite calls to reconceptualise loneliness as a systemic issue, interventions typically target individual students. This series of studies used a sequential mixed-methods and participatory action approach to explore students’ social experiences and co-design a digital health solution. Focus groups (Study One) and a survey (Study Two) revealed that students see universities as partly responsible for their social connectedness, with perceptions of campus space being key. These insights informed the co-design of MAPP (Study Three), a preventative, system-focused digital solution. MAPP is an interactive campus map that visualises …

Craft Meets Code: Digital Pathways For Fine Press Collections, Nicole Lewis, Brooke Farnsworth

Faculty Publications

Fine press books embody a unique blend of artistry and craftsmanship, yet their rich material and bibliographic details often remain locked in specialized catalogs or physical archives. This project explores how integrating fine press information into Wikidata—a global, linked open data platform—can preserve and amplify the cultural significance of these works in a digital context. Using the BYU Library’s fine press holdings, we’re modeling presses, printers, and editions within Wikidata’s semantic framework, creating opportunities for discovery, visualization, and computational analysis that respect the material heritage of the book arts.

The presentation will highlight:

•        Utilizing library holdings to compile a …

Development Of Professional Identity In Medical Students Through Interprofessional Simulation: A Qualitative Study, Louis Fiander, Marie Bryce, Thomas Gale

Peninsula Medical School

BackgroundProfessional identity development in doctors is associated with confidence, resilience and alignment with professional values. Empirical study has found that Interprofessional Simulation-based Education (IPSE) is associated with professional identity development in medical students but does not demonstrate how. An IPSE curriculum is in place within the University of Plymouth medical curriculum. Using reflexive thematic analysis of participating medical student's interview data, subsequently triangulated with theory from sociological and psychological literature, potential mechanisms of professional identity development through IPSE are discussed and implications for educational design explored.MethodsA qualitative approach was adopted utilising semi-structured interviews. Purposive sampling was used to select 10 …

Adalimumab Therapy For Crohn’S Disease And Axial Spondyloarthritis In Latent Tuberculosis: A Bibliometric-Systematic Literature Review, Nyimas Maida Shofa, Nurike Setiyari Mudjari, Rusdiyana Ekawati, Arianti Arianti, Annisa Zahra Mufida, Budi Widodo, Titong Sugihartono

Sultan Qaboos University Medical Journal

The management of Crohn’s disease (CD) using anti-tumour necrosis factor therapy in tuberculosis (TB)-endemic regions poses major clinical challenges due to the risk of latent TB infection reactivation. This bibliometric–systematic literature review synthesised evidence from 17 peer-reviewed studies (2020–2025) evaluating adalimumab administered with concurrent prophylactic antitubercular therapy. Thematic synthesis and bibliometric mapping using VOSviewer demonstrated that adalimumab achieved 60–85% clinical remission in moderate-to-severe CD and axial spondyloarthritis while enhancing mucosal healing. However, 1–3% of patients developed active TB despite appropriate screening and isoniazid prophylaxis, revealing false-negative diagnostics and partial chemoprophylaxis protection. These findings highlight the need for region-specific frameworks integrating …

Advances In Hpv Vaccination In People Living With Hiv: A Review, Megan Mooberry, J Brooks Jackson, Mary B Rysavy

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Human papillomavirus (HPV) is the most common sexually transmitted infection worldwide and is a leading cause of cervical, anal, penile, and oropharyngeal cancers. This review summarizes the epidemiology of HPV and the immunogenicity, clinical efficacy, and current HPV vaccination recommendations among people living with HIV (PLWH). PLWH experience a disproportionate burden of HPV-related infection and HPV-related malignancies. Although HPV vaccines have been shown to be highly effective, vaccination coverage among PLWH remains suboptimal, particularly in low- and middle-income countries. Barriers to vaccination include extended dosing schedules, limited awareness of the vaccine, and misinformation. Evidence indicates HPV vaccines are safe and …

Strain-Level Heterogeneity In Gardnerella Urinary Tract Persistence And Pathogenesis In An In Vivo Model Is Consistent With Comparative Phylogenomic Analyses, Lokesh Kumar, Sonia N Whang, Deborah K Verges, Robert F Potter, Nicole M Gilbert

2020-Current year OA Pubs

BACKGROUND: Gardnerella is a bacterial genera commonly present in the female urogenital tract, especially in bacterial vaginosis. Gardnerella are frequently detected in urine collected directly from the bladder and have been implicated in urinary incontinence and recurrent urinary tract infections. Understanding the contribution of Gardnerella to pathogenesis is complicated by its genetic heterogeneity and a shortage of data from in vivo models. One clinical isolate of Gardnerella triggered urothelial exfoliation and promoted urinary tract infection by uropathogenic E. coli in a mouse model. This study was designed to compare diverse Gardnerella strains in vivo to identify genomic variation associated with …

Internships As A Strategy To Strengthen Character Education At Realfunrainbow Kindergarten Salatiga, Maryani Maryani, Nurkolis Nurkolis, Muhtarom Muhtarom

Jurnal Pendidikan: Teori, Penelitian, dan Pengembangan

Character education in early childhood is a crucial foundation for shaping personality, attitudes, and future behavior. This study investigates the role of school leadership in strengthening character education at TK Realfunrainbow, Kota Salatiga, with particular emphasis on the implementation of internship (life-skills practicum) as a strategic approach. The objectives were to examine planning, organizing, mobilizing, and controlling functions of the principal in character education reinforcement. Using a qualitative descriptive design, data were collected through in-depth interviews, participatory observation, and documentation. Informants included the principal, teachers, parents, and internship partners, selected purposively and snowball. Data analysis employed Spradley’s ethnographic model with …

Comparing Outcomes Of Virtual Versus In-Person Delivery Of An Evidence-Based Fall-Prevention Program, Tamara H. Herrick, Sarah A. Hallen, Kirsten A. Dorsey, Jessica J. Bolduc, Heidi R. Wierman

Journal of Maine Medical Center

Introduction: The A Matter of Balance: Managing Concerns about Falls Lay Leader program (MOB) is an in-person, evidence-based, fall-prevention program designed to reduce the fear of falling and increase physical activity in older adults. MaineHealth adapted the MOB for virtual delivery (MOB-V) in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: This retrospective analysis compared the effect of MOB versus MOB-V on participant outcomes for fear of falling, falls self-efficacy, and increasing activity levels using data submitted to the Healthy Aging Programs Integrated Database (HAPID) from January 1, 2021, through December 31, 2022. Results: There was a reduction in the perceived fear …

Social Media And Health Disinformation, Ammar Haroon, Emily Sarmiento

Undergraduate Research and Engagement Symposium

In our presentation, we looked at how social media acts as a facilitator of health disinformation. In particular, we looked at the strategies that social media platforms use and how that contributes to health disinformation online.

The Inaccessibility Of Scientific Writing And Science Denial, Emma Eisen

Undergraduate Research and Engagement Symposium

The inaccessibility of scientific writing causes an increase in science denial. The frustration experienced by nonscientists due to the exclusivity, both in language and cost of subscriptions to scientific journals, often results in the rejection of scientific consensus and acceptance of the more accessible and understandable alternative perspectives presented by science deniers. Through the analysis of demographic studies on the relationship between native language and access to higher education and attitudes toward vaccines, this presentation further discusses how these marginalized demographics are excluded from scientific consensus leading to an increase in science denial.

Science Denial And Public Policy, Mary Kae Kuenster

Undergraduate Research and Engagement Symposium

This research project will investigate the influence science denial has on public policy. This topic is extremely relevant in today’s political climate, with many issues being centered around scientific debates. This project focuses on education policies regarding evolution and intelligent design. To accomplish this research, I will examine sites that both advocate for and disagree with the implementation of intelligent design in the classroom, as well as historical and recent legal cases surrounding the topic. By examining these examples, this project aims to highlight how science denial undermines evidence based decision making.

Strategies Of Science Denial In Contemporary Politics, Yumi Li

Undergraduate Research and Engagement Symposium

My presentation applies the FLICC acronym to different sources of science denial during the COVID-19 pandemic and Trump's handling of it.

Scrolling For Meaning: How Social Media Influence Young People’S Spirituality And Trust In Scientific Authority, Archna Yadav

Undergraduate Research and Engagement Symposium

This project examines how social media and secular digital culture influence the spiritual growth, moral values, and trust in science among young people. My claim is that social media acts like a parallel source of authority, shaping ideas about meaning, morality, and truth. Evidence from studies shows that many young people now form personal belief systems by blending religious ideas, secular practices, and even pseudo-scientific claims. The warrant is that online algorithms, influencers, emotional content, and identity-based communities strongly guide what youth believe. As a result, spiritual and moral formation is increasingly shaped by digital platforms rather than traditional institutions.

Religious Beliefs And Organ Donation: Investigating Religious Beliefs And Their Positions On Donation, Alejandra Penaranda

Undergraduate Research and Engagement Symposium

The worldwide demand for organs is not being met, creating the Organ Crisis. A common belief is that religions are against the practice of donation and transplantation of organs. This presentation will dive deeper into the different religious beliefs of the most populated religions to determine their stances on the issue.The evidence used was religious websites and articles, journals, and news articles. Through this research, the positive opinions that religions have regarding organ donation will come to light, suggesting that something else is to blame when people are choosing against donating their or a loved one’s organs.

Introduction To Vaccine Misinformation, Samah Fayaz

Undergraduate Research and Engagement Symposium

The presentation will examine how misinformation, selective data use, and social media chambers influence public attitude towards vaccines. The hesitancy in vaccine has become a very growing concern in public health. By analyzing such factors, the project will reveal how these tactics deepen vaccine denial and play their part in science denial. Understanding this information will allow there to be improvements and rebuild confidence in not only vaccines but also scientific information.

Misinformation In The Digital Age: How Social Media Fuels Science Denial And Ways To Stop It, Jocelyn Morales

Undergraduate Research and Engagement Symposium

This paper examines how social media platforms contribute to the spread of science denial and explores strategies to combat misinformation. The rise of digital platforms such as Twitter (now X) and Facebook has transformed how information is shared, but it has also created fertile ground for the rapid diffusion of false or misleading content. Research by Harman et al. (2025) demonstrates that science denial has far-reaching social consequences, delaying policy responses, undermining collective action, and increasing societal vulnerability. Lanier et al. (2022) further reveal how hashtags like #plandemic and #scamdemic on Twitter amplified COVID-19 misinformation, fueling pandemic denial and anti-public-health …

Faith Over Fossils: How Creationist Deny The Authenticity Of Carbon Dating, Mason Black

Undergraduate Research and Engagement Symposium

My claim is that young-earth creationist groups, such as Answers in Genesis, deny the authenticity of radiometric dating by excluding any evidence that goes against their belief that the Earth is only a few thousand years old. I did this by looking at various articles made by Answers in Genesis to see what arguments are made and what information is left out.

Manufacturing Doubt: How The Conservative Movement Shaped American Climate Denial, Bjorn Anderson

Undergraduate Research and Engagement Symposium

The American conservative movement has used its power to spread climate change denial through organizational infrastructure, psychological exploitation, and sustained messaging campaigns, producing measurable polarization in public opinion. I reference articles which document the organizational infrastructure of the movement, which study psychological mechanisms that explain conservative receptiveness to climate denial, and which detail the resulting shift in societal beliefs through data analysis and polling. These sources establish a relationship between the deliberate campaign from corporations and conservative leaders and resulting increases in climate change denial.

A Gooder Way To Say More Fun, Ethan Scofield

Fresh Voices: Composition at Cal Poly

No abstract provided.

How Does Language Learning Work?, Luis Wiley

Fresh Voices: Composition at Cal Poly

No abstract provided.

Major Pressure, Emma Scudero

Fresh Voices: Composition at Cal Poly

No abstract provided.