Digital Commons Network^™

Understanding Medical Information And Emotional Support Needs In Mental Health Questions With Large Language Models, Chen Liu, William Yu Chung Wang, Gohar Khan

All Works

Purpose – This study seeks to bridge the gap between users’ multidimensional needs and the single-task capabilities of existing Mental Health Question Answering (MHQA) systems by tackling the underexplored challenge of jointly understanding medical informational needs and emotional support needs within complex consumer mental health inquiries. Design/methodology/approach – Grounded in Rhetorical Structure Theory (RST), the proposed Multi-Needs and Context Recognition (MNCR) framework decomposes mental health question understanding task into four interrelated subtasks: Medical Needs Recognition (MNR), Medical Needs-related Context Extraction (MNCE), Emotional Needs Recognition (ENR) and Emotional Needs-related Context Extraction (ENCE). A new benchmark dataset, MHQ-MedEmo, was constructed through multi-layered …

Efficient Routing For Software-Defined Wireless Sensor Networks: A Naïve Bayes Approach, Amine Tcherak, Samia Loucif, Mohamed Ould Khaoua

All Works

Wireless Sensor Networks (WSNs) form the backbone of Internet of Things (IoT) applications. Software-Defined Networking (SDN) is an emerging networking paradigm that extends the lifetime of WSNs by transferring the resource-intensive routing task from sensor nodes to a centralized controller. However, many SDN-based routing schemes for WSNs employ inefficient algorithms at the controller. Traditional shortest-path methods often create traffic imbalances across neighboring nodes, while Reinforcement Learning (RL)-based approaches typically generate excessive control traffic. Both issues accelerate energy depletion and reduce network lifetime. Moreover, existing algorithms frequently overlook critical factors, such as buffer occupancy, when selecting relay nodes, which can lead …

Pathological Drivers Of Coral Diseases Across The Arabian Peninsula, Thierry M. Work, Greta S. Aeby, David Abrego, Jessica Bouwmeester, Emily Howells, Pedro Range, Maren Ziegler, Thor Jensen, Amanda Shore, Grace Vaughan, John A. Burt, Christian R. Voolstra, Radhouan Ben-Hamadou

All Works

Increasing trends of coral mortality are a challenge to coral reef management worldwide, and a need exists to identify the causes and pathways involved. Pathology is useful to help decipher potential causes of mortality in animals, because it illuminates agents associated with lesions and gives insights on the nature of how a host responds to said agents. To better understand the nature of threats facing corals in the Arabian Peninsula, we performed gross and microscopic pathology on corals from Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates. Among 321 coral fragments examined from 21 genera, tissue loss was the most …

A Harmonious Equation: How To Facilitate The Interdisciplinary Nature Of The Arts In A High School Math Classroom, Myah Medendorp

Honors Theses

The education system is constantly evolving and advancing, and the teaching methods should advance along with it. Musical involvement has long been cited as having a positive effect on mathematical proficiency and being an easy way to boost mathematical performance but is most often used in an elementary school setting and the early learning years. Are there ways to use this scientific relationship to boost performance and engagement in a secondary school environment?

This literature review functionalization takes a closer look at this relationship and how it can be implemented effectively in a high school math classroom beyond the young …

Travel Time To Treating Facility And Mortality In Men With Prostate Cancer, Stephan M. Korn, Filippo Dagnino, Danesha Daniels, Zhiyu Qian, Hanna Zurl, Klara K. Pohl, Mei Chin Hsieh, Brenda Y. Hernandez, Andrea Piccolini, Alexander P. Cole, Amanda J. Reich, Joel S. Weissman, Quoc Dien Trinh, Hari S. Iyer

School of Public Health Faculty Publications

IMPORTANCE Geographic access to prostate cancer care may influence outcomes but is often measured using straight-line distance, which may not accurately capture the travel burden experienced by patients. OBJECTIVE To evaluate the association between estimated travel time from patients’ residence to treatment facilities and all-cause and prostate cancer–specific mortality. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS This retrospective cohort study used data from the Multilevel Epidemiologic Tumor Registry for Oncology, a nationally representative, investigatorinitiated, population-based cancer registry that integrates geomasked residential and treatment facility information from multiple US state cancer registries. The study included patients aged 40 to 99 years from Hawaii, Louisiana, …

Examining The Impact Of Social Media On The Nutrition Decisions Of College Students And Their Attitudes Toward Nutritional Guidelines, Katlyn Neibaur

Undergraduate Honors Theses

Social media is becoming an increasingly popular platform used by young people to garner information, but this information is not always accurate. Understanding the degree of influence social media has on college students’ dietary habits and attitudes toward nutritional guidelines is vital for improving nutrition literacy efforts and creating policies to protect against nutritional misinformation. This study examined the associations between the social media habits of college students, their attitudes toward nutritional guidelines, and their ability to detect nutritional misinformation. A cross-sectional survey was conducted with 457 undergraduate students at Brigham Young University. The content validity of the survey was …

Emerging Tools In Plant Genome Editing, Shilpi Sharma, Naveen Kumar Saroha, Abhilasha Sehrawat, Guiliang Tang, Deepali Singh, Sachin Teotia

Michigan Tech Publications

Plant genome editing has undergone a transformative shift with the advent of advanced molecular tools, offering unprecedented levels of precision, flexibility and efficiency in modifying genetic material. While classical site-directed nucleases such as ZFNs, TALENs and CRISPR-Cas9 have revolutionized genome engineering by enabling targeted mutagenesis and gene knockouts, the landscape is now rapidly evolving with the emergence of novel systems that go beyond the conventional double strand break (DSB)-mediated approaches. Advanced and recent tools include LEAPER, SATI, RESTORE, RESCUE, ARCUT, SPARDA, helicase-based approaches like HACE and Type IV-A CRISPR system, and transposon-based techniques like TATSI and piggyBac. These tools unlock …

X Versus Reality: Data Suggests Political Posts On X Are Inconsistent With Voter Behavior, Bond Benton, Yi Luo, Jin-A Choi

College of Communication and Media Scholarship and Creative Works

This study from Montclair State University researchers in the Joetta Di Bella and Fred C. Sautter III Center for Strategic Communication in the College of Communication and Media shows that the volume of political posts on X (formerly Twitter) may not reflect actual voter behavior. The gap between post volume about candidates and real election votes was nearly 40% in the analyzed case of the New Jersey gubernatorial election. Contributing factors to this gap may include the volume of ostensibly “American” political accounts that are foreign sourced, bot-based activity, and overall platform infrastructure/algorithms. Results identified 108,640 posts for Mikie Sherrill …

Bridging The Gap: Designing A Vertically Aligned 5–12 Instrumental Music Curriculum For Comprehensive Literacy And Musicianship, Philip D. Deyoung

Masters Projects

This project aims to address the widespread issue of vertically misaligned curriculum in secondary instrumental music programs. Students frequently encounter inconsistent expectations, repeated or skipped content, and uneven literacy development when transitioning from one ensemble to another. These gaps can reduce achievement, hinder persistence, and heighten inequities for students with fewer resources. To solve this problem, the project develops a vertically aligned 5–12 instrumental music curriculum grounded in constructivist learning theory and self-regulated learning, emphasizing active knowledge building and student independence. The framework includes ten Priority Standards, grade-band proficiency scales, rehearsal routines aligned with the National Core Arts Standards (NCAS), …

Strategies For Improving Supported Employment Services For Adults With Intellectual And Developmental Disabilities, Janelle Latoya Bailey

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

There is a growing need for supported employment services and improved programming among people with intellectual/developmental disabilities (I/DD). The research question for this study was; what are human service staff and administrators’ experiences and perceptions of what is working well in supported employment programs, and how to improve the services offered to adults with I/DD in a northeastern county? The tenets of Kurt Lewin’s change model form the theoretical framework for the study, to serve as a foundation for effective change. A force field analysis approach was used to gather narrative written data from open ended questionnaire responses to grasp …

Social And Contextual Factors Influencing Hypertension Among Latino Men Living In California, Leslie Ivett Ortega

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Hypertension remains a critical and often silent public health issue that disproportionately affects Latino men in California. This quantitative, retrospective cross-sectional study explored the social and contextual factors influencing hypertension among this vulnerable population. Using the 2019 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System dataset, which included a sample size of 2,060 participants, the study examined the relationship between hypertension and key variables including primary care utilization, health insurance, smoking, physical activity, mental health, and marital status, while controlling for age, education, and income. Guided by the health belief model, binary logistic regression analyses found health insurance and primary care utilization significantly …

An Examination Of Psychosocial Factors Related To Male Serial Killers, Rachael Elizabeth Tubbs

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Historically, studies on serial murderers have not concentrated in depth on analyzing what psychosocial factors are or how they could influence a man to become a serial killer. The focus of this qualitative study was on the psychosocial characteristics of male serial killers that are from, and based in, the United States. Using a case study analysis approach, the life course of serial killers in the FGCU Radford Database was analyzed to identify themes of adverse childhood experiences such as physical, emotional, or psychological abuse; abandonment by parent or guardian; limited or no social bonds; witnessing abuse; and signs of …

Narratives Of Sexual Self-Esteem As A Domain Of Sexual Well-Being In Cisgender Women’S Long-Term Intimate Relationships, Lisa Criswell

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Only within the last few decades has female sexual health become a topic of focus for researchers and practitioners to begin focusing on, leading to a gap in research between female sexual health and male sexual health. This has led to lack of knowledge and understanding on female sexual dysfunction and how interventions can effectively address it. An identified gap in knowledge of female sexual health and self-esteem is the lack of understanding of female narratives. This study was developed with the purpose of filling that gap and addressing domains within sexual health and self-esteem through exploration of the narratives …

Hidden Threats In Water: The Global Rise Of Emerging Contaminants, Baljit Singh, Abhijnan Bhat, Gayathree Thenuwara, Kamna Ravi, Azza Silotry Naik, Christine O’Connor, Furong Tian

Research Outputs: 2025-Present

The general spread of water safety awareness and enforcement often masks the escalating risks of emerging contaminants (ECs) that evade standard detection and monitoring techniques. Traditional monitoring infrastructures depend heavily on localized laboratory-based testing, which is expensive, time-consuming, and reliant on specialized infrastructure and skilled personnel. While specific types of ECs and detection technologies have been examined in numerous studies, a significant gap remains in compiling and commenting on this information in a concise framework that incorporates global impact and monitoring strategies. We aimed to compile and highlight the impact ECs have on global water safety and how advanced sensor …

Facilitating Timely Initiation Of Hiv Care Through An Interdisciplinary, Algorithm-Guided Approach, Courtney Harris

DNP Projects

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Initiation of antiretroviral therapy (ART) within twenty-four hours of an HIV diagnosis is safe, shortens time to viral suppression, improves retention in care, and contributes to reduced HIV transmission at the community level (Bacon et al., 2021). Despite this evidence, patients across the United States do not universally receive timely HIV care (Bertolino et al., 2023). Barriers to early ART initiation include lack of staff buy-in, logistical challenges, and socioeconomic factors affecting patients (Doshi et al., 2023).

LOCAL PROBLEM: A small HIV care clinic in the southern United States observed a similar discrepancy, noting inconsistent timely initiation of …

The Rising Age Of The First-Time Homebuyer: A Comprehensive Analysis Of Barriers For Emerging Adults, Stephanie Miller

Honors Projects

The average age of a first-time homebuyer in the United States was 38 years old in 2024. This is a significant increase compared to previous generations, who often achieved homeownership in their late twenties. This project examines structural, economic, and sociological barriers that prevent emerging adults, particularly recent college graduates, from entering the housing market. Through an analysis of national data from the National Association of Realtors, the U.S. Government Accountability Office, and Freddie Mac, this paper examines how inflation, limited housing inventory, stagnant wages, restrictive zoning policies, and increasing debt amounts have had disproportionate effects on young buyers. Regardless …

Influence And Excess: A Study Of Alcohol’S Governmental, Societal, Biochemical, And Enzymatic Impact In The U.S And Other Countries Around The World, Thomas W. Snider

Senior Honors Theses

The conduct of the thesis is to explore the intricacies of alcohol consumption. The thesis will outline the history of alcohol and the societal pressures and conduct of drinking with relation to the government. After the history of alcohol has been defined, the thesis will move into the chemistry portion, delineating the absorption, digestion, metabolism, and excretion of alcohol. This is the portion of the thesis that will contain the quantitative data and source material as much research has already been conducted regarding these components of alcohol consumption. The condition of the research is that the data will be collected …

Neighborhood Disorder And Psychosocial Functioning: Evidence Of Resilience Among Racial/Ethnic Minority Groups, Maverick E. Morales

Student Scholar Symposium Abstracts and Posters

Perceived neighborhood disorder has been linked to poor well-being. In the United States, racial/ethnic minorities are more likely to live in disordered neighborhoods than non-Hispanic White residents. However, it is unclear whether this exposure changes the relationship between perceived neighborhood disorder and psychosocial functioning. Racial/ethnic minorities may draw upon sources of resilience (e.g., religiosity/spirituality), protecting them from neighborhood disorder. Using data from the Health and Retirement Study, the present study examined perceived neighborhood disorder and psychosocial functioning (i.e., life satisfaction, anxiety, perceived stress, and loneliness) to test the following hypotheses: (1) higher perceived neighborhood disorder will relate to worse psychosocial …

Evaluation Of A Nurse-Led Echo® Education Series: Telementoring Priority Equitable Primary Care, Bettina H. Riley, Emily S. Bentley, Misty Guy, Pam Johnson, Shannon Powell-Lewis, Joyce Pittman, Jo Ann Otts, Katherine Bydalek, Caleb Howard

Biennial Convention (CONV)

An Extension for Community Healthcare Outcomes (ECHO®) evidence-based global model provided the framework for a nurse-led professional education series focused on priority topics supporting equitable primary care. A Nursing Recruitment and Education to Expand Access to Culturally-Aligned Healthcare (Nursing REEACH) ECHO® was a goal of a Health Resources and Service Administration (HRSA) of the U. S. Department of Health and Human Services grant. The grant provided resources to increase nursing workforce and capabilities in rural and underserved communities through deployments of graduate nurses in mobile clinics. A grant sub-goal was to expand access to evidence-based services in the community through …

Do Community-Engaged Initiatives Promote Mental Health And Well-Being In Under-Resourced Settings?, Muhammad Chutiyami, Natalie Cutler, Sopin Sangon, Tusana Thaweekoon, Patcharin Nintachan, Wilai Napa, Phachongchit Kraithaworn, Jo River

Biennial Convention (CONV)

Community-engaged initiatives are recognized as promising strategies for addressing disparities in mental health outcomes in resource-constrained settings. An understanding of the scope/effectiveness of these initiatives in diverse contexts remains limited. Our international team systematically examined community-engaged mental health and wellbeing programs in Low-Middle-Income Countries (LMICs) and under-resourced settings in High-Income Countries (HICs), evaluating level of community engagement and impact on mental health outcomes.

Five academic databases were searched for eligible primary studies published in English up to August 2024. Studies involving community members targeting one or more mental health outcomes were included. Data were extracted using a structured tool, quality …

Responding To Faculty Research Literacy Needs At A Non-Research Intensive University, Charlotte Swint, Kelsey Kent

Biennial Convention (CONV)

Nursing faculty at non-research-intensive universities must develop and demonstrate literacy in research topics to support the education of their students. Many faculty members at research-intensive universities are considered to be experts in their fields of research methodologies and funding acquisition. Although faculty at non-research-intensive universities may not be engaged in managing large research programs, they are teaching students in research-focused courses at the BSN, MSN, and DNP levels. At the DNP level, faculty must be able to demonstrate and understand quality improvement methodologies. This activity will describe an innovative program developed at a non-research-intensive university to address the research literacy …

Young Adults' Experiences With Text Messaging Intervention For E-Cigarette Cessation In Rural Areas, Redson Biswick Machongo, Vipavee Thongpriwan, Seok Hyun Gwon, Devon Noonan

Biennial Convention (CONV)

Introduction: Electronic Nicotine Delivery Systems (ENDS, commonly known as e-cigarettes) use has increased rapidly among young adults (YAs, 18-24 years) in rural communities. E-cigarette use is a higher risk factor for both cardiovascular and pulmonary diseases. Addressing the disturbing rates of e-cigarette use in YAs requires cessation resources to be available and accessible. Regrettably, rural community residents have limited access to cessation resources. The purpose of this study was to explore YAs' perceptions and experiences engaging in text-message intervention to assist with vaping cessation effectively.

Methods: A qualitative investigation with individual interviews was conducted. Participants (n = 8) were from …

Legal Considerations On Predictive Policing Based On Italian ‘Algorithmic Administration’ Principles, Stefano Rossa

Yearbook of Antitrust and Regulatory Studies

In Beck’s current risk society, the State is faced with a dilemma. To fail before the risk but to keep the sphere of citizens’ rights intact; or not to fail but to restrict fundamental rights? This payoff turns out to be the main issue that juridical reflections on the use of predictive technology tools in the public sector must consider. Policing is an administrative function that is mainly composed of acts of a preventive nature. By using ICT, it is possible to employ AI systems with a very high rate of certainty to ‘predict’ future crime scene. But is it …

Cv: Jennifer Buss (Elementary Education/Special Education), Jennifer Buss

Education Department Faculty Curricula Vitae

No abstract provided.

The 'Pay-Or-Consent' Model And Competition Policy: A Case Comment On The European Commission’S Decision Against Meta Under The Digital Markets Act, Arletta M. Gorecka

Yearbook of Antitrust and Regulatory Studies

This case comment analyses the European Commission’s first non-compliance decision under the Digital Markets Act (DMA), focusing on Meta’s “pay-orconsent” model and its incompatibility with Article 5(2). The Commission held that Meta failed to provide users with a genuinely equivalent, privacy-protective alternative to behavioural advertising, thereby undermining the voluntariness of consent and commodifying user data in violation of DMA standards. The comment situates the ruling within broader EU regulatory trends, highlighting parallels with Apple’s infringement of Article 5(4) DMA and the Commission’s emerging outcomes-oriented enforcement approach. It argues that these decisions jointly clarify gatekeeper obligations, expand the meaning of “free …

Fide 2025: Eu Digital Economy: General Framework (Dsa/Dma) And Specialised Regimes With Follow-Up Considerations On “Regional Gatekeepers”, Kamil Dobosz

Yearbook of Antitrust and Regulatory Studies

No abstract provided.

The Artificial Intelligence (Ai) Economy In The Mountain West, 2025, Dre Boyd-Weatherly, Sean Curry, Krish Sharma, Kristian Thymianos, William E. Brown Jr.

Economic Development & Workforce

This fact sheet reports on the artificial intelligence (AI) readiness of five Mountain West metropolitan statistical areas (MSAs): Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ; Salt Lake City-Murray, UT; Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO; Las Vegas-Henderson-North Las Vegas, NV; and Albuquerque, NM. Using data from the Brookings Institution's “Mapping the AI Economy” report, the MSAs are benchmarked based on their overall population, employment, talent, adoption, and innovation.

Spectrum, Volume 55, Issue 11, Sacred Heart University

Newspapers (Obelisk & Spectrum)

Highlights include: SantaCon Shutdown -- The Senior Experience: President’s 63 -- Courageous Dialogue with the Ramos Institute -- Alumni Rediscover SHU with Monthly Tours -- Back-to-Back Conference Champions

A Curriculum For Teaching English-Speaking Fluency, Jue Xia

Master's Projects and Capstones

This field project intends to apply theories of second language acquisition to practical implementations. The purpose of this project is to design a curriculum that teaches speaking fluency to low level English literacy English as a Second Language (ESL) learners. The theoretical frameworks it uses are Stephen Krashen’s Input Hypothesis Theory (Brown 2014, p.288), Barry McLaughlin’s Attention-Processing Model (Brown 2014, p.292), Lev Vigotsky’s Sociocultural Theory (Brown 2014, p.295). Fink’s (2003) Integrated Course Design model gives important insights when designing the curriculum. In the project, the author developed three themed units to teach speaking skills. In each unit, three modules are …

Effective Leadership Strategies Used To Retain Volunteers In Nonprofit Organizations, Celine Ejoh Njeck

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Abstract Nonprofit organizations provide critical services that address social, cultural, and economic needs within communities. Nonprofit leaders who cannot retain volunteers risk reduced organizational capacity, interruptions in program delivery, and weakened ability to achieve program objectives. Grounded in servant leadership theory, the purpose of this qualitative pragmatic inquiry project was to identify and explore the effective strategies nonprofit leaders use to retain volunteers to support their program objectives. Participants were six nonprofit leaders in north Texas who have successfully retained volunteers to support their program objectives. Data was collected using semi structured interviews and a review of publicly available documents …