Digital Commons Network^™

Triple Shock On External Sustainability In Indonesia, Aloysius Deno Hervino, Insukindro Insukindro, Sekar Utami Setiastuti, Amirullah Setya Hardi

Bulletin of Monetary Economics and Banking

This study evaluates Indonesia’s external sustainability by analyzing exports, imports, and net unilateral transfer payments. The study utilizes Indonesia’s data from the third quarter of 2005 to the fourth quarter of 2019, applying both a long-run dynamic model and a short-run forward-looking model incorporating triple shocks. This research excludes the period from 2020 onwards due to the economic upheaval in Indonesia resulting from the COVID-19 outbreak. This study concludes that Indonesia’s current account is unsustainable, as neither export nor import variables exhibit a long-term link, hence failing to meet intertemporal budget constraints. Furthermore, imports substantially influence long-term exports, which increase …

Financial Policy For A Green Economy In A Resource-Rich Emerging Economy, Arlyana Abubakar, Prayudhi Azwar, Riris Shanti, Salman Fathoni, Noer Aida Triandini

Bulletin of Monetary Economics and Banking

This paper analyzes policies aimed at fostering a green economy in a resource-abundant, megadiverse nation such as Indonesia. This study use Delphi and Analytic Network Process methodologies, grounded in the perspectives of regulators, academics, experts, and practitioners in the green economy, to identify the determinants of green financial policies, revealing that fiscal instruments are of paramount importance. Furthermore, both the case and the respondents are Indonesian. This underscores the necessity of instituting incentives in environmentally sustainable sectors and disincentives in carbon-intensive industries. Therefore, the suitable allocation of green budgets within fiscal policy is essential for addressing market failures and expediting …

Exchange Rate And Indonesia Economic Growth, Ayi Supriyadi, Yanfitri Yanfitri, Trinil Arimurti, Sinta Atharinanda

Bulletin of Monetary Economics and Banking

We examine the effect of the exchange rate on the economy and the impact of the Dominant Currency Paradigm (DCP) on Indonesia’s export volume. This study employs multiple methodologies, namely the Auto Regressive Distributed Lag (ARDL) model, the non-linear version of ARDL, and panel regressions. The findings indicated that the depreciation of the exchange rate influenced economic expansion. The beneficial effect was mitigated by the influence of finance as seen in the company’s financial sheet. The findings also indicate the influence of DCP on the volume of international trade in Indonesia.

Does Digital Finance Move Together With Technology Innovation In China?, Zhu Wenhui, Zhang Jiajie, Hu Chuanxia, Dong Hanwei

Bulletin of Monetary Economics and Banking

Existing academic research has predominantly examined the unidirectional impact of digital finance on technological innovation, thereby neglecting the reciprocal interplay between these two domains. This study fills this gap by investigating the long-term bidirectional cointegrated relationship between digital finance and technological innovation. Using panel cointegration estimation methods on panel data from 286 Chinese cities during 2011–2020, empirical results reveal a long-term co-movement between digital finance and technological innovation. Pooled Mean Group estimation demonstrates that digital finance makes significant contributions to technological innovation in both long-term and short-term contexts. However, sub-sample analyses show that digital finance consistently boosts technological innovation in …

Effects Of Elicitation Method On Functionally Relevant Item Selection In Spanish And English Monolinguals And Bilinguals, Dallin J. Bailey, Esther Barahona Wilkes

Faculty Publications

Purpose: One important decision speech language pathologists make when planning anomia treatment is the identification and selection of the specific vocabulary items to target during therapy. However, this process is not entirely straightforward. Although ‘functional relevance’ has high face validity for the identification of target items, interpretations differ, which may impact which words are selected for therapy. As such, target item selection methods vary, with resulting items impacted by the specific method used. There are also many person-level variables that may impact the functional relevance of specific items, such as the heritage language of the patient or their bilingualism status. …

Precision Care In Screening, Surveillance, And Overall Management Of Barrett's Esophagus, Yeshaswini Reddy, Madhav Desai, Bernadette Tumaliuan, Nirav Thosani

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Barrett's esophagus (BE), a metaplastic transformation of an esophageal squamous epithelium into an intestinal-type columnar epithelium, is the primary precursor to esophageal adenocarcinoma (EAC). Traditional management strategies have relied heavily on selective screening, tailored surveillance intervals, and early dysplasia detection and treatment algorithms. However, the heterogeneity in progression risk among BE patients necessitates a more nuanced, personalized approach involving precision care, tailoring decisions to individual patient characteristics, promises to enhance outcomes in BE through more targeted screening, personalized surveillance intervals, and risk-based therapeutic strategies. This review explores the current landscape and emerging trends in precision medicine for Barrett's esophagus, highlighting …

Stories Of California Mini-Corps Tutors: Exploring The Experiences Of Bilingual Latinx Early Preservice Teachers, Norma Rueda Santillanez

Dissertations

Restrictive language policies and practices in schools have racialized the experiences of bilingual Latinx early preservice teachers (EPSTs), leading many to internalize the belief that their language and culture are not valued. These deficit-based messages often influence their personal development and emerging professional identities. Despite the volume of scholarship about this pattern, little research has explored how this internalization shapes EPSTs’ perspectives as they move from being multilingual students educated in English-only environments to future credential program students and bilingual teachers. This critical qualitative case study examined this process as students engaged in school-based fieldwork through the California Mini-Corps program …

Unpacking Entrepreneurial Ecosystem Elements: Insights Into Drivers Of Entrepreneurial Activity, Mohamed Yacine Haddoud, Samah Souleh, Omaima Munawar Albadry, Saeyeon Roh, Adah Kole Emmanuel Onjewu

Plymouth Business School

Thriving entrepreneurial ecosystems (EEs) are instrumental in new enterprise creation and growth, as they provide vital support for entrepreneurial activity. However, as this support may be context-specific, the existing literature has yet to capture the contextual factors that shape the contributions of EEs. To address this inertia, a fuzzy analytical hierarchy process (FAHP) is employed, which examines the influence of ecosystem factors on new venture development in two key MENA countries, namely Algeria and Saudi Arabia. The findings indicate that physical, commercial, and legal infrastructure are important factors for EEs in both countries. Nevertheless, there are intriguing differences in the …

Implementing A Health Recommendation System From Wearable Data, Priti Pramanick

Doctoral Theses

The rising interest in personalized health monitoring has created a demand for intelligent systems that not only evaluate an individual’s health status but also offer actionable recommendations. This dissertation presents a data-driven approach to assess overall health by calculating a weekly health score using multi-dimensional data sources such as sleep patterns, nutrition, cardiovascular activity, fitness levels, and metabolic parameters. The system integrates and processes data stored in MongoDB using Python, applies scoring logic tailored to each health domain, and aggregates them into a unified health score. Addi- tionally, the system generates a detailed summary and leverages a language model to …

2025-03-18 Leadership Team Minutes, Susie Salazar

Executive Council Minutes

No abstract provided.

2025-02-04 Executive Council Minutes, Susie Salazar

Executive Council Minutes

No abstract provided.

Thermally Tunable Mid-Infrared Nanocavity Resonance Of Coupled Surface Plasmon-Phonon Polaritons, Satya R. Kachiraju, Zachary M. Brown, Sundar Kunwar, Long Chang, Imtiaz Ahmad, Pinku Roy, Vladimir Kuryatkov, Yejin Kwon, Ayrton A. Bernussi, Chase T. Ellis

Physics & Astronomy Faculty Publications

Phase-change materials (PCMs) are essential for achieving tunability of metasurfaces. However, they frequently face limitations in the long-wave infrared range because of their lossy behavior. Here, we experimentally demonstrate a thermally tunable mid-infrared nanocavity resonance from coupled surface plasmon-phonon polaritons that are supported within a trilayer structure of metal-PCM layer-polar dielectric (Au-VO2-SiC). The top metal structures configure the Fabry-Perot cavity resonance near 840 cm−1 (11.9 µm), which is sensitively tunable and reversible with small changes in the VO2 refractive index ∆n near below its insulator-to-metal phase transition temperature where the loss is small. The maximum resonance shift of 7.7 cm−1 …

If We Must, We Must: A Better Way To Utilize Placement Exams, Samantha Bravo

Masters Theses (Archived)

College placement exams have been part of a student’s continuing education journey for many years. In a state like Texas, who has had a very extensive and dynamic history in regard to education assessment, students wishing to enter into college must take a state specific college placement exam. Is this state specific placement instrument helping its students? Texas pioneered a shift to a college and career ready focused state curriculum, so does this focused curriculum prepare students for the state college placement exam? How can this potentially be used in a way that can better serve its students? By analyzing …

Timing Of Nodal Metastasis In Patients With Eyelid Sebaceous Carcinoma And Implications For Surveillance And Survival, Tracy Lu, Casey Anthony, Xinyang Jiang, Jing Ning, Ryan Goepfert, Bita Esmaeli

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Background/aims: Sebaceous carcinoma (SC) is a rare cancer with periocular predilection. Studies focused on patterns and timing of nodal metastasis are scarce.Our aim is to report patterns of regional nodal metastasis in patients with eyelid SC, including results of sentinel lymph node biopsy (SLNB).

Methods: All consecutive patients with eyelid SC treated during 1999-2023 were retrospectively reviewed.All subjects had standard of care surgery for eyelid SC and regional lymph node evaluation using physical examination and ultrasonography (US) at baseline and during the surveillance period. 38 patients with negative findings on US had SLNB to rule out microscopic metastasis.The frequency and …

The Adaptation And Translation Of A Transition Readiness Scale For Young Adults With Autism Spectrum Disorder, Antonio F Pagán, Katherine A Loveland, Ron Acierno

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Autistic young adults often face significant challenges during the transition to adulthood, yet few tools exist to assess their readiness in a developmentally appropriate and culturally responsive manner. This study presents the development and initial validation of the Transition Readiness Scale for Autistic Adolescents and Adults (TRS-A), a brief caregiver- and self-report measure designed to assess key domains of transition readiness. Guided by qualitative input from Latino families, community stakeholders, and clinicians, the TRS-A was piloted with 114 autistic young adults, 66 Spanish-speaking parents, and 48 English-speaking parents. Psychometric analyses supported the scale's internal consistency and construct validity, mirroring the …

Navigating Ethical Challenges In Generative Ai-Enhanced Research: The Ethical Framework For Responsible Generative Ai Use, Douglas Eacersall, Lynette Pretorius, Ivan Smirnov, Erika Spray, Sam Illingworth, Ritesh Chugh, Sonja Strydom, Dianne Stratton-Maher, Jonathan Simmons, Isaac Jennings, Rian Roux, Ruth Kamrowski, Abigail Downie, Chee Ling Thong, Katharine A. Howell

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

The rapid adoption of generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) in research presents both opportunities and ethical challenges that should be carefully navigated. Although GenAI tools can enhance research efficiency by automating tasks such as literature reviews and data analysis, their use raises concerns about aspects including data accuracy, privacy, bias, and research integrity. This paper proposes the ETHICAL framework, which is a practical guide for responsible GenAI use in research. Employing a multi-stage single case study design, we examine multiple GenAI tools in real research contexts to develop the ETHICAL framework, which consists of seven key principles: Examine policies and guidelines, …

Impact Of Left Ventricular Assist Devices On The Quality Of Life And Functional Outcomes In Advanced Heart Failure: A Comprehensive Review, Syed Maaz Shah, Hira Saleem, Vaisnavy Govindasamy, Amandeep Rathi, Neha Haris, Ramsha Ali, Lakshmi Devi, Layal E. Omaruddin, Krishna S. Pavuluri, Anit M. Joseph, Abdullah Tariq

Student Publications

Managing advanced heart failure (HF) remains a major clinical challenge, especially for patients who no longer respond to conventional treatment options, or are not candidates for heart transplantation. In such cases, left ventricular assist devices (LVADs) have become an important option, offering mechanical support that has the potential to extend life and improve daily functioning. With ongoing advancements in technology, there is growing interest in understanding how LVADs impact not just survival, but also patients' quality of life (QoL) and overall recovery.

This narrative review explores the role of LVAD therapy in improving functional status and QoL in patients with …

Amanda Hopkins, Amanda Hopkins, Nathalie Romero '25, Posse Legacy Project, Illinois Wesleyan University

All oral histories

Interview of Amanda Hopkins, PhD, RN on July 22, 2025. Amanda Hopkins, PhD, RN is a Posse 2 and Posse 6 mentor and Associate Professor of Nursing at Illinois Wesleyan University.

Participant Engagement In A National Longitudinal Study Of Covid-19: Insights From The Inspire Study, Kris Pui Kwan Ma, Tracy Stober, Michael Gottlieb, Rachel E. Geyer, Kristin L. Rising, Sharon Saydah, Michelle Santangelo, Kristyn Gatling, Dylan Grau, Ralph C. Wang, Juan Carlos Montoy, Ahamed Idris, Samuel Macdonald, Mandy J. Hill, Ryan Huebinger, Maria G. Prado, Nicole L. Gentile, Erica Spatz, Caitlin Maliki, Jocelyn Dorney, Joann G. Elmore, Michelle L'Hommedieu, Robert A Weinstein, Arjun K. Venkatesh, Kari A. Stephens

Department of Emergency Medicine Faculty Papers

OBJECTIVE: To examine participants' motivations and their experiences throughout a decentralized, longitudinal COVID-19 study in the U.S.

METHODS: We recruited 355 participants from the Innovative Support for Patients with SARS-CoV-2 Infections Registry (INSPIRE) between November 2022 - March 2023 to answer five qualitative survey questions anonymously. We used an inductive content analysis approach to analyze the data.

RESULTS: We identified five key themes from the analysis, which reflected participants' a) motivations to join the study, b) study benefits, c) perceptions of survey questions, d) experiences with the research process, and e) preferences for disseminating research findings. Participants were motivated to …

Experience Matters: An Application Of The Operative Value Index For Lumbar Fusions, Danyal Quraishi, Advith Sarikonda, D. Mitchell Self, Steven R. Glener, Arbaz A. Momin, Emily L. Isch, Ashmal K. Sami, Matthews Lan, Nicholas Clark, Ashwini Sharan, Srinivas Prasad, Jack Jallo, Joshua Pelta-Heller, Alex R. Vaccaro, James Harrop, Ahilan Sivaganesan

Department of Neurosurgery Faculty Papers

INTRODUCTION: As healthcare systems transition to value-based care models, it is critical to understand factors influencing costs and outcomes in neurosurgery. This study utilizes Time-Driven Activity-Based Costing (TDABC) to assess the impact of surgeon experience and case volume on costs, clinical outcomes, and operative value in lumbar fusions. While TDABC has been applied in various surgical specialties, its use in neurosurgery, particularly in analyzing surgeon-specific factors, remains limited.

METHODS: A retrospective cohort study was conducted at a single center, analyzing lumbar instrumented arthrodesis procedures from 2017 to 2019. Primary variables included surgeon experience (years) and case volume (annual procedures). Confounding …

The Regulars: Joseph Russell Knowland And The Roots Of Contemporary Republican Conservatism, Ron Cook

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The “regular” Republicans were the conservatives within the reform-dominated Republican Party at the dawn of the twentieth century. Heirs of the Republican “stalwarts” of the Gilded Age, they were the “machine,” “establishment,” and “old guard” Republicans in the Age of Theodore Roosevelt. Overall, they preferred traditional, “patron-based” and “service-oriented” party organization over the “issue-driven coalitions” of progressive reformers. Across most of the nineteenth century, American politics was rooted in simple party identity, and this traditional “politics of organization.” In the early twentieth century, however, progressives ushered in what historian Arthur Schlesinger, Jr., later called a “politics of ideology,” grounded not …

Investigating The Relationship Between Physical Activity And Academic Performance Among Non-Traditionally Aged Undergraduate Students, Joseph Anthony Giandonato Iv

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this quantitative, correlational study was to determine a relationship between physical activity (PA) participation and academic performance (AP) among non-traditionally aged undergraduate students (NTAS), aged 25 and older, which represents one of the fastest growing enrollment segments at higher education institutions within the US. The sample (n = 167) was constituted of undergraduate students aged 25 and older enrolled at a large private university located in the Southeastern US for two consecutive academic terms. Data collection was comprised of disseminating a modified version of the International Physical Activity Questionnaire Short Form (IPAQ-SF) accompanied by a brief demographic …

Special Education Teacher Burnout Experiences: A Hermeneutic Phenomenology Study, Marisa N. Deptula

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this qualitative, hermeneutic phenomenological study was to explore how special education teachers describe their burnout experiences when teaching at a special education populated school in Connecticut. The theory guiding this study was Maslach’s Burnout Inventory Theory which examines teacher burnout experiences through the three lenses of emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and lack of personal accomplishment. Hermeneutic phenomenology explicitly focuses on the lived experience, the participant's perspective and experiences, and the researcher's opinion and knowledge on the topic (Alsaigh & Coyne 2021; Bynum & Varpio, 2017). This study was specifically looking at the experiences of special education teachers at …

An Investigation Of Mental Well-Being Of Music Ensemble Participants At Eastern Arizona College: A Case Study, Geoffrey D. Despain

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this qualitative case study was to explore the experiences of collegiate music ensemble students with mental illness and if music ensemble participation helped them cope. Students have indicated that participating in a music ensemble or listening to music has helped them cope with perceived or diagnosed mental illness such as depression and anxiety. Music students at Eastern Arizona College (EAC), a rural community college in Thatcher, Arizona, expressed their mental health struggles with band and choir directors. Some students have sought help through the counseling department. Many students do not seek help in any form. This qualitative …

Understanding Dissonance Between Clinical Theory And Christian Principles In Counseling: Equipping Clinically Trained Professional Counselors To Counsel Through A Christian Worldview, Herbert Douglas Geiger

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This action project focuses on addressing the need for a research-based activity to understand the operational worldviews related to the counseling practices of the counselors at the Abundant Life Counseling Center. With the increasing demand for clinically and theologically informed counseling, the study explored how a counselor's worldview affects faith integration into a clinically based, therapeutic approach. The goal is to equip counselors to provide wisdom through theologically grounded and clinically informed training within a Christian philosophical framework, improve their Christian counseling skills, and reduce dissonance caused by the lack of integration skills in Christian-principled counseling (Prov 29:18). Every Christian-principled …

Adult Romantic Attachment Styles, Attachment To God And Recidivism Risk Among Adult Male Sexual Offenders, Mary Crystal Wring

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This study investigated the possible relationship between attachment to adult romantic partners and attachment to God style and sexual/violent recidivism risk scores. The study, also, sought to understand the lived experiences of adult male sexual offenders in relation to their family of origin, romantic partners, and with the Christian God. Participants (N=38) completed self-report questionnaires on their attachment styles to adult romantic partners (ECR-R) and to God (AGI). These scores were analyzed using chi-squared test of independence and multiple linear regression with scores of sexual/violent recidivism risk assessments performed by their probation or corrections officers (STATIC 99R, CPORT). This study …

Leading Through Critical Incidents: A Phenomenological Study Of K–12 School Leaders’ Responses To Critical Incidents, Terry-Ann Griffin

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this transcendental phenomenological study was to explore how K–12 school leaders respond to critical incidents in schools. A critical incident is any actual or alleged event or situation that creates a significant risk of substantial or severe harm to physical or mental health, safety, or well-being. The study focused on three major critical incidents: school shootings/gun violence, the COVID-19 pandemic, and racial unrest. The research was guided by Bandura’s Social Cognitive Theory, which explains human behavior through reciprocal interactions between personal, environmental, and behavioral factors. The central research question was: How do K–12 school leaders respond to …

Pennsylvania Germans In The Seventeenth & Eighteenth Century: God, Community, And Country Die Pennsylvania-Deutschen Im 17. Und 18. Jahrhundert: Gott, Gemeinschaft Und Land, James M. Deitch

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The terms freedom, liberty, liberalism, republicanism, linguistics, culture, and religion are all strongly associated with the early history of Pennsylvania. Historians have documented aspects of German and Anglo-Pennsylvanians. Historians have written about the conflict between freedom and liberty with loose definitions. Others have mentioned these differences only in passing, as if the Germans did not figure as prominently in the overall narrative, or other cases, assuming that all people understood and experienced freedom in the same manner and defined it with the same meanings and context. In Pennsylvania during the late 17th century and throughout the 18th century, the Germans …

A Phenomenological Study: Exploring The Lived Philanthropic Motivation Of Trustees At Private Universities, Robert Russell Firth

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this qualitative, hermeneutical phenomenological study was to understand the lived experiences of motivated philanthropic giving for board of trustee members at two private higher education institutions in the north-central United States. The theory guiding this study is Ryan and Deci's theory of self-determination, as it relates to the trustees’ intrinsic motivation to be philanthropic and benevolent while engaging with the university and serving on the board of trustees. The central research question was: What are the lived experiences that intrinsically motivate the board of trustee members to be philanthropic at two private higher education institutions in the …

The Teaching Motivation Of Filipino Educators In English-Speaking International Schools In Japan: A Transcendental Phenomenological Qualitative Study, Gloria Jean Whitaker

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this qualitative transcendental phenomenology study was to examine the job motivation of Filipino educators in English-speaking international schools in Japan. Filipinos represent the third largest group among nationalities seeking employment overseas. This study was guided by Deci and Ryan’s self-determination theory, which focuses on motivation and three basic human psychological needs for optimum well-being: autonomy, competence, and relatedness. The qualitative transcendental phenomenological approach was used to gather information from participants about their motivation while teaching at English-speaking international schools in Japan. The central research question addressed was, “How do Filipino teachers in English-speaking international schools in Japan …