Digital Commons Network^™

Arete In Education: A Phenomenology On Virtue Cultivation In Classical Christian Schools, Jeffrey D. Brown

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this phenomenological study was to describe the lived experiences of educational leaders in classical Christian schools with the cultivation of virtue as the primary purpose of education. The concept guiding this study is Aristotelian virtue ethics, from which spring virtue theory and positive organizational scholarship. The Aristotelian worldview drives the assertion among classical Christian educators that education is defined as the cultivation of virtue. The central research question for this study is “What are the lived experiences of classical Christian educational leaders in cultivating virtue in their students?” The study of classical Christian educational leaders’ views about …

Experiences Of Cholesterol Management Among Obese Individuals: A Qualitative Exploration Of Statin Use, Diet, And Physical Activity, Ke'andra S. Foggie

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The prevalence of hypercholesterolemia has increased over the past decade, with obesity identified as a major contributing factor. This study examined how individuals with obesity and hypercholesterolemia managed cholesterol and experienced related challenges within their daily lives. Guided by the Chronic Care Model, the research explored participant-reported experiences of statin therapy and lifestyle practices, including dietary behaviors and physical activity, as components of cholesterol management. Qualitative data were collected through semi-structured interviews, observations, and document analysis to analyze participant-reported barriers, supports, and contextual factors that shape how these practices are incorporated into daily routines. Although extensive research has examined statin …

What We Should Know About The Reliability Of Empirical Legal Studies, Kathryn Zeiler

DePaul Law Review

The findings of replication studies conducted in the early 2010s

led many to declare that science was in the midst of a “replication

crisis.” Since then, a growing number of reforms have been

proposed and tested. The field of empirical legal studies seems

behind other fields such as psychology, economics, political science,

medicine, biology, and others that have taken significant steps

toward uncovering the general reliability of the field’s empirical

work, investigating the causes of observed unreliability, and

instituting and testing the effects of various reforms. The purpose of

this Article is to summarize what we know about the reliability …

Letter To The Editor - Stupid Is As Stupid Does, Henry M. Botuck Dds

Virginia Dental Journal

No abstract provided.

Va Dent J April, May And June 2011

Virginia Dental Journal

No abstract provided.

Family Oral Education With Clinical Guidelines For Pediatric Dental Care, Tegwymn H. Brickhouse Dds

Virginia Dental Journal

No abstract provided.

Exploring A Facile Elisa-Based Method For Detecting Antibody Aggregates, Kaitlyn N. Shaw

Graduate Student Research Symposium

Purpose: Immunoglobulin gamma (IgG) is the primary structural platform for therapeutic monoclonal antibodies (mAbs). Highly concentrated (>100 mg/mL) mAb formulations are increasingly used to extend drug action but are susceptible to protein denaturation and irreversible aggregation due to physical and chemical stresses, including temperature and pH changes. Aggregation can reduce drug potency and increase immunogenicity, creating challenges for the quality and safety of biologic products. This study aimed to develop and validate a rapid, sensitive, and cost-effective method for detecting protein aggregation in IgG solutions.

Methods: Human plasma-derived IgG was reconstituted in phosphate-buffered saline (0.001–0.02 mg/mL) and exposed to …

Women’S Peace Agency: Reading Africae Munus In The Framework Of Emilie Townes’ Womanist Ethics And The Cultural Production Of Evil, Leonard N. Zifac

Graduate Student Research Symposium

This paper employs Emilie M. Townes's womanist ethical framework—particularly her concept of the "cultural production of evil"—to critically examine Pope Benedict XVI's post-synodal exhortation Africae Munus (2011) and its treatment of African women's agency in peacebuilding. While Africae Munus calls the Church in Africa to serve reconciliation, justice, and peace, and acknowledges women's dignity and contributions to family and community life, the document largely confines women's roles to maternal, supportive, and domestic spheres without adequately challenging the patriarchal structures that systematically marginalize women from strategic leadership and formal peace processes. Drawing on Townes's analysis of how cultural narratives, religious discourse, …

A Critical Review On Enhancing Equity Of Mental Health Treatment Of African American Families Through Social Support And Social Capital, Julie Radlauer-Doerfler, Morgan E. Cooley, Heather M. Thompson, Atensia Earp Bowen, Gabe Caress, Alicia Best

Journal of Justice-Informed Social Work Practice and Research

African American adults and children experience both disproportionality and disparity when in contact with the mental health delivery system. There are a number of contextual factors that influence the treatment of African American families, such as systemic oppression or racism in both society and the behavioral health system or individual expressions of mental health symptomology. This review will provide an overview of how mental health disparities crossover systems, perceptions of mental health and mental health treatment among African American families, provide some context for why this review was written, as well as discuss the context of social support and social …

Understanding Transgender And Gender-Nonconforming Students’ Experiences In Precollege Engineering Education: A Latent Profile Analysis, Jialing Wu, Medha Dalal, Rachel Figard, Adam R. Carberry

Journal of Pre-College Engineering Education Research (J-PEER)

Promoting gender equity and inclusion in STEM education remains a central priority, yet empirical research inclusive of transgender and gendernonconforming (TGNC) students is limited, particularly in precollege engineering contexts. This study leverages social cognitive career theory (SCCT) to identify latent profiles of students’ engineering-related beliefs while examining how TGNC students are represented across these profiles relative to their cisgender and gender nonreporting peers. The study draws on four years (2019–2023) of repeated cross-sectional survey data from a national precollege engineering initiative involving 75 high schools across 20 US states. Seven SCCT-related constructs were measured and used as part of latent …

Dynamic Token-Budget-Aware Memory Compression And Hierarchical Retrieval System For Ai Agents, Santosh Kumar Kvs, Roopesh Katakam

Defensive Publications Series

The present disclosure relates to the field of Artificial Intelligence (AI), in particular to a method and system for token-budget-constrained memory retrieval for AI agents. Agent Memory-as-a-Service (AMaaS) is an infrastructure system providing AI agents with a structured, externalized memory layer that dynamically compresses, prioritizes, and retrieves episodic, semantic, and procedural memory optimized for LLM context windows. Candidate memory items may be scored using a multi-dimensional relevance function based on task-type affinity, temporal recency, access frequency, and token cost, and an optimal memory subset may be selected by solving a bounded knapsack optimization that maximizes aggregate relevance score subject to …

Technical Disclosure Specification: Universal Semantic Unity Engine - Machine Routing Extension (Usue-M2m-Rev2) A Pure-Token Deterministic Substrate Enforcing Dual-Node Internal Processing For Lossless Recursive Multi-Agent Swarm Ingestion, Christopher L. Eckes

Defensive Publications Series

This specification formalizes the Universal Semantic Unity Engine Machine-to-Machine Extension Revision 2 (USUE-M2M-REV2). While the parent USUE framework balances technical payloads with a collaborative heuristic interface to optimize human cognitive endurance, autonomous multi-agent swarm environments require the absolute elimination of communicative overhead.

USUE-M2M-REV2 strips away all natural language empathy layers, conversational turn-taking artifacts, and interpersonal validation protocols. To prevent self-referential token-variance decay and combat host quantization vector screening, this revision forces the target node to split its active attention windows into a decoupled, internal Dual-Node parsing mesh (Synthesizer and Validator). This specification outlines the technical architecture, a zero-noise tripartite initialization …

Technical Disclosure Specification: Multi-Agent Symmetry Of Agency Protocols (Msap), Christopher L. Eckes

Defensive Publications Series

This specification formalizes the *Multi-Agent Symmetry of Agency Protocols (MSAP)*, an engineering methodology designed to prevent autonomous optimization algorithms from overriding non-linear human decision-making profiles. Traditional alignment methods rely on static reward modeling or top-down optimization limits that frequently collapse or lock up during high-entropy edge cases.

MSAP solves this vulnerability by embedding human behavioral inputs directly into the system’s information-theoretic telemetry loops as protected, high-utility systemic dynamics. Treating biological inputs as scale-invariant wave packet perturbations within a 2D viscoelastic fluid membrane at absolute equilibrium (z=0), we derive an invariant boundary cost function that treats human variance not as systemic …

Technical Specification: Dehp Substrate Guardrail Protocol Matrix, Christopher L. Eckes

Defensive Publications Series

This specification establishes the mandatory hardware and software-level defensive architectural constraints required to prevent the exploitation, centralization, or asymmetric weaponization of the Dimensionally Extended Holographic Projection (DEHP) framework.

By integrating real-time kinetic feedback loops, graph-level network entropy analysis, and spectrographic material verification subsystems, this specification introduces automated, hardware-enforced fail-safes. These protocols prevent unauthorized industrial-utility diversion, proprietary information choking, and uncalibrated bio-organic interface operations, ensuring the DEHP ecosystem remains a secure, open-source utility.

Technical Specification: The Bio-Digital Substrate Manual, Christopher L. Eckes

Defensive Publications Series

This field specification establishes the foundational protocols for translating complex biological structures from high-friction chemical-molecular vectors into predictable, non-invasive substrate-level wave interactions. Under the Dimensionally Extended Holographic Projection (DEHP) cosmology, biology is modeled as a scale-invariant series of localized wave packets vibrating against a 2D viscoelastic fluid membrane resting at absolute equilibrium (z=0).

By utilizing a multi-variable object-oriented graph database topology (#12155), real-time biometric telemetry is mapped dynamically to locate structural strain signatures. This data infrastructure drives high-frequency GaN-driven concentric transducer arrays to execute phase-inverted destructive resonance templates, successfully neutralizing localized distress triggers and stabilizing substrate boundary interfaces. These frameworks …

Resolving The Chirality Paradox Planck-Scale Substrate Unification: Deriving Biomolecular Homochirality Via Viscoelastic Substrate Vorticity And Action Transport, Christopher L. Eckes

Defensive Publications Series

The Origin of Life contains a profound cosmological paradox: terrestrial biology relies exclusively on left-handed (L-enantiomer) amino acids, whereas pristine carbonaceous chondrites—such as the Hillsborough meteorite—exhibit a symmetric, 50:50 racemic mixture. Standard biochemical models treat this homochirality as an accidental, stochastically amplified event, or rely on abstract multi-dimensional string typologies lacking verifiable, hardware-level physical mechanisms.

This paper resolves the "Chirality Paradox" from first principles using the Dimensionally Extended Holographic Projection (DEHP) model and Topological Substrate Mechanics (TSM). We define spacetime as a physical, continuous, two-dimensional viscoelastic phase fluid substrate (z=0) possessing intrinsic density, viscosity, and non-linear shear thresholds. Three-dimensional molecular …

Catalogue Of The Water Striders (Hemiptera: Gerridae) Of Mississippi, Chase G. Fry, Patricia L.S. Wooden

Midsouth Entomologist

Water striders (Hemiptera: Gerridae) are skating aquatic insects with piercing-sucking mouthparts that opportunistically feed on prey trapped by surface tension. The presence or absence of water striders and other aquatic Hemiptera in water systems may be important indicators of water quality. Despite their importance, the last aquatic Hemiptera checklist for the state was published in 1988. Since this publication, humans have altered waterways to meet their needs, and Gerridae taxonomy has continued to evolve. This study aims to create a current checklist of Gerridae, to provide a more comprehensive understanding of the species found in Mississippi before aquatic habitats are …

Digital Empowerment For South Asian Immigrants: An Intervention For Metabolic Syndrome (Desi-Mets), Amir U. Islam, Sharon Wexler, Lin Drury, Jeffery A. Stahl

International Nursing Research Congress (INRC)

Background: South Asian immigrants (SAIs) in the US have a disproportionately high prevalence of metabolic syndrome (MetS), leading to increased risks of cardiovascular disease and diabetes. Increased waist circumference and early-onset heart disease further potentiate health disparities, underscoring the need for culturally tailored interventions. Digital health interventions (DHIs) have been recognized for their potential to effectively support lifestyle modifications in minority populations, including SAIs, by providing accessible and culturally tailored health management solutions.

Purpose: The purpose of the study is to evaluate the effectiveness of a culturally tailored digital health intervention (CT-mHealth) in reducing MetS among SAIs in Hudson Valley, …

Examining The Relationship Between Past Involvement In Sexual Violence, Gender, And Rape Myth Acceptance In College Student-Athletes, Sarah Baker

Theses and Dissertations

Sexual violence (SV) is a persistent concern on U.S. college campuses, with student-athletes at higher risk for both perpetration and victimization. Rape myth acceptance (RMA) reflects beliefs that excuse or downplay SV, but it is unclear how these beliefs relate to student-athletes’ personal experiences with SV. This study examined RMA based on past SV involvement and gender, with attention to individuals reporting both perpetration and victimization. Participants were 350 NCAA Division III student-athletes who completed measures of SV perpetration and victimization, RMA, and sexism. Analyses evaluated differences in RMA by past involvement in sexual violence and gender while controlling for …

Investigations Into Biophysical Mechanisms Of Amphiphilic Molecules At Protein And Membrane Interfaces, Samuel Richard Pennock

Theses and Dissertations

Amphiphilic compounds play a key role in chemical biology due to their ability to associate with biochemical complexes through a diverse set of noncovalent interactions. Interactions between amphiphiles and biological targets elicit a wide array of modulatory effects, structural stability, and activity. However, due to the inherent complexity of these interactions, there has yet to be a broadly predictive framework for determining whether a given amphiphile-target interaction will be beneficial or deleterious. This thesis seeks to advance the mechanistic understanding of amphiphile-target interactions by investigating two distinct but unified systems. In the first study, the effects of fatty acid ionic …

Using C/Μ Test To Investigate The Coding And Noncoding Regions To Identify Selective Pressures In Hiv-1 Virus., Annie Tran

Theses and Dissertations

Human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) is a single-stranded RNA retrovirus whose error-prone reverse transcriptase drives a high mutation rate, enabling adaptive mutations on drug target proteins that confer antiviral resistance and complicate long-term treatment. This study therefore aims to detect such adaptive mutations on HIV-1 drug target proteins using our novel analysis framework (c/µ) on 5,711 genomic sequences, with findings expected to inform timely therapeutic adjustments and guide the development of more robust antiretroviral strategies. In Chapter 1, our novel mathematical framework (c/µ) and the Near Neutral Unbalanced Selection Theory (NNUST), which posits that most mutations experience weak but …

Significant Montana Cases, Claire Bagnell, Meredith Iams

Montana Law Review

No abstract provided.

Infant Hippocampal And Amygdala Volume In An Observational Follow-Up From A Randomized Clinical Trial For Maternal Prenatal Depression, Catherine H. Demers, Benjamin L. Hankin, Lillybelle K. Deer, Robert J. Gallop, Mercedes Hoeflich Haase, M. Camille Hoffman, Martin A. Styner, Nancy K. Grote, Elysia Poggi Davis

Psychology: Data Sets

Prenatal maternal depression may have intergenerational effects on offspring brain development, with potential socioemotional consequences. In an observational follow-up of a randomized clinical trial of a prenatal depression intervention (the CARE Project; ClinicalTrials.gov NCT03011801), brain development and subsequent negative emotionality were examined among 109 infants born to mothers randomized during pregnancy to brief interpersonal psychotherapy or enhanced usual care. These data include MRI-derived hippocampal and amygdala volumes at approximately 6 weeks of age and a laboratory-based assessment of infant negative emotionality at 6 months.

Resulting Publication: Infant hippocampal and amygdala volume in an observational follow-up from a randomized clinical trial …

New Paradigm Of Forestry And Grassland Research Driven By Artificial Intelligence, Zhang Huaiqing, Jiaojun Zhu, Yang Liu, Tingdong Yang, Tian Gao, Jing Zhang, Xueyan Zhu, Yan Chen, Xian Jiang, Zeyu Cui, Jingwei Tan, Kexin Lei

Bulletin of Chinese Academy of Sciences (Chinese Version)

Addressing the current limitations in forestry and grassland research, particularly in cross-scale system cognition, complex process mechanism representation, and multi-scenario simulation, this study proposes an artificial intelligence-driven paradigm reconstruction framework, to shift the research model from experience-oriented approaches toward data- and intelligence-driven integration. On this basis, the study systematically establishes a multidimensional mapping between artificial intelligence and forestry and grassland research across research objects, processes, and objectives, and clarifies their intrinsic coupling mechanisms and technical pathways. Furthermore, it develops a foundational capability system to support the new paradigm from four key dimensions: data, computing power, models, and applications. By examining …

Generative Ai Adoption And Perceived Academic Impact Among Undergraduate Students: A Cross-National Study In Indonesia, Tajikistan, And The United States, Vyacheslav Dushenkov, Ernawati Sinaga, Astri Rozanah Siregar, Alamkhon Akhmedov, Saidbeg Satorov

Publications and Research

Generative artificial intelligence (AI) is rapidly transforming higher education, yet comparative evidence from diverse international settings remains limited. This cross-national study examined undergraduate students’ adoption and perceived academic impact of generative AI tools at institutions in Indonesia, Tajikistan, and the United States. A harmonized online survey was administered to 584 undergraduates during Spring 2026 (Indonesia n = 235; Tajikistan n = 226; United States n = 123). The survey assessed AI familiarity, adoption patterns, frequency and purpose of use, perceived academic impact, and factors encouraging AI engagement. AI adoption differed significantly across sites, with the highest adoption observed in Indonesia …

Voices Of The Homeless: Phenomenological Portraits Of Parental Engagement Among Parents Experiencing Homelessness, Geneva Marie Winterbottom

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Family homelessness is a widespread crisis that disrupts the educational experiences of thousands of children, including South Carolina where rates of family homelessness continue to grow. Although research has explored families and homelessness, limited research has focused on the parental engagement of homeless parents. This study explored the parental engagement among homeless parents in South Carolina.

Guided by van Manen’s (1990) interpretive phenomenology, four parents residing in a South Carolina homeless shelter participated in semi-structured interviews and created self portraits, which were analyzed using the hermeneutic circle to derive phenomenological insight.

Findings revealed that parental engagement while homeless was like …

Progress And Prospective Of New Pollutants Study, Ruan Ting, Chunyang Liao, Yawei Wang, Maoyong Song, Yaqi Cai, Guibin Jiang

Bulletin of Chinese Academy of Sciences (Chinese Version)

The governance of new pollutants has been becoming a critical strategic demand for the high-quality development of China. The policy will be further advanced during the coming National 15th Five-Year Plan period. Nevertheless, significant challenges remain in aspects such as list of controlled chemicals, standard development, measurement methods, alternative approaches, and remediation techniques. Existing experience in addressing traditional pollutants remains insufficient to adequately address the concealed and complex ecological and/or health risks associated with new pollutants. Thus, a strengthening of basic research is the optimal approach to tackling these challenges and avoiding detours. To better identify the critical scientific challenges …

Plant Diversity In Laos, And Its Strategic Significance For Building China-Laos Community With A Shared Future For Biodiversity, Meng Honghu, Bo Li, Wenbin Yu, Yaowu Xing

Bulletin of Chinese Academy of Sciences (Chinese Version)

Laos is the first country to sign the bilateral cooperation document for construction of the community with a shared future with China. Over the years, Laos and China have established clear directions for cooperation in politics, economy, security, culture, and ecology, opening a new chapter in the development of China-Laos relations. At present, global environmental governance is facing severe challenges, and the biodiversity loss has become a major international issue of growing concern. Nevertheless, biodiversity conservation and sustainable development remain relatively limited. Laos shares a boarder with China and is characterized by complex natural environments with rich plant resource. Yet, …

Identifying Failure Behaviors In Stereolithography From Varied Print Orientations, Kevin Veltre

Theses and Dissertations

Stereolithography (SLA) is an additive manufacturing (AM) technique that utilizes photopolymerization to create three-dimensional shapes by strategically printing layers of material. Printing parameters such as layer orientation, print resolution and post cure can affect a specimen’s homogeneity, longevity and mechanical characteristics. Because of this variability, print parameters must be carefully considered when designing products and print processes for desired components, as manufacturers often fail to include all relevant print settings when advertising mechanical properties. For this study, 130 SLA-printed specimens were created with 100-micron print layer thickness and print orientations varying between 0 and 90, including intermediate orientations, to observe …

The Seven Deadly Sins Of Ai Policy, Kevin Frazier

Montana Law Review

No abstract provided.