Digital Commons Network^™

Brushstrokes Of Belonging: An Arts-Based Approach To Heritage Language Sustainability Among Multilingual Youth, Erica Anne Daniels

Dissertations - ALL

This qualitative case study examines how arts-based curriculum supports heritage language learning among elementary-aged multilingual students in a community language program. Drawing on Culturally Sustaining Pedagogy, Transformative Multiliteracies, and Community Cultural Wealth, this study analyzes observations, student artifacts, and interviews across Arabic and Karen heritage language classrooms using an arts-based curriculum. Findings demonstrate that arts-based practices foster four key outcomes: identity exploration, the development of agency and critical authenticity, relational language sustainability through family engagement, and heightened motivation grounded in creativity and cultural relevance. Students’ multimodal identity texts, such as drawings, ceramics, and jewelry, served as transformative sites where linguistic …

From Regionalism To Continentalism: Lessons From Ecowas For The Implementation Of Afcfta., Michael Agbo

Theses - ALL

Abstract: This thesis examines the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) as a test for understanding Africa’s continental economic integration under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA). It argues that the persistent failures of state-led integration, in this matter, the ECOWAS, from the repeated inability to roll out a single currency for trade within West Africa to the deliberate infiltration of France and other Western capitalist interests in the economic lives of the people of West Africa, are not just incidental failures of political will or technical implementation setbacks. They are consequences of building Pan-Africanism and integration efforts …

William Lewis, Jr. V. Tracey Chance

2026 Decisions

USDC for the Middle District of Pennsylvania

Ralph Carter V. Adam Baumcratz

2026 Decisions

USDC for the Western District of Pennsylvania

Preserving The Family In The Globalized Era: Explaining State Discouragement Of Women’S Rights And The Gap Between Law And Family Realities In Tajikistan, Ivy Alexandra Raines

Dissertations - ALL

This dissertation is guided by a two-part research question, which begins by asking why Tajikistan exhibits low levels of gender equality within the family despite strong international commitments and a formally secular legal framework. The second question builds on the first by asking why a state that offers legal guarantees in line with its international commitments, as outlined by Article 16 of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW), invests significant energy in discouraging divorce rather than in safeguarding women’s rights that would support their ability to leave harmful marital situations. Employing qualitative discourse …

Atropisomer Mechanochemistry Of Diarylethene Mechanophores: A Study Of Structure-Mechanical Activity Relationships, Cijun Zhang

Dissertations - ALL

Stimuli-responsive organic structures are advanced, intelligent platforms that dynamically adjust their physical or chemical properties—such solubility, or color—in response to external stimuli including light, heat, pH, redox conditions, mechanical force, or magnetic fields. Among these structures, mechanophores represent an important class that is specifically responsive to mechanical force. Synthetic mechanophores can be rationally engineered to exhibit tunable mechanosensitivity as well as tailored chemical and physical properties. In this work, we designed and synthesized a type of atropisomeric mechanophores based on sterically congested diarylethene photoswitches, and systematically investigated their mechanical and photochemical properties. Chapter 1 Chapter 1 provides a general introduction …

Impure Evidentialism: Essays On The Sources & Structure Of Doxastic Normativity, Felipe Oliveira

Dissertations - ALL

The four papers of my dissertation provide a new defense of Impure Evidentialism. The combination of evidentialism about normative reasons for belief with pragmatic encroachment (i.e. impurism) about epistemic justification is a familiar and intuitive view. However, many of the combo view’s finer points, unique advantages, and objections have not been addressed. My dissertation fills this gap by offering a new defense and in-depth look of what I take to be the most plausible version of the combo view. My version of Impure Evidentialism offers an improved and comprehensive account of the norms that govern our beliefs, explains why these …

Learning Under Information And Experience Constraints In Multi-Agent Reinforcement Learning, Qinwei Huang

Dissertations - ALL

Reinforcement learning is a powerful approach for training cooperative multi-agent systems. However, it is usually studied under idealized conditions. Standard formulations assume abundant experience, reliable communication, and cleanly observable state. Physical multi-agent systems rarely satisfy these assumptions, and instead operate under several kinds of scarcity. This dissertation studies reinforcement learning for cooperative multi-agent systems under two practical resource constraints. We show that effective learning in these settings depends not only on how much communication, computation, or experience is available, but also on how limited information and experience are represented, reused, and evaluated. Part I addresses information constraints in cooperative multi-agent …

Essays On Urban Economic Geography In Developing Countries, Taylor Lathrop

Dissertations - ALL

This dissertation contains two papers on urban economic geography in a developing country context. In the first, I identify and quantify local spillovers between firms of heterogeneous ownership type using a rich dataset of Indonesian manufacturing firms with granular location information. Within local clusters of manufacturing employment, I find an elasticity of domestic firm productivity with respect to the average quality of domestic neighbors of 0.025, and an elasticity of domestic firm productivity with respect to the average quality of foreign neighbors of 0.002. For foreign-owned firms, I find little evidence of productivity spillovers from neighbors of either ownership type. …

Legitimacy And Reputation In Sports Corporate Social Advocacy: The Role Of Communication Strategies, Issue Position, And Fan Identification, Maria Grover

Dissertations - ALL

Corporate social advocacy (CSA) has become increasingly common in professional sport, yet most research has examined individual athlete activism or sport consumer brands rather than leagues and teams. This dissertation examined how two public-relations communication strategies – highlighting a collaborative decision-making approach and creating a strong explanatory link between an organization and an issue – impact perceived CSA legitimacy and organizational reputation, and how audience-level factors such as fan identification and pre-existing issue position condition those evaluations. A 2 × 2 between-subjects experiment with a control group (N = 302) presented U.S. NFL fans with a fictitious league statement advocating …

Ann Sheehan V. Shippensburg University Of Pennsylvania

2026 Decisions

USDC for the Middle District of Pennsylvania

Wmu Board Of Trustee Board Meeting, Thursday June 25, 2026, Wmu Board Of Trustees

WMU Board of Trustees Meetings

• Acceptance of the Agenda
• Approval of the Minutes (April 16, 2026)
• Remarks by the Chair of the Board
• Remarks by the President
• Updates by the Faculty Senate President
• Updates by the Western Student Association Speaker of the Assembly
• Updates by the Graduate Student Association President
• Western Michigan University Employee Graduates
• Academic Tenure and Promotion
•  Public Comments Regarding Action Items

Action Items

• Academic Tenure and Promotion
• Fall 2026 Differential Tuition Rates
• Fall 2026 Tuition and Required Fee Rates
• 2026-27 General Fund Operating Budget
• Teaching Assistants Union (TAU) Labor Agreement
• Michigan State Employees Association (MSEA) Labor Agreement
• President’s Annual Review/Compensation/Contract
•  Memorandum of …

The Top 50 Cited Articles In Pediatric Neurology: A Bibliometric Analysis, Anas Alyazidi, Osama Muthaffar, Ahmed Bamaga, Hebah Qashqari, Abdulmalek Alhithlool, Ahmad Alanezi, Sameer Almehmadi, Mohamed Babiker, Fahad Bashiri

Neurosciences

Objectives: To identify and analyze the most influential articles within the field of pediatric neurology through a bibliometric lens. As pediatric neurology continues to expand across subspecialties, identifying landmark studies is critical for understanding clinical and research priorities. Bibliometric analysis enables the evaluation of citation trends to highlight impactful contributions that have shaped the field.

Method: A bibliometric analysis of the 50 most-cited pediatric neurology articles was conducted. Articles were assessed by citation metrics, study design, subspecialty, journal impact factor (JIF), and funding status. Correlation and regression analyses evaluated associations between variables.

Results: Citation counts ranged from 185 to 1,440 …

Investigating The Patent Foramen Ovale–Migraine Link In Southern Saudi Arabia, Al-Amir Bassiouny Mohamed, Maeed Alkathiri, Saad Mushabab Ali Alqahtani, Naif H. Ali, Saima Kashif, Saad A. Alshahrani, Mohammed S. Alqahtani, Mohamed Gaber Mahmoud Gabr, Eltohami Zydan Dafalla, Basharat Hameed Zargar, Wael Qenawi, Ali Mohammed A. Alshehri, Fatimah Asiri, Ahmed Borai

Neurosciences

Objective: Migraine is a highly disabling neurological condition, and increasing attention has focused on a possible connection with patent foramen ovale (PFO).

Methods: This single-center observational study enrolled 45 individuals from January to April 2024: 30 migraine patients with PFO (Group 1) and 15 migraine patients without PFO serving as controls (Group 2). All subjects underwent transthoracic echocardiography and completed standardized instruments including the Migraine Disability Assessment (MIDAS), Headache Impact Test (HIT-6), Migraine Symptom Severity Scale (MSSS), Allodynia Symptom Checklist (ASC-12), Visual Aura Rating Scale (VARS), and Migraine Treatment Optimization Questionnaire (mTOQ-6).

Results: The participant's mean age was 37.3 ± …

Studying Noncitizens: Immigration, The University, And The First Amendment, Peter Margulies

Cleveland State Law Review

From its campaign against anti-war protesters in World War I to the present, the government has tried to restrict the pure political speech of noncitizens, defined as noncitizens’ expression of views about the structure and policies of the U.S. government and governments of foreign nations. Threats to academic freedom are also a hallmark of government action in this domain. Taking a page from this book, the Trump administration has targeted noncitizen students who participated in campus protests against Israel’s military actions in Gaza after Hamas’s brutal attacks on October 7, 2023.

The Trump administration’s effort has viewpoint discrimination at its …

Exploring Resilience, Energy Security, & Regulatory Frameworks, Dr. Edward T. Canuel, Lcdr J. Matthew Hurtt

LSU Journal of Energy Law and Resources

No abstract provided.

Drawing The Line: Roadbeds, Dedications, And Title Uncertainty In Louisiana, Mary Catherine Joiner

LSU Journal of Energy Law and Resources

No abstract provided.

Overcoming Legal And Policy Barriers To Net Energy Generation At Water Resource Recovery Facilities, David Strifling, Nigel Blake, Scout Devoti

LSU Journal of Energy Law and Resources

No abstract provided.

Mid-Barataria Sediment Diversion Project: Navigating Endangered Species Act Litigation For Human Welfare, Dane Eastman

LSU Journal of Energy Law and Resources

No abstract provided.

Much Ado Abbott Navigability: Decoupling Navigability's Roles In Natural Resources Management And Regulation Of Commerce, Mark S. Davis, Isabel A. Englehart

LSU Journal of Energy Law and Resources

No abstract provided.

Sunny Side Up: Why Louisiana Should Modify Louisiana Revised Statutes § 47:6030 And Reinstate Tax Credits For Solar Energy Systems, Isabella Lodrigue

LSU Journal of Energy Law and Resources

No abstract provided.

Industrial Welfare: How The Industrial Tax Exemption Program Keeps Louisiana Poor, Grace Richert

LSU Journal of Energy Law and Resources

No abstract provided.

Exploring Staphylococcus Aureus Host-Pathogen Interaction Using Proteomic Technologies, Emilee Marlene Elizabeth Mustor

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Staphylococcus aureus deploys an arsenal of virulence effectors to remodel the host environment during infection, while simultaneously the host mounts an immune response to contain and eliminate this bacterium. This dynamic interplay defines the host-pathogen interface and shapes infection outcome. In this context, the secreted proteases represent a major arm of S. aureus pathogenesis, promoting bacterial persistence in the host by dismantling immune defenses, cleaving host signaling molecules and reshaping the host proteome. However, traditional substrate-by-substrate characterization cannot reveal the full scope of proteolytic activity occurring during infection. To address this, we developed Terminal Amine-Guanidination of Substrates-Charge Reversal (TAGS-CR), a …

Career Decidedness Among Multicultural Adolescents In South Korea: Relational Support And Internalized Psychological Resources, Kahyen Shin

Dissertations - ALL

Despite the growing number of multicultural adolescents in South Korea, little is known about how to support their career development. Specifically, Korean multicultural adolescents who have foreign-born mothers and Korean fathers have experienced educational and career gaps compared to non-multicultural adolescents in Korea. Given that relational supports are documented to have significant associations with adolescents' career decidedness, this study aims to examine the relationship between relational supports and career decidedness through internalized psychological resources such as self-esteem and achievement motivation. Grounded in the Relational Theory of Working (RTW; Blustein, 2011), the researcher focused on the mediating role of internalized psychological …

Understanding The Perspectives Of Refugee Youth On Education And Freedom In Malaysia, Seok Wun (Shiila) Au Yong

Dissertations - ALL

This dissertation examines how refugee youth in Malaysia understand, experience, and reimagine education and freedom within a socio-political context that denies them legal recognition, mobility, access to public education, opportunities for legal employment, and affordable healthcare. As Malaysia is not a signatory to the 1951 Refugee Convention, refugees are not formally recognized by the state. Situating itself within refugee education scholarship and drawing on transnational feminism, critical refugee studies, critical disability studies, and queer theory, this study centers refugee youth as knowledge producers, interrogates dominant narratives of refugee youth, and challenges the conventional approaches to refugee education in order to …

Syphilis And Hiv Co-Infection Risk Factors At Dr. Moewardi Hospital, 2018–2022: A Retrospective Study, Endra Yustin Ellistasari, Prasetyadi Mawardi, Pratiwi Prasetya Primisawitri, Stella Gracia Octarica

Journal of General - Procedural Dermatology and Venereology Indonesia

Background: Treponema pallidum, the agent causing syphilis, is transmitted through contact with infectious lesions, bodily fluids, blood transfusions, or perinatally. Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection can mask the clinical manifestations of syphilis, while syphilis may exacerbate HIV progression. This study aimed to analyze risk factors associated with HIV co-infection among patients with syphilis.

Methods: This retrospective, analytical, observational study reviewed medical records from the Dermatology and Venereology outpatient clinic at Dr. Moewardi Hospital, Surakarta, Indonesia, between January 2018 and December 2022. Demographic, behavioral, and clinical variables were extracted. Univariable analysis was performed using simple binary logistic regression to …

From Detection To Segmentation: A Foundation Model Approach To Organoid Brightfield Image Analysis Using Sam 3, Hiren Manani

Theses - ALL

This thesis presents the first systematic application of SAM 3, a unified foundation model for promptable segmentation, to mouse small intestinal organoid brightfield microscopy image analysis. The work spans the complete pipeline from zero-shot baseline evaluation through domain-specific fine-tuning on a GPU cluster, and documents the full engineering process required to adapt a state-of-the-art foundation model to a novel biomedical imaging domain. A comprehensive literature review of over 20 papers spanning detection-based, classical segmentation, foundation model, and morphological analysis approaches identified a clear research gap that this thesis addresses. Five critical compatibility patches were developed to deploy SAM 3 on …

Papers On American Elections, Murat Abus

Dissertations - ALL

The transfer of executive power through free and fair elections is the cornerstone of democracy. However, losers' consent is a fundamental requirement for the peaceful transfer of power through elections. In advanced democracies, due to the long series of free and fair elections and frequent electoral turnovers, there is an implicit assumption about the status of elections as the mechanism to shape the structure of representative government and resolve societal conflicts. Voters naturally occupy a central role in the maintenance of this societal consensus. Therefore, factors that affect the voter experience - voter satisfaction and voter confidence - are normatively …

Audubon Tp4 Llc V. Clement

All Decisions

Landlord commenced this nonpayment proceeding in 2022 demanding $58,759 for rent accrued as far back as 2015. The proceeding as to one co-respondent was discontinued by stipulation in March 2023. Tenant moved to amend her answer to add a defective rent demand defense and for summary judgment dismissal. Leave to amend the answer was granted. The court granted summary judgment dismissal, finding the rent demand fatally defective: it stated only a lump sum of $58,759 without specifying monthly amounts owed, and the annexed ledger—opening with a balance forward and containing adjustments from as far back as 2015—was so replete with …

Marcus Garvey Preservation Llc V. Chappelle

All Decisions

In this nuisance holdover involving an allegedly problematic dog, the court grants the tenant's motion by Order to Show Cause and dismisses the petition for failure to state a cause of action because the landlord failed to serve the VAWA notice of occupancy rights—required by applicable HUD regulations—along with the predicate notice of termination. The court observes that 'while some irregularities in a predicate notice may be overlooked, the failure to append a federally required notice to the notice of termination is not a mere irregularity.'