Digital Commons Network^™

Sb 23-25/26: Resolution Revising Fiscal Policy, Liam Edwards

Senate Resolutions, 2007-Present

SB23-25/26: Resolution Generally Revising Fiscal Policy. This resolution passed [14-0-0] on a roll call vote during the April 22, 2026 meeting of the Associated Students of the University of Montana (ASUM).

April 23, 2026, James Madison University

The Breeze, 2020-

The Breeze is the student newspaper of James Madison University in Harrisonburg, Virginia.

Walking Through The Alleys Of Motza (Moẓa): Early Evidence Of Settlement Planning And Urban Organization, Dmitry Yegorov, Anna Eirikh-Rose, Hamoudi Khalaily

'Atiqot

Recent excavations at the Final Pre-Pottery Neolithic B (PPNB) mega-site of Motza revealed the earliest evidence of settlement planning in the Southern Levant to date. The size of the site and the layout of its architectural units indicate that planning decisions were made throughout the settlement establishment and development, beginning with the choice of its location and extending to the organization of intra-site space. This is evident from the presence of central alleys connecting neighborhoods and open areas, alongside smaller roads and passageways linking private and communal structures, and courtyards. The high level of internal organization implies coordinated decision-making by …

When Teachers Can’T Say Gay: Understanding Teacher Allyship In Lgbtq+-Restrictive School Environments, Judith Shaffer

Doctorate in Education

Research consistently shows that school-based support, safety, and inclusion are essential to the wellbeing of LGBTQ+ children and youth. Over the past decade, however, U.S. public schools have seen a sharp increase in anti-LGBTQ+ laws and policies that restrict or prohibit LGBTQ+ equity and inclusion. While the harm these policies inflict on LGBTQ+ students is well documented, far less attention has been given to their impact on teacher allies working in environments where allyship is viewed as inappropriate or unlawful. This phenomenologically informed qualitative study examined how public school teachers who identify as LGBTQ+ allies navigate their professional roles under …

Table Of Contents

Catholic University Law Review

No abstract provided.

Family-Based Gwas Of Cognitive Endophenotypes Reveals Genetic Architecture Of Memory And Executive Function In Alzheimer’S Disease, Kesheng Wang, Xueying Yang, Gayenell Magwood, Chun Xu, R. Osvaldo Navia, Jean Neils-Strunjas, Xiaoming Li

Health & Biomedical Sciences Faculty Publications

Alzheimer’s disease (AD), the most common cause of dementia, is characterized by progressive memory and cognitive decline. Conventional genome-wide association studies (GWAS) comparing AD cases and controls may miss genetic influences that act along a continuum of cognitive function. Using data from 3007 participants in the National Institute on Aging Late-Onset Alzheimer’s Disease Family Study (NIA-LOAD GWAS), we conducted a family-based GWAS of eight quantitative cognitive phenotypes encompassing episodic memory (Logical Memory IA and IIA), working memory (Digit Span Forward, Backward, and Ordering), and semantic fluency (Animal, Fruit and Vegetable, and Vegetable Fluency). Family-based association testing in PLINK v1.9 identified …

Effects Of Spatially Targeted Fertilizer Strategies On Canopy Growth Across Contrasting Tart Cherry Orchard Sites, Kurt Wedegaertner, Brent Black, Matt Yost, Grant Cardon

Plants, Soils and Climate Student Research

Variable-rate fertilization is increasingly promoted in perennial orchard systems, but its effectiveness remains difficult to predict because tree responses are often inconsistent and strongly conditioned by site-specific constraints. To address this, we evaluated soil-based and vigor-based zoning frameworks across four commercial tart cherry (Prunus cerasus) orchards representing contrasting soil conditions, canopy structures, and management histories. Within each orchard, management zones were defined using either soil apparent electrical conductivity (ECa) or satellite-derived canopy vigor. Fertilization strategies were implemented by varying fertilizer application timing among zones using split-application approaches while maintaining a constant total fertilizer rate. Tree-level canopy structure was …

My Right To Dominate You: The Populist Perversion Of Human Rights, James A. Gardner

Journal Articles

A constitutional “right” is a legal technology designed to protect the weak from the strong. In the twenty-first-century United States, however, constitutional rights have increasingly been interpreted and deployed, by both litigants and courts, to secure the ability of the strong to dominate the weak. It is quickly becoming standard practice among right-wing American populists to claim that the deployment of rights in ways that limit the ability of the strong to dominate those weaker than themselves is to make victims of the strong. Freedom, in the imagination of American populists, means the freedom to dominate disfavored others.

This paper …

Beyond Measurable Success: An Autoethnographic And Phenomenological Study Of Resilience And Educational Transformation After Incarceration, Robert L. Hudson

Graduate Theses & Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine how formerly incarcerated students make meaning of their higher education experiences as a means of navigating systemic barriers, fostering resilience, and reconstructing identity during post-incarceration reintegration. Existing scholarship on formerly incarcerated students in higher education emphasizes barriers, recidivism, and completion outcomes while paying limited attention to the subjective meaning making processes through which students interpret their educational experiences (Abeyta, 2022; Bozick et al., 2018; Donaldson & Viera, 2021). Formerly incarcerated learners have largely been positioned as subjects of inquiry rather than as knowledge producers about their own educational lives. This qualitative study …

Reed Comfortably Leads In U.S. Senate Election, Foulkes Expands Lead In Ri Gubernatorial Primary 4/23/2026, Unh Survey Center

All UNH Survey Center Polls

Incumbent Senator Jack Reed is the clear favorite in the Democratic primary for U.S. Senate and leads prospective Republican challenger Raymond McKay in a general election matchup. Helena Foulkes has increased her lead over incumbent Governor Dan McKee in the race for the Democratic nomination for Rhode Island governor. Three-quarters of Rhode Islanders disapprove of McKee's job performance, with particularly low marks given to his handling of roads and bridges, the cost of living, and the economy. Rhode Islanders have a generally poor understanding of two possible ballot measures which would create new constitutional rights in the state. Housing, jobs …

Matthew Jones V. Farmington De Volunteer Fire Dept

2026 Decisions

USDC for the District of Delaware

Estate Of Justin Paul Smith V. City Of Philadelphia

2026 Decisions

USDC for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania

Usa V. Mychael Saunders

2026 Decisions

USDC for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania

An Informative Analysis Of Applying Feature Reduction Methods To Supervised Machine Learning Algorithms, Mustafa S. Abd

Baghdad Science Journal

Feature reduction techniques are fundamental to enhancing machine learning (ML) algorithms by reducing the number of features in a dataset. The study here explores the impact of Principle Component Analysis (PCA) on ML algorithms within an unbalanced classification framework, in partnership with feature selection techniques like Cluster Variation Attribute Evaluator (CVAE) and Correlation Attribute Evaluator (CAE). In addition, the research introspects a comparison analysis evaluating the effectiveness of several ML methods, including Multilayer Perceptron (MLP), Decision Tree J48, k-Nearest Neighbor (k-NN) and Sequential Minimal Optimization (SMO). The informative analysis of results signifies that the MLP technique with PCA minimized the …

Mitigating Non-Kinetic Asat Threats To Dual-Use Commercial Satellites: A U.S.-Japan Framework, Parker J. Brumleve, Tessa Leverman

Student Contributions

This policy brief examines vulnerabilities to ASAT weapons and their threatening effects on dual-use satellites. The brief highlights the currently lacking legal framework regarding ASAT weapons and proposes implementing a joint U.S.-Japan framework to coordinate legislation and enforce mandatory cybersecurity and resilience standards for dual-use satellite operations.

How Should The U.S.-Japan Alliance Define Armed-Attack Thresholds To Effectively Respond To Gray Zone Threats In The Space Domain?, Michael O. Reedy, Michael L. Mclawhorn, Keelan Brenninkmeijer, Alexander B. Ross

Student Contributions

This policy brief outlines the need for a cohesive U.S.-Japan response framework to address gray-zone threats in the space domain. Interference with space assets is increasing in frequency and complexity, yet the alliance lacks a clearly defined joint escalation framework to guide responses. The brief recommends adopting a Space Conditions Matrix to identify conflict thresholds and strengthen coordinated decision-making in space operations.

Usa V. Julio Otero

2026 Decisions

USDC for the Middle District of Pennsylvania

Jane Doe V. Pine Richland School District

2026 Decisions

USDC for the Western District of Pennsylvania

What Happens After Oil And Gas Decommissioning? A Global Systematic Review Of Marine Environmental Effects, Anaelle Lemasson Lemasson, Antony M. Knights

School of Biological and Marine Sciences

The thousands of oil and gas (OG) platforms placed at sea for fossil fuel extraction have introduced new hard substrate to the marine environment. Over time, these structures can become colonized by a diversity of marine life, fostering novel ecosystems. However, an increasing number of OG platforms are reaching decommissioning age and decisions regarding their fate must be made. Some view these artificial structures as litter that ought to be removed; others view them as valuable contributors to marine biodiversity worth preserving. Evidence of the environmental effects of these structures following different decommissioning strategies is needed to identify the potential …

Advanced Studies In Characterization Of Pyrolysis Products From Live Vegetation, Mahsa Alizadeh

Theses and Dissertations

Fire is a naturally occurring element in many ecosystems which can have both positive and negative effects. However, in recent years the frequency of the fires and the area they affect has increased. The rapid spread of wildland fires coupled with the limited resources available to forest services to manage wildland fires highlights the urgency for accurate prediction of fire spread. Fire prediction models enable the fire management services to predict the spread of fire and prioritize firefighting efforts more effectively. Understanding reactions and mechanisms occurring during wildland fires improves the fire prediction models. During wildland fires, the biomass covering …

Factors That Affect African American Representation In Cybersecurity Academic Programs In The United States, Damon Walker

Dissertations

The U.S. cybersecurity workforce continues to experience a critical talent shortage alongside persistent inequities in racial representation, particularly at the faculty level within higher education. This mixed-methods dissertation examines African American representation among faculty in cybersecurity academic programs designated by the National Centers of Academic Excellence in Cybersecurity (NCAE-C) and investigates the factors that influence recruitment, retention, and advancement. Grounded in a transformative research framework, the study integrates quantitative analysis of national institutional data with qualitative interviews to illuminate structural patterns and lived experiences shaping representation.

Quantitative findings revealed pronounced underrepresentation: African American faculty comprise 2.57% (130 of 5,051) of …

Nh Senate Race: Sununu Increases Gop Primary Lead, Pappas Leads General Election Matchups 4/23/2026, Unh Survey Center

All UNH Survey Center Polls

Former Senator John E. Sununu has increased his lead over former Massachusetts Senator Scott Brown in the race for the Republican nomination for U.S. Senate. A majority of likely Democratic primary voters support Congressman Chris Pappas. Pappas leads both Sununu and Brown in general election matchups. In the race for Governor, incumbent Kelly Ayotte leads prospective Democratic challenger Cinde Warmington. Granite Staters strongly oppose a proposal to levy an income and statewide property tax but less than half support a constitutional amendment to prohibit ever enacting a state income tax. Housing, taxes, the cost of living, and education are mentioned …

Iron Age To Ottoman-Period Pottery From The Excavation At Qedumim Square, Tel Yafo (Jaffa), Itamar Taxel

'Atiqot

This study discusses the pottery retrieved from the excavation at the western foot of Tel Yafo, dated to Iron Age II and the Persian, Hellenistic, Roman, Byzantine, Early Islamic, Crusader, Mamluk and Ottoman periods. The ceramic assemblage is generally similar to the assemblages retrieved from other contemporaneous contexts in Yafo, whilst also including a few rare or locally uncommon types. Hence, this pottery constitutes a contribution to our knowledge on the material culture and economic contacts of Yafo’s population in these periods, and in a few instances perhaps even hints to the presence of foreign individuals among the local population. …

Dendroarchaeological Analysis Of Charcoal Fragments From The Byzantine Street In The City Of David, Jerusalem, Mordechay Benzaquen, Dafna Langgut

'Atiqot

The excavation of the Byzantine Street in the City of David, Jerusalem (Area S2) yielded several hundred charcoal fragments from multiple loci, of which 200 specimens were analyzed at the Laboratory of Archaeobotany and Ancient Environments at Tel Aviv University. Preservation was generally good to moderate, and all identified taxa belong to the local Mediterranean Israeli flora. The assemblage is characterized by low taxonomic diversity and is overwhelmingly dominated by conifers, with Cupressus sempervirens (Mediterranean cypress) and Pinus halepensis (Aleppo pine) comprising nearly 90% of the analyzed material, suggesting that most of the charcoal derives from construction timbers commonly used …

Coins From The Excavations Of The Byzantine Street (Area S2), City Of David, Jerusalem, Donald T. Ariel

'Atiqot

The coins retrieved from beneath the stone-paved Byzantine street in the City of David, Jerusalem, were studied with the hope that they will provide a date for its construction. Although only few of the coins assigned to the pre-street phase provided precise dates, the analysis of the numismatic assemblage provided dates for the various excavation strata, spanning the first and eighth centuries CE. These coins are an important addition to the extensive coin dataset recorded in the adjacent and contemporaneous Givʻati Parking Lot excavations.

The Pottery From The Byzantine Street (Area S2), Jerusalem, Itamar Taxel

'Atiqot

The Byzantine street segment exposed in Area S2 revealed pottery dated primarily to the Byzantine and the beginning of Early Islamic period, including from well-stratified contexts; these finds are accompanied by a handful of Early and Late Roman period pottery types which should be treated as residuals of pre-Byzantine activity in the area. The Byzantine- and Early Islamic-period pottery illuminate the chronology of the street and some later nearby features, providing important new data on the development of the Byzantine building projects west and southwest of the Temple Mount. Based on the ceramic analysis, the Byzantine street was built somewhat …

Umayyad Streets Leading To The Temple Mount/Al-Ḥaram Al-Sharīf Gates In Jerusalem: Evidence Ofurban Planning, Control And Ideology, Yuval Baruch

'Atiqot

At the beginning of the eighth century CE, the Umayyad rulers initiated the construction of an extensive governmental complex at the foot of the Temple Mount/al-Ḥaram al-Sharīf, comprising at least four impressive monumental buildings. The present study shifts the focus from the architecture of these structures to the street system of the complex, arguing that it functioned not merely as infrastructure but as a sophisticated mechanism of movement and control. These streets, laid out along carefully planned axes and constructed atop artificial fills, employed wide, controlled gates and specific lines of sight to dictate a continuous experiential sequence. Through the …

Aspects Of Urban Planning In Bet She’An-Scythopolis: A View From Rhometalkes’ Alleys, Benjamin Y. Arubas, Leah Di Segni

'Atiqot

Intercity roads, colonnaded and drained streets, agoras and forums of the Roman and Late-Antiquity city of Bet She’an-Scythopolis—all have been widely studied, producing an ample bibliography. Not so are alleys, although they must have served various functions as thoroughfares for foot traffic or in relation to the buildings that overlooked them. These buildings could have been domestic, commercial or public, causing the function of the alley to surely change accordingly. This paper is dedicated to the study of two such alleys, which existed solely amidst public buildings, and whose story can be told based on the results of excavations and …

Roads To The Holy City: An Integrated Archaeological And Spatial Analysis Of Access Routes Leading To Jerusalemin The Second Century Bce–Seventh Century Ce, Yosef Spiezer, Boaz Zissu, Yehiel Zelinger

'Atiqot

This study presents a comprehensive analysis of Jerusalem’s transportation network by integrating archaeological evidence from rescue excavations with Geographic Information Systems (GIS)-based spatial analysis and literary sources. Three distinct development phases were observed. In the Hasmonean and Early Roman periods (63 BCE–70 CE), roads primarily served Jewish pilgrimage and were accompanied by religious infrastructure such as miqwa’ot (ritual baths), water reservoirs and elaborate tombs reflecting Jerusalem’s sacred status. In the Middle and Late Roman periods (70–324 CE) systematic road construction followed the Jewish revolts, emphasizing military and administrative functions through straight, paved routes marked with milestones, including forts, watchtowers, water …

The Roman Legionary Base At Legio As Capita Viarum And Its Role In The Development Of The Roman Imperialroad Network In Northern Israel, Yotam Tepper

'Atiqot

Roman Imperial roads were typically paved in a standardized manner by the engineering corps of the Roman army to enable continuous movement in all weather and terrain conditions, for wheeled transport and pedestrians alike. The roads were constructed from specific points of origin to designated destinations and served the Roman army and administration. Milestones were placed along the roads at fixed intervals, some of which bear inscriptions that provide information concerning their location along the road relative to its starting point and destination, as well as the date of road construction or repair according to the reigns of the Roman …