Digital Commons Network^™

Colorectal Cancer Care Delivery In Rural And Socioeconomically Deprived Areas Of Maine, Christina A. Kapala, Kimberly Mooney, Sydney Bebus, Lise M. Cloutier, John L. Daggett, Benjamin R. Felix, Renee M. Fay-Leblanc, Adriana E. Nadeau, Bridget K. Rauscher, Kathryn Rensenbrink, Debra A. Rothenberg, Kevin D. Stein, Kathleen M. Fairfield

Journal of Maine Medical Center

No abstract provided.

Designated Pilot Examiner System Study - 2025, Michael Gref, Wendy Beckman

International Journal of Aviation, Aeronautics, and Aerospace

In recent years primary flight training in the United States has experienced a significant bottleneck in the form of long waits to schedule check rides with Designated Pilot Examiners. This challenge has been significant enough to warrant Congressional attention, with reforms mandated in the past two FAA Re-authorization Acts.

In 2022 a first national survey of flight schools and DPE’s was conducted to determine their perceptions of the DPE system, including feedback on the recommendations from the then recently concluded DPE Reforms Working Group. Given the anecdotal evidence of continuing long waits for check rides, a second survey was conducted …

Are Single-Pilot Operations An Advantage Or A Disadvantage?, Ezgi Berte Erme

International Journal of Aviation, Aeronautics, and Aerospace

This study aims to investigate the potential benefits and drawbacks of Single-Pilot Operations (SPO) and to provide actionable insights for commercial airlines. A qualitative research design was employed, with data collected via online interviews and analyzed thematically and descriptively using MAXQDA 24. The findings indicate that pilots perceive several advantages of SPO, including the power of automation, learning artificial intelligence, minimizing human error, cockpit systems designed for artificial intelligence, more effective decision-making/speed-up in response time, reduced labor costs, reduced pilot fatigue, and reduced need for human factor/performance. Conversely, the perceived disadvantages include diminished lack of situational awareness, lack of communication …

Classification Trends In Hunting And Falconry To The End Of The Fourth Century Ah/Tenth Century Ce: A Historical-Analytical Study, Bandar Bin Mohammed Al-Haji

UB Journal for Humanities

This study examines hunting and falconry in the Islamic world from a historical-analytical perspective, tracing the formation of this body of knowledge from its early presence in linguistic and juristic works to its consolidation in specialized treatises by the end of the fourth century AH. It aims to analyze the patterns of its classification within Islamic writings and to identify the main approaches through which it was treated—namely the linguistic, legal, and specialized approaches—while exploring the nature of their interrelationship in organizing knowledge. The study shows that hunting and falconry evolved from scattered practical experience into a structured, written body …

The Mecca–Jeddah Railway Project: Historical Roots And Implementation Obstacles (1289–1353 Ah/1872–1934 Ad), Nouf Rezeg Faris Alrodhan

UB Journal for Humanities

This study examines the Mecca–Jeddah Railway project (1289–1353 AH/1872–1934 AD) as one of the most prominent transportation ventures linked to serving pilgrims and reviving economic activity in the Hejaz. It aims to trace the project’s historical roots since the Ottoman era and analyze its development in light of political and economic shifts, leading up to the implementation attempts during the reign of King Abdulaziz. The research adopts a historical-analytical approach by analyzing various Ottoman, British, Egyptian, and French documents, as well as the newspapers Umm al-Qura and Sawt al-Hejaz. The study concludes that although the project was technically feasible, it …

Measuring The Impact Of Ai-Assisted Language Learning On English Language Education: A Mixed-Methods Study, Abdulrahman Alkhirbash, Vn Vamsidhar Kilari, Abdulrahman Dallak

UB Journal for Humanities

The use of AI tools in English language pedagogy is changing classroom practices by helping to develop students’ communicative competence and confidence and to assist teachers with their teaching tasks. This research examines the efficacy of existing artificial intelligence tools and applications for supporting English language teaching and learning, with a particular focus on the impact they have on the key language domains of speaking, reading, writing, and grammar. It explores how AI tools enhance personalization, instant feedback in language learning as well as addressing challenges such as data privacy, technology dependence and algorithmic bias. The design of this research …

Integrated Methane And Co₂ Emissions Reduction Framework Via Agricultural Transformation, Industrial Methane Valorization, And Profitable Waste-To-Resource Conversion, Amey Krishna Solkar

Defensive Publications Series

This defensive publication describes an integrated framework designed to reduce global anthropogenic methane emissions by over 50% and achieve significant net CO_{2} drawdown. The system shifts climate remediation from reliance on subsidies to self-sustaining, profit-generating operations by embedding commodity production within three core sectors. * **Agricultural Transformation**: Replaces high-methane cattle and paddy farming with integrated aquaculture, agroforestry, and vertical farming. It features a self-regulating nitrogen cycle using co-cultivated *Azolla* and *Lemna* (duckweed) to fix nitrogen and sequester carbon. * **Fossil Fuel Valorization**: Targets oil and gas methane emissions by capturing vented gas for onsite catalytic conversion into high-value commodities, including …

Do Complex Models Matter? Evidence From Multiclass Machine Learning Models In Credit Outlook Prediction, Rashmi Malhotra, Davinder K. Malhotra, Robert Nydick, Nathan Coates

College of Business Faculty Papers

This research explores whether boosting model complexity enhances the forecasting of corporate financial outlook in a multiclass credit outlook setup. Instead of viewing distress as simply a yes-or-no result, companies are divided into negative, neutral, and positive outlook categories to better reflect shifting credit conditions. The study evaluates a parametric baseline against several nonlinear classifiers—including ensemble, kernel-based, and similarity-driven approaches—while applying a consistent validation process and statistical testing. On average, nonlinear models outperform the linear specification in terms of out-of-sample accuracy and provide more homogeneous classification across the three outlook categories. Importantly, they substantially improve the identification of firms with …

A Symbolic Model Of Proof Acquisition In Act-R, Beckett Morris, Kerstin Haring

DU Undergraduate Research Journal Archive

Learning to construct mathematical proofs—formal arguments demonstrating the truth of a mathematical statement using logical deductions and previously established facts—is one of the most challenging skills in STEM education. This research aims to build the foundations for a symbolic cognitive model, using the ACT-R cognitive architecture and implementing in Python with the pyactr package, to explore how different proof strategies can be thought through with only symbols and rules. The model observes simple proofs, and its abilities are assessed based on its generalization capabilities, efficiency, and error patterns. By developing and analyzing such a model, this research provides new insights …

Assessing Youtube Finance Influencers: Guidance Or Hype For Generation Z?, Alyse Alfred

DU Undergraduate Research Journal Archive

This study evaluates the content of YouTube finance influencers (finfluencers) to assess whether they provide overly promotional advice or can help improve the low financial literacy of Generation Z. A total of 407 videos sampled using the nine knowledge areas tested in the TIAA Institute Personal Finance Index (P-Fin Index) were analyzed using Structural Topic Modeling (STM). Eight topics were observed in the videos, ranging from general literacy to emergency planning. Comparing the observed topics to the P-Fin Index categories showed that finfluencers address six of the nine key areas of financial literacy, with gaps in the coverage of long-term …

Visualizing Ozone Pollution In The Denver Metro Area Using A Bioindicator Garden, Ella K. Mathews, Hillary Hamann, Julie Morris, Erica L. Larson

DU Undergraduate Research Journal Archive

Since the industrial revolution, widespread fossil fuel combustion has significantly increased atmospheric pollution. The combustion of fossil fuels releases nitrogen oxides (NOx) and volatile organic compounds (VOCs), which form tropospheric (ground-level) ozone when exposed to sunlight. Ozone directly harms plants by disrupting their ability to absorb carbon dioxide, release oxygen, and carry out photosynthesis. Bioindicator species are plants that have visible responses to environmental conditions, such as ozone, and can act as “canaries in the coal mine,” indicating the health of their environment. In this study, we used a garden of ozone bioindicator species (ozone garden) as a cost-effective tool …

Generation Z And The Ai Misinformation Paradox: Understanding A New Digital Vulnerability, Cecilia Cooley, Elizabeth Sperber

DU Undergraduate Research Journal Archive

This paper asks: How and why is Generation Z more vulnerable to AI-generated misinformation and disinformation than older generations? Using a comparative review of recent empirical studies, survey data, and meta-analyses from 2019–2025, this paper synthesizes research on Gen Z’s exposure to and interaction with AI-produced content across social media platforms. Although it is commonly assumed that Gen Z ’s technological exposure and fluency make them better equipped to recognize false information, findings show the opposite: Gen Z is consistently outperformed by older cohorts in detecting AI-generated falsehoods. This vulnerability stems from three intersecting factors: (1) the sheer volume of …

King Of The Jungle: Comparative Analysis Of The Geopolitical Narratives Surrounding Fordlandia And A Proposed Resort Park In El Mirador, Rachel Jaeger

DU Undergraduate Research Journal Archive

Environmental geopolitics is a field of study in which narratives about the environment are analyzed to reveal the underlying motivations and objectives they support. Using Shannon O’Lear’s (2020) framework of environmental geopolitics, I conduct a comparative analysis of the narratives surrounding two distinct development projects: Henry Ford’s historical company town in the Brazilian Amazon, Fordlandia, and a proposed ecotourism resort park in El Mirador, Guatemala. Analysis of Fordlandia reveals a narrative of American frontierism and a man-versus-nature perspective that served to paint the environment as belligerent and thereby justify corporate control and Indigenous assimilation. Narratives surrounding El Mirador differ, representing …

Mothers On The Ballot: Gender And Partisan Dynamics In The Evaluation Of Maternal Political Candidates, Jimena Sanchez

DU Undergraduate Research Journal Archive

While scholarly research on the interaction between gender and political candidacy has grown, there is limited research on the way mothers are perceived in politics when they choose to run for office. The goal of the paper is to answer the following research question: how do partisanship and gender influences public perceptions of mothers running for political office, and to what extent does social desirability shape these attitudes? Through a list experiment, I surveyed individuals in the United States to capture the beliefs of the public toward mothers running for political office. Specifically, I analyze the opinions of survey participants …

Greenspace Access In The Denver Metro Region: Historical Housing Policy Impact On Modern Greenspace Distribution, Brody Petig, Susan Dagget

DU Undergraduate Research Journal Archive

Access to safe, high quality, urban green spaces is widely recognized as a determinant for physical health, mental well-being, and social cohesion. Existing literature has demonstrated that race, age, gender, and socioeconomic status frequently dictate the allocation of resources and shape disparities in access to greenspace. These disparities are also often reflective of historical housing policy and zoning decisions. This paper examines greenspace access in the Denver Metro Region (DMR) and the City and County of Denver (CCD) through a social justice lens, with particular attention to the relationship between historical housing policy and contemporary trends in greenspace distribution and …

Impact Of Eating Disorder Type On General Population Perceptions Of Stigma And Likelihood Of Comorbidity, Gabri Notov, Grace Schroeder, Kaz Skelton, Kevin Summers, Sarah Huff

DU Undergraduate Research Journal Archive

Eating disorders carry a significant risk of mortality, necessitating further research. Previous work has examined how stigma influences treatment seeking in other mental health conditions, creating a potential area for improving disordered eating outcomes. Additionally, prior meta-analyses have discovered high comorbidity of other mental health diagnoses with disordered eating. Some work has attempted to examine the perception of comorbid mental health problems alongside eating disorders, but this construct has not been studied in depth within general populations. To date, no work has simultaneously examined stigmatization and knowledge of common mental health problems with disordered eating in this population. This study …

Dr. Jonathan Velotta Faculty Spotlight, Katelyn Trimble

DU Undergraduate Research Journal Archive

An interview with Dr. Jonathan Velotta of the University of Denver's Department of Biological Sciences.

Urban Removal: The Long-Term Impacts Of The Displacement Of Denver’S Auraria Neighborhood, Sophia Krout, Reginald A. Byron

DU Undergraduate Research Journal Archive

In the early 1970s, the Auraria Center for Higher Education was developed, displacing a well-established Denver Latino neighborhood, which encompassed a 38-block district at the time, including 155 families, 49 single individuals, and 237 businesses, and clearing the way for the establishment of the Metropolitan State University of Denver, the University of Colorado Denver, and Denver Community College. The implementation of remedial measures for the displacement has fallen short of meeting the needs of displaced residents. The residents were promised affordable education through a program named the Displaced Aurarian Scholarship, which has similarly stated intentions of improving the educational attainment …

Dr. Kacey Grauer Faculty Spotlight, Katelyn Trimble

DU Undergraduate Research Journal Archive

An interview with Dr. Kacey Grauer of the University of Denver's Department of Anthropology.

Dr. Scott Phillips Faculty Spotlight, Katelyn Trimble

DU Undergraduate Research Journal Archive

An interview with Dr. Scott Phillips of the University of Denver's Department of Sociology and Criminology.

Du Undergraduate Showcase Abstracts: Research, Scholarship, And Creative Works, Sophia Wismar, Henry Staats, Allison Metzler, Chloe Puckett, Rachel Levine, Christa Kilpatrick, Scott Wolf, Joe Walsh, Grace Doolittle, John Engebreston, Zoe Lopez, Christopher Aaby, Audrey Duff, Timothy Sisk, Katelyn Lamberton, Angela Narayan, Gilkah Argueta, Habiba Samir, Girena Tesfazghi, Genet Kenore, Sinit Tesfamariam, Effley Brooks, Abi Newell, Megan Doherty, Natalie Baer, Lexi Blood, Talya Riciputi, Jessica Jimenez, Devin Hernandez, Lynn Clark, Taj Kumar, Sunil Kumar, Allen Rutman, Mira Pronobis, Tess Carson, Anna Sher, Frankie Stroud, Tamra Pearson D'Estree, Alyssa Wilson, Emily Melnick, Jenalee Doom, Yihang Gao, Gwendolyn Geiger, Noah Gettle, Scott Nichols, Clare Ayoub, Cara Dienno, Sunny Walker, Zoe Hansen, Maya Wheeler, Addison Rice, Patrick Martin, Sanjana Acharya, Daniel Mcintosh, Amanda Mckellips, Calli Cain, Justin Blake, Peter Sokol-Hessner, Natalie Miller, Max Weisbuch, Sophia Dellota, John Macikas, Charlotte Snow, Mark Siemens, Zoe Lynch, Alex Huffman, Prachi Shah, Jason Roney, Halcyon Levi, Nicole Herzog, Andrea Koly, Daniel Linseman, Annie London, Xi Yang, Avery Zwisler, Jane Smith, Chaz Contag, Michael Kerwin, Lucy Rand, Grace Schroeder, Michelle Rozenman, Nissa Tapper, Guiming Zhang, Mateo Mazariego-Halpern, Keith Meyer, Julie Do, Dakota Park-Ozee, Travis Herink, Kara Neu, Jonathan Plomin, Eve-Odine Duchaufour, Debbie Gale Mitchell, Tennyson Anderson-Stricklin, Lily Treitz, Samantha Rosenberger, Sierra Griffith, Finley Joseph, Daniel Sampson, Emmy Davis, Skyler Kasnoff, Evon Lopez, Vivian Nguyen, Cassy Young, Franklin Sellner, Martin Tobon, Ila Graham, Zach Billings, Holden Hedit, Decatur Boland, Paul Kosempel, Cory Chandler, Jay Mahoney, Sam Dragan, Susan Dagget, Yarrow Ator, Heidi Vuletich, Owen Weber, Andrew Kloeppel, Petersen Gray, Mandi Schaeffer-Fry, Razleen Bassra, Bryanna Rodriguez, Christina Blue, Taubie Sanders, Rachel Epstein, Luke Milburn, Camryn Evans, Ezra Martinez, Mary Westwood, Gabri Notov, Robin Tinghitella, Lilou Cabrol, Eli Barbour, Juliet Mendik, Selma Myers, Zac Wise, Noah Fahlin, Michelle Knowles, Abigail Hopper, Michael Greenberger, Romi Laclair, Sarah Watamura, Sabrina Efroymson, Casey Barker, Sydney Seltzer, Bryn Yehle, Jennifer Hoffman, Sara Garcia, Ryuka Nagamine, Trevor Briggs, Remy Le Boeuf, Elena Krone, Eileen Farrell, Regan O'Rourke, Elena Roel, Greg Mortimer, Ali Ayoub, Stefani Langehennig, Caitlin Turk, Logan Scmid, Stefan Chavez-Norgaard, Karen Kim, Tatiana Peccedi, Courtney Cassidy, John Sebesta, Rhianna Lewis, Janice Bening-Lacek, Vivian Lawless, Mckenna Hanson, Jeffrey Amidon, Riya Joshi, Ram Ambre, Brady Worrell, Perrin Schneider, Ali Azadani, Brooke Agulnek, Lyndsie Salvagio, Elise Siemanowki, Yan Qin, Andre Allen, Melodie Nguyen, Megan Livengood, Abby Reams, Saffron Hartreeve, Bri Wylie, Sarah Brookman, Mariah Loiacono, Green Russo, Abhia Lodhi, Gabrielle Welsh, Nika Spehar, Shahked Levin, Evrim Baykal, Kimberly Chiew, Jocelyn Torres, Kailey Hicks, Mykaela Tanino-Springsteen, Audrey Bellows, Akam Chahal, Madeline Tepper, Shannon Murphy, Alexa Fonseca, Deborah Han, Cassandra Perez, Oluwatoyin Alaba, Julia Roncoroni, Vy Nguyen, Nana Burn, Sarah Sasse, Rubin Tuder, Anthony Gerber, Nancy Lorenzon, Christine Vohwinkel, Camryn Gunter, Tristan Weber, Sam Rommel, Brian Michel, Muskan Fatima, Alannah Oleson, Kira Frey, Edward Garrido, Beckett Morris, Kerstin Haring, Drew Middleton, Abigail Walpert, Liam Dee, Gabby Ishaw, Cole Carnes, Maddie Weiser, Claire Fox, Valeriia Vlasenko, Kateri Mcrae, Riley Smith, Abigail Templin, Kushani Rajapaksha

DU Undergraduate Research Journal Archive

Abstracts from the DU Undergraduate Research Showcase.

Effects Of A Complexity-Based Expressive Language Treatment On Comprehension In Children With Down Syndrome: A Preliminary Investigation, Aliese M. Pedro

Theses and Dissertations

This study examined whether a complexity-based expressive morphosyntactic intervention targeting auxiliary BE questions improves morphosyntactic, vocabulary, and narrative comprehension in adolescents with Down syndrome (DS). Two participants (ages 15;11 and 14;2) received intervention delivered over 15 and 12 sessions, respectively, using a structured narrative-based protocol. Comprehension was assessed pre- and post-intervention using the Clinical Evaluation of Language Fundamentals-Fifth Edition (CELF-5) Following Directions subtest, the Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test-Fifth Edition (PPVT-5), the Test of Narrative Language-Second Edition (TNL-2), and the Test of Early Grammatical Impairment (TEGI) Grammaticality Judgment (GJ) task. Results indicate no reliable or clinically significant improvements in comprehension across …

An Exploration Of The Lived Experience Of Married Couples Impacted By Aphasia, Summer Ewell

Theses and Dissertations

People with aphasia and those closest to them experience changes in their lives and relationships due to aphasia. These changes may be particularly impactful for married couples. The aim of this study was to increase understanding of the dynamic and complex experiences of couples impacted by aphasia and to add personal perspectives to the creation of practical treatments and resources. Twenty-eight participants (14 married couples) participated in both individual and couples' semi-structured interviews, resulting in 42 total interviews for analysis. Participants answered open-ended questions about aphasia's influence on the couple's communication and relationship. Interviews were then transcribed orthographically and coded …

Development Of A Second-Generation Rarα Selective Antagonist As An Orally Bioavailable, Effective, Safe, And Reversible Male Contraceptive, Rui Shi, Kristen John, Xuan Qin, Ehfazul Haque, Taimeng Liang, Narsihmulu Cheryala, Feng Li, Henry L Wong, Gunda I Georg

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

We report the design and SAR studies of benzopyran-, benzofuran-, and benzothiophene-derived inhibitors of the retinoic acid receptor alpha (RARα) for male contraception. SAR studies identified critical features influencing activity, such as the optimal positioning of antagonism moieties and substituents, leading to the discovery of (S)-4-(5-(2,8-dimethyl-5-(p-tolyl)-2H-chromen-3-yl)-1H-pyrrol-2-yl)­benzoic acid (compound 23). Compound 23 is a highly potent RARα inhibitor (IC50 = 0.051 nM) with excellent selectivity (>1650-fold over RARβ and >1960-fold over RARγ) and ADMET properties. Compound 23 is orally bioavailable and reduces sperm counts in mice for a full male contraceptive effect …

Modeling The Copying Accuracy Of Two-Dimensional Holographic Gratings In Photopolymer Media, Maged Shaban, Dana Mackey, Owen Kearney, Izabela Naydenova

Research Outputs: 2025-Present

Volume holographic gratings are periodic refractive index structures widely used in sensing and photonic devices. This paper develops a modeling and computational framework for predicting the copying accuracy of two-dimensional gratings recorded in photopolymer materials using interference lithography. A previous mathematical model is generalized to describe material transport, polymer growth, and modulation of the refractive index during exposure, enabling, for the first time, a quantitative assessment of copying accuracy in holographic gratings. High-fidelity finite-element simulations were performed for different optical lattices produced by three-beam interference. The results show that the diffusion–polymerization ratio has a strong impact on pattern accuracy, modulation …

Patron-Client Relationship Undermines Sustainable Fishery Governance: A Case Of Small-Scale Fishing Certification In Sulawesi, Indonesia, Desiree Simandjuntak

Forest and Society

One of the ways market-based fishery governance attempts to boost sustainable fishing is through economic incentive. Offered as an above-market price to producers, it is commonly practiced in seafood certification to encourage sustainable and equitable production. However, certification is mainly inaccessible to small-scale fishers who are typically tied to pre-existing patron-client relationship, particularly those from developing economies. This study analyzes the extent to which economic incentive can benefit small-scale fishers amidst the intricate power imbalance in producer community. Based on a ten-month ethnography study in Sulawesi, Indonesia, it finds that prevalent patronage impedes participating fishers' income as it is affected …

Forecasting Interborough Express Ridership Using Network-Based Station Typologies And Direct Demand Models, Fomba Kassoh

Student Theses

Forecasting ridership for new transit infrastructure is difficult in the absence of observed outcomes, particularly under domain shift between an existing system and a proposed corridor. This study develops a station-level direct demand modeling (DDM) framework to forecast average weekday ridership for the proposed Interborough Express (IBX) in New York City — a 14-mile circumferential rapid transit corridor connecting Brooklyn and Queens. The approach pairs unsupervised learning with supervised estimation in a common feature space defined by transit service, accessibility, and built-environment characteristics. K-means clustering identifies latent station typologies (node–place regimes), and IBX stations are projected into this topology to …

Ankle Dorsiflexion Is A Primary Influence On Single Limb Landing Stability Regardless Of Menstrual Cycle Chase, Olivia Matrulli

Honors Theses

Context: Hormonal fluctuations associated with the menstrual cycle contribute to modifications in joint laxity. Conflicting evidence supports increased ligamentous injury risk and altered postural control in response to these cyclic changes. Objective: To quantify changes in passive joint flexibility and dynamic postural control across the menses and luteal phases of the menstrual cycle. Design: Repeated measures. Setting: Research laboratory. Participants: Thirteen healthy females (20 [1] y, 1.62 [0.06] m, 67.42 [11.75] kg) with a regular menstrual cycle over the last twelve months volunteered. Interventions: Participants performed five static flexibility tests and three single-leg drop landings onto a force plate with …

Front Matter, Dewey Studies

Dewey Studies

No abstract provided.

Truth, Justness, Falseness, And Lie In The Deweyan Sense, Mathieu Gagnon

Dewey Studies

No abstract provided.