Digital Commons Network^™

Perturbations To Horizontal Gnss Position Time Series By Atmospheric Lee Waves In The San Bernardino Valley, California, Walter Szeliga, Logan Grey

All Faculty Scholarship for the College of the Sciences

Anomalous systematic position offsets have been noted in GNSS time series from a variety of locations around the globe. In many regions, these time series anomalies coincide with the presence of cloud streets in visible satellite imagery, implicating atmospheric lee waves as the source of the position offsets. We report here on seasonal anomalous position offsets from the San Bernardino Basin of southern California that occur during clear skies. Modeling of the troposphere on days with anomalous positions shows the presence of atmospheric lee waves. Ray tracing through these tropospheric models suggests that atmospheric lee waves create low elevation perturbations …

Diet Intervention By Villas Association (Diva) Manual, Fe Garcia-Nguyen, Esmeralda Heredia, Phung Le, Josh Liu, Ella Morey, Paulina Ordonez

Public Health Science Capstones

The DIVA (Diet Intervention by Villas Association) program is a 3-week program designed to help college students build healthier eating habits while managing busy schedules and limited resources. The program addresses common barriers to healthy eating including lack of time, cooking skills, nutrition knowledge, and awareness of affordable food options.

Each week, students receive access to a cooking demonstration kit that includes a simple, budget-friendly recipe, a step-by-step video, a grocery list with prices, and practical cooking tips. These materials are available in an online repository, allowing students to learn at their own pace and revisit resources as needed.

To …

Voice And Pain: Representations Of Disability In Adaptations Of “The Little Mermaid”, Ace Molloy

Departmental Honors & Graduate Capstone Projects

Hans Christian Andersen’s 1837 story, “The Little Mermaid,” is a popular fairy tale that has been adapted several times by writers, filmmakers, and game developers. It is one of the few fairy tales with explicit portrayals of disability; the mermaid in the tale is nonspeaking and experiences chronic pain, as well as being a mermaid—a nonnormative figure who is aligned with disability. This paper looks at the ways that the mermaid is portrayed in literary, film, and new media adaptations from a disability-justice perspective. Examining multiple representations of the character, I argue that while feminist adaptations erase her disability and …

Self-Clustering Of Three Cbx2 Molecules Drives Prc2 To Promote Facultative Heterochromatinization Of Polycomb Target Genes, Steven Ingersoll, Abby Trouth, J Carlos Angel, Xinlong Luo, Axel Espinoza, Joey Wen, Chengjie Zhu, Joseph Tucker, Kalkidan Astatike, Christopher J Phiel, Hatim Sabaawy, Tatiana G Kutateladze, Tao P Wu, Tingting Yao, Chao Lu, Srinivas Ramachandran, Xiaojun Ren

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Phase separation is increasingly recognized in facultative heterochromatinization of Polycomb target genes; however, the mechanisms underlying this process remain obscure. Using single-molecule imaging and tracking, we show that individual condensates in mouse embryonic stem cells (mESCs) contain approximately 3 CBX2 molecules and numerous Polycomb repressive complex (PRC)1 and PRC2 subunits and indicate that the composition and dynamics of condensates are developmentally regulated. We reveal that CBX2 clusters PRC2 and controls the spatial distribution of both PRC2 and H3K27me3. Using genomic approaches, we demonstrate that CBX2 binds to condensate initiation sites, which are enriched for PRC2 nucleation sites. CBX2 deletion causes …

Private Credit In Wealth Management: Return Enhancer Or Hidden Risk?, David Spohn

Faculty and Staff Publications & Presentations

Conference presentation given at the Federation of Business Disciplines (FBD), specifically for the Society of Southwest Economic (SSE) society at their annual conference in Dallas, TX.

"Bibliotherapy In Counseling, Spirituality, And Self-Care-How Reading The Right Book Can Heal", Michelle P. Cross

English

Bibliotherapy can be used as an integral component of mental and emotional self-care, spiritual growth, and professional therapy. Reading can be instrumental for sharpening mental acuity, alleviating depression, and furthering spiritual journeys. Bibliotherapy can provide a modicum of treatment to those who cannot access traditional clinics or religious/spiritual centers.

Variant Superficial Epigastric Supply To The Anterior Abdominal Wall Arising From Inferior Epigastric Perforators: A Neonatal Case Report, Daniël J. Van Tonder, Natalie Keough, Martin Louis Van Niekerk, Albert Van Schoor

COM Scholarship

Introduction: Understanding superficial epigastric vessel anatomy is crucial for abdominal surgeries like laparoscopy, especially in neonates, to prevent injury. While standard courses are described, variations occur. This case report highlights a unique anatomical variation in the superficial epigastric artery found during the dissection of a stillborn neonatal cadaver. Case Report: In contrast to the usual origin from the femoral artery, this variation features the inferior epigastric artery penetrating the anterior abdominal wall near the umbilicus and branching superiorly to supply the superficial abdominal wall. Conclusions: This distinctive vascular configuration, which to the best of our knowledge has not been previously …

Of Epistemes And Insects: How Drosophila And Butterflies Shape Our Understanding Of Radiation Risk, Donna M. Goldstein, Magdalena E. Stawkoski

Faculty Publications

This paper explores the complexities of extrapolating insect data to understand nuclear exposure effects on humans. Within radiation research, animal studies are invaluable tools for understanding biological effects of radiation exposure. However, data are often employed selectively, exposing unsettled science in extrapolating animal data to human radiation effects. Here we focus on our understanding of the genetic effects of radiation exposure, and how the debates about the long-term effects on humans were molded by research carried out on the model organism known as Drosophila; disagreements among scientists occurred within the constraints of research on this model organism, creating what …

Intravenous Dexamethasone Administration Prior To Spinal Anesthesia, Virginia Nelsen, Nancy Westbrook

Group: Samford University Moffett & Sanders School of Nursing

Dexamethasone is a potent synthetic glucocorticoid that reduces nitric oxide- mediated vasodilation, increases sympathetic activity, elevates catecholamine levels, and increases vascular sensitivity to vasopressors. A one-time dose of 8mg was most often administered by researchers. The timing of administration varied from two hours prior to immediately before spinal placement. The peak effect of dexamethasone occurs 45 to 60 minutes after administration which suggests that immediate dosing may not provide maximal benefit. The most common adverse effects of steroids include hyperglycemia, immunosuppression, delirium, and perineal itching. Overall, the available literature supports the short-term safety of a single dose of dexamethasone in …

Automating Literature Synthesis: Parsing And Structuring Pdf Highlights, Keah Tandon

AI Day 2026

No abstract provided.

Shaping The Future Of Medicine: Ai Initiatives At Usc Somc, Kasie Roark Ms, Benjamin Hawfield Dpt, Homayoun Valafar Phd, Predrag Krajacic Md, Bobby Miller Md, Matthew Orr Md, Jack Goldsmith Phd, Ioulia Chatzistamou Md Phd, Austin Worden Phd, Janel Hagar Phd, Keisha Wilson Phd, Gary Moore, Stan Laraque, Steve Wilson Mlis, Leonardo Bonilha Md Phd

AI Day 2026

• Artificial intelligence (AI) is rapidly transforming clinical care, biomedical research, and healthcare systems.
• Effective integration of AI in healthcare requires AI literacy, critical evaluation skills, and ethical awareness among healthcare professionals.
• However, structured AI education remains limited within many medical and biomedical training programs.
• National organizations, including the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC), have emphasized the need for AI competencies in education.
• The University of South Carolina School of Medicine Columbia (USC SOMC) developed a coordinated institutional initiative to address this educational gap.

Coping With Climate Change: A Mixed-Methods Approach To Understanding Irrigation Technology Outcomes In Gujarat, India, Jamie M. Sommer, Trupti Jain, Biplabketan Paul, Karina Yager, Eliza White, Andrew Hargrove, Peggy Ann Spitzer

Montclair State University Scholarship & Creative Works

Previous research on climate change interventions highlights that adaptation and mitigation strategies must be tailored to local contexts to effectively benefit both people and the environment. However, there remains a gap in analyzing the effectiveness of locally specific climate-related technologies in enhancing food security, improving livelihoods, and addressing social dimensions such as women’s autonomy. The authors address that gap by drawing on two data sources, one quantitative and one qualitative, to evaluate the impact of an irrigation technology. Specifically, the authors assess its effectiveness in improving crop yields and addressing issues related to migration, women’s autonomy, and economic conditions. The …

Intimate Partners Of National Guard And Reserve Members And Veterans With A Mental Health Diagnosis, Christine Sutton

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Research has documented increasing mental health challenges among military service members; however, limited scholarship examines the lived experiences of partners of National Guard and Reserve members when a mental health diagnosis is present within the relationship. Despite expanded attention to active-duty families, National Guard partners remain underrepresented while navigating dual civilian–military demands, fragmented support systems, and inconsistent access to care. The purpose of this hermeneutic phenomenological study was to explore and interpret the lived experiences of partners of National Guard and Reserve service members diagnosed with a mental health condition. Guided by a hermeneutic phenomenological framework, the study explored how …

Is A Gender-Neutral Income Tax Feasible—Or Desirable?, James Alm, Yvette Lind

Loyola of Los Angeles Law Review

It is increasingly recognized that the individual income tax leads to disparate treatment by race, ethnicity, and gender, even when the statutory tax code is written in a race-, ethnicity-, and gender-blind way. Partly in response to these disparate treatments, there have been many suggestions for moving the income tax to more neutral treatments of taxpayers. In this paper, we focus on a specific aspect of these reform efforts: making the individual income tax gender-neutral. We first examine the many sources of gender non-neutrality in the income tax. We argue that gender non-neutrality arises largely because of deviations of “income” …

The Combined Effects Of Art Therapy And Yoga On Stress In Graduate Students, Wen-Fang (Tiffany) Tsai

Expressive Therapies Dissertations

Graduate students experience disproportionately high levels of stress, and when this stress becomes chronic, it is associated with adverse psychological and physical health outcomes. While yoga and art therapy have independently demonstrated potential in reducing stress, their combined effects remain underexplored. This quantitative study employed a two-group experimental design to investigate the synergistic effects of an integrated art therapy and yoga intervention on stress reduction and flow enhancement. Graduate students (N = 23) were randomly assigned to either the integrated intervention or an active control group receiving yoga only. Participants received three weekly 50-min sessions, with pre- and post-intervention …

Neurobiological Pathways Underlying Brain Tumor Progression: Basis For Oncogenicity And Opportunities For Immunotherapeutic Intervention, Carrie E. Andrews, Jenny Zilberberg, Raul Perez-Olle, David Andrews, Mark A. Exley

Department of Neurosurgery Faculty Papers

Both primary and metastatic brain tumors rely on signals from the surrounding environment for their survival and progression. In particular, the most common and lethal brain cancer, glioblastoma (GBM), derived from glial cells (astrocytes or microglia), has been shown to integrate into synaptic networks and to receive paracrine signals from neighbouring tumor microenvironment (TME) cells. There is increasing evidence that metastatic disease in the brain exhibits similar behavior. The TME both maintains malignant cells and is maintained by them, a process that relies on cancer stem cells (CSCs). These stem cells and their signaling mechanisms, including in the case of …

A Novel Optuna-Vmd-Ml Framework For Enhanced Settlement Prediction Of Buildings Around Foundation Pits, Jing Zhang, Zhenlin Wang, Shiyu Sheng, Sifan Shen, Chuang He, Huafeng Shan, Haijie He, Li Ai

Civil Engineering Faculty Publications

The prediction of building settlement around foundation pit is of vital importance to ensure the safety and stability of urban construction projects. However, current predictions of buildings surrounding foundation pit face numerous challenges. Therefore, this study proposes a framework that integrates Optuna-based hyperparameter optimization, variational mode decomposition (VMD), and machine learning (ML) for accurate and timely settlement prediction in practical engineering scenarios, referred to as the Optuna–VMD–ML framework. Optuna is employed to tune the hyperparameters of both VMD and the ML models; the Optuna-tuned VMD decomposes the settlement time series into mode components, which are then used to train the …

The Cowl - V. 89 N. 16 - March 19, 2026

The Cowl

The Cowl - student newspaper of Providence College. Vol. 89 No. 16 - March 19, 2026. 16 pages.

Kenyon Collegian - March 19, 2026

The Kenyon Collegian

No abstract provided.

Public Policy Issues Faced By Educators Teaching Incarcerated Youth, Tariq Shabazz

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Educational policies at the federal, state, and juvenile levels shape the academic transfer and reintegration processes for youth returning from confinement to public schools in the United States. Despite the passage of the Every Student Succeeds Act of 2015, the literature indicates that policies at the federal, state, and programmatic levels were not fully aligned. Each required education to be provided to juveniles while incarcerated, but each did not show how this education was transferred afterward or if this was a requirement at each level. The purpose of this general qualitative study was to conduct a comparative policy analysis of …

Legal Permanent Residents’ Five-Year Residency Benefits Restriction, Enoch Olayinka Badamosi

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The contemporary U.S. welfare system, shaped by the 1996 Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act and reinforced by the Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act, established structural exclusions that bar lawful permanent residents (LPRs) from accessing core social welfare programs during their first five years of residency. Existing research provides support that exclusionary provisions caused economic instability, bureaucratic discrimination, and racialized stigma for immigrant participants, limiting access to basic needs, reinforcing poverty, and ultimately eroding trust in U.S. institutions. The purpose of this study was to bridge the gap in knowledge by examining the cumulative socio-economic and moral …

Describing The Creation Of Physician Burnout Prevention Efforts: A Phenomenological Investigation, Amy Cowan

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Despite physician burnout being a recognized problem, no single, successful, clear strategy has been developed to lessen this issue. The purpose of this qualitative phenomenological study was to explore the motivations underlying the development of responses to physician burnout by their creators and the factors that influenced their decision-making in creating these responses. A purposeful sample of 17 creators of physician burnout and suicide prevention strategies in the United States was selected based on Moustakas’s conventions for conducting a qualitative descriptive phenomenological study. Notwithstanding this sample, data collection continued until saturation was achieved. The qualitative data were collected using semi-structured …

Heavy Dark Matter In Rapidly Evolving Massive Stars, Sandra Robles, Walter Tangarife, Giogio Busoni

Physics: Faculty Publications and Other Works

We study the impact of heavy dark matter (DM) captured in massive stars via scattering(s) with the star constituents. We focus on the first stars and use stellar evolution simulations to track down how DM capture evolves over time from the zero-age main sequence to the late metal-rich stages of stellar evolution. During the early hydrogen-helium-dominated phase, the capture process is well described by scattering with two targets. As a star evolves, metal production leads to the formation of a dense core surrounded by a lighter envelope. The core significantly enhances the capture of ultra-heavy DM; in this case, three …

Conceptualizing Osteopathic Medical Professionalism: An Institutional Self-Assessment Rubric For Colleges Of Osteopathic Medicine., Regina K Fleming, Anne C Jones, Matthew Shelnutt, Tony A Slieman, Stephanie White, Bruce R Williams

PCOM Scholarly Works

CONTEXT: Professionalism in medicine has been historically difficult to define, teach, assess, and remediate. While professionalism is vital to the practice of medicine, the lack of consistency across training and disciplines, combined with the often generalized nature of its description, has caused challenges in academic medicine and has led to the weaponization of its use. It is clear that change in this essential competency in medicine is needed, and change has to begin with an honest self-assessment.

OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this report is to present an evidence-based rubric for the assessment of professionalism at the institutional level. The literature …

Perioperative Skin Integrity: A Quality Improvement Initiative To Prevent Skin Injuries In Surgical Patients, Emily Francom

Articles, Abstracts, and Reports

No abstract provided.

Inertia Versus Adaptation: Relational Resilience In Buyer-Supplier Relationships Facing Extreme Disruption, Jordan M. Barker, Anne E. Dohmen, Carlos Mena

Business Faculty Publications and Presentations

This research introduces the concept of relational resilience, which reflects the dynamic capacity of a buyer–supplier relationship to absorb external shocks and continue its core function of exchange. Guided by structural inertia theory (SIT), the research explores how relationship age, exchange volume, and multiplexity contribute to relational resilience across both stable periods and times of extreme disruption. Using a large-scale panel dataset of buyer–supplier relationships and the COVID-19 pandemic as an exogenous shock, the findings reveal that relational resilience is enhanced by all three mechanisms, but extreme disruptions lessen the protective value of relationship age and exchange volume while strengthening …

Single Custodial Fathers And The Challenges To Receiving Services, Oriesha Anyah Peña

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Single fathers are an increasing population in the United States and worldwide. However, the literature and programs that guide human services professionals supporting single fathers’ parenting experience are limited in Anne Arundel County, Maryland. There is a need to further study the varied challenges these fathers experience so that professionals in social support organizations and agencies can implement appropriate services, support, programs, and resources into practice and ensure access to support their families and parenting. This qualitative study includes a force field analysis as part of a formative program needs assessment to explore human services professionals' perceptions of service needs, …

Deadmap: Open Yet Locked—Key-Controlled Dataset Protection With Feature-Level Collisions, Ting Yang, Mahabubur Rahman Miraj, Xinyu Lei, Nankun Mu, Hongyu Huang

Michigan Tech Publications

The performance of deep learning models relies heavily on high-quality datasets. However, under the prevailing paradigm of pretrained-model–based applications, once a dataset is publicly released, data owners largely lose control over how it is used for model training. Existing data protection approaches either focus on post hoc accountability or irreversibly destroy the training utility of the data through perturbations, making it difficult to simultaneously satisfy the dual requirements of offline public sharing, authorized and controllable usage. In this paper, we propose DeadMap, a reversible training usability control framework designed for model fine-tuning scenarios. DeadMap introduces a secret label permutation combined …

40 For 40: Celebrating 40 Years Of Evans Library, Nancy Garmer, Jason Martin

Evans Library Publications

Evans Library celebrated its 40th anniversary during the 2024–2025 academic year with “40 for 40,” a campaign blending commemorative events and fundraising. Highlights included interactive digital content, cultural programs, and community engagement initiatives that showcased the library’s evolution and impact. The celebration strengthened alumni connections, energized donors, and reaffirmed the library’s role as a dynamic, collaborative space for learning and innovation.

Conceptualizing Osteopathic Medical Professionalism: An Institutional Self-Assessment Rubric For Colleges Of Osteopathic Medicine, Regina K. Fleming, Matthew Shelnutt, Tony A. Slieman, Stephanie White, Bruce R. Williams

Faculty and Staff Publications

Context: Professionalism in medicine has been historically difficult to define, teach, assess, and remediate. While professionalism is vital to the practice of medicine, the lack of consistency across training and disciplines, combined with the often generalized nature of its description, has caused challenges in academic medicine and has led to the weaponization of its use. It is clear that change in this essential competency in medicine is needed, and change has to begin with an honest self-assessment.

Objectives: The purpose of this report is to present an evidence-based rubric for the assessment of professionalism at the institutional level. The literature …