Digital Commons Network^™

The Butterfly Effect In Economics: Exploring Chaos With A Simple Financial Model, Sandy Hs Herho

CODEE Journal

Wild swings in financial markets need not result from external shocks like earthquakes or wars—they can emerge from deterministic chaos. This article introduces kalimusada, an open-source Python library that lets students and instructors explore this phenomenon through a simple three- equation model of financial dynamics. The model couples interest rates, investment, and prices through nonlinear feedback, generating bounded but unpredictable oscillations characteristic of chaos. Tiny differences in starting conditions—smaller than any measurement could detect—grow exponentially until two initially identical economies follow completely different paths. The library provides ready-to-use tools for visualizing this “butterfly effect” in economics, computing divergence metrics, and …

The Scarlet - Volume Civ, No. 7 (February 13, 2026), Scarlet Staff

The Scarlet (Student Newspaper) (2011-present)

The February 13, 2026 edition of The Scarlet (est. 1939), Clark University's student-run newspaper. The Scarlet is intellectually and editorially independent of the University.

Punishment And Regret, Michelle Madden Dempsey

Faculty Publications

This essay is a contribution to a symposium on Adam Kolber’s Punishment for the Greater Good. As the title suggests, the essay focuses on the issues of punishment and regret. Its main thrust is a critique of Kolber’s failure to acknowledge the salience of retrospective normativity. This failure divorces Kolber’s attempt to justify punishment from our actual current carceral practices, which are fundamentally backward-looking responses to past (actual or supposed) wronging. It also limits Kolber’s ability to account for the normative reasons we have to regret these practices: mistaking regret as solely a matter of feeling and human psychology, while …

Burnout, Perceived Organizational Support, And Spirituality: In Msd Special Educators, Bianca Grider Fisher

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This quantitative correlational research study explored whether burnout (BO) is correlated with perceived organizational support (POS) in special education teachers (SETs) working with moderate to severe disabilities (MSDs) students during distress, and whether spirituality moderates the correlation. SETs working with MSD students face a heightened risk of BO, yet there is little literature exploring how organizational or spiritual resources help. Exploring these factors is necessary to strengthen SETs’ well-being. Guided by the Organizational Support Theory, theoretical frameworks on BO, Maslow's Theory on Spirituality and Hierarchy of Needs, the Cognitive Appraisal Approach, and biblical truths, this study explored how internal and …

Childhood Emotional Abuse And Effects On Adult Behavioral Health, Motivation, And Resilience, Jonathan Pawson

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Childhood emotional abuse (CEA) is a frequently overlooked form of maltreatment that disrupts attachment formation and increases vulnerability to depression, anxiety, and other internalizing symptoms in adulthood. Because the harm is relational and often invisible, its long-term effects can persist without recognition. This study examined how CEA related to adult internalizing behaviors, resilience, and motivation, and whether resilience and motivation moderated these relationships. Attachment theory guided the framework for understanding how early emotional deprivation shapes later functioning.

A quantitative correlational design was used with 249 adults who completed the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire–Short Form (CTQ-SF), Beck Depression Inventory-II (BDI-II), Generalized Anxiety …

Autistic Mothers And Intimate Partner Violence (Ipv): An Intersectional Analysis Of Vulnerability And Systemic Barriers, Rachel D. Bailey

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this qualitative phenomenological study was to explore how autistic mothers raising children with autism describe the support they received and the barriers they faced when leaving an IPV environment. The guiding theory for this study was Ecological Systems Theory, which was utilized to explore vulnerability to exploitation through aggressive abuse histories, normalization of violence, and the inability to see red flags in potential relationship partners. Intersectionality was utilized to examine how the interplay of abuse, autistic traits, race, socioeconomic states, and gender created a complex and challenging situation for autistic mothers affected by intimate partner violence. Eight …

Music Ministry Of Children And Youth: A Study And Defense For Incorporating Children And Youth Choirs In The Modern Worship Service, Veronica Leigh Haber Allison

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Graded children’s choir ministries have been a part of churches for the last century. In recent years, there has been a growing trend away from offering music ministry opportunities to children and youth in contemporary churches. There are several reasons for this decline; the major reason is that many churches have moved away from traditional music offerings to a praise band format. It has rendered the musical training of children in church unnecessary. The limited quantity of recent scholarly literature, the decline in commercially produced music, and the discontinuation of teaching materials for children’s choir ministries also attest to this …

The De-Westernization Of Music Education Through World Music, Alec Williams

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This study reviews the variety of qualitative research studies that examine the effects of world music in the classroom across different classroom settings. Other studies explore the reactions of the students when presented with music from various cultures and diverse musical identities from around the world. These research studies reveal the importance of exposing students to different cultures, spark a new interest in cultural music, and provide information on the overall effects of artistic exposure. The results of the studies have shown positive influences on students exposed to a World Music class. The importance of cultural inclusion lies in its …

Navigating Labor Challenges In The Hotel Industry: A Managerial Approach, Alen Sardarian

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The hotel industry faces a critical shortage of qualified service workers. This HR problem poses an operational and strategic challenge that undermines delivering quality customer service. In relation, this study investigated the HR managerial struggle to recruit and retain an adequate number of service workers to meet the labor demands of the luxury hotel sector. Based on social exchange theory, this research explored how motivational features such as flexible scheduling, career advancement opportunities, training, and employee rewards function as reciprocal exchange mechanisms between the HR management and service workers, thereby influencing recruitment and retention outcomes. The study incorporated a flexible …

Pressure Injury Prevention And Education, Maria T. Gonzales, Tammy Tyree, Kari Johnson, Crystelle Johnson

Creating Healthy Work Environments (CHWE)

Background: Increased age is a significant risk factor for hospital-acquired pressure injuries (HAPI) due to increased morbidities, decreased mobility, reduced nutrition, sensory impairments, reduced circulation, incontinence, and decreased immunity.

Purpose: Determine if focused education related to the Braden Scale (BS), pressure injuries (PI), and pressure injury prevention (PIP) will increase bedside staff knowledge of PI prevention and decrease HAPI incidence over three months.

Method: Pre/post-test design - Pre-intervention questionnaire, Educational Intervention, and Post-intervention questionnaire

Setting: 28-bed Orthopedic-Spinal Surgical Unit

Sample: Up to 38 nurses (RNs), four nursing supervisors, one director, and 14 patient care technicians (PCTs). Inclusion criteria: All full-time/part-time …

Home-Based Pulmonary Rehabilitation Program For Patients With Post-Covid-19 Persistent Dyspnea, Sandra P. Morgan, Constance Visovsky, Bini Thomas

Creating Healthy Work Environments (CHWE)

Purpose: Post-COVID-19 symptoms vary widely and can be persistent without intervention. The prevalence of post-COVID-19 dyspnea is reported to range from 26%-41%. Radiologic evidence of lung fibrosis, pulmonary scarring, and interstitial changes have been associated in some individuals with persistent dyspnea in the post-COVID-19 population. Recent studies hypothesize that the COVID-19 infection may specifically cause damage and result in weakness to the respiratory musculature. Respiratory muscle strength training has been used to reduce persistent dyspnea in other respiratory diseases, thus, it may be a viable option for individuals with persistent dyspnea with post-COVID-19. The primary aim of this study is …

Teaching Politics In An Age Of Democratic Erosion, Lauren Balasco, Emmanuel Balogun, Janet Lawler, Anna Kapambwe Mwaba

Government: Faculty Publications

Democratic erosion in the United States, and the global decline of support for democratic values and institutions, obliges us to reflect on how we introduce politics to undergraduate students in this challenging era. Recent attacks on democratic rights and academic freedoms on college campuses, as well as the undermining of rule of law and democratic norms in the United States and abroad, compels us to reconsider and reflect on how we introduce politics and civic engagement in the classroom to our students. In this essay, we reflect on how current global and national trends in populism and authoritarianism require us …

V.62-4, 2025 Masthead

San Diego Law Review

No abstract provided.

The Spring Writers Series Opens With Journalist James Sullivan, Sophia Lorom

Digital Edition

No abstract provided.

Nurse-Led Rounds To Improve Communication And Nursing Satisfaction In The Surgical Trauma Icu, Katherine Vandyke Grose, Melanie Louise Hoeve

Creating Healthy Work Environments (CHWE)

Evidence supports interprofessional bedside rounding as a method to improve communication and patient outcomes in inpatient healthcare settings (Blakeney et al., 2021). Intensive care unit (ICU) nurses have an integral role to play in these rounds, as they influence patient care, safety, and satisfaction and often maintain the most current information about patient status and concerns. Surgical Trauma ICU nurses in a large level one trauma center attend daily physician-led multidisciplinary teaching rounds, but their role as a passive participant led to dissatisfaction and concerns that suboptimal interprofessional communication might negatively impact patient outcomes.

Based on the work of Amour …

Eight Ole Miss Students Win Stamps Impact Prize, Clara Turnage

University of Mississippi News

OXFORD, Miss. – The Stamps Impact Prize committee selected eight University of Mississippi students for its biannual competitive award program that funds undergraduate academic and creative projects.

What Is Happening In The World Today And Why: Humanity’S Evolving Consciousness And The Role Of Archetypal Energies As Guides During An Unfolding, Carroy U. Ferguson

Journal of Conscious Evolution

What is happening in the world today and why? Humanity is evolving its consciousness at individual and collective levels. Given these seemingly tumultuous times, as of this writing (January 2026), to make such a statement may sound like a strange thing to say. However, I suggest that if you are alive today and if you are reading these words, these are the very times for which you were born—to assist Humanity as it evolves its consciousness with your unique gifts, whatever they may be. That is, this period of our individual and collective human being-ness may be characterized as an …

The Impact Of Communication On Generational Trauma, Claudia Abalo

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Trauma has occurred since God made man, and it has been passed down through generations. Now, even though generational trauma may not end until our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ returns (Revelations 21:4), in the meantime, the Scriptures encourage us to love one another as God loves us (John 13:34-35), to care for each other, and to share our burdens with one another (Galatians 6:2). However, there is limited research as to whether sharing our burdens such as discussing traumatic experiences within the home impacts generational trauma. Therefore, this qualitative, interpretative phenomenological study aimed to answer how the children of …

Coordinated Management Of Meaning In U.S.-Russia Relations: How Meanings Shaped Communication Surrounding The Potential Invasion Of Ukraine, Russell James Hampsey

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This qualitative discourse analysis applies the coordinated management of meaning theory to examine the diplomatic interactions between the United States and Russia from November 2021 to February 2022, the critical negotiation period preceding the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Systematically applying the theory’s hierarchy of meanings model to the official discourse resulted in the segmentation of 1,428 official texts for analysis. Comparative coding of the data exposes how worldviews and recursive feedback patterns shape adversarial postures, perpetuate negotiation impasses, and prevent the emergence of co-constructed meaning. This research illuminates how national meanings are actively constructed and maintained through discursive interaction, reinforcing …

Institutional Factors Contributing To Child Sexual Abuse In Independent Baptist Churches: A Phenomenological Study, Adam Stephen Pearlstein

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this phenomenological study is to describe childhood sexual abuse survivor’s within Independent Baptist Churches experiences reporting and engaging with church leaders about their abuse in the United States. While there is great variety within these churches, they typically share a similar style of church leadership and accountability structures for that leadership. Tragically, child sexual abuse within these churches is far too common, as is demonstrated both by scientific research and by stories reported by journalists. This study will seek to look into both the ecclesiology of the church structures of these Independent Baptist churches and into teachings …

Assessing The Threat Of Southern Pine Beetle To Pitch Pine In Acadia National Park, Caroline R. Kanaskie, Mark J. Ducey, Jeff R. Garnas

Faculty Publications

Many of the mountain summits of Acadia National Park (ACAD) are dominated by Pinus rigida (Pitch Pine). The ACAD Pitch Pine population is particularly valuable due to its position at the northernmost edge of the species’ range, its association with unique animal and plant communities, and its contribution to the aesthetics of the park. Pitch Pine is host to Dendroctonus frontalis (Southern Pine Beetle [SPB]). As the name suggests, SPB is native to the southeastern US, and can kill large numbers of healthy pines via mass-attack. With warming winters, SPB can establish and persist further north than ever before, presenting …

Primary Membranoproliferative Glomerulonephritis: Natural History, Pathogenesis, And Treatment, Edward J. Filippone, John L. Farber

Division of Nephrology Faculty Papers

Primary membranoproliferative glomerulonephritis (MPGN) is an ultrarare disease characterized by immunofluorescence microscopy as either immune-complex mediated (IC-MPGN) or C3 glomerulopathy (C3), the latter subdivided by electron microscopy to C3 glomerulonephritis (C3GN) and dense deposit disease (DDD). Both IC-MPGN and C3G typically have obvious C3 staining differentiating them from other causes of MPGN histology. Secondary causes must be excluded, including infections, autoimmune disease, and neoplasia. Clinical presentations are variable, including urinary sediment abnormalities, nephrotic syndrome, or a rapidly progressive course. The prognosis is unfavorable with about 50% reaching kidney failure by 10 years. Recurrence following transplantation is frequent, and allograft survival …

Leadership And Context For Comprehensive Internationalization: Senior International Officer Perspectives, Elenora Haag

Journal of Comparative & International Higher Education

Increasing attention has been paid in recent years to the nature and importance of the role of the senior international officer (SIO) in higher education institutions. With reference to Knight’s (1994) internationalization cycle and Tierney’s (1988) framework of organizational culture, this basic qualitative study examines the intersection of leadership and institutional context as mediators of the internationalization process, a perspective which is lacking in the existing literature. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 11 SIOs from institutions that have received a national award for internationalization, with strategic planning documents serving as a secondary data source. Findings suggest that the roles of …

Cv: Hae Min Yu (Early Childhood Education), Hae Min Yu

Education Department Faculty Curricula Vitae

No abstract provided.

Adversaries And Experts: Legal Tradition Versus Empirical Science, André M. Peñalver

Seattle University Law Review Online

The modern courtroom can become a battleground between two epistemologies: the adversarial logic of law and the empirical rigor of science. Using a case involving a neuropsychological exam under Washington Civil Rule 35, this Article explores the tension between these traditions. While medicine embraced the Scientific Revolution, law remains tethered to its medieval Scholastic roots. The Article argues for humility and integration of evidence-based reasoning within the adversarial process.

Community Engagement And Equity-Oriented Researchare Prerequisites For Designing Inclusive Oral Healthservices For People Experiencing Homelessness, Martha Paisi, Andrea Rodriguez, Lyndsey Withers

School of Nursing and Midwifery

Oral health is a vital aspect of overall health and wellbeing, yet individuals experiencing homelessness often bear a disproportionate burden of poor oral health and its consequences. This paper explores how community engagement and equity-oriented research can be powerful and complementary tools to inform and enhance evidence-based service design for these patients. We present illustrative examples from both the United Kingdom and international contexts. Community engagement captures a genuine, patient-centred understanding of current realities, while research builds on this foundation to identify and address priority needs. This targeted approach increases the likelihood of impactful interventions that move from ‘what is' …

First Detection Of Xylazine In Texas Wastewater And Its Association With Fentanyl Use, Feng Li, John Balliew, Kristina D Mena, Fuqing Wu

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Xylazine is a veterinary sedative increasingly found in the U.S. illicit drug supply and is a growing public health concern due to its association with overdose events. To investigate its spatial distribution and relationship with fentanyl use, we analyzed 124 wastewater samples from four treatment plants serving the City of El Paso, Texas, over 13 months (June 2023 to July 2024) using liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry. Xylazine detections varied across sewersheds, with detection rates of 29.0%, 12.9%, 9.7%, and 0% and peak loads of 110±40 μg/day/1000 people. Norfentanyl (a primary fentanyl metabolite) was detected in all samples (100%), reaching …

The Problem Of Insight: An Interpretive Phenomenological Approach To Understanding Awareness Following Acquired Brain Injury, David Bennett, Alyson Norman, Mark Holloway

School of Psychology

Context: Acquired brain injury (ABI) can result in executive impairments that can detrimentally impact an individual’s level of insight into the changes in functioning caused by their ABI. This, along with the difficulty professionals have in identifying executive impairments and relating these to functional changes, can lead to wrongful assumptions of functional abilities among those affected. Objective: This study aimed to explore the experience of individuals with ABI who demonstrate an impairment of insight with a view to documenting specific examples of impaired insight. Method: Four participants took part in a semi-structured interview analysed using interpretive phenomenological analysis (IPA). Feedback …

Fostering Worship In A Countercultural Setting: An Ethnodoxological Approach To Secular Heavy Music, Jacob Lewis Ream

Masters Theses

Despite stylistic musical diversity within the evangelical church, many secular musicians and music fans have little to no desire to participate in corporate worship music. Specifically, those that engage in “countercultural heavy music (CHM);” namely, hard rock, punk rock, and heavy metal. Music that is often played for the purpose of corporate worship in the local church fails to resonate with many musicians in the corresponding local community. In addition, most evangelical worship ministries do not strive to reach the music communities outside of their local church. This study examines the reasons for this disconnectedness. “Worship as missions” is not …

The Mosaic, Georgia Southern University

George-Anne Media Group: Newsletters & Magazines

No abstract provided.