Digital Commons Network^™

Post-Secondary Participation And Graduation, Syeda Kashfee Ahmed, Ian Teo, Amanda Haddow, Daniel Edwards

Higher education research

This systematic review examines systems and institutional policies impacting Higher Education (HE) and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) sectors globally. Specifically, it seeks to address the impact of access, participation, retention, and graduation policies, and support the development of the UNESCO Global Education Monitoring Report 2026 by responding to equity and inclusion challenges, and alignment with Sustainable Development Goal 4 targets.

Setting Standards For Engineering Writing. Supplementary Information [Data], Hidden For Review

Higher education research

We present an approach to defining minimum standards of written communication for engineering graduates based on the evaluation of writing samples by industry personnel. Communication skills are widely recognised as core graduate capabilities; however, universities often lack explicit, evidence-based standards aligned with industry expectations. This study applies the borderline group method of empirical standard setting to elicit judgement from industry professionals who supervise graduate engineers. Participants evaluated samples of student writing in two common engineering genres, technical report executive summaries and emails, using dichotomous acceptability judgements supported by evaluations of structure, content and expression. We present a validated framework, supported …

In Its Right Mind - Governance Of Social Superintelligence, David Filippi, Bill Tomlinson, Andrew W. Torrance

FIU Law Review

This Comment argues that a broad presumption of public access to court  documents is essential to preserving the legitimacy and constitutional values  of the American legal system. Although the principle of public access is  rooted in common law and constitutional tradition, individual states differ in  how they approach transparency in the context of court documents. These  jurisdictional inconsistencies continue to gain significance, as the digital age  has completely transformed the way people consume information. The  increasing digitization of court records has heightened the need for consistent  and constitutionally grounded standards that preserve transparency while  adequately protecting legitimate privacy interests. Florida’s …

School Of Biological Sciences News, 2026, School Of Biological Sciences, Illinois State University

School of Biological Sciences News

Alumni newsletter of Illinois State University's School of Biological Sciences.

The Need To Prioritize Educating Special Educators On Augmentative And Alternative Communication Systems, Natalie Owens

Graduate Research Papers

As alternative and augmentative communication (AAC) devices continue to be present in classrooms, it is vital for special educators to have a grasp of the potential systems they could interact with. Existing literature has indicated three main themes among special educators and their relation to AAC systems: a lack of preservice training, poor in-field experiences relating to collaboration and deficiencies in educational resources, and little understanding of evidence-based interventions and their implementations. It will be shown that through the continued absence of AAC systems in preservice training, special educators’ knowledge and skill set will help future students suffer. This synthesis …

Autoethnography On Being A Queer Science Teacher In The Midwest, Emily Gomez

Graduate Research Papers

The purpose of this paper is to analyze the experiences of a queer teacher in the Midwest. It examines how my identity, community, and professional practice intersect within the schools I taught that had traditional cultural norms. Through analysis of key moments in my personal journals and school emails, this study highlights the complexities of navigating visibility, safety, and authenticity in the classroom while teaching science.

The research examines experiences in teaching science and advocating for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer (LGBTQ+) inclusion, including the formation of a student organization, the Gay–Straight Alliance (GSA). The data provides insight into …

Governing Harm: Three Essays On Anti-Lgbtq+ Legislation In The United States, Kathryn Hickey

Graduate Studies Theses and Dissertations 2026

In the United States, over 140 state bills were passed between 2014 and 2024 that directly targeted the lives of LGBTQ+ individuals. Drawing on administrative evil and the minority stress model, this dissertation demonstrates how policy environments that normalize discrimination through the passage of anti-LGBTQ+ legislation can lead to devastating consequences. Using a three-essay format, the first study conducts a qualitative content analysis of state level anti-LGBTQ+ laws passed between 2015 and 2024 to identify how administrative evil is woven into the language of the legislation. The results of this analysis show these laws systematically dehumanize LGBTQ+ individuals, restrict their …

An Investigation Into The Impact Of Open Educational Resources (Oer) On Postsecondary Student Outcomes, Amber Mullens

Graduate Studies Theses and Dissertations 2026

Increasing higher education costs are a concern for policymakers and the American public. In 2024-25, undergraduate students paid on average $1,290 for books and supplies (College Board, 2024). These costs have led policymakers and educators to advocate for the use of open educational resources (OER). OER are teaching and learning materials that are in the public domain or licensed under copyright allowing no cost access, reuse, repurpose, adaptation, and redistribution (UNESCO, 2019, p. 5). While research has demonstrated OER use significantly reduces costs for students, less is known about OER's impact on student academic outcomes. Despite significant research on these …

Navigating Retail Automation: The Impact Of Perceived Autonomy Support On Frontline Employee Digital Adaptive Performance, Xun (Catherine) Sun, Ishtehar Sharif Swazan, Song-Yi Youn

Faculty Publications - Family and Consumer Sciences

As automated technologies become increasingly embedded in retail operations, understanding the antecedents of enhancing frontline employees’ digital adaptive performance has become critical. The study examines (a) how frontline employees’ perceptions of autonomy support from supervisors enhance their motivations in enhancing digital adaptive performance in retail automation contexts, and (b) how technology anxiety moderates the influence of perceived autonomy support from supervisors on psychological motivation. Survey data from U.S. frontline retail employees (n = 305) were analyzed using PLS-SEM. The findings highlight the significant role of perceived autonomy support from supervisors in positively associating with all employees’ three basic psychological …

Lessons Learned From Clinical Trials Of Thymic Stromal Lymphopoietin (Tslp) Inhibition, Jonathan Corren, Larry Borish, Christopher Brightling, Joseph K. Han, Emma Guttman-Yassky, Steven Ziegler, Jean Publicover, Jyotsna Gulati, Nestor Molfino, Christopher S. Ambrose, Jean-Pierre Llanos, Lang Chen, Jane R. Parnes, Joseph Spahn, Andrew Lindsley

Department of Otolaryngology (ENT) Faculty Publications

Type 2 (T2) immune–mediated epithelial-driven diseases are characterized by dysregulated immune responses at epithelial barrier surfaces. A key mediator of these diseases is thymic stromal lymphopoietin (TSLP), an epithelial cytokine that acts as a regulator of both T2 and non-T2 inflammation. TSLP activates dendritic cells and other immune cells, promoting the release of proinflammatory cytokines, including IL-4, IL-5, and IL-13. Given its central role in initiating and amplifying T2 inflammation, TSLP has emerged as a promising therapeutic target in multiple epithelial-driven inflammatory diseases. Tezepelumab is a human monoclonal antibody that selectively blocks TSLP from interacting with its receptor complex, thereby …

Department Of English Newsletter, Winter 2025-2026, Illinois State University, Department Of English

Department of English Newsletter

Newsletter of the Illinois State University Department of English

Are Skip Laminectomy And Oblique Corpectomy Effective Options To Treat Degenerative Cervical Myelopathy While Preserving Motion? Results Of A Scoping Review, Justin L Lomax, Ankit Mehta, Aditya Vedantam, Rory Goodwin, Nathan Evaniew, Mario Ganau, Chris J Neal, Rex A W Marco, Ryan Quisling, Jonathan Palmer, Adam T Archie, Keith L Jackson, John G Devine, Jefferson R Wilson, Uzondu F Agochukwu

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Study Design

Scoping Literature Review.

Objective

The aim of this literature review is to examine the results of both skip laminectomy and oblique corpectomy in the setting of degenerative cervical myelopathy (DCM).

Methods

A scoping review of the relevant literature examining the efficacy of cervical skip laminectomy and oblique corpectomy in patients with DCM was conducted using the Medline database. Our review strategy aimed at answering two research questions. #1: Do clinical outcomes differ between patients undergoing cervical laminoplasty vs skip laminectomy in the setting of myelopathy. #2: Which outcomes can oblique corpectomy provide, and how its related complication profile …

Negotiating Health: A Qualitative Analysis Of Home Smoking Rules Among Families With Medically Vulnerable Infants, Yolanda R Villarreal, Thomas F Northrup, Stephen M Fischer, Jackson S Norwood, Angela L Stotts

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Introduction: Approximately 5000 child deaths are attributed to secondhand smoke exposure (SHSe) annually, which is three times the number of childhood cancers combined. Infants, medically fragile infants, are highly vulnerable to the harmful effects of SHSe, including respiratory infections and sudden infant death syndrome. While having a home smoking ban may mitigate these risks, implementation remains a challenge for many families. Our primary aim was to explore the familial and sociocultural factors associated with smoking-ban initiation and maintenance in households with medically fragile infants.

Methods: Qualitative interviews were conducted with 20 mothers participating in a behavioral intervention from 2015 to …

Mitochondrial Dysfunction In Alzheimer’S Disease And Related Sex Differences, Afzal Misrani, Conelius Ngwa, Fudong Liu

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Alzheimer's disease (AD), the most common form of dementia, accounts for 70% of cases and remains a major healthcare challenge due to its rising prevalence and lack of disease-modifying treatments. Clinically, AD is a sexually dimorphic disease. Women exhibit more rapid cognitive decline and accelerated brain atrophy during mild cognitive impairment and early dementia, whereas men more frequently present cardiovascular comorbidities, earlier mitochondrial dysfunction, and greater neuropsychiatric symptoms. AD is marked by amyloid-β (Aβ) plaques, neurofibrillary tangles, neuroinflammation, and neuronal loss, with mitochondrial dysfunction emerging as a key early contributor that exhibits sex specific phenotypes. Mitochondria are vital for neuronal …

Thrombelastography As A Predictive Tool For Thromboembolic Events After Extremity Trauma: A Secondary Analysis Of Prevent-Clot, Cory K Mayfield, Nathan N O'Hara, Prism S Schneider, Renan C Castillo, Robert V O'Toole, Katherine P Frey, William Obremskey, Deborah M Stein, Reza Firoozabadi, Stephen J Warner, Madhav A Karunakar, Joshua L Gary

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Background: Venous thromboembolism (VTE) poses significant risk of morbidity and mortality in orthopaedic trauma patients. Thromboelastography (TEG) analysis has been demonstrated to provide value in demonstrating hypercoagulability and predicting the risk of post-injury VTE. The primary aim was to investigate if TEG analysis at the time of admission following severe extremity trauma predicts thromboembolic events. We hypothesized that previously described elevations in maximal amplitude (MA) on initial TEG would correlate with an increased risk of VTE.

Methods: This was a secondary study of PREVENT CLOT, a multicenter, randomized trial that enrolled adult patients with an extremity fracture (from hip to …

Criterion Validity Of The Functional Status And Pain Assessment Scale Versus Pain And Length Of Stay In Hospitalized Adults With Scd, Wally R. Smith, Daniel M. Sop, Yue May Zhang, Margaret S. Guy, Rehan Qayyum

Department of Medicine Faculty Publications

Objectives

In prior research we demonstrated face, construct, discriminant, and preliminary convergent validity of the newly developed, 10-item Functional Status Pain Assessment (FSPA) scale (0-50) in adult SCD patients hospitalized with VOC. We aimed in this study to further demonstrate criterion validity of the FSPA.

Methods

This was a prospective observational study of 561 daily functional and pain assessments from 91 hospitalized adults with SCD from January 2018 to June of 2019. Principal Component Analysis (PCA) Partial Least Squares (PLS) models determined the relationship between LOS, pain intensity, and FSPA. A Generalized Linear Model (GLM) to quantified the impact of …

Circulating Biomarker Results From A Phase 2 Study Of Seralutinib In Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension, Robin Osterhout, Athénaïs Boucly, Raymond L. Benza, Richard N. Channick, Kelly M. Chin, Robert P. Frantz, Anna R. Hemnes, Luke S. Howard, Vallerie V. Mclaughlin, Olivier Sitbon, Jean-Luc Vachiéry, Rotham T. Zamanian, Richard Aranda, Matt Cravets, Zhaoqing Ding, Thao Duong-Verlé, David Mattola, Robert F. Roscigno, Ravikumar Sitapara, Lawrence S. Zisman, Jean-Marie Bruey, Hossein-Ardeschir Ghofrani

Department of Medicine Faculty Publications

[Introduction] To the Editor: Pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) is a progressive disease characterized by obstructive pulmonary arterial remodeling (1). Seralutinib, an investigational inhaled tyrosine kinase inhibitor, potently and selectively targets kinases relevant to PAH pathobiology including platelet-derived growth factor receptors (PDGFR) α and β, colony stimulating factor 1 receptor (CSF1R), and mast/stem cell growth factor receptor kit (c-KIT) (2). In preclinical models, seralutinib improved cardiopulmonary hemodynamics, reversed pulmonary vascular pathology and decreased right ventricular hypertrophy (3). In TORREY, a phase 2, multicenter, double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial in PAH, seralutinib significantly reduced pulmonary vascular resistance (PVR) after 24 weeks with good …

An Analysis Of Heart Failure Among Cancer Patients In The United States Between 1999 And 2020, Abes A. Bautista Neughebauer, Deepak Talreja, Apostolos Gaitanidis

Department of Medicine Faculty Publications

Background: Cancer and heart failure (HF) are highly prevalent in the population and can co-exist, due to shared risk factors and an aging population. The HF-related mortality burden in cancer patients across in the United States (US) remains poorly understood. The goal of this study is to evaluate the patterns of HF-related deaths among cancer patients in the United States.

Methods: A retrospective analysis was performed using the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) WONDER Multiple Cause of Death database between years 1999 and 2020. HF-related deaths were defined as death certificates listing HF as a contributing cause of …

Metabolic Dysfunction-Associated Steatotic Liver Disease And Circadian Rhythm: Current Understanding And Implications For Future Therapeutic Interventions, William K. Slover, Ashley V. Huang, Steve M. D'Souza, Edward C. Oldfield, David A. Johnson

Department of Medicine Faculty Publications

Metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD), defined by the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases as hepatic steatosis with at least one cardiometabolic risk factor, affects approximately 30-40% of adults worldwide. This condition may progress to fibrosis, cirrhosis, and hepatocellular carcinoma. The rising prevalence, alongside obesity and type 2 diabetes, underscores the need for early risk stratification and integrated therapeutic strategies. Circadian homeostasis, orchestrated by the suprachiasmatic nucleus and core clock gene feedback loops, synchronizes hepatic metabolic pathways with environmental light-dark cycles. The objective of this review is to evaluate the role of circadian disruption and metabolic dysfunction …

T-Cells May Represent A Novel Biomarker For Female Pattern Hair Loss, Juan Marrero Berrios, Iain Noel Encarnacion, Noelle Desir, Aman Prasad, Matthew Hedberg, Susan Taylor, John T. Seykora

Department of Medicine Faculty Publications

[Introduction] Androgenetic alopecia (AGA) is a common non-scarring alopecia classically attributed to androgen sensitivity and genetics. Histopathologic studies have identified perifollicular and perivascular lymphocytic and histiocytic infiltrates, through the composition and clinical relevance of this infiltrate have not been fully characterized.¹ Our study aims to address this gap through detailed quantitative immunohistochemical characterization (IHC) of the inflammatory infiltrate in female patients with AGA compared to telogen effluvium (TE), a non-inflammatory control.

Drug-Induced Lichen Planus Associated With Ocrelizumab, Avery Seward, John D. Strickley, Jeffrey P. Callen

Department of Medicine Faculty Publications

This case report highlights recurrent cutaneous lichen planus as a rare adverse effect of ocrelizumab, with flares occurring after each infusion and improving with prophylactic prednisone. Recognizing this association may help clinicians diagnose and manage similar cases while allowing patients to continue an otherwise effective therapy.

Understanding Educators’ Perceived Barriers On Generative Ai Use For P-12 Education: An Exploratory Study, Sohyun Yang Ph.D., Gary Andersen Ph.D., Elodie Jones Ph.D., Phillip A. Olt Ed.D.

Advanced Education Programs Faculty Publications

This study explored P-12 educators' perceptions of generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) for teaching through a qualitative approach using thematic analysis (Braun & Clarke, 2006). Data were collected via a researcher-developed survey examining the barriers P-12 educators perceived related to GenAI use in teaching, administered to 119 educators enrolled in an online educator preparation program in a Midwestern state. The findings showed four levels of perceived barriers: educator, student, institution, and technology. Educator-related barriers included educators' lack of knowledge and readiness to use AI, the need for relevant training, their pedagogical beliefs, and professional identities. Student-related barriers included concerns about students’ …

Restoring The People-Powered Energiewende, Carol Hager

Environmental Studies Research and Scholarship

Germany was an early leader in the energy transition. In contrast to the country’s general top-down policymaking style, the Energiewende proceeded from the bottom up, through the activism of small innovators and local communities. The 2000 Renewable Energy Sources Act supported the local transition primarily through feed-in tariffs. The locally based Energiewende yielded diverse benefits, including climate resilience, economic vitality, and community efficacy. Technological challenges, however, combined with pressure from incumbent utilities, led the German government to shift back toward a more centralized model. As community ownership stalled, local opposition to facilities imposed from outside grew, slowing the transition and …

Improved Surgical Management Of Complex Neonates With Heterotaxy Syndrome, Alexander C Mills, Ashley E Dawson, Michael C Scott, Alexis M Kennedy, Beau A Bequeaith, Ioannis Zoupas, Jorge D Salazar, Damien J Lapar

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Background: Neonatal management of congenital heart defects (CHD) among heterotaxy patients remains challenging due to significant heterogeneity in cardiac and visceral phenotypes. This study evaluated contemporary surgical outcomes and identified high-risk anatomic substrates.

Methods: A total of 41 heterotaxy CHD patients who underwent neonatal surgical repair and/or palliation over a 10-year period were evaluated at a single institution. Heterotaxy anatomy was characterized according to right atrial isomerism (RAI) or left atrial isomerism (LAI), and other cardiac defects. Multivariate Cox regression and Kaplan-Meier analyses evaluated operative and intermediate-term outcomes.

Results: Median age at initial operation was 7.0 days, and median operative …

Making The Case For Open Dental Education, Casey D. Wright, Pamela P. Smalley, Fanny Eliza Bondah, Jennifer L. Lehto, Tonia Morley, Danelle Orange, Elisabeta Karl, Royce Kimmons

Library Faculty Research and Publications

Dental education as a field and dentistry as a profession are facing significant challenges, including workforce shortages, ever-rising costs, unmet student and community needs, as well as quality of pedagogical practices. Open educational resources are learning objects that are freely accessible and are able to be retained, reused, revised, remixed, and redistributed under the philosophy of more openness and sharing. While some efforts are being made to address the aforementioned concerns, the prospects of more readily welcoming and adopting open education have not been discussed as a potential means of alleviating these barriers. Here, we expound on some of the …

Dietrich Von Bern’S Captivity Among Monsters: A Heroic Motif And Its Variations In Waldere, Virginal, Sigenot, And Laurin, Jonathan Seelye Martin

Faculty Publications – Languages, Literatures, and Cultures

No abstract provided.

Affirmatively Misled: The Commutation Instruction That Distorted Louisiana’S Death Penalty, G. Ben Cohen

Akron Law Faculty Publications

In 1997, Louisiana voters amended the state constitution to mandate that capital juries be instructed on the governor’s power to commute life and death sentences. This amendment, urged by the Louisiana District Attorneys Association, followed a Louisiana Supreme Court ruling that found an earlier clemency instruction violated the state constitution.     The instruction was fundamentally false. Louisiana governors, it turns out, lacked the unilateral authority to commute sentences; such actions require a favorable vote from the Parole Board. This reality became starkly clear in 2023, when the clemency petitions of fifty-six condemned prisoners—many sentenced by juries affirmatively given this instruction—were terminated …

Retrospective Longitudinal Analysis Of Blood Microrna-7-5p As A Possible Progression Biomarker In People With Parkinson’S Disease, Shayan Abdollah Zadegan, Corrine Hutchinson, Chiamaka Onuigbo, Juan D Martinez-Lemus, Laura Talbot, E Jeffrey Metter, Marie-Francoise Doursout, Emily Tharp, Jessika Suescun, Mohammad Shahnawaz, Timothy M Ellmore, Mya Schiess, Christopher Adams

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Background: MicroRNA-7-5p (miR-7-5p) may play a neuroprotective role in people with Parkinson's disease (PwP), as it has been found to regulate α-synuclein (α-syn) and the NLRP3 inflammasome in animal models of Parkinson's disease (PD).

Objective: The study aimed to investigate the use of miR-7-5p as a potential biomarker for disease progression in PwP by correlating it with time, clinical measures, and neurofilament light chain (NfL).

Methods: We performed a longitudinal retrospective analysis of blood miR-7-5p levels in 303 de novo PwP and 159 healthy controls (HCs) from the Parkinson's Progression Markers Initiative (PPMI) cohort. In PwP, a linear mixed-effects …

Defining Large Core Infarction: Comparing The Accuracy Of Non-Contrast Ct Aspects Versus Ct Perfusion Core Volume, Ngoc Mai Le, Joseph Samaha, Ananya S Iyyangar, Javier Gomez-Farias, Bruna Kfoury, Ritesh Bajaj, Connor Nguyen, Syed Shams, Camille Neal-Harris, Emmanuel Ebirim, Hussain Azeem, Anjan N Ballekere, Saagar Dhanjani, Eunyoung Lee, Luca Giancardo, Sunil A Sheth

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Background and purpose: We evaluated agreement and performance of non-contrast head-computerized tomography (NCHCT) and CT-perfusion (CTP) in identifying large core infarct in acute ischemic stroke (AIS) due to large vessel occlusion (LVO) undergoing endovascular therapy (EVT), using MRI as reference.

Methods: From our prospective multicenter registry, we identified patients with LVO-AIS due to internal carotid artery or middle cerebral artery M1occlusions who underwent EVT between 2017 and 2024. Final infarct volume (FIV) was defined using 24-48 h post-EVT diffusion-weighted imaging magnetic resonance imaging (MRI-FIV). To limit infarct growth bias, only patients with CTP-to-EVT start time < 3 h were included. Large core infarct was defined at FIV thresholds: 50, 70, and 100 mL. The primary outcome was agreement between NCHCT and CTP in identifying large core infarct using kappa-statistics. Large core was considered if NCHCT-ASPECTS< 6 or rCBF< 30% volume>70 mL on CTP (RAPID/Viz.AI). …

Cesarean Section Rates In Lucas Do Rio Verde, Brazil: Assessing The Impact Of Socioeconomic Status And Maternal And Neonatal Outcomes, Ramya Vemulapalli, Roni Arienti, Linder Wendt, Jay Brooks Jackson, Mary B Rysavy, Kimberly A Kenne

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Background

Brazil is globally known for its high rate of cesarean section despite endorsing the WHO’s current recommendation of 15%.

Objectives

Determine if socioeconomic status correlated with the rate of cesarean section (CS) at a mixed private and public hospital in the west-central region of Brazil. Describe the maternal and neonatal outcomes by mode of delivery (MOD) in the same population.

Design

Cohort study

Methods

Data from all delivering patients at São Lucas Hospital were collected during an 18-month period and analyzed. Demographics, baseline maternal health status, pregnancy and delivery information, maternal outcomes, and neonatal outcomes were entered into a …