Digital Commons Network^™

White Bryony (Bryonia Alba), Taun Beddes, Michael Caron, Jacob Hadfield, Cory Ransom

All Current Publications

White bryony is more than just a nuisance plant. It is an aggressive, perennial vine that threatens riparian ecosystems, agricultural lands, and residential landscapes by destructively smothering vegetation. Additionally, its toxicity poses risks to people, livestock, and pets. Early detection and consistent management are critical to reducing its spread in Utah.

Implementing Pst In Older Adults Facing Major Surgery: A Randomised Controlled Pilot Study, Victoria Tang, Lejla Pepic, Erika Higuchi, Christina Keny, Elizabeth Macias Lopez, Ezenwa C Onyema, Harleen Sandhu, Veronica Yank, Patrick J Raue

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Introduction: Depressive symptoms are common in the growing geriatric surgical population and are associated with important patient-centred surgical outcomes, including postoperative delirium, discharge to postacute care facility and decline in functional status. Few interventions have been developed to address depressive symptoms in the perioperative setting.

Methods and analysis: We designed a feasibility and acceptability study of a nine-session problem-solving therapy (PST) telehealth perioperative intervention aimed at reducing postoperative functional decline and depressive symptoms among at-risk older adults undergoing major surgical procedures. Acceptability will be evaluated using a patient-centred five-question survey, assessing participant satisfaction and perceived usefulness of the perioperative intervention. …

Integrating Heritage Assets Into Peatland Restoration: Finding, Assessing And Valuing The Palaeoenvironmental Archive, Heather Davies, Ralph Fyfe

School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences

Peatland restoration projects aim to improve the delivery of ecosystem services. Cultural heritage and Historic Environment assets are usually identified as co-beneficiaries of restoration but are not commonly well-integrated at the planning or design stages. This paper considers the heritage value of upland peatlands and methods for integrating these values in ecosystem services approaches. Taking Exmoor National Park as a case study, an extensive walkover survey identified 119 small mires and assessed their cultural heritage asset potential. Many were not previously recognised as part of the Historic Environment potential of the upland. A novel valuation system based on proximity of …

Telemental Health Utility: Working Toward Foster Carer Role Satisfaction And Placement Stability, Carlos David Ortiz

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Approximately 400,000 children in the Child Welfare System have an average of more than three placement disruptions while in care in what is termed placement instability (PI). PI is a known toxin to children’s neurodevelopment that predisposes them to a life of poor behavioral outcomes. Previous research shows that foster parents dissatisfied with their carer role contributed to PI by quitting or terminating a child’s placement. However, an important gap remains in the PI literature about the ability of telemental health (TMH) to provide adequate support to foster parents, to increase satisfaction in the carer role and potentially decrease the …

Likelihoods For Stochastic Gravitational Wave Background Data Analysis, Gabriele Franciolini, Mauro Pieroni, Angelo Ricciardone, Joseph D. Romano

Physics & Astronomy Faculty Publications

We present a systematic study of likelihood functions used for stochastic gravitational wave background (SGWB) searches. By dividing the data into many short segments, one customarily takes advantage of the central limit theorem to justify a Gaussian cross-correlation likelihood. We show, with a hierarchy of ever more realistic examples—beginning with a single frequency bin and one detector, and then moving to two and three detectors with white and colored signal and noise—that approximating the exact Whittle likelihood by various Gaussian alternatives can induce systematic biases in the estimation of the SGWB parameters. We derive several approximations for the full likelihood …

Njit Stem For Success Report, Riya R. Kapadia

STEM Month

Airborne viruses are the leading causes of disease and even death in public settings. For instance, the COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in 768 million cases. Air filters improve air quality and remove airborne pathogens that detrimentally affect health. However, current antiviral air filters such as HEPA filters and face masks are impractical for hospital and public settings. Electrically conductive air filters are favorable for antiviral air purification, as they are inexpensive and energy-efficient. Among electrically conductive air filters, laser-induced graphene-based electrified air filters are a promising technology, but they require a voltage greater than 20 V to inactivate the virus. …

Do No Harm?: An Assemblage Of Care, Compliance, And Resistance To North Carolina’S Parents’ Bill Of Rights, Sarah Cornette, William Pryor Iv

Journal of Queer and Trans Studies in Education

North Carolina’s Parents’ Bill of Rights (NC-PBOR) requires school counselors to disclose sensitive student information to parents, creating profound legal-ethical dilemmas. This study examines how counselors navigate these mandates through interviews, surveys, and arts-based analysis. Findings show counselors experience institutional betrayal, ethical precarity, and emotional exhaustion, yet also engage in subtle resistance through strategic ambiguity, relational buffering, and quiet noncompliance. Methodologically, we integrate coding, poetic inquiry, and visual confection to capture affect, embodiment, and contradiction often missed by conventional analysis. By foregrounding emotion and multiplicity, we contribute to assemblage-informed policy studies and queer qualitative inquiry, while bearing witness to the …

The Current State Of Islamic Extremism, Barkot G. Biniyam

Liberty University Journal of Statesmanship & Public Policy

Transnational Islamic Jihadists, particularly ISIS and Al-Qaida, have increased propaganda and recruitment efforts in an attempt to mobilize affiliates to increase attacks on overseas and domestic U.S. targets. There will likely be a steady increase in attacks on U.S. personnel and entities. Salafi Jihadist organizations, particularly ISIS and Al-Qaida, have increased mobilization and recruitment efforts since the fall of the ISIS caliphate in 2019. These terrorist groups have an expressed intent to conduct attacks on U.S. soil and overseas interests. Terrorist groups have exploited ongoing conflicts and power shifts in the Middle East, South Asia, and Africa to remobilize a …

On The Indispensability Of Natural Law On The Moral Theory Of The State, David W. Bolton

Liberty University Journal of Statesmanship & Public Policy

Natural Law is widely regarded as a set of universal moral standards in which the acknowledgement of the differences between right and wrong are inherent in people, not created by society or lawmakers. It is based on the consistent nature of man as opposed to varying cultural standards and is unchanged by time or circumstance. Many thinkers throughout history have offered their educated opinions on the matter of Natural Law and the moral theory of the State. The Social Contract theory of the Modern Secular thinkers of the 17^th century was considered a break with classical and traditional Christian …

Education Standards And The United States Military, Makayla Donnelly

Liberty University Journal of Statesmanship & Public Policy

The United States military has been observed by many conservative and libertarian think tanks, such as The Heritage Foundation and CATO, as losing strength and effectiveness. Many outside these major think tanks are concerned about why defense takes up so much of the discretionary budget when the military seemingly continues to decline as most military branches fall short on their recruitment quotas. To boost recruitment and bolster the US military several branches have reexamined policies and altered them to expand the recruiting pool. One policy that is being investigated for reexamination is education standards. Education standards in some branches may …

Analyzing The Role And Impact Of Energy Resources On The South China Sea Dispute, Adam Opp

Liberty University Journal of Statesmanship & Public Policy

The South China Sea is a critical but contested body of water that has been the source of much international debate and focus. The sea is a strategic maritime route and one of the most important waterways for regional and global trade. The South China Sea features rich natural resources such as fisheries and hydrocarbons, especially unknown amounts of oil and natural gas remaining untapped throughout the sea. Geological surveys estimate extremely lucrative quantities of oil and natural gas in the South China Sea, which drives the conflict, as nations with competing territorial claims seek to control not just the …

Letter From The Editors, Adam Opp, Joshua Harden, Matthew Mccracken, Kaeli Rasnake

Liberty University Journal of Statesmanship & Public Policy

No abstract provided.

Potential Biomarkers Of Leptin And Insulin Resistance In Clinical-Subclinical Coronary Atherosclerosis And Related With Diabetes Mellitus In Male Patients: Cross-Section Study, Zeena Hussien Khudair, Abeer Cheaid Yousif Al-Fatlawi, Ahmed Qasim Jaafar Al-Haidari

Al-Ameed Journal for Medical Research and Health Sciences

Background Atherosclerosis is an inflammatory disease of the large arteries, a buildup of fatty plaque inside the arteries, leading to narrowing and hardening of the blood vessels. Objective: Find the relation of leptin and insulin resistance in clinical-subclinical coronary atherosclerosis and its relationship with diabetes mellitus. Material and Method: The cross-sectional study includes 90 males with a mean age of 33.00±6.131. They were used in the present study and divided into 45 patients with clinical coronary atherosclerosis, with a mean age of 34.500±4.949, and 45 patients with subclinical coronary atherosclerosis, with a mean age of 32.250±7.228, with ages ranging from …

Dual-Spectrum Multi-Layer Holographic Projection System With Shadow-Based Positional Sensing For Interactive Spatial Computing, Lorenzo Lbn Bernardini

Defensive Publications Series

The present invention discloses a revolutionary dual-spectrum multi-layer holographic projection system that fundamentally redefines the paradigm of human-computer spa- tial interaction by eliminating the necessity of wearable apparatus while simultaneously enabling tactile manipulation of volumetrically-rendered virtual objects. The system achieves this through an innovative architectural decoupling wherein visible-spectrum multi-projector arrays generate stratified holographic imagery across multiple depth planes, while a parallel infrared sensing subsystem performs continuous shadow-pattern analysis to extract precise three-dimensional positional information of the user within the interac- tion volume. This spectral bifurcation resolves the fundamental paradox inherent in prior art wherein projection and sensing mechanisms interfere through …

Edgar Wright’S The World’S End: What Really Matters?, Sophie Guthrie

Episteme

No abstract provided.

Unearthing The Undead Prejudice: How ‘Feminist Science’ Creates A More Empirically Accurate Scientific Framework By Revealing The Inherent Bias In All Investigate Methodologies, Horatio Holloway

Episteme

No abstract provided.

Editor's Note, Benjamin Cohen, Landon James

Episteme

No abstract provided.

Front Matter

Episteme

No abstract provided.

Episteme Vol. 36

Episteme

No abstract provided.

Evaluating Igf1 And Igf1-R Levels As Risk-Related Indicators And Early Detection Tools In Estrogen Receptor–Positive Breast Cancer, Randa M. Lua’I, Khawla A. Kasar, Marwa A. Hassan

AUIQ Technical Engineering Science

Breast cancer (BC) remains one of the most common malignancies in women, with its development strongly influenced by hormonal and growth factor signaling. The insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF1) and its receptor (IGF1-R) are increasingly recognized as key contributors to breast carcinogenesis, particularly in relation to estrogen receptor (ER) status. This study aimed to evaluate circulating IGF1 and IGF1-R levels among Iraqi women with BC and to explore their diagnostic and biological relevance. A total of 90 participants were enrolled, including 65 patients with histologically confirmed BC (41 ER-positive and 24 ER-negative) and 25 healthy controls. Serum concentrations of IGF1 …

Cv: Philip Blankenship (Behavioral Neuroscience), Philip Blankenship

Psychology Department Faculty Curricula Vitae

No abstract provided.

Cv: Ryan Hooper (Physics), Ryan Hooper

Physics Department Faculty Curricula Vitae

No abstract provided.

Cv: Mark Schultz (History), Mark Schultz

History Department Faculty Curricula Vitae

No abstract provided.

Cv: Tracy Hemmingway (Communication), Tracy Hemmingway

Communication Department Faculty Curricula Vitae

No abstract provided.

Cv: Young "Paul" Kim (Computer Engineering), Young "Paul" Kim

ECaMS Department Faculty Curricula Vitae

No abstract provided.

Association Between Adherence Barriers, Self-Reported Adherence, And Psychiatric Symptoms Among Adults With Bipolar Disorder, Martha Sajatovic, Jennifer B. Levin, Clara Adeniyi, Jessica Black, Celeste Weise, Nicole Fiorelli, Erika Kelley

Faculty Scholarship

Aims: While suboptimal medication adherence is a widely recognized problem for people with bipolar disorder (BD), it is less clear how individual characteristics are associated with varying levels of adherence and how specific adherence barriers impact behaviors. This interim analysis from an ongoing randomized controlled trial (RCT) examined associations between patient-reported adherence, adherence barriers, and mood symptoms among poorly adherent individuals with BD. Methods: RCT participants were adults age ≥ 18 years old with BD Type 1 or 2, difficulties with medication adherence, and actively symptomatic as measured by Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale (BPRS) score ≥ 36, Young Mania Rating …

Road Safety In Urban Sustainable Cycling Tourism. An Application Of The Protection Motivation Theory, Jurgena Myftiu, Daniele Crotti, Elena Maggi

Fondazione Eni Enrico Mattei Working Papers

Urban cycling tourism represents a cornerstone of sustainable mobility strategies aimed at reducing motorised travel and improving environmental and social well-being in cities. However, despite the crucial role of safety in encouraging cycling uptake, research has seldom examined how urban bike tourists adjust their behaviour to mitigate risk and cope with perceived road unsafety. Likewise, the influence of information on cycling accidents and risk perception on the intention to engage in urban cycling tourism remains largely overlooked in the literature. This study advances knowledge in this field by analysing data from an Italian online survey of city cyclists, adopting the …

Access Denied: An Argument Against King’S Propositional Access Principle, Jesse Fitts

Philosophy Faculty Research

Accounts of propositions face a problem that originates in the ontology of numbers: If propositions are abstract and causally isolated, then it’s unclear how agents cognitively access them. Jeff King presents a solution to this problem for his theory of propositions. King’s solution follows from a more general principle of cognitive access, which this paper challenges.

Anonymity And Social Pressure: A Sociological Analysis Of Lolcows On Kiwifarms, Mary R. Smith

Honors Theses

This research assesses the website KiwiFarms using a mixed-methods approach, including content analysis and descriptive statistics, to determine whether demographic factors, such as weight, disability, and sexuality, influence an individual’s susceptibility to online trolling for others' entertainment.

The study found that most disproportionately targeted group was found to be overweight females. Meanwhile, Kiwi Farms users were found to be predominantly male, aged 18-24, and reside in the United States. The study's results indicate that the expressions of anomie on KiwiFarms are predominantly disciplinary, suggesting that KiwiFarms users mainly focus their criticism on rule violations rather than targeting individuals based on …

Securitizing Kinmen: China’S Gray Zone Strategy And The Evolution Of The Kinmen Model, Ian Murphy

Political Science & Geography Faculty Publications

This paper examines the evolving dynamics of cross-strait relations through the lens of securitization theory, focusing on China’s strategic deployment of what it calls the Kinmen Model and its implications for regional security. While existing discourse predominantly concentrates on a potential full-scale invasion of Taiwan, this study shifts attention to the strategic significance of the outlying islands and the nuanced employment of securitization to exert indirect control. Utilizing Vuori’s (2008) framework for analyzing securitization in non-democratic contexts, this research conducts a discourse analysis of nineteen Chinese language media sources to dissect the speech acts employed by Chinese media and their …