Digital Commons Network^™

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 …

Biennial Faculty Activities Report To The Board Of Regents, State Of Iowa, 2025, University Of Northern Iowa

Institutional Effectiveness & Planning Documents

Contents:

--- Faculty Responsibilities and Expectations across the Regent Universities
--- Faculty Contributions to Students, Universities, State and Society
--- Distribution of Faculty Activities by Category
--- 2025 data collection process
--- Survey Results
--- Distribution of Credit Hours by Instructor Type
--- Faculty Evaluation and Review Policies
--- Annual Review
--- Promotion & Tenure Review
--- Post-Tenure Review
--- Other

Effect Of Cryo-Milling On Pla/Cmc And Pla/ Caco3 Composites: A Comparison Study, Fatemeh Mahdiyeh-Boroujeni, Ron Kander

School of Design and Engineering Papers

This study examines a new approach for improving the dispersion of hydrophilic fillers into a hydrophobic polymer matrix, a long-standing challenge that often limits the thermal and mechanical performance of biocomposites. Two different fillers, natural cellulose microcrystals (CMC) and mineral calcium carbonate (CaCO3), were incorporated into polylactic acid (PLA) at five different weight fractions. Biocomposite films were prepared using physical mixing and cryo-milling, followed by hot pressing. Cryo-milling was explored as a strategy to enhance filler distribution within the matrix. Thermal properties, crystallization behavior, and mechanical performance were characterized using differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), and tensile testing, …

Cv: Jake Cho (Computer Science), Jake Cho

ECaMS Department Faculty Curricula Vitae

No abstract provided.

Heritage-Based City Branding Case Study Of Fayoum City, Menna Mounir, Sameir Hammad

Mansoura Engineering Journal

Uniqueness and distinction have become fundamental requirements in promoting and branding cities. Influencing people's perceptions is best achieved by reinforcing the city's identity. This identity is the main component that can transform any ‘space’ into a ‘place’. Promoting a city should extend to highlighting the Heritage, landscape, religious sites, pathways, cuisine, inhabitants, activities, and personal experiences. These elements collectively express the city spirit and enrich visitors’ experience.

This study aims to enhance the image of heritage-based cities by exploring the potential for city branding and leveraging heritage to boost the national economy.

Fayoum was selected as a case study for …

Effective Strategies For Business Leaders Of Homeschool Consulting And Testing Services To Attract New Clients And Sustain Operations, Chartel Arnida Amos

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Business leaders of homeschool consulting and testing services are experiencing a critical challenge in attracting new clients, which threatens their ability to sustain operations. Grounded in the Baldrige excellence framework and the diffusion of innovation theory, the purpose of this qualitative single case study was to explore effective strategies used by one business leader of a homeschool consulting and testing services organization in North Carolina to attract clients and sustain operations. Data sources included (a) semistructured interviews, (b) organizational archival records and documents, (c) public data such as reports and websites, and (d) literature including peer-reviewed articles and books. Findings …

Staff Education To Improve Primary Care Providers’ Knowledge And Confidence In Utilizing The Phq-9 For Routine Mental Health Screenings, Debra Ann Stewart-Delancy

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Summary The ineffective use of the PHQ-9 tool to assess depression during primary care was the problem that this quality improvement project aimed to resolve, which is a hindrance to timely diagnosis and equitable behavioral health care. Inconsistent use of screening of depression was tackled in the project. The treatment and detection of it at its early stages were constrained by gaps in provider knowledge and confidence. The project assessed the effect of a formal staff educational intervention to increase knowledge, confidence, and the probability of incorporating the PHQ-9 depression screening tool into the workflow of a primary care clinic. …

Community-Based Counselors’ Preparedness For Providing Trauma-Informed Care, Lashaunda Smith

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

This constructivist grounded theory study examined how community-based mental health counselors perceive their preparedness to provide trauma-informed care. Guided by Charmaz’s constructivist grounded theory, semistructured interviews were analyzed through coding and constant comparison to co-construct meaning around counselors’ lived experiences. This study explored how counselors define, develop, and sustain preparedness for trauma-informed care. The purpose was to generate an interpretive understanding of how counselors constructed meaning around their preparedness, including how training, supervision, and professional experiences shaped their ability to serve trauma-affected clients. Participants included 12 master’s-level licensed and pre-licensed community-based mental health counselors with experience serving trauma-affected clients. Findings …