Digital Commons Network^™

Culturally Conflicted: Women In Rural Appalachian School Leadership, Jana Stone, Carinna Ferguson, Rawn Boulden

The Rural Educator

This qualitative case study explores the perceptions of school leadership that future school counselors have regarding leadership roles for women in rural Appalachia. Using a feminist-geographical lens, several cultural, economic, geographic, and identity-based themes were found. Participants’ definitions of ideal school leadership included strong community collaboration, advocacy, and leading by example. Some aspects of participants’ rural hometowns supported these ideals, such as a community culture offering high levels of cohesion and familial support, leading to them wanting to live there again. However, other characteristics of the community culture, such as being closed to change, sexism against women in leadership, and …

Addressing The Rural Youth Mental Health Crisis Through Youth Mental Health First Aid, Rawn Boulden, Christine Schimmel

The Rural Educator

This promising practice describes a statewide effort to address the surging youth mental health crisis through the provision of Youth Mental Health First Aid trainings in West Virginia Public Schools. Youth Mental Health First Aid is an evidence-based training for adults who work with youth. This interactive training increases participants’ awareness of signs and symptoms of mental health challenges, adolescent development, the prevalence of mental health challenges among youth, and the steps they should take to ensure students with mental health challenges receive timely referral to mental health professionals. This intervention has proven highly effective in rural schools in West …

Rural, Poor And Working-Class Student Postsecondary Experiences During The Covid-19 Pandemic: Policy Lessons Learned For Supporting Future College Success, Ty C. Mcnamee, Sonja Ardoin, Jenay F.E. Willis

The Rural Educator

In this policy brief, we use research findings to illuminate experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic of U.S. rural college students from poor and working-class backgrounds. We offer institutional, state, and federal policy lessons gleaned from such experiences. We show how rural, poor and working-class students’ higher education success was impacted by COVID-19 and how the pandemic highlighted and exacerbated existing systemic geographic and social class barriers faced by such students pursuing college. In turn, we hope postsecondary policymakers at the institutional, state, and federal levels can learn from these experiences to better support rural, poor, and working-class students in the …

Neutrosophic Sets And Systems, Vol. 66,2024, Florentin Smarandache, Mohamed Abdel-Basset, Said Broumi

Neutrosophic Sets and Systems

No abstract provided.

Exploring Neutrosophic Linear Programming In Advanced Fuzzy Contexts, Shubham Kumar Tripathi, Arindam Dey, Said Broumi, Ranjan Kumar

Neutrosophic Sets and Systems

A neutrosophic set is a mathematical framework that extends fuzzy and intuitionistic sets to han dle indeterminate or contradictory information using three components: truth, falsity, and indeterminacy membership degrees which deal with handling indeterminate, imprecise, and uncertain data, while Extended Fuzzy Theory extends the standard fuzzy set theory to manage more intricate membership degrees. The pri mary objective of this review is to thoroughly investigate and summarize the existing literature on trapezoidal neutrosophic environments, particularly focusing on aspects such as the NFMOLP Problems in SVTpN envi ronments. Ultimately, this comprehensive review article aims to enhance the understanding of the potential …

Logarithmic Similarity Measure Of Neutrosophic Z-Number Sets For Undergraduate Teaching Quality Evaluation, Wen-Ping Chen, Yi-Ming Fang, Wen-Hua Cui

Neutrosophic Sets and Systems

In practical decision-making problems, the different reliability levels of decision-makers in their evaluation information are usually ignored by most existing decision-making methods. Then, a neutrosophic Z-number (NZN) is a powerful model for simultaneously describing the restraint and associated reliability of evaluation information in view of truth, indeterminacy, and falsity Z-numbers. This paper first proposed a logarithmic similarity measure (LSM) of NZN sets, which is more flexible and can change its measure result by adjusting the exponential parameters of the restraint and reliability. Then, a multi-attribute decision-making approach is developed based on the presented LSM of NZN sets, and its applicability …

Efficient Photocatalytic Core–Shell Synthesis Of Titanate Nanowire/Rgo, Xiaofang Ye, Yang Tian, Mengyao Gao, Fangjun Cheng, Jinshen Lan, Han Chen, Mark Lanoue, Shengli Huang, Z. Ryan Tian

Chemistry & Biochemistry Faculty Publications and Presentations

Wide bandgap semiconductor-based photocatalysts are usually limited by their low solar energy conversion efficiency due to their limited absorption solar wavelength, their rapid surface recombination of the photogenerated electron–hole pairs, and their low charge-carrier mobility. Here, we report a novel stepwise solution synthesis for achieving a new photocatalytic core–shell consisting of a titanate nanowire/reduced graphene oxide shell (or titanate/rGO) 1D-nanocomposite. The new core–shell nanocomposite maximized the specific surface area, largely reduced the charge transfer resistance and reaction energy barrier, and significantly improved the absorption of visible light. The core–shell nanocomposites’ large on/off current ratio and rapid photo-responses boosted the photocurrent …

The Blurry Line Between Corporation And Cult: A Retrospective Autoethnographic Study, Ernst Graamans

The Qualitative Report

In popular management literature corporations are sometimes loosely compared to cults. The comparison is a severe allegation as it implies the transgression of subordinate employees’ integrity. This paper explores to what extent such comparisons with cults are warranted as well as the implications this has for the practice of corporate culture management. On grounds of the author’s unique, first-hand experience in both corporate and cultic environments a retrospective autoethnographic (RAE) approach was chosen to further explore the supposed resemblance. The comparison is structured along Lifton’s eight criteria of thought reform and reveals that although akin to cults in all aspects …

A Computer Vision Solution To Cross-Cultural Food Image Classification And Nutrition Logging​, Rohan Sethi, George K. Thiruvathukal

Computer Science: Faculty Publications and Other Works

The US is a culturally and ethnically diverse country, and with this diversity comes a myriad of cuisines and eating habits that expand well beyond that of western culture. Each of these meals have their own good and bad effects when it comes to the nutritional value and its potential impact on human health. Thus, there is a greater need for people to be able to access the nutritional profile of their diverse daily meals and better manage their health. A revolutionary solution to democratize food image classification and nutritional logging is using deep learning to extract that information from …

Clearing The Path: Improving Implementation Of Georgia’S Pathways To Coverage Program, Nicholas Smith

Emory Law Journal Online

Georgia’s Medicaid program is in flux. The State recently launched Pathways to Coverage, a partial Medicaid expansion program for non-disabled adults in households under 100% of the Federal Poverty Line, with eligibility contingent on reporting 80 hours of work per month. Pathways’ rollout coincides with Medicaid “unwinding,” an ongoing post-COVID redetermination process in which thousands of Georgians have already lost coverage. As such, Pathways could play an important role in offsetting the unwinding’s disenrollment effects. But Pathways may also serve as a test case for conservative lawmakers hoping to institute (or reinstitute) work requirements to restrict Medicaid coverage in their …

Automated Glacier Classification In High Mountain Asia Using Machine Learning And A Random Forest Classifier, Victoria Elizabeth Halvorson

Dartmouth College Master’s Theses

High Mountain Asia (HMA) is home to the largest mass of glaciers and ice outside the north and south polar regions. HMA glaciers are projected to experience accelerated mass loss from higher greenhouse gas emissions through the end of the century. Many studies of glacier mass balance and mass loss in HMA obtain glacier area from the Randolph Glacier Inventory (RGI). However, the RGI is designed to show glacier area across the world that is accurate to the year 2000 and, as a result, is not an accurate representation of the current state of glacier area in HMA. Additionally, glacier …

A Loon On Highland Lake, An Eco-Fantasy, Erin E. Bennett

Dartmouth College Master’s Theses

A Loon on Highland Lake is a fantasy play, adapted from Tchaikovsky’s ballet, Swan Lake, itself an adaption of a Russian “swan maiden” folktale. In this retelling, the spirit of an invasive tree species, Alder Buckthorn, endangers the inhabitants of the small lake town of East Andover, New Hampshire. On the night of the 4^th of July, Buckthorn places a curse on an unfortunate news reporter, transforming him into a loon, the solitary black bird known in the northeast for its distinct, haunting call. Figgy, a shy ecologist living in East Andover, stumbles upon the knowledge that her …

Admissions Magazine Spring 2024, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University

Admissions Magazine

Altitude: Students Take A Giant Leap Forward

• Science That Works
• Education At A Higher Altitude: At Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, Daring to Think Big and Push Boundaries Is A Way Of Life
• A Crash Course In Safety
• The Perfect Fit
• Seizing the Moment
• Broadened Perspectives
• The Perfect Bond
• Don't Let the Bed Bugs Bite
• A Well-Balanced Education
• Mechanical Engineering Major Looks to Make Environmental Impact
• Molecular Level Science
• Not An Optical Illusion
• Asia Campus Lab Advances Uncrewed Systems Training
• A Giant Leap Forward
• Getting His Hands on the Future
• An Additive Experience
• Space Launch System
• The M-Star Program
• A Giant Leap …

The Need For Fentanyl-Specific Drug Education In Schools, Emma Guggenheimer

Cardozo Journal of Equal Rights & Social Justice

The note advocates for the implementation of state legislation requiring fentanyl-specific drug education in K-12 schools to combat the escalating opioid epidemic, particularly among teenagers. It emphasizes the critical role of schools in providing comprehensive education to raise awareness about the dangers of fentanyl and prevent overdose deaths. The proposal includes mandates for fentanyl-awareness campaigns, updated curricula, and the use of tools like fentanyl test strips and naloxone in schools.

Development Of A 3d-Printed Device To Study How Bacteria Alters The 3d Migration Of Breast Cancer Cells, Jack Bedell

Honors Capstones

No abstract provided.

Addressing The Opioid Crisis Through County-Widen Public Safety Agencies’ Post-Overdose Outreach Programs, Julia Keane

School of Professional Studies

The opioid epidemic not only kills thousands every year but sees thousands survive overdoses only to overdose again in a continuous cycle. Massachusetts is no stranger to this epidemic, with numbers and patterns mirroring national rates. Newer changes to the drug supply, with fentanyl becoming increasingly used, sold, and cut with other drugs., have been on the rise and impact current opioid overdoses rates. Preventative measures are needed to address this public safety and public health crisis, not only bettering the current rates but decreasing future ones. This paper will first look at the methodology and literature used to understand …

Identity-Driven Targeted Violence: Attending To Identity, Emotion, And Personality-Related Predictors Of Attitudinal And Behavioral Prejudice, Patrick Timothy Mcgonigal

Dissertations and Doctoral Documents, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, 2023–

Identity-driven targeted violence driven by gender identity, sexuality, race, and religion overwhelmingly impacts marginalized groups of individuals. Existing evidence suggests that acts of bias on college campuses are often unreported by students, leaving those who engage in these behaviors to continue without proper redress. A great wealth of data illustrates the deleterious impacts of identity-driven behavior on student victims, including heightened psychological distress, poorer academic performance, and lower retention. In contrast, limited research has examined relevant underpinnings of perpetrating identity-driven harassment. The current dissertation developed and disseminated a large survey to undergraduate students spanning three years of data collection. The …

Second Order Effects In Concrete Insulated Wall Panels, Salam A. Al-Rubaye

Dissertations and Doctoral Documents, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, 2023–

Insulated concrete panels (CIPs) have been used for over 60 years for their both structural and thermal resistance. The flexural behavior of CIPs has been investigated in recent years. The CIPs are rapidly becoming ubiquitous in the precast industry, and the tilt-up industry is initiating a study to determine their effectiveness as a tilt-up product. There are several known challenges associated with a tilt-up version of a partially composite wall and likely other unknown challenges. This study was initiated to investigate the behavior of load-bearing concrete insulated wall panels for use in tilt-up construction. The primary objective was to understand …

The Teacher Acute Concussion Tool And Return To Learn In West Virginia, Samantha Jane Windisch

Graduate Student Scholarship

Due to the complex nature and varying presentations of concussions or mild TBIs, multiple health categories are often involved in the recovery of post-concussion symptoms including physical, cognitive, emotional, and behavioral health concerns. The neurological side effects, along with the potential involvement of other health domains can propagate decreased participation and engagement in meaningful occupations or impact the overall quality of performance of these activities. One of those activities is being able to return to learning in the classroom. West Virginia (WV) has been providing education and training on the Teacher Acute Concussion Tool (TACT) to school staff and personnel. …

Pilot Study: Effects Of Whole Body Vibrational Therapy On Equine Epaxial Muscle Soreness, Riley Leibeck

Undergraduate Honors Thesis Projects

Whole body vibrational therapy (WBV) is well-studied in people, but there is a paucity of research of its effect on horses. It is suggested that WBV use in horses increases performance, aids in recovery, and stimulates nerves, bones, and muscles in ways that normal exercise does not. The purpose of this pilot study was to determine if frequent WBV therapy sessions affect back soreness in horses using pressure algometry. Most sporthorses will experience back soreness in their careers, and it is regarded as one of the most common causes of poor performance in equine athletes. Five horses were measured for …

U.S. International Adoption Subsidies: Shining Light On The Dark History Of The Baby "Black Market", Rachel Briner

The International Law Review Association Student Forum

While international adoption is a beautiful concept in theory, it often leads to dark consequences. From its inception, human trafficking has enabled international adoptions. While the United States alone cannot dismantle the entire baby “black market” and the likely black market for children’s organs intertwined with it, the U.S. can remove its large contribution. By limiting the federal adoption subsidy to only domestic adoptions, the United States can ensure it only aids systems within its control and address the needs of its own children without homes more effectively. Many other authors have also noted various human trafficking and potential organ …

0887: Gwenyth E. Hood Collection, 1889-2023, Marshall University Special Collections

Guides to Manuscript Collections

Gwenyth Elise Hood was born on December 10, 1955, to Thomas Arthur Hood and Marion Louise Snee Hood in White Plains, NY, but moved with her family to Brandon, Vermont at the age of seven. She developed a love of reading and writing at an early age, discovering some favorite authors—Rudyard Kipling, Shakespeare, and J.R.R. Tolkien—at roughly the same time, in early adolescence. Then came Dante. Dante drew her to learn Latin and Italian; she had already started on French due to family heritage and the availability of the language in High School. In 1979 she won a University of …

The Significant Role Of Seo In Effective Web Marketing, Ramtin Ranjpour

AMTP Proceedings 2024

With the ever-rising popularity of online shopping, the power of web marketing has become more essential than ever. And search engine optimization (SEO) plays a huge role in web marketing. This paper is a critical literature review that goes over the important scholarly and non-scholarly works of influential experts in SEO. It serves as a fun and engaging introduction for anyone interested in learning about SEO, specifically about its importance, benefits, top strategies, rivals, and how it can be combined with other marketing methods. The hope is that it helps individuals and small business owners with their web marketing and …

Decoding Implant-Related Sickness: Unraveling The Complexities Of Breast Implant Illness, Madison M. Stewart

Senior Theses

This thesis investigates the phenomenon of breast implant illness (BII), examining its potential correlation with individual factors such as obesity and poor lifestyle habits. BII, characterized by nonspecific symptoms, is often self-diagnosed by patients influenced by social media and internet sources, leading to requests for implant removal. Conducting a comprehensive meta-analysis, the study scrutinizes existing literature to evaluate the association between BII, obesity, and lifestyle choices. Employing inclusion criteria, peer-reviewed publications are analyzed through systematic review methodology to offer insights into the interplay between BII and adiposity, exploring inflammatory mechanisms and patient behaviors like exercise and smoking. The research aims …

A Historical Analysis Of Health Institutions, Professionals, And Advocates In The Civil Rights Movement In Columbia, South Carolina, Anusha Ghosh

Senior Theses

From 1900 to 1970, widespread racism severely restricted healthcare access for Black citizens in the South, leading them to establish and staff alternative healthcare institutions to support their community.

Such institutions faced debilitating issues such as chronic financial shortages and patient overflow. Despite these problems, oral histories, media, and primary written sources show that Black healthcare workers in alternative healthcare institutions demonstrated a greater ability to meet the health needs of Black patients due to cultural understanding and external community involvement.

Dr. Matilda Evans was an African-American woman physician who became a leader in medicine, public health, and education in …

The A-B Gap: An Assessment Of The Differences Between Ethical Attitudes And Ethical Behaviour Among The Next Generation Of Business Leaders In South Africa, Christo Bisschoff, Sam Fullerton

AMTP Proceedings 2024

The current study scrutinizes differences between the ethical attitudes and behaviour of South Africa’s future generation of business leaders. The target population comprises first-level employed business managers who are currently completing an executive MBA degree. Business managers at three selected South African business schools comprised the sampling frame. Each member of the target population received an online link for access to a questionnaire which featured a previously validated series of balanced 6-point itemized rating scales. Data were collected on both behaviour and attitudes regarding 14 questionable business behaviours, each representing a potential breach of ethical conduct. A 60% response rate …

Zoomer Generation: Used Car Automobile Purchasing Behaviors, Scott E. Whitaker, Joe Spencer, Giovanni Calise

AMTP Proceedings 2024

There is a growing trend of online automobile purchasing that is altering the relationship between consumers and automobile dealerships. Consumers are more informed and seek a larger variety of inventory and options when shopping for used vehicles. The online marketplace provides a viable alternative to local dealerships who have hereto dominated much of the market. This research shows the current generation of Zoomers is helping to drive this trend which has significant marketing implications toward the industry. There remains a gap in the academic body of knowledge examining this behavior in relation to large online purchases such as automobiles. This …

Conflicted Positioning: Product Positioning When Market Segments Have Conflicting Risk Goals, Richard Flight

AMTP Proceedings 2024

ABSTRACT

In some product and service categories concern for physical risk as a result of the product or service rendered is an inherent barrier to purchase. Meanwhile, the same perceived danger attracts thrill seekers who want (or need) a sense of adventure. In this exploratory research, the question of motive for and emotions associated with learning how to fly a plane are explored. When prompted risk is cited oftentimes as both a deterrent to engage in the activity and a motive to pursue it. This presents product and brand managers with the question of how to simultaneously assuage risk-related fear …

Consumers' Brand Loyalty Towards Small Family-Owned Businesses, Christo A. Bisschoff Prof, Christoff Botha Prof, Marco Van Schoor Mr, Doret Botha Prof

AMTP Proceedings 2024

Family-owned businesses constitute a substantial portion of the workforce and GDP in South Africa and, with limited work opportunities in the public sector, play a significant role in job creation. As a result, family enterprises significantly influence South Africa's economy. This study aims to understand consumer loyalty towards family-owned businesses as brands by investigating family-owned businesses in the small mining town "Stilfontein" in the North-West Province, South Africa. Qualitative data collection involved semi-structured interviews with customers of family businesses to gather insights into brand loyalty. The identified themes and sub-themes highlight the importance of community bonds, personalized services, product quality, …

Radiation-Induced Lymphopenia: Understanding, Predictive Modelling And Developing Photon And Proton-Based Mitigation Strategies, Yan Chu

Dissertations and Theses (Open Access)

It is well recognized that the effectiveness of radiotherapy (RT) requires an intact adaptive immune system, while lymphocytes are highly radiosensitive and are prevalent in the “dose bath” of radiation surrounding the tumor volume. Furthermore, it has been shown that, for nearly all disease sites, radiation-induced lymphopenia (RIL) is associated with poor outcomes. Recently, we observed compelling evidence of significant differences in the lymphocyte-sparing effects of proton therapy (PT) vs. photon (or x-ray) therapy (XRT) attributable to the differences in magnitudes of the dose baths of the two modalities. In addition, previous work has further demonstrated that both patient-specific and …