Digital Commons Network^™

Symmetric Orthogonalization And Probabilistic Weights In Resource Quantification, Gökhan Torun

Turkish Journal of Physics

Transforming nonorthogonal bases into orthogonal ones often compromises essential properties or physical meaning in quantum systems. Here, we demonstrate that Löwdin symmetric orthogonalization (LSO) outperforms the widely used Gram–Schmidt orthogonalization (GSO) in characterizing and quantifying quantum resources, with particular emphasis on coherence and superposition. We employ LSO both to construct an orthogonal basis from a nonorthogonal one and to obtain a nonorthogonal basis from an orthogonal set, thereby mitigating ambiguity related to the basis choice in defining quantum coherence. Unlike GSO, which depends on the ordering of input states, LSO applies a symmetric transformation that treats all vectors equally and …

Optical Textures Of A Uniform Liquid Crystal Lattice: Monte Carlo Simulations With Newton Colors And Mueller Matrix Analysis, Yakup Emül

Turkish Journal of Physics

The optical textures of a uniform liquid crystal (LC) molecule lattice structure were explored through Monte Carlo (MC) simulations, combined with Mueller matrix (MM) formalism and Newton’s color theory. These simulations utilized a Lebwohl-Lasher (LL) type interacting LC lattice under periodic boundary conditions, generating ensemble-averaged configurations at two temperature regimes (kBT = 0.9 and 1.2), corresponding respectively to nematic and isotropic states. These configurations were then incorporated into the MM framework to evaluate the polarization states of transmitted light. To visually interpret the resulting interference phenomena, we propose a new visualization method based on a modern interpretation of Newton’s color …

Illinois State University Founding Celebration Old Main Bell Ringing And Awards Ceremony Program, February 19, 2026, Illinois State University

Founding Celebration Programs

Program for annual event celebrating the founding of Illinois State Normal University on February 18, 1857. This program was initially made available as a Foleon website. An Internet Archive capture of the site is available at https://web.archive.org/web/20261007170256/https://illinoisstateuniversity.foleon.com/founding-celebration/microsite-copy-1/. A PDF copy of the program's text and images is also available to download from this page.

John Hersey High School Symphonic Band And Isu Wind Symphony: Februar 18, 2026, Spencer Hile, Anthony C. Marinello Iii, Wesley Anderson

School of Music Programs

This is the ninety-seventh program of the 2025-2026 season.

Center for the Performing Arts

February 18, 2026

Wednesday Evening

7:00 p.m.

Newsletter 2026.02.18, Fcrh Honors Program

What's Going On, Honors? (2025-26)

No abstract provided.

Shedding Light On Space Weather Events On Earth’S Nightside, Rebecca Irelan

UNH Today Archive

No abstract provided.

Human Trafficking In Central Asia: A Product Of Its Environment, Matt V. Tenberg

Binghamton University Undergraduate Journal

Human trafficking is a complex puzzle when considering all the effort it takes to traffick another person. Many often wonder how one gets trafficked, and what is the appropriate response to human trafficking? A couple of answers can be found when analyzing Central Asia’s ongoing crisis of human trafficking into its territory. Central Asian countries have historically been combating human trafficking after the fall of the Soviet Union. However, after analyzing the laws and methods in place, it is clear that the countries are not succeeding in eliminating this problem. The countries of Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, and Kyrgyzstan are grounds for …

Food Councils And Federal Committees: Community Responses To Inaction On Food Insecurity By Government, Kevin O'Connell, Liam R. Rupprecht

Binghamton University Undergraduate Journal

Food insecurity is a devastating force in the United States, as shown by its destructive impact on vulnerable groups like children, racial minorities, and those in poverty. Non-white urban communities of color especially have significantly higher rates of household food insecurity due to systemic racism in American food systems. Despite the prevalence of these factors, they are consistently overlooked by public and private forces. Federal efforts have failed to resolve the issue, leaving it to local “food council” organizations that attempt to help through advocacy and charity. These groups face a difficult task: how can they work to mitigate food …

Stuck Behind Bars: How Neglect Of The Mental Health Epidemic In U.S. Correctional Facilities Fuels Recidivism, Alayna Bhatti

Binghamton University Undergraduate Journal

The nation is failing to protect the rights of all citizens. Various studies and sources of academic research show that health services in U.S. prisons fall far below the standards for health services on the ‘outside world’. Legal scholar Joshua Price highlights how mentally ill inmates are victims of the U.S. criminal justice system. “A set of institutions disavowed responsibility, leading to conditions where their own demons got the better of them, with awful consequences. Did these institutions, or the people in them, love justice?” (Price, 501) How is justice really served when these inmates are destined to be trapped …

Watching The Watchers: Redefining Privacy And Human Rights In Correctional Surveillance, Ianna H. Choi

Binghamton University Undergraduate Journal

Incarcerated individuals exist in a space where security and privacy constantly clash. This study examines how surveillance technologies—biometric monitoring, video surveillance, and electronic tracking—in correctional settings impact the privacy rights of those incarcerated. Through a review of peer-reviewed literature, and insights from informal conversations with incarcerated individuals at Broome County Jail, this research examines the ethical, legal, and social implications of surveillance in carceral facilities, focusing on how constant monitoring impacts privacy, relationships, and mental well-being. Expanding beyond jails, the study considers surveillance in state and federal prisons, evaluating its implications under the United Nations International Covenant on Civil and …

Incarcerated Youths In Canada And The United States: A Comparative Analysis, Grace A. Mastrangelo

Binghamton University Undergraduate Journal

Are children, who commit adult crimes, deserving of adult punishments? According to the United Nations, not if it harms their well-being. Article 3 of the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) adopted by the United Nations in November 1989, states that 1) the best interests of the child should be the primary consideration of all state actions involving children, 2) governments must allot children the protection and care necessary for their well-being, and 3) governmental institutions, services, and facilities that deal with children must uphold adequate standards for the safety, health, and supervision of children. The CRC is …

2026-02-18 Week In Review: Feb. 9-15, Maddie Rodriguez

The Spectator Online

No abstract provided.

Beyond Subsidies And Mandates: Testing A Simple Behavioral Mechanism To Drive Health Insurance Coverage, Wendy Netter Epstein, Hansoo Ko, Christopher Robertson, Kevin Wilson, David Yokum

Faculty Scholarship

Uninsured individuals face reduced access to care, financial risk, and higher mortality. Although public programs and private subsidies have lowered uninsurance, these mechanisms remain incomplete and politically unstable. We evaluate whether a low-cost outreach intervention can increase health insurance enrollment without altering plan prices. Using a randomized field experiment involving 16,477 uninsured Maryland households, we assigned households to a no-contact control or to receive email and postcard outreach featuring affordability messaging alone or combined with responsibility or community framings. Outreach increased qualified health plan enrollment by 0.699 percentage points and total coverage by 0.967 percentage points relative to control. The …

The Parthenon, February 18, 2026, Baylee Parsons, Kaitlyn Fleming, Abby Ayes, Ella Hatfield, Davina Synder, Scott Price, Trista Honaker

The Parthenon

No abstract provided.

Strategies Used By Information Technology Business Managers For Improved Competitive Drive In Organizational Culture, Kenechukwu Laura Mukaila-Lawal

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Poorly managed organizational culture changes can weaken competitive drive in information technology business organizations, limiting their ability to respond effectively to rapid technological advancements. This problem affects information technology business leaders, employees, and organizations operating in competitive markets, as a misaligned culture reduces innovation, employee engagement, and long-term sustainability. Grounded in organizational culture theory, the purpose of this qualitative pragmatic inquiry project was to explore effective strategies that information technology business managers use to improve competitive drive in organizational culture in the Southwestern region of Nigeria. The participants were seven information technology business leaders who devised and implemented strategies to …

Enhancing Patient Safety Through An Educational Intervention On Purposeful Rounding To Reduce Inpatient Falls In A Neuro - Medical Unit, Idiat Oyefunke Falade

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

This doctoral staff education project focused on improving purposeful rounding practices among staff and patient outcomes on a neuro-medical unit. The practice problem stemmed from inconsistent rounding behaviors, gaps in staff knowledge of evidence-based fall-prevention strategies, and a persistent pattern of inpatient falls. Patients with neurological conditions face impaired mobility, cognitive changes, and clinical instability, making structured rounds essential to reduce risk. The practice-focused question asked whether an educational intervention targeting the principles and procedures of purposeful rounding could measurably improve staff knowledge, increase their skill, strengthen their commitment with the pain, potty, position, and possession components of rounding and …

The Relative Strength Of Paternal Absence, Strong Black Woman Schema, And Self-Esteem In Predicting Resilience Among Black Women, Aqueelah Wheatley

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The continued rise in single-mother households within Black communities has led to an increase in hyper-independence among Black women, a phenomenon referred to as the strong Black woman schema. Studies have found an association between hyper-independence (i.e., excessive self-reliance and emotional invulnerability) and absent fathers (i.e., due to incarceration or abandonment), forcing Black women to assume the roles of financial provider, caregiver, and community agent. Though studies have found a link between the strong Black woman and negative health outcomes (e.g., emotional distress), other studies have found that strong Black women characterize themselves as independent, empowered, and content individuals, feelings …

Exploring The Experiences Of Cit Officers And Their Perceptions Of The Programs Effectiveness, Arkeshia Dominique Ware

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Police officers across the United States frequently respond to individuals experiencing mental health crises, yet many lack specialized training to manage these encounters effectively. The Crisis Intervention Team (CIT) model was developed to improve law enforcement responses through collaboration with mental health professionals and an emphasis on de-escalation. Although prior research has examined measurable outcomes associated with CIT programs, limited qualitative research has explored CIT-trained officers’ lived experiences and perceptions of effectiveness. The purpose of this qualitative exploratory case study was to examine how CIT-trained officers use their skills to reduce arrest, officer and citizen injury, and use of force …

Strategies To Recruit And Retain Imaging Ancillary Staff For Healthcare Organizations, Stephania Poveromo

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Hospitals and healthcare facilities in the United States continue to face persistent shortages of ancillary imaging technologists, creating significant challenges for hospital administrators. The purpose of this integrative review was to identify effective strategies for recruiting and retaining imaging staff in hospitals. The review question concerned what best practices and strategies healthcare administrators can use to improve the recruitment and retention of ancillary imaging staff. The theoretical frameworks for this research, strategic human resource development and Maslow’s theory of human motivation, provided a lens for understanding organizational enhancement and employee engagement, respectively. Following the application of inclusion and exclusion criteria, …

Law Enforcement Officers’ Experiences With Secondary Traumatic Stress And Coping While Working With Child Molesters, Aaliyah Blanding

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

This study was focused on law enforcement officers’ experiences with secondary traumatic stress and coping while working with child molesters. Lazarus and Folkman’s cognitive model of stress and coping were used to examine how law enforcement officers manage stress, focusing on their cognitive processes and thought patterns. Using a basic qualitative approach, eight law enforcement officers who work with child molesters in the state of South Carolina were interviewed to hear their personal experiences. Interviews were semi-structured interview questions via a video-conferencing platform. The data were analyzed and coded using Braun and Clarke’s six-step thematic analysis. The study’s findings confirmed …

Protecting ‘Punks’: The Shortcomings Of The Prison Rape Elimination Act, Rachel Goldsmith

Binghamton University Undergraduate Journal

Prisoner-on-prisoner sexual abuse is widespread in US male prisons, with inmates “turning each other out” by sexually assaulting each other. While the Prison Rape Elimination Act (PREA) received unanimous support in Congress in 2003, motivated by the Human Rights Watch Report “No Escape: Male Rape in Prisons,” scholars argue that the PREA fails to protect prisoners from prison rape: for example, its standards may be ineffective or criminalize consensual sex between prisoners. This essay will examine the shortcomings of the PREA, drawing on current legal scholarship, and propose solutions to enhance the law's effectiveness in protecting prisoners. The US government …

Evaluating Functional Imagery Training And Internal Visual Imagery On Tennis Serve Performance, Jonathan Rhodes, Amelie Leach

School of Psychology

Imagery is widely used in sport, but its effectiveness depends on how it is structured and the range of senses engaged. This study compared Functional Imagery Training - a multisensory, motivational intervention - with single-sense internal visual imagery and a control condition without imagery training. Thirty-eight competitive tennis players completed imagery ability and preference assessments before engaging in a 6-week intervention. Serve accuracy was measured pre- and post intervention using a target-based scoring task. Both imagery conditions led to performance improvements, with Functional Imagery Training producing significantly greater gains. The control group showed no significant change. Imagery ability and preferred …

Transition Beyond The Transaction, Finding Clarity Through Learning: An Autoethnographic Study Of My Search For Purpose And Meaning As A Graduate Student Veteran, Guy Delahoussaye

Electronic Theses and Dissertations Archive

The issue at hand for this study is the lack of specifically designed support for graduate student veterans as they transition from military service in search of a job in the civilian workforce. A recent Department of Veteran Affairs study stated that in 2018, nearly 700,000 veterans used veteran educational benefits, with 52% of this group in undergraduate programs and 9% in graduate programs. Both undergraduate and graduate student veterans seek career opportunities, personal growth, improvement of economic status, and professional advancement, but how these groups approach achieving their goals is not the same. When support was available, there was …

Understanding The Lived Experiences Of Mental Health Professionals Providing Animal Assisted Play Therapy® To Adults In An Outpatient Setting, Kelsey Unger

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Animal Assisted Play Therapy® (AAPT) is a growing therapeutic approach that incorporates a therapy animal into therapy while utilizing the therapeutic powers of play. There is a lack of research on using AAPT with adult clients in an outpatient setting. This needs to be explored so best practices can be developed to ensure that counselors are using AAPT with adults in a safe and ethical manner for both clients and animals. I sought to understand the lived experiences of mental health professionals providing AAPT to adult clients in an outpatient setting through hermeneutic phenomenology. The data were collected through semi-structured …

The Impact Of Cultural Competence On Patient Outcomes In The Bahamas, Erinique Denise E. Ingraham

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

In The Bahamas, the quality of care received by culturally diverse patients remains generally poor, highlighting an inability to adapt to the changing climate and adopt culturally responsive practices. The purpose of this quantitative causal-comparative study was to examine the relationship between perceived cultural competence of healthcare providers in The Bahamas and its impact on patient outcomes for the non-Bahamian patients they treat. The tripartite model of cultural competence grounded this study. The participants comprised 49 non-Bahamian patients from the public and private sectors. They completed the patient-reported physician cultural competency measure, self-efficacy for managing medications and treatments, and the …

Educator Retention And Director Practices In Early Childhood Education Settings, Katherine Williams

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Early childhood education (ECE) educators leave their profession at a rate 14% higher than K-12 educators, resulting in multisystemic issues that affect children, families, staff, and the ECE industry. Research has shown a connection between leadership practices and ECE educator turnover intentions; however, there is limited research on the relationship between the servant-leadership (SL) practices of ECE directors and ECE educators’ turnover intentions. Grounded in Greenleaf’s theory of servant-leadership, the purpose of this quantitative study was to explore the relationship between ECE director SL practices and its seven dimensions, measured using the SL scale, and ECE educator turnover intentions, measured …

Development And Diffusion Of The Social Capital Index (Soci), Dean Kyne, Daniel P. Aldrich, Dominic Kyei

Sociology Faculty Publications

Social capital influences community disaster preparedness, response, and recovery. In 2020, Kyne and Aldrich introduced the Social Capital Index (SoCI), a pioneering, publicly available county-level measure capturing bonding, bridging, and linking social capital across the United States. Since then, the SoCI has been widely adopted across disciplines and applied in diverse research contexts. Five years later, emerging theoretical developments and expanded data availability offer an opportunity to reassess its diffusion and strengthen its methodological foundations. This study addresses three objectives: (1) revisiting the conceptual roots that informed the original index, (2) examining its diffusion through citation and co-citation analyses of …

Model Free Sliding Mode Control For Uavs, Aashrita Mandalapu

Theses

Sliding Mode Control (SMC) is a robust and adaptable control strategy recognized for its ability to withstand uncertainties, disturbances, and parameter variations. Although the straightforward implementation of SMC along with its insensitivity to modeling inaccuracies make it effective for a wide range of applications, it still relies heavily on an accurate system model. In dynamic environments where system characteristics vary over time, a model-independent SMC framework becomes necessary. So, a Model-Free Sliding Mode Control (MFSMC) approach is proposed as a compelling solution for complex nonlinear systems where deriving an accurate model is difficult. In contrast to conventional SMC approach, MFSMC …

Cover And Contents

Turkish Journal of Physics

No abstract provided.

Scalar Hybrid Meson B̄Gc, Bi̇rten Barsbay İnaç

Turkish Journal of Physics

The scalar hybrid meson H_bc, containing both heavy b and c quarks, represents an intriguing exotic state in QCD. In this article, we investigate its strong decay properties using three-point QCD sum rules. We focus on the two leading decay channels, H_bc → B⁺ D⁰ and H_bc → B⁰ D⁺, which are expected to dominate the decay dynamics. The B and D mesons produced in these decays each consist of one heavy and one light quark. The strong coupling constants at the corresponding vertices are extracted, and the partial decay widths …