Digital Commons Network^™

End-Of-Rotation Objective Structured Clinical Examination: Proposal To Reduce Grading Bias In The Family Medicine Core Clerkship, Deborah R. Erlich, Amy L. Lee, Anita Mathews, Lauren Boehm, Anna Virani, Shweta Akhouri, Julia Bartolomeo, Lidya Wlasiuk, Molly Cohen-Osher, Tessa Rohrberg, Laurel Witt, Kathryn Rampon

Journal of Maine Medical Center

Problem Statement: In medical education, learner assessment drives learning and documents competency. A drawback of the traditional clinical performance assessment by a preceptor, however, is a potential halo effect. This effect is an unearned positive bias toward a student the supervisor likes, or conversely, a negative implicit bias about the student’s race, gender, or other aspects of identity. These biases, in either direction, can lead to unfair grading. A preceptor’s bias can be particularly problematic in a family medicine clerkship in which a student may be evaluated and graded by a single preceptor.

Background: An end-of-clerkship objective structured clinical examination …

Best Practices In The Conduct Of Community Engagement Studios At Mainehealth Institute For Research, Francesca Piccolo, Emma Daybranch, Carolyn Sullivan, Elizabeth Woods, Neil Korsen, Jan Carney, Jenna Schiffelbein, Kathleen Fairfield

Journal of Maine Medical Center

Problem Statement: Community engagement (CE) Studios are an established method for integrating lived-experience expertise into research at 1 or more specific points within a project. Although many researchers understand the value of incorporating community input, they often lack the tools, skills, or infrastructure to do so effectively. CE Studios address this challenge by offering a structured, consultative approach to engagement.

Background: CE Studios occur at any point across the research lifecycle and are used to inform research design, feasibility, relevance, recruitment, implementation, and translation. In a 1-time, 2-hour consultation, CE Studios bring lived-experience expertise into the research process, helping projects …

Emergency Care Team Comfort And Experience With Harm Reduction For Opioid Use Disorder, Penelope J. Haydar, Tania D. Strout, Faen Faen

Journal of Maine Medical Center

Introduction: Harm reduction strategies are effective in mitigating risks associated with substance use. However, their implementation in emergency department (ED) settings has been limited. This study explored ED care team members’ experiences and comfort with harm reduction provision.

Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional study to assess ED care team members’ experiences and comfort levels (0–10 scale) with providing harm reduction resources to patients. An electronic survey was distributed to 446 care team members at a Level 1 tertiary care ED. Domains included prior harm reduction practice, comfort levels, perceived barriers to harm reduction provision, and perceived importance of various factors …

Hybrid Multicast Transport Support, Anonymous

Defensive Publications Series

RFC 6513 and RFC 6514 define NG-MVPN procedures in which PEs use BGP MCAST-VPN routes (e.g., RT-1 I-PMSI A-D) to auto-discover participation and to bind multicast delivery to a provider tunnel (P-tunnel) identified by the PMSI Tunnel attribute (Tunnel Type plus identifiers/labels). In practice, a single PMSI binding typically forces a single transport choice across all leaves (e.g., mLDP P2MP for core-efficient replication or ingress replication for simplified edge requirements), limiting mixed-capability deployments. This document describes techniques that allow heterogeneous P-tunnel transports within one NG-MVPN instance by having an ingress PE concurrently support multiple tunnel types and admit egress PEs …

Tone Mapping Using Negative Values To Represent Luminance Below Reference Black, Yannis Guyon, Nathan Gauër

Defensive Publications Series

High Dynamic Range (HDR) tone mapping traditionally extends brightness above a reference white value but uses a fixed floor of zero for black, which maps to a display's minimum luminance setting. This limits creative control over shadow detail by content creators, e.g., the ability to choose blacks deeper than those for which legacy content was mastered or to choose to keep content at a reference black regardless of a display's minimum luminance setting. This disclosure describes a method for extending the HDR tone-mapping range to include negative values, allowing for greater flexibility in tone mapping shadows. In this approach, the …

New Quad-Phase Smart Power Stage For Higher Current Density Vertical Power Module, N/A

Defensive Publications Series

The present disclosure is directed to a quad-phase smart power stage (SPS) designed to address the increasing power demands of high-performance computing and machine learning processors such as hardware accelerators, tensor processing units (TPU), graphics processing units (GPUs), and high-performance system on chips (SoCs) in densified data centers. Existing dual-phase power solutions may not meet the rising current density requirements and are limited by a larger physical profile. The present disclosure integrates four power stages into a single, compact package (e.g., 7x7 mm), enabling the creation of a densified vertical power (VPWR) building block. This high-integration architecture can achieve a …

Dynamic Prioritization Of Flight Search Queries To Control Computational Resource Allocation, Christopher Small, Thomas Abraham, Rujith De Silva, Allan Fraser, Jason Letourneau, Kartik Maheshwari, Leonardo Andres Moleiro White, Cedric Poirot, Ramitha Sai Ravishankar

Defensive Publications Series

Systems that utilize real-time offer construction, such as flight search systems, can experience high volumes of computationally expensive queries that may have low conversion rates, potentially leading to inefficient resource allocation. A system for dynamic query prioritization can address this potential inefficiency. The system may intercept an incoming search query and use an analysis engine to assign a real-time priority score. This analysis engine can employ machine learning models trained on historical transaction data to determine the score. Based on this score, the system can apply a set of configurable controls to modulate the computational response. For example, the system …

Optimal Synce Source Selection In Networks Employing Macsec Security, Anonymous

Defensive Publications Series

A timing-distribution technique is described for telecom packet networks that use IEEE 1588 PTP (e.g., ITU-T G.8275.1 full timing support) for phase/time and SyncE for frequency, where SyncE master selection is primarily based on Quality Level (QL) conveyed via ESMC. In networks that simultaneously deploy hop-by-hop MACsec and end-to-end (tunneled) MACsec domains, operational visibility of the true SyncE “trail” can become ambiguous, leading downstream nodes to select a locally acceptable but performance-inferior frequency reference that traverses additional unsecured/opaque intermediate hops and accumulates more jitter/wander. To bias selection toward more deterministic, regenerated hop-by-hop SyncE paths, the disclosure proposes encoding a MACsec-topology …

The Minutes Of The Marshall University Staff Council Meeting, December 2025, Marshall University Staff Council

Staff Council Minutes

No abstract provided.

Level Up Your Teaching: A Qualitative Analysis Of Teachers’ Perceptions On Gamification As A Tool For Learning, Bryant Wesley Lazenby

Dissertations

This qualitative study investigated K-12 teachers’ views about gamification as an instructional tool to increase student motivation, self-efficacy, and learning mastery. Kelly’s Curriculum Theory and Bandura’s Self-Efficacy Theory were used to investigate how gamified learning environments affect teacher practice and self-efficacy. Seventeen teachers participated in a researcher-designed Qualtrics survey that included both Likert-style and open-ended items. The researcher used descriptive statistics and thematic coding of responses, based on participants’ self-identified levels of gamification experience. The research produced three main findings, which showed that (1) Gamification motivates students through collaborative work, challenging tasks, and progress tracking systems, (2) Students build self-efficacy …

What Does Graptolite Origination And Extinction Reveal About The Cause Of The Late Ordovician Mass Extinction?, Charles E. Mitchell, H. David Sheets, Michael J. Melchin, Chris Holmden

Computer and Data Science Faculty Publications

Assesses the macroevolutionary turnover of paleotropical planktic graptolites during the Late Ordovician Mass Extinction (LOME) via automated sequencing and capture-mark-recapture modeling. Graptolites exhibited a succession of turnover pulses (sensu Elizabeth Vrba) that were coincident with the main phases of the Hirnantian glaciation and during which the Diplograptina experienced declining metapopulation size, elevated extinction, zero species originations, and ultimately, complete extermination. Concurrently, the Neograptina (latest Katian temperate zone immigrants) exhibit pulses of both extinction and adaptive radiation. Thus, the LOME involved intense species selection and the wholesale alteration of the clade diversity structure of a major element of the zooplankton. The …

Understanding Florida's Hb 1105: What Parents Need To Know About The End Of Special Education Certificates Of Completion, Noelle Mercer, Valerie Sheehe, Joshua Wilkenson

Gator Team Child Juvenile Law Clinic

The goal of this white paper is to explain the implications of HB 1105 for students with disabilities and their families. It outlines the background of Florida’s previous graduation framework, describes the new diploma options now available, and explores both the potential benefits and challenges of this transition. Finally, it provides practical guidance for parents, including steps to take within Individualized Education Plan (IEP) meetings, questions to ask school administrators, and community resources that can assist families navigating this change.

Linking Shoreline Change, Environmental Forcings, And Sedimentological Resilience In Nourished Beaches Of Cape May And Wildwood, New Jersey, Usa: A Multi-Decadal Synthesis, Divomi Balasuriya, Greg Pope

Department of Earth and Environmental Studies Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works

Beach nourishment is a widely used strategy to mitigate coastal erosion, yet its long-term geological impacts remain poorly understood. This study provides a multi-decadal synthesis of shoreline change and sedimentological evolution on the nourished beaches of Cape May and Wildwood, New Jersey, USA. Using shoreline positions from 1991 to 2024, we identify contrasting trajectories: Wildwood exhibits ‘persistent transition’ with severe northern erosion (EPR: −10.0 m/yr) feeding southwards accretion, while Cape May demonstrates a ‘managed equilibrium’ with widespread accretion (mean EPR: +1.15 m/yr). Wave energy correlations account for less than 15% of shoreline variability, indicating natural drivers have been superseded by …

2025 December 18 - Tennessee Weekly Drought Summary, Tennessee Climate Office, East Tennessee State University

Tennessee Climate Office Weekly Drought Summaries

No abstract provided.

A Systematic Study Of Passkey User Experience Consistency, Bernhardt Ramat

Theses and Dissertations

Passkeys have emerged as a more secure authentication method than passwords, providing a passwordless alternative resistant to phishing and credential theft attacks. Despite their growing adoption, a systematic study into the user experience of passkeys across various websites has yet to be conducted. Usability heuristics suggest that users transfer their expectations from one product to another, and therefore, inconsistencies in passkey deployments can increase cognitive load, resulting in frustration and possible rejection. To address this knowledge gap, this paper presents a comparative analysis of the external functional consistency of the passkey user experience across 111 websites. Our research reveals that …

Impact Of Gas Supersaturation On The Development Of Gas Bubble Trauma In Paedomorphic Eurycea Salamanders, Trent Furr

Biology Theses

There are eleven species of paedomorphic lungless salamanders endemic to Texas. Of these, eight are considered threatened by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). One of these, the Barton Springs Salamander (Eurycea sosorum), is found only in springs and aquifers in and around Austin, Texas. A large population of this species is found in Barton Springs, located in Austin, TX–where dissolved gas saturation has been measured as high as 134%. Morbidity and mortality events in Barton Springs Salamanders have been documented coinciding with periods of dissolved gas supersaturation. This study seeks to understand what environmental conditions lead to …

Encouraging Young Writers With Multiliteracies And Transformative Works, Charlene A. Amarello

Honors Program Theses and Projects

In the wake of COVID-19’s devastating effect on education, educators are faced once again with the daunting task of reaching students in the English classroom. Meanwhile, fanfiction and multiliteracies are burgeoning subjects of research. As of January 1st, 2025, over 14 million fanfictions have been published on the website AO3, a well-known fanfiction archive, and educators have begun to design assignments with fanfiction in mind. Likewise, multiliteracies continues to make headway in conversations about pedagogy. Research continues to delve into both as practices, though the creation of practical suggestions for educators grounded in data is still in its infancy. There …

Quantifying Dna Groove Binding Dynamics Of Netropsin Using Optical Tweezers, Jacob Mcnally

Honors Program Theses and Projects

Netropsin is a small molecule that binds to the minor groove of DNA and serves as a model scaffold for DNA-minor groove binding anticancer drugs. Understanding how Netropsin interacts with DNA under mechanical stress is important for characterizing how similar molecules function in biological environments. In this work, we used dual-beam optical tweezers to study how Netropsin binding affects the mechanical behavior of single DNA molecules under applied force. Individual DNA molecules were held under controlled forces while Netropsin was introduced at varying concentrations. Constant-force measurements were used to probe binding dynamics; however, we found binding occurred too rapidly to …

Infrasound From Snoqualmie Falls, Wa, Usa, Jacob Anderson

Fluvial Acoustics Data

This is one of the datasets referred to in a paper on waterfall infrasound by Anderson, Ortiz, and Barber, that relates a waterfall's infrasound to its physical characteristics (height, discharge, and power), maps infrasound power over the waterfall's surroundings, and models audibility distance for pigeons as an example of a well-studied infrasound-sensitive animal.

Infrasound From Niagara Falls, Jacob Anderson, Hugo Ortiz

Fluvial Acoustics Data

This is one of the datasets referred to in a paper on waterfall infrasound by Anderson, Ortiz, and Barber, that relates a waterfall's infrasound to its physical characteristics (height, discharge, and power), maps infrasound power over the waterfall's surroundings, and models audibility distance for pigeons as an example of a well-studied infrasound-sensitive animal.

Infrasound From Mesa Falls, Id, Usa, Jacob Anderson

Fluvial Acoustics Data

This is one of the datasets referred to in a paper on waterfall infrasound by Anderson, Ortiz, and Barber, that relates a waterfall's infrasound to its physical characteristics (height, discharge, and power), maps infrasound power over the waterfall's surroundings, and models audibility distance for pigeons as an example of a well-studied infrasound-sensitive animal.

Infrasound From Palouse Falls, Wa, Usa, Jacob Anderson

Fluvial Acoustics Data

This is one of the datasets referred to in a paper on waterfall infrasound by Anderson, Ortiz, and Barber, that relates a waterfall's infrasound to its physical characteristics (height, discharge, and power), maps infrasound power over the waterfall's surroundings, and models audibility distance for pigeons as an example of a well-studied infrasound-sensitive animal.

Infrasound From Shoshone Falls, Id, Usa, Jacob Anderson

Fluvial Acoustics Data

This is one of the datasets referred to in a paper on waterfall infrasound by Jacob Anderson, Hugo Ortiz, and Jesse Barber, that relates a waterfall's infrasound to its physical characteristics (height, discharge, and power), maps infrasound power over the waterfall's surroundings, and models audibility distance for pigeons as an example of a well-studied infrasound-sensitive animal.

Infrasound From Lady Face Falls, Custer County, Id, Usa, Jacob Anderson

Fluvial Acoustics Data

This is one of the datasets referred to in a paper on waterfall infrasound by Anderson, Ortiz, and Barber, that relates a waterfall's infrasound to its physical characteristics (height, discharge, and power), maps infrasound power over the waterfall's surroundings, and models audibility distance for pigeons as an example of a well-studied infrasound-sensitive animal.

Infrasound From Genesee Lower Falls, Rochester, Ny, Usa, Jacob Anderson, Hugo Ortiz

Fluvial Acoustics Data

This is one of the datasets referred to in a paper on waterfall infrasound by Anderson, Ortiz, and Barber, that relates a waterfall's infrasound to its physical characteristics (height, discharge, and power), maps infrasound power over the waterfall's surroundings, and models audibility distance for pigeons as an example of a well-studied infrasound-sensitive animal.

Infrasound From Tahquamenon Falls, Mi, Usa, Jacob Anderson

Fluvial Acoustics Data

This is one of the datasets referred to in a paper on waterfall infrasound by Anderson, Ortiz, and Barber, that relates a waterfall's infrasound to its physical characteristics (height, discharge, and power), maps infrasound power over the waterfall's surroundings, and models audibility distance for pigeons as an example of a well-studied infrasound-sensitive animal.

Infrasound From Genesee High Falls, Rochester, Ny, Usa, Jacob Anderson, Hugo Ortiz

Fluvial Acoustics Data

This is one of the datasets referred to in a paper on waterfall infrasound by Anderson, Ortiz, and Barber, that relates a waterfall's infrasound to its physical characteristics (height, discharge, and power), maps infrasound power over the waterfall's surroundings, and models audibility distance for pigeons as an example of a well-studied infrasound-sensitive animal.

A Real-Time Framework For Forecasting Metal Prices, Andrea Bastianin, Luca Rossini, Lorenzo Tonni

Fondazione Eni Enrico Mattei Working Papers

This paper develops a real-time forecasting framework for monthly real prices of four key industrial metals – aluminum, copper, nickel, and zinc – whose demand is rising due to their widespread use in manufacturing and low-carbon technologies. To replicate the information set available to forecasters in real time, we construct a new dataset combining daily financial variables with first-release macroeconomic indicators and use nowcasting techniques to address publication lags. Within this real-time environment, we evaluate the predictive accuracy of a broad set of univariate, multivariate, and factor-augmented models, comparing their performance with two industry benchmarks: survey expectations and futures-spot spread …

Power Solutions For Large Loads: Mastering Electrical Supply For New Industrial Facilities, Chris Boyer, William Bourgeois, Skyler Bryant

Mavs Open Press Open Educational Resources - Archive

The next 25 years will see unprecedented growth in U.S. electricity demand, driven primarily by data centers for AI and industrial electrification. This surge presents unique challenges for power generation, especially for large loads requiring hundreds of megawatts to gigawatts from a single location. Conventional grid expansion is inadequate, prompting the need for innovative, flexible, and sustainable solutions. This book explores the opportunities, challenges, and hybrid generation strategies to support the evolving landscape of large-scale electric loads.

Preparing Students For College And Careers: Recommendations For Scaling College And Career Pathways In Southwestern Illinois, Laura Monteagudo

Reports, Analyses, and other Publications

Education Systems Center (EdSystems) at Northern Illinois University provided strategic counsel and support to Southwestern Illinois College (SWIC) for a 12-month period to develop comprehensive college and career pathways. Our support included the development of a unified, regionwide college and career pathway system aligned with Illinois’ College and Career Pathway Endorsement framework, Perkins V, and the State of Illinois Model Programs of Study Guides.

Instead of each district building pathways independently, this regional approach brings together high schools, community college faculty, and local employers to create shared structures that reflect real workforce needs and rural access challenges.

In this report, …