Digital Commons Network^™

Paws And Effect: Canine Companionship And Outcomes In The Chronic Health Condition Hypermobile Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome, Kimberley C. Schenke, Joanna Foster, Danielle Stephens-Lewis

People and Animals: The International Journal of Research and Practice

Emerging research suggests canine companions may support the management of health conditions, yet evidence within complex, long-term conditions like hypermobile Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome (hEDS) remains limited. hEDS is a multifaceted condition often associated with social withdrawal. Thus, the current research provided a high-powered investigation into whether the nonjudgmental support of canine companions could improve health and well-being outcomes for individuals with hEDS. An online survey of 401 participants was utilized to compare differences in health and well-being among individuals with hEDS who have a canine companion to those who do not. Results revealed that participants with canine companions experienced fewer difficulties …

Retracted: Adaptive Crossover And Mutation Mechanisms For Enhanced Lpb Algorithm Performance, Abbas M. Ahmed, Tarik A. Rashid

Iraqi Journal for Computer Science and Mathematics

This study proposes a more effective concept of Learner Performance-based Behavior (LPB). It is a new metaheuristic algorithm based on how the university admission process is done for high school students in various departments. The adaptive crossover and mutation methods were incorporated into the LPB algorithm as part of an investigation. The goal is to enhance convergence and significantly improve the quality of the solutions. The aLPB (adaptive-learner performance-based Behaviour) method stands out because it sets the crossover and mutation parameters based on the performance of the parent solutions. Thus, the proposed technique achieves a balance between exploration and exploitation …

Iot-Enabled Machine Learning Framework For Prediction Of Eutrophication, Hocine Dai, Akli Abbas, Houssam Eddine-Othman Lachemat, Aicha Aid

Iraqi Journal for Computer Science and Mathematics

This study presents an innovative predictive monitoring framework that integrates the Internet of Things (IoT) with advanced machine learning (ML) techniques to model the relationship between oxidized nitrate (NOX)—employed as the sole predictor—and chlorophyll a (CHLA), a key proxy for algal biomass. By utilising a single optimally selected parameter, the approach significantly reduces sensor deployment complexity and instrumentation costs, while minimising data acquisition and computational requirements. Logarithmic and Yeo-Johnson transformations were applied to the predictor and target variables, respectively, to address distributional skewness and enhance variance homogeneity. An optimised Random Forest model demonstrated strong predictive performance, achieving a coefficient of …

A New Approach For Multiprocessor System-On-Chip Application Scheduling In Multi-Objective Flow Shops, Tahani Jabbar Khraibet, Bayda Atiya Kalaf, Ahmed Abbas Jasim

Iraqi Journal for Computer Science and Mathematics

The flow shop scheduling problem in Multiprocessor-System-on-Chip (MPSoC) architectures presents challenges for traditional optimization algorithms, especially when addressing multiple conflicting objectives. Hence, advanced optimization approaches are required to tackle these objectives simultaneously. Therefore, this research aims to propose and evaluate a new optimization approach based on the integration of the Fire Hawk Optimizer with the Smart Battery Scheduling Algorithm (FHO-SBSA) to address the multi-objective (make span, CPU time, global average delay, network throughput, and total energy consumption) flow shop scheduling problem in MPSoC systems. To evaluate the performance of the FHO-SBSA optimization approach, two benchmark applications were selected, with ten …

How Civil Society Organizations Build Resilience In The Face Of Financial And Political Pressures: Lessons From Czechia, Hungary, And Bulgaria, Merrill Sovner

Journal of Nonprofit Innovation

How are some civil society organizations (CSOs) able to pivot and innovate in the face of political hostility and funding withdrawal, while others shrink or become inactive? It posits that it’s not just the external environment, funding, or degree of political pressure, but attributes intrinsic to each CSO that narrows the range of possible responses. It is based on sample of CSOs in Czechia, Hungary and Bulgaria that faced political pressures and funding withdrawal between 2010 and 2019. CSOs responded in three ways: reduced staff and expenditures, replaced lost funding while operating in a similar way, or reframed their work, …

Cultural Dynamics And Reverse Culture Shock: A Strategy For Building Sustainable Human Resources In International Ngos, Haruka Minemura, Yuko Nishide

Journal of Nonprofit Innovation

This study explores the dynamics of cultural conflict between expatriate and local staff in international NGOs (INGOs) and proposes a framework for sustainable human resource management. While existing INGO management literature emphasizes cultural factors in expatriate-local relations, limited empirical evidence explains the developmental process of these relationships and their implications. Through qualitative case study methodology, this research addresses the question: How do cultural conflicts between expatriates and local staff evolve within INGOs, and what management strategies emerge from these dynamics?

The findings reveal a dual-phase conflict management model where both expatriates and local staff experience sequential cultural tensions. The first …

Memoir On A General Property Of A Very Extensive Class Of Transcendental Functions, Niels Henrik Abel 1802--1829, John Little

Mathematics and Computer Science Department Faculty Scholarship

We present this new commentary and translation anticipating the 200th anniversary of the work, commonly known as Abel's ``Paris memoir.'' This is recognized today as one of Abel's most original and influential works. It is significant mostly because it marked the first appearance of a form of a result in the theory of algebraic curves and Riemann surfaces that has come to be known as ``Abel's theorem.'' However, Abel's original understanding of the meaning and context of his result was quite different from the typical modern formulation and the development of the modern understanding has been a long and tortuous …

Uncomfortable Hierarchies And Structural Constraints: Teachers As Middle Managers Of Paraeducators In The Usa, Johanna S. Quinn

Sociology Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

A Staircase In A Small, Decorative Arts Museum Tells A Harrowing Story Of Terror, Abuse And Enslavement, Susanna Ashton, Mollie Barnes

Publications

No abstract provided.

Gender-Based Violence In A Warming World: Advancing Mitigation And Adaptation Through Gender-Responsive Climate Policies, Salsa Putri Sihombing

COP30

Climate change, accelerating across multiple dimensions, creates disproportionate environmental costs which primarily affect women, children, gender diverse people and other marginalized groups. Research evidence shows that climate stressors create more vulnerability for women and girls because they lead to increased gender-based violence (GBV) through population movements, resource shortages, and institutional breakdowns. This policy paper examines the intersectionality between GBV and climate change to help governments, donors, and civil society organizations establish gender justice and GBV prevention as essential components of climate mitigation and adaptation strategies. The evidence from Mozambique, India, and Uganda shows essential policy and financial gaps. Policy recommendations …

Enhancing Methods For Research On Cannabis: A Workshop Report, Jonathan Samet, Jessica Barrington-Trimis, Lisa Bero, Ashley Brooks-Russell, Meghan Buran, Julia Dilley, Darin Erickson, Marilyn Huestis, Kent Hutchison, Thomas Jeanne, Michael Kosnett, David Kroll, Stephen Lankenau, Richard Miech, Rosalie Liccardo Pacula, Paula Riggs, Neeloofar Soleimanpour, Steven Teutsch, Gregory Tung, George Sam Wang

College of Health Professions Faculty Papers

AIMS: Progressive legalization of medical and recreational cannabis markets at the state-level has led to rapid growth of medical and recreational cannabis markets and to product diversification with emerging products having high concentrations of delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol. Research on these products is still limited and the evidence available for policy formulation is diminished by methodological limitations.

METHODS: As a step towards addressing these limitations, the Colorado School of Public Health convened a multidisciplinary workshop that addressed four areas of cannabis research: epidemiological, clinical, surveillance, and policy. Workshop participants provided recommendations in each area to advance research on cannabis to make it more …

Chimes: September 29, 2025, Calvin University

Chimes

Calvin's international population remains high amid uncertainty by Ashley Hamons

Calvin celebrates 150 years with homecoming weekend by Ellery Johnson

When it rains it pours: Torrential rains bring flooding around campus by Maya Oeverman & McKenna Wilkinson

"Pioneers": Calvin's Triathlon team leaves lasting legacy after being cut by Zach Kern & Hendrik Beelen

Explainer: Creeds, Confessions and what they mean for Calvin by Joe Toly

Design Thinking As A Tool For Developing Entrepreneurial Competencies Through Multidisciplinary And Cross-National Collaborative Learning Environments, Arpasri Tewata, Krittika Inta, Supornphan Konchiab, Tawan Watakit, Sumana Sorathiwa

Journal of Education Studies

This research aimed to 1) compare students’ entrepreneurial skills before and after participating in design thinking activities under a multidisciplinary and international collaborative learning project, and 2) investigate the relationships between each phase of the design thinking process and entrepreneurial skills. The participants were 60 Thai students from a university in northern Thailand who were selected to participate in the international collaboration program. The research instruments included an entrepreneurial skills questionnaire. Data were analyzed using frequency, percentage, mean, standard deviation, t-test, and Pearson’s correlation coefficient. The results showed 1) students’ entrepreneurial skills significantly improved after participating in the program, particularly …

Iwu Ranks No. 2 Most Innovative College In Midwest By U.S. News, Julia Perez

News and Events (Discontinued Series)

No abstract provided.

Transparency, Trust, And Partnerships: Strengthening Nonprofit Collaboration Through Data And Accountability, Sujeeth Reddy Sithagari, Angie Holzer

Journal of Nonprofit Innovation

This paper explores how transparency influences trust and strengthens partnerships within nonprofit and international development organizations. Drawing from a structured literature review of peer-reviewed articles, doctoral dissertations, and global initiatives such as the International Aid Transparency Initiative (IATI), this article highlights the critical role of transparent communication in building stakeholder confidence. The findings indicate that while many NGOs collect performance and financial data, few use it consistently to inform external reporting or internal learning. Trust is found to be highly context-specific, shaped not only by data sharing but also by leadership humility, community engagement, and ethical governance. The study …

Re: Conditional Approval Letter For Butte Priority Soils (Bpsou) Draft Blacktail Creek Riparian Actions Remedial Design Work Plan (Dated May 1, 2025, Received July 28, 2025), Emma Rott

Silver Bow Creek/Butte Area Superfund Site

No abstract provided.

Implementing Patient Health Questionnaire-9 Screening In Adult Mental Health: A Staff Education Initiative, Precious Nmachi Adaso

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

This project was a staff education program aimed at the use of the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) as a universal depression screening instrument within a mental health facility. The project was conducted in an urban area of the United States at an outpatient behavioral health facility and was focused on addressing the stagnation in the staff’s correct use of evidence-based measures of depression screening that inhibits the prompt detection and treatment of major depressive disorder (MDD). The practice focused question was: Following participation in a staff education program, will staff demonstrate increased knowledge on depression screening and use of the …

Western Australian And South Australian Grain Enterprise Emission Intensities And Gross Margins: A Review, Christophe D'Abbadie, Ross Kingwell

Farm Systems and Economics research articles

Drawing on various datasets, crop enterprise emission intensities and gross margins are reported for the main broadacre crops grown in Western Australia and South Australia. Values are reported for various rainfall regions and across time, and for different farm performance groupings. As a generalisation, in each region, wheat and canola production display marked increases in emissions intensity across the study period whilst legume crops’ emission intensities increase far less. Wheat crops display upward emission intensity trajectories across time whilst displaying different rates of increase in emissions intensity according to regional rainfall. Canola demonstrates higher emissions intensities per tonne compared to …

Crow's Nest, September 29, 2025, Crow's Nest Staff

Crow's Nest

The September 29, 2025 issue of the Crow's Nest.

Response To Epa Comments Dated September 29, 2025 For The Blacktail Creek Riparian Actions Draft Preliminary (30%) Remedial Design Report, Silver Bow Creek/Butte Area Superfund Site Silver Bow County, Montana, Montana Department Of Environmental Quality

Silver Bow Creek/Butte Area Superfund Site

No abstract provided.

I Think I Can: Kindergarten Teacher Perceptions On The Impact Of Loose Parts Play On Self-Efficacy Behaviors, Adena Rene Thomsa

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Play in the classroom is often a source of debate. The merits of play on early childhood development are well documented, especially regarding self-efficacy - an individual’s belief in their ability to perform a task or complete a goal. Self-efficacy has, in turn, been linked to academic resilience and achievement. Despite these findings, research shows a decline in unstructured play opportunities in both preschool and kindergarten. During a play intervention study, pre-kindergarten and kindergarten teachers were interviewed about student behaviors before, during, and after loose parts and other playful materials were added to their classroom environment. This thesis examines the …

Packing Independent Cliques Into Planar Graphs, Csaba Biró, Gabriel Collado, Oscar Zamora

Theory & Applications of Graphs

The indeque number of a graph is largest set of vertices that induce an independent set of cliques. We study the extremal value of this parameter for the class and subclasses of planar graphs, most notably for forests and graphs of pathwidth at most $2$.

2024 Impetus Platform Presentation Abstracts

Philippine Journal of Physical Therapy

No abstract provided.

2024 Impetus Poster Presentation Abstracts

Philippine Journal of Physical Therapy

No abstract provided.

Naturalistic Tobacco Retail Exposure And Smoking Outcomes In Adults Who Smoke Cigarettes Daily, Benjamin Muzekari, Nicole Cooper, Anthony Resnick, Alexandra M. Paul, Omaya E. Torres-Grillo, Mary E. Andrews, Bradley Mattan, Christin Scholz, Darin Johnson Ph.D., José Carreras-Tartak, Melis E. Cakar, Susan Hao, Emily Zhou, Elizabeth Beard, Steven Mesquiti, Farah Sayed, Michael A. Fichman, David M. Lydon-Staley, Ian J. Barnett, Andrew A. Strasser, Thomas R. Kirchner, Lisa Henriksen, Emily B. Falk

Faculty Publications

Importance  The tobacco industry spends more than $8 billion annually in the US on marketing at the point of sale. Exposure to tobacco retail has been associated with smoking outcomes, but substantially less is known about how objectively logged everyday tobacco retail exposure is associated with smoking outcomes.

Objective  To assess preregistered hypotheses that individuals would report (1) greater craving and (2) more cigarettes smoked on days when their exposure to tobacco retail is higher than usual.

Design, Setting, and Participants  This multimodal, within-person cohort study combined objectively logged geolocation tracking, public tobacco retail location records, and ecological momentary assessment …

Joint Motion For Limited Relief From Stay To Remove Sex Abuse Cases

Catholic Dioceses in Bankruptcy

No abstract provided.

Addressing Graduation Disparities: Double-Dose Algebra As A Catalyst For Success Among Economically Disadvantaged Learners, Tracy Matozzo

Theses and Dissertations

This study investigated the impact of a double-dose algebra intervention (DDAI) on the academic achievement of economically disadvantaged learners (EDLs) in a suburban New Jersey high school. Algebra, recognized as a gatekeeper course for graduation and postsecondary opportunities, was the focal point for targeted instructional reform. Using a quasi-experimental design, outcomes for EDLs enrolled in the DDAI were compared with peers in traditional algebra classes across three cohorts. Findings showed that EDLs in the treatment group achieved higher passing rates in Algebra I and demonstrated stronger attendance patterns than the control groups, though standardized test score improvements were modest. Survey …

Defederalizing Opioid Addication Care, Matthew B. Lawrence

San Diego Law Review

Lack of access to evidence-based care for drug addiction is an urgent problem amid a decades-long overdose crisis that kills more than one hundred thousand Americans a year. Opioid addiction is the primary driver of overdoses today, and medicines exist to treat such addiction that can dramatically improve quality of life while reducing the risk of deadly overdose by more than half. Yet fewer than one in four of the nine million Americans who need such evidence-based medical care for their addiction receive it. Chief among barriers to access are restrictive and burdensome federal requirements limiting the use of narcotic …

Accounting For Fetal Personhood: Confronting The Implications Of Fetal Personhood On Vital Statistics Law, Alix Rogers

San Diego Law Review

In February 2024, in LePage v. Center for Reproductive Medicine, the Alabama Supreme Court held that embryos created through in-vitro fertilization (IVF) were legal persons. The national conversation about this ruling focused on the implications for IVF treatment. The impact of fetal personhood on the realm of vital records law has, to date, gone unnoticed. Vital records laws in the United States mandate the registration and collection of data for legislatively determined vital events. Vital records law influenced by fetal personhood, as well as broader trends to criminalize pregnancy, has profound and troubling implications for individuals experiencing spontaneous abortion …

09.29.2025 Ored Connect, Liz Williamson

ORED Newsletter

• Contest for Biosafety and Biosecurity Month
• ORED Website Walk Through training
• MIG Applications
• Field Fest