Digital Commons Network^™

Nowcasting Disruptions To Human Capital Formation: Evidence From High-Frequency Household And Geospatial Data In Rural Malawi, E. J. Tennant, Aleksandr Michuda, J. B. Upton, A. Chamorro, R. Engstrom, M. L. Mann, D. Newhouse, M. Weber, C. B. Barrett

Economics Faculty Works

Exposure to extreme weather events and other adverse shocks has led to an increasing number of humanitarian crises in developing countries in recent years. These events cause acute suffering and compromise future welfare by adversely impacting human capital formation among vulnerable populations. Early and accurate detection of adverse shocks to food security, health, and schooling is critical to facilitating timely and well-targeted humanitarian interventions to minimize these detrimental effects. Yet monitoring data are rarely available with the frequency and spatial granularity needed. This paper uses high-frequency household survey data from the Rapid Feedback Monitoring System, collected in 2020–23 in southern …

Liberal Arts: Value From A Business Perspective, Ed Rust

Kinder Brothers Distinguished Business Speaker Series

Thanks to the generosity of Garry '55 and Jack '50 Kinder, we are proud to welcome our inaugural speaker: Ed Rust ’72, an IWU alum, former CEO of State Farm, and IWU Board of Trustee member, presenting "Liberal Arts: Value from a Business Perspective."

This event was held in the Young Main Lounge, Memorial Center, on September 23, 2025 and was preceded by Mayor Dan Brady presenting IWU President Zenger with a resolution marking September 23 as "Illinois Wesleyan Day" in honor of our 175th anniversary.

For more information, please see "Rust '72 Champions Liberal Arts as Essential for Business …

Bfin 410.01: $50,000 Portfolio Management, Bradley B. Cederberg

University of Montana Course Syllabi, 2021-2025

No abstract provided.

Efficient Inference Of Performance Models In Openmp Applications, Gaurav Punjabi

Computer Science and Engineering Master's Theses

Choosing the best OpenMP parameters such as thread count, scheduling type, and chunk size is essential for optimizing parallel program performance. One of the promising approaches is to infer a (pre-trained) performance model at runtime to determine the parameters to run OpenMP parallel regions. Such a performance prediction model can require programs’ code information such as intermediate representation (IR) and other at-runtime information (e.g., input sizes) to make a performance prediction. In such a scenario, extracting or querying the IR information at runtime can create a significant runtime overhead. This thesis proposes a compiler-asssited tuning framework that shifts IR extraction …

The Nebraska Bird Review (September 2025) 93(3), Whole Issue

Nebraska Bird Review

Summer Field Report, June–July 2025, by W. Ross Silcock

First Confirmed Nebraska Breeding Record of the Common Raven (Corvus corax) since the 19th Century, by Eugene A. Huryn and Jacob C. Cooper

2024 (36th) Report of the NOU Records Committee, by Mark A. Brogie

The Official List of the Birds of Nebraska: 2024, compiled by Mark A. Brogie

Subscription and Organization Information

2024 (36th) Report Of The Nou Records Committee, Mark A. Brogie

Nebraska Bird Review

The functions and methods of the Nebraska Ornithologists’ Union Records Committee (NOURC) are described in its bylaws (NOURC 2010). The committee’s purpose is to provide a procedure for documenting unusual bird sightings and to establish a list of all documented birds for Nebraska. Species for which the NOURC seeks documentation (NOURC Review List) can be found at the NOU website: www.NOUbirds.org.

Starting in 2020, the NOURC decided to deal mainly with those species deemed as Accidental on the “Official List of the Birds of Nebraska.” Casual species and out-of- range species are now summarized in the “Seasonal Reports” of the …

The Bridwell Quarterly Issue 28 Summer 2025, Anthony Elia, Michelle S. Ried

Bridwell Library Publications

No abstract provided.

Advancements In Diversity In Dermatology: A 5-Year Retrospective Analysis Of Racial And Ethnic Trends In U.S. Dermatology Residency Programs (2020-2024), Devin Barzallo, Afua Ofori-Darko, Larissa De Souza, Precious Nwanwa, Timmie Sharma

Student Scholarship

Diversity in residency programs is important for achieving health equity. Although targeted initiatives have led to some progress, dermatology residency trainees do not proportionally reflect the growing diversity of the U.S. population. We analyzed data from the Association of American Medical Colleges on residents from 2020 to 2024 to evaluate evolving diversity trends.

Effect Of Short-Chain Polymer Binders On The Mechanical And Electrochemical Performance Of Silicon Anodes, Fei Sun, L. Zurita-Garcia, Dean R. Wheeler

Faculty Publications

Polymer binders are crucial components in providing both mechanical support and chemical stability to the structure of porous Li-ion electrodes. Particularly in silicon anodes, the active material undergoes substantial volume expansion of up to 275%. Due to the mechanical constraint of the current collector, these silicon materials tend to expand in the normal direction while exhibiting substantial particle rearrangement and plastic deformation. Conventional rigid binders such as polyacrylic acid (PAA) and polyimide (PI), while providing satisfactory initial capacity, do not eliminate diminished long-term performance. Our research attempts to develop binder formulations that can accommodate sufficient flexibility for the substantial volume …

Temporal Patterns Of New Product Introductions And Ipo Value: The Importance Of Recency, Dispersion, And Asymmetry, Suyun Mah, Rebecca J. Slotegraaf, Girish Mallapragada

Research Collection Lee Kong Chian School Of Business

A firm’s innovation activity is often judged by the number and type of new products it launches, but when these products are introduced may be equally important, especially before going public. This research investigates how the temporal pattern of new product introductions (NPIs) influences a firm’s initial public offering (IPO) value. The analysis uses data from 298 firms that went public between 2006 and 2023, and focuses on three patterns of timing: recency (how recently the latest product was launched before the IPO), dispersion (the degree to which NPIs before the IPO are spread out over time), and asymmetry (how …

Clark Tailings Consolidated Waste Management Area (Ctcwma) Site Investigation Draft Data Summary Report 2019 Surface Water, Groundwater Seep, And Soil Characterization 2021-2023 Surface Water And Groundwater Seep Evaluation 2023 Waterloo Aps Soil And Groundwater Evaluation, Woodard & Curran

Silver Bow Creek/Butte Area Superfund Site

No abstract provided.

Converting Counterfeiters In Emerging Markets To Authorized Suppliers: A New Anti-Counterfeiting Measure, Liling Lu, Xin Fang, Sarah Yini Gao, Burak Kazaz

Research Collection Lee Kong Chian School Of Business

With more products being infringed by counterfeits, anti-counterfeiting measures, such as law enforcement and consumer education, have commonly been adopted in emerging markets. In recent years, “super fakes,” i.e., counterfeits of high quality, have become popular. Super fake manufacturers’ capability to produce high-quality products inspires a new anti-counterfeiting measure: converting counterfeiters to authorized suppliers. To study the effectiveness of this anticounterfeiting measure, our paper employs a game-theoretic model to examine the interactions between a brand-name firm with its home supplier, and a counterfeiter who produces high-quality counterfeits and can be potentially converted to an authorized overseas supplier. Our results show …

Mechanisms Of Sleep Regulation In Drosophila Melanogaster, Anfal A. Abuhilal

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Sleep is a fundamental biological need, and sufficient sleep is required for physical and mental well-being. Sleep is regulated by two biological mechanisms: sleep-wake homeostasis and circadian rhythm. Circadian rhythms are near 24-h rhythms in behavior and physiology that are generated by endogenous mechanisms. In mammals, the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN) is the central circadian pacemaker, which is known to receive a significant amount of serotonergic input that likely modulates sleep rhythms. In addition to circadian modulation, sleep is subject to homeostatic regulation. Several neuromodulators have been proposed as mediators of sleep homeostasis. Serotonin has been implicated in sleep drive and …

Improving The Assessment Of Functional Ability In Older Adults, Aneela Rahman

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Deficits in instrumental activities of daily living (IADL) are a hallmark of dementia, and the unprecedented aging of the population strongly motivates early identification of older adults at-risk for functional decline. In 2015, the White House Conference on Aging emphasized the need to improve detection of diminished capacity across important areas of functioning. To date, there is very limited research on early IADL changes in cognitively unimpaired (CU) individuals and those with subjective cognitive decline (SCD) and mild cognitive impairment (MCI), who may be in early preclinical dementia stages. Additionally, little is known about how changes in functional brain networks …

Tradition, Individuality, And Innovation In Western Classical Music Performance: A Quantitative Analysis Of Bach’S Fourth Cello Suite Prelude, Clare Monfredo

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Why do we seek out new performances of a commonly performed piece of music? An essential tradition of Western classical music (WCM) is the performance of canonical works by composers, an activity that requires the interpretation and execution of written scores by individual performers. In this practice, performers are not only expected to determine the composer’s “intentions,” but also somehow (paradoxically) share these in a “unique” performance interpretation. In musical education, performers are trained by teachers to create these “unique” interpretations by learning how to intuit composers’ intentions in a system that passes down interpretative traditions through master-apprentice one-on-one lessons. …

Integrative Supportive Care Trial To Enhance Physical Activity In Malignant Pleural Effusion—Protocol For The Isc-Team/Ample-5 Randomised Controlled Trial, Bianca M. Iacopetta, Chloe Charlesworth, Emily Jeffery, Lauren J. Breen, Ai Ling Tan, Joanne Mcveigh, Kevin Murray, Rob U. Newton, Y. C. Gary Lee, Carolyn J. Peddle-Mcintyre

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Background: Malignant pleural effusion (MPE) heralds advanced cancer with poor patient outcomes. High symptom burden of weight loss, fatigue, breathlessness, distress, and anxiety leaves many patients unable to participate in desired activities of daily life and is associated with poor outcomes. Freedom from symptoms and maintaining daily activities are the key wishes of patients and carers. For the best outcome, accessible services aimed at prevention and management of malnutrition, care of psychological well-being, and support for increasing physical activity are required. Methods: The Integrative Supportive Care Trial to Enhance physical Activity in Malignant pleural effusion (ISC-TEAM) study is a two-armed, …

Shared Power, Shared Future: Navigating Technology, Ownership, And Equity In Community Battery Storage, Bassam Al-Hanahi, Nishadi Mudiyanselage, Asma Aziz

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Community Battery Storage Systems (CBS) are gaining traction as a shared energy solution to support the growing integration of rooftop solar and electric vehicles. Operating at the neighborhood scale, CBS offers benefits such as grid flexibility, enhanced self-consumption, and cost optimization. This review provides a multidimensional synthesis of CBS developments, examining technical design, ownership structures, regulatory conditions, and community engagement. By analyzing pilot projects and demonstration trials, the paper identifies recurring challenges – including inconsistent tariff structures, limited financial viability, and unclear market roles – that constrain scalability. It also highlights emerging strategies such as Local Use of Service (LUoS) …

Final Quarterly Operations And Maintenance Report Butte Treatment Lagoon System – Third Quarter 2024, Pioneer Technical Services, Inc.

Silver Bow Creek/Butte Area Superfund Site

No abstract provided.

Directional Vibrotactile Takeover Requests On A Wrist-Worn Device: Effects Of Age, Pattern Type, And Urgency In Automated Driving, Wei Hsiang Lo, Gaojian Huang

Faculty Research, Scholarly, and Creative Activity

Drivers are still required to perform the takeover task in highly automated vehicles. This task, which is cognitively and physically demanding, may present challenges for older adults due to general age-related declines in perception and cognition. Tactile modalities that may not be occupied by many non-driving-related tasks could serve as a potential solution for delivering takeover requests. Among these, directional vibrotactile stimuli presented via a wrist-worn device represent a promising approach. However, the effects of the two common types of directional vibrotactile patterns, dynamic patterns that vibrate sequentially at different locations and static patterns that vibrate at fixed locations, are …

Unveiling The Veil: Understanding The Intersection Of Racism And Body Image Among Vietnamese American Young Adults, Thien Dang, Meekyung Han

Faculty Research, Scholarly, and Creative Activity

Asian Americans have experienced persistent gendered racism, racial microaggressions, and orientalism. These factors have contributed to dissatisfaction with their body image and have led some individuals to turn to body modification in order to cope with psychological distress and conform to White beauty standards. However, limited research has explored how Vietnamese Americans—one of the fastest-growing Asian American populations—experience and navigate racial dynamics related to body image, particularly in relation to gender differences and the role of cultural identity. To address this knowledge gap, a qualitative study was conducted to explore the intersection of racism, internalized racism, and body image dissatisfaction, …

Aurora 2.0: A Fluorogenic Dye Library For Expanding The Capability Of Protein-Adaptive Differential Scanning Fluorimetry (Padsf), Annemarie F. Charvat, Kayleigh Mason-Chalmers, Aneta Grabinska-Rogala, Shloka Shivakumar, Zachary Gale-Day, Taiasean Wu, Zoe Millbern, Jonathan B. Grimm, Emma C. Carroll, K․ Peter R․ Nilsson, Luke D. Lavis, Nelson R. Vinueza, Jason E. Gestwicki

Faculty Research, Scholarly, and Creative Activity

Differential Scanning Fluorimetry (DSF) is a biophysical assay that is used to estimate protein stability in vitro. In a DSF experiment, the increased fluorescence of a solvatochromatic dye, such as Sypro Orange, is used to detect the unfolding of a protein during heating. However, Sypro Orange is only compatible with a minority of proteins (< 30 %), limiting the scope of this method. We recently reported that protein-adaptive DSF (paDSF) can partially solve this problem, wherein the protein is initially pre-screened against ∼300 chemically diverse dyes, termed the Aurora collection. While this approach significantly improves the number of targets amenable to DSF, it still fails to produce protein-dye pairs for some proteins. Here, we report the expansion of the dye collection to Aurora 2.0, which includes a total of 517 structurally diverse molecules and multiple new chemotypes. To assess performance, these dyes were screened against a panel of ∼100 proteins, which were selected, in part, to represent the most challenging targets (e.g. small size). From this effort, Aurora 2.0 achieved an impressive success rate of 94 %, including producing dyes for some targets that were not matched in the original collection. These findings support the idea that larger, more chemically diverse libraries improve the likelihood of detecting melting transitions across a wider range of proteins. We propose that Aurora 2.0 makes paDSF an increasingly powerful method for studying protein stability, ligand binding and other biophysical properties in high throughput.

Decadal Change In Deep-Ocean Dissolved Oxygen In The North Atlantic Ocean And North Pacific Ocean, Henry A. Ruhl, Christine L. Huffard, Monique Messié, Thomas P. Connolly, Thomas Soltwedel, Frank Wenzhöfer, Rodney J. Johnson, Nicholas R. Bates, Susan Hartman, Anita Flohr, Edward W. Mawji, David M. Karl, James Potemra, Fernando Santiago-Mandujano, Tetjana Ross, Kenneth L. Smith

Faculty Research, Scholarly, and Creative Activity

Declining dissolved oxygen concentrations are documented at upper and mid ocean depths, but less is known about the deep ocean. Long time-series measurements of dissolved oxygen analyzed with Winkler titration over several decades reveal regional differences at six stations in the abyssal North Atlantic Ocean and North Pacific Ocean. A significant decline in dissolved oxygen was evident at two stations in the northeast Pacific Ocean at 4000–4200 m depth (Stations PAPA and M). A similar decreasing but insignificant trend was recorded in the Arctic region of the North Atlantic Ocean (HAUSGARTEN). However, there was no significant decrease in dissolved oxygen …

Blending Informing Literacy And Visual Literacy: Instructional Vignettes In Art, Architecture, And Design, Stephanie Beene, Sara Schumacher, Dana Statton Thompson, Mary Wegmann

University Libraries & Learning Sciences Faculty and Staff Publications

The ACRL Framework for Visual Literacy in Higher Education (Framework for Visual Literacy), based on empirical research into the trends, opportunities, and challenges facing the field of visual literacy in the twenty-first century,1 was codified in April 2022 and is an adaptable document to help learners grow their visual literacy competencies. In this chapter, written by four of the task force members charged with the creation of the Framework for Visual Literacy, we examine the relationship between the four themes in the Framework for Visual Literacy and the six frames of the ACRL Framework for Information Literacy for Higher Education …

Malignancy-Associated Renal Infarction: A Case Of Prostate Cancer Presenting With Flank Pain And Hematuria., Connor J Stinson, Alec Pupo, Patrick Laird

Internal Medicine Resident Research

Renal infarction is an uncommon but critical diagnosis that is frequently overlooked due to its nonspecific presentation and overlap with more common causes of abdominal or flank pain. Patients with malignancy, including metastatic prostate cancer, are at increased risk of thromboembolic events due to the intrinsic hypercoagulable state promoted by cancer, yet arterial events, such as renal infarction, remain underrecognized. We present the case of a 74-year-old male with metastatic castrate-sensitive prostate cancer who developed acute abdominal pain, nausea, and vomiting. Evaluation revealed elevated blood pressure, microscopic hematuria, and increased lactate dehydrogenase (LDH). CT scan of the abdomen and pelvis …

Establishing A Marketing Agency – Assignment/ Collaborative Project, Feygens Saint-Joy Jr

Open Educational Resources

This project guides student teams through the process of establishing a fully developed advertising or promotions agency, mirroring real-world industry structures and practices. Teams will collaboratively define their agency’s identity by selecting a strategic focus, crafting a mission statement, choosing a name, and outlining roles, hierarchy, and services. The assignment emphasizes experiential learning through the creation of an organizational chart, the development of compensation models, and decisions regarding external facilitators such as freelancers or consultants. Students engage with multimodal resources, including videos, visuals, and templates, to support comprehension, creativity, and accessibility. Final submissions may take the form of a written …

New Instructor Orientation: Preparing Faculty To Facilitate Online Courses, Heather J. Leslie Phd, Elizabeth Morgan, Ashley Kovacs

Learning Design Center: Staff Scholarship

This case study of a new instructor orientation describes a course to prepare faculty to facilitate courses in a university’s online programs. This case study provides a detailed description of the course, rationale for design decisions, theoretical and pedagogical frameworks that guided the design, and results from course participant and Academic Director surveys. Overall, course participants and Academic Directors rated this orientation highly and provided constructive comments for improvement. This case may provide ideas for other online learning design teams or institutions looking for an illustrative example of new instructor orientations to prepare faculty for facilitating online courses.

Vol. 54, No. 1: Full Issue, Denver Journal Of International Law & Policy

Denver Journal of International Law & Policy

No abstract provided.

Item 5: Assignment 2: Everyday Decisions Have A Big Impact Social Media Post, Mary Anne K. Clarke

Mary Anne K. Clarke, Democracy, Citizenship, and the Media Course

This experiential assignment provides students with an opportunity to explore locations in Rhode Island and learn about notable individuals. Each figure through their own civic engagement provided a long-lasting impact on both Rhode Island and US political history. Students learn that personal decisions matter and oftentimes affect the community and nation in the future.

Research And Development Agenda For Small Islands In The Philippines: Results From A Multi-Stakeholder National Forum, Rodmyr F. Datoon, Ron Jay P. Dangcalan, Marissa S. Pontillas, Marie Gianina Concepcion S. Decano, Melissa Grace C. Olit, Jenny Mei S. Peroy, Eva Marie C. Ponce De Leon, Cristine L. Pingal, Restie Allan A. Puno, Jackielyn S. Abela, Lenard D. Visaya

The Philippine Agricultural Scientist

The Philippines has 7,641 islands, most of which are small and underdeveloped. While studies have been done on topics such as poverty reduction, climate change, and economic development, there is no integrated research and development (R&D) agenda for small islands. Furthermore, literature points to the lack of consensus on the definition of small islands. As such, the study wove together existing bodies of knowledge and stakeholder perspectives on small islands in the country using a qualitative research design. Data were collected through a desk review, workshops, and key informant interviews. Four categories of small islands were proposed, namely micro-island, small …

Power And Inclusivity: Bolognesi Lgbtq Activists Reflect On The Italian Language, Lauren E. Duncan, Bruno Grazioli

Psychology: Faculty Publications

Research in psychology and linguistics identifies ways grammatically gendered language affects the ways in which people think, perceive, and make judgements in everyday life in ways that disadvantage women, and more recently, non-binary and trans people. Activists, scholars, and politicians have worked to identify and remedy the masculinist bias in the Italian language, with mixed results. In this research article we describe how ten Italian feminist LGBTQIA+ activists interviewed in Bologna in 2019 negotiate gendered language in their everyday lives and in their activism. Themes mentioned by the activists include how language constructs reality, both in its current restriction of …