Digital Commons Network^™

Hearing All The Colors: Stories Of Engagement From Teachers' Perspectives, Carolyn Allison

Theses and Dissertations

This qualitative case study documented four high school English II End of Course teachers' stories about student engagement in the classroom. Students of color, in particular, have been maligned for underperformance on state-mandated tests. Instead of focusing on the despairing headlines and data, this study focused on how teachers follow the state standards and district curriculum guides to increase success. The teachers' authentic voices on student engagement shine through their stories. Student engagement is not a one-size-fits-all scenario which these teachers prove.

The teachers' stories served as the data for this study. The data was viewed through the lens of …

Apathy Or Agency: Exploring Civic Engagement With Ap Psychology Students, Regina Dilley

Theses and Dissertations

Sensing my high school students’ apathy toward civic engagement, I used a community of inquiry framework to address this problem of practice. Through mixed-methods action research, I explored participants’ perspectives on community, civic engagement, and their involvement in both spheres. A community of inquiry framework was the foundation for my research questions, and as I collected data, I launched an intervention based upon my findings. Although the results of this study were not statistically significant and are not generalizable, I collected a wealth of survey, interview, and reflection data from 48 students across two classes. Analysis grounded in my observations …

A Neuro-Symbolic Ai Approach To Scene Understanding In Autonomous Systems, Ruwan Tharanga Wickramarachchige Don

Theses and Dissertations

Effectively understanding scenes requires a unified representation of scene data and background knowledge. A neuro-symbolic AI approach to scene understanding leverages such a unified representation to enable advanced expression, inference, and labeling of scenes, improving the perception of autonomous systems.

Scene understanding remains a central challenge in the machine perception of autonomous systems. It requires the integration of multiple sources of information, background knowledge, and heterogeneous sensor data to perceive, interpret, and reason about both physical and semantic aspects of dynamic environments. Current approaches to scene understanding primarily rely on computer vision and deep learning models that operate directly on …

Expenditures Of Title I Funds To Maximize Student Performance, Cornethia Danielle Pressley

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This mixed methods case study investigates how Title I funds are allocated and perceived in relation to student achievement in six rural elementary schools in the southeastern United States. Drawing on the Distributive Justice Theory by John Rawls, the study explored the perspectives of three principals and three instructional coaches regarding the effectiveness of Title I expenditures in improving outcomes for economically disadvantaged students. Quantitative data from school report cards (2019-2023), Title I expenditure plans, and SC-Ready English Language Arts assessment scores were analyzed alongside qualitative data from semi-structured interviews about the expenditures.

Findings revealed that expenditures most strongly associated …

Analyzing The Impact Of Covid-19 On The Achievement Gap: The State Of Education In Minnesota From A Superintendent's Perspective, Jillian Stockmo Chapman

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Theses and Dissertations

The COVID-19 pandemic disrupted education systems globally, nationally and in Minnesota. This created difficulties but also opportunities for innovation, especially for students most impacted by educational inequities. This dissertation investigates the impacts of the pandemic through three related research questions: (1) In what ways did COVID-19 impact Minnesota’s achievement gap? (2) How do superintendents describe the impact of COVID-19 on their districts and their districts’ disparities? And (3) What have been some of the most innovative opportunities districts’ have explored to recoup learning loss emerging from the COVID-19 crisis?

Using a qualitative research design that is grounded in a transformative …

The Persistence Of Benefit Cliffs: A Behavioral Look At A Policy Problem, Vladimir Snurenco

University Faculty Publications and Creative Works

Benefit cliffs—where earning slightly more leads to losing more in government support—are often treated as technical glitches fixable through better formulas. But this article argues that the real problem isn't just economic—it's psychological. Drawing on behavioral economics and lived experience, the piece explores how fear, loss aversion, and system complexity keep low-income Americans trapped—even when policy fixes say they should be better off. Until policymakers account for how people actually feel and behave, benefit cliffs will persist not just on paper, but in real life

Why Calvin? Naming A Seminary After A Theologian Of Consolation, Sam Neulsaem Ha

University Faculty Publications and Creative Works

No abstract provided.

It’S Time To Dare Greatly At The Ada, Michele Tulak-Gorecki Dds

The Journal of the Michigan Dental Association

Dr. Michele Tulak-Gorecki, a candidate for ADA president-elect, outlines her platform, emphasizing the urgency for bold, collaborative leadership within the ADA. She addresses member concerns following the executive director's resignation, focusing on rebuilding trust and enhancing oversight. Her vision confronts declining membership, financial issues, and the flawed association management system (AMS) rollout, advocating for increased transparency and financial literacy. Tulak-Gorecki stresses the ADA's vital role in advocacy and unity across the tripartite model to protect the profession's standing. She calls for collective action to create a transparent, inclusive, innovative, and unified ADA

Vitamin D Status And Risk For Breast Cancer In Kenya, Ronald Wasike, Victor Mobegi, Esther Maina, Francis Makokha, Robert Armstrong, Annastacia Mbithi

General Surgery, East Africa

Background: Vitamin D plays a critical role in bone metabolism, calcium regulation, and various cellular processes, including those linked to cancer. The biologically active form, 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D [1,25(OH)2D], works through the Vitamin D Receptor (VDR). Polymorphisms in VDR and related genes have been associated with cancer risk, including breast cancer. This case-control study aimed to investigate the relationship between serum vitamin D levels and breast cancer among Kenyan women.

Methods: Serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D] levels were measured in 112 breast cancer patients and 106 controls using electrochemiluminescence.

Results: Results indicated that 81.2% of participants had deficient or insufficient vitamin D …

Labrad : Vol 50, Issue 1 - July 2025, Aga Khan University Hospital, Karachi

LABRAD - Departments of Pathology & Laboratory Medicine and Radiology Archives

• EDITORIAL
• ARTICLES
• Molecular Integration in Diagnostic Medicine: The Convergence of Laboratory and Imaging Disciplines Toward Precision Healthcare
• Diagnosis of Odontogenic Cysts: Integrated Approach; Radiology-Pathology Correlation
• Radiologic Correlation in Bone Pathology Diagnosis - Essential Aspect
• Integrated Diagnostics in Microbiology: A Comprehensive Approach to Tuberculosis Diagnosis
• Integrated Diagnostics in Multiple Myeloma
• Sweat and DNA: A Unified Approach to Diagnosing Cystic Fibrosis
• Integrated Breast Biopsy and Predictive Marker Testing: A New Era in Streamlined Cancer Diagnostics
• Unmasking the Hook Effect in Prolactinomas: A Diagnostic Trap Requiring an Integrated Approach
• Radiology-Pathology Correlation: A Cornerstone of Integrated Diagnostic Accuracy
• Integrated Diagnostic Assessment of von Willebrand …

Clinical Trials Unit Newsletter - Issue 02, Clinical Trials Unit (Ctu)

Clinical Trials Unit (CTU) Archives

• What's inside this issue:
• The Clinical Trials Summit of Pakistan 2025
• Biosimilar trials at CTU!
• Completion of the Panbio Self-Test Enrolment
• Coming Together for Better Cancer Care
• Informative Snippets
• Clinical Trials Unit celebrates Clinical Trials Day
• Happenings!
• Achievements
• Trials Recruiting Now
• Trials Completed
• Publications
• Upcoming Events

Institute For Global Health And Development : Issue 11 - July 2025, Institute For Global Health And Development

IGHD Newsletters Archives

• Climate Change, Water, And the Way Forward
• Dr. Zulfiqar Bhutta Joins Global Panel on CGTN America For World Health Day 2025
• IGHD Welcomes New Associate Faculty Members
• Dr. Zulfiqar A. Bhutta Named American Society For Nutrition (ASN) Distinguished Fellow 2025
• IGHD’s Dr. Ammad Qazi Delivers Keynote Address at AKU Climate Change Event
• New IGHD Research Project to Develop Sustainable Health Infrastructure in LMICS

CLIMATE CHANGE, WATER, AND THE WAY FORWARD

Smu Celebrates 25 Years Of Its Communityservice Programme During Silver Jubilee Year, Singapore Management University

SMU Press Releases and News

The first university in Singapore to make community service a graduation requirement commemorates another major milestone in its 25th anniversary. SMU has consistently championed community engagement as a cornerstone of its educational mission.

The Effect Of Integrating Augmented Reality (Ar) Technology In Science Education Teaching On Improving The Biological Concepts Learning Among Kindergarten Children, Kawthar Habeeb

Journal of Educational and Psychological Studies

This quasi-experimental study explored the impact of AR on acquiring biological concepts among kindergarteners. The sample comprised 30 second-level kindergarteners from a school in Farwaniya Educational Directorate, Kuwait. Participants were randomly divided into an experimental group (n = 15), taught using AR, and a control group (n = 15), taught traditionally. Results revealed statistically significant di erences in biological concept understanding, favoring the experimental group. Additionally, the experimental group demonstrated significant improvement from pre-test to post-test stages. These findings highlight the potential of AR to enhance learning outcomes in kindergarten biology education. The study emphasizes the importance of integrating AR …

The Effects Of Digitized Social Stories On Classroom Routine Completion: A Single-Case Study Of Students With Developmental Disabilities, Huda A. Almumen

Journal of Educational and Psychological Studies

The current study examined the effects of a digitized Social Story, supported by embedded video prompts, on the classroom routine skills of fifth-grade Kuwaiti students with moderate intellectual disability, with or without co-occurring autism spectrum disorder. Using a single-subject, multiple baseline design across six participants, data were collected using an observational card with a checklist of the steps required to perform classroom routines. Participants significantly increased the percentage of correctly completed steps in daily classroom routines, indicating that digitized Social Stories, supported by video prompts, are effective tools for teaching classroom routines to students with developmental disabilities. Implications for future …

2025 July - Tennessee Monthly Climate Report, Tennessee Climate Office, East Tennessee State University

Tennessee Climate Office Monthly Reports

Hi All,

The main story for July was the high heat and humidity that spread across the state for the second half of the month. Most counties in the state saw at least 1 day with a heat advisory or extreme heat warning issued by the National Weather Service due to a combination of high temperatures and humidity that sent heat index values above advisory/warning criteria. The western half of the state saw higher heat index values and were impacted by the heat wave for a longer period of time than the eastern half of the state. Some part of …

A Comparative Study Of Machine Learning And Deep Learning Models In Binary And Multiclass Classification For Intrusion Detection Systems, Ayesha Alharthi, Meera Alaryani, Sanaa Kaddoura

All Works

Network infrastructure evolution has significantly expanded the attack surface, leading to increasingly complex and sophisticated cybersecurity threats. Traditional rule-based intrusion detection systems (IDS) often fail to detect emerging attack vectors, prompting the need for intelligent, data-driven approaches. This study evaluates and compares the performance of machine learning (ML) and deep learning (DL) models for network intrusion detection. Two publicly available datasets were utilized: a binary-labeled software-defined networking (SDN) dataset and a multiclass industrial control system dataset based on the IEC 60870-5-104 protocol. Preprocessing steps included normalization, label encoding, and a 70:10:20 train-validation-test split. Seven models, Random Forest, Decision Tree, K-Nearest …

Post-Anthropocene Provocations: Human-Sized Scholars’ Rocks, Cronenbergian Flesh Caves And Zen Garden Design Cues For A Future Proof Re(Image)Ining, Brenton Rossow, Darren Tynan

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

This research explores concertinaing past, present and future interventional creative and pedagogical practices to address the challenges of the Post-Anthropocene era. We argue that the Post-Anthropocene is marked by biotechnological entanglements, environmental violence and digital overstimulation. The discussions herein critique a hyperattentive achievement society characterised by a scattering of attention, a near-constant screen-mediated stream of digital material and tasks and the commodification of leisure time. Enlisting Byung-Chul Han’s concept of hyperattention and themes and motifs from David Cronenberg’s films, the authors propose “FUTURE PROOF re(image)ining” as a collaborative Cli-Fi narrative concept. The project reimagines objects from an initial art installation …

Psychological Distress Among Suicide Exposed And Subsequently Bereaved Carers, Myfanwy Maple, Navjot Bhullar, Marie Reid, Sarah Wayland

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

People bereaved by suicide are at risk of developing significant mental health issues, including the risk of self-harm. To understand suicide exposure and psychological factors contributing to these adverse outcomes, survey data from 92 participants (Meanage = 53.50 years, SD = 14.5, female = 83.7%) who had provided care to someone who subsequently died by suicide were used. Participants responded to questions relating to suicide exposure, bereavement, suicidal ideation and psychological distress. A hierarchical regression analysis found that the perceived impact of suicide death and one's own suicidal ideation explained 46% variance in psychological distress. Suicide bereaved carers are highly …

Gender Representation Of Composers In Recommended Wind Band Literature And Prominent Performances, Devon Alexis Gray Porter

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this research was to evaluate gender representation in recommended literature in wind band repertoire and prominent performances. I collected data from music lists approved by the National Band Association (NBA) state chapters, programs from the Midwest Clinic and College Band Directors National Association, music vendor catalogues, the Teaching Music Through Performance in Band series, and Florida Bandmasters Association (FBA) Music Performance Assessment (MPA) past performances. I evaluated names of composers to determine the male-female ratios and quantities for recommended works from these sources. I conducted further analysis to determine if trends existed in the relationships between composer …

Leveraging Chorionic Villus Biopsies For The Derivation Of Patient-Specific Trophoblast Stem Cells., Kaela Varberg, Ayelen Moreno-Irusta, Allynson Novoa, Brynne Musser, Joseph M. Varberg, Jeremy P. Goering, Irfan Saadi, Khursheed Iqbal, Hiroaki Okae, Takahiro Arima, John Williams, Margareta D. Pisarska, Michael J. Soares

Manuscripts, Articles, Book Chapters and Other Papers

Human trophoblast stem (TS) cells are informative in vitro models for the generation and testing of biologically meaningful hypotheses. The goal of this project was to derive patient-specific TS cell lines from clinically available chorionic villus biopsies. Cell outgrowths were captured from human chorionic villus tissue specimens cultured in modified human TS cell medium. Cell colonies emerged early during the culture and cell lines were established and passaged for several generations. Karyotypes of the newly established chorionic villus-derived trophoblast stem (TS^CV) cell lines were determined and compared to initial genetic diagnoses from freshly isolated chorionic villi. Phenotypes of …

Psychosocial Supports For The Physical And Mental Health Of Youth With Autism And Other Neurodevelopmental Disabilities., Melissa Campbell, Elizabeth Hastings, Paige Mcardle, Darren Olsen, Kathryn Benton, Cy Nadler

Manuscripts, Articles, Book Chapters and Other Papers

One in six youth has a neurodevelopmental disability (NDD), and autism diagnostic rates continue to rise. Before and after a diagnosis, families need trusted sources of guidance to navigate co-occurring medical and psychological conditions, and to manage unique stressors including transition to adulthood. However, medical professionals from all specialty areas struggle to identify resources to support the complex psychosocial and healthcare needs of these patients and their families. This primer on psychosocial supports for youth with autism will explore the major mental and physical health stressors faced by affected youth and families, and discuss opportunities for primary care and other …

Constantly Connected: What Healthcare Providers Need To Know About Vicarious Trauma In An Evolving Digitally Connected Global Community., Meghan Kanya, Patricia Davis, Gail Robertson

Manuscripts, Articles, Book Chapters and Other Papers

Easy access to streaming news and sensational headlines has transformed society's exposure to traumatic narratives. From personal stories on social media platforms to news articles about violence in communities, patients and their caregivers may not recognize their exposure as traumatic nor recognize their psychological sequalae as unhealthy. In addition, youth with trauma-related mental health symptoms are not consistently identified in pediatric primary care clinics. Due to the increase in proximity to traumatic stories, healthcare providers working with youth require additional skills designed to engage patients and families in conversations about exposure to violence via technology and symptoms of vicarious trauma. …

Splenic Function Post Radiation Therapy In Childhood Cancer Survivors, Joy M. Fulbright, Kyla Alsman, Ashley K. Sherman, Kris Laurence, Becky Lowry

Manuscripts, Articles, Book Chapters and Other Papers

Study evaluated splenic function in childhood cancer survivors (CCS) who had received radiation to the spleen utilizing pRBC PIT (vesiculated erythrocytes) count compared to a non-radiated control group. Those exposed to < 20 Gy of radiation had PIT counts not significantly different from the control group. There was trend for higher pRBC PIT count in those exposed to higher doses of radiation.

What Is The Expected Clearance Of Methotrexate? A Therapeutic Drug Monitoring Reference Guide For High-Dose Methotrexate Use In Pediatric Malignancies., Zachary L. Taylor, Tamara P. Miller, Sarah G. Board, Ethan Poweleit, Ashley Chavana, Allison Weisnicht, Austin L. Brown, Melanie B. Bernhardt, Eric S. Schafer, Maureen M. O'Brien, Sharon M. Castellino, Laura Ramsey

Manuscripts, Articles, Book Chapters and Other Papers

High-dose methotrexate dosage and infusion durations differ across treatment protocols for pediatric leukemia, lymphoma, and osteosarcoma. Supportive care interventions are dependent on a patient's elimination of methotrexate (MTX). Therefore, it is important to establish the expected MTX elimination across protocols. Using modeling and simulation of real-world data, we determined the expected MTX concentrations at common time points from the start of infusion (24, 36, 42, 48, 60, and 72 hours) and the time that each patient would reach a typical discharge threshold (0.4, 0.2, 0.15, and 0.10 µM). These data provide a reference for MTX concentrations for common pediatric protocols.

Daily Physical Activity And Cardiorespiratory Fitness In Adults With Down Syndrome With And Without Congenital Heart Disease., Julianne G. Clina, David A. White, Joseph R. Sherman, Jessica C. Danon, Daniel Forsha, Brian C. Helsel, Richard A. Washburn, Joseph E. Donnelly, Lauren T. Ptomey

Manuscripts, Articles, Book Chapters and Other Papers

BACKGROUND: Individuals with Down syndrome (DS) typically exhibit lower cardiorespiratory fitness and reduced moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) compared to persons without disability. Approximately 50-55 % of individuals with DS have congenital heart disease (CHD), which is associated with cardiopulmonary deficiencies and reduced MVPA participation in non-DS populations. It is unknown if CHD related comorbidities compound with DS associated deficits in physical activity and fitness.

OBJECTIVE: To compare physical activity, cardiorespiratory fitness, and cardiovascular function, of persons with DS with and without CHD.

METHODS: Baseline data were used from a 12-month randomized controlled physical activity intervention of adults with DS. Participants …

Volumetric And Diffusion Tensor Imaging Abnormalities Are Associated With Behavioral Changes Post-Concussion In A Youth Pig Model Of Mild Traumatic Brain Injury., Sanjida Islam, Alesa Netzley, Chenyang Li, Jiangyang Zhang, Bianca Dávila-Montero, Ana Vazquez, Shaun Subbaiah, Avner Moeded, Kirk Munoz, Aimee Colbath, Jie Huang, Ricardo Mejia-Alvarez, Jane Manfredi, Galit Pelled

Manuscripts, Articles, Book Chapters and Other Papers

Mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) caused by sports-related incidents in children and youth often leads to prolonged cognitive impairments but remains difficult to diagnose. In order to identify clinically relevant imaging and behavioral biomarkers associated concussion, a closed-head mTBI was induced in adolescent pigs. Twelve (n = 4 male and n = 8 female), 16-week old Yucatan pigs were tested; n = 6 received mTBI and n = 6 received a sham procedure. T1-weighted imaging was used to assess volumetric alterations in different regions of the brain and diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) to examine microstructural damage in white matter. The …

The Association Between Sexually Transmitted Infections And Pregnancy Outcomes In The Northern Territory, Australia: A Population-Based Cohort Study, Jennifer Dunne, Gizachew A. Tessema, Matthew Legge, Sylvester Dodzi Nyadanu, Aditi Roy, Amanuel T. Gebremedhin, Jacqueline Hendriks, Tricia Reid-Moore, Gavin Pereira

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Background: Often asymptomatic in nature, sexually transmitted infections (STIs) are highly prevalent in women of reproductive ages, leading to adverse perinatal outcomes. This study investigated the association between STIs during pregnancy and the risk of adverse perinatal outcomes using comprehensive population-linked data from the Northern Territory (NT), Australia. Methods: This population-based retrospective cohort study examined births (live births and stillbirths) from the NT Perinatal Data Collection and the NT Notifiable Diseases register from 2005 to 2020. All singleton births (N = 59,465) were included, along with infectious disease notifications of four STIs that occurred during pregnancy: chlamydia, gonorrhoea, trichomoniasis, and …

The Bare Truth Behind A Sore Throat, Jennifer W. Glusman Do, Jamel Mansur Md, Martin E. Anderson, Mallory Logsdon Do

Advocate GME

Introduction/Background: A fully vaccinated 16-year-old female from Mexico with PMH of sinusitis requiring surgery, presented with a three-month history of chronic pharyngitis despite multiple courses of antibiotics, difficulty swallowing, voice changes, fevers, chills, and a 30-pound weight loss. ROS revealed acute-onset worsening throat pain, right-sided headache, ear pain, cough, and biliteral lacrimation. On exam, she was non-toxic, visibly uncomfortable. She had a severely muffled voice, lacrimation, bilateral tonsillar hypertrophy, pseudomembranes on right tonsil/pharynx, and difficulty swallowing thick secretions. Her neck was supple with normal ROM and no tenderness. She saturated well on room air but was tachycardic, had mild hepatosplenomegaly, …

The Expungement Process: Survey Evidence On Applicant Experiences, Mira Edmonds, J.J. Prescott, Sonja Starr, German Marquez Alcala

Articles

Tens of millions of Americans with publicly accessible criminal convictions face significant collateral consequences that affect their employment, housing, and family life, which not only harm these individuals but also limit society’s access to their skills, productivity, and participation. In response, policymakers have enlarged the scope and enhanced the accessibility of criminal-record expungement laws. Little is known, however, about how individuals perceive, navigate, and take advantage of these new, broader laws. This Article presents findings from a large-scale survey of 1,439 expungement applicants and recipients in Detroit, conducted in partnership with Project Clean Slate (PCS), a city initiative assisting residents …