Digital Commons Network^™

Reflections On Teaching Restorative Justice As A Racial Justice Tool, Mary Louise Frampton

Journal of Legal Education

No abstract provided.

Board # 186: The Impact Of Virtual Reality On Learning In Engineering Materials Courses, Ozlem Yasar, Angran Xiao

Publications and Research

Virtual reality (VR), one of the leading technologies in immersive learning, has the potential to transform the teaching of mechanical engineering by providing interactive, 3D learning environments. Traditional teaching methods in mechanical engineering often rely heavily on theoretical concepts and offer limited practical demonstrations. However, giving students hands-on experience with advanced machinery, such as scanning probe microscopes (SPM) and transmission electron microscopes (TEM), poses significant challenges. These challenges arise from factors like cost constraints, limited availability, and safety concerns. These machines are prohibitively expensive to acquire and maintain, making it impractical for many educational institutions to provide widespread access. Even …

Pedagogies In The Meantime: Reflections On Adr And Restorative Justice In U.S. And Canadian Legal Education, Amy J. Cohen, Daniel Del Gobbo

Journal of Legal Education

No abstract provided.

Like Holding Up A Mirror: How I Learned To Teach Restorative Justice, Susan Abraham

Journal of Legal Education

No abstract provided.

Quality Improvement Project The Introduction Of Gratitude Journaling To Decrease Test Anxiety In Prelicensure Bachelor Of Science In Nursing Students, Jourdan Scoggins

Doctor of Nursing Practice Projects

Test anxiety is a substantial barrier to success among prelicensure nursing students, given the heavy course load and high academic pressure of the educational environment. The purpose of this quality improvement project was to measure the impact of gratitude journaling on levels of test anxiety in first-semester Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) enrolled in a nursing math course at a regional university in Arkansas. Following a quasi-experimental design, students participating in the project completed the Westside Test Anxiety Scale (WTAS) before and after five weeks of gratitude journaling. Thirty-two students participated in the intervention and 24 of those completed …

Designing Electric Vehicle Infrastructures And Opportunities To Benefit All Residents, Polly Parkinson, Emma Mecham, Fawn Groves, Ivonne Santiago, Amy Wilson-Lopez

Teacher Education and Leadership Student Research

Countries around the globe have set electric vehicle adoption goals to address environmental and health concerns, but engineering planners and community policy experts cannot separate the socioeconomic factors from transportation needs. This mixed-methods case study indicates that because transportation decisions are inextricably linked to health, work, and housing, EV adoption must also address multifaceted human needs. To avoid the transportation mistakes of the past, it is essential that people in communities are consulted in the adoption process and have opportunities so all may actively benefit from the infrastructures and economic growth caused by electrification. “If you don't know the space …

Computational Model Predicts Function Of Rho-Gtpase Binding For Plexin Receptor Gap Activity On Rap1b Via Dynamic Allosteric Changes, Nisha Bhattarai

Faculty Scholarship

Plexin-semaphorin signaling regulates key processes such as cell migration, neuronal development, angiogenesis, and immune responses. Plexins stand out because they can directly bind with both Rho- and Ras-family small GTPases through their intracellular domains when these GTPases are in their active, GTP-bound states. This binding occurs via intracellular regions, which include a Rho-GTPase binding domain and a GTPase-activating protein (GAP) segment. Studies have shown that Rho and Ras GTPases play vital roles in plexin signaling and activation. However, the structural dynamics of plexins and GTPases and how these conformational changes affect interactions when plexin is bound with both Ras and …

Board # 363: Effective Strategies To Support Student Success In An Nsf S-Stem Program, Diana Samaroo, Urmi Duttagupta, Nadia E. Stoyanova Kennedy, Armando R. Solis, Viviana Acquaviva

Publications and Research

This paper reports on the success of an NSF S-STEM grant, which builds on two successful previous programs at “our institution”. The initiative aims to improve retention and graduation rates, increasing the participation of minority and female students in STEM fields and the NYC workforce, thereby reducing socio-economic disparities.

From Spring 2020 to Spring 2024, the project awarded an average of 40 scholarships annually to academically strong and financially disadvantaged students in various STEM programs, benefiting 93 unique students. It also enhanced early research experiences, internships, and provided robust academic advisement and mentoring. Seminars and meetings with STEM professionals expanded …

Helen A. Lewis

African American Funeral Programs

No abstract provided.

Global Variation Of Mesospheric Gravity Waves Observed By Awe, Yucheng Zhao, Jiarong Zhang, Pierre-Dominique Pautet, Ludger Scherliess, Michael J. Taylor

Space Dynamics Laboratory Publications

USU Presentation on the Global Variation of Mesospheric Gravity Waves Observed by AWE

Awe Data Status, P.-Dominique Pautet, Anh Phan, Ludger Scherliess, Yucheng Zhao, Jiarong Zhang, Dallin Tucker, Connor Waite, Pedro Sevilla, Russell Kirkham, Harri Latvakoski, Jacob Adams, Keith Paskett

Space Dynamics Laboratory Publications

SDL Presentation on the AWE data status.

Augmenting Student Startups’ Customer Validation Efforts Through Adaptive Coaching Using Large Language Models, Lois Abigail To, Zachary Matthew C. Alabastro, Joseph Benjamin R. Ilagan, Jose Ramon S. Ilagan

Quantitative Methods and Information Technology Faculty Publications

Startup founders experience numerous barriers to venture creation. Customer development (CD), under the Lean Startup (LS) methodology, is a customer-centric process of refining business models to reduce startup failure. This paper explores the design of an LLMbased, adaptive coaching model that utilizes artificial intelligence’s (AI) natural language processing (NLP) and continuous learning capabilities to formulate contextual responses that are suitable for the user’s business context. Subsequently, the model generates synthetic customer insights to simulate customer interactions and strengthen CD competencies, creating more efficient systems for startup validation. Results suggest that the LLM-based adaptive coaching model is effective for startup validation …

Applied Optical Character Recognition And Large Language Models In Augmenting Manual Business Processes For Data Analytics In Traditional Small Businesses With Minimal Digital Adoption, Zachary Matthew C. Alabastro, Joseph Benjamin R. Ilagan, Lois Abigail To, Jose Ramon S. Ilagan

Quantitative Methods and Information Technology Faculty Publications

The local business landscape in the Philippines presents a slow adoption to digitization. There are fears of inaccurate results and limited technical proficiency. Data analytics and artificial intelligence (AI) are crucial for business growth. By understanding the performance of stock-keeping-units (SKU) with technology, businesses can find better ways to handle products to increase profitability. In exploring optical character recognition (OCR) and large language models (LLM), a software pipeline can help businesses analyze handwritten sales data for business intelligence. The research aims to develop a system for translating logbooks into metrics by augmenting manual business processes performed by staff. The application …

A Virtual Support Agent For University Students Powered By A Large Language Model: Conversational User Experience Design Considerations, Joseph Benjamin R. Ilagan, Wolverix Skyler Yu, Samantha Mae See, Stephanie Rayco

Quantitative Methods and Information Technology Faculty Publications

This paper presents a pilot study of a university virtual support agent system powered by a Large Language Model (LLM) engineered to address student inquiries regarding processes and policies involving a student exchange program. Traditional approaches to implementing chatbots in university student support services have had their shortcomings. This study investigates the enablement of conversational support using generative artificial intelligence and natural conversation properties inherent in LLMs and how they may overcome such shortcomings from earlier attempts at conversational support. The LLMs’ susceptibility to ’hallucination’ is mitigated through a combined approach of few-shot learning, retrieval augmented generation (RAG), and chain …

Effect Of An Educational Program To Enhance Psychological Capital On Academic Burnout Among Nursing Students, Asmaa Metwally Elhadidy Dr

Nursing

Background: Academic burnout is a common challenge among associate degree nursing students, stemming from intensive academic and clinical demands. Psychological capital (PsyCap)—a construct encompassing self-efficacy, hope, resilience, and optimism—has emerged as a modifiable resource that may buffer against burnout. Aim: This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of a psycho-educational program designed to enhance psychological capital and reduce academic burnout among associate degree nursing students. Methods: A quasi-experimental pretest-posttest design was conducted with 187 second-year Associate Degree in Nursing (ADN) students. students at Ain Shams University. Students participated in a 6-month intervention consisting of 26 sessions. Burnout and PsyCap were …

Detecting Early Changes In Cartilage Collagen And Proteoglycans Distribution Gradients In Mice Harboring The R992c Collagen Ii Mutant Using 2d Correlation Infrared Spectroscopy, Jolanta Fertala, Andrzej Steplewski, Andrzej Fertala

Department of Orthopaedic Surgery Faculty Papers

Collagen II is a vital structural component in developing bones and mature cartilage. Muta- tions in this protein cause spondyloepiphyseal dysplasia, a disease characterized primarily by altered skeletal growth and manifesting with a range of phenotypes, from lethal to mild. This study examined transgenic mice harboring the R992C (p.R1124C) substitution in colla- gen II. Previous research demonstrated significant growth abnormalities and disorganized growth plate structure in these mice, and histological signs of osteoarthritic changes in the knee joints of 9-month-old mice with the R992C mutation. Our study focuses on detecting early structural changes in the articular cartilage that occur before …

Board # 271: Nsf Iuse 2315777: Training Engineering Students To Be Better Learners: A Course-Integrated Approach, Huihui Qi, C. Pilegard, Minju Kim, Saharnaz Baghdadchi, Curt Schurgers, Alex M. Phan, Marko Lubarda

Psychology Faculty Articles and Research

Learning is a lifelong process exercised within and beyond the classroom, and a vital skill in almost all technical professions. Engineers, in particular, are impacted by rapidly evolving technologies and practices that require continuous learning and adaptation long after their training and the initial transition into their professional careers. However, despite the critical role of learning in their academic success and profession, engineering students experience academically rigorous and challenging courses with minimal emphasis or conscious focus on learning strategies that power effective learning. Often-used learning strategies such as rereading, highlighting, repetition, and memorization are intuitive for many students, yet do …

Empowering Engineering Students To Become More Effective And Self-Regulated Learners Through Course-Integrated Learning Strategies Intervention: A Pilot Study In A Solid Mechanics Course, Huihui Qi, Richard Eugene Vallejo Jr., Changkai Chen, Minju Kim, Alex M. Phan, Marko Lubarda, Celeste Pilegard, Curt Schurgers

Psychology Faculty Articles and Research

Learning is a lifelong process exercised within and beyond the classroom and a vital skill in almost all technical professions. Engineers, in particular, are impacted by rapidly evolving technologies and practices that require continuous learning and adaptation long after their training and the initial transition into their professional careers. However, despite the critical role of learning in their academic success and profession, engineering students experience academically rigorous and challenging courses with very little emphasis or conscious focus on learning strategies that power effective learning. Often-used learning strategies such as rereading, highlighting, repetition, and memorization are intuitive for many students, yet …

Towards A Critical Legal Tech Education: A Decolonial Approach, Diego H. Alcalá Laboy

Seattle University Law Review Online

The intersection of law, technology, and decolonial theory offers a critical framework for exposing and challenging power asymmetries embedded in both legal and technological systems. Drawing from his experience as a criminal defense attorney and legal academic, Diego H. Alcalá Laboy critiques how surveillance technologies, often framed as tools for justice, disproportionately harm marginalized communities. Grounded in Latin American decolonial theory, particularly the modernity/coloniality/decoloniality triad and the concept of pluriversality, he argues for reimagining legal scholarship and pedagogy to disrupt Eurocentric and universalist assumptions. Using a colonizer/colonized framework, he advocates for bottom-up knowledge creation that centers the voices of those …

Board # 414: Nsf S-Stem: Developing An Ecosystem Of Stem Success For Built Environment Scholars, Melanie Villatoro, Muhammad Ummy, Hamidreza E. Norouzi, Masato R. Nakamura, Daeho Kang

Publications and Research

The National Science Foundation S-STEM program, Developing an Ecosystem of STEM success for Built Environment Scholars (Award Number 2150432), focuses on supporting and developing scholars in the majors relating to the Built-Environment which include Civil Engineering Technology, Construction Engineering Technology, Electrical Engineering Technology, Mechanical Engineering Technology and Environmental Control Technology. The intent of the project is to implement evidence-based effective practices and assess the impact of these practices, degree attainment, and entry into the U.S. workforce or graduate programs in STEM. Students are provided faculty mentors and opportunities to engage in cohort building activities that include field trips, research, workforce …

Shaping Future Innovators: A Curriculum Comparison Of Data Science Programs In Leading U.S. And Chinese Institutions, Elizabeth Milonas, Qiping Zhang, Duo Li

Publications and Research

Background: In recent years, the data revolution has sparked widespread interest in Data Science (DS) across numerous fields and disciplines [1]. As society becomes more reliant on data-driven decisions, the demand for professionals equipped to handle data challenges is rising. The need for skilled workers in diverse roles and capacities continues to grow as these demands evolve [2,3]. To meet the demand for skilled workers, training in the latest data science technologies has become a priority in colleges across the US and China. These colleges have established comprehensive data science programs to ensure students graduate with the expertise required in …

The Epistemologization Of Scientific Knowledge: Scientific Textbooks And Education In The 18th And 19th Centuries, Brian P. Bieganski

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Philosophy, despite its proclivities towards history and contextualization, often neglects to properly note various characteristics of ideas. In particular, there seems to be a kind of blindness to a key component of how ideas come into being: namely, the role of writing that leads to the preservation and transmission of ideas. Textbooks, for instance, are a key instrument for containing, disseminating, and archiving knowledge of a specific domain that can be used to introduce those complex concepts to newcomers and the unspecialized. As such, a textbook is an epistemic device used for transmitting a condensed constellation of ideas, concepts, formulas, …

Temporal Changes In Soil Organic Carbon And Other Near-Surfacesoil Properties Under Native Tallgrass Prairie In The Arkansasriver Valley, Katie Jansson, Kristofor R. Brye, Mike Richardson, Lisa S. Wood

Crop, Soil and Environmental Sciences Faculty Publications and Presentations

One climate-change mitigation pathway is soil carbon (C) sequestration. Native prairies have long been known for their soil C sequestration abilities, but the full extent of their sequestration capacity is not completely understood, particularly across diverse regions. This study evaluated the effects of soil depth and soil map unit-prairie combination on changes in various soil properties from 2018 to 2022 in the top 20 cm of two native tallgrass prairies in west-central Arkansas. Soil bulk density, pH, electrical conductivity, total nitrogen, total C (TC), soil organic matter (SOM), and Mehlich-3 extractable soil nutrients were evaluated from the 0- to 10-cm …

Dysferlinopathy As Cause Of Long-Term Hyperckemia With Preserved Strength, Ikreet Cheema, Jacob Goodwin, Teerin Liewluck, Robert Charles Bucelli, Alan Pestronk, Margherita Milone

2020-Current year OA Pubs

BACKGROUND: Dysferlin (DYSF) has a crucial role in sarcolemmal repair. While DYSF mutations commonly manifest as limb-girdle muscular dystrophy (LGMDR2) or distal Miyoshi myopathy, atypical manifestations, such as asymptomatic hyperCKemia and pseudometabolic myopathy, are rarely reported. We describe clinical, serologic, radiologic, genetic, and muscle pathology findings of three patients with rare dysferlinopathy phenotypes and long-term follow up in one of them. We also review the literature pertinent to uncommon forms of dysferlinopathy presenting with hyperCKemia and pseudometabolic phenotype.

RESULTS: Patient 1 is a 51-year-old female with exercise-induced myalgia predominantly affecting calf muscles for 7 years. She had a 22-year history …

Head To Head Comparison Of Two Pet/Ct Imaging Agents, [18f]D3fsp ([18f]P16-129) And [18f]Av45, In Patients With Alzheimer’S Disease, David Alexoff, Dean F Wong, Hiroto Kuwabara, Robert F Dannals, Karl Ploessl, Hank F Kung

2020-Current year OA Pubs

BACKGROUND: A new β-amyloid (Aβ) targeting radiotracer, [

RESULTS: Eight patients, clinically diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease, had an average age of 61.1 ± 10.0 years, and an average MMSE score of 21 ± 4. Each patient underwent paired 90-minute dynamic PET/CT scans separately within a few weeks (323 ± 31 MBq of [

CONCLUSIONS: Results showed no difference between [

TRIAL REGISTRATION: Clinicaltrials.org, NCT03902548. Registered 01/07/2018.

Cancer Immunotherapy Clinical Trials To Support Urgently Needed Access In Low- And Middle-Income Countries: A Report From The Sitc Global Access And Impact Committee, Jennifer Dent, Thomas A Odeny, Et Al.

2020-Current year OA Pubs

Cancer is rapidly on the rise as a cause of morbidity and mortality in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). However, despite the increasing importance of immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) as a pillar of cancer therapy, access in these settings lags well behind that in high-income countries (HICs). Increasing the evaluation of ICIs through local clinical trials and demonstration projects, and inclusion in multinational clinical trials is the first step to improving access. In particular, the epidemiology and clinical presentation of cancer in LMICs is often distinct from that in HICs, and the impact of immune checkpoint blockade in these settings …

The Impact Of The Chevron Ruling On Medicare, Sana Sherali

DePaul Journal of Health Care Law

The Supreme Court’s historic decision to overturn the Chevron doctrine in June 2024 received national attention due to its implications for how much power agencies will hold in the years to come. The Chevron doctrine originally comes from the Supreme Court’s 1984 decision in Chevron, U.S.A., Inc. v. Natural Resources Defense Council.Chevron addressed the requirements imposed on states by The Clean Air Act Amendments of 1977. This decision set the precedent that if federal legislation is unclear or leaves an administrative gap, courts have to follow the regulatory agency’s interpretation of the law, as long as the interpretation is …

Heterogeneity In Hospital Consolidation, Christina Depasquale

DePaul Journal of Health Care Law

This paper examines the heterogeneity between two types of hospital consolidations—mergers and system-joinings. I examine changes in admissions, employment outcomes, beds in different medical units, surgeries, costs, case mix, and discharges. I find that hospital mergers and system-joiners are fundamentally different among almost all outcomes examined. Additionally, I extend my analysis by examining those hospitals that, at the time of consolidation, are closer to either their fellow merging hospital or a fellow system-member hospital. I find no meaningful correlation between distance and outcomes.

The Opioid Crisis: How The United States And Countries Abroad Are Making Strides, Maura Mcginnity

DePaul Journal of Health Care Law

The opioid epidemic has been an ongoing problem in the United States since the 1980s. The United States has had a very negative attitude towards individuals suffering from addiction. This attitude is clearly shown through the United States’ handling of the opioid crisis. Hundreds of thousands of individuals have died due to opioids. In the forty years since this epidemic became prevalent, the United States has still failed to implement a country-wide solution to combat the crisis. Certain states, like New York and Illinois, have made strides toward helping individuals suffering from opioid use disorder, but nationally, the country is …

Reimagining Musical Collaboration: Ai And Music Real-Time Communication (M-Rtc), The Future Of Musical Creativity, Dana Kemack Goot

Journal of the Association for Technology in Music Instruction

This project explored the intersection of Music Real-Time Communication (M-RTC), artificial intelligence (AI), and machine learning (ML) in online musical collaboration. Presented at the 2023 National CMS/ATMI conference, the project served as a preliminary inquiry into how online musicking technologies impact human-to-human interactions and sought out the capabilities in creativity in music technology. The live performance featured three musicians performing from different geographic locations using an AI-generated composition and an AI-powered accompaniment application. The project demonstrated the creative potential of integrating AI and ML into M-RTC, expanding the possibilities for remote collaboration, composition, and performance. The musicians navigated both the …