Digital Commons Network^™

The Ramification Of Mutations In Sonic Hedgehog Gene On The Occurrence Of Deformities In The Course Of The Embryonic Development Stage, Umalbaneen Hilal Hadi, Safa J. Al-Yassiri

Al-Nisour Journal for Medical Sciences

Sonic Hedgehog (SHH) is one of the most significant genes regulating embryonic development in mammals, playing a pivotal role in cell differentiation, tissue fate determination, and regulating lateral symmetry of the embryo. The results of this research show that any mutation whether, a loss of function or a change in the regulation of gene expression in SHH gene leads to severe and highly complex consequences for embryonic development.as a result for that, severe disorders of CNS development SHH is a morphogen essential for germline formation and neuronal differentiation. Mutations in this gene result in failure to develop properly the cerebellum, …

Effect Of Different Methods Of Smoking On Serum Level Of Vitamin D Among University Students In Baghdad, Sabiha Aljubory, Usama Salman Altimari

Al-Nisour Journal for Medical Sciences

Vitamin D has different biological actions in the body. Vitamin D has pleiotropic effects in multiple organ systems. Vitamin D deficiency has been found to have an inverse relationship with tobacco smoking. The objective of this study was to identify the prevalence of Vitamin D level and its correlates with tobacco smoking among University student male and female. Volunteer was conducted on a sample of university student, both males and females Iraq, during the period from January to December 2020. A pretested questionnaire was used for data collection adopted from previous standard national surveys and studies, and the questionnaire included …

2026-05-20 Why Corporate ‘Fan Accounts’ Are The Smartest Marketing Move Of The Digital Age, Maya Deguzman

The Spectator Online

No abstract provided.

2026-05-20 Sullivan Scholarship Returns With Narrow Scope, Tristan Scott

The Spectator Online

No abstract provided.

2026-05-20 Volleyball Gears Up For Fall Season With A Revamped Roster, Maddie Rodriguez

The Spectator Online

No abstract provided.

Bridging The Vaccine Gap: Multilingual Vaccine Education For Families In Transitional Housing, Isaac Olaes, Alexia Sandoval, Kassandra Solano, Rachael Termure, Sydney Webber, Jordan West, Maya Parman

Nursing Leadership in Community Engagement Projects

As part of a health promotion initiative in the community, our leadership team of seven nursing students is partnering with an agency that supports families experiencing housing instability by providing transitional housing. According to agency staff, some families have limited health literacy regarding vaccinations. Common concerns include illness following a vaccination, perceived risks of autism, and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. To address these concerns, we have developed a vaccine education binder containing materials in handout form. To accommodate language accessibility, we provided handouts in the four most spoken languages including English, French, Amharic, and Tigrinya. Through this initiative, we aim …

Unfair And Deceptive Pay: A Consumer Protection Approach To Algorithmic Personalized Wages, Noah Madoff

Minnesota Journal of Law & Inequality

The rise of digital commerce, consumer surveillance, and bigdata analytics have given rise to a new set of pricing techniques in the first quarter of the 21st century. Much has been made of algorithmic price discrimination—the commercial practice of charging consumers individualized prices for identical goods and services. Considerably less attention has been paid to parallel development in the world of work—the emergence of “algorithmic personalized wages” that individualize worker pay for identical work. Algorithmic personalized wages are not a significant development because they are ubiquitous in contemporary employment arrangements—they are not—but because they contain the kernel of a harsh …

Introduction, Jaxon Alston, Jessica Payne, Kaylie Vasquez

Minnesota Journal of Law & Inequality

No abstract provided.

‘Mic Fright’: The Dire Reality Of Employment Classification In Unscripted Television, Jessica A. Payne

Minnesota Journal of Law & Inequality

Reality television has grown over the last near-century into both a staple of popular culture and an overwhelmingly lucrative industry. While the genre had a relatively innocent beginning, what shows have become is an increasingly extreme set of formats seeking to illicit shock, jealousy, and, above all, loyal viewership from its audience. These aims are driven entirely upon the participants who vie for a place within the cast to compete for love, money, and fame. However, the participants whom audiences adore or love to critique face significant barriers in their pursuit in addition to life-altering post-production realities; in part based …

Dynamic Displacement: How Algorithmic Rent Pricing Threatens To Exacerbate Barriers To Housing Voucher Use And Mobility, James W. Matthews

Minnesota Journal of Law & Inequality

Tenant-based rental vouchers have long played a central role in efforts to expand affordability and economic mobility. Despite growing demand amid a deepening housing crisis, funding for federal rental assistance is under attack. Meanwhile, longstanding barriers, such as rising rents, source of income discrimination, and program design limitations, continue to restrict access to housing, especially in high-opportunity neighborhoods. These challenges are now compounded by the growing influence of private equity firms and other institutional investors, whose rapid acquisition of rental properties is reshaping the market by prioritizing extractive profits over affordability and tenant stability. At the same time, consolidation among …

Lend Me Your Interest Rates: Rent-A-Bank, Fintech, And True Lenders, Reeves Singleton

Minnesota Journal of Law & Inequality

The rise of fintech has bolstered so-called rent-a-bank lending, a scheme through which online lenders partner with national banks in order to take advantage of the banks’ ability to “export” high interest rates to states with strict usury laws. This framework allows lenders to more freely target financially vulnerable populations with high-cost loans. Courts currently tend to consider three often conflicting doctrines to assess the legality of such loans. This Note first reviews these three strands of analysis: (1) the valid-when-made doctrine, which is the least protective of consumers and upholds a loan’s initial legality regardless of transfer; (2) the …

Rna Interference Of Torsina In Acyrthosiphon Pisum, James Balthazor Ph.D., Braden Allphin

Chemistry Faculty Publications

Undergraduate research using dsRNA to knockdown TorsinA in pea aphids sponsored by the K-INBRE NIH Grant.

Deep Screens (1): Reliability-Driven Correction Of 3d Pose Estimation For Animation, Emma Vejcik

Dartmouth College Master’s Theses

Modern 2D and 3D human pose estimators silently fail on archival film footage. Their confidence channels do not surface these failures, and no annotated ground truth exists in the domain against which to evaluate or correct them. The result, in pipelines that lift archival 2D detections to 3D for downstream applications, is animation output with jittering limbs, hallucinated skeletons, and anatomically implausible poses. This thesis addresses these failures through three interventions, working from the data foundation upward.

First, we construct a hand-annotated reliability dataset of over 50,000 joint-frame rows across six segments from four films spanning multiple eras (1910, 1960, …

An Unusual Culprit: Right Coronary Artery Aneurysm And Coronary Sinus Fistula Presenting As Acute Heart Failure, Emmanuel Olumuyide Md, Alfredo Toll Md

Scientific Day

Background/Significance:

Coronary artery aneurysms associated with coronary fistulae are rare and may cause shunt physiology, ischemia, and heart failure. Multimodality imaging and invasive hemodynamics are essential for diagnosis and management planning.

Description:

A 78-year-old man with hypertension and hyperlipidemia presented with new-onset decompensated heart failure. Transthoracic echocardiography revealed severe biventricular dysfunction (LVEF 10%) with severe aortic and mitral regurgitation. Coronary angiography demonstrated severe multivessel coronary artery disease and a markedly aneurysmal right coronary artery (RCA) with suspected fistulous communication. Right-heart catheterization revealed elevated filling pressures, a reduced cardiac index, and a right atrial oximetry step-up, indicating a left-to-right shunt. Coronary …

When Stress Cardiomyopathy Meets Iron Deficiency: A Retrospective Cohort Study, Emmanuel Olumuyide Md, Alfredo Toll Md, Lukan Abdulraheem Md

Scientific Day

Background/Significance:

Iron-deficiency anemia (IDA) commonly complicates cardiovascular disease, but its association with outcomes in stress cardiomyopathy (SC) is not well defined.

Purpose:

We examined whether IDA in SC is associated with higher in-hospital mortality and greater resource utilization.

Methods:

Using the National Inpatient Sample (2016–2022), we identified adult SC hospitalizations and stratified admissions by IDA status. Survey-weighted multivariable logistic regression evaluated the association of IDA with in-hospital mortality (primary outcome).Key secondary outcomes—cardiogenic shock (CS), mechanical circulatory support (MCS), acute kidney injury (AKI), vasopressor use, length of stay (LOS), and total hospital charges (THC)—adjusting for demographics, comorbidities, and hospital characteristics.

Results: …

Nikgjonaj Realty Corp. V. Garber

All Decisions

The Appellate Term affirmed the Civil Court's dismissal of the landlord's holdover petition. The court found that the landlord's notice to cure and notice of termination were defective because they failed to cite any specific lease provision violated by the alleged conditions in the tenant's apartment. This procedural defect in the predicate notices rendered the petition legally insufficient, leading to the tenant's successful cross-motion to dismiss. The decision emphasizes the strict requirement for landlords to provide specific lease violations in their notices for holdover proceedings.

A Qualitative Case Study Of Equine Assisted Services At Healing Strides Facility, Erica Lynn Gray

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this qualitative case study is to portray how a well-run facility conducting equine assisted services works from an intra-organizational perspective. It is a bounded qualitative case study that focuses on the equine assisted services provided, the program and services designed and the rationale for choosing those programs, how services are operationalized and facilitated by practitioners, how equine welfare is considered, and the experiences and perspectives of those participating in the organization, development, or facilitation of equine assisted services at Healing Strides. This study uses Robert K. Yin’s theory driven methodological approach to qualitative case studies that focuses …

Social-Emotional Learning In A Middle School Band Program: A Qualitative Case Study, Edward J. Anthony Jr.

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Social-emotional learning (SEL) supports students’ development of interpersonal skills, emotional regulation, and responsible decision-making during adolescence. Although music education provides collaborative learning environments, limited research has examined how participation in middle school band programs contributes to students’ social-emotional development. The purpose of this qualitative case study is to explore how participation in a middle school band program contributes to the development of social-emotional learning (SEL) competencies among students. Through interviews, observations, and document analysis, this study seeks to understand how students and educators experience and perceive the social and emotional dimensions of ensemble participation within the middle school band setting. …

Publishing With Purpose: Exploring Publication Trends Among Counselor Education In Cacrep-Accredited Programs, Janita Whitney Daggy

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Scholarly publication is a cornerstone of faculty evaluation, professional identity, and knowledge development in counselor education. Despite calls for empirical investigation into publication trends, limited research has examined the scope, distribution, and impact of counselor educator scholarship across Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP). This quantitative, cross-sectional bibliometric study examined publication trends, thematic alignment, and citation patterns among 222 counselor educators across 25 CACREP-accredited doctoral programs from 2000 to 2026. Using GS profiles as the primary data source, bibliographic records from 4,876 peer-reviewed publications across 2,132 journals were extracted and analyzed using the Bibliometrix package, igraph, …

Factors Influencing High School Band Enrollment For Eighth Grade Students In Ohio Small Town School Districts, Jon Steven Kauffman

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Many factors influence the choices of eighth-grade students as they decide whether to enroll in high school band. While musical ability and achievement can play a role in this decision, research suggests that social influences, such as peer relationships, a sense of belonging, and the band program's cultural environment, often have a greater impact on students' decisions. The Ohio Department of Education classifies school districts into four categories: Urban, Rural, Suburban, and Small-town. Although similar to other designations, small-town districts require a distinct label because of the unique mix of factors in these locations. They lack the population density of …

The Herd: Shepherd Leadership Development Program, Ronald Dean Axworthy

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This dissertation-in-praxis focuses on the development and implementation of a Shepherd leadership development program for high school students, grades 9-12, in a private Christian high school setting. This program examines how the intentional integration of leadership curriculum shapes students’ views and perspectives on leadership and their ability to lead others as Shepherd leaders. Drawing on the Shepherd leadership motif found throughout the Bible, educational philosophy, and Christian pedagogy, this program examines various methods and curriculum strategies used in the Christian high school setting to build future Christian leaders. The study focuses on understanding how the Shepherd leadership curriculum impacted the …

Building Moral Resilience: The Role Of Biblical Forgiveness In Dealing With Moral Injury Among Christian Combat Veterans, Kwasi Boateng Asamoah

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

An unsuccessful navigation of exposure to potentially morally injurious events (PMIEs) can result in psychological, emotional, and spiritual distress, which can lead to moral injury. Moral injury continues to receive wider attention among researchers and clinicians in the field of military psychology and mental health due to the prevalence of exposure to PMIEs among this population. Research has shown that over half of the veteran population has experienced at least one PMIE, and about 6.5% have reported moral injury. Although moral injury is considered an injury of the soul and has spiritual consequences, there remains a gap in the literature …

Impact Of Adverse Childhood Experiences On Chosen Career And Job Fitness, Grace Corinne Jennings

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This quantitative correlational study examined how experiences of abuse and neglect influenced career choice and whether individuals perceived their chosen careers as a good fit. Data were collected through an electronically distributed survey shared via social media, resulting in a sample of 542 participants. Analyses explored relationships between ACE scores, career field, job fit, and demographic variables including age and sex. Findings indicated that there was no statistically significant relationship between ACE scores and perceived job fit. Additionally, there were no statistically significant differences between men and women in reported levels of job fit, nor between sex and highest level …

A Phenomenological Study Of The Experiences Of Facilitators Who Attended A Training Program And Led An Experiential Couple’S Workshop Influenced By The Principles Of Emotionally Focused Therapy, Isabelle Valenciano

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this transcendental phenomenological study was to describe relationship educators’ lived experiences of attending a facilitator training and leading an experiential couple’s workshop grounded in emotionally focused therapy. Experiential learning theory (Kolb, 1984) was the lens used to gain a better understanding of participants’ concrete, novel experiences. Marriage education programs may be an intervention method for distressed couples seeking relationship assistance, prevention, and preparation. As an intervention, marriage education programs show promise for improving several aspects of relationships (Gordon et al., 2019). The increased number of distressed couples in marriage education workshops and programs indicates the need for …

Resilience In The Age Of Covid-19: A Phenomenological Study Of Survivors 65 And Older, Kwajulyn Onothia Rucker

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Few studies have examined resilience among those aged 65+ during the COVID-19 pandemic. This research fills that gap, offering data to guide policies and treatments for future pandemics. The pandemic revealed factors influencing psychological resilience, with stressors linked to health issues becoming chronic worldwide. Older adults faced heightened stress, and 95.5% of COVID-19 deaths occurred in those 50 and older. Lockdowns increased isolation and depression, yet many showed resilience by drawing on strengths, social networks, and circumstances. Key themes from this study included faith, engagement, adaptability, and adversity. Most (80%) adapted well, feeling 'fine' or 'okay' and finding hope through …

Understanding The Application Of Military Leadership Skills In Transition To Civilian Leadership Positions, Darik Pickerel

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The problem is that the leadership skills of ex-military leaders are not always effectively leveraged when they transition into civilian organizations, resulting in a missed opportunity to harness valuable competencies. The purpose of this flexible design qualitative single case study was to explore how civilian organizations could effectively leverage the valuable leadership skills of ex-military leaders. Three research questions guided the study: What leadership skills do ex-military leaders bring to civilian employment in the production industry based on the experiences of ex-military leaders, their organizational subordinates, and their organizational superiors? How can ex-military leaders most effectively apply their skills to …

Spiritual Health Support Groups In The Local Church: Addressing Spiritual Wellbeing In West Virginia’S Eastern Panhandle, Grant Michael Davis

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Mental health services in the Appalachian region of the United States were lacking, both perennially and at the time of writing (Smith & Fisher, 2016). As the needs of this region and the nation continued to climb, the availability of trained, clinical counselors remained stagnant or worse. This lack of socially necessary services created a need that could be addressed in part by the local church. While professional counselors were in short supply and took a great deal of time to educate and train, the repercussions of the then-current mental health crisis needed to have immediate solutions and relief. The …

Grace Within The Holiness Code, Michael B. Bowe

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Leviticus introduces the concept of God’s holiness—his unique, innate, and ontological otherness—and calls his people to reflect that holiness in their own lives. While scholarship has traditionally focused on Israel’s sacrificial cult practices, it has often neglected the theological trajectory of holiness within the broader canonical framework of the Torah. This dissertation seeks to reframe the Holiness Code (Leviticus 17–26) not merely as a set of ritual prescriptions, but as a theological narrative that exposes the limits of human effort and invites reflection on divine grace.

Chapter 1 surveys the history of interpretation and critiques the limitations of historical-critical and …

Project Future: Turner Chapel African Methodist Episcopal Church Leadership Development And Success Planning Project, Tonya Renee Mcclure

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This study found that adaptive, relational, and vision-centered leadership approaches significantly enhance emerging leader development and engagement at Turner Chapel AME Church. Grounded in contingency theory (Fiedler, 1967), decision-making theory (Vroom & Yetton, 1973), and Northouse's (2022) transformational and servant leadership concepts, the mixed-methods research integrated quantitative and qualitative data. The findings underscore the essential roles of coaching, strategic organizational design, and spiritual formation in cultivating authentic leaders. Integrating transformational and servant leadership creates a lasting framework for emerging leader development, pointing to the value of intentional, data-driven leadership pipelines within faith-based organizations.

Restoring Breath: A Culturally Grounded Response To The Leadership Gap In Keaukaha, Jacquelyn T. Gomes

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

In Hawaiʻi, where economic strain and rising suicide rates continue to impact young adults, the challenges facing emerging leaders extend beyond ministry models to issues of identity, belonging, and survival. This praxis project addressed the leadership gap among young adults (ages 20–40) in the Keaukaha community of Hawaiʻi Island. While Hale Pule Ke Ola Hou demonstrated strong engagement from elders and children, the absence of young adult leaders revealed deeper challenges in generational continuity, cultural connection, and ministry relevance. Grounded in biblical discipleship and Hawaiian cultural values, this project proposed a contextualized, organic model of leadership development integrating relational presence, …