Digital Commons Network^™

May 2026 Government And Insurance Affairs, James Budd Mpp

The Journal of the Michigan Dental Association

This report summarizes the MDA’s participation in the ADA's annual Lobby Day in Washington, D.C.. MDA representatives met with congressional offices to advocate for student loan reform, including interest-free deferment during residency (H.R. 2028), and ERISA reform to ensure consistent patient protections across all dental insurance plans (H.R. 7931). The update also highlights efforts to protect the federal oral health infrastructure and introduces the "Member Minute" program for submitting legislative and insurance questions directly to the advocacy team.

Pictured And Framed: A Media Analysis Of Local News Coverage Of The Unhoused In Fayetteville, Sabine Skoch

School of Social Work Undergraduate Honors Theses

Amid a growing housing crisis in Fayetteville, local media serves as an influential force in shaping public understanding of homelessness. This study examines how homelessness is framed in local news coverage through a reflexive thematic analysis of ten randomly selected articles published between May 2022 and November 2025. Guided by media framing and attribution theory, this analysis explores how causes, consequences, and solutions to homelessness are constructed within a rapidly growing Southern city.

Three central themes emerged. First, local reporting centers empathy through lived experiences and community testimonies, emphasizing dignity, vulnerability, and structural precarity rather than individual failure. Second, coverage …

Croup, Children's Mercy Kansas City

Clinical Pathways (Formally Known As Clinical Practice Guidelines)

No abstract provided.

Climate Vulnerability In Context: Interpretations Of Risk And Reality In Maine And New Hampshire, Sophie Hope Goodwin

Master's Theses and Capstones

This study examines the relationship between place-based climate vulnerability and belief in anthropogenic climate change in Maine and New Hampshire. While exposure-based models suggest that direct experience with environmental hazards should increase climate belief, sociological research emphasizes the role of political ideology and social context in shaping attitudes. Using county-level measures from the U.S. Climate Vulnerability Index combined with individual survey data from the Pine Tree State Poll and Granite State Poll, this study evaluates whether multidimensional climate vulnerability is associated with belief that climate change is happening now and is primarily caused by human activities. Results from three-step logistic …

Developing A Questionnaire For The Interoceptive Awareness Of Stuttering, Leslie Williams

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Stuttering is commonly measured through its overt characteristics (blocks, prolongations, and repetitions). This equates to stuttering “severity,” or the frequency of these behaviors. This method, however, does not reflect the lived experience of adults who stutter. This “measurement problem” has been the subject of numerous studies. In this graduate thesis, the measurement problem is addressed by using qualitative data previously gathered by Malcolm (2024) from adults who stutter about the internal experience of stuttering to create survey. Quotes from adults who stutter were gathered, categorized, edited for clarity, and formatted into a survey, The Multidimensional Interoceptive Awareness of Stuttering Scale …

The Ideological Becoming Of Elementary Teacher Candidates And Their Beliefs About Literacy Instruction, Megan Chaffin

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This study explored the ideological becoming (Bakhtin, 1981) of elementary teacher candidates (TCs), specifically in relation to their beliefs about literacy, as they completed their literacy coursework and corresponding clinical experiences in their educator preparation program (EPP). Through a qualitative, multiple-case study design, I followed two groups of TCs through the last two years of their undergraduate degree. Each group of TCs completed a series of four literacy methods courses with associated clinical experiences, and one group also finished their student teaching internships. The cases in this study are situated in the context of an era of educational policies that …

Marvelous And Disturbing: Surreal Imagery, Elaboration And The Limits Of Persuasion In Women's Health Journalism, Shelby Elizabeth Gill

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Since the 1930s, surrealism has lent its abstract hand to journalism, offering a visual language for topics that resist literal depiction. Given its historical and often fraught association with the female form, surrealist imagery has found a natural home in editorial coverage of women's health, most recently in reporting on endometriosis, a condition whose invisible, stigmatized and difficult-to-articulate experience makes conventional photojournalism an inadequate representational tool. The present study experimentally compared surreal imagery, realistic imagery and a text-only control condition to assess their effects on knowledge acquisition, comprehension, attitudinal responses, perceived risk and behavioral intentions related to endometriosis in a …

Mitigating Inertial Measurement Unit Drift In Quadcopter Trajectory Tracking Using Kalman Filter Sensor Fusion With Global Positioning Measurements, Juan Sandro Caballero Aguilar

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) like quadcopters are widely used in civilian and military applications such as farming, photography, search and rescue missions, and autonomous navigation and motion. The performance and stability of these systems depend on accurate state estimation, which provides real-time information about the vehicle’s position, velocity, and orientation. However, achieving reliable state estimation is challenging due to sensor noise, measurement uncertainty, and inaccurate modeling. Common navigation sensors such as the Global Positioning System (GPS) and Inertial Measurement Units (IMUs) exhibit complementary characteristics. GPS provides absolute position measurements but suffers from noise, multipath effects, and low update rates, while …

Development And Characterization Of 1200v And 1700v Sic Schottky Barrier Diode For Power Electronics Applications, Nur-E-Afra Anika

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The growing demand for energy-efficient, high performance power electronics in applications such as renewable energy systems, electric vehicles, industrial motor drives, and aerospace has accelerated the development of wide bandgap semiconductors like Silicon Carbide (SiC). This thesis focuses on the development and characterization of 1200V and 1700V SiC Schottky Barrier Diodes (SBDs), focusing on their performance optimization for power electronics applications. The key parameters and figure of merits for SiC Schottky barrier diode (SBD) is discussed. Commercially available 1200V and 1700V SBDs are characterized and key design parameters like drift region length, active area, and carrier concentration are extracted. The …

Mind The Gap: Exploring Sociocultural And Educational Factors Contributing To The Gender-Based Achievement Gap In Early Elementary Ela, William Matthew Mcgee

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This study examined the sociocultural and educational factors contributing to the gender-based achievement gap in early elementary English Language Arts (ELA). While research has examined the gender-based achievement gap related to female-identifying students in STEM disciplines, there is less emphasis on the underperformance of male-identifying students in ELA. Earlier research often emphasized biological explanations rather than the influence of environment and instructional practices. This study was guided by the Expectancy-Value Theory and Social Role Theory to better understand how home environments, gender norms, instructional practices, and student perception of literacy influence student engagement and performance in Kindergarten through third grade. …

Reporting On The Glass Runway: The Agenda-Setting And Framing Used In Fashion Media’S Coverage Of Gender Imbalances In The Luxury Fashion Industry, Natalie Murphy

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The aim of this study is to analyze the agenda-setting and framing techniques used in coverage of the lack of women in creative director positions in the luxury fashion industry, considering the different levels of contracts and proximity each publication has to hiring gatekeepers. Using a multi-method study of content analysis and interviews with fashion media professionals, this study explores questions of how often these articles are published and whether independent and advertorial publications use different framing strategies when reporting on fashion industry accountability. Twenty-five editorial articles from seven different publications were included in the content analysis portion of the …

Here’S To Screaming And Healing: An Exploration Of Women’S Intergenerational Experienced Trauma Through Performance, Bellah Noelle Crawford

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This thesis contains a glimpse into the inner workings of my process as an actor in approaching the role of Hecuba in The Trojan Women, the application of process in performance, script analysis, and the relevancy of the play’s thematic content as it relates to my artistry, womanhood, and our modern world. Additionally, I will offer insight into the creation of my one person show – Mr. Sandman. I will discuss the inspiration that curated the play, how it finds societal relevancy, and the performative aspect of cultivating a solo theatrical piece. It includes the lineage between both productions and …

Behind The Screens And The Scoop: A Qualitative Analysis Of First-Person Mental Health Content On Social Media And Implications For News Coverage, Isabella Lise Marie Larue

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

More young people are reporting increased viewership of health content across social media platforms, with only 55% of adults reporting this in a 2025 KFF (Kaiser Family Foundation) poll. While trust in this form of information is low, consumption is increasing, alongside traditional news articles’ agenda-setting that discusses the same information in a different format. The goal of this research is to explore the effects of consuming first-person mental health content on social media for people with mental illness, more than just documenting its existence, and if audiences report a sense of belonging through this social media content. The results …

Ecosystem Service And Natural Capital Indicator Dataset For Plymouth Sound National Marine Park (Uk): Observed And Aspirational Indicators With Evaluation Criteria, Kizzy Beaumont, Matthew Ashley, Tom Mullier, Sian Rees

Faculty of Science and Engineering Datasets

This dataset provides a comprehensive set of ecosystem service (ES) and natural capital (NC) indicators for the Plymouth Sound National Marine Park (UK), developed through a co-evaluation of monitoring systems for transformative ocean governance. A total of 109 indicators are identified and mapped across the natural capital logic chain (asset state, pressures, ecosystem service flows, and benefits), drawing on existing datasets, literature, and stakeholder workshop input. Each indicator includes metadata, evaluation against standardised quality criteria, and assessment of strengths and limitations. The dataset includes both current indicators and aspirational indicators, highlighting gaps in monitoring and opportunities for future development. It …

In-Vitro Testing Of Light Wavelength To Detect Clots In Neonatal Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation Circuitry, Amanda Holmes

Dissertations and Theses (Open Access)

Background: Neonates requiring extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) are at high risk for thrombotic complications, which contribute substantially to morbidity and mortality. Current circuit surveillance methods rely on intermittent visual inspection and indirect laboratory markers, both of which often detect thrombosis only after clinically significant progression. Optical approaches offer a non-invasive alternative for earlier clot visualization, yet the influence of illumination wavelength on detection performance under realistic ECMO conditions remains incompletely characterized.

Methods: This study evaluated wavelength-dependent clot detection performance in a controlled in-vitro neonatal ECMO circuit model using a portable imaging prototype designed to emulate bedside workflow. Twelve independent ECMO …

Electrical Resilience In Water Treatment Plants: An Extreme Weather And Lightning Protection Study, Genesis Martinez

Theses and Dissertations

Water treatment plants (WTPs) are vital infrastructure systems that depend on sensitive electrical, electronic, and control equipment to ensure the continuous supply of safe drinking water and effective wastewater treatment. As global temperatures rise and climate change accelerates, the frequency and intensity of extreme weather events—such as hurricanes, flooding, and increased lightning activity—are becoming more pronounced. These events pose significant risks to the electrical resilience of water treatment facilities, often leading to power outages, equipment failures, grid instability, and prolonged service disruptions. This report explores the impacts of extreme weather, with a particular focus on lightning and electrical surges, on …

Georgia Library Spotlight The Success Of Cobb County Public Library Perks Program, Katherine Zavala

Georgia Library Quarterly

No abstract provided.

Examining Dei-Related Course Syllabi To Assess A College Library Collection: A Case Study, Amy P. Eklund, Joye Cauthen, Andres Cardona

Georgia Library Quarterly

This library collection development project identified courses in the college curriculum that had diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI)-related components and analyzed those courses' syllabi. The results of the project led to the addition of books to the collection that aligned with the library’s collection development policy and funding parameters. Other important outcomes included enhancements to catalog records and strengthened relationships with faculty. This strategy can be replicated to target other areas of study and help continuously develop a library collection.

Peaks Island Star : May 2026, Vol. 46, Issue 5, Service Agencies Of The Island

Peaks Island Star, 2026

The Peaks Island Star is the newsletter of the island's service agencies and other community news.

Board Of Editors - Vol. 50, No. 1 2026

Seton Hall Journal of Legislation and Public Policy

No abstract provided.

Corporate Giving In Shifting Political Winds: A Case Study Of Walmart Philanthropy, 2022–2026, Victoria F. Hudson

Strategy, Entrepreneurship and Venture Innovation Undergraduate Honors Theses

The purpose of this paper is to study whether and how Walmart's philanthropic efforts have shifted amidst the recent turbulent political atmosphere in the United States, specifically. It concludes that the shift in political ideals during the relevant time period has an important impact on Walmart’s communication strategies and frequency. I evaluated Walmart’s philanthropic decisions through its press releases from 2022 to 2026, spanning the transition between the two most recent presidential administrations.

Enhancing Walleye (Ogaa) Recruitment: Evaluating Assisted Reproduction As A Mitigation Strategy, Douglass Keiser

Biology Graduate Theses

Over the past several decades, cold- and cool-water fish populations across the Upper Midwest, including Minnesota and Wisconsin, have shown troubling signs of decline. Among the most affected is the walleye/Ogaa (Sander vitreus), a species deeply embedded in the ecological balance, cultural identity, and economic vitality of the region, and central to the lifeways, treaty-reserved rights, and resource stewardship of Tribal Nations, including Ojibwe communities across the Upper Midwest. Despite ongoing stocking efforts and harvest regulations, many lake systems have experienced persistent declines in natural recruitment, prompting resource agencies to investigate the underlying causes. One such system is …

Biodiversity Risk And Firm Valuation: Regional Heterogeneity And Value-Chain Exposure In Global Capital Markets, Madelein Wentzel

Doctoral Dissertations (DBA)

This study examines whether biodiversity-related risks are priced in global equity markets and whether that pricing varies across regions, using a cross-sectional sample of more than 10,000 globally listed firms with biodiversity and financial data drawn from the fourth quarter of 2025. Consistent with a regional heterogeneity hypothesis, the results show that biodiversity risk is significantly negatively associated with firm valuation in developed markets such as the United States and OECD countries, while the relationship is weaker, insignificant, or even positive in certain emerging regions including Latin America and the Middle East and Africa. The analysis further distinguishes between value-chain …

Evaluating Management Strategies And Technology To Improve Grazing Efficiency, Thomas E. Aquino

Department of Animal Science: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Increasing land costs and labor constraints continue to challenge beef producers. More intensive practices can increase harvest efficiency; however, many producers are deterred from implementing them due to increased labor and management considerations. Virtual fencing (VF) may provide a reduced labor alternative to traditional fencing for managing intensive grazing. This dissertation evaluated management strategies and VF technology to improve grazing efficiency of stocker cattle systems. In Experiment 1, VF was used to effectively manage groups of steers grazing in adjacent paddocks separated by only virtual boundaries. There was no difference in VF containment (99%) when steers were grazing co-fenced, with …

Burmese Marionette Puppet In The May Weber Ethnographic Study Collection, Haley Dozier

Department of Anthropology

This report provides a detailed description and attribution of a Burmese marionette puppet in the May Weber Ethnographic Study Collection at Loyola University Chicago. It includes information about the puppet itself as well as the art and formation of Burmese marionette theater.

Assessing The Mental Wellness Of Professional Pilots And Their Willingness To Seek Professional Help, Bill Deng Pan, Flavio A. C. Mendonca Ph.D.

International Journal of Aviation, Aeronautics, and Aerospace

Professional pilots face distinct mental health challenges arising from irregular schedules, fatigue, high responsibility, and the need to maintain medical certification. These factors contribute to elevated stress, anxiety, and depression, while concerns about stigma, confidentiality, and potential career consequences often discourage pilots from seeking professional psychological support. As a result, barriers to early identification and intervention of mental health challenges remain a persistent concern within the aviation industry. This ongoing study utilizes a non-experimental, survey-based design to examine the mental wellness of professional pilots worldwide and their willingness to seek mental health support. The survey includes demographic items, standardized mental …

From Reactive To Predictive: A Hybrid Trust-Mediated Adoption Framework For Data-Driven Maintenance In Distributed-Authority Aviation Environments, Dustin J. Foote

International Journal of Aviation, Aeronautics, and Aerospace

Modern aviation maintenance operates within increasingly data-intensive technological environments, yet the operational integration of predictive maintenance into routine decision-making remains inconsistent across sectors. Contemporary aircraft incorporate centralized maintenance computers and condition monitoring architectures capable of fault aggregation, exceedance capture, and trend-based data collection. Although prognostics and health management research continues to advance detection and prediction methods, implementation outcomes often depend on factors beyond analytical performance alone.

This paper examines predictive maintenance adoption in distributed-authority aviation environments and argues that constraints emerge less from sensing capability than from organizational structure, decision authority dispersion, and institutional trust dynamics. For purposes of analysis, …

The Decision Of Us Airlines To Diversify The Flight Deck: Perceptions Of Collegiate Flight Students, Timm J. Bliss, Irene A. Miller

International Journal of Aviation, Aeronautics, and Aerospace

The United States (US) airline industry is struggling to find enough commercial pilots and to diversify a profession that has the reputation of historically being male and white. To attract a younger and more diverse generation of pilots who have been historically underrepresented, women and people of color, a major US airline announced a diversity plan in March 2021 to hire thousands of pilots, at least 50% of them women and people of color. In 2022, several other US airlines launched similar initiatives. The purpose of this study was to identify perceptions of collegiate flight students regarding the airline industry’s …

Digital Twin–Oriented Certification Architecture For Advanced Air Mobility, Daniel Pleffken

International Journal of Aviation, Aeronautics, and Aerospace

Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) systems introduce certification challenges associated with distributed propulsion, increasing software reliance, and tightly coupled architectures. These characteristics evolve within regulatory environments that are still adapting to emerging vehicle concepts. While digital engineering practices are increasingly adopted during system development, certification workflows remain largely document-centric, limiting lifecycle traceability and consistent reasoning about change impacts as designs and regulatory interpretations evolve. This paper proposes a Digital Twin–oriented certification architecture that integrates regulatory knowledge, system representations, Means of Compliance (MoCs), and verification artifacts within a unified model-based environment. The architecture is organized around four elements: regulatory structuring, Model-Based Systems …

Epanorama May 2026, Southern Adventist University

Panorama Parent Newsletter

This digital issue of Panorama includes an article featuring backpacking students aiding an injured hiker, Asian cultural night, journalism students earning a CMA Award, and Campus Research Month.