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Men’S Hockey Looks To Snap Losing Streak Against Merrimack, Aiden Szymanski

Digital Edition

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Using Artificial Intelligence To Mitigate Bottlenecks In Last-Mile Logistics: A Developing Country Perspective, Marvel S. Ogah, Comfort Ademola, Gregory Asiegbu

International Journal of Applied Management and Technology

The digital revolution of the logistic value chain has improved critical aspects of the global supply chain, especially in the aspect of last-mile logistics (LML). Bottlenecks, however, such as delays in deliveries, increased lead times, pollution, poor cost management, and tracking issues, among several others, plague the logistics operations in developing countries. Artificial intelligence (AI) can help mitigate these bottlenecks toward delivering incremental value to the end customers. This paper investigates the extent to which AI has been adopted in the logistics value chain in developing countries using a descriptive approach. Quantitative data were collected from 290 logistics and e-commerce …

Quality Improvement Project: Enhancing Nurse Communication, Courtesy, And Respect At The Bedside, Rachel Kemp

Doctor of Nursing Practice Projects

Effective communication is key to the nurse-to-patient relationship, patient outcomes, and patient satisfaction. The literature widely shows that barriers such as increased workplace violence and fear and biases within patient interactions hinder communication. This quality improvement project aimed to enhance nurse-to-patient communication, using an evidence-based tool, and leveraged Foli’s Theory of Nurses’ Psychological Trauma to explain and predict barriers. Success is measured by improvement of patient experience in the three nursing domains; courtesy and respect, listen to you, and explain in a way you understand. Lewin’s Change Theory and the plan, do, study, act (PDSA) framework was used to promote …

Quality Improvement Project: Building Competence And Confidence: Updating Nursing Faculty Knowledge Of The Flipped Classroom Model, Jamie Newman

Doctor of Nursing Practice Projects

The increasing complexity of healthcare requires undergraduate nursing education to move beyond traditional lecture-based instruction toward teaching strategies that promote clinical judgment. Although the flipped classroom model is shown to support these outcomes, faculty at the project site reported uncertainty and inconsistency in flipped classroom implementation. The purpose of this quality improvement project was to evaluate the impact of a structured, evidence-based faculty development intervention on undergraduate nursing faculty confidence, readiness, and competence to implement the flipped classroom model. Guided by Lewin’s Change Theory and the Stetler Model of Evidence-Based Practice, this quality improvement project used a quantitative, pre-experimental one-group …

Improving Benzodiazepine Refill Workflow And Communication Via Telehealth Using A Standardized Sbar Protocol, Hendricks Agwu

Doctor of Nursing Practice Projects

The development in telehealth operations in outpatient mental health care has enhanced access to care at the expense of creating challenges in communication and workflow, especially when it comes to dealing with high-risk substances like benzodiazepines. The role ambiguity, inaccurate refill timeline, documentation lapses and high chances of medication errors are caused by inconsistent communication during the process of telehealth refills. This quality improvement project was aimed at assessing the effects of applying a standardized Situation, Background, Assessment, Recommendation (SBAR) communication and documentation protocol to workflow efficiency, interprofessional communication, and medication safety when making benzodiazepine refills in a telehealth outpatient …

Translating Low-Level Features Into Student Friendly Explanations Using Xai, Ben Johnson, Keith Nolan

Research Outputs: 2025-Present

An alarming decline in Gaeilge proficiency has renewed education efforts, fueled by the rise of AI in recent years. This research presents the development of a deep learning framework designed to evaluate spoken Gaeilge (henceforth Irish) proficiency of learners by quantifying student voice sample similarity to everyday Irish speaker truth samples, combined with explainable AI (XAI) techniques used to generate proof-of-concept student-friendly feedback. While automatic speech recognition (ASR) systems for high-resource languages like English have access to large, detailed datasets, the Irish language relies on a limited availability of speech resources, that challenges traditional model development. We address these gaps …

An Explainable Ml Approach To Modeling Trust In Hri, Csenge Hubay, Musfira Jilani

Research Outputs: 2025-Present

Recent years have seen a growing interest in industrial and social robots; however, their widespread adoption remains constrained due to a limited understanding of trust in human-robot interactions (HRI). Existing approaches to assessing trust in human-robot interactions primarily rely on post-hoc measurements, often collected through self-reports, which are not very effective and do not allow for real-time decision making, which is one of the main aspects of human-robot interactions. This research proposes a data-driven approach to measuring trust in HRI.

Towards A Framework For Bias Evaluation Of Ai Agents In Agentic Workflows, Gary Condon, Musfira Jilani

Research Outputs: 2025-Present

Multi-agent AI systems, with minimal human oversight, are increasingly deployed in high-stakes domains like hiring, healthcare, and criminal justice. However, existing bias evaluation methodologies focus on isolated Large Language Model responses, failing to address sequential agent interactions where biases can propagate through decision chains undetected. Current approaches suffer from three limitations: absence of multi-stage bias tracking, inability to distinguish systematic discrimination from model non-determinism, and risk of contamination when agents infer bias evaluation intent. This study presents a novel evaluation framework incorporating demographic swapping methodology, contamination prevention architecture, and statistical analysis for multi-agent workflows. The framework employs dual presentation systems …

Contamination Prevention In Agentic Workflow Assessments, Gary Condon, Musfira Jilani

Research Outputs: 2025-Present

Large Language Models (LLMs) may infer that they are being evaluated and strategically modify their responses to appear more aligned than they actually are; a phenomenon described as alignment faking or evaluation awareness. This presents a fundamental challenge for bias evaluation in AI systems, particularly in multi-agent workflows, where sequential decision-making steps occur with minimal human supervision. When LLMs infer that they are being evaluated, they may suppress or diminish discriminatory behaviours that could otherwise manifest in production AI Agent workflow environments, making traditional bias assessment techniques less effective.This work presents a contamination prevention architecture developed in response to observed …

An Explainable Multimodal Framework For Real-Time Bitcoin Forecasting, Dipesh Badal, Abdelsalam Busalim, Donghyeok Lee

Research Outputs: 2025-Present

High-frequency crypto forecasting requires systems that are accurate, explainable, and designed for human decision-making. Bitcoin presents a unique challenge for Human-Centred AI (HCAI) due to its volatility and sensitivity to heterogeneous technical, fundamental, and sentiment signals. This paper presents an explainable multimodal framework for Bitcoin forecasting at 15-minute resolution. We align five modalities - market data, on-chain metrics, the Fear & Greed Index (FGI), news, and Reddit - onto a unified, leakage-safe 15-minute grid. We evaluate tree-based, sequential, and Multimodal Fusion Block (MFB) models for next-interval log-return prediction using chronological splits. Results show that while short-horizon prediction remains challenging, multimodal …

Examining How The Strive+ Intervention Affects Caregivers' Comfort Levels And Behaviors: A Quantitative Study, Nastacia Taylor

Creating Healthy Work Environments (CHWE)

Support To Reunite, Involve, and Value Each Other (STRIVE) is a five-session manualized psycho-educational family intervention that incorporates cognitive behavioral therapy strategies to facilitate communication skill development, problem solving, and creating a positive family atmosphere. This strengths-based dyadic intervention has been shown to reduce delinquency, drug use, and high-risk sexual behaviors among disadvantaged adolescents aged 13 to 17 years with lived experience of homelessness.

The updated STRIVE+ was tested to investigate the possibility for lowering youth risk factors for commercial sexual exploitation. Adolescent behavioral family treatments are an effective strategy to intervene to prevent adverse developmental consequences. The STRIVE+ intervention …

Synthetic Blood Data Generation For Fair Machine Learning, Sahithi Makam Ramakrishna, Fernando Perez-Tellez

Research Outputs: 2025-Present

Synthetic data generation is a promising solution to privacy concerns in healthcare analytics, particularly when working with sensitive patient information. This study evaluates the performance and fairness of generative models in creating realistic synthetic datasets derived from blood test and demographic data. Three distinct medical datasets are used, including anonymised clinical data from a public hospital in Ireland, a public UCI medical dataset, and a Korean National Health Insurance dataset from 2002. Seven generative models - CTGAN, TVAE, Gaussian Copula, CopulaGAN, MedGAN, DiscGAN, and FASTML - are applied to generate synthetic records. The quality of these records is assessed using …

Green Synthesis Of Clitoria Ternatea L. Silver Nanoparticles Into Cotton Fabric For Antibacterial Activity, S. D. Hasarangi, J. A. L. P. Jayasinghe, S. M. J. C. Abhayasekara, M. S. D. Fernando, L. M. Hettihewa

Journal of Innovation in Science, Engineering and Technology

Clitoria ternatae L. is a medicinal plant rich in bioactive compounds and green synthesis of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) using plant extracts offers a sustainable approach with reduced toxicity and minimum environmental impact. In this study, AgNPs were synthesized using aqueous extract of C. ternatae flowers and coated onto cotton fabric to evaluate its antibacterial activity. Dried flower powder (0.02 g) was extracted with distilled water and silver nanoparticles were synthesized using silver nitrate solution (3 mM) under at 50 °C. The nanoparticles were characterized using UV-Vis spectroscopy, Dynamic Light Scattering (DLS), Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR). Incorporation on cotton fabric …

Formulation And Development Of Herbal Sunscreen Gel From Leucas Zeylanica And Tagetes Erecta, P. K. Wanniarachchi, W. M. K. M. Ratnayake

Journal of Innovation in Science, Engineering and Technology

Leucas zeylanica (Family: Lamiaceae) and Tagetes erecta (Family: Asteraceae) are annual herbs traditionally used in home remedies and Ayurvedic medicine. Although both plants have been individually studied for their pharmacological properties, their synergistic effects and combined use in cosmetic formulations for sun protection have not been previously reported. This study aimed to evaluate the synergistic antioxidant and photoprotective activities of 95% ethanol extracts of the aerial parts of L. zeylanica, flower heads of T. erecta, and their combinations (1:1, 1:2, and 2:1). Antioxidant activity was assessed using the DPPH radical scavenging assay, with ascorbic acid as the positive …

Formulation And Development Of Skincare Cream Using Pleurotus Djamor, K. A. E. Madushanka, W. V. P. M. Weligalla, K. D. K. P. Kumari, W. M. K. M. Ratnayake

Journal of Innovation in Science, Engineering and Technology

Mushrooms have emerged as versatile and valuable resources in the cosmetic industry, offering a plethora of benefits that range from skincare to haircare formulations. As natural alternatives to synthetic ingredients, mushrooms not only cater to the growing consumer demand for sustainable and eco-friendly products but also offer unique properties such as antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and moisturizing effects. Hence, Pleurotus djamor, which is a grown mushroom in Sri Lanka was selected to prepare a new cream formulation for skincare. In the study, an aqueous extract of P. djamor (AEPD) was used and phytochemical screening was done to screen alkaloids, saponins, flavonoids, …

Identification Of Hnf1a Variants In A Mody-Suspected Sri Lankan Cohort Using Targeted Sanger Sequencing, V. R. Martin, V. Fonseka, A. N. Senanayake, S. M. Perera, N. Hemachandra, P. Weerasooriya, S. M. Samarasinghe, L. M. Hettihewa

Journal of Innovation in Science, Engineering and Technology

Among the many risk factors for Diabetes Mellitus (DM), genetic variations play an important role. Maturity Onset Diabetes of the Young (MODY) has emerged as a monogenic form of diabetes affecting young adults. MODY can be developed before the age of 25, emphasizing the urgent need for the identification of prognostic biomarkers for the early detection. MODY3 is a sub type that can be characterized by the impaired insulin secretion. HNF1A (HNF1 homeobox A) gene variants were reported to be associated with predisposing to MODY3 subtype. We conducted a pilot study to evaluate the genetic background of the suspected MODY3 …

Extension Of Imposter Detection During Online Tests To Detect Other Fraudulent Acts, Athula Seneviratne, Indika Perera, Shantha Fernando

Journal of Innovation in Science, Engineering and Technology

With more and more institutions adopting online delivery of education, the accompanying need for assessing students online is increasing. However, the tendency of some candidates to engage in fraudulent acts to gain undue advantage over other candidates undermine the integrity of the online testing process. It is a major challenge faced by test administering institutions. The most widespread fraudulent act is impersonation. Existing studies primarily focus on the detection of this particular fraudulent act. However, there are other fraudulent acts as well, resorted to by cheating candidates. Methods of detecting these other acts have not been sufficiently studied. The objective …

Novel Technique For Enhancing The Therapeutic Efficacy Of Coenzyme Q10 In Transdermal Drug Delivery Systems For Skin Rejuvenation, L. M. Hettihewa, K. G. P. Wasana, Y. M. Imendra, G. P. C. Weerasooriya, W. M. K. M. Rathnayake

Journal of Innovation in Science, Engineering and Technology

Coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) is a very imperative compound for electron transport chain in mitochondria and exerts its effects as cutaneous antioxidant. All human cells have CoQ10, and sometime deficiency had been identified due to genetic defects or with ageing. Supplements with COQ 10 are commonly used enteral and dermal application for the prevention and treatment of aging. Delivery of dermal CoQ10 is very limited due to its poor penetration and unstable compounds. systematic review was conducted by our research group through electronic databases using preclinical and randomized controlled trials to evaluate the efficacy and stability of improved delivery systems of …

Assessment Of Antioxidant Retention Of Boiled And Non-Boiled Aqueous Extracts Of Broccoli, Cabbage, Kohlrabi And Cauliflower In Sri Lanka, D. M. S. S. Dassanayake, B. C. K. Kumari, P. R. H. Perera, G. M. Yasasvi, L. M. Hettihewa, W. M. K. M. Ratnayake

Journal of Innovation in Science, Engineering and Technology

The comparison of antioxidant activities between non-boiled and boiled aqueous extracts of selected vegetables from the Brassica oleracea L. species is an interesting study topic, particularly in a context like Sri Lanka, where traditional and modern medicinal practices often emphasize the role of dietary plants in health. Hence, this was aimed to evaluate the antioxidant potential of boiled and non-boiled aqueous extracts (BAE and NBAE respectively) of selected vegetables belonging to the Brassica oleracea L species, which are commonly consumed as a raw vegetable in fresh salads as well as a cooked vegetable in curry or fried form i.e. Brassica …

Assessment Of In-Vitro Anti-Diabetic And Antioxidant Activities Of Selected Edible Mushrooms, Agaricus Bisporus (Button Mushroom), Pleurotus Cystidiosus (Abalone) And Pleurotus Ostreatus (American Oyster) In Sri Lanka, E. J. Siriwardene, G. S. D. Nawaruwan, A. H. M. A. N. Abesinghe, H. D. Dedigama, K. H. E. Fernando, K. D. K. P. Kumari, W. M. K. M. Ratnayake

Journal of Innovation in Science, Engineering and Technology

Mushrooms are a valuable source of proteins and vitamins as well as a food source with several pharmacological values. Hence, Higher mushroom consumption can lower the risk of certain diseases. However, a literature survey revealed that published scientific information on the therapeutic potential of some edible mushrooms is still being determined. Hence, this study evaluated and compared the antioxidant and α -amylase potential of some of the three commonly used mushroom varieties in Sri Lanka i.e. Agaricus bisporus (Button mushroom), Pleurotus cystidiosus (Abalone mushroom) and Pleurotus ostreatus (American oyster). The antioxidant activity of hot aqueous extracts of the above three …

Body Mass Index And Clinical Phenotypes Of Primary Dysmenorrhea In Female University Students: Evidence From Sri Lanka Using Walidd Scoring, H. K. A. N. Senanayake, K. L. A. S. I. Liyanarachchi, J. K. M. Jagoda, S. A. S. A. Maheepala, L. C. Mallawa, P. W. T. M. Dayarathne, Y. T. R. Somisena, L. M. Hettihewa

Journal of Innovation in Science, Engineering and Technology

This research investigates the relationship between body weight and the severity and characteristics of primary dysmenorrhea among female undergraduates in Sri Lanka, using the WaLIDD Score as an evaluative tool. The study aims to assess the practicality of the WaLIDD Score in native settings, examining its correlation with pain intensity, pain location, and common medication patterns, while addressing gaps in previous research conducted in Sri Lanka. A quantitative cross-sectional study was conducted among 389 female university students aged 19–27 years from both state and non-state universities in Sri Lanka, selected through stratified random sampling. Participants with chronic or menstrual diseases, …

Conceptual Analysis Of Ārthavavaha Srotas (Female Reproductive System): A Review Of The Theories And Literature, Pushpa Kulanatha, H. L. M. G. Sajeewani

Journal of Innovation in Science, Engineering and Technology

The reproductive health of females during their fertile years is foundational for individual well-being and societal prosperity. The purpose of this study was to bridge the analytical and epistemological gaps currently existing in the literature regarding Ārthavavaha Srotas (ĀvS), the Ayurvedic concept of the female reproductive system. A comprehensive literature review was conducted using forward and backward searches to analyse authentic Ayurvedic texts (Caraka and Sushruta Samhitas) alongside contemporary research articles published between 2014 and 2024. The analysis identified ten specific aspects of the ĀvS where prior interpretations were superficial or unclear. The results of this study epistemologically validate ancient …

Understanding Rhetoric Using Meth, Hugo Castellano

English Student Showcase

Professor: Khimen Cooper-DeHoyos Faculty Readers: Tawnya Hillin-Smith and Jason Carney    Class: English 1301/Spring 2026

Meta-Analytic And Economic Evaluation Of Fungicide Programs Applied For Managing Sclerotinia Stem Rot In Soybean Across The North Central United States, Hope Renfroe-Becton, Maria Oros, Adam M. Byrne, Martin I. Chilvers, Nathan Kleczewski, Horacio D. Lopez-Nicora, Brian D. Mueller, Daren S. Mueller, Damon L. Smith, Darcy E P Telenko, Richard Wade Webster

APC Fund Awardees

Farmers in the North Central United States are at risk of having soybean yield robbed due to infection by Sclerotinia sclerotiorum, the causal agent of Sclerotinia stem rot (SSR). While certain management strategies, such as wide row spacings, lower plant populations, and resistant varieties, can reduce SSR development, there is often a negative yield impact associated with these strategies. Conversely, chemical management strategies do not have an associated yield drag, and therefore, they have been the primary tool for suppressing SSR development. Independent chemical programs were evaluated across eight states from 2017 to 2024, resulting in 32 site-years (n = …

More Hours, More Work: Head Start Expansions Boost Maternal Employment, Chloe R. Gibbs, Esra Kose, Maria Rosales Rueda

Upjohn Institute Working Papers

Women’s employment remains highly sensitive to childcare constraints, making childcare availability a critical lever for supporting mothers’ labor force attachment. We study the effects of expanded full-day programming in Head Start, using the 2016 federal funding initiative that targeted grantees with low full-day enrollment. Linking administrative program data, geo-coded center locations, and household data on employment, we estimate a difference-in-differences design by comparing mothers of young children in treated and untreated areas. The policy increased full-day enrollment by 19 percent and raised single mothers’ employment (1.9%), hours (2.5%), and earnings (6.5%). Results show that extending program duration meaningfully improves maternal …

Chimes: February 16, 2026, Calvin University

Chimes

Faculty Senate approves a reduction in graduation credit-hour requirement by Maya Oeverman

Fluoridation documentary examines how we talk about politics by Alec DeYoung

Track and field gains momentum as indoor championships are underway by Zach Kern & Hendrick Beelen

Lent: Going back to basics by Ella Vanden Berg

What it means to be American by Maya Oeverman

Electrocatalytic Degradation Of Methylene Blue Using Rgo, Sb2o3, And Rgo-Sb2o3 Composite Ink-Based Electrodes, Maria Irene Myers Armas, Andrea M. Fletes, Thomas Eubanks, Arnulfo Mar, Jason Parsons, Helia Magali Morales

School of Integrative Biological & Chemical Sciences Faculty Publications

Water pollution from industrial dyes is a critical challenge due to the resistance of these types of compounds to degradation and potentially harmful effects on living organisms and human health. In this study, the electrochemical degradation of methylene blue (MB) was investigated using ink-based copper foam electrodes with reduced graphene oxide (rGO), antimony trioxide (Sb2O3), and rGO/Sb2O3 composites. The materials used to synthesize the electrodes were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), which showed the successful synthesis of GO, rGO, and the Sb2O3-rGO composite. Additionally, the synthesized electrodes were examined using SEM. The MB degradation was studied using kinetic behavior and …

Device Manager: Bundle Implementation For Reducing Device-Related Pressure Injuries, Sierra Holloway

Creating Healthy Work Environments (CHWE)

Background: Pressure injuries (PIs) are a continuing global problem in healthcare and worse for critically ill patients, costing up to $30 billion annually in the United States and are not reimbursable. Medical devices provide life support and healing in hospitalized patients but can also cause harm. Approximately 30-60% of PIs come from medical devices, causing pain, discomfort, and patient dissatisfaction while worsening patient outcomes.

Problem: The practicum site saw increased MDRPIs over two years, over the hospital average, due to a lack of standardization and knowledge for preventing MDRPIs. This led to extended lengths of stay, increased healthcare costs, and …

Implementation Of A Dedicated Rapid Response Nurse, Brandie Kopsas-Kingsley

Creating Healthy Work Environments (CHWE)

Background/Significance of problem: Rapid Response Teams have been used to reduce the incidence of intrahospital decline. While these teams excel at providing emergent responses during times of critical illness, they generally lack a proactive approach.

Clinical question/project purpose: Is a dedicated Rapid Response Nurse role effective in improving the culture of safety and reducing Rapid Response Team activations? The purpose of this project is to implement a dedicated Rapid Response Nurse (RRN) role that aids nurses in identifying patients at risk of decline or who are currently declining.

Search of literature/best evidence: A literature search was completed for full-text, …

Screen And Intervene: Assessing Knowledge, Preparedness, And Confidence In Managing Postpartum Depression, Caroline Everly Quinn

Creating Healthy Work Environments (CHWE)

Postpartum depression (PPD) is a mental health condition where a parent experiences intense and ongoing depressive symptoms such as sadness, anxiety, lack of energy, suicidal thoughts and actions, and more. One in seven people who give birth will experience PPD. Furthermore, suicide is a leading cause of death in the perinatal period, accounting for 20% of postpartum deaths. Though PPD is common, there are many barriers to screening, managing, and treating this condition.

This evidence-based quality improvement (QI) project aimed to assess nursing students’ and nurses’ levels of knowledge and readiness to screen, intervene, and manage patients with PPD in …