Digital Commons Network^™

Dgamlss: An Exact, Distributed Algorithm To Fit Generalized Additive Models For Location, Scale, And Shape For Privacy-Preserving Population Reference Charts, Fengling Hu, Jiayi Tong, Margaret Gardner, Chris Adamson, Sophie Adler, Aaron F. Alexander-Bloch, Evdokia Anagnostou, Kevin M. Anderson, Ariosky Areces-Gonzalez, John Blangero

Human Genetics Publications

Motivation There is growing interest in estimating population reference ranges across age and sex to better identify atypical clinically-relevant measurements throughout the lifespan. For this task, the World Health Organization recommends using Generalized Additive Models for Location, Scale, and Shape (GAMLSS), which can model non-linear growth trajectories under complex distributions that address the heterogeneity in human populations. Fitting GAMLSS models requires large, generalizable sample sizes, especially for accurate estimation of extreme quantiles, but obtaining such multi-site data can be challenging due to privacy concerns and practical considerations. In settings where patient data cannot be shared, privacy-preserving distributed algorithms for federated …

100 Conversation Starters To Develop Student Critical Thinking In Intermediate And Financial Accounting Courses, Joe B. Hoyle

Bookshelf

INTRODUCTION

Why create a book containing nothing but accounting problems?

The genesis of an idea is often difficult to recall, but I can trace the creation of this project to a single sentence found in a specific book.  One recent summer, to help prepare myself for the upcoming academic year, I began reading Why Don’t Students Like School? by Daniel T. Willingham.  On page 16 of the dog-eared copy I acquired on the Internet, I was drawn to a key sentence like a moth to a flame.  The words were buried rather unobtrusively within a long paragraph but, for me, …

[Introduction To] Shakespeare And Identity In A Divided World, Kristin M.S. Bezio

Bookshelf

Shakespeare and Identity in a Divided World examines some of the most pressing issues about identity and so-called identity politics in the highly polarized twenty-first century. The book uses Shakespeare’s plays and the history of sixteenth and seventeenth-century England to discuss gender, race, mental health, disability, and fatness as they were perceived in Shakespeare’s age and then considers ways in which audiences, readers, and classrooms might use them to think about those same topics in the twenty-first century.

The book includes discussion of both Shakespeare’s text and contemporary productions, films, and reimaginings of those plays, as well as the historical …

[Intorduction To] Shakers At The Center : Manifesting Spirits & Spectacles In Nineteenth-Century America, Douglas L. Winiarski

Bookshelf

Edited by Douglas WIniarski.

"Exploring the theological, social, and cultural dimensions of one of America’s most ambitious prophetic movements

The Shakers’ Era of Manifestations ranks among the most astounding events in American religious history. During the 1840s, members of the United Society of Believers in Christ’s Second Appearing embarked on an audacious project of receiving visions, revelations, and other manifestations from the spirit world and convincing both themselves and the world’s people of their reality. Gifted Shakers known as “instruments” surrendered their bodies to possessing spirits and celestial beings who, in turn, provided the Believers with an unimaginable number of …

Procedural-Based Contemporary Management Of Bell's Palsy Long-Term Sequelae: A Narrative Review, Robert M. Frederick, Rhorie Kerr, Eric Dobratz, William Dougherty

Department of Otolaryngology (ENT) Faculty Publications

Objective

To describe the long-term sequelae of Bell's palsy and summarize available treatment options, including recent advances, so that general otolaryngologists and other practitioners are aware of the clinical findings and available interventions.

Data Sources

PubMed.

Review Methods

A literature search was performed on December 18, 2024, via PubMed using keywords such as "synkinesis," "selective myectomy," "selective neurectomy," "botulinum toxin," "intervention" in the context of "Bell's palsy" with preference for articles published within the last 5 to 10 years but inclusion of select older articles that provided necessary context for the current topic. Articles included in the review were written …

Differences In Biologic Clinical Trials For Chronic Rhinosinusitis With Nasal Polyps—Are We Comparing Apples With Oranges?, Marjolein Cornet, Peter W. Hellings, Martin Desrosiers, Martin Wagenmann, Richard Follows, Laura Walrave, Luz Adriana Jimenez, Lee Tombs, Dawn Edwards, Peter Howarth, Joseph K. Han

Department of Otolaryngology (ENT) Faculty Publications

In recent years, several biologics targeting Type 2 inflammation have been developed for treating chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps (CRSwNP). These have been studied in registrational randomized controlled trials (RCTs), which vary in their patient populations, trial design, endpoints, geography, timing, or data-handling processes. While (in)direct treatment comparisons and meta-analyses have been carried out to compare efficacy results from RCTs, often these fail to properly account for these between-study differences. Here, we summarize the key between-study differences that can influence trial outcomes and highlight the resulting challenges faced when comparing outcomes from different Phase III RCTs of biologics in CRSwNP.

Medicaid's Broken Promise To Children, Jerron R. Wheeler

Faculty Articles

In the United States, poor children's access to necessary healthcare is determined more by geography than medical need. This variation is not the result of thoughtful local tailoring but of excessive state autonomy and passive federal oversight. The result is a fragmented and unequal system that obscures accountability and fails the Nation's most vulnerable children.

Building on scholarship showing how decentralized implementation of federal social programs can erode America's social safety net, this Article examines how one of Congress's most ambitious entitlements for children-Medicaid's Early and Periodic Screening, Diagnostic and Treatment (EPSDT) benefit has been quietly undermined. In light of …

A Guide To Growing Broad: : Expanding The Notion Of Social For Mental Health, Natural Resources, And The Infinite Intersections Of How To Care For The World, Leah D. Nuese-Yaker

Graduate Student Portfolios, Professional Papers, and Capstone Projects

This MSW portfolio narrative examines the expanding boundaries of social work practice at the intersection of human and ecological systems. Organized as a series of interconnected personal essays structured around river metaphors, the portfolio argues that social work's anthropocentric foundations limit the profession's capacity to address contemporary crises of environmental justice, climate change, and ecological health. Drawing on fieldwork in natural resources conflict resolution, wilderness therapy, outdoor education, and climate health advocacy in rural Montana, the author demonstrates competency across all ten CSWE social work practice behaviors while advancing a practice framework that centers relational, embodied, and ecologically grounded intervention. …

Master Of Social Work Portfolio, Isabella Faith Decunzo

Graduate Student Portfolios, Professional Papers, and Capstone Projects

This Portfolio has been developed in partial fulfilment of the Master of Social Work (MSW) degree and demonstrates my personal and professional growth over the course of the program. It highlights selected academic and practice-based work completed throughout the past two years, reflecting my developing knowledge and application of the Five Elements of Advanced Integrative Practice and the Ten Competencies of Social Work.

Included is an appendix containing completed assignments from the MSW program in Missoula, Montana, which supports and demonstrates the reflective narrative presented throughout the portfolio. Each artifact directly aligns with and illustrates my progression toward competency in …

At The Intersection Of Care: Bridging Systems Through Connection, Advocacy, And Hope, Taylor Defrees

Graduate Student Portfolios, Professional Papers, and Capstone Projects

This Master of Social Work portfolio, At the Intersection of Care: Bridging Systems Through Connection, Advocacy, and Hope, explores the development of an advanced integrated social work practitioner across clinical, organizational, community, research, policy, and leadership settings. Grounded in the Five Elements of Advanced Integrated Practice and social work competencies, the portfolio reflects the integration of knowledge, skills, values, critical self-reflection, and lived experience across micro, mezzo, and macro levels of practice.

Through practicum, coursework, and professional experiences, the portfolio examines trauma-informed and culturally responsive practice, anti-racism, diversity, equity, inclusion, belonging, behavioral health, and the importance of human connection …

Grading Practices In Secondary Classrooms: A Mixed-Methods Study Exploring Teacher Decision-Making, Student Outcomes, And Implications For Educational Equity, Lauren Lay

Selected Full Text Dissertations, 2011-

GRADING PRACTICES IN SECONDARY CLASSROOMS: A MIXED-METHODS STUDY EXPLORING TEACHER DECISION-MAKING, STUDENT OUTCOMES, AND IMPLICATIONS FOR EDUCATIONAL EQUITY. Lay, Lauren, 2026: Dissertation, Long Island University. Grading practices remain one of the most influential yet inconsistent aspects of secondary education. Despite increased interest in equitable grading, little research has examined how teachers make grading decisions within a common institutional context while exploring relationships among grading practices, student outcomes, motivation, and educational equity. The purpose of this convergent mixed-methods study was to examine how grading decision-making among 9th and 10th-grade teachers across five core content areas within one suburban New York high …

Increased Risk Of Alzheimer Disease–Associated Mortality In Nonobese Vs Obese Metabolic Dysfunction–Associated Steatotic Liver Disease: A 30-Year National Cohort Study, Sarpong Boateng, Guy Loic Nguefang, Mexan Mapouka, Ridwan Lawal, Solomon Gyabaah, Bright Nwatamole, Amita Kasar, Selom Adatsi, Basile Njei

School of Medicine Publications

Background and aims: Metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) is increasingly recognized for its extrahepatic consequences, including emerging links to neurodegenerative disorders such as Alzheimer disease (AD). Whether AD mortality risk differs across MASLD phenotypes, remains unclear.

Methods: We analyzed adults from the Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (1988-1994) with mortality follow-up through 2019 via the National Death Index. Participants were followed for AD mortality. Cumulative incidence was estimated using Kaplan-Meier methods. Cox proportional hazards models evaluated MASLD phenotypes and AD mortality, adjusting for age, sex, race/ethnicity, poverty-income ratio, body mass index, and smoking status.

Results: Among 7125 …

Towards Food Sovereignty In Cameroon: Indigenous Food Practices And Community Grain Banks In The Mayotsanaga Division Of The Far North Region, Prudencia Ayamba, Chimene Tankou Nkouamou Epse Nukunah Dr

Journal of Critical Global Issues

Food security is a term defined in 1996 by the World Food Summit as a situation where everyone has both economic and physical access to nutritious and safe food that meets their dietary needs and food preferences for an active and healthy life. This concept also became a priority during the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and later the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which aim to combat world hunger by 2030. However, the term ‘food security’ has faced criticism for overlooking indigenous knowledge and practices in addressing the food crisis and for misrepresenting marginalized populations. Because of these limitations, the term …

Opera | Saint Mary Of Egypt (Revised Version, 2026), John Craton

Craton Scores Collection

This is the revised score for Craton's Saint Mary of Egypt; the original 2021 version is also available in this collection.

Hidden To Display- Live Presentation, Jessica Cerri, Lawrence Treadwell Iv

Librarian Presentations

Jessica Cerri and Larry Treadwell present at the North Carolina Community College Archives Association 5th Annual Conference about the building of exhibit and programming space at Chesnutt Library.

Bridging The Gap- Faculty Publications, Jessica Cerri, Lawrence Treadwell Iv

Librarian Presentations

Jessica Cerri and Larry Treadwell speak at the North Carolina Community College Archies Association 5th Annual Conference about the building of Chesnutt Library's relationship with Fayetteville State University faculty through publication aid.

Using This Or That? And Interactive Displays To Encourage Student Outreach And Engagement Across Campus., Jessica Cerri, Lawrence Treadwell Iv

Librarian Presentations

Through gamifying library outreach, the Chesnutt Library has developed a successful outreach and engagement model that can be scalable to other campus units and partners. The Chesnutt’s library initiative began with simple whiteboard displays and evolved to creatively printed Canva posters and Springshare’s LibWizard quizzes, enhancing student engagement within the library. The development of these interactive displays leverages library creative space technology and digital engagement tools to boost participation in both on-campus and remote university community members. By combining creative space technology with approachable design tools and simple gamification techniques, this model offers innovative yet replicable methods that can be …

What To Do About The Decay Of The Conventions Of The Canadian Constitution, Léonid Sirota

Dalhousie Law Journal

Constitutional conventions are central to the operation of the Canadian constitution. Yet because they are not legislated rules, their coming into being and disappearance can be subject to considerable uncertainty. Worse, it appears that conventions can disappear or be replaced inadvertently, without anyone fully appreciating that this is happening. This article describes this process in relation to three conventions of the Canadian constitution: the one regulating the appointment of the Chief Justice of Canada, the convention of civil service neutrality, and the convention governing the choice of Prime Minister in a hung Parliament. It argues that these conventions are being …

Intelligent Dual-Energy X-Ray Absorptiometry (Idxa) And Small Animal Scanning As A Useful Tool To Measure Appendicular Bird Bone Mineral Density, Frank J. Dirrigl Jr., Samuel R. Buchanan

School of Integrative Biological & Chemical Sciences Faculty Publications

Accurately assessing the bone mineralization status of birds is crucial for poultry production and wild bird studies. We investigated the use of dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry (DXA) using Small Animal Measurement software to measure bone mineral content (BMC) and areal bone mineral density (aBMD) in excised radii of the willow ptarmigan (Lagopus lagopus) as a bird model. Our exploratory tests involved 117 scans to evaluate scanning parameters, scanning board types, bone stabilization, scan mode and size, and region of interest placement. Results indicated that mean BMC or aBMD were each significantly different when scanned on a forearm positioner board …

Coffin–Lowry Syndrome: A Systematic Review Of Rps6ka3 Confirmed Cases And Implications For Diagnosis And Counseling, Sabyasachi Maity, Miranda Montion, Danielle Boothe, Mona Attarpour, Ivy Mageto, Simran Agarwal, Rujul Patel, Chloe Lark, Bharathi Gadad, Nikhilesh Anand

School of Medicine Publications

Background: Coffin–Lowry syndrome (CLS) is a rare X-linked disorder caused by pathogenic variants in RPS6KA3, presenting with intellectual disability, distinctive facial and skeletal features, and variable systemic involvement. Advances in genomic technologies have expanded the mutation spectrum, yet genotype phenotype correlations remain incompletely understood.

Methods: We conducted a systematic review of published cases (n = 72) following PRISMA guidelines. Demographic, phenotypic, and genotypic data were extracted, standardized, and summarized using descriptive statistics. Associations between mutation type and key clinical features were assessed with Chi-square or Fisher’s exact tests. Diagnostic approaches and global distribution were also analyzed.

Results: The cohort …

Beyond Hemostasis: A Narrative Review On The Multifaceted Therapeutic Potential Of Ankaferd Blood Stopper, Salima E. Tibi, Muhammad Hashir Nazir, Saleha Nazir, Bhumi Daishik Patel, Gayatri Misra, Tirath Patel, Fatima Nasir, Muhammad Farhan, Nana Sardarova, Nikhilesh Anand

School of Medicine Publications

Background: Effective hemorrhage control is essential in managing trauma and surgical patients, with uncontrolled bleeding being a leading cause of mortality. Ankaferd Blood Stopper (ABS), a hemostatic agent historically used in Anatolia, has gained recognition for its ability to modulate red blood cell-fibrinogen interactions to form a stable protein network for rapid bleeding cessation.

Objective: This review explores the multifaceted applications of ABS, evaluating its efficacy, safety, and potential therapeutic roles across various medical fields, including hemostasis, wound healing, antimicrobial activity, and antineoplastic effects.

Methods: A comprehensive synthesis of clinical trials, case reports, and experimental studies was conducted to assess …

Mission Refocus: A Strategic Realignment Of The Seventh-Day Adventist Worldwide Mission Effort In The Context Of The Three Mission Refocus Windows, Erton Kohler

Doctor of Ministry Projects

Problem

The Seventh-day Adventist Church emerged as a worldwide missionary movement committed to proclaiming the everlasting gospel to every nation, tribe, language, and people. Throughout much of its history, the Church demonstrated a strong commitment to cross-cultural mission and the establishment of an Adventist presence in territories with low or no access to the gospel message. However, as the Church expanded globally in membership, institutions, organizational structures, and administrative responsibilities, a gradual shift in mission priorities occurred. Increasing attention to institutional maintenance and regional demands often reduced emphasis on frontline mission territories and populations with no or low Adventist presence. …

Assessment Of Mechanical Performance And Quality Assurance In Fabricated Aa6061-T6, Anesti Nasi, Kledi Ushe, Klodian Dhoska, Anis Sulejmani, Odhisea Koça, Panagiotis Kyratsis, Aleksandra Petrovic

Babylonian Journal of Mechanical Engineering

This paper focuses on integrated methodology for the experimental mechanical properties of produced AA6061 aluminum alloy, coupled for a rigorous quality assurance framework to validate material reliability for structural applications. The approach combines microstructural analysis, tensile testing analysis, and systematic measurement uncertainty quantification, all performed through the relevant international standards. To ensure statistical reliability, the overall standard uncertainty was computed utilizing the propagation law of uncertainty for k = 2 with a confidence level of roughly 95%. The experimental results yielded a tensile strength of309.4±4.0N/mm2, showing excellent repeatability with a lower relative uncertainty that correspond to 1.3%. These values not …

Evaluating The Effects Of Autonomous Learning, Goal Orientation And Self-Efficacy On The Academic Performance Of Ethiopian Stem Students’ Through Structural Equation Modeling (Sem), Jerusalem Yizengaw, Asnake Tarekegn Nigussie

Journal of Educational Technology Development and Exchange (JETDE)

The study investigates the relationships among self-efficacy, goal orientation, and autonomous learning and how these factors affect Ethiopian STEM students’ academic performance. A descriptive survey design using mixed-methods research was used. Semi-structured interviews and questionnaires were employed to gather data from eight teachers and 151 STEM students. CFA and EFA attested to the validity and reliability of the questionnaires. Quantitative data were assessed using structural equation modeling (SEM), and qualitative data were analyzed using word descriptions. Self-efficacy was positively correlated with STEM students’ academic performance (β = .12, p < .01), whereas autonomous learning and goal orientation were negatively correlated (β = -.01, p < .01) and (β = -.04, p < .01), respectively. Findings suggest that techniques that help Ethiopian STEM students develop self-efficacy should be prioritized, with implications for curriculum design and instructional approaches. According to the findings, methods that support Ethiopian STEM students in developing self-efficacy should be prioritized, with consequences for instructional strategies and curriculum design. Although self-belief appears crucial for success, further research is required to fully understand the complex interaction of these factors in Ethiopia and other contexts.

Ai-Generated Content In Education: Moving Beyond Theory Toward Data-Driven And Actionable Insights, Huong Thi Pham, Nhung Thi Phuong Nguyen

Journal of Educational Technology Development and Exchange (JETDE)

The emergence of AI-powered content such as text, images, and videos generated by large language models (LLMs) has rapidly transitioned from an experimental novelty to a structural force in higher education. Yet, previous reviews have remained largely conceptual or focused on the early stages of the AI wave. This study offers an updated, multi-faceted overview of AI-generated content in education based on data from 2022 to 2025. Following the PRISMA protocol, we systematically identified and reviewed 64 peer-reviewed studies to examine usage, transformation of teaching practices, impacts on learning outcomes, and challenges related to academic integrity, bias, trustworthiness, and teacher …

Vol 19 Issue List Of Reviewers

Journal of Educational Technology Development and Exchange (JETDE)

List of reviewers

Development Of The Digital Literacy Scale Based On A Socioformative Approach In University Students, Pedro Luis Arroyo-Pizarro, Renzo Esteban Martinez Laya, Elizabeth Deisy Herrera Bustillos, Esperanza Carmen Quiñones Aldazabal, Ernesto Elias Mamani Tipula, Alex Giovanny Arestigue Navarro, Christian Daniel Palomino Huananchin

Journal of Educational Technology Development and Exchange (JETDE)

Abstract: The objective of this study was to develop and validate a digital literacy scale grounded in the socioformative approach for university students. An instrumental, cross-sectional design was used with a sample of 174 students from Metropolitan Lima. Content validity was established through expert judgment, and construct validity was examined using exploratory factor analysis. The results supported a four-factor structure—Metacognitive-Adaptive ICT domain, Critical digital information management, Multimedia communicative production, and Digital socio-ethical practice—that explained 61% of the variance. Reliability indices were acceptable across dimensions (α=.716–.810; ω=.728–.817). The findings indicate that the scale (EADigit) is a valid and reliable tool for …

Neural Basis Of Private And Social Decision-Making: New Insights From Transcranial Ultrasound Stimulation And Multivariate Analysis, Mathilde Lojkiewiez

School of Psychology Theses

Value-based decision-making is a complex process that requires the integration of many pieces of information, or decision variables, to choose among several options. These decision variables include the expected value of an option, its associated risk, or the anticipation of the emotions that one could experience when seeing the outcomes of all possible options. In some cases, values attributed to options are learnt from experience, and additional strategies can be employed to refine them. One of them is to use information from the social environment in which decisions are made. Observational learning allows one to learn from observing others making …

The Effects Of Altered Partial Pressures Of Gas On Cognitive And Neural Function, Daniel Graham

School of Psychology Theses

Oxygen is central to neural function, yet the precise mechanisms and effects by which varying oxygen levels, whether through Hypoxia, Hyperoxia, or Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy (HBOT), shape cognition and brain activity remain incomplete. This thesis adopts a novel, multi-modal framework that integrates normobaric gas manipulations, cognitive testing, Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS), Electroencephalography (EEG), Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI), and HBOT to examine how gas and pressure variability influences cognitive, motor, and neural processes. Chapter 3 presents the findings of a preliminary experiment investigating normobaric oxygen manipulations on cognition. Standardised cognitive assessments revealed domain-general impairments (i.e. memory and executive function) under …

Fantastical Fright In Life: An Anthology Of Autobiographical Comics, Anh Amy Nguyen

Student Scholarship

No abstract provided.