Digital Commons Network^™

From The Last Frontier To The Final Frontier: The Polar Regions And Space Security, Michael Lynch

Space and Defense

This article examines the intersection of Arctic geopolitics and space security amid intensifying U.S., Russian, and Chinese competition. Melting ice has opened access to resources and new sea routes, elevating the Arctic’s strategic value while increasing reliance on space-based communications, navigation, and surveillance. Yet, vulnerabilities in polar orbits, aging ground infrastructure, and dual-use facilities expose critical systems to environmental hazards and geopolitical risks. The analysis highlights modernization efforts—including SHIELD and Golden Dome—as well as enduring cooperation and rivalries, underscoring the Arctic’s role as both a frontier of opportunity and a potential flashpoint in space-enabled security.

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Same But Different: The Survivability Of Arctic-Based Russian Second-Strike Capability, July Decarpentrie

Space and Defense

This article analyzes the survivability of Russia’s second-strike capability in the Arctic through the lens of classical nuclear deterrence theory. Despite heavy commitments in Ukraine, Moscow continues to modernize its Northern Fleet and reinforce bastion defenses, underscoring the Arctic’s role as the cornerstone of its retaliatory deterrent. While these strategies mirror Cold War practices, they face unprecedented challenges from NATO expansion, multipolar competition, and advances in anti-submarine detection technologies. The study concludes that safeguarding Russia’s second-strike capability not only shapes regional security dynamics but also has broader implications for global strategic stability.

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Atomic Offsets: Nuclear Policy Shifts For Arctic States In The Wake Of Moscow’S Special Military Operation, Molly Wise, Lillian Hussong

Space and Defense

This article examines how Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine has intensified nuclear reliance among Arctic states. Applying a new framework of “conventional-nuclear vulnerability,” it analyzes the nuclear policy shifts of Sweden, Finland, and Russia. The findings show that Finland and Sweden pursued NATO membership to secure nuclear guarantees, while Russia adopted riskier nuclear signaling and lowered thresholds for nuclear use. These developments highlight the growing centrality of nuclear deterrence in Arctic security, underscoring the challenges for U.S. and NATO policymakers in balancing assurance and deterrence in a volatile regional environment.

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Russian Strategic Culture And Deterrence In The Arctic, Lana Obradovic, Bethany Vailliant

Space and Defense

This study analyzes Russia’s evolving strategic culture to assess its implications for deterrence in the Arctic. It argues that Western deterrence frameworks insufficiently account for Russia’s integration of military, economic, informational, and political tools into a holistic strategy. Rooted in a siege mentality and aspirations for great power status, Russia perceives the Arctic as central to its security, economic modernization, and geopolitical influence. By situating Arctic policy within this cultural framework, the analysis highlights the need for U.S. and NATO practitioners to reassess assumptions and develop more culturally attuned deterrence strategies.

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Space And Defense Vol. 16 No. 1 Summer 2025 Special Issue On Arctic Security (Whole Issue), Editors Space And Defense

Space and Defense

Articles that cover issues on Artic Security.

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U.S News & World Report 2025 Graduate Program Rankings, Unlv & Unr, Dre Boyd-Weatherly, Caitlin J. Saladino, William E. Brown Jr.

Higher Education

This fact sheet presents 2025 graduate program rankings for the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV) and for the University of Nevada, Reno (UNR) based on the data published in spring 2025 by U.S. News & World Report. The graduate program categories reported include business, education, engineering, fine arts, law, medicine and health care, sciences and mathematics, and social sciences and humanities.

Planning And Policy For Safer Roads With Autonomous Vehicles: Moral Decision Making Behavior In Dilemma-Inducing Situations, Fatemeh Nazari, Mohamadhossein Noruzoliaee

Civil Engineering Faculty Publications

This study develops a Dynamic Bayesian Network (DBN) framework to examine how public confidence in autonomous vehicle (AV) safety and willingness-to-ride respond to policy interventions in crash-imminent pedestrian–passenger prioritization scenarios. Using stated preferences survey data from San Francisco (SF) and San Antonio (SA), the model integrates baseline attitudes, socio-demographic factors, and policy conditions to simulate both intra-slice and inter-slice dependencies. Results from empirical-mix simulations indicate that SF respondents, despite having higher baseline confidence and willingness-to-ride, exhibit greater sensitivity to policies prioritizing pedestrians, with significant declines across all scenarios. By contrast, SA respondents show comparatively stable and modestly positive shifts, particularly …

Re-Engaging Driver Attention Using Chatgpt: A Multimodal Study On Stress Impact And Driving Performance, Alaa Zaki Elfiqi

Theses and Dissertations

Driving is considered a complex task that requires continuous focus and attention from the driver. Driving performance can also be impacted by changes in the driver’s stress level. However, limited research explores methods to address this challenge. With the current advances in Large Language Models (LLMs) and their ability to engage in human-like interaction, this study investigates the potential of using ChatGPT, designed to speak Egyptian Arabic, in re-engaging driver attention under different driving scenarios for low-stress and high-stress conditions within a virtual reality (VR) environment driving simulator. Drivers were asked to follow a leading car into two scenarios with …

Depaul Digest

DePaul Magazine

College of Communication faculty Matthew Ragas and Ron Culp mentor students on gaining access to executive-level administration. News briefs on exciting developments at DePaul University’s 10 colleges and schools, from nursing students studying public health protocols in Prague to a new DePaul-hosted conference exploring AI in filmmaking. DePaul alumni volunteers share their experiences spreading the Vincentian mission nationwide.

Palpation Characteristics Of An Instrumented Virtual Cricothyroidotomy Simulator, Melih Turkseven, Trudi Di Qi, Ganesh Sankaranarayanan, Suvranu De

Engineering Faculty Articles and Research

Cricothyroidotomy (CCT) is a critical, life-saving procedure requiring the identification of key neck landmarks through palpation. Interactive virtual simulation offers a promising, cost-effective approach to CCT training with high visual realism. However, developing the palpation skills necessary for CCT requires a haptic interface with tactile sensitivity comparable to human fingers. Such interfaces are often represented by plastic partial mannequins, which require further adaptation to integrate into virtual environments. This study introduces an instrumented physical palpation interface for CCT, integrated into a virtual surgical simulator, and tested on 10 surgeons who practiced the procedure over a training period. Data on haptic …

Multi-Layer Support For Component-Based Cyber-Physical Systems Applications, Oren Bell

McKelvey School of Engineering Graduate Student Theses & Dissertations

Component-based design is a paradigm meant to aid in development of software applications by modularizing different functionalities of a system. This building-block approach is used extensively in cyber–physical and robotic systems. Common and established solutions to specific problems, such as perception nodes, state estimators, and motion planners, can be developed, verified, and reused as off-the-shelf modules. These modules may be integrated atop today’s heterogeneous hardware platforms, where an application can be distributed across GPUs, FPGAs, and CPU cores. When heterogeneous computational devices share the workload of a collection of components, the very act of integration may inject timing uncertainty. For …

Moment Ensemble Approaches For Estimation And Robust Quantum Control, Andre Luiz Paes De Lima

McKelvey School of Engineering Graduate Student Theses & Dissertations

Large-scale population dynamics governed by ensemble systems present significant challenges due to their inherently high dimensionality. Recent advances have demonstrated the effectiveness of moment-based methods (particularly those employing polynomial bases such as Legendre and Chebyshev polynomials) when integrated with optimization techniques for control design in ensemble systems. However, these methods have not been extensively explored for enhancing robustness against systematic noise, nor have they been widely applied to complex quantum systems involving multi-parameter configurations and entanglement phenomena. In this work, we extend the application of moment methods in ensemble systems through two projects. Initially by developing a Kalman filter analogue, …

Design And Evaluation Of An Electromagnetic Band Gap Structure For Self-Interference Reduction In Mmwave Full-Duplex Systems, Adewale Kehinde Oladeinde

Dissertations and Theses

Full-duplex (FD) wireless is a new technology that allows a device to transmit and receive at the same time and on the same frequency band. It has the potential to double the capacity and spectral efficiency of a wireless link compared to the family of conventional half-duplex wireless systems. The key challenge in implementing FD wireless communication is self-interference (SI): a node's transmitting signal generates significant interference to its receiver. Several previous studies have demonstrated the potential to reduce SI and develop FD radios; however, these studies are mostly limited to sub-6 GHz systems. Previous and on-going research explored various …

Advancing Autonomous Swarm Behavior In A Simulated Anti-Access Area Denial Environment, Chad Macwilkinson, Lance E. Champagne, Phillip M. Lacasse

Faculty Publications

This study proposes the application of a four dimensional framework of autonomy to a weapon swarm of high subsonic cruise missiles.

Encountering And Mitigating Selfish Mining In Bitcoin Mining Pools, Jeyasheela Rakkini M J

Theses and Dissertations

Blockchain, an innovative decentralized distributed, disrupting programming paradigm embodies key principles such as decentralization, data provenance, immutability, and transparency. At its core blockchain begins with the genesis block and progresses with each subsequent block containing the hash of the previous block, Merkle root, timestamp, a coin base transaction address, and a nonce. Miners compete to discover a target hash value (hash value of the previous block and nonce) for the current block, that is less than or equal to the difficulty value set by the system, a process known as mining.

This work encounters selfish mining attacks in bitcoin mining …

Ai Based Early Detection Of Hormonal Imbalance And Poly-Cystic Ovary Syndrome In Young Women, Reka S

Theses and Dissertations

A hormonal disorder, Poly-Cystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS) usually affects women during the reproductive age. It is characterised by imbalances in hormones, particularly a rise in the female body's androgen level (male hormone) and enlarged ovaries with small cysts. PCOS can cause ovarian cysts, weight gain, acne, excessive hair growth, insulin resistance, and irregular menstrual cycles along with other health problems. While the exact origin of PCOS is uncertain and its symptoms are unclear, diagnosing PCOS in real-world conditions is a difficult task. Therefore, prompt and precise PCOS diagnosis is essential for efficient treatment and for averting long-term issues.

Clinicians typically …

Bioprospecting Of Wheat Straw Pyrolysis Aqueous Phase To Combat Multi-Drug Resistant Pathogens, Srividhya K

Theses and Dissertations

Hospital-acquired infections (HAIs) significantly contribute to the emergence and spread of antimicrobial resistance (AMR), primarily through the contamination of high-touch surfaces. Current disinfectants have drawbacks like high environmental persistence, ecotoxicity, and resistance development, prompting the need for environmentally friendly alternatives.

One potential approach is pyrolysis, during which the biomass components are broken down into solid, liquid, and pyro-gas. The aqueous phase of the liquid fraction is usually discarded as waste, but it contains a variety of organic compounds that have the potential for antibacterial and antifungal activity. The present study assessed the anti-infective and anti-biofilm properties of wheat straw pyrolysis …

Investigation Of Dependency Parsing Techniques For Digital Document Analysis Through Deep Learning Approach, Rekah D Ms

Theses and Dissertations

Digital document dependency parsing is a significant task in natural language processing. Dependency parsing supports verification of the grammatical correctness of a sentence besides enabling extraction of relevant documents. Inappropriate extraction of features may result in falsely parsing a document, leading to decreased accuracy. Machine learning methods have been employed to perform feature extraction. However, selecting pertinent features was never achieved which minimizes the time consumption and overhead.

Hence, novel machine learning and deep learning techniques have been designed in our work for accurate and computationally efficient digital document analytics through dependency parsing. Four different contributions have been proposed for …

Cyclone Intensity Prediction In The Bay Of Bengal Using Deep Learning Methods, Senthil Kumar J

Theses and Dissertations

The Bay of Bengal region's coastlines have been badly devastated by tropical cyclones, as the region experiences an average of five to six cyclones per year, with about two to three of these intensifying into tropical storms or severe cyclones. Thus it necessitates to study the accurate and efficient forecasting of their intensity to improve preparedness and response to natural disasters. The present study compares and examines three distinct approaches to cyclone intensity prediction using historical datasets from 1998 to 2020: hybrid optimisation, deep learning-based, and empirical approaches.The predicted accuracy, computational effectiveness, and feasibility for real-time scenarios of each model …

Design Of An Integrated Lightweight Cryptographic Algorithm For Device Level Security And Fraternal Cryptographic Algorithm For Communication Security In Medical Cyber Physical Systems, Vimala Devi P

Theses and Dissertations

Healthcare involves detecting symptoms, diagnosing conditions and giving treatment to patients. It is one of the fundamental human rights, and it might be difficult to provide healthcare to those with chronic illnesses, elderly people with disabilities and those under distant observation. The World Health Organisation (WHO) states that Cardio Vascular Disease (CVD) is the leading cause of death worldwide.

According to the prediction, CVD-related causes such as heart attacks and strokes, could result in 23.3 million deaths by 2030. In addition, the number of people with diabetes will reach 246 million; thereby, the prevalence of CVD patients and diabetics will …

Investigations Of Secure Memory For Vlsi Based Crypto System, Vijay Sai R Mr

Theses and Dissertations

Semiconductor technology is growing very rapidly in their architectural developments, involving the usage of processor and memory. Presence of memory, in general is a vital commodity in various devices which are almost embedded into human activity, from robust work stations to handy mobile phones. Security of data stored in memory is very important, and hence, observation must be made that these valuable data should not be thwarted by malicious means. Security in cache memory is a major issue in memory related applications such as smart cards and bio-metric implementations.

Cache, is a small and limited memory located between central processing …

Multi-Layered Framework For Llm Hallucination Mitigation In High-Stakes Applications: A Tutorial, Sachin Hiriyanna, Wenbing Zhao

Electrical and Computer Engineering Faculty Publications

Large language models (LLMs) now match or exceed human performance on many open-ended language tasks, yet they continue to produce fluent but incorrect statements, which is a failure mode widely referred to as hallucination. In low-stakes settings this may be tolerable; in regulated or safety-critical domains such as financial services, compliance review, and client decision support, it is not. Motivated by these realities, we develop an integrated mitigation framework that layers complementary controls rather than relying on any single technique. The framework combines structured prompt design, retrieval-augmented generation (RAG) with verifiable evidence sources, and targeted fine-tuning aligned with domain truth …

Application Of Grouted Steel Pipe Micropile Composite Structure In Highway Landslide Treatment, Wu Bing, Liang Yao, Li Jie, Zhao Honghu

Journal of China & Foreign Highway

To optimize the calculation methods and application schemes for reinforcing landslides using grouted steel pipe micropile composite structures,the composition of single-pile composite structures and the combination forms of pile group structures were described.By taking the Bishop method as an example,a stability analysis method and the anti-sliding principle of side (sliding ) slopes reinforced with grouted steel pipe micropile composite structures were proposed,and a calculation formula for the allowable shear resistance of the composite pile was derived.By taking a landslide case from a section of Lijiang‒Panzhihua Expressway as an example,landslide stability analysis and landslide thrust calculation were carried out.The grouted steel …

Factors Influencing Fatigue Damage In Manufactured Sand-Based Ecological Self-Compacting Concrete Pavement, Fu Suanzi, Li Hongyan

Journal of China & Foreign Highway

Ecological-self-compacting concrete (Eco-SCC ) pavements offer advantages such as reduced cement consumption,lower carbon emissions,and improved economic performance.However,their durability has not been sufficiently studied.Based on the literature review and fatigue test data,the fatigue parameters of Eco-SCC were determined using the Chaboche damage evolution model.A finite element model of fatigue damage in Eco-SCC pavement structures was established to compare the fatigue damage distribution under different loading positions,identify the unfavorable loading positions,and analyze the influence of slab thickness and modulus on the durability of Eco-SCC pavements.SCC plate thickness and modulus on the durability of Eco-SCC pavement.The results show that fatigue damage under different …

Adhesion Mechanism Of Geopolymer-Modified Emulsified Asphalt Slurry At Interface With Aggregate, Zhong Chao, Yang Hao, Lin Juntao, Xiao Yue

Journal of China & Foreign Highway

In order to investigate the adhesion mechanism at the interface between geopolymer-modified emulsified asphalt slurry and aggregate,the interfacial adhesion performance was studied by the molecular dynamics method and compared with that of cement-modified emulsified asphalt slurry.In addition,macro-scale splitting strength tests were performed for verification.The results indicate that van der Waals forces play a major role in the adhesion at the slurry-aggregate interface.Under equivalent mix ratios,the interfacial binding energy between the geopolymer-modified emulsified asphalt slurry and aggregate is 6.84% ‒19.99% higher than that of the cement system.The adhesion performance is closely related to the diffusion properties and atomic distribution of the …

Experimental Study On Workability Of Alkali-Activated Red Mud-Based Controlled Low-Strength Materials, Wu Yun, Fang Mingjing², Lin Zhiyang², Liu Zhengwei³, Beng Jianping³

Journal of China & Foreign Highway

This study aims to optimize the mix design of alkali-activated red mud-based controlled low-strength materials (CLSMs ) to enhance their applicability in road engineering backfilling.The effects of red mud content (20% ‒ 50%),water-to-solid ratio (0.30‒0.36),sand-to-soil ratio (7∶3‒4∶6),polycarboxylate superplasticizer (PEC ) dosage (0%‒2.1%),and fly ash to mineral powder ratio (5∶1‒0.5∶1) on the flowability and bleeding resistance of the materials were systematically investigated.The results are as follows:① The water-to-solid ratio significantly influences flowability.Increasing it to 0.32‒0.34 improves flowability by 39%‒78%,but when the ratio exceeds 0.34,the bleeding rate increases significantly (up to 4.89%);② When the red mud content is 30%‒40%,the high specific surface …

Wind Tunnel Test Study On Vortex-Induced Vibration Performance Of Cable-Stayed Bridge With Double-Side Box Open Section Composite Main Girder, Zhou Guohua, Du Guoqiang, Pei Shan, Ding Wangxing, Zhu Zhiwen

Journal of China & Foreign Highway

In order to evaluate the vortex-induced vibration (VIV ) performance of a single-tower ground-anchored cable-stayed bridge with a double-side box open section composite main girder,sectional model wind tunnel tests were conducted under different wind angles of attack and wind speeds.The results show that the torsional stiffness of the π-shaped open section main girder is significantly higher than its vertical bending stiffness.The dominant vibration mode of the main girder is the obvious vibration of the main span,while the ground-anchored abutment effectively stabilizes the cable tower through the back stays.At the damping ratio level specified in the code,within the range of prevailing …

Damage Localization Of Simp Ly Supported Beams Based On Deflection Influence Surfaces Calculated By Three-Dimensional Boundary Face Method, Yin Xinfeng, Luo Zonghao, Yan Wanli, Kaiersaer ∙Tuerdi

Journal of China & Foreign Highway

The deflection influence surface (DIS) of a spatial structure is difficult to calculate using the existing two-dimensional boundary element method.To address this issue,a damage localization method based on DIS calculated using the three-dimensional boundary face method (BFM ) was proposed.A custom BFM program with an internal loop was developed,and the internal forces and deformations of a square plate and a supported T-beam structure were calculated using the static method.By specifying the domain of the order of a bivariate polynomial function (BPF ),a secondary optimization program for influence surfaces was established,and the DIS with the minimum mean square error was obtained.The …

A Review On Connection Forms Between Bridge Guardrails And Bridge Decks, Li Wei, Li Rutao, Jia Ning, Lu Jian

Journal of China & Foreign Highway

In recent years,with the continuous expansion of highway bridge construction in China,there has been a growing public demand to enhance road safety and the protective capabilities of highway bridges.To meet the engineering application requirements of various bridge forms and bridge guardrails,diverse connection structures between bridge guardrails and bridge decks have been studied both domestically and internationally.However,in current engineering practice,the selection of these connection forms remains challenging,lacking clear reference criteria.Using the analytic hierarchy process and supported by experimental data,this paper comprehensively analyzed the advantages and disadvantages of these connection forms by considering factors such as guardrail protection effectiveness,load-bearing reliability,construction convenience,and ease …

Shear Strength Test Of Uhpc-Nc Bonding Surface, Zhang Shichang, Yan Donghuang, Liu Yun, Yuan Sheng, Wang Shuo

Journal of China & Foreign Highway

As a cement-based composite material with excellent mechanical properties,ultra-high performance concrete (UHPC ) demonstrates outstanding performance in tensile and compressive strength,durability,and impermeability.This material is suitable for the reinforcement and repair of normal concrete (NC) bridge structures.To study the shear behavior of the UHPC-NC bonding interface and its reinforcement effect,this paper conducted interface shear tests using Z-shaped specimens and designed a total of six sets of comparative specimens.The influence of parameters such as the planted bar ratio,implantation depth,and bonding surface size on the shear strength was explored.Through experiments,the load –slip curve and the shear strength data were obtained.The results show that:① …