Digital Commons Network^™

Debatrix, Vivienne Lu, Huy Ngo, Luke Ponssen, Jonathan Preiss, Ryan Rani

Computer Science and Engineering Senior Theses

Developing public-speaking skills remains a persistent challenge in formal education, constrained by limited instructional time and the lack of scalable, individualized feedback. Existing automated tools address only narrow aspects of this problem, offering text-based coaching against rigid rubrics that fail to capture argument quality, evidence use, or real-time rebuttal skill. This thesis presents Debatrix, an AI-powered platform that enables K-12 students, university learners, and independent self-studiers to debate an intelligent opponent. The system combines automatic speech recognition, large language model-driven rebuttal generation, and a multi-dimensional rhetorical analysis engine that evaluates argument structure, evidence integration, and persuasive technique. Users receive explainable …

Developing A Framework For Mooc Dropout: The Role Of Utilitarian And Hedonic Values In Student Retention, Bipllab Roy, Mave D'Souza, Madhura Laghane

Northeast Journal of Complex Systems (NEJCS)

Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) have expanded access to higher education but continue to face persistently high dropout rates, raising concerns about their long‑term effectiveness and sustainability. This study develops and empirically tests a structural framework that links utilitarian values (perceived usefulness, certificate value, time flexibility), hedonic values (enjoyment, variety and novelty, personal interest alignment), and individual characteristics (goal orientation, self‑efficacy, motivation type) to MOOC student retention. Data were collected through a structured questionnaire administered to 200 MOOC learners from Christ University, Lavasa Campus, and analyzed using Structural Equation Modelling (SEM) in AMOS. The results show that goal orientation, self‑efficacy …

Engineering: What Are We Doing?, Matthew Kuperus Heun

University Faculty Publications and Creative Works

Keynote speech at 2026 Christian Engineering Society Conference and 2026 Association for Christians in Mathematical Sciences Conference

Coupled Ferroelectricity And Phonon Chirality, Xiang-Bin Han, Cong Yang, Rui Sun, Xiaotong Zhang, Thuc Mai, Zhengze Xu, Aryan Jouneghaninaseri, Xiaoning Jiang, Rahul Rao, Yi Xia, Multople Additional Authors

Mechanical and Materials Engineering Faculty Publications and Presentations

Recognizing the coupling between ferroelectricity and chirality in optically active ferroelectrics opens a route for manipulating chirality via ferroelectricity under an external electric field, enabling control over chirality-dependent quantum states. Here, we report the experimental demonstration of the coupling between ferroelectricity and phonon chirality in the molecular ferroelectric triglycine sulfate. By electrically switching the crystal chirality, we achieve reversible and device-compatible control of phonon chirality, as revealed by in situ time-resolved magneto-optical Kerr effect measurements. The Kerr rotation reverses with electric-field switching, while phonon chirality vanishes in the paraelectric phase and is tunable in the racemic ferroelectric state. Furthermore, density …

Experimental Evaluation Of Walking Stability Of Bilateral Transtibial Prosthetic User: A Case Study, Mustafa Sharaf Jaian, Mahmud Rasheed Ismail

AUIQ Technical Engineering Science

Bilateral transtibial amputation presents a complex biomechanical condition in which the loss of biological ankle function and reduced sensory feedback can compromise walking stability. This case study aimed to experimentally evaluate gait stability in a bilateral transtibial prosthesis user under controlled sensory and mechanical walking conditions using a portable G-Walk inertial measurement system. The novelty of this study lies in the use of a structured three-factor experimental protocol that systematically combined visual input, arm posture, and surface type across twelve walking conditions to assess walk quality, propulsion, propulsion symmetry, and pelvic symmetry indices. The participant was a 31-year-old bilateral transtibial …

Are Single-Pilot Operations An Advantage Or A Disadvantage?, Ezgi Berte Erme

International Journal of Aviation, Aeronautics, and Aerospace

This study aims to investigate the potential benefits and drawbacks of Single-Pilot Operations (SPO) and to provide actionable insights for commercial airlines. A qualitative research design was employed, with data collected via online interviews and analyzed thematically and descriptively using MAXQDA 24. The findings indicate that pilots perceive several advantages of SPO, including the power of automation, learning artificial intelligence, minimizing human error, cockpit systems designed for artificial intelligence, more effective decision-making/speed-up in response time, reduced labor costs, reduced pilot fatigue, and reduced need for human factor/performance. Conversely, the perceived disadvantages include diminished lack of situational awareness, lack of communication …

Du Undergraduate Showcase Abstracts: Research, Scholarship, And Creative Works, Sophia Wismar, Henry Staats, Allison Metzler, Chloe Puckett, Rachel Levine, Christa Kilpatrick, Scott Wolf, Joe Walsh, Grace Doolittle, John Engebreston, Zoe Lopez, Christopher Aaby, Audrey Duff, Timothy Sisk, Katelyn Lamberton, Angela Narayan, Gilkah Argueta, Habiba Samir, Girena Tesfazghi, Genet Kenore, Sinit Tesfamariam, Effley Brooks, Abi Newell, Megan Doherty, Natalie Baer, Lexi Blood, Talya Riciputi, Jessica Jimenez, Devin Hernandez, Lynn Clark, Taj Kumar, Sunil Kumar, Allen Rutman, Mira Pronobis, Tess Carson, Anna Sher, Frankie Stroud, Tamra Pearson D'Estree, Alyssa Wilson, Emily Melnick, Jenalee Doom, Yihang Gao, Gwendolyn Geiger, Noah Gettle, Scott Nichols, Clare Ayoub, Cara Dienno, Sunny Walker, Zoe Hansen, Maya Wheeler, Addison Rice, Patrick Martin, Sanjana Acharya, Daniel Mcintosh, Amanda Mckellips, Calli Cain, Justin Blake, Peter Sokol-Hessner, Natalie Miller, Max Weisbuch, Sophia Dellota, John Macikas, Charlotte Snow, Mark Siemens, Zoe Lynch, Alex Huffman, Prachi Shah, Jason Roney, Halcyon Levi, Nicole Herzog, Andrea Koly, Daniel Linseman, Annie London, Xi Yang, Avery Zwisler, Jane Smith, Chaz Contag, Michael Kerwin, Lucy Rand, Grace Schroeder, Michelle Rozenman, Nissa Tapper, Guiming Zhang, Mateo Mazariego-Halpern, Keith Meyer, Julie Do, Dakota Park-Ozee, Travis Herink, Kara Neu, Jonathan Plomin, Eve-Odine Duchaufour, Debbie Gale Mitchell, Tennyson Anderson-Stricklin, Lily Treitz, Samantha Rosenberger, Sierra Griffith, Finley Joseph, Daniel Sampson, Emmy Davis, Skyler Kasnoff, Evon Lopez, Vivian Nguyen, Cassy Young, Franklin Sellner, Martin Tobon, Ila Graham, Zach Billings, Holden Hedit, Decatur Boland, Paul Kosempel, Cory Chandler, Jay Mahoney, Sam Dragan, Susan Dagget, Yarrow Ator, Heidi Vuletich, Owen Weber, Andrew Kloeppel, Petersen Gray, Mandi Schaeffer-Fry, Razleen Bassra, Bryanna Rodriguez, Christina Blue, Taubie Sanders, Rachel Epstein, Luke Milburn, Camryn Evans, Ezra Martinez, Mary Westwood, Gabri Notov, Robin Tinghitella, Lilou Cabrol, Eli Barbour, Juliet Mendik, Selma Myers, Zac Wise, Noah Fahlin, Michelle Knowles, Abigail Hopper, Michael Greenberger, Romi Laclair, Sarah Watamura, Sabrina Efroymson, Casey Barker, Sydney Seltzer, Bryn Yehle, Jennifer Hoffman, Sara Garcia, Ryuka Nagamine, Trevor Briggs, Remy Le Boeuf, Elena Krone, Eileen Farrell, Regan O'Rourke, Elena Roel, Greg Mortimer, Ali Ayoub, Stefani Langehennig, Caitlin Turk, Logan Scmid, Stefan Chavez-Norgaard, Karen Kim, Tatiana Peccedi, Courtney Cassidy, John Sebesta, Rhianna Lewis, Janice Bening-Lacek, Vivian Lawless, Mckenna Hanson, Jeffrey Amidon, Riya Joshi, Ram Ambre, Brady Worrell, Perrin Schneider, Ali Azadani, Brooke Agulnek, Lyndsie Salvagio, Elise Siemanowki, Yan Qin, Andre Allen, Melodie Nguyen, Megan Livengood, Abby Reams, Saffron Hartreeve, Bri Wylie, Sarah Brookman, Mariah Loiacono, Green Russo, Abhia Lodhi, Gabrielle Welsh, Nika Spehar, Shahked Levin, Evrim Baykal, Kimberly Chiew, Jocelyn Torres, Kailey Hicks, Mykaela Tanino-Springsteen, Audrey Bellows, Akam Chahal, Madeline Tepper, Shannon Murphy, Alexa Fonseca, Deborah Han, Cassandra Perez, Oluwatoyin Alaba, Julia Roncoroni, Vy Nguyen, Nana Burn, Sarah Sasse, Rubin Tuder, Anthony Gerber, Nancy Lorenzon, Christine Vohwinkel, Camryn Gunter, Tristan Weber, Sam Rommel, Brian Michel, Muskan Fatima, Alannah Oleson, Kira Frey, Edward Garrido, Beckett Morris, Kerstin Haring, Drew Middleton, Abigail Walpert, Liam Dee, Gabby Ishaw, Cole Carnes, Maddie Weiser, Claire Fox, Valeriia Vlasenko, Kateri Mcrae, Riley Smith, Abigail Templin, Kushani Rajapaksha

DU Undergraduate Research Journal Archive

Abstracts from the DU Undergraduate Research Showcase.

Modulating Electronic Structure With Linearly Fused Pyrazine Units For High-Voltage And Stable Zinc-Organic Batteries Cathode, Min-Jian Zhao, Li-Bin Zhang, Jin-Tao Wang, Kun Ding, Hai-Mei Liu, Yong-Gang Wang

Journal of Electrochemistry

High-voltage n-type organic cathode materials are critical for constructing zinc-organic batteries (ZOBs) with high energy density and long cycle life. However, the intrinsically unfavorable electronic structures and relatively high LUMO energy levels of most n-type materials often lead to sluggish kinetics, high solubility, and suboptimal discharge voltages (< 0.8 V). Here, we design a small molecule, quinoxalino[2’,3’:5,6]pyrazino[2,3-f][1,10]phenanthroline (DPQP), as a ZOB cathode by introducing locally electron-deficient motifs into the conjugated backbone of aromatic compounds. The linearly fused pyrazine units extending the pyrazine–benzene framework effectively optimize the electronic structure, thereby significantly enhancing the discharge voltage. Meanwhile, the expanded π-conjugated plane suppresses dissolution and accelerates charge-transfer kinetics. Benefiting from these features, the DPQP electrode exhibits an exceptional increase in average operating voltage from 0.61 V to 1.07 V (vs. Zn²⁺/Zn) at 0.1 A·g^–1, with an overpotential of only 140 mV. Notably, no discernible voltage decay occurs as the current density increases, indicating rapid and highly reversible redox kinetics. Furthermore, the DPQP cathode delivers outstanding cycling stability, maintaining over 2000 h of continuous operation at 0.1 A·g^{–1 …}

(Co,Ni,Mn,Cu,Zn)O High-Entropy Oxide Nanotubes As Efficient Bifunctional Electrocatalyst For Oxygen Evolution And Hydrazine Oxidation Reactions, Pan-Yan Chen, Wan-Wan Wu, Heng Bian, Wei-Wei Li, Xin-Sheng Zhao, Lu Wei

Journal of Electrochemistry

High-entropy oxides (HEOs) present significant scientific challenges in both design and synthesis due to their multielement and high-entropy nature, which involves complex combinations of multiple metal cations and oxygen anions, typically arranged in equimolar ratios to achieve structural stability. Herein, one-dimensional (Co,Ni,Mn,Cu,Zn)O high-entropy oxide nanotubes (HEO-NTs) are fabricated by means of a gradient electrospinning strategy with a tailored polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) molecular weight distribution and controlled pyrolysis. Benefiting from the HEO features and the synergistic effect of multicomponent sites, the as-synthesized (Co,Ni,Mn,Cu,Zn)O HEO-NTs exhibit exceptional bifunctional electrocatalytic activity for the oxygen evolution and hydrazine oxidation reactions (OER/HzOR). This study offers …

From Theory To Practice: Investigating Process Safety Skills Acquisition And Bridging The Industry Readiness Gap, Brittany Butler-Morton

Theses and Dissertations

Process safety management is vital to companies operating highly hazardous materials or processes, and it is of interest to the engineering community as poor process safety judgments can have catastrophic results. Process safety judgments consider more than the prioritization of safety, as they are often influenced by elements like production, spending, reputation, and time. As such, it’s important to prepare engineering students nearing graduation for the complexity of these judgments and narrow the Theory-to-Practice gap for students entering industry. This work sought to identify 1) how the Theory-to-Practice gap is manifesting in process safety judgments, and 2) how the application …

An Ai-Integrated Methodology For Secure Software And System Development, Ian Matthew Campbell Coston

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Securing interconnected software systems requires more than layering existing frameworks on top of each other. Most current Secure Software and System Development Lifecycle (S-SDLC) models treat security as a phase rather than a design condition, leaving real gaps in governance, access control, and automated enforcement that become critical failure points in Internet of Things (IoT) environments where devices are resource-constrained, long-lived, and frequently insecure by default.

This dissertation introduces the Automated Zero Trust Risk Management with DevSecOps Integration (AZTRM-D) methodology, a novel approach that unifies DevSecOps automation, the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) Risk Management Framework (RMF), and …

Zirconium Metal-Organic Cages: Synthetic Development Of Chromium-Functionalized Ligands, Jim P. Heller, Jonathan E. Pines, Miguel I. Gonzalez

Wetterhahn Science Symposium Posters

Metal-organic cages (MOCs) are a class of highly porous molecules composed of inorganic clusters bridged by highly tunable organic ligands. The synthesis and development of various ligands could allow for more selective and efficient catalysts. Specifically, Chromium-based homogeneous catalysts have recently been commercialized due to their high selectivity in the production of 1-hexene and 1-octene. This project aims to synthesize reusable heterogeneous catalysts composed of chromium-functionalized zirconium MOCs deposited on mesoporous supports.

The current focus of this project is to synthesize and purify the "SNS Ligand." This ligand can coordinate to chromium via its S—N—S moiety. This project specifically focuses …

The Effects Of Solutes On The Growth Of Crystals In Polycrystalline Ice ​, Roberto Nieto Jr, Chinazom Onubogu, Ian Baker

Wetterhahn Science Symposium Posters

The structure of sea ice (NaCl-doped water) differs from freshwater ice. In this project, we will be investigating how ice grows when doped with various solutes such as sodium chloride and sulfuric acid. There are two projects that were investigated. The first project consisted of finding the velocity of the ice growth of deionized water, saltwater, and water doped with sulfuric acid. The second project consisted of observing how the polycrystalline structure of ice differs between deionized water, saltwater, and water doped with sulfuric acid.

Evaluating Soil Health And Crop Yield In Louisiana Agricultural Systems: Impacts Of Best Management Practices And Prediction Models, Hector J. Mendoza Lagos

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

The adoption of conservation management practices is critical for improving soil health, enhancing nutrient use efficiency, and sustaining crop productivity in row crop systems in Louisiana. This study evaluated the role of conservation agronomic practices, soil biochemical indicators, and machine learning predictive models to improve soil nutrient dynamics, soil health indicators, microbial communities (MC), and crop productivity on a corn (Zea mays L.) research plot scale and in a commercial forty-hectare cotton (Gassypium hirsutum L.)-corn-soybean (Glycine max L.) rotation system in northeast Louisiana. The objectives of the study were to evaluate soil nutrient dynamics and MCs under …

A Faith And Technology Resource Hub: Building The Christian Engineer’S Bookshelf, Gayle Ermer, Derek Schuurman

University Faculty Publications and Creative Works

A wealth of material related to the interactions between faith and technology has been generated over time to help Christian engineers reflect on and evaluate their work and technology development more generally. However, there is currently no central location where this large variety of resources can easily be accessed. This paper will describe the process of developing a faith and technology resource hub. The vision for the hub is that it will include a comprehensive searchable directory of resources addressing faith and technology, as well as a browsable, organized, curated, and annotated set of webpages containing links to particularly important …

A Distinctly Christian Understanding Of The Technical Details In Engineering, Paul Griffioen

Faculty Work Comprehensive List

Within engineering disciplines, much attention has been given to developing pedagogical techniques and practical applications that are distinctly Christian. However, not as much attention has been given to understanding technical engineering content from a distinctly Christian perspective. The main reason is that the technical details of engineering seem to be the same for both Christians and non-Christians. After all, does being a Christian have any impact on the content of specific technical details like integration and finite element analysis? Since the vast majority of time in engineering jobs, research, and teaching is spent on specific technical details, this is a …

Measuring Stock Market Inefficiency Using A Multilayer Composite Efficiency Index: A Case Of The Egyptian Exchange, Patrick K. Owido, Hiroki Sayama

Northeast Journal of Complex Systems (NEJCS)

Financial markets play a critical role in resource allocation. Their performance depends on the decisions of millions of independent investors constantly reacting to one another. Their informational efficiency remains a subject of debate across economic systems. When informational efficiency is present at the weak form, historical price information should not consistently predict future returns. Several empirical tests of this hypothesis often focus on the behavior of aggregate market indices, and use individual efficiency proxies such as autocorrelation, GARCH-type volatility, or entropy-based measures to measure efficiency. This has often yielded mixed results, particularly in emerging markets. Here we show that testing …

High-Throughput Robotic Ethanol Inhibition Assays For Engineered Thermophilic Biofuel Strains, Kevin He, Daniel Olson, Marybeth Maloney, Anthony Lanahan

Wetterhahn Science Symposium Posters

Ethanol stress assays are commonly used to evaluate microbial tolerance, metabolic adaptation, and fermentation performance. However, manual liquid handling introduces variability across replicate wells and small-volume pipetting steps, limiting reproducibility and throughput. This study developed an automated OT-2 robotic workflow to generate replicated ethanol concentration gradients for high-throughput inhibition assays in engineered thermophilic biofuel strains. Kinetic plate-reader measurements were used to quantify ethanol-dependent growth responses under anaerobic fermentation conditions. The reasearch question is: How do engineered thermophilic biofuel strains differ in ethanol-dependent growth inhibition under anaerobic fermentation conditions, and can automated robotic assays improve the reproducibility of these measurements? Can …

Electropulse Annealing: Phase Composition Of Tial6v4, Vaughn Eckhardt, Ethan Croke, Ian Baker, Russ Taylor

Wetterhahn Science Symposium Posters

Titanium alloy TiAl6V4 is the most ubiquitous titanium alloy used for dental care, aerospace manufacturing, and for high performance vehicles. The material typically undergoes a thermal heat  treatment, but electropulse annealing is another process that involves sending current through the material to heat it up at a quicker rate. The rate of post-annealing cooling is high, and around the material's critical point, its two components, alpha and beta phase, change in relative concentration. After testing multiple current densities and temperatures, in general, as the current density that the sample received during electropulse annealing decreased, both the alpha and beta phases …

Enhanced Population Mean Estimation Using An Exponential Estimator With Known Medians Of Dual Auxiliary Variables Within A Neutrosophic Approach: Applications In Agricultural Yield Prediction, Anchal Yadav, Mukesh Kumar

Neutrosophic Systems with Applications

In classical statistical theory, estimation of population parameters is generally carried out under the assumption that all observed data are precise, complete, and free from ambiguity. However, in many practical and real-world situations, data often deviate from these ideal conditions and instead appear in vague, uncertain, or interval-valued forms. Such imperfections reduce the effectiveness of traditional estimation techniques and motivate the development of more flexible and robust methodologies. To address these challenges, several improved estimators, particularly neutrosophic ratio-type estimators and their advanced extensions, have been proposed in recent literature. In this study, a new estimator known as the two auxiliary …

On Some Properties Of Generalised Regular Anti-Topological Space, Bhimraj Basumatary, Gugu Narzary, Jeevan Krishna Khaklary

Neutrosophic Systems with Applications

This article studies Regular Anti-open sets and Generalised Regular Anti-open sets within a topological framework, addressing the limited development of anti-open structures in generalised topology. We introduce Regular Anti-open sets and establish their fundamental properties. The study is extended by defining Generalised Regular Anti-open sets, providing a broader and more flexible class of sets. Furthermore, the notions of GR-interior and GR-closure are introduced and analyzed, and their essential properties are obtained. The results contribute to a clearer understanding of generalized anti-open structures and provide a basis for further research in topology.

Optimization Of A Multi-Item Supply Chain Model With Shortages Under Parametric Type-2 Interval Environments, Sourav Kumar Kumar Giri, Totan Garai, Sahidul Islam, Haridas Mondal, Shariful Alam

Neutrosophic Systems with Applications

Modern supply chain systems frequently operate in environments where demand, costs and inventory-related parameters are uncertain and difficult to estimate accurately. These uncertainties become more critical in multi-objective decision-making situations, where decision makers must simultaneously balance several conflicting goals. Conventional optimization techniques often fail to represent the ambiguity and vagueness present in practical decision environments. To overcome these limitations, this study develops a multi-item supply chain model for a single supplier and a single buyer by incorporating Type-2 interval representations into the modelling framework. The proposed approach introduces a structured set of arithmetic operations for Type-2 intervals to manage uncertain …

Classes Of Analytic Functions Defined By Salagean Derivative Operator Associated With Neutrosophic Generalized Poisson Distribution, Soliu O. Opeyemi Okunola, Olushola Adeyemo, Sayo A. Abidemi Gbangbala, Folorunso I. Isola Akinwale

Neutrosophic Systems with Applications

This study introduces and analyses new subclasses of analytic functions by applying the Salagean derivative operator to the Neutrosophic Generalized Poisson Distribution (NGPD) series. We develop a model where the mean parameter is treated as an interval or set to account for indeterminacy in complex systems. By employing Stirling numbers of the second kind and decreasing factorials, we derive necessary and sufficient coefficient inequalities and inclusion relations for these new subclasses. Numerical results and graphical illustrations demonstrate the sensitivity of these functions to orientation and the neutrosophic parameter, providing a framework for applications in fields like medical imaging and network …

A Goal Programming Approach For Finding The Best Compromise Solution Of Multiobjective Linear Programming Under Neutrosophic Environment, Sultan S. Alodhaibi, Hamiden Abd El- Wahed Khalifa

Neutrosophic Systems with Applications

Decision problems often involve multiple objectives that conflict, making simultaneous optimization impossible. These problems require trade-offs to achieve a solution that balances the competing goals. In this paper, the detailed discussion that is related to linear programming (SVTrNFMOLP) with single valued trapezoidal neutrosophic numbers is made. Furthermore, this study deals with all the related parameters and discussion. As rank function and due to its definition, the SVTrNFMOLP is transformed in the crisp MOLP. It is noticed that goal programming is best to get the best compromise solution. The advantages of the proposed approach are: The use of Tr allows the …

Wake-On-Anomaly Federated Architecture For Privacy-Preserving Poultry Health Early Warning, Mahmoud Aziz Louati

Masters Theses

Highly pathogenic avian influenza outbreaks, respiratory disease, heat stress, and silent equipment failures share one operational reality: they are detected too late because today’s poultry-health workflow is reactive, manual, and dependent on producers volunteering commercially sensitive data. This thesis presents a wake-on-anomaly federated architecture that addresses both the detection-latency problem and the privacy–adoption deadlock that has so far prevented cross-farm collaboration. The architecture is organized in two tiers. Tier 1 is a lightweight LSTM autoencoder that continuously screens four routine telemetry channels (water, feed, house temperature, activity proxy) and emits a per-window reconstruction-error score. A debounced k-of-m trigger with cooldown …

Isometric Force Characterization Of Braided Pneumatic Actuators, Ben Bolen, Mohammad Elzein, Lawrence Pang, Alexander Hunt

Mechanical and Materials Engineering Faculty Publications and Presentations

Artificial muscles such as braided pneumatic actuators (BPAs) offer many advantages for robotic systems, including high durability and strength-to-weight ratios. However, their use in robotic systems is still extremely limited, in part due to their poor force, length, and pressure characterization. In this work, a test setup is created to compare force produced by Festo fluidic BPAs with leading models. Our analysis of the data has resulted in (1) the development of new equations to calculate force as functions of pressure and contraction for Festo BPAs with uninflated diameters of 10 mm and 20 mm, and (2) a novel equation …

Mining And Sustainable Development In Sierra Leone: The Role Of Institutional Quality, Ibrahim Massaquoi

Journal of Sustainable Mining

While mining can drive economic growth, create jobs, and promote infrastructural development, it also poses risks to the environment, human health, and social well-being. Therefore, to achieve sustainable development, responsible mining is crucial. This study empirically examines the role of institutional quality in the mining-sustainable development nexus in Sierra Leone. With the use of the planetary pressures-adjusted human development index (PHDI) as a comprehensive measure of sustainable development, the study is able to integrate economic, social, and environmental dimensions. The autoregressive distributed lag (ARDL) model confirms the existence of both short-run and long-run dynamics. The results of the study show …

Integrated Passive Design Strategies For Enhancing Energy Performance Of Hotel Buildings In Hot-Arid Climates: A Simulation-Based Study, Esraa Ebrahiem Abu-Elenain

HBRC Journal

Sustainable architectural design strategies offer effective solutions for enhancing energy efficiency and reducing operational costs in energy-intensive buildings, such as hotels in hot-arid climates. However, limited research has addressed the integrated application of multiple passive design strategies within hotel buildings using a unified simulation-based framework. This study investigates the combined application of wind catchers (Malqaf), adaptive mashrabiya shading systems, and high-performance glazing on a proposed hotel floor in Ras Sedr, Egypt. The design was modeled in Autodesk Revit and analyzed through dynamic simulation using EnergyPlus. A comparative approach was adopted, including a baseline scenario and an improved design scenario. The …

Enhancing Social Activity Through Climate-Adaptive Design In Hot-Humid Campus Open-Spaces: A Case Study Of The University Of Basrah In Iraq, Noor A. Almansor, Farah Ahmed Thiab, Riyam Rajab Fenjan

HBRC Journal

Outdoor open spaces between university buildings support students' community interactions and academic achievements. However, in hot-humid climate zones, some of these spaces lack activity and experience social withdrawal due to thermal discomfort. This is seen on the University of Basrah campus. To address this, the study aimed to identify the most suitable climate-adaptive design pattern to improve thermal comfort and, in turn, enhance students' social presence in the University of Basrah's neglected, peripheral outdoor campus spaces. A convergent mixed-method case study was applied. First, measurable environmental and social factors were identified from related studies. Next, two open spaces in the …

The Impact Of Climate Change On Glass Facades: A Bibliometric Analysis, Pelin Akın, Güneş Mutlu Avinç

HBRC Journal

Climate change has direct impacts on the design and performance of building envelopes, necessitating new approaches in the discipline of architecture. In this study, a bibliometric analysis was conducted to understand the effects of climate change on glass façade systems. The 612 academic publications obtained from the Web of Science database were analyzed through R Studio Biblioshiny. Within the scope of the study, publication trends, key themes, prominent authors, institutions and geographical distributions were evaluated in detail. According to the findings of the research, it was indicated that research has gained momentum especially after 2016, focusing on themes such as …