Digital Commons Network^™

Integrating Multi-Source Data With Machine Learning Techniques To Upscale Wetland Carbon Dioxide Fluxes, Abdullah Sulaiman Abdullah Al Fazari

Electronic Theses and Dissertations 2020 - Present

Accurate quantification of atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO₂) fluxes in wetland ecosystems is essential for understanding their role in both regional and global carbon dynamics, particularly in the context of climate change. However, the spatial and temporal heterogeneity of wetlands presents major challenges for developing reliable upscaling models. This research developed and validated a comprehensive framework to upscale CO₂ fluxes across the Everglades National Park (ENP) and Big Cypress National Preserve (BCNP) in South Florida through the integration of multi-source datasets, including AmeriFlux eddy covariance (EC) tower measurements, NASA’s BlueFlux airborne CO₂ data, and multispectral satellite imagery from Landsat 8 OLI …

A Comparative Study On Performance Of Iot-Driven Ml-Enabled Forecasting Models For Efficient Air Quality Monitoring, Bara Ksiksi

Thesis/ Dissertation Defenses

Air pollution is one of the most important and devastating environmental issues that heavily affects public health around the world and it’s the cause of approximately 4.2 million early deaths. This thesis focuses on further improving forecasting models by introducing a zonal approach and satellite-based spatial validation. The main objective is to explore a zonal approach with the ground station data and to add a spatial component using satellite imagery to improve the accuracy of the results. It follows a four-stage evolution framework while focusing on the three different zones chosen. The four stages introduced different aspects which include a …

Drainage Proximity And Sinkhole Occurrence In Sivrihisar (Central Turkey): A Comparative Analysis Of Linear, Poisson, And Negative Binomial Regression Models, Bilge Bingül, Emrah Pekkan, Resul Çömert

International Journal of Speleology

This study investigates the relationship between sinkhole occurrence and distance to drainage in the Sivrihisar region (Central Turkey) and evaluates the suitability of different regression approaches for modeling clustered count data in karst terrains. A comprehensive inventory of 104 sinkholes developed within the Neogene lacustrine limestones of the Akpınar Formation was compiled using official records, remote sensing analyses, and detailed field surveys. Sinkhole occurrences were analyzed relative to a drainage network derived from a high-resolution Digital Surface Model and grouped by proximity to drainage lines. Linear Regression (LM), Poisson Regression (PR), and Negative Binomial Regression (NBR) models were comparatively applied …

The Efficacy Of Manganese Sulfate As A Negative Contrast Agent For Magnetic Resonance Cholangiopancreatography, Zainab Abdulla Mankhi

Karbala International Journal of Modern Science

The current study aims to find an alternate oral contrast media for use in magnetic resonance cholangiopancreatography (MRCP) that satisfies the following criteria, the greatest imaging quality safety, no or few side effects, and low cost. The present study created an oral contrast agent sample (solution) by dissolving a one tablet of manganese sulfate supplement (taken daily dose) in 200 ml of distilled water. Thirty-three volunteers assessed the sample using MRCP examine pre and post contrast. By evaluating the signal intensity to compute contrast (C), signal to noise ratios (SNR), and contrast to noise ratio (CNR), the resulting MR images …

Heavy Metal In Water Resources, Zuming Bi, Jeanne Sumrall

SACAD: Scholarly Activities

Heavy metal pollution in surface water has posed a serious threat to human health. The goals of this research are to analyze the concentration and distribution of key heavy metals and compare the measured values with global standards. This study analyzed major heavy metals like Fe, Mn, Cu, Pb, and Ag across several test points in Kansas and converted them to standard units mg/L. Based on the statistical graph, heavy metal iron and manganese levels are exceeded USEPA and WHO limits several times,  while other heavy metals stay in the safe range. The results indicate that the pollution in Kansas …

Groundwater Nitrate Contamination In Western Kansas, Sihui Wei

SACAD: Scholarly Activities

Groundwater nitrate contamination is a significant environmental concern in agricultural regions of the United States. In Kansas, nitrate concentrations in some groundwater systems approach or exceed the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) maximum contaminant level of 10 mg/L. This study analyzes nitrate concentration data from groundwater samples in western Kansas, with a focus on the High Plains aquifer, where agricultural activity is intensive. Using data analysis and regression methods, spatial patterns in nitrate distribution were identified. Results indicate that nitrate concentrations vary across sampling locations, with higher levels generally associated with regions of intensive agricultural activity. Several sites approach or exceed …

Desialylation And Sialidase Secretion From Monocytes And Macrophages Upon Lps Activation, Yu Zhao, Majdi Aljohani, Morgan Pychowycz, Xue-Long Sun

Chemistry Faculty Publications

Introduction The cell surface expresses a dense layer of glycans often terminated with sialic acids (Sias), known as sialylation, which represents different cellular statuses. Meanwhile, the removal of Sias from the glycans catalyzed by sialidase (desialylation) is also involved in many biological processes, such as inflammatory responses. Previous studies demonstrated that desialylation is involved in LPS/TLR4 signaling pathway and pro-inflammatory cytokine production. In this report, we systematically profiled desialylation and sialidase activity, expression and secretion from monocytes and macrophages upon LPS activation.Methods THP-1 monocytes and THP-1 macrophages were activated by LPS (100 ng/mL) for 24 hours. The cellular Sia changes …

Mathematical Modeling, Analysis And Numerical Simulation Of Air Quality Using The Advection-Diffusion-Reaction Equation, Md Timorul Islam

Math Theses

In this thesis, we study an air quality model by using a nonlinear one-dimensional advection-diffusion-reaction system of partial differential equations for NO-NO2-O3 chemical cycle. The model incorporates advection, diffusion, chemical reactions, and source terms, and is formulated based on standard atmospheric chemistry.

We first develop numerical methods to approximate the solutions of the governing equations. Both explicit and implicit finite difference schemes are considered, and the implicit scheme provides approximations without any restrictions on the stability.

The model is then nondimensionalized to identify key parameter combinations governing the system. This leads us to a regime in which the transport and …

Negotiating Digital Identities With Ai Companions: Motivations, Strategies, And Emotional Outcomes, Renkai Ma, Shuo Niu, Lingyao Li, Alexander Hirth, Ava Brehm, Rowajana Behterin Barbie

Computer Science

AI companions enable deep emotional relationships by engaging a user's sense of identity, but they also pose risks like unhealthy emotional dependence. Mitigating these risks requires first understanding the underlying process of identity construction and negotiation with AI companions. Focusing on Character.AI (C.AI), a popular AI companion, we conducted an LLM-assisted thematic analysis of 22,374 online discussions on its subreddit. Using Identity Negotiation Theory as an analytical lens, we identified a three-stage process: 1) five user motivations; 2) an identity negotiation process involving three communication expectations and four identity co-construction strategies; and 3) three emotional outcomes. Our findings surface the …

Creating Disability Story Videos With Generative Ai: Motivation, Expression, And Sharing, Shuo Niu, Dylan Clements, Hyungsin Kim

Computer Science

Generative AI (GenAI) is both promising and challenging in supporting people with disabilities (PwDs) in creating stories about disability. GenAI can reduce barriers to media production and inspire the creativity of PwDs, but it may also introduce biases and imperfections that hinder its adoption for personal expression. In this research, we examine how nine PwD from a disability advocacy group used GenAI to create videos sharing their disability experiences. Grounded in digital storytelling theory, we explore the motivations, expression, and sharing of PwD-created GenAI story videos. We conclude with a framework of momentous depiction, which highlights four core affordances of …

Characterizing User-Reported Risks Across Llm Chatbots, Lingyao Li, Renkai Ma, Zhaoqian Xue, Junjie Xiong

Computer Science Faculty Research & Creative Works

As Large Language Models (LLMs) become increasingly integral to daily life, users are engaging with multiple LLM chatbots for various needs; however, prior research on LLM risks often remains lab-based or focuses on single LLMs like ChatGPT or singular risks like privacy. To gain a multi-risk, cross-chatbot understanding of user experiences, we analyze Reddit discussions around seven major LLM chatbots using the NIST AI Risk Management Framework. We find that user-reported risks are unevenly distributed and chatbot-specific: ChatGPT is associated with safety and fairness concerns, Gemini with privacy, and Claude with security and resilience. Less frequent risks, such as explainability …

The Promises And Perils Of Using Llms For Effective Public Services, Erina Seh-Young Moon, Matthew Tamura, Angelina Zhai, Nuzaira Habib, Behnaz Shirazi, Altaf Kassam, Devansh Saxena, Shion Guha

Health Services and Informatics Research

Governments are the primary providers of essential public services and are responsible for delivering them effectively. In high-stakes decision-making domains such as child welfare (CW), agencies must protect children without unnecessarily prolonging a family’s engagement with the system. With growing optimism around AI, governments are pushing for its integration but concerns regarding feasibility and harms remain. Through collaborations with a large Canadian CW agency, we examined how LocalLLM and BERTopic models can track CW case progress. We demonstrate how the tools can potentially assist workers in opportunistically addressing gaps in their work by signaling case progress/deviations. And yet, we also …

Coral Reef Hydrodynamics: A Critical Review Of Roughness Indices And Their Characteristic Complexity, Faisal Karim, N. A. K. Nandasena, Lujain Kuruvachalil, Mohamed M. Mohamed, James P. Terry

All Works

This study provides a systematic review of hydrodynamic roughness in coral reef systems, focusing on drag coefficient (Cd), Manning's roughness coefficient (n), friction factor, and rugosity metrics. A structured bibliometric analysis was conducted using Scopus and Web of Science databases, including field measurements, laboratory flume experiments, and numerical studies validated with physical data. Results show substantial variability in roughness parameters across scales and environments. Reported drag coefficients range from 0.002 for smooth sandy beds to values exceeding 7.0 in complex mangrove-reef systems, with typical reef crest values between 0.05 and 0.30. Manning's n varies from 0.01 in smooth channels to …

Ai’S Role In Searching For Evidence: Friend And Foe, Barbara (Basia) Delawska-Elliott, Brandon Wilkinson

Publications 2026-present

No abstract provided.

Statistical Inference Is Not Moral Reasoning: The Case Against Ai On Hospital Ethics Boards, Elan J. Haronian

Seaver College Research And Scholarly Achievement Symposium

As generative AI becomes more integrated in healthcare, it seems inevitable that AI will eventually be used on hospital ethics committees. However, before implementation, their roles need careful consideration. Although AI promises to reduce costs, increase efficiency, and reduce human workloads, there are important ways in which it is limited, especially when human emotion and connection are crucial, as in clinical ethics boards.

In this paper, I highlight several problems preventing AI from being useful on hospital ethics boards. These include issues of opaque reasoning (the “black box” problem), liability, transparency, privacy, and consent. While there are proposed frameworks for …

Bio-Cybersecurity: Securing The Healthcare Industry, Amanda D. Coleman

Cybersecurity Undergraduate Research Showcase

Bio-cybersecurity refers to the aspect of cybersecurity that applies to the biological sciences and the protection of digital biomedical information. Today’s healthcare industry has evolved with the enhancement of internet and biomedical technology. While hospitals and private medical providers remain compliant with the Health Information Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) through traditional means of securing documented patient information, the emergence of beneficial internet-based healthcare services like virtual appointments and digital patient records requires new policies and healthcare cybersecurity frameworks to protect sensitive information from unauthorized access. This paper examines the role of cybersecurity in healthcare, the vulnerabilities that exist and …

Practical, Scalable, And Cost-Effective Nanolc-Ms Workflow For Single-Cell Proteomics, Siqi Huang

Theses and Dissertations

Single-cell proteomics provides a novel research strategy for decoding cellular heterogeneity, revealing the molecular mechanisms of rare cell subpopulations, and studying the dynamic responses of cells to external stimuli. However, compared to transcriptomics, single-cell proteomics faces even more challenging technical challenges: extremely low protein amount in single cells, wide dynamic range, significant adsorptive losses during sample preparation, and the complex matrix and trace sample injection demanding extremely high stability and sensitivity from the separation and detection systems. Mass spectrometry-based bottom-up proteomics has become an important tool for analyzing complex biological systems, and nano-flow liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (nanoLC-MS) exhibits unique advantages …

Modelling The Temporal Dynamics Of Microsporidia Mb Prevalence In Anopheles Mosquitoes Under Environmental Variability, Charlène N. Mfangnia, Matteo Pedercini, Henri E. Tonnang, Jeremy K. Herren

All Peer-Reviewed Publications

Releasing Microsporidia MB-positive mosquitoes is being investigated as a promising component of Integrated Vector Management (IVM) strategies for malaria control. In this study, we developed a System Dynamics model to replicate the observed interactions between humans, mosquitoes, the Plasmodium parasite, and the symbiont MB. The model accounts for the impact of environmental variables - such as humidity, rainfall, and temperature - on mosquitoes, Plasmodium, and MB, using exogenous inputs derived from daily climatic observations (rainfall, relative humidity, and temperature) recorded during the mosquito field surveys. We calibrate the model using data collected from Ahero in Kenya, available for 3 years …

Butte Priority Soils Operable Unit (Bpsou) 2026 Monthly Progress Report. Consent Decree For The Butte Priority Soils Operable Unit. Civil Action No. Cv 89-039-Bu-Seh, Josh Bryson

Silver Bow Creek/Butte Area Superfund Site

No abstract provided.

Dermal: A Multi-Input Deep Learning Model For Improving Access To Dermatological Screening, Aubreye Freeman

ATU Scholars Symposium

According to the World Health Organization's press release on December 12, 2024, global healthcare spending is dropping significantly, leaving a large percentage of the world without proper healthcare. In an attempt to alleviate this problem, with respect to the field of dermatology, we created a deep learning model, Dermatology Enhanced by Recognition and Machine Aided Learning (DERMAL), to assist in diagnosing skin conditions. DERMAL was trained on a portion of the Google and Stanford Medicine's SCIN dataset, which has more than 10,000 images of various skin conditions. The 9 most common skin conditions of the dataset were selected as the …

Investigating The Effect Of Kcl Stress In Raphanus Sativus, Mason P. Oelke

ATU Scholars Symposium

Presented by Stephanie Nelms at the Arkansas INBRE Conference on November 7-8, 2025.

Presented by Mason Oelke at Arkansas Tech Scholar's Symposium on April 9th, 2026.

Potassium is an essential macronutrient for plant growth and development, yet excessive potassium fertilization can induce salt stress with detrimental consequences for crop productivity and nutritional quality. Despite its agricultural relevance, potassium chloride induced stress remains significantly understudied compared to classical sodium-based salinity. This thesis investigates the physiological, biochemical, and molecular responses of Raphanus sativus to KCl stress using an integrated approach that combines germination assays, mineral profiling, and gene expression analysis.

Radish seeds …

Proactive Mental Health Assistance Via Agentic Llm Chatbots With Retrieval-Augmented Generation, Shaira Wajiha

ATU Scholars Symposium

Mental health challenges such as anxiety and depression are widespread, yet often remain unaddressed due to stigma, financial barriers, limited access to professionals, or personal reluctance. To address this gap, we present an accessible AI-powered chatbot that provides preliminary conversational support with empathetic, context-aware responses. The chatbot is trained and evaluated on two publicly available counseling conversation datasets from Huggingface, enabling it to learn and maintain therapeutic dialogue patterns. We compare three advanced LLMs, such as Llama3.1, Mistral 7b, and Qwen3, evaluating them on relevance, empathy, conciseness, and contextual understanding, and all models demonstrate high response quality. Incorporation of a …

Reday Program 2026, Bryant University

Bryant REDay (Research and Engagement Day)

Program for the 2026 Bryant REDay (Research and Engagement Day). Program includes schedule at a glance, descriptions for panels, workshops, and presentations, along with sign-up links for specific sessions in the electronic version of the program. Printed program was in color with double-sided printing on 8 1/2" x 11" paper stapled together in the upper left corner.

Romance Scam Reporting And Support: Help-Seeking Timing, Trust, And Escalation, Ld Herrera

Research & Publications

Built on social engineering and identity deception, romance scams often create financial loss and distress. For victims, it can be difficult to know where to go, what information is needed, and what outcomes are realistic. This paper reports results from an anonymous survey of people who were targeted by or experienced a romance scam (completed surveys: n=386), focusing on (1) when and whether victims first reach out for help, (2) perceived difficulty and confidence in navigating support, (3) how trust relates to expectations of assistance, and (4) how loss severity relates to transfer-method complexity. When help was sought, it was …

2024 Bpsou Stormwater Evaluation And Maintenance Report Annual Stormwater Report For Bpsou Stormwater Structures, Butte-Silver Bow Department Of Reclamation And Environmental Services

Silver Bow Creek/Butte Area Superfund Site

No abstract provided.

Analysis Of The Effects Of Magnetic Field, Heat Transfer, And Thermal Radiation On Blood Flow Through Bifurcated Artery To Enhance Tumor Treatments, Abdullahi Isah, Dauda Gulibur Yakubu, Ali Musa

Tanzania Journal of Science

The work presents the effects of some pertinent parameters on blood flow through bifurcated artery to enhance tumor treatments. Combining appropriately the basic equations, together with the fractionalized Maxwell fluid model allow us to determine the velocity, temperature and concentration of blood flow through bifurcated artery. The study adopted the Atangana-Baleanu fractional time derivative on fluid model to describe the non-Newtonian behavior of blood flow. The numerical simulations were performed using the combined Laplace transform and the method of undetermined coefficients and the results obtained with the aid of Mathcad software were simulated and presented graphically. From the graphical results, …

2022 Bpsou Stormwater Evaluation And Maintenance Report Annual Stormwater Report For Bpsou Stormwater Structures, Butte-Silver Bow Department Of Reclamation And Environmental Services

Silver Bow Creek/Butte Area Superfund Site

No abstract provided.

2023 Bpsou Stormwater Evaluation And Maintenance Report Annual Stormwater Report For Bpsou Stormwater Structures, Butte-Silver Bow Department Of Reclamation And Environmental Services

Silver Bow Creek/Butte Area Superfund Site

No abstract provided.

2024 Bpsou Stormwater Evaluation And Maintenance Report Annual Stormwater Report For Bpsou Stormwater Structures, Butte-Silver Bow Department Of Reclamation And Environmental Services

Silver Bow Creek/Butte Area Superfund Site

No abstract provided.

2023 Bpsou Stormwater Evaluation And Maintenance Report Annual Stormwater Report For Bpsou Stormwater Structures, Butte-Silver Bow Department Of Reclamation And Environmental Services

Silver Bow Creek/Butte Area Superfund Site

No abstract provided.