Digital Commons Network^™

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.

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.

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.

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.

Complex Systems Mapping Of Fiscal Growth Dynamics At Strategic Maritime Chokepoints Using Time-Series Slopes, Rahul Balamurugan, Preethi Nanjundan, Avichal Sharma

Northeast Journal of Complex Systems (NEJCS)

This study examines how maritime and trading states allocate public resources between defence, health, and economic growth around three strategic chokepoints the Strait of Malacca, the Strait of Hormuz, and the Suez Canal. The analysis extends the classic “guns versus butter” framing by treating defence and health spending as co-evolving components of an interconnected fiscal-growth system. Using World Development Indicators data (1999-2024), trend slopes are estimated for military spending (% of GDP), healthcare spending (% of GDP), and GDP growth (annual %). Two derived indicators are computed, a defence-to-health slope ratio (military slope/health slope) and a fiscal-balance proxy (health slope …

Arum–D Nexus: Adaptive Reflexive Urban Metabolism For Complex Construction And Demolition Waste Governance In Bengaluru, Talat Naaz, Rosewine Joy

Northeast Journal of Complex Systems (NEJCS)

Urban material systems exhibit nonlinear dynamics governed by feedback, adaptation, and emergent coupling among institutions, markets, and behaviors. Construction and demolition (C&D) waste in Bengaluru is a great example of such complexity, where fragmented regulation, informal actors, and digital asymmetries coalesce into unstable waste flows and resource leakages. This study conceptualizes Bengaluru’s C&D waste system as a Complex Adaptive System (CAS), where institutional, market, behavioral, and metabolic subsystems co-evolve through nonlinear feedback interactions. A meta-analysis of secondary literature combined with benchmarking of government datasets is used to evaluate two key complexity indicators, i.e., response speed and feedback density. The advancement …

Ai Exposure And The Future Of Work: Tasks, Skill Demand, And Education, Erik Vasilauskas, Michael Horrigan

External Papers and Reports

No abstract provided.

Organic Photocatalysts For Desulfurization Of Fuels, A K M Maksudul Hasan

Master's Theses (2009 -)

Desulfurization of fuels is a critical process for reducing sulfur contents in petroleum-based fuels to mitigate environmental pollution and meet the regulatory standards. Among various pollutants, Sulfur is the deadliest as inhaling leads to coughing, shortness of breath, sinus problem as well as the death of brain cells. Petroleum has a number of organosulfur derivatives, for example in crude oil (0.1 to 6wt% sulfur), which should be removed before using in combustion engines and other applications. High sulfur containing petroleum products used in engines and power plants would lead to the formation of sulfurdioxide (SO2) which would contribute to the …

Instructors' Lived Experiences Of Using Authentic Assessments In College Calculus Courses Across The United States: A Phenomenological Study, Christy Hart Kains

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this transcendental phenomenological study was to describe the lived experiences of instructors with authentic assessments in college calculus courses across the United States. The theory guiding this study was Astin’s student involvement theory, which provided a framework to study the involvement of students in higher education. The central research question for this study was: What are the lived experiences of instructors who utilize authentic assessments in college calculus courses across the United States? This study used a qualitative design following the transcendental phenomenological approach of Moustakas. The sample included 12 instructors from two-year and four-year colleges in …

Green Synthesis And Characterization Of Silver Nanoparticles Using Dadap Serep (Erythrina Lithosperma) Leaves Extract As A Bioreductor, Fairuz Hammad Albahi, Suyatno Sutoyo, Tukiran Tukiran

Chimica et Natura Acta

Silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) had been widely applied in various fields such as health, food, environment, catalysts, optics, and electronics. The synthesis of silver nanoparticles can be carried using a bottom-up method using by bioreductants derived from natural extracts (green synthesis). This study aims to describe the green synthesis of silver nanoparticles using a bioreductants from dadap serep (E. lithosperma) leaves extract and to determine its characteristics. The synthesis was carried out by varying the volume ratio of dadap serep leaves extract to silver nitrate solution at ratios of 1: 1, 1: 2, 1: 3, and 1: 4, followed by optimization …

Local-Nonlocal Dispersal, Behavioral Responses, And Intervention Strategies In Infectious Disease And Addiction Dynamics, Ghilmana Sarmad

Thesis/ Dissertation Defenses

This dissertation explores how epidemiological and behavioral processes interact across spatial and temporal scales to shape the dynamics of infectious diseases and addiction. Bringing together mathematical rigor and biological realism, it develops and analyzes a series of nonlinear models that capture the effects of spatial heterogeneity, mobility patterns, behavioral adaptation, and intervention strategies. Using tools from semigroup theory, functional analysis, stability analysis, and numerical simulation, the study provides a unified framework for understanding how awareness programs, fear-driven protection, vaccination, and social reinforcement influence transmission thresholds, persistence, and long-term population outcomes.

awareness-based interventions, where a basic reproduction number is derived and …

Redesigning A Fitness App Interface For Physiological Constrained Users*, Joseph E. Manzanillo

Campus Research Month

As fitness tracking converges with medical monitoring, inclusive design becomes a matter of health equity. This research utilizes a Polar Beat redesign to address exclusionary "sporty" aesthetics that can exclude 300 million colorblind users. Based in Human-Computer Interaction (HCI), the study implements WCAG AA standards and color-blind-verified filters to mitigate data loss during Situational Induced Impairment (SIID), when high-intensity exercise compromises cognitive and visual processing. By optimizing user journeys for Paralympic and geriatric archetypes, this work demonstrates that accessibility is the essential bridge transitioning mobile fitness apps into viable, inclusive instruments for clinical medical use.

Sau Physical Activity Website (Paw)*, Lisbette Sanchez, Alberto Elizondo, Caleb Tenold, Evelyn Shtereva, Siegwart Mayr

Campus Research Month

Problem: Southern’s Physical Activity Website (PAW) used to track physical activity from students and faculty was no longer functional. Aside from unsupported API versions, there was also an issue with authorization and role assignments.

Solution: Southern’s Center for Innovation and Research in Computing (CIRC) adopted the assignment of restructuring a new web application to track physical activity. This project focuses on building a secure and scalable architecture that connects user devices, third-party fitness APIs, and a centralized database to support activity tracking, workout analysis, and fitness history. By combining modern web development practices with API integration and backend data processing, …

Psychosocial Mediators Of A Physical Activity And Dietary Intervention In Pregnant Women With Overweight Or Obesity, Meghan Baruth, Sarah Wilcox, Jihong Liu, Rebecca Schlaff

Faculty Publications

Background

Mediation analyses provide insight into both ‘pieces’ of the mediation chain; they allow us to look into the ‘black box’ that is behavior change. They allow researchers to better understand the ‘how’ of an intervention’s effects and/or the ‘why’ behind why an intervention worked or did not work. The lack of publications in pregnant populations highlights the need for additional studies to be conducted and published. The purpose of this study is to examine the psychosocial mediators of physical activity and dietary outcomes in a sample of pregnant women with overweight or obesity participating in the Health in Pregnancy …

Unequal Recovery: Climate Gentrification And The Marginalization Of Southern Urban Communities In Disaster Relief, Ryan Simone Anderson '26

Honor Scholar Theses

Increases in the severity and frequency of natural disasters in the United States have highlighted the vast inequalities that low-income communities must be prepared to face and rapidly recover from. In the Southern US, this dilemma is prevalent, with a higher risk of flooding, hurricanes, and tornadoes due to increased exposure to natural disasters and climate-related events. These climate-induced issues have revealed a connection between environmental risks and socio-economic vulnerability. Climate gentrification occurs when lower-income communities are displaced to hazardous or vulnerable areas, while wealthier communities relocate to safer, more protected areas. Well-documented, large-scale disasters such as Hurricane Katrina (2005) …

Sandag’S Regional Climate Action Planning, San Diego Regional Climate Collaborative, Brenda Castruita

San Diego Regional Climate Collaborative

The San Diego Association of Governments (SANDAG) is the regional planning agency responsible for transportation planning, public transit development, and environmental planning in the San Diego metropolitan area.1 Beyond these focus areas, SANDAG aims to promote sustainable growth, enhance mobility, and improve the quality of life of local citizens through comprehensive planning and collaboration with local governments, communities, and various partners. SANDAG is governed by a Board of Directors made up of elected officials from each of the region's local city councils and County Board of Supervisors. In addition to developing plans for how people and goods will move …

Monitoring Koyna Dam Displacements Using Persistent Scatterer Interferometry, Sara Zouriq, Gehan Hamdy, Amr Fawzy, Rejoice Thomas, Hesham El-Askary, Eehab Khalil, Mohamed Elsayad, Tarik El-Salawaky

Mathematics, Physics, and Computer Science Faculty Articles and Research

Monitoring dam stability is critical to ensure structural safety and operational reliability. This study integrates Persistent Scatterer Interferometry (PSI) based on Sentinel-1 SAR imagery (2020–2023) with Finite Element Method (FEM) simulations to assess the behavior of the Koyna Dam in India. PSI detected crest displacements between −1.0 and −1.8 mm yr−1, while FEM simulations predicted a maximum vertical displacement of approximately −3.2 mm at the crest. Although these results represent different quantities (time-averaged displacement rates versus peak static displacement), both approaches indicate millimeter-scale deformation and a consistent pattern of settlement at the dam crest, supporting the interpretation of hydrologically driven …

Adopting Artificial Intelligence: Cross-Sector Analysis Of Ai Adoption Risks, Brandon Saari, Yona Berger, Yanett Munoz, Alex Agnick, Paul Wagner, Robert J. Honomichl

Journal of Cybersecurity Education, Research and Practice

Artificial intelligence (AI) is rapidly being adopted across public and private sectors. This offers significant gains in efficiency, decision making, and access to information. At the same time, AI introduces complex risks related to cybersecurity, privacy, bias, transparency, accountability, and equity that existing governance and security frameworks do not fully address. This paper presents a cross-sector literature review and comparative analysis of AI adoption risks and mitigation strategies across four critical domains: the federal government, libraries, K–12 education, and healthcare. Drawing on peer-reviewed research, institutional frameworks, and policy guidance, the study identifies sector-specific challenges alongside shared systemic gaps, including insufficient …

The Intricate Dance Of Emotions And Psychophysiology: Unveiling The Secrets Of Microexpressions, Jaiteg Singh, Deepika Sharma, Babar Shah, Sukhjit Singh Sehra, Farman Ali, Irfan Hussain

All Works

Background: Emotion recognition plays a pivotal role in behavioral analysis, mental health assessment, and human-computer interaction. Micro-expressions, which are brief and involuntary facial movements, offer valuable insights into concealed emotions. However, validating micro-expressions remains a challenge due to their subtlety and short duration. This study aims to enhance the validation and classification of micro-expressions by integrating electromyogram (EMG) signals with facial action units (AUs). Methods: EMG data was collected using the EMG Muscle Sensor Module V3.0, interfaced with an Arduino Mega 2560 microcontroller. To ensure signal clarity, various data filtration techniques were applied to eliminate noise, motion artifacts, and baseline …

Climate Rhythms And U.S Extremes, Brendan P. Horn

Scholars Week

There is no question that the United States has been hit hard by weather extremes — massive storms, long droughts, and everything in between. We’re often led to believe that our carbon footprint alone drives these events, but the reality is far more complex. While trapped warm water in the Gulf of Mexico can create significant problems, it is far more certain that global climate change follows natural cycles that many are unwilling to acknowledge.

This poster offers a small but clear picture of what truly drives extreme weather in the United States and what we can actually do about …

Morphology, Phylogeny And Distribution Of Scaeurgus (Cephalopoda: Octopoda) In Southeast Pacific Seamounts, Sergio A. Carrasco, Christian M. Ibáñez, Andrea I. Varela, Jan M. Tapia-Guerra, Erin E. Easton, Javier Sellanes

School of Earth, Environmental, & Marine Sciences Faculty Publications

Octopuses of the genus Scaeurgus inhabit upper bathyal benthic habitats and are composed of five recognized species. In this study, we conducted morphological and molecular phylogenetic analyses of two individuals of Scaeurgus and provided additional field observations of the genus in seamounts of the Nazca and Salas y Gómez ridges (southeast Pacific Ocean) over the last six years. Specifically, two specimens of Scaeurgus were collected at 234 m depth in 2019 during the EPIC oceanographic cruise onboard the R/V Mirai (JAMSTEC, Japan), and five other specimens were video recorded at depths between 210 and 340 m during three oceanographic expeditions …

Sex-Specific Differences In Lung Mitochondrial Function And Injury In Rats Exposed To Hyperoxia, Taheri Pardis, Abraham G. Taye, Devanshi D. Dave, Elizabeth R. Jacobs, Guru Prasad Sharma, Anne V. Clough, Ranjan K. Dash, Said H. Audi

Mathematical and Statistical Science Faculty Research and Publications

Hyperoxia is both an essential therapy and a contributor to lung injury in acute respiratory distress syndrome. We hypothesized that adult female rats are relatively protected from hyperoxia-induced acute lung injury (HALI) compared with males and that this protection is associated with sex-dependent differences in lung mitochondrial bioenergetics and H₂O₂ production. Adult rats were exposed to room air (normoxia) or hyperoxia (>95% O₂) for up to 60 h. Lung injury was assessed by pleural effusion, lung wet weight, pulmonary vascular filtration coefficient (K_f), histologic injury scores, and cleaved caspase-3 (CC3) staining. …

Assessing Environmental Changes Before And After The 2018 Kilauea Eruption In Leilani Estates, Hawaii, Rokeya Akter Liza

Scholars Week

The 2018 Kilauea eruption in Hawaii significantly impacted the natural landscape, especially in the Leilani Estates region. The aim of this study was to analyze and compare the environmental conditions of before and after eruption by applying remote sensing techniques. Landsat 8 satellite imagery was used for two different time periods as before the eruption (February 2018) and after the eruption (March 2019). ERDAS Imagine was used to process these images to evaluate the changes in vegetation and land cover. The Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) was calculated for both pre- and post-eruption images to evaluate vegetation changes. Higher NDVI …

Threat-Analysis Oriented Digital Twinning Of Ml-Powered Future Autonomous Weapon Systems, Thomas Neubert

Doctoral Dissertations and Master's Theses

Warfare is undergoing a rapid transformation with the integration of artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) into autonomous weapon systems (AWS) for perception, decision support, and control. As these systems become more software-defined, their cyber attack surface expands across sensing, communications, autonomy logic, and human-machine interfaces. As human oversight diminishes, ensuring the cybersecurity, resilience, and reliability of these systems becomes critical to mission success. This thesis investigates how a digital twin-driven threat modeling framework that integrates system-centric analysis with adversary-informed methodologies can support structured cybersecurity vulnerability evaluation and defensive strategy development associated with ML-powered AWS. First, the study analyzes …

Re: Comment Letter For Butte Priority Soils Operable Unit Draft Leak Detection Monitoring Plan (Dated February 2026), Emma Rott

Silver Bow Creek/Butte Area Superfund Site

No abstract provided.

The Expanding Digital Border: Ai, Surveillance, And The Fight For Justice, James Chesser

Immigration and Human Rights Law Review

As artificial intelligence transforms the mechanisms of immigration control, the modern border has become a digital filter—one governed less by geography and more by code. This Article examines the legal, technical, and ethical implications of AI-driven systems now central to global border enforcement, including biometric surveillance, algorithmic risk scoring, and predictive profiling. It explores how states use these technologies not only to manage irregular migration, but to compete for global talent—constructing migration regimes that reward capital and compliance while eroding transparency, due process, and equality.

Through an international and comparative lens, the piece highlights the expansion of algorithmic decision-making across …

Robust Federated Learning With Strategic Adversaries, Manoj Twarakavi

Miners Solving for Tomorrow Research Conference

Federated Learning (FL) leverages the intelligence of untrusted distributed devices through collaborative training. This makes the training process susceptible to malicious behavior. Existing defense mechanisms largely consider an adversary who attacks a proactive FL server without any adaptability. However, they overlook the presence of a strategic adversary. To address this challenge, our work proposes a Robust Game-theoretic framework where the adversary is both strategic and is equipped with the capability of performing large-scale poisoning attacks.

Harnessing Wavefront Shaping Control For Sensing Applications, Pablo Jara

Miners Solving for Tomorrow Research Conference

Diffuse optical tomography (DOT) and functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) enable deep, non-invasive sensing in biological tissue but are fundamentally limited by the photon budget - most injected light is lost to scattering before reaching the detector. Wavefront shaping (WFS) can enhance signal strength inside scattering media via interference, but the conventional diffusion-based sensitivity model breaks down under coherent illumination. We develop a microscopic theory of optical sensitivity that captures interference effects neglected by diffusion theory. We prove analytically that the microscopic and diffusive descriptions coincide under random illumination and identify WFS strategies that enhance sensitivity beyond this limit. The maximum …

Anti-Inflammatory And Insulin-Modulating Effects Of Tithonia-Curcuma-Moringa (Tcm) Formulation In Type 2 Diabetes: An Experimental Study In Mice, Rif’Atul Hawani Burhan, Nabila Shafa Yumna Salsabila, Devita Zulfa Pratama, La Tazkia Aulia Wibowo, Yulian Ervin Maulana, Moh Dliyauddin, Noviana Dwi Lestari, Agung Pramana Warih Marhendra, Aris Soewondo, Hideo Tsuboi, Muhaimin Rifa’I

Karbala International Journal of Modern Science

Type 2 diabetes is a chronic metabolic disorder characterized by hyperglycemia and chronic inflammation. This study investigated the anti-inflammatory and insulin-modulating effects of Tithonia-Curcuma-Moringa (TCM) formulation in type 2 diabetes model. Male BALB/c mice were divided into six groups: normal control, type 2 diabetes control, metformin treatment, and three TCM formulation treatment groups with three different dose combinations. Type 2 diabetes was induced using a high-fat diet combined with streptozotocin injection, supported by sucrose administration. After 21 days of treatment, the spleen and pancreas were isolated for flow cytometry analysis. The results showed that the expression levels of …