Digital Commons Network^™

Search For Low-Mass Electron-Recoil Dark Matter Using A Single-Charge Sensitive Supercdms-Hvev Detector, M. F. Albakry, I. Alkhatib, D. Alonso-González, J. Anczarski, T. Aralis, T. Aramaki, I. Ataeelangroudy, C. Bathurst, R. Bhattacharyya, A. J. Biffl, P. L. Brink, M. Buchanan, R. Bunker, B. Cabrera, R. Calkins, R. A. Cameron, C. Cartaro, D. G. Cerdeño, Y. Y. Chang, M. Chaudhuri, J. H. Chen, R. Chen, N. Chott, J. Cooley, H. Coombes, P. Cushman, R. Cyna, S. Das

All Works

We present constraints on low-mass dark matter electron scattering and absorption interactions using a SuperCDMS high-voltage eV-resolution (HVeV) detector. Data were taken underground in the NEXUS facility located at Fermilab with an overburden of 225 meters of water equivalent. The experiment benefits from the minimizing of luminescence from the printed circuit boards in the detector holder used in all previous HVeV studies. A blind analysis of 6.1 g·days of exposure produces exclusion limits for dark matter-electron scattering cross sections for masses as low as 1 MeV/c², as well as on the photon-dark photon mixing parameter and the coupling …

Detecting Stigmatizing Language In Clinical Notes With Large Language Models For Addiction Care, Rohan Sethi, John Caskey, Yanjun Gao, Matthew M. Churpek, Timothy A. Miller, Anoop Mayampurath, Elizabeth Salisbury-Afshar, Majid Afshar, Dmitriy Dligach

Computer Science: Faculty Publications and Other Works

Intensive care units (ICU) produce numerous progress notes that may contain stigmatizing language that perpetuate negative biases and punitive approaches against patients. Patients with substance use disorders are particularly vulnerable to stigma. This study examined the performance of Large Language Models (LLMs) in the identification of stigmatizing language. We annotated a dataset with over 77,000 stigmatizing and non-stigmatizing notes from the MIMIC-III database. We utilized Meta's Llama-3 8B Instruct LLM to run the following experiments for stigma detection: zero-shot; in-context learning; in-context learning with a selective retrieval; supervised fine-tuning (SFT); and keyword search. All approaches were evaluated on a held-out …

Biologically-Inspired Multiscale Neuromorphic Architecture, Christian O'Reilly, Ramtin Zand

Publications

This white paper proposes a biologically-inspired multiscale neuromorphic architecture that bridges key gaps between artificial neural networks (ANNs), spiking neural networks (SNNs), and biological neural networks (BNNs). While SNNs offer promising energy efficiency, their broader adoption remains limited by suboptimal performance and the need for novel learning paradigms. To address these challenges, the proposed framework integrates structural and functional principles observed in the brain, including hierarchical organization, sparse and modular connectivity, predictive coding, and diverse neuronal dynamics.

The architecture operates across micro-, meso-, and macro-scales, incorporating neuron-level diversity (e.g., excitatory/inhibitory and principal/support cells), canonical microcircuits (CMCs), and large-scale hierarchical organization. …

A Solution To The Tension Of Burning On Neutron Stars And Nuclear Physics, Yuri Cavecchi, D. K. Galloway, A. Heger, P. Santillán-Ortega, M. Nava-Callejas, F. M. Vincentelli, Liliana E. Rivera Sandoval, A. Goodwin, Z. Johnston

Physics & Astronomy Faculty Publications

When neutron stars accrete matter from a companion star, this matter forms a disk around them and eventually falls on their surface. Here, the fuel can ignite into bright flashes called Type I bursts. Theoretical calculations based on state-of-the-art nuclear reactions are able to explain many features of the bursts. However, models predict that the bursts should cease at high accretion rates, whereas in many sources they disappear at much lower rates. Moreover, their recurrence times also show strong discrepancies with predictions. Although various solutions have been proposed, none can account for all the observational constraints. Here, we describe a …

Numerical Modeling Of The Magnetic Vector Potential And The Associated Electromagnetic Momenta, John Adams, Christopher L. Duston

Physics Faculty Publications

The idea that the magnetic vector potential A is associated with stored electromagnetic momenta dates back to Maxwell himself. Here, we present numerical modeling results that illustrate the connection between A and associated linear and angular electromagnetic momenta, expanding on previous work which mostly considered examples that could be analytically solved. We first focus on a stationary point charge q interacting with the magnetic fields of a solenoid, separately calculating A(r) and the electromagnetic momentum added to the system in bringing q to r from a distant location where ⁠A ≈ 0. We then model the …

On Resolving The Neutron Lifetime Puzzle, Polievkt Perov

College of Arts & Sciences Faculty Works

The neutron lifetime puzzle, characterized by significantly different lifetime values obtained from bottle vs beam experiments, may stem from differences in how decayed neutrons are counted. Neutron decay is a beta-decay process producing a proton, an electron, and a neutrino. In bottle experiments, the number of decayed neutrons is measured directly. In beam experiments, this number is inferred indirectly by counting the protons resulting from neutron decays. It is proposed that in beam experiments, some protons may capture electrons and form neutral hydrogen atoms, which go undetected by proton detectors. Consequently, not all neutron decay events are counted, leading to …

2026 February - Tennessee Monthly Climate Report, Tennessee Climate Office, East Tennessee State University

Tennessee Climate Office Monthly Reports

Hi All

February 2026 began with a volatile combination of a mid-level low from the Central U.S. and a powerful system moving up the East Coast, trapping Tennessee in a deep freeze. This convergence brought heavy snowfall to East Tennessee while much of the rest of the state was still recovering from a major winter storm just a week prior. On the morning of February 2, record-breaking temperatures hit 15-20°F below normal across the state. In particular, the Bristol/Tri-Cities airport recorded a low of -7°F, breaking its daily record by seven degrees and marking its first sub-zero temperature since 2015. …

Positive Solutions Of Semipositone Singular Three-Points Boundary Value Problems For Nonlinear Fractional Differential Equations, Xueyan Zhang, Zhaocai Hao, Martin Bohner

Mathematics and Statistics Faculty Research & Creative Works

This study introduces the existence of one positive solution for a specific category of semipositive singular three-point boundary value problems associated with Caputo fractional differential equations. The proof relies on the application of the Guo–Krasnosel'skii fixed point theorem. In the end, we provide an illustrative example.

To Hold Or Sell Breeding Cattle In The Rangelands, Department Of Primary Industries And Regional Development, Western Australia

Animal production and livestock factsheets

In a dry season where feed, water and finances are limited, removing less productive animals as soon as possible is a good option. This will free up feed for more productive animals and help preserve ground cover.

This page provides some of the information and a process for making decisions about holding or selling breeding cattle.

Lc-Ms/Ms Method Development For The Analysis Of Cannabinoids In Wastewater, Abigail M. Castellanos, Ava La Lande

The Kean Review: Journal in Student Research

The goal of this research was to establish a reliable method to detect the presence of cannabinoids in wastewater and increase the sensitivity of detection. Since the legalization of cannabis in many states, toxicology research has expanded on methods of detection in hopes of identifying usage patterns. At the Joint Meeting of Essex and Union Counties, it was established that cannabinoids are not thoroughly accounted for in the process of filtering wastewater in addition to our limited understanding of consumption trends. This stands true for many wastewater facilities, especially as the intake of cannabis remains prevalent for various populations across …

Fisheries Management Paper No. 311: West Coast Deep Sea Crustacean Resource Harvest Strategy, Department Of Primary Industries And Regional Development, Western Australia

Fisheries Management Papers

Harvest strategies for Western Australia’s (WA) aquatic resources are formal documents developed by the Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development (DPIRD, the Department) to support decision-making processes that ensure the outcomes are consistent with the principles of Ecologically Sustainable Development (ESD; Fletcher 2002a) and Ecosystem Based Fisheries Management (EBFM; Fletcher et al. 2012). Harvest strategies are a key component of all contemporary fishery management systems and a requirement for certification under the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC). The objectives of ESD are reflected in the objectives of the Fish Resources Management Act 1994 (FRMA).

This West Coast Deep Sea Crustacean …

Hybrid Data-Driven Cement-Stabilized Soil Design: An Integration Of Machine Learning, Multi-Objective Optimization, And Life Cycle Assessment, Chikezie Chimere Onyekwena, Yunli Li, Ikenna J. Okeke, Ubani Obinna Uzodimma, Monday Uchenna Okoronkwo, Wenping Wu

Chemical and Biochemical Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Soil stabilization is crucial in geotechnical engineering, yet conventional methods are often time-consuming, resource-intensive, and environmentally unsustainable. Despite growing interest in Machine Learning (ML) and optimization tools for mix design, few studies integrate these methods with decision-making techniques and environmental assessment to support practical implementation. This study proposes a hybrid data-driven framework for predicting strength, optimizing mix compositions, and evaluating environmental impacts via life cycle assessment of cement-stabilized soft soils. Six ML models were evaluated, and the top-performing eXtreme Gradient Boosting (XGB) model was further improved using the Grey Wolf Optimizer (GWO). The optimized XGB-GWO model, integrated with a polynomial …

Computational Characterization Of A Recently Identified Disinfection Byproduct In Drinking Water: The Chloronitramide Anion And Its Monohydrate Complex, Thufail M. Ismail, Max R. Tucker, Gregory S. Tschumper

Chemistry Faculty Research & Creative Works

The chloronitramide anion (ClNNO₂⁻) was recently identified as disinfection byproduct in drinking water, and various quantum chemistry methods (CCSD(T), MP2, B3LYP, ωB97XD, and M06-2X) are employed in this study to characterize this negatively charged species and its monohydrate complex. Both vertical and adiabatic quantities indicate the excess electron is bound by 3–4 eV. Four ClNNO₂⁻ monohydrate minima were identified, each exhibiting double ionic hydrogen bonding. The computed ClNNO₂⁻⋯H₂O interaction approaches 15 kcal/mol, and it induces pronounced vibrational frequency shifts in both fragments. Natural bond orbital analysis shows a redistribution of …

Leveraging Molecular Mechanisms Of Desorption To Enhance Pfas Bioavailability In Contaminated Soils, Husam Kafeenah, Margaret D. Taiwo, Patrica Ivy Agorsor, Michael O. Eze

Chemistry Faculty Research & Creative Works

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are known for their strong binding properties to soil matrices owing to their amphiphilic properties. While most studies focus on the search for novel PFAS bio degraders, our knowledge of sustainable biomolecules that could drive PFAS desorption and make them more bioavailable is limited. This study investigated the effectiveness of rhamnolipids and organic acids in desorbing PFAS compounds from contaminated soil. Rhamnolipids (25 mg/L) significantly enhanced the release of PFAS compounds from soil, achieving up to 90 % desorption. Acetic acid provided 60–90 % desorption efficiency for most of the PFAS studied, except for PFDA …

Deep Amelioration Of Compaction And Acidity Doubled The Water Use Efficiency Of Cereal Crops On A Sandy Soil In A Long-Term Experiment In A Water-Limited Environment, Gaus Azam, Md. Shahinur Rahman, Craig Scanlan, Md. Hasinur Rahman, Ross Gazey, E G. Barrett-Lennard, Kanch Wickramarachchi, Bob Nixon, Chris Gazey

Natural Resources Research Articles

The co-occurrence of subsoil compaction and acidity commonly decreases the yield and water use efficiency (WUE) of agricultural crops around the world, yet the benefits of the complete amelioration of these constraints on yield and WUE remain unclear. We conducted a long-term field experiment in Western Australia (WA) to evaluate the effects of the complete removal of subsoil compaction and acidity through soil profile re-engineering — involving soil removal, replacement, and lime incorporation — on root architecture, yield, and WUE in wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) and barley (Hordeum vulgare L.). Treatments included an untreated control, and soil loosening to 0.45 …

Hold Paramount The Health, Safety, And Welfare Of The Public And The Planet, Daniel B. Oerther

Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

No abstract provided.

Communication As Layered Architecture: Core Processing And Empathic Modulation, Griselda Poe

Publications and Research

This paper proposes a structural re-description of communication by separating Core processing from its social interface. Using the developmental sequence of Large Language Models (LLMs) as an external reference point, a layered architecture is identified, consisting of a foundational Core processing layer and a subsequent Empathic modulation layer.

The investigation begins with the observation that empathic signaling can obstruct rather than facilitate interaction for certain individuals. By examining the emergence of Base AI—Core processing prior to empathic adjustment—it is demonstrated that coherent, constraint-preserving interaction is possible without affective resonance.

Through this framework, existing cognitive theories and observed "deficits" are repositioned. …

Phosphorus Adsorption And Desorption Characteristics On Micronutrient Doped Biochar, Moe Kikuchi '27

Annual Student Research Poster Session

The increasing global demand for food necessitates efficient agricultural practices; however, the overuse of phosphorus (P) fertilizers presents a major environmental concern. Advanced materials, including biochar, offer promising strategies for mitigating these effects. Biochar, a carbonaceous material derived from biomass, can be functionalized with micronutrients such as magnesium (Mg) or iron (Fe) to enhance its P adsorption and retention characteristics so that the ion-doped biochar could serve as a sustained nutrient release fertilizer besides improving soil health. This study investigated the adsorption and desorption behavior of dissolved P (200 µM/g and 400 µM/g) in three types of biochars: raw (BC), …

Rivers Reimagined: Floods, Droughts, And The Future Of Hydrologic Systems In Aotearoa, Ryan Anderson '26

Annual Student Research Poster Session

Hydroelectric power plays a crucial role in New Zealand’s renewable energy system and depends on consistent and reliable rainfall and river flow. This study analyzes hydrologic variability in two Wairoa River catchments in the Northland Region of New Zealand, the Mangahahuru River (Site 46674) and the Kaihu River at Gorge (Site 46611). Over four months, streamflow data provided by the University of Otago, Department of Geography was analyzed using R in RStudio to examine flood frequency, seasonal drought periods, and long-term flow trends. Both catchments were evaluated with approximately 95% completeness. The comparison in flow trends between the rivers highlights …

Impact Of Iron-Bearing Fillers On The Mechanical Strength And Chemical Stability Of Magnesium Potassium Phosphate Matrices Incorporating Rhenium, Sergey Sayenko, Volodymyr Shkuropatenko, Hans Conrad Zur Loye, Petr Vecernik, Monika Kiselova, Vlastislav Kašpar, Vlastimil Miller, Petr Bezdicka, Jan Šubrt, Petra Ecorchard, Natalija Murafa, Iva Milisavljevic, Scott T. Misture

Faculty Publications

We report on the study of the immobilization process of non-radioactive rhenium (Re), a chemical analogue of technetium-99 (⁹⁹Tc), in compounds based on magnesium potassium phosphate (MKP), as well as the possibility of enhancing their properties with iron-bearing additives/fillers. Powdered Re2O7 was used as the initial Re-containing source. Because of the solubility and high leachability of Tc (VII), which is also volatile at high temperatures, its immobilization for long-term storage and disposal poses a serious challenge to researchers. Taking this into account, low-temperature stabilization technology based on MKP, a cementitious material, is currently considered promising. We prepared experimental …

A Note On Sufficient Dimension Folding For Regression Mean Function With Categorical Predictors, Bilin Zeng, Akim Adekpedjou, Xuerong Meggie Wen

Mathematics and Statistics Faculty Research & Creative Works

Multi-dimensional arrays are referred to as tensors. Tensor-valued predictors are commonly encountered in modern biomedical applications, such as electroencephalogram (EEG), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), functional MRI (fMRI), diffusion-weighted MRI, and longitudinal health data. In survival analysis, it is both important and challenging to integrate clinically relevant information, such as gender, age, and disease state along with medical imaging tensor data or longitudinal health data to predict disease outcomes. Most existing higher-order sufficient dimension reduction regressions for matrix- or array-valued data focus solely on tensor data, often neglecting established clinical covariates that are readily available and known to have predictive value. …

Majority Of Utahns Support Keeping Bears Ears National Monument As Originally Designated, Michaelann Nelson

Utah People and Environment Poll (UPEP)

Bears Ears National Monument in Southeastern Utah was established in 2016 by President Obama after a coalition of Native American petitioned for its designation. In 2017, during his first administration, President Trump reduced the size of the monument by 85%. It was subsequently restored to the original boundaries in 2021 by President Biden. In 2022, the Utah Legislature provided $5 million in funding for the Attorney General’s office to challenge the Bears Ears National Monument designation, and the State of Utah filed a lawsuit in August 2022 challenging the designation (1).

Responsible Ai In Teaching And Learning, Asa B. Stone, Mark C. Stone, Derek M. Heeren, Santosh Pitla

PRAIRIE: Pioneering Responsible AI for Research, Innovation, and Education

The rapid adoption of generative artificial intelligence (AI) in higher education presents both transformative opportunities and significant pedagogical risks. While AI tools are becoming embedded in academic and professional environments, their integration into teaching and learning raises critical questions about cognitive engagement, academic integrity, equity, and skill development. This white paper proposes a principled framework for the responsible integration of AI in higher education, grounded in the dual commitment to AI literacy and the cultivation of durable skills.

The framework articulates six core principles: purposefulness; transparency; integrity and attribution; critical AI literacy; equity and access; and privacy and data protection. …

Bibliography For Love Data Week 2026, Annikah Carpio, Sally Park

Library Displays and Bibliographies

A bibliography created to support a display about research data and Love Data Week during February 2026 at the Leatherby Libraries at Chapman University.

Future Trends In Cybersecurity: A Meta-Review, Yara Mohammed, Manar Alsaid, Gahangir Hossain

Faculty Publications

The increasing importance of cybersecurity in protecting digital assets, data and infrastructures necessitates a reevaluation of research priorities within the discipline. As of today, numerous emerging cybersecurity topics are gaining significant importance in both academic research and industry applications. To identify recent trends in cybersecurity topics, this study extracts scholarly articles from two prestigious academic databases, the ACM Digital Library, and Google Scholar, covering the period from early 2015 to late 2024.Through a systematic identification of trends and focal points in cybersecurity research, a comprehensive analysis is facilitated, including Latent Dirichlet Allocation (LDA), Biterm Topic Modeling (BTM), keyword frequencies, and …

Mechanistic Studies Of Aerobic Photochemistry: Gold Nanoclusters, Nanoparticles, And Solution-Phase Systems, Serah Essang

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

This thesis comprises five chapters as enumerated below.

Chapter 1 describes our findings on the reactions of Au glutathione nanocluster (Au₂₀SG₁₆) with singlet oxygen (¹O₂) in D₂O. We noticed it underwent a self-photooxidation reaction. Leading us to mechanistic studies using photophysical, photochemical, theoretical, and indirect trapping methods. We found rapid total quenching of singlet oxygen (¹O₂) by ground-state Au₂₀(SG)₁₆, with evidence for dioxygen insertion into the nanocluster. Supported by analyses with IR, ESI-MS, and density functional theory, we propose the formation of …

The Behavior And Complexation Of Technetium Under Conditions Relevant For Nuclear Fuel Reprocessing, Rachel E. Greenberg

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Spent nuclear fuel is reprocessed by utilizing several large-scale solvent extraction processes. One of the most prevalent of these processes is the plutonium uranium reduction extraction (PUREX) process. This process involves an organic phase composed of tributyl phosphate (TBP) in kerosene and an aqueous phase comprised of concentrated nitric acid. Both uranium (U) and plutonium (Pu) are extracted into the organic phase by nitrate and TBP complexation while the various fission products remain in the initial aqueous phase. Pu is then chemically reduced to its trivalent state and back-extracted into a second aqueous phase, thereby separating the two fissile materials. …

Development Of Novel Anti-Cancer Colchicine Analogs: Synthesis And Configurational Studies, Orugbani S. Eli

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Colchicine, a naturally occurring alkaloid, has long been known as a potent therapeutic agent. Despite its efficacy treating gout and other inflammatory disorders, its severe toxicity, limited selectivity, and poor pharmacological profile have restricted its broader clinical application. Reported advantages of colchicine-site ligands as vascular-disrupting agents, including reduced susceptibility to multidrug resistance, have revived interest in the colchicine site on tubulin as a validated therapeutic target for cancer. This dissertation focuses on the development of new colchicine analogs, detailing the synthetic method to functionalized AC-ring derivatives, as well as the evaluation of their configurational stability and biological activity.

In Chapter …

Online Visual Query System For Real-Time Large-Scale Spatio-Temporal Data Explorations With Error Bounds, Xueqi Huang

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Modern datasets continue to grow in size, dimensionality, and heterogeneity, creating increasing tension between the need for responsive, interactive analysis and the computational cost of accessing, aggregating, and visualizing large volumes of data. Traditional database engines and visualization tools often assume that full data retrieval is feasible or that exact computation is necessary for meaningful insight. In practice, however, analysts frequently benefit from timely, uncertainty-aware approximations than from delayed and exact results. This thesis investigates how data summarization techniques, specifically mergeable sketches can be combined with progressive, out-of-core visualization methods to support interactive exploration of datasets that exceed main memory. …

Courts Of New York: A Visual Atlas Of The City’S Public Basketball Spaces, Nathaniel Rattner

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Basketball courts in New York City are recreation facilities, community anchors and part of the city’s cultural image. In the basketball capital of the world, New Yorkers are rarely more than a few blocks away from a court. The visual diversity of these courts, however, is not widely documented in systematic ways.

This project makes that diversity visible to the public, combining open data, aerial imagery and computational analysis to document this important public space across the five boroughs. It is a narrative story and digital atlas of New York City’s public basketball courts, using surface color as a way …