Digital Commons Network^™

Artificial Intelligence For Cybersecurity: Opportunities, Challenges, And Approaches, Kai Chen, Ding Li, Guozhu Meng, Shouling Ji, Changjiang Li, Yi Yang, Dengguo Feng

Bulletin of Chinese Academy of Sciences (Chinese Version)

Cybersecurity research, institutional structures, and governance policies are undergoing profound transformations. Currently, increasingly covert and rapidly evolving intelligent attacks, coupled with the national urgent expectations for high-level security, are driving significant shifts in the roles and interactions of governments, research institutions, and enterprises. Consequently, this study, based on analyzing the challenges and opportunities of the AI era, explores core application scenarios such as critical information infrastructure protection, national data security, and the maintenance of cyberspace sovereignty. It provides an analysis of artificial intelligence in dimensions such as correlation and causality, and proposes a governance framework, aiming to provide insights for …

Artificial Intelligence For Astronomy: Strategic Opportunities, Policy Challenges And Development Strategies, Jin Chang, Yihan Song, Bing Du, Kefei Wu, Ali Luo, Jifeng Liu

Bulletin of Chinese Academy of Sciences (Chinese Version)

To alleviate the bottlenecks hindering the integrated development of artificial intelligence and astronomy in China and to reinforce the country’s strategic edge in science and technology, this study uses systematic analysis and path-comparison approaches to examine the policy requirements for their deep integration. The findings indicate that this topic is closely tied to global competition in science and technology, strategic security, and industrial upgrading. At present, the world has entered a new “astronomy + AI” paradigm, with the United States and the European Union already having taken the lead in establishing corresponding strategic frameworks. Leveraging major scientific infrastructures such as …

Artificial Intelligence Empowering Space Science—Case Study Of Space Weather, Chi Wang, Hui Li, Bingxian Luo, Fang Shen, Jingjing Wang, Lingqian Zhang, Yi Yang, Dong Zhao

Bulletin of Chinese Academy of Sciences (Chinese Version)

Space science is currently confronted with a triple challenge: the explosive growth of observational data, the strongly coupled cross-scale nature of physical processes, and the increasingly urgent national strategic demands. The limitations of traditional research paradigms in analytical efficiency, forecast accuracy, and autonomous capability hinder their effectiveness in meeting critical requirements such as safeguarding on-orbit satellites and ensuring the successful execution of major space missions. This study proposes a three-layer “perception–cognition–decision-making” architecture for intelligent space science. Taking space weather—a domain with strong operational relevance—as a representative case, the four-dimensional paradigm transformation driven by artificial intelligence is systematically examined across key …

Artificial Intelligence Empowering Remote Sensing: Challenges, Paradigms And Strategic Layout, Jiayuan Shen, Peirui Cheng, Zhirui Wang, Wei Liang, Xian Sun, Yirong Wu

Bulletin of Chinese Academy of Sciences (Chinese Version)

Remote sensing science and technology, as a key discipline for Earth observation and global change research, faces systemic challenges in processing massive multi-source data, accurately extracting complex information, and delivering high-timeliness application services. The rapid advances in artificial intelligence (AI) provide a new opportunity to address the deep-seated dilemma in remote sensing of being “data-rich but insufficient in effective information mining”. Guided by a problem-oriented approach, this study first systematically analyzes the core challenges facing the development of remote sensing across four dimensions: data understanding, technical methods, scientific mechanisms, and application ecosystems. It then reviews the technical evolution of AI-empowered …

Artificial Intelligence For Deep Earth Science: Key Challenges, Major Application Scenarios And Development Pathways, Qingyun Di, Liang Zhao, Yikang Zheng, Zhi Geng, Zhichao Yu, Xiaocai Shan, Chao Li, Zhiyao Xu, Pengfei Lv

Bulletin of Chinese Academy of Sciences (Chinese Version)

Deep Earth science is central to understanding Earth’s internal architecture and the coupled evolution of its major spheres, while also underpinning energy security, the supply of critical mineral resources, and resilience to major geohazards. Nevertheless, the advancement of deep Earth science is currently hindered by insufficient in situ observations under extreme conditions, the difficulty of integrating multi-source heterogeneous data, and the limited capability to model complex multiphysics coupling processes. Recent advances in artificial intelligence offer a potential route beyond these limitations. By integrating data-driven learning with physical and geological understanding, AI is reshaping deep Earth science from empirical interpretation to …

On Crucial Role Of The Spirit Of Chinese Scientists In Basic Research, Xin Wang, Chuanxi Wang, Changpu Sun

Bulletin of Chinese Academy of Sciences (Chinese Version)

Basic research is the source of original innovation and the foundation for building a strong nation in science and technology. Compared with applied development research and engineering research, basic research is primarily concerned with exploring the frontiers, proposing new concepts, discovering new laws, and establishing new theories. Its outcomes are often difficult to predict in advance and are rarely subject to sufficient experimental and practical verification within a short time frame. These characteristics expose basic research to three inherent challenges in the philosophy of science. First, the experimental verification of fundamental theories often requires a long period of time. Second, …

Artificial Intelligence Empowered Biological Research: Paradigm Shifts, Application Scenarios, And Strategic Layout, Xinguang Zhu, Yiming Bao, Zhenong Jin, Xin Li, Sijia Wang, Yueming Wang, Yungui Yang, Cao Xu, Yan Xiong, Bin Han

Bulletin of Chinese Academy of Sciences (Chinese Version)

Life related processes are characterized by high dimensionality and multi-scale properties. Understanding mechanisms underpinning life processes helps promote national healthcare, agricultural development, sustainable ecological civilization, and national security. Current life science research is confronted with an enormous challenge of dimensionality stemming from data explosion and data fragmentation, for which the recent rapid advancement of artificial intelligence (AI) provides novel solutions. AI will catalyze a paradigm shift in life science research from the current experiment based empirical induction to a new closed-loop knowledge acquisition including large scale data collection, model building, model prediction, experimental validation, and iterative of these procedures. Life …

Artificial Intelligence–Driven Paradigm Transformation In Biopharmaceutical R&D: Applications And Emerging Scenarios, Lili Liu, Mingyue Zheng, Ye Yuan, Xutong Li, Rong Fan, Wei Wei, Jinxin Zhao, Guobin Qi, Hua Yue, Likun Gong, Songping Zhang, Jiachen Li, Yuchen Sun, Xiaoyan Chen, Yao Chen, Xin Liu, Xiao Zhang, Yuehong Gao, Jianfeng Li, Kaixian Chen, Guanghui Ma, Jianmin Yue

Bulletin of Chinese Academy of Sciences (Chinese Version)

The biopharmaceutical industry is a critical domain underpinning national scientific and technological innovation development and public health. With the rapid advancement of artificial intelligence (AI) and its deep integration with the life sciences, biomedicine research is undergoing a paradigm shift from traditional experience-driven trial-and-error approaches to data-driven and predictive validation-based models. This study systematically examines the pathways for reshaping research in biomedicine paradigms under the convergence of data-driven, mechanism-driven, and intelligence-driven approaches. It focuses on recent advances in the application of AI across key stages, including drug discovery and design, druggability evaluation, delivery system design and optimization, nonclinical and clinical …

Artificial Intelligence For Science: Connotations, Characteristics, And System, Kaihua Chen, Heyang Li, Hongxin Liu, Binbin Zhao, Shuo Yang

Bulletin of Chinese Academy of Sciences (Chinese Version)

Artificial intelligence is profoundly transforming the fundamental nature of scientific research, reshaping its modes of knowledge production and organizational operation, driving the emergence of a new artificial intelligence for science (AI4S) research paradigm, and accelerating full-chain innovation paradigm transformation. This study defines the basic connotations of AI4S across three dimensions, namely, enabling applications, tools and methods, and epistemic knowledge, and systematically identifies five core characteristics: human-machine symbiosis, autonomous evolution, interdisciplinary integration, resource intensity, and open ecosystems. It further constructs a supporting system and operational architecture encompassing layers of infrastructure, data resources, model tools, task execution, and application scenarios. Building on …

Factors Influencing Tourist Interest In Walking Tours In The Kota Tua Area, Novi Handayani, Adrian Hartanto

Journal of Indonesian Tourism and Policy Studies

This study aims to analyze the extent to which the variables of Attraction, Accessibility, Cost and Tarif, Facilities, and Information contribute to Walking tour Interest, both individually (partially) and collectively (simultaneously).  As previous research states that Indonesia has one of the lowest levels of mobility. The average Indonesian walks only 3513 steps per day, while the recommended daily step count for maintaining good health is 5000. This study uses Multiple Linear Regression Analysis as its analysis method using partial hypothesis testing (t-test) and simultaneous hypothesis testing (f-test).. Data were collected through an online questionnaire distributed via Google Form to …

Identifying Existing Barriers To Equitable Transportation In Birmingham, Alabama, Brandy Rose Mckinney

ETDs from 2020-2029

A transportation system is designed to connect people to essential community resources and support their mobility needs. However, transportation facilities and services in lower-income communities often fail to meet local demands, restricting access to jobs, healthcare, recreation, and other critical services. These gaps disproportionately impact lower-income and vulnerable populations, reducing mobility and overall quality of life. This study aims to (a) define transportation inequity and the measures used to assess it; (b) summarize existing inequities across the United States; (c) examine travel choices, needs, and barriers in lower-income communities in Birmingham, Alabama; and (d) propose strategies to address transportation inequity …

Needs Assessment For Sexual Violence Education In An Afterschool Program In Liberia, Mabel Howe Watson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

No abstract provided.

Reading Between The Lines: An Exploration Of Censorship In United States Public School Libraries, Sally Anne Perz

ETDs from 2020-2029

Between 2021 and 2025, PEN America documented over 22,000 book bans across the United States (US). Yet, with only 451 districts banning out of over 13,000, 97% of US school districts are not engaging in banning. The 451 banning districts represent only 3% of US school districts. While most research examines individual stakeholders, such as librarians and teachers, this study focused on district and community data which do not change as fast as microsystem variables. Since banning occurs at the district level, understanding school district demographics and values may help situate the sociopolitical context of school board decisions to ban …

Independent Living Skills For The Aging Population Of Adults With Disabilities, Sara K. Fetter Otd, Otr, Jennifer L. Martin Otd, Otr, Cht, Clt, Michele L. Mccarroll Phd, Faacvpr, Acsm-Ccep, Ccrp, Lssbb

Developmental Disabilities Network Journal

Adults with intellectual disability (ID) are living longer and increasingly outlive family caregivers. Strengthening independent living and vocational skills has therefore become a critical public-health priority. Occupational therapy (OT) can address this need through person-centered, community-based programming. This paper describes the co-design, delivery, and preliminary outcomes of a short occupation-based curriculum intended to enhance autonomy and work readiness in aging adults with ID. In partnership with a Dallas, Texas nonprofit, the authors conducted a needs assessment and created an 8-session course rooted in the Independent Living Model and the Occupational Competence Model. The curriculum addressed four domains (physical health, financial …

Breaking Bread And Barriers: Interprofessional Strategies To Improve Mental And Nutritional Health In Family Caregivers, Candy Ratliff

The Journal of the Research Association of Minority Professors

Family caregivers provide essential unpaid support to individuals with chronic illness, disability, dementia, and age-related decline; however, caregiving responsibilities often place caregivers at increased risk for psychological, physical, nutritional, and social challenges. This literature review examines the mental health and nutritional implications of family caregiving and explores barriers that contribute to declining caregiver wellness. Findings reveal elevated rates of depression, anxiety, emotional exhaustion, social isolation, food insecurity, sleep disturbances, financial strain, and chronic stress among caregivers. The literature further highlights the interconnected relationship between mental health, nutrition, and overall quality of life. Given the multidimensional nature of caregiver burden, interprofessional …

Fentanyl At The Border: A Critical Analysis Of U.S. Customs And Border Protection Strategies Against Synthetic Opioid Smuggling, Patricia Salinas

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This dissertation will investigate the efficacy of tactics employed by U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) in detecting and intercepting fentanyl at legal ports of entry along the U.S border during the fiscal years 2022 to 2025. Given that fentanyl continues to be a pivotal element in the ongoing opioid crisis within the United States, it is imperative to understand the mechanisms by which this synthetic opioid is smuggled into the country and to evaluate the efficacy of federal initiatives. These efforts are crucial for protecting public health and enhancing national security. This quantitative study examines fentanyl seizure data from …

State Government, The Forgotten Cyber Actor, Joshua D. Strubel

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Cyber incidents are among the most pervasive threats facing the United States, with the FBI recording over 859,000 reported attacks and an estimated $16.6 billion in losses in 2024 alone. Despite widespread recognition that effective cyber defense requires a whole-nation approach, the existing research literature overwhelmingly focuses on federal policy, leaving state governments as largely overlooked actors. This study addresses that gap by examining the research question: How does state cybersecurity policy affect malicious cyber actors' frequency of operations? Drawing on multilinear regression analysis augmented by Random Forest machine learning models, this study evaluates the relationship between state-level cyber deterrence …

The Impact Of Workplace Wellness Programs On Workers’ Compensation Claims And Absenteeism: A Quantitative Study In Public Administration, Stephen Michael Douglas Coy

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Employee absenteeism is detrimental to organizational effectiveness and efficiency. Workers’ compensation claims are a potential liability to government organizations, as claims filed by employees for work-related injuries or illnesses may impact insurance premiums based on the number and severity of claims filed. Identifying and implementing solutions to mitigate the effects of absenteeism and workers’ compensation claims are critical to organizational sustainability. This quantitative study seeks to determine if workplace health and wellness programs decrease absenteeism and reduce workers’ compensation claims levels among public sector employees. Post-positivism and functionalism provide this study with a theoretical underpinning. The variables of interest were …

Interviewing Civilians For A Local Perspective Of Violent Extremism In West Africa, Benjamin Ellis

Masters Theses

This study examines how civilians in West Africa experience violent extremism, with the goal of informing more effective policy solutions. Using a qualitative research design, the study draws on a focus group conducted with ten participants from various countries in West Africa. Data was transcribed and analyzed using thematic analysis to identify recurring patterns in participants’ responses. Six major themes emerged: prolonged fear and restricted daily movement; economic and infrastructural disruption; psychological distress and uncertainty about the future; recruitment into extremist groups driven by complex factors; limited outsider understanding of local realities; and support for multidimensional responses rather than purely …

Innovation Hubs In Mountain West Cities, 2025, Cason Noll, Sean Curry, Olivia K. Cheche, Caitlin J. Saladino, William E. Brown Jr.

Economic Development & Workforce

This fact sheet presents data on 20 innovation-dense Mountain West cities across Arizona, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, and Utah. The CommercialCafe report, “Santa Clara, Berkeley & Tempe Lead Among Western Innovation Hubs,”  uses 15 indicators to rank 63 western cities for innovation hub activity across three categories: employment and talent, education, and business activity.

(Re)Claiming Homeplace: Dance As Embodied Resistance & Healing For Health & Spatial Justice, Preeya G. Kannan

University Honors Theses

This thesis argues that dance functions as both an upstream public health intervention and a form of radical spatial resistance; creating healing, agency, and belonging among historically marginalized communities. Drawing on bell hooks' concept of homeplace, Jasbir Puar's assemblage theory, Nancy Krieger's eco-social theory, and Katherine McKittrick's Black geographies, I position the body as both an ecological and political landscape shaped by histories of colonialism, racial capitalism, displacement, and resilience.

Through this community-based participatory research study, Homeplace, I explore dance as a form of social prescription that centers liberation rather than pathology. Movement is often reduced in public health discourse …

Exploring Workplace Wellness Programs From A Correctional Officer’S Perspective, Lolita Jeaneen Johnson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

No abstract provided.

The Human Side Of Humanitarian Work: Well-Being And Performance Among Aid Workers In Egypt, Mai Osama Kenawy

Theses and Dissertations

Well-being and productivity are widely recognized as central to the work performance of humanitarian aid workers. Despite increasing attention to staff well-being, performance within the humanitarian sector in Egypt remains stagnant or, in some cases, declining. This study examines why expanded well-being initiatives have not yielded sustained performance improvements by examining how actors' external roles, organizational factors, and individual factors affect humanitarian workers’ well-being and work performance. A mixed-methods approach was adopted, combining ten in-depth interviews with humanitarian workers from international organizations, INGOs, and local NGOs, as well as a survey of eighty workers operating in the same context. The …

“Between Cultural Norms And Economic Survival: Navigating Egyptian Lower And Middle Income Women’S Challenges In The Informal Versus The Formal Work: “A Case Study From Cairo”, Rowan Mahmoud Abdelnazer

Theses and Dissertations

This study investigates the ongoing gender inequities experienced by low and middle-income women in Egypt’s formal and informal labor economy, specifically it is based in Cairo. Although there are many advances made globally on women's rights, yet women still face great challenges such as discrepancies in salary, fewer leadership roles and cultural expectations which put child-bearing duties before professional growth. On the one hand, flexible work for women in developing countries is through informal sector, which makes them vulnerable and serves as a source of their exploitation and insecurity (e.g., lack of social security; workplace hazards), on the other hand, …

Work Precarity, Mental Health, And Performance Among Humanitarian Aid Workers In Egypt Post-2025 U.S. Funding Reduction, Mariam Allam

Theses and Dissertations

The humanitarian sector is increasingly characterized by precarious employment conditions and work precarity, including short-term contracts, unclear renewal terms, inadequate compensation, heavy workloads, and job insecurity, exacerbated by volatile donor funding. The 2025 U.S. funding cuts have intensified these vulnerabilities, particularly in countries like Egypt, with massive humanitarian operations because of being a significant destination for asylum applications and one of the largest refugee host countries. Despite the prevalence of precarious work in the humanitarian sector, limited research examines its effects on workers' mental health and work performance, especially during funding crises. This qualitative study explores the perceived effect of …

Parental Gender Bias In Youth Employment Standards: Evidence From Upper Egypt, Mahmoud Saeed

Theses and Dissertations

Youth unemployment remains a critical challenge in Egypt, with female labor force participation among the lowest globally. While structural factors such as limited job creation and public sector contraction are well-documented, the role of family-level decision-making in constraining women's labor market entry has received limited quantitative attention. This thesis examines parental gender bias in employment standards in Upper Egypt, investigating whether and how parents impose systematically different job requirements for daughters compared to sons. Using primary survey data from 17,284 unemployed youth aged 18-35 across six governorates, paired with responses from their parents, this study analyzes parental preferences across six …

Strategic Anti-Transgender Policy Diffusion: Interest Groups, Courts, And The Two-Track Politics Of Gender Regulation, Henry Danford

University Honors Theses

This thesis analyzes the strategic diffusion of anti-transgender policy in the United States following the passage of Idaho House Bills 500 and 509 in 2020. It argues that conservative lawmakers and advocacy organizations employed a coordinated "two-track" policy strategy in which transgender sports bans served as highly visible and politically popular mode legislation while identity-document restrictions advanced more quietly through courts and administrative policy. Drawing on policy diffusion theory, the Advocacy Coalition framework, and minority stress theory, the study combines qualitative policy analysis with quantitative analysis of Household Pulse Survey mental health data and Media Cloud new coverage data from …

The Role Of Urban Forests In Mitigating Flooding Effects: A Case Study In Savannah, Georgia, Gillian Bush

Undergraduate Theses, Capstones, and Recitals

Flooding in coastal communities is shaped by the interaction between natural systems and urban development. Chatham County, a low-elevation region in the Savannah, Georgia metropolitan area along the eastern coast of the United States, is prone to coastal storms and frequently affected by flooding. It serves as a useful case study to better understand the factors behind flooding and the areas that are most at risk. This study uses GIS-based analysis to examine the overlap between flood risk, urban forest cover, and impervious surfaces. The results indicate elevated vulnerability along major transportation corridors and barrier islands, where high-risk flood zones …

“Three In A Jeep”: Exploring The Conditions For Successful Peacekeeping Through United Nations Special Political Missions, Audrey Duff

Undergraduate Theses, Capstones, and Recitals

This thesis examines a specific type of United Nations peacekeeping operation, referred to as Special Political Missions (SPMs) and their progress in transitions from war to peace. While traditional peacekeeping has made advances in separating conflict and human rights development, SPMs provide concentrated specialization in areas, including electoral support, government mediation, and disarmament. Through a structured focus comparison of three unique SPM case studies, this research explores what key dimensions are involved in successful Special Political Missions. By comparing the United Nations Mission in Nepal, United Nations Mission in Colombia, and United Nations Observer Mission in Bougainville, this thesis intends …

The Disproportionate Impact Of Legal Deserts: A Policy Proposal To Address The Legal Needs Of Rural Nevadans, Madelyn Wold

Undergraduate Theses, Capstones, and Recitals

Despite the large number of attorneys in the United States, the disproportionate concentration of attorneys in urban areas leaves rural residents to navigate the complex legal system on their own. This uneven distribution creates ‘legal deserts’, or areas where residents lack access to attorneys. The Southwestern United States has especially dire legal deserts, and Nevada is no exception. While defendants in criminal matters are guaranteed legal representation, parties in civil legal issues are not granted the same right to representation. Civil legal issues largely impact vulnerable populations and can have profound impacts on individuals’ family, economic circumstances, and physical wellbeing. …