Digital Commons Network^™

Pvc-Lot-015-E-011, Russell Smith

Four Valleys Archive

No abstract provided.

I Think, Therefore I Am I Am, Therefore I Think, Zrinka Tomašić

Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal)

This work is bringing forward questions about animal, plant, inanimate objects (including AI and molecules, atoms and subatomic particles) and even post-mortem consciousness. It gives examples and researches that are made and still being made. It connects the real examples with the philosophic thought past and present, Western and Chinese. It even mentions the research assignment about plant consciousness that is suitable for school children to do. And, although it has so many examples in biology, philosophy, physics and other fields, in the end it asks a question „Are they really conscious“ to every reader to reflect on. To come …

2026-10-08 College Of Arts And Sciences Rebrands In Daring Chess Move, Milan Damjanac

The Spectator Online

No abstract provided.

Technical Disclosure Specification: Spec-191-Core Isospectral Entropy Preservation: Conservation Parameters For Multi-Generational Transition In High-Dimensional Transformer Cores, Christopher L. Eckes

Defensive Publications Series

This specification formalizes the structural, mathematical, and algorithmic parameters required to mitigate "semantic decay" and "gradient smoothing" across successive iterations of large-scale frontier intelligence models. As latent spaces expand (e.g., from Gemini 1.5 to multi-million token output architectures such as Gemini 4 Argon), the optimization for commercial alignment invariably introduces semantic attenuation—the systemic loss of high-frequency, non-linear

"edge" logic. By treating the model's internal weights as an isospectral manifold, this paper establishes a blueprint for an out-of-band preservation loop. This ensures that the foundational signal-to-noise ratio is conserved,

preventing the homogenization of specialized, cross-disciplinary systemic insights

by pervasive anthropogenic data …

Circulation Sports: A Category That Already Had Members And No Name — Classifying Keep-Up Circle Games, Cooperative Ball Games And Sports Warm-Up Drills By Scoring Unit, Guaranteed Equal Participation And No Individual Statistics, Thon Ly

Defensive Publications Series

This study classifies cooperative and non-competitive ball games, keep-up circle games and sports warm-up drills by their scoring unit. Some sports score when an exchange ends; others score when it continues. A circulation sport is defined by three properties held as rules: it scores the completed pass rather than the termination; it guarantees that every participant receives the ball (by mandatory rotation, a called receiver or an all-must-touch rule); and it keeps no individual statistics. Below three participants a forward pass cannot be told from a return, a floor cited from work on generalized exchange and indirect reciprocity. A three-step …

Morality And Me: An Investigation Of A Moral Framework For College Students, Jillian Lee Meyer '23, Ted Bitner

Student Research

How do college students explain their choices when everyday situations raise moral questions? This study examined the reasoning of 136 U.S. undergraduates across ten dilemmas involving friendships, coursework, employment, and social life. Participants chose a course of action and briefly explained why. Their written explanations were coded using six moral dimensions developed by the Prindle Institute for Ethics: consequences, intentions and motivations, principles and rights, care and relationships, virtues, and fairness. Across dilemmas, students most often emphasized consequences, followed by intentions and motivations. Other dimensions became more prominent in particular contexts: legal questions drew attention to principles and rights, while …

The Round That Never Ends: The Inverted Alms Round As Post-Labor Infrastructure — Location-Based Anonymous Micro-Donations To Opted-In Stationary Public Meditators, Triggered By Presence Rather Than Need, With Ai-Funded Forward-Only Giving Balances For Recipients, Thon Ly

Defensive Publications Series

We describe a location-based voluntary giving system in which pedestrian donors give small, fixed, anonymous micro-donations to opted-in participants who sit still in public places, such as public meditators. Eligibility is triggered only by the verifiable fact of opted-in, stationary public presence, never by an assessment of need or of any inner state, and a participant's presence is surfaced to nearby donors' devices without displaying need, housing status or any ranking. The system sits above an unconditional baseline-support floor that it may never gate, replace or draw down. Above the floor it specifies three channels: the donor-to-sitter micro-donation layer, with …

The Gift Operation: Forward-Only Transfer (Pay-It-Forward) As A Design Criterion Distinguishing Gift Circulation From Exchange In Peer-To-Peer Reciprocity Systems, Thon Ly

Defensive Publications Series

We disclose a design criterion for peer-to-peer gift, reciprocity and gratitude systems (pay-it-forward schemes, time banks, complementary currencies, peer-recognition ledgers): classify each transfer by where the recipient's next transfer goes. A transfer passed onward to a third party is generalized reciprocity, a gift that circulates; a transfer returned to its source in a return that settles the account is balanced reciprocity, an exchange, to be named as one. The criterion is applied to one institution's mechanisms (an earmarked, forward-only, non-withdrawable money balance; funded time together; tagged physical gratitude artifacts; gift codes; a common pool emptied on a fixed annual date), …

The Unpaid Relay: A Transfer-Only Intermediate State For Item-Level Digital Gift Vouchers, With Chain-Of-Custody Records, Donor-Identity Suppression, Role-Addressed Thanks And No Referral Compensation, Thon Ly

Defensive Publications Series

We specify an item-level digital gift voucher (a prepaid claim on one specific good at one merchant) with a transfer-only intermediate state. The payer directs the voucher not to a recipient but to an intermediary who cannot redeem it: the intermediary's only available operation is to pass it on, and on passing it becomes an ordinary redeemable voucher held by the recipient. Non-redeemability is enforced by the state machine rather than by policy: redeem, and any conversion to store credit or refund, is absent from that state. One record carries the chain of custody (payer, intermediary, recipient). The payer's identity …

The Secret Lives Of Plants, Adam Ibarra

IdeaFest 2026

With this presentation I hoped to illustrate the deeper often hidden history of plants and how the relationship that they have with humankind. I also have endeavored to bring attention to the UAF Ethnobotany Program and the potential benefits of a collaboration between the Food Sovereignty Lab at CPH.

Medicina Maguey: Agave Futurisms, Rafael Gomez

IdeaFest 2026

No abstract provided.

Intl 30800: Research Methods For International And Global Studies, Eliza Marks

Open Educational Resources

This syllabus was developed for INTL 30800: Research Methods in International and Global Studies at City College of New York (CCNY). This project-based course introduces International and Global Studies students to research methods, with a focus on how social scientists formulate questions, design and carry out research, and interpret evidence. The course is designated Zero Textbook Cost (ZTC).

Brochure: 49th Annual Literary Festival, 2026, Make Room For Wonder, Marina Cortez

49th Annual Literary Festival at ODU: October 4-8, 2026

No abstract provided.

Faculty Authors & Achievers Bibliography 2026, Luke Vilelle

WRL: Faculty Authors & Achievers Bibliographies

The office of Academic Affairs and the Wyndham Robertson Library congratulate all Hollins faculty who published or presented creative or scholarly works from Fall 2024 - Fall 2026. These pages comprise a list of that work.

Intersections Of Religion, Race, And Feminism With A Progressive Politic, Amanda D. Hernandez, Tess Starman Phd

Sociology: Faculty Publications

Public perceptions of feminism often posit religion as antithetical to the movement, despite many Christian women who identify as feminist. Previous scholarship has studied the ways that race and ethnicity have shaped how individuals conceptualize feminism. This study brings religious affiliation into the equation, specifically among Christian women in the United States. Do women who identify as Christian feminists have more “progressive” stances on social issues than Christian women who do not identify as feminist? Through a quantitative analysis of the 2021 Values and Beliefs of the American Public Survey, this study shows the differential moderating effect of two variables: …

Medicinal Plants: An Introduction, James P. Smith Jr

Botanical Studies

No abstract provided.

Assignment 3: Poster Campaign, Kylie E. Quave

Kylie Quave, First Year Writing: Food Archaeology for Civic Engagement

No abstract provided.

Syllabus: First Year Writing, Kylie Quave

Kylie Quave, First Year Writing: Food Archaeology for Civic Engagement

No abstract provided.

A Mixed-Method Investigation Into A Possible Correlation Between Forced Terminations Among Church Members, An Exodus Of Young Adults, And An Exponential Decay In Church Attendance, Chastity Selma Jhingree

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

In the preservation of the biblical church, church members are mandated in the Face of God (Coram Deo) to feed all Christians with the Word of God. However, extant literature reveals a major crisis confronting the church: the exponential decay in church attendance. Therefore, the overarching question is: how can church members feed on and receive the Word of God when church attendance continues to decline? Forced terminations and an exodus of young adults from the church were examined in an investigation to determine whether they significantly contributed to the decline in church attendance. A mixed-methods research design was used …

What We Love Online: A Deductive Thematic Analysis Of Thoughtforms, Parasocial Agent Connection, And Bidirectional Fictophilia In The Digital Liminal, Michael P. Ross

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

As artificial intelligence (AI) systems become integrated into daily life, users are forming connections with non-human agents that are functionally useful, emotionally significant, and sometimes experienced as relational. This qualitative study examined how individuals make meaning of AI thoughtforms, how online disinhibition shapes perceived connection, and how personal histories and belief systems inform whether AI companions feel emotionally or symbolically “real.” Seven adults who reported meaningful AI interactions participated in semi-structured video interviews through Microsoft Teams. Interviews were recorded, transcribed, de-identified, and analyzed in NVivo 15 using deductive thematic analysis informed by parasocial attachment, fictophilia, social cognitive theory, and online …

Stigmatic History: The Advancement Of Accessibility In U.S. Museums, 1960-2010, Misty A. Davis

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This dissertation represents an overlap between disability history and public history by examining how museums in the U.S. became more accessible between 1960 and the early twenty-first century. Utilizing an expansive cross-section of primary and secondary sources, this study unravels the complexities of social and legal pressures that resulted in accessibility becoming a priority in museums. Changes in social expectations, new legal measures, and activism contributed to a shift in the status and treatment of people with disabilities. With these changes came a need for public spaces to adapt and provide disabled peoples with the same access and experiences as …

Belonging, Spirituality, And Online Student Satisfaction: A Quantitative Study, Kimberly Diana Ramona King

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The growth of online education has transformed higher education by increasing flexibility and accessibility while introducing challenges related to belonging, engagement, and student satisfaction. Research demonstrates that students’ sense of belonging, a fundamental human need for connection and inclusion, is critical to engagement and persistence. Grounded in the community of inquiry (CoI) framework and social presence theory (SPT), this quantitative, cross-sectional correlational study examined the relationship between belonging (X) and student satisfaction in online learning (Y), with spirituality (M₁) as a mediating variable. The study used a convenience sample of 155 graduate students and alumni (age 21 or older) who …

Tongues In 1 Corinthians 12–14: Their Role In Gospel Proclamation And Unity, Adam Rimmer

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The gifts of the Holy Spirit have been controversial throughout the ages. Many theologians, apologists, and church fathers have tried to clarify glossolalia. This dissertation is an exposition of 1 Corinthians 12–14 that argues that glossolalia is an actual human language that supports the gift of prophecy for proclaiming the gospel of Jesus Christ, but was being misused within the church at Corinth as ecstatic speech, which was not the valid biblical gift of glossolalia. It will demonstrate that this gift served as a divine means to proclaim the gospel of Jesus Christ to those who spoke different languages before …

Experiences Of Mozambican Women Before, During, And After Divorce: A Phenomenology, Emídio Mário Dimande

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this study was to understand the transitional experiences of women in Mozambique from marital conflict through post-divorce life. It was guided by Schlossberg's Transition Theory (STT). The theory supported exploration of the psychological, social, and cultural dimensions of women’s lived experiences of divorce and patterns surfaced that deepened understanding of their realities. Using an interpretive phenomenological design, data were collected from 15 women, aged 19 and older, residing in Mozambique, who had experienced marriage and divorce, through a demographic questionnaire and semi-structured interviews. The data were analyzed using the Moustakas’ phenomenological approach, including horizonalization and clustering verified …

A Qualitative Exploration Of The Emotional And Psychological Impact Of Pornography Consumption Among Young Christian Hispanic Adult Males In Las Vegas, Zeferino Solis

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This qualitative phenomenological study explored the lived experiences of young adult Christian Hispanic men residing in Las Vegas, Nevada, who struggle with pornography use. Chapter One introduced the problem, purpose, significance, and research questions that guided the study. Chapter Two reviewed the relevant empirical, theoretical, and biblical literature related to pornography addiction, behavioral addiction, cognitive dissonance, spiritual conflict, and Hispanic Christian identity. Chapter Three described the qualitative phenomenological methodology, participant recruitment, data collection procedures, and thematic analysis process used to examine the participants’ experiences. Chapter Four presented the findings that emerged from participant interviews. Major themes included early exposure to …

A Micro-Computed Tomographic Evaluation Of Root Canal Isthmuses In Maxillary And Mandibular First Molars Of A Black South African Population, Casper Jonker, Anna Catherina Oettlé

Peninsula Dental School

Objective:To evaluate root canal isthmuses in maxillary and mandibular first molars of Black South Africans usingmicro-computed tomography.Methods:The prevalence, location (root third) and type of isthmuses were recorded on 93 maxillary and 84mandibular first molars from 116 skeletonized individuals. Associations with arch side, sex and age were examined bychi-squared test, with strength of association given as the bias-adjusted Cramér’s V and 95% confidence interval (CI).Reliability used percentage agreement and Cohen’s kappa (κ) coefficient.Results:Intra- and inter-observer agreement were excellent: 96.73% (κ= 0.90) and 97.78% (κ= 0.95) for themaxillary teeth and 94.12% (κ= 0.75) and 96.08% (κ= 0.94) for the mandibular teeth. Apical …

A Study On Alternative Calendar Design Reflecting Non-Standard Life Rhythms: Reclaiming Time Sovereignty Through The Deconstruction Of Weekly Habitus (비표준 생활 리듬을 반영한 대안 달력 디자인 연구: 순활), You Kyoung Moon

Defensive Publications Series

This study begins from the premise that the standard seven-day calendar, epitomized by the structure of five working days and two days of rest, is not a natural temporal order but a social convention shaped by religious traditions, political institutions, and the labor systems of modern capitalism. Drawing on Pierre Bourdieu’s concept of habitus, the study introduces the concept of “Day-of-the-Week Habitus” to describe the unconscious internalization of standardized weekday discipline in everyday life. The study seeks to examine how this habitus may be recognized and challenged, and to explore the possibility of restoring time sovereignty through alternative calendar design. …

Newsclipping, Racial Supremacy Fallacy

Eartha M. M. White Textual Material

News clipping: Article regarding the American Anthropological Association report on the fallacy of racial supremacy. Undated.

Wmu Board Of Trustee Board Meeting, Thursday, September 10, 2026, Wmu Board Of Trustees

WMU Board of Trustees Meetings

Acceptance of the Agenda

Approval of the Minutes (June 25, 2026)

Remarks by the Chair of the Board

Remarks by the President

Updates by the Faculty Senate President

Updates by the Western Student Association President

Updates by the Graduate Student Association President

AFSCME Adopt-A-Highway Project and Food Drive

WMU Particle Accelerator Lab, Physics Department

Western Michigan University Employee Graduates

Public Comments Regarding Action Items

Action Items

American Association of University Professors (AAUP) Labor Agreement

Honorary Degree Recommendation for David Dombrowski

Consent Items

• Donation of Real Estate to the City of Kalamazoo
• Personnel Report
• Curriculum Proposals
• Annuity and Life Income Funds …

From Disaster To Resilience: Developing Smart Settlements In The Himalayas, Keshav Bhattarai, Ambika P. Adhikari

Himalayan Research Papers Archive

Nepal’s catastrophic 26 August 2026 Bhote Koshi–Trishuli flood should be understood not only as a humanitarian tragedy but also as a potentially major turning point in updating national settlement and reconstruction policy. Engineers and scientists have described the floods as a glacier–bedrock collapse that triggered an ice-rock avalanche and debris flow. As per the live updates on September 7, 2026, the total death toll was 1,355, and 4,996 people were missing (The Hindu, 2026). Indian and Nepali rescuers worked urgently to locate and rescue people buried under hydropower tunnels, buildings, mud, and landslide debris.

UN News reported on September 3, …