Digital Commons Network^™

An Automated Approach To Detect Cyber Threats With Smart Contracts In Blockchain Systems., Alia Mohammad Ahli

Theses

Blockchain is becoming one of the main components of the modern world due to its rapid development. Considering its main characteristics as a collaborative distributed database that provides transparency and scalability, blockchain development and application have grown dramatically over the past decade. While the blockchain is a key feature and is used in the industry, it is subject to many risk factors and attacks. Advanced technologies that can successfully detect and mitigate vulnerabilities must be developed for solving these security challenges. This thesis presents the development of a machine learning based approach to discover vulnerabilities in blockchain-based systems. It begins …

Analyzing The Effects Of Economic Factors On Residential Real Estate Market Dynamics Of Dubai: Using Machine Learning Methods, Zarrina Shokirova

Theses

Dubai’s residential real estate market is known for its rapid growth and dynamic nature, making it an intriguing subject for analyzing the impact of various economic factors. This thesis examines how key economic elements such as GDP growth, inflation rates, and foreign investment influence property dynamics in Dubai. By synthesizing current research, this study aims to understand how these economic conditions affect real estate values, demand, and supply. Additionally, modern analytical methods, including decision trees, logistic regression, and random forest models, are employed to predict market trends and uncover significant patterns. This research contributes to both academic understanding and practical …

Small Angle X-Ray Scattering And Form Factor Modeling Of Β Crystallins - A Physiologically Significant Eye Lens Cytoplasm Protein, Srijan Banerjee

Theses

This thesis provides in depth analysis of small angle x-ray scattering (SAXS) experiments conducted on the beta-high crystallin eye lens cytoplasm protein. In particular, radius of gyration and molecular weight measurements are extracted and compared to measurements from existing work. Furthermore, an approach to math ematically modeling the scattering ”form-factor”, which describes the size and shape of individual particles, is also developed and applied to the SAXS data. The model acheived in the thesis appears to agree closely with scattering data at the low q range. Several obstacles which impede the resulting modeling from perfectly characterizing the data at higher …

The Tale Of Mari, Anya Vaughn

Theses

The Tale of Mari is a mixed media animated documentary which follows the life of Mari Arakaki Gaskins. Shortly after moving to America in the 1970s, Mari began illustrating comic strips about a Japanese family, emulating the cartoons she saw in newspapers. She sent a letter to the creator of Garfield, Jim Davis, and included her comics. Davis sent her a response, and told her that her artwork was good. However, he believed that the strips were unlikely to be published, because comics about a young Japanese girl would not be relatable to American audiences. Mari grew up during a …

Reshaping Intellectual Property Scholarship From Within, Peter K. Yu

Faculty Scholarship

Written for the Symposium collecting papers from the Race + IP 23 Conference, this article explores intellectual property scholarship that has been either overlooked or marginalized. Because scholars of color are often outsiders looking in, the article identifies opportunities to reshape intellectual property scholarship from within. Even though the focus of this article was chosen with readers of this Symposium in mind, its insights will be relevant to all scholars.

This article begins by calling on scholars to develop a deeper appreciation of the intrinsic motivations of authors and inventors. It then discusses the oft-overlooked inequalities of creativity and innovation …

Discordant Discipline: Implications Of State-Legislated Medicine For The Regulation Of Physicians, Kristin Madison

Penn State Law Review (2003 - Present)

No abstract provided.

Abuse Beyond Title Ix: Advancing Laws And Policies To Combat Coaching Abuse In Intercollegiate Athletics, Katie Jean

Penn State Law Review (2003 - Present)

No abstract provided.

We Need An Answer! Hearst Newspapers Calls Out The Supreme Court For Not Choosing A Copyrights Accrual Rule., Abigail Roos

Penn State Law Review (2003 - Present)

No abstract provided.

Compact Solar-Powered Plasma Water Generator: Enhanced Germination Of Aged Seed With The Corona Dielectric Barrier Discharger, Yiting Xiao, Yang Tian, Haizheng Xiong, Ainong Shi, Jun Zhu

Biological and Agricultural Engineering Faculty Publications and Presentations

Seed aging adversely affects agricultural productivity by reducing germination rates and seedling vigor, leading to significant costs for seed banks and companies due to the need for frequent seed renewals. This study demonstrated the use of plasma-activated water (PAW), generated by a solar-powered corona dielectric barrier discharger, to enhance germination rates of spinach seeds that had been stored at 4 °C for 23 years. Treating seeds with PAW at 17 kV for 15 min improved germination (by 135%) and seedling growth compared to untreated seeds. Through detailed analysis, beneficial PAW properties for seed development were identified, and a molecular mechanism …

Not-So-Special Solicitude, Katherine Mims Crocker

Faculty Scholarship

In a high-profile case last term about state standing to sue in federal court, Justice Gorsuch deemed it “hard not to wonder why” the majority said “nothing about ‘special solicitude.’” The silence was indeed surprising, for in a landmark decision several years earlier, the Supreme Court had declared that states were “entitled to special solicitude”—presumably meaning some sort of preferential treatment—“in [the] standing analysis.” And since then, commentators had depicted the concept as permitting opportunistic states to wage ideological crusades in courts across the country, especially through administrative-law attacks on federal-government defendants.

But what if “special solicitude” is not so …

Transforming Fair Use, Glynn Lunney

Faculty Scholarship

In the United States, the fate of fair use, and by extension, copyright itself, hang in the balance. In recent years, courts have disagreed over fair use’s proper scope. On the one side are appellate decisions that interpret fair use broadly. While these decisions do not go so far as to suggest that every reuse is fair, they typically use the talismanic phrase “transformative use” and give it a generous and flexible interpretation. On the other side are appellate decisions that interpret fair use restrictively. While again they do not go so far as to suggest no reuse is fair, …

China, The Trips Waiver, And The Global Pandemic Response, Peter K. Yu

Faculty Scholarship

This chapter identifies three distinct reasons why China took a middle-of-the-road position in the debate on the COVID-19 TRIPS waiver at the WTO. It also recounts the country’s more assertive position in the run-up to the adoption of the Ministerial Decision on the waiver. Drawing eight lessons from the international debate on the waiver and the subsequent Ministerial Decision, the chapter offers insights into the future role China can or will play in future international policy debates at the intersection of intellectual property and public health, including during the next pandemic.

A Constructivist Grounded Theory Study Of The U.S. Army’S Performance Evaluation Process And Its Impact On Minority Groups: Bias, Diversity, And Military Readiness, Laterrious Starks

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study analyzes the impact of the U.S. Army’s Officer Evaluation Report process on minority groups. Through a constructivist grounded theory framework, this research unravels the dynamics that influence performance evaluations and examines the Army’s ability to be a developmental organization. As the military sharpens its focus on identifying near-peer threats and updating the National Defense Strategy for large-scale combat operations, diversity and inclusivity policies are increasingly recognized as fundamental to military readiness. This study uncovers disparities that emerge from the organizational practices within the Officer Evaluation Report process. The finding highlights the implications for minority groups and the systemic …

On The Lagrange And Hermite Quadrature Formula, Shuxia Li, Yonghong Chen

School of Mathematical & Statistical Sciences Faculty Publications

This paper builds on the error analysis method for Newton-Cotes quadrature formulas developed by D. R. Hayes and L. Rubin in 1970, which utilizes Lagrange interpolation polynomials. By adopting and extending their approach, this work derives the error estimate for Hermite interpolation quadrature. Specifically, we construct a polynomial P(x) analogous to the scaling function A(x) used by Hayes and Rubin, and prove its non-negativity over the interval. This allows us to establish a precise error formula for Hermite interpolation quadrature. The results provide a novel application of Hayes and Rubin's methodology, offering new insights …

Engaging Families In School-Based Physical Activity Promotion, Veronica Becerra

Dissertations

This dissertation explored how schools promote and engage families in physical activity (PA) opportunities through two studies conducted in a Mountain West state. Study one explored strategies schools used to engage families in PA. Study two examined how a purposefully selected K-8 school developed family-school partnerships to support PA engagement through Epstein’s (2010) Six Types of Involvement framework.

Study one used a collective case study design guided by the following research questions:

• Q1.1 What strategies do schools implement to promote and engage families in physical activity programming?
• Q1.1a What tactics do schools use to implement these strategies?
• Q1.2 What are …

Study Of Yoga Intervention To Reduce Secondary Traumatic Stress Among Public School Educators, Leslie Marie Hillen

Dissertations

A problem in education was the great amount of stress teachers were under. Secondary Traumatic Stress “is the emotional duress that results when an individual hears about the first-hand trauma experiences of another” (The National Child Traumatic Stress Network, n.d.). When teachers feel they cannot work or are overwhelmed with the demands of education, this can be attributed to Secondary Traumatic Stress (STS) (Caringi et al., 2015). Many teachers felt there was not enough support from the administration, as they not only deliver curriculum, but they also worried about the students’ mental health, home lives, hunger, and how to support …

(Re)Birth Of The Cool: A Culturally Sustaining & Community Responsive Pedagogical Framework For Music Education, Mario Yuzo Nieto

Dissertations

This qualitative research study sought to illuminate how culturally sustaining, community responsive educational frameworks of pedagogy and leadership (Duncan-Andrade, 2022) can serve to increase recruitment, enrollment, retention, graduation, and overall satisfaction rates for ethnically minoritized student populations majoring or seeking degrees in fields of music in institutions of higher education. To investigate this question, a collective portraiture case study (Lawrence-Lightfoot & Davis, 1997; Stake, 1995) that compared music departments of two different universities located in a localized state, was conducted to analyze both the need for and effectiveness of such a framework. The data were collected by way of this …

After The Bullets: Managing A Mass Shooting Resource Center Explored Through Autoethnography, Karen Allene Schweihs

Dissertations

The rate of mass shootings has more than doubled over the past 10 years in the United States (Gun Violence Archive, 2024). The focus of this study was a thorough exploration of my personal experiences in designing a response center after a mass shooting occurred in Boulder, Colorado. This study utilized a qualitative narrative inquiry form of research methodology called autoethnography. Autoethnography has been utilized to capture more than the raw data collected, but to offer a more expansive and detailed description of a unique experience. The following research questions were studied:

• Q1 What might I learn about my own …

A Guide To Parole Preparation In New York State, Parole Preparation Project, Michelle L. Lewin

All Categories

No abstract provided.

Señoritas On And Off The Silver Screen: How Chicana Women Organized For Equality And Challenged The Cultural Prison Of Sexualized Media Representations In The First Half Of The Twentieth-Century, Rossandra Paloma Martinez

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

This research is personal for me due to lived experience and day-to-day situations where I have felt the pressures of unattainable beauty standards and society’s fluid definition of beauty and femininity surrounding Chicana, Latinas, Mexican, and Mexican-American women. What inspired me to pursue these issues and topics was the work of Dr. Vicki Lynn Ruiz in her book From Out of the Shadows: Mexican Women in Twentieth-Century America. This research focuses on rival and contested images of Chicana, Mexican, Mexican-American and Latina labor advocates and activists from the early twentieth as opposed to sexualized and eroticized packaged caricatures that Hollywood …

Understanding The Rising Use Of Fentanyl And The Impact Social Media Plays, Richard Omar Lopez

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

This study examines how social media platforms like Reddit can be utilized to compare the discourse around fentanyl and recreational drug use. A dataset of 2549 personal experience posts were collected on fentanyl and other recreational drug use. Where the methodology included targeted queries, text processing, and natural language process (NLP) techniques such as sentiment analysis and topic modeling. Results indicate that fentanyl related discourse on Reddit was more likely to carry a cautious or neutral sentient, emphasizing its health risks or addiction. Contrasting the more positive sentiment recreational drugs carry, especially marijuana. Finding that Reddit plays a vital role …

An Analysis Of Security Risks Posed By Text-Based Generative Ai And Corporate Security Weaknesses Leading To Data Leaks, Tashya Rakshana Byreddy

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

ABSTRACT

Generative AI (GenAI) has become a fundamental part of modern life, influencing how we work, learn, and interact with technology. This project focuses specifically on text-based GenAI, which is widely used for tasks such as information gathering, code improvement, and content creation. Despite its benefits, it presents significant security risks that are often underestimated by users. This project investigates these risks and the corporate security gaps that lead to unintentional data leaks. The project also provides a brief overview of Large Language Models (LLMs), which are based on the deep learning technique known as Transformer architecture, used for performing …

Identification Of Distressed Real Estate Properties Using Natural Language Processing/Machine Learning, Pavithra Sirigiri

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

The Real Estate industry is a great asset class that involves constructing, buying, and selling property. Although technology has made significant progress in buying and selling real estate properties online, via Zillow and Redfin, the ways to find distressed real estate properties as an investment opportunity seem to be lacking. This culminating experience project explored how to use machine learning to classify a property as distressed or non-distressed. The research questions are: Q1. How can Natural Language Processing methods like Latent Dirichlet Allocation (LDA) be leveraged to identify distressed and non-distressed real estate properties? (Tijare & Rani, 2020) and Q2. …

The Effect Of Gender Beliefs On Self-Determined Motivation As Measured By Organizational Citizenship Behaviors And Workplace Deviant Behaviors, Ryan Jaramillo

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

Employees are gauged by their motivation to complete their required job responsibilities, as losses in motivation can result in losses to organizations. Understanding motivation is necessary to achieving beneficial organizational outcomes such as organizational citizenship behaviors (OCBs) while reducing detrimental employee outcomes such as workplace deviant behaviors (WDBs). To this end, the present study analyzes motivation not through a dichotomy of intrinsic and extrinsic motivation, but through a spectrum of self-determination for its relationship to employee behaviors. Gender is a potential moderator that can have important moderating effects between motivation and subsequent outcomes in the workplace. The purpose of this …

The Impact Of Benevolent Sexism On Evaluations Of Female Leaders, Daniella A. Lockhart

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

This study investigated the impact of benevolent sexism beliefs on evaluations of female leadership candidates in hiring decisions, as well as the moderating effects of occupational gender composition and the gender of the comparison candidate. While seemingly positive, benevolent sexism subtly reinforces traditional gender roles by portraying women as warm but less competent, particularly in leadership roles where competence is crucial. The data in this study was collected from 146 participants via an online questionnaire using MTurk and snowball sampling. Aligning with previous research on gender bias, results indicated that benevolent sexism negatively impacts perceptions of competence and warmth, especially …

The Exploration Of Modern Life And Nature: A Public Relations Campaign Plan For Community Artists, David Mitchell

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

Art can unite individuals and foster a sense of community. When art is accessible, it can act as a meeting place for individuals to connect and share their experiences. It may also generate economic opportunities for artists and communities. In this scholarly document, I briefly discussed how artists, particularly community artists, use visual arts to create connections within communities and to preserve cultures. Further, I discussed the lack of research on public relations in the art field and the importance that public relations holds for visual arts. I explained the critical role my public relations plan and non-profit art organization …

Digital Storytelling Strategies For Viewer Engagement: A Rhetorical Analysis Of Youtube Videos By Nonprofit Healthcare Organizations, Maame Aba Afful

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

As reliance on digital media and social media platforms such as YouTube increases, health organizations infuse rhetorical strategies to create memorable and impactful health-related videos to raise awareness and attract support. Nonprofit healthcare organizations use digital storytelling to communicate their impact. In this study, I conduct a rhetorical analysis of five digital storytelling videos shared on the YouTube pages of nonprofit healthcare organizations to: identify how the videos leverage rhetorical appeals, point-of-view (POV), and metadata; and discuss how such strategies might influence viewer engagement or brand objectives. My findings suggest that nonprofit healthcare organizations integrate positive and negative emotional appeals …

Rising Epidemiological Trends In Prevalence And Mortality Of Mpox: Global Insights And Analysis, Muhammad Os. Meo, Muhammad Zs. Meo, Isra M. Khan, Muhammad As. Butt, Adnan M. Usmani, Sultan A. Meo

Saudi Medical Journal

Objectives: To explore the global epidemiological trends in the prevalence and mortality due to mpox in various regions worldwide. Methods: In this cross-sectional study the data about mpox outbreak were recorded by the “World Health Organization, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and GSAID” from August 2023 to August 2024, analyzing the epidemiological trends from different countries worldwide. Results: The total number of mpox cases has reached 99,518 (95,196 cases from 115 countries that have not historically reported mpox; and 4,322 cases from 07 states that have traditionally reported mpox), from a total of 122 countries. The top 10 countries …

Isotretinoin-Induced Epistaxis Among Acne Vulgaris Patients: A Cross Sectional Study From Saudi Arabia, Hanan Ibrahim Almuzaini, Ali Saeed Alamri, Razan Ibrahim Almuzaini

Saudi Medical Journal

Objectives: To assess the prevalence and risk factors of isotretinoin-related epistaxis, among patients of acne vulgaris. Methods: A retrospective cohort of 230 Saudi patients who received isotretinoin for treatment of acne vulgaris, was included in the study. An online questionnaire was used to collect data regarding demographics and treatment-related adverse events. Results: The prevalence of isotretinoin-induced epistaxis was found to be 45.2%, which was a 5-fold increase in epistaxis, versus baseline. Epistaxis was reported by 90% patients who had a prior history of nasal bleeding. Patients with ‘obstructed nose’, reported a prevalence of 68.8%. The large majority of patients had …

Assessment Of Contraceptive Methods Choice Among Women During Childbearing Age In Mosul, Iraq, Ruqaya Adnan Salih

Saudi Medical Journal

Objectives: To assess factors influencing choice of contraceptive methods among women in Mosul, Iraq. Methods: An analytic cross-sectional study was conducted during the period extending from July 2022 to March 2023, and a convenience sample of 100 women at child-bearing age (15-49 years) was collected from those attending the Family Planning Clinic at Al-Khansaa Teaching Hospital in Mosul. A direct interview was used to collect data required by using a special questionnaire form. Data was tabulated and analyzed using Excel 2010 and Statistical Package of the Social Sciences, version 24.0. The frequency and percentage of variables have been calculated. Together …