Digital Commons Network^™

Loss Of Pleasure (Anhedonia): A Sex-Dependent, Cross-Species Consequence Of Unpredictable Signals To The Perinatal Brain, Anna M. Zhou, Madison R. Tetzlaff, Laura M. Glynn, Curt A. Sandman, Hal S. Stern, Tallie Z. Baram, Elysia Poggi Davis

Psychology Faculty Articles and Research

Reward seeking is an essential component of human behavior. Anhedonia (reduced motivation for and pleasure in reward) is a core feature of several mental illnesses. Early life adversity associates with later impairments in reward behaviors and related psychopathology; however, specific aspects of early adversity that lead to disrupted reward behaviors are unknown. Capitalizing on evidence that unpredictable signals to the developing brain constitute adversity and influence neurodevelopment, we examined whether exposure to perinatal unpredictable maternal signals associated with diminished reward responsivity, and probed causality using experiments in mice. We analyzed a longitudinal human study (N=158 mother/child dyads) and a …

What Does Sentience Mean At The Neural Level?, Björn Brembs

Animal Sentience

Jonathan Birch's (2025) LSE criteria for sentience include motivational trade-offs, exemplified by C. elegansweighing hunger against desiccation risk. Yet once the neural circuit is known, this "trade-off" reduces to a single inhibitory synapse—an ‘elemental’ account discrediting the ‘molar’ one. My commentary illustrates the same discrepancy in Drosophila: dopaminergic ramping during courtship as it progressively suppresses threat-detecting neurons; so persistence past danger reflects recalibrated valuation rather than a weighed decision. As neurobiology increasingly discovers such discrepancies, all criteria resting on behavioral classifications risk being defined away without altering the behavior's validity.

Effective Techniques In Equine Assisted Therapies From The Facilitators Perspective, Emily Dolezal

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Equine assisted therapies have been shown to be an effective treatment approach for individuals experiencing mental health issues. However, there have been rising challenges in standardization and nomenclature throughout the field. Current research supporting the benefits of equine assisted therapies is often from the client perspective. There is a gap in understanding what occurred in session that made it beneficial to their mental health. The purpose of this phenomenological study was to describe the lived experiences of equine assisted therapy facilitators in terms of mechanisms that produce positive changes in their clients. The theories and concepts that ground this study …

Land Conversion, Food Security, And Deforestation In Indonesia: Evidence From Farmer-Level Decisions, Mohammad Rondhi, Rizky Yanuarti, Anik Suwandari, Joni Murti Mulyo Aji, Rokhani Rokhani, Ebban Bagus Kuntadi, Subhan Arif Budiman, Yasuhiro Mori, Takumi Kondo, Orawan Srisompun

Journal of Environmental Science and Sustainable Development

Agricultural land conversion (ALC) creates a dual sustainability challenge: the loss of productive farmland to urban expansion and the conversion of forested land into new agricultural areas. Farmland loss may reduce food production capacity, while forest conversion for agriculture may increase environmental degradation. These facts create a structural policy dilemma for Indonesia: safeguarding food security while simultaneously preventing deforestation. This study examines the patterns and drivers of land conversion in Indonesia over the past decade, with a focus on its implications for food security and deforestation. Using Indonesian Farmers Income Survey (Survei Pendapatan Petani, SPP) from 2004 (n …

Needs Analysis For The Development Of Interactive Learning Media Based On Articulate Storyline For Students With Intellectual Disabilities, Rama Fajria, Nurhastuti Nurhastuti, Rahmahtrisilvia Rahmahtrisilvia, Antoni Tsaputra

Journal of ICSAR

This study examines the mismatch between the learning characteristics of students with intellectual disabilities and the conventional instructional media used in classrooms, highlighting the need for adaptive, technology-based solutions. The aim of this study is to analyze the needs for developing interactive learning media using Articulate Storyline that integrates visual and audio elements for students with intellectual disabilities. A mixed-methods approach was employed within the ADDIE Research and Development (R&D) model, with a focus on the needs analysis stage. Data were collected through classroom observations, semi-structured interviews with teachers, and Likert-scale questionnaires administered to three special education teachers. The findings …

Canva Website-Based Digital Media Needs Analysis To Improve Discipline In Elementary School Students, Ajid Abdul Majid, Elan Elan

Journal of ICSAR

The digital transformation in education encourages the use of learning media that not only support cognitive achievement but also facilitate the strengthening of students' character values, including discipline at the elementary school level. This study aims to examine the potential and need for developing Canva Site-based digital media to support learning that encourages the formation of disciplined behavior. The study used a qualitative approach, conducting a literature review of journal articles, books, and other relevant scientific documents on digital media, technology-based learning, and character education. Data were analyzed using content analysis techniques to identify patterns, key concepts, and their implications …

Analysis Of The Needs Of Interactive Learning Media For Early Reading For Children With Autism In Special Schools, Yunita Maiza, Antoni Tsaputra, Rahmahtrisilvia Rahmahtrisilvia

Journal of ICSAR

Early reading skills are a fundamental component of children’s literacy development, including for children with autism who require adaptive and individualized learning approaches. However, learning media used in Special Needs Schools (SLB) are still predominantly conventional and less effective in maintaining students’ attention and engagement. This study aims to analyze the needs for interactive learning media in early reading among children with autism, drawing on teachers' experiences, observations of student behavior, and perceptions of technology use. This study employed a mixed-methods sequential explanatory design involving four special education teachers and four children with autism aged 6–9 years in a special …

Development Of Canva-Assisted Interactive Learning Media For Beginning Reading In First-Grade Elementary Students, Neni Mulyani, Seni Apriliya

Journal of ICSAR

Beginning reading skills constitute a fundamental literacy foundation that must be mastered by first-grade elementary school students, including those with diverse learning needs and early reading difficulties. However, preliminary classroom observations revealed that beginning reading instruction is still dominated by conventional media such as letter cards, textbooks, worksheets, and teacher-centered explanations, which tend to be less effective in sustaining students’ attention, motivation, and participation. This study aimed to develop and evaluate Canva-assisted interactive learning media to improve students’ beginning reading skills within an inclusive classroom context. The study employed a Research and Development design using the ADDIE model, consisting of …

The Use Of Canva Learning Media To Improve The Learning Focus Of Students With Special Needs At Slbn Balikpapan In The Subject Of Flat Shapes, Rahayu Sri Waskitoningtyas, Sugianto Sugianto, Casmudi Casmudi

Journal of ICSAR

The purpose of this study was to determine how the application of Canva learning media could improve the learning focus of students with special needs at SLBN Balikpapan with flat building materials. The study was conducted at SLBN Balikpapan using flat building materials. The research subjects were students at SLBN Balikpapan. This study was descriptive and qualitative. There were 22 students at SLBN Balikpapan who were the research subjects, using purposive sampling. The data collection methods were (1) observation, (2) interviews with 6 students and two teachers at SLBN Balikpapan, and (3) instruments/questionnaires regarding the use of Canva. The questionnaire …

Symbols And Archetypes: A Formalist And Archetypal Analysis Of Peter Solis Nery’S Three Hiligaynon Short Stories, Atasha Rose Salva, Pearl Joy B. Materbonia, Ma. Rebecca A. Canono, Alyka Marie G. Guanzon, John Jonathan N. Normandia

Social Sciences and Development Review

Philippine regional literature, specifically Hiligaynon, encompasses a multifold of genres that reflect the region’s culture and literary excellence. Authors in the language excel in the craft of putting narrative and other elements together to create stories that provide insights into the lives and values of the Hiligaynon community. This study aims to contribute to the visibility of regional literature in academic research by exploring Hiligaynon literature through the works of Peter Solis Nery, particularly in the aspect of symbolism. Employing a Qualitative Textual Analysis design, this study sought to find (1) the symbolisms in the short stories Lirio, Donato Bugtot, …

Pragmatic Analysis Of Ai Image-To-Text Generation: The Case Of Chatgpt, Grok, And Gemini, Ariel U. Bosque

Social Sciences and Development Review

The study aims to conduct a comparative analysis of ChatGPT, Grok, and Gemini to evaluate their capacities in image-to-text generation. The researcher utilized three AI-generated image prompts from Canva, which were processed through the mentioned generative AI (GenAI) models. With the aid of a standardized text prompt, each model was instructed to produce eighteen descriptive sentences corresponding to the prompts. The study examined the contextual alignment, pragmatic appropriateness, as well hallucinations and pragmatic errors present in the generated sentences through pragmatic analysis. The analysis revealed the use of appropriate referents, modal markers, and descriptive details that contributed to contextually and …

Quality Of Life Of Indigenous People In Villa Espina Lopez, Quezon: Input For Sustainable Intervention Program, Veronica S. Almase, Altagracia A. Silaya, Elenita R. Portez, Dionysius A. Velasquez, Riza Rizalina A. Quincina, Ronaldo G. Bulfa, Leilidyn Y. Zurbano

Social Sciences and Development Review

The government has begun prioritizing the welfare of Indigenous communities, aiming to integrate them more fully into society. Considering this, it becomes crucial to assess the Quality of Life (QoL) of these communities to tailor appropriate support and assistance provided by different organizations. This study employed a mixed-methods approach, combining quantitative and qualitative methodologies, involving 40 members of the Aeta community, and utilizing the WHOQoL-BREF tool. Pearson correlation analysis was utilized to explore relationships among different domains, while structured interviews delved into participants’ experiences, challenges, and aspirations. Among the various domains examined, environmental health scored the lowest, yet still indicating …

Putting The Domus In The Domus Ecclesiae, Mary Joan Winn Leith, Allyson Everingham Sheckler

Journal of Religious Competition in Antiquity

No abstract provided.

D1.05 Keynote Ii: Publishing And The Synoptic View Of Role-Playing Game Studies, Evan Torner Ph.D.

10mo Coloquio Internacional de Estudios sobre Juegos de Rol

Keynote session on publishing, field formation, and the synoptic view of role-playing game studies, with attention to how scholarly communities organize, circulate, and consolidate research across disciplinary traditions. It will be held in English.

Access Information:

Register in advance for this webinar: https://njit-edu.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_ozwjN4KWQ7u0qmcRLONCGw Join from an H.323/SIP room system: H.323: 144.195.19.161 (US West) or 206.247.11.121 (US East) Meeting ID: 913 4648 7472 Passcode: 280957 SIP: [email protected]

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Zoom will detect the spoken language from the presenters and generate captions accordingly. The attendees will be able …

Review Of From Cloistered Courts To Prairie Colonies: Five Centuries Of Hutterite Communal Deadheads And Christians: You Will Know Them By Their Love, Shawn David Young

Communal Societies

No abstract provided.

Review Of Cults Like Us!: Why Doomsday Thinking Drives America, Cheryl Coulthard

Communal Societies

No abstract provided.

Optimization Of Automatic Generation Control And Economic Load Dispatch For Two Area Six Unit Interconnected Power System, Faeq Zwayyer, Afaneen Abbood, Jasim Hussein

Engineering and Technology Journal

This paper proposes an integrated Economic Load Dispatch (ELD) and Automatic Generation Control (AGC) for interconnected power systems. Based on their participation factor determined from the economic load dispatch calculation, each unit shares the total change in the same control region. In this study, two control areas are considered. Three thermal units are located in each control area. An integral controller (I) is only used for the AGC mechanism's secondary controller and is used for the primary controller for the ELD mechanism. An Improved Grey Wolf Optimizer (IGWO) technique is used to evaluate the optimum parameters of the integral controllers …

Detection Of Covid-19 Based On Chest Medical Imaging And Artificial Intelligence Techniques, Nawres Alwash, Hussain Kareem

Engineering and Technology Journal

The emergence of COVID-19 disease in the world has moved the wheel of scientific research in order to detect it in the best method, and the fastest of these methods is the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) techniques to help medical professionals detect COVID-19. The proposed topic is aim to develop algorithm based on combination between imageprocessing techniques with artificial intelligence to diagnose COVID-19. The proposed algorithm consists of five stages to detect and classify COVID-19 from Computer Tomography (CT) images. These stages include; The first of these stages is to collect data from hospitals as real data and from …

Electricity Generation From Hydro, Wind, Solar And The Environment, Olumide Towoju, Oluwatoyin Oladele

Engineering and Technology Journal

Human actions such as electricity generation are contributory causes of climate change. In a quest to reduce the emission of greenhouse gases associated with electricity generation from fossil fuels, the world is turning to renewables. Renewable sources, however, also do have an impact on the environment. Likewise, renewable electricity generation is also dependent on the climate. Hydro, Wind, and Solar are the popular renewable energy sources for the generation of electricity. This work reviews the impact of these renewables in electricity generation on the environment. It also considers the effect of climate change on its use. The construction of renewable …

Utilization Of Satellite Images-Based Indices For Assessment Of Al-Hammar Marsh Restoration Plan, Bayda Dhaidan, Imzahim Alwan, Mahmoud Al-Khafaji

Engineering and Technology Journal

Wetland landscape characterization is an important component of determining the degree to which wetlands improve environmental conditions. The present study aims to create a model used to automated extraction of the land cover of the western part of the Al-Hammar Marsh south of Iraq, and then monitor the change in land cover overtime. A model builder in ArcGIS created based on a series of spectral-based indices included the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI), the Normalized Difference Moisture Index (NDMI), and the Normalized Difference Water Index (NDWI), the OLI satellite images from 2013 to 2020, ENVI 5.3 and ArcGIS 10.4 were …

Chitosan Hydrogel For Removing Of Heavy Metal Ions From Water: A Review, Maysaa Ali, Shemaa Soud, Anaheed Hameed

Engineering and Technology Journal

Industrial and agricultural discharges have been shown as important sources for a wide range of contaminants like heavy metals. This study focused on the assessment of the toxic effect of heavy metals and illustrates some methods of eliminating or avoiding these contaminants. In certain methods, heavy metals (Cu, Zn, Cr, Ni, Pb, Hg, and Cd) are recovered, and range of absorbents are tested. A number of studies have reported the complex interaction of polymers with metal ions with the polymers for eliminating heavy metals (e.g. cellulose, chitosan, and chitin. Metal ions are absorbed by these polymers by the amine and …

Fpga Implementation Of Modified Reconfigurable Adaptive Gain Scheduling Controller, Ali Wheed, Abbas Issa, Mohammed Y.

Engineering and Technology Journal

This article aims to put forward a modified type of adaptive gain scheduling that will be able to deal with the immeasurable and unpredictable variations of system variables by adapting its value at each time instance to follow any change in the input and overcome any disturbance applied to the system without the need to predetermine gains values. In addition, the inverse neural controller will precede the gain scheduling to eliminate the need for complex system linear zing and parameter estimation. Therefore, the problems of needing complex mathematics for system linearization and gains calculations have been solved. The performance of …

Real-Time Hand Gesture Extraction Using Python Programming Language Facilities, Azher Fahad, Hassan Hassan, Salma Abdullah

Engineering and Technology Journal

Hand gesture recognition is one of communication in which used bodily behavior to transmit several messages. This paper aims to detect hand gestures with the mobile device camera and create a customize dataset that used in deep learning model training to recognize hand gestures. The real-time approach was used for all these objectives: the first step is hand area detection; the second step is hand area storing in a dataset form to use in the future for model training. A framework for human contact was put in place by studying pictures recorded by the camera. It was converted the RGB …

Modeling And Control Of Wheeled Mobile Robot With Four Mecanum Wheels, Sameh Hasana, Hasan Alwan

Engineering and Technology Journal

This work presents a driving control for the trajectory tracking of four mecanum wheeled mobile robot (FMWMR). The control consists of Backstepping-Type 1 Fuzzy Logic-Particle swarm optimization i.e.,(BSC-T1FLC-PSO). The kinematic and dynamic models have been derived. Backstepping controller (BSC) is used for finding controlled torques that generated from robot motors while Type-1 fuzzy logic control (T1FLC) as well as particle swarm optimization (PSO) used for finding the appropriate values of gain parameters of BSC. Square trajectory has been selected to test the performance of the control system of FMWMR. MATLAB/ Simulink is used to simulate the results. It has been …

Chemical Precipitation Method For Sulphate Removal From Treated Wastewater Of Al-Doura Refinery, Aumar Alnakeeb, Rana Mohammed Rasheed

Engineering and Technology Journal

Wastewater treatment by Wastewater Treatment Plant, named (INGECO) in Doura refinery suffers from the elevated level of sulphate ion concentrations compared to the recommended EPA [14] specified (250 mg/L). The annual rate, maximum and peak sulphate concentrations that found to be 360; 425 and 550 mg/L respectively. In this study samples prepared from industrial wastewater and the average, maximum and peak sulphate concentrations to be used in chemical precipitation process by using BaCl2 or Al(OH)3. Results obtained from BaCl2 treatment refer to the optimum (dosage, mixing time and mixing speed) to be used in sulphate removal for reuse purpose were …

Intelligent Feature Selection Methods: A Survey, Noor Jameel, Hasanen S. Abdullah

Engineering and Technology Journal

Consider feature selection is the main in intelligent algorithms and machine learning to select the subset of data to help acquire the optimal solution. Feature selection used an extract the relevance of the data and discarding the irrelevance of the data with increment fast to select it and to reduce the dimensional of dataset. In the past, it used traditional methods, but these methods are slow of fast and accuracy. In modern times, however, it uses the intelligent methods, Genetic algorithm and swarm optimization methods Ant colony, Bees colony, Cuckoo search, Particle optimization, fish algorithm, cat algorithm, Genetic algorithm ...etc. …

Effect Of Pulse Electric Field On Water Characteristics As A Disinfection Function In Filtration Unit, Ghassan Abukhanafer, Alaa H. Al-Fatlawi, Hassan H. Joni

Engineering and Technology Journal

This paper studied the impact of the addition of pulse electric-filed low voltage (PEF-LV) in the filtration process by designing, constructing, and operating a pilot-scale. The Disinfectant process (DP) demonstrated several benefits in terms of efficiency and ease of application, without the use of any chemical additive. This system contains two pairs of silver mesh electrodes inside the filtration column test with a low pulse voltage for killing microorganisms. The parametric effects of DP performance, such as alternating current pulse frequency and the voltage applied were investigated. The effect of PEF-LV on the biological, physical, and chemical characteristic of water …

A Review On Microbial Fuel Cells, Baidaa A. Kitafa, Afaf J. Obaid Al-Saned

Engineering and Technology Journal

The Microbial Fuel Cell (MFC) is a bioreactor with which the chemical energy in chemical bonds of organic compounds are converted to electricity under anaerobic conditions through catalytic reactions of micro-organisms. It has been familiar for a long time that electricity can be generated directly through using bacteria to break organic matter. A microbial fuel cell can also serve in different wastewater treatment to destroy organic matter. The development of MFC technology requires a greater understanding of the microbial processes for MFCs, and their components, limitations, factors and design this system, to be simpler and large scale system developed; so …

Genpix: A Diverse Dataset For Fake Image Detection, Guessoum Dalila, Benblidia Nadjia, Boumahdi Fatima, Remmide Mohamed Abdelkarim, Nouri Tarek-Amine, Bataouche Azeddine-Lotfi

Iraqi Journal for Computer Science and Mathematics

The rapid advancement of sophisticated generative models has intensified the need for robust fake image detection systems. However, many existing benchmark datasets suffer from limited diversity in content types and generation techniques, constraining the generalization ability of detection models. To address these limitations, we introduce GenPix (Generalized Pixels), a comprehensive dataset encompassing over 80,000 images spanning diverse categories, including faces, objects, and scenes, generated by multiple state-of-the-art models such as Generative Adversarial Networks (GANs) and diffusion-based architectures. The dataset includes samples from different generation methods to ensure broad coverage of fake image characteristics.

GenPix provides a realistic evaluation environment that …

Topical Enrofloxacin Solution Delays Tympanic Membrane Epithelial Migration In Healthy Dogs, Jinseo Oh, Seulgi Bae

The Thai Journal of Veterinary Medicine

Tympanic membrane epithelial migration (TMEM) is essential for homeostasis and self-cleaning function of the tympanic membrane and external ear canal. Otitis externa is common in small animal practice, and topical preparations are widely used for management. Although several treatments have been reported to alter TMEM rates in dogs, evidence on the effects of topical antibiotics on TMEM is limited. This study evaluated the effect of topical enrofloxacin on TMEM in healthy dogs. TMEM was assessed in both tympanic membranes of three healthy dogs (six ears) using a within-subject design with control and experimental conditions. In the experimental condition, enrofloxacin (5 …