Digital Commons Network^™

Could 'Real Existing Ai' Be Sentient?, Tim Crane

Animal Sentience

Jonathan Birch is rightly sceptical about the idea that today’s AI machines (e.g. LLMs) are candidates for sentience. Nonetheless, he gives three reasons for taking the future possibility of AI sentience seriously. I dispute them all. Birch fails to distinguish the very idea of an artificial mind from computational AI (what I call ‘Real Existing AI’); he does not adequately distinguish a simulation from a replica or copy; and he fails to acknowledge that the appeal to computational functionalism in this context is straightforwardly question-begging.

Exact Formulas For Restricted Coprime Representations Of Even Integers, Andres Mauricio Salazar

Communications on Number Theory and Combinatorial Theory

Let p ≥ 5 be prime, and let g(2n,p) denote the number of unordered representations by positive integers 2n = h + k, with h ≤ k and gcd(h,6p) = gcd(k,6p) = 1. Every positive integer coprime to 6 belongs to exactly one of the families 6z + 1 and 6z + 5. In each family, divisibility by p excludes one explicit residue class of z modulo p. We use these two excluded classes to derive an exact formula for g(2n,p) from finite residue counts and nonnegative lift counts. The formula is valid for every positive integer n, including all …

Visoka, Gëzim. The Derecognition Of States. Ann Arbor: University Of Michigan Press, 2024., Aidan Hehir

Journal of Peace, Conflict, and Security Studies

Gëzim Visoka describes the derecognition of states as “a puzzling feature in world politics” (p. 114). This is certainly true. For many decades derecognition was a peripheral concern given it was rarely practiced after the UN was established in 1945; one notable exception being the derecognition of Taiwan, which has been ongoing since the 1950s. In recent years, however, it has become of significantly greater interest as it has become more common; of the five cases Visoka examines – Taiwan, Western Sahara, Abkhazia, South Ossetia, and Kosovo – four are very definitely products of the post-Cold War era. Despite this, …

Beyond Words: Semiotic Decoding Of Rẹ́Rẹ́Rún (Catastrophe Au Rendez-Vous) By Ọládẹ̀Jọ Òkédìjí And The Rich Tradition Of Yorùbá Theater, Nafiu O. Oloore Mr

Tête à Tête: Journal of Francophone Studies

Many researchers have focused on analysing novels, poems, and drama in the French language while neglecting certain subgenres. Although numerous studies have been conducted on semiotic analysis in French, little effort has been made to analyze Yorùbá drama. Thus, this study aims to provide a semiotic analysis of Rẹ́rẹ́rún (Catastrophe au rendez-vous) by Ọládẹ̀jọ Òkédìjí. This study adopts a qualitative research approach and textual explanation as its methodology. The semiotics theory proposed by Ferdinand de Saussure is employed as the theoretical framework. Following the qualitative method, twenty signs relevant to this study were selected for interpretation. Semiotics is chosen because …

Voix Proverbiales Et L'Esthétique Socioculturelle : Les Proverbes Africains Dans La Trilogie De Kouta De Massa Makan Diabate, Ademola Malick Adebayo, Israel Adégòkè Owóṣení

Tête à Tête: Journal of Francophone Studies

Dans les traditions orales africaines, les proverbes sont des paroles condensées de sagesse, mot d'esprit, de raisonnement social et d'esthétique culturelle. La véritable littérature africaine est l’oralité et elle démontre la richesse linguistique, la complexité culturelle et l’esthétique de la parole à travers les proverbes, les chansons, les épopées, les mythes et les légendes ainsi de suite. L’oralité reflète la richesse linguistique et l’identité culturelle du continent noir. Cependant, les proverbes sont des transporteurs particuliers de la sagesse, la morale, la valeur, les codes sociaux et la croyance d’une société donnée. Dans la trilogie de Massa Makan Diabaté, les proverbes …

L’Insécurité Linguistique Selon La Perspective Des Élèves D’Immersion Française En Saskatchewan, Olushola Adedeji, Michael Akinpelu

Tête à Tête: Journal of Francophone Studies

Cet article examine l’insécurité linguistique (IL) chez des élèves d’immersion française (IF) en Saskatchewan en s’appuyant sur la sociolinguistique pour le changement. À partir d’un devis mixte (un questionnaire à large échelle auprès d’élèves de 7e–12e année et des groupes de discussion focalisés avec des élèves de 11e–12e année), l’étude décrit les différentes manifestations de l’IL, ses causes et ses effets sur les élèves tout en recensant des stratégies d’adaptation. Les résultats de l’étude montrent que l’IL est moins liée à une compétence linguistique objective qu’à des conditions sociales et pédagogiques modifiables. Des recommandations concrètes sont proposées, notamment la légitimation …

Cultural And Social Inclusion In Sexe Et Mensonges: La Vie Sexuelle Au Maroc By Leïla Slimani: A Critical Perspective, Juliet N. Elikwu Dr.

Tête à Tête: Journal of Francophone Studies

Several published studies on Leïla Slimani's Sexe et Mensonges: La Vie sexuelle au Maroc have extensively examined the themes of sexual taboos and the challenges facing women in Moroccan society. But, limited attention has been given to her portrayal of cultural and social inclusion through the testimonies and narratives of marginalized women in academic discourse. This study seeks to analyze the dynamics of inclusion and exclusion within the framework of cultural norms and patriarchal structures depicted in the work. The study draws on a qualitative methodology centered on close textual analysis. The theoretical framework integrates Michel Foucault’s concepts of power …

Extraplanetary Studies 101: Life On Other Planets, Jason W. Whelan

The Mercury

No abstract provided.

What Film Is Good For: On The Values Of Spectatorship, Pablo Alzola

Journal of Religion & Film

This is a book review of Julian Hanich and Martin P. Rossouw, eds., What Film Is Good For: On the Values of Spectatorship (Oakland, CA: University of California Press, 2023).

Eternity, Leah R. Sisk

Journal of Religion & Film

This film review of Eternity was developed from an essay on how the film demonstrates the nature of choice, including William James's notion of a leap of faith.  The original essay was submitted for an undergraduate Philosophy and Religion class on American Pragmatism at Western Carolina University.

Misread Before Being Known: Race, Religion, And Institutional Non-Inquiry In Abrogation, Franklin Livingston

Journal of Religion & Film

Institutions often arrive at certainty before they arrive at knowledge. This article names that mechanism institutional non-inquiry — the organizational habit through which visual and cultural assumptions substitute for direct verification, allowing identity classifications to solidify before the subject meaningfully enters the encounter. Unlike prejudice, racialization, or established theories of pre-reflexive social perception, institutional non-inquiry isolates the organizational encounter itself as the specific procedural moment at which collective interpretive habits make inquiry feel unnecessary. Examining Abrogation (2024), a micro-budget American independent feature following Daud Khan, a Brown Pakistani-American infectious disease specialist whose movement through evangelical, civic, and federal institutions repeatedly …

Moving On: Purgatorial Seriality And Unanswered Prayer In Lost’S “Ab Aeterno”, Christian Wilken

Journal of Religion & Film

“Ab Aeterno” (Lost, 6.09) distills the series’ religious logic with unusual explicitness by staging theodicy not as doctrine but as narrative procedure. This article argues that the episode converts Catholic sacramental form (confession, absolution, and penitential address) into a serial ethics of endurance in which closure is structurally deferred. Richard Alpert’s confession establishes a subject who seeks an authorized word that would stabilize suffering, yet the priest’s refusal (“I can’t”) installs a theology of unanswered prayer that becomes the template for Richard’s long durée of waiting. Jacob’s “cork” parable then supplies a katechontic justification of restraint: evil is not abolished …

Between Icon And State: Sergei Eisenstein's Ivan The Terrible, Milja Radovic

Journal of Religion & Film

Remembering the 80th anniversary of Sergei Eisenstein’s film Иван Грозный (Ivan the Terrible, 1944/1945), it is crucial to re-examine Eisenstein’s work, including his last film that became an unintentional ‘testament’ to cinema. Eisenstein’s mastery has been pivotal for understanding cinema and film language, the way this language operates, constructs and deconstructs and communicates historical realities. This paper focuses on a film that was made in two parts, Part I in 1944 and part II in 1945, to investigate Eisenstein’s approach to the subject of history, nation and religion. The research considers how this master of cinema contemplated intricate ideas and …

Piercing The Veil In Sinners: Theological Insights From The Juke Joint, Antonio D. Sison Cpps

Journal of Religion & Film

Celebrated as a critical and commercial success, Ryan Coogler’s genre-defying opus Sinners has also been considered as one of the most culturally significant films of 2025. It also promises to be one of the most theologically resonant films of the year. This is evinced not only in its thematic and literary bases but, importantly, in its very audiovisual language and grammar, its stylistic strategies qua film. As reasoned in this essay, Coogler’s film is a rich locus theologicus, a nexus for theological discovery and insight.Sinners kindles the hermeneutical impulse to dialogue with African American/Pan-Africa theologies exemplified by the …

Affirmative Transcendence: The Ethics Of Mazu And The Internal Expansion Of The Confucian Moral Imagination, Yu Pei

Journal of Religion & Film

This paper proposes and defends the concept of affirmative transcendence through a systematic analysis of the 2012 Chinese television drama Mazu (38 episodes, CCTV). Affirmative transcendence names a structure in which the protagonist achieves sacred status (shen 神) not by negating her human relationships but by maintaining them while exhibiting a mode of moral perception that exceeds the limits of role-based ethics. The paper argues that what is analytically distinctive about this structure is its internal character: the tradition is not rejected but exceeded, and the exceeding is accomplished through resources the tradition itself provides. The paper identifies two …

Attention-Enhanced Multimodal Fusion Of Elevation And Aerial Imagery For Sinkhole Segmentation, Junfeng Zhu, Desireé Cunningham, Nathan Jacobs

Sinkhole Conference 2026

Image segmentation, the task of assigning a class label to each pixel in an image, has been widely applied in remote sensing to identify surficial geological and hydrological features from data sources such as multispectral satellite imagery, aerial photography, and digital elevation models. UNet is among the most widely adopted convolutional neural network architectures for segmentation, owing to its encoder–decoder structure and skip connections that enable precise spatial localization. UNet has been applied to detect sinkholes using lidar-derived high-resolution digital elevation data; however, existing models still fall short of the accuracy of manual sinkhole mapping. In this study, we aim …

Comparing Manual And Automated Methods In Sinkhole Delineation: A Cantabrian Mountains (Spain) And Tasman Mountains (New Zealand) Case Study, Mario Puente-Sierra, Javier Santos-González, Rosa B. González-Gutiérrez

Sinkhole Conference 2026

Studies of karst landforms, such as sinkholes, have advanced in recent years due to technological advances and the rise of automated detection methods. Such methods offer notable time-saving strengths, but their limitations in complex terrains are frequently overlooked in modern literature. To compare these automated methods to traditional manual methods, we selected four karst massifs in the Cantabrian Mountains (Spain) and two in the Tasman Mountains (New Zealand) as study areas. High-resolution LiDAR-derived Digital Elevation Models were used to identify and map sinkholes. Automated detection was performed using a Geographic Information System and included: i) a depression-filling method; ii) a …

Statewide Sinkhole Susceptibility Mapping In Florida Using Explainable Geoai, Osama M. Altarawneh, Weiwei Zhan, Clint Kromhout

Sinkhole Conference 2026

Sinkholes cause persistent damage to infrastructure, property, and groundwater resources across Florida. Statewide sinkhole hazard mitigation has been constrained by incomplete inventories and the absence of a high-resolution susceptibility map. This study presents a statewide sinkhole susceptibility assessment using an explainable GeoAI framework that integrates the citizen-reported Subsidence Incident Reports (SIR) database and a geologist-confirmed collapse-type sinkhole inventory from the Florida Geological Survey (FGS). Random Forest (RF) is used as the primary learner with ten geologic, hydrologic, topographic, and anthropogenic predictors. The influence of negative-sample buffer geometry on model behavior is evaluated across five annular buffer conditions (100-1000 m through …

Mobile Lidar Scans Of Caves: Methods For Tying In Ground Control Points, Robert E. Salaz, Jake Slyder, Ellen Trautner, Georgia Schneider

Sinkhole Conference 2026

Mapping cave passages using modern techniques such as Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) and photogrammetry are still in the juvenile stages. Newer technologies such as Simultaneous Location and Mapping (SLAM) LiDAR and faster computers have enabled speleologists to map caves much faster than traditional methods. From a land management perspective, the ability to efficiently collect detailed cave maps with reasonable precision quickly is crucial for decision making. The ongoing challenge with digital cave mapping using mobile LiDAR and photogrammetry techniques is geolocating the point-cloud underground. Mobile scanning methods can be tied to ground control points on the surface using high …

Mapping Sinkholes And Closed Depressions In The Edwards Aquifer Recharge Zone: Comparison Of Lidar-Based Semi-Automated Detection Methods And Field Validation, Enzo Franceschi Genesi, Horia G. Olariu, Bradford Wilcox

Sinkhole Conference 2026

Sinkholes and closed depressions play a critical role in karst hydrology by facilitating rapid recharge to aquifer systems (Ford & Williams, 2007; White, 1988), yet their spatial distribution is often poorly quantified in large recharge zones, and the automated methods used to detect them vary widely in approach and reliability. This study compares three LiDAR-based automated detection methods to determine their relative performance for mapping sinkholes and closed depressions within the Edwards Aquifer Recharge Zone, using a 0.5-meter resolution bare-earth Digital Elevation Model derived from high-density airborne LiDAR point cloud data (12.66 points/m²) obtained from OpenTopography. The three methods evaluated …

Remediating Groundwater In A Karst Terrane: Encouraging Results And Lessons Learned, Urvi Tulsiani, Jason M. Tillotson, Allison Nelan, Keith A. White

Sinkhole Conference 2026

Karst aquifers, characterized by a combination of multiple porosity types, discrete flow paths, and variable hydraulic conductivities, create a highly complex and heterogeneous environment that influences both the storage capacity and transport of contaminants in the subsurface. These complexities of karst aquifers present unique challenges for remediating contaminated groundwater. Pilot studies were performed at eight sites at Redstone Arsenal (RSA) in Huntsville, Alabama, to assess the viability of in situ injection-based remedies to treat groundwater impacted by chlorinated volatile organic compounds (CVOCs) and perchlorate in the epikarst, the uppermost, highly weathered rind of karst bedrock. The studies assessed effectiveness of …

Ongoing Dye Tracing Prompts Major Reevaluation Of Groundwater Divides For The Lost River Karst System, Bowling Green, Ky, Usa, Lee Anne Bledsoe, Chris G. Groves, Nick Lawhon

Sinkhole Conference 2026

The Lost River Groundwater Basin located in south-central Kentucky may be one of the most thoroughly investigated karst basins in the US. Over the past 50 years, numerous studies have been conducted primarily due to the environmental challenges created by urban development on a well-developed sinkhole plain. The City of Bowling Green (pop. ~80,000) covers much of the basin but lies primarily in the northern, downstream reach nearest the main outlet of the system, the Lost River Rise. However, land use in the southern, up-gradient, portion of the basin is quickly changing from undeveloped and/or agriculture to industrial and residential. …

Cover Collapse Sinkholes In Stormwater Infrastructure In The Urban Karst Of Bowling Green, Kentucky: Occurrence, Mitigation, And Prevention, Nick Lawhon P.G., C.F.M.

Sinkhole Conference 2026

Cover collapse sinkholes are an extremely common geohazard in karst terrains. These features, formed by concentrated flows of water entering the subsurface through discrete points in the epikarst, are particularly common in stormwater infrastructure in Bowling Green, KY. There are currently 787 known stormwater basins and hundreds of miles of stormwater conveyances in this fast-developing city, all of which concentrate stormwater flows over the naturally sinkhole-prone karst system. This paper reports on the occurrence of cover collapse sinkholes in stormwater infrastructure, particularly retention and detention basins, from inspections over the past 7 years and records from City-managed sinkhole repair projects, …

Brine-Enhanced Hypogenic Speleogenesis And Concentrated Karst Development In The Burton Flats, Eddy County, New Mexico, Dave Decker, Garrett Jorgensen Olague, Michael Jones, Ryan Palmer

Sinkhole Conference 2026

The Burton Flats, a 259-km² gypsum-dominated outcrop of the Permian Rustler Formation 26 km northeast of Carlsbad, New Mexico, contains more than 3,500 documented karst features — an anomalously high density relative to surrounding areas of equivalent lithology. The proposed explanation is a two-step brine-enhanced dissolution mechanism driven by the spatial intersection of three factors: the eastward-dipping Rustler Formation outcrop, the underlying Capitan Aquifer, and the intervening Permian Salado Formation. Fresh Capitan water dissolves Salado halite, generating an NaCl-enriched brine up to three times more aggressive toward gypsum dissolution than fresh water; this brine ascends into the Rustler Formation along …

Documenting The Ineffable: A Comparative Analysis Of Mystical Representation In Kimiavi’S The Garden Of Stones And Western Sufi Documentary, Hessam Abedini

Journal of Religion & Film

This article examines how documentary film attempts to represent mystical experience through comparative analysis of Parviz Kimiavi's The Garden of Stones (1976) and American documentaries featuring Samuel Lewis, particularly Sunseed (1973). Rather than assuming terms like "sacred" or "authentic," the study grounds its analysis in empirical definitions from William James, historical scholarship by Carl Ernst and Annemarie Schimmel, and literary theory from Fatemeh Keshavarz. Through detailed examination of specific scenes—Darvish Khan hanging stones from dead trees, Lewis leading ecstatic dances—the article demonstrates how different cinematic strategies approach documentary's epistemological limits when confronting ineffable experience.

The analysis corrects historical misunderstandings about …

Navigating Renewable Energy Utilizing Public Administration, Abigail De Meo

PNHA Review

In the modern era of public administration, the rise of renewable energy presents new policy challenges and opportunities that impact not only global systems but also the physical and political environments of local governments. This paper examines the interconnected relationship between renewable energy and public administration, offering tools derived from academic literature to support effective policy navigation. The analysis focuses on Michigan’s Public Act 233 of 2023 and Public Act 235 of 2023 to illustrate the real-time implications for local administrators. Technical, ethical, and leadership competencies are explored through both literature and interviews to identify critical skills necessary for navigating …

There's No Vision Like Low Vision: Living With And Serving Those With Macular Degeneration And Stargardt Macular Dystrophy, Paul B. Freeman Od

Optometric Clinical Practice

Book Review: Perski T, There's No Vision Like Low Vision: Living with and Serving Those with Macular Degeneration and Stargardt Macular Dystrophy, Inicio Press, 2025. 306 pages, Paperback, $14.99, ISBN 978-1-998315-48-2, Kindle $9.99 ISBN 978–1– 998315– 49–9

Giant Cell Arteritis: A Case Study And Review Of Treatment, Andrew Di Mattina Od, Jeffrey Sterling Od, Heather Whyte Od

Optometric Clinical Practice

Background: Giant cell arteritis (GCA) is the most common vasculitis affecting individuals over 50, and frequently leads to severe ischemic complications, most notably irreversible vision loss. Early diagnosis and prompt, aggressive treatment with corticosteroids is paramount to protect the fellow eye. The multifaceted clinical presentation of GCA, sometimes with atypical or sequential ocular involvement, can pose significant diagnostic challenges. This paper reviews current understanding of GCA pathophysiology, diagnosis, and current management strategies.

Case Report: A 70‑year‑old man presented with “cracked glass” vision in his right eye and was diagnosed with a branch retinal artery occlusion (BRAO). Two weeks later he …

Pentosan Polysulfate Sodium (Pps, Elmiron) Maculopathy Demonstrates The Importance Of Coordinated Care From A Low Vision Perspective, Charlotte I. Spada Od, Stephanie Schmiedecke Barbieri Od, Patricia Sanchez Diaz Dvm, Phd, Jeffrey Rabin Od, Phd

Optometric Clinical Practice

Background: Pentosan polysulfate sodium (PPS, Elmiron®) is a widely used medication to reduce pain caused by interstitial cystitis, a bladder disorder most often affecting females. PPS maculopathy is a novel form of toxic retinal disease often not recognized or mistaken for other retinal conditions such as macular degeneration due to the initial similarities on fundus exam. However, when visualized using fundus autofluorescence, affected eyes show characteristic hyper/hypo-autofluorescent patterns.

Case report: A patient taking PPS for 10 years presented with macular changes and complaints of blurry vision and nyctalopia. Clinical, electrodiagnostic, and genetic testing were performed including fundus autofluorescence and …

Outer Macular Holes: A Case Series, Kaitlyn J. Moore Od, Katherine Dunatov Od, Wendy Mcgonigal Od, Karen Reeves Od

Optometric Clinical Practice

Background: Outer foveal microdefects (OFMDs) are small focal photoreceptor interruptions that often present with minimal symptoms and are best identified using optical coherence tomography (OCT).

Case Series: This report describes three cases of outer foveal microdefects discovered incidentally during routine eye examinations.

Conclusion: These cases highlight the importance of OCT in detecting subtle macular abnormalities that may be missed on clinical examination.