Digital Commons Network^™

Scheduling Optimization For Cascaded Hybrid Flow Shop Integrating Llm And Rl, Fuqing Zhao, Bin Wu, Tianpeng Xu, Ningning Zhu, Houbin Song, Yukai Yao

Journal of System Simulation

Abstract: For the cascaded hybrid flow shop scheduling problem with AGV transportation, a multiobjective optimization model is built to minimize the makespan and total energy consumption. A hybrid algorithm framework integrating the LLM, covariance matrix adaptation evolution strategy, and RL strategy selection mechanism is proposed. LLMs are employed to generate heuristic priority rules and construct high-quality initial solutions. Covariance matrix adaption evolution strategy is adopted to optimize the search in continuous priority space, and an enhanced scalar fitness function integrating hypervolume gain and solution diversity is introduced. An RL strategy selection module based on the upper level information boundary is …

Q-Learning Enhanced Memetic Algorithm For Robust Scheduling Of Space Launch Missions, Rui Lin, Xiaolu Liu, Yonghao Du, Mingyang Geng, Zhenshun Shi

Journal of System Simulation

Abstract: A robust optimization mathematical model and an enhanced memetic algorithm (MA) for space launch mission scheduling are proposed to address the practical challenges in space launch mission scheduling under the influence of multiple uncertainties such as equipment failure, process rework due to quality issues, and technological changes. A robust optimization scheduling model for space launch missions is built by integrating the makespan under the worst-case scenario, the average maximum makespan, and the average deviation of process start times. A Q-learning enhanced memetic algorithm (QMA) is proposed, which can dynamically select parent solutions based on the population state. Simulation experiments …

Participatory Research With People With Aphasia: Frameworks, Examples, And Implementation Guidance, Jacqueline J. Hinckley, Katie A. Strong, Brent Archer, Lauren Bislick, Suma R. Devanga, Amy E. R. Engelhoven, Anthony Pak-Hin Kong

The Qualitative Report

Participatory research (PR) improves the meaningfulness and efficiency of research and reduces the research-to-practice gap, because it includes the lived experience of those who are affected by the research in the planning, execution, and dissemination of the research. Communication disabilities, like aphasia due to stroke, or communication differences impact the way in which meaningful research collaborations can take place. The purpose of this paper is to describe the ethics, challenges, and opportunities for involving people with aphasia as collaborators in research. We highlight specific examples of PR projects undertaken by community member teams composed of researchers, clinicians, people with aphasia, …

Implementation Of A Preventative Screen To Detect Heartworm Disease In Local Mosquito Populations, Ava Hurley, Emma Weissmeier, Lucy Corten, Jayden Ockert, Jackson Greenwold-Claiborne, Addison Levitz, Carson Mickey, Alexandra Bonner, Paul E. Richardson

Journal of the South Carolina Academy of Science

Heartworm disease, caused by the parasite Dirofilaria immitis, affects thousands of mammalian pets across the nation annually and is increasingly spreading. Various mammalian pets including dogs, cats, ferrets, and horses are affected by the disease, and currently dogs are the only mammalian pets with an approved treatment. This study aims to implement a preventative approach to combating the disease by utilizing a PCR-based screen to detect D. immitis in mosquito populations. Five key objectives were established in this study: refine a preventative screen to detect heartworm DNA in mosquitoes, implement the preventative screen through partnerships with local animal shelters, …

Development Of Genomic Detection Techniques Of Aquatic Pathogens To Aid In Disaster Relief After Hurricanes, Ana Rose Johnson-Redmon, Abigail F. Turka, Rylie Masterson, Paul E. Richardson

Journal of the South Carolina Academy of Science

Extreme weather events such as hurricanes, tropical storms, and flooding can introduce microbial contaminants into freshwater systems through stormwater runoff, animal waste, and damaged or overwhelmed wastewater infrastructure. Rapid detection of waterborne pathogens is important for environmental monitoring and public health response, especially in coastal regions vulnerable to hurricane-related flooding. This study developed and refined a polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-based environmental DNA detection technique to identify aquatic pathogens in freshwater systems. Water samples were collected from four freshwater sites, including three man-made ponds and one drainage ditch, during the Fall 2025 and Spring 2026 semesters. Target organisms include Giardia, Cyclospora, …

Investigating The Prevalence Of Human Papilloma Virus In A College-Aged Sample Group And Its Link To Sexual Behaviors And Attitudes, Gabriela Lewczyk, Eva Pollak, Phoebe Stryker, Samantha Hickey, Emily Moyer, Katelyn Ambrose, Alexander Knight, Rahjai Thomas, Adriana Burk, Paul E. Richardson

Journal of the South Carolina Academy of Science

Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) is the most common sexually transmitted infection (STI) in the United States, infecting up to 75% of sexually active individuals, with a prevalence rising significantly around age nineteen for oral and genital infections. Because the virus infects epithelial cells and is transmitted primarily through skin-to-skin contact, it is found mainly in the cervix, oral cavity, and on/within ones’ skin. While most of the 200+ HPV subtypes are benign and tend to self-clear within six months to two years, twelve of these strains are classified as high-risk oncogenic strains that drive malignant progression. Furthermore, HPV is linked …

The Structure And Regulatory Mechanism Of The Emrb Rna Motif In Lactobacillus Acidophilus, Isabella J. Mezzenga, Brian M. Lee

Journal of the South Carolina Academy of Science

Major facilitator superfamily (MFS) transporters aid bacteria in expelling toxic compounds such as antibiotics, bile acids, and other substances. Previous bioinformatic studies identified the emrB motif as a potential regulatory RNA element. In Lactobacillus, this RNA motif is generally found in the intergenic region upstream of an MFS transporter gene with homology to the emrB gene from Escherichia coli. Secondary structure predictions of the intergenic region were used to define the structural features of this RNA motif. The emrB motif comprises two hairpins, though inclusion of neighboring regions is predicted to stabilize alternative secondary structures. A potential rho independent terminator …

Development Of A Molecular Screen For Community-Based Hookworm Detection, Emma Weissmeier, Ava Hurley, Jackson Greenwold-Claiborne, Morgan Deeringer, Paul E. Richardson

Journal of the South Carolina Academy of Science

Hookworm disease, caused by Ancylostoma duodenale and Necator americanus, is a soil-transmitted infection affecting over 700 million people worldwide. Transmission occurs through direct skin contact with contaminated soil, leading to health consequences including iron-deficiency anemia, malnutrition, and long-term developmental impacts. The CCU Disease Hunters program developed a PCR-based environmental screen to detect hookworm DNA in soil samples before transmission reaches human or animal hosts. Initiated in response to a request from All 4 Paws Animal Rescue, this project established protocols for soil collection, DNA extraction, and molecular identification of hookworm using the cytochrome c oxidase (COI) and cytochrome b (COB) …

Exploring The Dynamics Of Tilted, Truncated Accretion Disks, José L. Montés, Chris Fragile, Deepika Bollimpalli, Matthew Liska

Journal of the South Carolina Academy of Science

Tilted accretion disks are theoretically not uncommon in stellar mass black hole systems. The dynamics of tilted disks display interesting physical behaviors that could explain certain observational phenomena such as quasi-periodic oscillations. We present results of recent numerical simulations of tilted, truncated accretion disks around rotating black holes. Our simulations model systems composed of a thick inner torus surrounded by a thin outer disk and were run with the goal of investigating the behaviors of the torus because of the exchange of angular momentum between it and the outer disk. Multiple simulations produced surprising results, such as the potential tearing …

From Classification To Segmentation: Evaluating Machine Learning Defect Localization And Inspector Performance In Manufacturing, Gavin Smithson, Dakota Fulp, William M. Jones, Sharmistha Chakrabarti

Journal of the South Carolina Academy of Science

High-volume manufacturing at Los Alamos National Laboratory requires rigorous quality assurance; however, sustained manual inspection can be inconsistent, costly, and fatiguing. This paper presents the model-evaluation component of a larger human-in-the-loop artificial intelligence project for manufacturing anomaly detection. MicroSentryAI uses pretrained models to identify potential anomaly regions, while AnnoMate provides accessible tools for annotating, validating, and comparing those regions. The study emphasizes the distinction between classification, which determines whether a sample is anomalous, and segmentation, which identifies the location of an anomaly. Using Intersection over Union (IoU), precision, recall, and Euclidean distance between centroids, experiments with simulated mask errors demonstrated …

Intersubjectivity, Collaboration, And The Possibilities Of Dialogic Analysis, Karen Ross, Meagan Call-Cummings

The Qualitative Report

This article stems from a desire to counter monologic, or single-voiced, approaches to data analysis and to consider opportunities for a dialogic approach that offers opportunities to engage and discover nuance and complexity in the research process. Drawing on our own research experiences, we offer a discussion of three methods of dialogic analysis: Reconstructive Horizon Analysis (RHA), participatory analysis, and Interpersonal Process Recall (IPR). Locating each of these within a kind of spectrum of dialogism, we illustrate how different forms of dialogic analysis can create space for complexity, nuance, perspective-taking, and in the best case, collaborative, intersubjective meaning making. We …

Inside A Multidisciplinary Grounded-Theory Project On Corruption In Ecuador: Navigating And Negotiating Challenges, Maria-Jose Rivera, Paúl Arias-Medina, Aracely Rojas-Lazo, Dolores Sucozhañay-Calle

The Qualitative Report

Studying day-to-day corruption raises hurdles for qualitative teams that cut across methodological, emotional, and ethical domains. Rather than presenting substantive findings on corruption, this article reports a reflexive analysis of those hurdles as experienced by an eight-member, multidisciplinary research team conducting the qualitative grounded-theory phase of the CIRCLE project in Ecuador - a context where discussing corruption often triggers mistrust, discomfort, and political sensitivities. Drawing on 33 meeting minutes and eight researcher stance memos, we applied Braun and Clarke’s reflexive thematic analysis to team-generated documents to examine how challenges unfolded and were negotiated. We identified three interconnected domains of difficulty. …

Exploring Striking Moments Through Reflexive Inquiry: Case Study Of Action Learning Conversations, Mette Vinther Larsen, Sheila Mcnamee

The Qualitative Report

This paper explores how executive managers reflexively inquire into striking moments, understood as unanticipated instances that unsettle taken-for-granted assumptions, through Action Learning Conversations (ALC). ALC is a structured six-step dialogical process used at a Danish executive MBA program. Grounded in a relational-constructionist stance, the study responds to earlier empirical work showing that reflexivity could not be planned through curricular design but depends instead on relational and reflexive inquiries around unanticipated and striking moments. Using a qualitative, semi-structured case study design, the first author, who taught in the program and generated the data, traces two purposively selected cases; (1) centered on …

Cultivating Gen-Z As Cultural Heirs In The Indigenous Community Of Cireundeu, Sardin Sardin, Ade Romi Rosmia, Mohamad Hadi Ali Mutamam

The Qualitative Report

How do Indigenous leaders teach digital-native youth to value centuries-old traditions? This six-month ethnographic study examined cultural transmission in Cireundeu, an Indigenous Sundanese community in West Java, Indonesia. Existing studies often address Indigenous education and digital youth culture separately, with limited attention to leaders’ perspectives. Conducted from June to November 2024, the study drew on participant observation, interviews with 25 community members, six focus group discussions, and digital artifact analysis. Reflexive thematic analysis identified three interconnected patterns. First, leaders fostered cultural learning through graduated ceremonial participation. Second, elders practiced leader-orchestrated digital bricolage by adapting Instagram, TikTok, and WhatsApp for cultural …

Researching Readers And Writers: The Role Of Serendipity, Elizabeth L. Jaeger

The Qualitative Report

I trace here three case studies of readers and writers: third grade children participating in a Writing Workshop, fourth grade vulnerable readers in a tutoring setting, and adults with major mental illness interacting in a writers’ group. Specifically, I collected and analyzed data related to students extending a classroom practice called Class Meeting (during which they shared concerns and compliments) into the writing workshop context; expanding the focus of tutoring practice from children who struggled with comprehension of text to include those with English vocabulary and decoding issues; and changes when I moved from a participant in, to facilitator of, …

From Epoché To Essence: A Methodological Chronicle Of Hybrid Phenomenological Data Analysis, Mulugeta Yayeh Worku

The Qualitative Report

This article provides a personal and procedural account of the methodological journey undertaken for a doctoral study on the lived experiences of teacher educators practicing Social Reconstructionism in Ethiopian higher education. Navigating the complex terrain of phenomenological inquiry, the author details a Hybrid Phenomenological Model that integrates the procedural rigor of Clark Moustakas's descriptive method (e.g., horizonalization and imaginative variation) as a structural scaffold, with the interpretive attitude of hermeneutical phenomenology (Max van Manen, Martin Heidegger) as the guiding lens for meaning construction. The chronicle traces a five-phase data analysis process, from the initial challenge of epoché and immersion, through …

Reflexive Accounts Of Conducting Qualitative Interviews In The Mena Region, Chaima Mennai, Sana Alzahrani

The Qualitative Report

This paper provides a reflexive account of our experiences conducting qualitative research in the contexts of two Arab countries, from our perspectives as researchers trained in a Western academic context. We explore the challenges and insights gained when recruiting and interviewing participants for qualitative Ph.D. projects within what is a predominantly quantitative research culture. Drawing on Walsh’s reflexive framework, we detail the issues that emerged during the recruitment and interview processes, identifying their potentially significant implications for Ph.D. candidates and early-career researchers who were trained in the West and are choosing to conduct research in contexts where the qualitative research …

Teaching Writing With Genai: Teacher Insights On How To Adapt Learning And Assessment Practices, Thanh Thao Le, Trut Thuy Pham, Minh Tuan Duong, Thi Diem Lan Le

The Qualitative Report

Generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) creates two connected challenges for English as a foreign language (EFL) writing assessment: teachers need credible evidence of learner authorship and learning, while teachers and learners need practical guidance for responsible use. We investigated how nine Vietnamese tertiary EFL teachers redesigned writing tasks and assessment and whether their pedagogical reasoning varied across career stages. We generated data through semi-structured interviews at two tertiary institutions and analyzed the accounts using reflexive thematic analysis. The analysis produced four themes: (1) movement from detection to authenticity-by-design, (2) Defensive, Adaptive, and Generative response patterns, (3) integrity, equity, and feasibility as …

Behind The Screen And Behind The Researcher: Reflexivity In Digital Mental Health Inquiry, Lesedi Kgatla

The Qualitative Report

The purpose of this paper is to reflexively examine how researcher positionality, theoretical commitments, methodological choices, and ethical decision-making shaped the interpretation of a previously conducted qualitative study on digital mental health activism. Drawing on my earlier digital ethnographic study of two South African mental health activists who used social media to disclose their experiences of depression, this paper presents a reflexive qualitative re-examination of the research process. The original study identified three themes: visibility through vulnerability, authenticity as activism, and community, connection, and psychoeducation. Rather than revisiting these as empirical findings, this paper examines how they were co-constructed through …

Strengths, Struggles, And Hope: Iranian University Faculty Experiences Through The Lens Of Appreciative Inquiry, Mohamad Reza Farangi, Mostafa Bahraman, Roya Movahed

The Qualitative Report

Although Appreciative Inquiry has been widely applied to organizational and educational development, little is known about how it can illuminate the experiences of university faculty in resource-constrained, non-Western higher education contexts. This qualitative study explored how Iranian university faculty members experience their professional lives through the lens of Appreciative Inquiry, with particular attention to the factors that sustain motivation, resilience, and professional purpose. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with eight assistant and associate professors from diverse academic disciplines, and the data were analyzed using Braun and Clarke’s thematic analysis. The analysis generated eight interrelated themes: ethical academic identity, pride in scholarly …

Communication, Identity, And Resilience Among Fisherwomen Of Padang City: A Phenomenological Study, Elva Ronaning Roem, Winda Vanisya, S. Bekti Istiyanto, Sarmiati Sarmiati, Vitania Yulia, Revi Marta, Nadra Ideyani Vita

JURNAL KOMUNIKASI INDONESIA

Fisherwomen constitute an essential yet frequently overlooked workforce in small-scale fisheries, particularly in coastal communities where intercultural dynamics shape everyday working relationships among fisherwomen, fishermen, traders, and buyers. Along the coast of Padang City, these interactions take place within the distinctive socio-cultural context of Minangkabau society, where communication involves ongoing negotiations of meaning across differing cultural expectations, kinship values, and gender roles embedded in the coastal work environment. Although previous studies have examined fisherwomen’s economic participation and gender inequality, limited attention has been paid to communication as an intercultural and lived process through which fisherwomen construct identity, solidarity, and resilience …

Trust In Leader As A Focal Point In Building Followers’ Servant Leadership At Schools, Regi Sanjaya, Maria Merry Marianti, Brigita Meylianti Sulungbudi

The South East Asian Journal of Management

Research Aims: This research recognises the evolving landscape of followership within Indonesia’s education sector, specifically examining the fundamental role of trust in the leader in promoting servant leadership behaviour.

Design/Methodology/Approach: The study involved 248 teachers from 11 of Indonesia’s 38 provinces, representing 25 cities and 79 schools across kindergarten, elementary, middle, and high school levels. Analysis was conducted using a regression-based method with SPSS 26.0 and PROCESS Macro 4.2.

Research Findings: The findings revealed two mediation pathways between principal servant leadership and followers’ servant leadership: one through trust in the leader and a serving culture, and the other through trust …

Vol7iss5, Hca Healthcare

HCA Healthcare Journal of Medicine Covers

Cover for Volume 7 Issue 5 of the HCA Healthcare Journal of Medicine.

Integrating Esg Principles Into Innovation, Entrepreneurship, And Human Development For Sme Performance: Evidence From The Creative Industry In Lombok, Adi Septiawan, Erne Suzila Kassim, T Ramayah, Sri Rahayu Hijrah Hati

The South East Asian Journal of Management

Research Aims: The current study investigated the influence of ESG-integrated innovation strategies, entrepreneurial orientation, and human capital development on the organisational performance of creative-industry SMEs in Lombok, Indonesia, using the resource-based view (RBV) as a theoretical perspective.

Design/Methodology/Approach: A survey was conducted among a total of 200 SMEs in the creative industry in Lombok, Indonesia. The data were collected using structured questionnaires and analysed on the SmartPLS 4.0 software for structural equation modelling (SEM).

Research Findings: The current results indicated ESG-aligned leadership, innovation, entrepreneurial orientation, and human capital development significantly enhanced the level of organisational performance among creative-industry SMEs in …

Process Fairness As A Mediator Of The Relationship Between Reward Communication And Organisational Attachment, Azman Ismail, Ummu Ajirah Abdul Rauf, Muhammad Ajib Abd Razak, Nik Hasfizul Hassan

The South East Asian Journal of Management

Research Aims: The study examines the mediating role of process fairness in the relationship between reward communication and organisational attachment.

Design/Methodology/Approach: Cross-sectional data were collected from 437 employees at Malaysian public tertiary education institutions using purposive sampling. The data were analyzed using SmartPLS to examine both the measurement and the structural equation models.

Research Findings: Process fairness is a crucial mediating variable between reward communication and organisational attachment.

Theoretical Contribution/Originality: This study extends Leventhal’s (1976) Self-Interest Model and Shapiro’s (1993) Model of Procedural Justice by examining the role of process fairness as a mediating variable between reward communication and organisational …

The Impact Of Employee Recognition Practices To Job Satisfaction In Business Process Outsourcing (Bpo): The Mediating Role Of Employee Productivity, Genesis S. Austria, Celso S. Alicante Jr., John Crisjer A. Araullo, Erica Shane B. Belleza, Peter Daniel S. Gutierrez, Daisy R. Payawal, Erwin Stuart C. Toledo

The South East Asian Journal of Management

Research Aims: This study investigates the impact of employee recognition practices on job satisfaction in the BPO industry, with employee productivity examined as a mediating variable. It addresses the persistent challenge of high attrition in the Philippine BPO sector, where demanding performance standards and work conditions heighten the need for effective recognition mechanisms.

Design/Methodology/Approach: A quantitative research design was employed using survey data collected from 701 employees working in BPO companies across Metro Manila. PLS-SEM was utilized to test the direct and mediating relationships among variables.

Research Findings: Results indicate that employee recognition has a significant positive effect on job …

After-Hours Digital Connectivity, Emotional Exhaustion, Service Quality, And Turnover Intention Among Hotel And Resort Employees, Badaruddin Badaruddin, Fatmasari Fatmasari, Sitti Mujahida, Muhammad Azizurrohman

The South East Asian Journal of Management

Research Aims: This research evaluates whether after-hours digital connectivity is associated with emotional exhaustion among frontline hotel and resort employees in Indonesia and whether exhaustion transmits its effects to service quality and turnover intention. It also tests psychological detachment as a boundary condition.

Design/Methodology/Approach: A cross-sectional survey was conducted from December 2025 to February 2026. Purposive sampling produced 294 usable responses from frontline employees who routinely used digital communication for work coordination. The model was estimated using partial least squares structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM), including direct, indirect, and interaction effects.

Research Findings: After-hours digital connectivity significantly increased emotional exhaustion. Exhaustion, …

The Role Of Environmental Awareness In Green Technological Usage: A Mediation Of Sustainable Green Practices In The Manufacturing Sector, Joel Mark P. Rodriguez

The South East Asian Journal of Management

Research Aims: This study investigates environmental awareness, sustainable green activities, and green technology adoption in the manufacturing industry, with special attention being paid to the role of sustainable green activities in the mediating effect of environmental awareness on green technology adoption.

Design/Methodology/Approach: A quantitative cross-sectional design was applied in the study based on the use of data gathered from 350 employees/managers from five manufacturing companies in the CALABARZON area of the Philippines. The analysis was conducted using SEM with WarpPLS 8.0 software, while the mediator effects were studied using the bootstrapping technique.

Research Findings: Environmental awareness significantly impacts sustainable …

Mental Health As A Mediator In The Relationship Between Life Satisfaction, Resilience, And Employee Engagement Among Generation Z Employees, Ida Farida, Irfiani Triastari

Psychological Research on Urban Society

This study examined the mediating role of mental health, operationalized as lower non-specific psychological distress, in the relationships between life satisfaction, resilience, and employee engagement among Generation Z employees in Indonesia. A quantitative cross-sectional explanatory survey design was used. The sample consisted of 324 Generation Z employees selected from a larger dataset based on age cohort, full-time employment status, and voluntary participation. Data were analyzed using Structural Equation Modeling with LISREL 8.80 and Maximum Likelihood estimation. The results showed that life satisfaction was positively associated with employee engagement and with mental health as operationalized in this study. Resilience was positively …

Catfish Cultivation In Buckets For Blimbingsari Beach Fishermen As An Additional Source Of Income, Ali Wafa, Muhammad Faris Faisal, Agung Wijaksono

Bhakti: Jurnal Pengabdian Masyarakat

Traditional fishermen on Blimbingsari Beach have experienced a decline in income since 2022. This is due to extreme sea weather and the high cost of fuel per voyage. This empowerment program aims to create additional sources of income in an effort to maintain welfare. Using a Participatory Rural Appraisal (PRA) approach, this activity was carried out productively for 4 months (July-October 2023), involving the Blimbingsari Beach fishermen's joint business group (KUB). This program is part of the 2023 PPK Ormawa maritime village scheme, with funding support of IDR 38,700,000. The empowerment results showed that the team's efforts resulted in the …