Digital Commons Network^™

Generating Personal Data And The Gdpr Conceptualizing, Analyzing, And Recognizing Generated Personal Data, Hideyuki Matsumi

Canadian Journal of Law and Technology

In 2014, to fight the littering problem, an environmental group posted portraits of potential litterbugs on public streets. The group extracted DNA from tossed cigarettes, coffee cups, or condoms, and generated the possible likeness of individuals whose DNA was found from these items in public. Similarly, in 2017, detectives working on a cold case sent DNA found at the crime scene of a homicide and sexual assault victim from 1990 to a company that claims it ‘‘can turn DNA into a face”. Subsequently, detectives published the ‘‘predicted face” in an attempt to solicit tips from the public. In 2020, they …

Subaltern Women, State Neglect, And Climate Precarity: Rethinking Forest Landscape Governance In Indonesia, Titiek Kartika Hendrastiti, Siti Kusujiarti

The Indonesian Journal of Socio-Legal Studies

This article examines the social positioning and struggles of subaltern women in East Java, Indonesia, within the intersecting conditions of state neglect and climate precarity in Forest Landscape Governance (FLG). Drawing on field research conducted between 2022 and 2023, it employs Postcolonial Feminist Political Ecology (PFPE) and Postcolonial Feminist Participatory Action Research (PFPAR) to analyze how governance regimes simultaneously depend upon yet marginalize women’s ecological labor. Based on field conversations, storytelling, focus group discussions, participatory drawing, and community dialogues in Banyuwangi and Trenggalek, the study shows that subaltern women remain largely invisible within formal governance frameworks, despite their central role …

Digital Citizenship Among Middle School Students In Oman: A Study Considering Various Variables, Suad Saleh Al Wahaibi, Khalfan Zahran Al-Hijji, Raja Maznah Raja Husain

Journal of Educational and Psychological Studies

This study examined the level of digital citizenship (DC) among grade 10 students in Oman with respect to gender, internet usage duration, and exposure to online threats. A total of 1,022 students participated during the 2022/2023 academic year. The study employed a questionnaire constructed on Ribble’s (2015) Respect, Educate, and Protect (REP) model and applied a random cluster sampling technique. Results revealed that students’ DC level was moderate overall. No statistically significant difference was found between male and female students, while there were significant differences in DC scores in terms of facing online threats and in terms of internet usage …

Unpacking Faculty Perceptions: Disability Critical Race Theory & Adaptive Equity-Oriented Pedagogical In Teaching Practices, Courtney D. Gipson

Electronic Theses and Dissertations Archive

Students with disabilities (SWD) encounter barriers in higher education despite federal legislation intended for equitable access. Community colleges enroll in a significant number of SWDs, who outstandingly are positioned to support different learners. However, the implementation of instructional practices and accommodations are shaped by false beliefs, inadequate training, and inequitable structures. Historically, research on disability and higher education have been analyzed from a deficit and ableist perspective, ignoring the intersectional experiences of SWDs and the important role faculty play in creating inclusive learning environments. This study addresses these gaps by examining community college faculty members' perceptions, beliefs, and pedagogical practices. …

Analyzing The Framing Of President John D. Mahama’S Maiden Press Encounter In State And Independent Media Outlets, Daniel Ofosu Obeng

Electronic Theses and Dissertations Archive

ABSTRACT Presidential press encounters are landmark moments in political communication which, as a result of media mediation, significantly impact people's perception of leadership and governance. The paper examines the depiction of the first press meeting of John Dramani Mahama, President of Ghana, during his second term by state-owned and independent media in Ghana. This study, with Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA) and Media Capture Theory as its theoretical frameworks, delves into how the language and institutional orientations influence the portrayal of the president's communication to the public by the media. By using a qualitative research design, the study decided on sixteen …

Louise Farrenc’S Symphony No. 2 In D Major, Op. 35: A Historical Informed Performance Guide, Fabian Schneider

Electronic Theses and Dissertations Archive

Schneider, Fabian. DMA. The University of Memphis. March 2026. A historical informed performance guide Louise Farrenc’s Symphony No. 2 in D major, Op. 35. Major Professor: Daniel Brier. This project develops a historically informed performance framework for Louise Farrenc’s Symphony No. 2 in D Major, Op. 35. Through close structural and stylistic analysis, the study situates the work within the broader symphonic traditions of nineteenth-century France and Germany, comparing Farrenc’s compositional strategies with those of selected contemporaries. Particular attention is given to formal design, thematic construction, orchestration, and harmonic language to assess both shared conventions and individual characteristics. Engaging with …

Cas Honor Symposium Program, Spring 2026, College Of Arts & Sciences Honors Program

College of Arts & Sciences Honors in the Major Symposium

No abstract provided.

Instructional Leadership Practices In Dual Language Bilingual Education: A Reflective Growth Model Perspective, Selene Canales-Garcia, Velma D. Menchaca, Michelle Abrego, Jose A. Ruiz-Escalante, George Padilla

Organization and School Leadership Faculty Publications

As dual language programs expand across the U.S., school leaders face growing pressure to support bilingual educators amid ongoing teacher shortages. This qualitative case study explores bilingual teachers’ perceptions of their principal’s instructional leadership practices at a dual language elementary school in South Texas. Guided by the Blasé and Blasé Reflective Growth Model (1999, 2000), the study highlights leadership behaviors that promote teacher reflection, collaboration, and professional growth. Findings reveal that supportive leadership—rooted in trust, shared decision-making, and targeted professional development—enhances teacher capacity and strengthens bilingual program implementation.

Group Differences In Conflict Processing Between Bilinguals And Monolinguals, Isidora Varas-Sanchez, Dylan Kuni, Julia Ribeiro, Andrea Fajardo Aguilar, Alyssa Harris

Undergraduate Student Symposium

There is an ongoing debate in the literature on the existence of a bilingual advantage on tests of attention. Hypothetically, bilinguals have an advantage over monolinguals on tests of attention because both attention and language control share the same inhibitory mechanism. Because bilinguals engage this mechanism more often than monolinguals, inhibitory control is believed to be stronger and confer an advantage. However, research findings on the bilingual advantage are inconsistent and attempts to reproduce prior results have sometimes failed. The argument is that studies may have failed to capture the important aspects of language linked to attention. Prior research from …

Modeling And Autonomous Control Systems For A Delivery Drone Application, Dana Helal Alnuaimi

Theses

This thesis focuses on the development of a multi-drone navigation and control system, aiming to enhance payload capacities beyond the limits of single-drone systems. By integrating multiple drones to work collaboratively as a unit, this study addresses the challenges associated with lifting and transporting heavier payloads.

The primary objective is to design and evaluate a multi-drone system capable of working in tandem to transport larger payloads efficiently. The research aims to develop robust control algorithms, supported by system identification for dynamic modeling, and navigation strategies to enable effective coordination between drones.

The study employs a combination of simulation and real-world …

Learning Techniques In Prediction Of Functional Epigenomic Events, Mohammad Shiri

Computer Science Theses & Dissertations

Accurately predicting functional epigenomic events from DNA sequences is critical to understanding gene regulation and the functional impact of non-coding variants. Despite considerable progress, critical challenges hamper the effectiveness and efficiency of existing deep learning approaches. These challenges include negative transfer in multi-task learning (MTL), suboptimal network architectures, and pervasive label noise, particularly the positive-unlabeled problem arising from data sparsity in single-cell assays. This dissertation presents a cohesive framework of novel learning techniques to effectively address these challenges. First, a highly scalable task grouping framework is presented to mitigate negative transfer in deep MTL. This method clusters tasks based on …

Effects Of Cross-Language Instructional Design On Foreign Language Learners' Cognitive Load: Approaching The Redundancy Principle Of Multimedia Learning, Leonor Mendiola Adams

STEMPS Theses & Dissertations

Because conceptualizations of cognitive resources play a critical role in determining the effectiveness of instructional design (Greeno, 2011; Greeno et al., 1996; Mayer, 2011, 2019), this study explores the effects of cross-language instructional design on learners’ perceived intrinsic, extraneous, and germane cognitive load content corresponding to content complexity, instructional presentation demands, and depth of understanding and schema construction, respectively.

Grounded in the redundancy principle of the Cognitive Theory of Multimedia Learning, this research further investigates whether the principle operates differently when learners’ native language is strategically incorporated into foreign language learning contexts. According to the cognitive theory of multimedia learning, …

Conversation Analysis Of Public-Servant And Persons-Of-Interest Face-To-Face Talk Via Llm‑Supported Ai Script Mapping Tools, Arch G. Woodside, Suresh Sood

AMTP Proceedings 2026

Professional public servants (PSs) including police officers, postal workers, and government tax office and DMV employees interact face-to-face with citizens/persons of interest (POIs), in encounters that are frequently recorded using mobile phones and publicized on platforms such as YouTube.com. Building on our observations about recurrent PS–POI scripts and LLM-supported analysis, we develop five grounded propositions linking enacted scripts to existing theory. The propositions focus on describing early turn-taking asymmetry, the importance of sequential detail beyond-shallow analysis, the predictive role of script recurrence, the value of rich, script-based role-play, and the potential of narrative-intelligence databases for institutional learning. Instead of treating …

Does Short-Termism Pay? National Short-Termism, Investment, Innovation, And Equity Returns, Andrew H. Cohen

Theses and Dissertations in Business Administration

We examine whether national short-termism, inferred from corporate language, predicts future real activity, equity returns, risk, and risk-adjusted performance. Using large-scale textual analysis of issuer-linked disclosures and earnings transcripts from the largest firms in twenty major equity markets, we construct country-quarter and annual Short-Termism Scores (STS) capturing the relative emphasis on short- versus long-horizon language.

Higher short-termism predicts lower subsequent gross fixed capital formation, lower research and development intensity, and lower multi-year equity index returns across horizons of up to sixteen quarters. In addition, higher short-termism is associated with greater future market volatility and lower Sharpe ratios, indicating a deterioration …

Considering Ai Adoption And Use: Promises And Paradox For Rural Education, Elizabeth Wargo, Juhee Kim, Jeff Simmons

The Rural Educator

This article explores the adoption and integration of artificial intelligence (AI) within rural education, with a specific focus on the rural context of Idaho. While AI offers new possibilities for educational transformation, its implementation in rural schools presents unique paradoxes. Using a mixed-methods approach involving a statewide survey, working focus groups, and associated documents, this study investigates how AI can empower and challenge rural educational practices. Drawing on Rogers’s diffusion of innovations theory, we illuminate the AI opportunities and barriers perceived by rural education stakeholders. We conclude by discussing implications for advocacy, policy, practice, and research to ensure just and …

Do Not Sit Or Quit: From Marginalized To Mobilized In The Third Stage Of Life: A Theological And Pastoral Response To The Rebirth Of Purpose, Dignity, And Calling Among Aging Believers, Brent M. Nordan

Doctor of Ministry (DMin)

This project examines how senior citizens can rediscover purpose, productivity, and spiritual vitality in the third stage of life through intentional pastoral engagement and church-based ministry models. The study addresses the growing demographic of aging adults who often face social marginalization and spiritual neglect within local congregations. Using a qualitative research approach, this project incorporates biblical and theological reflection, case study analysis, and ministry fieldwork conducted within an active church context. Grounded in the biblical doctrine of the imago Dei, the research affirms that senior adults retain divine purpose and value regardless of age. Key passages of Scripture form the …

Intelligent Deep Learning-Based Sign Language Translation System, Nada Rasem Shahin

Dissertations

The Deaf and Hard of Hearing (DHH) community uses sign language as a primary means of communication. However, the shortage of sign language interpreters and the existence of hundreds of sign languages limit accessibility and inclusion. Sign Language Machine Translation (SLMT) systems present a promising solution for bridging the communication gap between the DHH and the hearing individuals, supporting inclusive societies. In smart cities, such systems play an essential role in improving the quality of life on a community level. In particular, as the population’s well-being is critical, developing intelligent assistive technologies, such as SLMT systems, is necessary to provide …

Training Language Models For Bilateral Trade With Private Information, Dirk Bergemann, Soheil Ghili, Xinyang Hu, Chuanhao Li, Zhuoran Yang

Cowles Foundation Discussion Papers

Bilateral bargaining under incomplete information provides a controlled testbed for evaluating large language model (LLM) agent capabilities. Bilateral trade demands individual rationality, strategic surplus maximization, and cooperation to realize gains from trade. We develop a structured bargaining environment in which LLMs negotiate via tool calls within an event-driven simulator, separating binding offers from natural-language messages to enable automated evaluation. The environment serves two purposes: as a benchmark for frontier models and as a training environment for open-weight models via reinforcement learning. In benchmark experiments, a round-robin tournament among five frontier models (15,000 negotiations) reveals that effective strategies implement price discrimination …

The Impact Of Multimedia Glossing In Vocabulary Retention In Farsi Learning: Challenges And Opportunities, Farideh Langari Ferdowsi

Doctoral Dissertations

Vocabulary acquisition is key to developing foreign language skills, but students, especially those learning less commonly taught languages, often struggle with new words’ retention. Multimedia glossing, which combines text, audio, and visuals, aims to help students manage cognitive load and learn vocabulary more effectively. While most research has focused on student perspectives, little is known about Farsi language teachers’ views on multimedia glossing and its challenges. This qualitative study explores Farsi teachers’ opinions on using multimedia glossing to support vocabulary learning and retention, as well as the obstacles they face.

This study took place at a Bay Area language school …

Mindset Matters: How Growth And Fixed Mindsets Shape Consumer Adoption Of Ai, Myungjin Smale, Yuri Martirosyan, Hui Zhang

AMTP Proceedings 2026

This research examines how individuals’ mindsets shape their use of generative AI (gen AI). In a study with 348 undergraduate students, participants imagined writing a graduate school Statement of Purpose and indicated whether and how they would use AI tools. Among participants who indicated they would use AI, fixed-mindset students were more likely to rely on AI for brainstorming tasks, such as idea generation, whereas growth-mindset students were more likely to use AI for writing aids, such as grammar or spell checking. A significant interaction emerged between mindset and AI use type on anticipated guilt: growth-mindset students anticipated greater guilt …

Selling The Self: Personal Branding And Impression Management On Linkedin, Matthew A. Gilbert

AMTP Proceedings 2026

Drawing on Erving Goffman's self-presentation theory, this study examines how professionals construct personal brands on LinkedIn through strategic identity performance. Using qualitative content analysis, the research analyzes 250 publicly available posts from 50 professionals across five occupational categories. The analysis employs deductive coding guided by Goffman's concepts of front-stage performance and impression management, examining visual elements, linguistic strategies, content themes, and engagement tactics. Data is analyzed using NVivo software. This study contributes to marketing theory by conceptualizing personal branding as both a communication practice and economic behavior, illuminating how professionals balance authenticity, visibility, and strategic positioning on career-focused platforms where …

A Critical Discourse Analysis Of Community College Presidential Job Announcements And The American Association Of Community Colleges Competencies For Community College Leaders, Leslie M. Boon

Educational Leadership & Workforce Development Theses & Dissertations

Women are overrepresented as students and employees of community college, yet they are underrepresented in presidential leadership roles. Prior research has examined the career trajectories and experiences of women aspiring to community college presidencies; however, less research has examined how discourse shapes expectations of leadership. Because community colleges have been described as gendered, the language used to describe leadership competencies may reinforce gendered assumptions about effective leadership. The purpose of this study was to examine the discourse of community college presidential job announcements and the American Association of Community Colleges’ (AACC) Competencies for Community College Leaders (4th edition) to examine …

The War Poetry Map Project: Exploring The Physical And Emotional Geography Of Conflict, Colin D. Halloran

English Theses & Dissertations

There can be no question that war is shaped by and has shaped cultures, and yet as an object of study it is rarely looked at from a cultural studies perspective. It is the great epics of war that form the cornerstones of Western literary tradition. It is the impact of war that gave rise to fields like trauma and memory studies. It is the propaganda produced, the hijacking of cultural industries, that help perpetuate wars. The War Poetry Map Project and accompanying written dissertation seek to move beyond historical and political contexts and view war as a cultural object. …

Bug-In-Ear ECoaching To Enhance Parents' Use Of Embedded Learning Opportunities With Preschool-Age Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder, Aeshah Alturki

Human Movement Studies & Special Education Theses & Dissertations

The increasing prevalence of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) has heightened the need for effective communication interventions. Parents are key partners in intervention and, with appropriate support, can serve as effective intervention agents. However, parents often require ongoing support to implement evidence-based practices. The purpose of this study was to experimentally evaluate the effects of online Bug-in-Ear (BIE) eCoaching on parents’ fidelity of embedded choice-making during family routines with their preschool-aged children with ASD. This study also examined the generalization and maintenance, children’s communicative responses, and parents’ perceptions of the intervention. A single-subject nonconcurrent multiple baseline design across two parent–child dyads …

Back Yard Lingo: Language As Cultural Identity In American Circus, Aíne Norris

English Theses & Dissertations

This project is an exploration of the deeply insider language of American circus and identifies meaningful patterns and connections between language, identity, and community. Drawing upon the theoretical lenses of cultural studies and community of practice, the study offers a thorough examination of how circus people use insider language for business, performance, and community purposes that enhance belonging, share knowledge, gatekeep, and protect their group identity.

The research employs a mixed-methods, scaffolded design that integrates both qualitative and quantitative data approaches, examining the cultural importance of circus language as written and spoken by the insider community. The design begins with …

“Recollecting The Told Story”: Storytelling, Activism, And The Black Maternal Health Emergency, Lamaya C. Williams

English Theses & Dissertations

Storytelling is a foundational component of Black knowledge creation and transmission. This dissertation centers Black women’s stories of birth and mothering—drawing on both primary source birth stories and fictional narratives—to examine the United States’ Black Maternal Health Emergency (BMHE). The BMHE is a complex and urgent issue wherein structural racism, medical bias, and intersecting social determinants disproportionately endanger the health of Black mothers. As such, Black mothers in the United States are three times more likely to die from a pregnancy-related condition compared to their white counterparts.

This study examines the birth stories of women who survived the BMHE and …

Gregor Samsa’S Pagkagimata (Awakening) In Bikol: A Becoming-Minor In Translation, Victor John M. Loquias

Akda: The Asian Journal of Literature, Culture, Performance

Kristian Cordero’s translation of Franz Kafka’s Metamorphosis instantiates what the philosophers Gilles Deleuze and Felix Guattari call minor literature. Preferring the Bikol term Pagkagimata—the literal event of Gregor Sama’s becoming-animal in the novel as title of the translation and the utilization of the Rinconada Bikol language for the transformed Samsa—Cordero has typified a perspective of translation that challenges the popular view of fluent translation from the source text to the target language. Exemplifying the concept of becoming-minor of Deleuze and Guattari and deploying Lawrence Venuti’s notion of the “remainder,” An Pagkagimata ni Gregor Samsa exhibits a deterritorialization of Bikol …

Narratives Of Dis-Ease: A Genre Study Of Pathography, Sylvelyn Jo A. Almanzor

Akda: The Asian Journal of Literature, Culture, Performance

This essay establishes pathography as a distinct genre of creative nonfiction, tracing the development, form, and cultural significance of this body of literature. I have broadly defined it as narratives on personal experiences of Gabriel Marcel's "dis-ease"—covering and critiquing the human understanding and experience of sickness, pain, and grief—which has evolved from autobiographical narratives and life-writing of patients and medical professionals to a recognized form of creative nonfiction. This study will analyze the genre's structure, themes, and rhetorical strategies with consideration to cultural significance and how it negotiates the human understanding of suffering, healing, and societal attitudes toward existence and …

Sapientia Ex Machina: Engaging Ai As A Meaning-Making Tool For Philosophical Practice, Austin M. Pritchett

SPARK Symposium Presentations

This paper sets out to examine whether a Large Language Model can serve as a genuine interlocutor in philosophical inquiry. With a grounding in the phenomenology of Maurice Merleau-Ponty, and in conversation with other works in philosophy on AI, language, and the mind, the author determines the extent to which an AI's contributions to conversation can be said to participate in understanding and meaning-making rather than merely simulate it, thereby making evident the extent to which it is useful in philosophical practice.

Moral Repair, Forgiveness, And Collective Minds, Songzhi Wu

Dartmouth College Ph.D Dissertations

Human lives are increasingly shaped by collective entities (e.g., corporations, governments, nonprofits) that make consequential decisions and evoke trust, blame, and praise. Yet how people perceive and relate to these non-individual agents remains underexplored. This dissertation investigates collective mind perception, moral repair, and forgiveness across three chapters using experimental, neuroimaging, and corpus-based methods.

Chapter 1 examines how collective entities repair their moral standing after wrongdoing. Across four studies, agentic cues such as responsibility-taking and corrective plans consistently outperform experiential expressions such as remorse in eliciting forgiveness toward organizational transgressors. Agentic apologies also reshape memory: participants recall the apology content more …