Digital Commons Network^™

Ice Stream Formation, Activation, And Evolution, Logan E. Mann

Dartmouth College Ph.D Dissertations

While the Greenland and Antarctic ice sheets deform as slow viscous fluids, ice streams are regions of ice that flow several orders of magnitude faster than the surrounding ice ridges. Ice streams form the primary drainage networks for ice sheets and are currently responsible for the majority of discharge from the West Antarctic Ice Sheet. Many catchments like the Siple Coast of West Antarctica display a complex array of flow morphologies that are not primarily determined by bed topography. Instead, flow is primarily governed by thermal conditions along the bed and in shear margins that lead to rapid till deformation. …

Wideband Acoustic Immittance: Suitable Quantities For Assessing Middle-Ear Status, Kren Monrad Nørgaard, Jingxin Jessica Feng, Susan E. Voss

Engineering: Faculty Publications

This paper investigates the physical significance of ear-canal wave quantities—such as absorbance—that are commonly measured in wideband-acoustic-immittance tests and evaluates whether these quantities uniquely characterize middle-ear function. This is explored using simulations of lumped-element and transmission-line ear canals, along with measurements in three-dimensional-printed uniform and anatomical ear canals of varying geometry, terminated by the same middle-ear simulator. The results demonstrate the following points: (1) Wave quantities computed using estimated or geometrical cross-sectional areas do not uniquely characterize the middle ear because they describe the wave interaction between ear canal and middle ear and are therefore confounded by variations in ear-canal …

Security-Oriented Voice Authentication Using Machine Learning, Ifeoluwa Stella Elegbe

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

This study develops and evaluates a machine learning and deep learning-based voice authentication system for secure identity verification. As traditional authentication methods such as passwords, PINs, and security tokens continue to face challenges, including identity theft, forgetting, and unauthorized access, voice biometrics offers a more secure, convenient, and user-friendly alternative, especially for remote, hands-free, and accessibility-focused applications. The study adopts a closed-set speaker identification framework, where the system determines the most likely speaker from a predefined group of enrolled users. A structured methodology is implemented, beginning with audio preprocessing and feature extraction. Key acoustic features, including Mel-Frequency Cepstral Coefficients (MFCCs), …

Data-Driven Prediction Of Compressive Strength In Pofa-Modified Concrete: A Comparative Study Of Lr, Nlr, And Ann Models, Shuaaib A. Mohammed, Hawdin Ismael Ibrahim, Diar Fatah Abdulrahman Askar, Hersh F Mahmood, Mehdi Khodaei, Soran Abdrahman Ahmad

Mansoura Engineering Journal

Production of concrete results in high CO₂ emissions, high energy demand, and consumption of various raw materials; however, it is one of the most widely used materials in construction to date. Therefore, researchers aim to minimize the impact of concrete production through various methods, such as introducing sustainable sources of materials that can be used in concrete. For instance, agricultural waste materials can be used as partial cement replacement. This study presents a comprehensive data-driven analysis of the effects of POFA on the properties of normal-strength concrete. By synthesizing a database of 196 experimental datasets from existing literature, three …

Federated And Explainable Spiking Neural Networks For Fair And Privacy-Preserving Nail Disease Diagnostics, Ch Pavani Reddy, Krishnanaik Vankdoth

Mansoura Engineering Journal

Automated nail disease diagnostics provide a non-invasive pathway for identifying underlying systemic health conditions; however, conventional centralized deep learning approaches often raise concerns related to privacy, fairness, and interpretability. Although the original NeuroNail-SNN framework demonstrated an energy-efficient and edge-ready diagnostic solution, its broader clinical adoption remained limited by unresolved trust, transparency, and ethical considerations. In this study, we propose the Federated and Explainable NeuroNail-SNN, which extends the original spiking neural architecture by integrating federated learning (FL), explainable artificial intelligence (XAI), fairness evaluation, and uncertainty quantification within a unified framework. Federated learning enables decentralized model training across hospitals and mobile clinics …

Optimisation Of Stepped Basin Solar Still With Response Surface Methodology And Machine Learning Methods, M. Balamurugan, V. Santhanam, B. Deepanraj, S. P Manikandan, M. Yuvaperiyasamy, N. Senthilkumar

Mansoura Engineering Journal

This research focuses on enhancing the distillate output of a stepped basin solar still by optimizing key operational variables using Response Surface Methodology (RSM) and advanced machine learning techniques. As water scarcity remains a critical global challenge, solar stills offer a viable, sustainable solution for desalination. These systems offer an energy-efficient approach to converting saline water intofreshwater, providing an alternative to conventional desalination methods. The primary objective was to investigate how variations in solar radiation, step height, and water inlet temperature influence the productivity of the stepped basin solar still. The solar radiation ranged from 600 to 1000 W/m², the …

The Contributors, Marites Tiongco

DLSU Business & Economics Review

No abstract provided.

Professional Identity Exploration And Commitment Development By Stem Undergraduates From Underrepresented Groups During Near-Peer Mentoring, Joseph A. Brobst, Joanna K. Garner, David Hartenstine, Perry Fizzano

Center for Educational Partnerships Publications

This study examines near-peer mentoring as a context for professional identity development by undergraduates from groups that are underrepresented in STEM higher education. Mentees were students in a computer science/mathematics‑focused scholarship program, with a two-tiered near-peer mentoring component that paired 1st-2nd‑year undergraduate mentees with 3^rd-4^th year mentors and 3^rd-4^th year mentees with early‑career professional mentors. We analyzed mentoring conversation summaries from three mentor–mentee pairs, spanning one academic year. Mentoring relationships provided safe spaces for students’ professional identity exploration and the development of commitments toward career paths and life goals. Across all cases, conversation summaries …

Strengthening Literacy Outcomes For Students With Severe Disabilities: The Impact Of Teacher Preparation, Evidence-Based Approaches, And Learning Environments, Kallie Casale

All Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This literature review thesis examines factors influencing literacy instruction for students with severe disabilities, focusing on evidence-based approaches, educator training, and learning environments. The findings highlight that systematic instruction and specialized training, such as online modules, eCoaching, and practice-based feedback, significantly improve educator knowledge and student skill acquisition. The review demonstrates that comprehensive curricula, such as the Early Literacy Skills Builder (ELSB), yield greater gains in phonics and decoding than traditional sight-word approaches. The review of research also illustrates that inclusive settings promote academic progress through peer modeling and higher learning expectations than traditional self-contained environments. However, some educators prefer …

Supporting Early Literacy In Preschool: The Influence Of Activity Settings, Shared Reading, And Teacher–Child Interactions, Megan Turnquist

All Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This literature review explores current research about the activities and settings currently in place in preschool classrooms across North America. While a majority of the preschool day is spent in whole-group and free-choice activities, research indicates that instruction provided in small groups and book reading are two important ways to harness engagement and deliver high-quality instruction. Different kinds of teacher-child interactions during book reading can support the development of crucial early literacy skills, such as vocabulary and print knowledge. While time spent on literacy content varied widely across classrooms, teachers responded well to training in both print referencing and dialogic …

From Implementation To Impact: Schoolwide Mtss Systems And Student Growth, Amanda Kay Reinarts

All Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Multi-Tiered Systems of Support (MTSS) are widely used in schools to organize academic, behavioral, and social-emotional support for students. Although MTSS is intended to function as a comprehensive schoolwide framework, implementation often becomes fragmented when schools treat it as a standalone tiered-intervention model rather than an integrated system of support, instruction, assessment, and intervention. This fragmentation can limit the effectiveness of MTSS and reduce its impact on student achievement and organizational improvement. This literature review examines how school leaders leverage MTSS as a dynamic, schoolwide system to improve student achievement and organizational effectiveness. This review focuses on leadership structures, organizational …

The Impact Of Special Education Inclusion On The Academic And Social Development Of Students With Disabilities, Sarah Phoebe Phelps

All Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Research of special education inclusion in mainstream classrooms indicated that it can enhance the academic and social development of students with disabilities, and that it could also make a positive impact on the peers without disabilities. However, there is continued concern regarding teacher readiness, resource limitations, and the appropriateness of full inclusion for students with significant disabilities. To create a successful inclusive classroom, teachers need support, proven strategies, and the implementation of the strategies. This literature review will look at the successes and challenges of inclusive education as a whole, and highlight the evolution of exclusive practices to the current …

Pafex: Compiler-Based Floating-Point Exception Detection For Gpu Kernels With Papispecific Software-Defined Events, Samin Islam, Shirley V. Moore, Christoph Q. Lauter

Graduate Student Papers (CS)

As high-performance computing becomes progressively heterogeneous, the dependence upon vendor specific tools for numerical correctness has become an impediment to portability. Although modern GPUs comply with the IEEE 754 standard, the lack of practical native hardware support to raise and handle exceptions (special values like ±∞ or NaN) is a well-known architectural limitation. To embed portable numerical correctness across heterogeneous systems, we propose an architecture agnostic prototype based on LLVM-compiler infrastructure. This framework detects floating-point exceptions in GPU kernels at the Intermediate Representation (IR) level, instrumenting both device code and host code, strictly complying with the 2019 IEEE 754 standard. …

Advancing Food Equity Through Explainable Ai (Xai): Identifying Place-Based Factors And Conditions Of Food Security, Leslie Hoglund, Hyoshin Park

Health Behavior, Policy & Management Faculty Publications

Food behaviors, food security, and their association with socioeconomic factors constitute a critical area of study with implications for public health, economic stability, and social equity. Understanding these relationships are essential for developing effective policies and interventions that promote sustainable, healthy food systems and greater food equity. This paper employs explainable artificial intelligence (XAI) methods to identify key features influencing household food behaviors. The insights gained from the XAI analysis are further utilized in conjunction with inverse reinforcement learning (IRL) to examine expert behaviors related to eating habits satisfaction. The XAI results reveal that household health conditions, spending patterns, and …

Niu Working Papers 2025 - 2026, Northern Illinois University

Working Papers

No abstract provided.

Entry Requirements As Predictors Of Early Academic Success And Student Performance In Undergraduate Occupational Therapy Education, Eileen Du Plooy, Daleen Casteleijn, Denise Franzsen, Gopika Ramkilawon

Journal of Occupational Therapy Education

The selection process for health sciences programs such as occupational therapy is complex, involving a combination of academic and non-academic selection criteria as entry requirements. This study aimed to investigate the predictive value of entry requirement variables on academic performance during the first and second year of an undergraduate occupational therapy program in South Africa. A quantitative, cross-sectional design was utilized, and the sample included 129 first- and second- year occupational therapy students. Data was collected retrospectively through educational data mining of university records and institutional dashboards. The variables analyzed included National Senior Certificate Grade12 (NSC12) grades (Mathematics, Life Sciences, …

A Scholarly Exploration Of Teaching Strategies For Learning About Pediatric Sleep, Laura J. Carpenter, Amanda M. Buono

Journal of Occupational Therapy Education

The occupation of sleep is an area of occupational therapy practice for which many practitioners report a lack of confidence and/or knowledge to properly address. The current study addresses this concern by studying the effects of a learning module on students’ confidence and knowledge to address pediatric sleep. The study used a pre-test, post-test non-experimental design and collected survey responses from 48 entry-level occupational therapy students in three different programs. The lecture portion of the module included content about both assessing and intervening, while the case study emphasized intervention-planning only. Results indicated significant gains in knowledge overall (z = …

The Role Of Department Chairs In Supporting Student Learning Outcomes, Tommy C. Molden Jr

Dissertations

The purpose of this qualitative study was to examine high school department chairs’ perceptions of their role in relation to teacher leadership in achieving student learning outcomes.  The study adds significant implications for department chair training in the context of teacher leadership and the achievement of student learning outcomes.  Further, the study extends the literature on the importance of department chairs’ perceptions of their proficiency for adapting to and institutionalizing the role as teacher leader to increase student achievement.  Additionally, the study identified training strategies and resources that enhance department chair competence in teacher leadership for student achievement of learning …

Study Approaches And Mindset In Predicting Entry-Level Occupational Therapy Student Well-Being: A Multiple Linear Regression Analysis, Elena Wong Espiritu, Katie Eison, Maya Pakulski, Alandry Vise, Alexandria West, Ava Woessner

Journal of Occupational Therapy Education

Academic factors (grades, assignments, study approaches, study strategies, rigorous curriculums, workload) and mindset factors (academic resilience, educational self-efficacy) are known individual factors that impact student well-being. However, if and how these factors in combination predict well-being in occupational therapy students has not been explored. The purpose of this study was to explore study approaches and mindset factors in predicting entry-level occupational therapy student well-being. Entry-level occupational therapy students (master’s and doctorate) from across the United States were recruited (N = 305). Using a quantitative cross-sectional design, data was collected using four standardized assessments and analyzed using a multiple linear regression. …

Expanding Astrobiology: The Case For A Lunar Biorepository, Mary Hagedorn, Lynne R. Parenti, Robert A. Craddock, Pierre Comizzoli, Paula Mabee, Bonnie Meinke, Susan Wolf, John C. Bischof, Rebecca D. Sandlin, Shannon N. Tessier, Mahmet Toner, Baptiste Journaux, Robert Ambrose, Garret Fitzpatrick

Articles

Earth’s resources are essential to support an expanding presence beyond the planet. Yet global conflicts, environmental change, and natural disasters threaten ecosystems and biodiversity, putting the integrity of Earth’s ecosystems and its resources at risk. These converging challenges underscore the urgency to develop innovative strategies to conserve Earth’s biodiversity. Astrobiology—seeking to understand life’s origins, limits, and potential beyond Earth—plays a central role in this effort, helping to preserve Earth’s species while also providing critical assets to explore and work in space. A Lunar Biorepository was proposed to hold cryopreserved samples from among the most critical species on Earth. Here, we …

Machine Learning: Thematic Feature Grouping, And The Magnificent Seven: A Forecasting Analysis, Mirarmia Jalali, Mohammad Najand, Andrew Cohen

Finance Faculty Publications

This study examines the predictability of monthly excess returns for the “Magnificent Seven” U.S. technology firms using machine learning and economically motivated thematic feature grouping. Framed as a focused study of the most systemically consequential equity panel in modern markets—seven firms representing over 30% of the S&P 500—the analysis confronts a small-N, large-P environment where economically structured dimensionality reduction is essential. Using 154 firm-level characteristics categorized into 13 economic themes, we evaluate linear, penalized, tree-based, and neural network models in a small-N, large-P setting. Unrestricted models suffer substantial overfitting and fail to outperform the historical average benchmark out-of-sample. In contrast, …

Natural Resource Rents And Energy Poverty Nexus In Next Eleven Economies, Muhammad Salah Uddin, Ayub Ali, Zobayer Ahmed, Md Nasir Uddin Sikdar, Ahsan Habib, Abdullah Elah Al-Mahde

Finance Faculty Publications

Energy poverty (EP) remains a persistent global challenge with important implications for economic development, public health, and social welfare. While natural resources, particularly oil and gas, are often viewed as key sources of energy access, their effectiveness in mitigating EP remains underexplored in emerging economies. This study examines the relationship between natural resource rents (NRR), specifically oil rents (OR) and natural gas rents (NGR), and energy poverty (EP) in the Next Eleven (N-11) countries from 2000 to 2020. The primary objective is to assess how NRR influences EP at various levels of poverty using the Method of Moments Quantile Regression …

The Molecular Effects Of Microwave Irradiation Upon Antibiotic-Resistant Bacterial Pathogens, Alistair White

Peninsula Dental School Theses

IntroductionAntimicrobial resistance is a global health crisis due to the emergence and spread of multidrug-resistant bacteria, driven by poor antibiotic stewardship, particularly in low to middle income countries where antibiotics can be bought over the counter. Currently, the molecular diagnosis of infections and genomic DNA extraction are both hindered by several factors including, expense, time, technical expertise, and the requirement of a laboratory-based setting. This makes it difficult to extract genomic material at point-of-care preventing the use of rapid molecular methods for the detection of antibiotic resistant genes. Thus, the gold standard for determining the appropriate antibiotics to treat infections …

Design, Synthesis, And Characterization Of Phosphonate-Functionalized Diimide Ligands For Metal-Organic Framework Construction, Kenya Rosas, Jonathan Uribe

Posters - 2026

• Metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) are solid, porous materials composed of metalions reacted with organic linkers

• MOFs are customizable through variations in their metal ions, organic linkers, and the functional groups of the organic linker all yielding a structure with different properties

• MOFs have a variety of applications, ranging from storage and catalysis to drug delivery

• The synthesis and characterization of four phosphonate-based diimide ligands:
  • N,N´-bis(phosphonomethyl)-pyromellitimide (PPMI).
  • N,N´-bis(phosphonobenzyl)-pyromellitimide (PPMI-Ph).
  • N,N´-bis(phosphonomethyl)-3,3′,4,4′-biphenylenediimide (PBDI).
  • N,N´-bis(phosphonobenzyl)-3,3′,4,4′-biphenylenediimide (PBDI-Ph).

• These ligands were then coordinated with zinc or copper metal ions to make MOFs.

Stability Of Brown Carbon And Lipid Monolayers At The Air-Water Interface, Maaike Snider

Student Scholarship

No abstract provided.

Developing A Serious Game-Based Platform To Support Programming Learning, Noven Indra Prasetya, Nia Saurina, Arief Ardiansyah

Journal of Educational Technology Development and Exchange (JETDE)

Programming learning, especially among informatics students, faces significant challenges related to understanding concepts and syntax, as well as low engagement in programming courses. To address these issues, this research developed DolananCoding, a serious game-based learning platform specifically designed for C++ programming learning. The platform integrates a live coding feature, enabling students to write code directly, along with a leaderboard to motivate them through healthy competition. The immersive concept in DolananCoding is designed to provide an interactive and enjoyable learning experience, aiming to enhance students’ engagement, motivation, and learning outcomes in C++ programming. This research aims to test the effectiveness of …

Large Language Model-Based Automated Item Generation In Stem Assessments: Historical Mapping And A Scoping Review Of Empirical Studies, Moses Oluoke Omopekunola

Journal of Educational Technology Development and Exchange (JETDE)

Educational assessments, from low-stakes classroom tests to high-stakes national examinations, require item pools that are valid, fair, and secure. Automated Item Generation (AIG) aims to efficiently produce large pools of calibrated test items. This paper adopts a two-part design: (1) a brief historical mapping situating LLM-based AIG within the broader AIG trajectory; and (2) a scoping review of empirical studies on LLM-based AIG for STEM assessments, published between January 2022 and January 2026. A structured search of ERIC, Lens and OpenAlex yielded 1,267 records; after deduplication and screening, 7 studies were retained for synthesis. In all studies, LLMs were primarily …

Digital Transformation And Artificial Intelligence In Education In Vietnam: A Bibliometric And Systematic Review, Minh-Anh Thi Nguyen, Van-Quynh Ha

Journal of Educational Technology Development and Exchange (JETDE)

Globally, digital transformation (DT) is reshaping education through data-driven innovation, artificial intelligence (AI), and emerging learning technologies. These transformative forces are influencing not only instructional methods but also governance, equity, and sustainability in education. Within this context, the study provides a comprehensive review of DT and AI in Vietnam’s education sector. Combining bibliometric mapping with a systematic content analysis, it synthesizes recent scholarly developments to reveal key research trends, methodological orientations, and conceptual structures. Five thematic clusters are identified, including digital competence, institutional transformation strategies, AI literacy, and learner engagement, potentially reflecting a shift from institutional readiness toward learner-centered innovation. …

Coding, Machine Learning, And Game Engines In Initial Teacher Training, Sara Redondo-Duarte, José Manuel Sáez-López

Journal of Educational Technology Development and Exchange (JETDE)

This study evaluated the integration of coding, visual block programming, game engines, and machine learning (ML) modeling in initial teacher education. The aim was to examine the feasibility of this instructional approach and its association with pre-service teachers’ computational knowledge and attitudes toward programming and artificial intelligence (AI). A one-group pretest-posttest design was implemented with 129 undergraduate students enrolled in Primary Education degree programs at two public universities in Spain. Knowledge of computational concepts was assessed with a 10-item test analyzed using a paired-samples Student’s t-test, while attitudes toward programming and ML were evaluated with two Likert scales analyzed using …

Investigation Of Dean’S Transformational Leadership Profiles And Digital Transformation Maturity In Guangxi Public Higher Vocational Colleges, Lili Ding, Jamilah Binti Ahmad, Yuqiang Luo

Journal of Educational Technology Development and Exchange (JETDE)

Background: As China builds an innovation-driven economy, vocational education provides essential skilled workers for key industries, helping to elevate vocational colleges into crucial centers for talent development and social mobility. In this context, the dean’s transformational leadership may play an important role in supporting institutional digital transformation.

Research Question: How do deans’ transformational leadership domains predict institutional digital transformation maturity across leadership and pedagogy in vocational education?

Methods: A sequential explanatory mixed-methods design combined a faculty survey with semi-structured interviews. Valid survey responses from 30 faculty members were analyzed using descriptive statistics, correlations, and regression, followed by thematic analysis of …