Digital Commons Network^™

The First Systematic Review Of Treatment Characteristics And Recidivism Outcomes For Indigenous People Who Have Sexually Offended, James L. Finney, Natalie Gately, Suzanne Rock, Braden Hill

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

It is of great importance that research investigates the impact of sexual offender treatment programmes given the damage caused by sexual offences to victims and society more broadly. However, psycho-criminological literature has focused on reporting post-treatment recidivism outcomes for people who have sexually offended homogeneously and has not investigated the unique experiences of Indigenous people. Therefore, we systematically collated and critically appraised studies reporting recidivism outcomes for Indigenous people who have received treatment for sexual offences. Fourteen studies were identified utilising a sample of 5,635 individuals (30.7% Indigenous or First Nations). Recidivism was lower for Indigenous and First Nations people …

Understanding The Journey To Higher Education: Decision-Making Insights From Aboriginal And Torres Strait Islander Students, Melissa Fong-Emmerson, Claire Lambert, Braden Hill, Maria M. Ryan

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

This study investigates the decision-making process of Indigenous Australian students in pursuing higher education, addressing a gap in understanding their educational choices. It identifies the key factors influencing university enrolment decisions and how these shape students’ educational pathways. Using a narrative-inquiry approach, the study explored the lived experiences of Indigenous students from two Western Australian universities. Through written autobiographies, yarning sessions and one-on-one interviews, participants shared rich, nuanced insights into their journeys to higher education. Findings reveal the pivotal role of ‘sparks’ in normalising higher education as a viable option. Students relied minimally on formal information search, depending heavily on …

A Knowledge-Driven, Ai-Assisted Cyber Defence Framework For Iomt Remote Patient Monitoring, Kulsoom S. Bughio, David M. Cook, Abdul M. Unar

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

The rapid adoption of Internet Medical Things (IoMT) technologies in remote patient monitoring has reshaped healthcare delivery by enabling continuous, real-time clinical observation outside traditional care settings. However, this shift has also expanded the cyber-attack surface across heterogeneous, resource-constrained medical devices, wireless networks, cloud services, and third-party platforms. In cyber warfare, healthcare has become an incorporated target of geopolitics, with hospitals, remote monitoring systems, and emergency health systems being used to broaden the attack surface for adversaries to exploit. Existing security approaches for IoMT environments remain largely manual, fragmented, and reactive, limiting their effectiveness in dynamically assessing vulnerabilities and supporting …

Rsif CôTe D'Ivoire Country Report 2026 - English, Regional Scholarship And Innovation Fund (Rsif)

Rsif Country Progress Reports

Côte d’Ivoire’s National Development Plan (PND) 2026–2030 seeks to accelerate the country’s transformation through industrialization, increased productivity, human capital development and private-sector growth. Priority areas include agriculture and agro-industry, digital transformation, and infrastructure and industrial development, all of which increasingly depend on strong scientific and technological capabilities.

Côte d’Ivoire has been investing in PASET-Rsif since 2019, with an initial contribution of USD 1 million to support advanced doctoral training for Ivorian scientists. To date, 11 Ivorian scholars are pursuing PhD training across selected African Host Universities, complemented by research placements and collaboration with international partner institutions. The scholars are developing …

Rsif Kenya Country Report 2026, Regional Scholarship And Innovation Fund (Rsif)

Rsif Country Progress Reports

Kenya's Vision 2030 aims to turn the country into a competitive, industrializing, knowledge-based economy. The Fourth Medium Term Plan (MTP IV) 2023–2027 advances this goal by prioritizing agriculture, micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs), housing, healthcare, and the digital and creative economy. MTP IV treats science, technology and innovation (STI) and human capital as key enablers of transformation. It also names several weaknesses in the STI system: too little investment in research and development, limited commercialization of local innovations, and weak links between research and industry.

To address these gaps, Kenya needs a critical mass of highly qualified scientists, engineers …

Rsif Mozambique Country Report 2026 - English, Regional Scholarship And Innovation Fund (Rsif)

Rsif Country Progress Reports

Mozambique is endowed with significant natural resources, including arable land, water, energy and minerals, and occupies a strategic position as a logistics corridor in Southern Africa. Transforming these assets into inclusive and sustainable economic growth will increasingly depend on the country’s ability to develop a highly skilled workforce, strengthen its scientific and technological capabilities, and translate research and innovation into solutions for national development.

Mozambique joined PASET in 2019, reinforcing the country’s commitment to developing the advanced scientific and technical skills needed to support its national development ambitions. The Government subsequently committed USD 6 million to Rsif through the World …

Rsif Nigeria Country Report 2026, Regional Scholarship And Innovation Fund (Rsif)

Rsif Country Progress Reports

Nigeria's long-term ambition, set out in Nigeria Agenda 2050, is to become an upper-middle-income, diversified and knowledge-driven economy. The Medium-Term National Development Plan (MTNDP) 2026–2030, now being finalized, is the main vehicle for that goal. These frameworks prioritize economic diversification away from oil, industrialization, agricultural productivity, digital transformation, and human capital development. Science, technology and innovation (STI) is treated as a key driver across all of them. Nigeria's National Science, Technology and Innovation Policy also calls for more investment in research and development, stronger links between research and industry, and wider commercialization of local innovations.

Nigeria is one of the …

Rsif Rwanda Country Report 2026, Regional Scholarship And Innovation Fund (Rsif)

Rsif Country Progress Reports

Rwanda has set an ambitious pathway to become an upper-middle-income country by 2035 and a high-income country by 2050, underpinned by a transition to a knowledge-based, private-sector-led economy. The National Strategy for Transformation (NST2) 2024–2029 places human capital development, job creation and innovation among the priorities for advancing this transformation. Achieving these ambitions will require sustained investment in Applied Sciences, Engineering and Technology (ASET) to develop the scientists, engineers, researchers and innovators needed to drive productivity, technological advancement and growth across strategic sectors.

Rwanda is a founding member of PASET, currently chairs it, and has hosted the PASET Secretariat since …

Rsif Senegal Country Report 2026, Regional Scholarship And Innovation Fund (Rsif)

Rsif Country Progress Reports

Senegal’s Vision 2050, operationalized through the National Development Strategy (SND) 2025–2029, sets an ambitious pathway towards a more sovereign, competitive and resilient economy. The agenda prioritizes productive transformation, industrialization and local value addition, human capital development, digital transformation and sustainable development, with research and innovation positioned as important enablers of national transformation.

Senegal is a founding member of PASET and has been contributing to Rsif since 2020. The country committed USD 2 million (Fig.1) through the World Bank-supported Africa Centres of Excellence for Higher Education for Development Impact (ACE Impact) project to support advanced doctoral training for Senegalese scientists. This …

Play-Based Learning In Private International Preschools In Cairo: Teachers' Perspectives, Kesha L. Stovall

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis explores how play-based learning is practiced and contextualized in private, international preschools in Cairo, Egypt through the perspective of teachers. It calls upon both historical and contemporary theories of play and play pedagogies ranging from the times of Plato and Al-Farabi to the 21st century with Montessori and Dewey. Using a contemporary theory of play presented by Stuart Lester and Wendy Russell as a guiding framework, it examines how play and play-based learning are implemented, shaped and even challenged in a Cairene context. These contexts include sociocultural factors such as parents’ expectations and aspirations, institutional barriers, teacher development …

An Examination Of The Determinants Of Audit Quality: Implications From Firms Listed In Us Stock Markets, Abdelrahman Naser Elmaria

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this thesis is to examine the effect of several audit determinants, namely audit tenure, non-audit to audit fees ratio, auditing firm size, and firm size, impact on audit quality. This thesis extends the existing literature on audit determinants effect on audit quality using a Generalized Linear Model, (GLM) regression with robust estimation by analyzing a sample of 446 companies from the USA in the manufacture and service sectors. This is conducted through a series of diagnostic tests to identify an appropriate regression model. Such tests include testing and checking of baseline regression models to check for multicollinearity, …

Ottoman Wikālas In Cairo: Islamic Architecture Beyond The Mosque, Yumna Moussa

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis traces one of the largest architectural typologies in Cairo: the wikāla, a type of urban caravanserai unique to Egypt. Estimated to have reached more than five hundred buildings by the 18^th century, the wikāla was the building of choice for most patrons in Ottoman Cairo. This study initially investigates the evolution of commercial architecture within the Islamic city. It then explores the defining architectural features of Cairene wikālas built between the 16^th and 18^th centuries—their plans, decorative/iconographic programs, and urban distribution—based on waqfiyyas, chronicles, travelers’ accounts, and photographic archives. Since many of …

Metabolic Syndrome Beyond Diagnostic Criteria: Population-Scale Integrative Metabolomics Characterization, Marwa Talal

Theses and Dissertations

Background: Metabolic syndrome (MetS) is a complex cluster of interrelated metabolic abnormalities associated with elevated cardiometabolic risk. While diagnosis is based on well-established five clinical criteria, these may overlook early or atypical metabolic alterations. Large-scale metabolomic profiling offers an opportunity to identify biochemical signatures of MetS beyond diagnostic bias and to evaluate their relative importance across different presentations of the syndrome.

Methods: Data from 117,147 UK Biobank participants were analyzed in a cross-sectional design. High-throughput NMR quantified 75 circulating metabolites, for. Univariate analyses, MetS subtype stratification, and elastic net models with SHAP interpretation were applied to assess feature …

Trajectories Of Egyptian Women In The Us, Sageda A. Tagen

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis aimed at studying and analyzing the experiences of highly skilled Egyptian migrant women living in the US both who migrated as adults and those who migrated as children with their families. It analyzed their backgrounds prior to the migration decision, the migration decision and their legal status, the role of the family in their journey and their challenges within the social context of their workplaces. The study utilized a qualitative ethnographic lens. The study is based on ethnographic interviews with 15 highly skilled women living in the US, most of whom are concentrated in Indiana and Michigan. The …

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Robust Broadband Characterization Of Flexible Absorbers, Sheet Material, And Liquids Using A Coaxial Structure, Joseph Christopher Stecher

Masters Theses

Modern high-frequency measurement systems require reliable calibration and sample positioning to ensure measurement fidelity. This thesis presents three studies addressing practical limitations in broadband material parameter extraction and instrumentation.

The first study introduces a modified Nicolson–Ross–Weir (NRW) technique for flexible, compression-sensitive materials from 100 MHz to 18 GHz. Rigid 3D-printed spacers ensure precise sample positioning, and a T-matrix–based de-embedding procedure removes spacer effects. Validation using microstrip measurements and full-wave simulation confirms accurate permittivity extraction across compression levels.

The second study extends NRW to sheet materials enabling accurate material characterization. Independent validation using toroidal inductors with leakage correction and parallel-plate capacitors …

Assessment Of Simulation Software Used For Cubesat Gnc Verification And Validation By University Research Teams, Alexander Taiyo Newett

Masters Theses

As the growth in university satellite teams continues, along with the greater trend in the small satellite market, the need for a guidance, navigation, and control verification and validation pipeline suitable for these young and inexperienced teams becomes evident. Much of the mathematical theory and software implementation of GNC concepts are large hurdles for teams largely composed of undergraduate students.

Many software packages exist that can help these teams achieve GNC verification and validation. If the learning curves of these software packages can be overcome, new satellite teams have the opportunity to better build and test GNC algorithms that are …

Calcium Based Carbon Negative Fillers And Additives: Effects On Hydration And Performance Of Low-Carbon Cement Systems, Smita Bhowmick Shithi

Masters Theses

Cement production is a major source of global CO₂ emissions creating an urgent need for carbon-negative fillers and functional additives that lower clinker use while maintaining cement performance. This thesis investigates the effects of organic mineral salts as fillers and additives on cement hydration, fresh properties, compressive strength and pore structure. In the first study, ordinary Portland cement (OPC) was partially replaced with calcium carbonate or calcium oxalate to enable a direct comparison under controlled particle size distribution (PSD). Rheology, flowability, hydration kinetics, phase evolution, mechanical performance and water absorption were evaluated. Calcium carbonate promoted early hydration through nucleation and …

Wattage- And Composition-Dependent Ocular Surface Toxicity: An In Vitro Study On E-Cigarette Aerosol Exposure In Human Corneal Epithelial Cells, Tzu-Ling Lin

Masters Theses

As electronic cigarette consumption continues to escalate globally, its impact on non-respiratory mucosal surfaces, particularly the ocular surface, remains largely understudied. This study investigated the toxicological effects of e-cigarette aerosols using a human corneal epithelial cell (HCE-2) model. Our findings reveal that aerosol exposure induces a significant, dose-dependent reduction in cell viability, exacerbated by higher device wattage and specific flavor agents such as watermelon. Exposure was found to trigger intracellular oxidative stress and the activation of apoptotic pathways, leading to programmed cell death. Furthermore, the upregulation of proinflammatory cytokines suggests that vaping may predispose users to chronic inflammatory conditions of …

Near-Field Scan Method For Radiated Susceptibility Analysis And The Design And Optimization Of A Miniaturized Spiral Antenna For Ultra-Wideband Applications, Mckennan Edward Starkey

Masters Theses

"The work presented in this thesis consists of two separate topics. The first topic is a new method for the characterization of radiated susceptibility of electronic devices, while the second topic is on antenna design. The first topic proposes an approach to experimentally determine locations within an electronic system that are well coupled to external far-field radiators. This method is performed by using a differential magnetic field probe to sweep across the target device while measuring the total radiated power (TRP) produced by the device in a mode stirred tent. Scan locations where the TRP is larger than the background …

Sources Of Tensions In Ai Adoption For Organ Procurement Organizations, Amaneh Babaee

Masters Theses

"Although medical AI systems have promise, the healthcare system has not fully integrated them for improved organizational operations. Studies have been conducted to identify root causes for this hesitancy without targeting a specific domain in healthcare. This generalization can be enhanced for the nuanced or domain-specific factors that offer practical insights to organizations leader. In this thesis, I focus on the factors and sources of tensions in AI adoption in transplant system, which is highly regulated but encourages innovation. Applying the Extended Technology, Organization, Environment (TOE) framework, 10 interviews were conducted at Organ Procurement Organizations (OPOs).

Although not always technically …

Cervical Ligament Systems In Sauropod Dinosaurs: What Support Is There?, Audrey Rose Williams

Masters Theses

"Sauropod dinosaurs, such as Diplodocus, have been the subject of numerous hypotheses about what ligamentous structures could have lifted and supported their long necks. Because the supportive tissues rarely fossilize, palaeontologists rely on osteological correlates on the bone to infer their nature. Options for supportive cervical ligaments in sauropods are mammal-style nuchal ligaments, avian-style interlaminar elastic ligaments, reptilian-style supraspinal ligaments, or some combination thereof. This study tested for the presence of a mammal-style nuchal ligament via histological and micro-computed tomography of posterior cervical hemispinous processes of Apatosaurus and Diplodocus, in addition to examining gross morphological features of the cervical vertebrae …

Hester’S Dubious Roots And Legacy: Open Fields Doctrine Under Scrutiny, Laura K. Donohue

Georgetown Law Faculty Publications and Other Works

For over a century, open fields doctrine has shaped Fourth Amendment law, denying people the right to be secure on their own property. Its application has steadily expanded, with the result that, by some estimates, the Government can now engage in warrantless surveillance of some ninety-six percent of private land and buildings regardless of fences, postings, the distance from public roads or byways, or the use to which the property is put. An originalist approach throws the doctrine into disarray: at the time of the Founding, common law protected the curtilage, which extended to the fields, barns, storehouses, and other …

Religious Freedom, Jesuit Mission, And Dei, William M. Treanor, Amelia J. Uelmen

Georgetown Law Faculty Publications and Other Works

The ability of Jesuit educational institutions to pursue a central part of their mission – that of fostering diverse, equitable and inclusive educational environments – is under attack. This essay outlines several dimensions of their religiously-grounded mission and the reasons to strongly protect from government interference the rights of Jesuit universities to implement programs and practices that align with DEI values. First, for Jesuit universities, these programs and practices are rooted in a much deeper culture of the more than 2,000-year old Catholic intellectual tradition and the now 500-year old tradition of Jesuit spirituality. Second, drawing on the classic work …

Elementary Teachers’ Perceptions Of Differentiating Tier 1 Reading Instruction Within A Multi-Tiered System Of Support Framework, Ivonne Ciresi

Theses and Dissertations

This generic qualitative dissertation explored elementary teachers’ perceptions and experiences of implementing Tier 1 differentiated reading instruction within a Multi- Tiered System of Support (MTSS) framework. Establishing effective systems and supports for comprehensive reading instruction in the Tier 1 classroom is a critical component of MTSS. Given the range of structures required, including instructional routines, resources, and ongoing professional development, it is important to understand how teachers navigate the challenges of differentiating reading instruction. The purpose of this study was to examine how teachers implement differentiation during core reading instruction, the challenges they encounter, and the role of professional learning …

Perceptions And Experiences Of Teachers Regarding How Their Students’ Attendance Rate Impacts Their Academic Achievement, John Logan Jr.

Theses and Dissertations

Chronic absenteeism has emerged as a critical educational concern nationwide, particularly following the COVID-19 pandemic. National data indicate that chronic absence rates increased from 15% in 2019 to 28% in 2022, and in the targeted rural South Carolina district, 25% of students were chronically absent in 2022–2023, rising to 28% in 2023–2024. Persistent absenteeism is associated with lower academic performance, widened achievement gaps, and diminished long-term educational and workforce outcomes, especially among socioeconomically disadvantaged and minority students.

The purpose of this qualitative phenomenological study was to examine teachers’ perceptions and experiences regarding how students’ attendance rates influence academic achievement in …

The Influence Of Metacognition On College Readiness And Persistence, Michael L. Fitzgerald

Theses and Dissertations

This applied dissertation examined the influence that metacognition has on college readiness and its most traditionally used metrics: performance-based outcomes and persistence. Specifically, this study addressed to what degree underlying metacognitive structures differ between college students’ successful metrics of performance and persistence compared to a more general sample of college students.

The research characterized metacognition along three domains of analysis: (a) selfefficacy/ motivation, (b) soft skills/psychological capital (Psycap), and (c) expected value of control (EVC). The quantitative study included 54 college students and a crosssectional design. Participants completed a four-part Likert-style survey, where their responses were measured along the three …

Culturally Responsive Pedagogy: Its Role In Maximizing Students’ Performance On Standardized Tests, Keisha Ricketts-Martin

Theses and Dissertations

This applied dissertation was designed to highlight the importance of pedagogy for cultural responsiveness, and to explore the relationship between such pedagogy and middle school students’ performance on state or standardized tests. Therefore, this study explores the educational or academic values that students will gain from being engaged in a learning environment that recognizes their culture and uses it as a tool to maximizing their educational outcomes.

This research employed convergent parallel mixed method design. Therefore, it implemented the qualitative and quantitative approach at the same time and placed equivalent worth to the information collected by each approach. Therefore, the …

Examining Language In Exclusionary Discipline Practices: A Mixed Methods Study Of A Medium Florida School District, Kathleen A. Wonnell

Theses and Dissertations

This applied dissertation examined office discipline referrals and the language used by teachers when describing disciplinary incidents. Additionally, it explored the coding assigned by administrators to these office discipline referrals and how those codes impacted the consequences assigned, possibly contributing to the use of exclusionary discipline. This mixed-methods study sought to contribute to the body of research on exclusionary discipline and disproportionate disciplinary outcomes. Office discipline referrals that resulted in exclusionary discipline in two comprehensive high schools were examined and administrators from the same schools who are responsible for coding disciplinary incidents were interviewed.

Themes that emerged from examining the …

Why Educators In South Florida Are Leaving The Profession, Keyona Burnes

Theses and Dissertations

This applied dissertation was designed to provide better access to current information for the students and staff in a middle school. The printed materials located in the school’s media center were outdated, scarce, or inadequate. Electronic databases were available in the media center for online searching and information retrieval. However, the students did not know how to use databases as a source for completing class assignments or how to browse within these online services to find additional information. Teachers also did not know how to use electronic information to enrich their lessons.

The researcher developed lesson plans and strategies to …