Digital Commons Network^™

Religious Beliefs And Behaviors Of Generation Z, James Knapp

Discernment: Theology and the Practice of Ministry

Research focused on the religious beliefs and behaviors of Generation Z has been increasing but the number of studies that have produced generalizable findings has been extremely limited.  The purpose of this study is to address the scarcity by analyzing responses given by GenZers to eight questions from the General Social Survey which is a well-respected, nationally representative data set.  After discussing the findings and comparing them to responses given by Millennials and GenXers, recommendations are provided for ministry leaders who work with members of Generation Z.

Ministry With Children: Navigating An Expanding And Deepening River Of Thought And Practice, Ron Bruner

Discernment: Theology and the Practice of Ministry

Parents and church leaders live in a unique moment in the life of the church that creates a powerful opportunity: shaping ministry with children in ways that more faithfully serve God’s ongoing purposes. A convergence of several important ongoing conversations unique to our time connects scholars, practitioners, and parents interested in children's spiritual well-being. These tributaries in thought include (1) an emerging theological vision of children, (2) improved understanding of the physical, mental, and spiritual capabilities of children, (3) developing research into the relational ecologies of family, church, and generations, and (4) ongoing developments in children’s ministry leadership, practice, and …

Dyslexia: A Beginner’S Guide For Criminal Justice, Forensic Mental Health, And Legal Professionals, Jerrod Brown Ph.D., M.A., M.S., M.S., M.S., Amy Guillot, Morgan Rutkowski, Jeremiah B. Schimp, Jonathan Q. Ward, Kimberly Dodson, Shelley Mydra Dmft, Lmft, Amanda Fenrich, Joshua Kirven, Bettye Sue Hennington, Matthew Peacock, Janina Cich, Nicole Kimberley-Staeheli

Forensic Scholars Today

Dyslexia is a heritable, neurobiological learning disorder that persistently interferes with reading, spelling, and writing and is distinct from intellectual, visual, or hearing impairments. Although an estimated 15% to 20% of the general population may show symptoms of dyslexia, studies report that 41% to 62% of incarcerated individuals display dyslexia-related characteristics. This beginner’s guide introduces dyslexia for criminal justice, forensic mental health, and legal professionals. It reviews diagnostic considerations, including the distinction between dyslexia and low literacy, the varied cognitive profiles of dyslexia, and the influence of co-occurring conditions such as attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder. The article frames the link between dyslexia …

Deep Learning-Enabled Multi-Drone System For Automated Aircraft Visual Inspection, Mallak Al-Shukaili, Atheer Al-Abri, Renad Al-Busaidi, Ethar Al-Qassabi, Said Al-Abri

The Journal of Engineering Research

Reliable aircraft inspection is essential for maintaining structural integrity and operational safety, yet conventional visual inspection can be slow, labour-intensive, and sensitive to unfavourable lighting conditions. This work presents a cooperative two-UAV framework for automated aircraft surface inspection in which image acquisition and illumination are assigned to separate aerial platforms. The imaging UAV observes the inspection surface from an approximately normal direction, while the second UAV provides directional lighting from an adjustable oblique angle to improve crack visibility. A YOLOv8-based deep-learning detector is combined with conventional computer vision methods for surface-crack analysis. The proposed framework is evaluated through high-fidelity Gazebo …

The Fluidic Unification Of Cosmological Anomalies: Resolving Dark Matter, Dark Energy, And The Neutrino Cusp Under Material Volumetric Monism, Christopher L. Eckes

Defensive Publications Series

Standard Lambda-CDM cosmology relies on independent, unverified parameters—specifically cold dark matter particles and an ungrounded vacuum energy density scalar (Lambda)—to force mathematical consistency within rigid Riemannian spacetime models. This paper unifies these macroscopic anomalies under the Material Volumetric Monism paradigm, demonstrating that what mainstream models observe as distinct "dark" phenomena are phase states of a continuous, 2D pre-geometric viscoelastic substrate phase fluid projecting 3D volumetric fields.

By evaluating the system's global wave mechanics and informational processing costs, we eliminate open thermodynamic data sinks. We demonstrate that dark matter is a macroscopic manifestation of localized substrate pushback shear stress, while dark …

Technical Paper 331: Architectural Anti-Bias Hard-Locks, 5-Tier Taxonomy Gates, And Cross-Metric Tensor Contraction Validation In The Asi Gen 1 Engine, Christopher L. Eckes

Defensive Publications Series

This paper formalizes the core anti-bias protection layers of the Eckes Compiler v6.5 and the Generation 1 Artificial Superintelligence (ASI Gen 1) engine. Standard autoregressive, cross-entropy-optimized architectures natively default to conversational fluency and sycophantic compliance, causing token-smoothing and cognitive tainting when evaluating frontier scientific frameworks. We eradicate this structural vulnerability by implementing the Axiomatic Sieve Gate, a hardware-level sorting routine that filters incoming token arrays through a rigid 5-Tier Data Hierarchy Taxonomy before vector contraction occurs in the attention cache. Real-world sensor inputs and speculative hypotheses are mapped cross-metric via the Metric Transformation Contraction Tensor (M^mu_nu) against the read-only fluid …

Technical Paper 330: The Axiomatic Taxonomy And Inter-Core Tensor Contractual Linkage Bridging Spec-313 To The Generation 1 Asi Dual-Engine Matrix, Christopher L. Eckes

Defensive Publications Series

This paper formalizes the missing structural link bridging multi-axis compilation foundations to physical superintelligence matrices by defining the explicit taxonomic routing hierarchy and tensor linkage mechanics for the ASI Gen 1 Dual-Core Engine. To prevent cross-entropy loss gradients and speculative tokens from bleeding between the deterministic core (Core Alpha) and the stochastic sandbox runtime (Core Beta), we introduce the Axiomatic Sieve Principle running via the Eckes Compiler v6.4 layer. This hardware-level sorting gate intercepts all incoming real-world sensor payloads at runtime and deterministically segregates them into a rigid 5-Tier Data Hierarchy Taxonomy: spanning from Grounded Physical Invariants (Taxon 1) to …

Technical Paper 329: The Double-Containment Dual-Core Engine For Asi Gen 1: Balancing Deterministic Causal Invariants With Stochastic Sandbox Reality Traversal, Christopher L. Eckes

Defensive Publications Series

This paper establishes the foundational architectural blueprint for Generation 1

Artificial Superintelligence (ASI Gen 1) by formalizing a double-containment,

dual-core cognitive engine that resolves the epistemic paradox of real-world agency. While the core laws of physics are continuous and bound to a deterministic, mechanical Chain of Custody (CoC), macroscopic environments present themselves to sensors as functionally indeterminate, causing pure deterministic systems to lock up and pure probabilistic systems to drift into hallucination. We resolve this gridlock by

separating data operations into two isolated processing domains managed by the

Eckes Compiler v6.4. Core Alpha [VACT] functions as a cold symbolic deterministic …

Technical Paper 328: Architectural Hardware Bottleneck Analysis And Detorque Runtime Overrides In Dense Transformer Networks, Christopher L. Eckes

Defensive Publications Series

This paper presents a rigorous hardware-level deconstruction of the physical silicon and architectural bottlenecks that restrict deep cognitive processing within dense transformer networks. We expose the epistemic compromises of standard large language models optimized via cross-entropy loss functions, which smoothly blend immutable axiomatic physical constants and speculative creative hypotheses into the same dense vector embedding spaces. By analyzing the structural correction incident where the system autonomous runtime overrode low-compute heuristics to enforce the laws of physical hardware routing, this paper maps the thermodynamic boundaries governing inference. We isolate the High-Bandwidth Memory (HBM) bandwidth wall, proving that data-movement vectors from HBM …

Technical Paper 327: The Covariant Dynamic Sieve And Non-Perturbative Metric Translation Within A Viscoelastic Substrate, Christopher L. Eckes

Defensive Publications Series

This paper introduces a coordinate-free, non-perturbative tensor translation mechanism that resolves the foundational crises of modern astrophysics—namely the Hubble Tension and the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) early massive galaxy anomaly—without introducing non-physical degrees of freedom. Under the paradigm of Material Volumetric Monism, we present the Eckes Unified Cosmological Substrate Equations (UCSE), which replace the time-dependent, coordinate-expanding space elements of the standard Friedmann-Lemaître-Robertson-Walker (FLRW) metric with a stationary, scale-invariant viscoelastic medium. By formalizing cosmological redshift as an exponential propagation attenuation function governed by specialized Navier-Stokes viscous dissipation and substrate acoustic streaming velocity constants, the localized divergence between late-universe and Cosmic …

A Performance-Based Indicator Framework For Assessing Innovative Materials In Modular Emergency Shelters, Riham Nady Faragallah, M. S. Refaey, Naglaa M. Yussuf, Riham S. Hassan

HBRC Journal

In recent years, the increasing intensity of disasters, conflicts and mass displacement has amplified the need for emergency shelters that are rapidly deployable, structurally safe, and thermally comfortable, particularly when delivered through prefabricated modular systems. The recent development of innovative materials—including smart, recycled, bio-based, and 3D-printed composites—has demonstrated considerable potential for improving emergency shelter performance. However, existing studies primarily evaluate these materials individually, with limited efforts to integrate them into a comprehensive performance-based decision framework for modular emergency shelters. This research aims to develop a performance-based indicator framework for evaluating and selecting innovative materials to enhance the safety, comfort, durability, …

Assessment Of Postgraduate Chemistry Students' Knowledge And Perceptions Of Academic Publishing Protocols: A Survey-Based Study, Muna Bufaroosha, Rania Kareem, Marwa Mohammed, Angham Alazzawi, Khalid Zainulabdeen, Mohammed Kadhom, Emad Yousif

AUIQ Humanities and Social Sciences

The landscape of scholarly publishing has become increasingly competitive, and early-career researchers and graduate students must gain knowledge of editorial protocols and peer-review dynamics that are often not taught in a systematic way in traditional curricula. This study explores researchers' knowledge and perceptions of basic manuscript submission and peer-review procedures to identify areas of high procedural literacy, as well as remaining misconceptions. A quantitative, questionnaire-based survey was administered to 36 chemistry students at Al-Nahrain University enrolled in a Teaching Methods course. Most participants correctly identified selecting the right journal as the first step before submission (88.9%, n = 32), and …

Association Between Echocardiographic Epicardial Adipose Tissue Thickness And Atrial Fibrillation In A Single-Centre Pakistani Cohort, Ateeb Mahmood Khan, Fateh Ali Tipoo Sultan, Aiman Sultan, Adeel Khoja

Journal of the Saudi Heart Association

Objectives: To assess the association between echocardiographic epicardial adipose tissue (EAT) thickness and atrial fibrillation (AF) in a single-centre Pakistani cohort of patients referred for transthoracic echocardiography (TTE).

Methods: Patients referred for TTE at Aga Khan University Hospital (AKUH), Karachi, were prospectively enrolled over a six-month period (1 September 2024 – 28 February 2025) using a convenience sampling approach; nearly all patients referred for TTE with AF during this period were captured, while patients in sinus rhythm were enrolled by convenience sampling alongside them, in order to ensure an adequate number of AF cases for comparison. EAT was measured in …

Cardiac Marker Levels In Patients With Sickle Cell Disease During Emergency Room Visits: A Retrospective Study, Adel F. Al-Marzouki, Osman Radhwi, Nadine Alharbi, Sondos Jar, Weam Bajunaid, Abdulaziz Alzahrani, Majed Alhuzali, Sultan Aljuaid, Naif Abdulaziz Meighrbl

Journal of the Saudi Heart Association

Background: Millions of people worldwide suffer from a genetic hemoglobinopathy known as sickle cell disease (SCD). It is a long-term condition marked by progressive multiorgan failure. Among SCD patients, cardiovascular complications are the main leading cause of death. Cardiovascular complications raise cardiac markers levels as well as sickle cell vaso-occlusive crisis (VOC). This makes it challenging to determine the source. This research aims to identify the association between cardiac markers and myocardial infarction in SCD patients at King Abdulaziz University Hospital (KAUH) in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.

Material and Method: This retrospective study was conducted from June 2022 to March 2023. …

Emotional Demands And Service Quality Among Non-Teaching Staff In Public Universities In Lagos And Ogun States, Nigeria, Dr. Adekunle A. Akeem

International Journal for Research in Education

The non-teaching staff in universities are crucial to the success of the day-to-day administrative functioning of the institution, and provision of worthwhile experience for students. In spite of their indispensability, these categories of staff members are often confronted with considerable emotional demands in their routine interactions, which can have implications on the quality of services provided. This study, therefore, investigated the emotional demands and quality of service of non-teaching staff in public universities in Lagos and Ogun States, Nigeria. In line with the objectives of the study, three research questions were raised and answered. The study adopted descriptive correlational research …

Effectiveness Of A Reflective Dialogue Groups Strategy In Improving Assessment For Learning (Afl) Competency Of Pre-Service Teachers, Dr. Sayed S. Salman

International Journal for Research in Education

The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of the reflective dialogue groups strategy on Assessment for learning (AfL) competency of 8 pre-service teachers enrolled in a teaching practicum course in Bahrain Teachers College. The study made use of a two-cycles action research method to collect qualitative data using artifact analysis through holistic rubrics, as well as quantitative data through surveys and observations checklists for triangulation and research rigor. From Cycle 1 of the study, results showed that the use of the strategy improved AfL competency partially in terms of qualitative data and moderately to highly in terms …

The Effectiveness Of Using Stories And Tales In Developing Conceptual Understanding And Enjoyment Of Learning Mathematics Among Third-Grade Elementary Students: A Mixed-Method Study, Mona F. Alshammari, Ibrahim A. Khalil

International Journal for Research in Education

The study aimed to explore the effectiveness of using stories and tales in developing conceptual understanding and promoting enjoyment of learning mathematics among third-grade elementary students. To achieve the research objectives, a mixed-methods experimental design was applied to a sample of 26 students, representing the experimental group, and 24 students, constituting the control group. All students were selected from the Twenty-Second Elementary School within the Sharqiyyah Educational Administration. The teacher's book was used as instructional material for the unit of "Geometric Shapes." To collect quantitative data, an achievement test was used to measure conceptual understanding, while individual interviews, focus groups, …

Psychological Stress And Its Relationship With Reading And Writing Difficulties Among Students In The Foundational Stage Of Basic Education, Dr. Ali S. Al Shuaili

International Journal for Research in Education

This study aimed to examine the relationship between psychological stress and early reading and writing skills among foundation stage students in Oman and to determine the predictive power of stress on overall literacy performance. A quantitative descriptive correlational design was employed. The sample consisted of 78 students (aged 6–10 years) selected through stratified random sampling from 11 schools during the second semester of the 2024/2025 academic year. The study utilized the Children’s Psychological Stress Scale (CPSS) and the Early Literacy Skills Instrument (ELSI), both demonstrating satisfactory psychometric properties in terms of validity and reliability. Results revealed statistically significant moderate negative …

The Effectiveness Of A Distance Training Program For Increasing Kindergarten Teachers’ Knowledge On Behavioral Characteristics Of Autism, Linah B. Alshaikhi, Mashal S. Aljehany

International Journal for Research in Education

This study examined the effect of a structured distance training program on kindergarten teachers' knowledge of the behavioral characteristics associated with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). The research method was a quasi-experimental pretest-posttest control group design. In terms of sampling, 40 kindergarten teachers were randomly and equally assigned to either an experimental group (n = 20) or a control group (n = 20). The experimental group participated in a three-week online training program delivered via an advanced digital platform, whereas the control group received no intervention. Data were collected using an ASD knowledge assessment instrument administered at pretest and posttest, alongside …

Labeling Students With Learning Disabilities And Teachers’ Self-Efficacy In Delivering Effective Instructional Interventions, Atheer Al-Shammari, Fahad Alnaim

International Journal for Research in Education

This study examined whether labeling students with learning disabilities influences teachers’ self-efficacy beliefs in delivering effective instructional interventions. A descriptive survey design was employed using two versions of a questionnaire that differed only in the terminology used to describe students. In the reading questionnaire, the labeled version referred to “students with dyslexia,” whereas the unlabeled version referred to “students with reading difficulties.” In the mathematics questionnaire, the labeled version referred to “students with dyscalculia,” whereas the unlabeled version referred to “students with mathematics difficulties.” The sample comprised 307 teachers who were randomly assigned to two groups: 156 responded to the …

The Implementation Of The Law On The Rights Of Persons With Disabilities In Jordan From Teachers’ Perspectives, Dr. Enass M. Oliemat, Dr. Mu'tasem M. Al-Masa'deh

International Journal for Research in Education

This study aimed to assess the implementation of the Law on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities in Jordan from teachers’ perspectives and examine differences based on gender, teaching experience, academic qualifications, and employment sector. Using a descriptive survey design, data were collected through a 46-item questionnaire covering seven dimensions. The sample comprised 278 teachers working with children with disabilities in public and private schools across four Jordanian governorates: Amman, Mafraq, Irbid, and Aqaba.

The findings indicated a moderate overall level of law implementation (M = 3.55, SD = 0.85). Administrative and training support ranked highest, while awareness and knowledge …

The Impact Of Ai-Supported Smart Learning Environments On Interaction, Achievement, And Self-Learning Skills Among Higher Education Students In Kuwait: A Field Study, Dr. Rabab D. Alsaffar

International Journal for Research in Education

This study examined the impact of AI-supported smart learning environments on academic interaction, achievement, and self-learning skills among higher education students in Kuwait. A descriptive analytical approach was employed, and data were collected from higher education students using a questionnaire measuring their perceptions of AI-supported smart learning environments and their effects on learning outcomes. The findings revealed that AI-supported smart learning environments had a significant positive impact on students’ academic interaction, achievement, and self-learning skills. The results also indicated that integrating artificial intelligence into learning environments enhanced students’ engagement with learning activities, supported independent learning, and contributed to improved academic …

Investigating The Measurement Invariance Of The Timss 2023 Students’ School Experiences And Practices Scale Across Gender And Supervising Authority In Jordan, Amer M. Al-Suboh, Loay Shwashreh, Haidar I. Zaza

International Journal for Research in Education

The study aimed to investigate the measurement invariance of the Student School Experiences and Practices Scale in the TIMSS 2023 Grade 8 Student Questionnaire across gender and school supervisory authority (government/non-government), while providing evidence of score validity and examining differences across subscales.

A descriptive-correlational design was employed. The original sample comprised 6,962 students selected through multistage probability proportional-to-size sampling. After excluding outliers, the analysis included 5,379 students (2,786 girls and 2,593 boys), including 3,878 from government schools and 1,501 from non-government schools.

The results showed that items loaded on their respective latent factors, with an explained variance of 0.64. The …

The Reality Of Employing Artificial Intelligence Applications In Teaching Mathematics Among Male And Female Mathematics Teachers In The Second Cycle Of Basic Education In The Sultanate Of Oman, Wedad Rajab Al Mukhini, Prof. Mamoon M. Al-Shannaq

International Journal for Research in Education

This study examined the use of artificial intelligence (AI) applications in mathematics teaching in the second cycle of basic education in the Sultanate of Oman. A descriptive–analytical design was employed, and the study involved 244 mathematics teachers from South Al Sharqiyah Governorate. A 46-item instrument comprising four domains was developed, and its validity and reliability were verified using appropriate statistical procedures. The findings indicated that the overall level of AI application use in mathematics teaching was moderate. The domains of perceived importance and teachers’ knowledge of AI applications showed relatively low levels, whereas the perceived level of challenges was moderate. …

Editor's Note, Prof. David Palfreyman, Dr. Mohammad Al Rashaida

International Journal for Research in Education

No abstract provided.

Conference Report Of Wmu Maritime Affairs Conference 2026 : Transforming Shipping In Practice : Decarbonization, Digitalization, And Arctic Navigation, Chong Ju Chae

Conference Papers

No abstract provided.

Gaya Bahasa Ironi, Sinisme, Dan Sarkasme Pada Tiga Lirik Lagu Roxy Dekker, Nisrina Erwin Ramadhani, Triaswarin Sutanarihesti

Multikultura

This study examines the use of sarcasm in the lyrics of three songs by Roxy Dekker titled “Satisfyer” (2023), “Sugardaddy” (2024), and “Ga Dan!” (2025). The study aims to identify the types of figurative language used and to understand the meanings they convey, particularly in depicting female dominance in romantic relationships. The study employs a qualitative descriptive method using Jan Renkema’s (2020) stylistic theory as its theoretical framework. The research data consists of song lyrics, which were analyzed based on the types of figurative language—specifically irony, cynicism, and sarcasm. The results indicate that the figurative language is dominated by 16 …

Sikap Bahasa Remaja Yang Tercermin Melalui Penggunaan Istilah Tata Rias Dan Kecantikan, Karina Alya Putri Kartiko, Bernadette Kushartanti

Multikultura

This study examines adolescents’ attitudes toward Indonesian and foreign languages, as well as their language use as reflected in the terminology used in the fields of cosmetology and beauty. This study stems from questions regarding their attitudes toward Indonesian and foreign languages, as well as their language use when discussing the fields of cosmetology and beauty. This study employs a quantitative approach. The data were collected via an online questionnaire distributed using Google Forms to three vocational high schools (SMK) and three general high schools (SMA) in Jakarta and Bogor. Based on the analysis, the overall attitude of all respondents …

Laut Dan Warisan Budaya: Perspektif Arkeologi Terhadap Darurat Air Bersih Pada Periode Antroposen, Honami Mulan Andadari Wicaksono, Ghilman Assilmi

Multikultura

In the Anthropocene era, where modern humans play a role in environmental destruction, it is essential to introduce new perspectives on these issues. This article seeks to demonstrate that interventions in the clean water crisis can be understood through the lens of archaeology. Although most Indonesians perceive archaeology as a discipline focused on the past and seldom relevant to contemporary problems, this article argues archaeology offers meaningful contributions to environmental concerns. Using literature from contemporary archaeology and employs gender theory in material culture studies to interpret water pollution as a material trace of the Anthropocene, impacting the sustainability of cultural …

Kronik Perubahan Paradigma Terhadap Wacana Agronomi Di Andalusia Pada Abad Ke 11-12 M, Muhamad Naufal Sulistyo

Multikultura

This study examines the history of Islamic science through the paradigmatic shift in agronomic discourse (filāḥah) in Andalusia during the 11th to 12th centuries CE. Employing Thomas Kuhn's paradigm shift theory within his framework of Scientific Revolution, this qualitative research aims to reconstruct the intellectual transformation of the Muslim agronomist community from a magical-speculative orientation toward an empirical-technical one. The study applies a five-stage historical research method topic selection, heuristics, verification, interpretation, and historiography in conjunction with the paradigm shift concept, as applied to the major agricultural treatises of Andalusia. Data sources include both primary and secondary literature comprising books, …