Digital Commons Network^™

Editorial: Harnessing Of Soil Microbiome For Sustainable Agriculture: Harnessing Of Soil Microbiome For Sustainable Agriculture, Debasis Mitra, Marika Pellegrini, Leonard Koolman

Research Outputs: 2025-Present

No abstract provided.

High-Sensitivity Fiber Optic Temperature Sensor Based On Vernier Effect In A Polymethyl Methacrylate Capillary And Barium Titanate Microsphere, Zhuochen Wang, Ginu Rajan, Zhe Wang, Anuradha Rout, Rayhan Habib Jibon, Anand Vadakkedathu Raveendran, Yuliya Semenova

Research Outputs: 2025-Present

This paper proposes and investigates a novel fiber Fabry–Perot interferometer (FPI) temperature sensor that leverages the Vernier effect for enhanced sensitivity. The sensor comprises a cascade of two FPIs formed by a short polymethyl methacrylate capillary, a barium titanate microsphere, and a cleaved single-mode fiber. The Vernier effect, induced by the dual Fabry–Perot cavities, amplifies the temperature sensitivity. The fabrication process involves the precise alignment and gluing of components, resulting in a simple, cost-effective sensor. The experimental results indicate a temperature sensitivity of 1.90 nm °C⁻¹. The sensor also exhibits excellent repeatability and stability, making it suitable for …

Post: Pruning Oriented Security For Inversion Attack In Edge-Based Internet Of Things, Sunder Ali Khowaja, Abi Waqas, Mohammad Tabrez Quasim, Kapal Dev

Research Outputs: 2025-Present

With the recent emergence of artificial intelligence (AI), edge users in industries and manufacturing have been extensively using AI-based services, which pose privacy and security risks to data. Distributed learning approaches deployed in the manufacturing industries help reduce data risks. However, traditional approaches cannot handle deep models as well as the scalability of edge-based internet of things (E-IoT) devices, especially in the manufacturing sector. Studies have proposed SplitFed learning (SFL) by combining split learning and the federated learning paradigm, but they fail to achieve an optimal trade-off between communication and computational limitations and are vulnerable to inversion attacks. We present …

Influence Of Beamwidth, Gain Stability, And Antenna Element Spacing On Aoa Accuracy In Ieee 802.15.4z Uwb Systems, Hossein Raghib Hokmabadi, Wasi Ur Rehman Khan, Patrick Mcevoy, Max James Ammann

Research Outputs: 2025-Present

Precision is a crucial requirement in indoor localization, and the industrial sector increasingly demands technologies that provide both high accuracy and low cost. This work presents a hardware-based evaluation of dual-antenna arrays using an IEEE 802.15.4z-compliant UWB angle of arrival (AoA) development kit to assess antenna performance in terms of phase difference of arrival (PDoA)/AoA linearity. Four antenna types: 1) printed monopole; 2) CPW-fed slot; 3) stacked dielectric resonator antenna (DRA); and 4) dual-layer microstrip patch are evaluated on channels 5 and 9, with measurements performed in a calibrated anechoic chamber under controlled conditions. The results show that wide beamwidth …

Understanding Autonomous Sensory Meridian Response (Asmr), Cecilia Zoutewelle

A. The Science of Sound

This 7-page report with illustrations and bullet-point summaries provides an introduction to the phenomena of Autonomous Sensory Meridian Response (ASMR). Also included is a brief discussion on the benefits of ASMR for interpersonal listening.

Discipline With Due Process: Constitutional Safeguards For Student Speech After Plaintiff A, Sarah Stich

Missouri Law Review

When fifteen-year-old Louie posted a TikTok video criticizing his school’s disciplinary policies from his bedroom, he faced a month-long suspension despite having no notice of which policies he had violated. Across the country, Kaitlin shared a Snapchat criticizing her chemistry teacher with friends at a local coffee shop and faced expulsion with minimal opportunity to explain the context. In both cases, students received limited procedural protections before suffering severe academic consequences.

Blood Flow Regulates Metabolism In Hematopoietic Development, Pamela L Wenzel

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Blood flow modifies oxygen availability and biomechanical forces within the vasculature of the embryo as the hematopoietic system develops. The aorta-gonad-mesonephros (AGM) envelops the largest artery in the body and is a critical site for the emergence of hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs). Herein, I discuss the role of hypoxia-inducible factors (HIFs) and force as determinants of metabolism and fate determination. To address the effects of blood flow on hematopoietic development, I employ mouse embryo models and biomimetic culture. Real-time cell metabolic analyses show that oxygen consumption rates (OCR) and extracellular acidification rates (ECAR) are altered by flow in cultures of …

Prophetic Preaching As A Tool For Social Justice, Trevor A. O'Reggio

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

“I Don’T Always See A Future For Me Here”: Oppressive Political Pressures On Lgbtq+ College Students’ Well-Being, Jodi Linley, Olivia M. Copeland, Kathleen J. Buell, Cindy Ann Kilgo, Megan Pendleton, Alex C. Lange, N F. Tennessen

Journal of Queer and Trans Studies in Education

In recent decades, colleges have broadly supported LGBTQ+ students. Now, institutions have shuttered LGBTQ+ initiatives in response to political pressures, with little consideration for the effects on students. This study answers the question, what current policy factors do LGBTQ+ college students describe as affecting their well-being, and in what ways? We analyzed 426 responses from a multi-institution study of LGBTQ+ students. By and large, students feel anxious and fearful as they navigate the current climate. Our analysis illustrated numerous factors, from the President and his administration to states and general emboldened violence, and the real and potential consequences of those …

Applications And Challenges Of Utilizing Digital Pathology And Ai-Enabled Workflows In Clinical Trials, Manu Sebastian, Harsh Batra, Monika Lamba Saini, Staci Kearney, Lorcan Sherry, Serge Alexanian, Michael Cohen, William Weber, Joe Lennerz, Anil V Parwani

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

This is a comprehensive review on current utilization and challenges of digital pathology adoption in clinical trials and aims to provide a broad view on its impact on pathology review processes in clinical trials. It provides an overview of current pathology review practices in clinical trials and unique advantages digital pathology adoption can offer. The key areas including existing workflows, use case scenarios in different disease areas in clinical trials, including but not limited to patient identification and pre-screening, and regulatory aspects have been described with relevance. In addition, the review delves into the integration of genomics, AI, image analysis, …

Digital Communication Strategies For Culinary Medicine In Cancer Prevention And Survivorship: Information-Seeking Habits And Content Preferences Of Online Cooking Media Among Adults Participating In Four Cancer Prevention And Control Cohort Studies, Margaret Raber, Sara Fares, Maria Vazquez, Larkin Strong, Carrie Daniel-Macdougall, Lorna Mcneill, Karen Basen-Engquist

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Introduction

Poor diet and excess weight have been linked to increased risk for at least 13 types of cancer. Culinary medicine utilizes experiential cooking skill development to improve individuals’ capacity for healthy eating. Digital communication strategies offer pathways for scalable culinary medicine interventions, but little research has explored how online cooking tools could be leveraged for cancer prevention messaging. We conducted a cross-sectional survey study exploring online cooking information-seeking habits and content preferences among participants in four cancer prevention and control cohorts to inform future digital culinary medicine interventions.

Methods

A cross-sectional survey study was conducted with a convenience sample …

Researching A New Religious Phenomenon Of The Central Asia: Digital Sufism, Bekzhan A. Azhimov, Nurlan Kairbekov, Jolaman Bulan, Tussipkhan Imammadi

Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe

This study examines the emergence of digital Sufism as a modern spiritual phenomenon. It investigates the participation of Sufi groups on social media, the themes conveyed in their online sermons, and the ways their digital strategies compare with other Islamic organizations. The article further explores how Sufi orders navigate virtual environments, questioning whether they reveal elements of esoteric knowledge in these spaces. The notion of digital Sufism is presented as a lens for understanding how Sufi traditions integrate modern technology to widen the influence and relevance of their teachings. The research highlights how Sufism has adjusted to the challenges of …

From The History Of The Arrival Of The True Cross In Georgia, Giorgi Sosiashvili, Aleksandre Mgebrishvili Prof. Dr.

Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe

This article explores the complex historical and theological narratives surrounding the arrival of the True Cross—the Life-Giving Wood—in Georgia, as preserved in medieval Georgian chronicles and ecclesiastical writings. Drawing upon primary sources such as the Conversion of Kartli, the chronicles of Leonti Mroveli, Nikoloz Gulaberidze, and Arsen Ikaltoeli, as well as later accounts by Prince Teimuraz, Niko Dadiani, and Platon Ioseliani, the study reconstructs the multi-layered tradition of how fragments of the Holy Cross were brought from Byzantium to Kartli during the reign of King Mirian. According to these sources, Emperor Constantine the Great and Queen Helena dispatched to Georgia …

Frontmatter (Volume 46, Issue 4), Paul B. Mojzes

Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe

No abstract provided.

Challenges Of The Religious Leadership In The Era Of Digitalization And Information-Communication Technology: The Example Of North Macedonia And Serbia, Vesna Zabijakin Chatleska, Marijana Maksimovic, Ruzhica Cacanoska

Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe

Abstract

The rapid development of the digitalization and the information-communication technology resulted in their wider use in the everyday professional and personal life, via various forms of its manifestation, such as, social networks, podcasts and artificial intelligence. The willingness and the capability of the religious leaders to accept information and communication innovations, and to adjust them to the existing specific structure of the religious communities, presupposes a strategic re-thinking of the religious practices and the relations with the believers in the online space. New technologies have enabled simpler and faster communication in religious communities, but with the use of digital …

The Phenomenon Of Professional Burnout Among Military Chaplains In Ukraine, Artem Makovskyi, Oleg Mateyuk, Oleksandr Bilovskyi, Anton Datskov, Dmytro Oleshko

Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe

The article presents a comprehensive study of the phenomenon of professional burnout among military chaplains in Ukraine in the context of their personal experience of being in extreme (combat) conditions. The relevance of the problem is due to the prolonged impact of combat operations, high psycho-emotional stress, and the special role of military chaplains in the system of moral and psychological support for Ukraine's security and defense sector. The theoretical and methodological basis of the study was the concept of professional burnout by K. Maslach, the provisions of the person-centered approach, and the theory of personal experience. The empirical study …

Two Fronts Of War: Physical And Spiritual: A Conversation With The Head Of The Chaplaincy Service Of The Land Forces Of The Armed Forces Of Ukraine– Larysa Polianska, Valentyna Kuryliak

Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe

She is an officer – and a woman. Emphasizing that she is not a military chaplain herself, she describes her role as a manager of the spiritual front. She is responsible for organizing the fulfillment of soldiers’ spiritual and religious needs and coordinating military chaplaincy activities. This conversation with Colonel Larysa Polyanska explores what it means for a woman to lead the chaplaincy service of the Land Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, the reality of two fronts – physical and spiritual – and the pain of loss, prayer, and the power of words.

Religion At The Bedside: Institutionalizing Medical Chaplaincy In Ukraine’S Secular Healthcare Space And Its Moral Tensions, Iryna Horokholinska

Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe

The author conceptualizes medical chaplaincy in Ukraine as a phenomenon of significance for society and its value sphere. It is emerging at the intersection of the secular healthcare system, the social functionality of religion, wartime trauma, and the growing need for spiritual and existential care. The study demonstrates that, in the context of full-scale war, the social relevance of medical chaplaincy is not merely a pragmatic response to psychological and moral challenges, but also a systemic manifestation of the post-secular transformation of the public sphere characteristic of both Ukraine and the contemporary world.

The article further examines the legal and …

Security Challenges For The Activities Of Religious Organizations During Russian-Ukrainian War, Iryna Kondratieva, Iryna Fenno

Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe

In the article authors identify the greatest security challenges for religious organizations of Ukraine during Russian-Ukrainian war. In conditions of martial law, external threats and risks associated with the existential dimension become particularly acute. In the context of armed conflict and military operations, issues of survival assume paramount importance. Religious communities, like all other civilian populations, incur substantial losses and are perpetually vulnerable during the active phase of armed conflict. Security challenges are defined by authors as the most significant factor in changes in religious life in Ukraine during martial law.  Among them authors examine in detail war crimes in …

The Symbolic Language Of Militarized Orthodoxy In Patriarchal Sermons, Architecture, And Pseudo-Historical Memory, Oleksandr Lukyanenko

Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe

The article is devoted to a comprehensive cultural and religious analysis of the processes of militarization of religious worldview in modern Russia using the example of public speeches of Patriarch Kirill of Moscow, as well as the symbolic space of the Main Temple of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation. Particular attention is paid to the study of the mechanisms of sacralization of war through the integration of historical memory, Orthodox rhetoric and the state ideology of the “Russian world”. The study analyzes the peculiarities of the interpretation of World War II as the sacred foundation of modern Russian …

Religious Transformation Of Crimea Amid Geopolitical Changes: From Pluralism To Totalitarian Control (2000–2026), Volodymyr Zuikov

Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe

This article analyzes the radical transformation of the religious landscape of the Crimean Peninsula in the context of geopolitical changes and “hybrid warfare.” I conduct a comparative analysis of two chronological periods: the stage of Ukrainian sovereignty from 2000 to 2013, which was characterized by a high level of religious pluralism and interconfessional peace, and the period of Russian occupation from 2014 to 2024/2026, which was marked by a transition to a rigid hierarchical system of control. The scholarly novelty of the study lies in its detailed reconstruction of the mechanisms of the “hybrid absorption” of Protestant communities, including Baptists, …

The Reformation And The Formation Of A Ukrainian Model Of Theological Education: From The Ostroh Academy To The Present, Vitalii Leonidovich Khromets Dr.

Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe

The article traces the institutional history of theological education in Ukraine from the Ostroh Academy (1576) to the present, proposing a typological framework of four models. The Ostroh Academy is interpreted as a proto-university synthesising Orthodox confessional formation, humanist learning, and civic responsibility. The Kyiv-Mohyla Academy (1632/1701) is read as a paradoxical Counter-Reformation continuation of the same logic, appropriating the Jesuit collegium model as an instrument of resistance to Polonisation and Latinisation. The eighteenth-century network of collegia — Chernihiv, Pereiaslav-Khmelnytsky, Kharkiv, and the Poltava Slavonic Seminary — is treated as a mature networked form integrating theological education with Pietist influences …

The Attitude Toward Tzadikim In The Zionist Doctrine Of R. Issachar Teichtal, Igor Turov

Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe

A prominent Orthodox Jewish thinker and an ardent adherent of Hasidism, Rabbi Yissachar Shlomo Teichtal became a proponent of establishing a refuge for the Jewish people in Eretz Yisrael during the final years of his life. This article examines how these convictions influenced his stance on the ideology of the Tzaddik's authority over the Hasidic community. The study demonstrates that Teichtal’s numerous contradictory statements regarding this subject can be effectively categorized into two groups. The first includes assertions justifying the Tzaddikim’s lack of loyalty to the Zionist project. The second consists of harsh accusations against Hasidic leaders for betraying the …

Pentecostals In The Ukrainian Ssr During Collectivization And The Holodomor Of 1930–1933: Socio-Adaptive Survival Practices, Oleksandr Korotaiev

Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe

The article examines the social adaptation and survival practices of Pentecostal communities in the Ukrainian SSR under the conditions of forced collectivization, dekulakization, and the Holodomor of 1930–1933. Drawing on criminal-investigative case files of the GPU, top-secret Soviet security service documents, party and state decrees, and testimonies of contemporaries, the study reconstructs individual, family, and communal strategies employed by believers in response to systematic state violence. Particular attention is devoted to Pentecostal communities in the Odesa okrug, especially the village of Holma in the Balta district, where Soviet repressive policies manifested themselves through a combination of economic pressure, religious persecution, …

Marriage Governance In Kyrgyzstan: Convergence And Divergence Between Secular Law, Islamic Norms, And Customary Practices, Aisuluu Adylbekkyzy, Zailabidin Azhimamatov, Aiitmamat Kariev

Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe

Marriage governance in Kyrgyzstan is shaped by the coexistence of secular law, Islamic norms, and customary law), creating a plural legal environment in which multiple sources of authority regulate family relations. This study examines how these normative systems interact in the governance of marriage, identifies areas of convergence and divergence, and explores their implications for legal legitimacy and family regulation. Employing a qualitative socio-legal methodology grounded in legal pluralism theory, the research draws on documentary and comparative analysis of legal texts, Islamic sources, official religious guidance, and relevant scholarly literature. The findings demonstrate that marriage governance in Kyrgyzstan operates through …

Transformation Of Spirituality: Religious Practices Of Ukrainian Youth During The Full-Scale War, Tetiana Bevz, Olena Hazizova, Viktoriia Kapustina, Serhii Maiatskyi

Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe

This article examines the transformation of spirituality among Ukrainian youth during the full-scale war and the changes in religious practices, motivations, and individualized faith in the context of existential crises, social upheavals, and mass population mobility. The impact of war on the role of religious institutions, including the development of institutional adaptability, the shift to horizontal communication models, and the decolonization of religious narratives, is analyzed. Particular attention is paid to the formation of “social religiosity,” when faith serves not only as a tool for individual spiritual practice but also as a tool for civic participation and volunteer initiatives. The …

Janusz Krupski And His Times: Moral Rearmament From A Historical And Religious Perspective, Christopher Garbowski

Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe

This paper explores the concept of moral rearmament in contemporary East-Central Europe through the historical and religious legacy of Polish anti-communist opposition figure Janusz Krupski (1951–2010). Responding to sociologist Frank Furedi’s critique regarding the "moral disarmament" of the West, the author contends that religion serves as an essential—and frequently overlooked—pillar in restoring historical consciousness and moral resilience against totalitarian and geopolitical threats.

Focusing on the unique intellectual ecosystem of the Catholic University of Lublin (KUL) during the communist regime, the article details Krupski’s pioneering role in establishing an underground publishing movement, most notably the independent Catholic journal Spotkania (Encounters …

The Phenomenon Of Existential Ecumenism In Contemporary Ukraine, Iryna Kondratieva, Andrii Marchenko, Oleksii Marchenko

Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe

An analysis of existential ecumenism as a dimension of inter-church unity, which is being formed in modern Ukraine due to a common existential threat from the Russian aggressor, when Ukrainian churches unite in an ecumenical response to war crimes, focusing on practical cooperation in real life, on the tasks of social service, and not on existing doctrinal or institutional differences. Existential ecumenism combines the main ideas of existential philosophy, with its emphasis on the value of the human person, the significance of the themes of human freedom and human choice in the face of meaninglessness and death, and ecumenism as …

Hybrid Identity And Religious Radicalization: On The Effectiveness Of Kazakhstan's State Policy, Sholpan Zhandossova, Marhabbat Nurov

Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe

This article examines the relationship between hybrid identity and religious radicalization in Kazakhstan, arguing that state policy has been built on a systematically inverted risk hierarchy. Drawing on secondary analysis of longitudinal sociological surveys, expert assessments, and official statistics, the article demonstrates that the intensity of religious practice is a statistically non-significant predictor of radicalization (ρ=+0.18; p>0.05), whereas identity fragmentation– the internal incoherence between competing ethnic, Soviet-secular, Islamic, and civic- Kazakhstani identity layers–carries the strongest positive correlation (ρ=+0.61; p<0.001). The normative architecture constructed between 2011 and 2024 is evaluated against these empirical predictors across four analytical levels: longitudinal trend analysis, regional identity profiling, factor correlation analysis, and institutional trust trajectories. The article finds that successive policy instruments have concentrated institutional resources on the weakest risk factor while leaving the strongest predictors structurally unaddressed. The post-2016 decline in registered criminal cases is attributed primarily to the organizational collapse of Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant as a recruitment structure rather than to domestic policy effectiveness. Trust in the state-affiliated religious authority declined by twenty percentage points over the period of maximum normative intensity–an outcome directly contrary to policy intent. The article concludes with three evidence-based corrective directions: reorienting the diagnostic framework toward monitoring identity fragmentation, recovering protective social factors as explicit policy targets, and restructuring formal religious authority to allow community-derived legitimacy to carry preventive functions.

The Religious Field In Poland Under The Pressure Of Ukrainian Migration, Oleksandr Dobroier

Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe

An analysis of the transformation of the religious field in Poland between 2014 and 2024 in light of Ukrainian wartime migration. Using Pierre Bourdieu’s theory of the religious field as its conceptual framework, the study explores the redistribution of symbolic capital, the evolution of religious habitus, and the emergence of new actors within the field. Particular attention is given to the Roman Catholic Church, the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church, the Orthodox Church of Ukraine, the Polish Autocephalous Orthodox Church, and evangelical communities. The study reveals a weakening of the RCC’s monopoly and an expansion of symbolic legitimacy among previously peripheral …