Digital Commons Network^™

Comparing Autodissemination, Soil Inoculation And Their Combination As Modes Of Application Of Metarhizium Anisopliae Icipe 69 On The Melon Fly Infesting Courgette In Kenya Under Semi-Field Conditions, Rehemah Gwokyalya, Thomas Dubois, Susan K. Onsongo, Joseph A. Odhiambo, Komivi Senyo Akutse, Samira A. Mohamed

All Peer-Reviewed Publications

The melon fly Zeugodacus cucurbitae (Coquillett) (Diptera: Tephritidae) is a significant pest of cucurbit crops, responsible for substantial yield losses and economic damage across Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa. Control of this pest currently relies heavily on synthetic insecticides, which are associated with environmental and human health risks, and contribute to the development of insecticide resistance. Entomopathogenic fungi offer a promising eco-friendly alternative, yet effectiveness of delivery methods remains a critical limitation in their widespread adoption. This study evaluated the efficacy of three application modes of Metarhizium anisopliae (Mechnikov) Sorokin (Hypocreales: Clavicipitaceae) isolate ICIPE 69, autodissemination devices (AD), soil inoculation (soil), …

Sustainable Control Of Pests And Striga Weed Through Intensified Push-Pull Technology And Frass-Based Soil Amendments, Evanson R. Omuse, Honest Machekano, Daniel M. Mutyambai, Dennis Beesigamukama, Chrysantus M. Tanga, Samwel O. Ogaji, Sevgan Subramanian, Frank Chidawanyika

All Peer-Reviewed Publications

Crop productivity under African smallholder farming systems is faced by numerous challenges, including insect pests, weeds, low soil fertility, and climate change. Sustainable intensification, such as push-pull (PP) technology and vegetable-integrated push-pull (VIPP) technology, coupled with soil organic amendments such as black soldier fly frass fertilizer (BSFFF), can address these agricultural constraints. We investigated the individual and synergistic effects of cropping systems comprising two crops [maize (DK777 variety) and cowpea (KVU27 variety)] and agroecological strategies (PP, VIPP and BSFFF) on the management of pests and Striga weeds and crop productivity in three different geographical areas. Diversified cropping systems (PP and …

Impacts Of Multitrophic Interactions In Diversified Cropping Systems For Sustainable Management Of Spodoptera Frugiperda, Abdul A. Jalloh, Abdullahi Ahmed Yusuf, Fathiya M. Khamis, Subramanian Sevgan, Daniel Munyao Mutyambai

All Peer-Reviewed Publications

Background: Rapid population growth has made the sustainable intensification of agricultural productivity essential for meeting global food demands while maintaining environmental integrity and biodiversity. Diversified cropping systems, such as intercropping, push-pull systems, and cover cropping, are recognized as agroecological strategies to enhance plant growth and protection, and suppress major pests, including the fall armyworm (FAW, Spodoptera frugiperda). These systems influence complex above-and-below ground interactions among herbivorous pests, plants, soil microbes, and their natural enemies. Aims: This review synthesizes current knowledge on how diversified cropping systems shape multitrophic interactions that affect soil health, plant performance, S. frugiperda suppression, and biocontrol within …

Interdependence Of Adoption Decisions Of Agroecological Vegetable Cropping Systems Among Smallholder Farmers In Eastern Africa, Essy C. Kirui, Dickson O. Okello, Michael M. Kidoido, Daniel M. Mutyambai, Komivi S. Akutse

All Peer-Reviewed Publications

Vegetable production plays a vital role in enhancing nutrition and generating income in Kenya, where it is an important component of the agricultural sector. Among the most widely grown vegetables are cruciferous crops, while traditional African vegetables have increasingly gained prominence in recent years. Smallholder farmers account for more than 70% of the country’s total vegetable production. However, they face various complex factors such as extreme climate variability, invertebrate pests, and diseases which reduce productivity, yields and household incomes. They, therefore, often resort to the overuse of synthetic fertilizers and pesticides that could increase their susceptibility to pest resistance, declining …

Reimagining Doctoral Supervision And Mentorship In Sub-Saharan Africa: Evidence From Ethiopia, Kenya And Rwanda, Tom Peter Migun Ogada, Kevin Okoth Ouko, Eunice Omwoyo, Agnes Lutomiah, Nicholas Odongo, Caroline Mbaya, Eric Magale, Clarisse Mideva, Joel Onyango, Samwel Oyugi, Cynthia K. Orang’O, Bonface Nyagah, Everlyn Nguku

All Peer-Reviewed Publications

Doctoral education is central to strengthening research capacity and advancing knowledge production in Sub-Saharan Africa. However, challenges in supervisory quality, mentorship systems, and institutional governance continue to constrain doctoral completion, productivity, and equity. Comparative empirical evidence on supervision and mentorship systems in African higher education remains limited. This study examines how governance arrangements, supervisory practices, and mentorship structures shape doctoral supervision ecosystems in Ethiopia, Kenya, and Rwanda. Using a mixed-methods design, it integrates survey data (n=154), interviews (n=27), and policy dialogues under the Regional Scholarship and Innovation Fund (RSIF). Guided by the Doctoral Supervision Ecosystem Framework, the study explores institutional …

Assessment Of Mechanical Performance And Quality Assurance In Fabricated Aa6061-T6, Anesti Nasi, Kledi Ushe, Klodian Dhoska, Anis Sulejmani, Odhisea Koça, Panagiotis Kyratsis, Aleksandra Petrovic

Babylonian Journal of Mechanical Engineering

This paper focuses on integrated methodology for the experimental mechanical properties of produced AA6061 aluminum alloy, coupled for a rigorous quality assurance framework to validate material reliability for structural applications. The approach combines microstructural analysis, tensile testing analysis, and systematic measurement uncertainty quantification, all performed through the relevant international standards. To ensure statistical reliability, the overall standard uncertainty was computed utilizing the propagation law of uncertainty for k = 2 with a confidence level of roughly 95%. The experimental results yielded a tensile strength of309.4±4.0N/mm2, showing excellent repeatability with a lower relative uncertainty that correspond to 1.3%. These values not …

Epidural Analgesia In Patients With Isolated Rib Fracture: The 24-Hour Effect On Pain And Pulmonary Function, Kristen Kelliher, Peter Kyros, Anna Meader, Carolyne Falank, Julianna Ontengo, Bryan Morse, Forest Sheppard

MaineHealth Maine Medical Center

No abstract provided.

Ruby-Throated Hummingbird, Archilochus Colubris, Z. B. Holmes, Ann Hodgson, Florida Ornithological Society

06.03. <i>Trochilidae</i> - Hummingbirds

The Ruby-throated Hummingbird is the only breeding hummingbird in eastern North America. It breeds from the southern portion of the lower Canadian provinces to south Texas and central Florida, and winters in Central America.

06.01.03. Chuck-Wills-Widow, Antrostomus Carolinensis, A. W. Kratter, Ann Hodgson, Florida Ornithological Society

06.01. <i>Caprimulgidae</i> - Nightjars and Allies

One of the joys of a night walk in spring in the quieter wooded regions of Florida is the great likelihood that you will hear a Chuck-wills-widow singing.

06.01.02. Antillean Nighthawk, Chordeiles Gundlachii, M. Davis, Ann Hodgson, Florida Ornithological Society

06.01. <i>Caprimulgidae</i> - Nightjars and Allies

The Antillean Nighthawk is a widespread summer resident across the Greater Antilles and is rare but regular in the Florida Keys and extreme southern Florida mainland.

06.01.01. Common Nighthawk, Chordeiles Minor, R. D. Goodwin, Ann Hodgson, Florida Ornithological Society

06.01. <i>Caprimulgidae</i> - Nightjars and Allies

The Common Nighthawk is a widespread species found during the breeding season throughout most of the United States and Canada south of the tundra as well as the mountains of central Mexico.

A Proposed Conceptual Framework For Assessing Quality Of Life In The United Arab Emirates: Application To Ras Al Khaimah Emirate, Aaesha Saif Al Shehhi

Dissertations

Quality of Life (QoL) has become a central concern in urban planning and sustainable development, particularly in rapidly transforming contexts such as the United Arab Emirates. This dissertation proposes and empirically validates a comprehensive framework for assessing urban QoL, with a focused application to the Emirate of Ras Al Khaimah. A mixed-methods approach integrates objective indicators and residents' subjective perceptions, aligned with national strategies including UAE Vision 2030, the National Strategy for Wellbeing 2031, and UAE Centennial 2071.

The methodology combines Geographic Information Systems (GIS), the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP), and statistical analyses to evaluate seven key sectors: environment, infrastructure …

Communicating With The Virtual Patient: Student Perceptions Of Genai In Dietetic Training, Suzanne Doyle Dr, Aileen Kennedy Dr

Case studies: Digital Education

Background: Communication skill development is a key component of dietetic education. Traditional teaching methods such as role play and simulated consultations are effective but resource intensive. Generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) may provide an accessible supplementary tool for communication skills practice. This initiative aimed to explore dietetic students’ experiences of using a GenAI simulated patient consultation as a revision aid to support communication skill development.

Methods: This evaluation involved second-year BSc Human Nutrition and Dietetics students undertaking the Professional Practice and Communications module. Following six face-to-face communication workshops, students completed a GenAI simulated consultation involving a 56-year-old male recently diagnosed with …

Embedding Microsoft Certifications And Gmetrix Into Accounting Education: Enhancing Digital Skills, Student Engagement, And Graduate Employability, Alison Mulhare

Case studies: Digital Education

This case study outlines the integration of Microsoft Excel Associate and Expert certifications, and Generative AI Foundations certification into Accounting programmes at Technological University Dublin. Certifications were embedded directly into module assessment structures and supported through GMetrix and LearnKey, providing students with exam-aligned practice, automated feedback, and flexible independent learning opportunities. The approach combined lecturer-led instruction with structured self-paced practice, enabling students to gain internationally recognised micro-credentials alongside academic credit. Observations indicated increased student engagement, confidence, and participation in applied classroom activities. Graduate feedback also highlighted the value of advanced digital and Excel skills during workplace induction, demonstrating the employability …

Brightspace Video Notes, Leanne Harris

Case studies: Digital Education

Enhancing flexible access to module content, particularly announcements, was the key driver behind the use of Video Notes. This approach supports a more personalised form of interaction by using short videos to communicate updates such as timetable changes, assessment deadlines, and grade releases. By allowing students to both see and hear their lecturer alongside reading written information, Video Notes create a more interactive and informative experience. This contributes to a more immersive VLE environment, helping to strengthen the student - lecturer connection by reducing cognitive distance. Overall, the aim is to enhance the student learning experience while supporting Universal Design …

Examining Team Leader Visual Dynamics And Team Performance In Pediatric Emergency Simulations, Annamarie Brosnihan

Graduate Studies Theses and Dissertations 2026

Pediatric medical emergencies are dynamic, high-intensity clinical situations that demand coordinated interdisciplinary actions for optimal patient outcomes. Effective teamwork and leadership are critical, especially during the preparatory phase. Here, team leaders define task goals, assign individual roles, and maintain situational awareness. This phase directs attention, organizes team dynamics, and ensures medical interventions are deployed properly. Medical simulations provide a unique opportunity to capture dynamic leadership behaviors in a controlled low-stakes environment using multimodal data, such as eye tracking, to gain insight into team leader cognitive processes (i.e., attention allocation and information processing). Prior research suggests that leaders who visually attend …

Making Art For The Love Of The Game, Alissa Beth Burch

Graduate Studies Theses and Dissertations 2026

“Making Art for the Love of the Game” interweaves visual aesthetics from video games and associated online fan community practices with self-portraiture to reflect and process personal past medical trauma, a developmental period in online interactive environments, and showcases self-expressive fan content which joins an underrepresented and emerging sub-culture to contemporary art. Working through an interdisciplinary studio practice, combining printmaking, found-sticker collage, and painting refracts digital aesthetics found in online communities. I intentionally juxtaposed these physical modes of making with digital subjects to examine these subjects’ merit as artistic mediums.  It reflects a contemporary mode of art making, and acts …

It's All The Same, Lauren A. Bedevia

Graduate Studies Theses and Dissertations 2026

It’s All the Same is a collection of short stories that center around lesbian characters. The stories explore themes such as ambition, morality, karma, mental health, exploitation, and relationships. The collection opens with “Forget Her Inc.,” a short story that juggles an ensemble cast of lesbians and examines whether memory eraser therapy is an ethical practice for treating a broken heart. “It’s All the Same,” the titular story, uses lyricism to present the parallels between two women in terms of family dynamics, interests, and attachment styles; the story explores a loving friendship between a lesbian and a straight woman.

“Fun …

The Dynamics Of Near-Limit Detonation Waves For Hypersonic Propulsion, Liliana Berson

Graduate Studies Theses and Dissertations 2026

The usage of detonation waves in hypersonic propulsion engines has seen substantial advancement in recent decades. The near-limit transition and failure process are key in these applications controlling the operability regime. The common cellular propagation of detonation waves fails in the near limit leading eventually to a singular transverse shock instability. The local dynamics of the wave causing this transition and the details of this singular instability remain a challenging question. These dynamics are examined in a fully automated detonation experiment using ultra-high-speed diagnostics and statistical analysis. Hydrocarbon fuel–oxidizer mixtures with nitrogen dilution are used to explore transition behavior over …

En Tiempos De Extinción, Adialyz Del Valle Berríos

Graduate Studies Theses and Dissertations 2026

En Tiempos de Extinción is a collection of short, mostly speculative, stories exploring themes of community, exploitation, resistance, and the ever-present effects of colonialism in nearly every aspect of life. “El Amor de una Diosa es Amor Suficiente” centers on a young girl’s initiation into a community that will do whatever it takes to indoctrinate the young. “Al Aire Libre” focuses on two tenured professors determined to enjoy their last day on the job, navigating the complicated feelings of what progress means in a world that prioritizes capital. In “OVNI,” the history of a wacky television dating show unravels …

Do Fair Schedules Matter? Work-Home Conflict And Justice In Emergency Medicine, Maresca J. Brand

Graduate Studies Theses and Dissertations 2026

Emergency physicians work in a high-demand environment requiring irregular, around-the-clock schedules, which can contribute to elevated work-home conflict and burnout. While previous research has focused on objective schedule characteristics such as length of shift or time of day worked, less attention has been given to how emergency physicians perceive the fairness of the scheduling process itself. Drawing on Work-Home Resources Theory and Personal Resource Allocation Theory, this study examines whether perceptions of schedule justice influence work-home conflict via schedule satisfaction. I propose that perceived fairness in schedule creation functions as a contextual resource that shapes whether a schedule is experienced …

Rhetoric Of Opportunity: An Analysis Of Gullah Geechee Histories Through The Lens Of Counterstory, Xaria Arthur

Graduate Studies Theses and Dissertations 2026

Counterstory as a method/ology has been used in a variety of disciplines to share experiences of individuals and communities whose voices have been historically silenced or suppressed. Utilizing this methodological framework, my study shares the stories of six Gullah Geechee descendants with ancestral roots in the unincorporated community of Nesmith in Williamsburg County, SC. Treating these minoritized and individual stories as experiential knowledge, I trace the counterstories as topoi to introduce and develop the theoretical concept that I call the rhetoric of opportunity, which refers to memories or stories that have come to motivate individuals toward or away from …

The Bite Model And Multi-Level Marketing: How Monat Propagates, Lilly D. Cheung

Graduate Studies Theses and Dissertations 2026

This study aims to understand how MONAT Global Corp, a Multi-Level Marketing (MLM) company, utilizes rhetoric that aligns with Steven Hassan’s BITE Model of Authoritarian Control. Hassan is a cult expert and cult survivor whose work primarily explains undue influence and thought control with BITE representing Behavior, Information, Thought, and Emotional control. The MLM MONAT is a haircare brand that operates through a recruitment-and-sales-based hierarchy, in which sellers sign up and work under one another in a layered marketing structure. To meet quotas and maintain ranks, representatives will use rhetorical strategies to recruit new sellers beneath them in their ‘downline’ …

Club Sport Injury Rates, Injury Characteristics, Functional Movement Screen Relationships, And Impact Of Core Training, Rebecca Carson

Graduate Studies Theses and Dissertations 2026

It is estimated that over 10% of college students take part in club sports at their college or university, yet sport-related injuries are a common consequence of participation. The Functional Movement Screen™ (FMS™) is a movement analysis tool that identifies functional deficits and asymmetries and is widely applied in athletic settings to assess injury risk and inform rehabilitation and injury prevention programs. Core strength and stability play a crucial role in functional movement quality and may even reduce risk of injury and improve sport performance. This dissertation aimed to establish club sport injury rates and characteristics for club men’s ice …

Computational Modeling Of Bubble Dispersion In Alginate Hydrogel Foams For Radiologically Equivalent Biomedical Phantoms, Godson N. Brako

Graduate Studies Theses and Dissertations 2026

The foaming of hydrogels presents a promising strategy for tailoring mechanical and radiological properties to replicate biological soft tissues for biomedical phantoms. Achieving uniform and predictable void fraction distributions in alginate hydrogel foams remains a challenge due to the complex interplay between bubble dynamics, matrix rheology, and interfacial forces during the pre-gelation aeration stage. This thesis develops a Computational Fluid Dynamics framework using the transient Eulerian two-fluid approach to predict void fraction distribution in alginate hydrogel precursor solutions aerated by air injection through a bottom nozzle. The objective is to use the framework for design of the foaming system to …

Developing The Whole Child: A Retrospective Ethnographic Case Study Of Prosocial Learning Efforts At One Elementary School, Bevan Brown

Graduate Studies Theses and Dissertations 2026

An alarming trend among elementary-aged students in the United States exhibiting significant deficits in social-emotional competency development has intensified since the Covid-19 pandemic. Challenges in developing competent prosocial skills in the elementary-aged years have been associated with difficulties in emotional regulation and social interactions, which can result in compromising school readiness and long-term academic success. Existing school infrastructure provides a vehicle for early intervention, specifically in supporting students with poor social and emotional wellbeing. Thus, the need for innovative pedagogical and instructional approaches that address the complex challenges of the 21st century has become increasingly essential. Coordinated approaches to prosocial …

An Algorithmic Framework For Polyhedral Gravity Modeling And Trajectory Propagation Near Small Bodies, Micah S. Boudreau

Graduate Studies Theses and Dissertations 2026

Near-Earth asteroids (NEAs) and other irregular celestial bodies have become increasingly significant targets for scientific investigation and space mission development due to their relevance to resource utilization, origins-of-life studies, planetary defense, and understanding of early solar system formation. As launch costs continue to decline, missions such as NASA’s NEAR Shoemaker, OSIRIS-REx and JAXA’s Hayabusa series demonstrate the expanding feasibility of detailed small body exploration. Despite this growing interest, most standard astrodynamics tools are not designed to model the complex, highly irregular gravitational fields that are a signature of small bodies. Such limitations pose challenges for trajectory design, navigation, and control …

Taming Wildfires, Bianca Dagostino

Graduate Studies Theses and Dissertations 2026

Taming Wildfires is a novella immersed in the mind of a young woman named Lilla with intense, undiagnosed mental illness attempting to reenter society after losing the crutch of her long-term partner. The novella engages with the intersection of queerness, mental illness, interracial relationships, and the society of recent past (2023-2024), and deals with themes of isolation, loss, self-image, and emotional healing. Readers are invited fully into Lilla’s mind as she navigates a long-term friendship strained by proximity and a new romance marred by omission. These relationships are overcast by her loss, her skewed reality, and her conflicting desires to …

Investigation Of Exotic Phenomena In Topological Quantum Materials, Iftakhar Bin Elius

Graduate Studies Theses and Dissertations 2026

he First Quantum Revolution established quantum mechanics as the foundation of modern physics, enabling transformative technologies such as semiconductors, lasers, and transistors through prin-ciples of quantization, wave-particle duality, and uncertainty. The ongoing Second Quantum Rev-olution harnesses entanglement, superposition, and coherence to advance quantum computation, communication, simulation, and sensing. Central to this endeavor is the study of quantum mate-rials hosting novel electronic structures and emergent phases, including topological insulators and Dirac, Weyl, and nodal-line semimetals. In this thesis, using angle-resolved photoemission spec-troscopy (ARPES), transport measurements, and density functional theory (DFT) calculations, we investigate three classes of materials: (i) magnetic topological semimetals, …

Essays On Politics And Ideology In Asset Management, Madison Borrelli

Graduate Studies Theses and Dissertations 2026

This dissertation examines how political influence and ideology shape the investment and governance decisions of institutional investors. My first essay studies the effects of political interference on public pension plan asset allocation. Plans facing investment restrictions shift away from low-cost traditional assets toward higher-fee, lower-performing alternative assets. While politicians advocating these restrictions receive increased media attention, state economies do not benefit. These findings underscore how political incentives create agency problems that adversely affect investment decisions and outcomes.

The second essay examines whether differences in political ideology between asset managers and investors give rise to conflicts of interest. Mutual fund institutions …