Digital Commons Network^™

Specialized Insectivores Drive Differences In Avian Community Composition Between Primary And Secondary Forest In Central Africa, Eleanor M. Barrie, Billi A. Krochuk, Crinan Jarrett, Diogo F. Ferreira, Patricia F. Rodrigues, Susana Lin Mufumu, Silvestre Esteban Malanza, Agustin Ebana Nsue Akele, Cayetano Ebana Ebana Alene, Kristin Brzeski, Jacob C. Cooper, Jared Wolfe, Luke L. Powell

Michigan Tech Publications

The human population of sub-Saharan Africa is projected to triple by 2100, drastically increasing anthropogenic pressure on biodiversity. When rainforest is disturbed by anthropogenic drivers, species respond heterogeneously; these patterns have rarely been quantified for Congo rainforest fauna. Our objective was to understand how community composition changed with human disturbance—with particular interest in the guilds and species that indicate primary rainforest. At a long-term bird banding site on mainland Equatorial Guinea, we captured over 3200 birds across 6 field seasons in selectively logged secondary forest and in largely undisturbed primary forest. Our multivariate ordination indicated a significant split between primary …

Transformative Integration: Navigating Opportunities And Challenges In A Medical School's Evolution Into Integrated Service Units, Chelsea Chang, Everardo Cobos, Michael Sander, Beatriz Tapia, Michael Hocker

School of Medicine Publications

Medical schools must evolve with the changing healthcare landscape and financial pressures. Academic Health Centers have responded to these changes with a novel organizational model known as an integrated service line. Traditional medical school departments often create silos, lack of alignment, and financial burdens. To our knowledge, we were the first medical school to implement an integrated structure combining the tripartite missions of academics, research, and clinical services.

The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley School of Medicine accepted its charter class of 55 medical students in 2016 with a traditional medical school department model. By 2023, it had 154 …

Teamwork And Artificial Intelligence (Ai) : Examining The Effects Of Teammate Identity, Deception, And Ai Literacy On Team Dynamics And Performance In Human-Human Vs. Human-Ai Teams, Jenna Korentsides

Doctoral Dissertations and Master's Theses

As artificial intelligence (AI) continues to be integrated into collaborative work environments, understanding how humans interact with AI teammates is increasingly important. This study examined how people’s beliefs about who they are working with (whether a teammate is human or AI) can influence teamwork outcomes. Specifically, we explored how perceived teammate identity affects task performance and team experience, with a focus on trust and communication as potential mediators, and AI literacy (familiarity and comfort with AI) as a moderator. Participants completed a series of timed, collaborative problem-solving tasks using a bomb defusal simulation. Each participant worked with both a human …

Current Cutting-Edge Omics Techniques On Musculoskeletal Tissues And Diseases, Xiaofei Li, Liang Fang, Sade W Clayton, Dakota R Kamm, Cuicui Wang, Farshid Guilak, Simon Y Tang, Gretchen A Meyer, Jie Shen, Et Al.

2020-Current year OA Pubs

Musculoskeletal disorders, including osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, osteoporosis, bone fracture, intervertebral disc degeneration, tendinopathy, and myopathy, are prevalent conditions that profoundly impact quality of life and place substantial economic burdens on healthcare systems. Traditional bulk transcriptomics, genomics, proteomics, and metabolomics have played a pivotal role in uncovering disease-associated alterations at the population level. However, these approaches are inherently limited in their ability to resolve cellular heterogeneity or to capture the spatial organization of cells within tissues, thus hindering a comprehensive understanding of the complex cellular and molecular mechanisms underlying these diseases. To address these limitations, advanced single-cell and spatial omics techniques …

Semantic Sensors: Multimodal Language Model Powered Sensors Capable Of Reasoning, Alex Olwal, Michael Xieyang Liu, Savvas Petridis, Vivian Tsai, Alexander Fiannaca, Michael Terry, Carrie Cai

Defensive Publications Series

While sensor-driven systems such as motion detection, home security systems, etc. are capable of preconfigured tasks, such systems offer limited customization. Large language models are capable of performing reasoning tasks based on data provided to them. This disclosure describes a comprehensive semantic sensing system that is configured to understand user intent and to perform reasoning tasks based on different streams of sensor data (e.g., obtained from low-level sensors) to fulfill that intent. Reasoning tasks can be performed using a foundational AI model. Semantic sensors - sensor-systems that utilize a multimodal language model that interprets sensor data - are described that …

The Love With A Thousand Faces: Heroism As Embodied Love In Action, Scott T. Allison

Heroism Science

In this article, I argue that heroism is, at its core, embodied love in action -- a morally charged, physically grounded expression of care enacted through selfless deeds, courage, and commitment to others. Rather than reducing love to sentiment or an abstract ideal, I emphasize its embodied dimensions: love as a lived, relational force that motivates people to act bravely and altruistically, often at great personal cost. Drawing on psychological research in empathy, attachment, and prosocial motivation, I show how love undergirds moral courage by activating deep emotional bonds and transforming them into action-oriented commitments that transcend fear and self-interest. …

Promethia 2024-2025

Promethia

No abstract provided.

Medpez Dispenser, Hannah Hoeptner, Brian Lee, Liam Reese

Computer Science and Engineering Senior Theses

MedPez is a compact, portable device designed to improve medication adherence for individuals who struggle with remembering to take their pills. The device features a modular design, including a universal housing that is paired to a compatible cartridge. The housing is the top half of the device where users insert and store their medication. The main hardware components, such as the microcontroller are housed here. The cartridge is the bottom half of the device that contains the internal mechanisms to dispense the user’s pills and stores the main pilltracking components. A built-in alert system notifies users when it’s time to …

Effects Of Consuming Short-Form Videos On Young Adults’ Fine Motor Skills, Dragon Tanaghon Chew, Jerome Gabriel Gay, Hien Than, Zhi Qin Ko

Introduction to Research Methods RSCH 202

The composition of short-form video (SFV) consumption can affect cognitive abilities, including motor skills. This study addresses a potential concern due to the lack of data. By presenting two experimental designs, the study explores the impact of SFV consumption on the motor skills of young adults. The first experiment employs a between-subjects design, where 60 participants are randomly assigned to two groups, with one group exposed to 30 minutes of SFV content. The second experiment adopts a cross-sectional design based on self-reported historical SFV consumption, where motor skill is compared between groups with low (< 3 hours/day) and high (≥3 hours/day) SFV consumption. Typing performance is used as an indicator of motor skill for the first experiment and finger tapping test is used in the second. The results will compare pre- and post-intervention performance. The findings would enhance practical understanding and illustrate the relationship between social media and motor skills.

Key words: Short-form video, motor …

Ergonomic Human Robot Handovers Using Surface Electromyography (Semg) Sensors, Maya Murphy, Michael Mishkanian

Electrical and Computer Engineering Senior Theses

For decades, robots have been kept in cages in industry. With the advances of collaborative robots and Artificial Intelligence (AI), there is a shift towards humans and robots working together. In this research, we propose an ergonomically friendly collaborative robotic cell that enables a human and a collaborative robot to work synergistically to assemble a mobile robot. The collaborative robot provides the parts while explaining the process through a computer, and the human co-worker follows the instructions to complete the assembly. The proposed collaborative robotic cell is evaluated in a user study to ensure that the handovers of the parts …

Temporal Modeling And Forecasting Of Blood Glucose Dynamics In Individuals With Diabetes Mellitus, Mj Ruff

University Honors Theses

People living with Diabetes Mellitus face significant health risks, including an increased likelihood of heart disease, stroke, and fluctuations in blood glucose levels. The unpredictable nature of glucose levels can lead to dangerous conditions such as ketoacidosis and hypoglycemia. This study employs advanced time series analysis tools to forecast the glucose levels for an individual diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus.

Geothermal Energy And The Possibility Of Narrative Unity In Environmental And Energy Law, Jarrod Ingles

Pace Environmental Law Review

As the United States seeks to address concerns about climate change and energy affordability through the deployment of renewable energy and natural gas, the tensions between energy law and environmental law have come into sharper relief. These two related fields are converging as never before because solutions to rising energy costs and the “wicked problem” of climate change often pit the impulses of energy and environmental agencies against one another. Applying a narrative theory approach, I contend that energy law and environmental law will continue to be in tension because they are grounded in different narratives, which in turn communicate …

Back To The Future For Climate Liability, Anthony Moffa

Pace Environmental Law Review

The Polluter Pays Principle has been a central tenet of environmental policy for decades. It provided an economic justification for compelling cleanups through the Superfund law (the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA)). However, outside of that context, it has not been explicitly cited as the chief justification for much environmental law in the United States—until now. The principle has recently been invoked in state climate lawmaking. Last year, Vermont and New York became the first states to enact laws that impose liability on fossil fuel producers for climate change harms, invoking the Polluter Pays Principle and Superfund …

Neutrosophic Causal Analysis Of Gamification Strategies For Promoting Reading Habits In Eighth-Grade Students, Roger Martinez Isaac, Gladis Narciza Vargas Azuero, María Narcisa Carrillo Suárez, Elsy Rodríguez Revelo

Neutrosophic Sets and Systems

This study explores the connection between gamification elements and the development of reading habits among eighth-grade students through neutrosophic set theory and fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis (fsQCA). This investigation is different from previous ones because most studies focused on gamification fail to embrace the uncertainty and complexity of real life when it comes to generalizability. As a result, a neutrosophic framework was established for this study. To this end, 15 individuals answered a neutrosophic Likert scale questionnaire which resulted in a conglomerate of ratings that depicts their opinion on the gamified elements, technology use, and feedback loop systems afforded to …

Strategies For Harmonic Mitigation In Water Pumping Systems Using Neutrosophic Logic., Jefferson A. Porras, Luis R. Curipoma, Byron P. Corrales, Jorge L. Villarroel

Neutrosophic Sets and Systems

This study analyzed harmonic contamination in Quillán 1 and Quillán 2 pumping stations, characterizing the electrical system conditions and proposing solutions that addressed actual operational requirements. High levels of harmonic distortion were identified, particularly in 5th and 7th order harmonics, which exceeded the limits established by national regulations, despite the system presenting adequate energy utilization. To select the most appropriate mitigation strategy, the TOPSIS method under neutrosophic logic was applied, which allowed the integration of expert perception and the inherent indetermination margins of such systems. This logic, which simultaneously considers degrees of truth, falsehood, and uncertainty, enabled the evaluation of …

Evaluation Of The Relationship Between Consumer Behavior And Purchasing Preference In Supermarkets Using The Servqual Neutrosophic Model., Abraham Cárdenas Saavedra, Jhamely Herrera Cometivos, Antonio Bartolomé Medina Salgado, Alberto Alonso Espinoza Saldaña, Alberto Barrenechea – Romero, Rejis Renato Paredes Peñafiel, Rosa María Criollo Delgado

Neutrosophic Sets and Systems

The present study aimed to investigate consumer behavior implications for shopping preferences in supermar-kets applying the SERVQUAL neutrosophic model to measure service quality in uncertainty. This research ana-lyzed data from 200 previous surveys which involved consumer behavior (product quality, experience, physical space, store attributes) and shopping preference (physical space, variety, knowledge, organization, friendliness, hygiene). Respondents originally responded on a Likert scale (1–5) and as such, survey response values were converted into neutrosophic values (truth, indeterminacy, falsity) as a measure of merged perceptual ambiguity on the behavioral response (servis value) to the relevant shopping context. The neutrosophic gap between each of …

Quantile-Optimal Policy Learning Under Unmeasured Confounding, Zhongren Chen, Siyu Chen, Zhengling Qi, Xiaohong Chen, Zhuoran Yang

Cowles Foundation Discussion Papers

We study quantile-optimal policy learning where the goal is to find a policy whose reward distribution has the largest α-quantile for some α P p0, 1q. We focus on the offline setting whose generating process involves unobserved confounders. Such a problem suffers from three main challenges: (i) nonlinearity of the quantile objective as a functional of the reward distribution, (ii) unobserved confounding issue, and (iii) insufficient coverage of the offline dataset. To address these challenges, we propose a suite of causal-assisted policy learning methods that provably enjoy strong theoretical guarantees under mild conditions. In particular, to address (i) and (ii), …

Estimation Of Intangible Quality Costs Using Neutrosophic Ahp-Topsis, Yaité Pérez Mayedo, Yadira Velázquez Labrada, NéStor Miguel ÁLvarez ÁLvarez, Leonardo Rafael Pérez Molina, Maikel Leyva Vázquez, Shakila Devi G T

Neutrosophic Sets and Systems

This study addresses the challenge of quantifying intangible quality costs (IQCs), which are inherently subjective and often overlooked in traditional quality cost management. We propose a novel hybrid framework that integrates the Neutrosophic Analytic Hierarchy Process (NAHP) with triangular neutrosophic numbers and Neutrosophic TOPSIS (NTOPSIS) with single-valued neutrosophic sets (SVNS) to evaluate and prioritize IQCs. The framework enables the aggregation of expert inputs, transforming qualitative risks—such as supplier mistrust and communication gaps—into quantifiable cost metrics. Applied to a steel mill’s, the methodology allowed to cuantificate the IQCs of the scrap reception activity. The study concludes that the framework’s structured yet …

Evaluating English Oral Production In University Students Through Google Meet Using Neutrosophic Z-Numbers, Arihaschna Joyce Berrospi Zapata, Justo Pérez Soncco, Rosita Elvira Alcantara Poma, Lourdes Graciela Lurquin Valdivieso, José Regulo Ramírez Del Águila, Dante Manuel Macazana Fernández

Neutrosophic Sets and Systems

The present study investigates a central problem in the field of virtual education: how it influences the use of Google Meet in the Oral Production Competition of University Students at a public university in Lima. The research issue focuses on determining whether this platform, widely integrated into current educational environments, effectively contributes to the development of oral communicative skills in a foreign language. In a context where digital technologies are essential for teaching, understanding their real impact is essential to optimize learning processes in non-face-to-face modalities. Therefore, this investigation adopts an innovative approach based on neutral Z numbers, which allows …

Current Situation Of The Use Of Neutrosophy To Improve Medical Decision Making And Preventive Healthcare In Ecuador, Franklin Parrales-Bravo, Lorenzo Cevallos-Torres, Leonel Vasquez-Cevallos, Zulemma Bazurto-Blacio, Diana Minda-Gilces, Víctor Gómez-Rodríguez, Rosangela Caicedo-Quiroz, Pedro García-Arias

Neutrosophic Sets and Systems

This study systematically examines the applications of neutrosophic logic in Ecuadorian medicine, focusing on its role in improving medical decision making and preventive healthcare. By conducting a structured literature review selected articles, the research highlights how neutrosophic methods—such as Single-Valued Neutrosophic Sets (SVNS) and Neutrosophic Cognitive Maps (NCMs)—address uncertainty, indeterminacy, and contradictions inherent in clinical and public health data. Key contributions include improved diagnostic accuracy in maternal health, risk assessment for chronic diseases, and ethical decision making in telemedicine, demonstrating neutrosophic logic’s superiority over traditional binary approaches. The findings advocate for a broader implementation of neutrosophic frameworks in Ecuador’s healthcare …

Identification Of Aspects And Barriers To Implementing Branding Strategies In Female Entrepreneurship In The City Of Guayaquil Based On Plithogenic Neutrosophic Vague Statistics, María Fernanda Béjar-Feijoo, Nancy Ricardo-Domínguez

Neutrosophic Sets and Systems

Branding is one of the marketing strategies that a business must follow to contribute to its prosperity. It is not just about giving a name with a logo; it is about spreading a seal of identity that makes customers identify with the company's products. If creating a successful branding strategy in the market is difficult for any entrepreneur, this is even more difficult for women entrepreneurs. As is known in business, in the labor market, and in everyday life, women face more significant challenges than men. Added to this is the fact that Ecuador is a developing country where there …

Neutrosophic Computational Model For Identifying Trends In Scientific Articles Using Natural Language Processing, Omar Mar Cornelio, Barbara Bron Fonseca

Neutrosophic Sets and Systems

This study presents an innovative neutrosophic computational model for identifying trends in scientific articles through Natural Language Processing (NLP). The primary objective was to develop a system that could effectively analyze a large body of academic literature and extract relevant summaries that capture the most significant themes and findings. Advanced NLP techniques were employed to extract, process, and synthesize key information, enabling a deeper understanding of emerging trends. Furthermore, the model was designed to evaluate the relevance and validity of the generated summaries, ensuring that the information presented is accurate and useful for researchers and practitioners. The results demonstrate that …

A Neutrosophic Approach To Evaluating Self-Perceived Professional Competency In Dentistry Students And Graduates, Frederick Zevallos- Velasquez, Yessika Madelaine Abarca Arias, Juvita Dina Soto Hilario, Jairo Rafael Vidaurre Urrelo, Alejandro Chávez Paredes, Katia Medina-Calderon

Neutrosophic Sets and Systems

This article addresses a key issue in dental education: how recent graduates and final-year students at the Faculty of Dentistry of the National University of San Marcos (UNMSM) perceive their readiness for professional practice. The study explores these self-assessments amid uncertainty, especially due to disruptions in clinical training during health restrictions. Traditional methods often overlook the ambiguity present in human perceptions during crises. To fill this gap, the study applies neutrosophic Z numbers, a method that captures degrees of certainty, indeterminacy, and contradiction in responses. Five competency dimensions were evaluated, revealing overall confidence in professional preparation but significant uncertainty in …

Application Of Neutrosophic Statistics And The Communicative Pedagogical Model To Optimize Pronunciation Teaching In A1 Students Of Technical Careers In Higher Education, Rosa Hernández-Magallanes, Carmen Letamendi-Lazo, Josué Bonilla-Tenesaca

Neutrosophic Sets and Systems

This study presents findings aimed at improving English pronunciation instruction for A1-level students enrolled in technical programs at a public institution in Guayaquil, Ecuador. The research integrates neutrosophic statistics with the Communicative Language Teaching (CLT) approach to address ambiguity and complexity in educational contexts. Key factors such as teaching methodology effectiveness, instructors' content knowledge, CEFR implementation, course-objective alignment, module relevance, and departmental management were assessed. The neutrosophic framework enabled the identification of strengths, weaknesses, and areas of indeterminacy requiring contextual intervention. Based on the findings, the study proposes pedagogical alternatives through an English for Specific Purposes (ESP) model aligned with …

Intercultural Dialogue In The Meeting On Neutrosophy And Latin American Worldviews: A Perspective From The Náhuat Indigenous Chair Of The Technological University Of El Salvador, Morena Guadalupe Magaña

Neutrosophic Sets and Systems

This article presents a reflective analysis of the intercultural forum held during the Meeting on Neutrosophy and Latin American Worldviews, focusing on the contribution of the Náhuat Indigenous Chair at the Technological University of El Salvador. Drawing on philosophical and decolonial frameworks, it explores how the revitalization of the Náhuat language serves as both an act of cultural resistance and an epistemological statement. The Chair's initiatives—including teacher training, language certification, and community-based educational projects—are examined as concrete expressions of intercultural commitment. These efforts are contextualized within a broader critique of historical erasure, media manipulation, and social forgetting that have affected …

Hybrid Neutrosophic Multi-Criteria Decision Model For Guest Selection In Collaborative Tourism Platforms, Vladimir Vega Falcón, Yoarnelys Vasallo Villalonga, Lorenzo Cevallos-Torres

Neutrosophic Sets and Systems

This study presents a hybrid multi-criteria decision-making (MCDM) model applied to the guest selection process in Airbnb-style vacation rentals. The model integrates the PAPRIKA method, Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP), and Neutrosophic TOPSIS to evaluate and rank potential guests based on multiple criteria prioritized by experienced property owners. Through the 1000minds software, pairwise comparisons were conducted to elicit preferences and derive normalized weights for six key criteria, with “review history” emerging as the most influential. These weights were then incorporated into classical and neutrosophic TOPSIS evaluations to account for uncertainty, indeterminacy, and subjectivity in guest profiles. Results highlight consistent rankings across …

A Neutrosophic N-Alectic Approach To Identifying The Causes Of Tax Conflicts In Textile Smes, Rosalinda J Iménez Ávalos, María Josefa López Macedo, César Ulíses Marín Eléspuru, Américo Navor Gómez Barrera, Hugo Luis Zevallos Egoávil, Víctor Raúl Reátegui Paredes, Marcial Antonio Medina Vigo

Neutrosophic Sets and Systems

This study analyzes the multidimensional causes of tax conflicts in textile SMEs in Metropolitan Lima using the neutrosophic n-alectic framework. Traditional binary models—compliance vs. non-compliance—fail to capture the interplay of factors such as tax illiteracy, legal ambiguity, and perceptions of injustice. By applying a refined neutrosophic approach that integrates multiple components of truth (T), indeterminacy (I), and falsity (F), the study models tax behavior as a vector and calculates the distance from an ideal compliance profile. Results show that SMEs with structured accounting systems (Profile A) have a significantly lower neutrosophic distance (0.135) than informally managed ones (Profile B, 0.515), …

Deciphering Purchase Decisions In Neuromarketing: A Systematic Review Of The Last Decade Using Neutrosophic Z Numbers, Eluard Alexander Mendoza Zenozain

Neutrosophic Sets and Systems

The contribution of this article is to a basic neuromarketing question: awareness of how / why we buy in an overstimulating external environment. More specifically, the question is how ambiguous perceptions and unclear responses influence buying behavior; something the traditional systems sought have not extensively explored. The contribution is made through a decade's systematic review of the literature and subsequent application of neutrosophic Z numbers to quasi-experimental findings. The literature es compiled through the neutrosophic Z system of assessment to reveal trends and tendencies reflecting certain and uncertain findings of consumer response to marketing persuasion. This matters because relative to …

Study Of The Effectiveness Of A Home-Based Pulmonary Therapy Program In Ecuadorian Older Adults With Prolonged Exposure To Biomass Smoke Based On Plithogenic Similarity Measure, Lisbeth Josefina Reales Chacón, Javier Patricio Heredia Jiménez, Lizbeth Geovanna Silva Guayasamín, Christian Andrés Silva Sarabia, María José López Pino, Javier Caiza Lema, Josselyn Gabriela Bonilla-Ayala

Neutrosophic Sets and Systems

Biomass is a form of energy used primarily by people living in rural areas of developing countries. This type of energy is based on the combustion of elements such as wood. Exposure to biomass is linked to diseases such as Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD), which is a major cause of global mortality. In this paper, we study a group of patients of 65 and over years of age exposed to biomass smoke for long periods in the Ecuadorian province of Cotopaxi. Specifically, we study the effectiveness of a home-based pulmonary rehabilitation program. Since there are different variables to measure, …

Thinking About Complexity In Latin America: Contributions Of Neutrosophy In Dialogue With Edgar Morin, Noel Batista-Hernández, Maikel Yelandi Leyva-Vázquez, Alenna Rosa Batista-Barallobre

Neutrosophic Sets and Systems

Smarandache’s neutrosophic logic—and its broader philosophical umbrella of MultiAlism, which insists that any assertion must be considered together with its neutral and anti-assertive counterparts—offers powerful methodological tools to operationalize Edgar Morin’s complexity thinking. While Morin contributes the principles of dialogic, recursiveness and the hologrammatic approach, his continental framework can be difficult to apply empirically. Neutrosophy and MultiAlism formalize contradiction, uncertainty and multidimensionality, thereby bridging theory and practice. In Latin America, where complexity thinking is widely adopted to address realities marked by inequality and instability, this integration enables rigorous modelling of non-linear phenomena. Applications such as Neutrosophic QCA (NsQCA), Neutrosophic Cognitive …