Digital Commons Network^™

The Impact Of The Belt And Road Initiative On Green Innovation And Innovation Modes: Empirical Evidence From Chinese Listed Enterprises, Bowen Li, Zijing Zhang, Zhaoyong Zhang

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Under the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), promoting green innovation in enterprises has been the central focus of the developmental strategy for China and countries along the Belt and Road to ensure sustainable development in line with the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) related to the environment and development. This paper examines the driving factors and heterogeneous mechanisms of the BRI in green technology innovation, especially in collaborative vs. independent innovation modes, utilizing a multi-period difference-in-difference model (DID) and micro-level panel data of Chinese listed enterprises spanning from 2007 to 2021. We find that the BRI has significantly stimulated the …

Optimal Operation Of An Islanded Hybrid Energy System Integrating Power And Gas Systems, Mehrdad Ghahramani, Daryoush Habibi, Seyyedmorteza Ghamari, Asma Aziz

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Remote communities and geographically isolated areas require a secure supply of energy. Isolated hybrid energy systems offer an effective and reliable solution for delivering power to these regions. However, shifting to renewable energy sources introduces uncertainty challenges for low-inertia stand-alone systems. In this paper, we propose a two-stage energy management strategy to address the uncertainties of wind generation and load consumption while minimizing operational expenses. Furthermore, the study explores the integration of multi-carrier energy networks, in this case electricity and gas, to enhance the reliability of hybrid energy systems. Two modeling methods are proposed to tackle the uncertainties. First, a …

Spatially-Aware Speaker For Vision-And-Language Navigation Instruction Generation, Muraleekrishna Gopinathan, Martin Masek, Jumana Abu-Khalaf, David Suter

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Embodied AI aims to develop robots that can understand and execute human language instructions, as well as communicate in natural languages. On this front, we study the task of generating highly detailed navigational instructions for the embodied robots to follow. Although recent studies have demonstrated significant leaps in the generation of step-by-step instructions from sequences of images, the generated instructions lack variety in terms of their referral to objects and landmarks. Existing speaker models learn strategies to evade the evaluation metrics and obtain higher scores even for low-quality sentences. In this work, we propose SAS (Spatially-Aware Speaker), an instruction generator …

Systemic Treatment Of Recessive Dystrophic Epidermolysis Bullosa With Mesenchymal Stromal Cells: A Scoping Review Of The Literature And Conclusions For Future Clinical Research, Elke Niebergall-Roth, Kathrin Dieter, Markus H. Frank, Mark A. Kluth

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Background: The ability of mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) to facilitate regenerative responses in inflamed and injured tissues, coupled with preclinical data suggesting potential to restore defective collagen VII at the dermo-epidermal junction, has raised the hope that MSCs may provide an effective disease-modifying therapy for patients suffering from recessive dystrophic epidermolysis bullosa (RDEB). Methods: We present a descriptive analysis of the clinical research on systemic MSC administration to RDEB patients available in PubMed, including six early-phase studies and one case report, involving 59 patients who received 1–3 intravenous infusions of MSCs from various sources. Results: Based on 133 MSC infusions, …

Children's Autonomy Rights Online, Clare Ryan

Articles

No abstract provided.

Investigating Price Fluctuation Transmission Among Construction Materials, Mohamad Abdul Nabi, Islam H. El-Adaway, Rayan H. Assaad

Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Generally, Fluctuation In One Material's Price Can Cause A Series Of Chain Reactions In The Supply Chain System, Known As Price Fluctuation Transmission, As All Materials Are Interconnected And Interrelated. None Of The Previous Studies Have Investigated Price Fluctuation Transmission Among All Construction Materials. This Paper Aims To Fill This Gap In Knowledge. The Authors Collected Producer Price Index (PPI) Data For 16 Construction Materials, Modeled The Relationship Between Each Pair Of Materials Using Vector Autoregression Technique, And Validated The Causality Using Granger Causality Test. Network Analysis Was Performed To Identify The Price Fluctuation Transmission Capacity, Susceptibility, And Intermediatory Capacity …

“Just Holding That Space”: Using Culturally Relevant Pedagogy To Create Counterspaces For Black College Students In Aanapisi/Hsi Classrooms, Nicholas B. Lacy, Yea-Wen Chen, Damariyé L. Smith

Journal of Communication Pedagogy

Black college students continue to face the specter of anti-Blackness which creates additional barriers to success and flourishing in higher education. This study investigates how instructors in higher education can provide racial equity to Black students in AANAPISI/HSI classrooms through counterspaces. We use culturally relevant pedagogy to investigate the experiences of 21 Black college students at an AANAPISI/HSI to understand better how higher education instructors can utilize counterspaces, places where Black college students can challenge dominant discourses and create a collegial learning environment. We identified three counterspace themes: (1) Mitigate Eurocentric Pedagogy, (2) Employ Black and Critical Scholarship, and (3) …

Engaging Impasse: Nurturing A Culture Of Dialogic Engagement On A University Campus, Patricia Ann Hawk

Journal of Communication Pedagogy

Universities have historically fostered spaces where students, faculty, staff, and administration can fruitfully engage in discussion around contentious issues. Current political divisions have had a chilling effect on these discussions inside and outside the classroom. To nurture a campus culture of dialogic engagement, the communication studies department in collaboration with the DEI office began a campus dialogue project that invited faculty, staff, students, and administration to participate in monthly dialogues focused on cultural impasse topics. This 5-year project has demonstrated that university communication studies departments can be instrumental in helping community members cross organizational boundaries to engage in challenging dialogues …

#Politicalcommunicationsowhite: A Call For Considering Race In The Undergraduate Political Communication Course, Ant Woodall, Lindsey Meeks

Journal of Communication Pedagogy

The field of communication has been working to reconcile its historic omission of race from research and pedagogy. The subfield of political communication has begun this process in its research but has yet to consider the implications of race missing from pedagogy. This essay offers an argument for including race in the political communication course, in the form of more focus on race in course content and more work by scholars of color. We offer reasons for these inclusions, ways for instructors to begin this incorporation, and what considerations instructors must be mindful of throughout the process.

Rapid Control Prototyping Platform For Grid Connected Electrical Energy Conversion Systems, Shruti Pandey, Noah Damron, Michael Mcintyre

Electrical and Computer Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Electrical Energy Conversion Systems (EECSs) are extensively utilized in contemporary stand-alone systems to supply power to isolated loads. They are also integrated into distributed generation systems, micro grids, and smart grids. In each of these contexts, it is essential to conduct efficient energy management procedures to optimize the electrical energy systems output and ensure the effective and high-quality delivery of electric energy to consumers. To create the energy management system for such a system, careful consideration must be given to the configuration of the power conversion and conditioning system, as well as the specific hardware devices that make up this …

Initial Clinical Experience With [177lu]Lu-Pnt2002 Radioligand Therapy In Metastatic Castration-Resistant Prostate Cancer: Dosimetry, Safety, And Efficacy From The Lead-In Cohort Of The Splash Trial, Aaron R Hansen, Jeff M Michalski, Et Al.

2020-Current year OA Pubs

INTRODUCTION: SPLASH (NCT04647526) is a multicenter phase III trial evaluating the efficacy and safety of [

METHODS: Enrolled participants had mCRPC that progressed on one prior androgen receptor pathway inhibitor (ARPI), were prostate-specific membrane antigen (PSMA) PET-positive as determined by a central reader, were chemotherapy-naïve for mCRPC, and had adequate bone marrow and end-organ reserve. Participants received up to 4 cycles of [

RESULTS: Of 34 individuals screened, 32 underwent PSMA-PET/CT; 27 met all eligibility criteria. Median (range) age was 72 (57-86) years; all participants were enrolled in North America; 40.7% initiated prior ARPI treatment without distant metastases (M0) and …

Ai Trustworthy: Ethical Challenges And Strategies, Jian Liu, Iwan Sandjaja, Donald C. Wunsch

Electrical and Computer Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

This paper explores the pivotal role of trust in the widespread application of Artificial Intelligence (AI) across various domains. We review AI applications in sectors like energy, healthcare, and autonomous vehicles and discuss the crisis of human trust they face. This paper introduces a novel framework that delineates the relationship between AI transparency and user trust, highlighting specific industry applications. Through a systematic review of recent literature, we first delve into factors such as emotional response, acceptance, transparency, accuracy, and interpretability that shape human trust in AI. We then underscore the necessity of ethical AI practices and highlight the importance …

At-Risk Children: Adult Perception And Recognition Of Mental Health Concerns, Abby D. Lucas

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

Approximately 20% of children ages nine to 17 in the United States struggle with mental health concerns each year (Gamm et al., 2010). Early identification of child and adolescent mental health concerns is crucial for initiating treatment to prevent recurrence or persistence of pathology into adulthood (Logan & King, 2001). Children are primarily dependent upon adults in their lives (e.g., parents/caregivers, education professionals, healthcare providers) to recognize mental health concerns and seek services (Sayal et al., 2010). Providing these adults with guidance on how to appropriately identify and recognize these mental health needs in children is critical (Crouch et al., …

Feasibility Of Influencing Clinician Perceived Knowledge And Competence Of Human Trafficking Via A Continuing Education Workshop, Rachel Wakefield

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

Previous research has examined the complex mental and social health deficits of those who were trafficked that clinicians have to treat therapeutically (Litam, 2017; Pascual-Leone et al., 2017). Other research has explored how continuing education workshops often change the knowledge, competence, and attitudes of attendees to use more effective and evidenced techniques and skills (Neimeyer et al., 2009; Raghavan et al., 2008). However, there is a lack of understanding about how a complex topic, specifically treatment considerations of those who were trafficked, changes the knowledge and competence of continuing education workshop attendees. The purpose of the current study is to …

Reinforcement Learning: Applying Low Discrepancy Action Selection To Deep Deterministic Policy Gradient, Aleksandr Svishchev

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

Reinforcement learning (RL) is a subfield of machine learning concerned with agents learning to behave optimally by interacting with an environment. One of the most important topics in RL is how the agent should explore, that is, how to choose actions in order to rate their impact on long-term reward. For example, a simple baseline strategy might be uniformly random action selection. This thesis investigates the heuristic idea that agents will learn faster if they explore by factoring the environment’s state into their decision and intentionally choose actions which are as different as possible from what they have previously observed. …

"Shut Down And Closed Off": A Routine Activity Approach To Investigating The Relationship Between Covid-19 School Closures And Child Sexual Abuse Report Characteristics In Georgia, Spencer E. Riner

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

The COVID-19 pandemic of 2020 created a public health crisis that led to an unprecedented number of school closures. A major concern raised by child advocates, law enforcement, and social service providers was the possible increase in undetected child abuse and maltreatment. Undergirding this concern was the belief that this mitigation effort might place child abuse victims and offenders within proximity for extended periods of time. While this was a significant concern, it has rarely been analyzed empirically. To address this gap in the literature, this thesis investigates how school closures impacted the characteristics of child sexual abuse (CSA) reports …

The Effects Of Cultural Responsiveness And Therapy Duration On Black Americans’ Therapy Preference, Katilyn M. Ashley Treem

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

Marginalized groups are less likely to seek out mental health services than non-marginalized groups. There are various reasons why marginalized groups, such as Black Americans, are less likely to seek out mental health services, one of which is the cultural barriers between a clinician and client. Research suggests that Black Americans feel that clinicians struggle to overcome these cultural barriers. Therefore, it is important for clinicians to actively receive training on how to serve clients with diverse backgrounds. Cultural responsiveness, an extension from cultural competence, is the active application of the knowledge and skills obtained in training. Examining people’s therapy …

Encapsulating Scars, Ashley Smith

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

My work explores scars through encapsulation, a desire to enclose and express the emotional scars of memories or physical scars of the body. Life’s experiences impact the living, leaving behind scars that we feel the need to understand. Through the mediums of metal and mixed-media photography, I utilize found and created imagery, as well as a triality of text in order to preserve and remember these scars.

Applications Of Predictive And Generative Ai Algorithms: Regression Modeling, Customized Large Language Models, And Text-To-Image Generative Diffusion Models, Suhaima Jamal

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

The integration of Machine Learning (ML) and Artificial Intelligence (AI) algorithms has radically changed predictive modeling and classification tasks, enhancing a multitude of domains with unprecedented analytical capabilities. Predictive modeling leverages ML and AI to forecast future trends or behaviors based on historical data, while classification tasks categorize data into distinct classes, from email filtering to medical diagnosis. Concurrently, text-to-image generation has emerged as a transformative potential, allowing visual content creation directly from textual descriptions. These advancements are pivotal in design, art, entertainment, and visual communication, as well as enhancing creativity and productivity. This work explores three significant studies in …

Classification In Supervised Statistical Learning With The New Weighted Newton-Raphson Method, Toma Debnath

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

In this thesis, the Weighted Newton-Raphson Method (WNRM), an innovative optimization technique, is introduced in statistical supervised learning for categorization and applied to a diabetes predictive model, to find maximum likelihood estimates. The iterative optimization method solves nonlinear systems of equations with singular Jacobian matrices and is a modification of the ordinary Newton-Raphson algorithm. The quadratic convergence of the WNRM, and high efficiency for optimizing nonlinear likelihood functions, whenever singularity in the Jacobians occur allow for an easy inclusion to classical categorization and generalized linear models such as the Logistic Regression model in supervised learning. The WNRM is thoroughly investigated …

Computer Cravings In 20th Century Schools: From Creativity To Capitalism, Keely E. Amos

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

This dissertation examines the push for computers in education from the early 1980s to the early 2000s. During that time, computers were introduced into schools across America with big promises, in turn creating big dreams. Instead of the cognition, creativity, and collaboration that was envisioned with computers in the classroom, the shifting motivations regarding computers have exacerbated the datafication and standardization of our students (Cuban, 2001). The problems associated with the corporation of computers into the curriculum are widespread (Pinar et. al, 1995/2004). Following the methodology of Historiography, this paper provides a critical examination about what was promised, and by …

Chronic Training Load And Dorsiflexion Range Of Motion Throughout A Season In Professional American Soccer, Tristan L. Young

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

Soccer has an incredibly complex movement profile. Players experience various types of strains on their body from the requirement to land in awkward positions while maintaining the ability to quickly accelerate and decelerate. Dorsiflexion range of motion (DFROM) is of concern due to the movement profile and ball control that requires constant eccentric and concentric actions at the talocrural joint. With an American soccer season spanning across nine months these demands can contribute to overuse, which has been linked to restricted range of motion. Restricted DFROM and asymmetries have been identified as injury predictors, but their relationship to performance has …

A Novel Magnetorheological Pump Concept For Insulin Delivery, Mohammad Towhidul Islam Rimon

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

Over the past 25 years, awareness of type 1 diabetes has significantly increased, leading to a comprehensive understanding of various aspects, including its genetics, epidemiology, and disease burden. According to the Type 1 Diabetic Index, about 8.7 million people around the world live with this long-term autoimmune disease characterized by insulin deficiency and resultant hyperglycemia. However, the increased availability and utilization of artificial pancreas systems could potentially save 673,000 lives by 2040. Although, the advancement of diabetes technology offers Type 1 diabetic patients more tools to enhance glycemic management and achieve effective outcomes, many patients are still hesitant to adopt …

Exploring Police K-9 Deaths, Their Causes, And Possible Remedies, John Wise

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

Police K-9s face daily dangers due to their work. Data collected by the Officer Down Memorial Page from 2000-2023 on K-9 deaths (N = 405) shows that of K-9s that die in the line of duty, many fall victim to heat stroke. Research was conducted comparing heat stroke to all other causes of death. Through an exploration into the history of mankind’s use of working dogs, the unique capabilities of both dogs and K-9 specific dog breeds and applying Routine Activity Theory and Lifestyle Routine Activity Theory to police K-9s, this study’s objective is to bring awareness to, and …

Variation In The Fear Response Of Atlantic Sand Fiddler Crabs (Leptuca Pugilator) To Anthropogenic Disturbance, Katrina L. Buttram

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

Leptuca pugilator is a common inhabitant of southeast Georgia salt marshes. This study examined the boldness of Leptuca pugilator across environmental conditions and human impacts. Here, boldness was defined as time taken to reemerge from a burrow after a fear stimulus. I hypothesized that crabs would vary in their boldness based on their surroundings, reproductive timing, and sex. Field and experimental trials were conducted to isolate which factors most influence boldness. Field trials were conducted at four sites varying in human influence throughout the breeding season. During each survey, vegetation height, substrate temperature, average burrow width, burrow count, and distance …

Bringing Gans To Medieval Times: Manuscript Translation Models, Tonilynn M. Holtz

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

The Generative Adversarial Networks (GAN) recently emerged as a powerful framework for producing new knowledge from existing knowledge. These models aim to learn patterns from input data then use that knowledge to generate output data samples that plausibly appear to belong to the same set as the input data. Medieval manuscripts study has been an important research area in the humanities field for many decades. These rare manuscripts are often times inaccessible to the general public, including students in scholars, and it is of a great interest to provide digital support (including, but not limited to translation and search) for …

The U.S. Southern Mothers Perspective On Affection, Destiny M. Rose

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

This qualitative research study utilizes Murray Bowen’s Family Systems Theory and Kimberlé Crenshaw’s Intersectionality Theory to examine how ten mothers residing in what is identified as the U.S. Deep South (Georgia, Alabama, and South Carolina) perceive affection shown to their children by adults outside of their nuclear family. Additionally, this study considers the influence social class plays in how parents in the Deep South navigate and negotiate social and cultural norms when it comes to affection displays shown to their children. Data was collected using thematic analysis to describe how parents in parts of the Deep South perceive affection shown …

Integration Of Infrared Thermography And Deep Learning For Real-Time In-Situ Defect Detection And Rapid Elimination Of Defect Propagation In Material Extrusion, Asef Ishraq Sadaf

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

This study presents a novel approach to overcoming process reliability challenges in Material Extrusion (ME), a prominent additive manufacturing (AM) technique. Despite ME's advantages in cost, versatility, and rapid prototyping, it faces significant barriers to commercial-scale production, primarily due to quality issues such as overextrusion and underextrusion, which compromise final part performance. Traditional manual monitoring methods severely lack the capability to efficiently detect these defects and highlight the necessity for an efficient and real-time monitoring solution. Considering these challenges, an innovative and field-deployable infrared thermography-based in-situ real-time defect detection and feedback control system is proposed in this thesis. A novel …

Always A Dreamer, Liz Walker

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

ABSTRACT

This is the story of my life in the form of a memoir. You might ask, why is my life a relevant subject for a dissertation? As Celeste Snowber, the scholar, author and performer recently said to me, “I think it would be wonderful to write a memoir.... You clearly have an extraordinary life, with art, soul and the depths of wisdom marinating all you do” (2023, personal communication). I was flattered by her comments and her confidence in me gave me the inspiration I needed to tell my story. There is also the meaning of ‘lived experience’ in …

The Effect Of First-Person Testimonial Versus Didactic Video Interventions On Attitudes And Behavioral Intentions Toward Buprenorphine, Tristan S. Fletcher

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

Emerging adults exhibit disproportionately elevated levels of substance use disorders (Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration [SAMHSA], 2021), opioid misuse (SAMHSA, 2021), and opioid use (Hu et al., 2017; Jones et al., 2015) compared to other age cohorts. If left untreated, opioid misuse and opioid use disorder can lead to various negative consequences, including premature death (Strang et al., 2020). Prior research indicates emerging adults have higher opioid-related mortality rates compared to other age groups in the United States (Gomes et al., 2018). Buprenorphine, an opioid partial agonist medication, is an effective intervention for opioid use disorder (Mattick et …