Digital Commons Network^™

Terraincraft: Automated Land-Cover–Driven Terrain Generation For Marine Robot Simulations, Xinyue Liang

Dartmouth College Master’s Theses

From self-driving cars navigating city streets to all-terrain vehicles tackling rugged landscapes, recent leaps in robotic autonomy due to fast pace development in deep learning are reshaping how machines interact with the real world. However, autonomy in the aquatic environment is still limited, due to difficulty in testing and unavailability of realistic simulation environments.

In this project, we aim to create an automated system that simplifies the processes of creating synthetic datasets for marine robots navigation training tasks. We achieved this through a land cover map controlled terrain generation. Our goal is to provide an automatic terrain generation system that …

Exploring The Facets Of Responsible Ai: Interpretability, Biases, And Morality Of Large Language Models, Sean Xie

Dartmouth College Ph.D Dissertations

This thesis investigates critical aspects of responsible artificial intelligence (AI) — specifically model interpretability, bias detection and mitigation, and moral alignment in large language models (LLMs) — due to their pivotal role in the deployment of transparent, fair, and ethical AI systems. By addressing these dimensions of responsible AI, we hope to foster the increased trust and understanding necessary for wider AI adoption.

We begin by surveying the existing landscape of interpretability metrics and critically assess the effectiveness of interpretability methods designed to generate reliable explanations. Building upon this evaluation, we introduce novel model architectures and frameworks explicitly developed to …

Mechanisms That Contribute To Age-Dependent Segregation Errors In Drosophila Oocytes, Zihan Meng

Dartmouth College Ph.D Dissertations

Meiotic chromosome segregation errors in human oocytes are the leading cause of miscarriages and aneuploid pregnancies, and these errors increase dramatically as women age. Using Drosophila oocytes as a model system, this dissertation identifies the NAD⁺-dependent deacetylase Sirt1 as a key regulator of chromosome segregation and meiotic arm cohesion. Loss of Sirt1 activity during meiotic prophase leads to premature loss of arm cohesion and increased segregation errors in Drosophila oocytes. In addition, elevated acetylation of its substrate, histone H4K16, indicates that Sirt1 activity declines in oocytes during aging. Strikingly, dietary administration of the Sirt1 activator SRT1720 preserves Sirt1 deacetylase activity …

Bell Telephone System’S Preeminent Role In The Growth Of Industrial Design, Ralph O. Meyer, Russell A. Flinchum

Purdue University Press Books

Histories of design pay scant attention to the corded telephone, which played an immeasurable role in early communication. Although the Bell System, with many Nobel Prizes, is justly acknowledged for its technical prowess, it should also be recognized for its early and considerable impact on the developing discipline of industrial design. In 1930, young Henry Dreyfuss, who would later become known as a pioneer of industrial design, was retained by the Bell System as a design consultant and matured in that environment. With substantial input from Bell System engineers, Dreyfuss and his staff produced attractive telephone designs that were manufactured …

Environmental History In Western Anatolia (Turkey) Since The Last Glacial Maximum, Mustafa Dogan, Cetin Senkul, Jessie Woodbridge

School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences

Mediterranean landscapes have been shaped by complex interactions between climate, land use and fire overmulti-millennial timescales. Understanding past trajectories of change provides knowledge of how modernlandscapes emerged, which can be valuable for their sustainable management. The aim of this study is toreconstruct environmental change in Western Anatolia (Turkey) through palaeoecological analysis of sedimentfrom Buldan Yayla Lake (Denizli-Buldan) from the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM) to the present, using a high-resolutionand multi-proxy dataset. To this end, fossil pollen, micro-charcoal, non-pollen palynomorphs, micro(μ)-XRF and radiocarbon analyses were applied to an ~18 m sediment core from Buldan Yayla Lake (Denizli-Buldan). According to the fossil …

The Role-Space Of Italian Sign Language Educational Interpreters: An Ethnographic Case Study Of Interpreters At The Istituto Comprensivo Di Cossato, Martin A. Crudo

Language, Literacy, and Sociocultural Studies ETDs

This dissertation explores the role-space of educational interpreters at IC Cossato, an Italian public school known for its Bilingualism Project promoting LIS-Italian bilingualism and biliteracy (Rivisto, 2016; Teruggi, 2003). Role-space theory (Lee, 2023; Llewellyn-Jones & Lee, 2013, 2014) conceptualizes interpreters’ roles as dynamic and co-constructed with interlocutors along three axes: Presentation of Self, Interaction Management, and Participant Alignment. Through ethnographic interviews (Spradley, 2016), observations and field notes (Emerson et al. 2011; Glesne, 2016), and policy artifacts (Hornberger & Johnson, 2011), I investigate how three interpreters in IC Cossato’s elementary school perceive and enact their roles, often diverging from their …

Instability-Driven Phase Separation For Quantum Structure Formation In Iii-V Semiconductors, Leonid Miroshnik

Chemical and Biological Engineering ETDs

High temperature phase instability limits the performance of III-V zinc blende semiconductor devices. A technique using an encapsulant and sacrificial layer is developed to reduce thermal degradation by group V sublimation during thermal processing of InGaAs/GaAs structures. This technique is successful in preventing As sublimation and preserving an atomically smooth surface required for surface-sensitive characterization. The degradation of the GaAsSb/InP interface by phase separation is studied. Significant interdiffusion and intermixing occurs due to the formation of a molten InSb at the interface. The intermixing is driven by phase separation and melting of the InSb interfacial layer that enhances atomic mobility. …

Insights Into Fluid-Rock Interactions On The Cv3 Chondrite Parent Body Through The Use Of Secondary Garnets In The Allende Cv3 Chondrite And Terrestrial Skarns, Jessica Marie Johnson

Earth and Planetary Sciences ETDs

Garnets are valuable for studying geologic processes, particularly fluid-rock interactions in terrestrial skarns. This dissertation examines secondary garnets and associated Ca-Fe silicates in Allende-like CV3 chondrites and terrestrial skarns to assess garnets as recorders of fluid-rock interactions. Chapter 2 investigates garnets from the Willsboro-Lewis skarn, revealing that mineral separate techniques misrepresent rare earth element (REE) signatures. Chapter 3 examines garnets and clinopyroxenes from the Victorio Mining District skarn, showing that REE incorporation was controlled by fluid composition rather than crystal chemistry. Chapters 4 and 5 focus on extraterrestrial samples. Chapter 4 finds that garnets and pyroxenes in Allende CV3 matrix …

Label-Free Multimodal Optical Biopsy Reveals Biomolecular And Morphological Features Of Diabetic Kidney Tissue In 2d And 3d, Anthony A Fung, Zhi Li, Craig Boote, Petar Markov, Joseph P Gaut, Sanjay Jain, Lingyan Shi

2020-Current year OA Pubs

Kidney disease, the ninth leading cause of death in the United States, suffers from poor diagnostic efficiency (10%). Traditional biopsies use molecular reagents to enhance diagnostic power but are limited by overlapping spatial and chromatic signals, product quality variability, and additional processing. To address these challenges without disrupting routine diagnostics, we implement label-free imaging modalities-stimulated Raman scattering (SRS), second harmonic generation (SHG), and two-photon fluorescence (TPF)-within a single setup. We identify morphological, lipidomic, and metabolic biomarkers in control and diabetic kidney samples at subcellular resolution. Label-free Stimulated Raman Histology (SRH) reveals distinct collagen morphology, mesangial-glomerular volumes, lipid saturation, redox status, …

A Theory-Based Examination Of Factors Influencing Caregivers’ Intentions To Disclose Sickle Cell Trait Status To Their Children, Christine A. Chaba

WUSM Theses and Dissertations – All Programs

Sickle cell trait (SCT), the heterozygous form of sickle cell disease, has significant implications for health and reproductive decision-making. Timely disclosure of SCT status to children by their caregivers is critical for promoting genetic awareness and supporting informed reproductive choices. However, many caregivers delay or avoid this conversation. This study examined the psychosocial and behavioral factors influencing caregivers’ intentions to disclose SCT status to their children, guided by the Theory of Planned Behavior and the Theory of Regret Regulation. A descriptive, cross-sectional study was conducted with 78 caregivers of Children with SCT, who completed an online survey. The study addressed …

2025 Revised Draft Final Unreclaimed Sites Quality Assurance Project Plan (Qapp), Pioneer Technical Services, Inc.

Silver Bow Creek/Butte Area Superfund Site

No abstract provided.

Systems And Methods For Binaural Audio Reproduction, Kellie Shaw

Defensive Publications Series

A computer-implemented method for binaural audio reproduction may include (i) retrieving binaural audio data captured by a device that comprises at least one microphone and at least one camera, (ii) isolating a subset of the binaural audio data that represents audio captured from objects within a field of view of the at least one camera, and (iii) balancing audio levels for the binaural audio data such that the subset of the binaural audio data is more clearly audible than data that is not within the subset and spatial cues for the binaural audio data are preserved. Various other methods, systems, …

Equal Pay, Unequal Opinions: Navigating The Ongoing Circuit Split On Prior Pay As An Affirmative Defense Under The Equal Pay Act, Emily G. Young

University of Cincinnati Law Review

No abstract provided.

.Com Or .Gov: Should The First Amendment Care? A Proposed Alternative To Moody V. Netchoice, Llc's Editorial Discretion Rule, Jt Degrinney

University of Cincinnati Law Review

No abstract provided.

Confronting The Duty To Capitalize In Veil-Piercing, Douglas C. Michael

University of Cincinnati Law Review

In corporate law, the doctrine of “piercing the corporate veil” allows courts to hold shareholders personally liable for corporate obligations. The doctrine—which now also applies to entities other than corporations—has been widely criticized as imprecise and unworkable. I respond to that criticism in the area of veil-piercing law which remains most intractable—the case of the tort victim who remains unsatisfied after exhausting corporate assets. Although most commentators have eschewed talk of any duty owed by the business owner to vest the business with sufficient assets, I argue that courts and legislatures should recognize—confront—such a duty. I look to negligence law …

Transgender Equality: An Inflection Point For Equal Protection?, Katie Eyer

University of Cincinnati Law Review

No abstract provided.

Comparing Apples To Oranges From Photoreceptors To Inferotemporal Cortex, Qasim Zaidi, Xu Yi, Akihito Maruya, Bevil Conway

MODVIS Workshop

No abstract provided.

Educational Broadcasting

Communication Research Trends

Pioneers of new communication technologies such as Edison and Marconi hoped that one of the major uses of their inventions would be to bring education to the masses. Lord Reith, the founder of the BBC public service concept of broadcasting, emphasized education in his famous triad, summarizing the aims of the BBC: 'to educate, to inform and to entertain'. The biggest markets and returns on capital investment were to be found in providing entertainment, however, and the less regulated broadcasters moved steadily in that direction. Today, broadcasting is firmly fixed in the minds of the public as primarily a means …

Using Neural Networks To Better Understand Static And Dynamic Components Of Facial Expression Recognition, Yi-Fan Li, Anne Bibiana Sereno

MODVIS Workshop

Facial expressions are crucial social information for human communication. In the real world, facial expressions are dynamic; however, much of existing research in facial expressions relies on static stimuli. This static approach may limit the ecological validity of our understanding of the emotional information on faces. Our study aims to investigate the dynamic and static information contained in different emotional categories of facial expressions (e.g., happy, sad). Four convolutional neural networks are introduced as models to be trained with a large-scale dynamic facial expression dataset (short videoclips of 16 frames of 7 different emotional categories) in four different ways: ordered …

The Roles Of Productivity, Emotions, And Identities In Classroom Discourse. A Response To "Productive Discussion Across Political Differences: Understanding Students’ Experiences With Comfort And Discomfort Within Structured Discussions Of Public Policy Issues", Anne-Lise Halvorsen, Thomas (Tomás) Aviles

Democracy & Education

“Productive Classroom Discussion across Political Differences: Understanding Students’ Experiences of Comfort and Discomfort within Structured Discussion Strategies” offers a fresh perspective on high school classroom discussions by centering the role of emotions–in particular comfort and discomfort–and their relationship to students’ identities. In this response, we describe how this perspective on emotions and identities is vital and humanizing. We then build on the study’s considerations of emotions and identities in discussion, particularly for students from marginalized backgrounds, and offer additional perspectives about the purpose, format, and framing of these kinds of discussions.

Learning To Talk And Listen In Elementary Social Studies: Exploring A Third-Grade Teacher’S Decision To Use Classroom Talk For Community Building, Jane C. Lo

Democracy & Education

With mounting polarization in the political arena and media sources, trust of one’s neighbors and of teachers are facing increasing strain in the United States. Furthermore, teachers continue to struggle with how to teach high-quality, nuanced, social studies, especially in the elementary setting, where time and resources for social studies has been depleting for decades (e.g., Fitchett et al., 2014; Heafner, 2018). Within this context, this study presents a case of a third-grade teacher who chooses to use discursive talk as a way to support high-quality social studies and to build community in her classroom. Findings suggest that classroom talk …

Teaching Dobbs Where Divisive Concepts And Abortion Are Restricted: Teacher Learning, Controversial Issues, And Mixed-Reality Technology, Rebecca C. Geller

Democracy & Education

Though scholarship has long championed the positive impacts of classroom considerations of controversial or difficult issues, teachers have often hesitated to broach divisive topics for numerous reasons, including legislation purporting to limit controversy in classrooms and, often, that they had limited or no preparation to teach controversies, especially not politically contentious sociopolitical contexts. I worked with a research team to use a mixed-reality teaching simulation of a controversial issue discussion as a low-stakes learning context for developing skills for collective pedagogical reasoning. The teaching simulation centered on Dobbs v. Jackson, the 2022 Supreme Court decision that overturned Roe v. …

Grief, Grieving, And Permission To Mourn In The Quenta Silmarillion, Dawn M. Walls-Thumma

Journal of Tolkien Research

Tolkien asserted on multiple occasions that death was a primary theme of his work, and there are over ninety deaths of named characters in the Quenta Silmarillion alone. In reading the Quenta Silmarillion as historiography, the universality and psychologically powerful experience of death, grief, and mourning allows the narrators of the Quenta Silmarillion to shape how readers perceive characters, events, and themes in the text. Assuming Pengolodh as the primary narrator, this paper investigates how Tolkien used a limited, flawed, and biased narrative point of view as a strategy to shape reader responses and theme. Characters who die in the …

Tolkien And Attachment Theory : A Theory To Bind Them All?, Lelie Bremont

Journal of Tolkien Research

Tolkien and Attachment theory: One Theory to Bind Them All?

Ever since the first publication of The Hobbit in 1937, Tolkien’s works have been dominating the fantasy genre, often imitated but rarely equalled. Dozens of scholars over decades have looked for the reason behind this success, the secret ingredient that made Middle-earth so compelling.

Nicole Guédeney is a French psychiatrist specializing in Attachment Theory. Attachment Theory emerged in the early 20^th century and combines psychology with anthropology and ethnology to explore the early attachments created between a baby and the adults surrounding them and how these attachments determine the …

Perceiving The Perceiver: “Viewing” Sauron Through The Gestalt Theory Of Perception, Cameron Bourquein

Journal of Tolkien Research

This paper uses Gestalt theory, the Gestalt laws of perception, and the reception theory of Wolfgang Iser to elucidate the character “Sauron” as he appears in The Lord of the Rings, The Rings of Power, and Tolkien’s wider legendarium. It argues firstly that Sauron’s high degree of indeterminacy and ambiguity suggests he can be read as a gestalt entity, one the reader creates by mentally constructing a whole from (seemingly) disparate parts. Building on the semiotics work of Nagy (2013), it argues that Sauron in The Lord of the Rings can be read as gestalt across the spatial, …

Strings Of Fate: The Role Of Prophecy, Prediction, And Suspense In The Iliad, Jango Janigian

Parnassus: Classical Journal

No abstract provided.

Parnassus: Classical Journal (Volume 12, 2025), Parnassus Contributors

Parnassus: Classical Journal

No abstract provided.

Improving Multilingual Llm Language Adherence Via Language Signals And Fine-Tuning, Kandarp Joshi, Clint Kim, Petar Aleksic, Lillian Zhou

Defensive Publications Series

Multilingual large language models (LLMs) are capable of delivering responses to user queries/ prompts, including spoken queries (where the language of the audio may be ambiguous), in various languages. In many contexts, it is important that the response from the multilingual LLM adhere to a pre-configured/ specified language. This disclosure describes three approaches to improve the language adherence of an LLM - zero shot prompting, supervised fine-tuning, and chain-of-thought reasoning. In zero short prompting, a language hint that specifies the languages known to the user is provided to the LLM along with the input audio. In supervised fine-tuning, a training …

New Lease Of Life To Stale Debts: A Study Of Tottempudi Salalith Vs. State Bank Of India, Rohan Talwar

National Law School Business Law Review

No abstract provided.

Participant 010: Reiki Master With Three Years Of Experience (White; Female; Germany)

0885: Reiki and Well-Being Interviews

This is an interview about Reiki and its connection with overall well-being with a Reiki Master holding three years of experience (White; Female; Germany). She was interviewed on May 14, 2025. The participant agreed to the terms outlined in the verbal informed consent form before this interview. Some of the broad conversations during this interview were about Reiki's use to help with physical health for her personally and with another family member; Reiki's ability to help (re)build relationships with others; and Reiki's ability to help the participant feel more grounded. Lindsey Harper was the interviewer and the primary investigator for …