Digital Commons Network^™

The Quest For Sacred Truth In A Secular Society What Is Fueling Gen Z’S Return To Faith And Church Attendance In America?, William W. Dornbush

Doctor of Ministry (DMin)

This dissertation investigated the Critical Research Question: What are the key external factors influencing Generation Z’s internal quest for spiritual renewal? The study examined biblical, historical, and contemporary revival movements, including the Exodus, Pentecost, the Great Awakenings, the Jesus Movement, Charismatic Renewal, Brownsville, Toronto, and Asbury, to identify recurring patterns linking external pressures to spiritual awakening. Using a qualitative design, the study conducted semi-structured interviews with twelve Generation Z participants who experienced spiritual searching, renewal, or a deepened faith between 2020 and 2025, exploring how contemporary external pressures influence spiritual openness and transformation. The findings revealed six major themes: (1) …

Early Hands-On Surgical Exposure: Outcomes Of A Student-Led Surgical Externship Program For Preclinical Students, Meryem C. Guler, Elizabeth Spitz, Jennifer E. Geller, Talar Tatarian, Renee Tholey

Department of Surgery Faculty Papers

Objective: Early surgical exposure may potentially influence medical students' decision to pursue a surgical career. At our urban, academic medical school, senior medical students developed a Surgical Externship Program (SEP) to provide first-years with hands-on OR experience. This program is a structured 1- to 2-week immersive experience in which first-year students scrubbed into operations, participated in rounds, and engaged with surgical teams under resident and attending supervision. This study evaluates the SEP's impact on surgical interest, OR confidence, and clinical exposure.

Setting: Academic tertiary care hospital.

Participants: First-year medical students.

Design: First-year students participated in a 1- or 2-week SEP …

Quaker Campus, October 1, 2026 (Vol. 25, Issue 3), Whittier College

Quaker Campus

No abstract provided.

Editorial, Julia Coffman

The Foundation Review

No abstract provided.

Front And Back Matter

The Foundation Review

No abstract provided.

Climate Change Evidence: Driving Value-Added Use For Better Decisions, Tim Larson, Marina Lahowin, Sarah Hanck

The Foundation Review

This article examines the evolving ecosystem of climate solution evidence tools and distinguishes the different functions they serve, including evidence aggregation, assessment of evidence strength, comparison of solution options, spatial targeting, policy benchmarking, and adaptive management.

Drawing from research on evidence-informed policymaking and climate decision science, the authors identify persistent barriers to evidence use, including misalignment with decision needs, deep uncertainty, institutional incentives, and limited capacity for collective sensemaking.

The article argues philanthropy’s greatest leverage lies not in increasing the supply of evidence alone, but in strengthening the systems through which evidence is interpreted, governed, and embedded in decision processes. …

Evidence And Learning Amid A Climate Crisis: Six Promising Frontiers For Advancing Practice, Tim Larson, Shawna Hoffman, Marina Lahowin

The Foundation Review

The effects of the climate crisis are intensifying each year, just as the global context for mitigation, adaptation, and resilience efforts grows increasingly complex. Against a backdrop of urgency, resource scarcity, high uncertainty, and politicization, evidence is arguably more crucial than ever for informing climate action.

The potential of evidence for climate action has not been fully realized, leaving tremendous value on the table. This article argues that the challenge is not driven by a shortage of evidence, but rather by a mismatch between dominant evidence and learning practices and what decision-makers need.

In response to the question “how can …

Full Issue

The Foundation Review

No abstract provided.

Feedback Loops In Practice: A Case Study On Evaluating A Climate Collaborative, Mansi Shah, Amy Sherwood, Abbie Turiansky, Drew Koleros, Axum Teferra

The Foundation Review

Philanthropic support to address the climate crisis has grown substantially, yet it remains unclear how effectively philanthropies are learning from their investments, from each other, and from other actors about what generates meaningful impact. Evaluations have come under scrutiny, as conventional approaches often struggle to account for complexity and provide the timely insights needed for adaptive management.

In this article, the authors present the learning journey of a complex, systems-focused climate philanthropy initiative that uses structured feedback loops as an evaluation design. They describe how these loops were implemented over a two-year evaluation; discuss the choice of complexity-aware methods; and …

Spend-Down To Scale Up: Limited-Life Giving In The Climate Crisis, Madeleine C. Mckinnon, Samuel Rogers, David Gunsberg, Emma Mcintosh

The Foundation Review

This article shares first-hand experiences of a charitable foundation operating under a spend-down model, illustrating how a fixed time horizon shapes philanthropic and programmatic behavior. The authors discuss three conditions that a spend-down horizon reliably forces: the imperative to fund quickly, collaboratively, and boldly on shared goals; the discipline to concentrate capital with strategic focus; and the emphasis on learning and collaboration as both a means to optimize for impact now and to sustain and scale impact over the long term.

Authors explore the influence of these conditions in a series of case studies working towards a clean energy transition …

Leader-Follower Formation-Based Leader Velocities Estimation Via Adaptive-Τ Tustin Differentiator, Zeyad A. Karam, Mohammed Y. Hassan, Amjad J. Humaidi

Iraqi Journal of Computers, Communications, Control and Systems Engineering

This work develops a leader–follower formation for differential-drive mobile robots with an explicit estimator for the leader's velocities. Firstly, a leader robot position-variance-adaptive, under-rate-limited differentiator provides forward speed and yaw-rate estimate for the leader velocities, using exponentially weighted increment variances that drive a convex one-sided mapping to provide adaptive time constants for this estimator. Secondly, the control stack couples three layers: first layer, a nonlinear body-frame kinematic law for leader tracking, with orientation corrections handled via a smooth bounded function sin(eθ)/eθ to eliminate singularities near zero error. Second layer, a formation-preserving follower controller based on …

Adaptive Intelligent H-Infinity Controller Design For Mimo Nonlinear Systems Under Asymmetric Input Saturation, Mohammed Qasim, Hazem I. Ali, Omar Farouq Lutfy

Iraqi Journal of Computers, Communications, Control and Systems Engineering

This paper details the design of a robust adaptive intelligent guaranteed cost H-infinity controller, tailored for MIMO nonlinear systems subject to external disturbances, parametric uncertainties, and asymmetric input saturation constraints. The adaptive intelligent part of the proposed controller consists of a Radial Basis Function Neural Network (RBFNN) with bounded output to respect saturation constraints and a robust adaptive law for RBFNN weights estimation. This part serves to estimate the system's uncertain nonlinearities and external disturbances. The guaranteed cost H-infinity is designed based on Linear Matrix Inequalities (LMIs) to address the system parameter uncertainties and bounded RBFNN estimation errors, as well …

Glycemia Regulation In Type 1 Diabetes Using Artificial Pancreas Systems: One Decade Review Of Positive Control Approaches, Luay Thamir Rasheed, Ahmed Sabah Al-Araji, Taghreed Mohammadridha

Iraqi Journal of Computers, Communications, Control and Systems Engineering

An artificial pancreas (AP) is a biomedical device that mimics the natural glucose-regulation process carried out by a healthy pancreas. This device consists of three parts: a continuous glucose monitor (CGM), a control algorithm, and an insulin pump. These three parts work together by continuously monitoring blood glucose concentration (BGC) and adjusting insulin delivery to maintain normoglycemia while minimizing the occurrence of hypoglycemia and hyperglycemia. While several review studies have addressed control strategies for AP systems, limited attention has been given to the fundamental positivity constraint of insulin delivery and its systematic impact on controller design and performance. This paper …

Improving Performance For Dco-Ofdm Based Vlc Via Convolutional Coding And Viterbi Decoding, Maha F. Shatti, Samir M. Hameed, Atheer A. Sabri

Iraqi Journal of Computers, Communications, Control and Systems Engineering

The reliability of Visible Light Communication (VLC) is affected by several parameters, the most significant being high peak-to-average power ratio(PAPR) and nonlinear distortion. This study presents an adaptive direct current O-OFDM (DCO-OFDM) based VLC system as a solution, which integrates error correction the Convolutional coding and Viterbi decoding (by hard and soft decision methods) with a PAPR reduction technique that combines Vandermonde-like Matrix (VLM) precoding with a nonlinear companding transform (NCT). This proposed system enhances resistance to channel impairments, thereby reducing BER while maintaining the gains of PAPR reduction. Moreover, examined the system under realistic VLC propagation conditions both Line …

Cost-Efficient High-Capacity Radio Over Fiber (Rof) Transmission: Integrating Coarse And Dense Wdm Techniques, Hilal A. Fadhil, Fadia N. Hummadi, Feras N. Hasoon, Haider J. Abd, Hussein A. Kazem

Iraqi Journal of Computers, Communications, Control and Systems Engineering

Using Radio over Fiber (RoF) has expanded lately to the point where a key component of it link between central office and base station would be useful from the whole industry. As the market grows towards communication products of ultra-high-speed, like 5G applications, capital expenditure (CapEx) is crucial. The two primary types regarding wavelength division multiplexing (WDM) techniques Dense WDM and Coarse WDM are integrated in the presented work to create cost-effective, new design paradigm for RoF. The suggested system is tested and put into use at 10 Gbps data transmission rate. In addition, it describes how the two systems-based …

A Triple-Verification Framework For Swift, Real-Time Detection Of Anomalous Sensor Readings In Large-Scale Iot Systems, Taha E. Al-Jarakh, Inas Jawad Kadhim, Ayad Al-Dujaili, Eduardo Campos Mercado

Iraqi Journal of Computers, Communications, Control and Systems Engineering

Due to the massive expansion of Internet of Things systems and the variety of anomalous data resulting from faulty sensors, cyberattacks, or communication failures, it has become difficult to handle this type of data. Although current machine learning and statistical analysis techniques offer high accuracy in detecting anomalies, these methods alone are not sufficient for handling massive amounts of data in real-time. Therefore, the idea arose to propose a Triple-Verification Framework to detect and block anomalous data. The first stage of the framework acts as a firewall to block incoming messages from blocklisted/unauthorized sensors or carrying unknown schemes. In the …

Energy-Efficient Resource Allocation In Cloud Service Management Via Significant Feature Ranking With Recurrent Network Model, C. Arun, S. Santhoshkumar, J. Jegathesh Amalraj, T. Suresh

Iraqi Journal of Computers, Communications, Control and Systems Engineering

The increasing adoption of cloud computing (CC) produces a notable growth in data centres, resulting in severe financial, environmental, and operational problems. To mitigate these issues, energy-efficient resource allocation strategies have been developed as a key solution for enhancing energy utilization while ensuring high performance and reliability. In this framework, machine learning (ML) enables the implementation of dynamic and intelligent approaches for effective resource utilization. In this paper, we focus on the Scalable Hybrid Feature Ranking Framework for Energy-Efficient Resource Allocation (SHFRF-EERA) approach in Cloud Service Management Systems. The novelty of the proposed model lies in the integration of hybrid …

A Corpus Linguistics-Driven Hybrid Deep Representation Framework Incorporating Majority Voting For Enhanced Automatic Spoken Language Identification, Lubin Balasubramanian, J. Uthayakumar, Niranjana Kumara M, Sariga Arjunan

Iraqi Journal of Computers, Communications, Control and Systems Engineering

Spoken Language Identification (SLID) is a well-researched area. It has previously been recognized as a crucial first stage in every multi-lingual speech recognition system. Latest developments in artificial intelligence (AI) and deep learning (DL) are used to highly strengthen the performance of SLID systems, allowing them to perform a crucial part in mainstream applications The gathered speaker utterances have been entered into the DL network for training phase. The language equivalent to the great posterior probability is then recognized as the target language. This study introduces an Enhancing Automatic Spoken Language Identification with Corpus Linguistics and Ensemble Deep Representation (EASLI-CLEDR) …

A Profile Of Assisted Living Direct Care Workforce Training Requirements Across The United States, Erh-Chi Hsu, Paula Carder, Lindsey Smith, Zhiqing E. Zhou, Olga Yakusheva, Anna S. Beeber, Eric Jutkowitz, Kali Thomas

Institute on Aging Publications

Objectives

To characterize assisted living (AL) direct care worker (DCW) training requirements across the United States and how these regulations have changed over time. Specifically, we examine state-level profiles of training regulations, including duration, frequency, content, source of materials, evaluation, and changes in regulatory coverage.

Design

Cross-sectional and longitudinal descriptive study using state policy data and AL directories from 2019, 2021, and 2023.

Setting and Participants

All US states' AL training–related regulations; all ALs and AL beds governed by those regulations.

Methods

We used a mixed-methods approach with an explanatory sequential design (QUAN → qual), first conducting health services regulatory …

Montana Kaimin, October 1, 2026, Students Of The University Of Montana, Missoula

Montana Kaimin, 1898-present

Student newspaper of the University of Montana, Missoula.

Fr. Henri Le Floch Cssp—The Forgotten Pioneer Of Poullart Studies. Part I, Eamonn Mulcahy Cssp

Spiritan Horizons

No abstract provided.

How The Spiritan Mission And Spirituality Can Bring Hope Today, Igono Abel Raphael Cssp

Spiritan Horizons

No abstract provided.

From Homes To Classrooms: Cultural Wisdom As A Guide For Stem Lesson Planning, Miriam Ortiz, Uma Ganesan, Angela Chapman, William Medina-Jerez, Ruby Lynch Arroyo, Mourat Tchoshanov

Teaching and Learning Faculty Publications

This article describes innovative elementary science instructional approaches based on cultural wisdom developed by preservice teachers enrolled in a teacher preparation program at a university in the U.S.-Mexico border region. As a part of a larger study, three Latina preservice elementary teachers were a part of a teacher residency in conducting community interviews and reflection activities to uncover cultural backgrounds that could inform culturally relevant STEM lesson planning, centering on family and home knowledge. This project began with family interviews during winter break and culminated in lesson planning and implementation during their science methods course in the spring semester. The …

Implementation Of The Regfm_B1 Virtual Synchronous Machine Model With Supplementary Damping And Power System Stabilizer Extensions In Pstess., Kwabena Amadu

Honors Theses

The increasing penetration of inverter-based resources (IBRs) has motivated the development and verification of accurate grid-forming (GFM) control models for use in transient stability and dynamic simulation studies. This thesis presents an implementation of the REGFM_B1 virtual synchronous machine (VSM) model within the Power System Toolbox (PSTess) simulation environment. The implementation extends the baseline REGFM_B1 algorithm with a supplementary relative frequency damping path and a power system stabilizer (PSS). The implemented controller is verified on a simple three-machine test system and validated against an independent ideal VSM baseline implementation through simulations. This work establishes a validated PSTess implementation intended to …

Recovery And Resilience Of Survivors Of Sex Trafficking In Nepal, Bishnu Sapkota, Glenn M. Miles, Chitra B. Buthathoki

Dignity: A Journal of Analysis of Exploitation and Violence

This exploratory qualitative study examines how trafficking survivors in Nepalese rehabilitation centres perceive recovery and experience resilience within Nepal's specific socio-cultural context. This qualitative study employed in-depth interviews with six female sex trafficking survivors in Bagmati Province rehabilitation centres and analysed them through Bronfenbrenner's socio-ecological framework under the themes such as Hindu purity concepts, caste discrimination, joint family dynamics, and non-governmental organization dependency which shape their recovery experiences. The findings of the study reveal recovery as gradual emotional stabilization and future orientation rather than complete healing. Survivors describe stigma in terms of religious purity/pollution binary, with Dalit participants experiencing compounded …

October 1, 2026, The Daily Mississippian

Daily Mississippian (all digitized issues)

No abstract provided.

Willingness To Pilot Under Varying Weather And Tower System Conditions: Mediating Effects Of Risk, Nathan Royal Schultz

Doctoral Dissertations and Master's Theses

The implementation of Remote Tower Systems (RTS) within the National Airspace System (NAS) offers potential improvements in operational efficiency, cost-effectiveness, and scalability; however, its success depends on pilots' willingness to operate in such environments. This study examined the effects of tower system type (RTS vs. Traditional Tower Systems [TTS]) and weather conditions (visual meteorological conditions [VMC], marginal visual meteorological conditions [MVMC], and instrument meteorological conditions [IMC]) on pilots’ willingness to pilot (WTP), while also evaluating the mediating role of perceived risk (PR). Grounded in Paul Slovic’s Risk Perception Theory (RPT), this research employed a quantitative experimental design using a factorial …

Ai Student Survey 2026

AI Survey Datasets

Student survey conducted by the University of Memphis AI Pedagogy Taskforce on generative AI.

Ai Pedagogy Faculty Survey 2025 Prelim Data Results

AI Survey Datasets

Faculty survey on AI knowledge and usage conducted in 2025 by University of Memphis AI Pedagogy Taskforce.

Promoting Member Participation And Dialogue Across Differences: A Mixed Methods Study Of One Diocese’S Implementation Of The Catholic Church’S Synodality Initiative, Robert Donmoyer, Fred J. Galloway

Interdisciplinary Journal of Leadership Studies

In recent years, leaders of the Catholic Church have attempted to promote more participatory ways of operating. A few years ago, for example, Church leaders initiated what they referred to as a synodality initiative worldwide. Catholics were asked to share publicly a time the Church brought them joy and a time it disappointed them, along with a hope they have for the Church's future.  One diocese organized the process around the sort of talking circles used by Indigenous groups to make decisions and connect members.  This diocese also enlisted researchers to lead a systematic study of the process; they employed …