Digital Commons Network^™

Settler Colonialism: A Case-Study Analysis Of Dam Infrastructure In The American West, Kassidy Haynes, Carrie Mott

The Cardinal Edge

In 17^th-century North America, a number of world powers began extensive colonial efforts to stake a claim on territories and their resources. Settler colonialism in the United States followed a distinct track to the west compared to that which occurred in the east following this initial land-grab. Because infrastructure preceded some formal, highly concentrated settlement in the western United States, this region experienced the oppression of settler colonialism in distinct manifestations. Namely, the physical imposition of construction projects such as dams established early dynamics of differential power and control between the federal government and the diverse array of …

Analyzing The Climate-Growth Response Of Hemlock Species In Tight Hollow, Daniel Boone National Forest, Kentucky, Usa, Jacob G. Brown

The Cardinal Edge

Kentucky’s (KY) local climate is facing uncertainty as the influence of climate change pushes hydrological variation to its extremes. Proxy-based data can be used to better understand this variation by analyzing past climatic conditions. Tree rings provide valuable proxy data on an annual to sub-annual resolution that can be used to create climate reconstructions. However, the state of Kentucky lacks high temporal and spatial resolution datasets for accurate climate reconstruction analysis. Climate-sensitive tree species and locations must be identified and evaluated within Kentucky to further enhance these datasets to a higher resolution. Our research objective is to analyze the climate-growth …

U.S. Arctic Sea Lines Of Communication (Sloc): The Imperative For A Maritime Complex And Corridor In The Bering Region, Samuel A. Krakower, Troy J. Bouffard

Joint Force Quarterly

This paper examines the current American capacity to defend its newfound Sea Lines of Communication in the North Pacific and Arctic Oceans. The history, and importance, of Sea Lines of Communication trace back to great naval strategists such as Rear Admiral Alfred Thayer Mahan and Sir Julian Corbett, and consistent protection of these maritime corridors in times of war and peace led to the success of the United States. As the Arctic Region emerges as a new theater of geopolitical importance, the United States finds itself significantly disadvantaged or "strategically handicapped” in terms of presence, capability, and proximity to defend …

Fabrication At The Tactical Edge, Aubry J. Eaton, Dustin T. Thomas

Joint Force Quarterly

This research reviews empirical evidence of rapid battlefield fabrication efforts and proposes potential new uses of this technology. It recommends that the joint force must undergo a paradigm shift to view battlefield manufacturing as an inherent component of force projection with potentially decisive impact across the spectrum of conflict. It proposes a doctrinal concept for Fabrication At The Tactical Edge (FATE), defining the technologies that enable this concept. FATE offsets adversary capabilities by imposing asymmetric costs while making U.S. forces difficult to predict. Unlike prior studies on military innovation, this research focuses on manufacturing itself as a weapon system. If …

Policy-Bound Governance For Privacy-Preserving Multi-Agent Ai Systems Across Multiple Service Providers, Niranjan M M

Defensive Publications Series

In modern agentic AI environments, autonomous agents dynamically exchange prompts, embeddings, intermediate reasoning states, tool outputs, and memory artifacts, often across geographic regions and infrastructure owned by different providers. Existing solutions govern data primarily at storage boundaries or API entry points, leaving significant gaps during agent reasoning, delegation, and cross-provider execution.

The proposed solution addresses this challenge by binding privacy and governance policies directly to AI artifacts and enforcing those policies at runtime, before any agent action is executed. Each AI artifact carries immutable policy metadata that specifies permitted regions, providers, agent roles, purposes of use, and retention constraints. Autonomous …

Tennessee State Museum Spring 2026 Newsletter & Calendar Of Events, Tennessee. State Museum.

Tennessee State Museum

No abstract provided.

Pandemic Challenges: Resource-Based Strategies In The Black Belt Region, Valencia D. Winston

College of Business

From 2019 to 2021, the COVID-19 pandemic disproportionately affected rural small businesses in Alabama and Mississippi's Black Belt Region. Rural communities in the Black Belt face a number of significant economic and structural barriers, such as historic lending inequities, generational poverty, and a lack of access to capital and mentorship, compounded by unreliable broadband and fiber optic connectivity. This study utilizes the resource-based view (RBV) to explore how businesses leverage their assets for success. The research has three main objectives: to determine if the distribution of the Payroll Protection Program (PPP) loan was equitable across demographics, to investigate whether demographic …

Burdigalian–Langhian Flora Of The Çan–Etili (Çanakkale) Basin, Compared With Those Of Western Türkiye, Sari̇ye Duygu Durak, Mehmet Serkan Akki̇raz

Turkish Journal of Earth Sciences

A palaeofloristic study was carried out on Lower–Middle Miocene deposits of western Türkiye (Çan–Etili Basin). The sediments of the Çan–Etili Basin, which were obtained from measured sections, were deposited in a continental environment. The palaeovegetation of the Çan–Etili Basin (Kazım Oğlak and Keçiağılı successions) during the Early–Middle Miocene was mainly made up of evergreen and deciduous mixed forests (Castanea–Castanopsis, Cyrillaceae–Clethraceae, Engelhardia, Quercus evergreen-type, Quercus deciduous-type), riparian vegetation with high quantities of Alnus and conifers such as Pinus haploxylon-type, Pinus diploxylon-type, and undifferentiated Pinaceae. The reconstructed palaeoclimate data from the palaeoflora (pollen and leaves) imply a warm and temperate climate, with …

Impact Of Urban Roadway Work Zones On Road Users And Other Stakeholders, Lyndsey Renee Harris

Lyles School of Civil Engineering Graduate Student Reports

As urban populations continue to rise at an unprecedented rate, the need for highly maintained infrastructure in cities -- buildings, utilities, and transportation networks -- has become increasingly critical. An urban work zone refers to a designated area within a city where roadway construction, maintenance, or rehabilitation activities are taking place. These zones are typically characterized by high traffic volumes, complex roadway networks, and proximity to residential, institutional, and commercial land uses. Urban work zones often involve lane closures, detours, reduced speed limits, and temporary traffic control measures to ensure safety for road workers and road users. Due to the …

Gender Ideology Curriculum In Florida Schools: Parental Rights And Educator Strain, Kimberly Mack

Child and Family Law Journal

No abstract provided.

Beyond The Flames: A Comparative Analysis Of Wildfire Preparedness And Relief In California, Ej Smith

Undergraduate Honors Theses

Wildfires in California have devastated homes and communities, with the 2024–2025 Los Angeles fires ranking among the deadliest in state history, killing 31 people and burning more than 37,000 acres across densely populated neighborhoods. In response to these fires, fire services, municipal governments, and nongovernmental organizations coordinated immediate relief efforts across multiple jurisdictions. This research uses a multiple-case study approach to examine the Eaton, Palisades, Line, and Bridge fires to identify practices that supported life safety and response effectiveness, as well as challenges that constrained response operations. Findings indicate that when environmental conditions exceeded suppression capacity, response outcomes within responder …

Strategic Parallels: How Historic Military Tactics Inform Modern Business Strategy, Eli S. Nelson

Undergraduate Honors Theses

The field of business strategy emerged out of military strategy during the mid- twentieth century. Despite this shared DNA, the connection between the two fields has been limited to broad conceptual comparisons and abstract motivational framing. No prior research has paired a specific military history case with a specific modern business case to analyze the parallels between these disciplines in detail.

This research addresses that gap by comparing the German Blitzkrieg campaign during the 1940 invasion of France and the transformation of Ryanair in the early 1990s. Despite being separated by fifty years and operating in completely different domains, the …

Metadata For Storytelling: Exploring The Collections As Data Model, Emily Baldoni, Angela Yon, Maddi Loiselle

Faculty and Staff Publications – Milner Library

This article describes a case study in which a small metadata team at Illinois State University Milner Library produced a digital humanities project supporting Collections as Data (CAD) and linked data principles. Despite initial sparse descriptive content, the team recognized great potential for experimentation in a significant World War I archival collection to highlight lesser-known stories, including those of the Pioneer Infantry, women, and noncombatants. Discussion focuses on the strategic approaches in creating granular but scalable metadata for the large digital collection, and application of the data with various tools such as ArcGIS and Wikidata to construct interactive data visualizations, …

Multi-Agent Llm For Reducing Unsheltered Homelessness, Shravya Kothapalli, Samhita Juloori, Vishvaas Vasudeva Rao, Joshna Medisetty, Ahmed Hambaba

Faculty Research, Scholarly, and Creative Activity

This project examines how data science and intelligent systems can enhance homelessness prevention efforts by facilitating early identification and optimized service delivery. Using a synthesized dataset reflective of Santa Clara County populations, we developed predictive models to assess risk factors associated with homelessness, such as rent burden, employment instability, eviction notices, and chronic health conditions. These models inform a multi-agent system recommending targeted interventions across medical, food, and job resources. Our system is designed to prioritize individuals most at risk and match them with appropriate services based on availability, proximity, and personal needs. By integrating geographic data and real-time service …

Returning Music To Its Creator, Tim Kappel, Loren Wells

Florida Entertainment and Sports Law Review

This commentary is on Vetter v. Resnik, and this commentary was finalized in December 2025, prior to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit’s January 12, 2026, decision in favor of Cyril Vetter, holding that songwriters may rely on U.S. copyright law to reclaim their songs worldwide.

Online Recruitment For Interview Participants Impacted By The Criminal Legal System, Sarah Lageson, Carolina R. Caliman, Elsa Chen, Ericka Adams

Qualitative Criminology (QC)

"As technology has altered communication, qualitative criminologists have turned to digital spaces for a cost-effective approach to recruit participants who have been impacted by the criminal legal system. This paper analyzes the limits and benefits of online recruitment, detailing our experience recruiting 93 interviewees online for a qualitative study of criminal record expungement. We compare three approaches: social media advertisements, Amazon’s crowdsourced MTurk platform, and the opt-in survey platform Prolific, and analyze the financial and labor costs associated with each. We detail our experience individually screening 685 interested participants to obtain 86 qualitative interviews suitable for analysis. Our experience shows …

Stacking Moves: How Digital Platforms Sequence Value Creation, Jonathan M. Dickson

Undergraduate Honors Theses

This thesis examines how large digital platform firms evolve by adding new platform types over time. Using the four-type framework developed by Bryce, Dyer, and Van Alstyne—transaction, connection, innovation, and collaboration—I trace the platform histories of seven firms: Apple, Alphabet, Microsoft, Amazon, Meta, Tencent, and Alibaba. For each firm, I classify every qualifying platform event as a base platform, a stacking move (a new interaction that draws on an existing platform's users or architecture), or a standalone platform (a new platform that operates independently). Across seventy-plus events, four findings emerge:

1. Firms stack new platform types in predictable sequences shaped by …

The Effect Of An Educational Program Based On The Humanistic Approach On The Achievement In Social Studies Among Second Intermediate Grade Students, Ra’Aed Ahmad Salman Al Muhammadi, Ismael Hasan Abdullah

Alustath Journal for Human and Social Sciences

This research aims to identify (the effectiveness of a proposed This research aims to identify “The Effect of a Proposed Educational Program Based on the Humanistic Approach on the Achievement in Social Studies among Second Intermediate Grade Students.” To achieve the research objective, the researcher adopted the quasi-experimental design with partial control, specifically the design of a control group with pre- and post-testing. The research sample consisted of (60) second intermediate grade students, divided equally into two groups:(30) students in the experimental group and (30) in the control group. The preparation of the program went through three stages: planning, implementation, …

Geographical Distribution Of Traffic Accident Deaths In Iraq For The 2023 Year, Abeer Falih Dheyeab Nasir

Alustath Journal for Human and Social Sciences

The research aims to study the distribution of deaths in traffic accidents according to the governorates of Iraq for the year 2023 and their variation from one place to another and study their concentration, as the deaths were concentrated in Baghdad Governorate by (20.37%) of the total deaths in Iraq due to the population weight formed by the governorate as the capital and the increasing huge numbers of vehicles of various kinds, and the percentage of deaths in traffic accidents constituted (4.1) of the total public deaths in Iraq, and the study showed that the causal death rate reached (1.8), …

Speleoco: An Open, Low-Cost Arduino Co₂ Datalogger For Cave Microclimate Monitoring, Christos Pennos, Dimitrios Christaras

International Journal of Speleology

Carbon dioxide (CO₂) dynamics in caves are critical for karst processes, speleothem growth and dissolution, microclimate regulation, and caver safety. In cave atmospheres, CO₂ commonly derives from soil respiration, epikarst degassing, microbial activity, and, in tectonically active regions, deep-seated fault-related emissions. Fault-related CO₂ degassing may also track tectonic activity. However, continuous monitoring remains limited due to the cost and inflexibility of commercial instruments. Here we present an open-source, low-cost Arduino-based CO₂ datalogger designed for cave applications. The logger integrates a COZIR NDIR CO₂ sensor, a DS1337 real-time clock, microSD storage, and power-gating for extended deployment in humid environments. Firmware and …

A Distributed Model For Undergraduate Education In Environmental Remote Sensing: Increased Student Interest In Science And Sense Of Science Identity And Belonging, Gregory R. Goldsmith, Monae Verbeke, Jeremy Forsythe, Joshua B. Fisher

Biology, Chemistry, and Environmental Sciences Faculty Articles and Research

"We present results from a new open-access course in satellite remote sensing of the environment that uses evidence-based, active learning pedagogy to train the next generation of interdisciplinary scientists The course, called Observing Earth from Above, teaches students how to access, visualize, and communicate satellite remote sensing data from NASA’s ECOSTRESS instrument to address a variety of environmental challenges. The resources focus on follow-along tutorials for students and also include recorded lectures and interviews with remote sensing scientists."

Building Belonging, Meera E. Deo

Denver Law Review

Given the end of affirmative action as we know it, a decline in numeric representation of students of color in higher education seems inevitable—resulting in devastating losses for legal education, the legal profession, and American leadership. Yet those who seek to maintain diverse educational institutions cannot focus their attention solely on cultivating novel admissions strategies. We must couple recruitment with retention. Belonging, a student’s malleable sense of their connection to campus, is a critical tool for improving retention rates as well as academic outcomes and student wellness. Critical Race Theory (CRT) is instructive in this context as a framework that …

The Disparate Impact Of The California Wildfires On Minority Communities: Exposing Environmental Injustice & Zoning Flaws, Jasmyn Hardin

University of Cincinnati Law Review

No abstract provided.

The Nexus Between Perceived And Scientific Weather Patterns And Its Effects On Cereal Crop Production In Manyoni District, Tanzania, Fadhili Lufunyo Ngajilo, Helena Elias Myeya, Evarist Fundisha Swai

Journal of Humanities and Social Sciences

This study examines the nexus between perceived and scientific weather patterns, and its effects on cereal crop production in Manyoni District; and involved 157 participants. Both quantitative and qualitative data were collected through a mixed methods research approach. The data were collected through a household survey, FGDs, in-depth interviews and documentary review methods for triangulation and complementarity purposes. The quantitative data were analysed through descriptive and inferential statistics with IBM SPSS (version 27) and Microsoft Excel Office (version 2007). The results indicate that smallholder farmers perceived that rainfall had been fluctuating with increasing trends, while temperature and wind had been …

Constraints To Adopting Locally Based Innovation Systems In Adapting To Climate Change Impacts In Serengeti District, Tanzania, Donald Mwiturubani

Journal of Humanities and Social Sciences

Smallholder farmers in rural Tanzania depend mainly on rain-fed agriculture, which makes them vulnerable to the impacts of climate change. This paper is based on a study conducted in Burunga and Musati villages in Serengeti District, Tanzania. The study employed a mixed methods approach; combining qualitative and quantitative methods. It involved 154 participants and employed household surveys, key informant interviews, and focus group discussions as data collection methods. The findings suggest that smallholder farmers in the study area are aware of climate change and do, indeed, develop, adopt, and use locally-based innovation systems that avert or minimise its impacts. Smallholder …

Ecomusicological Representation Of Climate Change And Environmental Sustainability In Selected Bongo Fleva Lyrics In Tanzania, Auson N. Wincheslaus

Journal of Humanities and Social Sciences

This article critically explores how Bongo Fleva’s lyrics engage with environmental themes; and the interrelationship between nature and culture in the context of the Anthropocene. The data were purposively sampled from YouTube via content analysis, from which 50 Bongo Fleva songs were listened to, and only 10 environmentally-themed songs were analysed. Then, the selected songs were subjected to transcription (from oral to written form), translation (from Kiswahili into English), and close reading and textual analysis. The close reading of the selected songs focused on the employed aesthetic and rhetorical strategies, such as anthropomorphism, symbolism, antithesis, apocalyptic tones, solastalgia, rhetorical questions, …

Ecosystem-Based Flood Disaster Risk Reduction In The Little Ruaha River Basin, In The Southern Highlands Of Tanzania, Mawazo Ghambi, Tiemo Romward Haule

Journal of Humanities and Social Sciences

Ecosystem-based approach that integrates floods and environmental risk management is believed to reduce flood disaster risk while providing socio-economic and environmental benefits to floodplain occupants. This study examined the socio-economic and environmental benefits of the ecosystem-based approach in managing flood disaster risk in the Little Ruaha River Basin in the southern highlands of Tanzania. The study involved 157 participants and employed the mixed research design to collect quantitative and qualitative data. Semi-structured interviews, in-depth interviews, direct field observation and Focus Group Discussions were used to collect primary data, whereas documentary review was used to collect secondary data. Findings revealed that …

Resilience Among Smallholder Irish Potato Farmers To The Impacts Of Climate Variability In Wanging’Ombe District, Tanzania, Timotheo Bilary Ngalaga, Digna Wolfram Mlengule, Jackson Raymond Sawe

Journal of Humanities and Social Sciences

This paper examines smallholder farmers’ adaptation strategies to climate variability, and their resilience in enhancing their capacity to adopt. The data was collected from 98 heads of households using both quantitative and qualitative approaches. The methods of data collection included household surveys, focus group discussions (FGDs), in-depth interviews, and document review. The quantitative data were analysed using the IBM SPSS (Version 23), while the qualitative data were analysed using thematic analysis. The findings indicate that 69.4% of respondents reported a decrease in rainfall, while 89.8% reported an increase and fluctuations in temperature over the past 29 years. Moreover, the findings …

Climate Change Vulnerability And Adaptation Pathways: Stakeholders’ Synergies In Building Climate Resilience In The Semi-Arid Area Of Central Tanzania, Helena Elias Myeya

Journal of Humanities and Social Sciences

This article examines the perceived effect of climate change on cereal crop production and the responses of various stakeholders aimed at enhancing the resilience of smallholder farmers in semi-arid areas of central Tanzania. A total of 366 household heads, 28 participants in focus group discussions (FGDs), and 8 key informants from Bahi and Kongwa districts in Dodoma, Tanzania, were involved in this study. Both quantitative and qualitative data were gathered through a structured interview schedule, FGDs, in-depth interviews, and documentary reviews. Descriptive statistics and content analysis were used to analyse quantitative and qualitative data, respectively. The findings indicate that smallholder …

Designing Risk-Aware Mixed-Mode Evacuation Strategies For Tsunamis: Insights From İstanbul, Vedat Bayram, Doruk Ergez, Ada Arikanoğlu

Turkish Journal of Electrical Engineering and Computer Sciences

​Tsunamis pose severe and time-critical risks to densely populated coastal cities, where limited warning times and infrastructure constraints demand carefully coordinated evacuation strategies. This study develops an integrated, risk-aware optimization framework that jointly considers vertical and horizontal sheltering options together with mixed pedestrian-vehicular evacuation dynamics. The proposed mixed-integer second-order cone programming (MISOCP) model simultaneously determines vertical shelter location, evacuee assignment, road-use designation for pedestrians and vehicles, and route selection under congestion, capacity, and budget constraints. Vehicle travel times incorporate congestion effects through a convex flow-dependent function, while pedestrian routing ensures convergent and conflict free evacuation paths. A risk-minimization objective accounts …