Digital Commons Network^™

Ultrasound-Assisted Sequential Processing Of Barley Straw Using Binary Acidic And Hydrated Ternary Deep Eutectic Solvents For Nanocellulose Production, Dileswar Pradhan, Swarna Jaiswal, Brijesh K. Tiwari, Amit K. Jaiswal

Research Outputs: 2025-Present

This study aimed to valorise barley straw by using a binary acidic deep eutectic solvent (DES) made from choline chloride and lactic acid for biomass pretreatment, and a hydrated ternary DES (HDES) composed of betaine, oxalic acid, and water (BOW HDES) for downstream processing to produce nanocellulose. The ultrasound-assisted DES pretreatment significantly enhanced lignin and hemicellulose solubilisation, achieving an average lignin removal of 70.54 % and hemicellulose solubilisation of 69.58 % under optimal conditions. Purification of US-DES-treated solid residue resulted in a cellulose yield of 39.81 ± 1.47 % with a purity of 91.31 ± 0.93 %, comparable to or …

Microencapsulation Of Capsicum And Its Derivatives Compounds By Spray-Drying: A Review, Ana Gabriela Da Silva Anthero, Larissa Consoli, Jesús Maria Frías Celayeta, Cinthia Baú Betim Cazarin, Miriam Dupas Hubinger

Research Outputs: 2025-Present

No abstract provided.

Development Of Novel Anticancer Pyrazolopyrimidinones Targeting Glioblastoma, Kate Byrne, Natalia Bednarz, Ciara Mcevoy, James Curtin, John C. Stephens, Gemma Kinsella

Research Outputs: 2025-Present

Glioblastoma (GBM) is the most common and aggressive malignant grade IV brain tumour and is one of the most difficult types of brain cancer to treat with a high incidence of resistance to traditionally used chemotherapeutics. Pyrazolopyrimidinones are fused nitrogen-containing heterocyclic systems which are a scaffold in several bioactive drugs and drug candidates. Here, a structure activity relationship (SAR) study was performed where 23 substituted pyrazolo[1,5-α]pyrimidinones were screened for cytotoxicity against the GBM U-251 MG cell line and the non-cancerous embryonic kidney HEK293 cell line to assess their potential as anti-glioblastoma agents capable of selectivity for cancer cells. Through analogue …

Comparative Evaluation Of Ai-Generated Synthetic Data And Real-World Data Performance In Predictive Analytics, Corey Louise Hughes

ICT

There are growing restraints when it comes to Real World Data (RWD), these include topics such as privacy regulations, ethical concerns, and the cost of collecting the data, and they have drove an interest in AI-generated synthetic data as a potential alternative in predictive analytics. This project examines the possibilities of synthetic data and if it can act as a reliable substitute for RWD in predictive modelling. This project uses Wasserstein Generative Adversarial Networks with Gradient Penalty (WGAN-GP) to generate synthetic reproductive health data and evaluates its predictive performance against RWD using linear regression and key metrics, including Mean Absolute …

Cancer Registry Newsletter Vol. 06, Cancer Registry

Cancer Registry, AKUH Archives

• Messages
• Cancer Registry Team
• Cancer Committee Members
• Cancer Registry AKUH
• Our Mission
• Cancer Report
• Age-Group Distribution of Top Five Cancers
• Total Count with Gender Breakdown
• Top Ten Males 2025
• Top Ten Females 2025
• Data Release
• Top Ten Malignancies in Children (2025)
• Distribution of Malignancies According to the Geographical Area of Patients
• Poster Presentation
• Ongoing Projects
• Karachi Cancer Registry
• Implementing a Real-Time Cancer Registry Model
• Cancer Registry Website
• Quarterly Reporting of Cancer Registry Data
• National Media Highlights Scoping Review on Cancer Registries in Pakistan
• Achievements
• Activities
• Head and Neck Cancer Awareness Session 2025
• HIMS Appreciation Lunch 2025
• Independence Day Celebration
• Department …

Comparison Of Statistical, Machine Learning, And Deep Learning Models For Time-Series Forecasting Using Weather Data From Dublin, Ireland., Erick Eduardo Rios Treviño

ICT

This study compares three time-series forecasting paradigms—statistical, machine learning, and deep learning—using ten-years of historical weather data from Dublin. The objective is to evaluate the performance of Prophet, XGBoost, and LSTM when forecasting daily solar radiation under multiple preprocessing strategies. An extensive data analysis was conducted, including descriptive statistics, inferential testing, stationarity assessment, outlier detection, feature selection, and exploratory visualisation. These steps revealed strong annual seasonality, nonlinear feature relationships, and variability across meteorological variables, informing the modelling framework and feature-engineering decisions. Four experiments were conducted using cleaned data, differenced data, log-transformed data, and cross-validation. Results show that XGBoost achieved the …

Fictional Prophecies: How Kazuo Ishiguro’S Never Let Me Go And Olivia Wilde’S Don’T Worry Darling Foreshadow The Threats Of Biotech And Metaverse Realities, Taylor Pack

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This thesis intends to embrace conversations about technological advancements and create space for examining the ways in which popular technologies of the 2020s are the beginning of a dangerous future for marginalized bodies if gone unchecked and under-regulated. This paper investigates the ways in which modern forms of technology are at risk of mimicking the novel Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro and the film Don’t Worry Darling, directed by Olivia Wilde dystopias and argues the need for more conscious consumerism of technology and media alike to acknowledge the ways in which the control of women’s bodies is a …

Human-Ai Interaction In Driving Behavior Analysis: Machine Learning And Pattern Mining For The Unobtrusive Cognitive Assessment, Sonia Moshfeghi

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Creating unobtrusive, intelligent sensing systems that can be embedded into daily life and assess changes in the physical and cognitive functions of people has garnered significant attention. This dissertation presents a data-driven pattern recognition framework that integrates human-AI interaction and machine learning to analyze and quantify cognitive decline in older drivers based on the data stream of their driving data. This study harnesses real in-vehicle sensing data collected from +65 older drivers. Various AI-enabled data analytics modeling techniques are developed and tested to understand the driving patterns of older drivers, the relations between driving data and their cognitive functions, and …

“This Generation Of Women Is Finished”: Misogyny As Social Bonding On Social Media And Patriarchal Constructions Of Femininity, Emma Mierzejewski

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This thesis explores online discourse between users on social media platforms, specifically Instagram, in an effort to better understand the patriarchal influence on American social culture. Users on the platform regularly write off misogynistic comments as simply “dark humor” or an extreme expression of one’s “freedom of speech.” At the same time, supportive comments are also influenced by those same misogynistic expectations. I argue that misogynistic thinking in comments and a willingness to uphold them for social bonding provides deeper insights into our society’s attitudes towards women, their roles, and conceptions of femininity in general. I conducted a content analysis …

The Changing Roles Of Elementary School Principals, Ernie Lozano

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The role of the elementary school principal has changed throughout its history. The role has shifted from primarily a managerial role to an instructional leadership role, to the more current role of a multi-faceted operational leader. Recent events, from the Covid-19 pandemic to highly publicized school shootings, has added additional responsibilities to the current role of the principal. The current high-stakes accountability to ensure all students are learning has also added an increased amount of pressure on elementary school principals. The ability to effectively manage both the operational and instructional roles has created stress and anxiety on elementary school principals. …

Joy In Teaching: Examining Teachers’ Perceived Experiences Of Choice, Self-Efficacy, And Sense Of Belonging, Shellie Hennings-Donow

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Teacher joy is a critical yet often overlooked factor influencing teacher retention, instructional effectiveness, and student outcomes. This study explores how teachers describe their experiences of joy in the workplace, focusing on the roles of choice, self-efficacy, and belonging. Grounded in Self-Determination Theory and Attribution Theory, this research examines the extent to which teachers’ perceived autonomy, competence, and relational support contribute to teachers’ professional fulfillment. Through qualitative methods, including in-depth interviews and thematic analysis, this study captures the perceptions of educators across diverse school settings. Findings reveal that teachers experience the highest levels of joy when they have meaningful autonomy …

A Legacy Of Fire: Alma Bridwell White, The Second Wave Klan And Complexities Of Religion, Race And Feminism, Ellis Hall

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

In the shadow of the KKK stood an unexpected force: women. At the crossroads of religious fundamentalism and racial extremism was Alma Bridwell White, a pioneering yet controversial figure whose religious leadership intertwined with her avid support for the Klan. This research examines how White used both pulpit and platform to advance the Klan’s image of ‘Americanism’ defined by racial purity and religious intolerance, and promote early feminist ideals, whilst still being reliant on male figures. This research enables an exploration of how female members of the KKK were able to leverage their social, political and religious influence to promote …

Exploring Emotional Awareness Through Interactive Design, Mona Gandomkar

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This research was inspired by my emotional journey after relocating to the United States. Navigating a new culture, language barriers, and unfamiliar routines brought a complex mix of emotions. These experiences led me to begin to better understand and manage my emotional responses. That process revealed the importance of emotional awareness and became the foundation for my exploration into how design can help individuals recognize and engage with their emotions more meaningfully.

Emotions are significant in human life, from social relationships to decision-making. However, many people fail to understand their emotions or how to control them. Individuals experience emotions differently, …

Ethnozoological Insights For Wildlife Conservation: Exploring Past & Present Uses Of Wild Animals Among Kenya’S Ethnic Groups, Anita Zahra Field

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Kenya’s conservation efforts lack adequate involvement of local communities, who play a vital role as people who use the natural resources. These communities also have limited access to, and benefits from, these resources, highlighting the need for greater inclusivity. Therefore, I used ethnographic interviews to elicit relational values that can potentially increase understanding between all stakeholders. My objective was to explore the historical and contemporary uses of wild animals among diverse ethnic groups, examining any changes over time and identifying the catalysts driving these shifts. I interviewed 30 individuals from 10 ethnic groups in Laikipia, Samburu, Marsabit, and Kwale counties, …

Predictive And Generative Modeling For Biomedical Data Analytics, Magdalyn E. Elkin

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Biomedical data analytics is a broad interdisciplinary field that has seen vast amounts of data collected with recent technological advancements. Computational studies are required for time and cost-efficient methods to characterize, summarize, and interpret these datasets to advance public health. This thesis presents research studies done with predictive and generative models with regards to subdomains in clinical research, healthcare and bioinformatics. Our research with predictive modeling presents (1) extensive feature engineering methods, ensemble models and feature selection ranking in order to provide data-driven models to evaluate relevant evidence for clinical decision making; and (2) network analysis and unsupervised link prediction …

Assessing Repetitive Loss Factors In Miami-Dade And Broward Counties, Fl, Rebecca Clark

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation examines repetitive loss factors in Miami-Dade and Broward Counties, Florida. It focuses on physical building characteristics and socioeconomic characteristics in an historic analysis of claims data from 1977 through 2014. Later, the focus is on predicted areas, or “hotspots” where climate-change induced sea level rise in conjunction with increased storm activity may cause increased flooding in the future. The study employs various statistical models, including Poisson and negative binomial regression modeling, spatial regression modeling and hot spot analysis to analyze FEMA property claims data and socioeconomic indicators.

The first part investigates the relationship between building characteristics and flooding …

Maternal Stress And Infant Anxiety: Examining The Link Through Fear Temperament, Melissa Ayala

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study explored the relationship between maternal stress and infant fear temperament. Infant temperament is important because it allows the caregiver to understand the individual variation in the emotional and social needs of the child. Due to previous research, it can be inferred that maternal stress can influence the development of infant fear temperament. The current study looks at the relationship between maternal stress and infant behavioral fear temperament. In this study there was no relationship between maternal stress and infant behavioral fear when collapsing the across conditions and emotions expressed during the Lab-TAB. However, infants varied in their fear …

Regulation Of The Bidirectional Transport Of Organelles During Synapse Formation, Maintenance, And Plasticity, Kerriann Kathleen Badal

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Neurons are specialized, polarized cells necessary for our function, cognition, and behavior. Moreover, neurons are non-mitotic cells and must be maintained for a lifetime. Within the neuron, organelles, such as mitochondria and lysosome-vesicles (LV), undergo bidirectional transport between the soma and synapses and contribute to neuronal health, energy demand, macromolecule clearance, intracellular signaling, and cell-to-cell communication. Decades of research have revealed the significance of mitochondria and LV during aging, neurological disorders, neurodegenerative diseases, and recently, novel implications in neuropsychiatric disorders. While these studies highlight the role of mitochondria and LV during aging and neurological conditions, less is known about the …

Essays On Entrepreneurship And Government Policy, Abdul-Kadir Ameyaw

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Government policy has long been used as a lever to stimulate entrepreneurship, yet its outcomes vary widely across contexts, prompting renewed interest in how such policies shape entrepreneurial activity. This dissertation investigates the multifaceted relationship between government policy and entrepreneurship using a two-essay framework that draws on extant literature and qualitative field data. It examines how policies not only create structural conditions but also activate symbolic mechanisms that influence individual behavior and occupational choices.

The first essay conducts a systematic review of 166 articles published in leading management and entrepreneurship journals between 1993 and 2024. It maps theoretical perspectives, methodological …

Are A.I. Lawyers A Legal Product Or Legal Service?: Why Current Upl Laws Are Not Up To The Task Of Regulating Autonomous A.I. Actors, Sean Steward

Akron Law Faculty Publications

The rise of automation, particularly with the advent of large language models, presents a significant potential for the legal profession. While automation has traditionally focused on manual and repetitive tasks, A.I.'s evolution now allows machines to handle complex, thought-intensive work involving decision-making. This shift underscores a pressing issue: the American legal system lacks a clear definition of the practice of law. This becomes especially critical as A.l, an "autonomous actor," begins to take on roles that were previously exclusive to human practitioners. One company that exemplifies the advanced capabilities of modern A.I.-powered technology is Pactum Al Pactum's autonomous negotiation software …

Strategic Analysis Of Employment Permit Statistics And Predictive Analytics For Workforce Planning In Ireland, Amy Souza, Thaynna Vieira

ICT

By analysing historical employment permit data from Enterprise.gov.ie (Enterprise.gov.ie, 2024), this project has the aim to use Data Analytics and Machine Learning to make predictions of employment permits trends across sectors and companies, providing insights to optimize workforce planning for Recruitment Agencies and guide international job seekers requiring work visas. The insights gained are intended to enhance strategic recruitment practices and empower job seekers to make informed career decisions in Ireland’s competitive labour market.

Legal Barriers To Maternal Healthcare Equity, Ashley Keith

Akron Law Faculty Publications

In examining contemporary maternal healthcare inequity in clinical care delivery, we must study the critical role played by the legal institutions in creating and perpetuating this problem. Comprehensive systems within the United States require legal advocacy and judicial enforcement to take shape and maintain their structural integrity. Healthcare in this country is no different. Legal institutions helped form and further, both intentionally and inadvertently, the racial disparities that we currently battle. Legal history plays an integral role in understanding why racial disparities in maternal mortality persist. One way for legal professionals to contribute to the ongoing efforts to achieve maternal …

Detecting Fake News Using Ai, Gustavo Lambert, Ignatio Varela

ICT

This project investigates how Artificial Intelligence (AI), specifically supervised machine learning techniques, can be applied to detect and classify fake news with high accuracy. The motivation stems from the widespread dissemination of misinformation on social media, where false narratives often spread faster than verified content. To address this issue, two distinct classification models were implemented and evaluated: one combining TF-IDF vectorization with Random Forest classifier, and another using TF-IDF with Logistic Regression. The TF-IDF technique was used to convert raw textual data into meaningful numerical features, capturing word frequency and relevance within the corpus. Both models were trained and tested …

The Use Of Deep Learning Solutions To Develop A Practice Tool To Support Lámh Language For Communication Partners, Gabriel Bueno Pimentel Borges

ICT

This study has proposed an alternative to promote the learning and enhancement of Lámh language for communication partners that support current users by creating a real time detection tool to recognise 20 chosen Lámh signs based on existing studies in the field. This implementation was carried out by generating primary data composed by MediaPipe landmark numpy arrays of 40 frames and 45 repetitions per sign. The Neural Networks were built using the Python library Keras and the applied SVM models were built with the library sklearn. The real time detection was carried out by integrating the mentioned elements with the …

Big Data Vs Big Law: The Impact Of Big Data And Machine Learning In Anonymising Or Synthesizing Data For Use Across Borders., Kenneth Darker

ICT

This research investigates the viability of anonymization and synthetic data generation in the area of big data so that the data could be shared across borders and exist outside the constraints of privacy laws. These privacy laws are growing around the world to help protect individual identity and prevent open sharing of private data. These privacy laws all provide guidance on how data may be shared and the strict conditions upon how that may occur. Two methods which are growing in popularity are anonymization of data, specifically k-Anonymity, l-Diversity and t-Closeness, and generating synthetic data from a real dataset leveraging …

Detecting Fake News Using Ai, Gustavo Lambert, Lucas Schultz

ICT

This is a document that presents a strategic analysis of the project “Detecting Fake News using AI”. Developed as part of the BSc (Hons) in Computing in IT at CCT College Dublin. The goal is to analyse the potential advantages, exploiting the viability and the impact of applying Artificial intelligence to check, verify and alert about misinformation found and to answer the question “How can Artificial Intelligence be leveraged to accurately detect and combat fake news while ensuring data privacy and compliance with regulations?” and “To what extent can AI-driven misinformation detection help reduce the spread of fake news on …

Balancing Risk And Reward: Health Insurance And The Financial Stability Of Female Entrepreneurs With Children, Leeanne Lowe Aguilar

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study examines the specific influence of health insurance on female entrepreneurs with children, a demographic that has been underexplored in existing research on health insurance and entrepreneurship. The aim is to evaluate whether access to health insurance significantly affects these entrepreneurs' business decisions, financial stability, and overall well-being.

Grounded in job-lock theory and evidence of the gender gap, the research hypothesizes that health insurance enhances entrepreneurial performance, particularly benefiting women with children. It anticipates that female entrepreneurs will encounter more significant challenges than their male counterparts and that those with children may face additional performance barriers, especially when lacking …

Stress Affects Infectious Disease Outcomes In Canaries, Vansh Singhal, Erin Sauer, Salvador Barraza-Del Barco, Kamiah H. Turner, William H. Kirkpatrick, Weston Perrine, Sarah Heissenberger, Sarah E. Durant

2025 Research Poster Competition

Chronic stress is related to a decline in immune function in all living organisms and is known to increase the likelihood of developing or exacerbating chronic non-infectious diseases. However, the role of chronic stress in affecting outcomes of infection important to individual health and endpoints important for epidemic dynamics (e.g., likelihood of transmission) are not well understood. In this study we exposed canaries (Serinus canaria) to chronic stress or control conditions after which they were inoculated with Mycoplasma Gallisepticum, a bacterium that causes respiratory disease in birds.

Following the chronic stress protocol, the canaries were assessed every day for measures …

Work And Human Vocation In Catholic Social Teaching, Stefan M. Mcdaniel

Journal Articles

From the Article

This essay explores Catholic social teaching on work, focusing on how labor should enable humans to fulfill their vocation through experiences of dominion and communion. Drawing from papal encyclicals and theological anthropology, it examines how work becomes a means for humans to exercise their God-like faculties by intelligently shaping creation (dominion) and building rich relationships (communion). The essay argues that Catholic teaching offers distinctive contributions to contemporary workplace justice movements through its emphasis on two priorities: promoting worker-ownership and supporting family life. Worker-ownership, especially through cooperatives, enables labor to become an exercise of dominion, while family-centered policies …

Contract Or Prison, Sadie Blanchard

Journal Articles

Critics of the criminal enforcement system have condemned the expansion and privatization of electronic monitoring, criminal diversion, parole, and probation. But the astonishing perversion of contract involved in these new practices has gone unnoticed. Governments are turning to “offender-funded” programs that empower firms to contract with people who are suspected of or have been convicted of crimes— and whose alternative to agreeing to these contracts is prosecution or incarceration. Though incarceration-alternative (IA) contracting is sometimes framed as humane, historical and current context illuminates its coercive nature. IA contracting must be examined under classical contract theory and in light of the …