Digital Commons Network^™

Sonic Acts Of Care: Friendship-Based Networks And Grassroots Activism In Beirut, Rim J. Irscheid

Regards

The article examines a Beirut-based network of self-funded, independent musicians that translate memories and their emotions into artistic and activist practices. Drawing on musical albums created since the 2020 Beirut port explosion, the article explores the social and emotional impact of artist-run spaces for music production. Focusing on a friendship-based network around the collectively-run recording studio Tunefork Studios, it examines how care, trust, and solidarity with Lebanon’s citizens and music producers are translated into both their creative practices and their production and distribution strategies. I argue that Beirut-based musicians increasingly thematise the emotional toll and personal investment in political, infrastructural …

Letters, Emotions And The Experience Of Separation In The Early Modern World, James Daybell

School of Law, Humanities and Social Sciences

No abstract provided.

Exploring Health Care Professionals’ Perceptions Of Live Actor Avatar And Ai Avatar Simulated Patient Interactions, Leslie Rippon, Lorene Cobb, Marcia Downer, Alicia Mcgregor, Natalie Neubauer, Lauren Snowdon, Genevieve Zipp

Journal of Innovation in Health Sciences Education

Introduction: The increasing use of simulation in health care and advancing capabilities of virtual technology have increased the use of virtual avatars. Recently, the development of large language models has created an opportunity for virtual reality (VR) simulation through combination of VR and artificial intelligence (AI). This study sought to evaluate the perception of authenticity in prerecorded virtual simulated patient interactions using two different avatar platforms: AI avatar and live actor avatar.

Methods: Participants included 41 health professionals with patient care experience, of which 32 completed the post experience survey. Using a repeated measures mixed methods research design allowed …

From Face-To-Face To Interface: A Critical Review Of Human Relationships In The Digital Era, Zainb I. Mohammed, Lina M. Shaker

AUIQ Humanities and Social Sciences

The rise of digital technologies has significantly transformed the nature, structure, and experience of human relationships across multiple domains. This review critically examines how digital platforms such as social media, messaging applications, online dating sites, and AI-driven interfaces have reshaped interpersonal connections, including friendships, romantic relationships, and family dynamics. Drawing on interdisciplinary literature from psychology, communication studies, sociology, and media theory, the review explores themes such as digital intimacy, parasocial interactions, performative relationships, remote caregiving, and the ethics of AI-mediated emotional engagement. Special attention is given to underrepresented populations (e.g., older adults, neurodiverse individuals), as well as longitudinal and developmental …

The Ego Between Pride And Defeat In Al-Baroudi’S Poetry: A Stylistic Study, Nayef Bin Abdul Aziz Bin Qalil Al-Harthi

UB Journal for Humanities

The ego has a clear presence in Al-Baroudi’s poetic corpus, serving as a primary gateway to understanding his poetic experience. The current research discussed Al-Baroudi’s tools and linguistic and artistic approaches for expressing the manifestations of the ego, its diversity, and the resources of its pride and defeat.It has adopted the stylistic approach as a guiding beacon; it examined Al-Baroudi’s ego from four perspectives, respectively: the poetic ego, the knightly ego, the loving ego and the complaining ego. The research demonstrated that Al-Baroudi depended in his pride on affirmative and non-affirmative nominal declarative sentences and on verbal sentences beginning with …

How Social, Behavioral, And Policy Factors Impact Water Satisfaction And Management In Urban Areas, Rafi Haikal, Thoriqi Firdaus, Siti Hilya Nabila, Rizqi Shafira Chairunnisa

Journal of Environmental Science and Sustainable Development

The issue of water management in Indonesia’s specific urban contexts, specifically in Surabaya as an industrial hub and Bali as a tourist destination, is of paramount importance due to its impact on public health and environmental sustainability. This study analyses water management and conservation factors by comparing two distinct urban areas. The research design employs Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modelling (PLS-SEM), which involves a specialised approach for analysing the complex relationships between variables. The results of the analysis indicate that community attitudes in Surabaya, facilitated by infrastructure and technology, significantly predicts intention to perform (β=0.334, p<0.001) and water management satisfaction (β=0.409, p<0.001). In contrast, collaboration with the government enhances environmental constraints (β=0.285, p<0.003) and water management satisfaction (β=0.140, p<0.044). In Bali, where water management is based on traditional practices, community attitudes do not significantly affect water management satisfaction (β=0.095, p>0.431). Still, perceived …

The Romantic Spirit In The Works Of J.R.R. Tolkien (2024), Edited By Will Sherwood And Julian Eilmann, Deidre A. Dawson

Journal of Tolkien Research

Book review, by Deidre A. Dawson, of The Romantic Spirit in the Works of J.R.R. Tolkien (2024), edited by Will Sherwood and Julian Eilmann

Sun, Fun, And Structure: What Resort Activity Schedules Reveal, Phileshia Dombroski, Ph.D., Kayla D. Mohney, Ed.D., Rebecca L. Moriarty, Ava Beal, Libby Scanlon, Emily Bailey, Cyan N. Kvacky

Proceedings of the Recreation Experience Community Network Research Symposium

Daily activity schedules are central to the guest experience in resort environments, guiding participation, communicating brand identity, and structuring leisure time. This mixed-method content analysis explored how resorts across the United States design and present these schedules, emphasizing accessibility and program diversity. Eighteen publicly available resort activity schedules were evaluated using accessibility tools (PAC 3, Adobe Acrobat, WCAG 2.2) and coded for 4,166 individual activities across eight categories. Findings revealed moderate adherence to accessibility standards. Most schedules met minimum font size and color contrast guidelines, but only 25% were compatible with screen readers and 80% lacked alternative text or structural …

Fengge Or Wenbi?: An Interpretation Of Fan Xiheng's Translation Of Buffon's Discourse On Style And Reflection On The Theory Of Modern Literary Style, Yue Ren, Aibin Yao

Theoretical Studies in Literature and Art

For a long time, the academic community has regarded Fan Xiheng's “On Fengge” (published in the September 1957 issue of The Translation) as the authoritative translation of Buffon's “Discours Sur Le Style” (Discourse on Style). However, in the 1958 edition of Selected Works of Comte de Buffon, also translated by Fan, the speech appears under a different title, “On Wenbi”. Based on Fan's other translated works, it can be inferred that “On Wenbi” is the original version endorsed by the translator, while “On Fengge” is highly likely a version revised by the editors of The …

Distanciation And Belonging: Paul Ricoeur's Hermeneutic Detour In Textual Interpretation, Youfeng Hu, Haixia Zhao

Theoretical Studies in Literature and Art

In his reconsideration of Descartes's “Cogito,” Paul Ricoeur constructs a philosophy of reflection that emphasizes understanding one's subjectivity through the mediation of the other, such as symbols and texts. The introduction of textual mediation means that self-understanding is no longer self-evident; rather, readers encounter a concrete engagement with four types of “distanciation”: between saying and the said, authorial intention and textual meaning, the world of the text and the world of reality, and “moi” and “soi.” Ricoeur assigns a productive and positive meaning to distanciation, establishing methodological practices grounded in existential foundations, linking structuralist linguistics with deep semantics, and outlining …

Attention Mapping For Hallucination Reduction In Arabic Financial Using Retrieval-Augmented Generation Systems, Hasan Abdulameer Hasan, Khaldoun H. Al-Hussayni, Ali Z. K. Matloob

Journal of Intelligent Informatics, Networking, and Cybersecurity

This research introduces a customized attention visualization framework for mitigating hallucinations in Arabic Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG) systems tailored for financial document analysis. The proposed architecture extends MarBERT with a dual-stage attention supervision mechanism and a hallucination-aware loss formulation, trained on a newly constructed dataset of 7,000 annotated Arabic financial query-context pairs. A grounding alignment score is computed over attended tokens, and generated responses are rejected when falling below a dynamically adjusted precision-aware threshold,serving as the core decision-making approach for hallucination detection. The system achieves 95.04% classification accuracy, 95.84% precision, 94.12% recall, and an F1 score of 94.97%, outperforming AraELECTRA and …

Worker Rights In Collective Bargaining, Benjamin W. Arold, Elliott Ash, W. Bentley Macleod, Suresh Naidu

Cowles Foundation Discussion Papers

Collective bargaining agreements (CBAs) specify the contractual rights of unionized workers, but their full legal content has not yet been analyzed by economists. This paper develops novel natural language methods to analyze the empirical determinants and economic value of these rights using a new collection of 30,000 CBAs from Canada in the period 1986-2015. We parse legally binding rights (e.g., “workers shall receive. . . ”) and obligations (e.g., “the employer shall provide. . . ”) from contract text, and validate our measures through evaluation of clause pairs and comparison to firm surveys on HR practices. Using timevarying province-level variation …

Artificial Intelligence In Medical And Biological Research: Promise And Perils Of Chatgpt And Deepseek In Advancing Healthcare, Mahmut Enes Kayaalp, Onur Gülteki̇n, Serhat Akçaalan, Hami̇t Çağlayan Kahraman, Hüseyi̇n Nevzat Topçu, Gülşah Kavrul Kayaalp

Turkish Journal of Biology

Background/aim: Artificial intelligence (AI), particularly large language models (LLMs) such as ChatGPT and DeepSeek, is being increasingly applied in clinical care, research, and education. The aim of this review is to examine how these tools may transform the conduct of medical and biological research and to define their limitations.

Materials and methods: A narrative synthesis of the literature was performed, encompassing studies published between 2020 and 2025. Peer-reviewed journals, systematic reviews, and high-impact original research articles were included to ensure an evidence-based overview. The principle applications, validation metrics, and clinical implications across orthopedics, oncology, cardiology, internal medicine, and the biological …

A Deep Learning Approach: The Impact Of Sentiment Analysis Of Bangladeshi Workers Over The World, Md Raihanul Islam Tomal, Tanveer Kader, Kohbalan Moorthy, Mazlina Abdul Majid

Baghdad Science Journal

In today's globalized world, the pursuit of better opportunities has led to a significant increase in immigration and foreign labor. This trend is particularly evident in Bangladesh, where many workers migrate annually to destinations such as Malaysia, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE. Understanding the sentiments and emotions of these workers is crucial to preventing crimes, suicides, political unrest, and other security issues in host countries. As maximum workers usually come from rural Bangladeshi communicate they use local dialect for conversations and very popular widely used local dialect known as Pabnaia. This study did not identify any prior research specifically …

Numerical Solutions Of Poisson Problem By Using Finite Element Method Based On Linear, Quadratic, And Cubic Polynomials, Ali Kamil Al-Abadi, Shurooq Kamel Abd

Baghdad Science Journal

The finite element approach, which uses linear, quadratic, and cubic polynomials, can solve the elliptic form of the Poisson equation. This allows the method to provide a solution to the Poisson problem. This possibility arises from the structure within which the method operates. This work aims to provide an analysis of the technique in question and demonstrate its potential for applications in both square and circular dimensions. In conducting this investigation, a direct solution of the system of linear equations was used. Obtaining optimal error estimates in the L² and H¹ norms is possible for us if we …

Second-Generation Iranian American Parents’ Perception Of Heritage Language Maintenance Through The Home And Ethnolinguistic Supports In The United States., Zohre Sarlak-Ghassemi

Electronic Theses and Dissertations Archive

Abstract This qualitative study examines the Family Language Policy (FLP) of second-generation Iranian American (SGIA) parents regarding the maintenance of their heritage language (HL), specifically Persian, within two U.S. contexts: Orange County, California, and Memphis, Tennessee. Based on Curdt-Christiansen and Huang’s (2020) dynamic FLP model and Bronfenbrenner’s (1979) ecological systems theory, the research examines parental language ideologies and the impact of perceived ethnolinguistic vitality of their communities on their language ideologies. Semi-structured interviews and background questionnaires with ten families (primarily mothers, with some fathers) revealed complex and hybrid language ideologies. All participants expressed emotional and identity-related attachments to Persian, viewing …

Language And Health Disparities: Examining Colorectal Cancer Risk And Colonoscopy Utilization In Non-English Vs English-Speaking Populations, Khaled Alsabbagh Alchirazi, Nour Azzouz, Tarek Sawas, Ahmed Telbany, Ahmad Mardini

Aurora GME

No abstract provided.

A Comparative Study For Classical Machine Learning Models For Swahili Social Media Sentiment Analysis, Mahadia Tunga, Davis David

Tanzania Journal of Science

Despite sentiment analysis being one of the most popular applications in Natural Language Processing (NLP), most studies are skewed towards languages with a rich corpus (language database). Less emphasis has been placed on low-resource languages like Swahili. Swahili is the official language of the African Union and of 4 countries in East Africa, and is spoken by many people on the African continent. This study performed sentiment analysis using 3,000 tweets hosted on the Zindi Africa platform. Data was processed using a term frequency-inverse document frequency vectorization method, and five classical machine learning algorithms (RandomForest, XgBoost, and CatBoost, HistogramGradientBoost, LightGradientBoos) …

Generating Context-Aware Code-Switched Text Using Probabilistic Modeling And Generative Refinement, Mithun Kumar S R

Defensive Publications Series

Artificial intelligence models can experience difficulty understanding and generating code-switched text, and some existing synthetic data generation methods can produce grammatically incorrect or unnatural-sounding results. This disclosure describes a multi-stage system for generating code-switched text from monolingual corpora. The method can employ a probabilistic constraint model to analyze a source sentence and identify syntactically and semantically appropriate points for a language switch. Based on these identified points, a candidate generation engine can create one or more raw code-switched sentences. A large generative model may then refine these raw candidates to address potential grammatical errors at the language junction and improve …

Fostering Sustainability Literacy And Action Through Language Education: Perspectives And Practices Across Regions, Maria-José De La Fuente, Odette Gabaudan, Kiley Kost, Owain Llewellyn, Pilar Molina, Seth Peabody

Research Outputs: 2025-Present

This activity report explores the integration of Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) in language pedagogy, focusing on its potential to equip students with both linguistic proficiency and the competencies needed to address complex global challenges. Rooted in the context of TU (Technical University) Dublin’s commitment to embedding sustainability in Higher Education curricula, the activity report builds on insights from a 2023 roundtable discussion convened by two of the authors in collaboration with CercleS and the United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR) on the occasion of its first Research conference. Featuring perspectives from scholars in sustainability and language education, …

An Affinity For Alignment: Spontaneous Convergence Of Stance-Taking In Topical Conversations, Carmen Tu, Stacey Zoutis, Steven Brown

Journal of Social, Behavioral, and Health Sciences

Alignment in stance-taking is a foundational behavior in conversation, but few studies have quantified the degree to which conversationalists converge in their attitudes toward a topic. We attempted to quantify this convergence in terms of three parameters related to alignment: intensity (low to high), prevalence (percentage of time in alignment), and content (use of open-ended versus closed-ended statements). To examine the utility of these parameters, we compared the content of conversations between unacquainted dyads in either a free conversation condition or a topical condition in which the individuals were mismatched for their attitude toward the topic to maximize disalignment between …

The Process Of Enduring Prolonged Undiagnosed Ptsd And The Impact Of Treatment Expressed By Women, Kelli Elaine Hudgins

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Prolonged undiagnosed posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) has been examined from various perspectives and represents a significant medical concern across diverse populations. Research on PTSD often targets specific groups, such as postpartum women or military veterans. This narrow focus in much of the literature tends to obscure the broader impact of prolonged undiagnosed PTSD on the general population, thereby overlooking the critical need to highlight systemic shortcomings that hinder effective interventions and reform. Furthermore, personal narratives detailing the challenges individuals face when seeking help or treatment – factors that contribute to delays in care – and the subsequent effects on their …

Cancer Screening Disparities Among Women With Disabilities In The United States, Kathleen Young

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Breast and cervical cancer screening reduces mortality; however, women with disabilities and mental health challenges experience persistent disparities in access to preventive services. The purpose of this quantitative study was to examine the relationships between self-reported serious difficulty hearing, serious difficulty seeing, and frequent mental distress with breast (mammogram) and cervical (Pap test) cancer screening use among women in the United States (mammogram model, n = 844; Pap model n = 774), using the 2023 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System dataset. The social-ecological model provided the framework. Two logistic regression models were conducted, adjusting for age, race/ethnicity, education, income, marital …

Typography In Furniture Design With Emphasis On Minimalism & Postmodernism As Features In Experimental Product Design, Besfort Salihu

UBT International Conference

In contemporary furniture design, the integration of typography has moved beyond traditional graphic applications, evolving into a multidisciplinary design strategy that merges visual communication with material function. This paper investigates three primary approaches to the incorporation of typography in furniture: Typographic Structure, Typographic Patterns, and Typography as a Narrative Layer. The aim is to explore how letterforms can shape not only the aesthetic character but also the structural, functional, and emotional dimensions of furniture design. Through case study analysis, visual documentation, and comparative design methodology, the research examines how typographic elements influence the form, surface, and semantic expression of furniture …

International Conference On Law, University For Business And Technology (Ubt) In Kosovo

UBT International Conference

UBT Annual International Conference is the 14th international interdisciplinary peer reviewed conference which publishes works of the scientists as well as practitioners in the area where UBT is active in Education, Research and Development. The UBT aims to implement an integrated strategy to establish itself as an internationally competitive, research-intensive university, committed to the transfer of knowledge and the provision of a world-class education to the most talented students from all background. The main perspective of the conference is to connect the scientists and practitioners from different disciplines in the same place and make them be aware of the recent …

Traınıng And Development Of Varıous Open-Source Artıfıcıal Intellıgence Models For Busıness Process Automatıon, Senada Bushati Hoxha, Besmir Guma

UBT International Conference

AI is reshaping traditional businesses into sustainable operations, so it can be used to optimize resource utilization, automate processes for improved efficiency This study aims to explore the potential of open-source artificial intelligence (AI) models for automating and streamlining business processes. Focusing on a company offering a wide range of digital services (websites, applications, ERP, CRM, marketing), the study develops and trains two different AI models, specific to the needs of the business. The main goal is to create an AI “agent” that can interpret natural language commands and activate pre-configured automations through the n8n platform. These automated operations include …

Cultural Aspects Of The Use And Preservation Of Linguistic Heritage: The Impact Of Bilingualism On Identity And Social Integration Bilingualism And Its Influence On Albanians In The Diaspora, Migena Arllati

UBT International Conference

This study aimed to investigate the influence of proficiency in two or more languages on forming individual identity and social integration. To achieve this goal, a methodology was employed that was based on an analysis of the cultural aspects of bilingualism and an exploration of strategies for preserving cultural values in a linguistic environment. The article delved into the cultural facets of bilingualism in detail, specifically strategies for preserving linguistic heritage and the interaction between ethnic groups in multilingual settings. The paper also considered multinational marriages as one aspect that influences cultural heritage and bilingualism. Multinational marriages can contribute to …

Noun Phrases In English And Albanian Languages: A Contrastive Approach, Erëza Rushiti, Arta Toçi

UBT International Conference

This paper presents a contrastive analysis of noun phrases in English and Albanian. It focuses on their syntactic structures and key distinctions. Employing a qualitative approach, the research uses descriptive and comparative methods to analyse data from grammar and syntax books in both languages. The study examines simple and complex noun phrases, particularly the use of definiteness, premodifiers, and postmodifiers. The findings reveal that while both languages share similarities in using indefinite noun phrases, they diverge in marking definiteness: English uses definite articles, whereas Albanian incorporates definiteness through morphological changes. These differences reflect broader grammatical tendencies and offer insights for …

From Kahoot To Chatgpt: Student Perceptions Of Edtech And Ai In English Language Learning Motivation, Lisjeta Thaqi, Asra Ramaxhiku

UBT International Conference

In the age of artificial intelligence and digital education, understanding how students respond to technology in the classroom has become increasingly important. This study explores the perceptions of middle and high school students regarding the impact of educational technology (EdTech) and AI-powered tools on their motivation to learn English as a foreign language (EFL). Conducted in a private school in Mitrovica, Kosovo, the study surveyed 130 students from grades 6 to 12 using a structured questionnaire administered via Google Forms. The survey focused on commonly used tools such as Kahoot, YouTube, Grammarly, Duolingo, and ChatGPT. The findings aim to reveal …

The Role Of Digitalization And Artificial Intelligence In Media, Xhevahire Millaku

UBT International Conference

The digital journalism and the artificial intelligence or the technology has begun to develop a noticeable speed in all fields, but especially in the media. According to researchers and experts to the journalism, the digital journalism began sometime around the 1990s, while is the necessary condition for the functioning in its early days, so it was the computer, the electronic mail, but also the network in general. In recent years, journalism and the electronic media in general it has offered real and the good opportunities to inform the public, therefore journalists, but also readers, find it easier to read and …