Digital Commons Network^™

Transforming Lives For Eternity: 2026-2031 Strategic Plan, Southern Adventist University

Strategic Plans

Southern Adventist University's 2026-2031 Strategic Plan.

A Simple Statistical Tool To Correct The Daily Temperature Effect On Dielectric Soil Matric Potential Sensor Readings, Sebastián Bravo Peña, Meindert Commelin, Ole O. Wendroth

Plant and Soil Sciences Faculty Publications

High-resolution time series recorded by soil water dielectric sensors are often affected by other processes. Dielectric soil matric potential sensors, such as the TEROS 21, exhibit temperature sensitivity, resulting in deviations of readings from the true value due to soil temperature fluctuations. However, methods for correcting this effect remain limited. The objective of this study was to create a straightforward, scale-based statistical approach to mitigate the influence of daily temperature oscillations on matric potential dielectric readings. The temperature sensitivity correction function (TSCF) identifies, quantifies, and smooths diurnal fluctuations caused by soil temperature dynamics. We provide a detailed description of the …

Adversarial Robustness In Biomedical Time-Series Models, Rohan Tiwari

Bioengineering Theses

This study investigates adversarial vulnerabilities in deep learning models for biomedical time-series classification across two clinically important modalities: electrocardiography (ECG) and electroencephalography (EEG). Using the MIT-BIH Arrhythmia and CHB-MIT seizure datasets, I evaluate time-domain attacks (FGSM, PGD), Fourier-domain constrained attacks, and learned spectral perturbations designed to reveal modality-specific sensitivity patterns. Across both tasks, a consistent trend emerges low-frequency components (0–5 Hz) constitute a dominant axis of adversarial vulnerability, with perturbations in this range producing the steepest degradation in classification performance. In ECG models, protecting the physiologically relevant QRS band (5–20 Hz) significantly improves robustness, whereas EEG models remain highly sensitive …

Impacts Of Offshore Wind Energy Development On The Commercial Sea Scallop Fishery, Sarah Borsetti, Daphne M. Munroe, John M. Klinck, Andrew M. Scheld, Eileen E. Hofmann, Eric N. Powell, David B. Rudders

CCPO Publications

The Atlantic sea scallop (Placopecten magellanicus) fishery on the Northeast U.S. continental shelf generates approximately USD 500 million ex-vessel revenues annually, making it one of the most valuable single species fisheries in the United States. Wind energy development is planned for key areas on the U.S. Mid-Atlantic shelf where the Atlantic sea scallop fishery operates, creating novel challenges in managing trade-offs between traditional users like fisheries and new users like offshore wind energy. An agent-based modeling framework that integrates spatial dynamics in Atlantic sea scallop stock biology, fishing fleet behavior, and federal management decisions, was implemented to investigate …

Drivers Of Phytoplankton Bloom Interannual Variability In The Amundsen And Pine Island Polynyas, Guillaume Liniger, Delphine Lannuzel, Sébastien Moreau, Michael S. Dinniman, Peter G. Stutton

CCPO Publications

The Amundsen Sea Embayment (ASE) experiences both the highest ice shelf melt rates and the highest biological productivity in West Antarctica. Using 19 years of satellite data and modelling output, we investigate the long-term influence of environmental factors on the phytoplankton bloom in the Amundsen Sea (ASP) and Pine Island (PIP) polynyas. We test the prevailing hypothesis that changes in ice shelf melt rate could drive interannual variability in the polynyas' surface chlorophyll-a (chl a) and Net Primary Productivity (NPP). We find that the interannual variability and long-term change in glacial meltwater may play an important role in …

Results Of The Second Ice Shelf-Ocean Model Intercomparison Project (Isomip+), Claire K. Yung, Xylar S. Asay-Davis, Alistair Adcroft, Christopher Y. S. Bull, Jan De Rydt, Michael S. Dinniman, Benjamin K. Galton-Fenzi, Daniel Goldberg, David E. Gwyther, Robert Hallberg, Matthew Harrison, Tore Hattermann, David M. Holland, Denise Holland, Paul R. Holland, James R. Jordan, Nicolas C. Jourdain, Kazuya Kusahara, Gustavo Marques, Pierre Mathiot, Adele K. Morrison, Yoshihiro Nakayama, Olga Sergienko, Robin S. Smith, Alon Stern, Ralph Timmermann, Qin Zhou

CCPO Publications

Ocean-driven basal melting of Antarctic ice shelves plays an important role in the mass loss of the Antarctic Ice Sheet. Ice shelf cavity-resolving ocean models are a valuable tool for understanding ice shelf-ocean interactions and for simulating projections of ice shelf and ocean states under future climate. Designed to assess the current state of ice shelf–ocean modelling, the second Ice Shelf–Ocean Model Intercomparison Project, ISOMIP+, consists of 12 ocean model configurations submitted with a common, idealised experimental setup. Here, we focus on the experiments Ocean0–2 (Asay-Davis et al., 2016), which are ocean models with idealised, static ice …

Modeling “Abnormal” Ovulatory Dynamics: Enzymes, Insulin, And The Impact Of Stress, Savannah E. Williams

Bryn Mawr College Dissertations and Theses

This work focuses on modeling the impact of stress on ovulatory dynamics. We develop a mathematical model of endocrine processes including gonadotropin-releasing hormone, kisspeptin signaling, and the ovulatory cycle. Integral to our model development, we define ovulatory criteria, conduct an extensive global sensitivity analysis, and fit parameters to clinical hormone data throughout the ovulatory cycle. We then incorporate four biological pathways through which stress may interact with the ovulatory cycle – increased aromatase activity, hyperinsulinemia, suppression of luteinizing hormone (LH), and the influence of cortisol on kisspeptin signaling. High levels of simulated chronic stress cause significant disruption of the ovulatory …

Accounting For Spatial Effects And Social Norms In Making Algorithmic Law: Insights From And Applications In Urban Mobility, Jingkang Gao

Journal of Law and Mobility

This Article examines a prominent idea in the law and technology literature: that algorithms and big data can be used to make law dynamic and personalized. As currently envisioned by legal scholars, “algorithmic law” entails laws that adjust in real time to changing conditions and vary across individuals, improving welfare by tailoring legal rules and standards to personal characteristics.

This Article argues that this vision of algorithmic law is incomplete—and often counterproductive. Existing proposals treat personalization as a function of individual attributes alone, overlooking the fact that effects of individual behavior are fundamentally interactive. Individual behavior is shaped by spatial …

Artificial Intelligence–Enabled Revenue Cycle Management And Financial Performance In Healthcare Organizations, K’Reesa Webster

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

The purpose of this review was to examine how artificial intelligence–enabled revenue cycle management (AI-enabled RCM) systems have been associated with financial performance outcomes in healthcare organizations. A literature review following a systematic process consistent with PRISMA 2020 guidelines was conducted to identify quantitative studies published between 2015 and 2026. Eligible studies were required to report at least one financial outcome related to claim denial rate, days in accounts receivable, or operating margin. Twenty-seven studies met all inclusion criteria. Findings across these studies indicated that AI-enabled RCM systems have been associated with lower denial rates, shorter accounts receivable timelines, and …

Distilling The Complexity Of Agent-Based Simulations Into Textual Explanations Via Large Language Models, Noé Y. Flandre, Philippe J. Giabbanelli

VMASC Publications

Communicating the design and results of agent-based models (ABMs) to subject matter experts is challenging, which hinders participation and limits trust in simulation-based decision support. Large language models (LLMs) can communicate ABMs as textual summaries, thus complementing traditional disclosure through statistical and visualization techniques. While prior work translated the structure of conceptual models into narratives via LLMs, our extension covers the dynamics of simulation models via an automated simulation-to-text method that extracts contextual information from NetLogo ABMs, performs repeated simulations, and generates narrative descriptions (including the model’s purpose, parameters, and simulation dynamics) using mutimodal LLMs. Furthermore, four summarization algorithms spanning …

Implementing Culturally Responsive Teaching: A Qualitative Content Analysis Of Emerging Themes, Stephanie Yelder-Stovall

Doctor of Education (EdD)

Culturally responsive teaching (CRT) is a research-grounded pedagogical approach for educational equity centering cultural knowledge to make learning meaningful and relevant (Gay, 2002). However, a persistent gap remains between CRT as a concept and classroom implementation. Research suggests translating the principles of CRT frameworks into classroom practice remains challenging (Gay, 2000, 2010; Sleeter, 2012). Guided by the research question and using Schreier’s (2012) qualitative content analysis approach, I analyzed a dataset of 14 varied sources through a deductive coding frame derived from four theoretical frameworks: (a) Gay’s (2000, 2010) CRT, (b) Hammond’s (2015) ready for rigor, (c) Paris and Alim’s …

A Comparison Of Standards-Based Grading And Traditional Grading Systems As Related To State Test Scores, Jordan T. Ruiz

Doctor of Education (EdD)

State test scores have become a gauge that many stakeholders use when judging schools, teachers, and students in the United States of America. Most of these tests are based on the standards set by the state to judge the competency of the students. The purpose of this study was to compare the Smarter Balanced Assessment Consortium (SBAC) state test score data of seventh-grade students from two middle schools in the Pacific Northwest. It also seeks to establish if there were statistically significant differences between students who learn under a Standards-Based Grading (SBG) system versus a Traditional Grading System (TGS) when …

Cultus: Eco-Phenomenology In The Work Of John Steinbeck, Robinson Jeffers, And Jack London, Carter D. Johnson

Theses and Dissertations--English

In the face of increasingly dire environmental crises, proposed solutions have gravitated toward imperatives for faster, cleaner, and more efficient technologies and resources. While practical solutions are necessary, they are entirely insufficient to deal with an underlying issue driving environmental degradation: unbridled instrumental reason. In this dissertation, I suggest a theoretical posture, cultus, which attempts to balance the necessity of instrumental action with the guiding counterweight of receptivity. Furthermore, I argue that such personal receptivity is uniquely fostered in aesthetic experiences, attuning the individual to the non-identical and renewing a relationship of care.

I examine the life and work of …

Eastern Michigan University, Spring Commencement, May 2, 2026, Eastern Michigan University

Commencement Programs and Materials

No abstract provided.

An Analysis Of Volcanic Lightning And Its Controlling Factors, Nathan Stamford

Honors Theses

Volcanic lightning, first documented during the 79 AD eruption of Mount Vesuvius, includes any electrical discharge that is generated during a volcanic eruption rather than a thunderstorm. By analyzing individual eruptions and performing laboratory experiments, previous research has identified multiple controlling factors that influence the charging mechanisms and generation of volcanic lightning. While the previous research has made significant discoveries about the phenomenon, the exact relationship between many of these controlling factors and volcanic lightning generation has been poorly quantified. In this study, we investigate these controlling factors and show that they have a wide range of influence over volcanic …

How Teaching Experience Shapes Efl Teachers’ Integration Of Extramural English In Thai Classrooms, Santipap Upara, Ruedeerath Chusanachoti

PASAA

No abstract provided.

Representations Of Finite Groups And Diagrammatic Algebras, Hudson Yeend

CMC Senior Theses

Representation theory allows mathematicians to study abstract mathematical objects using the powerful and concrete tools of linear algebra. This thesis aims to present some foundational concepts in representation theory and apply these concepts to specific groups and algebras. We begin by examining representations of finite groups, culminating with a proof of Maschke's theorem. We then use the correspondence between a group and its group algebra to segue into a study of representations of diagrammatic algebras, where we introduce analogous notions of decomposition. We end with a study of quiver representations, noting that Gabriel's theorem and the kQ-modular structure transcend …

Investigations Toward A Unified Reaction Pathway Of Thermal And Tbsotf-Mediated Oxidopyrylium-Alkene (5 + 2) Cycloadditions, Adam J. Youman, Samantha N. Rokey, Wentao Guo, Jacob P. Grabowski, Susanna N. Angles, Jacob J. Bulandr, Qing Sun, John R. Goodell, Dean J. Tantillo, T. Andrew Mitchell

Faculty Publications – Chemistry

Oxidopyrylium-based (5 + 2) cycloadditions are crucial reactions to construct seven-membered carbocycles containing an ether bridge (i.e. oxabicyclo[3.2.1]octanes). Intramolecular silyloxypyrone-based (5 + 2) cycloadditions were investigated and revealed several features: (1) the TBDPS thermal process proceeds via a zwitterionic oxidopyrylium intermediate similar to previously reported TBS variants; (2) the TBSOTf-mediated reaction proceeds through a cationic oxidopyrylium intermediate; (3) quantum chemical calculations predict a stepwise process for an electron-rich dipolarophile for each set of conditions. The thermal silyloxypyrone-based (5 + 2) cycloadditions were extremely dependent on the nature of the dipolarophile and the silyl transfer group. The TBDPS enhances the …

Federated Data Engineering And Learning For Edge Intelligence Systems, Afsaneh Mahanipour

Theses and Dissertations--Computer Science

The rapid proliferation of Internet of Things (IoT) devices and cyber–physical systems (CPS) in domains such as smart healthcare, intelligent transportation, and industrial automation has led to unprecedented volumes of heterogeneous data. While advances in deep learning and large-scale foundation models have enabled powerful data-driven decision making, their deployment in real-world distributed environments remains fundamentally constrained by limited computation, communication bandwidth, energy resources, and data privacy requirements. This dissertation addresses these challenges by developing novel federated learning frameworks and efficient federated data-processing pipelines that make large-scale artificial intelligence practical, scalable, and trustworthy in resource-constrained settings. This dissertation identifies data preprocessing …

Multi-Objective Optimization Of Energy Costs And Ev Battery Health In V2g Enabled Homes, Dzifa M. Hodey

Theses and Dissertations--Computer Science

Electric vehicles (EVs) and rooftop solar photovoltaic (PV) systems are increasingly being integrated into residential settings, creating new opportunities for vehicle-to-grid (V2G) and vehicle-to-home (V2H) operations. In these systems, the EV battery functions as a controllable energy storage unit that can charge from the grid or PV and discharge energy to supply household load or export to the grid for a profit. By intelligently scheduling this bidirectional power exchange, households can reduce electricity costs and enhance PV utilization. Realizing these benefits requires optimization strategies that balance cost reduction with EV battery health preservation. However, existing V2G/V2H studies largely emphasize cost …

Toward Efficient And Scalable Scientific Data Management Through Quality-Oriented Data Compression, Pu Jiao

Theses and Dissertations--Computer Science

Scientific simulations and instruments now produce data at rates that overwhelm the storage, memory, and network subsystems of modern high-performance computing (HPC) facilities. Error-bounded lossy compression reduces data movement costs while bounding reconstruction error, yet three barriers limit its adoption in mission-critical workflows: existing compressors cannot guarantee the accuracy of domain-specific quantities of interest (QoIs) derived from compressed data; compression-induced artifacts such as posterization, blocking, and interpolation banding erode user confidence in decompressed fields; and significant compressibility in the quantization index arrays of interpolation-based pipelines remains unexploited. This dissertation addresses all three barriers through four contributions, with the artifact barrier …

Advancing Task-Oriented Dialog Systems: Scalability, Generalization, And Evaluation, Adib Mosharrof

Theses and Dissertations--Computer Science

Task-oriented dialog (TOD) systems enable conversational interfaces for complex tasks like flight booking and restaurant reservations. However, deploying TOD systems at scale faces three critical barriers: scalability, generalization, and evaluation. Scalability is primarily restricted by the human-annotation bottleneck, as current systems depend on vast quantities of manually labeled data for every new domain, making deployment prohibitively expensive. Generalization remains a persistent challenge, as systems optimized for known domains often suffer significant performance degradation when encountering new, unseen ones. Existing evaluation metrics measure response quality and fluency, but fail to measure functional task success. As TOD systems are deployed across diverse …

Analysis Of Surrogate Models At Multiple Levels For Neural Acceleration Of Hpc Applications, Bibek Panthi

Theses

Due to rise of machine learning workloads, high performance computing platforms have increased GPU resources. Consequently, use of surrogate models, to utilize GPU compute and speedup scientific applications, is on the rise. Most of the time, the whole program is replaced with a surrogate model. In this work a shock simulation program (LULESH) was taken and three functions of varying complexity were replaced with small sized neural network as surrogate models. The speedup and error in output of whole program was analyzed. We found that for the smallest function, trained model lead to speedup of overall program by 40%, maintained …

Dual-Functional Activated Carbon From Coffee Grounds For Crystal Violet Dye Removal And Subsequent Application As An Electrode Material In Energy Storage Devices, Sirikorn Khaophong, Tawatchai Kangkamano, Sonchai Intachai, Panita Kongsune

Journal of Metals, Materials and Minerals

The conversion of agricultural waste into high-value functional materials offers a sustainable strategy to address environmental concerns. In this study, activated carbon was synthesized from spent coffee grounds (CGAC) via KOH activation and used for crystal violet (CV) dye adsorption. Under optimal conditions (0.5 g dosage, 300 mg∙L‒1 CV, 30°C, 120 min), CGAC achieved 91.41% removal efficiency, with adsorption behavior fitting pseudo-second-order kinetics and the Freundlich isotherm. Thermo-dynamic parameters confirmed a spontaneous and endothermic process. Moreover, the reusability study revealed that CGAC maintained a high removal efficiency above 88% after seven adsorption–desorption cycles, demonstrating its structural stability and potential for …

Rebuilding The Ship Of Theseus: Navigating Faculty-Librarian Relationships Through Changing Waters, Alan Witt

Milne Library

The Ship of Theseus is a philosophical paradox that poses a question of identity: If you repair every plank of a ship, replacing each with new wood, at what point does the ship cease to be the same ship? This is a useful metaphor for academic liaison librarians to consider when thinking about outreach to departments: your relationship to a department as a whole consists of the component connections, which change as individuals retire or leave. The goals of this chapter are to acknowledge the primacy of relationships in library outreach (and the consequences to the library of those relationships …

A Literature Review On Ethics In Medical Diagnostic Ai & Analysis Therein, Connor J. Turetzky

Master's Theses

Artificial Intelligence presents a very promising future in medicine. Being able to diagnose and recommend treatments quickly is vital in ensuring positive patient outcomes. However, the new technology is not without risk. In this narrative literature review, the risks of AI in terms of bias, ethics, and environmental impact will be explored through existing research. This paper will focus on research published between 2019 and 2026, highlighting the major ethical and systematic problems currently facing diagnostic AI. Historical bias in medical data has led to AI that share those biases, and humans inherit that bias creating a potential negative feedback …

Academic Department Indicators: 2025-2026, Systems Intelligence And Data Analytics, University Of Nebraska At Omaha

Academic Department Indicators

The audience is the Academic Planning Council (APC), college and department heads, and faculty. The purpose is to report instructional productivity measures useful for making comparisons and observing trends. Selected departmental information in this report is submitted annually to the Delaware Study, a National Study of Instructional Costs and Productivity.

This Instructional Productivity information corresponds to the UNO state- and tuition-funded budget. The Supplemental Information at the end of the document provides counts and statistics for campus-wide programs embedded in most colleges. Only Dual Enrollment instruction is excluded from the productivity report since it is a fee-based instructional program for …

Mat 1500 Calculus I Syllabus, Tian Cai

Open Educational Resources

No abstract provided.

Mat 1600 Syllabus Ii Syllabus, Tian Cai

Open Educational Resources

No abstract provided.

Mat 2100 Calculus Iii Syllabus, Mei Xing

Open Educational Resources

No abstract provided.