Digital Commons Network^™

Generative Al's Illusory Case For Fair Use, Jacqueline C. Charlesworth

Vanderbilt Journal of Entertainment & Technology Law

Pointing to Authors Guild, Inc. v. Google Inc., Authors Guild, Inc. v. HathiTrust, Sega Enterprises Ltd. v. Accolade, Inc. and other leading technology-driven fair use precedents, artificial intelligence (AI) companies and those who advocate for their interests claim that mass unauthorized reproduction of books, music, photographs, visual art, news articles, and other copyrighted works to train generative AI systems is a fair use of those works. Though acknowledging that works are copied without permission for the training process, the proponents of fair use maintain that an AI machine learns only uncopyrightable information about the works during that process. Once trained, …

Necrorun, Jeremiah R. Mcdonald

SPARK Symposium Presentations

NecroRun is a fast-paced endless runner game set in a post-apocalyptic world overrun by zombies. The player must avoid obstacles, collect points, and survive as long as possible while navigating a decaying wasteland. You accrue points the longer you stay alive.

Uni Schedule Of Classes: Policies And Procedures, Spring 2025, University Of Northern Iowa

UNI Schedule of Classes

A listing and schedule of the courses being taught as well as policies and procedures concerning attending classes at the University of Northern Iowa.

Scientific Educations Among U.S. Judges, Christa Laser

Law Faculty Articles and Essays

Should more judges have technical and scientific educations than are currently prevalent in the federal judiciary? This empirical study of the educational background of federal judges reports the undergraduate and graduate majors of active U.S. federal Article III judges. Information on the subject area of study is largely not publicly available, especially for judges appointed decades ago. This is the first and only publicly available research study of the subject areas of study of U.S. judges, collected via phone and email surveys to U.S. judges. The results of this study show that only 7.35% offederal judges have majors in science …

Life In Limbo: Cryptocurrency And Fosta As The Pillars Of Cyber-Trafficking, Rebecca Liu

Washington and Lee Journal of Civil Rights and Social Justice

As the internet continually advances into Web 3.0, human traffickers thrive in using online platforms to prey on their victims, creating a new form of human trafficking: cyber-trafficking. In 2018, Congress passed the Fight Online Sex Trafficking Act (“FOSTA”) to dampen the stringent protection that 47 U.S.C. § 230 (“Section 230”) offered to internet intermediaries in cyber-trafficking litigation. However, Congress’s intended effect in passing FOSTA failed, as courts continue to interpret FOSTA narrowly, upholding the stringent protection that Section 230 offers internet intermediaries. Beyond FOSTA’s indifferent impact, governmental bodies struggle adapting to Web 3.0’s landscape, neglecting to intervene with traffickers’ …

Numbas For Formative Assessment, Louise Lynch

Case studies: Digital Education

Numbas is an open-source e-assessment system aimed at mathematics and other numerate disciplines. It allows for the setup of individual assessments for students, increasing academic integrity. Numbas can autograde attempts, and the use of the Learning Tool Interoperability (LTI) within Brightspace allows instructors to view attempts, monitor progress, and alter marks where applicable. This adds a valuable element for both formative and summative assessments. In this module, Numbas was used to provide students with individual parameters for the same problems as part of their continuous assessment. These problems would consist of several steps and typically take over 30 minutes to …

Assessing Maths Modules Online, Blathnaid Sheridan

Case studies: Digital Education

With class sizes increasing and students anxious to know their CA results asap, I began looking at an alternative way of assessing students on their maths modules. Furthermore, in an attempt to ensure better engagement with the content and continuity across maths modules in Years 1 & 2, students are now assessed using online quizzes with immediate results.

Otterbein Towers Spring 2025, Otterbein University

Towers Magazine

Around the 'Bein; Brandon Koons '94, MAT'98, P'23: Coach, Role Model, Author; The Otterbein Advantage; Become Here: Graduating Seniors are READY; Forever Friends: The Cardinal Legacy; Coalition for the Good of Otterbein; Philanthropy; Alumni Matters; Class Notes.

Spatial And Temporal Trends Of Reburns In Western Us Forests, Jackson M. Boyle

Student Publications

In the Western United States, understanding the role of reburns, or repeat wildfires, has become a topic of increased interest as the damages caused by wildfires have risen. While some forests are adapted to frequent burns, others have fire regimes characterized by few or infrequent burns. While all fires alter ecosystems, reburns have been found to specifically lower seeding probability and accelerate or start the shift from forests to shrublands. Despite these ecological impacts, the temporal and spatial trends of reburns remain understudied. Using Google Earth Engine, I analyzed the Composite Burn Index (CBI) dataset to see if reburns are …

Endothelial Dysfunction Promotes Age-Related Reorganization Of Collagen Fibers And Alters Aortic Biomechanics In Mice, Liya Du, Jeffrey Rodgers, Nazli Gharraee, Olivia Gary, Tarek Shazly, John F. Eberth, Susan M. Lessner

Faculty Publications

Endothelial dysfunction, defined as a reduction in the bioavailability of nitric oxide (NO), is a risk factor for the occurrence and progression of various vascular diseases. This study investigates the effect of endothelial dysfunction on age-related changes in aortic extracellular matrix (ECM) microstructure and the relationship between microstructural adaptation and the mechanical response. Here, we used groups of NOS3 knockout (KO), NOS3 heterozygotes (Het), and wild-type (WT) B6 mice (controls) to study changes in hemodynamic parameters, collagen fiber organization, and both active and passive aortic mechanics using biaxial pressure myography over a time course from 1.5 to 12 mo. Our …

Algorithms For Order Statistics In Farey Sequences: A Computational Study, Connor Weyers

School of Computing: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Farey sequences are the sets of irreducible fractions in increasing order with denominator less or equal to some integer n. They are a well-known concept in number theory problems and are related to many other concepts in number theory including integer factoring, Fibonacci sequences, and Riemann’s Zeta function. In this paper, we investigate some known algorithms to solve certain problems in Farey sequences from a computational perspective. In particular, we implement established algorithms that have not been previously implemented with the goal of creating a package that can be used more broadly. We also develop a new algorithm for rational …

Monitoring Opioid-Use-Disorder Treatment Adherence Using Smartwatch Gesture Recognition, Andrew Smith, Kuba Jerzmanowski, Phyllis Raynor Phd, Aprn, Pmhnp-Bc, Cynthia F. Corbett Phd, Rn, Faan, Homayoun Valafar

Publications

The opioid epidemic in the United States has significantly impacted pregnant women with opioid use disorder (OUD), leading to increased health and social complications. This study explores the feasibility of using machine learning algorithms with consumer-grade smartwatches to identify medication-taking gestures. The research specifically focuses on treatments for OUD, investigating methadone and buprenorphine taking gestures. Participants (n = 16, all female university students) simulated medication-taking gestures in a controlled lab environment over two weeks, with data collected via Ticwatch E and E3 smartwatches running custom ASPIRE software. The study employed a RegNet-style 1D ResNet model to analyze gesture data, achieving …

Anti-Feminisms, Authoritarianism, And Digital Culture: A Pedagogy Project, Charlie Ambrose

Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies M.A. Final Projects

This project began, broadly, with my exposure to TikTok’s tradwives—a subset of content creators and influencers who advocate traditional gender roles as women, homemakers, wives, and mothers, with a particular focus on moral and religious beliefs and aesthetic practices of “womanhood.” To me, tradwives encapsulated the internet’s capacity to weaponize subtly: slow-paced, pastel videos, gentle music, and even gentler voices delivering increasingly extreme ideas about masculine and feminine roles, Christian nationalism, and white supremacy. But other threads began to appear as I delved deeper into the world of tradwives. I noticed the men’s rights groups who praised tradwives while openly …

Digital Science Notebooks And Their Role In Measuring Metacognitive Skills Of Elementary School Students, Zenai Randle

2025 Honors College Research Symposium

As the United States strives to remain competitive in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM), a higher emphasis is being placed on equipping students with strong critical thinking skills and the ability to translate content-knowledge into innovative solutions. In science education, where inquiry and problem solving are foundational, metacognitive thinking plays a crucial role in bridging the gap between theoretical concepts and practical application. Students who develop strong metacognitive skills can better navigate scientific principles, critically evaluate their understanding, and refine their approaches to experimentation and analysis. Given the significance of these skills, it’s essential to explore effective strategies that …

Alvar Aalto: Past. Present.Future, Matthew Collins

Interior Design Capstones

Alvar Aalto serves as a timeless guide for architectural and design principles. These principles are not of universal rigidness but are flexible based on the givenconditions of site, culture, and people. His traditionalmethods of sketching and drawing create a hand to mind connection to the design process. This process, much like his work, develops a mindful and thoughtful outcome of decisions. With computer technology become more increasingly apart of our lives, it is important that we not forget the human point of view rather than purely a rational mode of thinking. This capstone project address how it is possible to …

The Use Of Call Graphs And Deep Learning To Improve Software Testing, Ziad A. Al-Sharif, Hemanth G. Chintala, Safwan Omari

Engineering, Computing and Mathematical Sciences Faculty Conferences

Software testing is a critical part of software development, it is essential for preventing failures and enhancing software quality attributes. However, the testing process can be costly and time-consuming, often involving a large number of test cases. Over time, the accumulation of redundant and overlapping test cases can complicate and lengthen the testing time. To address these challenges, this paper utilizes graph similarity and deep learning techniques to optimize test suites. It uses call graphs from test cases to identify redundant and similar test cases. A machine learning model is used to calculate and predict the similarity scores between these …

Enhancing Metacognitive Competencies Through Human-Centered Ai: The Role Of Custom-Trained Intelligent Agents In Workforce Upskilling, James Hutson

Faculty Scholarship

This editorial examines the integration of human-computer intelligent interaction (HCII), specifically through human-centered artificial intelligence (AI) and custom-trained intelligent agents, to foster metacognitive competencies critical for workforce upskilling. With 59% of the workforce projected to require substantial upskilling by 2030, developing personalized AI models tailored to individual cognitive and learning profiles presents an innovative pathway. These custom-trained agents leverage human-computer interaction (HCI) technologies and machine learning methodologies to enhance understanding of one’s own learning processes-metacognition-thus empowering individuals to optimize their future learning and adaptability. This approach not only enhances the individual’s ability to engage effectively with complex tasks in the …

Leaf It To The Ai: Visualizing Foliage With Machine Learning, Chelsy Tinacba, George Sikazwe, Michael Frye

Posters - 2025

This project sets out to create a tool to help aid in the research and monitoring of the threatened prickly cacti [Fig. 1]. due to an invasive species of insect growing to be a threat. This website displays current and predictive locations of foliage within a region.

To get the data of the predictive location, an additional program was developed that uses a machine learning model to provide coordinates of potential areas where more plants may be. The computer program provides a visualization of potential patterns for the foliage in the database. The machine learning model combs through the data …

Outreach & Dna-Based Monitoring Facilitate 3-Fold Reduction In Seafood Mislabeling In Los Angeles Over 10 Years, Demian A. Willette, Kelli Andrade, Ben Fitzpatrick, Kesterlyn Wilson

Biology Faculty Works

Awareness and intervention can reduce fraudulent labeling in seafood. Using a 10-year longitudinal study approach, DNA-based monitoring data reveals a lower sushi mislabeling in Los Angeles restaurants over time. This is in part attributed to implemented recommendations by restaurants of a local academia-industry-government outreach initiative launched in 2018, The Los Angeles Seafood Monitoring Project. We found mislabeling was 3-fold lower among project-partnering restaurants than other restaurants. This difference was statistically significant, illustrating the combination of project partnering and implementation of recommendations was most impactful on reducing mislabeling rates. Lastly, the study period includes the COVID19 global pandemic, which additional monitoring …

Elizabeth Gibson Drinko Honors Convocation, Honors College

Honors Convocation

The Elizabeth Gibson Drinko Honors Convocation Awards Program for Spring 2025, Marshall University, Huntington, West Virginia.

Water Current, Volume 57, No. 1, Spring 2025

Water Current Newsletter

No abstract provided.

Perspectives On Gaming Throughout The Years, Noh Fekre

ART 108: Introduction to Games Studies

Video games are a lot younger of an art form compared to other mediums like books or movies which means how they fit into our culture isn’t really set in stone yet. They have existed for a while but got their first big boom through arcades and home consoles. I want to look at how video games present themselves differently to other mediums and how that might have affected their perception amongst the general populace while also looking at how that perception has changed over time due to how games have changed themselves.

When The Audience Takes The Controller: How Streaming Is Changing The Way We Play Games, Lea Wilhelmer

ART 108: Introduction to Games Studies

For decades, video games have been understood as solitary experiences. A player would sit alone or with a small group, controller in hand, navigating digital worlds where every action, decision, and outcome was shaped by their own input. At its core, gaming was personal. The lines between the audience and player were clearly drawn. The player was the one actively involved in the game, while everyone else was an observer, watching from the sidelines. This traditional model has seen significant transformation in the last decade, as the rise of streaming platforms like Twitch, YouTube Gaming, and other similar services radically …

Redefining Fun: How Realism And Effort Engage Players In Video Games, Marsel Abdullin

ART 108: Introduction to Games Studies

In the current era of video game development, the gaming industry frequently pursues instant gratification, creating a landscape for immediate and empowering rewards. Current trends clearly show that experiences allow players to become superhuman or extraordinary beings with very little difficulty, satisfying a common desire for escapism and power. This suggests that “fun” is commonly associated with ease, speed, and constant positive feedback. However, my counter-argument is the emergence of games such as Kingdom Come: Deliverance and Red Dead Redemption 2. These games operate with a different game design and philosophy. In fact, they embrace slowness, hardship, and the detailed …

The Evolution Of Video Game Collectibles And Marketplaces, Leland Lee

ART 108: Introduction to Games Studies

Digital Collectibles such as weapon skins, avatar skins, emotes, and in-game art were created as a playful surprise for the video game experience. Many years later, it has produced a multibillion-dollar economy in the gaming industry and is also responsible for the high demand for intriguing in-game collectibles. Although these cosmetic features were initially meant for looks, they have evolved into something of actual value that has completely changed the landscape of games and how they are played. As a result, this has created an intricate environment where players are able to buy, trade, and sell in-game collectibles in both …

Nothing Is Off Limits, But Not Everything Is Done Right: Exploring Ineffability, Alejandro Maciel

ART 108: Introduction to Games Studies

Games are capable of addressing absolutely anything. No topic is too big, too controversial, or too emotional. but not everything is done well; the problem isn't the subject, it's always the delivery. When the developers approach heavy topics without care, they risk doing harm. bwhen they do their research and consult communities and write with purpose, the result can be transformative. Representation, when handled with attention, isn't political correctness; it's simply good storytelling. it's how games become more than entertainment. They become tools for empathy, education, and more valuable connections

The Cost Of Creative Freedom: Comparing Aaa And Indie Game Development, Andrei Morgunov

ART 108: Introduction to Games Studies

The independent development model provides developers with creative freedom and personal fulfillment because it enables them to learn through hands-on experience while creating distinctive experiences and developing diverse skills. It provides them with both long-term ownership of their work and the chance to achieve remarkable success through their own efforts while allowing them to maintain direct communication with players who appreciate their creative output. The choice between AAA and indie depends on individual career goals, but developers who view games as more than just products of entertainment can find greater meaning in the indie path, Long-term triple-A developers who want …

Unveiling The Nexus Between Digital Monitoring And Experiences Of Intimate Partner Violence In Romantic Relationships, Caley Hewitt, Fanny A. Ramirez, Anna Gjika

Faculty Publications

Using survey data from a sample of 378 women who live in the United States and self-identify as either Black or Latinx, this study explores predictors of women’s digital monitoring practices in intimate relationships in the context of intimate partner violence (IPV). We use literature about surveillance, monitoring, and IPV to frame our study. Our results show three significant instances that influence the odds of monitoring a romantic partner: (1) past experiences with digital abuse, (2) past experiences with offline psychological abuse, and (3) age, with younger women having increased odds of engaging in digital monitoring compared to older women. …

Kinetic Control And Trapping In The Supramolecular Polymerization Of M-Terphenyl Bis-Urea Macrocycles, Sophya V. Garashchuk, Gamage Isuri P. Wijesekera, Isabella G. Rushton, Vaibhavi A. Samant, Fahidat A. Gbadamosi, Dr. Md Faizul Islam, Sophya V. Garashchuk, Prof. Dr. Linda S. Shimizu

Faculty Publications

Herein, we examine pathway complexity in the supramolecular polymerization of a novel m-terphenyl bis-urea macrocycle. Designed to induce kinetically metastable states, the macrocycle‘s concentration-dependent aggregation was studied via 1H NMR and IR spectroscopy in THF and CHCl₃. Temperature-dependent UV-Vis spectroscopy in water/THF revealed a cooperative nucleation-growth mechanism, indicated by a shift in λmax to longer wavelengths upon cooling. Morphological studies using DLS, AFM, and SEM demonstrated fibrous aggregate formation. Thermal hysteresis observed in assembly-disassembly cycles indicated kinetically trapped species, with cooling governed by kinetic control and heating by thermodynamic processes. Deviations in ΔH values during cooling, compared to van′t …

A Wildfire Of A Thousand Words: Teaching Students How To Combat Pseudoscience In 2025, Michael Koperski

Honors Projects

When it comes to the modern age classroom, the world which both the students and teachers live in is filled to the brim with misinformation. Particularly, this misinformation comes in the form of pseudoscience, which showcases wrongfully applying scientific evidence to nonscientific phenomena. At the same time, there seemed to be a lack of understanding revolving around how this information could be wrong, especially given it has a basis in and can be spread further by the misuse of artificial intelligence. However, this project serves as a step stone towards potentially finding the means to help teach students the issue …