Digital Commons Network^™

Differentiable Objectives For 3d Scene Relighting Via Gradient Descent On Olat Basis Coefficients, Anson Savage

Theses and Dissertations

Designing effective lighting is an iterative and often time-consuming process. This work contributes to automatic lighting design research by presenting a render-engine agnostic optimization routine: gradient descent on RGB multipliers of one-light-at-a-time (OLAT) basis images. We compare several objective functions to accomplish lighting tasks and show that our method is capable of quickly and effectively exploring different lighting styles using either text prompts or reference images. We also present several datasets specific to lighting tasks and show that fine-tuning on these datasets can improve performance.

Advanced Studies In Characterization Of Pyrolysis Products From Live Vegetation, Mahsa Alizadeh

Theses and Dissertations

Fire is a naturally occurring element in many ecosystems which can have both positive and negative effects. However, in recent years the frequency of the fires and the area they affect has increased. The rapid spread of wildland fires coupled with the limited resources available to forest services to manage wildland fires highlights the urgency for accurate prediction of fire spread. Fire prediction models enable the fire management services to predict the spread of fire and prioritize firefighting efforts more effectively. Understanding reactions and mechanisms occurring during wildland fires improves the fire prediction models. During wildland fires, the biomass covering …

The San José De Laguna Mission: Christian Iconography Through The Lens Of Pueblo Oral Traditions, Natalie Sims Rasmussen

Theses and Dissertations

The San José de Laguna Mission was constructed in 1699 in modern New Mexico. Following on the heels of the second Pueblo revolt, it stands as a testament to the Pueblo adoption of Christian symbols in the portrayal of their own oral traditions. A central theme in the Laguna oral tradition is the complementary nature of masculine and feminine forces that make up the universe. The Christian figures of the altar screen, such as Saint Joseph, Saint John Nepomuck, Saint Barbara, and the Trinity, can be interpreted through the lens of the Pueblo oral tradition regarding a 19th century Laguna …

April 23, 2026, The Daily Mississippian

Daily Mississippian (all digitized issues)

No abstract provided.

Predicting Telecom Customer Churn: A Statistically Validated Kpi Framework With Machine Learning And Revenue Impact Modeling, Moeez Islam Malik '27, Amy Ehinomen Eremionkhale

Student Research

This capstone project addresses a core business problem in the telecommunications industry: how to detect, measure, and prevent customer churn before it occurs, using a KPI framework validated by statistical analysis and machine learning. Applied to 7,043 customer records across 37 variables from a California-based telecom operator, the analysis integrates descriptive KPI computation, Pearson correlation analysis, chi-square tests of independence, and logistic regression churn prediction. The research confirms that customer tenure (r = −0.352, p < 0.001) and contract type (Cramér's V = 0.410, p < 0.001) are the dominant predictors of churn, and that a logistic regression model achieves AUC-ROC = 0.8307 — sufficient for proactive deployment. A 5-percentage-point churn reduction preserves $273,670 in annual revenue and $1.55M in customer lifetime value. The project delivers an integrated analytical framework, a predictive retention model, a 16-chart visualization suite, and a 12-page Power BI executive dashboard.

Psychometric Analysis Of The German Version Of The Barriers To Healthcare Checklist-Short Form, Judith Peth, Nicole David, Sophia Duckert, Petia Gewohn, Daniel Schottle, Pascal Rahlff, Alexander Konnopka, Hannah Konig, Kai Vogeley, Christina Nicolaidis, Dora M. Raymaker, Holger Schulz

School of Social Work Faculty Publications and Presentations

Background: Autistic people face multiple barriers to health care. To recognize specific barriers in a standardized way, autistic people, health care providers, and researchers need a suitable measure. The Academic Autistic Spectrum Partnership in Research and Education successfully developed the Barriers to Healthcare Checklist— Short Form (BHC-SF). It remains unclear whether (1) a German version of the BHC-SF performs well in terms of psychometric properties and (2) the BHC-SF consists of multiple constructs (i.e., assessing structural validity). Methods: We created a translated and culturally adapted version of the 17-item BHC-SF and used it with 345 autistic people in Germany. Psychometric …

The Effects Of Oleuropein In Olive Leaf Extract Alone Or Combined With Calcitriol On The Viability And Migration Of Human Endometrial Cells In Vitro, Katelyn Devereaux

Electronic Theses and Dissertations 2020 - Present

Endometriosis is a chronic inflammatory disease affecting approximately 10% of reproductive-aged women worldwide and is commonly associated with pelvic pain, infertility, and reduced quality of life. Current management strategies, including hormonal therapies and surgical intervention, often provide only temporary relief and are associated with recurrence and adverse effects. These limitations highlight the need for alternative, non-hormonal therapeutic approaches that target underlying inflammatory and cellular mechanisms of disease progression.

This study evaluated the effects of oleuropein, contained within an olive leaf extract, and calcitriol, the active form of vitamin D, on cellular viability and migration in immortalized human endometriotic epithelial (12Z) …

Menorah Graffiti On The Streets Of Jerusalem, Shlomit Weksler Bdolah, Nahshon Szanton

'Atiqot

This article examines three menorah graffiti incised on paving stones along Roman–Byzantine streets of Jerusalem. The engravings appear beside depictions of board games, suggesting that pedestrians paused at these locations. All three graffiti are situated along streets oriented eastward, toward the Temple Mount, raising the likelihood that visual engagement with the sacred precinct influenced the incision of this Jewish symbol in the urban sphere. The article explores the context of the menorah graffiti and their cultural and historical significance within the public sphere. Drawing on archaeological data, historical sources and comparative examples of menorah representations in public settings in the …

Ex-04-142 Modeling Distress And Evaluating Chatbot Safety For Suicide-Related Social Media Texts, Rehma Razzak

C-Day Computing Showcase

This project addresses the urgent need for transparent chatbot safety evaluations amid rising concerns about AI-facilitated self-harm. Using public social media datasets, we simulate two tasks: (1) detecting suicidal ideation via emotion-based risk scoring, and (2) stress-testing a support-style chatbot against 888 high-risk prompts, including euphemisms and “for a story” framing. A multi-label classifier trained on GoEmotions feeds emotion profiles into a logistic regression model to generate suicidality risk scores. These scores guide a local chatbot built with Ollama’s llama3, which analyzes user messages and steers responses toward safe, empathetic behavior. Evaluation shows ~90% of replies were safe or supportive. …

Uc-117-213 Haunted Owl Hotel – A 3d Horror Maze Chase Game, Carter Griffin, Rin Egl, Kcyana Redmon, Jose Portillo, Alana Nesbit

C-Day Computing Showcase

“Haunted Owl Hotel” is a horror Pac-Man-inspired, 3D maze chase game. You play as a cute owl named Sappy trying to escape the scary hotel, but suddenly your elevator breaks down. Navigate the spooky halls to collect the candles left behind on each floor to reactivate the elevator, but be careful, after grabbing each candle, the darkness left behind will follow you. Ghosts lurk around every corner hoping to make you their next victim. Descend through each floor without losing all 3 lives to escape the haunted owl hotel and win the game.

Uc-149-185 Ai-Assisted Media Organization And Intake System, Meilun Wu, Nevaeh Branham, Isaiah Higgins, Claude Kangni, Fatima Ahmed

C-Day Computing Showcase

This project includes the design and validation of a metadata-driven media intake and organization system implemented for the Office of the District Attorney, Cobb Judicial Circuit. The institution produces a considerable volume of photographs and video content via outreach programs and community interaction initiatives. Yet, the organization does not have an organized framework for managing media files, which results in inefficient file retrieval and data loss over time due to a lack of standardized organizational practices. In this regard, this project aims to develop a workflow-based system for the efficient organization of media files that will be powered by a …

Uc-138-166 The Allies Connect Platform: Improving Access To Community Resources Through Technology​ ​, Sarah Holland, Neha Anand, Aldrick Andoh, Yacine Diop, Alex Rogers

C-Day Computing Showcase

Finding help shouldn’t be difficult, but for many people, it is. Important information about food, shelter, and local support is often scattered across different websites, social media pages, and documents, making it hard to find what’s needed, especially in urgent situations. The Allies Connect platform was created to bring that information into one place. It is a centralized, mobile-friendly platform that allows users to: • Search for resources • Register for events • Connect with nonprofits At the same time, the platform also provides organizations with simple tools to keep their information accurate and up to date. By focusing on …

Gc-126-148 Allies Connect- Georgia's Nonprofit And Volunteer Coordination Platform, Molly Calhoun, Takeshia Banks, David Castro, Ryan Hanrahan, Tarik Davis

C-Day Computing Showcase

Georgia's nonprofit services face an issue of discoverability. While many nonprofits have the resources to help their community members succeed, they have trouble actually connecting to members of the community that need their support. Connecting with these resources is challenging for community members because their avenues of communication are spread across the internet. Some have their own websites, some have a Facebook page where they post events, some rely on word of mouth and fliers, and others rely on phone chains to keep their community members informed. This means that community members seeking support need to be able to access …

Toyon 68 - Full Issue

Toyon: Multilingual Literary Magazine

No abstract provided.

Full Issue - Toyon 62

Toyon: Multilingual Literary Magazine

No abstract provided.

Historical Development Of Vaccines And The Public's Response, Kristen Montgomery, Samantha Prince Bsn, Rn, Melissa Ealey Bsn, Rn, Jarrad Morelock Bsn, Rn, Shelby Johnson Bsn, Rn, Kokeshia Crosby Bsn, Rn, Stephanies Himes Bsn, Rn, Theresia Hinton Bsn, Rn

Epsilon Sigma at-Large Research Conference

Purpose: Vaccines, which have become one of the most important medical accomplishments in the prevention of communicable diseases, have a history that dates to the use of variolation as early as the 11th century. The purpose of this study is to explore the historical development of vaccines and to determine the characteristics that emerged when new vaccines were developed.

Aims: The specific aim of this study is to understand if all vaccines have been received about the same by the general public or if there are certain different or diverse characteristics associated with the introduction of different vaccines.

Methods: A …

A Systematic Literature Review Examining Suicide Risk Factors In Older Adults, Carolyn Bivens

Epsilon Sigma at-Large Research Conference

Introduction & Background: Suicide in older adults is a increasingly prevalent tragedy worldwide, and rates in North America have uniquely increased over the past two decades. The context of the cultural environment of North America and population-specific factors in the elderly must be explored to protect this vulnerable group.

Purpose Statement Question: In older adults living in North America, what experiences and risk factors influence the development and severity of suicidal thoughts and behaviors?

Literature Review: The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) flowchart guided the search of the Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature …

Music Enhances Theta Brainwave Activity Regardless Of Tuning Frequency, Robert Somerville, Davis Raz, Ersilia Mirabelli, Jettson Yarborough, Luc-Shalom Kouame

Liberty University Research Week

No abstract provided.

Differential Effects Of Curcumin And C646 On Mitogenic And Metabolic Signaling In Insulin-Stimulated Hepg2 Cells, Davis Raz, Rachael De Klerk

Liberty University Research Week

Curcumin and C646 both inhibit p300/CBP histone acetyltransferase (HAT) activity, but they differ markedly in their mechanisms, potency, and effects on cellular function. Both compounds have been investigated as modulators of the insulin-signaling pathway and have shown potential for improving insulin-signaling–related defects in experimental models. Our previous findings showed that curcumin positively impacted a metabolic pathway by reducing IRS-1 phosphorylation at S1101, a negative regulatory site, while maintaining downstream PRAS40 and RPS6 phosphorylation. Although C646 also reduced IRS-1 S1101 phosphorylation, it did not preserve downstream insulin signaling as effectively as curcumin. We hypothesized that target proteins within the mitogenic pathway, …

Authentic Vs. Artificial Intelligence: The Effect Of Generative Ai On Users’ Brains, Ivy Rath

Liberty University Research Week

Currently, research on generative AI's effect on the brains of those who use it is sparse. However, cognitive offloading, or the outsourcing of intellectual processes to technology or other people, is a well-known neurological phenomenon, and it is through cognitive offloading that we may begin to understand how generative AI affects mental processes. Cognitive offloading occurs frequently, and common examples include using a calculator, GPS, or driver-assist functions. Now, generative AI offers users a far more pervasive kind of cognitive offloading, in that entire mental processes once unique to human minds (such as problem-solving) may now be replicated and supplanted …

Playing The Past: Girls, Dolls, And Entrepreneurs, Taylor Schmalz

Liberty University Research Week

Mattel, Inc. is a toy company located in California and sells some of the most iconic children’s toys across gender lines. From Hot Wheels, Barbie, Fisher-Price, and over a hundred more toy brands, Mattel, Inc. has touched millions of lives since its creation in 1945. Two of the most famous being American Girl Dolls and the Barbie Doll. Each doll was created by female entrepreneurs and was made to empower little girls in America. While the dolls were created to empower girls, teach feminist ideas, and share women’s history, the dolls face backlash for not being feminist enough, too grown …

Bacterial Purification Of Hat Enzymes From Cryptococcus Neoformans: Esa1 And Gcn5 Purification, Manasi Joshi, Andrew Wisley

Liberty University Research Week

Gene expression in eukaryotes is tightly regulated by post-translational modifications. Histone acetylation is an epigenetic modification associated with increased transcription. The putative histone acetyltransferase (HAT) in the fungus Cryptococcus neoformans, Something About Silencing 3 (SAS3), has been a novel research target due to its potential role in virulence that causes nearly 112,000 to 625,000 annual deaths worldwide through cryptococcal meningitis. Although SAS3 homologs acetylate core histone 3 in mammalian organisms, recombinant SAS3 has not yet demonstrated HAT activity. Previously, an established human HAT p300 was used as a positive control to validate enzymatic conditions for HAT assays. However, using known …

Characterization Of The Aspergillus Flavus Rdia Gene With A Rdi1∆ Mutant Of C. Neoformans, Sam Raub

Liberty University Research Week

The genus Aspergillus includes several species that are opportunistic pathogens, with members ranked in the World Health Organization’s fungal critical priority pathogen list. Aspergillus flavus, a member of the genus, synthesizes aflatoxin (AF), a polyketide mycotoxin and the most potent naturally occurring carcinogen known. aflR is a pathway-specific transcription factor that plays a central role in the regulatory network for AF biosynthesis. Transcriptomic analysis under AF-conducive and non-conducive conditions identified a cluster of genes with similar expression profiles to aflR. Among these is a putative Rho-GDP dissociation inhibitor that regulates AF production and virulence in A. flavus. Deletion of this …

Inclusion May Affect Marching Band Members Of Black Universities Differently Than Members Of White Universities: Narrative Inquiry, Derrick Yates

Liberty University Research Week

There is a lack of research on the emotional connection and support students of Historically Black Colleges and Universities may seek through their band experience versus students of Predominantly White Institutions. Some studies demonstrate that those who participate in music ensembles express heightened self-esteem, a sense of connectedness, and a positive impact on their mental and psychological well-being. This narrative inquiry research study focuses on the unexplored perspectives of three band members from historically black and three predominantly white university marching bands, regarding their emotional connections to their programs and the emotional connections and support they receive from them. The …

Theater Of The Fright, Carolyn Wilkerson

Liberty University Research Week

In the genre of horror, there is an unrelenting desire to continuously push the boundaries of the acceptable and find what the next “biggest scare” might be. While this oftentimes works well for those making money from creations such as the latest films and novels, the struggle remains to forever up the ante and outdo the previous iterations. That, therefore, leaves the question of what exactly could continue to drive forward the horror genre if, as taken in a looser meaning from Ecclesiastes 1:9, there is nothing new under the sun. This presentation will showcase the behind-the-scenes of how horror …

2026 Acssc Program, Acssc Planning Committee

Annual Celebration for Student Scholarship and Creativity

No abstract provided.

Decoding Christianese: Analyzing The Double-Edged Sword Of Evangelical Jargon, David Enns

Liberty University Research Week

This qualitative study investigates the rhetorical function of "Christianese," the insider jargon of American Evangelicalism, responding to the need for clarity in religious communication within a pluralistic and digital society. While religious language is often studied through liturgical or interfaith lenses, limited empirical work exists on the informal, culturally constructed dialect used in everyday evangelical discourse. Utilizing Burke's (1966) terministic screens theory — which posits that language selects, reflects, and deflects reality — this research examines how evangelical slang functions as a gatekeeping mechanism that simultaneously builds community and alienates outsiders. Employing a corpus-based qualitative design, the study analyzed 142 …

Using Path Analysis To Examine The Psychological Well-Being Model For U.S. College Students, Pi-Ming Yeh, Cheng-Huei Chiao, Gavin Waters

Epsilon Sigma at-Large Research Conference

Background: College students’ psychological well-being and mental health issues are very important in this society. Little is known about a comprehensive psychological well-being model for college students.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was using Path Analysis to examine the Development of Personality and Psychological Well-Being Model among US college students.

Methods: This was a cross sectional, descriptive design. The 481 participants were recruited from nursing and business college students in the United States. After IRB approval, the trained researchers explained this study to college students. After agreeing to participate, they signed an informed consent form. Upon completion of a …

Amplifying The Issues Of Colorism: How Literature Challenges Colorist Beauty Standards, Wytinsea Jones

Liberty University Research Week

Colorism is a major concern in our society, including literature. Colorism excludes darker-complexioned people and perceives lighter complexion as more desired, favorable, and acceptable. In Alice Walker’s book, In Search of our Mothers’ Gardens, she defined colorism as, “preferential treatment of same-race people based solely on the color of their skin” (Myers, n.d.). This research presentation aims to explore how damaging colorism has been to ethnic communities and its impact on literature. Analyzing data on colorism found in Hispanic, Asian, Black, and Native American families will help provide context on the global phenomenon. Additionally, examining the correlation colorism has in …

From Theses To Podcasts: A Digital Humanities Analysis Of Religious Communication From The Reformation To The Digital Age, Fallon Tridento

Liberty University Research Week

This project looks at how religious communication has changed alongside major technological developments, from the printing press to artificial intelligence, throughout history, using a digital humanities perspective. Beginning with the Protestant Reformation, it explores how print culture allowed ideas to spread more quickly, especially through the work of Martin Luther. It then follows how later figures, including St. Maximilian Kolbe, Venerable Fulton J. Sheen, and Mother Angelica, made use of emerging forms of media, from print to radio and television, to reach wider audiences. The project also considers the work of Fr. Roberto Busa, whose use of early computing marked …