Digital Commons Network^™

Extreme Heat And Its Impact On Public Transit Ridership In Nyc, Craig Denton

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis explores the connection between extreme heat events and public transit ridership patterns in New York City, with a particular emphasis on low-income communities. It investigates the intersection of socioeconomic factors and heat-related challenges, analyzing how extreme temperature periods influence overall transit use and why certain routes or neighborhoods experience greater declines in ridership during these events.

Utilizing existing literature, NYC-specific transit and climate datasets, and the broader context of transit equity, this research aims to inform strategies that strengthen climate resilience within urban transportation systems. The study’s findings are intended to support policy development and planning initiatives that …

Vetiver Phytoremediation Of Nitrate-Rich Munition Wastewater: Biomass Valorization Within A Circular Economy Framework, Arash Aliasghar, Rupali Datta, Zhiming Zhang, Christos Christodoulatos, Dibyendu Sarkar

Michigan Tech Publications

Industrial munition facilities generate nitrate-rich wastewater that requires effective and sustainable treatment before discharge. While vetiver grass (Chrysopogon zizanioides)-based phytoremediation has shown promise in nitrogen removal, most studies have been limited to small-scale experiments under low nitrogen concentrations, providing limited guidance for system-level design under elevated loading. This study evaluates a greenhouse-scale phytoremediation system using vetiver grass to treat wastewater containing 1000 mg N/L nitrate and 50 mg/L COD. Plant coverage densities of 2%, 4%, and 6% (w/v) were assessed to quantify optimum density as a design parameter for optimizing nitrate removal. A 6% coverage achieved the highest efficiency, reducing …

Large-Scale Asymptotics In Fixed-Sample And Sequential Multiple Testing, Rahul Roy

Doctoral Theses

The advent of large-scale data acquisition technologies has led to the routine emergence of massive, dynamically evolving datasets. This has created a pressing need for statistical methodologies capable of operating effectively in both static and sequential data environments. Multiple hypotheses testing, a central tool in such settings, must therefore be adapted to both fixed-sample and sequential frameworks to ensure effective decision-making while controlling error rates. This thesis comprises two main parts. The first part addresses fixed-sample multiple testing under dependence in a Bayesian framework. Building upon the two-group mixture normal model of Bogdan et al. (2011), we extend their methodology …

Final Bpsou Unreclaimed Sites: Ur-46 Remedial Action Work Plan (Rawp), Pioneer Technical Services, Inc.

Silver Bow Creek/Butte Area Superfund Site

No abstract provided.

Changes In Water Quality And Microbiota Over Two Years In Florida Hard Clam (Mercenaria Mercenaria) Hatcheries, Bonnie Getter

Electronic Theses and Dissertations 2020 - Present

This thesis characterized the water quality and bacterial communities in nine hard clam hatcheries over two production years through weekly or biweekly water quality and chemistry monitoring, monthly bacterial plating in the second year of production, and select 16S microbiome sampling at select hatcheries to address production bottlenecks and support the reliable production of high-quality seed for Florida’s growing hard clam aquaculture industry. Logistic regression models showed that water source was distinguished by pH, salinity, alkalinity, and nitrite, whereas geographic location was distinguished by temperature, salinity, nitrate, and calcium; temperature, dissolved oxygen, salinity, and alkalinity distinguished seasons. Vibrio bacteria differed …

Contributions Of Arginine And Nitrosative Stress To Huntington’S Disease Progression, Ian D. Gaudet

Electronic Theses and Dissertations 2020 - Present

Neuroinflammation is a well-established component of Huntington's disease (HD) pathogenesis, yet the intricate molecular mechanisms that govern this process remain a topic of ongoing research and debate. This dissertation elucidates a novel pathway linking arginine metabolism and nitrosative stress to core HD pathology. We found that the arginine transporter SLC7A2 is selectively upregulated in various HD cellular models and patient samples. Our findings reveal that this upregulation drives an overactive inflammatory response, leading to abnormally high inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) induction and subsequent nitric oxide (NO) production, which causes excessive protein nitrosylation and an increase in mitochondrial fragmentation.

To …

Multi-Omic Analysis Of Molecular Changes In Haloferax Volcanii Biofilm Development, Joshua Koller

Theses

Biofilms are the predominant lifestyle of microorganisms and offer protection against environmental stress. Archaeal biofilm development remains poorly understood relative to its bacterial counterpart, and the fundamental differences between these two domains prevent direct extrapolation from bacterial models. To address this gap, we used quantitative proteomics and transcriptomics to characterize the molecular changes accompanying biofilm formation and maturation in the model archaeon Haloferax volcanii. Protein and transcript abundance were measured across seven conditions spanning both lifestyles and multiple timepoints, with glycosylated proteoforms quantified as entities distinct from their unmodified counterparts, covering both established biofilm-associated structures and newly identified candidates. Known …

Retroverse: Enhancing Fashion Shopping Experience Through Augmented Reality, Fanghao Wang

Theses

RetroVerse is a conceptual augmented reality (AR) application that reimagines the vintage fashion shopping experience by addressing the information gaps that often make secondhand purchasing uncertain and inefficient. As the resale market continues to grow, consumers frequently struggle to identify garments, verify authenticity, evaluate condition, compare prices, and determine fit, requiring them to rely on multiple platforms and personal knowledge before making a purchase. To address these challenges, RetroVerse integrates augmented reality, image recognition, and contextual product information into a unified shopping experience. Through video and live garment scanning, users can access brand history, manufacturing information, condition assessments, marketplace price …

Radical Republican Citizenship For A Mobile World, Alex Sager

Philosophy Faculty Publications and Presentations

Migrants invariably and unavoidably experience domination under the nation-state centered concepts, categories, and institutions that structure our political thinking. In response, we need to build new forms of citizenship, including local, regional, transnational, and supranational forms of belonging, accompanied by meaningful, democratic, political power. In this paper, I examine historical and present-day alternative models of political organization as possible viable alternatives to state-centric liberal democracy. It begins the task of assessing these models using radical republican theory that grounds non-domination in the active and equal participation of people subject to power. I have three broad aims. First, we need to …

From Homogeneous To Heterogeneous Adaptive Bounded-Confidence Opinion Dynamics On Networks, Sally Hafez, Fatma R. Farag, Amira S. N. Tawadros

Northeast Journal of Complex Systems (NEJCS)

Adaptive bounded-confidence models (ABCMs) elucidate the coevolution of agent states and network structure via local interactions and rewiring mechanisms. Traditional formulations assume uniform interaction parameters, leading to distinct regime shifts encompassing fragmentation, polarization, and consensus. A symmetric heterogeneous extension of the adaptive bounded-confidence model is introduced, in which interaction parameters vary according to whether agents belong to the same or different groups. The model retains the original update and rewiring protocols but integrates within-group and between-group confidence bounds alongside tolerance thresholds. Initially, the classic homogeneous model is replicated to establish a reference point. Subsequently, the heterogeneous extension is assessed under …

Teaching China Beyond Eurocentrism: Intercultural Pedagogy And The Case Of The República Del Reino De La China By Jerónimo Román Zamora, Miriam Diaz Belizon

Comparative Philosophy

Interdisciplinary approaches to teaching China in Western academic contexts often reproduce Eurocentric frameworks that reduce Chinese philosophical and cultural traditions to subordinate objects of analysis. This article proposes an alternative model grounded in intercultural philosophy and the Filosofías del Sur, arguing that China should be approached not as a distant object of representation, but as an epistemic interlocutor capable of transforming philosophical education. The article develops this argument through the recovery of the República del Reino de la China, included in the 1595 edition of Repúblicas del Mundo, as a key example of early intercultural mediation from the European South. …

Applications And Insights Of The Use Of Ethnographic Research In A Local Context Of Nepal, Dipak Raj Rai, Sunita Dangol, Megh Raj Dangal

The Qualitative Report

This paper expounds on ethnographic research in comprehending the cultural, economic, and social nuances in the Nepali local community. The paper also emphasizes the significance of ethnographic research in providing profound insights into the daily lives, traditions, and interactions of cultural groups. This writing aims to describe the historical concept of ethnography, its philosophical standpoint, types of ethnography, fields of ethnographic research and commonly used methods for collecting ethnographic data. The main idea of the paper is to present the methods employed such as participant observation, ethnographic interviews, self-reporting, and artifacts that enable the researcher to obtain the true lived …

Reflections On Focus Group Participant Recruitment In An Indian Youth Mental Health Study, Debanjali Saha, Ketoki Mazumdar

The Qualitative Report

In this article, I (DS) critically reflected on my journey as an Indian graduate student while navigating dissonant expectations versus reality from the planning to data collection phase of my doctoral research, especially the challenges involved in the participant recruitment process for focus group discussions. The goal of my study was to understand the narratives of various stakeholders of the Indian higher education community on students’ mental health on Indian college campuses using Participatory Action Research strategy with the help of focus group discussions. Recruiting participants was a crucial first step in this endeavor. Six FGDs were conducted with a …

Rethinking Methodological Frameworks In Qualitative Comparative Migration Policy Research, Afag Javadova

The Qualitative Report

Capturing the nuanced dynamics of sub-national migration policy requires methodological frameworks that integrate multiple sources of evidence while remaining attentive to context-specific processes. Such approaches are well-suited to tracing interactions among policy actors and institutions within evolving, locally embedded systems of comparative policymaking. This study examines why municipalities operating under similar macro-level conditions pursue divergent policy trajectories in migration governance and demonstrates the analytical rigor and explanatory power of qualitative thematic analysis in accounting for this variation. Drawing on policy documents, archival records, and media sources from Toronto, San Francisco, and Wellington, it employs a hybrid inductive–deductive coding approach to …

Generation X’Sperspectives On Indonesian National Pride: A Reflexive Thematic Analysis, Rizal Kurniawan, Sartana Sartana, Avin Fadhila Helmi

The Qualitative Report

Having a sense of national pride is crucial for the well-being and progress of a country. It plays a vital role in the overall development of a nation and its people. Generation X (individuals born between 1960 and 1980) in Indonesia have experienced many national events and these events influence how they feel about being part of Indonesia. However, empirical research has not shown which events are sources of pride for them. Our study identifies sources of national pride for Generation X in Indonesia. The research data was collected using an open questionnaire and analyzed using a reflexive thematic analysis …

Translating English‑Language Cosmetic Catalogues Into Persian: A Thematic And Content Analysis Of Health Information And Product Marketing Across Cultural Contexts, Afshin Soori, Laleh Khojasteh, Sanaz Mojarrad, Sedigheh Shakib Kotamjani

The Qualitative Report

The translation of English-to-Persian cosmetic catalogues presents unique challenges due to their hybrid nature, combining health communication with marketing language. These challenges, including linguistic inaccuracies, cultural misalignment, and functional inadequacies, can compromise consumer safety and trust. This study investigates the root causes of these issues and proposes strategies to enhance translation practices. A qualitative design was employed, analyzing 100 English-to-Persian cosmetic catalogue translations and incorporating feedback from 10 experts in TESL, translation studies, and health communication. The analysis revealed recurring issues such as misinterpretations of technical terms, omissions of safety warnings, and inconsistent terminology use. These issues were primarily attributed …

Reimagining Photovoice: Leveraging Ai For Inclusive And Equitable Engagement In Refugee Research, Areej Al-Hamad, Kateryna Metersky, Yasin M. Yasin, Victoria Hayrabedian, Rezwana Rahman

The Qualitative Report

This methodology paper reimagines photovoice, a visual research method, by integrating artificial intelligence (AI), thereby expanding methodological options for both researchers and participants to foster more inclusive and equitable engagement in refugee research. Using AI-generated images, metaphors, and photocollage, displaced Ukrainian women in Canada co-created symbolic visuals to express complex emotions and experiences that may be difficult to capture through traditional photography. This approach addresses limitations of conventional photovoice by reducing technological and linguistic barriers, enhancing emotional expression, and supporting diverse representations of displacement and resettlement. Rather than replacing existing methods, this AI-assisted approach expands the methodological options available to …

Interviewing Elite-Experts: When The Few Matter More Than The Many, Jo B. Helgetun, Thibault Coppe

The Qualitative Report

In this methodological essay, we discuss the ontology and epistemology of research interviews. We anchor our methodological reflection in our experiences interviewing elite-experts. Our goal is to highlight the strengths of research interviews, particularly elite-expert interviews, as well as the importance of using a qualitative rather than quantitative logic when conducting and analyzing such interviews. In discussing this case, we reflect on qualitative research and take a critical stance toward practices that undermine the field of qualitative research. Specifically, we reflect on the process of analyzing interviews—what we refer to as “the quantification of qualitative research”—and how it has become …

History Repeats Itself – A Discourse Analysis Exploring The Voices Of School Shooting Survivors, Public Perception, And Governmental Response For The Sake Of A Shooting-Free, Nicolette Tran, Frank Gorritz

The Qualitative Report

School and public shootings have been an increasing epidemic in the United States over the last 20 years. We used discourse analysis to provide insights into the conversations, attitudes, and perceptions of public shootings through the analysis of news coverage, magazines, and social media. We found themes associated with growing public despair around governmental lack of response and inevitability of gun violence everywhere, racial and gender disparities of gun violence, and the widespread impact of trauma to gun violence. The results of this discourse analysis indicate how problematic discourse still perpetuates gun violence and trauma in the United States. Implications …

Using Creativity Tools To Improve Perception Of Mental Health Resource Access On A College Campus, Laura Reindl

Creativity and Change Leadership Graduate Student Master's Projects

This paper outlines the planning and implementation processes for executing a Creative Problem Solving (CPS) session at Binghamton University, with the goal of developing new ways to communicate accurate information about mental health resources available to students on campus and refuting common misconceptions. Led by communications and marketing staff in the Division of Student Affairs, the process included staff from Health and Counseling Services, staff involved in delivering health promotion and prevention services, and students with an interest in health and wellness. The project focused on the ideation and development stages of CPS and offered ideas for future implementation.

Reframing Soil Freezing As An Unsaturated Process, Antai Dong, Xiong Zhang

Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Soil freezing and frost heave are inherently unsaturated soil phenomena. However, most existing numerical models are based on saturated soil mechanics or assume full saturation. This simplification introduces conceptual inconsistencies, requires modifications that violate fundamentals in soil mechanics and fluid mechanics, and often leads to the use of self-conflicting soil properties. To overcome these limitations, this study develops a physically consistent, fully coupled thermohydraulic model for soil freezing grounded in modern unsaturated soil mechanics. A soil freezing characteristic surface (SFCS) is introduced to represent unfrozen water content in partially frozen soils as a function of both suction and temperature. Recognizing …

Meiji: Developing A Reinforcement Learning Agent And Environment For Colonial Diplomacy, Alexander Aldama-Apodaca

Theses & ETDs

This thesis presents the development of MEIJI, an artificial intelligence (AI) agent that applies temporal difference (TD) learning to play Colonial Diplomacy within a custom reinforcement learning (RL) environment. While reinforcement learning has previously been applied to the board game Diplomacy, no reinforcement learning environment has been developed for the Colonial Diplomacy variant. To address this gap, this thesis implements a complete RL environment that models the rules and mechanics of Colonial Diplomacy and enables TD agents to learn through self-play. The project lays the groundwork for an investigation of whether the trained MEIJI agents learn to recognize the strategic …

2026 Summer Commencement Program, The University Of West Alabama

Commencement Programs

No abstract provided.

Understanding The Impact Of Parenting, Self-Determination Theory, And Adverse Childhood Experiences On College Students, Melanie D. Prater

Dissertations

College students are at high risk for experiencing psychological distress which impacts their academic, mental, and physical well-being (Eskin et al., 2016; Reed‑Fitzke & Lucier‑Greer, 2020; Sharp & Theiler, 2018). The Self Determination Theory (SDT) serves as a suitable framework for investigating the impact of parental autonomy support (PAS) and parental psychological control (PPC) on college students’ well-being and distress. According to SDT, the satisfaction of three foundational needs (autonomy, competence, and relatedness) supports well-being, while thwarting of these needs may be associated with psychological distress and resilience (Costa et al., 2016; Lera & Abualkibash, 2022; Reed‑Fitzke & Lucier‑Greer, 2020; …

Phenomenological Exploration Of The Military Veterans' Experiences Transitioning Into Civilian Workplace In Central Florida, James Wesley Shelton

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Military veterans transitioning from military service to civilian employment frequently encounter challenges related to workforce integration, translating military-acquired skills, adapting to civilian workplace cultures, and employer perceptions of their qualifications. Organizational leaders need to understand these challenges as a key indicator of the factors that influence successful workforce integration, organizational commitment, and employee retention. Grounded in person-environment fit theory, the purpose of this qualitative study using an interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA) approach was to explore the lived experiences of military veterans and how they make meaning of their transition to the civilian workplace. The participants comprised seven U.S. military veterans …

Technological Competence And Generative Artificial Intelligence: Canadian Law Students’ Understanding And Use In Legal Education And Legal Practice, Hannah Rosborough

Reports & Public Policy Documents

This report presents results from a national survey examining Canadian JD students' and recent graduates' understanding of technological competence and their use of generative artificial intelligence in legal education and legal practice.

The survey collected responses from 631 students and recent graduates across Canadian law schools between November 2025 and January 2026, combining closed-ended questions with thematic analysis of open-ended responses. The survey addressed how students understand the duty of technological competence under the Model Code, how they use generative AI in coursework and legal workplaces, their confidence in the accuracy of these tools, the guidance and training they receive, …

Tailoring The Stereotype Of Asian Femininity: Nancy Kwan, The Qipao, And 1960s Hollywood, Jing Yang

Film and Media Studies (MA) Theses

This article asks the following questions: First, whether or not Kwan, and her qipaos, created new stereotypes of Asian women, or whether they, in fact, customarily represented within restricted versions of Asian femininity already available within mainstream, dominant Western culture of early 1960s Hollywood films. That is, this article seeks to investigate why Kwan, and her qipaos, in fact, became so culturally productive at that moment of historical time. Second, this article further seeks to explore the ways in which the qipao continued to enable Nancy Kwan to represent to mainstream Western, Hollywood-based audiences, uniquely, greatly, or importantly different versions …

Advancing Internationalization With Collaborative Online International Learning (Coil): A Systems Engineering Approach, Sharon Bommer, Olumuyiwa Asaolu, Paul Dagnall, Scott Segalewitz, Oluwatoyin Popoola, Esther Adeyemi

Journal of International Engineering Education

As globalization accelerates and engineering careers increasingly require international collaboration, engineering education programs must design courses and curricula to adequately prepare students for careers as engineers in modern industry. Collaborative Online International Learning (COIL) is a model of teaching and learning that supports the development of intercultural competence through a joint online learning environment. This paper presents a systems engineering approach of module development for an integrated COIL undergraduate course between a university in the United States and a university in Nigeria. The key objectives of this course are to increase students’ intercultural competence and to simulate global engineering management …

Sabin Center For Climate Change Law Annual Report 2025-2026, Tiffany Challe

Sabin Center for Climate Change Law

Over the past year, the Sabin Center continued to translate complex legal and scientific questions into practical tools that advance climate action and climate justice across climate litigation, renewable energy, local climate action, model climate laws, carbon management and greenhouse gas removal, climate law and science, and climate and business law.

Explore our 2025–2026 Annual Report to see the research, engagement, and impact behind the numbers — and what’s ahead.

Online Group Neurobehavioral Therapy (Nbt) For Veterans With Epilepsy And Major Depressive Disorder (Mdd), Melissa F. Fadipe

Dissertations and Theses (Open Access)

Background: Veterans with epilepsy experience high rates of psychiatric comorbidity, most commonly major depressive disorder (MDD). Barriers to accessing mental health care—including geographic distance, transportation limitations related to seizure-related driving restrictions, and fragmented care between neurology and psychiatry, contribute to the underdiagnosis and undertreatment of MDD in this population. Neurobehavioral Therapy (NBT), a Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)-informed psychotherapy developed for individuals with seizures, has demonstrated benefits for psychological distress and quality of life. Internet-based interventions and short message service (SMS) text messaging offer promising strategies to address access barriers; however, limited research has examined the feasibility and acceptability of delivering …