Digital Commons Network^™

Unifying Explainability And Machine Learning: Towards Trustworthy And Plausible Explanations Without Post-Hoc Manipulations, Ian E. Nielsen

Theses and Dissertations

The deployment of machine learning (ML) in safety-critical domains is impeded by the black-box nature of deep learning models. Although these models excel at discerning complex patterns, their opacity undermines trust, limiting their use for high-stakes tasks. This thesis advances the field of eXplainable Artificial Intelligence (XAI) by introducing novel methods to evaluate and enhance model interpretability, ensuring explanations are both faithful (accurate to the model’s reasoning) and plausible (intelligible to human users). A key challenge in XAI is the unreliability of post-hoc explanation methods. To address this, we propose (1) quantitative evaluation metrics for assessing the faithfulness of local …

Algorithms Of Eversion: Contemporary States And Digital Sovereigns, James Libengood

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The rapid development of artificial intelligence (AI), the internet of things (IoT), and digitization have pushed digital sovereignty to the top of the governance agenda in the 21st century. This notion is expanded upon in this work through seven chapters encompassing theoretical underpinnings, methodological frameworks, and real-world case studies. It shows how multinational corporations dominate digital coloniality, and how the merge of physical and digital reality or eversion poses challenges. The study compares contrasting governance approaches, such as the European Union’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), geared to ethical AI and data protection, versus BRICS nations’ stance on data localization …

An Implementation Study Of A Brief, Online Sexual Mindfulness Intervention At The Individual Partner Level: The Impact Of Prompting Practice On Implementation, Alexyss Lange

Theses and Dissertations

Prior research suggests frequent, scheduled, non-interactive text support enhances psychological outcomes and increases adherence to psychological interventions (Agyapong et al., 2020; Shalaby et al., 2022; Shim et al., 2017). Using a hybrid III implementation model, we recruited individuals in romantic relationships to test whether weekly reminders improved engagement with a sexual mindfulness intervention. We found no evidence that additional support increased intervention implementation. Although we aimed to assess acceptability, adoption, appropriateness, and feasibility as separate implementation outcomes, factor analysis indicated these variables cluster into two broader constructs: Readiness and motivation and discomfort and uncertainty. These factors did not differ between …

Contaminant Removal Of Printed 7xxx Aluminum Using The Additive Friction Stir Deposition Process, Jacob Jason Hansen

Theses and Dissertations

The development of contaminant-free additive friction stir deposition (AFSD) using 7xxx series aluminum alloys represents a significant advancement in solid-state additive manufacturing. The removal of graphite and other contaminants allows AFSD to more effectively move forward into the production space. This work demonstrates how contaminant-free depositions were made more feasible. This was accomplished via novel tool designs. These novel designs reduced process forces sufficiently that 7xxx aluminum alloys were able to be printed on commercial and research AFSD machines. Internal features such as draft angles and diffusers/chamfers help to significantly reduce actuator forces. This work also demonstrates how external tool …

Low Surface Brightness Features Of Edge-On Galaxies In Deep Sky Surveys, Kyle R. Adams

Theses and Dissertations

In this thesis, we present a comprehensive visual analysis of low surface brightness (LSB) structures in edge-on galaxies using two statistically complete samples: 838 galaxies from the SDSS Stripe 82 region (ES82) and 5,745 galaxies from the Edge-on Galaxies in SDSS (EGIS) catalog, both containing galaxies with spectroscopic redshifts out to 𝑧 ∼ 0.2. Using deep imaging data from the SDSS, SDSS Stripe 82, DESI Legacy Imaging Surveys, and the HSC-SSP, we construct RGB and coadded images for comparison and to improve feature detection. Average limiting photometric depth for each survey in the 𝑟 band for the surveys analyzed in …

Perspectives Regarding Creating A Community Of Inquiry In Online Versions Of Lab Courses, Yuna Buhrman

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The COVID-19 pandemic shut down science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) college labs due to the restricted physical access to resources. The problem that was addressed in this study was that there is a lack of understanding of how the three presences of the community of inquiry were implemented by STEM lab instructors when developing online lab courses during emergency remote teaching (ERT). The purpose of this generic qualitative study was to explore perspectives of college STEM lab instructors regarding social, teaching, and cognitive presences in online versions of their lab courses during ERT. Data were collected using semistructured interviews …

Effective Employee Retention Strategies Used By U.S. Hotel Organizations, Marian Yvette Woods

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

High employee turnover rates continue to represent a significant challenge for U.S. hotel organizations, impacting operational efficiency. Hotel leaders are concerned that turnover negatively affects profitability and organizational viability, making retention strategies critical for competitiveness. Grounded in Herzberg’s two-factor motivation-hygiene theory, the purpose of this qualitative pragmatic inquiry study was to identify and explore effective strategies that some business leaders in U.S. hotel organizations use to enhance employee retention. The participants were eight leaders who have implemented effective employee retention strategies in U.S. hotel organizations in Georgia. Data were collected using semistructured interviews, company website information, and publicly available documents. …

Free Speech In An Age Of Democratic Backsliding, Thomas Keck

Political Science - All Scholarship

The growth of judicial power globally has renewed scholarly debates about who benefits from increased judicial authority. Using original data, we examine the full universe of constitutional free expression decisions issued by three apex courts—in Colombia, India, and South Africa—across three categories of disputes that feature a diverse array of rights claimants. By so doing, we shed light on the limits of elite-driven accounts of judicial empowerment. We find that even where constitutional courts are empowered by elites seeking to advance their own interests, activist courts can develop a practice of rights-protection that benefits a diverse range of less-powerful actors. …

"I Didn't Have To Change Who I Was To Listen": A Phenomenological Action Research Study Exploring College Students' Transformative Learning Through Dialogue And Bridgebuilding Initiatives As High-Impact Practices In Higher Education, Michael Malinowski

Theses & Dissertations

Bridgebuilding programs in higher education create rare spaces where students sit with tension, listen deeply, and engage meaningfully across lines of difference. This study examines how those experiences shape student transformation. Guided by Jack Mezirow’s Transformative Learning Theory, I conducted a qualitative phenomenological study to understand how participation in structured, skills-based bridgebuilding programs shapes students’ beliefs, assumptions, and sense of identity through their lived experiences. I interviewed fourteen students who participated in leadership programming centered on Dialogue Across Differences, and their narratives consistently reflect key phases of transformative learning. Students move through discomfort, reflect on prior assumptions, and apply new …

Utah Surface Irrigation Water Optimization Opportunities And Barriers, Matt Yost, Clara Anderson, Burdette Barker, Justin Wyatt Clawson, Kalen Taylor, Michael Pace

All Current Publications

Surface irrigation systems are still the predominant system used in some parts of Utah, representing nearly half of the irrigated area in the state and the region. Understanding the barriers to water optimization and opportunities for improvement in surface irrigation systems will help ensure their viability. This article presents the results of a survey of surface irrigators in Utah.

Human Alveolar Macrophage Response To Mycobacterium Tuberculosis: Immune Characteristics Underlying Large Inter-Individual Variability, Wolfgang Sadee, Ian H. Cheeseman, Audrey Papp, Maciej Pietrzak, Michal Seweryn, Xiaofei Zhou, Shili Lin, Hao Zhang, Blanca I. Restrepo, Yufeng Wang

School of Medicine Publications

Mycobacterium tuberculosis (M.tb) infection infects human alveolar macrophages (HAMs). In freshly isolated HAMs from 28 healthy adults, we observe large inter-individual differences in bacterial uptake and growth, with tenfold variation in M.tb load by 72 h. While M.tb infection triggers expression changes of numerous host mRNAs, we examined which genes are most variably expressed (VE genes) between donors, as potential biomarkers of individual tuberculosis (TB) risk. The HAM RNA transcriptome following infection revealed thousands of differentially expressed (DE) genes and differential secretion of 25/27 proteins. Yet only 324 DE genes represent VE genes detected exclusively among DE genes in …

The Revolving Door Of Epilepsy Emergencies: A Mixed Methods Cross-Sectional Study Of Healthcare Professionals’ Perspectives, Sarah Lennard, Lisa Bunn, Rosi Raine, Rohit Shankar

Peninsula Medical School

BackgroundReattendance rates at UK Emergency Departments (ED) of people with epilepsy (PWE), is higher than other chronic conditions. This is due to a myriad of seizure, biological, psychological and social factors. The aim of this study is to understand these influencers from the perspective of healthcare professionals working in the frontline specifically to reduce seizure related ED re-attendance.MethodsA cross-sectional online mixed methodology survey of 20 closed and free-text questions was conducted of relevant healthcare professional groups. Eligibility was based on those that came into contact with PWE in emergency as part of their role. A non-discriminatory exponential snowballing technique of …

Exploring Culturally Responsive Literacy Practices In Prekindergarten: A Multimodal Approach By Teachers, Deeksha Thonta Aradhya

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Children from culturally and ethnically diverse backgrounds are often expected to learn within different cultural contexts than those they have experienced in their families, homes, and communities. Some children are rarely exposed to the dominant culture and practices that are highly valued in schools before entering early education settings. When they start (pre)school, young children are often expected to immediately participate in cultural practices that may differ from those at home, which are considered indicative of being successful, ready, or capable. This research aimed to investigate the culturally responsive literacy practices used by teachers in a laboratory prekindergarten classroom. The …

Cinematic Abuse: A Critical Analysis Of Disney’S “Happily Ever After” In The Little Mermaid, Aladdin, And The Princess And The Frog, Erin Michelle Gough

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation examines the manner in which three animated Disney princess films cultivate stereotypes and gendered behaviors consistent with domestic violence and thereby encourages viewers to accept and tolerate abuse against women. I argue that due to the dangerous, constricting, and sexist gender roles encouraged by the Walt Disney Corporation, films prime young girls and boys to react to social situations and encounters in a way that mirror the characters’ reactions. Because of the films’ entertainment value, most of the characters’ inappropriate, stereotypical, and often violent behaviors either go unnoticed or are passively accepted. The violence does not have to …

Multiscale Modeling Of Drug-Induced Liver Injury From Organ To Lobule, Alon Malka-Markovitz, Stelian Camara Dit Pinto, Mohammed Cherkaoui, Steven M Levine, Sharmila Anandasabapathy, Gagan K Sood, Sadhna Dhingra, Gao Yujia, John M Vierling, Nicolas R Gallo

Center for Medical Ethics and Health Policy Staff Publications

Drug-induced liver injury poses significant challenges in drug development and in clinical care. This study builds on prior work developing a Human Liver Virtual Twin by creating a Multiscale Computational Fluid Dynamics framework that integrates patient-specific anatomical data to predict acetaminophen-induced liver injury as a demonstration of its capability. The model bridges vascular, lobular, and cellular scales to simulate dynamic blood flow, drug transport, and injury mechanisms that accurately reflect clinically observed spatial heterogeneity. Results demonstrate accurate blood flow dynamics, predictions of hepatocellular damage, and a scalable framework for studying spatial heterogeneity applicable to other hepatic pathologies. This work establishes …

Using Augmented Reality To Improve Tourism Marketing Effectiveness, Wael Kortam Prof., Alaa Aggag

Business Administration

This study investigates the impact of web-based augmented reality (Web AR) on destina-

tion visit intention through the lens of a stimulus–organism–response (SOR) framework, a

technology acceptance model (TAM) and flow theory into an integrated theoretical frame-

work. This study aims to address gaps in the literature by providing insights about the

relevance of augmented reality to tourism marketing effectiveness. Structural equation

modeling was used to test this conceptual framework using AMOS23 on quantitative

data collected from questionnaires distributed locally and internationally and applied to

384 participants after going through a Web AR destination experience. The findings con-

firmed that …

Seeing Is Believing: Restorative Justice At Harvard Law School, Adriaan Lanni

Journal of Legal Education

No abstract provided.

The Restorative Justice Project, Shana Toor

Journal of Legal Education

No abstract provided.

Incorporating Restorative Justice Into Black-Letter Criminal Law, Shirin Bakhshay

Journal of Legal Education

No abstract provided.

Reflections On Teaching Restorative Justice As A Racial Justice Tool, Mary Louise Frampton

Journal of Legal Education

No abstract provided.

Magic Or Morass?: A Multidisciplinary Approach To Restorative Practices For Sexual Harm Prevention And Program Evaluation, C. Quince Hopkins, Laurie M. Graham, April Cavaletto

Journal of Legal Education

No abstract provided.

Quality Improvement Project The Introduction Of Gratitude Journaling To Decrease Test Anxiety In Prelicensure Bachelor Of Science In Nursing Students, Jourdan Scoggins

Doctor of Nursing Practice Projects

Test anxiety is a substantial barrier to success among prelicensure nursing students, given the heavy course load and high academic pressure of the educational environment. The purpose of this quality improvement project was to measure the impact of gratitude journaling on levels of test anxiety in first-semester Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) enrolled in a nursing math course at a regional university in Arkansas. Following a quasi-experimental design, students participating in the project completed the Westside Test Anxiety Scale (WTAS) before and after five weeks of gratitude journaling. Thirty-two students participated in the intervention and 24 of those completed …

Towards A Critical Legal Tech Education: A Decolonial Approach, Diego H. Alcalá Laboy

Seattle University Law Review Online

The intersection of law, technology, and decolonial theory offers a critical framework for exposing and challenging power asymmetries embedded in both legal and technological systems. Drawing from his experience as a criminal defense attorney and legal academic, Diego H. Alcalá Laboy critiques how surveillance technologies, often framed as tools for justice, disproportionately harm marginalized communities. Grounded in Latin American decolonial theory, particularly the modernity/coloniality/decoloniality triad and the concept of pluriversality, he argues for reimagining legal scholarship and pedagogy to disrupt Eurocentric and universalist assumptions. Using a colonizer/colonized framework, he advocates for bottom-up knowledge creation that centers the voices of those …

The Opioid Crisis: How The United States And Countries Abroad Are Making Strides, Maura Mcginnity

DePaul Journal of Health Care Law

The opioid epidemic has been an ongoing problem in the United States since the 1980s. The United States has had a very negative attitude towards individuals suffering from addiction. This attitude is clearly shown through the United States’ handling of the opioid crisis. Hundreds of thousands of individuals have died due to opioids. In the forty years since this epidemic became prevalent, the United States has still failed to implement a country-wide solution to combat the crisis. Certain states, like New York and Illinois, have made strides toward helping individuals suffering from opioid use disorder, but nationally, the country is …

Is There Really A Difference? A Comparison Of In-Person And Online Qualitative Interviews, Kelly Anthony, Michelle Miller-Day, Monica Dupuy, Jarrod Ventura, Arielle Leonard Hodges, Denise Alonso-Pecora, Hannatu Dimas

Communication Faculty Articles and Research

During the 2020 worldwide lockdowns due to COVID-19, qualitative researchers were restricted to online communication (e.g., Zoom) to gather qualitative interview data. Since that time, qualitative researchers have increasingly transitioned from conducting interviews primarily in person to conducting interviews using online communication technologies such as Zoom, but little is known about how interview approaches may impact the interview experience or data quality. This study explores differences between face-to-face (FTF) and online (Zoom) interviewing approaches, data quality, and interviewee perceptions of rapport, empathy, and conversational involvement. Participants were assigned to an interview condition (FTF or Zoom) and randomly assigned to one …

The Mbcrc Advocate Researcher Program (Marp): Connecting Advocates And Researchers As Collaborative Partners In Cancer Research, Hillary S Andrews, Igor L Bado, Amy Beumer, Isaac S Chan, Janice Cowden, Debbie Denardi, Gloria V Echeverria, Brooke L Gates, Marybeth Gilliam, Christine Hodgdon, Adrian V Lee, Joan Mancuso, Julia Maues, Steffi Oesterreich, Michael Papanicolaou, Katherine E Pendleton, Bob Riter, Kelly Shanahan, Anh M Tran-Huynh, Pavitra Viswanath, Stephanie Walker, Alana L Welm, Michelle M Williams, Garhett L Wyatt, Josh Newby

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Involving patient advocates as partners in cancer research improves research and provides favorable experiences for both the researcher and the advocate. Previous work demonstrates challenges to establishing relationships between researchers and advocates, including uncertainty about why the relationships are necessary, how to establish them, what to say, and how they should be structured. To overcome these challenges, we established the Metastatic Breast Cancer Research Conference (MBCRC) Advocate Researcher Program (MARP) at the MBCRC in 2023. We outline the approach to the program to serve as a model for others interested in performing similar activities and report findings from surveys to …

Enhancing News Article Generation With Ai Tools, Adam Ercanbrack, Christopher Johnson, Max Pagan, Nibhrat Lohia

SMU Data Science Review

Abstract. This paper aims to present a comparative analysis of a custom-built AI Journalist Assistant and ChatGPT 4.0 for news article generation. The goal is to evaluate the performance of each model based on accuracy, speed, ethical safeguards, and relevance, particularly in the context of journalism. While ChatGPT is widely used for general-purpose content creation, its reliance on older data and potential for plagiarism presents challenges in the fast-paced, high-stakes world of news reporting. To address these issues, we will design and implement an AI Assistant using Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG) techniques, focusing on real-time data access, bias reduction, and plagiarism …

The Prevalence And Impact Of Discourse In Social Media Networks: The 2024 Presidential Election, Kyle Kuberski, Xavier R. Mojica, Gwonchan J. Yoon, Brad Klein, Bivin P. Sadler

SMU Data Science Review

Abstract. Social Media platforms serve as central hubs for global discourse, where political dialogue is widely shared and echoed. This exchange shapes civic participation and influences electoral outcomes, often with both intended and unintended consequences. In its inception, social media platforms served as message boards for the masses, yet manipulation and exploiting of systems via bot usage has made platforms susceptible to outside forces. Thus, false narratives and an artificial sense of consensus are endemically augmented. As for the 2016 and 2020 U.S. presidential elections, it is important to investigate the prevalence of evolved bot activity in both political and …

Review Of “Pathway To The Stars: 100 Years Of The Royal Canadian Air Force” By Michael Hood And Tom Jenkins, Randall Wakelam

Canadian Military History

Review of Pathway to The Stars: 100 Years of the Royal Canadian Air Force by Michael Hood and Tom Jenkins

Resveratrol And Il-6 Modulation Of Cxcl1 Expression And Viability In Human Breast Cancer Cell Lines, Entkhab M. A. Alanisi, Aida H. Alobaidi, Khalid Alyodawi

AUIQ Complementary Biological System

This study aims to investigate, through in vitro methods, the molecular, immunofluorescent, and immunohistochemical effects of resveratrol and IL-6 on CXCL1 gene/protein expression in human breast cancer cells (MCF-7). MCF-7 and MCF-10A cell lines were cultured and divided into four groups: control, IL-6-treated, resveratrol-treated, and a combination-treated group. CXCL1 gene expression was assessed by real-time PCR (RT-PCR), while CXCL1 protein levels were analyzed using immunofluorescence and immunohistochemistry. Cell viability was quantified by MTS assay using ELISA. CXCL1 gene/protein was overexpressed in MCF-7 cells, especially in the IL-6-treated group, but reduced in both resveratrol and combination-treated groups. MTS assay showed increased …