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 …

Re: Approval Letter For The Butte Priority Soils Operably Unit (Bpsou) Revised Draft Final Quarterly Operations And Maintenance Report: Butte Treatment Lagoon System (Btl) Second Quarter 2025 (Dated April 10, 2026), Emma Rott

Silver Bow Creek/Butte Area Superfund Site

No abstract provided.

Aggression And Fish Welfare: Challenges And Opportunities, Christine M. Soper, Peter D. Dijkstra

Animal Sentience

Oldfield & Bonano’s (2024) [O&B] target article discusses the wellbeing and sociality of bony fishes. Many fish species, such as cichlids, are not only social but territorial. Aggression is normal, but territorial aggression in a captive environment can have a negative impact on welfare. Aggression-related injuries and deaths are prevalent in pet stores as well as research settings. We discuss the need to develop effective methods to minimize the negative consequences of aggression.

Synthesis, Structural Elucidation, In Vitro Antibacterial Activity Of Mononuclear Ag(I) Complex Derived From (E)-N-(4-Fluorophenyl)-1-(Pyridin-2-Yl) Methanimine And Triphenylphosphine Ancillary Ligand., Olufemi Stephen Odulaja, Saliu Alao Amolegbe, Muritala Adeniyi Olusola

Tanzania Journal of Science

Chemo-therapeutic application of metal complexes to remediation and subjugation of emerging infectious diseases with a view to improving potency and efficacy of a variety of drugs is gaining more momentum, especially in the 21st century. This research work designed a new biologically active complex [AgL(PPh3)2]NO3,C, obtained from the reaction of Ag(I) nitrate with bidentate pyridinyl Schiff base ligand (E)-N-(4-fluorophenyl)-1-(pyridin-2-yl) methanimine L, with triphenylphosphine (PPh3) as co-ligand. Characterisation was done by FT-IR, UV-Vis, NMR, (TGA/DTA), X-ray crystallography, and elemental analysis. The combined effects of pyridinyl Schiff base ligand and PPh3 on the antibacterial activities against Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumonia, …

Family-Based Gwas Of Cognitive Endophenotypes Reveals Genetic Architecture Of Memory And Executive Function In Alzheimer’S Disease, Kesheng Wang, Xueying Yang, Gayenell Magwood, Chun Xu, R. Osvaldo Navia, Jean Neils-Strunjas, Xiaoming Li

Health & Biomedical Sciences Faculty Publications

Alzheimer’s disease (AD), the most common cause of dementia, is characterized by progressive memory and cognitive decline. Conventional genome-wide association studies (GWAS) comparing AD cases and controls may miss genetic influences that act along a continuum of cognitive function. Using data from 3007 participants in the National Institute on Aging Late-Onset Alzheimer’s Disease Family Study (NIA-LOAD GWAS), we conducted a family-based GWAS of eight quantitative cognitive phenotypes encompassing episodic memory (Logical Memory IA and IIA), working memory (Digit Span Forward, Backward, and Ordering), and semantic fluency (Animal, Fruit and Vegetable, and Vegetable Fluency). Family-based association testing in PLINK v1.9 identified …

Optimization Of Pediatric Multidetector Ct Imaging Parameters Using A Machine Learning–Based Monte Carlo Simulation Model, Ali O. Masoud, Adithya Rajnaryanan, Khamis O. Amour, Ahmed M. Jusabani, Justin E Ngaile, Manoj Kumar, Mwingereza John Kumwenda Dr

Tanzania Journal of Science

This study utilized Monte Carlo (MC) simulations to optimize radiation doses in pediatric multidetector computed tomography (MDCT) head scans by analyzing key parameters like tube current (mA), tube voltage (kV), pitch, and slice thickness. The findings indicate that reducing tube current significantly lowers the Computed Tomography Dose Index (CTDIvol) and Dose Length Product (DLP), effectively minimizing patient radiation exposure. Higher pitch values (0.7–0.9) further reduced radiation by decreasing beam overlap, while using a thinner slice thickness (0.6 mm) improved dose efficiency. A comparison highlighted the effectiveness of optimization: simulated parameters kVp 100, mAs 81, pitch 0.98 yielded a CTDIvol of …

Editorial, Yuval Baruch

'Atiqot

Editorial

Understanding Alleyways Of The Early Bronze Age Southern Levant: A View From Tell Eṣ-ṢÂfi/Gath, Israel, Haskel J. Greenfield, Jeremy A. Beller, Sarah J. Richardson, Shira Albaz, Tina L. Greenfield, Aren M. Maeir

'Atiqot

Public passageways enable people, animals and goods to navigate a built environment, allowing access to residences, shops and public buildings, and also demarcate the spheres of society: economic versus social, sacred versus profane and public versus private. Passageways also mark the arrangement of neighborhoods and typically reflect a purposeful organization for settlements. This paper explores the nature of passageways at early urban settlements in the Southern Levant, and particularly their placement and maintenance in Early Bronze Age domestic neighborhoods. To this end, it summarizes the architecture, stratigraphy and artifactual remains associated with an alleyway in the recently excavated domestic neighborhood …

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 …

Cognition In Pair-Living Owl Monkeys: The Role Of Partner Affiliation In The Willingness To Cooperate To Solve A Cognitive Task, Aaron J. Mencia

Electronic Theses and Dissertations 2020 - Present

Cooperative problem-solving tasks, including the loose-string paradigm, require individuals to coordinate their actions simultaneously to obtain a shared reward. These paradigms have been used extensively to assess social cognition, behavioral coordination, and partner preferences across taxa. Although the loose-string paradigm has been widely tested, it has not been applied to pair-bonded, monogamous primates such as owl monkeys (Aotus nancymaae), which exhibit affiliative behaviors including food sharing and bi-parental care. Investigating cooperation in this species may offer some clarification on whether more stable social bonds are associated with cooperative and cognitive task success as compared to those observed in …

Stories We Become (April 23, 25, 2026), Lindenwood University

Student Dance Programs & Brochures

Event program for Stories We Become (April 23, 25, 2026), Lindenwood University.

The Chapman University Pennant Is Going On The Inca Trail To Machu Picchu, Essraa Nawar

Library Articles and Research

"If you’ve spent time at Chapman University , you likely know the story of the Chapman pennant—carried by President Emeriti James Doti and @Daniele Struppa along with students and fellow adventurers, to some of the world’s highest peaks. It represents endurance, curiosity, and a deep sense of connection to place.

When it’s not packed alongside climbing gear and on its way to a summit, this well-traveled pennant is typically on display in the The Chapman University Pennant at the Dahlem-Doti-Struppa Climbing Alcove in the Library.

That’s because it’s currently on a new journey.

This time, the journey looks different. …

Kenyon Collegian - April 23, 2026

The Kenyon Collegian

No abstract provided.

My Right To Dominate You: The Populist Perversion Of Human Rights, James A. Gardner

Journal Articles

A constitutional “right” is a legal technology designed to protect the weak from the strong. In the twenty-first-century United States, however, constitutional rights have increasingly been interpreted and deployed, by both litigants and courts, to secure the ability of the strong to dominate the weak. It is quickly becoming standard practice among right-wing American populists to claim that the deployment of rights in ways that limit the ability of the strong to dominate those weaker than themselves is to make victims of the strong. Freedom, in the imagination of American populists, means the freedom to dominate disfavored others.

This paper …

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) …

Weight Concerns And Body Image Dissatisfaction Elicit Maternal Psychological Control Through Escalating Appearance Anxiety Behaviors, Madeleine Guillont

Electronic Theses and Dissertations 2020 - Present

The current study examines bidirectional associations between adolescent body-related concerns and maternal psychological control, and the behavioral mechanism through which these associations operate. Participants were 723 sixth- through ninth-grade students (350 girls, 373 boys; ages 11–15) attending all public middle and secondary schools in a mid-sized Lithuanian community. Self-report surveys were collected at three time points across the course of a school year. Results from full longitudinal mediation models indicated that higher body image dissatisfaction and weight concerns at the beginning of the school year predicted increases in maternal psychological control at the end of the school year, through increases …

Elevational Patterns Of Microplastic Density In The Surface Water Of Remote Mountain Lakes In The Swiss Alps, Nora Gutzwiller

Electronic Theses and Dissertations 2020 - Present

This novel study investigates the presence, distribution, and possible drivers of microplastic (MP) pollution in 15 alpine and subalpine lakes in the Swiss Alps. A total of 35 surface water samples were collected and analyzed under a microscope to identify and classify MPs by size, shape, and color. MPs were found in all lakes, with small fibers being the most abundant type, suggesting that atmospheric processes are a key transport pathway. Contrary to expectations, MP levels showed no significant relationship with elevation, temperature, pH, or distance to anthropogenic features, indicating that broader environmental processes likely control their distribution. However, clear …

Umayyad Streets Leading To The Temple Mount/Al-Ḥaram Al-Sharīf Gates In Jerusalem: Evidence Ofurban Planning, Control And Ideology, Yuval Baruch

'Atiqot

At the beginning of the eighth century CE, the Umayyad rulers initiated the construction of an extensive governmental complex at the foot of the Temple Mount/al-Ḥaram al-Sharīf, comprising at least four impressive monumental buildings. The present study shifts the focus from the architecture of these structures to the street system of the complex, arguing that it functioned not merely as infrastructure but as a sophisticated mechanism of movement and control. These streets, laid out along carefully planned axes and constructed atop artificial fills, employed wide, controlled gates and specific lines of sight to dictate a continuous experiential sequence. Through the …

Aspects Of Urban Planning In Bet She’An-Scythopolis: A View From Rhometalkes’ Alleys, Benjamin Y. Arubas, Leah Di Segni

'Atiqot

Intercity roads, colonnaded and drained streets, agoras and forums of the Roman and Late-Antiquity city of Bet She’an-Scythopolis—all have been widely studied, producing an ample bibliography. Not so are alleys, although they must have served various functions as thoroughfares for foot traffic or in relation to the buildings that overlooked them. These buildings could have been domestic, commercial or public, causing the function of the alley to surely change accordingly. This paper is dedicated to the study of two such alleys, which existed solely amidst public buildings, and whose story can be told based on the results of excavations and …

A Network (Capita Viarum) Of Roads, Bridges And City Gates Connecting To The Colonnaded Streets Of Roman-Period Nysa-Scythopolis: Evidence Of Efficient Traffic Planning, Walid Atrash, Gabriel Mazor

'Atiqot

This article investigates the strategic importance of Nysa-Scythopolis (Bet She’an) as a key transportation and urban center during the Roman and Byzantine periods. Located at a critical junction between the Jordan Valley and the central mountain ridges, the city comprised a complex network of regional roads and monumental gates, facilitating both local and imperial mobility. This study focuses on three of five major Roman gates—Aelia Capitolina, Gerasa, Neapolis, Damascus and Caesarea—each aligned with major intercity arteries, as well as on the construction of two Roman bridges crossing Naḥal Ḥarod, Jisr el-Khan and the skew bridge Jisr el-Maktu‘a. Gate typologies are …

The Stepped Podium : A Landmark On Jerusalem’S Main Thoroughfare In The Second Temple Period, Nahshon Szanton

'Atiqot

This article presents a small, stepped pyramidal structure that was built upon the eastern side of the Stepped Street in Jerusalem under the rule of the Roman procurators. It considers the structure’s archaeological context, architectural and functional uniqueness in light of comparable finds and sources, both historical and literary, to better understand its role and use. Based on these sources, the structure seems to have served as street furniture in the public sphere, used as a public place for trial or to announce lost-and-found artifacts.

Roads To The Holy City: An Integrated Archaeological And Spatial Analysis Of Access Routes Leading To Jerusalemin The Second Century Bce–Seventh Century Ce, Yosef Spiezer, Boaz Zissu, Yehiel Zelinger

'Atiqot

This study presents a comprehensive analysis of Jerusalem’s transportation network by integrating archaeological evidence from rescue excavations with Geographic Information Systems (GIS)-based spatial analysis and literary sources. Three distinct development phases were observed. In the Hasmonean and Early Roman periods (63 BCE–70 CE), roads primarily served Jewish pilgrimage and were accompanied by religious infrastructure such as miqwa’ot (ritual baths), water reservoirs and elaborate tombs reflecting Jerusalem’s sacred status. In the Middle and Late Roman periods (70–324 CE) systematic road construction followed the Jewish revolts, emphasizing military and administrative functions through straight, paved routes marked with milestones, including forts, watchtowers, water …

Innovative Approach To Enhance The Efficiency Of Building Integrated Photovoltaic Panels Through Automated Cooling And Cleaning Using Condensate Water In Extreme Climates, Ali Hasan Shah

Thesis/ Dissertation Defenses

Photovoltaic (PV) systems in hot and arid climates experience significant performance degradation due to elevated operating temperatures and rapid dust accumulation. Temperature increase alone reduces power output by about 0.4% to 0.5% per degree Celsius above rated conditions. In desert regions, module temperature commonly exceeds standard conditions, which results in power loss above 10%. Dust accumulation adds further degradation, and field measurements report soiling losses above 1% per day without cleaning, with cumulative losses exceeding 20% within short exposure periods. When high temperatures and dust occur together, the combined effect leads to a severe reduction in energy yield. Current mitigation …

Grp-02-199 Topological Constraints For Protein Folding, Charles Fanning

C-Day Computing Showcase

We study whether topological loss-based constraints improve multidomain whole-chain protein structure prediction beyond the ColabFold baseline by better preserving the topologies of folded proteins. We benchmark against Wasserstein metrics with our own virtual persistence and RKHS semi-metric constraints as well as higher-order virtual persistence diagrams.

Uc-177-226 Scrapper Kinetics Llc, Mikhail Rudenko, Andrew Torimoto, Jimmy Lock, Marco Cheng

C-Day Computing Showcase

Scrapper Kinetics LLC is a multiplayer and multimodal physics puzzle game. Where players get to choose between playing in VR or Desktop mode, and then, with up to 7 friends (8 players total), try to make a profit in the harsh dead space hulks they have been hired to scrap. We made the game as a test to see how easy it is to have completely different devices interact in the same play space.

Ur-166-204 Multi-User Stem Learning Experience Powered By Llm Conversational Agents, Devon Haynes, Chance Boecker, Oliver Haggard

C-Day Computing Showcase

While Extended Reality (XR) provides experiential and interactive foundations for STEM education, current storytelling and narrative-driven applications often lack responsive nonplayer characters (NPCs), limiting interactive potential through pre-scripted stories. Additionally, despite the growth of Large Language Model (LLM) integration in XR, limited research explores the combined use of multi-user XR systems and conversational Artificial Intelligence (AI) to facilitate real-time, adaptive instruction. This project seeks to address these gaps by 1) Developing a narrative-driven STEM learning XR prototype that incorporates synchronous multi-user interaction and an embedded LLM-driven conversational agent and 2) Exploring the effectiveness of combining these technologies to improve learning …

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. …

Gc-113-125 Carter’S Lake Visitor Center Boating Safety Game, Hunter Blake, Chancelor Brown, Lauren Robbins, Will Bryant, Kendrick Bryant

C-Day Computing Showcase

The Boating Safety Game is an educational, kiosk-based touchscreen game created for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the Carters Lake Visitor Center. It is designed to improve the knowledge and engagement of boating safety concepts for visitors, particularly for students and youth. The project was developed using multiple game scenarios meant to reinforce safe boating practices through tutorial scenes, top down navigation, life jacket and required item selection tasks, and player motivation through quizzes, feedback, scores, and a star ranking system. The game’s design emphasizes accessibility and retention through simple touchscreen interaction, guided instruction, and repeated feedback on …