Digital Commons Network^™

Research And Innovation Update, March 20, 2026, Office Of The Vice President For Research And Innovation

Office of Research, Economic Engagement and Outreach

No abstract provided.

Agenda (3-20-2026), California State University, San Bernardino - Associated Students, Incorporated

Associated Students, Incorporated records

No abstract provided.

The Plra's Carceral Litigation Penalty, Alexander Afnán

Penn State Law Review (2003 - Present)

No abstract provided.

May Federal Courts Create New Presumptions?, Emile J. Katz

Penn State Law Review (2003 - Present)

No abstract provided.

Due Process And Press Credentialing, Nicole J. Ligon

Penn State Law Review (2003 - Present)

No abstract provided.

Egbert V. Boule, Fisher V. Hollingsworth, And The Death Of Bivens:Rethinking Civil Rights Remedies For Federal Prisoners, Joseph D. Sclesky

Penn State Law Review (2003 - Present)

No abstract provided.

Newmont Properties, Lp V. Callender

All Decisions

The Appellate Term affirmed a Civil Court final judgment awarding the landlord possession in a licensee summary proceeding. The tenant, the deceased tenant's wife, failed to establish succession rights to the rent-stabilized apartment. The court found that the tenant did not meet the burden of proof to show the apartment was her primary residence for two years prior to the tenant's death. Testimony from the building superintendent and documentary evidence, including the tenant's cell phone bills, credit card bills, and driver's license, supported the finding that the tenant did not primarily reside at the premises.

Assessing Flash Drought Development And Propagation Across The Contiguous United States Using Remote Sensing, Masoud Zeraati, Alireza Farahmand, Richard Seager, Hayley J. Fowler, Nima Madani, Nicholas Parazoo, Colin Manning, Christopher J. White, Yixin Wen, Ali Mehran, Amir Aghakouchak

Faculty Research, Scholarly, and Creative Activity

Flash droughts are characterized by rapid onset and intensification, with severe impacts on agriculture and ecosystems. They often begin as meteorological droughts and, if conditions worsen, evolve into agricultural droughts. While precipitation deficit is often the primary driver, atmospheric and hydrological anomalies can exacerbate flash drought development. This study characterizes flash droughts across the Contiguous United States using remote sensing data from 2003 to 2020. A combination of satellite-derived meteorological, agricultural, and ecological variables are used to investigate large-scale flash drought development. Events are defined using root-zone soil moisture. We used the Aridity Index to assess how background aridity influences …

The Evolution Of Science And The Transformation Of Human Understanding: Toward A Generative Framework Of Learning And Reality, Yoshihiko Ariizumi

Spiritual Proficiency

This essay argues that the development of science can be understood not as linear accumulation, but as a sequence of structural transformations in human understanding. Such a view aligns with a generative framework in which knowledge is not passively received or merely constructed, but emerges through dynamic interactions that reorganize cognitive and experiential structures. By situating this framework within the history of science, we can better understand both the nature of scientific progress and its indispensable role in human development.

Multidisciplinary Care In The Management Of Pleomorphic Dermal Sarcoma: A Single-Center Case Series And Review, Jaanvi Mehta, Leena Wardeh, Jayson Suriano, Rishob Dasgupta, Ramsay Hafer, Alexandra Elder, Safiyyah Bhatti, Jason B. Lee, Atrayee B. Mallick, Neda Nikbakht

Department of Dermatology and Cutaneous Biology Faculty Papers

No abstract provided.

Pressed For Time: The Role Of Time Pressure And Attentional Awareness On The Mental Health Of Employed Informal Dementia Caregivers, Kate Bishop

University Honors Theses

Informal caregivers for individuals with Alzheimer’s and related dementias (ADRD) experience increased time demands and poorer well-being, especially when caregiving is combined with paid employment. Subjective feelings of high time pressure, which include feeling rushed and short on time, relate to poorer self-reported measures of mental health more than objective task load. Attentional awareness is one of the fundamental components of mindfulness alongside nonjudgmental acceptance; it has been linked with more optimal mental health and feelings of having enough time. This cross-sectional study examined whether higher levels of perceived time pressure would relate to poorer self-reported mental health functioning and …

Survival Politics On A Working Waterfront: Rules Change Faster Than Prices In The South Texas Shrimp Fishery, Owen Temby, Anthony R. Lima

School of Earth, Environmental, & Marine Sciences Faculty Publications

In 2024–2025, the U.S. and Texas governments raced to save Gulf shrimp. Texas passed a truth-in labeling law for food service in restaurants. Federal agencies added antidumping and countervailing duty orders and new tariffs. This case follows Brownsville and Port Isabel, where dock prices slid while boats and crews aged. We frame the response as survival politics: urgent and improvised moves to keep a livelihood going even when imports set the price. Using legislative hearings, agency notices, local reporting, and port records, we show that rules reset faster than prices. Inventories, contracts, and supplier substitution delay any lift at the …

Synthesis, Characterization, And Biological Potentials Of Chalcones Derivatives, Acer Juma Hamad, Hamdia Hateem Jawad, Kadhim Abdulwahid Aadim

Baghdad Science Journal

This work aims at synthesizing chalcone derivatives using Acetophenone and benzaldehyde derivatives as the primary components. The chalcone compounds [1, 2, 3, 4, 5] have been produced through Claisen-Schmidt condensation reaction, which involves combining benzaldehyde derivatives (such as 4-bromobenzaldehyde, 4-hydroxybenzaldehyde, 4-(dimethyl amino)benzaldehyde, and o-Nitro benzaldehyde) with acetophenone or its derivatives. This reaction takes place when an aqueous solution of sodium hydroxide and ethanol are combined at room temperature. The generated products were examined employing carbon-13 nuclear magnetic resonance ¹³C-NMR, proton nuclear magnetic resonance ¹H-NMR, ultraviolet (UV), and infrared (IR) spectroscopic techniques. Each compound was tested to determine how …

The International Decade Of Sciences For Sustainable Development: Global Progress And China’S Actions, Lin Wang, Shaofeng Hu, Fan Wang

Bulletin of Chinese Academy of Sciences (Chinese Version)

The International Decade of Sciences for Sustainable Development (IDSSD, 2024–2033) was officially launched by the United Nations in 2024, with the aim of strengthening and demonstrating the central role of science in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and advancing the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. This study systematically reviews the development of IDSSD, its governance structure, mechanisms for project solicitation and endorsement, as well as the thematic and regional distribution of endorsed initiatives. On this basis, it assesses China’s current participation and potential opportunities. During the first call for initiatives, IDSSD received 221 proposals from 52 countries, with 109 …

Understanding Key Lssues In Current Artificial Intelligence Development And Governance, Meng Li

Bulletin of Chinese Academy of Sciences (Chinese Version)

At present, as global artificial intelligence advances vigorously, the industry is engaged in intense discussions about the future direction of its development and governance, where certain consensus has been reached alongside notable divergences and controversies. This study focuses on several key contentious issues in the current development and governance of artificial intelligence, analyzes their inherent logic by combining the laws of scientific and technological progress, and puts forward corresponding solutions. Regarding the potential bubble risk, it emphasizes the need to strengthen the application of artificial intelligence in the real economy to channel and guide its development momentum. For the future …

Synergistic Strategies For Regional ‘Zero-Waste City’ Construction, Xiaolong Liu, Zongguo Wen, Yanyan Tang, Xiangwan Du

Bulletin of Chinese Academy of Sciences (Chinese Version)

“Recommendations of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China for Formulating the 15th Five-Year Plan for National Economic and Social Development” emphasizes deepening cross-administrative cooperation, and improving mechanisms for inter-regional planning coordination, industrial collaboration, and benefit sharing to promote regional linked development. While China’s “zero-waste city” initiative has achieved remarkable results, its long-term sustainability necessitates a shift towards coordinated regional synergy. This requires establishing enduring mechanisms for collaborative solid waste governance that transcend governmental, hierarchical, and departmental boundaries. The ultimate goal is to optimize the allocation of waste treatment resources between neighboring and even non-adjacent regions, foster a …

Implementing Staff Education To Improve Depression Detection In Primary Care Using Patient Health Questionnaire (Phq-9), Ukamaka Okeke

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

This staff education project focuses on improving depression detection in a primary care settings using Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9) screening tool. Depression is a leading cause of disability worldwide, requiring reliable and adaptable screening tools. The diagnosis of depression is one of the most common mental health disorders in primary care but is poorly identified and frequently missed. The lack of consistent screening for depression among patients often results in delayed identification of symptoms, which postpones early treatment, increasing the risk of complications associated with untreated depression. The practice site identified that depression screening was frequently missed during patient intake, …

Welcome To The Trump Administration’S Board Of Immigration Appeals. The Immigrant Always Loses., Jason A. Cade

Scholarly Works

The first 100 opinions in Volume 29 of the Board of Immigration Appeals’ precedential decisions—issued at more than three times the historical pace—constitute a project. The Trump Administration has used the Attorney General’s self-referral power and a reconstituted, ideologically aligned Board to engineer a body of precedents that reliably produces one result: removal. This Essay organizes these decisions, cataloged in a full Appendix, into five main categories: (1) narrowing relief for noncitizens alleging persecution; (2) expanding mandatory detention while narrowing discretionary release; (3) maximizing the immigration consequences of criminal history and related grounds while foreclosing the relief mechanisms Congress created …

The Harms Associated With Simplifying Our Language Choices, And The Need For A New Typology For Dog Breeders And Consumers, Rebekah Gregory

School of Law, Humanities and Social Sciences

‘Animal’ exploitation is not a new phenomenon. Whilst categorising ‘animals’ by broader groups rather than species helps us understand their experiences, our language still limits our ability to capture the nuances of their treatment. Dogs appointed as domesticated companions are subjected to a variety of experiences. Some are fed gourmet meals and taken to privately rented parks; and others suffer from the consequences of impulsive purchasing and physical abuse. This diversity in treatment is significantly determined by the intentions of the dog’s breeder and consumer. Subsequently, referring to all breeders and consumers with the same terminology instead of highlighting the …

Clay Minerals Do Not Influence Nitrous Oxide Production Via Denitrification In Simulated Oxygen Minimum Zones, Luke Rein

Dartmouth College Master’s Theses

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It has been proposed that export of organic carbon from the epipelagic zone to the seafloor can be increased by the addition of 20 mg L^{-1 …}

Curricular Changes Proposed For 2025-2027 Morris Catalog, Curriculum Committee

Curriculum Committee Reports

Includes documentation on the discontinuation of Sociology, Geology, German Studies, and Latin American Area Studies (LAAS).

High-Capacity Nations Can Unlock Momentum For Quality Marine Protection, Fabio Favoretto, Joy A. Kumagai, Catalina López-Sagástegui, Deirdre Brannigan, Alex Driedger, Jennifer Sletten, Claire Colegrove, Timothe Vincent, Virgil Zetterlind, Paolo Guidetti, Octavio Aburto-Oropeza

School of Biological and Marine Sciences

Summary.Highly and fully protected marine protected areas (HF-MPAs) deliver the strongest ecological outcomes, yet they cover just 3.8% of the ocean, and annual gains have stalled. We combine ProtectedSeas regulatory classifications with coastal habitat maps for corals, mangroves, seagrasses, and saltmarshes to track HF-MPAs and minimally/lightly protected MPAs (ML-MPAs) from 2000 to 2025 and overlay results with governance-based enabling conditions. HF-MPAs remain rare even in high-capacity countries that host most mapped coastal habitats and 39% of the global upgrade gap. Upgrading ML-MPAs in this small cohort—especially in overseas territories—offers immediate habitat protection gains and a visible pathway toward 30 × …

Multi-Objective Optimization Of Waste Incineration For Minimal Carbon Monoxide And Sulfur Dioxide Emission And Rate Maximization: A Case Study Of Mbezi, Mkuranga-Pwani, Tanzania, Grangay M. Nyanghura, Enock W. Nshama

Tanzania Journal of Science

Incineration is widely employed for hazardous waste disposal, but results in harmful flue gas emissions. This study optimizes a double-chamber incineration process to reduce sulfur dioxide (SO2) and carbon monoxide (CO) emissions while maximizing the incineration rate. The effects of waste mass, primary chamber temperature (PT), and secondary chamber temperature (ST) were analyzed using a full factorial design of 27 experiments. ANOVA revealed that mass had the greatest impact on emissions and incineration time, ST had a moderate effect, and PT had little influence. Regression analysis provided models for incineration time, CO, and SO2 emissions. Single-objective optimization using sequential quadratic …

Comparative Study Of Cement-Rice Husk Ash Stabilized Bricks And Fired Clay Bricks, Daniel R. Samson, Emmanuel S. Leo

Tanzania Journal of Science

In some countries, fired clay bricks (FCBs) are widely used for construction, but their production is energy-intensive, relies largely on firewood, and contributes to deforestation and carbon emissions. This study explores unfired clay bricks stabilised with cement and rice husk ash (RHA) as a sustainable alternative, using Dakawa ward in the Morogoro Region, Tanzania, as a case study. The bricks, with a clay of plasticity index 17%, were stabilized with 6%, 10%, and 14% cement by mass, moulded into 40 mm cubes, and cured for 28 days. The compressive strengths achieved were 1.5, 3.6, and 4.1 MPa with water absorption …

Effects Of Substrate–Supplement Interactions On Yield Performance Of Oyster Mushroom (Pleurotus Ostreatus), Charles O. Joseph, Faraja Makwinja

Tanzania Journal of Science

Different substrates and supplements are used in mushroom production, however their interaction effects and growth variables affected is little known. This study was conducted to compare the effects of substrate-supplement interactions on growth and yield of oyster mushrooms Pleurotus ostreatus. Two substrates (banana leaves and sawdust) and two supplements (chicken manure and sugar) were investigated. The substrates were reduced to 2 cm pieces and steam sterilized at 80–100°C for 3 hours. In each bag containing specific substrate, the supplements were added as 2% of the total substrate. The spawn was inoculated from each bag; misting was applied to maintain constant …

Heavy Metal Contamination In Agricultural Soils And Potential Human Health Risks, Debora Michael Mwenda, Leonard Masesa Jumanne, Daudi Salvius Mgaya, Amos Vincent Ntarisa

Tanzania Journal of Science

Heavy metal contamination in agricultural soils is a growing concern due to potential human health risks via ingestion, dermal contact, and inhalation. However, data on fertiliser-related contamination in rural Tanzanian settings remain limited. This study assessed contamination levels and associated health risks in Kibwabwa village, Iringa, Tanzania. A total of 48 soil samples were collected from eight farms at a depth of 0–15 cm. Concentrations of Cu, Zn, Ni, Cd, Cr, and Pb were determined using Atomic Absorption Spectroscopy (AAS). Health risks were evaluated using chronic daily intake (CDI), hazard quotient (HQ), hazard index (HI), and carcinogenic risk (CR) models …

Promoting Student Engagement In Science Education: A Review Of Research-Based Approaches, Yoshihiko Ariizumi

Spiritual Proficiency

Student engagement remains a central concern in science education. Across decades of research, educational scholars have proposed various frameworks to enhance learners’ interest, motivation, and deep understanding. This paper reviews major contributions from ten influential researchers and synthesizes key principles for designing engaging science learning environments. The analysis shows that effective science education emphasizes active participation, inquiry, cognitive challenge, social interaction, and meaningful application. These findings support a broader view of learning as a transformative process rather than mere knowledge acquisition.

The Synthesis Of Truth: Integrating Research-Based Science Education With The Restored Gospel At Brigham Young University, Yoshihiko Ariizumi

Spiritual Proficiency

Modern science education identifies six core principles for student engagement: active participation, inquiry, cognitive challenge, social interaction, meaningful context, and balanced guidance. While these principles are validated by secular research (e.g., Piaget, Vygotsky, Kolb), their implementation at Brigham Young University (BYU) takes on a unique dimension through the lens of the Restored Gospel of Jesus Christ. This paper argues that effective science education at BYU is not merely a pedagogical strategy but a spiritual imperative. By synthesizing scientific inquiry with divine revelation, learners transition from passive recipients of information to active agents of discovery, fulfilling the prophetic mandate to "seek …

“Makes Me Wanna Holler”: Psychological Safety In Program Development Under Anti-Dei Legislation, Derrick B. Johnson

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This evocative autoethnographic study explores the professional and emotional experiences of a Black male higher education administrator who developed a college success program for Black male students at a mostly White institution in Northeast Florida. The research took place as new state laws against diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) were introduced, showing how these changes disrupt DEI efforts. By using narrative inquiry, the study emphasizes how laws, campus culture, and racial expectations directly affect the emotional intelligence and professional identity needed to support Black male student success.

By focusing on the author's personal experiences, this evocative autoethnography shows the emotional, …

Re: Comment Letter For The Butte Priority Soils Operable Unit (Bpsou) Draft 2022 Stormwater Evaluation And Maintenance Report (Dated February 27, 2026), Emma Rott

Silver Bow Creek/Butte Area Superfund Site

No abstract provided.