Digital Commons Network^™

Enhancing Internet Of Things (Iot) Network Security: A Machine Learning-Driven Framework For Real-Time Intrusion Detection And Anomaly Classification, Loiy Alsbatin, Firas Zawaideh, Basem Mohamad Alrifai, Tareq A. Alawneh, Tareq A. Alawneh

Mesopotamian Journal of CyberSecurity

The rapid proliferation of IoT devices presents serious IoT network cybersecurity threats; hence, advanced IDSs are necessary. Signature and rule-based IDS mechanisms cannot address novel attacks, generate excessive alarms, and are computationally inefficient. Therefore, in response, in this paper, a machine learning IDS for IoT network real-time intrusion detection and anomaly categorization is proposed via black widow optimization (BWO) for optimal feature and hyperparameter selection. The IDS employs standard machine learning models, such as random forest and support vector machines (SVMs), and deep models, such as long short-term memory (LSTM), to address IoT environment nuances. The framework is evaluated on …

Blockchain-Integrated Edge-Cloud-Enabled Healthcare Data Analytics Based On Distributed Federated Learning And Deep Neural Networks, Mazin Abed Mohammed, Mohd Khanapi Abd Ghani, Israa Badr Al-Mashhadani, Sajida Memon, Sajida Memon, Haydar Abdulameer Marhoon, Marwan Ali Albahar

Mesopotamian Journal of CyberSecurity

The exponential growth of healthcare Internet of Things (IoT) data necessitates secure, low-latency analytics that extend beyond centralized architectures. This paper presents BDAFL DNN, a blockchain-integrated data analytics framework that combines Federated Learning (FL) and Deep Neural Networks (DNNs) for real-time, privacy-preserving healthcare analytics across edge and cloud resources. Local devices such as smartwatches and phones collect noninvasive time series sensor streams (heart rate, temperature, and abdomen sensors), perform on device DNN training, and send only model updates to healthcare edge nodes, where a blockchain ledger validates updates for integrity and traceability; validated updates are then aggregated in the cloud …

“Small” Voices, Big Wins: Analyzing Remedies In Children’S Climate Cases, Maria Antonia Tigre

Sabin Center for Climate Change Law

Children’s climate litigation has emerged as a powerful tool to address the climate crisis, with young plaintiffs around the world taking governments and corporations to court to demand climate action. This Article examines successful cases — those in which relief sought by the applicants was fully or partially granted — across five continents, providing an “around the world” perspective on the evolution and impact of youth-led climate litigation. Focusing on landmark cases in Australia, Colombia, South Africa, South Korea, and the United States, this analysis highlights the arguments presented by young plaintiffs and the judicial reasoning that supported the relief …

The God Prompt And Deus Ex Machina: Techno-Theological Tropes And Operational Metaphors In Generative Media, James Hutson

Faculty Scholarship

This study reframes two durable tropes—the ―God Prompt‖ and the deus ex machina—as analytic lenses for understanding how contemporary generative systems stage beginnings and endings of cultural production. The ―God Prompt‖ denotes command-driven synthesis in which minimal textual instructions instantiate content on demand, crystallizing a production loop of input, model execution, and post hoc evaluation that orients anticipation toward instantaneous yield and controllable variation. The deus ex machina names an externally imposed resolution that interrupts causal development—historically a crane-borne god, functionally an algorithmic override—thereby concentrating attention on closure mechanics rather than world-building continuity. Read together, the pair offers a compact …

Emergency Department Utilization Among Co-Residing Family Caregivers Of Persons Living With Dementia, Pei-Chun Cha, Craig Rothenberg, Anita N Chary, Justine Seidenfeld, Ula Hwang, Terri Fried, Joan K Monin, Arjun K Venkatesh, Cameron J Gettel

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

No abstract provided.

Excision And Regional Flap Reconstruction With Radiation Therapy Of Granuloma Annulare Of The Digit: A Case Report, Austin Y Jiang, Linda K Green, David Netscher

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Granuloma annulare (GA) is a benign, often self-limited granulomatous skin condition that typically resolves spontaneously. Treatment is often not required, but topical and injectional corticosteroids are the most common interventions. Excision is effective for diagnosis and temporary treatment, but usually not considered curative. This case report describes the unconventional treatment of a recurrent biopsy-proven GA of the index finger. Due to the combination of the recalcitrant nodules interfering with function and patient preference, the nodules were excised multiple times. Ultimately requiring reconstruction with a pedicled radial forearm flap, the patient thereafter received radiation therapy to prevent recurrence, the combination of …

Exact And Approximate Conformal Inference For Multi-Output Regression, Chancellor Johnstone, Eugene Ndiaye

Faculty Publications

It is common in machine learning to estimate a response y given covariate information x . However, these predictions alone do not quantify any uncertainty associated with said predictions. One way to overcome this deficiency is with conformal inference methods, which construct a set containing the unobserved response with a prescribed probability. Unfortunately, even with a one-dimensional response, conformal inference is computationally expensive despite recent encouraging advances. In this paper, we explore multi-output regression, delivering exact derivations of conformal inference p-values when the predictive model can be described as a linear function of y . Additionally, we introduce a multivariate …

High-Resolution Peripheral Quantitative Computed Tomography Reliability And Accuracy Of Bone Density And Morphology Properties In Children, Roman J Shypailo, Chadi Calarge, Punam K Saha, Xiaoliu Zhang, Xiaojie Chen, Stephanie Dinh, Xiaofan Huang, Babette S Zemel, Fida Bacha

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Volumetric bone density, microarchitecture, and strength measures using HR-pQCT are valuable measures of bone health in pediatrics. Our cross-sectional study evaluated bone measure reproducibility in pediatric participants using repeat HR-pQCT (XtremeCT II, Scanco Medical) scans of non-dominant distal tibia and radius of 30 healthy children and adolescents (7-17 yr, 47% female) by 2 technicians. Additionally, we examined HR-pQCT and micro-CT of 26 cadaveric distal tibia specimens to evaluate agreement between the modalities. All HR-pQCT scans were analyzed using manufacturer-provided software (Image Processing Language, Scanco Medical) and a fully automated, previously validated, in-house algorithm, offering measures of bone microstructure (eg, trabecular …

Deep Learning-Based Drowsiness Detection System For Driver’S Safety, Sindhu Vidyanathan Dixith, Shrikant Jadhav, Youngsoo Kim, Naveenkumar Jayakumar

Faculty Research, Scholarly, and Creative Activity

Driver drowsiness is a leading contributor to road accidents, accounting for over 100,000 crashes and approximately ~1000 fatalities each year in the United States alone, as per National Safety Council (NSC). To mitigate this urgent public-safety risk, we propose a real-time Driver Drowsiness Detection System that achieves both high accuracy and fast inference on standard hardware. Our key idea is to combine two complementary deep-learning strategies: 1) a custom Convolutional Neural Network (CNN) paired with a Support Vector Machine (SVM) classifier, and 2) a lightweight transfer-learning model built upon a pre-trained convolutional backbone. We evaluate these approaches on two datasets: …

Pre-K Teachers’ Perceptions About Professional Learning: Influence On Instructional Methods, Classroom Management Skills, And Student Outcomes, Victoria Abakah Korsah

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this qualitative descriptive phenomenological study was to solicit pre-K teachers’ perceptions about professional development and its influences on instructional methodology, classroom management skills, and student outcomes. Interviews conducted with 11 teachers from childcare centers in a major urban city of Illinois provided insight into experiences of types of PL and development engagement, such as online courses, webinars, learning communities, coaching, mentoring, professional conferences, and content selection. Other experiences involved social-emotional learning, lesson planning, project-based learning, and how to teach children with special needs. The interview data collected from the participants yielded five themes using Colizzi’s data analysis …

Navigating Barriers: The Experiences Of First-Generation, Low-Income, Hispanic Male Stem Majors Enrolled In Texas Universities, Katherine L. Autry

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This qualitative descriptive study explored barriers, strategies, and career aspirations of 10 firstgeneration, low-income Hispanic male STEM students at Texas universities. Prior research highlighted systemic inequities affecting this group’s academic success. The study addressed how these students described educational barriers, strategies to overcome them, and influences on their STEM career aspirations. Data were collected via 10 semistructured Zoom interviews, online questionnaires, and open-ended questionnaires from participants at four Texas-based universities. Reflexive thematic analysis with NVivo software identified five themes: sociocultural and economic barriers, academic and institutional challenges, resilience and coping strategies, support systems, and influence on career aspirations and identity. …

School Leaders’ Perceptions Of Restorative Practices On Student Behavior, Jennifer Mary Herold Fontenot

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

United States public schools turned to a zero-tolerance approach to school discipline with hopes of improving school safety and climate in the 1990s. Administrators dispensed consequences such as suspension and expulsion without considering the whole student, regardless of the student’s conditions, motivations, or background. Many schools today focus on punitive measures rather than a holistic approach that considers the root causes of behavior, such as socioeconomic factors, mental health issues, or the student’s home life. Such actions can lead to disproportionately harsh punishments for marginalized students, particularly those from low-income backgrounds or communities of color, exacerbating existing inequalities. Thus, the …

Differences In Peer Social Connections Between Traditional And Online Nurse Residency Programs, Tatum Leonard

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The anticipated retirement of baby boomer nurses by 2030 will intensify the global nursing shortage, a crisis that demands innovative strategies for onboarding and retaining new graduate nurses. Nurse residency programs (NRPs) are designed to ease the transition from student to practicing nurse, reduce turnover, and foster professional resilience. Amid the COVID-19 pandemic, many NRPs rapidly transitioned from traditional, in-person seminars to synchronous, online formats. This study explored differences in peer social connections between traditional and online NRPs, focusing on three constructs: sense of community, collaborative learning, and peer social support. Using a quasi-experimental, mixed methods approach, this secondary data …

Eece 311 Educational Psychology Oer, Sunghee Shin

Open Educational Resources

This course will examine the major learning theories and general principles underlying effective instruction. Students explore classroom structures and management, intelligence, learning styles, individual assessment, and the impact of culture and class.

A Systematic Review Of Physical Therapy Rehabilitation For Stroke Survivors In Arab Countries And Saudi Arabia: Current Approaches And Future Challenges, Abdullah I. Alhusayni, Abdullah H. Alzahrani

Saudi Medical Journal

ABSTRACT Objectives: To systematically review physical therapy interventions for stroke survivors in Arab countries and summarize the clinical and demographic characteristics, types and intensities of interventions, outcomes assessed, and adverse events. Methods: We conducted a systematic search of Google Scholar, ISI web of science, Scopus, Medline/PubMed, and ProQuest databasesfrom inception to 2025. Studies were eligible if they evaluated physical therapy interventions for stroke rehabilitation in Arab countries and reported clinical outcomes. We included randomized controlled trials, cohort studies, and case-control studies. Study selection followed PRISMA guidelines. Results: Five studies met the inclusion criteria. Interventions included neuromuscular electrical stimulation (NMES), radial …

Prevalence Of Anxiety And Depression Among Female Patients Awaiting Pre-Implantation Genetic Diagnosis In A Saudi Arabian Tertiary Hospital, Amani S. Alotaibi, Nouf A. Alshamlan, Lujain A. Alsubki, Lina O. Altuwaigri, Sara A. Awan, Dania Farooq, Biam A. Saydo, Hania F. Farhan, Lara M. Samhan, Laiba M. Yaseen, Khalid A. Awartani

Saudi Medical Journal

ABSTRACT Objectives: To estimate the prevalence of anxiety and depression symptoms in females awaiting preimplantation genetic diagnosis (PGD) as well as investigate their associated factors. Methods: This cross-sectional study included 289 female patients awaiting PGD at a large tertiary hospital in Saudi Arabia. A structured questionnaire was used to collect information on patient characteristics, Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7, Patient Health Questionnaire-9, and data on PGD. Independent factors associated with anxiety and depression were identified using multivariable analysis. Results: The prevalence of anxiety was 13.5% and that of depressive symptoms was 12.1%. Odds of anxiety were higher among females with a Master’s …

Cutting-Edge Research From The 2024 Middle East Rheumatology Conference (Mrc 2024) Of The Gulf Cooperation Council Association Of Immunology And Rheumatology (Gcc-Air), Ahmed S Zayat, Beena Hamid, Martin Lee, Fahdah Alokaily, Maryam Al Nisf, Mahmood Hachim, Hanan Al Reyes, Khalid Alnaqbi, Amal Hussain, Fiaz Alam, Ghida Al Dabi, Suad Hannawi

Saudi Medical Journal

No abstract provided.

Borderplex Business Barometer, Volume 9, Number 9, Thomas M. Fullerton, Steven L. Fullerton, Robert Sandoval

Border Region Modeling Project

No abstract provided.

Boosting Symbolic Execution For Vulnerability Detection, Haoxin Tu

Dissertations and Theses Collection (Open Access)

Software systems written by humans tend to be unreliable and insecure, hence, bugs or vulnerabilities in them are inevitable. Symbolic execution has shown considerable potential in detecting diverse types of software bugs and also vulnerabilities that have severe security implications. However, existing symbolic execution engines still suffer from at least three fundamental limitations in memory modeling, path exploration, and structured input generation, which significantly impede existing engines from efficiently and effectively detecting software bugs and vulnerabilities.

The objective of this dissertation is to boost existing symbolic execution engines by designing a new memory model, two new path exploration strategies, and …

Memory-Efficient Graph Processing On Gpus: Reducing Intermediate Data Structure Overhead, Chang Ye

Dissertations and Theses Collection (Open Access)

The increasing scale of real-world graphs in domains such as fraud detection, community detection, and biological analysis demands high-throughput, memory-efficient graph processing solutions. GPUs offer massive parallelism for accelerating such workloads, and numerous frameworks have been developed to leverage their computational power. These frameworks primarily focus on optimizing scheduling to better align graph processing with GPU architectures. It performs well for algorithms with low memory demands, such as BFS, SSSP, and PageRank. However, for algorithms that require substantial memory, such as label propagation, and subgraph counting, the limited memory capacity of GPUs often becomes a significant bottleneck.

This dissertation addresses …

The Dual Impact Of Ict Use On Work Autonomy, Workload, Work Engagement, And Work-Family Conflict: Moderating Effects Of Perceived Organizational Support And Conscientiousness, Shenghui Han

Dissertations and Theses Collection (Open Access)

This study investigates the dual impact of information and communication technology (ICT) use intensity on employee outcomes in the workplace, with a particular focus on work autonomy, workload, work engagement, and work–family conflict (WFC). Drawing upon the job demands-resources (JD-R) model and conservation of resources (COR) theory, I propose a dual-pathway framework in which ICT use intensity acts as both a job resource and a job demand. The study also examines the moderating roles of perceived organizational support (POS) and conscientiousness.

Data were collected from 414 full-time employees across six companies in China through a three-wave survey with two-week intervals …

Consumption Of Negative Media Content Mediates The Association Between Levels Of Trauma Exposure And Insomnia Severity In Hispanic Young Adults, Michiyo Hirai, Laura L. Vernon

Psychological Science Faculty Publications

Research has shown that individuals who have experienced traumatic events are at greater risk of developing severe insomnia than those without trauma. Further, according to the stress sensitization hypothesis, victims of multiple traumas, compared to those who have experienced a single trauma, are particularly vulnerable to severe insomnia. One potential mechanism underlying the association between trauma experiences and insomnia is media exposure. Although avoidance behaviors are symptoms of posttraumatic stress, victims of traumas also demonstrate attentional bias toward threats and difficulty disengaging attention from threats. These cognitive tendencies may result in heightened vigilance to negative media content, particularly trauma-related content, …

Cerebral Palsy Screening, Children's Mercy Kansas City

Clinical Pathways

No abstract provided.

In These Challenging Times: Why Practice Analytics Are Your New Best Friend, Patrick Houlihan Dds

The Journal of the Michigan Dental Association

This article argues that financial success is crucial for a thriving dental practice in today's competitive market, despite dentists often lacking sufficient business management training. It introduces practice analytics as a fundamental tool to optimize operations and maximize profitability, enabling dentists to scrutinize outputs, evaluate performance, and implement necessary changes to achieve their goals. Key metrics to track include the number of active patients, monthly collection numbers, the doctor-to-hygiene collection ratio (ideal 65% doctor, 35% hygiene), collection per active patient per year, profit, and various overhead expenses (staff, facility, lab, supply, administrative). The author emphasizes that regular tracking of these …

Proceedings Of The 33rd United States – Japan Bridge Engineering Workshop, David Y. Yang

Civil and Environmental Engineering Faculty Publications and Presentations

This report summarizes the 33rd United States–Japan Bridge Engineering Workshop, an event that convenes bridge engineers from both countries. The workshop serves as a platform to exchange innovative ideas and technologies, as well as to share crucial knowledge and lessons learned, all with the aim of advancing bridge engineering. The 33rd workshop specifically addressed transportation asset management and seismic retrofitting, two subjects of increasing importance to both the United States and Japan. The report details the workshop's discussions on topics relevant to bridge engineers.

Precise Mapping Of A Snake Venom Phospholipase A2 Interaction With A Human Nicotinic Acetylcholine Receptor, Ying Jia, Christine Vega, Anthony Hinojosa, Jocelyn Perales

School of Integrative Biological & Chemical Sciences Faculty Publications

The identification of selective molecules that interact with specific human nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (nAChR) subtypes is essential for elucidating their structure and function. Animal venoms, particularly snake venoms, offer a diverse repertoire of bioactive molecules that may selectively bind to human nAChR subtypes. In this study, we cloned transcripts encoding human nAChR subunits and successfully expressed their extracellular domains (ECDs) in yeast cells. We further examined the interactions between nAChR subunits and snake venom toxins, identifying that snake Asp49-phospholipase A2 (Asp49-1) strongly interacts with the human β2 and β4 subunits while exhibiting weaker interactions with α subunits. To delineate the …

Draft 2025 Interim Site-Wide Surface Water Monitoring Quality Assurance Project Plan, Woodard & Curran

Silver Bow Creek/Butte Area Superfund Site

No abstract provided.

Adjoint Enhanced Panel Methods, Christopher Sheehan

Master's Theses

This thesis describes the development, implementation, and validation of an adjoint-enhanced panel method for two-dimensional airfoil analysis. While conventional panel methods are computationally efficient for flow analysis, they typically rely on relatively computationally expensive finite differencing for gradient calculation in design optimization or sensitivity studies, a limitation addressed by employing the discrete adjoint method. The core of this work involves integrating the discrete adjoint method with a Hess-Smith panel code utilizing Class-Shape Transformation (CST) for airfoil parameterization, which requires the analytical derivation of sensitivities for panel geometry, boundary conditions, and the aerodynamic influence matrix with respect to the CST design …

An Evaluation Of The Relationship Between Beef Cattle Grazing Activity Traits And Conception Methods During The Breeding Season, Jason Dubowsky

Master's Theses

Efficient use of native rangelands and improved reproductive success are primary objectives in beef cattle production. Grazing behavior during the breeding season may be influenced by pasture characteristics, including size and water availability, as well as physiological differences due to reproductive status. This study aimed to evaluate the relationship between grazing activity and conception method in crossbred Angus cows over a 2-year period. The study was conducted during the winter months (December – February) on the Central Coast of California with a mean temperate of 53 degrees Fahrenheit. Cows (n = 76) were blocked by age and then randomly assigned …

A Case Study Of Public Policy, Neighbourhood Change, And Transit Equity Outcomes, Stacy-Ann Baker

Tennessee State University Alumni Theses and Dissertations

Despite intentions or understatement, public policy has influenced neighbourhood change, such as gentrification. However, its impact tends to be muted, ignored, or underappreciated. Transit equity policy and research have also lacked a robust social justice framework that considers spatial justice. Additionally, there have been several knowledge gaps, limitations, and mixed results regarding impacts, notably concerning buses, bus rapid transit (BRT), accessibility, and communities of concern. Unlike other studies, this dissertation proposal employs the social-ecological system framework (SESF), the public transportation sustainability list (PTSIL), and sustainability impact assessment (SIA) guidance from the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) in a …