Digital Commons Network^™

Integrated Evaluation Of Airtightness, Acoustics, Thermal Performance, And Life-Cycle Carbon Emissions In Code-Compliant Wood-Framed And Thin-Shell Concrete Dome Residential Structures, Eduardo Ibanez Vasquez

Theses and Dissertations

The residential construction industry faces increasing demands for energy-efficient and sustainable housing solutions. In the U.S., residential buildings significantly contribute to energy consumption and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, highlighting the need for enhanced building envelope performance. This study compares four residential structures: a traditional code-compliant wood-framed structure built in 1970, a traditional code-compliant wood-framed structure built in 2016, a modular code-compliant wood framed structure built in 2024, and a thin-shell concrete dome built in 2022. The analysis focuses on airtightness, acoustic insulation, passive thermal performance, and life-cycle carbon emissions, including both embodied (cradle-to-gate) and operational energy use. Field-based methods included …

“The Biggest Problem With You…”: Racial Profiling And Canada’S Program Of Extra-Territorial Migrant Interdiction, Simon Wallace, Benjamin Perryman, Gábor Lukács, Sean Rehaag

Osgoode Hall Law Journal

In 2019, two Roma-Hungarian travellers were prevented from boarding their flight to Canada. Even though their documents were in order and their travel was legitimate, they were singled out for examination and extra scrutiny. This article—relying on new evidence produced in a series of legal proceedings—shows how Canada has implemented a de facto system of racial profiling in airports overseas. This program was not built overnight, but produced by a series of historical accretions, all organized around the idea that potential refugees can be detected by their race. This article shows how Canada, to deter asylum seekers, has conscripted private …

Insights Into Marine Biological Responses To Icelandic Glacial Outburst Floods From Remote Sensing Data, Cornelius Kaspar

School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences Theses

Cryospheric change has altered discharge patterns of the subglacial Skaftá cauldrons and Grímsvötn volcano beneath the Vatnajökull ice cap, SE Iceland (64.4220° N, 16.7902° W) at least since 1940. Jökulhlaup (glacial outburst floods) frequency has increased but their magnitude has decreased. This study examines jökulhlaup effects on the marine environment at the Gígjukvísl, Skaftá, and Kúðafljót estuaries. Remote sensing data integrated in situ, observational, and modelled data to analyse sea surface salinity (1/8° resolution), temperature (0.05° resolution), and observational chlorophyll-a data (1 km² resolution). Covering 11 jökulhlaups in Gígjukvísl/Skaftá and seven in Kúðafljót, a systematic response emerged in residual data. …

Mother And Baby Homes Commission Of Investigation Report: Alternative Executive Summary, Maebh Harding, Mairead Enright, Aoife O'Donoghue, Aoife Price, Cliona De Bhailís, Maria Ní Fhlatharta, Sahar Ahmed, Aisling Mcmahon, Aoife Daly, Ciara Fitzpatrick, Deirdre Macgowan, Fergus Ryan, Fiona Donson, Helen Kehoe, James Gallen, Kieran Walsh, Louise Kennefick, Lydia Bracken, Lynsey Black, Michelle Farrell, Phil Mullen, Samantha Morgan-Williams, Vicky Conway, Eilionoir Flynn, Shane Darcy

Research Outputs: 2025-Present

This document builds on the methodology developed by feminist judgments projects to rewrite the Executive Summary to the Final Report of Ireland’s Mother and Baby Homes Commission of Investigation, published in January 2021. The Mother and Baby Homes Commission of Investigation was established in February 2015 to investigate experiences in certain of Ireland’s residential institutions for single mothers and their young children between 1922 and 1998. In our rewritten Executive summary, twenty-five academics examined the evidence in the Commission’s original report, and offered a feminist, human rights-based analysis of the evidence presented there. Our document was first published open access …

Reply To Review Of Assisted Suicide In Canada, Travis Dumsday

Osgoode Hall Law Journal

I AM VERY GRATEFUL to the editors of the Osgoode Hall Law Journal for their invitation to submit a response to the journal’s review of my book, Assisted Suicide in Canada: Moral, Legal, and Policy Considerations. That review appeared in its spring 2023 issue.

Injury And Illness: An Analysis Of Team Usa Athletes At The 2024 Winter Youth Olympic Games, Ashley N. Triplett, Eric G. Post, Travis Anderson, Olivia Samson, Alexis D. Gidley, Francisco Silva, Lea Thomann, Amber T. Donaldson, Jonathan T. Finnoff, Eric L. Dugan, Jeffrey S. Shilt, William M. Adams

Department of Pediatrics Faculty Papers

BACKGROUND: Injury and illness surveillance is essential for understanding the relative risks of sports participation to develop effective strategies to optimize athlete health, wellness, and performance. Epidemiological studies examining injuries and illnesses among Team USA youth athletes are limited, particularly among athletes competing in Winter sports. The purpose of this study was to characterize the injury and illness incidence rate among Team USA athletes participating in the 2024 Winter Youth Olympic Games (YOG).

METHODS: Injuries and illnesses among 101 Team USA youth athletes (40.6% female; age, 17 ± 1 years) were prospectively documented. Injury and illness prevalence, and incidence rate …

Collaborative Class Zine: Weekly Reflection Assignment With Powerpoint Template, Brett Whysel

Open Educational Resources

Abstract

This collaborative class zine assignment uses a shared PowerPoint format to deepen student learning while building community. Students contribute visual reflections (graphics, diagrams, quotes, or doodles) weekly or periodically throughout the semester. Faculty provide reflection prompts about key takeaways and unclear concepts (sample prompts included). The resource includes both sample LMS instructions and a ready-to-use PowerPoint zine template that works across all disciplines. By combining metacognitive reflection with creative expression, students consolidate learning by finding new connections and applications. The collaborative format creates community connections and joy while students learn from peers' diverse perspectives.

Sentencing Vulnerability: Conceptualizing The Incorporation Of Personal Characteristics And Experiences At Sentencing, Adelina Iftene

Osgoode Hall Law Journal

Social inequalities that lead to criminal conduct are often not considered in sentencing; individuals subject to structural inequities receive the same formal sentence as those convicted of like crimes irrespective of the latter’s social advantage. Individual characteristics may also affect how a sentence will be experienced by an individual. While Characteristics and Experience-Sensitive Sentencing (CESS) already exists in various forms and to various degrees in sentencing theory and praxis, a more cohesive, comprehensive, and principled CESS remains wanting. Building on existing approaches, this article locates CESS as a necessary response to equality-based concerns arising from current mainstream sentencing practice. Thus, …

Rethinking Green Building Development Through Policy And Operational Metrics: Insights From Baton Rouge And Beyond, Oluwafemi Awolesi

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

This dissertation explores the challenges and opportunities associated with the development, adoption, and performance of green buildings in regions with relatively low certification uptake, drawing insights from Baton Rouge and its parish system as a case study. It addresses three primary research questions: (1) How can the adoption rate of green buildings be enhanced? (2) How do certified buildings perform compared to their non-certified counterparts? (3) What operational metrics can be applied to better evaluate building performance in the future?

Using a mixed-methods approach, the study examines stakeholder perceptions in East Baton Rouge, Louisiana, investigates energy performance, indoor environmental quality, …

Biochar Type And Rate Effects On Greenhouse Gas Emissions Fromfurrow-Irrigated Rice, Lauren Gwaltney, Kristofor R. Brye, Diego Della Lunga, Trenton L. Roberts, Samuel B. Fernandes, Mike B. Daniels

Crop, Soil and Environmental Sciences Faculty Publications and Presentations

Biochar is a relatively new, potential climate-mitigation strategy, but biochar still requires investigation regarding biochar's ability to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Little research has been conducted to quantify the impacts of biochar on GHG production from upland (i.e., furrow-irrigated) rice (Oryza sativa) production systems. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of wood biochar type (powder and coarse particle size) and application rate (0, 2.5, and 5 Mg ha-1) on GHG emissions in greenhouse-grown, simulated furrow-irrigated rice grown in a silt-loam soil. Carbon dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4), and nitrous oxide (N2O) fluxes were measured weekly throughout …

Black Men And Health Literacy: Strategies For Improvement In A Digital Age Through The Adaptation Of A Chronic Disease Self-Management Program, Evelina Weidman Sterling, Laura Stevens, Vanessa Robinson-Dooley, Tyler Collette

Faculty Articles

Health literacy is a critical determinant of health outcomes, yet it is often overlooked, particularly among marginalized groups. This paper explores the significance of health literacy, with a particular focus on low-income African American and Black (AA/B) men, a population that faces unique challenges due to intersecting factors such as race, gender, socioeconomic status, and educational disparities. We examine how these factors contribute to health literacy gaps, highlighting adverse effects on health outcomes for AA/B men compared to the general population. Additionally, we stress the growing importance of digital literacy in an increasingly technology-driven world. Not actively addressing digital health …

Monitoring The Kinetic Evolution Of Mesenchymal Stem Cell Differentiation Using Raman Microspectroscopy, Francesca Ravera, Esen Efeoglu, Hugh J Byrne

Research Outputs: 2025-Present

Raman microspectroscopy (RMS) offers a powerful, non-destructive approach for in situ monitoring of dynamic biochemical processes within cells. However, the ability to reliably data-mine the spectroscopic signatures and their evolution and extract meaningful information can be challenging. Multivariate Curve Resolution-Alternating Least Squares (MCR-ALS) regression analysis is a powerful chemometric technique that can potentially address this challenge by deconvoluting the spectra into individual component spectra, each representing a specific biochemical species, and regressing the solutions against kinetic constraints. In this study, MCR-ALS analysis was performed on spectral data of differentiation process of mesenchymal stem cells into chondrocytes, carried out on two …

Creative Processes In Visual Arts In Education: A Conceptual Framework, Enock Swanzy-Impraim

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

The diversity and uniqueness of individuals and the multifaceted nature of creativity necessitate new models in various domains. This study reviewed previous studies and models of the creative process and presented a combined model (Swanzy-Impraim panoramic creative process model) of the creative process applicable to the visual arts in education and other artist-expressive domains. It positions the creative process in seven phases: (1) immersion, (2) problem/task identification, (3) ideation, (4) production, (5) outcome, (6) evaluation, and (7) responses. This conceptual paper explores creativity as a concept and its significance in the artists’ expressive domain, reviews and maps creative process models, …

Kenyan Perspectives Of Trauma: A Hermeneutic Phenomenological Study On The Lived Experiences Of Helping Professionals, Megan Flinn

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

This research addresses the critical gap in counseling literature regarding multicultural and trauma-informed training, particularly relevant given Kenya’s documented trauma and limited mental health resources, highlighting the need for incorporating lived experiences into research to equip counselors for increasingly globalized practice. The present hermeneutic phenomenological study aims to fill a gap in the literature by exploring the lived experiences of Kenyan helping professionals as they care for survivors of trauma in their country of origin. A previous data set was used, consisting of interviews from four Kenyan helping professionals in 2019, all whom worked actively with survivors of trauma at …

A Multi-Proxy Reconstruction Of Environmental Conditions During Termination 1 In Central New Hampshire, Anne Hannah Randall

Dartmouth College Master’s Theses

The collapse of the Northern Hemisphere ice sheets subsequent to the Last Glacial Maximum (~26-19 ka) marked one of the largest natural climate change events in recent time. In response to global warming, the Laurentide Ice Sheet (LIS), the ice sheet that covered much of northern North America, receded almost completely during a time known as “Termination 1” (~19-11 ka). The climate changes during this time also caused significant changes in landscape morphology, ecology, and the lifeways of indigenous peoples. This project characterizes the timing of deglaciation and major post-glacial landscape changes across New Hampshire using lake sediment cores. I …

What Happened To The Creative In The Creative Curriculum?, Lacey Peters, Mark K. Nagasawa, Maria Mavrides Calderon, Abigail Kerlin, Helen Frazier, Beth Ferholt, Erica Clarke Yardy, Margie Brickley, Alisa Algava

Straus Institute for Thriving Children & Families

This empirically-grounded commentary questions the basis for New York City Public Schools’ (NYCPS) adoption of the Teaching Strategies products—the Creative Curriculum (CC) and Teaching Strategies GOLD—as the mandated curriculum and assessment systems for early childhood education (ECE) programs administered by the New York City Public Schools. In an analysis shaped by our hybrid positionalities as early childhood educators, parents, policy makers, and researchers, we argue that this decision is a local case of neoliberalism’s simultaneous narrowing of educational quality and a transfer of public funding into private hands under the guise of the free market. Our commentary, …

The Effect Of Tranexamic Acid On Blood Coagulation In Primary Total Hip Arthroplasty Using Rotational Thromboelastometry: A Randomized Controlled Trial, Uzung Yoon, David Beausang, Elia Elia, Marc Torjman, Jeffrey Mojica, James J. Purtill, David Nazarian, P. Maxwell Courtney, Yoogoo Kang

Department of Anesthesiology Faculty Papers

BACKGROUND: Tranexamic acid (TXA), is commonly administered prophylactically to reduce blood loss in patients undergoing total hip arthroplasty (THA). However, its effect has never been studied. We hypothesized that no difference exists in the degree of fibrinolysis and blood loss between patients receiving prophylactic TXA and placebo.

METHODS: This double-blinded randomized-controlled trial included 50 patients undergoing primary THA in 2021-2023. Clinicaltrials.gov (NCT03897621). Rotational-thromboelastometry (ROTEM) were performed to test blood coagulability using non citrated whole blood (NATEM) and blood treated with TXA (T-APTEM). The intervention group received TXA intravenously. The placebo group received 0.9% sodium chloride solution. The primary outcome measure …

Towards Sustainable Community-Designed Ai Systems In The Public Sector, Victoria Chui, Kelly Mcconvey, Erina Seh-Young Moon, Maya Ghai, Shion Guha

Health Services and Informatics Research

Advancements in data-driven modeling and artificial intelligence applications in public sector settings can lead to increased ten sions between stakeholder needs and tangible model capabilities from developers. Engaging multiple stakeholder groups in model development through the gleaning of sociotechnical, theoretical in sights using qualitative methods can contribute to more impactful, beneficial model solutions. Qualitative methods can complement quantitative model development, emphasizing stakeholder priori ties, informing model design choices, and promoting sustainable connections and model longevity. We are excited to discuss human centered qualitative methods, sustainable modeling practices, and community engagement in this workshop, engaging with scholars on system-level modeling strategies.

Trusted Professional Multi-Agency Transitions For Young People Facing Multiple Disadvantage – Learning From Co-Production By A Third Sector Partner In The Plymouth Alliance, Uk, Gemma Doyle, Sean Mitchell, Sue Hawley, Katy Krysiak, Felix Gradinger

Peninsula Medical School

Introduction: This case study provides practice-based reflections on challenges and potential solutions for young people with multiple disadvantages across housing, substance misuse, mental health, criminal justice, and domestic abuse systems, informed by 4 local principles: trauma informed, learning based, an alliance commissioning ethos, and workforce development.Description: To improve the current experiences of 17–25-year-olds in service transition iterative insights drew from networking staff across sectors, clinical audit and following live cases, and appreciative enquiries with young people. This was conducted by a practitioner researcher in a local Young Person’s charity and was supported by peer researchers with lived experience and embedded …

A Deep-Learning-Based Dehazing Framework For Non-Homogenous Scenes, Shimaa Mohammed Abd Elghany, Doaa A. Altantawy, Hossam El-Din Moustafa Moustafa

Mansoura Engineering Journal

The advancement of single-image dehazing techniques has been rapid in recent years. Several existing algorithms that are based on deep learning have shown remarkable efficiency for dealing with homogeneous hazing-free issues, but convolutional neural networks (CNNS) frequently fail on non-homogeneous dehazing datasets. Meanwhile, dehaze results from dense haze regions are often blurry because the information of these regions is typically unknown and difficult to estimate. To address these issues, an efficient image enhancement dehazing algorithm that utilizes deep learning techniques, and a non-uniform atmospheric scattering model had been proposed. Unlike the majority of existing dehazing methods, the medium transmission function …

A Comprehensive Study Of Transportation Projects Impact In Congested Cities Through Travel Demand Modeling And Decision-Making Tools: A Case Study Of Zagazig City, Egypt, Amr M. Sakr, Metwally Gouda Mohamed Altaher, Mahmoud El-Saied Ali Solyman, Mohamed Ibrahim El-Sharkawi Attia

Mansoura Engineering Journal

Transportation projects are major resource-intensive projects that largely influence the transportation system’s resilience, human health, and quality of life. This study aims to assess and prioritize four transportation projects in Zagazig City, Egypt, in an attempt to build a more sustainable transport system. The travel demand model is used to determine various traffic characteristics and environmental impacts, and decision-making tools are used to evaluate the proposed projects. Benefit-cost analysis (BCA) is employed to investigate the economic feasibility of the proposed projects, and two hybrid multiple-criteria decision-making (MCDM) methods are used to prioritize the proposed projects. Through the work conducted in …

A Molecular Dynamics Study Of Single Crystal And Intergranular Crack Growth Behavior In WX M1−X Binary Aloys (M = V, Mo, Ta, Re), Samuel C. Wagers, Adib J. Samin

Faculty Publications

This study employs molecular dynamics simulations to investigate the fracture behavior of four binary refractory alloys W_xM_1−x (M = V, Mo, Ta, Re) and their dependence on crystallographic orientation, composition, and grain boundary (GB) structure, focusing on six distinct low-sigma grain boundaries. The simulations reveal that the effect of composition is complex with the most pronounced effect, accompanied by the maximum or minimum stress intensity factor, generally occurring at intermediate compositions. All compositions showed a higher fracture resistance in the [110] orientation compared to the [100] orientation. There was a strong thermodynamic tendency for Mo and V, …

Bold New Bioweapons: Part 1 — The Burdens Of Detection And Attribution, James Giordano

Strategic Insights

This commentary, Pt. 1 of the Bold New Bioweapons series, examines how advances in gene editing, synthetic biology, and artificial intelligence are reshaping the biological weapons threat landscape and challenging the effectiveness of the Biological Weapons Convention (BWC). Dr. Giordano argues that decentralized research ecosystems, AI-enabled pathogen design, and dual-use biotechnology complicate detection, attribution, and deterrence. Emerging techniques can produce synthetic or modified biological agents that evade traditional surveillance systems and blur distinctions between legitimate research and weaponization. The absence of clear adjudication mechanisms within the BWC creates governance gaps exploitable by state and non-state actors. The article emphasizes that …

J.R.R. Tolkien’S Utopianism And The Classics, By Hamish Williams. Reviewed By Łukasz Neubauer., Łukasz Neubauer

Mythprint Book Reviews

At first glance, the concept of looking at the works of Tolkien through the prism of Classical studies may strike one as eccentric, even misguided. After all, he dedicated his academic life to the study of medieval literature, teach-ing courses in early English poetry as well as Norse myths and sagas. Likewise in his literary oeuvre, the majority of Tolkien’s inspirations are of indisputably medieval character, from the more topical concerns, such as the quest to reclaim the lost treasure in The Hobbit, to the recurrent puns and word-plays in Farmer Giles of Ham.

Resilient Safe Control Of Autonomous Systems, Hongchao Zhang

McKelvey School of Engineering Graduate Student Theses & Dissertations

Asimov's Three Laws of Robotics famously outlined fundamental safety principles governing human-robot interaction. This foundational concept of safety is paramount for today's autonomous systems, such as robots, which possess inherent cyber-physical properties. With the increasingly widespread application of autonomous systems in real-world environments, the challenges facing research on formal safety verification have grown even more significant. However, end-to-end verification of such complex, integrated systems remains an open and formidable challenge due to their high dimensionality, nonlinearity, and the use of learning-based components. This thesis approaches this challenge by pursuing verifiably safe autonomy from two complementary directions: (i) safe control of …

Dosimetric Comparisons For Determining Optimal Arc Geometry In Multi Target Thoracic Vmat Sbrt Treatment Plans For Patients With Locally Advanced Inoperable Nsclc, Alexandrea M. Reeves

Masters Projects

Non-coplanar beam arrangements have been used for many years in radiation treatment planning. Their use has been known to show an increase in target conformity and gradient index. However, by using non-coplanar beam arrangements, the treatment planning time as well as the treatment delivery time can increase. Despite the increase in treatment planning and delivery complexity and time, previous studies have shown a decrease in OAR doses resulting in a desire to use non-coplanar beams. Previous studies have looked at various body sites and target locations, though no research has been found specifically studying non-coplanar beam arrangement in multi-target treatment …

An Effective Whistleblowing System Model For Regional Inspectorates: A Qualitative Study In Fraud Prevention, Asep Muhyidin, Farah Latifah Nurfauziah, Sri Suharti

Journal of Accounting Auditing and Business

Abstract: This study examines the effectiveness of the Whistleblowing System (WBS) in fraud prevention at the Government Inspectorate of Garut Regency, Indonesia. Using a qualitative approach and thematic analysis with NVivo, the research identifies key factors influencing WBS success, including structural, operational, and human resource aspects. Findings indicate that WBS significantly enhances transparency and accountability through accessible reporting mechanisms, whistleblower protection, and investigative follow-up. Critical determinants of effectiveness include: (1) technological support for whistleblower anonymity, (2) personnel competence in handling reports, and (3) compliance with Regulation of the Garut Regent No. 50 of 2020 on WBS implementation guidelines. Thematic nodes …

Three-Stage Latent Dynamics Forecasting (T-Ldf) Framework For Shenzhen Metro Passenger Flow Prediction, Tianze Zhang

Lingnan Theses (MPhil & PhD)

Accurate forecasting of metro passenger flow is vital for efficient urban transportation management and optimal resource allocation in modern cities. Traditional ARIMA-based models effectively capture regular, cyclical patterns but struggle with sudden, nonlinear fluctuations caused by random events such as weather disruptions, special events, or service interruptions. Moreover, existing research predominantly focuses on individual stations, overlooking the complex cross-station interactions inherent in networked metro systems where passenger flows are interconnected across the entire network.

To address these critical limitations, we propose the Three-Stage Latent Dynamics Forecasting (T-LDF) Framework, a novel approach that systematically integrates temporal decomposition, latent dynamics extraction, and …

A Comprehensive Deep Learning System With Mgrf Modeling For Predicting Breast Cancer Response To Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy, Ahmed Sharafeldeen, Fatma Taher, Norah Saleh Alghamdi, Eman Alnaghy, Reham Alghandour, Khadiga M. Ali, Sameh Shamaa, Abdelrahman Gamal, Mohammed Ghazal, Sohail Contractor, Ayman El-Baz

All Works

Accurate prediction of breast cancer (BC) response to neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) is critical for tailoring treatment strategies and improving patient outcomes. This study introduces a novel deep learning-based framework that integrates multi-parametric magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) (i.e., T1, T2, STIR, and DWI), along with clinical and molecular subtype markers, to classify tumor response into pathological complete response (pCR), partial response (PR), and stable disease (SD). First, tumor regions are delineated across MRI modalities and then modeled using a translation-invariant Markov-Gibbs random field (MGRF) with analytical parameter estimation to capture modality-specific spatial appearance patterns correlated with NAC response. Subsequently, diffusion-weighted MRI …

Effect Of Instructional Guidelines On The Parents’ Care Of Neonates With Neural Tube Defects, Asmaa Khamis, Safaa Salah Ismail, Hayam Tanatwy

Nursing

Abstract Background Neural tube defects (NTDs) represent the most common congenital anomalies of the central nervous system in pediatric populations, posing significant challenges for both neonatal care and parental wellbeing. This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of instructional guidelines on improving parental care practices for neonates with NTDs. Methods A quasi-experimental design was employed at the neonatal intensive care unit and Neurological Department of the Children's Hospital affiliated with Ain Shams University, and at Helwan General Hospital. A convenience sample of 40 parents of neonates diagnosed with NTDs participated. Data were collected over a complete 12 years using three …