Digital Commons Network^™

The Caitlin Clark Effect: Evidence Of Athlete-Driven Market Disruption In Women’S Collegiate Basketball, Lawrence W. Judge, Jeffrey C. Petersen

Journal of Applied Sport Management

Caitlin Clark’s emergence as a generational collegiate basketball talent triggered a profound shift in consumer behavior, known as the “Caitlin Clark Effect” (CCE) (Lucas, 2025). This study examined attendance and venue utilization data from the University of Iowa’s women’s basketball program, spanning pre-, during-, and post-Clark periods. Results from one-way ANOVA analyses showed a statistically significant increase in average game attendance (home, away, and neutral), rising from 5,387 pre-Clark to 13,877 in her senior year (p < .001), with a sustained post-Clark average of 9,890. Arena capacity utilization followed a similar trajectory, increasing from 37.3% to 92.4%. Notably, post-Clark utilization remained at 74.3%, indicating durable fan interest. These findings provide time-sequenced evidence of a singular athlete catalyzing lasting institutional and market change in women’s collegiate sports. The study advances sport business theory by illuminating the strategic implications of athlete-driven branding and challenges assumptions underpinning facility planning and resource allocation.

Single-Sided Hearing Assistance Application, Harryson Nguyen, Jp Haratani

Electrical Engineering

The product is a hearing assistance smartphone application which aims to improve the quality of life of people with single-sided hearing loss/deafness by providing them with a cheaper and more reliable alternative to medically-prescribed hearing aids. Due to development setbacks, the product instead uses open-ear earbuds. Since the earbuds are not directly inserted into the user’s ear canals, they will not obstruct the hearing of the user’s non-deaf ear, and the user will still be able to hear the sounds that come from their non-deaf side. Some users may find that Bluetooth earbuds can be quite expensive, but are ultimately …

Wireless Communication In Autonomous Vehicles, Ethan Paul Spalard, Alan Rubalcava, Jarnail Singh Sanghera

Electrical Engineering

This project focuses on building a realistic, standards based V2X communication platform using DSRC (IEEE 802.11p) to support future autonomous vehicle control research. The system is built around commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) hardware, specifically the NXP i.MX 8XLite – V2X Evaluation Kit, which integrates an automotive-grade processor and the SAF5400 V2X modem to handle low-level DSRC transmission in the 5.9 GHz band.

We successfully completed the hardware bring-up, verified over-the-air communication between two nodes, and performed initial RF characterization using a spectrum analyzer. The SAF5400 was confirmed to operate on all seven DSRC channels (172–184), maintaining the correct 10 MHz bandwidth …

Direction Finding From Aerial Platforms With Amateur Radio Arrays, Ben Duval Iii, Esteban Perez

Electrical Engineering

This senior project presents the development of a communication network designed to remotely control and program a distributed digital antenna array for autonomous synchronization and calibration. The system facilitates command transmission using a custom BPSK communication protocol operating in the UHF band (430–450 MHz) and employs a two-tone waveform to extract frequency, phase, and timing offsets between array nodes. These offsets are critical for aligning received signals in preparation for digital beamforming. The array comprises four nodes: three aerial units and one ground-based control unit. Each node is built using a LimeSDR Mini 2.0, Raspberry Pi, portable battery pack, and …

Synthetic Aperture Radar Processing For Increased Resolution Of Englacial Strata, Ava Stockman

Electrical Engineering

Glaciological research relies on a variety of remote-sensing methods to study the internal structure of glaciers and other bodies of ice. Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) serves as one method for imaging large cross sections of englacial strata, reducing the need for labor-intensive, costly, and hazardous ice coring expeditions and operations. Characterizing englacial structures using SAR images allows scientists to learn about the ice dynamics of past and present which provides the basis for discoveries about climate history and glacial dynamics. This project explores the benefits of employing various SAR processing methods to raw phase history data acquired through the British …

Leader-Follower Platooning With Turtlebot3: A Low-Cost Ros Test-Bed Using Vision-Lidar Fusion, Patrick Kelly Crandall, Kalon Ma Bienz

Electrical Engineering

This report presents the design, implementation, and indoor validation of a two-robot leader–follower platoon built on low-cost Turtlebot3 platforms. Each robot runs ROS Noetic on an on-board Raspberry Pi 4, fusing a fisheye camera for HSV-based lane detection with an LDS-02 LiDAR for clustering-based leader identification. A dual-loop architecture (PD steering for lateral control and PID for longitudinal gap regulation) maintains a 0.40m headway and keeps the follower centered within +/- 5 cm of the lane midline, without any inter-vehicle communication or external localization. Track experiments at speeds up to 0.18m/s achieved mean gap error of +/- 3 cm and …

Advanced Light Dimming Power Converter, Jaden Nguyen, Edwin Lin, Alan Thai

Electrical Engineering

This senior project discusses and follows the development of the Advanced Light Dimming Power Converter meant to modernize the power electronics curriculum and improve student safety for a lab. The power converter attempts to replace the original experiment which includes a traditional TRIAC-based dimmer and focuses on demonstrating phase angle control for incandescent light bulbs. However, several drawbacks including high-voltage exposure and outdated technology warranted a revamp. The redesigned module includes a dual-experiment setup with an updated TRIAC-based dimmer circuit and a new AC-DC LED driver circuit with constant current control and PWM dimming capability. Both systems have been fabricated …

The Role Of Advisory Opinions In International Law In The Context Of The Climate Crisis, Maria Antonia Tigre, Armando Rocha

Sabin Center for Climate Change Law

Between December 2022 and March 2023, three requests for an advisory opinion were submitted to the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea (ITLOS), the Inter-American Court of Human Rights (IACtHR), and the International Court of Justice (ICJ). Furthermore, a request for an advisory opinion from the African Court on Human and Peoples’ Rights (AfCtHPR) is being prepared. As such, 2024–2025 marks an unprecedented moment in global climate litigation: as of November 2024, we are on the verge of having four of the world’s most important international and regional courts and tribunals answering crucial legal questions on the (ex …

Nationwide Survey Of Clinical Practice Patterns In Point-Of-Care Ultrasound Use In Emergency Departments, Yan-Rong Ho, Hung-Mei Chen, Su Weng Chau, Hua Li, Chien-Yu Liao, Yi-Kung Lee, Wan-Ching Lien, Tou-Yuan Tsai

Journal of Medical Education

Background: Point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) is widely used in emergency medicine (EM), but trends in familiarity and training needs in Taiwan remain unclear. This study aimed to assess trends in POCUS familiarity among EM physicians in Taiwan. Methods: This nationwide, questionnaire-based descriptive study was conducted in Taiwan during 2019 and 2023. EM physicians actively practicing in emergency departments were surveyed; those not practicing emergency medicine were excluded. The questionnaire evaluated demographic characteristics, overall POCUS familiarity using a 10-point scale, most familiar core emergency applications, and least familiar applications. Descriptive statistics summarized data, with Likert scale responses reported as medians with interquartile …

Nationwide Implementation And Stakeholder Perceptions Of Taiwan's Publicly Funded Medical Education Program: A Cross-Sectional Survey, Cheng-Heng Liu, Chih-Wei Yang, Hann-Shyan Hwang, Wang-Huei Sheng, Yen-Hsuan Ni, Shan-Chwen Chang, Taiwan Publicly Funded Medical Education Program Development Task Force

Journal of Medical Education

Background: Taiwan's Publicly Funded Medical Education Program (PFMEP), launched in 1975, aimed to address urban-rural healthcare disparities. Due to limited physician retention in underserved areas, a revised second-generation program was introduced in 2016 to enhance rural workforce sustainability. Objective: This study assessed attitudes and professional identities of publicly funded medical students and their mentors four years after implementing the second-generation PFMEP, identifying gaps and providing feedback for program improvement. Methods: A nationwide cross-sectional survey examined stakeholder perceptions using a structured questionnaire covering workforce demand/career planning, clinical practice in underserved areas, and perceived program effectiveness. The survey was distributed to students …

Factors Influencing Medical University Students' Emotions And Infection Prevention Behaviors Amid The Spread Of Covid-19: Analysis From A Social Network Perspective, Jian-Jhou Chen, Peih-Ying Lu

Journal of Medical Education

Background: By adopting a social network perspective, we estimated the impact of the extent of information dissemination and exchange on the emotions and behaviors of medical university students during the COVID-19 epidemic. Methods: Students from a medical university in southern Taiwan were selected through stratified sampling. From October 5 to October 11, 2020, a survey was conducted using a self-developed COVID-19 Response Assessment Scale. A total of 1,162 valid responses were collected. Results: Higher frequencies of information acquisition from social networks or news media and information exchange with others in social networks were associated with higher levels of worries regarding …

Advocacy Under Authoritarianism: Civil Society's Impact On Environmental Treaty Ratification In Southeast Asia, Christianna Sirindah Parr

Research Collection School of Social Sciences

Does civil society in competitive authoritarian and authoritarian countries impact environmental policy? Specifically, does civil society speed up the ratification of international environmental treaties? Treaty ratification is a crucial step for translating international commitments to domestic politics. I argue that in competitive authoritarian regimes, where civil society operates under constraints but retains some space for advocacy, more robust civil society accelerates the ratification of environmental treaties compared to states with weaker civil society. These regimes often tolerate civil society pressure on non-threatening issues, such as environmental governance, which allows for strategic concessions without undermining state authority. Focusing on Southeast Asia, …

The Feasibility Of A Concise Online Anatomical Atlas For Nonmedical / Dental Healthcare Profession Education, Ming-Fong Chang, Chi-Chuan Yeh, June-Horng Lue, Chung-Liang Chien, Shu-Hao Hsu, Meng-Lin Liao

Journal of Medical Education

The web-based anatomical atlas of the National Taiwan University (NTU-WAA) was established in response to the reduction in teaching hours and reported to enhance the anatomy learning of nursing students. This study aimed to further analyze the use time over the entire semester and explore the learning outcomes of a large-scale cohort of students from seven nonmedical/dental healthcare professions using the NTU-WAA for their anatomy learning. The anatomy scores of lecture and laboratory examinations and questionnaires from 222 students were collected and analyzed. Participants were categorized into subgroups based on their self-report use time on NTU-WAA: less than 1 hour …

Research Nexus : Volume 26 - 2025, Office Of Research And Graduate Studies

Office of Research and Graduate Studies

• Researcher Spotlight
• AKU joins UN Academic Impact Network
• Research Townhalls: Listening, Learning, and Looking Ahead
• Call for Applications: Last Mile Travel Awards – Round 3
• Capacity Building Initiatives
• Balancing the Load: Strategies for Pre and Post Award Management
• Promoting Research Integrity
• Strengthening Grant Support: Training for Research Administrators
• The Collective Spark: AKU Academic Entities
• Newborn Infections: Can Home Treatment Be Just as Safe?
• From Data to Impact: Advancing Injury Research Capacity in Kenya

Arkansas Corn And Grain Sorghum Research Studies 2024, Jason Kelley, Travis Faske

Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station Research Series

The 2024 edition of the Arkansas Corn and Grain Sorghum Research Studies Series includes research results on topics pertaining to corn and grain sorghum production, including weed, disease, nematode, and insect management; economics; irrigation; agronomics; soil fertility; drone use; and research verification program results.

Our objective is to capture and broadly distribute the results of research projects funded by the Arkansas Corn and Grain Sorghum Board. The intended audience includes producers and their advisors, current investigators, and future researchers. The Series serves as a citable archive of research results.

The reports inform and guide our long-term recommendations, but should not …

The Impact Of Perceived Social Support On Postpartum Depression: The Mediating Role Of Psychological Capital And Sense Of Coherence, Hana K. Aman

psychology

Background: The relationship between postpartum depression and social support is highly supported in research. However, few studies investigated the factors that could intervene with this relationship. The purpose of this research is to investigate how psychological capital (PsyCap) and sense of coherence (SOC) can mediate the relationship between perceived social support (PSS) and postpartum depression. Methods: This study analysed data from 217 postpartum women with age range between 25-41(M= 30.12, SD= 3.65). The sample was recruited from public and private hospitals and obstetrics/gynaecology and paediatric clinics in Cairo, Egypt. Data was collected using Arabic versions of the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression …

Sla Evaluation And Composition In Reconfigurable Cloud-Based Services, Michael Iannelli

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Given the business model of offering data and computing services in a cloud setting, a major question arises: How do the services of one cloud provider compare to those of others? With the ubiquitous use of smartphones and tablets, the ability of a cloud provider to support QoS and client mobility becomes paramount. This research proposes a methodology for evaluating service-level agreements (SLAs) between cloud providers and their consumers, with a particular focus on dynamic SLA composition to adapt to changes in the application requirements and the external environment—such as traffic surges, security threats, or evolving business models.

In one …

Creative Coding Communities: Exploring The Relationship Between Scratch Use And Child Well-Being, Nikita Khalid

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

This international study assessed the relationship between the use of Scratch, the world's largest coding community for children, and child well-being. Specifically, the study focused on the presence of well-being indicators in the RITEC-8 framework (RITEC, 2024) including creativity, relationships, competence, and autonomy within Scratch users’ behaviors. The participants (N = 17,315) included children aged between 8 and 16 who used Scratch in 2023 and came from 29 countries. The study examined trends in Scratchers’ behaviors including project creation, sharing, studio curation, and socialization based on their country of origin, gender and age. The data were used to construct user …

Essays On Capital Structure And Ownership Structure, Yiqin Chen

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

This dissertation consists of two chapters about how ownership structure affects REITs’ capital structure and property transactions.

Chapter 1: The Influence of Ownership Structure on REITs’ Financing Decisions
This essay explores how ownership structure affects REITs’ financing decisions following natural disasters. The results show that REITs with high insider ownership tend to increase leverage in the aftermath of such events, while those with high institutional ownership, especially long-term institutional ownership, are more likely to reduce leverage. These findings provide further evidence of the monitoring role of institutional investors in shaping REITs’ financial strategies during times of crisis.

Chapter 2: …

The Impact Of Voluntary Disclosure Of Customers’ Names On Firm Value, Mu Li

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Customers are a primary source of a firm’s revenue, and a firm’s relationships with its customers are one of the key factors of its success. To reduce information asymmetry regarding customers, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) mandates that all publicly traded firms disclose sales to major customers who account for more than 10% of the firm’s consolidated sales. Firms may voluntarily disclose more customer information such as customers’ names. While managers may be concerned with the financial implications of such voluntary disclosure, no studies to date have explored how it impacts firm value. Using a sample of 768 …

An Exploratory Study Of Household Alcohol Consumption From The Us Bureau Of Labor Statistics Consumer Expenditure Survey With A Focus On Market Conditions And Regulatory Structures, Mayya Makarycheva

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Alcohol consumption and use is not just a harmful behavior or a potential recreational activity, but it also may form a way of self-identification.

Each type of beverage apparently has their own profile of dedicated drinkers. Those drinkers are also apparently loyal to the location of purchase. However, one may also consider whether consumption in one location is a predictor of consumption in the other location. This distinct tendency highlights the intricacy of consumption patterns, as on-premise and off-premise consumption simultaneously serve as complements and substitutes in the long run in terms of both location and type of beverage.

The …

Exploring Advanced Theory Of Mind Development Across Sociocultural Contexts: An Evaluation Of The Strange Stories In Children From Mexico And Us–Mexico Border Communities, Katherine Rice Warnell, Amy A. Weimer, Rong Huang, Daniela Kuri

Psychological Science Faculty Publications

Recent research on advanced theory of mind (ToM) has questioned the extent to which existing ToM measures capture a single construct, particularly for groups understudied in developmental research. The present study examined the factor structure of one of the most commonly used advanced ToM measures, the Strange Stories task, in samples of low- and middle-income children in dual-language Spanish-English schools in US–Mexico border communities and in Mexico (N = 237 children, n = 108 male, n = 129 female, Mage = 10.05 years, SD = 1.15 years; 96.3% Hispanic/Latine). No clear factor structure emerged for the Strange Stories …

The ‘Double-Exposure’ Of Riverine Communities In Northeast India To Dams And Climate Change, Costanza Rampini

Faculty Research, Scholarly, and Creative Activity

No abstract provided.

Periodontal Diseases In Africa, Mojisola Olujitan, Patricia O. Ayanbadejo, Kehinde Umeizudike, Afolabi Oyapero, Christopher Okunseri, Azeez Butali

School of Dentistry Faculty Research and Publications

Periodontal diseases, a group of complex conditions marked by an excessive immune response and periodontal tissue destruction, are a global health concern. Since 1990, the incidence of these diseases has doubled, with Western sub-Saharan Africa experiencing the highest burden. Accurate diagnosis and case identification are crucial for understanding the etiology, features of disease, research, treatment and prevention. Modern perspectives on periodontal disease classification are based on commonality among those affected. However, current literature is often plagued by methodological inconsistencies and focused on disease mechanisms in European populations. Health inequalities in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) are exacerbated by these challenges, …

Evaluating Artificial Intelligence Chatbots For Patient Education In Oral And Maxillofacial Radiology, Dilek Helvacioglu-Yigit, Husniye Demirturk, Kamran Ali, Dania Tamimi, Lisa J. Koenig, Abeer Almashraqi

School of Dentistry Faculty Research and Publications

Objective

This study aimed to compare the quality and readability of the responses generated by 3 publicly available artificial intelligence (AI) chatbots in answering frequently asked questions (FAQs) related to Oral and Maxillofacial Radiology (OMR) to assess their suitability for patient education.

Study Design

Fifteen OMR-related questions were selected from professional patient information websites. These questions were posed to ChatGPT-3.5 by OpenAI, Gemini 1.5 Pro by Google, and Copilot by Microsoft to generate responses. Three board-certified OMR specialists evaluated the responses regarding scientific adequacy, ease of understanding, and overall reader satisfaction. Readability was assessed using the Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level (FKGL) …

Determining Sphincs+ Readiness For Standardization Of Slh-Dsa Signature, Jessica Ancillotti

Theses

As quantum computing advances, public-key cryptographic algorithms risk becoming obsolete, requiring the development and implementation of quantum-resistant alternatives. This thesis evaluates SPHINCS+, a stateless hash-based digital signature scheme recently standardized by NIST under the FIPS 205 standard named Stateless Hash-Based Digital Signature Algorithm (SLH-DSA), which was selected for being a conservative and robust choice due to its reliance solely on well-understood cryptographic primitives. In the context of the growing need for quantum-resistant cryptographic solutions, determining the readiness of SPHINCS+ involves assessing its practical viability across different application domains and evaluating how well it meets today’s and future needs. To achieve …

Parsing Of Math Formulas And Chemical Diagrams Using Graph-Based Representation And Attention Models, Ayush Kumar Shah

Theses

Mathematical formulas and chemical diagrams appear frequently in scientific documents but are often embedded as visual content, either rasterized or vector-based images, limiting their accessibility and automated analysis. This thesis aims to bridge this gap by presenting a graph-based visual parsing framework that recognizes and parses these notations from both vector and raster image inputs in digital documents. For mathematical formulas in born-digital PDFs, we construct Symbol Layout Trees (SLTs) using a graph defined over vector-based primitives, capturing spatial relationships, avoiding relying on OCR. For born-digital chemical diagrams, we introduce a Minimum Spanning Tree (MST)-based technique that extracts molecular structure …

Performance Comparison Of Learning With Errors Cryptosystems, Gabriel Johnson

Theses

Due to recent advancements in quantum computing, there has been great interest in finding quantum-resistant public key encryption algorithms. Much focus has been given to lattice-based cryptosystems, as certain lattice problems appear difficult even in the quantum setting. In particular, the Learning with Errors (LWE) problem, introduced by Regev, gives a means for constructing numerous public key cryptosystems with very strong proofs of security based on the hardness of finding a short vector in a lattice. We analyze and compare the performance, in terms of memory usage and speed, of four different Learning with Errors cryptosystems: basic LWE, normal-form LWE, …

Effects Of Vertical Reinforcement On The Shear Performance Of Uhpc Deep Beams With Synthetic And Steel Fibres, Hossein Mirzaaghabeik, Sanjay Kumar Shukla, Nuha S. Mashaan

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

This study examines the shear behaviour of ultra-high-performance concrete deep beams (UHPC-DBs) reinforced with three fibre types: 2 % hooked-end (HE) steel fibres, 0.76 % 5D steel fibres, and 0.11 % Forta-Ferro (FF) synthetic fibres. It evaluates the effects of fibre type, fibre content, vertical web reinforcement (ρsv), and shear span-to-depth ratio (λ) on shear capacity. Load-deflection curves, crack patterns, and ρsv strain were analysed, and the optimal ρsv was determined using the particle swarm optimization (PSO) algorithm to maximise shear capacity while minimising costs. Findings reveal that, compared to specimens without ρsv, those with ρsv = 0.38 % exhibit …

Handling Socio-Institutional Traps–Inertia Towards Australia’S Resilient International Development Aid Programs In The Solomon Islands, Mark Opoku Amankwa, Kwadwo Adusei-Asante, Alina Novak

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

This study critically examines how donor’s aid delivery approach, entrenched socio-institutional dynamics, and the Solomon Islands’ complex political economy create persistent barriers to Australia’s aid programming. Through a desktop research approach, institutional trap–inertia theory is applied to analyze how Australia’s aid efforts and political structures perpetuate aid inertia. The study critiques both Australia’s aid delivery approach and the internal governance challenges in a cohesive society of the SI, highlighting their intertwined roles in impeding Australia’s aid programming. The article proffers context-driven, locally adaptive strategies aimed at overcoming institutional traps and fostering more resilient and effective aid interventions.