Digital Commons Network^™

The Equity Implications Of Pecuniary Externalities On An Electric Grid, Charles Sims, Gasser G. Ali, J. Scott Holladay, Tim Roberson, Chien Fei Chen, Islam H. El-Adaway

Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

The adoption of rooftop photovoltaic (PV) systems can create upward pressure on retail electricity rates as utilities are forced to spread their fixed costs of generation and transmission across a smaller customer base. Since high-income households are more likely to purchase PV systems, low-income households may be disproportionately impacted by these rate increases. Using a novel combination of agent-based computational economic modeling and a choice experiment of rooftop solar adoption, we show how this pecuniary externality between low- and high-income customers increases low-income electricity bills by 10% in an area with some of the highest poverty rates in the United …

Evaluating Crumb Rubber Modified (Crm) Asphalt As A Sustainable Binder Alternative For High-Friction Surface Treatments, Abdallah Aboelela, Alireza Roshan, Magdy Abdelrahman

Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

High-friction surface treatments (HFSTs) are widely applied to improve pavement safety by enhancing long-term skid resistance. Although epoxy resins are commonly used due to their strength and durability, their high cost, susceptibility to delamination, incompatibility with substrates of flexible pavements, and adverse environmental concerns limit their long-term performance. This study presents crumb rubber modified (CRM) asphalt as a sustainable alternative binder for HFST applications. CRM binders offer high performance and compatibility with existing pavement surfaces, cost effectiveness and reduced environmental impacts as compared to epoxy binders. In addition, the binder development utilizes enhanced recycling technologies for interacting with used tire …

Masthead - Vol 50 Fall 2025

Southern Illinois University Law Journal

No abstract provided.

Field Goals, Carolyn Young Larmore

Southern Illinois University Law Journal

Externship faculty agree that goal setting is a key part of the externship learning experience, for example, helping students to become self-directed learners by deciding what they want to get out of a learning experience and then taking an active role in working toward that end. But while the literature advocating goal setting is based on years of experience and anecdotal evidence, one thing it is lacking is empirical support. In this paper, I report on my study of the pedagogical tool of student goal setting. This study included the review and coding of hundreds of student reflective journals in …

Reinsuring Ai: Energy, Agriculture, Finance & Medicine As Precedents For Governance Of Frontier Artificial Intelligence, Nicholas Stetler

Southern Illinois University Law Journal

Federal reinsurance for advanced artificial intelligence offers a credible foundation for managing risk at scale. Traditional legal tools such as regulation, litigation, and voluntary guidelines, lack the institutional capacity to address deep uncertainty, widespread spillover effects, and low-probability but catastrophic harms. A public financial infrastructure distributes risk, incentivizes responsible development, and enables earlier detection of emerging threats. Precedent exists in nuclear energy, agriculture, healthcare, and finance, where federal reinsurance enabled markets to function despite underlying volatility. The same institutional logic applies to frontier AI.

Part I explains how general-purpose and frontier AI models work, and why they have become a …

Policy - Vol. 50, Fall 2025

Southern Illinois University Law Journal

No abstract provided.

Proverag: Provenance-Driven Vulnerability Analysis With Automated Retrieval-Augmented Llms, Reza Fayyazi, Stella Hoyos Trueba, Michael Zuzak, Jay Yang

Institute for Informatics and Applied Technology Scholarship

In cybersecurity, security analysts constantly face the challenge of mitigating newly discovered vulnerabilities in real-time, with over 300,000 vulnerabilities identified since 1999. The sheer volume of known vulnerabilities complicates the detection of patterns for unknown threats. While LLMs can assist, they often hallucinate and lack alignment with recent threats. Over 40,000 vulnerabilities have been identified in 2024 alone, which are introduced after most popular LLMs’ (e.g., GPT-5) training data cutoff. This raises a major challenge of leveraging LLMs in cybersecurity, where accuracy and up-to-date information are paramount. Therefore, we aim to improve the adaptation of LLMs in vulnerability analysis by …

An Analysis Of Policies Impacting Ex-Offenders And The Barriers Created In Their Transition Into Society: A Qualitative Metasynthesis, Thomas A. Ayala

Theses & Dissertations

In 2018, more than six million people in the United States were under correctional supervision, including incarceration, probation, or parole, equivalent to 1 in 40 adults (Maruschak & Minton, 2020). While this reflects a decline from previous years, prison populations reversed course in 2022, increasing by 2% nationwide, with 36 states and federal facilities reporting higher inmate counts (Nellis, 2024). Since 1973, policy shifts have fueled the rise of mass incarceration (Nellis, 2021; O’Brien, 2020). According to the Pew Center, the United States remains a global outlier, holding 5% of the world’s population, but incarcerates 25% of the 9 million …

未有《嘉興藏》之前 : 萬曆初年的江南刻經運動, Qi-Yuan Wang

嶺南學報 Lingnan Journal of Chinese Studies

學界以往曾發現不少出現在《嘉興藏》正式開雕之前的早期刊本，但未對此現象做出相應的解釋。本文依據傳世藏經文獻中的牌記、序跋記載，加上晚明僧俗精英們的别集著述，考察了“前嘉興藏”時期複雜的刻經經歷，追溯江南地區系统刊刻佛教經藏的地點，最早出現在嘉興東禪寺，發起者是千松明得禪師。而由於各種客觀條件影響，萬曆十年之後，這一刻經事業由晚輩高僧、學界所熟悉的紫柏真可禪師及其僧俗團隊繼續，並逐漸形成刊刻全藏的理想共識。紫柏刻經團隊早期嘗試刻經的地點不止一處，通過當時精英的别集文獻考察，其正式開刻地曾有松江府的金澤鎮、蘇州府的吳江縣等處，而納入早期刻藏經場考察的地方，則包括餘杭徑山、山東嶗山等多地。這些刻經地的選擇，出於當時紫柏僧團的交遊、教内外支持及現實的經濟、交通等多重考慮。最終萬曆十七年初夏，紫柏的刻經團隊正式開刻《嘉興藏》，並把正式刻經地放到了五臺山妙德庵，四年後轉而回到徑山，成爲長期的刻經場地。在“五臺山—徑山”刻藏的敘述成型之後，《嘉興藏》早期刻經的書寫與記憶逐漸被人遺忘。本文通過梳理各部傳世文獻中的相關線索，尤其日記文獻與經藏牌記等之前不被佛教史研究者關注的材料，發掘出晚明僧俗精英於《嘉興藏》籌備期所付出的諸多努力，及其所經歷的各種艱辛與曲折。

Previous academic research on the Jiaxing Tripitaka has found many early editions that appeared before the official printing, but no corresponding explanation has been provided for this phenomenon. This article examines the complex experience of Printing Tripitaka during the “Pre Jiaxing Tripitaka” period based on the records of plaques and prefaces in the surviving, as well as the collected works of the late Ming Buddhist and Lay elites. It traces back to the location of the systematic printing of Buddhist scriptures in the Jiangnan region, which first appeared in Dongchan Temple in Jiaxing, initiated by Master Qiansong Mingde. Due …

《弘明集》《廣弘明集》之單刻及其影響, Meng Li

嶺南學報 Lingnan Journal of Chinese Studies

徽商、居士吳惟明奉其師紫柏真可之命，於萬曆十四年將《弘明集》《廣弘明集》單獨刊刻，刻成後即得到五臺山刻方册大藏負責人密藏道開的高度讚賞，初期刊刻的大藏也以此書爲“家法”，吳刻兩集影響到大藏之刊刻。實際上，吳惟明本人深度參與大藏的籌備與刊刻，不僅捐資刊刻，還派送、推薦刻工至五臺山。吳刻將《弘明》兩集合刻，删去兩書原序、爲兩書各自重編了目録、集中編排音釋;雖以永樂北藏本爲底本，但大量增删改動：詩歌部分據馮惟訥《古詩紀》直接校改底本文字，並“改每篇標目，上目下名”，改變原書編排體例，甚至還會調整詩文編次，已非藏經本原貌。然而，此本問世不久就成爲流通本，嘉興藏本《弘明》二集即採作底本，四庫本、金陵刻書處本、天寧寺本多據以刊刻，《四部叢刊》《四部備要》也據以影印。日本承應三年刻《廣弘明集》、黃檗藏本《弘明》兩集均據以刊刻。明清以來學者據《弘明》二集辑佚先唐佛教詩文，所據之本多爲吳刻系统，不可避免要受此本增删臆改之誤導。

Wu Weiming, a Huizhou merchant and lay Buddhist, followed the order of his teacher Zibai Zhenke to publish Hongmingji and Guanghongmingji separately in the 14th year of Wanli. After they were completed, they were highly praised by Mizang Daokai, the person in charge of the printing of the square volume of the Tibetan Buddhist canon in Mount Wutai. The initial printing of the Tibetan Buddhist canon also used this book as the canon. Wu’s printing of the two collections actually influenced the printing of the Tibetan Buddhist canon. In fact, Wu Weiming himself was deeply involved in the preparation …

Louisiana Children's Trust Fund: Annual Report 2024-2025, Elizabeth Winchester, Jada Thomas-Smith, Quynh-Tram Tran, Aimee Moles, Judith L. F. Rhodes

Reports

LCTF makes annual grant awards to aid in the prevention of child abuse and neglect in the state. Grant awards fund programs and conferences, which are implemented in five LCTF identified areas of intervention, namely: 1) Teaching children personal safety and life skills; 2) Education and support services for parents; 3) Hospital and/or home visitation and support services to families; 4) Public awareness and education programs for adults; and 5) Training and education of teachers, professionals, and volunteers.

To ensure accountability for grant funding, an annual review of funded proposals assesses program planning, implementation, and evaluation. The annual review involves …

2025 Fall Commencement, Tennessee State University

TSU Commencements 2025-Present – Mr. Dwayne Tucker, President

No abstract provided.

Bi-Annual Updates July - December 2025, Centre For Clinical Best Practices (Ccbp)

Centre For Clinical Best Practices (CCBP) Archives

• The Purpose Behind CCBP
• What We Do
• New Knowledge Creation
• Dissemination of AKU Manual
• Children’s Health Manual
• Patient Centered Manual
• Updating AKU Manual
• Dissemination of Manual via Mobile App
• Academic Publications & Conferences
• Strategic Partnerships
• Knowledge Creation
• Updating Guidelines – AKU Manual
• AKU Manual of Paediatrics
• Patient Centered Care Application
• Guidelines & Algorithms Published on Mobile/Web App
• Collaboration Meetings
• Dissemination Sessions
• Physicians Trajectory: Online Manual Access
• Physicians Engagement with Online Manual (2025)
• Analytics: Online Manual Access
• Physicians Speaking About AKU Manual
• Conferences and Publications
• Research Publications
• Center for Clinical Best Practices Team
• Editorial Team
• Acknowledgment

Vaping Insights Perceptions And Experiences On A College Campus, Willard G. Jackson

Masters Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine if relationships existed between student vaping habits in proximity to a college campus and current tobacco related bans implemented by the institution. Determining these relationships provided insights that can be utilized to maximize effectiveness of campus tobacco policy. Research outcomes represented a framework for educating current and potential tobacco consumers on campus regarding harm reduction, tobacco cessation, and resources available to prevent a lifetime of nicotine addiction or other tobacco related harm to health. The study addressed research questions in a mixed-methods design. Quantitative research questions included: Does a relationship exist between …

An Evaluation Of The Effectiveness Of Living Learning Communities On Student Success, Retention, And Belonging, Jason D. Harville

Masters Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

This project of practice evaluated the impact of Living Learning Communities (LLCs) on student success, retention, and sense of belonging at a regional public university. The program evaluation includes quantitative data comparing GPA and retention rates of LLC and non-LLC students, a sense of belonging scale, and qualitative data gathered from interviews and surveys with LLC participants and program partners. Findings indicate that LLC participation positively correlates with increased student retention and a stronger sense of community, though academic performance differences were not statistically significant. Thematic analysis of qualitative interviews revealed that intentional faculty-student interaction, tailored academic support, and early …

Students’ Perceptions Of Learning Activities On A South African Study Abroad Experience, Raquel Taylor, Nathan W. Conner, Savannah Hauxwell, Taylor Ruth, Bryan Reiling

Journal of Human Sciences and Extension

Study abroad experiences provide students with the ability to learn and achieve outside the bounds of academic learning. Participating in study abroad experiences allows students to learn more and be more inclusive of diverse groups and perspectives, which can ultimately be integrated into their future careers and daily lives. This qualitative study sought to better understand students’ perceptions of learning activities that took place prior to the study abroad, during the study abroad, and after the study abroad program. The following six themes emerged from data analysis: a) Created change in behavior and perspective, b) Reflection opportunities, c) Future application, …

The Application Of Evidence-Based Practices In Diverse Environments, Emily R. Simon

Undergraduate Honors Thesis Collection

Much research supports the argument that students and educators perform better when evidence-based practices are used in the classroom. However, applying these practices across diverse environments can be a challenge. Each class and school is unique, and these differences affect the transferability of these methods in the classroom. This thesis examines how research-based methods on relationship building and instructional practices are implemented and/or modified across different school settings: suburban, urban, special education, general education, and multicultural/multilingual spaces.

Through research on current educational practices, this thesis identifies commonly used evidence-based practices for building relationships between teachers, students, and families, as well …

Educational Data Mining Techniques To Analyze Student Behavior In A Learning Management System, Mohamad Ali Bin Baba

Dissertations

This study identifies course-level patterns of LMS use in fully asynchronous graduate engineering management courses and examines the relationships between LMS use, course type, student satisfaction, and performance. Using the Community of Inquiry (CoI) framework and Moore’s interaction types, LMS metrics were mapped to learner–content, learner–learner, and learner–instructor interactions and clustered with k-means across nine courses. Profiles emerged—content-dominant, instructor-active, and balanced—showing that knowledge-based courses often emphasize content engagement, while application-based courses tend to be more balanced or instructor-driven. Satisfaction correlated most strongly with teaching/social-presence indicators (e.g., feedback cadence, discussion activity), whereas performance aligned with content-oriented engagement. The five strongest predictors …

Greenhouse Gas Accounting For Western Australian Agriculture 2023, Johnny Machon, Christophe D'Abbadie

Climate Science Published Reports

This report presents new modelling of the greenhouse gas emissions attributable to Western Australia’s agricultural industries and provides an overview of sequestration at the state level. The report updates the estimates from previous technical reports by the Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development (DPIRD). It presents not only emissions from agricultural activities in Western Australia (WA) but also from the production of agricultural inputs and energy use. This broader picture of emissions aligns with frameworks for emissions reporting at the business and product level.

Total on-farm and pre-farm emissions are estimated to have been about 12.6–13.3 million tonnes of …

Complaints.Gov: Building A Modern Infrastructure For Accountability, Erie Meyer

Center for Law and the Economy

This report proposes the establishment of a national complaint portal, complaints.gov, to connect consumers with government resources to remediate disputes with business products or services. The report references the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau's consumer complaint portal – used to remediate disputes regarding loans, credit, and other consumer financial products – as a model for complaint clearinghouse infrastructure that can be integrated across the federal government. The report details steps for implementation of the complaints.gov portal and argues for consumer complaint remediation as a strategy for identifying market failures and promoting fair competition.

Water Circulation Beneath A Hovering Suas For Water Quality Monitoring Applications, Erin E. Hackett, Boone Fleenor, Jensine C. Coggin, Duvall Dickerson-Evans, Nikolaos Vitzilaios, Whitney E. Schuler, Paige K. Williams, Michael L. Myrick

Faculty Publications

Water quality has traditionally been measured via in situ sensors and satellites. The latter has limited applicability for smaller inland water bodies, while the former requires significant logistics, labor, and expense for routine sampling, and reactive/spurious sampling is often not feasible as a result (e.g., sampling pre-/post-storm). Consequently, small uncrewed aircraft system-based (sUAS-based) sampling has emerged as a potential solution to bridge these sampling gaps and challenges. But sampling from an sUAS is complicated by the need to pump water from depth, rather than suspending a sensor from the sUAS, due to concern over sampling sUAS-impacted waters. Here, we measure …

2025-12-01 Caudill Connection, Morehead State University. Caudill College Of Arts, Humanities And Social Sciences.

Caudill Connection

Caudill Connection newsletter for December of 2025.

Let’S Talk Mental Health: An Assessment Of Oregon Agricultural Stakeholders Discussing Mental Health, Whitney Stone, Lauren Chase, Taylor Foerster

Journal of Human Sciences and Extension

Working in agriculture presents some unique mental health stressors, including financial difficulties, climate variability, and isolation. Currently, Extension offers mental health literacy programming addressing mental health and suicide in agricultural communities; however, some of the programming is underattended, and resources are underutilized. We sought to find out how communicating about mental health resources was perceived by agricultural stakeholders who work closely with farmers and ranchers, including agribusiness employees, leaders in the community, and pre-service agriculture teachers. Through this mixed-method study using focus groups and a survey, we wanted to find out the perceptions of mental health resources to help inform …

Rural Mental Health Challenges: Addressing Community-Specific Needs Of Rural Mississippians, Mary Marshall Waller, Mary Nelson Robertson, Holli H. Seitz, Michael R. Nadorff, David R. Buys

Journal of Human Sciences and Extension

America’s mental health crisis uniquely impacts rural areas. Challenges surrounding intention and accessibility to engage in mental health-fostering behaviors exacerbate disparities in rural mental healthcare. In this study, Cooperative Extension personnel assess rural Mississippians’ intention to engage in mental health-fostering behaviors, accessibility to mental health-fostering behaviors, and helpfulness of increased access to resources for mental health challenges to determine if relationships exist between these variables. Rural Mississippi adults were recruited via an online survey panel to complete a 147-item web-based questionnaire (n = 274). Findings suggest rural adults’ intention to engage in mental health-fostering behaviors favored connecting with family and …

The Effects Of The Cooking For One Curriculum On Nutrition, Food Safety, Food Resource Management, And Physical Activity Behaviors: A Pilot Study, Tyler B. Becker Dr., Ronald L. Gibbs Jr, Becky Henne, Erika Garner

Journal of Human Sciences and Extension

The number of single adult households has increased over the previous decades, and few health education interventions address these unique living situations, which come with various economic challenges. The Cooking for One curriculum is a cooking-based intervention designed to improve nutrition, food safety, food resource management, and physical activity (PA) behaviors among single adults. This curriculum includes six lessons, each with an educational and hands-on cooking component. Participants included 1,546 adults recruited through Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Education programs in the state of Michigan. Each of the participants underwent the six-lesson Cooking for One curriculum. Prior to and following the intervention, …

Foundational Phases For Community Development: A Model For Enhancing Cooperative Extension’S Role Within The Community, George Grant, Kristina Hains

Journal of Human Sciences and Extension

The Cooperative Extension System (CES) plays a vital role in community education and development across the United States. The objective of this article is to demonstrate the historical and present-day significance of the CES as a catalyst for community development practice, while overlaying a community development model applicable to CES. A literature review is provided on the historical origins, organizational structure, and leadership responsibilities of agents and specialists relevant to community development research and practice. The researchers suggest a novel conceptual model, the Foundational Phases for Community Development, to assist agents and specialists across all areas of programming for engaging …

Bridging The Communication Gap In Natural Disaster Information: An Exploratory Study Of Extension Service Websites, Emmanuel Chisom Okolo, Rafael Landaverde, Laxmi Prasanna Kandi, Kim E. Dooley, Sarah Mccord, Kelsi Opat, Abdul Saboor Rahmany

Journal of Human Sciences and Extension

Natural disasters are expected to become more frequent and severe, increasing the need for effective disaster management. Governments are emphasizing community awareness and local self-reliance, with the Cooperative Extension Services (CES) playing a vital role in distributing science-based knowledge and supporting preparedness efforts. This qualitative content analysis (QCA), guided by Framing Theory, examined how CES disseminated weather-related disaster preparedness and response information from 2003 to 2023 on Extension Service websites. We explored: (1) the frequency of information on natural disaster preparedness and response published on Extension Service websites, (2) dissemination methods, and (3) the quality of disaster preparedness and response …

Practical Applications Of Generative Artificial Intelligence And Best Practices For Extension Professionals, Aileen S. Garcia, Kale Monk, Flower Darby, Naomi R. Meinertz

Journal of Human Sciences and Extension

Generative artificial intelligence (AI) uses deep-learning algorithms that can generate content based on patterns learned from varied prompts. We offer practical strategies for using AI to enhance our work, including automating notes, generating ideas to increase engagement, creating impactful visuals, and assisting program evaluation. We highlight the importance of thoughtful and responsible use of AI, through clear prompt writing, transparency, privacy protection, and ongoing professional development. By recognizing AI as a tool that needs human oversight, Extension professionals can enhance productivity, optimize educational offerings, and better serve their communities.

Full Issue, Volume 13, Number 3, Donna J. Peterson Dr., Scott Cummings, Elizabeth Gregory North

Journal of Human Sciences and Extension

No abstract provided.

The Frontal Assessment Battery In Older Multilingual Kenyan Adults, Anne Njoki Gitere, Anne Nyambura, Karen Blackmon, Levi Muyela, Rachel Maina, Olivera Nesic Taylor,, Jasmit Shah, Dilraj Sokhi, Sylvia Mbugua, Samuel Gitau, Sheila Waa, Juzar Hooker, Zul Merali, Chinedu Momoh, Karen Blackmon

Brain and Mind Institute

Background: The Frontal Assessment Battery (FAB) was developed as a short (6-item) bedside assessment of executive dysfunction in older adults with suspected neurodegeneration. This study describes psychometric features of the FAB in multilingual Kenyan adults with and without clinical diagnosis of dementia.

Method: The FAB consists of six items assessing verbal abstract reasoning, lexical fluency, motor learning, and inhibitory control. The score on each item ranges from 0-3, with higher scores indicating better performance. Bilingual English-Swahili study personnel translated, blind back-translated, and applied consensus-driven cultural adaptations. FAB was then administered to 95 participants [71 cognitively unimpaired (CU) controls; 24 people …