Digital Commons Network^™

Survey Of Recent Video Watermarking Techniques, Taisir N. Hummadia, Nidaa F. Hassanb

Engineering and Technology Journal

With the development of the Internet coupled with expanding the accessibility of multimedia, various copyright issues have resulted. Several researchers have been working on watermarks to provide the security, durability, and a perception of multimedia. This paper a review of some recent works is presented related to video watermarking techniques, this study focuses on the pros and cons of recent video watermarking, areas of application, and the different types and attacks that are standing against these watermarking techniques. The results obtained from this study showed that watermark techniques based on the transfer domain, are more popular than those of the …

Age Estimation In Short Speech Utterances Based On Bidirectional Gated-Recurrent Neural Networks, Ameer A. Badr, Alia K. Abdul-Hassan

Engineering and Technology Journal

Recently, age estimates from speech have received growing interest as they are important for many applications like custom call routing, targeted marketing, or user-profiling. In this work, an automatic system to estimate age in short speech utterances without depending on the text is proposed. From each utterance frame, four groups of features are extracted and then 10 statistical functionals are measured for each extracted dimension of the features, to be followed by dimensionality reduction using Linear Discriminant Analysis (LDA). Finally, bidirectional Gated-Recurrent Neural Networks (G- RNNs) are used to predict speaker age. Experiments are conducted on the VoxCeleb1 dataset to …

Analysis And Implementation Of Kerberos Protocol In Hybrid Cloud Computing Environments, Turkan A. Khaleel

Engineering and Technology Journal

The concept of cloud computing has recently changed how hardware, software, and information are handled. However, security challenges and credibility requirements have never changed and may have increased. Protecting cloud computing and providing security for its resources and users is one of the critical challenges. As a result, most users are afraid to use their resources, because many security problems must be met. For example, authentication and reliability are major security constraints and must be provided in a cloud computing environment. There is a wide range of authentication protocols in use, but the researcher has recommended the Kerberos protocol to …

Effect Of Pulse Electric Field On Water Characteristics As A Disinfection Function In Filtration Unit, Ghassan Abukhanafer, Alaa H. Al-Fatlawi, Hassan H. Joni

Engineering and Technology Journal

This paper studied the impact of the addition of pulse electric-filed low voltage (PEF-LV) in the filtration process by designing, constructing, and operating a pilot-scale. The Disinfectant process (DP) demonstrated several benefits in terms of efficiency and ease of application, without the use of any chemical additive. This system contains two pairs of silver mesh electrodes inside the filtration column test with a low pulse voltage for killing microorganisms. The parametric effects of DP performance, such as alternating current pulse frequency and the voltage applied were investigated. The effect of PEF-LV on the biological, physical, and chemical characteristic of water …

Attention-Based Ensemble Deep Learning Model For Arabic And English Fake News Classification, Ameer Alhaq Alshamery

Journal of Intelligent Informatics, Networking, and Cybersecurity

It is difficult to classify articles as fake news since one article may consist of true facts with only some statements being fake. Moreover, classification becomes complicated for the Arabic language owing to its morphology and several ways of spelling, as well as the lack of well-classified and marked data sets. This paper presents an Ensemble Deep Learning Model (EDLM) used for Arabic and English fake news classification. The EDLM consists of CNN, Bi-LSTM with attention, and Bi-GRU with attention networks. Each of them produces one probability of the article, which is then summed up to a final probability via …

Genpix: A Diverse Dataset For Fake Image Detection, Guessoum Dalila, Benblidia Nadjia, Boumahdi Fatima, Remmide Mohamed Abdelkarim, Nouri Tarek-Amine, Bataouche Azeddine-Lotfi

Iraqi Journal for Computer Science and Mathematics

The rapid advancement of sophisticated generative models has intensified the need for robust fake image detection systems. However, many existing benchmark datasets suffer from limited diversity in content types and generation techniques, constraining the generalization ability of detection models. To address these limitations, we introduce GenPix (Generalized Pixels), a comprehensive dataset encompassing over 80,000 images spanning diverse categories, including faces, objects, and scenes, generated by multiple state-of-the-art models such as Generative Adversarial Networks (GANs) and diffusion-based architectures. The dataset includes samples from different generation methods to ensure broad coverage of fake image characteristics.

GenPix provides a realistic evaluation environment that …

Topical Enrofloxacin Solution Delays Tympanic Membrane Epithelial Migration In Healthy Dogs, Jinseo Oh, Seulgi Bae

The Thai Journal of Veterinary Medicine

Tympanic membrane epithelial migration (TMEM) is essential for homeostasis and self-cleaning function of the tympanic membrane and external ear canal. Otitis externa is common in small animal practice, and topical preparations are widely used for management. Although several treatments have been reported to alter TMEM rates in dogs, evidence on the effects of topical antibiotics on TMEM is limited. This study evaluated the effect of topical enrofloxacin on TMEM in healthy dogs. TMEM was assessed in both tympanic membranes of three healthy dogs (six ears) using a within-subject design with control and experimental conditions. In the experimental condition, enrofloxacin (5 …

Automated Multimodal Synthesis And Native Ecosystem Handoff Of Artificial Intelligence Generated Knowledge Media To Shared Ambient Displays, Richa Gupta

Defensive Publications Series

The disclosed technology introduces a GenAI knowledge bridge that seamlessly translates customized Gen AI workspace outputs into a native, multimodal television experience for consumption by a user and other viewers. The GenAI knowledge bridge establishes a secure, authenticated, customized synthesized knowledge row for inclusion in a user interface of a homepage of a television application running on a computing device (e.g., a smart television). The GenAI knowledge bridge populates the customized synthesized knowledge row by way of a direct application programming interface (API) sync with a private GenAI workspace of the user. A visualizer engine running on the computing device …

System And Method For Available Cognitive Headroom Scoring And Predictive Task Orchestration In Multi-Agent Ai Systems, Ram Mohan R, Annu Rani Mahto, Anis Edavalath, Aparna Raj K, Sridhar D

Defensive Publications Series

Traditional load-balancing techniques for multi-agent artificial intelligence (AI) systems are insufficient because they rely on infrastructure metrics rather than an agent's actual reasoning capacity. Proposed herein is a mechanism that addresses this gap by introducing an Available Cognitive Headroom (ACH) score, which enables predictive, capacity-aware routing that ensures agents are not cognitively overloaded before tasks are dispatched.

Implications Of Similarities And Differences Amongst Media Literacy Skills And Trust Across Communities Of Color, Erica Weintraub Austin, Nadia Ishrat Alamgir, Alexandra Elenitsa Fil, Sultana Ismet Jerin, Di Mu, Albert Junior Nyarko, Folake Racheal Okor, Pearl Omolara Oladele, Hae Yeon Seo, Andrew D. Sutherland

Journal of Media Literacy Education Pre-Prints

A 2020 survey of U.S. adults found that nonwhite respondents tended to report lower levels of media literacy than white respondents. However, their media literacy skills were associated with better COVID-19 knowledge and less acceptance of COVID-19 disinformation. This secondary analysis of the dataset (N=1264) explored how aspects of media literacy and media trust varied across communities of color. No significant differences in online information efficacy were found. White respondents scored higher than Hispanic/Latiné and Native American/Indigenous respondents on media literacy for source, and higher than Black and Hispanic/Latiné respondents on media literacy for content. White respondents also …

Imposter Syndrome And Self Determination In Clinical Social Work Supervision, Alexis Tarr

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

This doctoral project is focused on the social work practice problem of limited understanding of how social workers experience clinical supervision in the context of imposter syndrome. Imposter syndrome can affect confidence, decision making, and overall wellbeing, making it an important issue in clinical social work practice. The purpose of this study was to explore how social workers describe and make meaning of their supervision experiences involving feelings of imposter syndrome. Guiding practice-focused research questions were used to examine how social workers experienced clinical supervision and described autonomy, competence, and relatedness. This study was informed by the self-determination theory, which …

Southeastern United States Community College Instructors’ Perceptions In Implementing Universal Design For Learning, Marshalle Lockhart

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The problem that was addressed through this study is that community college instructors struggle to implement universal design for learning (UDL) in Southeastern districts in the United States. Grounded in UDL, which was developed by the Center for Applied Technology, the purpose of this qualitative study was to explore community college instructors’ perceptions on the challenges they face when implementing UDL in their classroom. For this basic qualitative study, semistructured interviews were conducted with eight community college instructors. Using deductive coding, the data were analyzed using a thematic approach with five themes emerging: (a) UDL improves access but does not …

Hotter Than The Fire: Analysis Of Indonesia's Forest And Peatland Fire Policy Contention, 2015–2024, Dede Setiono, Nunuk Retnandari, Putri Wulandari

Forest and Society

The catastrophic forest and peatland fires of 2015 served as a critical juncture for Indonesia, catalyzing an unprecedented wave of policy reforms aimed at fire prevention and ecosystem restoration. Despite this, major fire events recurred in 2019 and 2023, exposing a persistent gap between policy ambition and on-the-ground reality. This article investigates the underlying reasons for this continued policy failure. This study employs a qualitative, interpretive approach, drawing on 25 in-depth, semi-structured interviews with key stakeholders across government, the corporate sector, civil society, and local communities conducted between 2023 and 2024. The analysis reveals that Indonesia's fire crisis is not …

Selective Factors Impacting Charter High School Enrollment, Nathan Marshall

Theses and Dissertations

This study examined factors influencing high school choice among Utah families, comparing parent priorities between charter and traditional public high schools. Using one-way ANOVA with Tukey honestly significant difference (HSD) post hoc comparisons, parental priorities were analyzed across personal, school community, and academic factors. Parents choosing traditional public high schools rated personal and school community factors significantly higher, emphasizing relationships and school climate, while charter high school parents rated academic factors significantly higher, favoring rigor and instructional quality. Charter parents' priorities were not uniform, however, but varied significantly by school model, suggesting that the charter-versus-traditional divide masks meaningful differences within …

Environmental Exposure Risk Education To Enhance Chronic Kidney Disease Prevention And Screening For Nurse Practitioners, Kelsea J. Carrier

Doctor of Nursing Practice Scholarly Projects

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) affects approximately 36 million adults in the United States, with nearly 90% of individuals unaware of their diagnosis until advanced stages. While diabetes and hypertension remain the primary causes, increasing evidence highlights environmental exposures as significant and underrecognized contributors to CKD onset and progression. Exposures such as heavy metals, per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), air and water pollution, microplastics, and heat exposure have been linked to impaired renal function. Despite this growing body of evidence, environmental health content remains limited in nursing education, resulting in gaps in environmental health literacy (EHL) among nurse practitioners (NPs) and …

Unscripted Urban Interior, Paramita Atmodiwirjo, Yandi Andri Yatmo

Interiority

The urban interior has emerged as a site of unscripted performance. The unscripted urban interior can be understood as a dynamic field where spatial conditions, social practices, and temporal change interact to produce emergent and contingent spatial realities beyond the original script. Through unscripted performance, the urban interior becomes a site of transformative potential, where various forms of practices emerge to transform, appropriate, and mediate the situations. The articles in this Interiority issue highlight the indeterminate characters of the urban interior and the possible transformation practices emerging from such urban contexts through various techniques and media that create distinctive values …

Unplanned Public Nature Interiority, Kendra Locklear Ordia

Interiority

This paper advances a theory of urban interiority through the concept of public nature interiority, integrating ecological thinking into the spatial, sensory, and temporal conditions of exterior spaces that feel interior. Drawing on works by Tine Poot, Richard Sennett, Liz Teston, and Suzie Attiwill, it challenges binary distinctions between interior and exterior, emphasising relational and dynamic urban conditions. Using Attiwill's notions of collective individuation and an ecology of subjectivity, interiority is reframed as being shaped not only by human perception and experience with nature but also by biotic relations and multispecies interactions. The theory is situated within terrain vague—indeterminate, overlooked …

Performing Disobedience: Critical Spatial Heritage, Counter-Memory, And The Rewriting Of Medellín’S Public Space, Laura Balán

Interiority

This article examines the radical street performance practice of Bernardo Ángel Saldarriaga in Medellín, Colombia, as a site of political and epistemological transformation. Through ethnographic engagement with Saldarriaga—an ascetic artist who stages trance-based interventions in public space—the study analyses how his performances disrupt dominant narratives of history, identity, and citizenship. Drawing on political ontology, decolonial thought, and critical heritage studies, the article argues that Saldarriaga's work functions as a hybrid forum for negotiating plural knowledges and social imaginaries. His refusal of institutional funding, his embodied critique of state power, and his use of trance and possession rituals generate both affective …

Strategies Used By Silicon Valley Technology Leaders To Advance Latinx Employees Into Leadership Roles To Increase Firm Productivity, Elizabeth A. Garcia

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The underrepresentation of Latinx professionals in leadership roles remains a challenge for technology leaders. Leaders who lack effective leadership development strategies for Latinx employees may experience reduced innovation, lower productivity, and decreased organizational competitiveness. Grounded in the resource-based view, the purpose of this qualitative pragmatic inquiry research project was to identify and explore effective strategies used by Silicon Valley technology leaders to advance Latinx employees into leadership roles to increase firm productivity. Participants were 10 technology leaders with experience implementing strategies to hire, develop, and promote Latinx talent. Data were collected through semistructured interviews, public organizational documents, and industry publications. …

Bridging Intelligent Optimization And Knowledge-Based Planning: A Retrospective Evaluation Of Ioe And Rapidplan Models For Ethos Lung Adaptive Radiotherapy, Anna Katherine Robbins

Masters Projects

Adaptive radiotherapy (ART) and knowledge-based planning (KBP) have independently improved treatment planning quality and efficiency; however, limited evidence exists regarding their combined use within the Varian Ethos planning system. This retrospective study evaluated whether an institution-specific Ethos-trained RapidPlan model improved dosimetric plan quality compared with Intelligent Optimization Engine (IOE) optimization alone and a publicly available Eclipse-trained RapidPlan model for right-sided non-small cell lung cancer. Ten patients previously treated with adaptive radiotherapy were replanned using three planning approaches: IOE optimization alone, IOE with a generic RapidPlan model, and IOE with an institutional Ethos-trained RapidPlan model. Target coverage, homogeneity, and organ-at-risk (OAR) …

July 29, 2026 Blazer Weekly, University Of Alabama At Birmingham

Blazer Weekly (student newsletter)

No abstract provided.

Depressive Symptoms By The Quality Of Life Among Korean American Midlife Women, Yeeun Kim, Jiwon Baek, Dongmi Kim, Seulgi Ryu, Wonshik Chee, Eun-Ok Im

International Nursing Research Congress (INRC)

Background: Midlife women experience a major developmental transition involving multidimensional changes (physical, psychological, and social changes), before, during, and after their menopause (1-4). During this transition, the women’s depressive symptoms could be linked to their quality of life (5). However, few studies have been conducted on the women’s depressive symptoms by their quality of life. The aim of this study was to identify patterns of depressive symptoms by the QoL among Korean American midlife women and provide directions for future interventions for this specific population.

Methods: This is a part of an ongoing randomized controlled trial of Korean American midlife …

Trajectories Of Compassion Competence Among Clinical Nurses: A Longitudinal Study, Eunkyo Lee, Sunghee Park, Youngjin Lee

International Nursing Research Congress (INRC)

Purpose: This study aimed to identify distinct trajectories of compassion competence among clinical nurses and to examine demographic and psychosocial characteristics associated with each trajectory.

Background: Compassion competence is a vital attribute in nursing practice, encompassing cognitive, emotional, and behavioral capacities that enable empathetic, patient-centered care. Although compassion competence is recognized as essential to both care quality and nurse well-being, limited longitudinal evidence exists on how it develops over time. Identifying its trajectories and influencing factors is crucial for designing interventions that sustain compassionate care and workforce resilience.

Methods: A longitudinal cohort study was conducted with clinical nurses in South …

Lived Experiences Of Noise Exposure And Hearing Loss Among Native Americans, Melessa N. Kelley, Rose Wimbish-Tompkins, John Lowe, Camila Solorzano-Barrera, Oi Saeng Hong

International Nursing Research Congress (INRC)

Noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL) is an irreversible chronic condition resulting from prolonged exposure to loud noise and represents a major global public health concern. Native American (NA) populations are particularly vulnerable due to social and occupational determinants that increase exposure to high-noise environments, including construction, manufacturing factory, farming, and forestry. Hearing health has deep cultural importance for NAs, as oral communication is central to transmitting traditional knowledge and cultural teachings. Despite this, limited research has examined noise exposure, hearing protection practices, and the lived experiences of hearing loss within NA communities.

This study explores NA tribal members’ experiences with noise …

Effectiveness Of A Microdebriefing Intervention In A Rural Hospital: A Quality Improvement Project, Adrienne Nicole Nelson, Judith Walloch, Sheila Huggins, Teresa Mcconkey, Kathy Williams

International Nursing Research Congress (INRC)

Nurses, who experience a critical incident as a sudden unexpected event, can be devastated as second victims (Buhlmann et al., 2021; Edrees & Wu, 2021). The associated psychological stress negatively impacts coping, resulting in an increased risk of fixating on or reliving the critical incident for many years (Buhlmann et al., 2021; Cantu, 2020; Harvey & Tapp, 2020). The consequential impact on coping increases the likelihood for second victims to experience secondary traumatic stress, post-traumatic stress disorder, or other mental health issues. A lack of organizational support can lead to organizational consequences such as higher nursing attrition, poor patient safety …

Evaluating An Innovative Frugal Nurse-Led Diabetes Self-Management Educational Programme In Uganda, Melanie Stephens, Louise Ackers, Rincy Sajiith, Daniel Parker, Rachel Namirro

International Nursing Research Congress (INRC)

Background: Diabetes is a global health care problem, with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus (T2DM) in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) projected to increase by 2045 (WHO, 2023). Diabetes health related complications such as foot ulcers (DFU) constitute the largest proportion of admissions, amputations, and mortality and have significant impact on healthcare resources, patients and communities in low to middle income countries (Rigato et al., 2018). Using Burdett Trust for Nursing funding the research team (two nurse researchers, a social scientist, and a biomechanic scientist) wanted to address this issue by introducing 'nurse-led frugal innovations' to demonstrably improve morbidity, reduce mortality, in-patient stays …

Curriculum Integration Of High-Consequence Infectious Disease Preparedness In Nursing Education, Shinu Joy, Corri Levine, Kimberly Rumsey

International Nursing Research Congress (INRC)

Infectious threats with pandemic potential are occurring more frequently, emphasizing the need to prepare the next generation of healthcare professionals for safe, effective management of complex cases. The health system serves as one of 13 federally funded Regional Emerging Special Pathogen Treatment Centers (RESPTCs) and the only one in the Health and Human Services (HHS) Region 6. The on-site Biocontainment Care Unit (BCU) is designed to care for patients with high-consequence infectious diseases (HCIDs). The Special Pathogens Excellence in Clinical Treatment, Readiness, and Education (SPECTRE) Program supports this mission by providing comprehensive training for professionals and students in the recognition, …

Exploring Adherence Barriers To Nutrition Intervention: A Qualitative Study Of The Pro-Heart Trial, Andrew Thomas Reyes, Angelina Nguyen, Alona D. Angosta, Rebecca Meraz, Kelly L. Wierenga, Jennifer Kawi, Lorraine S. Evangelista

International Nursing Research Congress (INRC)

Altering the dietary habits of individuals with obesity, heart failure, and cardiometabolic comorbidities can enhance their health outcomes (Gjermeni et al., 2025). Adhering to these interventions remains challenging, leading to higher dropout and lower retention rates in clinical nutrition trials (Chao et al., 2021). To develop enduring, patient-focused interventions, it is essential to understand participants' experiences. Therefore, this qualitative sub-study explored participant-reported barriers to dietary adherence within the Pro-HEART randomized controlled trial, which evaluated the effects of high-protein versus standard-protein diets in individuals with heart failure and metabolic syndrome or Type 2 diabetes mellitus. The intervention in the Pro-HEART trial …

Investigating Tumor-Stromal Interactions That Drive Breast Cancer Angiogenesis And Metastasis, Alessandra Dimauro

Arts & Sciences Graduate Student Theses and Dissertations

Metastatic breast cancer remains one of the most difficult cancers to treat, with a five-year survival rate that drops from 99% for localized disease to just 33% once distant metastases are present. This disparity reflects a fundamental gap in our understanding of how breast tumors spread and highlights the urgent need to improve our understanding of breast cancer metastasis to aid in development of novel therapeutics. Emerging evidence establishes that metastasis requires interactions between tumor cells and non-tumor stromal cells within the tumor microenvironment. The first aim of this dissertation investigates the role of Discoidin Domain Receptor 2 (DDR2), a …

Spae: Deciphering Cell Cycle Dynamics And Cell States In Single-Cell Rna-Seq Data, Jiahao Yi, Jiajia Liu, Peng Guo, Yuan-Nong Ye, Xiaobo Zhou

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Rapid advances in single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) technology have enabled the investigation of gene expression changes at the single-cell level, particularly for elucidating the heterogeneity among cells and complex biological processes. This technique reveals subtle molecular differences within individual cells, thereby offering a unique viewpoint for the investigation of cell cycle progression, cellular differentiation, and disease pathogenesis. However, accurately identifying and analyzing cell cycle dynamics in scRNA-seq data remains challenging due to the complexity of the data and the subtle differences between cell states. To address this challenge, we developed the integrated Sinusoidal and Piecewise AutoEncoder (SPAE), an autoencoder-based piecewise …