Digital Commons Network^™

Springs Of The Catskill Mountains: A Conduit Flow System In Predominantly Siliciclastic Strata, Daniel H. Doctor, Joshua R. Benton, Martin A. Briggs, William E. Odom, Neil C. Terry

Sinkhole Conference 2026

The Catskill Mountains of New York state are composed of thick sequences of interbedded mudstone, sandstone, and siltstone that are intercalated with thin beds of paludal limestone and calcareous mudstone. Sandstones often contain rip-up clasts of calcareous material at their bases and contain minor amounts of carbonate cement throughout their mass. This minor amount of calcareous material weathers out to produce thin zones of solutional porosity and permeability integrated within perched aquifers that feed perennial hillslope springs. Solutional features are evident within thin carbonate lenses and along fractures in sandstones, occasionally resulting in explorable cave-sized conduits. This study focuses on …

Karst Sinkholes And Civil Engineering: Overview Of Characterization And Treatment Options From A Geophysical And Geotechnical Viewpoint, Mia Painter, Stephen Welsh

Sinkhole Conference 2026

Sinkholes pose a significant geohazard to civil engineering infrastructure in regions underlain by carbonate karst terrain. Selecting an appropriate stabilization method requires balancing site conditions, infrastructure risk, environmental considerations, and cost, all of which depend on a thorough understanding of the planned or existing infrastructure and subsurface conditions. This paper provides an overview of common sinkhole characterization and stabilization methods used in the Mid-Atlantic and Appalachian regions of the United States from both geotechnical and geophysical perspectives. The application of geophysical methods in conjunction with intrusive investigations is reviewed as a means of reducing subsurface uncertainty and refining treatment designs. …

A Simple Approach To Assessing Groundwater Discharge Behavior At Government Spring, Central New Mexico, Matthew T. Kaspar, Benjamin Tobin, Margaret Furtner

Sinkhole Conference 2026

Government Spring is the complex perennial source of the lower Rio Bonito in central New Mexico with numerous ephemeral sources and a complex surface water – groundwater interface. Discharge from this karst spring is critical in maintaining downstream agricultural activities and communities. As part of a larger study to document the groundwater basin of this spring, this study focuses on simple repeated measurements to assess the surface water – groundwater interactions along the spring run. We established 12 repeatable measurement sites for discharge, temperature, pH, and specific conductivity. Data collected at a monthly interval provides a snapshot of surface water …

Investigating Sediment Accumulation Dynamics Via Integration Of Gis And Remote Sensing Tools Along With Physical/Chemical Characteristics Of Sediments In Owl Cave, Highland County, Virginia, Dhanuska B. Wijesinghe, Spencer Schmidt

Sinkhole Conference 2026

The Valley region of Virginia, USA, features cave and karst systems. Variation in surface topography and vegetation within these systems significantly affects sediment accumulation in cave ecosystems. Remote sensing and GIS tools effectively analyze surface conditions, including vegetation cover and its influence on sediment buildup in caves. This study involved collecting high-resolution drone imagery, such as LiDAR, multispectral, and thermal data near Owl Cave in Highland County, VA, to understand the sediment accumulation process inside the cave system. High-resolution digital elevation models (DEMs) were created from LiDAR point clouds, and vegetation indices like Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) were calculated …

Biogeomechanics Of Eicp Reinforcement Of Karstified Rock Masses, Mary C. Ngoma, Oladoyin Kolawole

Sinkhole Conference 2026

Sinkholes are among the most significant karst-related hazards, arising from the dissolution of soluble rock and subsequent collapse of overlying geomaterials, thereby compromising rock mass stability and underground infrastructure. Conventional sinkhole remediation approaches often rely on cement-based grouting to prevent failure; however, the associated environmental impacts underscore the need for eco-friendly and sustainable alternatives such as biocementation. While biocementation has been a widely applied technique in reinforcing soils and cemented structures, the potential of biocemented hybrid soil-embedded karstified rock systems remains unexplored. To address sinkhole-related post-hazard remediation, this work investigates the potential of biocementation as a sustainable reinforcement strategy for …

Giant Cell Arteritis: A Case Study And Review Of Treatment, Andrew Di Mattina Od, Jeffrey Sterling Od, Heather Whyte Od

Optometric Clinical Practice

Background: Giant cell arteritis (GCA) is the most common vasculitis affecting individuals over 50, and frequently leads to severe ischemic complications, most notably irreversible vision loss. Early diagnosis and prompt, aggressive treatment with corticosteroids is paramount to protect the fellow eye. The multifaceted clinical presentation of GCA, sometimes with atypical or sequential ocular involvement, can pose significant diagnostic challenges. This paper reviews current understanding of GCA pathophysiology, diagnosis, and current management strategies.

Case Report: A 70‑year‑old man presented with “cracked glass” vision in his right eye and was diagnosed with a branch retinal artery occlusion (BRAO). Two weeks later he …

Technical Disclosure Specification: Project Tectonex - Spec 172, Christopher L. Eckes

Defensive Publications Series

This technical specification details the structural architecture, mathematical governing frameworks, and biological boundary safety parameters for TECTONEX, a modular metamaterial panel mesh engineered to isolate critical infrastructure from transient high-flux thermal, kinetic, and elastodynamic loads. Moving away from passive, mass-based armor systems, the TECTONEX matrix synthesizes porous macrovascular fluidics, wave-trapping single-crystal grids, and active near-field acoustic levitation boundaries into a self-powering, closed-loop structural unit.

By converting external threat momentum into localized internal magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) currents, the panel autonomously scales its internal dampening properties. The design incorporates a reverse-angled Helmholtz acoustic louver pathway to guarantee complete attenuation of toxic infrasonic, ultrasonic, …

Cvtcc-2.0 Caldwell Controlled Thermal-Vascular Challenge & Response Observatory A Non-Clinical, Open-Hardware Research Platform For Controlled Thermal System Identification Of Neurovascular, Vascular, Autonomic, Thermoregulatory And Physiological Response In More Fields., Michael Victor Caldwell Mr.

Defensive Publications Series

CVTCC-2.0 is a proposed open-hardware research and prototype platform for determining whether the dynamic physiological response to a controlled, small, externally applied thermal perturbation contains measurable information about vascular, neurovascular, autonomic, thermoregulatory, or cranio-venous physiological state.

The system does not assume that temperature is a surrogate for blood flow.

Instead, CVTCC-2.0 deliberately applies a known thermal input and records the resulting response across multiple independent measurement channels.

The central research concept is:

Known thermal input → measured thermal response → vascular response → autonomic response → cardiac/respiratory phase relationship → independent vascular reference → artifact rejection → reproducible response signature. …

Comprehensive Prior Art Defensive Publication: Technical Innovations In Near-Earth Asteroid Mining, In-Situ Resource Utilization, Processing, And Cislunar Supply Chains (2035–2060), Xavier Pillet

Defensive Publications Series

This document, produced with the assistance of Gemini 3.6 Reasoning, is released under the Apache License 2.0. It is a voluntary defensive publication (prior art) and therefore enters the prior art upon release under the applicable patent statutes : EPC Art. 54(2) (European Patent Convention), French IPC Art. L 611-11 (French Intellectual Property Code), 35 U.S.C. §102(a) (United States Patent Act), Chinese Patent Law Art. 22(5) (中华人民共和国专利法), and Japanese Patent Act Art. 29(1) (特許法). This comprehensive document discloses 51 patentable engineering innovations and industrial processes covering prospecting, microgravity anchoring, optical mining spallation, carbonyl gas refining, centrifugal vacuum pyrometallurgy, orbital biomining, …

The Gift Operation: Forward-Only Transfer (Pay-It-Forward) As A Design Criterion Distinguishing Gift Circulation From Exchange In Peer-To-Peer Reciprocity Systems, Thon Ly

Defensive Publications Series

We disclose a design criterion for peer-to-peer gift, reciprocity and gratitude systems (pay-it-forward schemes, time banks, complementary currencies, peer-recognition ledgers): classify each transfer by where the recipient's next transfer goes. A transfer passed onward to a third party is generalized reciprocity, a gift that circulates; a transfer returned to its source in a return that settles the account is balanced reciprocity, an exchange, to be named as one. The criterion is applied to one institution's mechanisms (an earmarked, forward-only, non-withdrawable money balance; funded time together; tagged physical gratitude artifacts; gift codes; a common pool emptied on a fixed annual date), …

Certification By Circulation: Short-Lived Revocable Membership Credentials For Ai-Generated Software, With Admission Standards Verified From Public Transaction Records, Mandatory Human Stewards Of Record, And Reversible Successor Custody, Thon Ly

Defensive Publications Series

We specify a short-lived, revocable membership credential for software applications and AI agents whose admission standards are machine-verifiable predicates over public transaction records rather than a paid auditor's opinion. Trust seals sold by the certifier to the certified tend toward adverse selection, and security audit is priced for firms rather than for the laypeople now building software with AI assistance. Admission to a standards-bearing membership body requires that the software's revenue be voluntary patronage, that a defined fraction flow forward to a commons fund, and that no undisclosed monetisation channel exist, so the attestor holds no opinion a payment could …

Benign Jaw Bone Lesions In Athletes Exposed To Craniofacial Trauma: Surgical Treatment And Bone Regeneration Using Biphasic Calcium Sulfate, Damian M. Dudek, Agata Chwarścianek, Izabela Pabin, Łukasz Jaworski, Oliwia Warmusz, Grzegorz Wyrobiec, Ewa Kłodzińska

Baltic Journal of Health and Physical Activity

Benign cystic and tumor lesions of the jaw bones represent relatively frequent pathological conditions encountered in oral and maxillofacial surgery. Although these lesions are often asymptomatic and slow-growing, they may lead to progressive weakening of bone structure. In individuals exposed to repetitive mechanical forces, such as athletes participating in contact sports, the presence of such lesions may significantly increase the risk of pathological fractures of the facial skeleton. The aim of the present study was to present a clinical case series of a benign jaw bone lesion treated surgically using a biphasic calcium sulfate biomaterial and to discuss the potential …

A Comprehensive Review Of Current Trends And Future Prospects In Drug Resistance Of Leishmania Species, Sarah Kamal Naser

Maaen Journal for Medical Sciences

Leishmaniasis, which is an infectious tropical disease that is caused by Leishmania protozoa, continues to be a leading global public health problem. This disease is prevalent in about 89 countries, with over one billion individuals being at risk of infection. Current treatments have many limitations, and the efficacy of currently available leishmanial drugs has been undermined by the development of resistant strains of Leishmania. This review highlights the prevailing patterns regarding drug resistance in Leishmania and looks forward to future ways to deal with this problem. The genomic plasticity seen in Leishmania, which includes aneuploidy, gene amplification, chromosome rearrangement, and …

Clinical Evaluation Of Wound Healing After Following Third Molar Extraction Using Bone Bioactive Liquid And Platelet-Rich Fibrin: A Comparative Study, Zainab H. Alawi, Elham Hazeim Abdulkareem

Maaen Journal for Medical Sciences

This comparative clinical trial aimed to analyze the postoperative impact of platelet-rich fibrin (PRF) and bone bioactive liquid (BBL) on wound and bone healing after surgical extraction of third molars. 60 patients aged between 18 and 55 years, including 35 females and 25 males, who qualified for the inclusion criteria were included. Participants had been assigned to one of three groups: Group A control, Group B (PRF), and Group C  (BBL). Evaluation was done at the end of 7 days for suture removal and healing assessment based on the Landry et al. healing score based on the color of the …

Repurposing Pramlintide In Colorectal Cancer: Mechanistic Insights Into Metabolic Reprogramming, P53 Signaling, And Chemosensitivity In Hct-116 And Ht-29 Cell Lines, Rusul Ali Kadhim

Maaen Journal for Medical Sciences

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is one of the most fatal cancers in the world; acquired chemoresistance and an increasing prevalence of early-onset illness make treatment limited. This review investigates pramlintide, which is used in diabetes management, as a potential for repurposing in CRC treatment. According to the in vitro study on HCT-116 and HT-29 cell lines, the binding of pramlintide to the AMY3 receptors alters tumor glycolysis by inhibiting hexokinase II, thereby decreasing both the Warburg effect and the pentose phosphate pathway. The consequent NADPH depletion increases oxidative stress and makes CRC cells more susceptible to standard chemotherapeutics like oxaliplatin, irinotecan, …

Radiological And Chemical Safety Assessment Of Drinking Water From Treatment Plants And Rivers In Kut City, Iraq, Ahmed A. Alswaty, Hadi D. Alattabi

Karbala International Journal of Modern Science

Climate change and increasing anthropogenic activities, particularly wastewater discharge into rivers, have raised pollution levels in the water sources of Kut City, necessitating an assessment of the radiological and chemical safety of drinking water at the city's treatment plants. Thirteen water samples were collected, comprising ten treated and three raw water samples from the source rivers. An HPGe detector was used to measure the radionuclides ²¹⁴Bi, ²¹⁴Pb, ²¹²Bi, ²¹²Pb, ⁴⁰K, and ¹³⁷Cs. All measured radionuclides were below the minimum detectable activity (MDA). ICP-OES analysis supported these findings, as U concentrations in most samples were …

Sociological Theory Meets Generative Ai: A Pedagogical Guide, Kimberly Murray

The Journal of Public and Professional Sociology

This paper considers the relationship between sociology and generative AI (GenAI) as a phenomenon that may be studied using common sociological concepts and theories, including the Sociological Imagination, Structural Functionalism, Conflict Theory, and Symbolic Interactionism, which are considered foundational to the discipline of sociology. Within each section are contemporary examples of GenAI and how they connect to sociology. This paper benefits a wide audience, as students, faculty, and those who use these theories and concepts in practice settings may adopt them within a variety of contexts, including the classroom, a scholarly presentation, a workshop, or a training opportunity. Sources include …

Gardner-Webb, The Magazine 2026, Fall (Volume 61), Noel T. Manning, Gardner-Webb University

Gardner-Webb, The Magazine

Gardner-Webb, The Magazine, previously titled The Webb Magazine, focuses on alumni news and campus events from Gardner-Webb College; now Gardner-Webb University. This issue includes articles on the inauguration of President Nate Evans, the awarding of the Excellence in Teaching Award to Dr. Paula Qualls, and student/alumni accomplishments featuring Bethany Durham, Walter Medina, Andrea Hartman, Ulises Martinez-Ceballos, Carson Willoughby, Andrea Stampone, and Dr. Evan Moffitt.

Role Of The Aryl Hydrocarbon Receptor (Ahr) In Cellular Response To Novel Chemotherapeutic Compounds, Alexis Fagg '28, Jacoba Hensley '27, Emma Krsak '28

Annual Student Research Poster Session

Breast cancer is the second leading cause of death in women in the United States and around the world, with approximately 320,000 new cases estimated to be diagnosed, and over 40,000 cancer-related deaths estimated in 2026 (American Cancer Society, Key Statistics for Breast Cancer). While cancer treatments have improved significantly in the past decade, particularly in the area of immunotherapy, these therapies are not effective in solid tumors like breast cancer. There are many therapeutic options for early-stage breast cancer, but new therapeutic options continue to be necessary, particularly to prevent progression of cancers and to treat advanced, metastatic tumors. …

Moral Language Analysis And The Archives Of Sexuality, Phoenix R. Crane, Calvin Mensel '27, Claire Collins '28

Annual Student Research Poster Session

This project was based primarily in Greencastle, IN, with regular research trips to Indiana University in Bloomington to conduct in-person, archival research at the Kinsey Institute. During these visits, the team explored the Institute’s scholarly collections on sexuality, particularly on subjects related to queer women’s sexuality, criminal trials, and the occult. Extensive notes were taken – recording gender issues and language patterns, specifically. Three promising collections were identified to compare – abortion trials, obscenity trials, and murder trials. Guided by Moral Foundations Theory, differences were hypothesized in how journalists’ language emphasizes the five facets of morality across the three contentious …

Dilution-To-Extinction Reveals Shifts In Carbon Substrate Utilization And Functional Capacity Following Soil Microbial Diversity Loss, Thi Doan '27, Uyen Le '27, Crimson Hickman, Philips Akinwole

Annual Student Research Poster Session

Soil microbial communities play critical roles in ecosystem processes such as nutrient cycling and organic matter decomposition, yet it remains unclear how losses in microbial diversity influence these functions independent of total biomass. In this study, we examined how reductions in microbial diversity affect soil metabolic activity while controlling for microbial abundance. We used a dilution-to-extinction approach by inoculating sterilized soil with 10-fold serial dilutions of a soil slurry (10⁰ to 10⁻⁶), followed by a 21-day incubation to allow microbial regrowth. Biomass (measured as phospholipid phosphate), and metabolic activity (measured with BIOLOG EcoPlates) were used to quantify microbial biomass and …

The Lender Center For Social Justice Bibliography 2025-2026, The Lender Center For Social Justice

The Lender Center for Social Justice

The Lender Center for Social Justice Bibliography (2025-2026) is a document containing all Lender-Center scholarship written between 2020-2026. The title references the newest entries, which were created in the 2025-2026 academic year.

A Multidimensional Analysis Of Genetic Structure In Canary Rockfish, Sebastes Pinniger, Along The U.S. West Coast, Parker Malhotra

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

Understanding how genetic structure is distributed across space and influenced by the environment informs basic questions in evolutionary biology and applications for fisheries management. This can be particularly relevant for marine fishes where high dispersal potential, both of drifting larvae and swimming adults, can obscure biologically meaningful subdivision. Canary rockfish (Sebastes pinniger) are commercially important Pacific groundfish that were historically overfished and later rebuilt, yet their population genetic structure remains poorly resolved, across both latitudinal and depth gradients. In this study, reduced-representation genomic (RADseq) data from 171 individuals and 12,726 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) were used to evaluate coastwide structure …

October 2026 News Releases, University Of Montana--Missoula. Office Of University Relations

University of Montana News Releases, 1928, 1956-present

No abstract provided.

Eating Disorders In Male Athletes, Robbie-Lynn C. Puspoky

International Nursing Research Congress (INRC)

The purpose of this integrative review was to explore the risk of eating disorders in male athletes aged 15-36 years old in high performance sports. Whittmore and Knalf’s integrative review method was followed to address this research aim. Two databases (Ovid MEDLINE 1946 to present and CINAHL) were searched between the years of 2000 and 2023. Suitability for inclusion was assessed, and data were extracted and analysed using thematic analysis. Twenty-three articles met the inclusion criteria for this review. Three themes were identified and reflect the risk of eating disorders in male athletes in high performance sports between the ages …

Understanding Ecosystem Responses To Recurrent Marine Heatwaves, Emily Lester, Stanley Mastrantonis, Sharyn M. Hickey, Anna Lafratta, Jessica A. Benthuysen, Eben Afrifa-Yamoah, Arani Chandrapavan, Martial Depczynski, Richard D. Evans, David V. Fairclough, Christopher J. Fulton, Marthe Monique Gagnon, Nicole L. Jones, Sina Pinter, Claire L. Ross, William D. Robbins, Zoe T. Richards, Karina L. Ryan, Simone Strydom, James R. Tweedley, Fred Wells, Hollie Williams, Shaun K. Wilson, Kathryn Mcmahon

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Marine heatwaves (MHWs) have emerged as an increasingly severe disturbance to global marine ecosystems, with documented intensifications in both frequency and magnitude over the past century. Western Australia has experienced some of the most severe MHWs on record, causing widespread ecological impacts, including coral bleaching and mortality, local species extinctions, and socioeconomic impacts such as fishery closures, making the region a critical case study of climate-driven change in the marine domain. Most recently, a severe MHW during summer 2024/2025 has caused widespread disruption to marine life, reinforcing the region's vulnerability to repeated extreme events. While extensive research has documented the …

The Relationship Between Light Intensity And Tall Goldenrod Productivity Across Greencastle Fields, Erniya Jean Jacques '29, Rose Keith

Annual Student Research Poster Session

This study investigates the effects of environmental conditions, specifically light availability and climate variation, on the growth and productivity of Solidago altissima (tall goldenrod) across four field sites in Greencastle, Indiana (including sites associated with DePauw University, such as Prindle, Ullem, QA, and NP). By sampling 160 specimens across contrasting light environments (sunny vs. shaded plots) and comparing data between 2024 and 2026, the project evaluates key physical traits including plant height, biomass, and light intensity (μmol). Findings indicate a trade-off in energy allocation: plants in shaded conditions invest more energy into height growth to capture limited sunlight, whereas individuals …

Investigating Factors Of Tree Mortality, Charlie Shivers Iv '28

Annual Student Research Poster Session

In recent decades, there has been a global decline in tree populations, and in this large-scale forest dynamics plot, we observed a change from accruing biomass(the organic material that trees store) to losing it. Many studies suggest that this trend may become more common, but few look for the mechanisms behind it. This study explores how much two factors, trees growing to their maximum size and non-indigenous pests and pathogens, contribute to the observed mortality and loss of biomass. We conducted an annual mortality census of all trees over ten centimeters wide on the plot using ArcGIS fieldmaps to add …

Gall Presence And Herbivory In Goldenrod: Examining Variation In Leaf Damage And Herbivore Communities, Sahit Liyanage '28, Rose Keith

Annual Student Research Poster Session

We examined whether gall presence was associated with herbivory in 28 goldenrod plants at Ullem during summer 2026. We compared 14 galled and 14 ungalled plants for percent leaf damage, herbivore richness, and overall herbivore community composition. Galled plants showed slightly higher leaf damage and herbivore richness, but none of these differences were statistically significant. These results suggest that gall presence alone did not strongly explain variation in herbivory among the plants sampled.

Exploring The Localization And Impact Of Nanoconfined Alcohols In The Aot Reverse Micelle Model System, Zoe Green '27, Minjung Lee '27, Gerardo A. Virgen, Nancy E. Levinger

Annual Student Research Poster Session

Most chemical reactions involving water are studied on the bulk scale despite most biological reactions occurring in nanoscopic environments. To understand the complexities of aqueous chemistry occurring in confined spaces, this study utilizes the aerosol OT (AOT) reverse micelle (RM), a well characterized and widely adopted self-assembled model system to investigate nanoconfined water solutions. We introduced an alcohol and carboxylic acid species as molecular additives and found they fundamentally alter the properties of self-assembled systems, changing their size and stability. This work is the starting point for an in-depth study of different carbon length alcohols and carboxylic acids in nanoconfined …