Digital Commons Network^™

Non-Human Rights And Posthuman Governance: How Speculative Design Simulate The Dwelling Politics Of 'Cross-Species Symbiosis Lives'?, Wenjia Sun

IASDR Conference Series

This paper examines the interplay between non-human rights and posthuman governance, delving into how Speculative Design practice of Legislative Fictioneering and symbiotic scenario-building enables us to provotype alternative social contracts and the dwelling politics of 'cross-species symbiosis lives.' Within the framework of dec on str acting of technological determinism, the proposed project, 'Cross-species Symbiosis Lives' employs provotypes to augment tangible Legislative Fictioneering, material science, and embedded governance approaches that acknowledge non-human agency and legal personhood position from a futurological perspective. Notably, the paper critically analyzes the neoliberal tendencies within Speculative Design, which tend to privatize legal imagination and reduce systemic …

A Reflective Lab Journal For Biodesign: Navigating More-Than-Human Sensibilities And Disciplinary Tensions, Jiho Kim, Iohanna Nicenboim, Joana Martins, Elvin Karana

IASDR Conference Series

This paper introduces reflective journaling as a tool for advancing biodesign practices, merging documentation methods from biology and design while integrating more-than-human sensibilities into laboratory practices. It highlights the need for tools that can flexibly support record-keeping across biology and design, balancing precision and accountability with iteration, creativity, and collaboration. Furthermore, it critically addresses calls to support care ethics and nurturing multispecies interactions within biodesign. Through an explorative review of diverse documentation formats, including laboratory notebooks and annotated portfolios, and informed by our own biodesign experiences, we introduce the Reflective Biodesign Lab Journal as a potential approach to address these …

Examining The Boundary Infrastructures Around 'Fair Food': The Sustainable Transition Approach Of Postane, Cagri G. Varli, Betül Şahin

IASDR Conference Series

In response to the growing sense of distrust in mainstream food systems, Alternative Food Networks have gained traction by prioritizing ecological, ethical, and participatory principles. One such alternative initiative is the ‘fair food’ ecosystem developed by the urban hub Postane Istanbul, which this study explores as a case. Postane brings together food-related practices, infrastructures, and actors around the idea of fair food. The study focuses on how fair food can act as a boundary object that mediates between diverse actors, values, and practices. Data were collected through site visits, document analysis, and long-term participant observation, offering insights into Postane’s fair …

Exploring Aesthetic Interaction In Perfume Experience As A Design Opportunity, Juhyun Nam, Chajoong Kim

IASDR Conference Series

Recently, perfume has become a tool for expressing personality and emotional value, with increasing interest in sensory experiences beyond olfactory satisfaction. However, little research has explored how spray methods contribute to aesthetic interaction in perfume use. This study investigates how aesthetic interaction can enhance the perfume experience. Three types of aesthetic interaction (freedom of interaction, interaction pattern, and richness of motor actions) were prototyped through a designer workshop. To evaluate the associations between interaction types and perfume perception, tactile characteristics (temperature and texture) were used. Tactile stimuli representing warm-cool and rough-soft qualities were created, and participants matched them to each …

Sensus Pond: Exploring Water As Sensing Medium For More-Than-Human Observation, Kuan-Ju Wu, Youyang Hu, Chiaochi Chou, Yasuaki Kakehi

IASDR Conference Series

We introduce Sensus Pond, an interactive system that reconfigures water not merely as a static natural element but as an active sensing medium for registering more-than-human traces. In response to the limitations of anthropocentric approaches in interaction design, we propose a methodological framework of observation without translation—resisting the tendency to stabilize, decode, or humanize nonhuman presence. Drawing from critical theories of more-than-human design and ecological entanglement, Sensus Pond is a materially embedded and site-specific system that employs Swept Frequency Capacitive Sensing (SFCS) and an Artificial Neural Network (ANN) to detect ephemeral interactions between the pond’s surface and surrounding life forms. …

Symbiotic Morphologies: Visual Experiments In Sci-Fi Concept Art Of Natural And Artificial Forms, Yu Yang

IASDR Conference Series

Science fiction, as a creative genre, inspires imagination about the future and provokes reflections on the essence and meaning of humanity through the construction of speculative worlds. It not only influences the direction of technological development but also functions as a medium for ideological and cultural expression. This study focuses on the field of sci-fi concept art and explores the visual potential of integrating natural and artificial forms. By proposing a design theory model of symbiotic morph ologies, it establishes a method of constructing speculative visual forms that transcend traditional aesthetic boundaries. Positioned within a futuring-oriented design discourse, the research …

Squeeze Machine: Designing Uncomfortable Interactions For Critical Heritage, Piyakorn Koowattanataworn, Anders Sundnes Løvlie, Steve Benford

IASDR Conference Series

We present Squeeze Machine, an experimental interactive experience, aiming for a critical-heritage exhibition at MUNCH museum. Our design process weaved together three research threads: (1) designing embodied interaction for critical heritage, (2) using uncomfortable interaction, and (3) facilitating critical reflection focusing on social beliefs of authority. We conducted interaction tests at a university laboratory (N=16, 8 pairs). Participant responses illustrate that Squeeze Machine could evoke visitors to reflect on their personal experience, increase visitor curiosity about the exhibition and support reflection on curated artefacts. The exploration also brought out some challenges for applying discomfort through control in an exhibition context.

Innovative Teaching And Effectiveness Analysis Of Integrating The Pogil Learning Model Into Human Factors Design Course, Wang-Chin Tsai, Ku-Hsi Chu, Chang-Franw Lee

IASDR Conference Series

This study aims to address common issues of low motivation and poor outcomes among design students in theoretical courses by introducing the "Process-Oriented Guided Inquiry Learning Model" (POGIL) into a human factors design course for instructional innovation. It evaluates changes in students' learning engagement through questionnaires and focus group interviews. The participants were 44 design students at a university of technology, and the course lasted nine weeks. Although students were initially unfamiliar with the POGIL model, which led to some adverse reactions, they demonstrated positive growth in collaboration, participation, and reflective learning. Statistical results indicated upward trends in skills, performance, …

An Illustrated Guide To Edible Flora In The Neo-Plasticene: From Empirical Research To Sensory Speculation Through Design, Hsiu-Fang Cheng, Rung-Huei Liang

IASDR Conference Series

As micro plastics gradually infiltrate the physiological structures and sensory characteristics of edible plants, this study combines empirical research and speculative design to construct an illustrated guide of edible flora in the “New Plastic Age”, which we herein conceptualize as the Neo-Plasticene. Through AI-assisted narrative and visual generation, the guide simulates potential morphological and sensory mutations in plants subjected to pollution stress—articulating intermediary species positioned between nature and artificiality, defined by their latent transformation and persistent edibility. This project addresses the perceptual challenge of slow ecological mutation by proposing the guidebook as a design medium for future food narratives and …

Exploring Design Opportunities For Positive User Experiences With House Plants In The Context Of Smart Technologies, Choeun Park, Chajoong Kim, James Andrew Self

IASDR Conference Series

This study aims to explore how emerging smart technologies such as IoT, autonomous devices and mobility systems can be integrated into house plants to facilitate positive emotions as an affective product. Through semi-structured interviews with fifteen young adults (aged 20–30) in South Korea, we collected their positive and negative experiences of plant care. To examine the influence of positive emotion in house plants, we adopted the theoretical framework of positive experiences and thematic ally coded the data according to three different constructs: Object (aesthetic value), Instrument (usability), and Enabler (self-identity and relational value). The results revealed that experiences as an …

Development Of A Breath-Synchronized Interactive Device For Sensory Rooms, Rina Katsube, Toshiaki Uchiyama, Shinichi Koyama

IASDR Conference Series

A sensory room is a space where people with symptoms of sensory hypersensitivity can temporarily rest and escape from stimuli such as sound and light. This study aims to increase the relaxation effect in sensory rooms by developing an interactive device that operates in synchronization with the user's breathing. A non-contact breath estimation using an RGB-Depth camera sensor, the system transforms physical structures in accordance with the user's breath. The device applies biofeedback technology that utilizes biometric information to the sensory room environment to achieve real-time optimization based on the physiological state of the individual user. The device was evaluated …

Kawaii As Interface Grammar: Reframing Emotional Design In Post-Usability Cultures, Haopeng Wu, Mia Tanio, Wonseok Yang

IASDR Conference Series

In the context of post-usability cultures, where users increasingly seek emotional resonance over mere functionality, this study explores the potential of kawaii as a communicative grammar in interface icon design. Adopting a three-phase methodology— (1) UI audit of 31 mobile applications, (2) metaphor extraction across 101 apps to identify dominant icon types, and (3) an evaluation experiment involving 21 participants rating 12 heart-shaped icon stimuli—this research investigates how subtle visual modifications along three design axes (stroke thickness, curvature and fullness, spatial balance) influence users’ kawaii perception. Statistical analysis (ANOVA) revealed that moderately thick, rounded, and slightly imbalanced forms tend to …

Avian Experience In Urban Grotto: Ecological Soundscapes As A Biosemiotic Methodology In Multispecies Ethnographic Research And More-Than-Human Communication, Qingyu Zhang, Francesca Valsecchi

IASDR Conference Series

Ecological soundscapes, once primarily regarded as carriers of environmental information, are increasingly understood as immersive, embodied experiences that offer experiential and ontological access to more-than-human worlds. Situated within the framework of more-than-human design, this research challenges anthropocentric paradigms by foregrounding ecological soundscapes as dynamic, sentient agencies that convey environmental meaning and social structures among non-human species. Through field-based, autoethnographic inquiry on crow vocal is ation in Vienna, the project 1) articulates a hybrid methodological approach combining deep listening, soundscape walks, and bio acoustic analysis; and 2) establishes a sonification process that translates the data from the multispecies ethnographic research into …

The Civic Swarm Protocol: Bio-Inspired Decentralized Container Orchestration, Matthew D. Judson

Defensive Publications Series

Disclosed is the Civic Swarm Protocol, a decentralized, P2P container orchestration platform designed for adversarial environments. It replaces centralized control planes (e.g., Kubernetes) with bio-inspired swarm algorithms and a "Jellyfish" architecture. The system utilizes daemonless runtimes (Podman/WasmEdge). The core innovation is "Stigmergic Coordination" via Digital Pheromones stored in a DHT. System state (Intensity/Decay) is managed using CRDTs with "Lazy Decay," where obsolescence is calculated on read, eliminating the need for a central garbage collector. Scheduling utilizes the Artificial Bee Colony (ABC) algorithm (pull-based foraging), and routing uses Ant Colony Optimization (ACO). Security is enforced by the "Rugby Protocol," a decentralized …

Dendro-Version Control (Dvc): Biomimetic Visualization Of Distributed State And Security, Matthew D. Judson

Defensive Publications Series

Disclosed is Dendro-Version Control (DVC), a visualization system that maps the properties of distributed version control (DAGs) and CRDTs (Automerge/KTKN) to the biological anatomy of trees. Implemented using React Three Fiber (R3F), the system provides a "Living HUD" for project health. The core innovation is the mapping of data consensus to tree physiology: stable, globally replicated code ("Canonical Truth") is rendered as dense "Heartwood" using Volumetric Raymarching; recent development is "Sapwood"; and the active frontier is the "Cambial Layer." Security vulnerabilities and technical debt are visualized using the CODIT (Compartmentalization of Decay in Trees) model as "Rot." The P2P data …

Climate Change Influence On The Distribution Of Four Plant Medicinal Species From The Sierra Norte Of Oaxaca, Mexico, Irene Bautista Juárez, José Luis Villaseñor, Monserrat Vázquez-Sánchez, Wenceslao Santiago-García, Faustino Ruiz-Aquino, Mario Ernesto Suárez-Mota

Neotropical Biodiversity

The Sierra Norte of Oaxaca, México, because of its high biodiversity, is a good candidate for studying the possible effects of climate change on its flora distribution. Currently, several modelling tools have been developed to facilitate the prediction of present and future species distribution. The objective of this study is to evaluate the impact of climate change on the distribution of four locally important medicinal plant species from the Asteraceae family (Heterotheca inuloides, Laennecia filaginoides, Pinaropappus roseus, and Tagetes lucida). The analysis was done using the maximum entropy algorithm under three different time periods: the present, 2050, and …

Lead Sources Detected In Manila's Air After The Phase-Out Of Leaded Gasoline, Grace Betito, Paola Angela Bañaga, Maria Obiminda L. Cambaliza, Melliza Templonuevo Cruz, James Bernard Simpas, Mengli Chen, Jariya Kayee, Armin Sorooshian, Rachel A. Braun, Alexander B. Macdonald

Ateneo Atmospheric Physics Laboratory

Abstract

The global phase-out of leaded gasoline marked a major milestone in pollution control, yet modern uses of lead (Pb) continue to pose significant health risks, especially in low- and middle-income countries. In the Philippines, significant data gaps still exist despite increasing exposure. This study presents to the best of our knowledge, the first Pb isotopic fingerprinting of atmospheric aerosols in Metro Manila, Philippines, covering fine (0.56–1 μm) and coarse (5.6–10 μm) fractions, collected in 2018–2019. Results show that local sources, mainly industrial activities (45–62 %) and fossil fuel combustion (30–45 %), are now the dominant contributors to airborne Pb, …

Air Traffic Control Staffing Deficiencies And Their Relationship To Incidents And Accidents, Ashton Irons, Sunkyum Kim, Gianna Mendez, Vivek Sharma, Brooke Wheeler

Aeronautics Student Publications

Air Traffic Control (ATC) staffing deficiencies are a long-standing systemic crisis. This study revealed a statistically significant but weak positive relationship between ATC staffing deficiencies and incident and accident rates.

The Effect Of Diet-Derived Thiaminase On Survival, Growth, And Liver Transketolase Activity In Two Strains Of Lake Trout (Salvelinus Namaycush), Christian A. Therrien, Peter M. Baker, Shawn R. Garner, Patricia C. Wolfe, Sarah Matesic, Katie A. Edwards, Chris C. Wilson, Heidi K. Swanson, Bryan D. Neff

Pharmacy Faculty Scholarship

The consumption of invasive, high-thiaminase prey fishes can cause thiamine deficiency, which has been hypothesized to be a major barrier for lake trout (Salvelinus namaycush) restoration in the Laurentian Great Lakes. Here, we compared the effects of diet-derived thiaminase on survival and performance-related traits between two strains of lake trout that differ in historical exposure to thiaminase. Juvenile lake trout from the Seneca Lake (higher historical exposure to thiaminase) and Slate Islands (lower historical exposure) strains were reared in a common garden environment and received either an experimental diet containing bacterial derived-thiaminase or a control diet. Six months after the …

Hogfish (Lachnolaimus Maximus) Neurocranium, Nate B. Nutting-Hartman, Naya H. Mondrosch, David W. Kerstetter

All Scans: Kerstetter Fisheries and Avian Ecology 3D Scan Series

No abstract provided.

December 2025 Faculty Senate Packet, University Of Nebraska At Kearney Faculty Senate

Faculty Senate Packets

No abstract provided.

Longitudinal Pharmacokinetic And Safety Studies Of An Antibody-Erythropoietin Fusion Protein For Alzheimer's Disease, Rudy Chang, Devaraj Venkatapura Chandrashekar, G. Chuli Roules, Nataraj Jagadeesan, Emi Iwasaki, Adenike Oyegbesan, Hayk Davtyan, Rachita K. Sumbria

Pharmacy Faculty Articles and Research

Erythropoietin (EPO) shows promise for Alzheimer's disease (AD) but has poor brain penetration, necessitating high doses that cause hematopoietic side effects. To improve brain delivery, EPO was fused to a transferrin receptor monoclonal antibody (TfRMAb), and this study evaluated the pharmacokinetics (PK), safety, and efficacy of repeated TfRMAb-EPO dosing in mice to further its preclinical development. C57BL/6J male mice (10 weeks old, n = 4–5/dose) received subcutaneous (SQ) low (1 mg/kg), mid (3 and 6 mg/kg), or high (20 mg/kg) TfRMAb-EPO doses for 4 weeks. The 1 mg/kg dose showed no adverse effects and resulted in sustained brain and plasma …

Redefining Resistance: Las Madres De La Plaza De Mayo, Echoes Of Trauma And Memory In Argentina, Elizabeth J. Kaye

Honors Theses

Argentina's "Dirty War" (1976–1983) stands as one of the darkest and most painful periods in the nation’s history. During these years, the military dictatorship, known as the "Proceso de Reorganización Nacional," implemented a systematic campaign of state terrorism, targeting suspected political protesters, activists, intellectuals, and ordinary citizens. Widespread kidnappings, illegal detentions, and forced disappearances became routine, with an estimated 30,000 people vanishing without a trace. Families were left in despair, searching for answers that the government refused to provide. In response, a group of determined mothers, known as “Las Madres de la Plaza de Mayo”, formed a powerful movement demanding …

Edna Surveys For The Critically Endangered Caribbean Staghorn Coral, Acropora Cervicornis (Lamarck, 1816), Pari Elaine Cribbins

All HCAS Student Capstones, Theses, and Dissertations

Historically, Acropora cervicornis was a dominant coral on Caribbean reef systems, but an outbreak of white band disease in the late 1970s marked the beginning of devastating, multi-decadal population declines that led to the coral being listed as “critically endangered” on the IUCN Red List in 2022. Today, after a record-setting marine heat wave in 2023 triggered a mass bleaching event on Florida’s Coral Reef (FCR), A. cervicornis is considered functionally extinct on the FCR. While individuals of A. cervicornis do remain on the FCR, the small population size of the coral makes in situ surveys difficult. However, surveys using …

A Burlesque: The Shimmering Body Of Revealing, Lola Montgomery

Staff Scholarship - Australia & Dubai

A Burlesque: The Shimmer Manuscript is a hybrid critical–creative work that examines burlesque as an embodied methodology and a mode of knowledge production. Drawing from my two decades as a performer–scholar, the work reframes glamour, desire, and adornment as epistemological practices rather than theatrical ornamentation. The project is significant in that it expands understandings of performance studies, autotheory, and feminist aesthetics by foregrounding the performer’s body as an intelligent, sensing, world-making apparatus.

The methodology is creative practice research and archive-driven, integrating backstage documentation, AI-assisted photomontage, and theoretical reflection. The work draws from poststructuralist and feminist frameworks (Irigaray, Deleuze & Guattari, …

Reducing Storage-Related Bias In Reproductive Vitamin D Research: Towards A Stable And Reliable Biomarker Of Ovarian Vitamin D Status, Evelin E Lara-Molina, Jason M. Franasiak, Almudena Devesa-Peiro, Marina López-Nogueroles, Alberto Vázquez, David Amorós, Agustín Ballesteros, Antonio Pellicer, Patricia Sebastian-Leon, Patricia Diaz-Gimeno

SKMC Student Presentations and Publications

Background/Objectives: One of the main reasons for discrepancies in the role of vitamin D in ART could be the measurement of the conventional biomarker 25(OH)D₃. It is known that this value is affected by multiple factors, such as tissue origin, assay variability, classification criteria, and potential storage-related degradation. In this study, we investigate 24,25(OH)₂D₃ as a new biomarker to improve vitamin D assessment in women’s reproductive health, particularly regarding oocyte development. Methods: A prospective cohort study including 35 oocyte donors undergoing controlled ovarian stimulation, who were recruited between October and November 2017, was conducted. Vitamin …

Line Transect Surveys And Initial Estimates Of Abundance For Sea Turtles In Biscayne National Park, Florida., Kathryn C. Price

All HCAS Student Capstones, Theses, and Dissertations

The loggerhead (Caretta caretta) and green (Chelonia mydas) turtle are two species of marine megafauna that have suffered abundance declines due to increased anthropogenic pressures. Assessing the distribution and abundance of sea turtles is essential for conserving and managing these imperiled species; however, assessing sea turtle populations poses difficulties due to the sea turtles’ highly migratory nature. Distance sampling surveys are extensively used to study populations of wide-ranging species. In this study, vessel-based line transect survey data collected throughout 2024 were used to estimate overall and seasonal sea turtle abundances and distribution throughout Biscayne National Park, …

Kinship Infrastructure Design: Evaluating Diversity And Resilience In Emergency Response Systems Through Agent-Based Modeling, Fayruz Maysha

Doctoral Dissertations and Master's Theses

Traditional infrastructure systems are often designed for predictable scenarios, making them vulnerable to disruption when real-world conditions change unexpectedly. This research addresses that limitation by introducing Kinship Infrastructure Design (KID), a bioinspired framework based on the kinship coefficient (Φ). Adapted from studies of genetic relatedness in eusocial insects, the kinship coefficient (Φ) measures similarity and diversity among system components by calculating the degree to which their functional traits—encoded as a synthetic genome—match. This research investigates whether a system design can achieve a “Goldilocks Zone” of functional diversity where systems achieve optimal adaptability and coordination under uncertainty."

Rather than relying on …

Per Se Driving Under The Influence Of Cannabis Statutes And Blood Delta-9-Tetrahydrocannabinol Concentrations Following Short-Term Cannabis Abstinence, Robert L. Fitzgerald, Anya Umlauf, Raymond T. Suhandynata, David J. Grelotti, Marilyn A. Huestis, Kyle F. Mastropietro, Igor Grant, Thomas D. Marcotte

Institute of Emerging Health Professions Faculty Papers

BACKGROUND: Several US states have per se laws using 2 or 5 ng/mL of delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) as cutpoints for driving under the influence of cannabis, while some have zero-tolerance statutes. These cutpoints are considered prima facia evidence of driving impairment.

METHODS: In a cohort of people who regularly use cannabis (N = 190) we measured baseline concentrations of THC after instructing participants to abstain from cannabis for at least 48 hours. Baseline driving performance was evaluated using a driving simulator. We also measured blood THC concentrations serially following a smoking session (placebo or active cannabis).

RESULTS: Forty-three percent of the …

Matthew Draper, Matthew Draper, Gus Guikema

Oral Histories of Farming along the Middle Rio Grande

No abstract provided.