Digital Commons Network^™

The Impact Of People Interests In Evaluating The Open Public Spaces' Quality In The City Centre, Hasan Hadi, Adil Al-Saidi, Haitham Alshamari

HBRC Journal

The quality of open public spaces in city centres significantly affects people's satisfaction and responses to their built environment. The significance of these areas allow people to assess their performance. this paper addresses the issue of People's interests that affect their evaluation of public urban spaces in city centres. The research applied an ontological methodology that is people's experiences determine the spatial quality of the public spaces in city centres. In order to discover and assess the seven value variables, it recommended diagnosing a random sample of users as a group (A) and (B). The urban space in the historic …

Bioactive Constituents And Pharmacological Activities Of Curcuma Zedoaria: A Mini-Review, Abdulmutalib Allaq, Muneer M. Saleh Mohammed Saleh Alsayadi, Mustapha Salihu, Hasan M. Agha, Amena Hassan Hassan Gheeth, Fatimah Salim, Norrizah Jaafar Jaafar Sidik

AUIQ Complementary Biological System

Curcuma zedoaria Rosc. (white turmeric) is a rhizomatous medicinal plant in the Zingiberaceae family, widely used in traditional Asian medicine. In recent years, increasing scientific attention has focused on its diverse pharmacological properties and bioactive constituents. This mini review summarises current knowledge of the phytochemical composition and biological activities of C. zedoaria, with particular emphasis on its antimicrobial, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anticancer effects. Phytochemical investigations using analytical techniques such as GC–MS and HPLC have revealed the presence of numerous bioactive compounds, including sesquiterpenes (example, germacrone, curzerenone, and curdione) and curcuminoids, which contribute to its therapeutic potential. Experimental studies demonstrate …

Evaluation Of Circulating Hpg80, Ca15-3, Estrogen And Progesterone As Biomarkers In Breast Cancer Patients, Safa Khaldoon, Emad Yousif, Khawla A. Kasar, Muna Bufaroosha, Rahimi Yusop

AUIQ Complementary Biological System

It is very important to find reliable biomarkers for early detection and monitoring of treatment response because breast cancer is still one of the most common cancers in women around the world. The goal of this study was to find out how clinically important different biochemical markers are in Iraqi women with breast cancer. Some of these signs are progesterone (PG), oestrogen (E2), cancer antigen 15-3 (CA15-3), and circulating progastrin (hPG80). There were 100 women in this study, and they were all between the ages of 20 and 70. There were three groups of people who took part: a healthy …

Synergistic Endocytic Receptor Ligand Receptor Protein 2 In T2dm, Wafaa Raji Alfatlawi

AUIQ Complementary Biological System

Purpose: The glycoprotein molecule known as megalin is present on the proximal renal tubular epithelial cells. With an emphasis on megalin and cubilin levels in T2DM and IR patients, an area that obviously needs more research, this study attempts to give an outline of current knowledge of megalin function in relation to vitamin D and its metabolite (vitamin D receptor and vitamin D binding protein). Materials and Methods: This was a case control comparative study conducted at a endocrine and diabetes center in AL-Imamain Kadumain teaching hospital in Baghdad-Iraq. Study subjects were divided into three groups: 25 with T2DM with …

Study Of Complex Biological Systems Through Ai-Empowered Metabolomic Analysis And Modeling, Runyu Zhao

McKelvey School of Engineering Graduate Student Theses & Dissertations

This dissertation establishes an integrated framework that leverages artificial intelligence (AI) and advanced metabolomics to overcome the "complexity bottleneck" in microbial engineering, specifically addressing the global crises of plastic waste and carbon emissions. By framing the research within the complex biosystems for effective bioproduction and bioremediation, this work develops novel strategies to engineer and analyze biological systems for a circular bioeconomy. In the "Build" phase (Chapter 2), the study addresses the instability of synthetic microbial consortia. By utilizing calcium-alginate hydrogel compartmentalization, the research successfully decouples the growth of the phototroph Synechococcus elongatus from its heterotrophic partners (P. putida and Y. …

Building Human-Aware Ai: Learning From And Assisting Human Decision-Makers, Saumik Narayanan

McKelvey School of Engineering Graduate Student Theses & Dissertations

As artificial intelligence systems become more capable, they are increasingly used not only as standalone problem-solvers, but as systems that learn from and interact with humans. In these settings, success depends not only on the strength of the model in isolation, but also on how well it fits the humans it is trained on or deployed alongside. This dissertation argues that human heterogeneity is a central ingredient in the design of effective human-aware machine learning systems. Rather than treating differences between people as noise to be averaged away, I show that variation in human expertise and preferences can provide useful …

Inference-Time Scaling For Robust And Adaptive Computational Imaging, Yuyang Hu

McKelvey School of Engineering Graduate Student Theses & Dissertations

Computational imaging has transformed fields such as medical imaging, computational photography, and remote sensing by combining physical measurement models with advanced image reconstruction algorithms. Two major paradigms have driven significant progress: model-based deep learning (MBDL), which integrates learned priors with physics-based data consistency, and generative models, especially diffusion models, which capture complex image distributions and enable posterior sampling for uncertainty quantification. Despite their success, most existing methods still operate under static inference: they rely on fixed pretrained priors, predetermined sampling procedures, and a fixed forward model during reconstruction. This rigidity limits their robustness in the presence of distribution shift, complex …

April 29, 2026 General Faculty Minutes, University Of South Carolina

Faculty Senate

No abstract provided.

Phenomenological Study Of Counselors Working As Community Response Team (Crt) First Responders For Mental Health And How They Cope With Stress And Burnout, Modupe Adekunbi Olaniyan

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this phenomenological study was to explore the experiences of counselors working as Community Response Team (CRT) first responders for mental health crises and to describe how they cope with job stress and burnout. The study involved 12 participants who were interviewed via Zoom. Participants were selected using criterion sampling, and the research sites were located in the Metropolitan area of the east-central United States (Washington, D.C., Maryland, and Virginia). The theoretical framework guiding this study was the Transactional Model of Stress and Coping (TMSC) developed by Lazarus and Folkman (1984). Recent literature on job stress and burnout, …

Man In The Medium: A Historical Examination Of The Life And Work Of Roger Ailes In The American Political Arena, Korey A. Bowles

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Roger Ailes is one of the most prolific figures in American politics and media of the last 60 or so years. Despite his many contributions and achievements, he remains relatively unknown among the public and underrepresented in the field of communication research. This study uses a critical historical approach to examine the life and influence of Ailes on the American political and media landscapes through his work with Presidents Nixon, Reagan, Bush, and numerous other key political figures, as well as the founding of Fox News Channel. In doing so, this study provides insight into Ailes’ perspective on the ecology …

Sacred Silence: The Unspoken Realities Of Satisfaction In Marital Intimacy Among Black Christian Women, Shonda Reneé Brooks

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Sexual intimacy is a vital component of marital satisfaction, yet many married Black Christian women, taught to abstain from sex until marriage, enter matrimony without adequate marital guidance. This qualitative phenomenological study describes the lived experiences of married Black Christian women, ages 30–60, who were taught to abstain from sex until marriage but received little to no instruction on sexual intimacy after marriage. The central research question is: How do married Black Christian women, who were taught to abstain from sex until marriage, describe their experiences with marital intimacy? Framed by feminist theory, attachment theory, and intersectionality, the study examines …

A Causal-Comparative Study Of Critical Thinking Skills In Community College And University Stem Students, Jason H. Tucker

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this quantitative causal-comparative study was to examine the relationship between STEM students’ classification (freshmen, sophomore, junior, and senior) and their overall critical thinking scores among community colleges and universities in north central Ohio. This study is important because critical thinking has been shown to improve success in collegiate STEM programs and the future careers of their students. In addition, there has been growing interest in examining potential critical thinking differences between STEM students enrolled in two-year community colleges and four-year universities. The sample is composed of 231 community college and university students enrolled in STEM programs. Data …

Threats To Cleared Industry, Think Tanks, And Academia From Malign Nations Focusing On Federally Funded Research And Development Centers, James E. Equels

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The world of academia, think tanks, and Federally Funded Research and Development Centers (FFRDCs) in the United States face increasing vulnerabilities to foreign intelligence exploitation, particularly by China and Russia. Espionage, cyber intrusions, insider threats, and intellectual property theft enable adversarial nations to leverage academic collaboration to access sensitive research. These threats are executed through foreign-sponsored partnerships, talent recruitment programs like China’s Thousand Talents Program, and infiltration via Confucius Institutes and other state-affiliated initiatives. Academic openness is routinely exploited to gain strategic military and technological innovation advantages. Operations by malign nations compromise federally funded research, while insider threats - both …

Positive Factors Of Resilience In Marginalized Families, Amanda K. Rigsby

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The current study examined underexplored factors of resilience that help individuals overcome trauma. The study gathered insights from individuals in marginalized communities through semi-structured interviews and collected qualitative data for thematic analysis from 15 participants. The study identified polyvictimized individuals’ perspectives on (a) resilience, (b) regulation, (c) sense of purpose, and (d) mindfulness. Exploring the relationship between these areas could broaden our understanding and, in turn, inform targeted interventions through further studies. This study collected qualitative data through semi-structured interviews with individuals in the Appalachian region. The Resilience Portfolio Model has been used in research to identify mindfulness, regulation, sense …

Examining The Role Of Faith On The Relationships Between Purpose In Life, Unconditional Self-Acceptance, And Life Satisfaction Among Evangelical Christians, Alice H. Yen

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The following dissertation examined the role of faith in God among evangelical Christians to understand its influence on the relationships between purpose in life, unconditional self-acceptance, and life satisfaction. This quantitative correlational study surveyed a sample of 77 evangelical Christians to explore the construct of life satisfaction by assessing specific psychological factors including purpose in life, unconditional self-acceptance, and faith in God. Participants completed self-report surveys including Purpose in Life Test, Unconditional Self-Acceptance Scale, Satisfaction in Life Scale, and Santa Clara Strength of Religious Faith Questionnaire, and answered one open-ended response question regarding where purpose in life comes from. Results …

3d Infographic Animation Series Unleashing The Mechanism Of Disease (Mod) Of Ventricular Tachycardias In Cellular And Molecular Levels: Afterdepolarization Subtypes And Triggered Activity, Yan Ning ‘Harmony’ Wong

Theses

Ventricular arrhythmias (VAs) account for 75-80% of sudden cardiac deaths, causing 184,000 to 450,000 deaths annually in the U.S. VAs commonly occur in individuals with structural heart diseases, but idiopathic ventricular tachycardias (VTs) caused by delayed afterdepolarizations (DADs), early afterdepolarizations (EADs) and triggered activity, can also arise due to calcium ion discrepancies without apparent structural abnormalities. Despite advances in understanding abnormal impulse conduction, there is a paucity of visual aids that explain impulse formation anomalies of VTs. There are no 3D animations that link ECG interpretation to molecular dynamics in the cardiac EC coupling process. Moreover, ECG interpretation skills are …

2026-04-29 10 Foot Rideable Sea Slug Brings ‘Toxic Beauty’ To Cannonball Arts, Hannah Mwangi

The Spectator Online

No abstract provided.

Ofatumumab Associated Legionella Pneumonia In A Young Multiple Sclerosis Patient, Jobe Ashby, Omar Panhair

Books, Presentations, Posters, Etc.

Ofatumumab is the only anti-CD20 IgG1κ human monoclonal antibody therapy for relapsing forms of multiple sclerosis (MS) that patients can self-administer subcutaneously. Anti-CD20 agents are biologic therapies that carry an increased risk of serious infections, but rarely Legionellosis. We present the case of a young man taking ofatumumab for his MS who developed Legionella pneumoniae pneumonia. A 30-year-old man with MS diagnosed two years prior, stable on ofatumumab, presented with fevers, cough, and hemoptysis. A week earlier, he developed fevers and myalgias after administering ofatumumab, but these symptoms persisted longer than usual. Though initial vital signs were normal, he appeared …

Sleep And Autism Spectrum Disorder, Jennie Carlin

Dissertations, Theses, and Projects

Sleep disturbances are highly prevalent among children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and may negatively affect daytime behavior, emotional regulation, learning, and overall family well-being. This quantitative research proposal examines the relationship between sleep difficulties, behavioral functioning, and family experiences among children with ASD. The study will explore how behavioral and environmental sleep interventions may influence sleep quality and nighttime behaviors, how improved sleep may contribute to changes in daytime behavior, and how parents and caregivers perceive the feasibility and effectiveness of implementing sleep-focused interventions at home. A quantitative research design will be used to collect caregiver-reported data through the …

Recognition Celebration 2026, Communications And Marketing

Faculty And Staff Recognition Dinner Programs

Award Winners:

University of Minnesota John Tate Award for Excellence in Undergraduate Advising: Marissa Holst

UMM Faculty Distinguished Research Award: Heather Peters

UMM Alumni Association Teaching Award: Cheryl Stewart

Community Engagement Award: Miriam Gieske

Morris Academic Staff Award: Jessica Porwoll

Mary Martelle Memorial Award: Marie Hagen

Outstanding Support Staff Awards: Tera Kleespie, Teresa Sayles, Rebecca Hamilton

Retirees: Kathy Dingman, Bart Finzel, Stephen Gross, Roland Guyotte, Arne Kildegaard, Athena Kildegaard

How To Build A Successful High School Sports Program, Jacob Jude Mulligan

M.S. in Leadership

The goal of this study was to explore the most influential factors for building a successful high school sports program. Through an expansive literature review, including testimonies from Hall of Fame coaches, themes emerged around the importance of Vision, Relationships, Belief, and Identity when it comes to the question of how to build a successful high school sports program. This research was conducted with the purpose of highlighting evidence of how these four themes have led to a positive culture and success for sports programs and athletes. This study is designed to help current and future high school coaches so …

Addition Of Gitr Agonist To A Dark Matter Cancer Vaccine And Anti-Pd-1 Increases Regulatory T Cell Numbers Without Appearing To Impact Therapeutic Efficacy, Rom S. Leidner1, Guo Hui Gan1, Christopher C. Paustian, Shawn M. Jensen

Books, Presentations, Posters, Etc.

Background: DPV-001 is an off-the-shelf cancer vaccine containing tumor associated proteins commonly overexpressed in adenocarcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma. It is enriched for short-lived proteins (SLiPs) and defective ribosomal products (DRiPs), including both canonical and non-canonical (or “dark matter”) antigens —comprising over 100 identified non-canonical microproteins. These antigens are delivered in spectrin-coated microvesicles that contain 5 TLR/ NOD agonists and 15DAMPs/molecular chaperones, and target CLEC9A+ conventional dendritic cells (cDCs). Preclinical models showed enhanced antitumor responses when the murine analog of DPV-001 (DRibbles) was combined with co -stimulatory agonists. Additional studies showed enhanced antitumor responses when co-stimulatory agonists were combined with …

Impacts Of Biodiversity In Short Rotation Woody Crop Production Systems On Water Quality, Nyla C. Jones

Honors Theses

Mitigating agricultural nutrient runoff and improving water quality are key challenges in meeting food and energy demands. To address this challenge, short rotation woody crops (SRWC), specifically Populus deltoides (eastern cottonwood) and its genotypes, can be planted at the interface of riparian areas and agricultural production fields to alleviate fertilizer runoff into adjacent bodies of water. This research employed an experimental design to evaluate the effects of P. deltoides diversity on tree productivity and nutrient uptake, and how it mitigates agricultural runoff. Ion exchange resins were deployed 0.5 meters below the soil surface at three different sites in Mississippi, each …

Beyond Beneficial Margins: Four Mechanisms Linking Border Vegetation To Pest Dynamics, Jorge F. M. Cardoso, Fabiane M. Mundim

Biology Student Research

Vegetated field borders are widely promoted as tools to enhance biodiversity and strengthen biological control in agroecosystems. However, their role in pest dynamics remains conceptually fragmented and empirically inconsistent. Here, we develop a unified framework explaining how crop border vegetation influences pest populations through four interlinked ecological mechanisms. First, borders act as host reservoirs and selective filters, providing alternative hosts and overwintering habitat that enhance pest persistence across crop cycles. Second, borders modify pest colonization dynamics by shaping movement, aggregation, and host-location behavior at crop edges. Third, borders restructure multitrophic networks, simultaneously supporting natural enemies, alternative prey, vectors, and pathogens, …

Allelopathic Potential Of The Invasive Calotropis Procera Plant Against Two Common Crop Plants In Taif Province, Maram Marzouk Aljuaid, Hatim Maatouq Al-Yasi, Tarek Mohamed Galal

Journal of King Abdulaziz University: Meteorology, Environment and Arid Land Agriculture

Invasive plants have several harmful impacts on the agroecosystem including modifying habitats, affecting food web characteristics, and affecting the ecosystem processes and functioning. This study aims to evaluate the allelopathic potential of the invasive plant C. procera and to assess its effect on seed germination and seedling growth of two common crop plants (barley and alfalfa). In a complete randomized design with three replications, the effect of different concentrations of the aqueous extract of the C. procera on the germination and seedling growth of the two crop plants was investigated. There is a marked decline in the germination percentage (GP) …

Global Research On Palm Oil Diseases And Infections: A Bibliometric Analysis, Fahmi Achmad Saputra, Indria Puti Mustika, Anna Safarida, Catur Sriherwanto, Nicky Rahmana Putra

Makara Journal of Technology

The sustainability of global palm oil production faces significant threats from a range of diseases and infections affecting palm oil crops. This study presents a comprehensive bibliometric analysis to map the scientific landscape and evolution of research related to palm oil diseases over the past decade. Using data from the Scopus database, 366 relevant documents were analyzed using R and VOSviewer to uncover trends in publication volume, citation impact, prolific authors, country contributions, and keyword co-occurrence networks. The findings reveal a strong research concentration on G. boninense, highlighting its critical role as a persistent pathogen in oil palm plantations. Emerging …

Psychology's Role In The Gender Pay Gap, Isabel Kraabel

Celebrating Scholarship and Creativity Day (2018-)

This paper explores the "good" and the "bad" history of psychology, specifically related the gender pay gap. The paper also investigates interventions and how we can move forward in the workplace and beyond.

Veratridine Suppresses Rictor-Mtorc2 Signaling Pathway In Colon Cancer Patient-Derived Xenograft Cells, Morgan Daniel Montgomery

Honors Thesis

Colorectal cancer (CRC) remains the second deadliest and fourth most common cancer in the world. The metastatic form of CRC is especially devastating due to a lack of effective and safer therapeutic options. Another challenge includes an increasing number of younger patients. Among critical signaling pathways overactivated in CRC, mTORC2 plays a key role in the progression of metastatic CRC, yet there is no selective mTORC2 inhibitor in the clinic. Interestingly, a natural plant alkaloid from the Veratrum genus, Veratridine (VTD), shows promise as VTD can upregulate UBXN2A, a colon-specific tumor suppressor protein. UBXN2A works with E3 ligases to ubiquitinate …

Breeding For Diverse Color And Protein Quality In Popcorn And Sweet Corn, Jonathan Niyorukundo

Dissertations and Doctoral Documents, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, 2023–

Sweet corn and popcorn are important crops consumed globally as vegetable and snack, respectively. They are deemed healthy foods due to high fiber and carotenoid contents, especially in yellow varieties. Commercial varieties are optimized for high-yielding agronomics, and previous efforts were made to improve specific macro- and micronutrient contents. Both sweet corn and popcorn have poor protein quality due to the inadequate essential amino acids such as lysine and tryptophan. Moreover, commercial varieties are predominantly yellow, thereby offering no diversity of other maize colors, which are potentially healthier and more appealing to the consumer. In this project, we sought to …

Exploring Eating Behaviors And Dietary Patterns Among Adolescents And Emerging Adults With Adhd: A Scoping Review, Annika Waller

Theses

Objective     To map global evidence on eating behaviors and dietary patterns among adolescents and emerging adults with ADHD, with attention to executive function, medication-related appetite timing, and gender. Introduction     Adolescents and emerging adults with ADHD gain increasing autonomy over food choices during a developmental period marked by heightened executive-function demands and irregular routines. Research examining ADHD and diet is fragmented across disciplines and uses heterogeneous eating and dietary outcomes, limiting synthesis. Inclusion Criteria Studies were eligible if they included adolescents or emerging adults aged 12 to 25 years with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder and reported at least one eating behavior, dietary pattern, …