Digital Commons Network^™

From Experience To Reasoning: Offline Rl Subroutines And Llm-Based Grounding For Sample-Efficient Reinforcement Learning, Jianhai Su

Theses and Dissertations

Improving the learning efficiency of reinforcement learning (RL) agents remains a fundamental challenge, particularly in environments characterized by sparse rewards, long horizons, or partial observability. This dissertation investigates how RL agents can learn more efficiently through two complementary forms of guidance: mechanisms derived purely from an agent’s own experience and mechanisms that leverage reasoning priors from pretrained large language models (LLMs).

On the experience-driven side, the frst study develops a general framework for incorporating ofine RL algorithms as subroutines within an online RL process. In this framework, an agent periodically repurposes its replay bufer as an ofine dataset and applies …

Bias Effects Of Priming Towards Huntington’S Disease Among Second- Year Medical, Physician Assistant, And Genetic Counseling Students, Cameron Lynn Galley

Theses and Dissertations

Individuals with Huntington’s Disease (HD) have experienced bias in their interactions with the public and with health professionals. This study explored perceptions of HD and potential bias among students in interdisciplinary health professions. We hypothesized that the presence of symptoms in vignettes would reflect increased implicit bias, participants with exposure to HD would show less bias than those without, and genetic counseling students would exhibit lower bias towards HD than medical and physician assistant students.

Attitudes towards those with HD were assessed through one of four vignettes about a fictional character in which a presymptomatic diagnosis was present or absent, …

Evaluating Genetic Counseling Perspectives Around The Use Of Chat-Ai As A Standardized Patient, Mary Claire Sherman

Theses and Dissertations

Roleplays and standardized patients (SPs) are widely utilized and valued training tools in medical education. Artificial intelligence (AI) has emerged as a novel component of medical education, though its applications in genetic counseling remain underexplored. This study examined perceptions of genetic counseling students, recent graduates, and educators on chatbot artificial intelligence (chat-AI) as a SP in roleplay exercises. Eligible participants completed a survey requiring a roleplay interaction with ChatGPT. Standardized prompts included roleplay instructions and a framework based on the American Board of Genetic Counseling Practice-Based Competencies (PBCs) and the Reciprocal Engagement Model (REM) for chat-AI to provide feedback on …

Developing And Validating Asian American General Strain Theory, Hyeseon Noh

Theses and Dissertations

General Strain Theory (GST) has been extensively tested across diverse populations, yet Asian Americans, the fastest-growing racial group in the United States, remain largely absent from this body of research. This study addresses this critical gap by developing and validating an Asian American GST that incorporates both traditional and culturally specific strains while examining how collectivist cultural values moderate strain-emotion-coping pathways. Using primary data from 904 Asian American adults across five generational cohorts, this research employed a moderated mediation framework across three interconnected studies. Study 1 tested foundational GST mechanisms, examining direct and mediated effects of strain on three coping …

Tradition Without Text?, Daniel B. Rice

Duke Law Journal Online

No abstract provided.

Novel Variants Identified In Families With Snx27 -Related Neurodevelopmental Disorder, Aiding In Characterizing Its Genotypic And Phenotypic Spectrum, Tayyaba Shan, Abrar Hussain, Anushree Acharya, Mulazim Hussain, Yumei Li, Hafiz Muhammad Jafar Hussain, Kiran Afshan, Suzanne M Leal, Rui Chen, Asif Mir, Isabelle Schrauwen, Sabika Firasat

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Background:

Sorting Nexin 27 (SNX27), a key regulator of synaptic receptor trafficking and endosomal recycling, has been implicated in maintaining synaptic homeostasis and cognitive function. To date, variants in SNX27 have been reported in a small number of patients across three publications with severe neurodevelopmental phenotypes. However, the genetic and functional landscape of SNX27-related disorders remains poorly understood, and further evidence is needed to confirm its association with disease and to better delineate the associated phenotype.

Methods and Results:

Two unrelated Pakistani families with a total of five affected individuals segregating a neurodevelopmental disorder were investigated via exome …

Promoting Methane Reductions Through Behavioural Nudges And Informational Boosts: A Field Choice Experiment In Japanese Rice Farming, Shengyi Du, Katsuya Tanaka, Hiroki Sasaki, Tetsuya Horie, Shinya Horie

Center for Public Service Publications and Reports

Agricultural methane emissions represent a significant contributor to global climate change, with irrigated rice cultivation beingone of the primary sources. Despite the availability of effective mitigation technologies, their adoption often remains limited dueto behavioural and institutional constraints. Water management practice that extends drainage periods during cultivation cancurb methane emissions from irrigated rice at low cost, yet uptake among Japanese farmers remains modest. We surveyed 2219rice producers in Shiga Prefecture using a labelled choice experiment that embedded two behavioural nudges (social norm andloss aversion) and one informational boost (knowledge enhancement), presented with or without a reminder. Farmers most fa-voured a 7-day …

A Legal Transplant Failure In The Ai Age, Xuan-Thao Nguyen

Articles

Thailand positions itself as the new AI-driven innovation hub in the Southeast Asia region as Big Tech companies invest billions in building new data centers to power the AI transformations in all sectors in Thailand. An integral part of Thailand’s new ambition is the legal transplant of personal data protection law from Europe. The transplant, however, is of form, not substance, as this Article illustrates the failure through in-depth analysis of Thailand’s Personal Data Protection Act and provides evidence of rampant violations and noncompliance by the largest ecommerce conglomerate and SMEs. This Article offers suggestions for Thailand to realign its …

Richmond Law Magazine: Spring 2026

Richmond Law Magazine

Wendy Perdue: A Tribute to the Dean Departing After 15 Years

Career-defining Fellowship

Oliver Hill's Latest Legacy

Right to Internet Access

A “Consistent And Ongoing” Right: The Sixth Amendment Right To Counsel At Initial Bail Hearings, Gemma Sunnergren

Cardozo Law Review

Despite the potentially devastating consequences of pretrial incarceration and the complexity of modern bail applications, many individuals charged with crimes across the country are not appointed counsel to guide them through their bail hearings. Traditionally, application of the Sixth Amendment’s right to counsel in various pretrial proceedings has been evaluated under the “critical stage” framework, finding defense counsel necessary when a proceeding puts one’s trial rights at risk or is sufficiently trial-like—i.e., adversarial and requiring complex legal arguments. In the absence of a clear Supreme Court ruling, states have been left to conduct their own analysis, with many declining to …

West Chester University Libraries Digital Preservation Policy, Julia Doelling

Policy Library

No abstract provided.

Reimagining Civic Readiness: Middle School Teachers’ Definition And Perceptions Of The Importance Of Civic Readiness, Razak K. Dwomoh

The Councilor: A National Journal of the Social Studies

This article examines how middle school social studies teachers define “civic readiness,” how teacher motivation shapes civics instruction, and why middle-level civics is integral to engaged citizenship. The paper presents teachers as “curricular instructional gatekeepers” and argues that civic readiness (preparedness/willingness) differs significantly from civic competence (mastery) in terms of meaning, scope, and outcomes, proposing a four-staged pathway from readiness to engagement, then development, and finally to competence. It further provides an overview of three interrelated concepts (academic readiness, college readiness, and career readiness) to juxtapose civic readiness within the larger literary discourse. The …

Strengthening Students' Political Thinking Skills By Researching The Annexation Of Texas, Rebecca Macon Bidwell, Jeremiah Clabough

The Councilor: A National Journal of the Social Studies

The unit plan in this manuscript uses best practices from the C3 Framework published by the National Council for the Social Studies and Wayne Journell’s ideas about political thinking to engage students in discussion of the politics leading to the nomination of Governor James K. Polk as the Democratic Party nominee for president in the U.S. 1844 presidential election. Students explore the impact of candidates’ views of the annexation of Texas during this election as well as the influence of President Jackson on the nomination process in the Democratic Party. Ultimately, the election pitted Governor James K. Polk, the dark …

Distinct Effects Of Complement C4a And C4b Copy Numbers In Systemic Sclerosis Serological And Clinical Subtypes, Javier Martínez-López, Carlos Rangel-Peláez, Inmaculada Rodriguez-Martin, Alfredo Guillen-Del-Castillo, Carmen P Simeón-Aznar, José L Callejas, Oliver Distler, Susanna M Proudman, Mandana Nikpour, Nicolas Hunzelmann, Gianluca Moroncini, Jeska K De Vries-Bouwstra, Ariane L Herrick, Yannick Allanore, Marta E Alarcon-Riquelme, Lorenzo Beretta, Shervin Assassi, Christopher P Denton, Maureen D Mayes, Javier Martin, Marialbert Acosta-Herrera, Martin Kerick

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Objective: Complement component 4 (C4), encoded by C4A and C4B within the major histocompatibility complex (MHC) on chromosome 6, regulates the immune response and clears immune complexes. The variable copy number (CN) of C4 genes and retroviral human endogenous retrovirus K (HERV-K) element influence its function. Given the relationship of C4 CN with systemic sclerosis (SSc) risk, we assessed associations with SSc clinical and serologic subtypes.

Methods: We compared imputed C4 CNs across SSc subgroups (4,049 anticentromere positive [ACA+]; 2,200 anti-topoisomerase I [ATA+]; 577 anti-RNA polymerase [ARA+]; 1,078 triple-negative [TN] patients; 6,295 limited cutaneous SSc [lcSSc]; and 2,946 diffuse cutaneous …

Ai-Eva: Evaluating The Value Of Overhauling Hotel Infrastructure For Artificial Intelligence Integration In Guest Experience, Pearllana Prioleau

AMTP Proceedings 2026

Luxury hotels are adopting artificial intelligence-enabled voice assistants (AI-EVA) to enhance guest experience and maintain competitive advantage. This study examines strategic implications of AI-EVA integration, focusing on consumer acceptance and organizational performance. Guided by the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT) and Resource-Based View (RBV), the research uses a mixed-method approach: qualitative analysis of guest attitudes, quantitative testing of adoption drivers via structural equation modeling, and executive interviews on ROI and infrastructure challenges. Findings will inform strategies for balancing personalization with operational efficiency while addressing privacy concerns. The study contributes to theory by extending UTAUT and RBV …

Eagle-Winged Worms: Seeing Contingent Faculty Through Currere, Nicholas Hayes

Theses and Dissertations from DePaul University

This currere explores my experiences as part-time contingent faculty working at multiple institutions (a so-called freeway flyer). Covering the years from 2005-2015, the regressive mode draws from my experiences teaching writing composition and literature at a community college, arts college, and three religious universities. A central impetus for this exploration is a desire to understand the ways I was socialized by these institutions and how that socialization shaped my understanding of my identity within and through my status as contingent faculty. Higher education (especially first-year writing programs) has become dependent on contingent faculty. The increased reliance on part-time contingent faculty …

Capability Expansion Or Constraint: Examining Equity And Academic Outcomes In Chicago’S Option Schools, Lacherie Reed

Theses and Dissertations from DePaul University

This study examined how success is defined and measured within Chicago’s Alternative Learning Institutions (ALIs), focusing on academic and postsecondary outcomes across 40 Option Schools. Grounded in the broader landscape of alternative education, the research highlights how these schools function as second‑chance pathways for youth who have disengaged from traditional settings. Using a quantitative, correlational design, the study analyzed quantitative performance indicators—including attendance, credit attainment, graduation rates, and postsecondary enrollment. Findings reveal significant variation in how ALIs conceptualize and operationalize student success, shaped by governance structures, accountability pressures, and the unique needs of over‑age and under‑credited learners. While many schools …

Antecedents Of The Principal Investigator’S Commercial Success When Funded By Small Business Innovation Research Program, Mohammed Bekkour

Theses and Dissertations from DePaul University

The commercial performance of Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) projects remains substantially below national expectations despite decades of investment and strong technical output. Prior research suggests that commercialization outcomes depend not only on technological merit but also on the behavioral, cognitive, and managerial competencies of the Principal Investigator (PI), who often serves as both scientific lead and entrepreneurial decision-maker. Yet, systematic examination of PI-level attributes within SBIR contexts remains limited. This study investigates how six key constructs—Iterative Learning Process, Proactiveness, Organizational Risk Orientation, Scope Definition, Management Competence, and Simultaneous Project Engagement—relate to commercialization success among SBIR Phase II awardees. Drawing …

The Impact Of Leadership Of International Baccalaureate Schools In Low Socio-Economic Communities, Sheena Wallker-Carruthers

Theses and Dissertations from DePaul University

The International Baccalaureate (IB) has expanded rapidly into schools serving low socioeconomic status (SES) communities in the United States as part of broader efforts to increase access to rigorous, internationally recognized academic programming. While research has documented positive student outcomes associated with IB participation, less is known about the leadership conditions that support the long-term sustainability of IB programs in under resourced contexts. This quantitative, cross-sectional study examines IB leaders’ perceptions of implementation and sustainability challenges in low-SES school settings, the relationship between those challenges and perceived leadership effectiveness and program outcomes, and the adaptive strategies leaders identify as essential …

Social Capital In The Puerto Rican Deaf Community, Javier Figueroa Quintana

Theses and Dissertations from DePaul University

There is limited literature regarding the social capital of deaf individuals in the United States (U.S.). There are few studies on deaf individuals in Puerto Rico (P.R.), and none explicitly examines deaf Puerto Ricans’ social capital. This qualitative study aimed to understand and capture the experiences of the deaf Puerto Rican community by focusing on how deaf Puerto Ricans utilize social capital to achieve success. The two main research questions guiding this study are: How have deaf Puerto Ricans utilized social capital to achieve success? What are deaf Puerto Ricans' perceptions of success? This study centers around Yosso's (2005) Community …

Mapping The Landscape Of Occupational Health Psychology Research On Immigrant Workers: A Systematic Review, Himali Bhandari

Theses and Dissertations from DePaul University

Research on immigrant populations covers a wide range of topics including immigrationpatterns, demographics, working conditions, and occupational health. Nevertheless, studies specifically on immigrant workers within occupational health psychology (OHP) are scattered. To address this inconsistency, this systematic review analyzed OHP research focusing on immigrant workers, highlighting key immigrant characteristics and the psychological theories and frameworks used to explain why and how immigrant workers face high occupational health and safety risks. Peer-reviewed empirical articles were retrieved from APA PsycINFO, APA PsycArticles, and Academic Search Complete using a predefined set of search terms. Qualitative analysis of the included studies (N = 44), …

Continuum Observations Of Water Maser Sites, Aman Khan

Theses and Dissertations from DePaul University

Stars form in cores deep within cold (10 K) clouds of hydrogen gas. As material is accreted onto the central object inside these cores (the protostar), powerful outflows that channel mass away from the protostar are also launched. The launching mechanism for these outflows is still not fully understood. This thesis presents observations of the 22 GHz continuum emission from two star-forming regions, NGC 7129 FIRS2 and IC 1396-n. The immediate aim of these observations is to find where this continuum emission is coming from, particularly if it is free-free emission from a jet or outflow, and the long term …

Small Jellyfish, Large Consequences: The Overlooked Predatory Role Of Hydromedusae In Subtropical Estuarine Ecosystems, Guilherme M. Von Montfort, Kelly R. Sutherland, Sean Colin, John H. Costello, Renato M. Nagata

Arts & Sciences Faculty Publications

Hydromedusae are often overlooked in pelagic trophic ecology compared to large scyphozoans. We investigated the diet, prey selectivity, ingestion rates, digestion times, and predation impacts of the native Liriope tetraphylla and non-indigenous species Cnidostoma fallax and Moerisia inkermanica in a subtropical estuary of the southwestern Atlantic. While all three species predominantly consumed copepods, L. tetraphylla exhibited the broadest diet and highest number of preys in gut content (up to 13). Digestion time for L. tetraphylla decreased significantly with increasing temperature, from 94 min at 18°C to 64 min at 28°C, with Q10 values showing that digestion rates roughly double with …

Conscripts, Convicts, And Contractors: Ersatz Soldiers And Russia's Total Mobilization Workarounds, Tad A. Schnaufer Ii, Guido Rossi

Journal of Strategic Security

The large-scale conventional conflict in Ukraine has absorbed hundreds of thousands of soldiers on both sides. Yet, domestic considerations have limited mobilization of citizens into the military at the devastating cost of prolonging the conflict. The 2022 Russian invasion force should have comprised far more personnel to ensure success at the outset. Russian leadership grossly underestimated the Ukrainian will to resist and vastly overestimated its own capabilities. Once the initial attack failed, both Russia and Ukraine only incrementally mobilized their populations, leaving neither side with overwhelming strength to create a breakthrough that would end the war. Hence, the ongoing slog …

Post-Ukraine Fallout: How Azerbaijan’S Break With Russia Reflects The Strategic Consequences Of A Weakened Kremlin, Hasan Alisoy

Journal of Strategic Security

This article analyzes how Russia’s declining power, accelerated by its military overextension in Ukraine, triggered a historic rupture in Russia–Azerbaijan relations, culminating in the 2025 Yekaterinburg incident. It argues that the deaths of two Azerbaijani citizens in Russian custody—and the retaliatory actions taken by Baku—did not cause the diplomatic collapse, but rather crystallized a long-term realignment rooted in Azerbaijan’s post-conflict assertiveness and Russia’s unraveling regional leverage. Drawing on the 2024 downing of an Azerbaijani airliner by a Russian missile, the premature withdrawal of Russian peacekeepers from Karabakh, and Azerbaijan’s evolving alliance with Türkiye, the article positions this realignment within a …

A Tilly Comparative Study On State-Building In South Vietnam And Afghanistan, Hoang Trung "Alex" Vu, P.S. Sam Tran

Journal of Strategic Security

The 2021 U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan was often compared to the 1975 fall of South Vietnam as two strategic failures by the United States in attempting to establish a Western-friendly, democratic government in their regions. While superficial similarities could be observed between the two cases, this research provides a further comparative analysis of state-building efforts in South Vietnam and Afghanistan to uncover critical lessons in regime-sustaining and the politics of American intervention. The article uses Charles Tilly’s "war makes state" concept to examine war-making, state-making, protection, and extraction as core elements of state-building. The research utilizes comparative historical analysis to …

Sheinbaum’S Dilemma: Mexico’S Security Choices After Fto Designation, Ghaleb Krame, John P. Sullivan, Magdalena Garcia

Journal of Strategic Security

The US designation of six Mexican cartels as Foreign Terrorist Organizations (FTOs) marks a pivotal shift in bilateral security relations, compelling Mexico to navigate a complex strategic landscape. This study uses game-theoretic modeling, scenario analysis, and Nash equilibria to evaluate three possible responses by the administration of Claudia Sheinbaum: (1) Total Subordination—fully aligning with US counter-cartel efforts, (2) Covert Subordination—secretly integrating US support while maintaining a public stance of sovereignty, and (3) Strategic Resistance—rejecting US intervention in favor of an independent security approach.

New evidence on US-side border corruption and clearer definitions of key terms (joint cross-border operations, intelligence fusion …

Doctor, Teacher, Terrorist: The Life And Legacy Of Al-Qaeda Leader Ayman Al-Zawahiri. By Sajjan M. Gohel. Oxford University Press, 2023., Naveen Khan

Journal of Strategic Security

No abstract provided.

Beyond A Protagonist Bias In Narrative Identity Research: Methods For Identifying Master Narratives In Interview Data, Andrew D. Coppens, Jayson Seaman, Cindy Hartman

Faculty Publications

This article advances a methodological shift in narrative identity research by addressing the field’s protagonist bias – the tendency to rely on first-person autobiographical accounts as the primary evidence for identifying cultural master narratives. We integrate Erikson’s psychosocial identity framework, Vygotsky’s “tool and result” methodological insight, and sociolinguistic approaches to narrative to develop a three-stage analytic logic: (1) identifying small-n narratives through scenes conveyed in discourse; (2) grouping these into Big-N narratives that cohere thematically across scenes (Tannen, 2007, 2008); and (3) assessing candidate master narratives using McLean and Syed’s (2016) five criteria. We demonstrate this approach through a case …

"On The Same Rope": An Exploratory Study Of Staff Experiences At The Mountain Seed Foundation's Healing Base Camp Program, Jill C. Kivikoski

Counseling & Human Services Theses & Dissertations

Since the escalation of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Ukrainians have faced significant social and public health challenges, particularly among Service Members, Veterans, and their Families (SMVF), including disability, traumatic stress, and barriers to mental health care (Kostenko et al., 2024; Krasnodemska et al., 2023; O’Grady & Galouchka, 2023). Retreat based programs grounded in shared military identity may offer an accessible form of support (Barrett & Currin, 2024). Mountain Seed Foundation’s (MSF) Healing Base Camp (HBC) was developed to promote healing and resilience among Ukrainian SMVF (Mountain Seed Foundation, n.d.).

This qualitative dissertation used a single-case study design (Yin, …