Digital Commons Network^™

City Of Philadelphia V. Kevin Hand

2026 Decisions

USDC for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania

Usa V. Nikeem Leach-Hilton

2026 Decisions

USDC for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania

Reasoning In Large Language Models Across Multilingual, Long-Context, And Symbolic Settings, Sina Bagheri Nezhad

Dissertations and Theses

Large Language Models (LLMs) are increasingly deployed as general-purpose reasoners, yet their reliability degrades in three settings that frequently arise in practice: multilingual inputs, long contexts, and symbolic or formally constrained domains. In multilingual settings, uneven training coverage produces substantial performance disparities and uncertain generalization to languages with little or negligible pretraining exposure. In long-context settings, relevant evidence may be sparsely distributed, and models exhibit the "lost-in-the-middle" phenomenon, undermining retrieval and multi-step synthesis. In symbolic settings such as mathematics, small arithmetic or logical slips invalidate solutions, and prose rationales are difficult to verify automatically.

This dissertation first characterizes these failure …

The Development And Validation Of A Portable Monitoring System For Real-World Prosthetic And Orthotic Performance Assessment, Emily Wyatt

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Laboratory-based motion capture systems are widely used for gait analysis but are limited by high cost, infrastructure requirements, and restricted external validity. Inertial measurement units (IMUs) offer a portable and low-cost alternative for assessing gait in both controlled and real-world environments; however, their accuracy and clinical utility require validation. The purpose of this thesis was to develop and evaluate a portable monitoring system using IMUs to quantify spatiotemporal gait parameters and gait asymmetry in both laboratory and community settings, with a focus on prosthetic and orthotic users.

Phase 1 of this study evaluated the agreement between IMU-derived gait metrics and …

Transcription Factors Daf-16/Foxo And Hlh-30/Tfeb Form A Regulatory Axis To Control Tubular Lsysosomes Formation In C. Elegans, Cristian Ricaurte

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

The development of therapies that can be applied in human health care to promote longer and healthier lives is one of the main goals of aging research. However, many of the interventions currently available have serious adverse effects that limit their translational potential. Thus, new strategies are urgently needed to promote healthy aging in humans. Here, we reveal a functional interaction between the insulin signaling pathway and mTOR pathway that promotes healthy aging in C. elegans via lysosomal tubulation. Their respective transcription factors, DAF-16/FOXO and HLH-30/TFEB cooperate, to drive the formation of tubular lysosomes (TLs) under various contexts, which contributes …

Household Expenditure And Insurance Adoption As Determinants Of Financial Risk In Urban Companion Animal Healthcare, Hong Yun Wu, Chee Vui Wong, Changh Hao Han

Jesselton Journal of Educators and Scholars

Urban households increasingly face financial exposure associated with companion animal healthcare in market-based systems where costs are largely borne out of pocket. This study examines how household expenditure and insurance adoption shape financial risk in urban companion animal healthcare. Using survey data from 500 urban households, the analysis investigates expenditure patterns, predictors of pet insurance adoption, and spatial variation in healthcare spending across urban districts. Regression results show that household income, number of pets owned, educational attainment, and age are significantly associated with variation in annual healthcare expenditure. Logistic regression findings indicate that insurance adoption is driven more by socioeconomic …

Exploring Rural Educator's Perceptions Of Educational Accountability Measures In Alabama, Steven Sims Ii

College of Education

This qualitative study will examine rural stakeholders' perceptions of the educational accountability measures implemented by the state of Alabama, including Alabama’s adoption of mandatory retention laws, specifically the Alabama Numeracy and Literacy Act, accountability tests such as the Alabama Comprehensive Assessment Program (ACAP), the ACT, and the College and Career Readiness Standards (CCRS), as well as how these initiatives impact the process of identifying and labeling schools as failing. This research explores stakeholders' perceptions of the efficacy of these policies. Through semi-structured interviews with 21 educators (20 teachers and one principal) from rural Black Belt schools, the study aims to …

Which Aspects Of Abortion Care Do Healthcare Practitioners In Britain Think Nurses/Midwives Should Provide? Findings From The Sacha Study, Rebecca French Sacha Study Team, Alice Fulton, Ona Mccarthy, Jill Shawe, Rebecca Meiksin, Maria Lewandowska, Melissa Palmer, Rachel Scott, Kaye Wellings, Patricia Lohr, Geoffrey Wong, Sally Sheldon, Annette Aronsson, Paula Baraitser, Sharon Cameron, Louise Keogh, Clare Murphy, Wendy V. Norman, Jennifer Reiter, Natasha Salaria

School of Nursing and Midwifery

Aim: To explore the views of healthcare practitioners in Britain regarding the role of midwives and nurses in the delivery of medical and surgical abortion. Design: An observational study of the Shaping Abortion for Change study healthcare practitioner survey (2021–2022). Methods: Relationships between healthcare practitioner type, participant characteristics, knowledge of and attitudes towards abortion, and views about nurses' and midwives' role in abortion care were examined using Pearson's Chi-squared tests of association and multivariable logistic regression. Results: Amongst 763 participants including doctors, nurses, midwives and pharmacists, 71.6% supported specialist nurses in sexual and reproductive health and abortion clinics and hospitals, …

Federal Appeals Court Rules West Virginia Medicaid Coverage Exclusion Of ‘Sex-Change’ Surgery Is Legal, Arthur S. Leonard

Other Publications

No abstract provided.

On Message Encryption And Enhanced Security Using Protein Structure Information, Daniel Graham

Chemistry: Faculty Publications and Other Works

This is a lecture packet focused on several well-established encryption procedures. Included is a discussion of security enhancements brought about by incorporating protein structure information into the procedures.

Activation-Guided Layer Selection For Lora, Aditya Dawadikar, Pooja Shyamsundar, Rashmi Vishwanath Bhat, Navrati Saxena

Faculty Research, Scholarly, and Creative Activity

Low-Rank Adaptation (LoRA) has become a widely adopted parameter-efficient fine-tuning (PEFT) technique for large language models (LLMs). LoRA’s benefits stem from its light weight and modular adapters. Standard LoRA applies adapters uniformly across all Transformer layers, implicitly assuming that each layer contributes equally to task adaptation. However, LLMs are found to have internal substructures that contribute in a disproportionate manner. In this work, we provide a theoretical analysis of how LoRA weight updates are influenced by a layer’s activation magnitude. We propose Act-LoRA, a simple activation-guided layer selection strategy for selective Low-Rank Adaptation. We evaluate this strategy for both encoder-only …

Ix International Moot Court Competition In Law & Religion, Benjamin N. Cardozo School Of Law

2025–2026 Flyers

After many successful editions, the International Moot Court Competition in Law and Religion (9th ed.) is happening in 2026 in the glittering city of marbles: Rome, Italy!

The Program will run from March 12 to March 14, 2026 at the St. John’s University Rome campus.

Teams from different countries will argue a case before the European Court of Human Rights and the Supreme Court of the United States. Pre-eminent scholars and actual judges from the two jurisdictions will sit as judges of the two Courts.

In the past editions, Teams from the United States, Hungary, Russia, Spain, the UK, Belgium, …

The Role Of Teacher-Student Identity-Matching In Multi-Informant Universal Screening For Social, Academic, And Emotional Behavior Risk Among Middle School Students, Melissa L. Brown

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Multi-informant universal screening tools leverage insights from multiple perspectives to paint a comprehensive picture of student risk across a variety of domains. However, many barriers exist to the appropriate and effective implementation of multi-informant universal screening within the school. When such screening tools are utilized without intentional consideration of students’ unique backgrounds and lived experiences, harmful outcomes may disproportionally impact marginalized and minoritized students. To address this, context-sensitive, identity-conscious approaches may improve the accuracy and equity of identifying students in need of support. This study investigated the role of identity concordance (i.e., alignment of teacher and student gender and race/ethnicity) …

Assessing Capability, Opportunity, And Motivation In Relation To Guideline Adherence For Inherited Cancer Risk, Cecilia L. Delisanti

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Introduction: Although National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) guidelines provide cancer screening or risk reduction recommendations for individuals with germline pathogenic and likely pathogenic variants (GPVs) in actionable hereditary cancer genes, guideline adherence remains inconsistent, and the behavioral contributors to this gap remain understudied. To identify behavioral factors related to adherence across inherited cancer risk genes, this study used the COM-B model, which posits that capability, opportunity, and motivation shape health behaviors.

Methods: IMPACT study participants, all with GPVs in a variety of actionable genes, completed surveys (N=575). Minimal adherence was based on gene-specific NCCN guidelines. COM-B constructs (capability, opportunity, motivation) …

The Emotional Construction Of Religious Experience: Senitmentalism And Moral Motivations, Yvonne Candelario

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This paper addresses the growing prevalence of reported religious experiences across diverse religious and spiritual traditions, alongside the persistent absence of such reports among many adherents within the same communities. This asymmetry poses a challenge for both supernaturalist and reductively skeptical accounts of religious experience. I develop a naturalistic constructivist framework to explain why some individuals choose to interpret and report some human experiences as religious experiences or report having religious experiences at all, while others do not. Drawing on a post-modern revision of moral theory, an account of constructive sentimentalism, I argue that religious experience is shaped by socially …

Comparative Outcomes And Costs Of Robotic Assisted, Laparoscopic, And Open Partial Nephrectomy: A Contemporary Analysis Of National Inpatient Sample Data., Manisha Lin, Elizabeth Sottung, Vietbao H. Phan, Mumbi E. Kimani, Costas D. Lallas, Raegan M Davis, Scott W. Keith, Patrick Moeller, Vittorio Maio

College of Population Health Faculty Papers

PURPOSE: Partial nephrectomy is increasingly favored for small renal masses due to its renal function-preserving benefits. This study compared contemporary utilization patterns, perioperative outcomes, and hospital costs of robotic-assisted (RAPN), laparoscopic (LAPN), and open partial nephrectomy (OPN) among U.S. patients with renal cancer.

METHODS: Using the 2016–2019 National Inpatient Sample, renal cancer patients undergoing RAPN, LAPN, or OPN based on ICD-10-CM/PCS codes were identified. Patient demographics, comorbidities, hospital characteristics, length of stay (LOS), perioperative complications, and hospital costs, were summarized by surgical approach. Regression analyses adjusted for patient- and hospital-level covariates were used to compare perioperative outcomes, LOS, and costs …

Internal Family Systems Therapy For Trauma Recovery And Addiction In Sexual And Gender Minorities, Walter Saunders

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Sexual and gender minorities (SGM) experience disproportionately high rates of substance use disorders linked to trauma exposure, minority stress, and barriers to affirming behavioral health care. Although trauma-informed approaches have expanded, little is known about how SGM individuals experience and make meaning of their engagement in internal family systems (IFS) therapy for trauma and addiction. Guided by Schwartz’s theory of the multiplicity of the mind and minority stress theory, the purpose of this qualitative phenomenological study was to explore how SGM individuals describe and interpret their engagement in IFS therapy within the context of trauma and addiction. Interpretative phenomenological analysis …

Biofilm Architecture Determines Proliferation Of Phages And Plasmids, James B. Winans

Dartmouth College Ph.D Dissertations

This thesis explores how biofilm architecture determines the spread and ecological consequences for the bacteria-dependent genetic elements phages and plasmids. Using Escherichia coli and Vibrio cholerae as model microbes, and the genetic elements T7 phages, λ phages, and conjugative plasmid pED208, we investigate how spatial structure influences phage infection dynamics, plasmid transfer, and interbacterial interactions within biofilms. We show that densely packed biofilms can protect sensitive bacteria from phage exposure and modulate competitive outcomes between obligately lytic and temperate phages. We find that entirely different outcomes can coöccur within microns of each other dependent on biofilm structure. We also demonstrate …

Optimising Human–Ai Decision Performance: A Trust And Capability Framework For Knowledge Management, Eduardo Carlos Dittmar, Martin Sposato

All Works

Organisations struggle to optimise human–AI collaboration in knowledge-intensive decision-making. This paper proposes the Trust–Complementarity Model of Collective Intelligence (TCM-CI), explaining how calibrated trust and complementary capability utilisation drive superior organisational performance. Through systematic synthesis of human–AI interaction and knowledge management research, we identify three core mechanisms: (1) calibrated trust maximises collective intelligence by balancing appropriate reliance with necessary oversight, (2) complementarity–trust interaction determines optimal performance when high capability utilisation combines with appropriate trust levels and (3) dynamic feedback loops create reinforcing organisational learning cycles. The framework provides practical guidance for executives designing human–AI teams, developing trust calibration training, and establishing …

The Role Of Autophagy In Intestinal Infection In Mice And C. Elegans, Gowri Kalugotla

Arts & Sciences Graduate Student Theses and Dissertations

Although autophagy, which is the process by which cells reallocate nutrients and eliminate unwanted materials, has been studied for decades, the connections between autophagy, inflammation, and viral immunity are still under investigation. Our studies focus on two genes: murine Epg5, which is involved in fusion of the autophagosome and lysosome, and C. elegans atg-3, which is important for the elongation of the phagophore. Here, we find that Epg5 mutation protects against enteric viruses including norovirus and rotavirus. We identify IFN- responsive genes as a key alteration and observe that Epg5 mutant mice exhibit substantial alterations in the intestinal microbiota. Surprisingly, …

Sistem Pengelolaan Keuangan Negara Pada Waktu Sekarang Dan Yang Akan Datang, Drs. Gandhi

Jurnal Hukum & Pembangunan

Abstract

Beberapa Catatan Atas Ruu Tentang Susunan Kekuasaan Dan Acara Mahkamah Agung, Muchtar Rosyidi, S.H.

Jurnal Hukum & Pembangunan

Abstract

Masalah Penyidikan Dan Tindak Pidana Pajak, Ibrahim Idham, S.H.

Jurnal Hukum & Pembangunan

Abstract

Beberapa Masalah Tentang Tanggung Jawab Ganti Rugi Perdata Pencemaran Lingkungan Hidup, N.H.T. Siahaan, S.H.

Jurnal Hukum & Pembangunan

Abstract

Prospektif Pengaturan Perizinan Usaha Industri Berkaitan Dengan Pengelolaan Lingkungan Hidup, Yakob Mohsin, S.H.

Jurnal Hukum & Pembangunan

Abstract

Beberapa Pandangan Di Sekitar Kredit Luar Negeri Sebagai Alat Pembiayaan, Bochari, S.H.

Jurnal Hukum & Pembangunan

Abstract

Pbb Dan Tatanan Hukum Ekonomi Internasional Yang Baru, M. Said Nisar, S.H., Ll.M.

Jurnal Hukum & Pembangunan

Abstract

Rethinking Legal Education: Demystifying Neurodiversity And Building An Inclusive Future, Jennifer Kindred Mitchell, Charlie Amiot

The Journal of Law Teaching and Learning

This article contributes significantly to the discourse on legal education by arguing that embracing neurodiversity not only enhances the learning environment for all students but also cultivates a legal profession that is truly reflective of societal diversity. Ultimately, neurodiversity should be embraced as an asset. By adopting inclusive practices, legal education can nurture the promise of ND students and improve outcomes for all. This article seeks to inspire a new paradigm that celebrates neurocognitive diversity’s contributions to the legal profession.

Neurodivergent (ND) students comprise approximately a quarter of the law school population, yet traditional legal education often fails to meet …

Full Issue

Newsletter of the Jussi Björling Societies of the USA & UK

No abstract provided.

65 Years Ago, Janel E. Lundgren

Newsletter of the Jussi Björling Societies of the USA & UK

“When Jussi Björling was suddenly taken from us on 9 September 1960, there was intense dismay and great sorrow, for he was one of the greatest singers of our time, a fact to which an enormous and always enraptured public bore witness. His audiences were to be found not only in the opera houses and concert halls of the world’s great cities, but also in Swedish amusement parks and in front of hundreds of thousands of radio sets. He was humble before the art of music and, in the truth and meticulousness of his work, a true artist, something to …