Digital Commons Network^™

Blue Humanities Currents: Ruth Ozeki’S A Tale For The Time Being And Kim Stanley Robinson’S New York 2140, Simon C. Estok

Kritika Kultura

Literary representations of ocean currents are important in a time such as ours when the patterns of the global water cycles are changing. Ruth Ozeki’s A Tale for the Time Being and Kim Stanley Robinson’s New York 2140 each, in different ways, imagine personal impacts of global water patterns. For Ozeki, the interconnections between oceanic and terrestrial processes manifest along the shores of the Pacific Northwest in the wake of the March 2011 earthquake and subsequent tsunami that hit Japan. For Robinson, the changes in ocean currents are clearly an effect of climate change, and we witness a kind of …

Translation And Introduction In The Third Space: Wilde’S Fairy Tales In Early Twentieth-Century China, Lin Wang

Kritika Kultura

Oscar Wilde’s fairy tales, renowned for their aesthetic refinement and ethical resonance, encountered a distinctive and historically contingent reception in early twentieth-century China. This study examines the translation and introduction of these fairy tales across three key periods (1909–1919; 1919–1937; 1937–1949), arguing that translation and introduction practices were shaped not by a unified logic but by shifting literary, ideological, and sociopolitical conditions. The study employs Homi K. Bhabha’s concept of the “third space” as an analytical model, conceptualizing translation and introduction as sites of negotiation in which meaning is reinterpreted through the interaction between aestheticism and Chinese intellectual movements. The …

News Release: Overseas Campus In Costa Rica, Office Of Public Relations News Bureau

Elbert Covell College

No abstract provided.

Small Unmanned Aerial Systems-Assisted Airport Obstruction And Perimeter Inspections, Christopher Candler, Christopher M. Saylor, Marcus Thompson, Tejash Zala

Discovery Day - Daytona Beach

Airports are required to maintain obstruction-free airspace surfaces under 14 CFR Part 77; however, vegetation and perimeter obstruction management is often conducted through periodic ground inspections and contractor-led surveys that provide only snapshot conditions. These approaches may delay detection of encroachments into approach, transitional, horizontal, or primary surfaces, increasing the risk of operational impacts and reactive mitigation. This study proposes an FAA-aligned framework integrating small unmanned aircraft systems (sUAS) into obstruction monitoring workflows through recurring, repeatable perimeter inspections. High-resolution optical and LiDAR sensors, combined with RTK/PPK-enabled GNSS correction, generate centimeter-level geospatial datasets that are processed into canopy height models. These …

Beyond Walls And Wires: The Supreme Court’S Recognition Of Digital Privacy Under The Fourth Amendment, Joanna Morris

Discovery Day - Daytona Beach

The Founding Fathers included the Fourth Amendment in the Bill of Rights to protect individuals from unreasonable searches and seizures and their right to privacy. However, rapid advances in modern digital technology have challenged traditional definitions of privacy, raising constitutional questions about digital privacy rights. Smartphones and location tracking collects personal information that does not fit neatly within pre-digital era Fourth Amendment doctrines. This research examines how the United States Supreme Court has adapted interpretations of the Fourth Amendment to address digital privacy concerns, focusing on the tensions between Fourth Amendment doctrines and technology that enables extensive government access to …

Risk-Aware Intent Belief Gating Layer For Transactional Artificial Intelligence Assistants, Madhav Mittal

Defensive Publications Series

An intent belief layer system (100) for transactional artificial intelligence assistants is disclosed. The system includes a text encoder configured to receive a user utterance and generate an embedding vector, and an intent classifier configured to generate intent-wise logits for an intent taxonomy in which each intent is associated with risk metadata. A belief estimator applies calibrated probability mapping to generate an observation probability distribution, retrieves a prior probability distribution from a session store, and computes a posterior probability distribution using a Bayesian belief update across conversation turns. A risk engine computes an expected risk score over the posterior probability …

Pipeline Array Architecture: Topological Freedom Beyond 2d Grid, Jinhui Wu

Defensive Publications Series

In prior work, we introduced the Pipeline Array architecture—a distributed parallel data processing
framework based on the five core characteristics of Assignment, State Holding, Compare, Block, and
Update. The architecture was presented with a two-dimensional (2D) grid as a typical embodiment for
spatially structured data such as image pixels and sensor grids.
This paper clarifies and extends the topological understanding of the Pipeline Array. We emphasize that
the defining characteristic of an Ordered Array is fixed spatial coordinates and neighbor relationships
—not the specific geometric shape of the array. The 2D grid is one valid embodiment, but not a limitation. …

Asymptotic Enumeration Of K-Bounded Functions Using Toeplitz Matrices, Tiago Cavalcante Trindade, Pedro Martineli

Rose-Hulman Undergraduate Mathematics Journal

We introduce the concept of $(\alpha, \lambda)$-bounded functions, characterized by limited local variation, which is especially useful in discrete sets. Initially, we formally define these functions and investigate their fundamental properties, highlighting significant differences from continuous functions. The main result obtained is the asymptotic estimate of $a(n, k)$, representing the number of functions from $[n]$ to $[n]$ that are $k$-bounded with respect to the Manhattan distance. The proof of this result combines Toeplitz matrices with a well-known inequality from graph theory.

Beyond The Indicators: Community-Defined Sustainability In Bario, Sarawak, Rhonwyn Hagedorn

Capstone Collection

This study examines how Kelabit community members in Bario, Sarawak, Malaysian Borneo define and practice sustainability within community-based tourism (CBT), and how these local understandings align with or diverge from the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The study used a thematic analysis drawing on fifteen semi-structured interviews with Kelabit community members, supplemented by tourist questionnaires and document analysis of online tourism materials. Four themes emerged: sustainability as collective stewardship; community decision-making and collaboration; cultural identity as the core of tourism; and equity, participation, and the limits of growth. Findings suggest that Kelabit community members hold a holistic, relational, and …

The Chameleon Experience: Queer Identity, Mental Health, And Transformation, Cameron Penny

Communication and Theater Association of Minnesota Journal

In this autoethnographic piece, I examine the correlation between queer identity and mental health through reflective analysis of my own experiences within a Western socio-cultural setting. I expand external perspectives on the queer experience by highlighting the normalization of queer prejudice and its adverse impact on self-image. I share how the religious praxis of Catholicism enforces binary conformity by promoting dichotomous thinking that simultaneously constricts queer expression and subjugates implicit biases. In tandem, I utilize autoethnography as my medium because it provides a unique outlet to raise awareness for chronically stigmatized identities by centering marginalized voices (Atay, 2011; Chavez, 2013). …

State Of The World: Presidential Rhetoric At The United Nations, Jason A. Edwards, Zoe Hess Carney, Kory Hoyt

Communication and Theater Association of Minnesota Journal

In 1982, President Reagan spoke to the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) for the first time. In doing so, Reagan established a presidential tradition that, we argue, created a new genre of presidential rhetoric. Like the State of the Union speech, presidents, in this address, outline their vision for U.S. foreign policy and global politics for the coming year. Specifically, presidents mediate on the history and values of the United Nations, assess the current state of global affairs, and offer policy recommendations to deal with those issues. Examining presidential rhetoric at the United Nations offers a heuristic to understand U.S. …

Communication & Theater Association Of Minnesota Journal, Volume 49, Issue 1, 2026

Communication and Theater Association of Minnesota Journal

Volume 49, Issue 1 (2026) of the Communication & Theater Association of Minnesota Journal.

Draining The Risk, Holding The Line: A Nurse-Driven Approach To Catheter-Associated Urinary Tract Infection Prevention, Thy Nguyen

Master's Projects and Capstones

Catheter-associated urinary tract infections (CAUTIs) remain among the most common preventable healthcare-associated infections, with CMS eliminating reimbursement for hospital-acquired cases since 2008. Within a five-unit, high-acuity microsystem at an urban acute care hospital, four CAUTIs were documented between January and July 2026 despite established prevention protocols. Adherence gaps were identified in catheter necessity assessment, maintenance practices, and nurse-driven removal protocol use. This quality improvement project was guided by the Johns Hopkins Evidence-Based Practice framework and Lewin's Change Theory. A targeted nursing education intervention addressing bladder scanning, dependent loop identification, and catheter care bundle adherence was implemented across the microsystem over …

Multidimensional Total Quality Management And Its Effects On Sustainability And Performance In Industrialized Building System Projects, Felix Delmonte

Mechanical and Civil Engineering Faculty Publications

This study develops and tests a multidimensional total quality management (TQM) framework to explain how distinct quality practices influence environmental sustainability, construction quality, cost and schedule performance, waste reduction, energy efficiency, stakeholder satisfaction, and overall project performance in industrialized building system (IBS) projects. Soft and hard TQM dimensions such as leadership commitment, customer focus, employee involvement, training and continuous improvement, process management, supplier quality, and data driven decision making are operationalised and linked to eight outcome constructs. Partial least squares structural equation modelling (PLS SEM) is used to estimate direct effects and to examine mediation by waste reduction and energy …

Operating Room Scheduling And Workflow Optimization In Acute Care Hospitals, Waleed Tawfik

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Operating room scheduling inefficiencies in acute care hospitals contribute to delays, prolonged turnover times, cancellations, underused capacity, overtime, higher costs, and reduced timely access to surgery. This integrative review examined evidence-based, systems-oriented scheduling and workflow strategies to improve operating room utilization, reduce delays, and enhance operational efficiency. Guided by general systems theory, a structured search identified 196 database-level records; 28 articles underwent full-text review, and 20 sources were retained for thematic synthesis after critical appraisal using the Johns Hopkins Evidence-Based Practice criteria. The thematic analysis revealed four main themes: standardized workflow coordination, data-driven scheduling and decision support, integrated resource and …

Sac Newsletter 2026, South Asia Center

Newsletters from the South Asia Center

No abstract provided.

Carlos Baires-Rivas V. Attorney General United States Of America

2026 Decisions

Agency

Wilson Brito-Hidalgo V. Attorney General United States Of America

2026 Decisions

Agency

"Tithing Is An Insurance Premium": A Framing Analysis Of Speaker Innovation And Diachronic Trends In Latter-Day Saint Religious Discourse, Reid Empey

Theses and Dissertations

Religious language relies on shared metaphor and frames that contextualize religious experience and practice. Current approaches to frame semantics (Fillmore 1982) and cognitive metaphor (Lakoff & Johnson 1980) lend important insight into religious language, particularly in describing the role that figurative language serves in a religious speech community. However, a vital component of many religious speech communities is the presence of and engagement with a scriptural canon, which often contains metaphorical and framing language that religious speakers can directly reference. Yet, past conceptualizations of speech communities have not accounted for this engagement with a shared canon. To illustrate the role …

Engineering Education Beyond The Engineering Classroom: Three Studies On Behavioral Nudges, General Education Completion, And Honors Program Participation, Andrew Harrison Volk

Theses and Dissertations

Engineering education extends well beyond the engineering classroom. Engineering undergraduates progress through general education courses, institutional support structures, and enrichment opportunities operating outside their major. The administrative offices that shape these non-engineering experiences typically operate independently of engineering departments, and the structural decisions they make can shape the engineering student's experience without engineering's input. This dissertation examines three settings in which decisions outside engineering matter for engineering students. Study 1 reports a PRISMA-format systematic review of nudge interventions in higher education, developing a four-category typology of nudge types (informational, environmental, process-oriented, and in-name-only) and a six-category typology of application domains. …

Thermomechanical Characterization And Modeling Of An Smp-Epoxy Composite For Deployable Space Structures, Ap Anshuman Behera

Theses and Dissertations

Deployable space structures can be stowed in a compact form and later allowed to their operational shape. Carbon fiber reinforced polymer (CFRP) composites have been utilized as a material candidate due to their increased strength-to-weight ratio and tailored performance. Current challenges associated with CFRP composites are driven by the viscoelastic nature of the polymer matrix causing long-term stowage effects and deployment issues such as shape deformation and incomplete recovery. In this study, a shape memory polymer (SMP) is presented as a potential option in mitigating these issues. An epoxy SMP is synthesized and experimentally characterized and its performance in the …

Development Of A Gis-Based Research Data Preservation Platform For Historically Significant Wood Preservative Research Field Sites, Lorali Gene Pace

Theses and Dissertations

Wood protection research plots have played a critical role in the development and evaluation of preservative treatments used throughout North America, including decades of research associated with Mississippi State University’s Department of Sustainable Bioproducts. However, without spatial documentation, much of this research history and institutional knowledge is at risk of being lost. This study develops a GIS-based research preservation platform to document, organize, and preserve historic wood protection testing data. Using ArcGIS Pro, field-collected spatial data, historical records, aerial imagery, and ArcGIS Online technologies, a digital geodatabase and interactive web application were created to organize research locations and connect them …

Examining Bark Water Storage As A Function Of Morphology And Subsequent Impacts On Stemflow Yield In A Mixed Hardwood Stand, Max Arnold

Theses and Dissertations

Forest canopy partitioning influences the movement and redistribution of precipitation, with bark serving as a critical interface regulating water storage and stemflow yield. This study quantified bark morphological and hydrological traits across six common southeastern United States tree species and evaluated their influence on stemflow yield. Significant interspecific differences were observed in bark thickness, bulk density, total porosity, bark water storage capacity (BWSC), and absolute hygroscopicity. Bulk density was positively related to BWSC and absolute hygroscopicity, whereas total porosity was negatively related to both traits. Despite substantial variation in bark properties, none of the measured bark traits consistently predicted stemflow …

A Study On The Welfare And Crop-Residue Ameliorating Potential Of Acheta Domesticus In The Context Of Insect Sequestration, Metabolism, And Excretion Of Three Mycotoxins: Aflatoxin B1, Deoxynivalenol, And Zearalenone, Ryan Thomas Paulk

Theses and Dissertations

Mycotoxins are a food security issue that affects all crops globally, but to varying degrees, due to the ubiquity of fungi that produce them. Developing new agricultural practices that can ameliorate lost nutrients post-contamination by removing mycotoxins for the next levels in the food chain can remedy an inevitable effluent in the circular economy. Farmed insects, such as the house cricket, Acheta domesticus, can potentially consume moldy, mycotoxin contaminated grains safely without transferring them to other trophic levels. The experiments herein test the biology of A. domesticus to consume three individual mycotoxins: aflatoxin B1, deoxynivalenol, and zearalenone. In addition to …

Co-02 - Bylaws And Procedures 2026-07-08 - Proposed Association Bylaws Revision 2026, Mpla

Committees

No abstract provided.

Philosophical Education As A Vision For Lasting Peace: Keynote Address At The Phase 1 Workshop Of “Ethics, Society, And Education: Empowering Early Career Philosophers In The Philippines”, Armin A. Luistro Fsc

SDRC Media Releases

Background

This keynote address was delivered by Br. Armin A. Luistro, FSC, during the Phase 1 Workshop of Ethics, Society, and Education: Empowering Early Career Philosophers in the Philippines on 12 August 2026 at De La Salle University.

The project aims to strengthen the research, writing, and professional capacities of early career philosophers in the Philippines. It is supported by the British Academy International Writing Workshops 2025 Programme under the United Kingdom Government’s International Science Partnerships Fund. The initiative is led by Dr. Hazel T. Biana of the De La Salle University Department of Philosophy, in partnership with Durham University …

Tips For Higher Education: A Research-Informed Framework For Designing Trauma-Informed Professional Support Practices In Higher Education, Kelli Wallace

Theses and Dissertations

This capstone project addresses the need for structured trauma-informed professional preparation within higher education as institutions continue responding to increasing student adversity, trauma exposure, mental health concerns, and barriers to academic engagement and persistence. The purpose of the project is to develop Tips for Higher Education: A Research Informed Framework for Designing Trauma-Informed Professional Support Practices in Higher Education. The project examines the research-supported elements that should be included in a trauma-informed professional preparation framework, the competencies and learning domains needed by faculty, advisors, and student-support professionals, and the ways professional learning should be structured and sequenced to support sustainable …

Ethnic Identity And Career Adaptability Among African American High School Students: Exploring The Roles Of Perceived Barriers And Social Support, Zion J. Kamau

Theses and Dissertations

African Americans are subjected to systemic racial discrimination and bias in the labor market. Data on labor force participation collected by the U.S. Census Bureau between 1970 and 2010 were investigated for the purpose of identifying trends, and it was found that race and ethnicity significantly influence an individual's labor market position and employment outcomes (Byars-Winston et al., 2014). African Americans were more likely to hold positions earning less, requiring fewer skills, and associated with a lower social status. There is a misconception that the phenomenon occurs only in adulthood, but it is also observed during adolescence. The U.S. Bureau …

School Administrators’ Lived Experiences In Educational Settings Supporting Students With Exposure To Violence, Craig Karnell Chapman

Theses and Dissertations

Violence in schools and communities presents persistent challenges for K–12 students, educators, and school leaders, particularly in high-poverty contexts where exposure to violence disrupts teaching, learning, and school climate. Guided by Bronfenbrenner’s Ecological Systems Theory (1979). Ecological systems theory, this phenomenological study explored the lived experiences of school administrators in supporting students exposed to violence in their schools and communities. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews with five purposively selected school administrators working in high-poverty districts and analyzed using thematic analysis. Findings revealed four central themes: (a) instructional instability resulting from persistent exposure to violence, (b) the spillover of community …

Latent Profile Analysis Of Trauma Appraisal: Associations With Psychological Problems And Substance Use Moderated By Emotion Dysregulation In College Students With Trauma History, Tram Nguyen

Theses and Dissertations

Empirical research suggests that trauma-related appraisals have significant mental health implications. A prior meta-analysis reported that maladaptive trauma-related cognitions play a central role in the development and maintenance of poor coping strategies (i.e., substance use) and posttraumatic stress disorder. However, less is known about the relationships among maladaptive trauma cognitions, emotion dysregulation, and risk for substance use. The current study sought to provide a comprehensive examination of the relationships among trauma appraisals, emotion dysregulation, psychological problems, and substance use. A systematic review highlighted the lack of a person-centered approach to trauma appraisal research, as well as a lack of research …