Digital Commons Network^™

Enhancing Nitrogen Removal In High Permeability Bioretention Media: The Combined Role Of Biochar, Wood Chips And Hydraulic Design, Joshelyn Guimaray

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Urban stormwater runoff can transport high nutrient loads to receiving waters, leading toeutrophication, harmful algal blooms, and the formation of hypoxic zones. Bioretention systems are a form of green infrastructure designed to mitigate these impacts, but their application in dense, ultra-urban environments is often limited by large land area requirements. This has led to the adoption of high permeability media (HPM) to accommodate higher hydraulic loading rates (HLRs) and reduce the system footprint. However, conventional HPM systems often show inconsistent removal of dissolved nitrogen species due to short hydraulic retention times (HRTs), a lack of organic carbon, and insufficient anoxic …

Improving Coral Restoration Outcomes Through Novel Molecular Applications, Matthew H. Gamache

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Coral reef ecosystems are declining globally from numerous stressors, including localized pollution, disease, and marine heatwaves induced by climate change. To preserve these ecosystems, it is critical to identify corals that can withstand stressors—primarily future marine heatwaves—and prioritize them for coral restoration efforts until these stressors are mitigated. Coral responses to thermal stress can be influenced by several partners, including mutualistic microalgae and a vast prokaryotic community. Here, I use advanced molecular techniques to examine which partners (coral host, algal symbiont, and microbial communities) are associated with coral health, how they contribute to holobiont physiology, and their potential to increase …

A Study Of Nonlinear Duffing Equations Using The Haar Wavelet Method, Kumbinarasaiah S., Yeshwanth R., Nandeesh K C.

Mansoura Engineering Journal

The main goal of this study is to solve Duffing equations, which are nonlinear differential equations (DEs), using the Haar wavelet technique. The solutions to this equation for an externally pushed and damped oscillator show intriguing dynamic behavior. Mathematicians have recently become more interested in wavelet analysis because of its real-world applications. A few real-world problems have been considered to assess the current methodology. Here, the (OMI) Operational Matrix of Integration and collocation points transform the non-linear ODEs into a system of nonlinear algebraic equations. The resulting system of algebraic equations is then solved using the Newton-Raphson technique to retrieve …

Dialysis Social Workers' Perceptions Of Strategies To Address Biopsychosocial-Spiritual Barriers To End-Of-Life Planning With Black Dialysis Patients, Annette Carol Kestner

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Black individuals with end-stage renal disease (ESRD) have an excessive risk of mortality and experience ongoing inequities in end-of-life (EOL) planning. This basic qualitative study, informed by Sulmasy's biopsychosocial-spiritual model, explored social workers' perspectives about approaches that consider the interplay of physical, psychological, social, and spiritual aspects for mitigating barriers to EOL planning among Black dialysis patients. Data were obtained from semi structured interviews with 10 licensed dialysis social workers in Virginia and Maryland. Thematic analysis with descriptive coding, reflexive journaling, and peer debriefing was employed to analyze qualitative data to ensure trustworthiness. Six themes were identified: (a) building trust …

Spartan Daily, November 4, 2025, San Jose State University, School Of Journalism And Mass Communications

Spartan Daily, 2025

Volume 165, Issue 31

Serum Response Factor Is Essential For Endometrial Function And Prevention Of Inflammatory Fibrosis, Ryan M Marquardt, Sara A Grimm, San-Pin Wu, Peter F Lais, Shu-Yun Li, Xin Xu, Erin Smithberger, David Cunefare, Charan Ganta, David Olson, Eunhee M Jeong, Jae-Wook Jeong, Bruce A Lessey, John P Lydon, Francesco J Demayo

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Pregnancy requires a supportive uterine environment facilitated by steroid hormone–regulated differentiation of endometrial stromal fibroblasts into decidual cells and tight control of inflammation. Serum response factor (SRF) is a widely expressed transcription factor essential for mesenchymal cell growth and differentiation with noted roles in hormonal regulation of muscle tissues but little characterization in reproductive organs. Here, we reveal that endometrial SRF is dysregulated in human endometriosis and is critical for female reproductive success in mice through regulation of endometrial stromal and epithelial cells. Immunohistochemical analysis identified decreased endometrial SRF expression in infertile endometriosis patient tissues. RNAi-based SRF knockdown in human …

Control And Thermodynamics Of Superconducting Qubits With Non-Hermitian Dynamics, Serra Erdamar

McKelvey School of Engineering Graduate Student Theses & Dissertations

As quantum systems are understood better from a fundamental physics perspective, we are gaining more insight and ideas for their many applications. Among them are quantum computation, sensing, and materials. Some difficulties that have been encountered are short lifetimes and coupling to unwanted modes while attempting to control these systems, resulting in error propagation. Previously, physicists have pursued Hermitian descriptions of systems to preserve unitary evolution and real-valued measurements. However, non-Hermitian systems not only provide a realistic description of physical systems within larger environments, but also a rich topological landscape from their complex energy spectrum. In this thesis, we will …

A Generative Ai Teaching Assistant For Personalized Learning In Medical Education, Thomas Thesen, Soo Hwan Park

Dartmouth Scholarship

Medical education faces a scalability crisis, where rising class sizes strain individualized instruction, while students increasingly adopt unvalidated Generative AI (GenAI) tools for individualized learning support. This study investigated how medical students integrate constrained GenAI systems into their self-directed learning practices using Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG), which limits large language model responses to instructor-curated materials, thereby reducing hallucinations while maintaining pedagogical utility. We deployed a RAG-based teaching assistant in a medical school basic science course across two consecutive cohorts, examining usage patterns, conversation content, and student feedback to understand adoption and learning behaviors. Students demonstrated strategic, context-dependent usage, with engagement intensifying …

Design Considerations For Conversational Agents To Assess The Social-Emotional Well-Being Of Young Children In Low-Income South African Communities, Lucretia A. Williams, Elizabeth A. Ankrah, Catherine E. Draper, Caylee J. Cook, Franceli L. Cibrian, Jesus A. Beltran, Kimberley D. Lakes, Gillian R. Hayes

Engineering Faculty Articles and Research

A variety of digital technologies have been used to support early childhood development (ECD) programs in low-income South African communities. Even though technology has provided opportunities to increase access to health interventions, the lack of trust and socio-economic constraints under which these tools would need to work pose complex challenges. We examine home visitors’ work processes, experiences, and preferences of a conversational agent to support their work of administering social-emotional well-being assessments to young children ages 0-5. Analysis of the results of focus groups with 51 home visitors indicates the need for designing conversational agents that support ECD in the …

Effectiveness Of Silk Fibroin Dressing Compared To Saline Dressing On Wound Healing In Post-Laparotomy Patients With Superficial Surgical Site Infections: A Single-Blinded Randomised Control Trial, Bhanu P. Chandavaram, Uday S. Kumbhar, Reddy A.P.

Sultan Qaboos University Medical Journal

Objectives: This study aimed to determine and compare the effectiveness of silk fibroin dressing and normal saline dressing in terms of wound healing time, as assessed by Dr Kamal’s Adaptive Wound Healing Score (KAWHS). Methods: A single-blinded, randomised controlled trial was conducted at a tertiary hospital from November 2022 to November 2023. A total of 142 patients with superficial surgical site infections (SSIs) post-laparotomy were randomised into two groups: silk fibroin dressing (n = 71) and saline dressing (n = 71). The primary outcome, wound healing, was assessed using KAWHS on days 5, 10, and 15. Secondary outcomes included exudate …

Impact Of Macroporosity On The Transesterification Of Triglycerides Over Mgo/Sba-15, Thomas A. Bryant, Lois Damptey, Mark A. Isaacs, Christopher M.A. Parlett, Lee J. Durndell, Marta Granollers Mesa, Georgios Kyriakou, Karen Wilson, Adam F. Lee

School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences

Biofuels are critical drop-in replacement energy sources to support the decarbonisation of hard-to-abate sectors such as aviation and marine shipping. Transesterification of non-edible oils is a well-established route to biodiesel as a versatile liquid transport fuel, but is challenging to scale using existing homogeneous liquid base catalysts. In this work, we report the synthesis, characterisation, and application of silica-supported MgO solid base catalysts for triglyceride transesterification with methanol and highlight the impact of silica pore structure on performance. True liquid crystal templating enables the one-pot synthesis of mesoporous MgO/SBA-15 catalysts with variable Mg content, or hierarchical macroporous–mesoporous MgO/SBA-15 analogues through …

Molecular Fluctuations Inhibit Intermittency In Compressible Turbulence, Ishan Srivastava, Andrew Nonaka, Weiqun Zhang, Alejandro Luis Garcia, John B. Bell

Faculty Research, Scholarly, and Creative Activity

In the standard picture of fully developed turbulence, highly intermittent hydrodynamic fields are nonlinearly coupled across scales, where local energy cascades from large scales into dissipative vortices and large density gradients. Microscopically, however, constituent fluid molecules are in constant thermal (Brownian) motion, but the role of molecular fluctuations in large-scale turbulence is largely unknown, and with rare exceptions, it has historically been considered irrelevant at scales larger than the molecular mean free path. Recent theoretical and computational investigations have shown that molecular fluctuations can impact energy cascade at Kolmogorov length scales. Here, we show that molecular fluctuations not only modify …

Where Rivers Meet: Cultivating Connection To Place, Danielle Wyenberg

Faculty Work Comprehensive List

"As we get to know a place, we are better equipped and able to fulfill our call to stewardship, caring for and unfolding creation in ways that are responsible and sustainable."

Posting about connecting with our communities ­­­­­­­­from In All Things, an online hub that offers insight into maintaining and faithful and orthodox Reformed Christian worldview while fearlessly engaging in every aspect of contemporary life – until all is made new.

Where Rivers Meet

The Science And Economics Of 3d-Printed Filament Recycling, Michael Domingo, Dane Freund, John Mcswiggin, Adam Meadows

Sustainability Conference

In recent years, 3D printing has grown rapidly, both in homes and commercially. This has led to increased demand for plastic filaments, many of which contribute to plastic waste. This project explores the potential of recycling household plastics into 3D printing filament, promoting sustainability and creating a circular economy. Materials like PLA, PETG, ABS, and polypropylene can be recycled or even composted. Existing research has shown that recycled filaments can maintain comparable tensile strength to their virgin counterparts, depending on the recycling process. Furthermore, implementing circular economy practices for plastics could save billions annually by mitigating pollution and reducing landfill …

Localized Nuclear Utility For Erau Environmental Improvement, Timothy Schroeder, Jacob Blanton, Christopher Anderson

Sustainability Conference

The reliance of Embry Riddle Aeronautical University (ERAU) on energy supplied by Florida Power & Light (FPL), which currently draws large amounts of power from fossil fuel sources, is continuously suboptimal both environmentally and financially. This study proposes assessing the feasibility of deploying a campus scale nuclear reactor tailored to ERAU’s power consumption profile. This serves as a path toward reducing greenhouse gas emissions and limiting dependence on external fossil fuel generation. The methods used are primarily literature review(s), and numerical analysis on comparable use cases. The literature reviews focused on design theory and yield of nuclear reactors on a …

Full Issue, Volume 4, Press Humboldt

CSU Journal of Sustainability and Climate Change

Volume 4, 2025

Evaluating The Pollutant Permeation Index (Ppi) For Regional Air Quality Assessment: A Study Of Los Angeles And California Regions, Jivar Afshar, Arezoo Khodayari, Sina Taghvaee

CSU Journal of Sustainability and Climate Change

Air pollution poses significant challenges by affecting public health, increasing the prevalence of air quality-related diseases, and contributing to climate change. Federal, state, and local governments are implementing various regulations and policies to mitigate these effects. However, assessing the effectiveness of localized air pollution regulations remains complex, often relying on extensive data collection methods, such as emission inventories. This paper introduces the Pollution Permeation Index (PPI), a novel method that simplifies the evaluation of health burdens resulting from pollutant migration between neighboring regions. The PPI method employs straightforward calculations to quantify how pollutants, including Ozone (O₃), fine Particulate Matter (PM …

Solvent Extracts Of Pulvigera Papillosa (Orthotrichaceae) Show No Antimicrobial Properties In Disk Diffusion Tests, Ryan A. Solorzano, Justin Paulin, Grayson Prater, Michael Lanier

Humboldt Journal of Microbiology

Abstract As antibiotic-resistant bacteria become more prevalent, the search for novel forms of antibiotics in the natural world has become an increasingly worthwhile endeavor. Many mosses have been found to contain antimicrobial properties, including those in the family Orthotrichaceae. Pulvigera papillosa, an Orthotrichaceous moss native to California, has thus far not been investigated to determine whether it contains antimicrobial properties. Extraction techniques using polar and nonpolar solvents have proven to be effective in extracting the secondary metabolites that allow mosses to defend themselves against a hostile microbial world. This study takes a preliminary look into the antimicrobial properties of P. …

Comparative Analysis Of Probiotic Viability In Alcoholic And Non-Alcoholic Kombucha, Isabella N. Cerrone, Brooke Pirkle, Danielle Williamson, Gianna Vendrell, Chloe Kraft

Humboldt Journal of Microbiology

Kombucha is a fermented tea beverage valued for its probiotic and antimicrobial properties that arise from complex molecular interactions between yeast, acetic acid bacteria (AAB), lactic acid bacteria (LAB), and metabolic byproducts of fermentation. With the rising demand for non-alcoholic versions of traditionally alcoholic kombucha beverages, ethanol reduction methods have become common, though their impact on probiotic viability and antimicrobial properties remains poorly understood. This study investigates the effects of ethanol removal on kombucha’s functional properties, including probiotic survival, antimicrobial activity, and organic acid composition (pH). We compared alcoholic and non-alcoholic versions of JuneShine kombucha across five flavors. Probiotic viability …

Aura Aero, A Perspective On Sustainability And Resilience, Mattia Padulo

Sustainability Conference

Since its foundation, AURA AERO has committed to tackle aviation related environmental impacts, through an incremental industrial approach that has allowed the company to become the first fully fledged aircraft manufacturer among the new players in the field of Advanced Air Mobility. AURA AERO product policy has been gradually shaped to scale-up towards bigger, smarter, greener products, and is now enriched by unmanned technologies, as an adaptation to newer societal demands induced by the current geopolitical context. The presentation will give an update on the latest company and product developments, and particularly those related to the INTEGRAL E - the …

The Role Of A Luxury Brand For The Professional Competitiveness Of Brazilian Business Women, Irene Raguenet Troccoli, Patricia Da Silva Leite, Joyce Gonçalves Altaf

Journal of Marketing and Consumer Behaviour in Emerging Markets

This qualitative article explores the significance of a luxury women’s shirt brand in fostering the professional competitiveness of Brazilian Generation Y women. It does this by identifying the personal values that motivate women to wear these shirts, based on the Means-End Theory. This theory was operationalized using the Soft Laddering technique and complemented by non-participant observation. The result is that these shirts play a role in securing respect – primarily professional, but also personal – from third parties for the wearers, helping them to perceive themselves as successful in their careers. This study is the first to examine the ability …

The Rider (2025-11-03), Daniela Martinez Salazar

The Rider Archives

Vol. 11, No. 10

Systematic Review Of Elementary Cybersecurity Education: Curriculum, Pedagogy, And Barriers, Na Liu, Siyu Long, Florence Martin

Journal of Cybersecurity Education, Research and Practice

Abstract -As children increasingly engage with digital platforms, the need for effective cybersecurity education has become urgent. This systematic review synthesizes 81 studies published between 2017 and 2024 to examine global curricula research focus and topics, pedagogical approaches and assessment methods, and key challenges in elementary cybersecurity education. The findings reveal six major thematic categories: student awareness, parental mediation, teacher engagement, curriculum design, community and policy support, and pedagogical innovation. Among instructional strategies, game-based learning and narrative storytelling emerge as the most frequently explored. Despite this growth, major gaps remain in curriculum consistency, teacher preparation, assessment rigor, and stakeholder coordination. …

Security And Privacy Of Wearable And Implantable Medical Devices: A Course-Based Approach To Medical Device Cybersecurity Education, Michelle M. Ramim

Journal of Cybersecurity Education, Research and Practice

As wearable and implantable medical devices become integral to remote patient monitoring and precision medicine, the associated cybersecurity and privacy risks demand urgent attention. These devices are increasingly targeted by cyberattacks, potentially endangering patient safety and data integrity. To address this, we developed an experiential learning course titled Security and Privacy of Wearable and Implantable Medical Devices, designed for advanced undergraduate and graduate students in health and medical fields. The course immerses students in real-world challenges through lectures, labs, and project-based learning, leveraging wearable devices such as FitBit^TM to analyze and interpret real-time personal health data. The curriculum …

Enhancing Early Sepsis Detection: Outcomes Of An Educational Program In An Emergency Department, Courtney Mettes

Dissertations

Systemic inflammatory response syndrome progressing to sepsis presents a significant challenge in emergency departments (ED), where delayed recognition and treatment increase morbidity, mortality, and costs. This project evaluated whether implementing the Evaluation for Severe Sepsis Screening Tool (SSST) alongside an existing sepsis best practice advisory (BPA) could reduce the interval from sepsis BPA alert to initiation of lab work and treatment in adult patients (18 years and older). A quasi-experimental design compared retrospective control data (n = 81, Group 1) with prospective project data (n = 34, Group 2) over eight weeks. ED nursing staff received specific education on …

The Impact Of Artificial Intelligence On Leadership: A Systematic Literature Review Of Emerging Aspects And Organizational Effectiveness, Adrian Graca

European Management Studies

Purpose: In today’s working environment, constant change has become the norm. Various departments are undergoing transformations from traditional systems to those more suitable for a technology-driven environment. This systematic literature review investigates the evolving landscape of leadership strategies in the context of artificial intelligence integration within organizations. Technological advancements necessitate a transformation in leadership approaches to harness AI's potential effectively while addressing associated challenges such as ethical concerns and human-machine collaboration.

Design/methodology/approach: This research is a systematic literature review conducted using the PRISMA framework. Relevant academic publications were sourced from reputable databases, including Web of Science, Scopus, and EBSCO. A …

Electrochemical Breath Sensors In Medical Diagnostics: Emerging Trends And Future Directions, Natalie E. Strom, Courtney J. Weber, Olja Simoska

Faculty Publications

With the rising prevalence of metabolic diseases, infections, and mental health disorders, there is a growing demand for noninvasive diagnostic tools that enable early detection and continuous health monitoring. In this context, exhaled breath biomarkers provide insight into physiological and pathological processes. Electrochemical breath sensors (EBSs) have emerged as a promising platform for rapid, real-time, and cost-effective disease tracking via the detection of volatile breath biomarkers, such as NH₃, NO, and CO₂. Recent advancements in electrode materials, biological recognition elements, and sensor architectures—spanning nanomaterials, enzymes, aptamers, and molecularly imprinted polymers—have enhanced the analytical performance of EBSs. …

Electrochemical Breath Sensors In Medical Diagnostics: Emerging Trends And Future Directions, Natalie E. Strom, Courtney J. Weber, Olja Simoska

Faculty Publications

With the rising prevalence of metabolic diseases, infections, and mental health disorders, there is a growing demand for noninvasive diagnostic tools that enable early detection and continuous health monitoring. In this context, exhaled breath biomarkers provide insight into physiological and pathological processes. Electrochemical breath sensors (EBSs) have emerged as a promising platform for rapid, real-time, and cost-effective disease tracking via the detection of volatile breath biomarkers, such as NH₃, NO, and CO₂. Recent advancements in electrode materials, biological recognition elements, and sensor architectures—spanning nanomaterials, enzymes, aptamers, and molecularly imprinted polymers—have enhanced the analytical performance of EBSs. …

Advancing Power System Reliability And Security With Efficient And Resilient Graph Neural Network Frameworks, Seyed Hamed Haghshenas

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Enhancing the reliability and security of smart grids is critical for ensuring their seamless operation and resilience against disruptions. The increasing integration of distributed energy resources, advanced measurement devices, and cyber-physical elements introduces both opportunities and challenges for grid management. While these advancements provide enhanced visibility and operational control, they also expose the grid to vulnerabilities from cyber-physical stresses, such as cyber-attacks, equipment failures, and fluctuating power demands. Traditional methods for reliability assessment and threat detection often rely on model-based approaches that struggle to adapt to the complexity and dynamic nature of modern smart grids. These limitations necessitate novel data-driven …

Fda Approval Of Artificial Intelligence And Machine Learning Devices In Radiology: A Systematic Review, Ram Sivakumar, Brian Lue, Shinjini Kundu

2020-Current year OA Pubs

No abstract provided.