Digital Commons Network^™

Re: Butte Priority Soil Operable Unit (Bpsou) Final Insufficiently Reclaimed Sites Field Sampling Plan (Fsp): Bres No. 177 – North Alice Culvert, Mike Mcanulty

Silver Bow Creek/Butte Area Superfund Site

No abstract provided.

Synthetically Expressive: Evaluating Gesture And Voice For Emotion And Empathy In Vr And 2d Scenarios, Haoyang Du, Kiran Chhatre, Christopher Peters, Brian Keegan, Rachel Mcdonnell, Cathy Ennis

Conference papers

The creation of virtual humans increasingly leverages automated synthesis of speech and gestures, enabling expressive, adaptable agents that effectively engage users. However, the independent development of voice and gesture generation technologies, alongside the growing popularity of virtual reality (VR), presents significant questions about the integration of these signals and their ability to convey emotional detail in immersive environments. In this paper, we evaluate the influence of real and synthetic gestures and speech, alongside varying levels of immersion (VR vs. 2D displays) and emotional contexts (positive, neutral, negative) on user perceptions. We investigate how immersion affects the perceived match between gestures …

Messages From The Provost, Georgia Southern University

Messages from the Provost

• Message from the Provost

• GS professor awarded NSF grant to advance protein imaging research

• GS students partner with NASA to develop tech for deep-space missions

• GS post-baccalaureate program helps next generation of coastal scientists wade into research

• Fashion Merchandising student tailors her future following Tyler Perry Studios internship

Mechanistic Study Of Pexidartinib-Induced Toxicity In Human Hepatic Cells, Si Chen, Yuxi Li, Xilin Li, Nan Mei, Xiaobo He, Matthew S Bryant, Xuan Qin, Feng Li, Lei Guo

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Pexidartinib, a tyrosine kinase inhibitor, was approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in 2019 for treating adult patients with symptomatic tenosynovial giant cell tumors. Because of its hepatotoxicity risks, pexidartinib received a boxed warning; however, mechanistic studies on this hepatotoxicity remain limited. In this study, we demonstrate that pexidartinib decreases cell viability in primary human hepatocytes and hepatic HepG2 cells. A 24-h treatment with pexidartinib led to apoptosis in HepG2 cells, as evidenced by increased caspase 3/7 activity and the induction of cleaved PARP and γ-H2A.X. Pexidartinib-induced endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress was observed at early time points of …

Re: Approval Letter For The Butte Priority Soils Operable Unit (Bpsou) Final Insufficiently Reclaimed Sites Field Sampling Plan (Fsp): Ur- 19 – Butte, Anaconda & Pacific Railway From Montana Street To South Arizona Avenue – Montana Street Adjacent Parcel (Dated August 13, 2025), Molly Roby

Silver Bow Creek/Butte Area Superfund Site

No abstract provided.

Bacillus Sp. Sw14 Isolated From Arid Mangroves Sediments Enhances Tomato Plant Growth: Insights From Genome Analysis And Greenhouse Evaluation, Balamurugan Sadaiappan, Qurban Ali, Mahideen Afridi, Munawwar Ali Khan, Sunil Mundra

All Works

Mangroves grow in arid regions with high temperatures, low precipitation, and evaporation. Despite low humidity and high salt concentration, these arid mangroves support diverse microorganisms, including salt-and temperature tolerant. The bacteria isolated from these arid mangroves have potential applications in arid agronomy, which alleviate plant stress and enhance plant growth. In this study, we characterize the genome of previously reported PGP and stress-tolerating bacteria, Bacillus sp. SW14, isolated from mangrove sediments of Umm Al Quwain, United Arab Emirates. Further, we investigated its effects on tomato seed germination and plant growth. Genome size of the strain SW14 is 4.25 MB, with …

Investigation Of Flow Field Near A Type-A Piano Key Weir, S. Hussain, M. S. Quamar, Z. Ahmad

4th International Workshop on Labyrinth and Piano Key Weirs

Piano Key Weirs (PKWs) enhance spillway capacity and induce complex flow patterns around their inlet and outlet keys. This study investigates the flow near a Type-A PKW using Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD). Velocity fields in the vicinity of the PKW keys were analyzed for different discharges and validated with the experimental results. As flow approaches the inlet key, the streamwise, vertical, and lateral velocity components increase significantly, with the highest velocities near the inlet key. However, near the outlet key the streamwise velocity decreases while the vertical and lateral components increase. For all the discharges, the maximum velocity was observed …

Key Width Ratio Influence On Discharge Coefficients Of Trapezoidal Piano Key Weirs Via Openfoam Simulations, Lisa Lüddecke, Mario Oertel

4th International Workshop on Labyrinth and Piano Key Weirs

Piano key weirs are characterized by complex three-dimensional flow structures with multiple parameters describing their geometry. The variation of these parameters can affect several flow characteristics such as efficiency, energy dissipation and air entrainment. Identifying the optimal geometry for enhanced hydraulic performance represents a significant challenge. Physical or numerical modeling of multiple geometric variants is necessary to identify the relevant optimal parameters. The key width ratio (between an inlet and an outlet key) represents one of the parameters that influences the hydraulic behavior of the piano key weir. In particular, it affects the discharge coefficient, which in turn affects the …

Experimental And Numerical Investigation Of A-Type Rectangular Side Piano Key Weir, Sabir Hussain, Zulfequar Ahmad

4th International Workshop on Labyrinth and Piano Key Weirs

A side weir is a structure installed along the side wall of a channel, serving multiple purposes, such as raising water levels for irrigation and drainage and diverting excess flow from rivers or channels during floods. Most studies have focused so far on linear rectangular and labyrinth side weirs, with relatively limited research conducted on side Piano key weirs. In this paper, an experimental and numerical simulation was performed on an A-type rectangular side piano key weir and a rectangular sharp-crested side weir. The diversion discharge of Piano key side weirs was within the range of ± 10% with numerical …

Sensitivity Analysis Of Piano-Key Weirs Design: Optimizing Discharge Performance Through Cfd Modeling And Empirical Insights, Fatna Oukaili, Yvan Bercovitz, Thomas Fonty, Benoit Blancher, Julien Vermeulen

4th International Workshop on Labyrinth and Piano Key Weirs

Piano-key weirs (PKWs) are widely recognized for their efficiency in enhancing spillway discharge capacity while maintaining a compact footprint. This study focuses on a parametric and sensitivity analysis of PKW discharge performance, exploring the influence of key design parameters on hydraulic behavior. By integrating experimental data with advanced computational fluid dynamics (CFD) modeling using the open-source code_saturne software, we aim to refine predictive capabilities and establish guidelines for effective PKW design. The analysis emphasizes understanding the interplay between PKW geometry and flow characteristics. The analysis considers a range of geometrical configurations, including variations in key width ratios, and inlet-to-outlet dimensions, …

An Innovative Use Of Piano Key Weirs Or Labyrinth Weirs For Long Dams In Plains, Michel Ho Ta Khanh

4th International Workshop on Labyrinth and Piano Key Weirs

Piano Key Weirs (PKW) are labyrinth type weirs but with upstream and/or downstream overhangs which allow them to have a reduced footprint at their base. The new solution of a combination of gates and PKW (or labyrinth weir) for a long dams has many advantages of costs for investment, operation and safety during high floods. If a new dam is built on a broad river where a large footprint is possible, the choice between a PKW and a labyrinth weir can arise as the difference of specific discharges of the two alternatives are relatively small and the construction of the …

Whose Histories Will A Genai Tool Generate? Prompting Chatgpt-4 For Diverse History Lesson Plans For The Cold War Space Race, Robert W. Maloy, Sai Gattupalli, Torrey Trust

The Councilor: A National Journal of the Social Studies

This paper explores strategies for teachers to use in prompting ChatGPT-4 to develop diverse history lesson plans for the Cold War Space Race. Prior research showed that when given a single, broadly phrased “design a lesson plan” prompt, chatbots are less likely to generate material about experiences of African Americans, women, and other historically marginalized groups. We tried two alternative prompting strategies: a) Change the wording of the prompt to incorporate James Banks’ Levels of Multicultural Content Model, and b) Change the source of the content for the prompt by using teacher-curated materials from an open online wikispace, resourcesforhistoryteachers that …

Tackling Mississippi’S Brain Drain: A Problem-Based Geographic Inquiry Approach For Social Studies Educators, James B. Howell, Lamont E. Maddox, J.O. Joby Bass, Benjamin H. Austin, Skye Morgan

The Councilor: A National Journal of the Social Studies

This paper offers an overview of brain drain as a social problem and shares insights on integrating problem-based geographic inquiry (PBGI) into classrooms. It aims to help social studies teachers: 1) understand brain drain and its geographic relevance, 2) explore how brain drain serves as an engaging public policy issue for PBGI, and 3) identify resources to support problem-based learning. Additionally, the paper provides practical recommendations on designing effective PBGI units, selecting relevant resources, and utilizing geographic tools to foster civic and geographic reasoning skills. Investigating human migration associated with brain drain using a public policy lens should help students …

An Innovative Association Of Fusegate And Pk-Weir, F. Lempérière, A. Chapuis, F. Del Rey, C. Bessière

4th International Workshop on Labyrinth and Piano Key Weirs

The combination on the same dam of Piano Key weir (PK-Weir) and fusible structures offers a highly effective passive solution for managing flood discharges. This concept first introduced by Hydrocoop in 2015 as « Innovative Associated Spillways » can leverage the strength of each system. More than 30 years after its first application, the returns of experience of the Hydroplus Fusegate® system applications on more than 80 dams in 25 different countries have confirmed their reliability in terms of sequentially overturning on the downstream side for the correct design flood. With their high discharge capacity at low head, PK-Weirs optimize …

Enhancing The Hydraulic Efficiency Of Piano Key Weir (Pkw) — Some Research Achievements, James Yang, Shicheng Li, Anders Ansell, Erik Skepparkrans, Chen Lin

4th International Workshop on Labyrinth and Piano Key Weirs

As an effective flood control structure, the piano key weir (PKW) typically features a rectangular planform for its overhangs. However, this design offers room for improvement. To enhance hydraulic efficiency, two modified PKW layouts are proposed. In the first, the floor of each key is lowered with a semicircular cross-section, forming an elliptical planform and crest. In the second, the floor is lowered with an isosceles triangular prism, creating an equilateral triangular overhang. Both modified PKW models, manufactured by 3D printing, were tested in a large-scale experimental setup. Compared to the reference weir, the elliptical-overhang PKW increases the developed crest …

Theoretical And Experimental Studies Of Non-Rectilinear Weirs -From Labyrinth To Pk-Weir, Ahmed Ouamane, François Lempérière

4th International Workshop on Labyrinth and Piano Key Weirs

Free-flow rectilinear spillways, while simpler and safer than gated or shaft spillways, have a low specific discharge, requiring a significant water head and resulting in a storage loss of more than 20% for some small reservoirs. To overcome this drawback, labyrinth weirs provide an effective alternative, allowing high discharge under a reduced head while maintaining lower construction and maintenance costs. For several decades, global research has focused on optimizing their design. In this context, a research project was initiated in 1995 at the University of Biskra to enhance the understanding of the hydraulic behavior of these structures. This project was …

2023 - Appalachian Student Research Forum Program Booklet, Appalachian Student Research Forum, East Tennessee State University

Appalachian Student Research Forum

No abstract provided.

Physical Model Investigations On Nappe Instabilities At Labyrinth Weirs, Michael Gebhardt, Fabian Belzner

4th International Workshop on Labyrinth and Piano Key Weirs

Free overflow hydraulic structures operating at low heads tend to develop nappe instabilities when there is no ventilation. A detailed investigation has been undertaken with a relatively large-scale labyrinth weir in the hydraulic laboratory of the BAW. A quarter-round crest was selected, because nappe instabilities mainly occur at sharp-crested weirs, which favor the development of an air pocket behind the nappe. The headwater ratios for which nappe instabilities could be observed were determined. Pressure fluctuations were measured and the frequencies determined. Adding splitters to the crest is one way to vent the air pocket and to avoid vibrations. Another possibility …

Review Of Morganeering, Or The Triumph Of The Trust: A Satirical Burlesque On The Worship Of Wealth, Jonathan Baldwin

Communal Societies

No abstract provided.

Review Of The Business Of Marketing, Entrepreneurship, And Architecture Of Communal Societies In The 1960s And 1970s, Marc A. Rhorer

Communal Societies

No abstract provided.

Model-Prototype Upscaling Of Pkw Discharge Capacity, James Yang, Pär Nilsen, Mats Billstein, L Johnsson, Shicheng Li

4th International Workshop on Labyrinth and Piano Key Weirs

In Sweden, many dams are undergoing upgrades to comply with the revised dam safety guidelines, which mandate higher spillway discharge capacities that their existing ones. As part of an ongoing project, a piano key weir (PKW) is proposed to replace an embankment dam and simultaneously increase the facility’s discharge capacity. The PKW configuration is evaluated in a 2 m wide flume at two geometric scales (1:35 and 1:12) to assess potential scale effects. The former comprises eight units, while the latter includes three, with all components produced using 3D printing. Results indicate that the 1:35 model exhibits a slightly lower …

Interfacial Velocity Characteristics Downstream Of A Piano Key Weir Versus A Linear Weir In A Horizontal Channel, Biruk Belay, Mario Oertel

4th International Workshop on Labyrinth and Piano Key Weirs

The downstream flow characteristics of piano key weirs (PKWs) are highly complex, manifested by significant localized self-aeration due to nape collisions and plunging jets impacting the downstream free-surface. For PKWs installed in horizontal channels, the interfacial velocity characteristics have received limited attention in previous research. In this experimental study, air-water flow measurements were conducted using a double-tip conductivity probe downstream of a PKW and a reference ogee-crested linear weir to evaluate the velocity trends under comparable hydraulic boundary conditions. The findings reveal the existence of two distinct velocity profiles downstream of piano key weirs: quasi-wall-jet and uniform profiles. The occurrence …

Effect Of Driftwood On The Hydraulic Performance Of A-Type Piano Key Weirs Situated In-Stream Or At Reservoirs, Pascal Venetz, Michael Pfister

4th International Workshop on Labyrinth and Piano Key Weirs

Driftwood is a natural part of most river ecosystems. The knowledge of its interaction with hydraulic structures, such as PKWs, is essential for two reasons: To (1) avoid uncontrolled inundations because of the level rise initiated by trapped driftwood (reducing the weir discharge coefficient), and (2) initiate the passage of the wood over the PKW, so that it remains in the river to further fulfill its environmental services. Knowledge of the conditions motivating driftwood to block at a PKW is essential. The present study accordingly focuses on the blocking probability of driftwood at PKWs and the resulting head increase – …

Floating Trees At Co-Existing Pkw & Gated Spillway, James Yang, A. Helgesson, L. Johnsson, Sc Li

4th International Workshop on Labyrinth and Piano Key Weirs

During extreme flood events, floating trees (driftwood) can pose serious risks to the safety and operation of dams. In upgrading an existing dam, a piano key weir (PKW) is introduced to replace the aging embankment dam and to increase the discharge capacity of its gated spillway. This upgrade necessitates a detailed understanding of driftwood behavior at both discharge structures, which differ significantly in design and operating conditions. To investigate this, hydraulic model tests were conducted using small, freshly cut trees—some with branches and roots—to simulate natural trees moving towards the dam. The results indicate that tree accumulation at the gated …

2021 - Appalachian Student Research Forum Program Booklet, Appalachian Student Research Forum, East Tennessee State University

Appalachian Student Research Forum

No abstract provided.

Chatrouter: A System And Method For Hierarchical Intent Classification And Dynamic Routing In Multi-Skill Ai Architectures, Hp Inc

Defensive Publications Series

ChatRouter is a system and method for processing natural language user inputs to accurately classify them into one or more predefined intents and subsequently route them for appropriate handling within a multi-skill artificial intelligence (AI) architecture. The core of the invention lies in its unique combination of a large language model (LLM) guided by a specialized few-shot learning paradigm, a multi-intent detection capability, and a hierarchical priority-based routing mechanism. This system is designed to interpret diverse user phrasings and map them to specific actionable categories, even when multiple intents are present in a single input.

Ai-Enhanced Print Interception System For Optimized Document Output, Hp Inc

Defensive Publications Series

Conventional print workflows often compromise document fidelity due to early-stage transformations performed by the operating system’s print subsystem. This results in poor layout preservation, inefficient scaling, and suboptimal formatting - particularly when printing from dynamic sources such as web applications. To address these limitations, this invention presents a novel method and system for intercepting print commands, including the Ctrl+P action, at the application level to capture the original, unprocessed content before it reaches the print driver or spooler. A lightweight monitoring module detects print initiation events and extracts raw document data, such as source HTML or structured content. This content …

Automated Root Cause Analysis For Integration Test Failures Using Consecutive Failing Run Comparisons And Phase-Aware Differencing Using A Large Language Model, Shubham Khurana, Babu Prasad Elumalai

Defensive Publications Series

This disclosure describes techniques to improve automated root cause analysis (RCA) for integration test failures, especially in iterative debugging. A multi-step artificial intelligence (AI) pipeline is employed to dynamically select the appropriate baseline for log comparison—either the last passing run (LPR) for initial failures or the previous failing run (PFR) for subsequent failures—to reduce semantic noise. A large language model (LLM) performs phase-aware semantic differencing, segmenting logs into execution phases (e.g., setup, data seeding, service under test execution, assertion, teardown) and comparing corresponding phases. This targeted approach allows the LLM to identify critical differences and new errors more accurately by …

Unified Pre-Launch Causal Simulator, Joseph Jm Walker

Defensive Publications Series

This disclosure presents a system that generates marketing creatives with instrumentable causal controls, predicts their heterogeneous treatment effects, simulates market and network responses, and outputs a probability-weighted decision slate with pre-launch risk constraints. Unlike prior art, the disclosed system bridges generative AI tokens with causal inference priors, integrates agent-based and macro simulators, and enforces pre-launch governance gates for fairness, brand safety, and uncertainty.

Unified, Site-Selectable Waterless Cooling Architecture For High-Density Ai Data Centers, Joseph Jm Walker

Defensive Publications Series

This disclosure describes a unified cooling architecture for AI-intensive data centers that achieves near-zero consumptive water use (WUE ≈ 0). The design modularizes heat capture into 1 MW_IT pods and provides a site-selectable rejection manifold that can simultaneously or alternatively employ (A) dry coolers, (B) closed-loop borefield geoexchange, (C) natural-water plate heat exchangers (non-consumptive intake/outfall), and (D) optional heat reuse via district heating or industrial offtake.

The novelty lies in tri-path blending + revenue-aware reuse, seasonal recharge of geothermal baselines, and permit-aware plume control in real-time supervisory logic. The system is engineered for high-density GPU loads, modular scale-out, and resilient …