Digital Commons Network^™

The State Of The Field On Popular Culture Themed (Pct) Courses: Introducing The Journal Of Thematic Instruction, Kathy R. Doody Ph.D., Pamela Schuetze Ph.D., Jill M. Swirsky Ph.D.

Journal of Thematic Instruction

As universities adapt to meet evolving student needs, popular culture themed (PCT) courses have emerged as an innovative approach that integrates media with academic theory to foster engagement, critical thinking, and interdisciplinary connections. PCTs use popular culture themes that are not directly related to the course content to teach the course content. Despite their growing use across diverse disciplines, from STEM to the humanities, there is a lack of cohesive understanding, consistent terminology, and empirical research on the impacts of PCT courses in higher education.

This paper reviews existing literature on PCT courses organized by discipline, highlighting representative pedagogical strategies, …

Optimizing Lattice Structures For Tensile Performance: A Comparative Study Of Six Geometries Using Fdm 3d Printing, Abdullah Alhuzaim, Talal T. Alshammari

Yanbu Journal of Engineering and Science

In this study, six distinct infill designs Gyroid, Schwarz, Diamond, Lidinoid, SplitP, and Neovius were developed using ntopy engineering design software and fabricated with a Fused Deposition Modeling (FDM) printer to examine their tensile strength and weight characteristics. The analysis explored the relationship between structural geometry and mechanical performance, particularly tensile strength, while accounting for weight efficiency. Experimental results revealed significant differences in tensile behavior across the designs: Schwarz demonstrated the highest tensile strength (0.7 kN) and superior load-bearing capacity, while Lidinoid showed comparable strength but abrupt failure post-peak force. Neovius excelled in ductility with 7 mm elongation before failure, …

Enhanced Scratch Resistance Of Graphite Coating Using A Polydopamine Adhesive Underlayer, Adedoyin Abe, Min Zou

Mechanical Engineering Faculty Publications and Presentations

Graphite has great potential as a solid lubricant due to its low friction properties, but its poor adhesion to metal substrates limits its durability unless modified. This study explores the use of polydopamine (PDA), a bioinspired adhesive polymer, as an underlayer to enhance the adhesion and scratch resistance of graphite coatings applied to stainless steel (SS) substrates. Progressive load scratch tests were performed using a stainless steel ball counterface under normal loads ranging from 0.5 to 18 N. The PDA-modified coatings demonstrated significantly improved adhesion and durability, withstanding contact pressures up to 1.6 GPa without delamination or failure. In contrast, …

Non-Invasive Near-Field Microwave Sensors For Industrial Internet Of Things Applications, Abirami K

Theses and Dissertations

The industrial sector has been revolutionized by Industrial Revolution 4.0 with the advent of the Internet of Things (IoT) which integrates the physical environment using smart sensors and Artificial Intelligence (AI) mechanisms. This demands the design of smart sensors and actuators to improve the quality of services in Industrial IoT (IIoT). The sensor design using the microwave resonating principle has attracted the research and industrial community for portable, non-invasive, non-destructive and hygienic means to evaluate the quality of substances in the food and farming industry. The microwave planar sensor has advantages in terms of low footprint, low cost, and ease …

A Survey On Security Applications With Smartnics: Taxonomy, Implementations, Challenges, And Future Trends, Serigo Elizalde, Ali Alsabeh, Ali Mazloum, Samia Choeiri, Elie Kfoury, Jose Gomez, Jorge Crichigno

Faculty Publications

Over the last decade, network applications have grown exponentially, demanding high-speed interconnects. Unfortunately, chip manufacturers are approaching the upper limits of silicon-based computing with slow improvements in computational performance and energy efficiency. This trend has forced the industry to shift paradigms, moving from monolithic architectures to heterogeneous, domain-specific designs. Moreover, the ever-evolving threats compromise digital services and demand more scalable and flexible solutions to ensure service continuity in production networks. Smart Network Interface Cards (SmartNICs) are a product of this new paradigm, integrating domain-specific engines and general-purpose cores to offload various network infrastructure tasks, including those related to security. This …

Domain-Adaptive Diagnosis Of Lewy Body Disease With Transferability Aware Transformer, Xiaowei Yu, Jing Zhang, Tong Chen, Yan Zhuang, Minheng Chen, Chao Cao, Yanjun Lyu, Lu Zhang, Li Su, Tianming Liu, Dajiang Zhu

Computer Science Faculty Research & Creative Works

Lewy Body Disease (LBD) is a common yet understudied form of dementia that imposes a significant burden on public health. It shares clinical similarities with Alzheimer’s disease (AD), as both progress through stages of normal cognition, mild cognitive impairment, and dementia. A major obstacle in LBD diagnosis is data scarcity, which limits the effectiveness of deep learning. In contrast, AD datasets are more abundant, offering potential for knowledge transfer. However, LBD and AD data are typically collected from different sites using different machines and protocols, resulting in a distinct domain shift. To effectively leverage AD data while mitigating domain shift, …

The Logic Of The Revenge Tax, Wei Cui

All Faculty Publications

Wei Cui is a professor in the Peter A. Allard School of Law at the University of British Columbia. In this article, Cui argues that the One Big Beautiful Bill Act’s formerly proposed section 899, targeting “unfair” foreign taxes, was more sensible than many observers initially perceived, and that, if seen as a restrained deployment of U.S. market power, it represented a defensible and ultimately acceptable approach for addressing the undertaxed profits rule and digital services taxes.

Evolving Trends: A Bibliometric Analysis Of Academic Librarians’ Publications At Twelve Aau Member Universities, Pete E. Pascuzzi, Jason B. Reed, Greenley Goedde Creech

Libraries Faculty and Staff Scholarship and Research

The goal of this bibliometric study was to explore the broader publication patterns of academic librarians in both information and library science (ISLS) and interdisciplinary research for the years 2009 - 2023. Web of Science data were collected for twelve academic libraries. The results showed that while the number of ISLS publications has dropped, interdisciplinary publications have increased dramatically with a broad range of disciplines represented, and collaborations in the medical sciences were a major contributor to this increase. The study suggests that some academic libraries have shifted their priorities over the past fifteen years and that the assessment of …

Fulfilling An Obligated Duty To The Diné By Incorporating And Defining A Core Principle, Tó’Eí’Iiná Até (Water Is Life) Into The Navajo Nation Tribal Water Code: Making A Connection To The Diné In The “Checkerboard” Area., M. Tyanne Benallie

Tribal Law Journal

No abstract provided.

Why The Ai Act Fails To Understand Generative Ai, Claire Boine, David Rolnick

Minnesota Journal of Law, Science & Technology

No abstract provided.

Surpassing Bostock: Sec Filing Deficits Mask Prevalence Of Lgbtq+ Workplace Discrimination In Big Tech, Clovia Hamilton, Eric Sader, Benjamin Ale-Ebrahim

Minnesota Journal of Law, Science & Technology

No abstract provided.

The Green Energy Landfill: Regulatory Approaches To The Disposal Of Decommissioned Wind Turbine Blades, Samuel Taylor

Minnesota Journal of Law, Science & Technology

No abstract provided.

From Imaging To Computational Domains For Physics-Driven Molecular Biology Simulations: Hindered Diffusion In Platelet Masses, Catherine House, Ziyi Huang, Kaushik Shankar, Sandra Young, Meghan Roberts, Scott Diamond, Maurizio Tomaiuolo, Timothy Stalker, Lu Lu, Talid Sinno

Cardeza Foundation for Hematologic Research

When formed in vivo, murine hemostatic thrombi exhibit a heterogeneous architecture comprised of distinct regions of densely and sparsely packed platelets. In this study, we utilize high-resolution electron microscopy alongside machine learning and physics-based simulations to investigate how such clot microstructure impacts molecular diffusivity. We used Serial Block Face - Scanning Electron Microscopy (SBF-SEM) to image select volumes of hemostatic masses formed in a mouse jugular vein, producing high-resolution 2D images. Images were segmented using machine learning software (Cellpose), whose training was augmented by manually segmented images. The segmented images were then utilized as 2D computational domains for Lattice Kinetic …

Exploring System Identification Of Non-Linear Dynamics Using The Weighted Composition Operator And The Liouville Operator, Chukwuebuka Amagwula

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

System identification is the process of determining mathematical models that describe the dynamics of a system from data. Dynamic Mode Decomposition (DMD) and Sparse Identification of Nonlinear Dynamical Systems (SINDy) are two distinct approaches used for this purpose.

DMD identifies dominant spatiotemporal modes and eigenvalues that describe the evo lution of a system. It assumes a near-linear representation of dynamics and is closely linked to the Koopman operator, making it ideal for analyzing fluid flows, oscillatory systems, and modal structures. The DMD method uses time series data where each data point is referred to as a snapshot and represents the …

Retinal Ganglion Cell Migration And Viability Requires The Kinase Lkb1, Qudrat T Abdulwahab, Courtney A Burger, Melanie A Samuel

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

The arrangement of neurons into ordered layers underlies circuit function in many nervous system regions. This is particularly true in the mammalian retina. Here, fate-committed retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) migrate from the apical to the inner retina, where they form connections that enable vision. The mechanisms that permit ganglion cell migration and whether distinct ganglion cell types use different migration modes are unknown. We show that the serine/threonine kinase LKB1 regulates ganglion cell migration and nuclear positioning. In the absence of LKB1, many ganglion cells remain in the apical retina. Misplaced cells show modified morphologies and display altered cytoskeletal proteins. …

Overexpression Of Tsg101 Causes The Development Of Adenosquamous Mammary Carcinoma, Rayane Dennaoui, Patrick D. Rädler, Madison N. Wicker, Kerry Vistisen, Rosa-Maria Ferraiuolo, Aleata A. Triplett, Hridaya Shrestha, Tessa A. Liner, Karoline C. Manthey, Hallgeir Rui, Robert D. Cardiff, Teresa M. Gunn, Charles M. Perou, Kay-Uwe Wagner

Department of Pharmacology, Physiology, and Cancer Biology Faculty Papers

BACKGROUND: The mammalian Tumor Susceptibility Gene 101 (TSG101) encodes a protein with diverse functions that control the proliferation and survival of cells, but its role in malignant transformation and cancer development has remained enigmatic.

METHODS: To study the pro-tumorigenic functions of TSG101, we developed a bi-transgenic mouse model that expresses exogenous TSG101 along with a luciferase reporter in a ligand-controlled manner in the mammary gland epithelium. We performed a comprehensive histopathologic, biochemical, and molecular characterization of ductal hyperplasia and mammary tumors. Unsupervised hierarchical clustering based on 1,723 intrinsic genes of ten TSG101-overexpressing cancers alongside 251 tissue samples representing 31 reference …

Energy Equity In The Built Environment: Analyzing Building Energy Consumption For American Low-Income Households, Sorena Vosoughkhosravi

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

The built environment consumes a significant amount of energy in the United States, with outdated and inefficient affordable housing increasing financial pressure on low-income households (LIHs) who face high energy burdens. This research aims to assess the energy performance of American households, focusing on LIHs, to promote energy justice by providing data-driven insights and models for energy efficiency improvements. More specifically, this research aims to (1) create a large-scale national residential building energy dataset by integrating the American Housing Survey and the Residential Energy Consumption Survey using machine learning techniques; (2) analyze and model American household occupancy profiles by leveraging …

Anion Exchange Membrane Durability For Electrochemical Co2 Reduction In Membrane Electrode Assembly Cells, Soundarzo Tasnim

LSU Master's Theses

The electrochemical reduction of CO₂ using membrane electrode assembly (MEA) cells has emerged as a promising approach for carbon capture and conversion into valuable products. This study investigates the degradation mechanisms of anion exchange membranes (AEMs) in CO₂ reduction applications, focusing on Sustainion X37-50, PiperION, and FAA-3-50. The research analyzes the impact of chemical and mechanical degradation on membrane performance, highlighting key stability challenges in long-term operation. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) were employed to monitor functional group stability and ionic conductivity loss over extended operation. The results indicate that hydroxide-induced degradation leads to nucleophilic …

Sex-Specific Effects Of Early-Life Unpredictability On Hippocampal And Amygdala Responses To Novelty In Adolescents, Elysia Poggi Davis, Bianca T. Leonard, Robert J. Jirsaraie, David B. Keator, Steven L. Small, Curt A. Sandman, Victoria B. Risbrough, Hal S. Stern, Laura M. Glynn, Michael A. Yassa, Tallie Z. Baram, Jerod M. Rasmussen

Psychology Faculty Articles and Research

Background

Unpredictable childhood experiences are an understudied form of early-life adversity that impact neurodevelopment. The neurobiological processes by which exposure to early-life unpredictability impact development and vulnerability to psychopathology remain poorly understood. In the current study, we investigated the sex-specific consequences of early-life unpredictability on the limbic network, focusing on the hippocampus and the amygdala.

Methods

Participants included 150 youths (54% female). Early-life unpredictability was assessed using the Questionnaire of Unpredictability in Childhood (QUIC). Participants engaged in 1 or more task–functional magnetic resonance imaging scans between the ages of 8 and 17 (223 total observations) measuring blood oxygen level–dependent (BOLD) …

Perceptions To Care, (Education) And Treatment Reviews (C(E)Trs) Of Mental Health Clinicians Working With Adults With Intellectual Disability In England: A Cross-Sectional Study, Rohit Shankar

Peninsula Medical School

Introduction: Care (Education) and Treatment Reviews (C(E)TR)are meetings to review individualized needs of people withintellectual disabilities (PwID) at risk of or currently undergoingpsychiatric hospitalization. We aimed to understand C(E)TRimpact and effectiveness from professionals working with PwID.Methods: An online mixed-methodology survey whichincluded 34 questions (either Likert or free text) was sharedwith networks including relevant professionals. Quantitativedata are presented descriptively. Thematic analysis was conducted on free-text responses.Results: Of 66 people representing multiple intellectual disability teams across the UK, 67% found the C(E)TR process useful,35% felt C(E)TRs made a difference to their clinical care, while36% felt it did not. Thematic analysis showed four …

Coresh: A Gene Signature-Based Search Engine For Public Gene Expression Datasets, Vladimir Sukhov, Aigul Nugmanova, Yury Vorontsov, Parul Mehrotra, Maksim Kleverov, Kodi Ravichandran, Maxim Artyomov, Alexey Sergushichev

2020-Current year OA Pubs

Public data repositories like Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) contain an extensive amount of data from hundreds of thousands of experiments, making them a valuable resource for researchers. A common scenario for utilizing this resource is to show transcriptional similarity of one's own data to a public dataset as evidence of potentially similar biology. However, when searching for such datasets, researchers are usually limited to keyword-based search, which requires having a specific hypothesis and relies on the presence of high-quality metadata in public datasets. Here, we introduce CORESH, a web server designed to systematically find GEO datasets that match a user-provided …

Energetic And Economic Aspects Of Rebound, Part I: Foundations Of A Rigorous Analytical Framework, Matthew Kuperus Heun, Gregor Semieniuk, Paul E. Brockway

University Faculty Publications and Creative Works

Widespread implementation of energy efficiency is a key greenhouse gas emissions mitigation measure, but rebound can “take back” energy savings. However, the absence of solid analytical foundations hinders empirical determination of the size of rebound. A new clarity is needed, one that involves both economics and energy analysis. In this paper (Part I), we advance foundations of a rigorous analytical framework for consumer-sided rebound that starts at the microeconomic level and is approachable for both energy analysts and economists. We develop foundations of a framework that (i) clarifies the energy, expenditure, and consumption aspects of rebound, (ii) combines embodied energy …

African American Women's Lived Experience Of The Process And Outcomes Of Psychotherapy For Depression, Eva Coleman Springs

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The study of individuals’ experiences in psychotherapy has resulted in improvements in delivery of services to clients. The purpose of the current study was to use Aragon’s primary provider theory as the theoretical foundation to explore African American women’s perceptions of the process and outcomes of their psychotherapy for depression. Phenomenological methodology was used to explore a sample of nine African American women’s perceptions of the process and outcomes of their psychotherapy for depression and other mental health issues. Participants answered nine semi-structured interview questions to describe their experiences of at least one session of psychotherapy in the 2023 calendar …

Tax Trends, E. S. Linett

Tax Adviser

No abstract provided.

Dr. Steven Iona Faculty Spotlight, Rachel Jaeger

DU Undergraduate Research Journal Archive

An interview with Dr. Steven Iona of the University of Denver's Department of Physics and Astronomy.

25 Conference Program - Micro-Nano Plastics In Water: Characterization, Cure And Prevention, David Hunkeler, Nicholas Clesceri, Albert Gray, Franco Berruti

Micro-Nano Plastics in Water: Characterization, Cure and Prevention

David Hunkeler has written eleven books, including Water: Resource-Stewardship-Treatment, please click the link below to see the full book.

https://dc.engconfintl.org/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1000&context=microplastics

Please click Additional Files below to see the video

Hacking Generative Ai, Ido Kilovaty

Loyola of Los Angeles Law Review

Generative AI platforms, like ChatGPT, hold great promise in enhancing human creativity, productivity, and efficiency. However, generative AI platforms are prone to manipulation. Specifically, they are susceptible to a new type of attack called “prompt injection.” In prompt injection, attackers carefully craft their input prompt to manipulate AI into generating harmful, dangerous, or illegal content as output. Examples of such outputs include instructions on how to build an improvised bomb, how to make meth, how to hotwire a car, and more. Researchers have also been able to make ChatGPT generate malicious code.

This Article asks a basic question: do prompt …

Machine Learning Prediction Of Urban Heat Island Severity In The Midwestern United States, Ali Mansouri, Abdolmajid Erfani

Michigan Tech Publications

Rapid population growth and urbanization have greatly impacted the environment, causing a sharp rise in city temperatures—a phenomenon known as the Urban Heat Island (UHI) effect. While previous research has extensively examined the influence of land use characteristics on urban heat islands, their impact on community demographics and UHI severity remains unexplored. Moreover, most previous studies have focused on specific locations, resulting in relatively homogeneous environmental data and limiting understanding of variations across different areas. To address this gap, this paper develops ensemble learning models to predict UHI severity based on demographic, meteorological, and land use/land cover factors in Midwestern …

Planetary Thinking: Hellbenders As Emissaries Of Appalachia, Tierra R. Curry

Critical Humanities

Hellbenders are prehistoric salamanders that have thrived in cold rivers since before the continents divided. Once found throughout Appalachian watersheds, due to exploitation and habitat degradation only a few dozen healthy populations survive. Monstrous yet fascinating, hellbenders were often reviled historically, but in recent decades they have gained iconic status and are now celebrated as charismatic indicators for clean rivers. Hellbenders are symbols of the wild because of their ancient history, elusive nature, and contribution to ecosystem resilience. The same forces that drove the decline of these amphibian sentinels have sacrificed public health in Appalachia. Their demise echoes the struggle …

Planetary/Peripheral Appalachia, Matthew Halm

Critical Humanities

One of the characters in William Gibson’s science fiction novel The Peripheral describes the timeline-manipulating technology around which the story turns as a way of “third-worlding” the past. By sending information back and forth across time, the users of the technology, in our future, outsource work to inhabitants of their past (our near-present). An entire world becomes the “third world” for another world, home to cheap labor and expendable resources. The characters this happens to in the novel live in Appalachia, a choice that works in part to ground the otherwise cosmic scale of timeline manipulation and global catastrophe while …