Digital Commons Network^™

Ocean Acidification Decreases Molting But Not Survival Of Antarctic Amphipods Djerboa Furcipes, Gondogeneia Antarctica, And Prostebbingia Gracilis, Hannah E. Oswalt, Margaret O. Amsler, Charles D. Amsler, Julie Schram, James B. Mclintock, Paul A. Baker

Faculty, Staff, and Students

Ocean acidification refers to a decrease in the pH of the world’s oceans from the oceanic uptake of human-derived atmospheric CO2. Low pH is known to decrease the calcification and survival of many calcifying invertebrates. Shallow, hard bottom communities along the Western Antarctic Peninsula often have incredibly large numbers of invertebrate mesograzers that shelter on and are mutualists with the dominant brown macroalgae. The common amphipod species Djerboa furcipes, Gondogeneia antarctica, and Prostebbingia gracilis were collected from the immediate vicinity of Palmer Station, Antarctica (64°46′S, 64°03′W) in January–February 2023 and maintained under three different pH treatments simulating ambient conditions (approximately …

Youth Activism And The City: An Urban Political Ecology Of Flooding In Porto Alegre, Brazil, Nadine Lorini Formiga

Geography Undergraduate Senior Theses

This thesis examines the catastrophic 2024 flooding in Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil—locally known as "The Flood"—through the lens of young environmental activists' experiences in Porto Alegre. Drawing on urban political ecology, disaster studies, and climate justice frameworks, this research examines how colonial-era urban planning and infrastructure influenced the socio-environmental conditions that led to The Flood, how the disaster affected young activists' relationships with their city, and what climate justice might entail in this context. Through (auto)ethnographic fieldwork conducted from July to August 2024, including semi-structured interviews, participant observation, walk-throughs, and social media analysis, this study engages primarily with Eco …

Engineering Faculty Partner With Udri Staff For Summer Research Projects, University Of Dayton

Blog: The Dayton Engineer

University of Dayton faculty and University of Dayton Research Institute (UDRI) researchers collaborated on research projects this past summer. Two projects were completed by School of Engineering faculty members and were focused on self-healing polymers and lightweight composite aircraft.

Food Environments And Mental Health: Analyzing The Impact Of Fast-Food Availability On U.S. Adults (2011-2016), Nicole Tenner

NYMC Student Theses and Dissertations

This study investigates the relationship between the availability of fast food in US territories and mental health outcomes. Utilizing a cross-sectional design, the study examines data from the 2011 and 2016 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) from the CDC, along with data from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Environment Atlas. The analysis included a nationally representative sample of 351,823 participants across all 50 US states. Multiple regression models examined the association between fast food availability and two primary mental health outcomes: the number of self-reported poor mental health days and the likelihood of being diagnosed with a depressive …

A Year Of Designing And Revising Instruction With Chatgpt:​Leveraging Ai For Information Literacy Instruction Using The Parts Approach, Omer Farooq

Criss Library Faculty Proceedings & Presentations

No abstract provided.

Virtual Reality’S Impact On Tourist Attitudes In Islamic Religious Tourism: Exploring Emotional Attachment And Vr Presence, Eman Alkhalifah, Ramy Hammady, Mahmoud Abdelrahman, Alyaa Darwish, Ella Cranmer, Ons Al-Shamaileh, Aikaterini Bourazeri, Timothy Jung

All Works

This study explores the integration of immersive technologies, specifically virtual reality (VR), to enhance tourist experiences in the rapidly expanding religious tourism sector. Despite VR’s potential, limited research has examined its impact on religious tourism. This study addresses this gap by investigating the role of emotional attachment in influencing VR presence during pre-, on-site, and postexperiences of VR-mediated religious tourism. A quantitative survey was conducted with 201 respondents who participated in VR religious tourism activities. The empirical analysis, conducted using SPSS and AMOS structural equation modeling (SEM), assessed how VR-mediated religious tourism impacts VR presence and tourist attitudes before actual …

Rethinking “Key-Chain Swap” And Other Decontextualized Algorithm Teaching Practices For Rational Number Learners, Connor B. Desai

Education Dissertations

Mathematical literacy is critical in an increasingly data-driven society, yet many students struggle with rational number concepts due to the prevalence of decontextualized algorithmic instruction. This study investigates the impact of targeted professional development (PD) on sixth-grade teachers’ instructional strategies and their students’ rational number achievement. The research examines whether explicit, conceptually grounded teaching of rational number operations improves student understanding compared to traditional algorithm-based instruction. Using a mixed-methods approach, the study collected quantitative and qualitative data from students at two middle schools. The intervention was statistically significant at School A, where students in the intervention group demonstrated greater achievement …

Cinematic Dialogue Capture With Mobile Wireless Microphones: A Systems Approach To Blocking, Acoustics, And Set Dynamics, John Trevino

Theatre Faculty Publications

This paper presents a systems-engineering analysis of cinematic dialogue capture using mobile wireless microphones. Building on field observations and workstation-based evaluation conducted between June and August 2025, the study models the acoustic, timing, and blocking interactions that shape production-sound outcomes on narrative film sets. A multi-layer framework is proposed that integrates sound recording, cinematography, actor movement, and post-production requirements. Results indicate that mobile microphone systems, when operated within disciplined workflows, can deliver high-quality dialogue coverage with notable advantages in mobility, scene flexibility, and production efficiency.

Towards A Robust Hydrologic Data Assimilation System For Hurricane-Induced River Flow Forecasting, Peyman Abbaszadeh, Fatemah Gholizadeh, Keyhan Gavahi, Hamid Moradkhani

Civil and Environmental Engineering Faculty Publications and Presentations

The Hybrid Ensemble and Variational Data Assimilation framework for Environmental Systems (HEAVEN) is a method developed to enhance hydrologic model predictions while accounting for different sources of uncertainties involved in various layers of model simulations. While the effectiveness of this data assimilation in forecasting streamflow has been proven in previous studies, its potential to improve flood forecasting during extreme events remains unexplored. This study aims to demonstrate this potential by employing HEAVEN to assimilate streamflow data from United States Geological Survey (USGS) stations into a conceptual hydrologic model to enhance its capability to forecast hurricane-induced floods across multiple locations within …

Unh Leadership Visits Armi, Boys & Girls Clubs Of Greater Manchester, Amy Slattery

UNH Today Archive

No abstract provided.

Enhancing Dementia Classification For Diverse Demographic Groups: Using Vision Transformer-Based Continuous Scoring Of Clock Drawing Tests., Mengyao Hu, Yi Lu Murphey, Tian Qin, Edmundo R Melipillán, Laura B Zahodne, Richard Gonzalez, Vicki A Freedman

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Objectives: Alzheimer's disease and related dementias significantly affect older adults' quality of life. The clock-drawing test (CDT) is a widely used dementia screening tool due to its ease of administration and effectiveness. However, manual CDT-coding in large-scale studies can be time-intensive and prone to coding errors and is typically limited to ordinal responses. In this study, we developed a continuous CDT score using a deep learning neural network (DLNN) and evaluated its ability to classify participants as having dementia or not.

Methods: Using a nationally representative sample of older adults from the National Health and Aging Trends Study (NHATS), we …

Modeling And Simulation Of Tensegrity Structures With Continuous Cables, Austin R. Brown

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis presents a novel approach for modeling and simulating tensegrity structures with continuous cables. A Python-based simulation framework package was developed to address limitations in existing tensegrity modeling software, particularly the inability to model cables passing through multiple nodes. The framework utilizes virtual work methods to solve for equilibrium configurations of 2D, 2.5D and 3D tensegrity systems. Key features include: • A YAML-based input system for easy definition of tensegrity topologies. • Algorithms for handling continuous cables spanning multiple nodes. • Optimization techniques to find stable equilibrium states. • Capability to simulate 2.5D structures wrapped around cylindrical surfaces. • …

Neat Vs. Scruffy: How Early Ai Researchers Classified Epistemic Cultures Of Knowledge Representation, Lindsay Poirier

Statistical and Data Sciences: Faculty Publications

Accounts of the history of symbolic artificial intelligence (AI) often categorize researchers and their programs through binary oppositions: logicist versus procedural, or alternatively, neat versus scruffy. These terms were often referenced throughout the 1970s and 1980s by AI researchers at institutions in the United States and Europe to document epistemic and esthetic differences in approaches to knowledge representation. In this article, I historicize and situate these binary oppositions, showing how researchers leveraged them in discourse to demarcate the beliefs and commitments underpinning certain AI approaches. I argue that the labels helped knowledge representation scholars identify, trouble, and grapple with the …

Leveraging An Arts-Based Approach To Foster Engagement, Nurture Kindness, And Prevent Violence, Yok-Fong Paat, Diego Garcia Tovar, Nathan W. Myers, Max C. E. Orezzoli, Anne M. Giangiulio, Sarah L. Ruiz, Angela V. Dorado, Luis R. Torres-Hostos

School of Social Work Faculty Publications

Drawing from the insights of community partners, this study explored the roles and benefits of arts-based approaches to foster civic learning, critical media literacy, and community engagement. It also uncovered approaches to promote kindness, prevent violence, and combat online extremism, offering insights into strategies that may enhance community engagement and create a positive impact. We presented our model framework, a detailed case study of our project, and qualitative methods incorporating 15 interviews with our community partners to capture a broad range of perspectives and experiences. Interviewees were community partners who collaborated with our project in organizing events and activities using …

A Veblenian Approach To Chaos Theory, Isaiah Henry

Hatfield Graduate Journal of Public Affairs

This paper provides a comparative analysis of Veblen's belief in disequilibrium, the field of chaos theory, and how these two frameworks connect. We explore the similarities and differences between Veblen's theories and the principles of chaos theory, including their shared emphasis on complexity and unpredictability. By analyzing the connections between Veblen's economic theories and chaos theory, we can gain a deeper understanding of the nature of disequilibrium and the complex forces that shape our world.

One Health Integration To Control And Prevent Zoonoses: Application Of Organizational Theory Literature, Lisset M. Dumet Poma, Sherril Gelmon, Julia M. Goodman, Seth E. O’Neal

Hatfield Graduate Journal of Public Affairs

Zoonoses are infectious diseases transmitted between animals and people that disproportionately affect low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). The One Health (OH) approach aims to integrate systems, incentivizing collaboration among animal, human, and environmental systems to address zoonoses and improve health. Innovative solutions for effectively and sustainably achieving systems integration are needed. Organizational theories can facilitate the study of the context of OH implementation, applying comprehensive approaches that recognize the interconnections among organisms, the environment, and social systems, including the diverse entities needing integration (e.g., policy, community, public organizations). This narrative review examines organization and systems literature to provide recommendations for …

A Library Of Lineage-Specific Driver Lines Connects Developing Neuronal Circuits To Behavior In The Drosophila Ventral Nerve Cord, Jelly H M Soffers, Erin Beck, Daniel J Sytkowski, Marianne E Maughan, Devasri Devarakonda, Yi Zhu, Beth A Wilson, Yu-Chieh David Chen, Ted Erclik, James W Truman, James B Skeath, Haluk Lacin

2020-Current year OA Pubs

Understanding developmental changes in neuronal lineages is crucial to elucidate how they assemble into functional neural networks. Studies investigating nervous system development in model systems have only focused on select regions of the CNS due to the limited availability of genetic drivers that target specific neuronal lineages throughout development and adult life. This has hindered our understanding of how distinct neuronal lineages interconnect to form neuronal circuits during development. Here, we present a split-GAL4 library composed of genetic driver lines, which we generated via editing the genomic locus of lineage-specific transcription factors and demonstrate that we can use this library …

Re: Comment Letter For Butte Priority Soils Operable Unit (Bpsou) Superfund Operation And Maintenance (O&M) Request For Maintenance – Kelley Stormwater Channels (Dated April 22, 2025), Emma Rott

Silver Bow Creek/Butte Area Superfund Site

No abstract provided.

Structural Basis For The Substrate Specificity Of Helix Pomatia Amp Deaminase And A Chimeric Adgf Adenosine Deaminase, Gundeep Kaur, John R Horton, George Tzertzinis, Jujun Zhou, Ira Schildkraut, Xiaodong Cheng

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Helix pomatia AMP deaminase (HPAMPD), an enzyme enriched in the foot muscle of the mollusk H. pomatia, exhibits deaminase activity on adenosine-5'-monophosphate (AMP). HPAMPD is the first member of the adenosine deaminase-related growth factor (ADGF) family to prefer the nucleotide AMP over the nucleoside adenosine. To investigate the substrate selectivity of HPAMPD, we determined its structure in both the apo form and in complex with the adenosine analogs pentostatin and pentostatin-5'-monophosphate. Structurally, HPAMPD adopts a fold similar to human ADA2, an ADGF family member. HPAMPD has acquired the ability to interact with the 5'-monophosphate group of AMP through polar and …

Pluriversal Energy Justice Through An Intersectional Feminist Lens: Analyzing Rural Electrification Injustices And Policy Pathways At Kenya's Garissa Solar Park, Carolyne M. Musyoka

Dartmouth College Master’s Theses

Located approximately 4 km from Raya village in Garissa County, the Garissa Solar Park spans

85 hectares and was envisioned as a flagship renewable energy project. Yet, despite its scale and proximity, the marginalized pastoralist community of Raya continues to face acute energy poverty, limited irrigation capacity, and exclusion from the material and socio-ecological benefits of the green energy project. This study critically examines the systemic energy injustices embedded within the Garissa Solar Park—specifically procedural, distributive, and recognition-based inequalities—and critiques the project’s failure to deliver on principles of equity, local meaningful and democratic participation, and gender inclusion.

The research assesses …

Engineering Lipid–Polymer Nanoparticles For Sirna Delivery To Cancer Cells, Arthur Manda, Abdulelah Alhazza, Hasan Uludağ, Hamidreza Montazeri Aliabadi

Pharmacy Faculty Articles and Research

Background: RNA interference (RNAi) is a powerful tool that can target many proteins without the expensive and time-consuming drug development studies. However, due to the challenges in delivering RNA molecules, the potential impact of RNAi approaches is yet to be fully realized in clinical settings. Lipid nanoparticles (LNPs) have been the most successful delivery system for nucleic acids, but targeted delivery to a solid tumor still eludes the developed LNPs. We hypothesized that specially designed low-molecular-weight PEIs can partially or completely replace the ionizable lipids for more accommodating vehicles due to the structural flexibility offered by polymers, which could …

The Impact Of Blue Economy Factors On Morocco's Economic Growth, Lqamar Youssef, El Amine Youness Mr, Smouni Rachid Pr

Journal of Ocean and Coastal Economics

Purpose - This study examines the influence of blue economy factors on Morocco's economic growth.

Design/methodology/ approach - Using secondary data from 1980 to 2022, the analysis focuses on fishery production and its various sectors as contributing factors to economic growth. The study employs the Autoregressive Distributed Lag (ARDL) method and aims to highlight the impact of deep-sea fishing and coastal fishing in the context of a transition to a sustainable and inclusive blue economy.

Findings - The results suggest that coastal fishing has more potential for creating inclusive economic value within the development of the blue economy, thus promoting …

Geoxo Ocx Prelaunch And On-Orbit Calibration, Alexandra Ocasio, Lauren Aycock, Sandra Collins, Meghan Knudtzon

The Characterization and Radiometric Calibration for Remote Sensing Annual Meeting (CALCON)

BAE will build the Ocean Color (OCX) instrument for NOAA’s next-generation Geostationary Extended Observations (GeoXO) satellite network. The OCX design provides high spatial resolution, moderate spectral resolution, high radiometric sensitivity, and calibration accuracy data at an unprecedented area collection rate to enable significant advances in Ocean Color science. This presentation addresses the OCX prelaunch and on-board calibration approach that will provide hyperspectral measurements with high absolute radiometric accuracy and stability.

Design And Development Of Hip Implants For Longevity Through Integrating Advanced Groove Structures And Additive Manufacturing, Asarudheen Abdudeen

Thesis/ Dissertation Defenses

This doctoral research concerns the design and optimization of hip implants (HIs) to enhance performance, durability, and improve patient outcomes by addressing the key issues of wear, deformation, and stress distribution. Innovative surface groove designs have been introduced to both a solid and a hollow femoral head with the aim of reducing friction and wear. The addition of grooves, with both a hemispherical and rectangular cross-section, onto the femoral head reduced friction, as debris produced by the inner liner was trapped within the grooves, significantly reducing adhesive wear. A numerical simulation study compared the effects of surface modifications — both …

Pre-Launch Evaluation Of Detector Misalignment To Compensate For Structural Focus Shifts Of Bluebon Spectral Imager In Space, Ohgan Kim, Minwook Joo, Dong-Jun Choi, Taeyoung Kim, Ara Kim, Ji-Nyeong Choi, Jin-Soo Chang, Sehyun Seong, Seonghui Kim, Seonggick Cho

The Characterization and Radiometric Calibration for Remote Sensing Annual Meeting (CALCON)

Focus adjustment in satellite optical payloads is critical, especially for CubeSats, which generally lack dedicated focus mechanisms due to stringent constraints in size, weight, and power. The harsh space environment, characterized by cyclic thermal variations, can induce significant thermal deformation in optomechanical structures, leading to misalignment and degraded image quality that may compromise mission performance. While larger satellites routinely integrate precise focus adjustment systems into their designs, CubeSats face considerable challenges in implementing such mechanisms, although a few recent missions have successfully demonstrated effective focus adjustment capabilities.

To address this challenge, we propose a dual-method strategy that combines passive pre-compensation …

Geometric Calibration Of Near Focus Infrared (Ir) Sensors For Spacecraft Missions, Alex Allgrunn, Jason Knudson, Keith Blonquist, Christian Conkle, David Huish

The Characterization and Radiometric Calibration for Remote Sensing Annual Meeting (CALCON)

On-orbit spacecraft missions ranging from observation and object tracking to situational awareness and close-quarters navigation rely on electro-optical (EO) sensors. These sensors serve as the spacecraft’s primary vision system, providing critical data for computer vision (CV) algorithms and guidance, navigation, control (GN&C) software, etc. To ensure accurate data is fed to downstream applications, EO sensor data must undergo rigorous calibration to transform raw measurements into high-fidelity inputs. However, EO sensors designed for close-range spacecraft missions often feature a wide field of view (FOV) with short focus distances, posing unique calibration challenges. Traditional EO sensor calibration methods, which typically employ collimators …

Characterization And Calibration Of Single-Mode Fiber-Coupled Laser Diodes As Irradiance Sources For Astronomical Observatories, Brian G. Alberding

The Characterization and Radiometric Calibration for Remote Sensing Annual Meeting (CALCON)

Current problems in astrophysics relating to the determination of stellar properties, properties of exoplanet host stars, and observation of the expanding universe due to dark energy depend on accurate measurements of flux (a.k.a. spectral irradiance) from stellar sources. Flux calibrations of observatories are typically based on natural standard stars that currently have tenuous SI traceability where additional uncertainty occurs from differences in the reference source and target observations during the scale transfer measurements. CANDLE (Calibration using an Artificial star with NIST-traceable Distribution of Luminous Energy), is a prototype instrument payload to demonstrate an artificial light source that could be flown …

Reclaiming Data To Transform Anti-Trafficking Systems, Laura Hackney

SMU Human Trafficking Data Conference

AnnieCannons believes that the people closest to the problem are closest to the solution. Yet in the anti-trafficking movement, data about survivors is often collected without survivors. Co-founder and CEO Laura Hackney will discuss how reclaiming data can transform systems of care accountability, and prevention. She will share lessons learned from the development of ResourceFull, a digital platform led and co- designed with trafficking survivors to safely connect individuals to trustworthy services and track outcomes across fragmented care systems. There are ethical, technical, and human-centered challenges of collecting and of using data in a space where safety and trust are …

Evaluating The Physiological Effects Of A Spacesuit While Performing Cpr, Marielle Lenehan

Beyond: Undergraduate Research Journal

Limited research exists on the challenges of performing cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) while wearing a spacesuit/pressure suit; but, during a space mission or following spacecraft egress, astronauts may need to perform Basic Life Support (BLS) on a crewmember. BLS consists of CPR and External Chest Compressions (ECC). In an emergency, astronauts may not have time to remove their intravehicular (IVA) spacesuits/pressure suits or wait for their heart rates to return to resting conditions and, therefore, would have to perform CPR while physically exerted. This study sought to evaluate the physiological exertion on rescuer performance while performing ECCs over 6 minutes while …

The Biblical Foundations Of Conservation Biology, Aaron G. Corbit Phd

The Journal of Biblical Foundations of Faith and Learning

The purpose of this essay is to contextualize the biological discipline of conservation biology within the Seventh-day Adventist Biblical worldview. It does so by evaluating, from a Biblical perspective, the four “normative postulates” of the discipline that were advanced by one of the fathers of modern conservation biology, Michael E. Soulé. Soulé’s normative postulates were that 1) Diversity of organisms is good, 2) Ecological complexity is good, 3) Evolution is good, and 4) Biotic diversity has intrinsic value. I will argue that the Bible affirms Soulé’s first two postulates because the account of creation in Genesis affirms that God created …