Digital Commons Network^™

Assessing The Impact Dynamics Of Less Lethal Ammunition, Steven Bermejo

Student Theses

Less-lethal ammunition is widely used by law enforcement as an alternative to lethal force during crowd control, on-street confrontations, and other situations requiring force. Although these projectiles are intended to reduce risk of fatal injury, serious injuries and fatalities have been reported, highlighting the need to better understand the factors that influence their impact behavior. This study evaluated the impact dynamics of four types of 12-gauge less-lethal ammunition, including rubber buckshot, single rubber ball, double rubber ball, and Byrna kinetic projectile, using kinetic energy calculations derived from projectile mass and velocity measurements. In addition, Attenuated Total Reflectance Fourier Transform Infrared …

Teleportation Game: Quantum Teleportation In Multi-Agent Systems For Interactive Music, Eduardo Miranda

School of Art, Design and Architecture

This paper introduces an interactive music system with quantum musical agents that communicate by teleporting quantum states to one another. Human performers interact in real time with agents whose melodic and rhythmic behaviours are encoded as quantum states using Single Qubit Probability Amplitude Modulation (SQPAM) and structured through Quantum Phase Estimation (QPE). Up to three agents are combined within a single quantum circuit, with directed communication via quantum teleportation. We are interested in supporting ambiguous, transformative interactions reminiscent of free Jazz improvisation. Therefore, rather than treating noise and decoherence as limitations, the system embraces NISQ-era constraints as creative affordances, framing …

Linear Relationships Of Gibbs Free Energy For Rare Earth Element Oxide, Hydroxide, Chloride, Fluoride, Carbonate, Ferrite, And Zirconate Minerals And Crystalline Solids, Ruiguang Pan, Alexander P. Gysi, Artaches A. Migdisov, Nicole C. Hurtig, Chen Zhu

Electrical and Computer Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Rare Earth Elements (REE) are classified as critical minerals and materials essential for the transition from fossil fuels to renewable and clean energy. Accurate thermodynamic properties of REE minerals and other crystalline solids are crucial for geochemical modeling of REE speciation, solubility, and transport in ore deposits and for extraction, chemical processing, and recycling. However, the standard Gibbs free energy of formation (∆Gof,REEX) for these solids vary by 10s kJ mol−1 across different sources from literature. We applied the Sverjensky linear free energy relationship (LFER) to evaluate internal consistency for isostructural REE solid groups and predicted ∆Gof values for solid …

Modeling Formation Of Turbulent Sporadic-E Clouds Using Realistic Wind Data, Aaron M. Schinder, Kenneth S. Obenberger, Jorge L. Chau, Juan M. Urco, Matthias Clahsen, Benjamin F. Akers, Daniel J. Emmons

Faculty Publications

A high resolution two-dimensional multi-fluid model of sporadic-E layers was developed and driven with physically realistic mesosphere, lower thermosphere (MLT) winds measured over Albuquerque, New Mexico. The realistic E-region winds are produced by the HYdrodynamic Point-wise Environment Reconstructor (HYPER) model that ingests meteor derived wind observations from a Spread-spectrum Interferometric Multistatic meteor radar Observing Network (SIMONe) system combined with the Navier-Stokes equations to provide high resolution three-dimensional wind fields over time. Sporadic-E dynamics are simulated using both realistic winds from HYPER as well as idealized hyperbolic tangent windshears to compare and contrast. Overall, the model shows greater inhomogeneity and irregularity …

Cross-Curricular Project-Based Learning As An Answer To Disengagement In Middle School Students, Jessica Blauwkamp

Masters Projects

Students are often disengaged with traditional classroom teaching practices and experience decreased academic and social emotional outcomes at school as a result. This project offers a solution to student disengagement at the middle school level by providing teachers tools to build cross-curricular project-based learning units that follow standards set by the state of Michigan while also giving students the opportunity to learn in more authentic ways. Authenticity, voice and choice, and collaboration are the cornerstones of the cross-curricular project-based learning model designed in this project. In addition to the tools provided to help teachers build their own project-based learning units, …

Real Bullets, Plastic Guns: Evaluating The Strength Of 3-D Printed Gun Parts, Maria Latenia Mayol

Student Theses

Privately made firearms (PMFs), often referred to as “ghost guns,” are firearms manufactured or assembled by individuals rather than federally licensed manufacturers. Although the terms are frequently used interchangeably, “ghost gun” more specifically describes an unserialized firearm, whereas PMFs include a broader range of firearms produced through nontraditional manufacturing methods. PMFs may be entirely 3-D printed, assembled from partially completed firearm kits, or constructed by integrating additively manufactured components with commercially manufactured firearm parts. The increasing accessibility of additive manufacturing and widespread dissemination of computer-aided design files have raised concerns about concealment, regulation, and forensic evasion, particularly when factory-manufactured components …

The Buildings Of Muslim Al-Majdal Asqalān (Ashqelon) In Their Historical-Geographic And Economic Context, Avraham Sasson

'Atiqot

In the course of the Mamluk and Ottoman periods, six villages were established in the al-Majdal Asqalān area in the southern coastal plain of Palestine, the status of this area enhancing in the 1830s when its geographic and economic advantages were appreciated. The small villages were built on the kurkar ridge slopes with minimal planning, traversed by two or three main arteries adjoined by narrow lanes. The houses were mostly built of mud bricks. Only the central village, al-Majdal Asqalān, developed on flat ground, where there was ample land for construction: most of its buildings were built of kurkar stones. …

Digital Leadership Patterns Of School Principals In Coding And Artificial Intelligence Learning, Ramadhanur Putra, Lia Yuliana

Jurnal Pendidikan: Teori, Penelitian, dan Pengembangan

Digital transformation in education requires school principals to integrate technology into learning processes and school management. This study aims to analyze principals' digital leadership patterns in supporting Coding and Artificial Intelligence learning at SMP Islam Al Azhar 26 Yogyakarta and SMP Islam Al Azhar 66 Bantul. This research employed a descriptive qualitative approach and the data were collected through interviews, observations, and documentation for data collection. The participants consisted of principals, vice principals for curriculum, and teachers. The findings reveal that both schools implement transformational digital leadership through establishing a digital vision, enhancing teacher competencies, providing technological infrastructure, and strengthening …

Navigating Digital Transformation: Students’ And Lecturers’ Perceptions And Experiences Of Online Teaching In South African Higher Education, Precious Dube, Yolisa Madolo

Jurnal Pendidikan: Teori, Penelitian, dan Pengembangan

The digital transformation of higher education has reshaped teaching and learning practices, but experiences in South African universities remain diverse because of differences in technological access, digital readiness and institutional support. This systematic literature review aimed to examine students' and lecturers’ perceptions and experiences of online teaching and learning in South African tertiary institutions. The review employed studies retrieved from Google Scholar, ERIC, Scopus, and Web of Science. A total of 1253 studies from across the globe were identified and screened using Covidence, resulting in 21 South African studies meeting the inclusion criteria. The selected studies were analysed thematically to …

Td Spec: Topological Helical Embedding Constraints For Hyperbolic Slingshot Manifolds, Christopher L. Eckes

Defensive Publications Series

This specification formalizes a non-perturbative, effective field theory (EFT) governing the topological transformation of a two-dimensional quantum information substrate into macroscopic three-dimensional volumetric space-time metrics. While standard holographic frameworks, such as the Anti-de Sitter/Conformal Field Theory (AdS/CFT) correspondence, establish that boundary data can mathematically define a bulk volume, they often rely on unverified high-dimensional compactifications or free parameters to model local mass-energy tensors.

This paper introduces a coordinate-free, macroscopic dual mechanism: physical matter and spatial geometry emerge natively when a parameter-agnostic 2D viscoelastic fluid membrane experiences localized coordinate compression (The Fold) and asymmetric rotational torque (The Twist). By restricting the …

Artificial Intelligence (Ai)-Driven Reproduction Of Network Device Failures From Pre-Failure Evidence Capture, Kamakshi R Devisetty, Nikhil Alampalli Ramu

Defensive Publications Series

A system predicts imminent network-device failures and initiates causally coherent evidence capture before volatile state disappears. In response to a causal token, device-local agents collect native, capability-aware evidence from selected causal neighbors, fuse relevant change context, and normalize the resulting artifacts into a vendor-agnostic bundle. A tiered reproduction engine uses the bundle to recreate the failure through simulation, virtual-device organic state arrival, or hardware-sandbox execution, and then ablates the reproduction to identify a minimal action set that still produces the failure signature. The system enables reproducible diagnosis of intermittent, multi-device network failures without requiring a central mirror or orchestrator.

Genai-Driven Detection Of Infrastructure Role Mutation Using Behavioral Embeddings, Dinesh Verma

Defensive Publications Series

A system and method detect infrastructure role mutation by learning a semantic operational identity for each monitored infrastructure entity from multi-layer runtime telemetry.  The system maintains an adaptive temporal trajectory of each entity's role and detects when that role diverges from its established purpose using semantic distance metrics, without requiring predefined rules, static baselines, or known threat signatures. By incorporating cross-entity graph context, the system distinguishes legitimate orchestrated changes from unauthorized infrastructure repurposing, enabling early detection of role mutation that is invisible to conventional monitoring and security tools.

Malt-Nsom Ground Truth: Integrated Electromagnetic, Thermodynamic, And Acoustic Tensor Dataset For Biophysical Modeling, Daniel Schramm

Defensive Publications Series

Title: MALT-NSOM: A Multi-Physics 3D Tensor Dataset for AI-Driven Oncological Biosensing and Targeted Therapeutics

Abstract:

This dataset provides a high-fidelity, multi-physics ground-truth benchmark for the MALT-NSOM (Metal-Assisted Lossless-Dielectric Nanophotonic Sub-diffraction Optical Microscopy) platform. Unlike noisy clinical datasets, this archive contains 3D tensor fields derived from first-principles Maxwell, Poisson, and Acoustic wave equations. It is designed for researchers developing machine learning models for predictive biomarker detection, sub-cellular diagnostic imaging, and non-invasive therapeutic targeting.

Data Generation & Methodology:

The dataset was constructed using three primary high-performance physics engines:

1. Optics (MEEP/FDTD): 3D Maxwell tensor simulations of a bi-spherical Hafnium Oxide (HfO2) dimer cavity …

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Caldwell Heavy‑Duo Multi‑Stage Vortex‑Flash Atmospheric Water Engine Beta‑2 Heavy Edition — Dual‑Lane Parallel Var Architecture, Michael Victor Caldwell Mr.

Defensive Publications Series

This document provides the complete fabrication blueprint, dimensions, bill of materials, wiring, assembly steps, and test protocol for constructing the Caldwell Heavy‑Duo Multi‑Stage Vortex‑Flash Atmospheric Water Engine (Beta‑2 Heavy Edition).

This machine uses:

• Two parallel VAR vortex cones

• Two parallel 3‑stage cascaded condensation banks

• 400–600 CFM dual‑lane airflow

• Forgecell PCM thermal buffering

• Janus PDMS–TiO₂ radiative cooling deck

• Closed‑loop coolant system (TEC or chiller)

• WSM humidity halo

• UV‑C purification

• ESP32‑S3 control fabric

This design is 100% buildable using:

• CNC machining

• Aluminum sheet fabrication

• Off‑the‑shelf TECs or mini‑chiller

• Standard blowers

• Common sensors

• Basic wiring

• No nanomaterials

• No exotic chemistry

Expected performance at …

System And Method For Green Energy-Aware Traffic Engineering Path Computation, Abhishek Garg, Rajeev Anand, Jaiesh Thapar

Defensive Publications Series

This disclosure presents a distributed control-plane mechanism that enables green energy-aware Traffic Engineering (TE) path computation in IS-IS and OSPF-TE networks. A router configured as renewable-energy-powered advertises a new Green Energy Capability sub-TLV in its TE advertisements. Routers in the same IGP domain learn this attribute and build a green-aware topology map. A tunnel-level policy can then constrain TE path computation to green-enabled nodes only. The mechanism is backward compatible and does not require an external controller.

Transitive Multi-Hop Erasure With Proof Of Absence In A Derived-Store Agent Memory, Alexander Bering

Defensive Publications Series

Disclosed is a method for discharging an erasure request in an agent memory whose records are copied, aggregated and derived across hops and nodes. An erasure request at the origin propagates transitively along declared derivation edges into every derived store, and completion is demonstrable by a re-runnable query returning zero rows rather than asserted by a receipt. The disclosure pins three obligations (derivation recorded as an explicit edge at write time, fan-out along those edges rather than at the addressed store alone, and a query as the post-condition) and describes the enabling arrangement, including the separation between the record of …

Statutory Co-Determination As A Fail-Closed Architectural Invariant Of A Governed Data Flow, Alexander Bering

Defensive Publications Series

Disclosed is a method for treating employee-representative oversight not as a policy layer above a system but as a structural precondition of the governed data flow itself: if oversight cannot be made visible, the flow does not happen. The disclosure pins six obligations (exactly one oversight record per flow keyed on the flow's correlation identity; written before delivery; fail-closed on failure of the oversight write; a machine-checked data class that fails closed to personal; the co-determination flag carried at flow granularity by the relationship between the two parties rather than by an application manifest; and an oversight history that survives …

Works-Council-Visible-Or-Blocked: A Fail-Closed Oversight Gate For Personal-Data Flows Between Nodes, Alexander Bering

Defensive Publications Series

Disclosed is the concrete arrangement by which a system makes every cross-node personal-data flow visible to employee representatives before the flow occurs, and blocks the flow when that visibility cannot be established. The arrangement combines: a machine-checked data class that fails closed to personal; a co-determination flag carried at flow granularity by the bilateral relationship grant; a non-downgrade rule under which neither the classifier nor the flag can remove a non-empty flow from oversight visibility, so that classifier blind spots cannot open the gate; exactly one oversight record per flow, enforced by a uniqueness constraint on the flow's correlation identity …

Technical Disclosure Specification: Wearable Biomimetic Harmonic Alignment Liner And Micro-Distributed Gan Power Stage Matrix For Biological Homeostasis, Christopher L. Eckes

Defensive Publications Series

This specification formalizes the mechanical, electrical, and topological architecture for a wearable, direct-dermal biomimetic alignment garment designed to mitigate the systemic biological degradation pathways caused by prolonged microgravity exposure. Traditional aerospace paradigms treat gravity loss as an external mechanical force deficit, attempting to resolve bone-density wastage and fluidic intracranial crowding via clumsy macro-scale kinetic countermeasures (e.g., spinning centrifuges) or localized chemical vectors.

Under the Dimensionally Extended Holographic Projection (DEHP) cosmology, biology is re-modeled as a scale-invariant series of localized wave packets vibrating against a 2D viscoelastic fluid membrane resting at absolute equilibrium (\(z=0\)). This paper introduces an integrated, lightweight backpack …

Technical Disclosure Specification: Spherical Harmonic Field Confinement Generator And Molecular Conduction Wave Filters For Visorless Atmospheric Envelopes, Christopher L. Eckes

Defensive Publications Series

This specification formalizes the physical architecture and low-level firmware constraints for a body-worn, spine-mounted Spherical Harmonic Field Confinement Generator capable of establishing a localized, un-tethered atmospheric breathing envelope and active radiation shield directly around an individual operator in a hard vacuum. Traditional extravehicular activity (EVA) systems rely heavily on high-friction mechanical containment units (e.g., pressurized polycarbonate visors and multi-layered fabric suits) that restrict joint mobility, maximize structural failure vectors, and demand high-mass portable life support back-assemblies.

Under the Dimensionally Extended Holographic Projection (DEHP) cosmology, macroscopic matter is treated as a scale-invariant series of localized wave-knots collapsed from an underlying two-dimensional …

From Reluctance To Resilience: The Link Between Attitude And Growth Mindset In Calculus Students, Olivia Valente, Kathryn E. Pedings-Behling, Amy N. Langville

Journal of Educational Research and Practice

Many postsecondary students enter general education mathematics courses with negative attitudes, shaping their willingness to engage with the content. This study explores the relationship between students’ attitudes towards mathematics and their growth mindset, revealing effective strategies to enhance learning experiences, particularly for students who are reluctant learners. The research investigates two questions: (1) How do students’ Attitude Toward Mathematics Inventory (ATMI) scores and Growth Mindset Scale (GMS) scores relate? and (2) Do gender or course modality affect this relationship? This study addresses a gap in literature by examining how enjoyment, motivation, self-confidence, and perceived value connect with growth mindset. The …

#Narctalk: Analysis Of Perceptions Of Personality Disorders In Tiktok Content, Amanda C. Dediego, Auna Nelson, Feven Seifu, Amanda D. Tracy, Madeline Grubb, R.J. Schoen

Journal of Technology in Counselor Education and Supervision

No abstract provided.

Simulation-Based Education In A Counseling Skills Course: A Mixed-Methods Pilot Study, Alexandra Gantt-Howrey, Hana Shewamoltot Meshesha, Renyi Huang, Elizabeth A. Doughty Horn, Renee Howells, Adenike Ololade Adedapo

Journal of Technology in Counselor Education and Supervision

Simulation-based education (SBE) is a technique that introduces students to real-world experiences (Gaba, 2004) in a safe way (Holmes et al., 2023). Scholars have suggested that SBE may be a promising means of enhancing counselor education (e.g., Pope & Hilliard, 2024). We recruited a sample of N = 12 counseling skills students who completed up to 12 simulation-based education (SBE) activities using Simucase (2025) across one semester. We conducted an embedded, qualitatively-driven mixed methods pilot study (Creswell & Plano Clark, 2017) to understand participants’ perspectives on and impacts of the SBE activities on their perceived counseling self-efficacy and multicultural competence. …

Conceptual Framework Of Professional Learning Communities For Cambodian Upper Secondary School Teachers, Ousa Chao, Mam Chansean, Vira Neau

Jurnal Pendidikan: Teori, Penelitian, dan Pengembangan

This paper explores the challenges of teacher professional development within Cambodian public upper secondary schools, driven by low teacher qualifications, resource gaps, and cultural barriers. Using an integrative literature review and qualitative document analysis, this paper synthesizes 58 sources, including official Cambodian regulatory frameworks, global evaluations, and empirical studies. By synthesizing local policy with international PLC models from Japan, South Korea, and Singapore, this study reveals a substantial gap between national policy goals and local school conditions. To bridge this divide, the article presents a contextually adapted four-pillar conceptual framework alongside actionable strategies to support effective PLC implementation across Cambodian …

Closing The Awareness–Behavior Gap: A Role-Based Phishing Training Framework For Higher Education, Ranylene O. Olaybal, Ryan A. Olaybal

Journal of Cybersecurity Education, Research and Practice

Phishing remains one of the most persistent cybersecurity threats facing higher education institutions, where diverse user populations and highly connected digital environments increase exposure to social engineering attacks. Although cybersecurity awareness initiatives are widely implemented, high awareness does not always translate into secure behavior. This study examined phishing awareness, phishing-related practices, phishing susceptibility, and phishing experiences among college students, teaching faculty, and administrative staff in a private higher education institution in the Philippines. Using a quantitative cross-sectional design, data were collected from 553 respondents through a validated survey instrument and analyzed using descriptive statistics, one-way analysis of variance, Tukey's honestly …

Neuromorphic Silicon Neuron Controller For Adaptive Deep Brain Stimulation In Parkinson's Disease, Md Abu Bakr Siddique, Jakub Orłowski, Yan Zhang, Hongyu An

Michigan Tech Publications

Parkinson's disease (PD) affects millions worldwide and causes severe motor symptoms. Adaptive deep brain stimulation (aDBS) delivers physiologically informed stimulation that can track fluctuations in PD motor symptoms, enabling more intelligent DBS control. However, most existing aDBS approaches are primarily algorithm- and software-driven, with limited efforts toward circuit realization, particularly low-power and implantable integrated circuits. This paper presents the Silicon Leaky Integrate-and-Fire Deep Brain Stimulation (SiLIF-DBS) controller, a neuromorphic silicon neuron stimulator implemented with metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS) technology. For system-level evaluation, a simplified computational model of the SiLIF-DBS controller is derived and embedded within a Parkinsonian cortico-basal ganglia framework for closed-loop …

College Sports Clubs: Engines Of Emotional And Social Development, Robert Robinson

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis examines the relationship between structured campus involvement and the development of campus connectedness among students at Rowan University. While the transition to university life is a critical period marked by social, emotional, and academic adjustments, this study highlights how sport clubs serve as a primary social anchor to facilitate successful integration. Utilizing a qualitative thematic analysis of focus group data across diverse campus organizations, this research clarifies how these spaces foster identity formation and resilience. Findings reveal that participation in sport clubs significantly enhances student wellbeing by providing support networks that mitigate early feelings of isolation. A key …

The Sonam Times Newsletter Vol 01 Issue 01, School Of Nursing And Midwifery

The Aga Khan School of Nursing and Midwifery Archives

• Message from the Dean
• Collaborations & Outreach
• Key Events and Engagements
• Capacity Building Initiatives
• Accomplishments
• Stories of our People
• Promotions & Appointments

Developing And Validating A Socio-Technical Bim-Lean Integration Maturity Model For Predicting Construction Project Performance, Felix Delmonte

Mechanical and Civil Engineering Faculty Publications

This study proposes a socio-technical, multi-level maturity model that integrates BIM and Lean to explain variation in project performance across cost, schedule, productivity, quality, safety, and sustainability, and outlines a sequential mixed-methods design-science programmed for instrument development and validation. Combining systematic review, semi-structured expert interviews, Delphi consensus, exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis, multi-criteria weighting, and PLS-SEM, the approach separates adoption, subsystem capability, and integration maturity, and treats integration as an emergent property of aligned infrastructure, human capability, governance, and continuous-improvement routines. Measurement development emphasizes reflective multi-item constructs for BIM technical capability, Lean production governance, system integration quality, socio-technical alignment, and …

An Integrated Bim, Ipd And Lean Capability Maturity Model For Construction, Felix Delmonte

Mechanical and Civil Engineering Faculty Publications

This study proposes an integrated BIM–IPD–Lean maturity construct that conceptualizes digital information management, contractual governance, and production system discipline as interdependent socio-technical capabilities and develops a validated measurement architecture to relate this higher order construct to project performance. A mixed methods strategy is described that uses qualitative interviews and expert panels to generate items and maturity level descriptions, followed by pilot testing and rigorous psychometric evaluation (EFA, AVE, Composite Reliability, CFA/PLS-SEM) to establish convergent and discriminant validity for BIM, IPD, and Lean subscales. Hypotheses anticipate a positive association between integrated maturity and quality, time, cost, safety, productivity, sustainability, and stakeholder …