Digital Commons Network^™

Adhesion Depends On Interfacial Strength: Time And Temperature Effects, Shi-Qing Wang, Zehao Fan, Tianji Pang, Zhe Cui

University Research

In the conventional description, peeling of an adhesive from a solid substrate is expressed in terms of adhesion energies at adhesive-substrate interfaces. However, this energy-based perspective faced considerable difficulties in explaining why the adhesion energy, also known as peel strength Γp, is many orders of magnitude greater than Dupré’s thermodynamic work of adhesion, Γ0. In this study, we present experimental evidence to demonstrate that polymer adhesion is governed by interfacial strength σinterf, defined by the pair of adhesive and substrate. A tensile adhesion test is performed to estimate σinterf from adhesion strength σadh equal to the engineering stress at detachment. …

Exploring Organizational Responses To Clinician Turnover: A Baldrige Framework Approach, Sharayza Rachael Blakemore

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

No abstract provided.

Centralized Review Of Alzheimer's Disease And Related Dementias Biomedical Repositories And Computational Methods, Johaan Kathilankal, Kewei Chen, Chen Zhao, Lingtao Chen, Seyedamin Pouriyeh, Zongxing Xie, Yixin Xie

Faculty Articles

lzheimer’s disease and related dementias (ADRD) are neurodegenerative conditions characterized by progressive cognitive and functional decline. AD pathology is associated with extracellular amyloid-β plaques, intracellular tau neurofibrillary tangles, synaptic dysfunction, and neuronal loss. AD accounts for approximately 60–80% of dementia cases globally. In 2022, AD was the seventh leading cause of death in the United States, and the number of Americans aged 65 and older living with Alzheimer’s dementia is projected to increase substantially by 2060. Despite decades of research, AD/ADRD data resources remain fragmented across clinical, imaging, genetic, genomic, and therapeutic domains. This paper addresses that gap by providing …

Active Learning Of Constraint Boundaries Using Expected Magnitude Of Incorrectness And Neural Networks, Atticus Beachy, Ramana V. Grandhi

Faculty Publications

This research proposes an acquisition function for constraint boundary identification, with applications to hypersonic air vehicles. Hypersonic vehicles endure extreme thermal loads caused by aerodynamic heating, resulting in a strong coupling between structural performance and aerothermodynamics. However, modeling coupled system behaviors requires simultaneous consideration of both aerodynamic and structural design variables, increasing the dimensionality of the design trade space and the difficulty of accurately modeling the constraints. Several active learning schemes have been proposed to accelerate identification of the composite feasible region that satisfies all constraints. Some of these require integrating the surrogate model over the entire design space with …

Demand And Capacity Management Of Runway Systems: A Review, Hao Jiang, Weili Zeng, Hainuo Zhou, Yannan Lu, Yuheng Chen, Wenbin Wei

Faculty Research, Scholarly, and Creative Activity

Runway systems serve as the critical interface between airports and terminal airspace, and their efficient operation is essential for balancing air traffic demand and airport capacity. With the continuous growth of air traffic, intelligent runway demand and capacity management has become increasingly important for mitigating congestion and delays. This paper presents a comprehensive review of runway capacity–demand management from both supply-side and demand-side perspectives. On the supply side, runway configuration selection is reviewed, including runway configuration capacity envelopes, influencing factors, and existing optimization methodologies, such as prescriptive models, descriptive models, and reinforcement learning approaches. On the demand side, flight runway …

Physically Mixed Graphene Aerogel:Carbon Black (Ga:Cb)-Supported Pt Or Hydrothermally Synthesized Ga-Pt/Cb Hybrid Electrocatalysts For Pem Fuel Cells, Emi̇ne Teke Öner, Meli̇s Irmak Aydin, Merve Ni̇da Dursunoğlu, Ayşe Bayrakçeken

Turkish Journal of Chemistry

Graphene aerogels (GAs), having the superior properties of graphene and aerogel structures, are promising support materials for Pt nanoparticles to be used as electrocatalysts for PEM fuel cells. In this study, two routes were followed to synthesize GA-based electrocatalysts. In the first route, after GA synthesis it was physically mixed with carbon black (CB) by changing the mass ratios from 0% to 100% with 25% increments and then decorated with Pt nanoparticles via microwave irradiation, resulting in Pt/GA:CB electrocatalysts. In the second route, firstly, Pt/CB electrocatalyst was synthesized and then GA was hydrothermally added to the Pt/CB by changing the …

Centrifugally Spun Silica Fibers For Lithium-Ion Battery Anodes: Structure And Cycling Stability, Alejandra Guerrero, Valeria Tirado, Jason Parsons, Mataz Alcoutlabi

Mechanical Engineering Faculty Publications

Introduction: Silicon dioxide (SiO2) fiber structures have attracted attention as alternative anode materials for lithium-ion batteries because of their ability to improve cycling stability compared to commercial silicon particles.

Materials and methods: SiO2 composite fibers were prepared by centrifugal spinning of polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP)/SiO2 precursor solutions followed by calcination at 500–700 ◦C for different holding times to produce short-fiber composites and micro-belt SiO2 fiber structures. The morphology and crystal structure of the SiO2 short fibers and micro-belts were characterized by scanning electron microscope (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS). Electrochemical performance was evaluated using CR2032 half-cells.

Results: The …

“He’S Got The Whole World In His Hands”: Seed Sovereignty And Agricultural Decision Making In Southeastern Kenya, Caroline Stahley

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Increasing corporate control of the global seed supply and restrictions to local exchange threaten the autonomy of smallholder farmers and Indigenous communities. This project contributes to agricultural sovereignty movements by examining the decisions farmers make to address climate uncertainty, market volatility, and development agendas. Specifically, how is seed saving practiced and understood in relation to sovereignty? It reimagines what global food systems might look like if investment were directed to producers rather than intermediaries, arguing that cultivators lack support, not knowledge or capacity. Across these domains, seeds act as a motif to describe the concerns, innovations, and visions of farmers.

Amending Planting Media With Typha-Derived Biochar For Sustainable Horticulture, Elissa Touma

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Constructed wetlands are widely used to improve water quality by removing excess nutrients from wastewater and stormwater. Nutrients are stored within wetland vegetation, particularly in fast-growing plants such as Typha. Harvesting vegetation provides an opportunity to permanently remove these nutrients while generating biomass suitable for beneficial reuse. Converting harvested biomass into value-added products such as compost and biochar can support nutrient recovery and sustainable biomass management. In addition, increasing concerns regarding the environmental impacts of peat extraction have created interest in renewable alternatives for horticultural growing media. Therefore, the objective of this study was to evaluate the potential of harvested …

Exploring Culturally Responsive Leadership Practices Among Female Leaders In Title I Schools: Strategies For Enhancing Student Success, Tara K. Indar

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The academic achievement gap between White students and diverse student populations remains a persistent and prominent disparity in schools across the United States. While this issue affects schools nationwide, it is particularly significant in Title I schools, where many students from diverse, lower-socioeconomic-status backgrounds are served. Although a substantial body of literature examines this gap and highlights the positive impact of culturally responsive leadership, there remains a limited understanding of which specific practices are most effective in improving students’ academic outcomes. This study explores the perceptions of female school leaders in Title I schools regarding the strategies they believe contribute …

Modeling And Mitigating Stale Hardcoded Secrets In Version Control History, Katarina Valentine Capalbo

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Hardcoded secret vulnerabilities remain a growing and persistent problem that can be difficult to mitigate once exposed. While there has been significant research and advancements in identifying and preventing hardcoded secrets, less attention has been given to understanding the risks of leaving these secrets behind in version control history, as well as analyzing the sanitization of hardcoded secrets. These challenges present a growing gap between the risk and ability to mitigate and sanitize existing secret exposures. This thesis begins to address this gap by formalizing a threat model for hardcoded secrets that persist in Git version control history after the …

Driving Innovation: Transatlantic Attitudes To The Bionics Bus As A Vehicle For Health Transformation And Stem Engagement, Christopher James, Sarang Shankar, Madeleine Dale, Bhathika Perera, Richard Laugharne, Matthew Allen, Maria Feijoo‐Renones, Rohit Shankar

Peninsula Medical School

Emerging mobile health and STEM engagement platforms are increasingly recognised as catalysts for improving public understanding of biomedical technologies and supporting digitally enabled models of healthcare delivery. The Bionics Bus (https://bionicsbus.org/) is a novel mobile laboratory designed to democratise access to robotics, artificial intelligence, prosthetics and digital diagnostics by delivering hands-on experiences directly to schools, communities and healthcare settings. This study provides the first transatlantic comparison of public attitudes toward the Bionics Bus within the United Kingdom and the United States of America (USA), two countries with contrasting healthcare systems and digital transformation priorities. Using a mixed-methods cross-sectional design, 78 …

Beyond Public And Private: Arbitrability Of Data Privacy Disputes, Thejas Velaga, Srishti Pandey

Indian Journal of Law and Technology

The commodification of personal data and the proliferation of Data Processing Agreements (DPAs) have rendered the arbitrability of data privacy disputes an urgent and underexplored question in Indian commercial law. This paper examines the arbitrability of disputes arising under the Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023, with particular focus on subject-matter arbitrability as crystallised in Vidya Drolia v. Durga Trading Corporation. It argues that while such disputes are contractual in nature, their arbitrability remains contested insofar as they implicate the rights of third-party data principals, introducing a public dimension that complicates referral to arbitration. The paper further advances two reforms: …

Aurora Today : The Aurora Health Care Employee Newsletter, 2004 July, Advocate Health - Midwest

Historical Documents - Combined

Aurora Health Care, Milwaukee, WI: Aurora Today is published monthly for the employees of Aurora Health Care. This newsletter publishes news and updates from around the Aurora Health Care system.

Aurora Today : The Aurora Health Care Employee Newsletter, 2002 February, Advocate Health - Midwest

Historical Documents - Combined

Aurora Health Care, Milwaukee, WI: Aurora Today is published monthly for the employees of Aurora Health Care. This newsletter publishes news and updates from around the Aurora Health Care system.

Caring, 1984 Fall-Winter, Advocate Health - Midwest

Historical Documents - Combined

Illinois Masonic Medical Center, Chicago, IL: Quarterly community education publication for IMMC. This issue includes news and updates, events, professional activites, and an article on emergency medicine.

Caring, 1984 Winter, Advocate Health - Midwest

Historical Documents - Combined

Illinois Masonic Medical Center, Chicago, IL: Quarterly community education publication for IMMC. This issue includes news and updates, events, professional activites, and an article on the Chronic Pain and Headache Treatment Center.

Caring, 1982 Fall/Winter, Advocate Health - Midwest

Historical Documents - Combined

Illinois Masonic Medical Center, Chicago, IL: Quarterly community education publication for IMMC. This issue includes news and updates, events, professional activites, and an article on heand and neck cancers.

Caring, 1983 Fall, Advocate Health - Midwest

Historical Documents - Combined

Illinois Masonic Medical Center, Chicago, IL: Quarterly community education publication for IMMC. This issue includes news and updates, events, professional activites, and an article on the new plans for the Ruth M. Seay Center for Women and Infants.

Caring, 1982 Summer, Advocate Health - Midwest

Historical Documents - Combined

Illinois Masonic Medical Center, Chicago, IL: Quarterly community education publication for IMMC. This issue includes news and updates, events, professional activites, and an article on interventional radiology.

Caring, 1982 Winter, Advocate Health - Midwest

Historical Documents - Combined

Illinois Masonic Medical Center, Chicago, IL: Quarterly community education publication for IMMC. This issue includes news and updates, events, professional activites, and an article on a new family medicine clinic.

Caring Philanthropy Report, 1986, Advocate Health - Midwest

Historical Documents - Combined

Illinois Masonic Medical Center, Chicago, IL: Directory of benefactors and volunteers from 1986 published as part the Philanthropy Report portion of the Caring Annual Report.

Utilizing Waste Paper Ash As Partial Cement Replacement In Concrete, Karim Hassan

Thesis/ Dissertation Defenses

The concrete industry has a considerable environmental impact. The manufacture of ordinary Portland cement (OPC) emits a large amount of carbon dioxide, while the extensive extraction of virgin natural aggregates further burdens the environment during concrete production. This thesis is concerned with the development of low-carbon concrete through the combined utilization of waste paper ash (WPA), recycled aggregates, and accelerated carbonation curing. The main objective is to reduce the environmental footprint of concrete products, including masonry units, by enhancing their carbon sequestration potential, decreasing the use of cement, and alleviating reliance on virgin aggregates, while also maintaining adequate mechanical and …

Optimizing Graphene Oxide In Self-Compacting Concrete: A Sustainable Nano-Material Strategy For Enhanced Durability And Structural Performance, Mohammed Shakeebulla Khan, Vijaya G. S

Journal of Sustainable Construction Materials and Technologies

In order to reduce the environmental impact of the constructed world, advanced and sustainable construction materials are needed. This work is a summary of the comprehensive study on a novel self-compacting concrete with nano-engineered material (graphene oxide) modified self-compacting concrete (GO-SCC). The optimum dosage of GO was determined using Taguchi method, Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) and Response Surface Methodology (RSM) multi-objective statistical optimization method, and was found to be 0.10% by weight of cement (bwoc). This dosage of 0.10% GO led to the overall desirability score of 0.87, which confirmed that this was the optimum dosage for six response variables …

Dominant-Harm-Anchored Severity Scoring Engine For Ai Incident Classification With Diminishing-Contribution Context Modeling And Calibration-Aware Regulatory Trigger Confidence Bands, Mukesh Kumar Singh

Defensive Publications Series

A severity scoring system and method for classifying artificial intelligence (AI) security incidents. The system computes a severity score using a dominant-harm anchor: the highest-weighted harm dimension present in an incident is taken as the base score, with all other present harm dimensions contributing only half their summed weight, capped at a fixed maximum, preventing minor cumulative harms from arithmetically equalling a single severe harm. Situational context factors (attack-vector-specific) are added on top of the harm-anchored base score using a diminishing-contribution model in which each successive context, ordered by descending base value, contributes half the weight of the previous context, …

Multi-Vector Distributed Denial-Of-Service Mitigation Using Zero-Trust Identity And Predictive Artificial Intelligence-Based Distributed Denial-Of-Service Open Threat Signaling, Siva Kondala Rao Mandalapu, Vivek Sinha, Ram Mohan R

Defensive Publications Series

Proposed herein is an integrated, intelligence-driven architecture and system for detecting and mitigating multi-vector distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attacks by unifying telemetry, zero-trust identity signals, machine-learning prediction, and DDoS Open Threat Signaling (DOTS)-based inter-domain coordination. Unlike conventional solutions that analyze traffic in isolation, the proposed architecture correlates identity context with multi-layer traffic behavior and adapts through a federated learning feedback loop to mitigate DDoS threats or attacks. The resulting approach provides a proactive, accurate, and collaboratively orchestrated defense that can respond to evolving DDoS threats in real time.

An Open Framework For An Interplanetary Energy And Resource Loom: Utilizing Non-Demolition Swarm-Drone Harvesting And High-Inclination Polar Trajectories, Christopher L. Eckes

Defensive Publications Series

This disclosure presents a decentralized, high-efficiency system architecture designed to bypass the thermodynamic, material, and logistical bottlenecks blocking civilization's transition to Type I status. The Interplanetary Energy and Resource Loom introduces a decoupled, multi-tier space architecture that separates primary orbital infrastructure from high-friction planetary environments.

The system utilizes a heavy, low-maintenance master vehicle propelled by a Tethered Fusion-Driven Sail operating along a high-inclination solar Y-axis polar trajectory to achieve 100% unblocked solar and cosmic radiation exposure. Material ingestion (volatile gases and liquid composites) is delegated to a specialized swarm of high-velocity, aerodynamically optimized Collector Drones that execute transient atmospheric skimming …

Near-Critical Supercritical-Co₂ Desiccation Of Triple-Knockout Porcine Red Blood Cells: A Proposed Protocol With Haemolysis-Reduction Pathway Analysis, Chaiyapat Chuenglertsiri, Pattrick Chen

Defensive Publications Series

This conceptual framework discloses, as defensive prior art (CC BY 4.0), a near-critical supercritical-CO2 (scCO2) desiccation protocol for ambient-temperature preservation of genetically engineered triple-knockout (TKO) porcine red blood cells (pRBCs), in which the GGTA1, beta4GalNT2, and CMAH carbohydrate-antigen genes are inactivated and human complement-regulatory transgenes (e.g. CD47, CD55) are expressed. No experimental haemolysis, recovery, or potency data are generated; all values are cited literature anchors. TKO pRBCs are described accurately as genetically advanced but preclinical (Yamamoto 2021; Ko 2022; Chornenkyy 2023), with no clinically deployed pig-red-cell product and current handling assuming a cold chain. The protocol operates at 74-80 bar …

Decarbonization Of The Maritime Industry And Suggested Training Of Seafarer Officers, Malusa Alana De Assumpção, Ove Tobias Gudmestad, Freerk Meyer

Seatific Journal

The IMO set ambitious environmental requirements regarding greenhouse gas emissions from international shipping. These requirements were accompanied by regulatory instruments and several proposals for technological solutions. While seafarers are not involved in selecting these technologies, they are responsible for their operation once they are installed onboard. Proper training is essential to ensure safe operations and compliance with emissions requirements. This study aims to understand the regulatory instruments regarding limiting GHG emissions from international shipping and the technological solutions that could help the maritime sector reach the IMO's ambition. These instruments and solutions are discussed, and the authors thereafter suggest the …

Deep Q Network For Adaptive Pelican Crossing Signal Optimization Balancing Pedestrian Safety And Vehicular Efficiency, Amalia Yasmin Chairunnisa, Andyka Kusuma, Jachrizal R. Sumabrata

Smart City

Static pelican crossing systems often fail to accommodate the stochastic arrival patterns prevalent in high-density transit-oriented development (TOD) zones, creating operational inefficiencies between pedestrian clearance and vehicular flow. At the Cikini Station transit hub in Jakarta, existing fixed signal cycles contribute to pedestrian delays and peak-hour congestion. This study evaluates an adaptive signal control model for mid-block pelican crossings using a Deep Q-Network (DQN) algorithm. To calibrate the simulation, empirical data were extracted from field CCTV footage using the YOLOv8 algorithm, accurately capturing 15-minute peak flow fluctuations and commuter surges. The system is formulated as a Markov Decision Process (MDP) …