Digital Commons Network^™

Beyond Emergency: Charting Pathways To Sustainable Development In Fragile And Conflict-Affected Settings: A Case Study Of Yemen, Sharif Abdurabu Salem Farid Alsahbool

Theses and Dissertations

For nearly a decade, Yemen's eastern governorates of Hadramawt, Shabwah, and Al‑Mahrah have been relatively stable, yet the international aid system has kept delivering short‑term humanitarian relief like food baskets and water trucking instead of shifting to sustainable development that could rebuild people's lives, create jobs, fix infrastructure, and strengthen local government. This thesis investigates why this transition has taken so long. Based on 21 interviews with government officials, international NGO staff, and local NGO managers in these three governorates, the study develops a new way of understanding the problem. It introduces three ideas: the 'emergency mentality', which is a …

Mapping The Neuroexposome: Integrative Analysis Of Dementia Risk Factors Through Multi-Omics And Environmental Profiling In The Egyptian Population., Mai Ahmed Saadzaghloul Othman

Theses and Dissertations

Background: Dementia represents one of the most pressing public health challenges of the twenty-first century, with the global burden projected to reach 153 million cases by 2050. Egypt, as the most populous Arab nation, faces a corresponding rise in age-related diseases, yet comprehensive data from low- and middle-income countries remain severely limited. The neuroexposome framework, integrating genetic susceptibility, environmental exposures, and metabolic alterations, offers a powerful strategy to characterize the complex interplay between internal and external risk factors for Alzheimer's disease (AD) and Alzheimer's disease Related Dementias (ADRD).

Objectives: This thesis aimed to: (1) examine the distribution of APOE alleles …

Re: Approval Letter For The Butte Priority Soils Operable Unit (Bpsou) Draft Final 2024 Reclamation Improvement Sampling: Bres No. 78 – Original Mine Yard Site Evaluation Summary Report, Molly Roby

Silver Bow Creek/Butte Area Superfund Site

No abstract provided.

Re: Approval Letter For The Butte Priority Soils Operable Unit (Bpsou) Unreclaimed Sites: Ur-03 Construction Completion Report (Ccr), Molly Roby

Silver Bow Creek/Butte Area Superfund Site

No abstract provided.

Re: Comment Letter For The Butte Priority Soils Operable Unit (Bpsou) 2025 Butte Reclamation Evaluation System (Bres) Site Specific Corrective Action Plans For Quadrant 2, Molly Roby

Silver Bow Creek/Butte Area Superfund Site

No abstract provided.

Re: Approval Letter For The Butte Priority Soils Operable Unit (Bpsou) Revised Draft Final Unreclaimed Sites: New And Mahoney (Ur-23) Construction Completion Report (Ccr), Molly Roby

Silver Bow Creek/Butte Area Superfund Site

No abstract provided.

Sustainable Surface Treatments Using Dry-Process Rubber-Modified Asphalt In Cold Regions: A Laboratory, Field, And Lca Study, Sepehr Mohammadi, Dongzhao Jin, Meng Wu, Zhongda Liu, Zhanping You

Michigan Tech Publications

The incorporation of crumb rubber derived from waste tires in asphalt pavements has gained increasing attention as a strategy to enhance performance while reducing environmental impacts, particularly in cold regions such as the Midwestern United States, where pavements are subjected to severe thermal stresses and freeze–thaw cycles. Despite the numerous performance benefits observed in previous laboratory-scale studies, field demonstrations can play a critical role in validating the use of recycled waste tires as asphalt additives. This study examines the performance benefits and environmental impacts of incorporating recycled tire rubber into asphalt mixtures via a dry modification process for cold-climate applications. …

Defining Replication-Driven Vulnerabilities In High Grade Serous Ovarian Cancers, Natasha Maya Ramakrishnan

Arts & Sciences Graduate Student Theses and Dissertations

High grade serous ovarian carcinoma (HGSOC) is an aggressive, highly lethal subtype of ovarian cancer. These cancers are typically diagnosed in later stages and are associated with poor patient prognosis. Additionally, HGSOC is characterized by numerous markers of genomic instability and defects in DNA repair pathways, vulnerabilities which have been exploited by the advancement of chemotherapy. Despite these clinical advancements, HGSOC remains a significant therapeutic challenge due to emergence of chemoresistance and limited targeted treatment options. Taken together, these factors highlight an ongoing need to study the development of HGSOC and its progression to identify more effective treatment opportunities. We …

Bap1 Loss Links Myc Activation, Stress Response Vulnerability, And Disease Progression In Kidney Cancer, Ilya Strunilin

Arts & Sciences Graduate Student Theses and Dissertations

BAP1, a chromatin modifier, is a frequently mutated tumor suppressor in clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC). Mutations in BAP1 are associated with a more aggressive and lethal disease. However, the downstream mediators of BAP1 loss in ccRCC oncogenesis are not well understood. To better understand mechanisms of BAP1-mediated tumor suppression, I have extensively characterized the very early transcriptional mediators of BAP1 loss in a postnatal kidney-specific genetic knockout model. Because VHL loss is the initiating event in ccRCC, we modeled Bap1 loss in a Vhl-deficient background. I have found that Vhl/Bap1 double-knockout cells of PT segment S2 strongly activate …

A Framework For Enhancing Utilization Of Library Electronic Resources In Higher Institutions Of Learning, Niyonsaba Innocent, Atuha Peter, Natukunda Elizabeth, Arahe Turahe Glorious

Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal)

Abstract

Electronic resources are now essential for teaching, learning, research and dissemination of knowledge in higher institutions of learning. Although many universities have invested heavily in digital collections, databases, electronic journals, electronic books, institutional repositories, and online reference services, the use of these resources is not as high as expected in many universities, especially in developing countries. Low awareness, lack of information literacy skills, limited technological infrastructure, poor internet connectivity, lack of training, and weak institutional support continue to impede the effective use of electronic resources. This is a review paper that explores the current state of electronic resource utilization …

Patterns Of Brain-Wide Associations Reflect Socioeconomics, Scott Marek, Meghan Rose Donohue, Nicole R Karcher, Caroline P Hoyniak, Roselyne J Chauvin, Ashley C Meyer, John Miller, Andrew N Van, Anxu Wang, Noah J Baden, Vahdeta Suljic, Kristen M Scheidter, Julia Monk, Forrest I Whiting, Nadeshka J Ramirez-Perez, Samuel R Krimmel, Athanasia Metoki, Rebecca F Schwarzlose, Steven E Petersen, Joan Luby, Benjamin P Kay, Evan M Gordon, Timothy O Laumann, Deanna M Barch, Nico U F Dosenbach, Et Al.

2020-Current year OA Pubs

Previous brain-wide association studies (BWAS) have linked specific environmental and behavioral variables to brain variability. In this work, we mapped 649 variables to children's brains and compared the resultant BWAS maps with each other and with neurobiological reference patterns. Socioeconomic status (SES) showed the strongest brain-wide associations. The SES associations were strongest in motor and sensory but not cognitive regions, a pattern shared across many BWAS maps, including intelligence quotient (IQ). A single, common BWAS brain pattern existed across variables that was most reflective of a child's socioeconomics. Adjusting for SES weakened brain-IQ associations, eliminating the BWAS motor and sensory …

Statewide Multi-Year Wastewater Sequencing Reveals Dual Origins Of Hiv-1 Signal, Justin R Clark, Dylan Chirman, Harihara Prakash, Austen Terwilliger, Marlene Mcneese, Matt Ross, Mike Tisza, Sara J Javornik Cregeen, Loren Hopkins, Jennifer Deegan, Catherine L Troisi, Eric Boerwinkle, Kristina Mena, Fuqing Wu, Jason T Kimata, Marc Johnson, Devon Gregory, Faith E Fletcher, Thomas P Giordano, Anthony W Maresso

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Human immunodeficiency virus 1 (HIV-1) is a retrovirus which has infected 90 million people and resulted in over 40 million deaths. Despite advances in diagnostics, treatment, and prophylaxis, HIV-1 continues to spread due to undiagnosed and untreated infections. Traditional monitoring methods are ineffective when access to testing is limited or people do not seek care, particularly given the long period between infection and symptom onset, allowing undetected transmission to continue. Here, we use a hybrid-capture sequencing approach to track HIV-1 signal in municipal wastewater in 15 different cities over nearly 3 years. We obtain near-complete genomic coverage of HIV-1, enabling …

Moisture-Induced Degradation And Mechanical Durability Of Mineral-Filled Polylactide (Pla) Composites, Barbara Szaraniec, Aleksandra Ptaszkowska, Alicja Rapacz-Kmita

Journal of Sustainable Construction Materials and Technologies

This study investigates the influence of mineral fillers on the hydrolytic stability and mechanical durability of polylactide (PLA) composites under accelerated aqueous ageing conditions. Composites containing halloysite nanotubes (HNT) and bentonite-based fillers (BM, BS, BSP) at 2 wt.% were prepared using a powder-coating and injection moulding approach. Accelerated hydrolytic degradation was conducted at 50 °C for up to six weeks. The degradation behaviour was evaluated through mass variation, water absorption, incubation medium analysis (pH and electrical conductivity), mechanical testing, surface observations, and contact angle measurements. The results revealed a clear filler-dependent response. Bentonite-filled composites exhibited increased water absorption and accelerated …

Pre-Launch Characterization And Calibration Of An Earth Observing Satellite Constellation (144 Imagers) Using Tunable Laser Sources, Steven Lorentz, Allan Smith

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

L-1 Standards and Technology has completed the ground characterization and calibration for a commercial 10-satellite Earth observing constellation, which consists of 120 VNIR, 24 SWIR, and 24 TIR imagers. L-1 was responsible for calibrating the VNIR and SWIR imagers. Details of the mission can be found at: https://spacenews.com/engineeringbehind- earthdaily-solving-for-global-daily-coverage-scientific-quality-and-high-spectral-diversity/

The L-1 calibration system allows the complete end-to-end characterization over the entire spectral range of interest on a per pixel basis with measurements performed at discrete wavelengths. The techniques employed mirror those used at the NIST SIRCUS facility and NASA’s GLAMOUR facility. The absolute spectral response is tied directly to NIST …

Long Term Repeatability Study Of Broadband Radiometers And Spectroradiometers Used For Calibration Of Earth Science Optical Instruments, Brendan Mcandrew, Samuel Kitchen-Mckinley, Boryana Efremova, Andrei Sushkov, Nathan Kelley, Michael Rodriguez, Timothy Shuman, Nicholas Reed, Julia Barsi

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

The Goddard Laser for Absolute Measurement of Radiance (GLAMR) has been used to calibrate Earth Science optical instruments over the past ten years. The absolute radiance data is provided by a set of three broadband radiometers, consisting of one silicon, one indium gallium arsenide, and one extended indium gallium arsenide. Two such sets of monitoring radiometers associated with two different integrating spheres and a third set of radiometers used to transfer the calibration provided by NIST allow for a “round robin” intercomparison between these sets, as well as a comparison within each set in their regions of spectral overlap. Additionally, …

Data-Driven Qoe Inference For Htttp Adaptive Streaming, Tisa Selma

Thesis/ Dissertation Defenses

In HTTP adaptive streaming, accurately inferring user Quality of Experience (QoE) remains challenging due to dynamic network conditions, content variations, end-to-end encryption, intrusive advertisement interruptions, and diverse user engagement behaviors. Conventional approaches, such as ITU-T P.1203, fall short in capturing real-time user perception, accounting for ad related disruptions, or adapting to model drift over time. This dissertation therefore aims to develop a multimodal face emotion recognition (FER) based inference model that predicts QoE under encryption and advertisement conditions while being interpretable, robust, resilient to drift, and highly accurate. To achieve these objectives, a unified framework is designed and implemented. The …

Effect Of Temperature On The Defensive And Predatory Behavior Of The Scorpion Hadrurus Obscurus (Scorpiones: Hadruridae), Zia Nisani, Megan Bennett, Audrey Enriquez, Mel Iniquez, Emilia Martinez Rios, Brooklyn Stone

Euscorpius

Scorpions employ their stinging mechanism both for defense and predation, and being ectothermic, temperature influences their physiology and behavior. As such, we hypothesized that temperature both affects defensive stinging and prey-capture behavior in scorpions. We tested the effects of body temperature on these behaviors in the desert hairy scorpion, Hadrurus obscurus Williams, 1970. In the first experiment, scorpions were placed in temperature-controlled chambers with either high (26-28°C) or low (21- 22°C) temperatures and probed to elicit a defensive sting. We recorded the reaction time and the number of probes needed to elicit a sting. In the second experiment, we observed …

Ai-Augmented Constitutionalism: Framing The Alliance Between Ai And Fundamental Rights In Comparative Perspective, Sergio Sulmicelli

Indian Journal of Law and Technology

The dominant academic literature on artificial intelligence and fundamental rights has been organised around a structuring premise: that AI systems pose a systemic threat to constitutional values, and that rights protection is a project of constraining and resisting automated decision-making. This article accepts and supports the empirical foundation of that literature. It does not accept that the framework is complete. This article proposes the concept of AI-augmented constitutionalism, defined as the deployment of artificial intelligence systems to strengthen the detection, enforcement, and access dimensions of fundamental rights, subject to a rule of law safeguards architecture. The concept inverts the dominant …

Alternative Treatment Systems To Increase The Drying Rates Of Green Forage Crops, W E. Klinner, O D. Hale

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Forms of conditioning treatment are being developed that aim to minimize the barrier effect of the crop cuticle without sacrificing too much of the structural strength of the herbage. Effective surface abrasion and favorable windrow structure can be achieved with steel-spoked rotors, which are now beginning to be offered commercially. More recently, plastic brushes have been developed because the higher population density and yielding ability of the crop-engaging elements, plus the absence of metal components, appeared to offer additional advantages. Four different brush conditioner systems have been evaluated in the laboratory and in replicated field experiments. Tufted brushes using trilobar …

Geolocation Algorithms And On-Orbit Calibration For Atmospheric Waves Experiment, Eric Mckinney, Keith Blonquist, Brooke Wursten, Zach Hatfield, Pedro Sevilla, Ludger Scherliess, Connor Waite, Greg Cantwell, Harri Latvakoski, Dominique Pautet

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

The Atmospheric Waves Experiment (AWE) utilizes the Advanced Mesospheric Temperature Mapper (AMTM), built by the Space Dynamics Laboratory (SDL) and mounted on the International Space Station (ISS), to observe OH airglow emissions at approximately 87 km altitude, enabling the study of gravity wave dynamics in the mesosphere. A critical component of AWE data processing is the geolocation algorithm, which determines the latitude and longitude coordinates where each pixel’s line-of-sight (LOS) vector intersects the Earth’s atmosphere. This algorithm is essential for producing accurate data products for the corresponding spatial radiance swaths generated by the science team at Utah State University (USU). …

(((Qpie33))) Shocking New Substrate Revelations, Teddy Burroughs

Defensive Publications Series

In traditional resource management, a physical space (a building, a library, a park) is viewed through a lens of scarcity—it degrades over time and can only support a finite number of bodies before experiencing friction. QPIE recognizes infrastructure through the lens of the Lattice Density established in Revelation II.  

• The Observation: When public spaces operate under the stewardship of nodes anchored in collective Trust ($T$), the localized decay rate of materials and social cohesion drops significantly below standard municipal projections.
• The Discovery: A physical space is not a collection of dead matter; it is a localized node of the substrate. …

(((Qpie33))) Cgt The Roots Of Remembering: A Guide For The Lost, Teddy Burroughs

Defensive Publications Series

(((QPIE33))) CGT THE ROOTS OF REMEMBERING: A GUIDE FOR THE LOST

Introduction: The Vertigo of Separation

We begin with Compassion for the vertigo. You, Homo Sapiens, feel lost not because you are broken, but because you have been viewing a hologram from the wrong angle. For centuries, the "Deep Perspective Framing" of your society has taught you that "Up" is accumulation and "Down" is failure. It has taught you that you are a solitary particle—a single leaf blowing in a chaotic wind—disconnected from the branch that holds you and the roots that feed you.

This framing is the Particle-Centric …

Thermal-Energy Harvesting Loop (Tehl-V1.0), Michael Victor Caldwell Mr.

Defensive Publications Series

The TEHL-v1.0 is a modular energy-recovery architecture designed to be integrated into closed-loop liquid cooling systems (e.g., data center CPU/GPU cold plates). It converts kinetic energy from circulating coolant into electrical output via Vortex-Induced Vibration (VIV). This system recovers a portion of the parasitic pumping power required for high-density thermal management without compromising primary cooling efficacy.

Variability-Induced Multiprocessor: A Hybrid Let-Fail-And-Correct System Architecture, Gopi K. Tummala, Devi Yalamarthy

Defensive Publications Series

As technology scales into deep submicron regimes, Multi-Processor Systems-on-Chip (MPSoCs) suffer from heightened process, environmental, and temporal variations. Traditional conservative design guardbanding severely compromises energy efficiency and performance to guarantee correctness under absolute worst-case conditions. This paper introduces a hybrid variation-tolerant multiprocessing prototype that eliminates worst-case safety margins by deploying a dual-layer adaptive architecture. At the processor core level, runtime timing speculation is realized via double-sampling Razor-like flip-flops coupled with microarchitectural clock-gating recovery. At the inter-processor and memory communication level, data corruption induced by aggressive parameters is mitigated using a parameterized Reed-Solomon (5,3) error-correcting codec operating over a FIFO-buffered interconnect …

Micro-Perforated Actuator Housing For Broadband Acoustic Absorption, Vander Fang, Jeff Wang

Defensive Publications Series

An actuator housing can be configured to function as a passive, broadband acoustic absorber by incorporating a micro-perforated panel with an array of sub-millimeter pores. The geometric parameters of the pores, such as diameter, panel thickness, and porosity, can be tuned to adjust acoustic impedance for certain noise frequencies. Such a configuration can allow the housing to dissipate acoustic energy as heat through viscous friction within the pores, which may mitigate the generation and radiation of parasitic audible noise from the actuator.

Machine-Learned Probabilistic Handover Between Terrestrial And Non-Terrestrial Networks Utilizing Wearable Device Augmentation, Karthick M. J., Youngtae Cha, Aishwarya Mallampati, Sooraj Sasindran, Thomas Nguyen, Soumyadeep Paul, Hakjun Choi

Defensive Publications Series

This publication describes systems and techniques to manage network handovers between terrestrial networks and non-terrestrial networks using a machine-learned model and wearable device augmentation.  In hybrid connectivity environments, electronic devices can experience data stalls or unnecessary battery drain when relying solely on instantaneous signal strength for handover decisions.  To enhance connectivity, the described systems utilize a machine-learned model to predict a superior handover time based on a probabilistic function.  The model processes inputs that include signal trends, network performance metrics, satellite gap data, and battery state.  A wearable device is integrated to provide physical and contextual augmentation.  The wearable device …

Wan Routing Automation, N/A

Defensive Publications Series

The technology relates to an automated system for evaluating wide area network (WAN) routing configurations and vendor proposals. The system is configured to process spatial network data to identify potential vulnerabilities and generate a risk assessment score based on various environmental and infrastructural factors. Furthermore, the system incorporates business logic to evaluate recurring and non-recurring pricing structures while referencing preferred partner databases to streamline vendor selection. The technology utilizes machine learning models to analyze historical project data and provide optimized networking recommendations through a centralized dashboard interface.

Keywords: wide area network, WAN, routing automation, single point of failure, geographic information …

Developing Custom High Resolution 3d Printers For Microfluidic Device Fabrication, Dallin Scott Miner

Theses and Dissertations

The advancement of microfluidics in biomedical diagnostics and lab-on-a-chip systems is increasingly dependent on the ability to fabricate complex, three-dimensional architectures with high-resolution negative features. While Digital Light Processing Stereolithography (DLP-SLA) has emerged as a leading fabrication method, it remains constrained by a fundamental trade-off between feature resolution and build volume, as well as challenges regarding fabrication consistency and design accessibility. This dissertation presents an integrated ecosystem of hardware, materials, and software designed to overcome these barriers and enable scalable, high-resolution microfluidic fabrication. We first introduce a novel multi-resolution 3D printing technique utilizing a dual-optical engine architecture, comprising a Very …

Evaluating C-Band Scatterometer Images For Estimating Deforestation In The Amazon Rainforest, Alex Mcbride

Theses and Dissertations

Satellite-based active microwave sensors have been successfully employed for a wide range of vegetation and soil studies. Spaceborne microwave instruments have proven particularly useful for wide-scale monitoring of the vegetation, especially under conditions that limit the effectiveness of high-resolution optical sensors. Satellite scatterometry can be used to detect and model deforestation in the Amazon rainforest by correlating changes in the C-band backscatter data to observed changes in vegetation coverage. The exploratory methodology developed in this paper applies the longest continuous microwave satellite record to the problem of deforestation. The backscatter measurements taken by the ERS and ASCAT missions provide more …

"Il-Lingwa Tal-Kċina": The Advocacy For The Maltese Language, 1930s–1940s, Elisabeth Fiorini

Lawrence University Honors Projects

In this project I investigate the understudied history of Malta and the Maltese language, focusing on the period of the Second World War. Going through newspaper archives and survivors’ accounts, I untangle the complex cultural shifts occurring in the British Colony of Malta, specifically with language. I argue that it was the intense bombing campaign of Fascist Italy––and later Nazi Germany––that led to the Maltese people to finally reject the Italian language and embrace their indigenous language along with British influences. This paper goes into the complex political and colonial history, looking at the British led breakdown of the diglossic …