Digital Commons Network^™

Kerygma As A Foundational Component Of Paul's Missional Methodology, Bruce Gregory Gale

Witness

No abstract provided.

Edge Ai And Iot-Based Intelligent Smart Irrigation System For Sustainable Agriculture, Afra Alshamsi

Thesis/ Dissertation Defenses

Traditional agriculture faces several challenges, including excessive water consumption, inefficient irrigation practices, and the increasing demand for sustainable food production. The rapid advancement of the Internet of Things (IoT) and Artificial Intelligence (AI) provides opportunities to develop intelligent agricultural systems that improve resource management and support precision farming. This thesis presents an Edge AI and IoT-based smart irrigation system designed for real-time environmental monitoring, automated irrigation control, and intelligent irrigation prediction to support the optimal growth of arugula plants. The proposed system continuously monitors key cultivation parameters, including soil moisture, temperature, humidity, light intensity, pH, nutrient levels (NPK), and water …

Making Open Work: Research Data Management As A Foundation For Open Infrastructure And Intercultural Engagement, Qinqin Zhang, Lily Y. Ko

FORCE 2026

At The Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK), Research Data Management (RDM) plays a vital role in advancing our commitment to research integrity, transparency, responsible research, and open science. Through services such as a Data Management Plan (DMP) tool, a FAIR-aligned institutional repository, and targeted training, we enable researchers to manage, share, and reuse data across disciplines and cultures.

CUHK Library’s RDM initiatives emphasize collaboration, inclusivity, and intercultural exchange. A key program is Data Champions, a peer-led network that empowers students and staff to advocate best practices in research data management. Data champions co-develop learning materials, lead workshops, and provide …

The Effectiveness Of Using Ai As A Digital Assistant In Problem-Based Learning On Student Learning Outcomes, Fadil Firdian, Afif Rahman Riyanda, Ghea Chandra Surawan, Rafiqa Rizalita

Jurnal Pendidikan: Teori, Penelitian, dan Pengembangan

This study aims to analyze the effectiveness of the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) based Digital Assistant in the Problem-Based Learning (PBL) model on the learning outcomes of PTI Study Program students in the mobile Programming course. The research method uses a quasi-experimental approach with a pretest-posttest control group. The results showed a significant difference between the experimental and control classes with a p value = 0.001 < 0.05, indicating a significant influence on learning outcomes. The N-Gain value was 0.543 (Moderate) and the results of sser satisfaction questionnaire were 3.30 (Satisfied). These findings prove that the integration of AI as a digital assistant in PBL is effective in improving learning outcomes, conceptual understanding, and student satisfaction with the use of AI.

Comparative Study Of Alginate- And Gum Arabic-Based Liposomal Carboplatin Delivery System, Israa R. Mohammed, Fatimah J. Al-Hasani, Emad S. Al-Hasani

Engineering and Technology Journal

Carboplatin is a common chemotherapeutic drug that has systemic toxicity and low selectivity. This study compares two liposomal drug delivery systems based on natural materials, alginate and gum Arabic, and evaluates the effect of the polymer structure on nanoparticle characteristics, drug release, and anticancer activity. The novelty of this work is the direct link between the polymer architecture and the performance of the drug delivery system on the same platform. Nanoscale formulations were successfully prepared for both formulations. The particle size of gum Arabic was significantly smaller (50 nm) than that of the alginate (170 nm). TEM confirmed the presence …

Method And Apparatus For Deterministic Material Synthesis Via Off-Axis Pulsed Laser Deposition And Supersonic Isentropic Injection (The "Fuel Forge"), Daniel Schramm

Defensive Publications Series

This disclosure details an industrial-grade material synthesis apparatus that integrates off-axis Pulsed Laser Deposition (PLD) with supersonic gas injection. The system is defined by a severe Vapor-Quench thermal gradient: the precursor gas is actively heated prior to injection, while the rotating titanium anvil is actively cryo-cooled. The apparatus achieves mathematically deterministic stability by balancing aerodynamic drag, laser energy deposition (2.78 eV), and the heated injection spike against a strict 50-Watt cryogenic cooling threshold. By synchronizing the anvil within a regulated 6.8 Pascal vacuum, the apparatus establishes a closed-loop, verifiable safe-operating envelope for advanced material synthesis.

2. Hardware Architecture & Integration …

Adaptive, Hardware-Aware Routing Of Ai Tasks Based On Semantic Complexity, Utkarsh Bhardwaj, Shivank Awasthi

Defensive Publications Series

This disclosure describes an adaptive orchestration system that can dynamically route computational tasks to an appropriate backend, such as a local processor or a remote cloud service. The system can use a multi-objective optimization approach, balancing the semantic complexity of a given task, which may be estimated by a lightweight proxy model, against the real-time physical state of the device, including its thermal status, battery level, and network connectivity. This method of hardware-aware routing can proactively manage thermal loads and power consumption, which may improve operational efficiency and mitigate performance degradation associated with system-wide throttling on such devices.

The Shrinking Caspian Sea: Eco‐Hydrological Responses To Human And Climate Pressures, Jesse Duku, Mohammad J. Tourian, Marzi Azarderakhsh, Rovshan Abbasov, Ali Mehran, Ali Torabi Haghighi, Stefanos Xenarios, Azara Boschee, Salih Babagiray, Mojtaba Sadegh, Nima Shokri, Ali Nazemi, Alireza Farahmand, Samaneh Ashraf, Temur Khujanazarov, Elmira Hassanzadeh, Dalal Najib, Daniel Placht, Shamshagul Mashtayeva, Ekaterina Rets, Hamid Norouzi, Kaveh Madani, Manoochehr Shirzaei, Hossein Shafizadeh-Moghadam, Chiyuan Miao, Ali Mirchi, Shuo Wang, Amir Aghakouchak

Publications and Research

The Caspian Sea, the Earth's largest inland water body, faces water level decline, drawing comparisons to the collapse of the Aral Sea. Unlike the Aral Sea, the relative roles of climatic variability, hydrological changes, and anthropogenic pressures on the Caspian Sea remain poorly understood. Here, we integrate satellite observations, in situ hydrological records and reanalysis data to examine recent drivers of the Caspian water loss. We show that total river inflow to the Caspian Sea has declined significantly, primarily due to reduced discharge from the Volga River. At the same time, precipitation over the basin has remained broadly stable, while …

Community-Based Organization Leaders' Perceptions On Efforts To Promote Informal Learning Among Young Low-Income Readers, Virginia S. Rector

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

No abstract provided.

Evaluating Chest-Worn Light Logger Adherence: Development And Application Of A Wear/Non-Wear Model, Carlyn Patterson Gentile, Adah Thomas, Ryan Shah, Blanca Marquez De Prado, Nichelle Raj, Christina Szperka, Geoffrey Aguirre

Student Papers, Posters & Projects

Light exposure plays an important role in overall health because it entrains circadian rhythms. Recent technological advances in wearable light loggers allow measurement daily light exposure habits. Using a chest-worn light logger, our goal was to (1) develop methodology for differentiating adherent versus non-adherent use, and (2) define differences in lighting intensity in indoor and outdoor environments, to improve data reliability in future clinical studies using this technology. Four testers used a 10-channel chest worn light logging device under different conditions of wear and non-wear (experiment 1), and another tester made measurements with the light logger across a variety of …

Interview With Orca Winner Xiao Cheng Zeng; Unl Chemistry; Computational/Theoretical; Nebraska Ice & Gold Nanocages, Mark Griep, Xiao Cheng Zeng

UNL ORCA Interview Series

Xiao Cheng Zeng became a chemistry professor at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln in 1993, quickly rose through the ranks, and was in the department for 29 years. In 2022, he left to become head of the Department of Materials Science and Engineering at the City University of Hong Kong. Xiao was born in Beijing and earned a bachelor’s in physics at the University of Beijing in 1984. Next, he traveled 6800 miles east to Ohio State University in Columbus where he earned his doctorate in condensed matter physics. He followed that up with two postdoctoral experiences, first at the University …

Ultracold Neutron Energy Spectrum And Storage Properties From Magnetically Induced Spin Depolarization, N. J. Ayres, G. Ban, G. Bison, K. Bodek, V. Bondar, T. Bouillaud, D. Bowles, G. L. Caratsch, E. Chanel, W. Chen, P. J. Chiu, C. B. Crawford, V. Czamler, M. Daum, C. B. Doorenbos, M. Ferry, M. Fertl, A. Fratangelo, D. Galbinski, W. C. Griffith, Z. D. Grujic, K. Kirch, V. Kletzl, B. Lauss, T. Lefort, A. Lejuez, R. Li, K. Michielsen, J. Micko, P. Mullan, A. Mullins

Physics and Astronomy Faculty Publications

We present a novel method for extracting the energy spectrum of ultracold neutrons from magnetically induced spin depolarization measurements using the n2EDM apparatus. This method is also used to exploit sensitivity to the storage properties of the materials used to trap ultracold neutrons, specifically, whether collisions are specular or diffuse. To do so, we utilize tomat simulation to map storage properties to correlation times of the ultracold neutrons to induced magnetic nonuniformities. We highlight the sensitivity of this new technique by comparing the two different storage chambers of the n2EDM experiment, which host different ultracold neutron energy spectra. This method …

Quantitatively Hyper-Positive Real Rational Functions Iii, Daniel Alpay, Izchak Lewkowicz

Mathematics, Physics, and Computer Science Faculty Articles and Research

Hyper-Positive Real, matrix-valued, rational functions are associated with absolute stability (the Lurie problem). Here, quantitative subsets of Hyper-positive functions, related through nested inclusions, are introduced. Structurally, this family of functions turns out to be matrix-convex and closed under inversion. A state-space characterization of these functions through a corresponding Kalman-Yakubovich-Popov Lemma, is given. Technically, the classical Linear Matrix Inclusions, associated with passive systems, are here substituted by Quadratic Matrix Inclusions.

Iris - Integrated Reef Information System, Colin Friedel, Zach Henderson, Cooper Mccarthy, Elias Pedroza, Thatcher Steele-Maley

Interdisciplinary Design Senior Theses

Our project provides an independent addition to the existing REEF Sensor Network, which has been created by the Santa Clara University Robotics Systems Lab and is planned to be deployed in the Palos Verdes Reef. Our system enables wireless transmission of data from the submerged sensor network to the scientist on land by designing and implementing a submersible winch mechanism to automatically raise and lower a buoy from the ocean floor to the surface, and cellular connectivity to wirelessly transmit collected data from the buoy to shore. After the data is transmitted, the buoy is lowered back to the sea …

Rehabvr: A Virtual Reality System For Upper-Body Orthopaedic Physical Therapy Rehabilitation, Winnie Brenda Wanjiru Waiya

Computer Science Senior Theses

Physical therapy is a central component of rehabilitation for musculoskeletal conditions, yet adherence to prescribed treatment remains persistently poor. Jack et al. identified pain, boredom, and insufficient feedback as key barriers to treatment adherence in physiotherapy outpatient settings,¹ and Rucinski et al. confirmed that non-adherence rates in orthopaedic populations remain between 50 and 70%, with patients who disengage facing elevated risk of reoperation, progressive functional decline, and poor clinical outcomes.² According to the World Health Organization, approximately 1.71 billion people globally live with musculoskeletal conditions,³ with shoulder pain specifically carrying a community prevalence ranging from 0.67 to 55.2% worldwide and …

Trends In Non-Profit Cybersecurity: Analyzing Three Years Of Incident Data From The Npcir, Stanley Mierzwa, Joanna Paliszkiewicz, Edyta Skarzyńska

Center for Cybersecurity

This study analyzes cyberattack trends targeting non-profit organizations using longitudinal data collected over a three-year period within the Non-Profit Cybersecurity Incident Repository (NPCIR). Developed through a National Security Agency Center of Academic Excellence in Cyber Defense (NSA CAE-CD) designated center, the NPCIR applies an open-source intelligence (OSINT) methodology to systematically document cybersecurity incidents affecting the global non-profit sector. This study examines attack types, threat actor characteristics, sectoral distribution, and cybersecurity impacts using the Confidentiality–Integrity–Availability (CIA) triad framework. The results indicate that availability-related incidents, particularly ransomware and distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attacks, constitute the most prevalent threats, while confidentiality breaches remain highly …

Implementation Of A Mixed Precision Iterative Solver On An Amd Apu, Saeyeon Kim, Henrik Evers

Computer Science and Engineering Senior Theses

Solving systems of linear equations is a core operation in high-performance computing and many scientific and engineering applications. One of the most widely used direct methods for solving such systems is LU factorization. Mixed-precision methods accelerate these solvers by using low-precision LU factorization with iterative refinement, improving performance and energy efficiency while preserving high numerical accuracy. AMD Accelerated Processing Units (APUs), which integrate CPU and NPU resources, provide an opportunity to explore this approach on emerging heterogeneous architectures. However, effective NPU utilization remains challenging due to workload partitioning, buffer management, data-movement overhead, and software tooling limitations.

This project implements a …

Thermovision 3d, Daniel Louie, Iker Mendiburu Perez, Kieran Greeley

Interdisciplinary Design Senior Theses

This project presents the development of a three-dimensional thermal mapping system designed to identify energy inefficiencies in buildings. By integrating visible-light imaging with thermal sensing, the system generates detailed 3D models that visualize both structural features and heat distribution. Using photogrammetry techniques, overlapping images are processed to reconstruct building geometry, while thermal data is mapped onto the model to highlight areas of potential heat loss such as insulation gaps, windows, and structural joints.

The system combines hardware and software components, including a dual-camera setup and a custom visualization pipeline, to produce both qualitative and quantitative outputs. Users are able to …

Acceptance Of Shared Autonomous Vehicles: Exploring The Attitudes And Perspectives Of Older Adults, Sara Sohaee Urbina

Dissertations and Theses

The fast development of autonomous vehicle systems will create major changes in how people move around. Previous research shows that these technologies can benefit older people who struggle with mobility, safety and access to transportation. Shared Autonomous Vehicles (SAVs) enable older people to achieve self-reliance while obtaining essential services which enhance their quality of living. The successful deployment of SAVs requires users to accept this new technology which they must also be willing to use. This research study investigates which elements affect older adults to adopt SAVs by using an extended Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) framework.

The research design of …

Foundations' Deep, Emily Williams, Morgan Williams

University Honors Theses

Most historic buildings do not survive as they were built, yet preservation frameworks still tend to evaluate them as if they did.

Foundations' Deep begins with a structure located in Helena, Montana 59602, a building that sits uneasily within the categories it has been asked to meet. Built in the early twentieth century, it has persisted through alteration, abandonment, and use. What remains is not a stable artifact but a record of accumulated decisions, some careful and many indifferent, now embedded in the fabric of the building itself.

The thesis grows from this condition and from the limits of the …

Group Operations For Concurrent Binary Search Trees, Theodora R. Cooper

Dissertations and Theses

A group operation performs multiple independent instances of the same operation on a data structure. For example, a group operation might look up 10 different keys in a binary search tree, returning 10 results. Chen et al introduced group prefetching, an optimization for group operations on linked data structures that improves throughput by overlapping memory access latencies for independent traversals. Constructing code that maximizes this throughput benefit by fully leveraging the instruction- and memory-level parallelism available on modern hardware is challenging because of overhead, interactions with the cache hierarchy, and other factors.

To address these challenges, we present two new …

Expanding Transmobilities: Understanding Genderdiverse And Transgender Travel Behavior Through An Art-Informed Methodology, Nicholas Michael Puczkowskyj

Dissertations and Theses

Transgender and genderdiverse people face discrimination and harassment in public when making trips in Portland, OR. People who identify as genderdiverse or transgender create unique travel behavior due to the influence of their internalized and expressed gender identity and through interactions in public. This dissertation examines how gender identity influences the travel behavior of genderdiverse and transgender people and how these experiences influence their subjective wellbeing when making trips in Portland, Oregon. Traditional one-on-one interviews were conducted in conjunction with allowing the interviewees to produce art as a non-verbal form of expression and communication of their experiences making trips in …

Climate Deregulation Under Trump 2: Will It Have Any Durable Impact?, John D. Graham

Duke Environmental Law & Policy Forum

Following through on his 2024 campaign pledges, President Donald Trump is dismantling President Biden's aggressive climate policies, including federal regulatory controls on the major sectors of the economy that account for most greenhouse gas emissions in the US. Although it is too early to make a definitive assessment of what Trump will accomplish, I present evidence that Trump is taking a more creative, radical, and legally sophisticated approach to climate deregulation in his second administration than was attempted in his first administration. I evaluate how durable climate deregulation may be. A major weakness in Trump's agenda is the lack of …

The Civil Liability Gap For Oil Spills Caused By Non-State Armed Groups: The Case Of The Mv Sounion Tanker In The Red Sea, Emery Hansell

Duke Environmental Law & Policy Forum

On August 21, 2024, the Greek-flagged oil tanker MV SOUNION ("Sounion") was attacked by Houthis as it passed through the Red Sea. The Houthis, a rebel group that controls large swaths of Yemen, then set the ship ablaze, threatening to spill roughly 1 million barrels of crude oil into the water. The cleanup was anticipated to cost $20 billion. The question thus arises: who would—and who should—pay for that cleanup? At the moment, there is no effective solution.

As an initial matter, current international law focuses on State liability and is therefore unlikely to require the Houthis—as a non-State actor—to …

Phasing Out A Way Of Life: How Decarbonization Affects Coal Dependent Communities, Alex Loeb

Duke Environmental Law & Policy Forum

As member states seek to comply with European Union industry rationalization directives that will force mines that cannot compete with free-market prices without subsidies to close, domestic governments across Europe will face competing pressure from civil society. Many traditional European mining communities are dependent on the coal industry and will resist the phase out of its position in the European energy mix. In Asturias, Spain, the phase out of non-competitive coal mines has had devastating impacts on former mining towns, as they struggle to transition to a coal-free economy. After phasing out coal, Asturias has struggled with unemployment and significant …

Monoclonal Antibodies Targeting Pcdh7 Inhibit Tumor Growth And Enhance Immune Responses In Kras-Mutant Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer, Nicole Novaresi, Poorva Ghosh, Shayna Thomas-Jardin, Hui Deng, Xuejun Fan, Zhiqiang Ku, Wei Xiong, Xiaorong Zhou, Jingfei Zhu, Huiyu Li, Mahesh S Padanad, Bethany Smith, Chul Ahn, John D Minna, Zhiqiang An, Ningyan Zhang, Kathryn A O'Donnell

The Brown Foundation: Institute of Molecular Medicine

We identified an important oncogenic role for protocadherin 7 (PCDH7), a cell surface protein frequently overexpressed in lung adenocarcinoma and associated with poor clinical outcome. Pcdh7 depletion reduces tumor burden and prolongs survival in KrasLSL-G12D; Tp53fl/fl mice. These findings nominate this cell surface protein as an actionable therapeutic target and highlight the therapeutic potential of PCDH7 inhibition for non–small cell lung cancer. We report the development and characterization of high-affinity anti-PCDH7 monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) that inhibit downstream mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) pathway activation and suppress tumor growth in multiple mutant KRAS–driven models. A lead mAb (mAb7) sensitized tumors …

Synthesis And Characterization Of Synergistic Bioactive– Organometallic Condensation Polymers, Francesca Isabel Mosca

Electronic Theses and Dissertations 2020 - Present

This research focuses on the synthesis and structural characterization of polymers with anticipated anticancer and antiviral properties by combining metal-containing Lewis acids, organotin dichlorides (R2SnCl2), Group 4 metallocene dichlorides (Cp2TiCl2, Cp2ZrCl2 and Cp2HfCl2), and triphenyl Group 15 metal dichlorides (Ph3AsCl2, Ph3SbCl2 and Ph3BiCl2), with biologically active Lewis bases, lamivudine, a synthetic nucleoside, and camphoric acid, a dicarboxylic acid, to achieve synergistic effect.

Five classes of polymers were synthesized using interfacial polymerization: lamivudine and organotin dichlorides, lamivudine and Group 4 metallocene dichlorides, camphoric acid and triphenyl Group 15 metal dichlorides, camphoric acid and organotin dichlorides, and camphoric acid and Group 4 …

Synthesis And Characterization Of Organometallic Polymers And Their Cytotoxicity Towards Human Cancer Cell Lines, Paul Peter Slawek

Electronic Theses and Dissertations 2020 - Present

This research aimed to synthesize organometallic polymers from dialkyl (methyl, ethyl, butyl, cyclohexyl, and octyl) and diaryl (phenyl) tin dichlorides and three organic monomers, dipicolinic acid (DPA), chloramphenicol (CH), and isomannide (IS), using interfacial polymerization. Structure-activity relationships were investigated through physicochemical characterization (light-scattering photometry, proton NMR, and IR spectroscopy) and cytotoxicity was evaluated against six human cancer cell lines (AsPC-1, PANC-1, MCF-7, MDA-MB-231, HT-29, PC-3), with cisplatin serving as the reference standard.

Five DPA/tin polymers were synthesized, with IC₅₀ values in the range of 0.60–0.71 μg/mL. Their cytotoxicity was significantly lower than that of cisplatin (0.0023-0.044 μg/mL), suggesting that …

A Scoping Review Of Ai Literacy: Implications For Governance And Public Policy, Anabel Quan-Haase, Katharine Willis, Hillary Anderson, Selena Gignac, Takuya Maeda

School of Art, Design and Architecture

AI literacy can be situated at the intersection of other types of literacy such as media literacy anddigital literacy, but the concept is distinct. What complicates our understanding of AI literacy is thatAI is highly opaque and black-box, creating obstacles to grasping what these systems are doing andhow (Burrell, 2016; Petrovčič, et al. 2024). This requires an interdisciplinary effort in conceptualizingand mapping AI literacy. Based on our analyses of the current literature, we see five different typesof conceptualizations of AI literacy:1.Competency-based approaches: focused on skills, knowledge, and ethical use of AI.2.Awareness-oriented approaches: centered on recognizing the presence and influence of …

‘Wala Kaming Alam Sa Stroke Care’ (We Don’T Know Anything About Stroke Care): Experiences Of Care Providers Delivering Stroke Rehabilitation Care In The Philippines, Fiona Leggat, Sarah Ann Buckingham, Aira Patrice Rueda Ong, Bridie Kent, Nena Marie Santos, Annah Teves, Vergil Boac, Paula Melizza Valera, Elda Anota, Maria Mercedes Barba, Myrna Estrada, Neil Bryan Pita, Alyssa Dar Juan, Lorraine Faeldon, Fiona Jones

School of Nursing and Midwifery

BackgroundIn the Philippines, rising stroke prevalence and healthcare inequalities present a concerning outlook. While acute stroke care is prioritised, rehabilitation remains undervalued. The experiences of healthcare providers who deliver stroke support are also under-researched.Objective(s)Our study aimed to explore the experiences and needs of care providers across multiple regions of the Philippines to inform the development of stroke support initiatives and programmes.MethodsForming part of the Tulong, Ugnayan ng Lingap At gabaY (TULAY) project, a qualitative descriptive design involving semi-structured interviews was used. Care providers with professional or voluntary community healthcare service delivery roles were recruited. Data were analysed using reflexive thematic …