Digital Commons Network^™

Janusz Krupski And His Times: Moral Rearmament From A Historical And Religious Perspective, Christopher Garbowski

Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe

This paper explores the concept of moral rearmament in contemporary East-Central Europe through the historical and religious legacy of Polish anti-communist opposition figure Janusz Krupski (1951–2010). Responding to sociologist Frank Furedi’s critique regarding the "moral disarmament" of the West, the author contends that religion serves as an essential—and frequently overlooked—pillar in restoring historical consciousness and moral resilience against totalitarian and geopolitical threats.

Focusing on the unique intellectual ecosystem of the Catholic University of Lublin (KUL) during the communist regime, the article details Krupski’s pioneering role in establishing an underground publishing movement, most notably the independent Catholic journal Spotkania (Encounters …

The Phenomenon Of Existential Ecumenism In Contemporary Ukraine, Iryna Kondratieva, Andrii Marchenko, Oleksii Marchenko

Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe

An analysis of existential ecumenism as a dimension of inter-church unity, which is being formed in modern Ukraine due to a common existential threat from the Russian aggressor, when Ukrainian churches unite in an ecumenical response to war crimes, focusing on practical cooperation in real life, on the tasks of social service, and not on existing doctrinal or institutional differences. Existential ecumenism combines the main ideas of existential philosophy, with its emphasis on the value of the human person, the significance of the themes of human freedom and human choice in the face of meaninglessness and death, and ecumenism as …

Hybrid Identity And Religious Radicalization: On The Effectiveness Of Kazakhstan's State Policy, Sholpan Zhandossova, Marhabbat Nurov

Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe

This article examines the relationship between hybrid identity and religious radicalization in Kazakhstan, arguing that state policy has been built on a systematically inverted risk hierarchy. Drawing on secondary analysis of longitudinal sociological surveys, expert assessments, and official statistics, the article demonstrates that the intensity of religious practice is a statistically non-significant predictor of radicalization (ρ=+0.18; p>0.05), whereas identity fragmentation– the internal incoherence between competing ethnic, Soviet-secular, Islamic, and civic- Kazakhstani identity layers–carries the strongest positive correlation (ρ=+0.61; p<0.001). The normative architecture constructed between 2011 and 2024 is evaluated against these empirical predictors across four analytical levels: longitudinal trend analysis, regional identity profiling, factor correlation analysis, and institutional trust trajectories. The article finds that successive policy instruments have concentrated institutional resources on the weakest risk factor while leaving the strongest predictors structurally unaddressed. The post-2016 decline in registered criminal cases is attributed primarily to the organizational collapse of Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant as a recruitment structure rather than to domestic policy effectiveness. Trust in the state-affiliated religious authority declined by twenty percentage points over the period of maximum normative intensity–an outcome directly contrary to policy intent. The article concludes with three evidence-based corrective directions: reorienting the diagnostic framework toward monitoring identity fragmentation, recovering protective social factors as explicit policy targets, and restructuring formal religious authority to allow community-derived legitimacy to carry preventive functions.

Religion And International Relations: The Concept Of Soft Power And Orthodoxy In Kazakhstan, Ali Ukenov

Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe

This article examines the role of the Orthodox Church of Kazakhstan (OCK), a constituent part of the Russian Orthodox Church (ROC), within the framework of religious soft power. Following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022, the relationship between the ROC, Russian foreign policy, and transnational religious influence has attracted increased scholarly attention. Drawing on the concept of soft power and constructivist approaches, the study combines qualitative field research with media content analysis. The empirical material includes twenty semi-structured interviews conducted with Orthodox clergy and active parishioners across Kazakhstan, as well as an examination of the case of former priest Yakov …

Mechanisms For Preventing Online Religious Discord: A Comparative Analysis Of Kazakhstani Experience And International Models For Regulating Religious Hate Speech, Kalmakhan Yerzhan, Lyazzat Kalybekova

Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe

The ever-increasing speed at which information spreads on the internet is giving rise to several serious challenges alongside its undeniable positive trends. This is especially clear in the increasing threat of online publications and comments that insult religious beliefs and incite discord, posing a risk of victimisation. Western researchers are conducting extensive studies on the definition and application of hate speech, its taxonomy, targeting, and prevention through artificial intelligence tools; studies grounded in the religious dimension are especially notable for highlighting the high relevance of these issues in today's complex geopolitical environment. Nevertheless, the majority of researchers argue that religion-based …

The Religious Field In Poland Under The Pressure Of Ukrainian Migration, Oleksandr Dobroier

Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe

An analysis of the transformation of the religious field in Poland between 2014 and 2024 in light of Ukrainian wartime migration. Using Pierre Bourdieu’s theory of the religious field as its conceptual framework, the study explores the redistribution of symbolic capital, the evolution of religious habitus, and the emergence of new actors within the field. Particular attention is given to the Roman Catholic Church, the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church, the Orthodox Church of Ukraine, the Polish Autocephalous Orthodox Church, and evangelical communities. The study reveals a weakening of the RCC’s monopoly and an expansion of symbolic legitimacy among previously peripheral …

The Sleep, Inhibition, And Performance (Sip) Study: An Erp Investigation Of Sleep, Stress, And Response Inhibition In Early Childhood, Alivia Overbee

Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

Background: Inhibitory control (IC) is fundamental to academic achievement and mental health, yet limited research examines how modifiable environmental factors influence neural substrates of IC in early childhood. Sleep regulation and adversity may shape IC development through experiential canalization processes. Objective: The Sleep, Inhibition, and Performance (SIP) study investigates how sleep characteristics, socioeconomic status (SES), and stress predict neural markers of inhibitory control in children aged 5-8 using event-related potentials (ERPs). Methods: Twenty children were enrolled in this study, which assessed sleep assessment via actigraphy, sleep diaries, and questionnaires. SES and stress were measured through caregiver reports. IC was assessed …

Towards Breach Hypothesis Based Predictive Autonomous Cyber Defense Ecosystem: Proactive Prevention Of Imminent Threats And Productivity Losses, Yogesh Chavarkar

Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

As cyberattack tools and techniques get sophisticated and persistent, reactive cybersecurity has been unable to effectively prevent breaches and compromises. Organizations and institutions with large complex environments have wide vulnerable exposure with higher chances of a cyberattack. This also increases overall security and financial risk. Possibility of repetitive attacks from cyber threats increases, too, despite the use of standard defense measures. Security tools and system vulnerabilities often need manual patching and updates to keep the environment secure and functioning effectively. Productivity suffers from manual trade-offs in keeping the systems secure from adverse impact. Persistent high-severity cyberattacks, despite continued reactive defensive …

Motivational Factors Influencing Military Service: A Structural Equation Model Of Rotc Students And Service Members’ Motivation-Confidence To Serve, Brian J. Vansingel

Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

Amid declining college enrollment across the United States, academic institutions with United States Army Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (ROTC) programs must consider underrecruited populations, such as military-bound young adults, in their recruiting strategies. To support this effort, this study examined the motivational factors associated with individuals’ decisions to serve in the U.S. Armed Forces. This study utilized a quantitative, correlational research design with a survey comprising multiple sections: sociodemographic variables, items across six motivational factors for military service, and a Motivation-Confidence to Serve scale. The study used data from a convenience sample of 709 respondents, including college military science students …

Love In The Fast Lane: Rapid Physiological Senescence At Sexual Maturity In Male Colorado Brown Tarantulas (Aphonopelma Hentzi), Spencer Poscente

Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

Sexual dimorphism in longevity represents a striking example of natural selection favoring reproductive success over survival: in Colorado brown tarantulas (Aphonopelma hentzi), females live over two decades while males survive just months after reaching sexual maturity. I collected sexually mature males at three time points (August, September, October) across two years and quantified metabolic rates, locomotor performance, and survival under controlled laboratory conditions. This thesis comprises two articles examining complementary dimensions of that decline: metabolic senescence and locomotor performance. Open-flow respirometry revealed significant seasonal shifts: minimum metabolic rate increased through October, and metabolic scope peaked in September before declining. Survival …

Black Hole Spectroscopy And Tests Of General Relativity With Gw250114, Jaclyn (Jax) Sanders

Physics Faculty Research and Publications

The binary black hole signal GW250114, the loudest gravitational wave detected to date, offers a unique opportunity to test Einstein’s general relativity (GR) in the high-velocity, strong-gravity regime and probe whether the remnant conforms to the Kerr metric. Upon perturbation, black holes emit a spectrum of damped sinusoids with specific, complex frequencies. Our analysis of the postmerger signal shows that at least two quasinormal modes are required to explain the data, with the most damped remaining statistically significant for about one cycle. We probe the remnant’s Kerr nature by constraining the spectroscopic pattern of the dominant quadrupolar (ℓ=m=2) …

International Cocoa Trading Arrangements Between Industrialised And Developing Countries 1951–1999: A Structural Gravity Analysis, John Brown, Xenia Matschke, Juan René Rojas Rodríguez

Economics

Using a state-of-the-art structural gravity model, we investigate the impact of various (post-)colonial cocoa trading arrangements on the cocoa trade between developing cocoa producer countries and rich industrial cocoa consumer nations in the time period 1951–1999. We find that in particular the trading arrangements of the European (Economic) Community (EEC/EC), such as the Association, Yaoundé and Lomé Agreements, as well as the UNCTAD International Cocoa Agreement, had a measurable positive impact on cocoa trade flows, in contrast to the British Commonwealth partnership or the GATT Generalised System of Preferences. In particular, the Yaoundé Agreement not only increased the trade between …

Valuing Water Quality Using Benefit Transfer Methods, Robert Johnston, Klaus Moeltner, Stephen C. Newbold, Dennis Guignet

Economics

This article summarizes methods, prospects, and methodological questions for water quality benefit transfer. Benefit transfer is the use of welfare estimates from settings where original valuation research has been conducted to predict similar estimates for other settings, allowing quantification of benefits and costs when original valuation studies are infeasible. Water quality has been among the most researched areas of benefit transfer, in part due to requirements for benefit-cost analysis within policies and programs that affect surface and ground water. The article begins with a review of benefit transfer methods and characteristics of water quality that challenge transfer validity. We then …

Exposing The Work Of The Market Through The Case Of Alternative Provision For English School Students, Nick Pratt, Elizabeth Done, Sam Morahan

School of Law, Humanities and Social Sciences

Pupils in England who for some reason are not able to attend school often find themselves in Alternative Provision (AP). These are special arrangements designed to address their specific needs and help them return to mainstream schooling. AP involves a financial agreement between the provider and the organisation that commissions the provision and thus operates as an explicit form of education market in which educational services are traded directly for financial recompense. We report on a case study of one AP provider in the South-West of England undertaken over a one-year period which generated data through individual, semi-structured interviews and …

An Evidence Review Of Technology Enabled Social Care In The Uk: Report For Cornwall Health Determinants Research Collaboration, Sheena Asthana, Michael Loizou, Marius Varga, Oliver Beer, Rory Baxter, Kieran Green

School of Nursing and Midwifery

The Urgent Need for a Shift from Crisis Intervention to Prevention. As highlighted by the Chief Medical Officer, demographic ageing—particularly acute in coastal areas like Cornwall—necessitates a fundamental shift in care models to allow individuals to live as independently as possible. Currently, the potential of digital technologies to support this aim is not being realised. To maintain wellbeing and reduce demand on statutory services, the system must pivot from reactive crisis management to a greater focus on prevention. While technology can play a pivotal role, it will only succeed if integrated into interoperable, data-driven systems that facilitate early intervention and …

How Does Pre-Registration Child Specific Education Prepare Newly Qualified Nurses’ To Care For Children, Young People, And Their Families? An Empty Narrative Review, Matt Carey, Danielle Edge, Julie Blamires, Mandie Foster, Sarah Neill

School of Nursing and Midwifery

This narrative review investigates the influence of child-specific content within pre-registration nursing programs on newly qualified nurses’ perceptions of preparedness to care for children, young people, and their families. Despite international recognition of the specialised competencies required for pediatric nursing, the proportion and quality of child-focused education across Higher Education Institutions is not clear. The Population, Exposure, Outcome framework provided a comprehensive search strategy applied across eight databases to identify relevant studies that met the inclusion and exclusion criteria. Of 663 records identified, 451 were screened and 25 full texts wereassessed for eligibility by two reviewers. No studies met the …

Visual And Rhetorical Analysis Practices In The Sociology Classroom: A Focus On “Zombie” And Derry Girls, Kate Antosik-Parsons, Ann Johnson, Danielle Nielsen, Diane Sabenacio Nititham

Journal of Excellence in College Teaching and Learning

The purpose of this article is to provide a lesson that uses readily available and relatable popular media to address contemporary social issues and ongoing global concerns. Using sociological theories and rhetorical analysis, our three-day activity, “Public Art, Place, and Global Conflict” introduced students to The Troubles, the ethno-national conflict in Northern Ireland that lasted from the late 1960s to 1998. We taught visual media analysis to identify multidimensional social dynamics in the protest song and music video “Zombie” by Irish band The Cranberries (1996), and two episodes of the TV show Derry Girls (2018-2022), a teen sitcom by Lisa …

Am I Top Of The Pops? Does Feedback Of Live Gps Between Sets Of Hurling-Specific Small-Sided Games Improve Subsequent Running And Physiological Performance?, Shane Malone, John Keane, Tom Hargroves, Conor P. Clancy, John David Duggan, Damien Young, Kieran D. Collins

Research Outputs: 2025-Present

The investigation aimed to determine if live feedback of team- and player-specific global positioning system (GPS) running performance data between bouts of hurling small-sided games (SSGs) altered the physical and physiological responses during subsequent bouts of SSGs during a 6-week hurling pre-season period. Twenty-four (n = 24) hurling players (age 25.5 ± 3.2 years; height 177.9 ± 3.2 cm; body mass 83.5 ± 4.5 kg) received either feedback or no feedback during hurling-specific SSGs across a 6-week pre-season period. Teams were assigned to two specific groups, a) GPS live feedback or b) no GPS live feedback (control) for each session, …

Pab-Pif: A Hybrid Architecture To Evaluate Mutable And Immutable Blockchains In Iot–Fog Networks, Marco Scarpa, Mohammad Sadeghzadeh, Saeed Javanmardi, Bahareh Pahlevanzadeh, Mauro Iacono

Research Outputs: 2025-Present

Blockchain provides secure and decentralized data storage. Normal blockchains permanently store data. Mutable blockchains allow users to change data, but this reduces tamper resistance. This paper tests both methods in PaB-PIF, a hybrid architecture for IoT-Fog networks. Our design uses an immutable mainchain in the cloud layer and mutable sidechains in the fog layer. We analyze throughput, latency, and tamper resistance using math models and simulations. Results show that blockchain greatly improves network security. Without blockchain, the network has zero tamper resistance. The mutable blockchain in the fog layer has a tamper resistance of 0.58. The immutable blockchain in the …

Educating The Next Generation Of Engineers: Spatial Thinking Is Key To Their Success, Sheryl Sorby, Gavin Duffy, Jack Parkinson, Gibin Raju, John Lynch, Muhammad Asghar

Research Outputs: 2025-Present

This paper attempts to answer questions regarding the link between engineering success and spatial skills through three themes. The previous research of the authors in examining the questions surrounding each theme is the focus of this paper; we acknowledge that others around the world may have conducted similar research, but the specific findings of the authors are the main focus of this paper. In the first theme, we examine data from several author-led studies where positive correlations have been found between spatial skill levels and proficiency in tasks that are a part of what it means to be an engineer. …

Sustainable Development And Faith, Tony Kealy

Research Outputs: 2025-Present

The contribution of faith-based input to the broader idea of sustainable development has not been widely acknowledged in the traditional sense; however, recent global events suggest it may warrant further exploration. This qualitative study examines how faith-based activities, such as missionary work, have historically and can continue to contribute significantly to the environmental, economic, and human/social aspects of organizational decision-making. The focus is on the Catholic faith, specifically the role played by the Irish-based Medical Missionaries of Mary religious congregation in the mid-to-late twentieth century. An initial literature review was conducted to gather information from various sources to define sustainable …

High-Sensitivity Fiber Optic Temperature Sensor Based On Vernier Effect In A Polymethyl Methacrylate Capillary And Barium Titanate Microsphere, Zhuochen Wang, Ginu Rajan, Zhe Wang, Anuradha Rout, Rayhan Habib Jibon, Anand Vadakkedathu Raveendran, Yuliya Semenova

Research Outputs: 2025-Present

This paper proposes and investigates a novel fiber Fabry–Perot interferometer (FPI) temperature sensor that leverages the Vernier effect for enhanced sensitivity. The sensor comprises a cascade of two FPIs formed by a short polymethyl methacrylate capillary, a barium titanate microsphere, and a cleaved single-mode fiber. The Vernier effect, induced by the dual Fabry–Perot cavities, amplifies the temperature sensitivity. The fabrication process involves the precise alignment and gluing of components, resulting in a simple, cost-effective sensor. The experimental results indicate a temperature sensitivity of 1.90 nm °C⁻¹. The sensor also exhibits excellent repeatability and stability, making it suitable for …

Post: Pruning Oriented Security For Inversion Attack In Edge-Based Internet Of Things, Sunder Ali Khowaja, Abi Waqas, Mohammad Tabrez Quasim, Kapal Dev

Research Outputs: 2025-Present

With the recent emergence of artificial intelligence (AI), edge users in industries and manufacturing have been extensively using AI-based services, which pose privacy and security risks to data. Distributed learning approaches deployed in the manufacturing industries help reduce data risks. However, traditional approaches cannot handle deep models as well as the scalability of edge-based internet of things (E-IoT) devices, especially in the manufacturing sector. Studies have proposed SplitFed learning (SFL) by combining split learning and the federated learning paradigm, but they fail to achieve an optimal trade-off between communication and computational limitations and are vulnerable to inversion attacks. We present …

Influence Of Beamwidth, Gain Stability, And Antenna Element Spacing On Aoa Accuracy In Ieee 802.15.4z Uwb Systems, Hossein Raghib Hokmabadi, Wasi Ur Rehman Khan, Patrick Mcevoy, Max James Ammann

Research Outputs: 2025-Present

Precision is a crucial requirement in indoor localization, and the industrial sector increasingly demands technologies that provide both high accuracy and low cost. This work presents a hardware-based evaluation of dual-antenna arrays using an IEEE 802.15.4z-compliant UWB angle of arrival (AoA) development kit to assess antenna performance in terms of phase difference of arrival (PDoA)/AoA linearity. Four antenna types: 1) printed monopole; 2) CPW-fed slot; 3) stacked dielectric resonator antenna (DRA); and 4) dual-layer microstrip patch are evaluated on channels 5 and 9, with measurements performed in a calibrated anechoic chamber under controlled conditions. The results show that wide beamwidth …

Understanding Autonomous Sensory Meridian Response (Asmr), Cecilia Zoutewelle

A. The Science of Sound

This 7-page report with illustrations and bullet-point summaries provides an introduction to the phenomena of Autonomous Sensory Meridian Response (ASMR). Also included is a brief discussion on the benefits of ASMR for interpersonal listening.

Discipline With Due Process: Constitutional Safeguards For Student Speech After Plaintiff A, Sarah Stich

Missouri Law Review

When fifteen-year-old Louie posted a TikTok video criticizing his school’s disciplinary policies from his bedroom, he faced a month-long suspension despite having no notice of which policies he had violated. Across the country, Kaitlin shared a Snapchat criticizing her chemistry teacher with friends at a local coffee shop and faced expulsion with minimal opportunity to explain the context. In both cases, students received limited procedural protections before suffering severe academic consequences.

Blood Flow Regulates Metabolism In Hematopoietic Development, Pamela L Wenzel

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Blood flow modifies oxygen availability and biomechanical forces within the vasculature of the embryo as the hematopoietic system develops. The aorta-gonad-mesonephros (AGM) envelops the largest artery in the body and is a critical site for the emergence of hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs). Herein, I discuss the role of hypoxia-inducible factors (HIFs) and force as determinants of metabolism and fate determination. To address the effects of blood flow on hematopoietic development, I employ mouse embryo models and biomimetic culture. Real-time cell metabolic analyses show that oxygen consumption rates (OCR) and extracellular acidification rates (ECAR) are altered by flow in cultures of …

“I Don’T Always See A Future For Me Here”: Oppressive Political Pressures On Lgbtq+ College Students’ Well-Being, Jodi Linley, Olivia M. Copeland, Kathleen J. Buell, Cindy Ann Kilgo, Megan Pendleton, Alex C. Lange, N F. Tennessen

Journal of Queer and Trans Studies in Education

In recent decades, colleges have broadly supported LGBTQ+ students. Now, institutions have shuttered LGBTQ+ initiatives in response to political pressures, with little consideration for the effects on students. This study answers the question, what current policy factors do LGBTQ+ college students describe as affecting their well-being, and in what ways? We analyzed 426 responses from a multi-institution study of LGBTQ+ students. By and large, students feel anxious and fearful as they navigate the current climate. Our analysis illustrated numerous factors, from the President and his administration to states and general emboldened violence, and the real and potential consequences of those …

Applications And Challenges Of Utilizing Digital Pathology And Ai-Enabled Workflows In Clinical Trials, Manu Sebastian, Harsh Batra, Monika Lamba Saini, Staci Kearney, Lorcan Sherry, Serge Alexanian, Michael Cohen, William Weber, Joe Lennerz, Anil V Parwani

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

This is a comprehensive review on current utilization and challenges of digital pathology adoption in clinical trials and aims to provide a broad view on its impact on pathology review processes in clinical trials. It provides an overview of current pathology review practices in clinical trials and unique advantages digital pathology adoption can offer. The key areas including existing workflows, use case scenarios in different disease areas in clinical trials, including but not limited to patient identification and pre-screening, and regulatory aspects have been described with relevance. In addition, the review delves into the integration of genomics, AI, image analysis, …

Digital Communication Strategies For Culinary Medicine In Cancer Prevention And Survivorship: Information-Seeking Habits And Content Preferences Of Online Cooking Media Among Adults Participating In Four Cancer Prevention And Control Cohort Studies, Margaret Raber, Sara Fares, Maria Vazquez, Larkin Strong, Carrie Daniel-Macdougall, Lorna Mcneill, Karen Basen-Engquist

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Introduction

Poor diet and excess weight have been linked to increased risk for at least 13 types of cancer. Culinary medicine utilizes experiential cooking skill development to improve individuals’ capacity for healthy eating. Digital communication strategies offer pathways for scalable culinary medicine interventions, but little research has explored how online cooking tools could be leveraged for cancer prevention messaging. We conducted a cross-sectional survey study exploring online cooking information-seeking habits and content preferences among participants in four cancer prevention and control cohorts to inform future digital culinary medicine interventions.

Methods

A cross-sectional survey study was conducted with a convenience sample …