Digital Commons Network^™

Intelligent Transition Of Automotive Industry Driven By Autonomous Driving Simulation Testing Technology, Jianping Wu, Guanzhou Li, Shuai Zhao, Ling Huang

Journal of System Simulation

Abstract: As a pivotal approach supporting the safety verification and commercial implementation of intelligent driving systems, autonomous driving simulation testing has achieved remarkable progress in technical methodologies and application scenarios. Conventional real-world road testing faces critical limitations including prohibitive costs, inadequate coverage of corner case scenarios, and efficiency bottlenecks, rendering it insufficient for safety validation of high-level autonomous driving systems (L4 and above). To address these challenges, simulation testing frameworks have evolved into a multi-layered verification system encompassing mathematical modeling, virtual scenarios, hardware-in-the-loop (HIL), mixed reality, and cloud-based simulation clusters. Specifically, mathematical modeling accelerates algorithm development; virtual scenario simulation enhances …

Digital Twinned Industrial Robot: Conceptual Framework, Key Technologies, And Case Study, Yongkui Liu, Kang Yang, Benben Tuo, Yaduo Pan, Xinyu Wang, Yihan Wang, Yongqian Gong, Lin Zhang, Lihui Wang, Tingyu Lin, Bin Zi, Yuan Li, Wei You, Xun Xu

Journal of System Simulation

Abstract: To effectively enhance the value and full life cycle management level of industrial robots, this paper integrated deeply digital twin with industrial robots and discussed a new concept, namely digital twinned industrial robot (DTIR). It defined the concept, composition, and typical characteristics of DTIRs and proposed their system architecture. From the perspective of the full life cycle of "design, manufacturing, operation and maintenance, and decommissioning", the key technologies of DTIRs were systematically sorted out. Furthermore, the validity of the proposed conceptual framework was verified through a case study. Finally, the paper summarized the findings and discussed the future development …

Large-Scale Social Simulator: Frontiers And Perspectives, Jinghua Piao, Chen Gao, Fang Zhang, Jun Su, Yong Li

Journal of System Simulation

Abstract: Social experiments, as a typical research method in social sciences, aim to study specific social phenomena or the impacts of policies by observing the behaviors of individuals, organizations, or social groups in real or simulated environments. However, traditional social experiment methods often face challenges such as random bias, high costs, and ethical risks, making them inadequate to address increasingly complex research demands. Against this backdrop, computational social experiments have emerged, enabling researchers to conduct social experiments within computational simulation environments that are free from random bias, cost-efficient, and ethically manageable. Meanwhile, China is currently undergoing a critical period of …

Integration Of A Pedometer-Based Physical Activity Intervention With Cognitive Behavioral Therapy For Adults With Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease, Amy K Silberbogen, Jeffrey A Cully, Erica R Checko, David Coultas, Brent R Schell, Jennifer Moye

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Physical activity interventions effectively improve physical activity (i.e., daily step count) and reduce the risk of adverse health outcomes in persons with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), but effects on depression and anxiety are poorly understood. Behavioral interventions concurrently targeting both physical activity and mood symptoms are needed in this population. This paper describes acceptability testing and refinement of Step-CBT, a synchronous, video-delivered, pedometer-based physical activity intervention integrated with cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) to improve step count in individuals with COPD; physical disability and depression and anxiety symptoms are secondary outcomes. Adults (N = 5) with COPD and clinically significant …

Designing Context-Specific Physical Activity Interventions For English Primary Schools: Key Learning From A Four-Month Rapid Ethnography, Robert Walker, Danielle House, Simona Kent-Saisch, Alice Porter, Ruth Salway, Lydia Emm-Collison, Michael Beets Med, Mph, Phd, David Revalds Lubans, Frank De Vocht, Russell Jago

Faculty Publications

Background

Physical activity is essential for children’s health. Primary schools offer an opportunity to equitably promote physical activity. However, school-based interventions have been shown to have little to no effect, potentially due to a lack of consideration of school heterogeneity. This study reports on a rapid ethnography study that was used to capture insights into English primary schools physical activity. The data are intended to inform the design of a context-specific intervention to improve pupil physical activity.

Methods

Three researchers conducted a four-month rapid ethnography study within three primary schools in Bristol, UK, between March and July 2024. Several methods …

Designing Context-Specific Physical Activity Interventions For English Primary Schools: Key Learning From A Four-Month Rapid Ethnography, Robert Walker, Danielle House, Simona Kent-Saisch, Alice Porter, Ruth Salway, Lydia Emm-Collison, Michael W. Beets Med, Mph, Phd, David Revalds Lubans, Frank De Vocht, Russell Jago

Faculty Publications

Background

Physical activity is essential for children’s health. Primary schools offer an opportunity to equitably promote physical activity. However, school-based interventions have been shown to have little to no effect, potentially due to a lack of consideration of school heterogeneity. This study reports on a rapid ethnography study that was used to capture insights into English primary schools physical activity. The data are intended to inform the design of a context-specific intervention to improve pupil physical activity.

Methods

Three researchers conducted a four-month rapid ethnography study within three primary schools in Bristol, UK, between March and July 2024. Several methods …

The Silent Identity: Asexuality, Aromanticism, And Convention In Le Roman De Silence And The Story Of Silence, Anita Farrell

English and Creative Writing Summer Fellows

Le Roman de Silence is a 13th-century French romance about Silence, a woman raised as a man to protect their family’s inheritance. Heldris of Cornwall, the author, develops a rich inner world to help the audience connect with Silence, allowing them to experiment with gendered, sexual, and romantic boundaries. This romance intrigues modern scholars, especially feminist and queer researchers due to narrative pressure on conventions like gender and sex. In 2020, Alex Myers, a transgender author, updates Silence’s tale in The Story of Silence, where Silence explores their identity in greater detail. Silence eventually identifies themselves as non-binary and …

Lgbt Young Adults’ Experience Of Exiting Foster Care, Shaylon Joseph

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The scholarly community understands little about the experiences of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) young adults as they transition out of the foster care system. This study explored the lived experiences and difficulties encountered by LGBT young adults after exiting foster care. Grounded in Erikson’s theory of psychosocial development, this qualitative dissertation employed a phenomenological design to interpret how participants made sense of their transitions. Recruitment was conducted through a flyer posted on Facebook and the Department of Children and Family Services; 10 LGBT young adults participated in 60-minute interviews. Using interpretative phenomenological analysis, the study revealed six overarching …

Life Cycle Assessment Of New Jersey Offshore Wind, Meghann Smith, Nawal Shoaib, Pankaj Lal

Department of Earth and Environmental Studies Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works

As offshore wind gains momentum within US (United States) renewable energy goals, New Jersey's ambitious targets for offshore wind development represent a significant opportunity to reduce emissions and transition towards cleaner energy sources. This study presents a life cycle assessment (LCA) of a planned offshore wind farm off of New Jersey's coast, emphasizing the implications of a domestic supply chain. Key findings suggest that the offshore wind farm is projected to produce 0.013 kg CO2 kWh−1 of electricity generated, reflecting a 98 % decrease in carbon emissions compared to natural-gas-derived electricity. Further, when compared to carbon emissions from other renewable …

Indirect Excitons And Many-Body Interactions In Ingaas Double Quantum Wells, Christopher L. Smallwood, Rachel Owen, Matthew W. Day, Takeshi Suzuki, Rohan Singh, Travis M. Autry, Smriti Bhalerao, Fauzia Jabeen, Steven T. Cundiff

Faculty Research, Scholarly, and Creative Activity

Spatially indirect excitons in semiconductor quantum wells are relevant to basic research and device applications because they exhibit enhanced tunability, delocalized wave functions, and potentially longer lifetimes relative to direct excitons. Here we investigate the properties of indirect excitons and their coupling interactions with direct excitons in asymmetric InGaAs double quantum wells using optical multidimensional coherent spectroscopy and photoluminescence excitation spectroscopy. Analyses of the spectra confirm a strong influence of many-body effects and reveal that excited-state zero-quantum coherences between direct and indirect excitons in the quantum wells dephase faster than the much-higher-energy single-quantum coherences between excitonic excited states and ground …

Limited Soil Water Recharge In Summer Affects Seasonal Isotopic Signatures Of Tree Xylem Water, Marius G. Floriancic, Gregory R. Goldsmith, Harsh Beria, Scott T. Allen, James W. Kirchner

Biology, Chemistry, and Environmental Sciences Faculty Articles and Research

Recent studies have reported that xylem waters in forest trees during the summer growing season are often isotopically similar to winter, rather than summer, precipitation. Several hypotheses have been proposed to explain this observation, which can be viewed as a form of ecohydrological separation, but empirical tests spanning space and time remain limited. We hypothesise that variations in the seasonal origin of precipitation found in tree xylem waters can be explained by seasonal differences in soil water recharge. We test this hypothesis by evaluating to what extent climatic aridity can explain seasonal signals in extensive surveys of the isotope ratios …

Breaking The Odds: A Gendered Analysis Of Women And Gambling Behaviors, Rowland Edet

UNLV Gaming Research & Review Journal

Gambling is increasingly recognized as a complex public health issue with wide-ranging implications for individuals, families, and communities. While traditionally male-dominated, recent shifts reveal a growing participation among women, facilitated by gender-specific gambling products, targeted marketing, and evolving societal norms. This paper critically examines the prevalence, motivations, and harms associated with gambling among women, drawing on theoretical perspectives such as social capital theory, cultural geography, and gender role theory. By synthesizing existing literature, this review highlights distinct gendered patterns in gambling behaviors, including the use of gambling as a coping mechanism for stress, isolation, and caregiving burdens, and the role …

A Qualitative Exploration Of Self-Harm Among Autistic Women, Jessica Rebbettes, Alison Bacon

School of Psychology

Background: Autistic individuals, particularly females, demonstrate a higher prevalence of self-harm compared to those who are not autistic. Core cognitive, affective, and sensory differences inherent to autism are linked to the increased vulnerability within autistic populations. However, these factors are not sufficiently explored in relation to individuals’ social and environmental contexts, resulting in a gap in understanding the self-harm experiences of autistic females. Methods: Eleven autistic women participated in semi-structured interviews to explore their experiences of self-harm. Data was transcribed and analysed using reflexive thematic analysis. Results: Three key themes were identified: Regulation of Emotional States, highlighting self-harm as a …

What Drives Weight Status Among Female University Students? A Machine Learning Analysis Of Sociodemographic, Dietary, And Lifestyle Determinants, Radwan Qasrawi, Abir Ajab, Leila Cheikh Ismail, Ayesha Al Dhaheri, Sharifa Alblooshi, Razan Abu Ghoush, Stephanny Vicuna Polo, Malak Amro, Suliman Thwib, Ghada Issa, Haleama Al Sabbah

All Works

Background: Obesity and underweight are increasingly common among young adult women, often resulting from complex interactions between diet, lifestyle, and socioeconomic factors. This study addresses that gap by applying machine learning to a wide range of behavioral, dietary, and demographic data. The main research question asks: What are the key factors influencing weight status among female university students, and how accurately can machine learning models identify them? We hypothesize that different factors are significantly associated with underweight, overweight, and obesity, and that machine learning can reliably detect these patterns. The aim is to identify the strongest predictors and support more …

Reimagining Information Literacy In The Age Of Artificial Intelligence: A Nudge In The Right Direction, Kay Coates, Lili Li

University Libraries: Faculty Presentations

No abstract provided.

Beyond Translating Cultures: Organizational Cultural Brokering And Latin@/E/X Community Resilience After The "Mobile Home Parks" Fire, Christine Atalie Da Rosa

Dissertations and Theses

As wildfires increase in frequency and severity in rural communities, disaster management agencies are seeking to collaborate with community-based organizations (CBOs) working with rural, low-income Latin@/e/x communities to build wildfire resilience. This qualitative case study examines the critical role of CBOs rooted in their local, predominately low-income Latin@/e/x communities as cultural brokers in supporting Latin@/e/x wildfire survivors following the 2020 "Mobile Home Parks" Fire in a rural county in Oregon. Drawing from 23 semi-structured interviews, three focus groups, a review of relevant documents, and participant observations, the research investigates how Latin@/e/x CBOs navigated the complex cultural landscape between wildfire survivors …

Measuring The Determinants Of Women's Empowerment In Agricultural Index In Bangladesh: Application Of The Structural Equation Modeling Approach, Paresh Kumar Sarma, Mohammad Jahanghir Alam, Ismat Ara Begum, Dilshad Zahan Ethen, Farzana Yeasmin, Lin Crase, Andrew M. Mckenzie

Agricultural Economics and Agribusiness Faculty Publications and Presentations

The study investigates the determinants of women's empowerment utilizing data from the Bangladesh Integrated Household Survey 2018, specifically through the construction of the Women's Empowerment in Agriculture Index. Using structural equation modeling, it assesses how various indicators such as decision-making, freedom of mobility, access to agricultural extension services, group membership, and birth control decisions contribute to women's empowerment outcomes. This index is based on decision-making regarding production, resources, income, leadership, time use, and gender parity sub-index. The study employs structural equation modeling to explore the association among key indicators of women's empowerment, including decision-making, freedom of mobility, access to agricultural …

Role-Playing For Learning: Enhancing Skills In Doctrinal Courses, Yael Efron, Nellie Munin

DRI Press

This book addresses the need that educators have to make theoretical concepts tangible. Teachers across various subjects and educational settings grapple with the challenge of communicating abstract ideas to diverse audiences while aiming to ignite curiosity and sustain engagement. The authors offer their insight into the method of role-playing in various law courses in a highly diverse class. The book contains thirteen simulations with teaching notes, along with the theoretical background for this method of teaching.

This is the first in a series of skills books published as part of Mitchell Hamline School of Law’s Laboratory for Advancing Dispute Resolution …

Big Ugly Lumps? (Counter)Terrorism And The Everyday Atmospheres Of Hostile Vehicle Mitigation, Carrie Benjamin, Sam Berlin, Sara Fregonese, Paul Simpson

School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences

Adopting an atmospheric lens on the everyday and open-ended crisis of contemporary terror threats in cities in Western Europe, this article unpicks the contemporary logics, desires, and effects of the State in matters of urban counterterrorism by exploring the felt qualities and dispositions of the public around Hostile Vehicle Mitigation (HVM) measures in Birmingham (UK). It argues that the atmospheres around counterterrorism that security officials and business representatives aim to produce, which seeks to reassure the public rather than cause alarm, has led to ambivalent acceptance of HVM by city centre users. The paper shifts away from discursive and socio-technical …

Prenatal Maternal Mood Instability And Child Externalizing Problems: An Ecological Momentary Assessment Study, Sophie G. Srivastava, Curt A. Sandman, Elysia Poggi Davis, Laura M. Glynn

Psychology Faculty Articles and Research

This study examines whether exposure to affect fluctuations during fetal development have implications for child psychopathology. To evaluate maternal mood instability, participants (N = 154) completed Ecological Momentary Assessment (EMA) eight times per day across three days at 15-, 25-, and 35-weeks' gestation, and then at two months postpartum. The EMA measured depressive symptoms (Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale), anxiety (Profile of Mood States), and stress (Perceived Stress Scale). Mood instability was quantified by calculating root mean square of successive differences (RMSSD), which captures both variability and temporal dependency of mood states. When the children were 3 years …

A Two-Stage Dual-Task Learning Strategy For Early Prediction Of Pathological Complete Response To Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy For Breast Cancer Using Dynamic Contrast-Enhanced Magnetic Resonance Images, Bowen Jing, Jing Wang

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Early prediction of treatment response can facilitate personalized treatment for breast cancer patients. Studies on the I-SPY 2 clinical trial demonstrate that multi-time point dynamic contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance (DCEMR) imaging improves the accuracy of predicting pathological complete response (pCR) to chemotherapy. However, previous image-based prediction models usually rely on mid- or post-treatment images to ensure the accuracy of prediction, which may outweigh the benefit of response-based adaptive treatment strategy. Accurately predicting the pCR at the early time point is desired yet remains challenging. To improve prediction accuracy at the early time point of treatment, we proposed a two-stage dual-task learning …

High Achievers Awards 2014

University anniversary celebration materials

No abstract provided.

Exploring The Environmental Impacts Of Telemental Health Counseling: Balancing Accessibility, Sustainability, And Climate Concerns, Daniel Bates, Greg Peterson, Vanessa Sinclair

Journal of Technology in Counselor Education and Supervision

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, a nation-wide quarantine was mandated, which had a significant impact on the economy, healthcare, and lifestyle. It also dramatically changed the way mental health services were delivered. Many clinicians in private practice and at agencies rapidly transitioned the administration of mental health treatment to an online platform. The rapid upsurge of utilization of telemental health counseling (TMHC) yielded unexpected environmental benefits that have come to light by recent research. Some researchers shared concerns of TMHC efficacy compared to in-person counseling, however, other research comparing TMHC to in-person found comparable therapeutic outcomes. Research has also …

Intentional Innovation: Strategies To Increase Engagement For A Hybrid Faculty Group, Sheri Pickover, Allison Arnekrans, Pamela Sickinger, Mary Katherine Wright

Journal of Technology in Counselor Education and Supervision

The proliferation of online education has increased the need to examine how to foster an ongoing culture of community, support, and engagement for faculty, specifically remote faculty. This article describes a single case study example of how one Midwestern counselor education program leveraged online platforms and intentional community building strategies to successfully integrate remote core faculty into all aspects of departmental processes. This article describes specific strategies and provides recommendations for other remote programs to consider.

Mitigating School Counselor Burnout: Exploring The Ethical Dimensions Of Ai Assistance In Writing Letters Of Recommendation, Laurie Dickstein-Fischer, Megan M. Krell, Sean Godbout

Journal of Technology in Counselor Education and Supervision

This conceptual article explores the critical issue of burnout among high school counselors and examines the ethical considerations of incorporating artificial intelligence (AI) into the professional practice of crafting letters of recommendation. The paper investigates how AI, when used ethically, may serve as a tool to reduce burnout by streamlining time-consuming administrative tasks. By focusing on recent advancements in AI technology, the discussion highlights how school counselors can integrate these tools to support their work without compromising ethical standards or professional integrity. Emphasizing the importance of maximizing direct service time with students, the article draws on research suggesting that leveraging …

Civility And Inter-Cultural Dialogue: Negotiating Respect In The Law School Classroom And Beyond, Chris Chambers Goodman

Pepperdine Dispute Resolution Law Journal

Increasing polarization magnifies the importance of inter-cultural dialogue, which can be fruitful if the participants treat one another with civility. Civility manifests in various forms, and this Comment will focus on civility through the lens of Stephen L. Carter’s lauded book Civility: Manners, Morals, and the Etiquette of Democracy, applying lessons at the micro-level in the law school classroom. Part II explores various aspects of civility and the rules governing civility. Then, Part III focuses on civility in the legal profession and California’s new Continuing Learning Education (CLE) requirement. Next, Part IV briefly addresses views of civility from faith perspectives. …

Keynote Address: What Is An Enemy: Spirituality And The Attitude Of Forgiveness, Kenneth Cloke

Pepperdine Dispute Resolution Law Journal

Pepperdine Dispute Resolution Law Journal’s Symposium on Faith, Dialogue, and Meaning, held in November 2024. This Keynote Address explores the relationship between spirituality and conflict resolution, with a focus on forgiveness.

Being There: Perils Of Disembodied Mediation, Rob Mcniff

Pepperdine Dispute Resolution Law Journal

Following the growth of online mediation during the COVID-19 pandemic, practitioners and ADR scholars sought to delineate the virtues and shortcomings of the online process. Many report satisfaction with online mediation. Still, critics find the process devoid of emotional experience or otherwise “dehumanizing.” As ADR practitioners contrast online and face-to-face experiences, and recommend a forum to disputing parties, they should acknowledge that online platforms can never replicate physical encounters between embodied persons. This Article draws on the work of 20th century philosophers, psychologists, and sociologists to explore mediation as corporeal encounter between embodied subjects. Online mediation, by constraining the involvement …

Stranger Disputes: When Artificial Intelligence Turns Arbitration Upside Down, Imre Stephen Szalai

Pepperdine Dispute Resolution Law Journal

Arbitration agreements are everywhere in the United States. These agreements already block access to courts in a troubling manner, and pursuant to these agreements, parties must resolve their disputes before a private, human arbitrator with broad, virtually unreviewable powers. However, with the growth of AI, companies could easily redraft their contracts to require arbitration before non-human bots or AI arbitrators instead of a human arbitrator. Based on the history, values, policy, and text of the Federal Arbitration Act (FAA), this Article concludes that the FAA would govern and support the use of an AI arbitrator. As a result, a pre-dispute …

Enhanced Restoration Of Covid-19 Ct Scan Images Utilizing Advanced Wiener Filtering Techniques, Warqaa Shaher Alazawee, Marwa Subhi Ibrahim, Raghda Salam Al Mahdawi, Ali Albu-Rghaif, Ahmed Sabri Altaie

Iraqi Journal for Computer Science and Mathematics

COVID-19, caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus, was declared a global pandemic by the World Health Organization (WHO) and rapidly spread worldwide from late 2019. While Reverse Transcription Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT-PCR) is the primary diagnostic tool, its sensitivity ranges from only 60% to 70%, leading to false negatives. Computed Tomography (CT) imaging has emerged as a valuable alternative for accurate diagnosis; however, the quality of CT images is often degraded by motion-induced blur and additive noise, particularly in children, individuals with mental health conditions, or those with phobias of CT scans. This study aims to enhance COVID-19 CT image quality …