Digital Commons Network^™

High Dynamic Range Image Generation For Extended Reality Headsets Using Differential Camera Exposure, Alexander Graehl Williams

Defensive Publications Series

Image capture devices typically exhibit a limited dynamic range relative to natural human vision, frequently resulting in overexposed highlights or underexposed shadows. This limitation can present visual challenges in head-mounted wearable displays where captured video feeds replace natural human vision. A method for generating high dynamic range imagery is described. A first camera associated with a first eye may be configured with an elevated exposure setting to capture shadow details. A second camera associated with a second eye may be configured with a reduced exposure setting to capture highlight details. Overlapping central regions of the captured image streams are merged …

Accelerating Emergency Call Retry By Inferring Bearer Deactivation From Ancillary Network Messages, Edison Chen

Defensive Publications Series

Mobile communication systems may experience delays when retrying a failed emergency call during a network handover. These delays can occur when a user equipment (UE), such as a smartphone, smart watch, or vehicle communication system, waits for a network timer to expire to confirm resource release from a failed connection, particularly if a deactivation confirmation message is not received. A technique is described where a UE's communication modem can infer the deactivation of a failed bearer by analyzing ancillary network messages, such as a tracking area update accept message. The modem can parse an information element within this message that …

Design Of Reliability Acceptance Sampling Plans, Rathin Das

Doctoral Theses

A reliability acceptance sampling plan (RASP) is used for sampling and decision-making in the acceptance or rejection of a lot of products based on lifetime data obtained from a life test. In practice, censored life tests are employed due to limitations in cost, time, and other testing resources for the collection of lifetime data. This thesis develops the design of optimal RASPs under various censoring schemes and testing environments. Design of optimal Bayesian RASPs (BRASPs) are considered under interval censoring schemes (ICS) and hybrid censoring schemes using Bayesian decision-theoretic approaches. These models incorporate the adversarial relationship between manufacturers and consumers, …

Escaping The Cyberstorm: A Gamified Social Engineering Training Program, Noah Mcclanahan, Fadi Abu-Amara, Ali Khattab, Travis Jett, Andre Jackson

Journal of Cybersecurity Education, Research and Practice

In this research work, we explored the effectiveness of gamification in improving cybersecurity awareness and training users on targeted social engineering attacks. Traditional cybersecurity training focuses on lectures and videos. These training methods may not actively engage employees, which reduces their knowledge retention and ability to recognize social engineering attacks. This lack of involvement is a concern, as social engineering continues to be one of the most prevalent attack methods faced by end-users. A gamified training program, Escaping the Cyberstorm, was developed using the Godot game engine to address key challenges in spreading cybersecurity awareness. The game includes real-life …

Feasibility Of An Onboarding Program To Facilitate The Transition From Practitioner To Educator, Jennifer R. Washko, Nancy E. Krusen

Innovations in Health Sciences Education Journal

The study examined the feasibility of a faculty onboarding program to support the transition from practitioner to educator. Researchers applied Orsmond’s feasibility objectives (2015). We applied the theoretical model of Occupational Adaptation to analyze program data using Relative Mastery Scale (RMS) scores and satisfaction surveys (n=11). Evaluation suggested program processes were feasible, with outcomes indicating statistically significant change (p < .05) in participants’ perceived effectiveness, efficiency, and satisfaction. Evaluating feasibility supports the implementation of onboarding programs. We recommend additional study to consider the usefulness of onboarding for health or social service professionals transitioning to faculty roles.

Childbirth Experiences Of The Bangladeshi Immigrant Women In South Florida, Tahsina Ferdous

Electronic Theses and Dissertations 2020 - Present

This qualitative research was conducted among Bangladeshi immigrant women living in South Florida who have given birth here. Twenty Bangladeshi immigrant women were selected using the snowball sampling method from various cities in South Florida. The unit of analysis was the individual Bangladeshi immigrant woman, focusing on her experiences and behavior during pregnancy and childbirth. Semi-structured interviewing and case study methods were used for data collection. The results reveal the coping strategies and the navigation process of socio-cultural transition from non-mother to mother, and the Bangladeshi traditional views regarding beliefs, rituals, and practices of Bangladeshi immigrant women regarding their pregnancy …

Physiological Impacts Of Plastic Ingestion On Sea Turtles, Heather Seaman

Electronic Theses and Dissertations 2020 - Present

Over the years, plastic production has increased to astonishing numbers and is predicted to continue. Over time, environmental plastic will degrade into smaller pieces, which sea turtles can mistake for prey. Chemicals associated with plastics have been identified in tissues of sea turtles, and some are suspected to be endocrine disruptors. Sea turtles are known to ingest plastics, but more information is needed to illuminate the potential physiological impacts plastic chemicals may have on sea turtles. This study compared plastic ingestion and toxicant levels across species and ontogenically, as different species and life stages inhabit different areas which will influence …

Dnp Final Report: Improving Rehospitalization Rates And Caregiver Quality Of Life In Outpatient Hospice, Carrie M. Judd

DNP Final Reports

Background: Hospital readmissions among home hospice patients disrupt continuity of care, increase healthcare costs, and may compromise end-of-life preferences.

Purpose: This quality improvement project evaluated the feasibility of implementing a telehealth communication intervention in an outpatient hospice organization. Project aims were to reduce Type I live hospice discharges by at least 2.5% and improve caregiver quality of life (QOL).

Methods: Zoom for Healthcare® video visits and three-way telephone communication supplemented standard nurse practitioner hospice visits during a three-month implementation period. Type I live discharge rates were compared with the organization's baseline quality metrics. Caregiver QOL was measured pre- and post-intervention …

Integrated Construction Risk Assessment Framework, Felix Delmonte

Mechanical and Civil Engineering Faculty Publications

An integrated risk assessment architecture for construction projects synthesizes data governance, BIM, Digital Twins, and hybrid analytics into a continuous feedback loop that links sensing, semantic modelling, probabilistic simulation, and organizational learning. The framework distinguishes aleatory from cognitive uncertainty and prescribes layered methods: Monte Carlo and Bayesian updating for measurable variability; fuzzy inference and consensus aggregation for linguistic and expert judgements; and graph-based discovery for dynamic cyber-physical topologies represented as time-varying graphs 𝐺𝑡. Governance primitives, aligned with ISO 19650, enforce provenance, interoperability, and staged readiness thresholds that prevent premature prescriptive outputs until model convergence criteria are met. BIM and GIS …

Study On The Accuracy Of Varian Eclipse Mlc Modeling When Mlcs Are Open Beyond The Jaw In Breast Cancer Patient Planning Using Aaa And Acuros With Both Dual-Isocentric Technique And Mono-Isocentric Technique., Amy Rogers

Masters Projects

Accurate dose delivery at the chest wall-supraclavicular (CW-SCV) junction remains an important challenge in breast irradiation, especially when multileaf collimator (MLC) leaves are intentionally opened beyond the collimator jaws to improve junction coverage. This study evaluated the dosimetric accuracy of the Varian Eclipse treatment planning system (TPS) at the CW-SCV junction using the Anisotropic Analytical Algorithm (AAA) and Acuros XB calculation algorithms with mono-isocentric and dual-isocentric treatment techniques. A prospective phantom-based study was performed using a solid water phantom and a Varian TrueBeam linear accelerator. Twenty-four unique three-dimensional conformal treatment plan configurations were created using combinations of beam energy (6 …

Exercise Self-Efficacy And Physical Wellness In A Worksite Wellness Program: Exploring Factor Structure And Perceptions, Micah B. Mcglathery

Dissertations

Exploring Perceptions of Exercise Self-Efficacy and Physical Wellness in a Worksite Wellness Program

Abstract

Worksite wellness programs are increasingly adopted to address insufficient exercise participation and other health-related behaviors that put employees at risk of chronic disease. Although quantitative outcomes are well-documented, there is limited research exploring how employees perceive these programs' impact on personal behavior change, particularly in relation to exercise self-efficacy. Guided by the Social Cognitive Theory and the Exercise is Medicine initiative, this study qualitatively investigates employee perceptions of a worksite wellness program’s influence on physical wellness and confidence to exercise. A phenomenological approach using semi-structured interviews …

Third Amended Chapter 11 Plan Filed By Roman Catholic Archbishop

Catholic Dioceses in Bankruptcy

No abstract provided.

Effectiveness Of A Multifaceted Educational Program For Patients Receiving Oral Anticoagulants, Yu-Hsia Tsai, Meei-Fang Lou, Chi-Tai Kuo, Her-Kun Chang, Kuo-Liong Chien, Bih-Shya Gau, Lai-Chu See

International Nursing Research Congress (INRC)

Background: Atrial fibrillation (AFib) is a common arrhythmia associated with elevated risks of stroke and mortality. Oral anticoagulants (OACs) are prescribed to reduce stroke risk, yet many patients lack sufficient understanding of their use. Effective educational strategies are crucial for enhancing medication safety and minimizing complications.

Purpose: This study evaluated the effectiveness of a multifaceted, interactive education program for patients with AFib taking OACs. Grounded in the Health Belief Model, the intervention was delivered via a mobile application (App). Its effectiveness was compared to a control group receiving a printed brochure. Outcomes included patient knowledge, health beliefs, and medication satisfaction. …

Stop Blaming My Users: Illumination Of The Technocentric Mythos Bias, Ervin H. Frenzel, Richard Lightcap

Journal of Cybersecurity Education, Research and Practice

 Abstract -This conceptual essay addresses the need for systemic and systematic transdisciplinary analytical techniques within cybersecurity and technical security. This conceptual essay is contingent upon recognition that cybersecurity is not simply technical in nature, it does not need an adversary, and more importantly it is based upon systems engineering and systems thinking.  The essay contributes a socio-technical attribution chain and field-specific ontology/taxonomy which distinguish user-triggered events from root causes, latent conditions, technical debt, validation failures, governance failures, and attribution bias before assigning responsibility to end users. It systematically defines an ontology inclusive of developer technical debt, organizational debt arising from …

Dating Violence And Help-Seeking Among Taiwanese Young Adults: A Gender Perspective, Wen-Li Hou

International Nursing Research Congress (INRC)

Background: Dating violence (DV) is a growing public and mental health concern among young people [1,2]. Gender-role internalization and power inequality shape both DV occurrence and help-seeking [3,4], yet Taiwan-specific qualitative evidence is limited.

Purpose: To explore DV and help-seeking among Taiwanese young adults from a gender perspective and to examine how gendered power imbalances affect coping and help-seeking behaviors.

Methods: This qualitative study used semi-structured interviews guided by the Knowledge–Attitude–Behavior (KAB) framework [5]. Nine young adults (eight women, one man; aged 19–26 years, M = 22.1) were recruited through purposive sampling. Interview transcripts were analyzed using content analysis to …

Reduced Executive Function In Older Adults With Chronic Diseases And Subjective Cognitive Decline, Cheng-Chen Chou, Yuan-Mei Liao, Jong-Ni Lin

International Nursing Research Congress (INRC)

Background: Chronic diseases are common worldwide and are closely associated with cognitive decline. Subjective cognitive decline (SCD) refers to self-perceived worsening of memory or cognitive ability. Individuals with SCD have a two-fold higher risk of developing dementia and often experience reduced physical function, emotional problems, lower quality of life, and an increased risk of falls. However, research on cognitive function and related factors among older adults with chronic diseases who report SCD remains limited.

Purpose: To compare cognitive and executive function in older adults with chronic diseases with and without SCD, and to identify factors associated with cognitive and executive …

Recommendations For Hiv Testing Locations To Reach Youth And Emerging Adults: A Qualitative Study, Henna Budhwani, Gerard Thomas Hogan, Alexis Micheau, Angulique Y. Outlaw, Michael J. Mugavero, Mallory O. Johnson, Robert A. Oster, Lisa B. Hightow-Weidman, Sylvie Naar, Janet M. Turan

International Nursing Research Congress (INRC)

Background: Youth and emerging adults aged 18-29 year are one of the few groups with rising rates of new HIV infections in the United States (US), with those in the southern US being more vulnerable and at elevated risk of acquisition. This is dues to a confluence of factors including but not limited to low HIV testing rates, high levels of stigma, and high rates of poverty in the region. Thus, understanding where and how to reach youth and emerging adults in the under resourced southern US for prevention is essential for advancing the Ending the HIV Epidemic goals.

Methods: …

Peptoid-Peptide Hybrid For Selective Targeting And Elimination Of Breast Cancer Stem Cells, Evan Chen

Chemistry Theses

Breast cancer remains one of the deadliest diseases in the world and poses a great threat due to its resistance to common chemotherapeutics. Recent studies propose the theory of cancer stem cells, a subpopulation of self-renewing progenitors as the root cause of therapy resistance. The presence of cancer stem cells explains the occurrence of tumor relapses as they would continue to self-renew after initial treatment. Due to this challenge, development of a novel therapeutic to target and eliminate cancer stem cells is a promising strategy for increasing survival rate in breast cancer patients. Previous studies have discovered a synthetic peptoid, …

Teachers' Perspectives: Literacy Recommendations For Newcomers With Limited Language Proficiency, Rachel Edmunds

Theses and Dissertations

Although multilingual literacy instruction has expanded in recent years, less is known about how teachers can support newcomers with limited language proficiency in Grades 4-6. This gap is significant as many teachers report feeling underprepared to meet the needs of their multilingual learners, especially those with limited language proficiency. The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore the literacy practices and strategies that teachers found effective when working with students who are multilingual newcomers with limited language proficiency (NLLPs) in Spanish and English in Grades 4-6 along with their implementation experiences. Drawing from Vygotsky's sociocultural theory, this qualitative study …

Artificial Intelligence Mechanisms In The Limit Of Crimes And Law Enforcement, Saad Mefleh Alsuwaileh

Journal of Police and Legal Sciences

This study explores the potential of employing technological mechanisms and modern innovations brought about by the Fourth Industrial Revolution, particularly advancements in the field of information technology, in the domains of criminal investigation, crime prevention, and law enforcement. It aims to analyze the impact of these technologies on crime control efforts and the promotion of justice.

The significance of the study lies in highlighting the power of technology in processing and analyzing massive volumes of data with greater speed and accuracy, thereby enhancing the efficiency of criminal investigations and the ability to predict and prevent crimes. The core research question …

Applying Artificial Intelligence Within Decision Support Systems And Its Role In Improving Proactive Thinking And Reducing Security Threats: The Mediating Role Of Data Quality, Hany Shaaban El Anany

Journal of Police and Legal Sciences

The study aimed to identify the impact of applying artificial intelligence within decision support systems in improving the level of proactive thinking and reducing security threats in government institutions in the Arab Republic of Egypt, as well as to examine the mediating role of data quality in this relationship, at a significance level of (α ≤ 0.05). The study sample consisted of (360) participants working in the departments of information technology, decision support, and cybersecurity within government institutions and national authorities that rely on AI-enhanced decision support systems.

The study adopted the descriptive analytical method and used a questionnaire as …

Criminal Investigation Of Crimes Committed In A Metaverse Environment: A Comparative Analytical Study, Hussein Abdelmoaty Abdelnaby

Journal of Police and Legal Sciences

The world is undergoing a radical transformation in the nature of social spaces and human interactions, driven by the emergence of advanced virtual environments such as the "metaverse," which represents a multi-dimensional digital extension of the real world. This transformation has led to the emergence of new forms of criminal activity occurring within this immaterial space, raising fundamental questions about the adequacy of traditional legal and procedural frameworks—particularly criminal investigation mechanisms—in keeping pace with these developments.

This study aims to analyze the key legal and procedural challenges associated with crimes committed in the metaverse and assess the adequacy of the …

Investigating Learning In Immersive Virtual Reality, Andrew Negrette

Master's Theses

Students often struggle with learning challenging subjects throughout their education. This also tends to lead to lower enjoyment and science self-efficacy for learning. Some subjects may be better represented in 3-dimensional spaces utilizing immersive virtual reality (IVR). Recently, IVR headsets have become more accessible and affordable and therefore are in wider use. The purpose of this study was to investigate whether differences in science selfefficacy, enjoyment, presence and knowledge retention exist between IVR and controls on an ocean acidification lesson. I predicted that participants taking the lesson in IVR would score higher compared to a laptop on all measures, due …

Spatial Heterogeneity And Temporal Trends Of California Extreme Heat Using High-Resolution Earth System Model Simulations, Eleni Konstantelos

Master's Theses

Extreme heat threatens California’s diverse landscapes and populations through intensifying and geographically shifting patterns. This study examined the temporal trend and spatial heterogeneities of California’s extreme heat for 1994–2015. The analysis was based on the fully coupled Energy Exascale Earth System Model version 2 (E3SMv2), specifically its 25-km regionally refined configuration. While the Desert/Inland region exhibited the highest number of days ≥ 35 °C and the highest heatwave severity, Central Valley showed the fastest increase in the number of days ≥ 35 °C and heatwave events, as well as the fastest increases of days exceeding various heat index thresholds over …

Match Made In Ml: Developing Compatibility Relationships In Evidential Reasoning Approaches With Machine Learning, Ella Jolie Thomas

Master's Theses

The presented expectation maximization informed evidential reasoning model extends the ability of the evidential reasoning calculus to support decision making by integrating an adaptive model learning capability. Compatibility relationships in Evidential Reasoning models are traditionally built by human domain experts. This process is labor-intensive, especially for large and complex models. Additionally, when new data becomes available, compatibility relationships must be reconstructed. Using machine learning and the expectation maximization algorithm, it is demonstrated that compatibility relationships can be constructed that learn relationships between domain knowledge that is used to make decisions. Using drug development as a domain of application, a traditional …

Interpretable Wellness Prediction From Passive Wearable Sensor Data Using Large Language Models, Cheng-Huan Yu

Master's Theses

This thesis presents a unified framework for multi-target wellness prediction using passive wearable sensor data and large language models (LLMs). The study integrates two complementary paradigms: prompt-based regression and representation-driven classification. In the first stage, structured wearable representations derived from daily physiological signals are used to prompt LLMs to predict stress, fatigue, sleep quality, and readiness. Two input representations are evaluated: statistical summaries and hybrid inputs combining statistical summaries with raw sensor values. To improve interpretability and prediction consistency, the second stage introduces a representation-centric classification framework in which wearable signals and wellness targets are discretized into categorical levels. Multiple …

Moral: Multimodal Reasoning For Autonomous Language Models With Sensor-Grounded Spatial Bev Rendering, Ambarish Govindarajulu Kaliamurthi

Master's Theses

Autonomous-driving vision-language models describe scenes fluently but reason poorly about metric, safety-critical spatial relationships because they do not read sensor geometry in a grounded way. This thesis presents MoRAL (Multimodal Reasoning for Autonomous Language Models), a two-stage fine-tuning pipeline that teaches a compact 2-billion-parameter VLM to decode a physics-encoded Bird’s Eye View (BEV) representation – LiDAR distance as color, object class as cluster shape, radar Doppler velocity as directional wedges – and then trains it to reason over that representation for driving decisions. Stage 2 then fine-tunes on 57,696 teacher-generated chain-of-thought examples across eight question types, using Cosmos-Reason2-8B as teacher …

Superresolution Spectroscopy Of Atomically Thin Semiconductors And Moiré Heterostructures, Chien-Chu (Charity) Wei

Master's Theses

Atomically thin semiconductors and moir’e heterostructures provide an important platform for studying quantum phenomena shaped by reduced dimensionality, interlayer coupling, strain, and local structure. In MoS2, the transition from bulk to monolayer form changes the material from an indirect to a direct band gap, while stacked and strain-engineered systems can produce spatially varying moir’e potentials on nanometer length scales. Because these effects are highly localized, conventional far-field optical spectroscopy is often limited in its ability to resolve them directly. This thesis explores superresolution vibrational spectroscopy as a route toward probing local behavior in atomically thin semiconductors and moir’e heterostructures. Far-field …

Remote Reality: Exploring The Outcomes Of Psychological Contract Breach On Telecommuting Employees, Karen L. Ng

Master's Theses

The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between psychological contract breach (PCB) and attitudinal outcomes, specifically job satisfaction, organizational commitment, and turnover intent, within the telecommuter population. Results of an online survey administered to 213 participants revealed strong support of all hypotheses: PCB was negatively associated with job satisfaction and organizational commitment and positively associated with turnover intent. Exploratory analyses revealed moderating effects of remote work frequency and organizational tenure with PCB and attitudinal outcomes. High-frequency remote workers and longer-tenured employees showed stronger negative reactions to PCB, indicating their amplified vulnerability to breaches. Age and gender showed …

Effects Of Variable Light On Sexual Competition In Kelp Species, Jaycee Lanza

Master's Theses

As foundation species, kelps significantly influence the structure and composition of their surrounding habitat by modifying environmental conditions, including light levels, currents, nutrient availability, sedimentation, and seawater chemistry. Light, in particular, is a critical resource that varies greatly within kelp forests, affecting kelp reproductive processes such as gametogenesis, fertilization, and recruitment, which are vital to population persistence. Biological factors, such as density-dependent competition for resources and sexual competition with other kelps, can also affect such processes. To understand how environmental variables influence kelp populations, it is crucial to recognize their combined effects. This study investigated the impacts of light levels …