Digital Commons Network^™

Identification And Analysis Of Transverse Cirrus Bands In Tropical Cyclones Using A U-Net Model, John Mark Mayhall

Theses

Transverse cirrus bands (TCBs) are bands of upper-level clouds commonly observed in mesoscale and synoptic-scale weather systems. In tropical cyclones (TCs), their appearance has been hypothesized to relate to TC intensity, intensification, and the diurnal cycle. Rigorous testing of these relationships has been limited by the subjective nature of identifying TCBs in satellite imagery. This paper describes a convolutional neural network (CNN) that successfully identifies TCBs in satellite imagery. Using the CNN, a climatology of TCBs from 2019 to 2023 was developed for the Atlantic and Eastern Pacific TC basins. The climatology indicates that TCBs display a diurnal cycle with …

Exploring Interpenetrating Networks Derived From Compostable Polymers In Separations, Hailey Holshouser

Theses

The increasing demand for environmentally friendly and sustainable water treatment technologies drives the development of membranes that work to balance mechanical durability, tunable selectivity, and long-term stability. In this exploratory work, an interpenetrating polymer network (IPN) membrane system composed of poly(butylene adipate-co-terephthalate) (PBAT) and poly(2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate) (pHEMA) was developed to provide a more compostable and compatible platform for advanced separation applications. While the compostability of the entire framework was not tested, the dominant presence of PBAT in the matrix makes the membrane intrinsically favorable for composting. Mechanochemical Ionic Electrochromic Generators (IEGens) were synthesized and incorporated into the PBAT backbone for …

Urban Effects On Cloud Formation, Boundary Layer Circulation, And Rainfall Over Miami, Aaron A. Serre

Theses

The sensitivity of cloud and precipitation formation is expected to be enhanced over urban areas due to persistent sea-breeze forcing. This study combines surface observations, satellite data, and numerical modeling to investigate the impacts of urbanization in the Miami Metropolitan Region (MMR) on surface meteorology, cloud formation, and precipitation. Satellite observations reveal urban expansion of approximately 348 km², along the western boundary of the MMR. These areas also exhibit statistically significant increases in land surface and air temperatures. Geostationary satellite data show enhanced morning cloud formation over the MMR, while increasing rainfall and interannual variability in cloudiness are observed along …

Inflex : A Scalable Framework For Malware Analysis, Correlation, And Steganography Detection, Luke Bower

Theses

Modern malware campaigns operate in stages across diverse formats, including PE, ELF, shellcode, and malicious documents, some leveraging steganography to deliver payloads such as Quasar RAT and Lokibot. Because analysis tooling remains siloed by artifact type, analysts struggle to identify shared code reuse, behavioral overlap, and campaign relationships when adversaries avoid traditional indicators. This thesis presents INFLEX, a framework that normalizes diverse artifacts through a unified pipeline combining static analysis, emulated behavioral extraction, sandbox execution, and threat intelligence enrichment. Its correlation layer introduces Variant Resilient Function Hashing (VRFH), validated against fuzzy hashing baselines on targeted samples, and Weighted Artifact Fusion …

A Cost-Consequence Analysis Of The Children’S Administration Oxygenation Strategies Trial (Coast) In Severe Pneumonia, Orlagh U. Carroll, Richard Grieve, Sarah Kiguli, Peter Olupot-Olupot, Robert Opoka, Charles Engoru, Florence Alaroker, Abner Tagoola, Mainga Hamaluba, Eva Nabawanuka

Paediatrics and Child Health, East Africa

Oxygen supplementation is a recommended treatment for children with severe pneumonia or hypoxaemia. The open, fractional-factorial Children’s Oxygen Administration Strategies Trial (COAST) recruited Kenyan and Ugandan children with severe pneumonia and hypoxaemia. Participants in the severe hypoxaemia stratum (SpO₂ <  80%) were randomised to high-flow nasal therapy (HFNT) or low-flow oxygen (LFO), and in the hypoxaemia stratum (SpO₂ 80–91%) to HFNT, LFO or permissive hypoxaemia (ratio 1:1:2). The trial stopped early and there is ongoing uncertainty about the clinical benefits of the alternative strategies. There is a lack of evidence about the relative costs, of alternative oxygen delivery for critically-ill children in low- and middle- income countries. We used data from COAST to conduct a cost-consequence analysis …

Application Of The World Health Organization Disability Assessment Schedule 2.0 In Older Adults: A Narrative Review Of Current Evidence And Future Direction, Yuan-Chen Chang, Tsan-Hon Liou, Lien-Chieh Lin, Reuben Escorpizo, Shih-Wei Huang

Rehabilitation Practice and Science

The World Health Organization Disability Assessment Schedule 2.0 (WHODAS 2.0) is increasingly valued in geriatric care and rehabilitation for its patient-centered approach and sensitivity to cognitive and social dimensions of disability. It has demonstrated utility in assessing disability prevalence, predicting functional outcomes after dementia, and monitoring rehabilitation effectiveness in older adults. This review evaluated WHODAS 2.0’s application in older populations, identifying research gaps and clinical implications. A comprehensive literature search was conducted in PubMed/Medline, Scopus, Web of Science, Cochrane, and Embase in April 2025 by using the keywords “WHODAS,” “Elderly,” “Geriatric,” and “Disability” without time restrictions. Studies evaluating disability in …

L3 Extraforaminal Herniated Intervertebral Disc Masquerading As Knee Disorder, Ming-Yen Hsiao, Chueh-Hung Wu, Tyng-Guey Wang

Rehabilitation Practice and Science

No abstract provided.

Building A Strong Math Foundation: Supporting Early Math Precursors For Babies And Toddlers, Kathleen Campana, Jacqueline Kociubuk

Graduate School of Library and Information Studies Faculty Publications

Research is finding that exposure to early math during the baby and toddler stages is valuable for their later mathematical outcomes; however, what this looks like in practice has had relatively limited exploration. In response, this study provides insight into the presence of early math precursors (foundational pre-mathematical skills such as attribute, comparison, change, patterns), as detailed by Hynes-Berry, Chen, & Abel, in six public library storytimes for babies and toddlers. This qualitative descriptive study consisted of naturalistic observations and deductive and inductive coding of video-recorded storytimes. Participants included six library educators, 63 babies and toddlers, and 61 caregivers. The …

Wings Of Perception: Investigating Customer Sentiments In Indian Aviation Sector, Yashodhan Karulkar, Kaiwan Vaghchhipawala, Aditya Trivedi, Anushree Talekar

Journal of International Technology and Information Management

India's aviation sector, a key contributor to the nation's economy, has experienced rapid growth, supporting nearly 7.5 million jobs and contributing approximately $30 billion annually to the GDP (Gross Domestic Product). The growth, driven by increased demand for air travel and government incentives, has resulted in more competition among carriers. In the competitive market, it is necessary to understand customer preferences to enhance the quality of service and maintain a competitive edge. The dissemination of customer opinions on social media and review platforms offers airlines the opportunity to access passenger views. However, extracting useful information from this unstructured data is …

E-Payment Systems Use: The Role Of Cybersecurity Risk And The Moderating Effect Of Risk Propensity And Technology Readiness, Abdou Illia, Hyunsun Kim-Hahm, Thomas Ngniatedema, Mahaman Sani Yakoubou

Journal of International Technology and Information Management

Advances in digitalization have accelerated consumer migrations away from traditional cash- and check-based payment systems towards electronic payment systems worldwide. Yet, many people still remain resistant. This study examined the role of motivational and inhibiting factors and their interaction effects on the use of e-payment systems. The findings suggest that perceived cybersecurity risk, risk propensity, trust in the companies offering the e-payment services, and technology readiness have a significant direct impact on the use of e-payment systems. The findings also suggest that risk propensity and technology readiness have a tempering effect on the negative impact of perceived risk. The study …

Business Process Redesign For Reducing Undelivered Product Return Losses In E-Commerce – An Explainable Ai Approach, Venkataraghavan Krishnaswamy, Deepa R, Himanshu Sharma

Journal of International Technology and Information Management

Product returns in e-commerce affect the profitability of the e-tailer. We adopt a two-stage approach to reduce undelivered product returns in an e-commerce firm. First, we develop and compare machine learning techniques—logistic regression, decision trees, Naïve Bayes, random forest, adaptive boosting, gradient boosting, stochastic gradient boosting, and deep neural networks—on their ability to predict undelivered returns. Next, we use explainable methods, such as relative importance and Shapley values, to develop insights from the best-performing machine learning model. Finally, we use these insights and the predictive model to redesign the firm’s order fulfillment and return processes. A Post-implementation evaluation of the …

Pulse Musical Center. The Geometry Of Sound, Luara Sánchez Franco

Grado en Diseño de Interiores

PULSE was created to overturn the exclusivity of Serrano Street, creating a "third space" for musical creation where culture stops being a privilege of consumption and therefore becomes a universal and free right of access. The foundation of a music center at 130 Serrano Street in Madrid, addresses a urban paradox: a high density of young people with a complete lack of freely accessible social infrastructure and space. Located at the heart of a "Student Hub" due to the academic activity of IE University and the CSIC (Spanish National Research Council), the area around the Casa de Villora attracts many …

La Traza Villora, Paula González Moreno

Grado en Diseño de Interiores

La Traza Villora es un hotel boutique situado en la antigua Casa del Marqués de Villora, concebido a partir de la conservación y reinterpretación de la arquitectura racionalista original de Rafael Bergamín. El proyecto parte de la idea de “traza” como aquello que permanece: la memoria espacial, la proporción, el orden y las huellas del tiempo presentes en la construcción existente. Frente a una intervención de ruptura, la propuesta busca habitar la arquitectura desde la continuidad, manteniendo la claridad compositiva y la lógica racionalista del edificio, mientras se incorpora una nueva capa de domesticidad contemporánea. A través de materiales naturales, …

College Of Liberal Arts Faculty Bylaws 2026-2027 - Amended 09/2026), College Of Liberal Arts Faculty, Rollins College

College of Liberal Arts Bylaws

No abstract provided.

Treatment Manual For Nonsequential Format Two Part Program For Symptom Self-Management (12 Session Course & Support Group For Booster Dose Of Course), Robin Kay Buccheri, Louise Nigh Trygstad, Martha D. Buffum

Nursing and Health Professions Faculty Research and Publications

This is the Treatment Manual and 5 Appendices for NonSequential Format.  Two-Part Program for Symptom Self-Management of Auditory Hallucinations: 12 Session Course & Support Group for Booster Dose of Course

Winter 2026, Southwestern Oklahoma State University Office Of Institutional Advancement And Alumni

Echoes from the Hill

From The Interim President

Fellow members of the SWOSU Community,

I have been grateful for the opportunity to serve Southwestern Oklahoma State University for nearly three decades. As the Spring 2026 semester gets underway, we welcome the opportunity to pause and reflect on what we have learned—and what we continue to achieve together.

The bonds formed among our students, faculty, and staff as we deliver high quality, affordable programs of instruction and training are deep and enduring. The Southwestern Spirit—marked by friendly cooperation, thoughtful inquiry, and hard work—gives SWOSU a distinctive strength and instills in our graduates a lasting sense …

Spring/Summer 2026, Southwestern Oklahoma State University Office Of Institutional Advancement And Alumni

Echoes from the Hill

From The President

SWOSU Community,

SWOSU is 125 years old this year, and 2026 has been an exciting year here on the Hilltop! We are gearing up for a great Fall Semester!

This issue of Echoes highlights the wonderful time we had in the Spring when our students, faculty, and staff joined donors, alumni, dignitaries, and community leaders from throughout Oklahoma and beyond for the dedication of the Jerry & Margaret Hodge Center for Pharmacy & Rural Health. The Center represents an innovative private-public partnership that will enable our university to graduate more healthcare professionals to meet the workforce needs …

Could Have Seen That Coming: New York State Department Of Health Taken To Task For Failing To Provide Proper Oversight Of Medicaid Managed Care Provider Networks, Lance Plunkett Jd, Llm

The New York State Dental Journal

A recent audit conducted by the Office of the New York State Comptroller (OSC) found that the New York State Department of Health (NYSDOH) oversight of Medicaid managed care healthcare provider networks was largely illusory and a paperwork sham. This raises the much larger question of whether Medicaid managed care is really serving the population of Medicaid patients. It is already almost a given that it is not serving healthcare providers well.

Tramadol For Treatment Of Neurogenic Cough: A Retrospective Case Series, Benjamin Joseph Rubinstein, Sheela Saidha, John Todd Sinacori

Department of Otolaryngology (ENT) Faculty Publications

Objectives

Explore the efficacy of tramadol for neurogenic cough and describe the longitudinal treatment experience.

Methods

A retrospective case series of adults with chronic cough who were treated with tramadol for neurogenic cough. A complete response was defined as no pathologic coughing, and a partial response was defined as 50% or greater reduction in severity or frequency.

Results

Sixty-nine patients were included. 38% of patients reported a complete response with an additional 33% reporting a partial response. The most common successful dosing regimen was 50 mg BID. Age, gender, and BMI did not impact treatment response. Patients with a history …

Early And Sustained Improvements In Sense Of Smell With Tezepelumab Treatment In Patients With Chronic Rhinosinusitis With Nasal Polyps (Waypoint), Joaquim Mullol, Joseph K. Han, Tanya M. Laidlaw, Claire Hopkins, Anju T. Peters, Oliver Pfaar, Martin Desrosiers, Stella E. Lee, Andrew P. Lane, Claudia Chen, Yun Chon, Sandhia S. Ponnarambil, Andrews Foster, Andrew W. Lindsley, Christopher S. Ambrose

Department of Otolaryngology (ENT) Faculty Publications

Background

Loss of smell is a principal symptom of chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps (CRSwNP), affecting health-related quality of life and posing a safety hazard.

Methods

WAYPOINT (NCT04851964), a phase 3, multicenter trial in adults with uncontrolled CRSwNP, randomized patients 1:1 to receive tezepelumab 210 mg or placebo subcutaneously every 4 weeks for 52 weeks. Changes from baseline in biweekly mean Nasal Polyposis Symptom Diary (NPSD) loss of smell item, University of Pennsylvania Smell Identification Test (UPSIT), and 22-item Sino-Nasal Outcome Test (SNOT-22) loss of smell/taste item scores, as well as anosmia (UPSIT score ≤18) prevalence, were assessed over 52 …

Progression Of Mild Sleep-Disordered Breathing In Children Managed With Watchful Waiting, Erin M. Kirkham, Stacey Ishman, Susan Garetz, Cristina M. Baldassari, Ron B. Mitchell, Christopher Liu, Ignacio E. Tapia, Lisa M. Elden, Fauziya Hassan, Sally Ibrahim, Kristie Ross, Mengqi Cen, Rui Wang, Susan Redline, Ronald D. Chervin

Department of Otolaryngology (ENT) Faculty Publications

Purpose

To identify clinical characteristics that may be associated with persistence or progression of mild sleep-disordered breathing (SDB) in children who are observed without surgery.

Methods

This is a secondary analysis of the control arm of the Pediatric Adenotonsillectomy Trial for Snoring (PATS), which randomized 458 children aged 3.0 to 12.9 years with mild SDB (snoring with obstructive apnea-hypopnea index [oAHI] <  3 events/hour) to early adenotonsillectomy (eAT) versus watchful waiting with supportive care (WWSC). Participants were assessed at baseline and 12 months with the Pediatric Sleep Questionnaire-Sleep-Related Breathing Disorder (PSQ-SRBD) scale and polysomnography (PSG). We tested for factors predictive of either (1) PSG progression defined by a 12-month oAHI ≥ 3 or (2) symptom persistence or progression defined by a 12-month PSQ-SRBD score ≥ 0.33.

Results

A total of 234 participants were observed (mean age 6.2 years, 111 [47%] female, 65 [28%] Black or African American, 37 [16%] Hispanic). Overall, only 13% (n = 20/150) progressed to an oAHI ≥ 3 on repeat PSG, …

Single Intratympanic Injection Of Proprietary Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor (Oto-413) In Subjects With Speech-In-Noise Hearing Impairment: A Randomized, Dose Escalating, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Phase 1/2 Study, Alan C. Foster, Jeffery J. Anderson, David R. Moore, Morgan Oktela Fuentes, Yiwei Wang, Peter G. Volsky, K. Paul Boyev, Victoria A. Sanchez

Department of Otolaryngology (ENT) Faculty Publications

Purpose

To evaluate the safety and tolerability and exploratory efficacy of OTO-413, an intratympanic-administered, sustained release formulation of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) in a thermoreversible gel, in participants with speech-in-noise hearing difficulties.

Methods

This was a single dose, dose-ascending, randomized, double-blind, Placebo-controlled Phase 1/2 study conducted at 7 enrolling clinical sites in the U.S. 110 participants (56% female) enrolled had self-reported speech-in-noise (SIN) difficulties that were confirmed by a SIN test and were randomized to OTO-413 or Placebo. OTO-413 dose range was escalated from 0.01 mg to 1.5 mg within 7 Cohorts. Safety evaluations included monitoring for treatment-emergent adverse events, …

Modeling And Identification Of Thermal Interactions In Lithium-Ion Battery Modules, Saima Alam

Theses

The recent development of lithium-ion battery technology has fueled its adoption in electric vehicles (EVs) as the primary power source due to its high energy and power density. However, the high energy density comes at the cost of higher safety requirements. To ensure the lithium-ion battery pack's operational safety, performance optimization, and longevity, a Battery Management System (BMS), an electronic controller, is employed. Recent reports of battery pack overheating, fire, and explosion in EVs expose the limitations of the BMS in detecting the abnormalities and preventing them from propagating to other cells. To address these limitations, in the first part …

Discovering The Genes And Molecular Mechanisms Involved In Increasing The Expression Of The Gad Regulon In Escherichia Coli Resistant To Macrolide Antibiotics, Lea V. Freeman

Theses

Various genes have been proposed to play a role in the action of indole, a bacterial hormone involved in biofilm and quorum sensing. Previous work found that E. coli strains carrying a macrolide-resistant mutation in the uL22 ribosomal protein reduce tna operon mRNA levels and, consequently, decrease indole production. This ribosomal mutation also increases expression of the gad regulon, a genetic unit involved in acid resistance at pH below 2. The gad regulon is involved in bacterial survival under environmental challenges, primarily regulating intracellular acid resistance, and its expression appears to depend on indole production. In this work, we work …

Performance Comparison Of A 25 Mm Rotating Detonation Rocket Engine Using Multi-Ring Injection, Nathan C. Mead

Theses

Rotating detonation rocket engines (RDREs) use one or more detonation waves traveling circumferentially around an annular (center body, CB) or cylindrical (center bodiless, CBL) combustion chamber, offering theoretical advantages over conventional deflagration-based combustors. A new geometry, the center fill (CF), further enhances the CBL geometry by adding a fuel-oxidizer injector ring near the center of the combustion chamber, increasing energy density and thus propulsion performance. To evaluate CF operability and performance, a 25 mm CF RDRE running gaseous methane and oxygen is tested across varying equivalence ratios at 0.076 kg/s total mass flow rate, and across varying mass flow rates …

Deep Joint Source-Channel Coding For Semantic-Aware Adaptive Wireless Image Transmission, Sudipto Das Suvro

Theses

The growing use of AI-enabled applications has increased the demand for adaptive, efficient, and low-latency image transmission of large data volumes. This has created challenges for conventional separate source-channel coding that focuses on reliable bit sequence transmission without considering the contents or communication objectives. Deep joint source-channel coding (DeepJSCC) potentially solves this by combining source compression and error correction into a unified process. This thesis focuses on developing adaptive and computationally lightweight DeepJSCC-based transceivers for image transmission across heterogeneous channels. The framework further investigates DeepJSCC’s performance in OFDM with robust channel estimation and importance-based subcarrier allocation strategies. Comprehensive evaluation using …

An Introduction For Nursing Research: An Open Educational Resource For The Undergraduate Nursing Student, Ellen Benjamin

OER Textbooks

The purpose of this text is not to prepare you to independently conduct research, but to help you become an informed and critical consumer of research. The ability to systematically evaluate the strengths, limitations, and applicability of research findings is known as critical appraisal. Critical appraisal is an expected competency of baccalaureate-prepared nurses [5] and requires a foundational understanding of research principles and methods. This book will introduce the research process, including common research methodologies, data collection and analysis approaches, ethical considerations, and strategies for translating research evidence into nursing practice.

What Is Hate Speech? A Proposal For An Ordinary And Legal Definition, Hannah Van Dijcke

SJD Dissertations

The term “hate speech” has been stretched in legal and public debates to cover speech ranging from insults to Holocaust denial. This definitional stretching has consequences beyond mere conceptual confusion: it risks obscuring the profound harm that hate speech does, and it facilitates the term’s misuse.

In this dissertation, I aim to precisely define hate speech and its harm, both in an ordinary (colloquial or non-legal) sense and in a legal sense. To do so, I examine real-world examples of speech widely understood to express hate, including texts from the context of the Holocaust and the Rwandan genocide, and conduct …

Bridging The Gap: A Systematic Review Of Cyber Conflict Forecasting Models And The Case For Ai-Driven Dynamic Frameworks, Salim Arfaoui, Youssef Harrath, Omar El-Gayar

Research & Publications

Cyber conflict forecasting remains constrained by static models that overlook the integration of geopolitical context with technical indicators. This systematic literature review examines 58 studies (2010–2025) using PRISMA guidelines and an Input-Process-Output framework to classify approaches and identify key gaps. Quantitative methods dominate (67%), yet only 14% incorporate geopolitical variables, despite the political nature of cyber conflict. Major limitations include adversarial adaptation blindness (85% assume static behavior), coarse temporal granularity (72% use daily+ intervals), lack of uncertainty quantification (75%), and minimal modeling of cross-domain escalation (92% cyber-only focus). Strategic forecasting is rare, with just 14% providing long-term insights and 16% …

The Explainable Ai Paradox: When Transparency Improves Decision Quality And When It Creates Overconfidence, Harsha Sammangi, Poloju Pravalika

Research & Publications

Explainable artificial intelligence (XAI) is widely promoted as a remedy for algorithmic opacity, premised on the assumption that revealing a model's reasoning improves human oversight and decision quality. This study investigates the Explainable AI Paradox: the possibility that explanations simultaneously increase trust, reliance, and adoption while also producing overconfidence in flawed models — improving decision quality when models are valid but amplifying errors when models are not. Using a controlled experiment with 921 managers making pricing, lending, or inventory decisions assisted by AI systems of deliberately varied validity, participants were randomly assigned to one of five explanation conditions: no explanation, …