Digital Commons Network^™

Short-Term Response Mechanisms Of Water Quantity And Quality Of Daihai Lake Under Temperature-Driven Changes, Hao Zhang, Xiaohong Shi, Xianhua Li, Junping Lu, Ruizhong Gao, Xixi Wang, Shuhao Zhang, Longmei Xie, Yu Liu

Civil & Environmental Engineering Faculty Publications

Temperature-driven mechanisms involving complex feedback and lag that affect the evolution of hydrological processes and ecological functions in cold- and arid-region lakes represent a core scientific issue in current hydrology and lake ecology research. In this study, based on month-scale temperature and environmental factor data from Daihai Lake in Inner Mongolia from January to December 2023, statistical methods (redundancy analysis, Tukey's test analysis, correlation analysis, structural equation modeling), time series analysis methods (dynamic time warping), and machine learning methods (random forest) were combined. A hierarchical and phased response framework was constructed that encompassed driver identification, path tracing, lag characterization, and …

Iuse: A Gamified Virtual Learning Platform For Connected Vehicle Applications To Enhance Undergraduate Transportation Education, Tianyu Shen, Di Yang, Kai Sun, Hong Yang, Kun Xie, Mansoureh Jeihani

Civil & Environmental Engineering Faculty Publications

Emerging transportation technologies are rapidly reshaping transportation systems and industry practice. However, most transportation undergraduate curricula still emphasize foundational topics such as geometric design, travel demand forecasting, pavements, and soil properties, typically delivered through lecture-centric instruction. While these subjects remain essential to the discipline, they do not fully reflect the pace of technological change or provide sufficient opportunities for experiential learning with modern tools and data. This gap limits students’ exposure to CV concepts and their ability to translate theory into practice.

Focusing on a key emerging technology, connected vehicles (CVs), this paper bridges the above gap by introducing a …

The Crisis Of Theodicy In Wartime Ukraine: From Gottverlassenheit To The Anthropodical Shift, Tetiana Havryliuk, Yuriy Chornomorets, Svitlana Shkil

Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe

Examination of the crisis of classical theodicy in the context of contemporary warfare, with particular attention to the experience of Russia’s full-scale war against Ukraine. The problem of innocent suffering can no longer be approached solely through speculative attempts to justify the world order or reconcile radical evil with divine providence. Methodologically, the study combines hermeneutic, phenomenological, and comparative-conceptual analysis. It reconstructs a selective genealogy of Gottverlassenheit from Martin Luther’s Theologia Crucis through Dietrich Bonhoeffer and Jürgen Moltmann, brings this tradition into dialogue with contemporary moral anti-theodicy, and examines Ukrainian philosophical and religious reflections shaped by wartime experience. The article’s …

Lung Inflammation From Daily Exposure To Airborne Particulate Matter In A Trade School, Kynda Tinawi, Céline Plante, Alan Da Silveira Fleck, Édith Giasson, Isabelle Valois, Caroline Couture, Eva Suarthana, Maximilien Debia, Audrey Smargiassi

Études primaires

Background Workers are exposed daily to various airborne chemical agents, however, associations between daily exposures to particulate matter and lung inflammation in occupational settings have been little explored. Objective To estimate the association between daily occupational exposure to respirable (PM4 and PM2.5), ultrafine particles, their oxidative potential, and fractional exhaled nitric oxide within apprentices in a school of construction trades. Methods We used a repeated measures design over 5 consecutive days in 56 apprentices from 3 construction trade sectors (bricklaying, welding, and carpentry). Fractional exhaled nitric oxide was measured each day post-work. Personal and work area daily PM4 were collected …

Occupational Exposure To Pesticides Increases The Risk Of Amyotrophyc Lateral Sclerosis: A Systematic Review And Meta-Analysis, France Labrèche, Pamela Prudhomme, Maryse Gagnon, Nicolas Dupré, Sabrina Gravel

Études primaires

Objective To systematically review the evidence on the association between occupational exposure to pesticides and the risk of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS).

Methods A systematic search, conducted in eight bibliographic databases for publications between 1990 and 2025, identified observational studies estimating the risk of ALS after occupational pesticide exposure. Study quality was assessed using the WHO Risk of Bias (RoB) assessment instrument for systematic reviews, with the ROBINS-E (RoB in non-randomised studies of exposure) tool domains of bias. Pooled risk estimates were produced using random-effects models with restricted maximum likelihood, heterogeneity was assessed with I² statistics, and meta-regressions and publication …

On The Use Of Hearing Aid Algorithms In Industrial Noise: Balancing Speech Intelligibility And Hearing Protection, Solenn Ollivier, Fabien Bonnet, Alexis Pinsonnault-Skvarenina, Christian Giguère, Jérémie Voix, Hugues Nélisse

Études primaires

Hearing protection devices (HPDs) are widely used to mitigate the risks of noise-induced hearing loss in industrial environments. However, conventional HPDs can often hinder communication for workers with hearing loss. While those workers may rely on hearing aids in their daily lives, the potential benefits and associated risks of using such devices in noisy workplaces remain unexplored. This study evaluated the effects of different hearing aid signal processing algorithms on speech intelligibility and estimated noise exposure under industrial noise conditions to characterize the balance between communication and protection needed to develop solutions for workers with hearing loss. A digital hearing …

Tracking Vigilance While Driving: Pilot Study Of Heart Rate Variability Classification Under A Controlled Sleep-Deprivation Protocol, James Elber Duverger, Eli Moser, Philippe Boudreau, Marie Claude Ouimet, Diane B. Boivin, Alireza Saidi

Études primaires

Decreased vigilance associated with drowsiness is a major cause of motor vehicle crashes, but its physiological characterization and detection remain difficult due to behavioral and environmental confounding factors. This study presents an original experimental framework combining a highly controlled sleep-deprivation protocol, repeated driving simulations, and a machine-learning-based heart rate variability (HRV) analysis to study the physiological and behavioral changes in vigilance during a prolonged period of wakefulness while driving. Twelve healthy young adults participated in a 30-h sleep-deprivation constant routine protocol that included driving simulations every two hours, with data collection: electrocardiography (ECG), subjective ratings of drowsiness, psychomotor vigilance test, …

The Impact Of Emergency Remote Education On Teacher Environment Quality—A Systematic Review, Jenne' M. Porter

Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

The abrupt onset of emergency remote education (ERE) during the COVID-19 pandemic exposed significant gaps in the conditions necessary for teachers to sustain instruction. This systematic review explores how ERE impacted teacher environmental quality, including access to technology, institutional and collegial support, professional development (PD), and teacher well-being and efficacy. Teacher environmental quality, in this context, refers to the teacher-centered conditions that influence educators’ ability to teach effectively during ERE. The study adhered to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis (PRISMA) guidelines. It systematically analyzed scholarly literature, applied clear inclusion criteria, and evaluated study quality using a …

Social Perception Of Rural And Urban Lgbtq+ High School Students, Jordyn Gerwig

Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and other gender/sexual identities (LGBTQ+) have been subjects of research throughout history, impacting the way they are perceived socially. Experiences of LGBTQ+ people vary not only by person but also by geographic area (rural, urban, and suburban). The focus of this study is the social acceptance of LGBTQ+ identities in high schools in these geographic areas. The overall research question is as follows: How do LGBTQ+ students’ perceptions of social acceptance differ across urban, suburban, and rural high schools? It was hypothesized that students who attended rural schools will feel lower levels of social acceptance …

Seasonal And Lunar Patterns Of Peach Blossom Jellyfish (Craspedacusta Sowerbii) In Michigan, Claire Kozal

Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

The peach blossom jellyfish (Craspedacusta sowerbii) is the only freshwater medusa found in the United States, yet its distribution, abundance, and mechanisms of dispersal remain poorly understood. Given its uncertain status, understanding the ecology of this species is a priority. To characterize population dynamics during the medusa season, surface water temperature and medusa abundance were surveyed at six inland lakes in Michigan. Occurrence records of C. sowerbii in Michigan were then used to compare co-occurrence patterns with nine aquatic invasives as a window into potential dispersal mechanisms and to create a regional ecological niche model. Medusae were observed in one …

From Nesting To Emergence: Environmental Drivers Of Hatchling Success In Blanding’S Turtles And Implications For Management In Southeast Michigan, Morgan Boyer

Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

Blanding’s turtles (Emydoidea blandingii) are long-lived turtles whose populations are highly sensitive to juvenile recruitment. We used intensive nest monitoring, microclimate logging, soil measurements, and local weather data at two Southeast Michigan sites to quantify how nest placement, incubation environments, and substrate conditions influence emergence success and hatchling condition. Nesting females were morphologically similar in size and produced average clutch sizes for the species (8 ± 2 eggs). Nest sites were found on relatively open, disturbed uplands with sandier soil substrates. Emergence success was generally high (≈ 70-80%) in nests protected from predation. Sandy loam had the highest success rates …

Rigidity And Risk: A State Space Grid Analysis Of Parent-Child Interactions, Sleep, And Early Internalizing Symptoms, Brianna Trudeau

Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

Background. Internalizing problems in preschoolers are prevalent, cause significant impairment, and often persist into later development. Emerging research uses state space grid (SSG) methodology to examine dynamic parent-child interaction processes that may contribute to these difficulties. While affective rigidity has been linked to maladaptive outcomes, less is known about behavioral rigidity and its association with child internalizing symptoms.

Objective. This study examined whether dyadic behavioral rigidity could be represented as a latent construct across tasks, whether behavioral rigidity predicted preschool internalizing symptoms, and whether rigidity mediated the relationship between parent and child sleep problems and child internalizing symptoms.

Method. Participants …

Tracking Antibiotic Resistant And Multidrug Resistant Bacteria And Antibiotic Resistance Genes In The Huron River Watershed: A Vital Water Resource In Southeast Michigan, Evan Siemienkiewicz

Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

Antibiotic resistance is a growing global public health concern that extends beyond clinical settings and into natural freshwater environments, where resistant bacteria and antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) can persist and disseminate through watersheds. Despite growing recognition of freshwater systems as environmental reservoirs of resistance, no published studies have examined antibiotic resistance within the Huron River watershed in Southeast Michigan. Water samples were collected monthly from May through October 2025 at 10 sites along the Huron River. E. coli and Enterococcus isolates were evaluated for resistance to eight antibiotics using the Kirby-Bauer disk diffusion method, and environmental DNA was analyzed by …

Full Proceedings, Nckri

Sinkhole Conference 2026

No abstract provided.

Research Nexus : Volume 33 - 2026, Office Of Research And Graduate Studies

Office of Research and Graduate Studies

• Researcher Spotlight
• Research Milestones & News
• Capacity Building Initiatives
• Explore New Funding Opportunities

No Harm, No Foul: Investor Loss And The Future Of Sec Disgorgement, Evan Barth

Western New England Law Review

It is a foundational principle of law that no one should profit from their own wrong. In the securities context, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) enforces that principle through disgorgement, a remedy designed to deprive violators of unjust enrichment and deter misconduct. Although disgorgement has long played a central role in securities enforcement, its legal scope has recently become unsettled. In Liu v. SEC, the Supreme Court held that disgorgement must maintain traditional equitable principles. Shortly thereafter, Congress amended the securities laws providing the SEC its authority for disgorgement.

These developments have led to a circuit split over how …

Paying Up To Uncle Sam: Fbar Penalties, The Eighth Amendment’S Excessive Fines Clause, And A New Circuit Split, Christopher J. Nasta

Western New England Law Review

The Bank Secrecy Act requires those with foreign financial accounts to file a Report of Foreign Bank and Financial Accounts (FBAR) with the United States Department of the Treasury’s Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN). Those who do not file are subject to a variety of criminal and civil penalties.

The Eighth Amendment of the United States Constitution provides that excessive fines cannot be levied by the American government against individuals. How does this apply to those with foreign financial accounts who willfully choose not to file the required reporting forms with the United States government? A circuit split has arisen …

Tempering Trademark Tactics: Alloying Anti-Slapp Laws With Massachusetts’ Proven Petition Principles, Brian A. Pattengale

Western New England Law Review

Legitimate criticism of corporate actions or rights creates a free speech dilemma. When speech implicates or even indirectly relates to a trademark, costly litigation can arise where a plaintiff trademark holder is positioned to, or even obliged to, bury a defendant with numerous attendant claims only tangentially related to substantive trademark issues. If those claims are well-pled, the trademark holder succeeds in defeating constitutional speech rights unless the defendant mounts First Amendment defenses against the attendant claims at great cost.

Where a defendant’s speech—trademark or otherwise—is of public value, such lawsuits have been termed strategic lawsuits against public participation (SLAPPs). …

A Prison Of Poverty: How The Current State Of Supplemental Security Income (Ssi) Disincentivizes Saving And Entering The Workforce, Conor Mccormick

Western New England Law Review

Our current Social Security structure provides disability benefits through two programs: Title II Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) and Title XVI Supplemental Security Income (SSI). This Note will argue that the current structure of the SSI program actually disincentivizes disabled folk whom are able to work from returning to or entering the work force. A number of factors adversely affect an SSI recipient: (i) the strict definition of “disabled” to mean an inability to engage in a “substantial gainful activity level”; (ii) a cap on the total assets one can hold earn before losing benefits; (iii) poorly framed work incentive …

Evolving Execution Methods: The Constitutionality Of Nitrogen Hypoxia Through Pain, Precedent, And Practicality, Reem Haikal

Western New England Law Review

Method-of-execution challenges have intensified as lethal injection protocols face chronic instability. This Article evaluates whether execution by nitrogen hypoxia violates the Eighth Amendment and argues that it does not. The analysis applies Baze and Glossip to two questions: whether nitrogen hypoxia presents a substantial risk of severe pain and whether a feasible and readily implemented alternative would materially reduce that risk. This Article synthesizes historical Eighth Amendment principles with the contemporary record from executions by nitrogen hypoxia, related litigation materials, medical testimony, and physiological literature on inert-gas hypoxia.

The evidence indicates that nitrogen hypoxia typically produces rapid loss of consciousness …

A Cautionary Tale: A Case For Abolishing The Addict-Inpossession Statute On Constitutional Grounds, Jonathan Bruce

Western New England Law Review

Are drug users second-class citizens under the Second Amendment? The Federal Government enacted the Gun Control Act in 1968 which imposed heaps of new regulations relating to private gun ownership, including enacting criminal statutes, namely 18 U. S. C. §922(g), which allows an individual to face charges if that individual is categorized under any of § 922(g)’s enumerated subsections. In 2010, the United States Supreme Court issued its landmark decision in District of Columbia vs. Heller, establishing the right of the people to own and possess firearms for self-defense, regardless of any association with “the militia” as described in the …

Banking Vs. Tech: The Fight For The Future Of Money, Gopika Shah

Case Western Reserve Law Review

No abstract provided.

Access Over Impact: Reorienting Oira’S Meetings With The Public, Griffin S. Kenny

Case Western Reserve Law Review

No abstract provided.

Masthead, Volume 76 Issue 4 (2026)

Case Western Reserve Law Review

No abstract provided.

A Tale Of Two Emails: The Political Economy Of Higher Education Under Executive Assault, Christopher D. Thomas

Case Western Reserve Law Review

No abstract provided.

Volume 76 Issue 4 (2026), Case Western Reserve Law Review

Case Western Reserve Law Review

No abstract provided.

Symposium - Federal Research, Academic Speech: The Legal Limits Of Executive Authority In Higher Education, Case Western Reserve Law Review

Case Western Reserve Law Review

No abstract provided.

Keynote Address – Dei Executive Orders, Dear Colleague Letters, And The Constitution, Bryan Adamson

Case Western Reserve Law Review

No abstract provided.

Introduction – Academic Freedom And Vulnerability, Elizabeth L. Rosenblatt

Case Western Reserve Law Review

No abstract provided.

Essay – Rethinking The Fund Termination Sanction, Samuel R. Bagenstos

Case Western Reserve Law Review

No abstract provided.