Digital Commons Network^™

Enhancing Early Seizure Detection In Cricial Care Through Nurse-Driven Rapid Eeg, Dylan Delaney, Brenna Gale Jackson, Ruben Sanchez, Amanda Garza, Rebecca Kilgore

Covenant Nurses Week 2026

No abstract provided.

Effect Of Lifestyle And Medication Adherence On Type 2 Diabetes Management In Hospital Patients, Mohammed Irfan Lari

Covenant Nurses Week 2026

No abstract provided.

Hapi Heroes Initiative: Innovating Patient Turn Strategies Utilizine The Braden Scale To Prevent Hospital Acquired Pressure Injuries (Hapi) In The Cardiac Telemetry Unit-A Reposition Disposition Quality Improvement Project, Kenn Everard Lachenal, Kimberlea Gale Hiett-Gonzales, Charmaine Capili, Jelly Jacob, Melissa Fallorina, Dillon Mckee

Covenant Nurses Week 2026

No abstract provided.

Does Implementation Of A Turn Team Decrease The Prevalence Of Pressure Injuries, Vicky Dela Cruz, Ervieneth Martin, Jennifer Mauricio, Jihanne Padua, Judith Bautista

Covenant Nurses Week 2026

No abstract provided.

Improving Patient Outcomes Through Structured Nursing Surveillance In Acute Stroke And Transient Ischemic Attack (Tia): An Integrative Research Review (Irr), Sheeba Everard Matthew

Covenant Nurses Week 2026

No abstract provided.

Inside Out: Improving Large Model Safety, Wei Zhao

Dissertations and Theses Collection (Open Access)

While Large Language Models (LLMs) and Multimodal Large Language Models (MLLMs) are at the frontier of current advancements in artificial intelligence, demonstrating remarkable capabilities across diverse applications, there are growing concerns about their reliability and security. LLMs remain vulnerable to adversarial attacks through carefully crafted prompts that circumvent safety mechanisms, while MLLMs face additional security challenges stemming from their multimodal nature. Despite considerable efforts in reinforcement learning from human feedback (RLHF) and supervised fine-tuning, existing safeguards have proven inadequate in addressing these critical vulnerabilities. This inadequacy stems from the fact that these models are inherently blackboxes that do not provide …

The Impact Of Corporate Mergers And Acquisitions On Performance From The Perspective Of Growth Pressure, Jiandong Wang

Dissertations and Theses Collection (Open Access)

Against the backdrop of economic volatility and intensified industry competition, firms generally face multidimensional growth pressures, including historical growth pressure, social growth pressure, and market competition pressure. Growth pressure is not only related to firms’ operational stability, but also profoundly influences their strategic choices, particularly merger and acquisition (M&A) behaviour.Grounded in performance feedback theory, this study constructs an integrated analytical framework encompassing growth pressure, M&A strategic decisions, and M&A performance, and systematically examines how different types of growth pressure affect firms’ M&A decisions, as well as how M&A performance varies across different firm characteristics and different types of M&A.

The …

Improving Evacuation Effectiveness On Cruise And Large Passenger Ships : An Analysis Of Human Factors, Safety Culture, And Behavioral Dynamics, Antonios Andreadakis

World Maritime University Ph.D. Dissertations

Maritime trade has long constituted a central pillar of economic development, supporting global commerce and cultural exchange. Nevertheless, the maritime environment is inherently hazardous and therefore the protection of human life has consistently constituted and will continue to remain a central priority (Casson, 1995). An instrumental turning point in maritime safety occurred after the sinking of Titanic in 1912, which prompted in 1914 an International Conference dedicated to the protection of human life at sea; which ultimately led to the adoption of the International Convention on Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS) (Dalaklis, 2017). This Convention introduced internationally imposed safety …

Virtual Screening Of Phytochemicals From Medicinal Plants As Promising Pde5 Inhibitors Against Erectile Dysfunction, Farouk Boudou, Alaeddine Berkane, Amal Belakredar, Ahcene Keziz, Huda Alsaeedi, Brian A. Murray, Mikhael Bechelany, Ahmed Barhoum

Research Outputs: 2025-Present

This study evaluates bioactive phytochemicals from Algerian medicinal plants as potential phosphodiesterase-5 (PDE5) inhibitors for the treatment of erectile dysfunction (ED) using an integrated in silico approach. A total of 76 compounds from 48 plant species were screened for drug-likeness using SwissADME. Overall, 72% of the compounds complied with Lipinski's Rule of Five, indicating favorable oral bioavailability, while toxicity prediction identified 29 non-toxic candidates. Molecular docking was validated by redocking the co-crystallized PDE5 ligand (RMSD = 0.264 Å). Ellagic acid (−9.4 kcal·mol⁻¹), rosmarinic acid (−9.2 kcal·mol⁻¹), salvinorin A (−9.2 kcal·mol⁻¹), and catechin (−9.0 kcal·mol …

In Vitro Efficiency Analysis Of Different Β-Tri-Calcium Phosphate And Hydroxyapatite Doped Bacterial Cellulose-Polyvinylpyrrolidone Composite Hydrogel For Bone Tissue Repair, Probal Basu, Nabanita Saha, Radostina Alexandrova, Boika Andonova Lilova, Maya Argirova, Petr Saha

Research Outputs: 2025-Present

The study emphasizes an in-depth in vitro efficiency analysis of bacterial cellulose (BC)-polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) composite hydrogel scaffolds which are doped with different concentrations of β-tri-calcium phosphate (β-TCP) and hydroxyapatite (HA). The hydrogels are prepared with the natural polymer, BC, and synthetic polymer, PVP. Polyethylene glycol (PEG) is also used as an anti-cytotoxic agent and agar is used as a gelling agent. β-TCP and HA were given in the ratio (w/w): 20:80 (BC-PVP- β-TCP/HA_20:80), 40:60 (BC-PVP-β-TCP/HA_40:60), 50:50 (BC-PVP-β-TCP/HA_50:50). In vitro efficacy of the different tri-calcium phosphate (β-TCP) and hydroxyapatite BC-PVP composite hydrogel scaffolds are analyzed through comparative analysis of the cell …

Fluid Dynamics Of A Microfluidic Micromixer–Micropump Driven By Adjacent Micro Synthetic Jets, Delara Soltani, Tim Persoons, Sajad Alimohammadi

Research Outputs: 2025-Present

Efficient mixing at the microscale remains a significant challenge in microfluidic systems due to the dominance of laminar flow and the consequent limitation of convective transport. Synthetic jets, generated by the oscillatory motion of a diaphragm within a cavity, produce a zero net mass flux while imparting periodic momentum to the surrounding fluid, thereby enabling localised flow perturbation and vortex generation that can substantially enhance mixing and mass transfer in microchannels. In this study, a pair of adjacent micro synthetic jets (AMSJs) is positioned perpendicularly to a microchannel to investigate their potential as a novel micropump-mixer. The vectoring effect of …

A Simplified Computational Fluid Dynamics Investigation Of Internal Duct As A Passive Aerodynamic Solution For Electric Trucks, Omar K. Omar, Ahmad Abu Shanab, Mohammad Tarawneh, Sara Hawarneh, Dr Hani Alkhatib

Research Outputs: 2025-Present

Aerodynamic drag is a dominant factor affecting the efficiency and driving range of electric trucks, especially at high speeds. Although previous studies have mainly focused on external drag-reduction devices, internal airflow control strategies such as integrated ducts have received limited attention. This study addresses that gap by analyzing how placing an internal duct in the truck body affects drag and power efficiency. A simplified two-dimensional computational fluid dynamics (CFD) approach was employed using ANSYS Fluent to evaluate and compare a baseline truck model and a modified configuration featuring a central internal duct. The simulations assessed the drag coefficient, drag force, …

Water-Efficient Concrete Curing Using Sap-Infused Nonwoven Blankets: Material Screening And Performance Evaluation, Feras Kafiah, Omar K. Omar, Dr Hani Alkhatib

Research Outputs: 2025-Present

Concrete curing under hot-weather exposure requires sustained surface moisture while minimizing repeated waterapplication. This study develops and evaluates a two-layer external curing blanket comprising a polyethylene (PE) top sheetand a superabsorbent polymer (SAP)-infused needle-punched nonwoven polyester layer. Ten PE sheets, three sodiumpolyacrylate SAP grades, and three nonwoven fabrics were screened sequentially according to optical transmittance, SAPmorphology and absorption behavior, fabric absorptivity, SAP-fiber integration, and qualitative seven-day surface-wetnessobservations. The selected configuration (S7 PE/SAP 3/GT-80) was then demonstrated using a 1 × 2 m2 outdoor prototypeand compared with conventional wet burlap curing. The blanket-cured concrete produced a numerical mean core strengthof 36.5 …

History Happenings, Georgia Southern University

History: News & Publications

• Student Editorial: History Against Scapegoating
• Our Students
• Clubs
• Georgia Association of Historians Conference
• GAH Presenters 2026--So Much History!
• Georgia Association of Museums Conference
• Faculty Spotlight: Publications
• Faculty Spotlight: Collaborations
• Faculty Spotlight: Bill Allison
• Alumni Stories
• UPCOMING: Averitt Foundation Leadership Event
• UPCOMING! Book Talk
• UPCOMING! Museum and Film Event
• UPCOMING! Averitt Foundation Leadership Event
• Help Us Grow!——-Support These Students

The End Of Territoriality?, Reuven S. Avi-Yonah

Articles

The One Big Beautiful Big Act (OBBBA) of 2025 is generally consideredto be a continuation of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA) of 2017.1Thatis definitely true as far as the individual tax provisions are concerned, be-cause the OBBBA merely made permanent the TCJA provisions with minorchanges, such as increasing the cap on the state and local tax deduction from$10,000 to $40,000. For the corporate tax, the OBBBA continued some of thechanges in the TCJA (such as expensing) while relaxing others (such as amorti-zation of research and experimentation (R&E) expenditures and a stricter limiton interest deductions) without changing the overall …

Crypto Kleptocracy, W. Robert Thomas, Jeffery Y. Zhang

Michigan Law Review Online

Many Americans are worrying about whether they will soon be living in a postdemocracy autocracy. But in the meantime, they may already be living in a crypto-fueled kleptocracy. Less than one year into his second presidential term, Donald Trump has reportedly taken his wealth to new heights by embracing, both as a businessman and a politician, the crypto industry. Trump’s family businesses are involved in minting Trump-themed meme coins, creating America- themed stablecoins, and mining crypto assets—so successfully that most of Trump’s wealth is likely now from crypto, not real estate. All the while, the Trump Administration is rolling back …

Mental Health Effects Of Post-Intensive Care Syndrome In Adult Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome Survivors Hospitalized During Or After The Covid-19 Pandemic, Brooke M. Leggiero

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Introduction: Post-Intensive Care Syndrome (PICS) is "new or worsening problems in physical, cognitive, or mental health status arising after a critical illness and persisting beyond acute care hospitalization.” This study examined the prevalence of PICS mental health conditions in adult ARDS survivors hospitalized between 2020 and 2025 and differences in mental health conditions between those hospitalized during and after the COVID-19 pandemic.

Methods: This retrospective, descriptive, cross-sectional study enrolled adult survivors hospitalized between 2020 and 2025 who required mechanical ventilation and were at least 1 month removed from the intensive care unit (ICU). Individuals with prior brain injury were excluded. …

Active And Dreamy Minds: The Desire To Be Heard In The Girlhood Film Subgenre, Kiersten L. Blaylock

Honors Undergraduate Theses

In a growing digital age it is important to highlight films that shed light on young girls’ sense of self. Within the genre of independent cinema, there are plenty of films that identify themselves as ‘coming-of-age,’ but there is a subgenre within that category that highlights female driven stories that express what it is like to grow up as a girl. Active and Dreamy Minds, an analytical research project, theorizes guidelines for a girlhood subgenre. Four films have been selected and identified as clear-cut examples of what a girlhood film should look, sound, and feel like and examined to …

The Role Of Kindergartens In Promoting Educational Moral Values In Children Through Storytelling, Reem Al-Hajj, Marwan Abualrob, Osama Tawfiq Jarrar

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

This study examines the role of kindergartens in promoting educational moral values in children through storytelling. The research employs a quantitative approach with questionnaires as a study tool. The study sample, selected randomly, consists of 135 kindergarten teachers from Jenin Directorate, Palestine, analyzed using Structural Equation Modeling (Smart-PLS4). The results show that kindergartens have a significant role in fostering educational moral values through storytelling, supported by strong path coefficients (e.g., β = 0.361, p = 0.002 for proposed suggestions) and a high explained variance (R² = 0.673). This framework, which positions children as active meaning-makers rather than passive recipients of …

A Combined Stochastic And Physical Framework For Alloys And Metal Casting Processes Modeling, Simon N. Lekakh, Oleg Neroslavsky

Materials Science and Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

High temperature metal casting processes have dualistic nature and conceptually consist of two parts of distinct processes: the first type is deterministic, strictly obeying the physical law, while the second type is stochastic. Therefore, the metal casting processes are not precisely predictable, and deterministic considerations cannot provide exact outcomes. To solve this problem, the combined stochastic and deterministic framework was suggested. The local processes were described using deterministic models for several parameter arrangements, while the distribution of these arrangements on macro level was calculated using stochastic approaches. The approach was used for cast alloy design, investment casting process optimization, and …

Thermal Transformations And Mechanical Properties Of All-D-Metal Mn2fecu Heusler-Type Shape Memory Alloy, Choji J. Daches, Joseph W. Newkirk, Mario Buchely

Materials Science and Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

All-d-metal Heusler alloys are emerging functional materials in which magnetic ordering, lattice distortion, and mechanical behavior are strongly coupled through d–d electronic interactions. This study systematically investigates the structural, thermal, magnetic, and mechanical properties of Mn₂FeCu synthesized within a Heusler-type compositional framework. SEM/EDS revealed a dual-phase FCC-based microstructure consisting of Mn–Fe–rich and Mn–Cu–rich domains, while XRD confirmed FCC symmetry with compositional partitioning rather than full L2₁ ordering. Differential scanning calorimetry identified partial melting of the Cu-rich phase near ~ 900 °C. Dilatometry showed a thermoelastic FCC → FCT transformation at ~ 770–780 °C with a recoverable strain of ~ 0.067%. …

Design Of Novel Gating Systems For Steel Castings, K. Balasubramanian, Laura Bartlett, M. Xu

Materials Science and Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Gating systems play an important role in determining the quality and mechanical properties of castings. To understand the efficiency of gating systems, four systems, namely pressurized system, non-pressurized system, naturally pressurized system with a side riser and a naturally pressurized system with a top riser, were studied. The naturally pressurized systems were provided with overflows which collected the incoming metal swirl. Parameters like velocity of metal flow, air entrapment, microporosity and Niyama criterion were considered, and a design was developed with a common pouring basin. 8630 alloy was poured into two molds using a teapot ladle. The inclusion analysis revealed …

Comparative Evaluation Of Gating Systems In Femnal Castings, K. Balasubramanian, Laura Bartlett, M. Xu

Materials Science and Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

To understand the efficiency of gating systems, four systems, namely AFS styled pressurized system, AFS styled non-pressurized system, naturally pressurized system with a side riser and a naturally pressurized system with a top riser, were studied. The naturally pressurized systems were provided with overflows which collected the incoming metal swirl while the pressurized and non-pressurized systems had runner wells. Parameters like velocity of metal flow, air entrapment, microporosity and Niyama criterion were considered, and a design was developed with a common pouring basin using solidification software. Two molds were 3D printed using carbonitride sand, and steel of composition Fe-29Mn-8.2Al-0.91C-0.88Si-0.49Mo was …

Microstructure And Properties Of Oxide Dispersion-Strengthened Alloys, Ertugrul Demir, Seung Min Ha, Anish Ranjan, Xingshuo Zhang, Aaron Penders, Mukesh Bachhav, Xiaochun Li, Lin Shao, Alexander Demblon, Haiming Wen, Enrique Lavernia

Materials Science and Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Oxide dispersion-strengthened (ODS) alloys are a critical class of structural materials for extreme environments, owing to their unique combination of high-temperature strength, thermal stability, and radiation tolerance, enabled by a very high density of nanoscale oxide dispersoids. These features make ODS alloys attractive for advanced nuclear systems, aerospace applications, and other harsh-service conditions where conventional alloys rapidly degrade. Despite decades of development, key challenges remain in understanding how nanoscale oxides interact with matrix microstructures, alloy chemistry, and irradiation-induced defects to control macroscopic performance. This review provides a focused, mechanism-based synthesis of the microstructural features that govern the properties of ODS …

Overcoming Resolution Vs. Throughput Trade-Offs In Ceramic Material Extrusion Additive Manufacturing Via Viscoelastic Filament Stretching, Abid H. Rafi, David W. Lipke, Jeremy L. Watts, Gregory E. Hilmas, Ming C. Leu

Materials Science and Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Fabricating large, monolithic ceramic parts using material-extrusion additive manufacturing remains challenging due to difficulty maintaining uniform moisture content during printing, which can lead to drying-induced defects such as warping and cracking, especially as part size and print time increase. Fabricated parts have trade-offs among print resolution, high throughput, and structural fidelity. Our study has shown that increasing the ratio of nozzle traverse speed vs. material extrusion speed increases filament stretching in viscoelastic ceramic paste, helping to overcome the trade-offs between resolution and throughput. Using aqueous ZrB2–SiC (70/30 vol.%) as a representative ultra-high temperature ceramic paste, rheological characterisation revealed viscoelastic yield-stress …

N-Radii Approach For Multi-Scale Characterization Of Graphite Shape In Cast Iron, Simon N. Lekakh, Laura Bartlett

Materials Science and Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Knowledge of multi-scale particle macro-shape and micro-surface topology is critical in many technical disciplines. Specifically, quality assessment of the shape of the graphite phase in cast irons is essential for day-to-day metal casting operations. Common methods for evaluating particle macro-shape have several drawbacks, often resulting in underestimation of sharp corners and surface texture. In this article, a method based on plotting n-radii from the center of mass to the perimeter and computing multi-scale topological characteristics is described and tested. Parametric tests, involving variations in the number of n-radii and image resolution, were performed to optimize the test parameters. The method …

Modeling Of Transformation Temperatures In Cast Martensitic Stainless Steels-Ca6nm: Effects Of Composition, Heating Rate, And Grain Size, Ugochukwu Agbedo, Mario Buchely, Laura Bartlett, Caelan Kennedy

Materials Science and Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Accurate prediction of the critical transformation temperatures Ac1 and Ac3 is one of the essential factors in the heat treatment of CA6NM cast martensitic stainless steel. In this study, the influence of alloy composition, heating rate, and prior austenite grain size on the critical temperatures was quantified using dilatometric measurements and statistical modeling. Six heat treatment conditions produced prior austenite grain sizes ranging from ~75 to 247 µm. Experimental results showed that grain size variations produced only minor changes in Ac1 and Ac3, indicating a weak dependence of transformation temperatures on prior austenite grain size within the investigated range. In …

Multiphysics Simulation And Experimental Validation Of Phase Transformation And Hardness In Jominy End-Quenched Low-Alloy Steels, J. S. Alabi, E. Heidari, M. F. Buchely, K. Chandrashekhara, S. N. Lekakh, R. J. O'Malley, V. A. Athavale, A. Kumar

Materials Science and Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

High-volume industrial continuous hot-rolled steel heat treatment processes involve sophisticated multi-phase modeling. The performance of a given process can be optimized by coupling phase transformation kinetics with the cooling conditions of the process. This study develops a multiphysics model to simulate an intensive quenching process for steel, which is inherently transient and highly dependent on numerous parameters. The simulated object was a Jominy end-quenched specimen geometry using two commercial steels, AISI 4130 and AISI 4140, with the goal of transferring a verified methodology to the heat treatment process for industrial heavy-section products (bars, slabs). The simulation employs thermal, mechanical, and …

Effect Of Complex Alloying Elements On Oxide Scale Formation And Water-Jet Descaling Performance On Continuously Cast Low-Carbon Steels, Tochukwu P. Ojiako, Tsvetkov Dmitry, Mario Buchely, Haiming Wen, Simon N. Lekakh, Ronald J. O'Malley

Materials Science and Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

The formation and evolution of oxide scale in contact with mold flux during continuous casting, subsequent reheating, and hydraulic descaling are strongly governed by steel chemistry. To elucidate the effect of complex alloying elements (Si, Mn, and Cr), two industrially produced continuously cast low-carbon steel grades for manufacturing stamped parts (a base and alloyed steel grade) were investigated. The objective was to determine how alloying elements influence oxidation behavior, scale morphology, interfacial adhesion, and water-jet descaling efficiency. Continuously cast slab specimens were subjected to controlled thermal and atmospheric oxidation cycles simulating multistage industrial practice. Three initial surface conditions (industrial as-cast, …

High Temperature Mold Gap Measurement Using Optical Fiber Interferometry, Jie Huang, Ronald O'Malley, Dinesh Reddy Alla, Deva Prasaad Neelakandan, Muhammad Roman

Patents

A temperature insensitive fiber optic Fabry-Perot interferometer based mold gap measurement system that can be employed in foundry and continuous casting facilities for both non-ferrous and ferrous production applications. For steel continuous casting, the sensor is also capable of detecting crystallite formation in the mold flux layer within the mold gap by detecting reflections from both the flux layer and the steel shell to facilitate direct mold lubrication monitoring for continuous casting. These interferometers can also be easily multiplexed to perform interface shape measurements or monitor gap variations at various positions within a complex mold design. The ability to measure …