Digital Commons Network^™

Post-Fire Riverscapes: Exploring The Ecological And Behavioral Responses Of Stream Communities To Wildfire In Boreal Streams, Elizabeth Geraldine Hinkle

Fisheries

Wildfire is the dominant disturbance in boreal forest ecosystems, and its frequency and severity are increasing with climate change. This dissertation examines how wildfire affects boreal stream habitats, food webs, and fish movement across spatial and temporal scales in interior Alaska. In Chapter 2, I compared burned and unburned streams 10 to 15 years post-fire using habitat survey, water chemistry, and aquatic community composition data. Burned sites had marginally significant lower canopy cover (-19.6%, p = 0.095), coarser substrate (+23.7 mm, p = 0.102), and higher macroinvertebrate abundance (626 ± 361 vs. 331 ± 349 individuals/m2, p = 0.03); fish …

Navigating The Psychosocial Landscape Of Ehlers–Danlos Syndrome: An Autobiographic Case Study, Jessica D. Locke, Jason T. Eastman

Sociology

Living with a rare disorder, such as Ehlers–Danlos Syndrome (EDS), presents unique psychosocial challenges. This autobiographical case study explores the psychological, social, and professional impacts of navigating life with hypermobile EDS (hEDS), a condition marked by chronic pain, joint instability, and diagnostic uncertainty. Placing personal experiences into the context of clinical findings and research, this study highlights both the physical and emotional toll of the syndrome, including stigma, isolation, and medical gaslighting often accompanying rare conditions. The first-person case study of the first author extracted by the second author experienced in qualitative interviewing provides a first-hand account of the importance …

Educational Opportunities Of Participatory Gis For Accessibility On A College Campus, Shiya Cao, Heather Rosenfeld, Sarah Susnea

Statistical and Data Sciences: Faculty Publications

The educational benefits of Participatory GIS (PGIS) in geographic higher education have received limited direct attention, often because of the complexities of integrating PGIS into university curricula. While a few exceptions found important educational benefits of PGIS, extant studies focused primarily on the educational benefits for students who worked in the research teams, instead of participants who contributed their local knowledge and perspectives to mapping. Our research aims to understand the educational benefits of PGIS for participants in a campus accessibility mapping project using the modes of experiential learning, positionality, and service learning. Through this, we also provide strategies for …

Exploring The Intersection Of Race And Native Speakerism In English Language Teaching: Experiences Of Black African Teachers In Turkey, John Ayodeji Odudele

Linguistics

Research on race and native speaker status in language teaching provides little insight into the experiences of Black African English teachers (BAETs) in the diaspora. To address this gap, this study examines how aspects of BAETs' positionalities - such as race and native speaker status create challenges in their professional and societal lives in Turkey. Data from twelve semi­ structured interviews of BAETs were analyzed using thematic analysis. Findings suggest that race­ related challenges trump language-related ones and that Blackness fundamentally shapes outsiders’ perception and value of BAETs’ linguistic expertise. Even when BAETs possess the same or superior qualifications as …

@Egan Newsletter 2025 Convocation Edition, Kaia Henrickson, David Cox, Ramona Broussard, Jessy Goodman, Jennifer Ward

Egan Library News

No abstract provided.

Reanalysis And (Near) Real-Time Inversion Of Deformation Observations At Alaskan Volcanoes, Mario Fernando Angarita Vargas

Geosciences

Forecasting volcanic eruptions remains challenging due to the complexity and limited understand­ing of volcanic processes. However, recent studies have shown that integrating multidisciplinary data from past eruptions can improve forecasts for monitored volcanoes. The PREEVENTS project addresses this challenge identifying patterns prior, during or following volcanic eruptions on mul­tidisciplinary data. The project considers four disciplines: Geodesy, Petrology, Seismology and Gas/Geochemistry. This dissertation contributes with two novel tools to analyze geodetic data. The first tool exploits the amplitude from SAR imagery to quantify morphology changes during erup­tions. The tool has been verified with a synthetic case and validated with a dome …

Toward Multidisciplinary Volcanic Eruption Models And Forecasts In Alaska: Contributions From Automated Seismic And Acoustic Signal Detection, Darren Tan

Geosciences

Explosive, ash-generating volcanic eruptions pose an increasing threat to a growing, globally connected population. Accurate forecasts of volcanic eruptions remain challenging due to the complex­ity of volcanic systems, but recent multidisciplinary synthesis efforts have proven effective. The National Science Foundation Prediction of and Resilience against Extreme Events (PREEVENTS) project aims to re-analyze and combine multidisciplinary observations at eight Alaska volcanoes to develop eruption forecast models. Leading the seismology and infrasound discipline, this dis­sertation details the development of automated tools capable of producing high-resolution catalogs of volcanic unrest signals from continuous seismic and acoustic data. By leveraging these catalogs and synthesizing …

Benthic Community Composition And Ecosystem Function In Southern Kachemak Bay, Alaska, Jonah Jossart

Marine Biology

The benthic environment in southern Kachemak Bay, Alaska provides critical ecosystem services, processing organic matter from the land and the sea, and returning nutrients to the food web. In Kachemak Bay, concerns have arisen that marine agriculture (mariculture) operations in the form of salmon hatcheries and oyster farms may have negative impacts on the local environment. This thesis investigates the seafloor sediment environment to assess these potential impacts under salmon hatchery net pens in Tutka Bay Lagoon, and under an oyster farm in Jakolof Bay. We found that beneath the net pens, high waste inputs of fish food, feces and …

Improving Diabetes Management Through Evidence-Based Educational Resources In A Federally Qualified Health Center, Linda F. Dunbar

Doctor of Nursing Practice Final Project Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this scholarly project was to implement updated culturally tailored diabetes education materials, conduct staff training sessions, and promote consistent documentation of hemoglobin A1c values and adherence to evidence-based guidelines, aligned with current American Diabetes Association (ADA) standards of care. These interventions aimed to reduce the percentage of adults with HbA1c levels greater than 9%.

Background

The project was implemented at a Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC) in a rural community of Tomball, Texas. The patient population is 73% Hispanic/Latino, who primarily speak Spanish, and are disproportionately affected by diabetes.

Methodology

The project was implemented using the …

Ddx219.2 Social Media Content Creation Example 5, Sae University College

Exemplars

This project involved creating a cohesive suite of social media content tailored to the student’s chosen creative project. The work is exemplary for its consistent visual style, platform-specific content design, and alignment with the strategic goals defined earlier. Additionally, the student demonstrated strong collaborative skills by providing thoughtful, constructive feedback to peers, reflecting both creative and professional growth.

Ddx173.2 Ux Design: Ui Design - Sun Theatre, Sae University College

Exemplars

The work showcases how the website's user interface (UI) design responds to the findings of the user experience (UX) report and improves its usability.

Ddx219.2 Social Media Content Creation Example 7, Sae University College

Exemplars

This project involved creating a suite of social media content tailored to the student’s chosen creative project. The work is exemplary for its consistent visual style, platform-specific content design, and alignment with the strategic goals defined on Project 1.

Ddx219.2 Social Media Content Creation Example 4, Sae University College

Exemplars

This project involved creating a cohesive suite of social media content tailored to the student’s chosen creative project. The work is exemplary for its consistent visual style, platform-specific content design, and alignment with the strategic goals defined earlier. Additionally, the student demonstrated strong collaborative skills by providing thoughtful, constructive feedback to peers, reflecting both creative and professional growth.

Ddx173.2 Ux Design: Ui Design - Anytime Fitness Pitch Presentatrion, Sae University College

Exemplars

The work showcases how the website's user interface (UI) design responds to the findings of the user experience (UX) report and improves its usability.

Ddx173.2 Ux Design: Ui Design - Nail Spa Example 1, Sae University College

Exemplars

The work showcases how the website's user interface (UI) design responds to the findings of the user experience (UX) report and improves its usability.

Flm315.1.1 Creative Brief Example 3, Sae University College

Exemplars

A Creative Brief exemplar submitted as a component of Project 1 in FLM315 Client Based Productions.

Flm315.1.1 Creative Brief Example 4, Sae University College

Exemplars

A Creative Brief exemplar submitted as a component of Project 1 in FLM315 Client Based Productions.

Flm315.1.1 Project 1 Creative Brief Example 1, Sae University College

Exemplars

A Creative Brief exemplar submitted as a component of Project 1 in FLM315 Client Based Productions.

Flm315.1.2 Pitch Deck Example 1, Sae University College

Exemplars

A Pitch Deck exemplar submitted as a component of Project 1 in FLM315 Client Based Productions.

Flm315.1.2 Pitch Deck Example 4, Sae University College

Exemplars

A Pitch Deck exemplar submitted as a component of Project 1 in FLM315 Client Based Productions.

Flm315.1.2 Pitch Deck Example 5, Sae University College

Exemplars

A Pitch Deck exemplar submitted as a component of Project 1 in FLM315 Client Based Productions.

Flm315.1.2 Pitch Deck Example 7, Sae University College

Exemplars

A Pitch Deck exemplar submitted as a component of Project 1 in FLM315 Client Based Productions.

Social Thought From The Ruins: Quixote’S Dinner Party, David A. Westbrook

Books

Through stories, conversations, and essays, this book pursues interwoven critical and philosophical inquiries into the nature of the contemporary in the North Atlantic, asking how are we to live as intellectuals, individually and in community? Social Thought From the Ruins: Quixote’s Dinner Party is the product of informal discussion and academic work done over the last two decades among an international group of social scientists. An extended critique of academic life today and the context of our own thinking, this book interrogates aspects of our modernity, with its pervasive sense of crisis and uncertainty, and the difficulty of thinking clearly …

Impact Of Exchange Traded Funds (Etf) Holdings On Retail Investors’ Mutual Fund Portfolios Performance, Arunachalam R Mr

Theses and Dissertations

As evidenced by the practices passed down through generations the importance of savings and investments is well established in Indian culture. Indian investors consider investment as an essential commitment to financial sustainability and safeguarding dependents. Indians implement investment strategies during their working years to ensure long term financial security and support for future generations.

These cultural practices support the foundation of personal finance in India and well established financial theories (MPT, CAPM and EMH) guide optimising investment outcomes (SEBI, 2020). The effects of inflation and increased life expectancy made Indian investors aware of the need for a substantial financial corpus …

Investigation Of Dependency Parsing Techniques For Digital Document Analysis Through Deep Learning Approach, Rekah D Ms

Theses and Dissertations

Digital document dependency parsing is a significant task in natural language processing. Dependency parsing supports verification of the grammatical correctness of a sentence besides enabling extraction of relevant documents. Inappropriate extraction of features may result in falsely parsing a document, leading to decreased accuracy. Machine learning methods have been employed to perform feature extraction. However, selecting pertinent features was never achieved which minimizes the time consumption and overhead.

Hence, novel machine learning and deep learning techniques have been designed in our work for accurate and computationally efficient digital document analytics through dependency parsing. Four different contributions have been proposed for …

Bridging Scales In Epidemic Modeling From Individuals To Networks And Ecosystems, Saiprasasd Vr

Theses and Dissertations

Epidemics have shaped the trajectory of human history, repeatedly exposing vulnerabilities in healthcare systems and influencing socio-economic dynamics on a global scale. The COVID-19 pandemic, in particular, underscored the pressing need for flexible and responsive modeling framework capable of adapting to dynamic and evolving epidemic scenarios. Motivated by these challenges, this thesis explores the development of innovative epidemic models that integrate classical mathematical modeling techniques, network-based frameworks, and modern data-driven approaches. Each chapter addresses a distinct dimension of epidemic spread, from vaccination dynamics and community coupling to ecological complexity and adaptive human behavior, culminating in a model-free paradigm suitable for …

Evidentiary Practices In Arbitration: Need For A Minimum Framework, Krishnaja Olappamanna

Theses and Dissertations

Indian arbitration has emerged as a preferred method of dispute resolution, offering the benefits of flexibility, cost-effectiveness, and confidentiality over conventional litigation. Although this flexibility, more specifically in evidentiary matters, has brought procedural inconsistencies and uncertainties that detract from the enforceability of arbitral awards.

This is in line with Section 19 of the Arbitration and Conciliation Act of 1996, which prohibits arbitral tribunals from following the Indian Evidence Act of 1872 or the Code of Civil Procedure of 1908. While the provision allows procedural autonomy, it also brings with it an uncertainty in the evidentiary process of arbitrations, mostly when …

Cyclone Intensity Prediction In The Bay Of Bengal Using Deep Learning Methods, Senthil Kumar J

Theses and Dissertations

The Bay of Bengal region's coastlines have been badly devastated by tropical cyclones, as the region experiences an average of five to six cyclones per year, with about two to three of these intensifying into tropical storms or severe cyclones. Thus it necessitates to study the accurate and efficient forecasting of their intensity to improve preparedness and response to natural disasters. The present study compares and examines three distinct approaches to cyclone intensity prediction using historical datasets from 1998 to 2020: hybrid optimisation, deep learning-based, and empirical approaches.The predicted accuracy, computational effectiveness, and feasibility for real-time scenarios of each model …

Development Of Powder Activator From Agro-Industrial Waste And Its Application In The Preparation Of One-Part Alkali Activated Concrete, Anoop Kn

Theses and Dissertations

The environmental concerns associated with the traditional ordinary Portland cement (OPC) such as CO2 emission and high energy demand along with resource depletion as binder has led to the development of alkali activated binders (AABs). Even with the reduction in environmental issues, the implementation of AAB in practice is hindered by the handling issues of liquid activators. Hence, it is required to develop AAB with powdered activators to address the handling issues and to further reduce the environmental issues related to the production of activators. This research investigates the development of one-part alkali-activated concrete (OAAC) system utilising wastederived materials as …

Design Of An Integrated Lightweight Cryptographic Algorithm For Device Level Security And Fraternal Cryptographic Algorithm For Communication Security In Medical Cyber Physical Systems, Vimala Devi P

Theses and Dissertations

Healthcare involves detecting symptoms, diagnosing conditions and giving treatment to patients. It is one of the fundamental human rights, and it might be difficult to provide healthcare to those with chronic illnesses, elderly people with disabilities and those under distant observation. The World Health Organisation (WHO) states that Cardio Vascular Disease (CVD) is the leading cause of death worldwide.

According to the prediction, CVD-related causes such as heart attacks and strokes, could result in 23.3 million deaths by 2030. In addition, the number of people with diabetes will reach 246 million; thereby, the prevalence of CVD patients and diabetics will …