Digital Commons Network^™

Analysis Of Climate Change In Chelyabinsk And Kurgan: Effects Of Temperature And Precipitation From 1990 To 2020 Based On Cru Data, Irina Potoroko, Ammar Kadi, Ali Subhi Alhumaima

Mesopotamian Journal of Computer Science

This study analyzes climate patterns in the Kurgan and Chelyabinsk regions of Russia using high-resolution data from the Climate Research Unit (CRU) between 1990 and 2020. The research focuses on how temperature and precipitation have evolved over time and their impacts on local ecosystems, agriculture, and water resources. Using MATLAB for visualization, temperature and precipitation maps were created for January and July across five time periods to understand the spatial and temporal variations in these regions. The analysis revealed a noticeable increase in temperature, with warmer winters and hotter summers in both regions. Precipitation patterns showed a shift, with a …

Using Machine Learning To Enhance Interaction And Creativity Among Children By Using The Scratch And Mblock Programming Languages And Many Different Kids’ Machine Learning Platforms For Designing A.I Programs, Amani Y. Noori

Mesopotamian Journal of Computer Science

Artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) technologies have experienced substantial growth in the last decade, affecting billions of individuals across all facets of contemporary life. This trend of AI's expanding influence is expected to persist. The increasing significance of AI and ML in computer science and society supports the integration of AI and ML principles at an early stage.ML can be made more approachable and interesting for children by utilizing beginner-friendly kids’ programming languages like scratch. We design models for incorporating machine learning techniques using scratch and mblock programming languages to recognize images and text. These models are created …

Synthesizing Deception: Countering Large Language Model-Generated Phishing Campaigns Through Adaptive Semantic Anomaly Detection, Bekim Fetaji, Debabrata Samanta

Mesopotamian Journal of Computer Science

The paper fills in a gap in the literature that demonstrates an insufficient number of sturdy detection schemes that can recognize the small semantic aberrations inherent in LLM-generated deceptive text. Our proposed co-design hybrid model is Semantic Anomaly Detection with Isolation Forest (SADI) model that combines the synergistic mixture of a fine-tuned transformer-based LLM for deep semantic feature extraction with Isolation Forest algorithm that detects anomalies efficiently. This study introduces SADI, an adaptive semantic-anomaly detector for large-language-model phishing emails. Using a corpus of 10 000 messages, SADI attains an F1 score of 0.981 (95 % CI 0.978–0.984) and processes a …

Automated Video Colorization Techniques For Enhanced Visual Realism And Computational Efficiency, Zahoor M. Aydam, Nidhal K. El Abbadi

Mesopotamian Journal of Computer Science

Automatic video colorization remains a challenging computer vision task, particularly when ensuring semantic accuracy and temporal coherence across dynamic, multi-scene content. Existing methods often rely on a single fixed reference image, which fails to adapt to abrupt scene changes or variations in lighting and texture. This study presents a hybrid deep learning framework that dynamically selects multiple reference images per scene using adaptive thresholds derived from the Structural Similarity Index Measure (SSIM) and deep features extracted via a ResNet50 backbone with Generalized Mean Pooling (GeM). The framework integrates three specialized modules pre-processing, reference image processing, and attention-based colorization—operating in the …

Lightweight Deep Reinforcement Learning Model For Energy-Efficient Resource Allocation In Edge Computing, Ghassan A. Abed, Mohanad A. Al-Askari

Mesopotamian Journal of Computer Science

A lightweight digital twin model for a single 6G cell operating in the D-band (140 GHz) with a 1 GHz bandwidth is presented in this work with the goal of assessing the cell's capacity, coverage, and terminal time in order to support extended reality (XR) applications. With a tangent dispersion of 3 dB and a path exponent of n = 2.2, the model is based on the free-space loss equation as per ITU-R Recommendation P.525. The instantaneous capacity is determined using the Shannon-Hartley theorem. Three XR sessions are created every minute using a Poisson method, and their durations are determined …

Diabetes At A Glance: Assessing Ai Strategies For Early Diabetes Detection And Intervention Via A Mobile App, Ayad Hameed Mousa, Ibrahim Oday Alrubaye, Mayameen S. Kadhim, Ahmed Dheyaa Radhi, Mudatheer M. Al-Slivani, Rusul Mansoor Al-Amri, Liaw Geok Pheng

Mesopotamian Journal of Computer Science

Diabetes is a widespread disease worldwide that does not differentiate between children and adults. It also affects the elderly and pregnant women. However, early detection of the disease facilitates its control to avoid the effects resulting from delayed diagnosis. With the emergence of artificial intelligence represented by machine learning techniques and its use in most sectors, accordingly, the adoption of machine learning techniques to help in disease prediction has become a necessity. This study proposes a machine learning algorithm-based approach for diabetes prediction. This study uses three datasets, two of which are private and the other includes the Pima Indians …

Challenges Of The Opposition In Cameroon Multipartism, Chick Edmond, Nkenglefack Dessailly Forku

Political Science & Geography Faculty Publications

The main goal of this study was to explore the challenges faced by Cameroon opposition political parties and how these challenges affect presidential electoral outcomes since 1990. We employed both qualitative and quantitative methods to collect data for the study. The research design was the case study design, and the sampling technique was nonprobability sampling (precisely purposeful sampling). We employed the constructivist research philosophy to show that reality resides in the different views of people. Consequently, it finds out that the opposition in Cameroon lacks credibility and vision to achieve victory in presidential elections. They also face challenges of suppression, …

Support Needs Of Agrarian Women To Build Household Livelihood Resilience: A Case Study Of The Mekong River Delta, Tran Thi Ngoc Tran

Dissertations

Problem

Rural livelihood faces significant challenges due to the increasing frequency and severity of climate change impacts. However, the development of women’s livelihood resilience remains constrained by gender-blind policies, limited sex-disaggregated data, and a lack of integration of gender-specific needs and priorities in resilience-building interventions. This study aims to address these critical gaps. This study aims at exploring the perceived support needs of rural agrarian women in building household livelihood resilience to climate change. Specifically, it seeks to (1) understand how household livelihood resilience is perceived by rural agrarian women, and (2) identify the support they require to effectively adapt …

The Relationship Between Mindfulness, Emotion Regulation, And Anxiety Levels Among College Students In Saudi Arabia, Tahani Aljuaid

Dissertations

Problem

Anxiety is one of the most common psychological issues affecting youth globally and is particularly prevalent among Saudi adolescents and college students. Studies in Saudi Arabia have reported anxiety rates ranging from 48.9% to 66.2% among adolescents and high levels of generalized anxiety among university students, especially females (Aldosary et al., 2023; Alhabeeb et al., 2023). Poor emotion regulation has been identified as a key factor associated with anxiety and other mental health difficulties. In recent years, mindfulness has gained attention as a protective factor that promotes better emotion regulation and reduces anxiety symptoms. Despite this growing recognition, there …

From Devout Follower Of Muhammad To Committed Disciple Of Jesus: Principles And Methods Of Transition Phase Discipleship Among Adventist Believers From A Muslim Background In Ethiopia, Temesgen Bulti Besha

Dissertations

Islam is the second most dominant religion in Ethiopia commanding about 34 percent of the over one hundred ten million population of the country. The Seventh-day Adventist Church has not been successful, until recently, to effectively reach this large and growing Muslim population. In the last decade and half, hundreds of Ethiopian Muslims are coming to faith in Christ through the ministry of the Church. However, church members, leaders, and disciplers lack adequate understanding of the transition phase discipleship during which the new believers from Muslim background (BMBs) go through considerable challenges such as persecution, lack of social and economic …

War-Displaced International Students: A Qualitative Study Of Factors Influencing The Integration Of Ukrainians At A Midwestern Healthcare College, Ivan Riapolov

Dissertations

Problem

The war in Ukraine has disrupted the country’s higher education system, displacing Ukrainian students and affecting their mental well-being. These students encounter numerous challenges while adapting to new academic and cultural environments abroad. Higher education professionals must recognize and address the unique experiences and needs of international students by region of origin to better serve these populations. This study aimed to explore the factors that influence the social and academic integration of Ukrainian international students into a new culture and to inform institutions of the best practices for creating supportive environments for international students.

Method

The qualitative study explored …

Religious Participation, Subjective Happiness, And Purpose In Life As Predictors Of Psychological Resilience Among College Students At A Faith-Based Institution In The United States, Elaine Powell Oliver

Dissertations

Problem

During the transition from adolescence to adulthood, also known as emerging adulthood, many college students experience psychological distress, such as anxiety, depression, stress, and loneliness (Arnett & Tanner, 2009; DeRosier et al., 2013). For some students, their psychological distress will impact how they perform academically and whether they will persist in their academic goals (Hartley, 2012; Robbins et al., 2018). Many students lack the resilience needed to survive and thrive amid the challenges of college life (Lane, 2020; McLafferty et al., 2022; Watkins et al., 2012). -- Resilience is considered an essential psychological characteristic to assist students in navigating …

2025 Retirees Association Newsletter, Morehead State University. Alumni Association.

Morehead State Alumni Association Publications

The Morehead State University 2025 Retirees Association Newsletter.

Perfluorinated Carbon Chain Length Drives Uptake Of Diverse Per- And Polyfluoroalkyl Substances In Field-Deployed Passive Samplers, Matthew Dunn, Jitka Becanova, Simon Vojta, Heidi Pickard, Rainer Lohmann

Graduate School of Oceanography Faculty Publications

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are a group of compounds of high concern due to their ubiquity, persistence, and adverse health impacts. With a diversity of chemical structures and properties, detection tools are needed to capture as many PFAS as possible. In this study, a microporous polyethylene tube (MPT) passive sampler was calibrated for 25 target compounds, 8 suspect PFAS, and extractable organofluorine (EOF) during 1–2 week deployments in groundwater, freshwater river, and estuary contaminated by aqueous film-forming foam (AFFF). Targeted analysis, suspect screening, and EOF were performed on passive and grab samples to derive sampling rates, R_s. …

Bioaccumulation Of Legacy And Novel Pfas In The Environment, Hesham Taher, Rainer Lohmann

Graduate School of Oceanography Faculty Publications

The bioaccumulation of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), both legacy and novel, in the environment presents significant ecological and health risks. PFAS are a diverse group of synthetic chemicals known for their persistence and bioaccumulation, which can cause widespread environmental contamination and health risks. Strong carbon-fluorine bonds give these compounds unparalleled stability, preventing them from degrading and enabling them to endure in a range of environmental matrices, including water, soil, and biota. Legacy PFAS, including perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and perfluorooctane sulfonic acid (PFOS), have been extensively studied and regulated, resulting in lower concentrations in some environmental media. However, novel PFAS, …

Furthering The Capabilities Of Diffusive-Gradient Passive Samplers For Per- And Polyfluoroalkyl Substances, Jarod Snook, Jitka Becanova, Simon Vojta, Rainer Lohmann

Graduate School of Oceanography Faculty Publications

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are chemical pollutants of growing concern for many stakeholders. Due to their ubiquity, persistence in the environment, and potential for toxicity at low environmental concentrations, it is necessary to have convenient and reliable methods to measure PFAS in natural waters. Passive sampling methods (in situ preconcentration of PFAS) may be suitable for monitoring situations. One passive sampling design successfully employed for other, well studied contaminants (e.g., methylmercury) is the diffusive gradient in thin film sampler (DGT). However, the application of DGT for PFAS requires development and validation. Here, we iterate on previous PFAS-DGT studies by …

Rebuttal To “Correspondence On ‘Scientists’ Statement On The Chemical Definition Of Pfass”, Gabriel Sigmund, Marta Venier, Marlene Ågerstrand, Ian T. Cousins, Jamie Dewitt, Miriam L. Diamond, Jennifer Field, Alex T. Ford, Shira Joudan, Stefan Van Leeuwen, Rainer Lohmann, Carla Ng, Martin Scheringer, Anna Soehl, Noriyuki Suzuki, Xenia Trier, Sara Valsecchi, Penny Vlahos, Cora J. Young, Zhanyun Wang

Graduate School of Oceanography Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Corporate ‘Capture Strategies’ Impacting Human And Ecosystem Health, Alex T. Ford, Marlene Ågerstrand, Michael G. Bertram, Miriam L. Diamond, Rainer Lohmann, Andreas Schäffer, Martin Scheringer, Gabriel Sigmund, Anna Soehl, Maria Clara V.M. Starling, Noriyuki Suzuki, Marta Venier, Penny Vlahos

Graduate School of Oceanography Faculty Publications

The concept of regulatory capture has been extensively studied in academic literature, primarily within the social sciences. This phenomenon has been increasingly discussed in the environmental sciences as the impacts of regulatory capture on human and ecosystem health have become increasingly apparent. Regulatory capture is just one tactic employed by vested interests in the strategy of delaying, weakening, or abolishing policies designed to protect the public interest. Here, we define capture strategies as ‘the act of influencing individuals, organizations, or governments to prioritize corporate interests over those of human and ecosystem health’. Similar to the evolution of terms like whitewashing …

Changes In Pyrogenic Tracers Over The Last 15,000 Years In The Congo River Catchment Through Multi-Method Analysis, Samuel D. Katz, Helena Osterholz, Riley Barton, Ellen R.M. Druffel, Xiaodong Gao, Caroline A. Masiello, Cristina Santin, Tassiana S.G. Serafim, Sasha Wagner, Matthias Zabel, Rainer Lohmann

Graduate School of Oceanography Faculty Publications

Black carbon (BC), the most recalcitrant part of the pyrogenic carbon continuum, is formed by the incomplete combustion of biomass and fossil fuels. Methods for detecting BC include the chemical degradation of condensed aromatic compounds into benzenepolycarboxylic acids (BPCA), chemothermal oxidation of organic carbon at 375°C (CTO), ¹³C nuclear magnetic resonance combined with a molecular mixing model, thermogravimetry-differential scanning calorimetry, and the use of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons as tracers. However, there is limited knowledge about the comparability of these methods in marine sediments and their suitability as wildfire proxies. Here, we examined a sediment core from the Congo River …

State Of The University Annual Report - 2024-2025, Office Of The President, East Tennessee State University, University Marketing And Communication, East Tennessee State University

Office of the President State of the University Annual Report

No abstract provided.

Editors’ Introduction: 25th Anniversary Issue Of The Jiws, Diana J. Fox, Kimberly Chabot Davis, Priyanka Tripathi, Catherine Ndinda

Journal of International Women's Studies

No abstract provided.

Miss Usa Meets Feminism: A Qualitative Study Exploring Contestants’ Thoughts On Feminist Ideals, Julia Van Steenberghe, Sandra Caron

Journal of International Women's Studies

This qualitative study explores pageant contestants’ views on feminism. A total of twelve state titleholders, aged 22-29, from the 2020 Miss USA Competition were interviewed about their motivations for participating, their own views on feminism, and their opinions about whether beauty pageants align with feminist ideals. The initial analysis of the interview transcripts revealed sixteen coding categories. A secondary analysis of these coding categories identified three overarching themes: “Pageants are Empowering,” “Swimsuit is Complicated,” and “Pageantry Has Evolved.” This study revealed that participants had many reasons for entering pageants, the least common of which related to beauty. Most …

Modernity, Domesticity, And Women’S Subjectivity: A Comparative Study Of The Fiction Of Jane Austen And Ling Shuhua, Rou Li

Journal of International Women's Studies

This study examines how Jane Austen and Ling Shuhua represent women’s conceptions of selfhood through domestic narratives during periods of modernization in their respective societies. Drawing on Anthony Giddens’ theory of modern intimacy and Gary Kelly’s analysis of the bourgeois cultural revolution, this comparative analysis explores how their works reflect broader societal transformations through the depiction of intimate domestic spaces. Through detailed textual analysis of Austen’s novel Pride and Prejudice and several of Ling Shuhua’s short stories in Collected Essays of Ling Shuhua, this study demonstrates how both authors employ domestic settings not merely as backdrops but as dynamic …

Being An Inessential Woman: Sexual Fluidity And Migratory Identities In Mohsin Hamid’S Exit West, Dhanya V. Sankar, Sarbani Banerjee

Journal of International Women's Studies

This paper explores the experiences of principal characters in Mohsin Hamid’s novel Exit West, particularly the woman protagonist Nadia, as they battle with displacement and assimilation. The novel highlights the challenges faced by Nadia, a migrant woman, as she navigates through constant mobility and cultural adaptation. This continuous movement engenders a similar fluidity in her sexual orientation as she searches for a home. Nadia represents the “inessential woman” of Elizabeth Spelman’s book of the same name, a woman who is othered by White, middle-class feminists who may view Muslim women as shackled by heterosexuality and religious sanctions. Yet Nadia …

Unveiling The Vulnerability Of Return Migration: A Feminist Embeddedness Perspective On Bangladeshi Women Workers, Faraha Nawaz, Tania Afrin Tonny

Journal of International Women's Studies

This study explores the vulnerability of migrant workers returning to Bangladesh through the lens of van Houte and Davids’ (2008) embeddedness framework. Centering women’s narratives offers a feminist method of embeddedness, focusing on the economic, social, and psychosocial dimensions of returning migrants’ experiences. This paper addresses the vulnerabilities experienced by women upon their return, particularly those returning from the Middle East. Drawing on qualitative data from in-depth interviews with 30 Bangladeshi women domestic workers, this study identifies two primary causes for their return from the Middle East to Bangladesh: coercion by family members and coercion by employers. The findings indicate …

Migration And Work: An Intersectional Perspective On Women Workers In Brick Kilns In The Sivasagar District Of Assam, India, Kashmiri Saikia, Sikha Das

Journal of International Women's Studies

This paper is based on fieldwork regarding brick kiln workers in the Sivasagar district of Assam, located in Northeast India. Apart from family migration, women migrate alone to these brick kilns in search of work opportunities. Despite progress, evidence suggests that many women who work in brick kilns are not afforded workplace rights and are underrepresented, unregistered, and paid lesser wages compared to men workers. Many kilns are unregulated and remain outside the purview of workplace laws. Through interviews and conversations with women workers, this paper aims to understand and analyse the dynamics of gender, migration, and work in the …

Homophobic And Transphobic Bullying: Impacts On The Mental And Physical Health Of Queer Black Adolescents In Kacen Callender’S Young Adult Fiction, Uthra Devi R.K., C. Jothi, S. Rema Devi

Journal of International Women's Studies

This paper examines how homophobic bullying profoundly impacts the mental and physical health of Black queer children, with a particular focus on the rising suicide rate within this marginalized community. Analysing the representation of homophobic and transphobic bullying in Kacen Callender’s young adult fiction, this study explores the devastating impact of both verbal and nonverbal forms of abuse, including rejection, intimidation, and social isolation. These negative experiences contribute to long-term emotional distress, leading to an increased vulnerability to anxiety, depression, and suicidal ideation. Meyer’s minority stress theory is used to examine how systematic ignorance and rejection of queerness render Black …

Subdued Voices And Marginalized Lives: Reading R. K. Narayan’S Waiting For The Mahatma Through Feminist Standpoint Theory, D. Sundar Singh, S. Pressila Daissy, Roland Rencewigg P.

Journal of International Women's Studies

Standpoint feminism, based in second-wave feminist theory, insists that knowledge is situated in the social world and contends that marginalized groups, through their experiences of oppression and struggle, hold experiential understandings of power relations. This paper examines R. K. Narayan’s complex depiction of a young woman actively involved in India’s freedom struggle in his novel, Waiting for the Mahatma (1955/2004), through the lens of Sandra Harding’s feminist standpoint theory. The novel’s central character, Bharati, through her varied trajectories of resistance and accommodation within patriarchal structures, illustrates marginalized women’s understandings and their mirroring of social inequalities and power relations that are …

A New Melian Dialogue: Feminist Thinkers On Security Problems Of The 21st Century, Heather Rellihan, Michael Coffey

Journal of International Women's Studies

This essay critically engages with two important works on feminist foreign policy— Kristina Lunz’s The Future of Foreign Policy is Feminist and Cynthia Enloe’s Twelve Feminist Lessons of War—both of which offer useful insights for the evolving field of critical security studies. The authors of this essay have divergent backgrounds—a professor of women’s, gender, and sexuality studies and a defense scholar—which reflect a central tension in feminist foreign policy between feminist principles and the paradigms and exigencies of defense policy makers. Through a constructed conversation between its authors, this essay engages the arguments of Lunz and Enloe to ask …

Recasting Gender Roles: The New Woman And The New Man In Women-Centred Contemporary Malayalam Films, Roshan B. Karimpaniyil, Shashikantha Koudur

Journal of International Women's Studies

This article examines the representation of gender roles in select women-centred contemporary Malayalam films. It attempts to expand on the idea of the “new Indian woman” and develop a concept of the “new Indian man.” The new Indian woman is a byproduct of the cultural metamorphosis caused by liberalisation, while the new Indian man could be understood as the product of modern culture’s attempt to undermine traditional masculinity. By analysing the movies Biriyaani (2020), The Great Indian Kitchen (2021), Aanum Pennum (2021), and Sara’s (2021), as well as the short films Memories of a Machine (2016), Freedom @ Midnight (2021), …