Digital Commons Network^™

Volume Cxlv, Number 24, May 29, 2026, Lawrence University

The Lawrentian

No abstract provided.

Patria Laureano V. Attorney General United States Of America

2026 Decisions

Agency

Accepts: Advancing Communication Competence And Equitable Practices When Training Students, Imani Smith, Jamie Mayer, Tertia Jeppson

Honors Capstones

This project aims to collaboratively create an online, interactive experiential learning program to enhance students’ communication skills when engaging with adults who have cognitive-communication disabilities (CCD). Effective communication is vital for patient-centered care, yet training often lacks contributions from those with lived experience. Using a community-based participatory research framework, this pilot study centers on a needs assessment through focus groups  involving adults with CCD (n=4-8 participants). Initial pilot work will involve structured discussions to examine views on communication barriers and strategies. Data will be analyzed qualitatively to identify main themes that guide program development. Early findings are expected to emphasize …

Online Shopping Non-Adoption In South Africa: A Distrust-Centric Framework Integrating Social Exchange, Trust Transfer, And Social Presence Theories, Cleopatra Moipone Matli, Jeevarathnam P. Govender

Journal of Marketing and Consumer Behaviour in Emerging Markets

Online shopping non-adoption remains critically underexplored, especially in emerging markets. Addressing this gap, the authors develop and test a distrust-centric framework that applies the inhibitory logic of social exchange, trust transfer, and social presence theories to explain pre-emptive avoidance. Focusing on South Africa, where only 18.16% of the population engage in e-commerce, data was collected from 414 consumers who have never shopped online. Structural equation modelling reveals that perceived lack of reciprocity directly increases the intention of non-adoption. Moreover, distrust in online payment systems transfers to broader channel scepticism, which in turn drives avoidance. Perceived lack of social presence further …

Unveiling The Power Of Credibility: How Virtual Influencers Shape Consumer Attitudes And Purchase Intentions In Fashion, Danita Van Heerden, Jade L. Verbeek

Journal of Marketing and Consumer Behaviour in Emerging Markets

Artificial intelligence (AI) is at the forefront of influencer marketing, particularly in the fashion industry. Consequently, brands are using virtual influencers (VIs) to engage consumers in this space. Yet little is known about VIs’ credibility and their influence on purchase intentions, especially in an emerging market where they are less prevalent. This study examines the influence of VIs’ credibility (i.e., trustworthiness, attractiveness, and expertise) on consumers’ attitudes towards VIs and the subsequent impact on purchase intention for fashion products in South Africa, grounded in the Source Credibility Theory. Data were collected from active social media users using non-probability convenience and …

Ever-Present: Exposing The Complex Emotions We Try To Hide, Madison Porter

Honors Projects

Through large brushstrokes and bold colors, my paintings are a culmination of who I am and how I see myself in the world. To explore my sense of self, I learned to process my insecurities through intentional compositional choices and experimental color palettes. This series is as authentic as I can be, depicting raw, emotional figurative work, following in the footsteps of my modern artist predecessors.

Coupled Ferroelectricity And Phonon Chirality, Xiang-Bin Han, Cong Yang, Rui Sun, Xiaotong Zhang, Thuc Mai, Zhengze Xu, Aryan Jouneghaninaseri, Xiaoning Jiang, Rahul Rao, Yi Xia, Multople Additional Authors

Mechanical and Materials Engineering Faculty Publications and Presentations

Recognizing the coupling between ferroelectricity and chirality in optically active ferroelectrics opens a route for manipulating chirality via ferroelectricity under an external electric field, enabling control over chirality-dependent quantum states. Here, we report the experimental demonstration of the coupling between ferroelectricity and phonon chirality in the molecular ferroelectric triglycine sulfate. By electrically switching the crystal chirality, we achieve reversible and device-compatible control of phonon chirality, as revealed by in situ time-resolved magneto-optical Kerr effect measurements. The Kerr rotation reverses with electric-field switching, while phonon chirality vanishes in the paraelectric phase and is tunable in the racemic ferroelectric state. Furthermore, density …

Fabrication And Characterization Of Cellulose Grafted Glycidyl Methacrylate-Based Film For Food Packaging, Rahmi Rahmi, Sari Safitri, Febriani Febriani, Lelifajri Lelifajri, Andriy Anta Kacaribu

Baghdad Science Journal

The use of persistent plastic in food packaging continues to raise practical and environmental concerns, prompting interest in biodegradable alternatives derived from biomass. In this work, cellulose derived from coconut dregs was used as a film-forming material. The cellulose was isolated using a combination of chemical and ultrasonic treatments, followed by grafting with glycidyl methacrylate (GMA). Citronella oil (CitO) was incorporated at different loadings to produce GraftCell/CitO0.15, GraftCell/CitO0.6, and GraftCell/CitO1.2 films. Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) analysis confirmed grafting, while structural changes were reflected in an increase in the crystallinity index from 10.55% to 16.04%. Thermogravimetric (TGA) analysis further revealed a shift …

Semiautomated Online Continuous Flow Injection Analysis – Turbidimetric Determination Of Zinc In Pharmaceutical Drugs, Raghad Saad Hatem, Marwah A. Kadhim Al-Bana, Nagham Shakir Turkey, Ihsan Mahdi Shaheed

Baghdad Science Journal

This study has assessed the novel technology developed for our in-house NAG-5SX1-1D-SSP analyzer by utilizing the established reaction of the zinc (II) ion with ammonium thiocyanate and mercury (II) chloride to produce a white precipitate. This analyzer was used to access turbidity by calculating the reflection of incident light. The method maintains linear behavior over a concentration range from 0.05 to 18 mmol. L^–1, with a detection limit of 0. 489μg.sample^–1 and excellent precision (RSD% >1). These results confirmed the reliability and robustness of the developed instrument for Zn (II) determination in various pharmaceutical formulations. …

Determination Of Pb(Ii) Ion With A Novel, Highly Efficient Immobilized Arsenazo Iii In A Polymer Matrix, Kholboeva Muyassar, Smanova Zulayho, Madatov O`Tkir, Yusupov Boburjon, Abror Nomozov, Sobirova Fotima, Jalilov Fazliddin, Daminov Oybek

Baghdad Science Journal

In this study, a novel analytical reagent based on arsenazo III immobilized on a polymer matrix composed of polyacrylonitrile, polyethylene polyamine, and dichloroethane (PPD) was developed and applied for the spectrophotometric determination of Pb(II) ions. The proposed method demonstrated standard analytical and metrological characteristics for the highly accurate determination of Pb(II) ions, as evidenced by a relative standard deviation (Sr) of 0.06 and a minimum detectable concentration (C_min) of 0.24 μ g/L. The accuracy and reproducibility of the method were evaluated using Student's t-test and Fisher's F-test. Comparison of the experimental and tabulated values (experiment=1.09; t …

New Generalizations Of Pairwise Lindelöf Spaces, Hana M. Binshahnah, A. K. Mousa

Baghdad Science Journal

This study is introducing two new different pairwise related to Lindelöf bitopological spaces. Lindelöf spaces are among of the most important topological spaces with important applications in various branches of mathematics. Therefore, many studies on Lindelöf topological spaces and pairwise Lindelöf bitopological spaces were presented in previous papers. However, those two new pairwise Lindelöf bitopological spaces are more general than what has been studied before. Therefore, the study defines a new pairwise interior operator and a new pairwise closure operator, furthermore, it reviews their characteristics where the researchers provide new strongly pairwise axioms (the strongly pairwise regular and the strongly …

A New Hybrid Approach For Magnetohydrodynamic Flow Over A Stretching Surface With Nanofluid, Ammar Al-Salih, Abdul-Sattar Jaber Al-Saif

Baghdad Science Journal

The current investigation focuses on developing a semi-analytical technique aimed at estimating the solutions of magnetohydrodynamics flow with Casson tri-hybrid nanofluid (TiO₂ - SiO₂ - Al₂O₃/blood) flowing over a stretchable surface along two-dimensional space. To solve the obtained nonlinear coupled differential equations in the problem formulation, the proposed semi-analytical approach makes use of the Shehu reduced differential transform Padé method (SRDTPM). Several physical parameters, such as slip effect, porosity, magnetic strength, and Casson number, were considered for examining the effect on momentum, while radiation parameter, heat generation/absorption, temperature-dependent heat sink/source term, and Biot number …

Preparation And Characterization Of Fe2O3 And Fe2O3@Ag/Agcl Core-Shell Nps Using Mint Leaf Extract, And Study Of Their Cytotoxicity And Inhibition Of Breast Cancer Cells, Ruqayah A. Ulwali, Nada K. Abass

Baghdad Science Journal

Iron oxide nanoparticles (Fe₂O₃) and iron oxide core–silver/silver chloride shell nanoparticles (Fe₂O₃@Ag/AgCl) were green-synthesized using mint leaf extract .X-ray diffraction (XRD) results showed that Fe₂O₃ formed in two phases, γ -Fe₂O₃ and α -Fe₂O₃, while Fe₂O₃@Ag/AgCl formed in one phase, α -Fe₂O₃, with crystallite sizes increasing from 1.89 nm for Fe₂O₃ to 22.42 nm for Fe₂O₃@Ag/AgCl. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) revealed that Fe₂O₃ had …

Distilled Intelligence At The Edge: An Iot-Driven Deep Learning Architecture For Plant Health Assessment, Malek Garrach

Masters Theses

This project addresses the challenge of image classification for specific plants in indoor farming environments. With a limited dataset, selecting an efficient and cost-effective model becomes crucial.

The traditional approach of using cloud services for model storage and image processing is not only expensive but also inefficient for this use case, especially when considering the continuous flow of data generated by cameras in indoor farming settings. Cloud-based solutions incur high operational costs, which is not ideal for resource-constrained environments. To overcome these limitations and provide a more economical alternative, we propose the use of IoT devices, specifically Raspberry Pi units, …

Ai-Aided Instructional Framework For Multilingual Learners (Aim-Framework), Boulbaba Abdeljaouad

Masters Theses

This thesis presents EduAtlas, a human-centered AI system that integrates a mobile lesson planning application with wearable smart glasses to support teachers in multilingual classroom environments. The system enables teachers to generate structured lesson plans with multilingual scaffolds and receive real-time instructional support during classroom sessions through a wearable interface. Unlike autonomous systems, EduAtlas is designed to operate collaboratively with teachers, who retain control over all AI-generated suggestions.

The lesson planning component uses large language models and multimodal generation to produce standards-aligned lesson plans, visual aids, and multilingual supports. The wearable component utilizes teacher-triggered audio capture to analyze classroom interactions …

Assessing Impact Of Heat Waves On Pregnancy And Lactation Amidst Climate Change: A Scoping Review., Susan Anyango, Grace Nakate

School of Nursing & Midwifery, East Africa

Background: The escalation of heat waves, attributed to climate change, represents a global public health concern, with pregnant
and lactating women identified as particularly vulnerable due to Physiological and hormonal changes.

Aim: To review the existing research on the effects of heat waves on pregnancy and lactation, identifying potential health risks and outcomes.

Methods: A structured search across PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, and Google Scholar was conducted using terms related
to heat waves, pregnancy, lactation, and climate change. Inclusion criteria focused on peer-reviewed empirical
studies in English.

Results: Heat waves are linked to increased risks of preterm labor, low …

Descriptive Qualitative Study Of Nursing Students' Perceptions And Behaviors During Student-Led Class Sessions In Uganda, Proscovia Nakaye, Veronica Nakkonde, Mercy Muwema, Grace Nakate

School of Nursing & Midwifery, East Africa

Introduction: Student-led class sessions are a pedagogical approach where students actively engage in the learning process, influencing content, activities, and pace. This method fosters independent learning, communication skills, and teamwork. While some studies have shown the effectiveness of student-led sessions, nursing students often exhibit challenges, such as inattention and negative attitudes, affecting the quality of learning and patient care. Understanding nursing students' perceptions and behaviors in this context is essential for improving nursing education.

Methods: This descriptive qualitative study aimed to explore nursing students' perceptions and behaviors during student-led class sessions at Uganda Christian University. Sixteen direct-entry nursing students …

Prevalence Of Teenage Pregnancy And Associated Factors Among Adolescent Girls In Bobi Subcounty, Northern Uganda., Grace Auma, Margaret Alioru, Geoffrey Kaujju, Grace Nakate

School of Nursing & Midwifery, East Africa

Methodology: A Cross-sectional study design. A survey was conducted among 4893 married girls aged 15-19 years using quantitative methods. Quantitative data was collected through the structured questionnaire, which was administered, data was collected and entered in EPI-INFO 2020 software, and was cleaned and analyzed using STATA version 15.0. Binary logistic regression was done to examine the factors independently associated with teenage pregnancy. A multistage sampling technique was used.

Results: Our study showed that the prevalence of teenage pregnancy in Bobi Sub-County, Omoro District, is high at 27.5%. Significant Factors contributing to the likelihood of teenage pregnancy included those …

Structures And Processes Of Critical Care Nursing Practice: Insights From Four Ugandan Intensive Care Units, Dominic Ogwal Savio, Edrisa Ssemwanga, Winter Patrick, Lameck Ssemogerere, Cliff Aliga

School of Nursing & Midwifery, East Africa

No abstract provided.

Supporting Students With A Hearing Impairment, Kayleigh Kearsley, April Israelsen, Whitney Clawson

Curiosity

Imagine you have hearing aids and have been struggling for weeks to hear your band teacher because of the background noise in class. You approach your teacher and request that he wear an FM microphone device that transmits directly to your hearing aids, turning it on when he is talking and off again when the class is playing, allowing you to hear his voice better. The band teacher denies the request, stating that it would be too distracting for other students if he used the device during class. This is the real life experience of Abby Daum, a hard of …

Racial Identity And Representation As Predictors Of African American College Academic Self-Concept, Dylan Briggs

Masters Theses

This study examined the potential influence of cultural variables (racial centrality, public racial regard, private racial regard, and perceived racial representation) on the academic self-concept of African American college students. A total of 107 African American and Black college students participated in this study. Participants were recruited from a predominantly White institution in the southeastern United States, as well as through the Prolific online research database. Participants completed an online questionnaire that assessed participant demographics, aspects of racial identity via the Multidimensional Inventory of Black Identity, perceived racial representation on college campuses, and academic self-concept. Results did not support the …

The Relation Between Parental Bonding And Sexual Self-Concept In College Students, Kinsey Hatfield

Masters Theses

This thesis explores the relation between two dimensions of parental bonding—care and overprotection—and four aspects of sexual self-concept including sexual agency, desire, anxiety, and satisfaction in college students. We also explored the use of a relatively novel measure of sexual self-concept, the MSSCQ-SF. 292 college students completed measures regarding parental bonding, sexual self-concept, and various demographic questions. Results partially supported our hypotheses, with parental care and overprotection being correlated with sexual anxiety and satisfaction but not desire or agency. Further, parental overprotection was positively correlated with sexual anxiety above and beyond the demographic variables assessed. These findings suggest that parental …

The Impact Of Teacher Communication Practices On Student Performance In Literacy And Terminology At Geo Prep Next Generation High School, Erica Lafayette

Masters Theses

This study examined the impact of teacher communication clarity on student engagement and vocabulary confidence in a charter high school setting. Grounded in Vygotsky’s Sociocultural Theory and constructivist perspectives, the research highlights the importance of clear instructional communication in supporting student learning. A quantitative, correlational design was used to analyze data collected from 229 students at GEO Next Generation High School in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, with 215 valid responses included in the final analysis. Data were gathered through a Likert-scale survey measuring teacher communication clarity, student engagement, and vocabulary confidence. The results revealed moderate, positive, and statistically significant relationships between …

Ai-Augmented Pedagogy In Higher Education: An Ethical And Equitable Framework For The Governance And Operational Integration Of Ai In Teaching And Learning, Asrat G. Amnie

Publications and Research

Abstract

Higher education faces a convergence of pressures that no single institutional response has yet resolved: widening demographic diversity, pandemic-exposed structural fragility, and the persistent inequity of whose learning gets supported and how. Artificial intelligence (AI) has entered this landscape not as an optional enhancement but as an infrastructural reality— embedded in adaptive platforms, feedback systems, and early-alert protocols at institutions worldwide. Yet adoption has consistently outpaced governance, and tools celebrated for democratizing access carry real risks of encoding and amplifying the inequities they promise to address. This article introduces the AI-Augmented Pedagogy (AAP) framework, developed through a Sequential Explanatory …

May 29, 2026 Ereporter, University Of Alabama At Birmingham

eReporter (campus newsletter)

No abstract provided.

Leadership Experiences Of Gender-Diverse Managers In U.S. Libraries And Museums, Galen Jay Talis

Faculty Scholarship

This article explores how gender-diverse managers in U.S. libraries and museums experience leadership and perceive gender to influence leadership. In-depth interviews were conducted with five gender-diverse managers. Data were analyzed with inductive, semantic thematic analysis and a complementary, deductive analysis using Wharton’s multilevel gender framework. Participants described relational, pragmatic, point-person leadership—connecting and supporting people, coordinating work, and translating between units—while expressing ambivalence about formal and hierarchical roles. Most did not initially link leadership to gender; when prompted, they articulated gender’s influence at individual, interactional, and institutional levels. Gender discrimination and transphobia persist even in woman-dominated contexts, shaping decisions about visibility, …

Trystan Edwards '26 And Andrew Ricks '26 Awarded The Mark Whitlock Scholarship, Benjamin N. Cardozo School Of Law

Cardozo Law News Archive

Cardozo School of Law announced that Trystan Edwards ('26) and Andrew Ricks ('26) were selected as the 2026 recipients of the Mark Whitlock Scholarship. The annual award recognizes outstanding third-year J.D. students whose leadership, service, and commitment have strengthened student life and the Cardozo community while honoring the legacy of alumnus Mark Whitlock ('10).

Butte Priority Soils Operable Unit Diggings East Final 100% Remedial Design Package Submittal, Josh Bryson

Silver Bow Creek/Butte Area Superfund Site

No abstract provided.

Classical Motion Of Bounded Orbits In Two-Body Problems, Dina F. Stein

Physics and Astronomy Undergraduate Senior Theses

The study of bounded and periodic motion in classical systems is of central importance in celestial mechanics, atomic models, and the theory of integrable systems. Central-force problems are of particular importance due to their rich geometric structure and the existence of conserved quantities that strongly constrain orbital behavior. In this thesis, we investigate the classical motion of bodies subject to two central-force potentials: the inverse-square and the pseudo-harmonic. For each system, explicit solutions for the radial and angular equations of motion are derived and analyzed. The resulting trajectories are classified according to whether they are bounded, unbounded, open, closed, or …

Implementing Standardized Suicide Screening In Outpatient Psychiatry, Idowu O. Oshokoya

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

No abstract provided.