Privacy-Preserving Generative Inpainting, Tamar Yakar, Ilia Labzovsky

Defensive Publications Series

People frequently capture images in public or semi-public settings (e.g., schools, parks, parties) that include incidental subjects and may share such images with others. The person that captures such images may not have consent from such incidental subjects to publish such images. This disclosure describes generative augmentation techniques that preserve privacy for digital media. Incidental subjects (bystanders) in photographs are automatically protected prior to social sharing. Unlike conventional redaction methods (blurring/pixelation) which degrade visual fidelity, or manual object removal which alters the scene's composition, the techniques semantically substitute unauthorized subjects with context-appropriate, non-identifiable synthetic elements. The synthetic elements can be …

Direct-To-Local-Psap Emergency Messaging Over Satellite, Aishwarya Mallampati, Sooraj Sasindran

Defensive Publications Series

When text emergency service (T911) is used over satellite, the carrier configuration may be such that the emergency text is routed to a concierge service that may be outside the country that the user equipment is in. This can result in inefficient emergency response, as there may be a delay in communications to the local public safety answering point (PSAP). This disclosure describes techniques that enable a mobile device to communicate directly with a local PSAP via satellite when terrestrial networks are unavailable. A specialized emergency packet data network (PDN) connection is established that utilizes local breakout (LBO) architecture within …

Process For The Preparation Of Crystalline Form Of N-(Cyanomethyl)-4-(2-{[4-(Morpholin-4-Yl)Phenyl]Amino}Pyrimidin-4-Yl)Benzamide Dihydrochloride, Msn Laboratories Private Limited, R&D Center, Hyderabad, India.

Defensive Publications Series

Abstract:

The present disclosure relates to a process for the preparation of crystalline form of N-(Cyanomethyl)-4-(2-{[4-(morpholin-4-yl)phenyl]amino}pyrimidin-4-yl)benzamide dihydrochloride of formula-1a. The structure of formula-1a is shown below:

Formula-1a.

Memory-Bounded, Provenance-Preserving Canonical Feature Generation For Normalized Entity Keys In Distributed Transaction Aggregation, Arnab Dutta, Rafael Ostrea, Pawan D. Parchani

Defensive Publications Series

The present disclosure relates to a method and a system for generating canonical features for normalized entity keys in distributed transaction aggregation. The present disclosure suggests receiving transaction data comprising a plurality of transaction records, each transaction record associated with an entity identifier derived from one or more entity attributes. After receiving the data, the present disclosure suggests aggregating the transaction records using a normalized merchant entity key, which consolidates multiple entity identifiers corresponding to a same merchant entity. Thereafter, the present disclosure suggests generating an intermediate data structure for each normalized merchant entity key and for each selected attribute …

Artificial Intelligence Social Companion, D Shin

Defensive Publications Series

This disclosure describes an AI-generated social role-play companion that provides emotionally intelligent virtual friends to help users develop social skills through interactive scenarios. Per the techniques, a general-purpose large language model (LLM) is augmented with persona-specific low-rank adapters (LoRA). The LoRA manage multiple AI friend characters, each with distinct personality, communication style, and emotional model. An emotional intelligence module detects the user’s emotional context, using, e.g., voice prosody. A social scenario generator creates age-appropriate social situations focused on, e.g., sharing, conflict resolution, and empathy building. A progress tracker monitors social skill development over time. Aside from character voice responses through …

Personal Significance Scores For Images, Ashwin Goyal

Defensive Publications Series

The true significance of a particular photograph (or video) to a user is difficult to discern in an automatic manner directly from photo pixels (and/or metadata) because there is context beyond the photograph that cannot be determined from pixels alone. This disclosure describes techniques, implemented with user permission, that provide a reliable indicator for the significance of an image using the statistics, telemetry, and metadata relating to action categories such as the capture, curation, consumption, connection, and culling of the image. The techniques generate a personal significance score (PSS) normalized to the range (0.0, 1.0) leverage user behavior with reference …

Amorphous Rovadicitinib And Pharmaceutical Compositions Thereof, Prashanth Venukathala, Venukathala Prashanth

Defensive Publications Series

The present invention relates to novel solid-state forms of Rovadicitinib, specifically amorphous forms, processes for their preparation, pharmaceutical compositions comprising them, and their use in therapy.

Geomagnetic Kinetic Energy Storage Using Oscillating Ion Cluster Kickers For Orbital Power Infrastructure, Daniel Austin Harbison

Defensive Publications Series

A method is described for storing electrical energy in space using a charged particle beam circulating in Earth's geomagnetic field, with energy injection and extraction performed by oscillating ion cluster kickers (OICKs) mounted on a constellation of satellites operating within the inner Van Allen belt (approximately 2,000–3,000 km altitude). The system functions as a kinetic battery for orbital power infrastructure, complementing existing or proposed space-based solar power architectures. Unlike chemical batteries, the storage medium does not degrade with cycling. The geomagnetic field provides the confining structure without mass cost. This disclosure describes the architecture, the underlying physics, energy balance estimates, …

Multi-Material Die/Chip To Reduce Package Warpage By Reducing Die To Substrate Cte Mismatch, N/A

Defensive Publications Series

This disclosure describes a multi-material semiconductor die designed to mitigate package warpage by adjusting the overall coefficient of thermal expansion of the die structure. By incorporating a secondary material with a higher thermal expansion coefficient than silicon, such as copper, the thermal expansion of the die is increased to more closely match the expansion characteristics of a package substrate. This is achieved through a layered configuration where the secondary material is deposited as a subsection of the die or sandwiched between silicon layers. This approach provides a flexible method for tuning the thermo-mechanical characteristic of the die to improve manufacturing …

Optimized Thermocompression Bonding Pedestal For Increased Assembly Yield, N/A

Defensive Publications Series

A system and methodology for optimizing a thermocompression bonding pedestal to enhance the assembly yield of integrated circuit packages and printed circuit board assemblies. The technique involves matching the warpage of a top surface, such as a die or substrate, to a bottom surface, such as a printed circuit board or substrate. A contoured pedestal imparts a designated warpage profile to the bottom surface, which corresponds to the warpage of the top surface. The appropriate warpage profile can be determined through laboratory characterization or live characterization using a module fitted to the bonding tool. The pedestal may feature a fixed …

Verifiable Api Key Revocation Using Dns-Based Cryptographic Attestations, Mei Yue Liu

Defensive Publications Series

Revoking compromised application programming interface keys in distributed cloud systems can involve a propagation gap, where a revocation may not be instantly effective across all enforcement points, and this process can lack external verifiability. This disclosure describes a framework that can use the domain name system (DNS) as a public ledger to address these potential issues. Upon revocation, a signed status record may be published to a deterministic DNS namespace derived from the key identifier. Concurrently, individual enforcement points can apply the revocation and return cryptographically signed attestations of this action. These attestations may be aggregated into a composite, signed …

The Cryptographic Dns Tombstones For Subdomain Takeover Prevention, Mei Yue Liu

Defensive Publications Series

This disclosure addresses subdomain takeover vulnerabilities that can occur when a cloud resource is deprovisioned but its corresponding domain name system (DNS) record is not, potentially creating a dangling pointer. A described system utilizes a cryptographic tombstone record, where upon resource deletion, a new, digitally signed tombstone record can be published to the DNS. This tombstone may act as a persistent and verifiable signal of intentional absence, serving as an alternative to relying on the removal of a DNS record to signal de-authorization. Participating service providers can honor this signal via a verification protocol before permitting a new binding. This …

Acknowledged Queuing Of Sim Proactive Commands By A Mobile Equipment, Pankaj Kumar, Aakash Phoughat

Defensive Publications Series

In mobile telecommunications, a generic busy response from a mobile equipment (ME), such as a smartphone or wearable device, to a proactive subscriber identity module (SIM) command can create ambiguity, potentially causing the SIM to initiate a retry logic. This may lead to redundant command traffic, increased power consumption, and potential race conditions. A signaling mechanism is described that includes a protocol enhancement where an ME can advertise its ability to internally store commands, for example, via a flag in a terminal profile command. When busy, the ME can queue the command and use a specific result code in a …

Blight Pink: The Reclamation Of Vinegar Hill, Jalen J. Mickle

Senior Honors Projects, 2020-current

Through critical analysis, speculative design, and spatial interventions, this project aims to reveal how the built environment and narrative structures co-produce the concept of “truth,” and how alternative practices can both challenge erasure and validate the Black American experience. Architecture, as a synthesis of form, identity, philosophy, and order, reflects and shapes societal hierarchies.

Leveraging Citizen Science To Advance Environmental Justice In Climate-Vulnerable Communities Post-Loper Bright, Lauren Valli

Seattle Journal of Technology, Environmental, & Innovation Law

The Supreme Court’s 2024 decision in Loper Bright Enterprises v.

Raimondo removed the judicial obligation to defer to the Environmental

Protection Agency’s statutory interpretations, overturning forty years of

Chevron v. NRDC jurisprudence. Now, generalist judges must

independently evaluate complex scientific data when determining

statutory meaning, creating the risk that well-resourced industry parties

will use their litigation advantages to secure pollution-permissive statutory

interpretations. Without deference to EPA’s technical understanding and

public welfare considerations, environmental litigation outcomes

increasingly depend on which party can most persuasively present

environmental data in court. This interpretation shift widens the

environmental enforcement gap and disproportionately harms historically …

Practitioners’ Experiences Of Developmental, Individual Differences, Relationship-Based (Dir) Approach In Their Professional Practice With Neurodivergent Clients: A Hermeneutic Phenomenological Study, Ekaterina Sidor

Educational Studies Dissertations

This phenomenological study explores how professionals experience integrating the developmental, individual-differences, and relationship-based (DIR) framework in their work with neurodivergent clients. Although DIR is recognized as an evidence-based developmental approach in the field of autism support, little is known about how its integration affects practitioners themselves. Grounded in relational-cultural theory and transformative learning theory, the study examines how engagement with DIR influences practitioners’ professional practice and development. Using a qualitative, hermeneutic phenomenological design, data were collected through open-ended questionnaires and in-depth interviews with multidisciplinary professionals from diverse international contexts who completed DIRFloortime training and actively implement DIR in their work. …

Becoming Restorative: An Exploration Of Individual Journeys And The Professional Learning That Supports Them, Jessica Rae Madden-Fuoco

Educational Studies Dissertations

Restorative practices in K-12 schools have been studied primarily for their impact on school climate and discipline outcomes, yet little empirical or conceptual guidance exists for the professional learning that supports educators in becoming restorative. This study investigated three interconnected questions: How do individuals experience the process of becoming more restorative in their personal and professional lives? What key qualities characterize effective andragogy in the teaching of restorative practices? And how do educators perceive the impact of these qualities on their professional learning, development, and ability to use restorative practices in their classroom or school? This study employed two complementary …

The Efficacy Of Emotional Reframing As An Intervention To Promote Adult Transformational Growth, Linda Rossetti

Educational Studies Dissertations

This study investigates the underexplored relationship between adult developmental growth and emotions. Developmental growth requires an individual to respond to self-concept instability by adopting new meaning structures and navigating oppositional emotions. This quantitative study examined the relationship between an emotional reframing intervention and perspective shifts, an indicator of developmental progression. Data collected on three college campuses in the 2024-2025 academic year revealed a strong positive relationship between the intervention and perspective shifts, as evidenced by differences in pre- and post-assessment responses within the studied population, both in aggregate and in specific use cases. The findings contribute to three academic arenas: …

Enacting Leadership And Transforming The World: Hannah Arendt, The Private, The Public, And Transfigurations In Between, Xochitl Mendez

Educational Studies Dissertations

In this dissertation I propose a framework that emphasizes transitions between Private and Public. I argue that individuals can consciously reshape and reformulate these transitions to assert themselves in the world. How can the individual’s own internal realities, ventures, projects and selfhood assert themselves in a fraught world as an act of self-affirmation, leadership, and transformation? New approaches to this question can all be revealed by using transitions between Private and Public as actionable strategies. I re-interpret Hannah Arendt’s Private and Public as she presented them in The Human Condition (1958). I turn these into multivalent and multilayered spaces of …

We Need To Do Better: Exploring Educators’ Perspectives Of Transformative Trauma-Informed Social-Emotional Learning, Heather Stay

Education Doctorate Dissertations

This qualitative, descriptive case study examined educators’ understandings, enactment, and professional learning related to transformative, trauma-informed social-emotional learning (SEL) practices in a center-based emotional support school setting. Data were collected through semi-structured educator interviews and classroom observations to capture a holistic view of pedagogical practices. Guided by the theoretical frameworks of Dis/Crit, Transformative Learning Theory, and Foucault’s Theory of Power, the findings illuminate how educators leverage trauma-informed SEL strategies to support students affected by trauma as they navigate structural and systemic constraints within a normative educational system. Results highlight both effective cultural-sustaining and trauma-responsive practices already in place, as well …

Leadership Regarding The Support And Implementation Of Collaborative Teacher Teams To Advance District Equity Goals, Deborah Holman

Educational Studies Dissertations

Educational leaders increasingly prioritize equity reform processes; however, many struggle to enact sustainable change that addresses persistent disparities in student outcomes. Existing research on district effectiveness identifies key improvement practices but offers less insight into how leaders operationalize these practices effectively. The growing body of research on professional learning communities (PLCs) offers emerging evidence that job-embedded, focused PLCs are a mechanism that can positively impact student outcomes. This study addressed the connection between the improvement practices and PLCs by exploring how school and district leaders leverage collaborative teacher teams as a mechanism for equity-minded reform. Using a constructivist grounded theory …

Trauma Sensitivity In Rural Education: A Teacher-Centric Analysis Grounded In Bronfenbrenner’S Ecological Systems Theory, Karie L. Williams

Educational Studies Dissertations

This qualitative case study examines the ways rural teachers implement trauma-sensitive practices despite having few resources and little institutional support. There is a lack of research regarding what teachers in these settings think about trauma-sensitive practice, how teachers implement trauma-sensitive practice within their classrooms, and what ecological factors contribute to the sustainability of trauma-sensitive practice. The primary question driving this research is “How do K–5 public school teachers in a rural-distant district in Virginia implement trauma-sensitive practices within the ecological systems that shape their professional roles, instructional decisions, and relational work with students?”  This question reflects the study’s purpose to …

Through A Pedagogy Of Play: Kindergarten Teachers' Professional Identity, Self-Efficacy, And Well-Being, Jennifer L. Berube

Educational Studies Dissertations

Abstract

This convergent parallel mixed methods study examined how kindergarten teachers who implement a play-based pedagogy describe its influence on their professional identity, self-efficacy, and well-being. Kindergarten represents a critical educational juncture where tensions between developmental practice and academic acceleration are most pronounced, yet existing research has not adequately examined how pedagogical approaches affect the teachers who implement them. While extensive research documents the benefits of play-based learning for children’s development, the experiences of the teachers who facilitate that learning remain largely unexamined. This study addressed that gap through three integrated frameworks: Self-Determination Theory, Seligman’s model of well-being encompassing positive …

Influence Of The Discipline Of Authentic Movement Practice On Interpersonal Relationships, Joy Ruben Welts

Educational Studies Dissertations

This mixed methods study explored how practicing the Discipline of Authentic Movement impacts relationships. This research was conducted to fill in the gaps around attunement and use of the Discipline of Authentic Movement as an intervention to support healthy relationships. Five self-selected adults met on Saturday afternoons for eight weeks to practice the Discipline of Authentic Movement. They completed a pre and post Revised Adult Attachment Scale and reflected weekly on their experience through journaling. Participants reported that it was the structure of the Discipline of Authentic Movement that allowed them to feel more comfortable being themselves with others. The …

Yes, We Can: Understanding The Experiences Of Brown (Latino/X) And Black Male Students Success At Community Colleges, Carlos L. Maynard

Educational Studies Dissertations

ABSTRACT

This is a concurrent mixed methods study that examines the factors and experiences of Brown (Latino/x) and Black male students enrolled in community college (CC) and their higher education success. The following research questions guided the study: what factors contribute to these male CC students’ successes? What experiences contribute to these male CC students’ successes? How do these male students make meaning of their experiences with CC college stakeholders during their success journey? An asset-based integrated conceptual framework was developed to better understand relevant demographics, other factors, and the students experiences with college professionals and peer student workers contribution …

Educated Sons And Evolving Traditions: A Qualitative Exploration Of Male Family Roles, Inheritance Customs And Cultural Identity In Matrilineal Meghalaya., Boby John

Educational Studies Dissertations

Abstract

This study examines how increased access to higher education among Khasi boys reshapes family roles, inheritance customs, and cultural identity within the matrilineal society of Meghalaya, India. While matriliny has often been portrayed either as empowering women or disadvantaging men, limited scholarship has explored how access to higher education interacts with gendered inheritance structures and moral responsibility within such systems. This research addresses that gap by investigating how educated sons, youngest daughters (Ka Khadduh), and elders experience continuity and change in contemporary Khasi families.

Guided by Cultural Capital Theory, Social Role Theory, and Cultural Modernization Theory, the study employed …

Black Excellence By Design: A Critical Framework For Transforming K–12 Education, Darnell T. Williams

Educational Studies Dissertations

This dissertation examines Black Excellence as a historically grounded, culturally situated, and politically consequential construct in K–12 education. Using constructivist grounded theory and a critical analytic lens informed by Black Feminist Thought, BlackCrit, Critical Race Theory, and Decolonial Theory, this study examines how Black Excellence is defined, enacted, and protected by Black educators, school leaders, and district-level administrators working within racially stratified and ableist educational systems. Drawing on in-depth interviews and constant comparative analysis, the findings conceptualize Black Excellence not merely as academic achievement, but as a relational, cultural, and political practice sustained through what this study theorizes as Protective …

U.S. V. Washington: Considering The Continuing Injunction Of The Boldt Decision, Nicholas Brown

Public Land & Resources Law Review

Judge George Hugo Boldt’s 1974 opinion in United States v. Washington was a landmark decision in the recognition of treaty fishing rights for tribes in western Washington. Not only did it recognize the entitlement to 50% of harvestable yields of fish within the tribes’ usual and accustomed fishing sites, but it also provided a permanent injunction to protect future fishing rights for generations to come. Now, over fifty years since the original “Boldt decision” was made, judges in the Ninth Circuit are debating whether the continued injunction to litigate intertribal disputes over treaty fishing rights is proper. This article considers …

Western Watersheds Project V. Schultz, Cv 22-149-M-Dlc-Kld, 2025 Lx 449507, 2025 Wl 2410283 (D. Mont. Mar. 27, 2025), Luke A. Zagar

Public Land & Resources Law Review

Western Watersheds Project v. Schultz delineates what the Forest Service is required to consider for revising Allotment Management Plans as prescribed by NEPA. Environmental plaintiffs sued, arguing that the Forest Service’s reliance on an older baseline assessment was arbitrary and capricious and that the revised AMP failed to consider major impacts on the grizzly bear population. The District of Montana held that the reliance on an older baseline assessment was acceptable but simultaneously found the AMP to be arbitrary and capricious under the “hard look” standard.

San Luis Obispo Coastkeeper V. Cnty. Of San Luis Obispo, 161 F.4th 590 (9th Cir. 2025), Erika C. Rader

Public Land & Resources Law Review

In San Luis Obispo Coastkeeper v. Cnty. of San Luis Obispo, the Ninth Circuit addressed how to consider a mandatory preliminary injunction for an Endangered Species Act claim when multiple listed species may be affected by the requested relief. The Plaintiffs brought ESA and state law claims to compel the County of San Luis Obispo to change its operation of the Lopez Dam on Arroyo Grande Creek, which they claimed adversely affected South-Central California Coast steelhead trout. The tidewater goby and California red-legged frog, both listed species, are also present in Arroyo Grande Creek. The Ninth Circuit determined the …