Digital Commons Network^™

From Village Core To Urban Impact: A Method For Assessing Community-Centered Design Across Scales, Jessica Randise

Theses

By utilizing pioneered urban planning principles and design strategies that focus on creating human centric spaces, this research will contribute to a deeper understanding of intentional urbanism and the importance of place-based design. The built environment to which surround us plays a key role in impacting a community’s development and civic pride amongst its community members. By understanding and pinpointing the successful design strategies utilized in both the villages of Fairport and LeRoy, NY, other regionally similar places with lesser success can be revitalized. This will be accomplished through the understanding of key development categories across all three villages which …

Deaf Space 2.0 - Adapted And Scaled To Large Urban Infrastructures, Youngjin Yi

Theses

This thesis investigates how DeafSpace principles can be adapted and scaled beyond interior environments to operate effectively within large urban infrastructures. While DeafSpace has been successfully applied in controlled, building-scale contexts, its potential at the scale of sidewalks, transit hubs, and public circulation systems remains underexplored. Contemporary urban environments rely heavily on auditory cues to communicate movement, safety, and orientation, creating barriers for Deaf and hard-of-hearing individuals and limiting clarity for the public at large. Through architectural observation, spatial analysis, and scenario-based evaluation conducted at the Rochester Institute of Technology campus and downtown Rochester, this research examines how architectural form, …

Dark Current And Persistence In Hgcdte-On-Si Infrared Detectors, Lazar Buntic

Theses

This thesis investigates the performance of Raytheon’s mercury-cadmium-telluride-on-silicon (MCT-on-Si) infrared detector arrays, with particular emphasis on the impact of the heteroepitaxial silicon growth process on dark current and persistence characteristics. Infrared detectors have been the cornerstone of astronomical discovery for the past four decades and remain essential for current and future flagship observatories, including the James Webb Space Telescope and the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope. Traditionally, the highest-performance HgCdTe (MCT) arrays are grown on lattice-matched cadmium-zinc-telluride (CZT) substrates, which are costly and limited in size. To enable low-cost, large-format arrays, Raytheon developed a process for growth of MCT on …

Generative Ai To Support College Students During The Writing Process, Damionie Vernon

Theses

The growing integration of Generative Artificial Intelligence (GAI) in higher education raises important questions about its role in supporting college students during the writing process. I used a mixed-methods approach, with a focus on quantitative questionnaires and qualitative written artifacts, to analyze patterns of GAI usage and perceptions by testing 34 college students. My thesis will explore these questions: (1) How do college students approach writing tasks in college?, (2) How do college students utilize generative AI to assist with writing tasks?, (3) What are the perceptions of college students on the use of generative AI to assist with writing …

Tiny Tusks Internship: Factors That Affect Breastfeeding In Public, Caroline E. Bene

The Eleanor Mann School of Nursing Undergraduate Honors Theses

The purpose of this review was to explore factors that impact women’s decision to breastfeed in public or not. The PICOT question used was: ‘What Factors Affect Women’s Decision to Breastfeed in Public or Not?’ Two platforms, EBSCOhost and The National Library of Medicine, were used to identify 15 peer-reviewed journal articles on factors affecting women’s decision to breastfeed in public or not. The factors that impact a women’s decision on whether it is acceptable to breastfeed in public stems from the media stigmatizing that breastfeeding should be a private action. Research done yielded results of both positive and negative …

The Relationship Between Mc1r Gene Variants For Red Hair And Clinical Responses To Anesthesia, Analgesia, And Pain: A Systematic Review Of The Literature, Mary Clark Allen

The Eleanor Mann School of Nursing Undergraduate Honors Theses

Background: Genetic variations of the melanocortin-1 receptor (MC1R) are commonly associated with red hair and pale skin. Research has linked MC1R variants with alterations in anesthetic response, pain perception, opioid sensitivity, and pain-related fear. Existing literature presents inconclusive findings, highlighting the need for further investigation.

Purpose: This review aims to synthesize current evidence concerning the role of MC1R variants in altering physiologic responses.

Methods: A systematic literature review was conducted by accessing CINAHL, MEDLINE, and PubMed through the University of Arkansas Libraries OneSearch platform. After applying inclusion and exclusion criteria, a total of 20 peer-reviewed articles were extracted for review. …

The Prevalence Of Amenorrhea In Relation To Red-S Syndrome Among Various Sports In Collegiate Female Athletes, Ruby S. Holland, Marilou D. Shreve

The Eleanor Mann School of Nursing Undergraduate Honors Theses

Background: RED-S is a common risk factor for amenorrhea in female athletes. Athletes that compete in high-intensity sports or without adequate caloric intake, are at risk for low energy expenditure which may disrupt hormonal balance. As development of RED-S is a well-established risk factor for amenorrhea, early detection and correction is crucial to prevent long term health consequences.

Purpose: The purpose of this research is to explore if there is a correlation between RED-S score and amenorrhea in female athletes.

Methods: An online survey was distributed to approximately 220 female athletes at the University of Arkansas using Qualtrics. The 69-question …

The Legal Framework For Direct Ocean Carbon Capture And Storage (Volume 2: The United States), Korey Silverman-Roati, Romany M. Webb

Sabin Center for Climate Change Law

This paper, the second in a series of two, focuses on the U.S. legal framework for the marine carbon dioxide removal (mCDR) approach of direct ocean carbon capture and storage (DOCCS). The first explores DOCCS governance under international law and is available here: https://scholarship.law.columbia.edu/sabin_climate_change/271/.

DOCCS aims to remove some of the carbon currently stored in the ocean and thereby enable it to uptake additional carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. DOCCS is still undergoing research, but early studies suggest it could have significant carbon dioxide removal potential. However, DOCCS could also present environmental and other risks, including from the construction …

Graduate School Blog - May 2026, Cynthia Haynes

UofM Grad School Blog

This issue highlights the transformative graduate experience at the University of Memphis, where academic excellence, mentorship, and community prepare students for future success. We celebrate the excitement of commencement, welcome incoming students through the 2026 Graduate Student Orientation, and spotlight inspiring stories like Samantha Guajardo’s research in rhetoric and media. The issue also showcases the vibrant culture of Memphis through events like the World Championship Barbecue Cooking Contest and summer Memphis Redbirds games, reflecting the balance of scholarship, connection, and city life that defines the UofM graduate journey.

Building Services Engineering March/April 2026

Building Services Engineering

No abstract provided.

Technology-Supported Literacy Instruction In Elementary Classrooms (K-5): Perspectives Of Student Teachers In Western Kentucky, Ila B. Shirrell

Honors College Theses

The use of technology in elementary classrooms (kindergarten–fifth grade) has increased significantly with the goal of enhancing instruction. Additionally, educational technology is being used to improve literacy skills, reading recovery, and comprehension. This study examined how technology supports literacy development and instruction in elementary classrooms by drawing upon the perspectives of current student teachers. Student teachers from Murray State University, placed in third through fifth grade classrooms in Western Kentucky, were interviewed. The interviews assessed how technology was used for literacy instruction, including the extent of its effectiveness and potential challenges. Responses were transcribed and analyzed. The themes of evidence-based …

Subzero: Original Music For Piano And Live Electronics, Frank Newton

Honors College Theses

Subzero is a set of three compositions for piano and live electronics inspired by themes of nature and human perception. The term “live electronics” in a musical context refers to the use of technology to generate or trigger sounds in real time during a performance. These pieces were written specifically for use with a computer music program I designed using Max/MSP to respond to and accompany the performer. Subzero combines acoustic and synthesized sounds to examine three subjects of the natural world and how we, as humans, react to them. The compositional process of the set was informed in part …

Algorithmic Resilience Memory: Designing Agentic Ai Systems For Organizational Learning And Climate-Crisis Adaptation, Harsha Sammangi, Aditya Jagatha, Navyasri Maddukuri

Research & Publications

Climate disruption has become a persistent organizational condition rather than an episodic event, yet most information systems designed to support organizational resilience treat each disruption as an isolated incident. Existing digital resilience platforms, disaster recovery systems, and AI-driven decision support tools lack the capacity to accumulate, encode, and reuse organizational knowledge across successive climate-related crises. This paper introduces Algorithmic Resilience Memory (ARM), a novel IS construct defined as an AI-enabled organizational capability through which agentic AI systems sense climate-related disruptions, encode prior organizational responses, preserve decision rationale, generate contextually adaptive recommendations, and reconfigure future actions through structured outcome feedback. Drawing …

Are We Still Bowling Alone – Part I: Religious Communities, Nancy T. Ammerman

eJournal of Public Affairs

Editor’s note. The following is based on a panel session from the 2024 Public Affairs Conference, presented by Nancy Ammerman, Harry Bruinius, and Kenneth Woodward. The panel was a reflection on what has happened since authors Robert Putnam and Robert Bellah issued warnings on the decline of community in America.

The Spiritual Crisis In American Higher Education, Varun Soni

eJournal of Public Affairs

Editor’s note. The following is transcribed from a presentation by Varun Soni during the 2024 Public Affairs Conference at Missouri State University.

Comparative Risk Metrics For U.S. Commercial Aviation, May 2026, Mihhail Berezovski

BCAAS Reports

No abstract provided.

May 2026, Office Of Research

Research Update

No abstract provided.

A Generative Ai Method For Minority Class Handling In Anomaly Detection With Drift And Explainability Analysis, Kelvin J. Mwiga, Mussa A. Dida, Ahmad Mohsin, Iqbal H. Sarker

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Artificial Intelligence, particularly machine learning (ML) algorithms, plays a crucial role in detecting cyberattacks, including anomalies and intrusions. However, machine learning models trained on imbalanced cybersecurity datasets often struggle to accurately detect minority data instances and potential threats, thereby weakening overall system security. Despite extensive research, a persistent challenge is the inadequate explanation for model predictions concerning minority data classes. This study aims to address these limitations by developing a generative AI-based approach to manage minority classes in anomaly detection, incorporating concept drift handling and explainability analysis. We introduce an over-sampling technique, CGGReaT, designed to enhance the presence of minority …

Cities And Climate Change, Matthias Roth, Enric Aguilar, Winston T. L. Chow

Research Collection College of Integrative Studies

We are pleased to present this special virtual collection of articles, highlighting the multifaceted interactions between cities, local climates, and global anthropogenic climate change. Climate change and urbanisation are the two global megatrends that transform human life and, at the same time, directly impact each other. Urban areas have the highest density of human populations and experience altered atmospheric conditions due to anthropogenic modification of natural physical settings and extra emissions of air pollutants and trace gases. One of the most obvious examples of climate modification due to humans is the urban heat island (UHI). This phenomenon describes urban regions, …

Miserly Thinking: Understanding The Factors Shaping Public Support Towards Project Wolbachia In Singapore, Shirley S. Ho, Agnes S. F. Chuah, Fiona J. W. Goh, Nova Mengxia Huang, Mengxue Qu, Hye Kyung Kim, Sonny Rosenthal

Research Collection College of Integrative Studies

Project Wolbachia is a vector control method that releases male Wolbachia-infected Aedes mosquitoes to curb dengue transmission in Singapore. While research has primarily focused on its efficacy, few studies have examined public opinion. This study draws upon the cognitive miser model and scientific literacy model to examine the factors shaping public support for Project Wolbachia. A nationally representative door-to-door survey was conducted in Singapore (N = 1,000) using multi-stage stratified random sampling. Our findings revealed that while knowledge about Project Wolbachia explains public support, laypeople may often rely on cognitive shortcuts, such as value predispositions, media attention, and pre-existing perceptions, …

Public Pool Usage As Adaptation Against Urban Heat, Stefan Borsky, Eric Fesselmeyer

Research Collection College of Integrative Studies

This paper examines the relationship between urban heat and outdoor public pool usage. Using attendance data from all 53 outdoor public pools in New York City, we analyze nonlinear effects of heat on pool usage across socioeconomic contexts. Pool attendance rises sharply with heat, especially in low-income neighborhoods where alternative coping options are likely limited. We also find that public pools reduce heat-related emergency medical service calls. Our findings highlight the need for equitable investment in blue infrastructure to enhance urban climate resilience and demonstrate how this type of adaptive infrastructure can play a critical role in managing urban heat.

Reducible Operators In Relative Non-Gamma Factors And Trace Norm Perturbations Of Operators, Shoucheng Yu

Doctoral Dissertations

The study of reducible and irreducible operators in von Neumann algebras has long been a central topic in operator theory. In this dissertation, we obtain results in two directions.

A classical question of Paul Halmos asks whether every operator on a separable infinite-dimensional Hilbert space is a norm limit of reducible operators. Junhao Shen and Shi investigated this problem for non-Gamma type II₁ factors and showed that the set of reducible operators is nowhere dense in such algebras. In Chapter 2, we extend this result to non-Gamma pairs of type II₁ factors: for a non-Gamma inclusion N ⊆ M, the …

Walking The Thermal Landscape: Modeling Ecophysiological Responses Of Ecotherms To Marine Heatwaves, Andrew Robert Villeneuve

Doctoral Dissertations

Climate change is accelerating the frequency of extreme heat events in the world’s oceans. These heatwaves can pose critical challenges for marine organisms, especially ectotherm foundation species who have experienced increasingly frequent and severe mass mortality events (MMEs). Predicting when, where, and to what extent populations experience heat-induced mortality is a critical knowledge gap in our ability to anticipate, mitigate, and recover from catastrophic MMEs. Here, I test the application of physiological nonlinear thermal tolerance landscapes (TTLs) and dynamic tolerance algorithms to translate dynamic heatwave events into ectotherm mortality predictions. In chapter 2, I conducted a simulation exploration of how …

Dignity And The Free Press, Erin C. Carroll

Georgetown Law Faculty Publications and Other Works

As American institutions wither and die, those who believe in their importance must reflect and rebuild. One institution worthy of sustained attention is the free press. Divorced from government by design, the press can benefit from efforts to reinvigorate and reinvent it in ways that institutions more directly under the federal government’s thumb cannot. To best undertake these efforts, we need a richer understanding of why a free press is vital. Articulating the values that underlie the need for this institution is necessary not only to build the most robust free press, but also to best exercise our freedoms as …

Functional Heterogeneity In Trophoblast Stem Cells Derived From Recurrent Pregnancy Loss Products Of Conception., Qi Fu, Keisuke Kozai, Xingrao Ke, Joe Varberg, Sheng Xia, Ashley S. Howard, Michael Lydic, Kristin Holoch, Courtney Marsh, Elin Grundberg, Kaela Varberg

Manuscripts, Articles, Book Chapters and Other Papers

Recurrent pregnancy loss (RPL), defined as two or more consecutive miscarriages, affects 1-5% of couples attempting to conceive and most frequently occurs between 6 and 8 weeks of gestation, coinciding with critical stages of placental development. Despite this temporal association, placental contributions to RPL pathogenesis remain poorly understood. We hypothesized that trophoblast lineage development, including extravillous trophoblast (EVT) and syncytiotrophoblast (STB) differentiation, are disrupted in RPL. To test this hypothesis, we established and functionally characterized human trophoblast stem (TS) cell lines derived from products of conception (POC) obtained from consenting idiopathic RPL cases. Four TS cell lines were successfully derived …

Accelerated Weaning Of Opioids To Reduce Pharmacologic Exposure For Neonatal Opioid Withdrawal Syndrome: A Randomized Clinical Trial., Abbot R. Laptook, Adam Czynski, Rouba Chahine, Rachel G. Greenberg, P Brian Smith, Erica Oliveira, Jenna Gabrio, Barry Eggleston, Abhik Das, Jeannette Lee, Barry Lester, Dave Clark, Michele Walsh, Helen Ko, Clare Campbell Asher, Hayley Friedman, Samuel Gentle, Karishma Rao, Anup Katheria, Kristen Benninger, Sanket Jani, Mark Cody Smith, Akram Khan, Ajay Talati, Shaina Lodhi, Fernando Mena, Amanda England, Prabhu Parimi, Ranjit Kylat, Heidi Harmon, Javed Mannan, Meghan P. Howell, Tanner Wright, Jessica Snowden, Act Now Collaborative

Manuscripts, Articles, Book Chapters and Other Papers

OBJECTIVE: To determine if newborns receiving morphine or methadone as the primary pharmacologic treatment for neonatal opioid withdrawal syndrome (NOWS) tolerate and receive fewer days of opioid using an accelerated wean protocol (15% decrements) compared with using a slower wean protocol (10% decrements).

STUDY DESIGN: Newborns ≥36 weeks of gestation receiving morphine or methadone for NOWS were enrolled in a pragmatic blinded, randomized multicenter trial. Newborns underwent protocol-driven weaning with decreasing opioid doses of either 15% or 10% decrements. Weaning was encouraged every 24 hours, and if signs of NOWS worsened, the preceding dose was resumed. To maintain blinding, the …

Leading With Hope: A Clinical Communication Campaign To Promote Partner Hiv Testing In Assisted Partner Notification And Antenatal Care Programs In Uganda., Emily A. Hurley, Violet Gwokyala, Linda Kisaakye Nabitaka, Jolly Beyeza Kashesya, Mercylynn Agasha, Florence Namaganda, Nikolaus Schuetz, J Nalubega Ross, Joseph K B Matovu, Rhoda Wanyenze, Glenn Wagner, Kathy Goggin

Manuscripts, Articles, Book Chapters and Other Papers

Among heterosexual couples in sub-Saharan Africa, fears of relationship dissolution and inability to bear healthy children following an HIV-positive result remain barriers to HIV testing. Recently expanded availability of pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) affords a critical opportunity to promote HIV testing with reassuring communication that highlights use for relationship preservation and healthy childbearing. We aimed to develop a theoretically-grounded communication intervention to promote partner HIV testing within assisted partner notification (APN) and antenatal care (ANC) programs in Uganda. Through an 18-month iterative co-creation process, we developed the HOPE Clinical Communication Campaign (HOPE-CCC) in collaboration with a project advisory board (PAB) of …

Exploring Dynamic Imine Bonds In Hemp-Seed Oil Based Reprocessable And Mechanically Robust Epoxy Vitrimer, Varshikkumar R. Patel

Electronic Theses & Dissertations

Epoxy thermosetting polymers are among the most versatile materials utilized across aerospace, automotive, construction, and electronic industries due to their exceptional mechanical strength, chemical inertness, and superior thermal stability. However, the majority of commercial epoxy resins are derived from non-renewable petroleum-based feedstocks such as bisphenol-A diglycidyl ether (DGEBA), which leads to inherent environmental challenges including non-biodegradability and the inability to be recycled or repaired after curing. These drawbacks arise primarily from the permanent covalent crosslinked architecture formed during the curing process, which prevents molecular mobility and reprocessability. To address these limitations, dynamic covalent chemistry (DCC) has emerged as a promising …

Enhancing The Mechanical Strength Of Soy-Based Polyurethane Adhesives Through Incorporation Of Schiff Based Diols, Yashkumar N. Patel

Electronic Theses & Dissertations

Recent advancements and trends in eco-efficient bio-based adhesives are explored in recent years. “Eco-efficient” refers to being effective both environmentally and economically. In this study, soy-based polyurethane (PU) adhesives were reinforced with vanillin-derived Schiff base diols (VB and VH) to improve mechanical strength and thermal stability. Two diols synthesized from vanillin and aliphatic diamines butanediamine (BDA) for VB, hexanediamine for VH were incorporated at 5, 10, and 15 weight percentages (wt.%) into a soy-based PU network cured with methylene diphenyl diisocyanate (MDI). Mechanical testing on bonded oak wood showed that adding these crosslinkers noticeably increased adhesive strength. Optimal performance occurred …

Religiously Online: A Digital Media Communication Audit Of A Midwestern Church According To The Frameworks Of Uses And Gratifications Theory And Affordances Framework, Jada N. Ortiz

Electronic Theses & Dissertations

This thesis examines the digital media practices of a faith-based organization through how leadership communicates with internal congregation members. By applying the theoretical framework of uses and gratifications theory and affordances framework, a communication audit was conducted of a Midwestern Protestant church to uncover any gaps between congregational members' uses for digital media and how the church leadership was gratifying those needs through their digital media practices. Accordingly, this study investigated (1) what digital media content needs congregants expect their church to fulfill, (2) what the church is currently doing to gratify congregants' digital media content needs and (3) church …