Digital Commons Network^™

Investigation Of Machining (Drilling) Of Bio-Composite Reinforced With Jute Fibers Under Different Machining Conditions, Mohammed Abdul Mujeeb Ansari

Theses

This study investigates the drilling performance of jute fibre reinforced bio-composites under different machining conditions to reduce performance parameters like surface roughness, tool type and delamination damage (entry and exit). Jute composites were fabricated using a process called hand layup. Drilling experiments were carried out using full factorial method focusing on three parameters: Feed Rate (0.05mm/rev, 0.1mm/rev and 0.15mm/rev), Drill bit Type (Titanium Nitride-TiN, High Speed Steel-HSS and High-Speed Steel Cobalt HSS-Co) and Lubrication condition (Dry, Minimum Quantity Lubrication-MQL and Cryogenic-LN2). A total of 27 experimental trials were performed, and the responses were measured for each condition. Statistical analysis was …

Performance Reviews In Project-Based Engineering Firms: Toward A More Holistic And Development-Oriented Approach, Xun He

Harrisburg University Dissertations and Theses

Performance reviews are widely used in engineering consulting firms to evaluate employee contributions and determine compensation and promotion decisions. However, research has shown that traditional review systems may overemphasize measurable technical results while overlooking collaboration, leadership, and innovation. In project-based engineering environments, where employees work across multiple teams and stakeholders, this structure may not fully reflect the nature of daily work. This qualitative phenomenological study explored how early-career engineers in project-based engineering consulting firms experienced performance review practices. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews with 15 engineers working in consulting firms. The study examined participants’ perceptions of fairness, completeness, and …

Teeth That Tell Time: Elemental Analysis From Shark Teeth, Gisele-Elizabeth Perez, David Turner

Research Papers

Sharks (Chondrichthyes) have hunted in the oceans for over 400 million years, their teeth leaving history behind, constantly becoming a part of the fossilization process (Worm et al. 2013). Their survival throughout 5 major extinctions is due to their ability to adapt easily with slow metabolism, a wide range of diet, and an efficient physiology. Shark teeth are vital to the hunting and consumption of their prey, making it a point for scientists to study them. Their tooth minerals contain fluorapatite in their enameloid, and dentin in the “root” of the tooth, with extinct species containing dentin and hydroxyapatite in …

"Leaf It To The Trees": Assessing The Colling Effects Of Tree Canopy On Campus Microclimates, Andrea Realyvasquez

Research Papers

This research paper investigated the impact of urban heat islands on campus microclimates, using a temperature survey to analyze variations in urban composition relative to tree density across the campus. The study spans multiple sites across the St. Mary’s University campus, with the following three major groups: Shaded, Partial Shade, and No Shade. Each grouping had two sites in different locations across campus to provide areas that best suited the characteristics, as well as site variation for the study. A data collection schedule was made for the months of January and February to cover two sites within a different grouping …

Maintenance Insights For Power Transformers In Energy Networks, Saleh Hassan Al-Ali

Theses

This thesis examines machine learning approaches for predicting failures in electrical power distribution transformers, with the goal of helping utility operators intervene before outages occur. The dataset covers 16,000 distribution transformers operated by Compa ˜n´ıa Energ ´etica de Occidente (CEO), a Colombian utility serving 42 municipalities in the Cauca Department. Each transformer record includes geographic location, rated power capacity, self-protection features, ceramic insulation criticality levels, removable connector configurations, customer categories, user counts, estimated un-supplied energy, installation types, network topology, and secondary line lengths. Failure event histories were also included, which allowed the problem to be framed as a supervised binary …

Software Vulnerability Recidivism In Open-Source Projects, Brandon Keller

Theses

Software vulnerabilities present a major threat to businesses and individuals alike and it is therefore critical that a culture exists among software engineers to encourage the discovery and patching of security flaws. Vulnerability counts are a common way of evaluating a project’s security. However, this metric can run counter to building a developer culture of fault recognition if more vulnerabilities is always seen as a bad thing. While these counts can present a rough idea of a project’s history with security, they provide no insight into how the development team improves and learns as a result of a vulnerability. A …

A Data-Driven Machine-Learning Framework For Intermittent Demand Classification And Forecasting Of Electrical Spare Parts In Dubai’S Water Pumping Stations, Ayesha Khamis

Theses

Irregularity in spare parts demand has been a recurring problem in many critical industries. The same problem is found in Dubai's water pumping stations, where demand is highly intermittent, with long periods of no usage followed by sudden increases. These irregularities are usually caused by maintenance activities or equipment failures. Forecasting such demand is challenging, as irregular patterns can lead to stockouts or overstocking. In this research, a machine learning (ML) forecasting framework is developed to handle intermittent demand for electrical spare parts in Dubai's pumping stations. The framework includes demand classification and prioritization, as well as the application of …

Association Of Higher Body Mass Index With Imaging Escalation And Operative Complexity In Pediatric Appendicitis, Ryan T. Davis, Sahithi Pemmasani, Margaret Menoch

Conference Presentation Abstracts

Background: Obesity may complicate clinical assessment and ultrasound (US) evaluation in children with appendicitis, potentially increasing reliance on computed tomography (CT). At the same time, national pediatric quality-improvement initiatives and ALARA-driven imaging pathways emphasize reducing CT use and promoting US-first approaches. Data examining how body mass index (BMI) influences diagnostic pathways within these modern low-radiation protocols are limited.

Objective: To determine whether higher BMI is associated with greater CT utilization, escalation from US to CT, nondiagnostic US examinations, emergency department (ED) length of stay (ED-LOS), and operative duration in children with appendicitis.

Design/Methods: This retrospective cohort study included patients < 18 years with surgically confirmed appendicitis presenting to a tertiary pediatric ED from January 1, 2010, to December 31, 2023. Consistent with prior dataset methodology, encounters were identified through structured EHR query using ICD-10 and CPT codes and restricted to unique first visits. A total of 2,275 children were included; BMI was available for 2,012 (88%). BMI was analyzed in quartiles. Imaging modality (US-only, CT-only, or CT after US) and operative duration (proxy for case complexity) were evaluated. χ² and Wilcoxon tests and odds ratios (OR) with 95% CI were used. IRB approval was obtained (Corewell Health IRB No. 2024-128).

Results: …

Smokejumper Magazine, April 2026, National Smokejumper Association

Smokejumper and Static Line Magazines

This issue of the National Smokejumper Association (NSA) Smokejumper Magazine, contains the following articles:

Message from the President; What Would Life Be Without Electricity?; "Mighty Mouse": How a Man I Never Met Helped Me Shatter the Glass Ceiling; Richard Kathe and His Incredible Unforgettable Slogan; Smokejumpers and Healthcare; The War on Rural America; Mann Gulch: The Mother of All Wildland Fatality Fire Cover-Ups; My Friend Larry Cravens; I Must Have Done Something Right; Warren Downs Got His Dream Job Then the Magic Happened; The "Woos"--Matthew D. Woosley; 2025 NSA Scholarship & Educational/Training Grant Awardees; A Memory of Mark Motes; Sounding …

Cryptogatekeepers As A Response To Conflicts Of Interest In Decentralized Finance, Vanessa Villanueva Collao

Northwestern Journal of Technology and Intellectual Property

Decentralized Finance (DeFi) emerged with the promise of eliminating traditional financial intermediaries and hierarchies, replacing them with trustless, automated, and decentralized systems. However, the reality of DeFi governance shows that disintermediation does not eliminate conflicts of interest or the need for trust. Cryptoenterprises—financial Decentralized Autonomous Organizations (DAOs)—operate without conventional governance structures such as boards of directors or managerial oversight, relying instead on code-based mechanisms. This absence of internal governance frameworks creates fertile ground for misaligned incentives, governance opacity, and unchecked internal controls, ultimately exacerbating conflicts between insiders (cryptopromoters) and investors (cryptoasset holders).

This Article examines the emerging role of cryptogatekeepers: …

Gendered Words And Patent Grant Rates: A Textual Analysis, Deborah Gerhardt, Miriam Marcowitz-Bitton, W. Michael Schuster, Avshalom Elmalech, Omri Suissa, Moshe Mash

Northwestern Journal of Technology and Intellectual Property

Text is a vehicle to convey information that reflects the writer’s linguistic style and communication patterns. By studying these attributes, we can discover latent insights about the author and their underlying message. This article uses such an approach to better understand patent applications and their inventors.

While prior research focuses on patent metadata (i.e., filing year or gendered inventor names), we employ machine learning and natural language processing to extract hidden information from the words in patent applications. Through these methods, we find that inventor gender can often be identified from textual attributes—even without knowing the inventor’s name. This ability …

Sb20-25/26: Resolution Regarding An Increase In The Uc Fee, Chase O'Brien, Shannon Brilz

Senate Resolutions, 2007-Present

SB20-25/26: Resolution Regarding an Increase in the UC Fee. This resolution passed by a roll-call vote [16-0-0] during the April 1, 2026 meeting of the Associated Students of the University of Montana (ASUM).

Uncovering Settlements: Problems, Opportunities And Solutions For Settling Liability Cases In Which Insurance Coverage Is In Dispute, Marialuisa Gallozzi, Jodi Mcdougall, James Murray, Catalina Sugayan

Connecticut Insurance Law Journal

No abstract provided.

Artificial Intelligence In The Insurance Industry And Bad Faith Risk, Mary E. Borja, Edward J. Currie Jr., Lorelie Masters

Connecticut Insurance Law Journal

No abstract provided.

Addressing A Hidden Risk: Depression, Genital Inflammation, And Hiv Susceptibility, Lauren Seco, Mimi Ghosh, Heather J. Hoffman

GW Research Showcase 2021-2026

No abstract provided.

Criteria For Approval Of Radiation Oncology Services In States With Certificate Of Need Policies, Nadia Bey

GW Research Showcase 2021-2026

No abstract provided.

Call To Action: Evidence-Based Perinatal Care In Lebanon, Clare Beymer, Abigail C. Brandt, Ryan O'Rourke, Anum Effendi, Lindsay Kaufman, Brandon Beattie, Elizabeth Prevou Trad

GW Research Showcase 2021-2026

No abstract provided.

Teaching Context Analysis Assignment, Tamara M. Roose

Teacher Education and Technology Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

April 2026, Maloney Library, Fordham University School Of Law

Maloney Matters

No abstract provided.

An Ethics Conundrum: What Am I? Coverage Counsel Or Claim Investigator Or Both?, Neil B. Posner

Connecticut Insurance Law Journal

No abstract provided.

Fair + Equitable April/May 2026, International Association Of Assessing Officers

Fair + Equitable

The April/May F+E issue reviews how some states are rethinking data center funding and property tax incentives.   Also in this issue:

• Conference schedule at a glance
• Conference keynote speaker
• Conference charity announced
• Conference registration opens April 28
• New online workshop offered in May
• Call for 2027 board candidates
• New ratio study standard updates
• New IAAO members
• IAAO Library guides
• AI is reshaping document intelligence
• Legal seminar program topics requested
• IRRV publications available
• New designees & Meet A Rep

Beyond Sequencing: Curriculum As Organizational Practice In Housing & Residence Life, Matthew M. Inman

Master of Education, Student Affairs Independent Study Projects

This study considers the factors influencing curriculum development in student affairs,  with a particular focus on housing and residence life contexts. Grounded in a constructivist and  interpretive framework, this qualitative study used semi-structured interviews with student  affairs professionals engaged in curricular work. Data was analyzed using Braun and Clarke’s  (2006) six-phase thematic analysis process to identify patterns in participant meaning-making.  Analysis shows that curriculum development is shaped by a set of interrelated organizational  dynamics, including tensions between flexibility and structure, the role of language in facilitating  understanding across staff roles, the influence of leadership and human resource capacity, and  the …

A Comparative Analysis Of State Legislation Prohibiting Gender-Affirming Care For Missouri Minors: A Policy Review, Hayley Lange, Benjamin Grin, Kaitlyn Crosby

Missouri Policy Journal

The Save Adolescents from Experimentation (SAFE) Act is a law enacted in August 2023 that banned gender-affirming medical care for individuals under 18 in Missouri. It states that any medical provider who provides medical gender-affirming care to a minor will have their professional medical license revoked. The purpose of this policy review is to evaluate and compare the content of the Missouri SAFE Act with similar legislation enacted in other states to provide an evaluative model.        

This policy assessment used a modified assessment tool that was developed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The assessment included a …

Fear, Parties, And The 2024 General Election: A Review Of Exit Poll Information From Missouri Voters, Jacob H. Tengelsen, Bronson P. Herrera

Missouri Policy Journal

Increased emotions mark current elections. Particularly, election-related anxiety has risen over the years, causing health and social concerns. Despite studying the risks of election-related fear, researchers have yet to delve into the existing partisan contrasts. We hypothesize that there will be a partisan difference in levels of fear in the 2024 election. We rely on exit poll data collected by the Northwest Center of Policy and Civic Engagement. We find more increased levels of fear among Democrats about the election of Donald Trump than we do among Republicans about the prospect of a Kamala Harris presidency. We reflect on the …

Editor’S Introduction, Joseph A. Cernik

Missouri Policy Journal

No abstract provided.

Pharmacy Matters April 2026, University Of Mississippi School Of Pharmacy

Pharmacy Matters Newsletters

Featured stories: Ole Miss Student Pharmacist Earns Top 10 Honors in National Patient Counseling Competition, Support Ole Miss Pharmacy on Giving Day, April 14, SOP Alumni Weekend: Honoring Alumni Who Lead, Mentor, and Serve, Match Day Success, Pharmacy Team Develops 3D-printed Bandage to Help Heal Chronic Wounds, Global Botanicals Conference Adds Cancer Focus, 2026 Charles W. Hartman Memorial Lecture, Dr. Aaron E. Carroll, 2026 Ronald F. Borne Endowed Lecture, Dr. Neha Pagidipati, MD, MPH, Applied Statistics Student Research Awards, CASE Workshop Selection, Image of Research Finalist, Kenvue APhA Scholarship, Alumni Insider's View Program, NACDS Rx Impact Day on Capitol Hill, …

Next-Generation Democratic Cyber Statecraft - Balancing The Signal: Shutdown Shocks And Democratic Digital Governance, Scott M. Di Panni

School of Public Policy Capstones

This paper develops Next-Generation Democratic Cyber Statecraft (NG-DCS), a unified strategic doctrine for democratic governments to contest the cognitive domain against authoritarian adversaries. Drawing on twenty-six years of cross-national panel data (1999–2024) spanning 213 countries, game-theoretic modeling, and qualitative case analysis, the paper establishes three interconnected empirical and theoretical foundations. First, cross-national OLS regression across 160+ countries demonstrates that regime type is the dominant structural determinant of internet freedom (R²=0.615, β=2.513, p< 0.001), explaining more than twice the variance attributable to per-capita wealth (R²=0.268). Democratic governance, not economic development, produces open digital environments. Second, a two-way fixed effects (TWFE) difference-in-differences study exploiting government-ordered internet shutdowns as discrete policy interventions finds that digital restrictions causally degrade V-Dem governance quality by 0.21–0.38 standard deviations (p< 0.001 across all specifications). Treatment effects are immediate (β=−0.302 at k=0) and persist through five post-treatment years (β=−0.246 at k=+5), indicating structural rather than transitory governance damage. Parallel trends validation (p=0.352) and Callaway–Sant’Anna heterogeneity-robust estimation (ATT=−0.230, SE=0.077) support causal identification. Instrumental variable triangulation (2SLS β=−0.949, p=0.005) confirms that simultaneity was attenuating, not inflating, the primary estimates. Third, formal game-theoretic analysis reveals that the current U.S.–adversary equilibrium is (Restrain, Escalate)—the risk-dominant but Pareto-inferior outcome of a Stag Hunt structure. China, Russia, North Korea, and Venezuela each occupy structurally distinct positions (Stackelberg commitment, asymmetric two-level, autarky, and reactive trigger, respectively), requiring differentiated doctrinal responses rather than a uniform strategic playbook. Generative AI and algorithmic governance are shown to accelerate cognitive vulnerability by collapsing influence operation costs and exploiting engagement-optimized platform architectures that systematically degrade deliberative capacity in democratic populations.

Initial Results Of A Structured Coaching Program For Academic Promotion Preparation, Jacqueline Hill, Christine Sullivan, Tyler Smith, Margaret Gibson, Valerica Mateescu, Wendell K. Clarkston

Posters

Introduction: Applying for academic promotion can be a confusing and arduous process, often with little guidance to assure a successful experience, especially for junior faculty located at affiliate hospitals. Goals: We present initial results of a structured university mentorship program to prepare faculty to apply for academic promotion. Methods: Program was designed as a small working group of 5 structured sessions over a 9-month period where participants were coached by senior faculty from 3 university affiliate hospitals. Program culminated in the completion of an academic promotion application. Results: Since launch in 2019, we have completed 4 program cohorts and paused …

Joseph Of Arimathea, Saint, Avery M. O'Neil

Arthurian Hero Character Design Project

Joseph of Arimathea is a biblical figure known for courageously requesting Jesus’s body after the crucifixion and placing it in a tomb. In medieval tradition, he is also linked to the Holy Grail and described as a missionary who traveled to Britain, spreading Christianity and guiding followers. Based on historical and legendary texts describing his life, Joseph of Arimathea is best represented in Dungeons & Dragons as a human cleric of the Life Domain with a Guide background, as his actions consistently demonstrate an active relationship with divine power, the spreading of spiritual life, and leadership through guiding others both …

Arete Newsletter - 2026 - Issue 4, Liberty University

Arete Newsletter

No abstract provided.