Digital Commons Network^™

The War Poetry Map Project: Exploring The Physical And Emotional Geography Of Conflict, Colin D. Halloran

English Theses & Dissertations

There can be no question that war is shaped by and has shaped cultures, and yet as an object of study it is rarely looked at from a cultural studies perspective. It is the great epics of war that form the cornerstones of Western literary tradition. It is the impact of war that gave rise to fields like trauma and memory studies. It is the propaganda produced, the hijacking of cultural industries, that help perpetuate wars. The War Poetry Map Project and accompanying written dissertation seek to move beyond historical and political contexts and view war as a cultural object. …

Profiles Of Science Students’ Achievement Emotions: An Exploration Of Motivational Antecedents And Persistence Outcomes Over Time, Arianna White-Levatich

Educational Leadership & Workforce Development Theses & Dissertations

This is a longitudinal study focused on the importance of students’ beliefs and emotions for their persistence in science majors. The primary goals of this study are threefold. First, to examine how undergraduate science students’ academic achievement emotions combine into profiles across two time points in the context of introductory Chemistry and Biology Courses. Second, to examine how students’ beliefs and perceptions of belonging relate to profile membership and to the likelihood that students will transition between profiles of emotions over time. Third, to evaluate how emotion profile membership and transition are related to students’ intentions to pursue science and …

Assessing Shifts In Leadership Language: A Comparative Study Of The Aacc Competencies For Community College Leaders, Bethany A. Siehr

Educational Leadership & Workforce Development Theses & Dissertations

Leadership competency frameworks are widely used in community colleges to guide hiring, professional development, and succession planning. However, little is known about how leadership expectations evolve within these frameworks over time or how revisions reflect shifts in what the field values as legitimate leadership preparation. This study examined longitudinal change in the American Association of Community Colleges (AACC) Competencies for Community College Leaders across four editions published in 2005, 2013, 2018, and 2022.

Using a structured comparative document analysis, the study applied an extraction grid, a modification classification framework, and the Semantic Aspect Scale to identify additions, deletions, augmentations, separations, …

Enhancing Nasa Sounding Rocket Capabilities Through Composite Material Adoption, Robert Burth

Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering Theses & Dissertations

Sounding rockets are a suborbital research platform employed by NASA for heliophysics, astrophysics, geospace science investigations, and for technology development. They follow semi-parabolic trajectories and are launched using surplus military, and commercial, solid-propellant rocket motors. NASA sounding rocket payloads are comprised of standard, modular subassemblies, designed to perform specific functions critical to achieving specific mission success criteria.

Since the program’s inception, payload length and mass have trended upwards, limiting the capability of the platform to reach exospheric apogees and decreasing the time above critical altitudes to observe solar and celestial targets. To offset this trend, composite materials may be of …

Exclusive Neutral Pion Electroproduction Cross Section Measurements With A Neutral Particle Spectrometer, Mitchell R. Kerver

Physics Theses & Dissertations

Deep Virtual Compton Scattering (DVCS), the exclusive electron-proton scattering process ep →e′p′γ, provides access to generalized parton distributions (GPDs), which correlate informa tion about the longitudinal momentum and transverse spatial structure of quarks inside the nucleon. Experiment E12-13-010 in Hall C at Jefferson Lab was designed to take high-precision measure ments of the DVCS cross section over an extended kinematic range using the newly commis sioned Neutral Particle Spectrometer (NPS). The NPS features a high-resolution electromagnetic calorimeter and a streaming data acquisition system optimized for operation at high luminosities. This thesis presents the detector and analysis work carried out to …

Cavitation-Aware Design Of Hydrofoil Sections For Marine Propeller Blade Development, Samuel G. Bacon

Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering Theses & Dissertations

Cavitation is a major design constraint for marine propeller blade sections because it can reduce hydrodynamic performance, increase vibration and noise, and contribute to surface damage. This thesis develops and applies an exploratory computational framework for cavitation-aware hydrofoil-section design relevant to marine propeller blade development. The framework combines section-level CFD validation, CST-based geometry parameterization, pressure-based pre-screening, matched-load comparison, and focused predicted inception envelope or cavitation-bucket analysis.

The CFD methodology was validated against published YS-920 hydrofoil water-tunnel data using selected fully wetted, near-inception, and cavitating reference cases. The validation results showed that the adopted framework reproduced the key experimental trends needed …

Herding Cats: The Behavioral Foundations Of Successful Multi-Sector Partnerships, Paul B. Olsen

School of Public Service Theses & Dissertations

Multi-sector partnerships (MSPs) are problem-solving groups composed of government agencies, nonprofit organizations, private firms, community groups, and individuals. These partnerships have often struggled to achieve consistent success, with performance rates estimated at 30%–50%, largely because MSPs are tailored to the specific interests, resources, and implementation contexts of the constellation of stakeholders involved in each project. This situation raised important questions regarding how MSP performance can be predicted and whether the likelihood of success can be enhanced during the early planning stages of partnership formation.

Social value orientation (SVO) is a behavioral public administration theory that may help explain variation in …

Mechanisms Of Synergy Between Nanosecond Pulsed Electric Field (Nspef) And Cold Atmospheric Pressure Plasma Discharge (Cap) In Pancreatic Cancer: The Role Of Ros-Mediated Oxidative Stress And Apoptosis, Zobia Minhas

Theses and Dissertations in Biomedical Sciences

Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma is a highly lethal malignancy characterized by poor prognosis and resistance to conventional therapies. Novel treatment strategies are needed to overcome this resistance. Non-thermal physical modalities, including nanosecond pulsed electric field (nsPEF) and cold atmospheric pressure plasma discharge (CAP), have emerged as potential anticancer approaches; however, the mechanisms underlying their combined effects remain unclear.

This study evaluated whether nsPEF enhances CAP-induced cytotoxicity and investigated the associated molecular mechanisms using the murine Pan02 pancreatic cancer cell line. Cell viability was assessed by WST-1 metabolic activity assays and electric cell–substrate impedance sensing (ECIS). Intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) were …

An Integrated Bayesian Network-Based Zero Trust Model To Quantify Cyber Risk In Small-Medium Businesses, Ahmed Abdelmagid

Engineering Management & Systems Engineering Theses & Dissertations

Small-medium businesses (SMBs) play a pivotal role in the worldwide economy as they constitute the most considerable portion of businesses in developed countries like the UK and the US. As such, SMBs are likely targets of cybercrimes by malicious agents because of their vulnerable IT systems. The digital infrastructure of SMBs is more likely to be hit by cyberattacks than large businesses due to many factors that facilitate hackers’ missions. These factors include a limited financial budget devoted to cybersecurity, a lack of knowledge, an underrating of how dangerous cyber threats are, and a shortage of IT expertise. The enormous …

How To Transform Capitalism Through Law, Katharina Pistor

Faculty Scholarship

This essay is based on the presentation of my book, The Law of Capitalism and How to Transform It, at the University of Miami Law School on October 14, 2025. I am grateful for the opportunity to share a summary of this work in the University of Miami Law Review and to my colleagues Ingo Venzke and Martijn Hesselink, who were kind enough to offer their thoughts on it for this mini symposium.

Cognitive Digital Twin Operating System Forwayfinding In Vertical Smart Cities, Basil Adel Ismail Basbous

Theses

Vertically complex urban environments impose elevated spatial cognitive load on pedestrians, a  demand that static wayfinding infrastructure is structurally incapable of addressing. Smart cities  currently lack a formal cognitive navigation operating layer for managing pedestrian movement in  multi-level urban systems. This research introduces and evaluates a Cognitive Digital Twin  Operating System (Cognitive OS) — a city-scale adaptive navigation infrastructure integrating  Digital Twin environmental modelling, AI-driven route optimisation, real-time crowd intelligence,  and spatially embedded adaptive guidance to predict, manage, and reduce spatial cognitive load in  vertically complex environments. The study deploys AI-mediated human behavioral persona simulation as an independent methodological  contribution. …

Effect Of Geometry, Cell Size, And Carbon Fiber Reinforcement On The Charpy Impact Strength Of Additively Manufactured Tpms Lattice Structures, Ahmed Yousuf Mohammad Bin Yaroof (Alsuwaidi)

Theses

Scientific research indicates a growing utilization of lightweight, high-performance materials across various disciplines, including engineering, driven by the demands of modern technological advancements. Recent developments within these fields include the creation of advanced lattice structures through additive manufacturing (AM) processes. One such lattice structure is the triply periodic minimal surface (TPMS) structure. TPMS structures possess unique mechanical properties and energy absorption characteristics that distinguish them from conventional AM lattice structures. However, published research to date has largely focused on the quasi-static behavior of TPMS structures, with limited attention given to the impact performance of composite- reinforced TPMS structures. The purpose …

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 …

Preparing Future-Ready Graduates For Technological And Workforce Transformations, Ghia El Dirani

Theses

The United Arab Emirates (UAE) is undergoing rapid economic transformation driven by technolog- ical innovation and national strategies such as Vision 2031 and UAE Centennial 2071, positioning STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) education as critical to building a knowledge-based economy. However, a persistent gap exists between the competencies developed in STEM higher education programs and the skills demanded by emerging sectors such as artificial intelligence, renewable energy, and advanced manufacturing. While the UAE has introduced pro- gressive education policies and invested in digital infrastructure, most curriculum reforms remain reactive and disconnected from long-term workforce projections. This research applies strategic …

Beyond Anomaly Detection: Classifying Attacker Automation Level From Ssh Honeypot Behavioral Signatures, Ashley Alt

Theses

The proliferation of AI-assisted offensive tools has introduced a new category of cyber attacker that combines the speed of automation with the adaptive reasoning previously associated only with skilled human operators. Despite the richness of behavioral data captured by SSH honeypots, existing analyses treat interaction logs primarily as evidence of malicious activity rather than as a dataset capable of distinguishing between attacker types. This thesis investigates whether human-driven, traditionally automated, and AI-assisted attackers produce distinguishable behavioral signatures within SSH honeypot interactions, and whether machine learning techniques can reliably classify attacker behavior from session-level features. A controlled experimental architecture was developed …

In-Context Retrieval For Molecules And Chemical Synthesis Pathways, Abhisek Dey

Theses

Contrastive learning methods require well-defined positive pairs, limiting their applicability to domains where complete, high-fidelity pairings are available. In practice, large-scale scientific corpora --including patents, publications, and web-scale data -- contain vast quantities of contextually relevant but incompletely paired samples that are discarded under standard training paradigms. In this work, we demonstrate that hard negative mining can be leveraged to construct pseudo-positive supervision signals from unpaired or partially paired data, enabling contrastive learning to exploit the full breadth of available corpora without sacrificing representational quality. Using a large-scale chemical drug patent corpus as a testbed, we train a cross-modal contrastive …

Dissecting The Etiology Of Alcohol Use Disorder By An Integrative Heritable Component Approach, Ivy Garrenton

Computer Science Theses & Dissertations

Alcohol Use Disorder (AUD) is a pervasive condition characterized by complex interplay among genetic, phenotypic, and environmental factors. Although previous studies have identi fied genetic loci associated with alcohol consumption, these efforts have not captured the genetic heterogeneity and gene-environment interactions underlying AUD pathogenesis. To address this critical gap, we developed a novel statistical methodology that integrates phenotypic, genotypic, and environmental data through an environmentally modified Genetic Relationship Matrix (GRM) to derive AUD-related traits with enhanced heritability.

This approach demonstrated superior performance in both simulated and real-world datasets. Traits derived using the environmentally modified GRM exhibited significantly higher estimated heritability …

Objectification And Discrimination Among Bi+ Women: Body Image Outcomes And The Moderating Role Of Relationship Type And Partner Gender, Kaitlyn E. Ryan

Psychology Theses & Dissertations

Objectification theory posits that being sexually objectified by others leads to a greater likelihood of engaging in body surveillance behaviors, which in turn is associated with higher body shame (Fredrickson & Roberts, 1997). Prior research has identified both objectification and anti-bisexual discrimination as significant predictors of body surveillance and body shame among bi+ women (i.e., bisexual, pansexual, queer) (Brewster et al., 2014; Salim et al., 2024). No studies, however, have considered the unique experiences of romantically partnered bi+ women, including the potential moderating effects of partner gender and relationship type. The present study examined whether romantic relationships are protective for …

Effects Of Cross-Language Instructional Design On Foreign Language Learners' Cognitive Load: Approaching The Redundancy Principle Of Multimedia Learning, Leonor Mendiola Adams

STEMPS Theses & Dissertations

Because conceptualizations of cognitive resources play a critical role in determining the effectiveness of instructional design (Greeno, 2011; Greeno et al., 1996; Mayer, 2011, 2019), this study explores the effects of cross-language instructional design on learners’ perceived intrinsic, extraneous, and germane cognitive load content corresponding to content complexity, instructional presentation demands, and depth of understanding and schema construction, respectively.

Grounded in the redundancy principle of the Cognitive Theory of Multimedia Learning, this research further investigates whether the principle operates differently when learners’ native language is strategically incorporated into foreign language learning contexts. According to the cognitive theory of multimedia learning, …

An International Mega-Analysis Of Psychedelic Drug Effects On Brain Circuit Function, Manesh Girn, Nico Dosenbach, Et Al.

2020-Current year OA Pubs

Psychedelic drugs are re-emerging as promising scientific and clinical tools. However, despite a rapidly expanding literature on their therapeutic value, the neural mechanisms underlying psychedelic effects remain unclear. Resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging studies of acute psychedelic effects, conducted independently by several research groups, have so far yielded fragmented and sometimes inconsistent findings. Here, to help facilitate greater convergence, we conducted a 'mega-analysis' integrating 11 independent resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging datasets across five psychedelic drugs (psilocybin, lysergic acid diethylamide, mescaline, N,N-dimethyltryptamine and ayahuasca) from research groups spanning three continents and five countries. By applying a uniform preprocessing pipeline and …

Tfeb Degradation Is Regulated By An Ikk/Β-Trcp2 Phosphorylation-Ubiquitination Cascade, Yan Xiong, Jaiprakash Sharma, Meggie N Young, Wen Xiong, Ali Jazayeri, Karl F Poncha, Ma Xenia G Ilagan, Qing Wang, Bei Gao, Hui Zheng, Nicolas L Young, Marco Sardiello

2020-Current year OA Pubs

Transcription factor EB (TFEB) is a master regulator of lysosomal biogenesis and cellular clearance pathways. TFEB activity is tightly controlled by multiple post-translational mechanisms, but the exact molecular mechanism controlling its stability has remained elusive. Here, we identify the IκB kinase (IKK) complex as a key regulator of TFEB protein stability through a phosphorylation-ubiquitination cascade. A high-content kinase inhibitor screen reveals that IKK inhibition increases TFEB protein levels, and genetic ablation of IKK components increases TFEB stability, upregulates lysosomal genes, and enhances lysosomal biogenesis and degradative capacity. Mechanistically, we show that IKK phosphorylates TFEB on a cluster of serine residues …

Sialidosis Type I: How To Alleviate Disabling Myoclonic Seizures? - A Multicenter Analysis Of Eight Cases And Review Of The Literature, Janina Gburek-Augustat, Shao Ching Tu, Marwan Shinawi, Isabel Alfradique-Dunham, Manouela Valtcheva, Et Al.

2020-Current year OA Pubs

OBJECTIVE: Sialidosis type I (ST-1) is an autosomal-recessive, very rare, progressive lysosomal storage disorder caused by pathogenic variants in NEU1. It is clinically characterized by progressive ataxia, myoclonic seizures (MS), bilateral tonic-clonic seizures (BTCS), and distinctive ophthalmological findings. Given the lack of curative options, in this study, we investigated symptomatic treatment strategies, with a particular focus on the efficacy of antiseizure medications (ASMs).

METHODS: We describe the clinical course of a patient followed from diagnosis to 18 years of age, and review seven additional cases from our cohort. In parallel, we conducted a narrative review of the literature (PubMed, January …

Neuropsychiatric Symptoms Mimicking Dementia In A Patient Treated With Imatinib, Ashley Jones, Samuele Bonomi, Keith E Stockerl-Goldstein, Randall J Bateman

2020-Current year OA Pubs

Tyrosine kinase inhibitors are the cornerstone of chronic myeloid leukemia treatment. Newer agents have more potency and a broader spectrum of action, but also a higher potential for neuropsychiatric side effects. We present a case of a patient on imatinib who developed progressive cognitive, mood, and behavioral alterations. He was investigated for dementia and psychiatric disorders but ultimately improved only after discontinuing imatinib. His decompensation years after therapy start, followed by complete and rapid remission, is atypical. We also review the most recent neurobiological findings on the role of tyrosine kinase alterations in dementia and their importance for mood regulation.

The Femoral Head Edema Zone: A Novel Classification Scheme To Better Predict Osteonecrosis Progression, Deniz C Ince, Vivek P Shah, Kenichi Kikuchi, Kyle P O'Connor, Elizabeth L Yanik, John C Clohisy, Cecilia Pascual-Garrido

2020-Current year OA Pubs

BACKGROUND: This study proposed a new classification, the Edema Zone classification, that uses magnetic resonance imaging images to grade the extent of edema in osteonecrosis of the femoral head. The purpose of the study was (1) to examine how the Edema Zone classification compared to the Japanese Investigation Committee (JIC) classification's prognostic ability for early conversion to total hip arthroplasty (THA), and (2) to determine how accurately and reliably the Edema Zone classification performed as a classification system.

METHODS: This was a retrospective study of hips that converted to THA from a core decompression within 26 months compared to hips …

Draft Final 2025 Bpsou Subdrain Data Summary Report (Dsr), Pioneer Technical Services, Inc.

Silver Bow Creek/Butte Area Superfund Site

No abstract provided.

Implementation And Impact Of The Transition Series For Senior Residents In Internal Medicine Residency, Abby Lindseth, Md

Abstracts, Posters, Presentations

No abstract provided.

Powell’S Overland Trip To The Grand Canyon, Daniel Styer

Faculty & Staff Scholarship

No abstract provided.

Downstream Effects Of Post Aerobic Digestion And Divalent Cation Treatment: Dewaterability, Phosphorus Mitigation, And Process Odors, Maya Marisol Quijano Garcia

Civil & Environmental Engineering Theses & Dissertations

This study evaluated post-aerobic digestion (PAD) with aeration, mixing, and divalent cation addition to improve phosphorus capture, dewaterability, and odor control in thermal hydrolysis process (THP)–treated anaerobic digestate at the Hampton Roads Sanitation District’s Atlantic Treatment Plant. A three-day PAD process was operated under constant air flow (5 LPM) and dissolved oxygen (DO)-setpoint (0.2 mg/L) aeration conditions with Ca(OH)₂ or Mg(OH)₂ dosing. Aeration and mixing alone increased polymer demand by 14–46 % relative to untreated influent, indicating enhanced extracellular polymeric substance release. Chemical conditioning partially mitigated this increase but did not restore polymer demand to baseline levels. Dewatered cake total …

Radicals Transforming Organic Matter: Implications For Non-Pyrogenic Black Carbon And Nitrogen Formation, Molecular Dynamics In Tropical Soils, And Lignin Valorization, João Vitor Dos Santos

Chemistry & Biochemistry Theses & Dissertations

Radicals drive the transformation of organic matter in natural and engineered systems, altering its structure, reactivity, and stability. Condensed aromatic carbon (ConAC) and condensed aromatic nitrogen (ConAN) are among the most persistent forms of organic matter in soils and are traditionally interpreted as products of biomass burning. This dissertation challenges the long-standing assumption that these materials are exclusively pyrogenic, showing that iron-mediated radical chemistry can generate condensed aromatic structures under ambient conditions.

Chapters II and III show that Fenton-like radical oxidation of lignin-rich biomass produces condensed aromatic structures compositionally similar to pyrogenic black carbon and black nitrogen when assessed with …

Student Perceptions Of The Community Of Inquiry In Online Human Anatomy And Physiology Discussion Boards Using 2-D And 3-D Anatomical Models, Timothy J. Mcguire

EVMS School of Health Professions Theses & Dissertations

Online human anatomy and physiology (HA&P) courses require students to learn complex anatomical content outside of a physical laboratory environment, a challenge that may be supported by enhancing students’ perceptions of collaborative learning (CL) through the community of inquiry (CoI) framework. This convergent parallel mixed-methods study examined participants’ perceptions of the CoI framework during two discussion board (DB) activities in an online, asynchronous, noncredit HA&P I study course at a midwestern community college.

Participants were recruited via convenience sampling and randomly assigned to one of two instructional sequence groups (2-D→3-D or 3-D→2-D) to complete two DB activities requiring annotation of …