Digital Commons Network^™

Mgrre_Thinsections_Mgrre-145_7, Mgrre

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Mgrre_Thinsections_Mgrre-145_8, Mgrre

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Mgrre_Thinsections_Mgrre-146_2, Mgrre

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Mgrre_Thinsections_Mgrre-146_16, Mgrre

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Mgrre_Thinsections_Mgrre-146_22, Mgrre

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Innovations In Graph Neural Network Design: Addressing Oversmoothing, Heterophily, And Information Propagation, Kushal Bose

Doctoral Theses

In an unstructured learning paradigm, Graph Neural Networks (GNNs) adeptly tackle graph data like social networks, molecules, transaction networks, etc. In the primitive stage, GNNs are designed to be shallow, comprising two or three layers. Emulating the success of deep CNNs, deep GNNs are also proposed by stacking multiple layers. Those multi-layered GNNs are pivotal in enabling long-range interactions where multi-hop neighbors carry significant information, like molecular property prediction. Yet, the multi-layered GNNs face challenges of Oversmoothing, where node features become indistinguishable due to the recursive nature of message passing. In the second chapter of the thesis, we propose a …

Faculty Chamber Recital With Guest Composer Jim Stephenson

Bailey School of Music Concert Programs

Faculty artists present an evening of chamber music featuring works by Olivier Messiaen, Walter Rabl, and guest composer James Stephenson. The program is anchored by Messiaen’s Quartet for the End of Time, an eight‑movement work for clarinet, violin, cello, and piano that explores a wide range of textures, colors, and expressive possibilities.

Also on the program are the opening movement of Rabl’s Quartet in E‑flat Major, Op. 1, and Stephenson’s Quartet for a New Tomorrow, a four‑movement contemporary work offering contrast in mood, tempo, and character.

Heavy Metal In Water Resources, Zuming Bi, Jeanne Sumrall

SACAD: Scholarly Activities

Heavy metal pollution in surface water has posed a serious threat to human health. The goals of this research are to analyze the concentration and distribution of key heavy metals and compare the measured values with global standards. This study analyzed major heavy metals like Fe, Mn, Cu, Pb, and Ag across several test points in Kansas and converted them to standard units mg/L. Based on the statistical graph, heavy metal iron and manganese levels are exceeded USEPA and WHO limits several times,  while other heavy metals stay in the safe range. The results indicate that the pollution in Kansas …

Ancestral Sequence Reconstruction Of Gh4, Chaejun Park Chaejun Park, Masakatsu Watanabe

SACAD: Scholarly Activities

GH4 enzymes use an unusual NAD⁺-dependent catalytic mechanism that remains poorly understood. Because of their roles in microbial metabolism and potential bioengineering applications, understanding how this mechanism evolved is important. In this study, we use the GH4 structure 1U8X as a reference for structural and functional analysis. Using ancestral sequence reconstruction and phylogenetic analysis, we inferred ancestral GH4 sequences and selected a particular ancestral node for detailed comparison with modern enzymes. These comparisons were used to examine stability, sequence conservation, and catalytic features, helping identify mutations and evolutionary transitions that contributed to the emergence of this distinctive NAD⁺-dependent mechanism.

Music In New Orleans, Brooklyn R. Thomas

SACAD: Scholarly Activities

Buddy Bolden's Band 1905

Photo Hogan Jazz Archives

Engineering Problem Solving In First Robotics Competition, Jingyuan Fu

SACAD: Scholarly Activities

FIRST Robotics Competition is a program in which high school students design, build, and program robots for a new engineering challenge each year. Within that environment, robot development requires more than mechanical construction alone, since successful performance depends on strategy, subsystem integration, software development, and continuous iteration. This poster examines how game analysis shaped the robot’s overall development, including design priorities, system layout, material choices, and coding decisions. It also highlights how programming and tuning were used to improve subsystem performance and increase effectiveness in competition. This project demonstrates how the FIRST Robotics Competition can serve as a practical setting …

The Role Of Dna Exoneration In The Bloodsworth Case, John T. Brasfield

SACAD: Scholarly Activities

In the Kirk Bloodsworth case, a man was falsely convicted for the rape and murder of Dawn Hamilton. He spent eight years in prison after being convicted through witness testimony, where he learned about DNA profiling. After submitting a request to check his DNA against the DNA left at the scene, he was exonerated. Later, the DNA left at the scene was checked against a database and got a hit on a convicted rapist who had been charged shortly after Mr. Bloodsworth. If there had been the same access to DNA technology during the trial or if they had listened …

Examining The Useability Of The Dakota Aquifer In Kansas For Irrigation Regarding Salinity, Alexander D. Leiker, Jeanne Sumrall

SACAD: Scholarly Activities

The Ogallala Aquifer has been overused for decades, so alternative water sources, such as the Dakota Aquifer, must be considered to prevent it further declining. However, the Dakota Aquifer is not a feasible alternative in many locations. To evaluate irrigation useability, existing well water data across the geographic region was analyzed. Salinity and Total Dissolved Solids (TDS) were considered with existing data on plant salinity tolerance, especially those crops common to Kansas farmers. Results showed that most areas in southern Kansas that had access to the Dakota Aquifer could use it for irrigation, though counties closer to the Kansas-Nebraska state …

Key Biomechanical Predictors Of Driving Distance, Cooper M. Scheck, Justin L. Montney, David Fitzhugh, Helen Miles, Greg Kandt

SACAD: Scholarly Activities

Abstract: This study investigated the key biomechanical factors that influence golf driving distance using 3D motion capture analysis. Nine swings from three golfers were analyzed using the Sportsbox Golf premium platform, allowing for detailed measurement of swing mechanics across nine phases of the golf swing. Variables included clubhead speed, X-Factor (torso–pelvis separation), body dimensions, and kinematic velocities.

Results showed that carry distance is most strongly associated with clubhead speed and X-Factor at impact, while X-Factor at the top of the backswing was not significantly related. Correlation and regression analyses indicated that a combination of body dimensions, swing speed, and impact …

Oktoberfest In Kansas: Music, Cultural Heritage, And Community Identity, Lauren June

SACAD: Scholarly Activities

Oktoberfest began in Munich and is known for its strong connection to music and celebration. In Kansas, Oktoberfest reflects German heritage through live bands, dancing, and traditional songs. This project explores how music helps preserve culture and bring communities together.

Perceptions Of Online De-Escalation Training, May Yu-Harper

SACAD: Scholarly Activities

Higher education and professional training have increasingly adopted online and compressed course formats to meet workforce needs and expand access (Al-Youssef, 2023; Pregowska et al., 2021). While these formats provide greater flexibility for learners, they also raise important questions about course duration and its impact on student learning, knowledge gains, and course evaluation ratings (Pregowska et al., 2021). Course evaluations are widely used to assess participants’ perceptions of course quality, value, and applicability (Al-Kharusi, 2023; Loveland, 2007). Prior research suggests that course evaluation ratings may be influenced by factors beyond instructional quality, including participant background and course structure (Daskalopoulou, 2024). …

Mmu: 04/13/26-04/19/26, Student Bar Association

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A Revolution Of Rational Civility, Honorable Douglas S. Lang

St. Mary's Journal on Legal Malpractice & Ethics

This Article addresses a blind spot in the theorizing and debate over originalist interpretation: the implications of rules of legal ethics.  For the few originalist theorists who take the practical side of originalism seriously, attorneys’ rules of professional conduct are almost entirely absent from the discussion.  Incivility is at epidemic proportions in our society.  That condition is unacceptable.

This Article argues for each of us, lawyers and everyone in all walks of life, to take action and not merely offer lip service to push back against incivility.  We must repel incivility.  This “push back” is not compelled alone by written …

Navigating Borders: Law Practice And Alternative Business Structures In The United States And Abroad, Katerina P. Lewinbuk

St. Mary's Journal on Legal Malpractice & Ethics

No abstract provided.

On Becoming A Lawyer: Authentic Professional Identity Formation And The Future Of Legal Education, Colin Black

St. Mary's Journal on Legal Malpractice & Ethics

No abstract provided.

A Light In The Darkness: Tribute To Professor Emeritus Vincent R. Johnson, Sarah Nicole Peacock

St. Mary's Journal on Legal Malpractice & Ethics

No abstract provided.

Mgrre_Thinsections_Mgrre-141_22, Mgrre

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Mgrre_Thinsections_Mgrre-141_18, Mgrre

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Mgrre_Thinsections_Mgrre-141_16, Mgrre

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Mgrre_Thinsections_Mgrre-141_17, Mgrre

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Mgrre_Thinsections_Mgrre-141_13, Mgrre

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Mgrre_Thinsections_Mgrre-141_27, Mgrre

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Mgrre_Thinsections_Mgrre-141_29, Mgrre

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Mgrre_Thinsections_Mgrre-141_19, Mgrre

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Mgrre_Thinsections_Mgrre-141_24, Mgrre

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