Digital Commons Network^™

Catalyst: A Unified Framework For Orbital Debris Risk, Conjunction Analysis, And Space Policy, Tyler Barr

Discovery Day - Daytona Beach

Catalyst is an analyst grade mission console and offline simulation service that operationalizes the Embry Riddle MIT Orbital Capacity Assessment Toolbox Monte Carlo (E-MOCAT-MC) for Space Situational Awareness (SSA) aligned assessment, connecting scenario assumptions to time tagged events, quantitative stability indicators, and evidence preserving exports. E-MOCAT-MC serves as the authoritative generator of seeded scenario runs under explicit configuration control, ingesting locally served Two Line Element sets (TLEs) and persisting each run as a structured record containing configuration data, stochastic seeds, event logs, derived metrics, and replayable artifacts for deterministic analysis. Unlike systems that primarily visualize TLEs and object tracks, Catalyst …

Human Factors Challenges In Automated Flight Operations, Jorge Ivan Gonzalez Rivera, Zoe Guyette, Emma Hatten, Katie Huynh, Benjamin Marsh

Discovery Day - Daytona Beach

Automation complacency, a critical aviation hazard, is commonly seen amongst flight crews in high-automation commercial flight decks. This issue occurs when over-reliance on automated systems leads to a decline in manual flying expertise and situational awareness, posing a severe risk of loss of control in-flight (LOC-I) and catastrophic accidents. To bridge the safety gap between current operational demands for efficiency and the regulatory requirement for pilot proficiency, this study proposes the Manual Flight Compliance and Monitoring System (MFCMS). This solution integrates engineering and administrative controls to reduce automation-related risks by mandating 15 minutes of manual flight per hour during cruise …

Applying The Hfacs Framework: A Case Study Of Air Florida Flight 90, Ashley Perez-Galvan, Cenk Altinkum, Ryan Hunt

Discovery Day - Daytona Beach

Applying the HFACS Framework: A Case Study of Air Florida Flight 90 Abstract   This study applies the Human Factors Analysis and Classification System (HFACS), a widely used safety framework for identifying human and organizational contributors to accidents to examine the crash of Air Florida Flight 90 crash on January 13, 1982. The accident occurred shortly after takeoff from Washington National Airport during severe winter weather, when the aircraft failed to gain sufficient lift and impacted a bridge before entering the Potomac River.   The goal this analysis is to understand how multiple layers of human and organizational factors contributed to this …

Multidimensional Total Quality Management And Its Effects On Sustainability And Performance In Industrialized Building System Projects, Felix Delmonte

Mechanical and Civil Engineering Faculty Publications

This study develops and tests a multidimensional total quality management (TQM) framework to explain how distinct quality practices influence environmental sustainability, construction quality, cost and schedule performance, waste reduction, energy efficiency, stakeholder satisfaction, and overall project performance in industrialized building system (IBS) projects. Soft and hard TQM dimensions such as leadership commitment, customer focus, employee involvement, training and continuous improvement, process management, supplier quality, and data driven decision making are operationalised and linked to eight outcome constructs. Partial least squares structural equation modelling (PLS SEM) is used to estimate direct effects and to examine mediation by waste reduction and energy …

Actionable Hydrologic Data To Information With National Water Model-Based Derived Dataset, Cutting-Edge Data Services, And Agentic Ai System, Sujan Chandra Mondol

Theses and Dissertations

Hydrologic data are the cornerstone of many complex hydrologic research and operational workflows that produce useful hydrologic information for water resources decision-making, flood risk communication, and water availability implications. The National Water Model (NWM) is a valuable source of hydrologic data, particularly for its extended coverage of unmonitored streams and the large-scale continuity of hydrologic processes. Precomputed secondary datasets derived from this simulated data, such as streamflow indices, can improve operational efficiency through thresholding. Disseminating the data through modern technologies, such as application programming interfaces, is required for ready integration into applications. However, if extraction requires an intermediate service, there …

Ai Cyber First Responders: Bottleneck Analysis Of Heterogeneous Cpu–Gpu Pipelines For Security Operations Center Triage, Christine Pierce

Harrisburg University Other Works

Abstract — Modern Security Operations Centers (SOCs) must continuously process massive volumes of heterogeneous security telemetry while meeting stringent throughput, latency, and operational continuity requirements. Although transformer-based artificial intelligence has significantly improved threat detection and alert prioritization, most cybersecurity research evaluates model accuracy rather than the end-to-end behavior of AI-enabled operational pipelines. Consequently, relatively little is known about how heterogeneous CPU–GPU coordination, scheduling overhead, memory movement, and synchronization collectively influence operational SOC performance. This paper presents the AI Cyber First Responder, a heterogeneous SOC triage architecture that integrates GPU-accelerated transformer inference with CPU-based doctrine-driven reasoning to investigate end-to-end pipeline behavior …

Remora Ads-B In Receiver, Noah Evans, Sara Patel, Nicholas Gatto, Daniel Ingleton

Discovery Day - Daytona Beach

The Remora is a compact Automatic Dependent Surveillance Broadcast (ADS-B) receiver, designed to enhance situational awareness for pilots operating experimental and homebuilt aircraft. Unlike conventional panel or windscreen-mounted systems, the Remora is installed externally, making it a low-profile solution to the ADS-B In challenge. The device integrates easily with the aircraft’s existing power supply. It transmits data wirelessly to electronic flight bags (EFBs) within the cockpit, using existing iOS and Android software for display and user interaction.   The primary function of the Remora is to provide public-access, real-time traffic awareness and weather forecasting, enabling pilots to make informed mission decisions. …

Evaluation Of Orbit And Mission Design Parameters Considered In Real Space Missions, Enrique Alejandro Amaya Villegas

Discovery Day - Daytona Beach

Orbit and mission design constitute a fundamental spacecraft subsystem, as the selected orbital regime and mission profile strongly influence power availability, communications geometry, propulsion requirements, and overall mission performance. This project investigates how key quantitative and qualitative parameters guide orbit and mission design decisions in real space missions, with particular emphasis on orbital altitude and inclination, ground coverage and revisit time, mission lifetime, launch vehicle performance constraints, and propulsion budgets. The primary objective is to develop a structured understanding of how high-level scientific or commercial objectives, together with cost, risk, and operational constraints, are translated into specific orbital architectures and …

Predicting Passenger Demand On National Flights Departing From Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (Atl) In 2024, Brooklyn Gossett, Ana Yu Wen

Discovery Day - Daytona Beach

The aviation industry relies heavily on accurate demand forecasting to guide critical decisions regarding route planning, capacity management, and pricing strategy. Misjudging passenger demand can result in significant revenue loss and operational inefficiency, making it essential for airlines and analysts to identify the key drivers of flight patronage. This study investigates the factors that most significantly predict the number of passengers on domestic flights departing from Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL) during the 2024 calendar year. Using passenger and route data sourced from the Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS) and the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT), a multiple regression analysis …

Applications Of A Swarm-Behavior Model On Existing Satellite Constellations, Naomi Lee

Discovery Day - Daytona Beach

The scope of this work explores biological swarm behavior and its application to low- and medium-sized Earth orbit satellite constellation systems. Existing constellation structures have predetermined orbits, meaning there is little adaptivity in the spacing and interactions between satellites. This allows for formation disruption by atmospheric perturbations in lower Earth orbit trajectories but can be countered with interactive controls that help with structure stability. This adaptive spacing and control can also be applied in MEO constellations in coverage and positioning optimization. In ‘mimicking’ this swarm behavior in starling murmurations, the separation, alignment, and cohesion flocking behavior of satellite groupings will …

Mri-Based Estimation Of The Hip Joint Center In Infants Using Two Sphere-Fitting Methods, Victoria Melendez

Discovery Day - Daytona Beach

Accurate estimation of the hip joint center (HJC) is critical for biomechanical modeling and clinical assessment. Common methods include predictive methods (e.g., regression equations) and functional methods such as sphere-fitting. In infants, femoral head-based methods are often limited due to incomplete ossification of the anatomy and poor visualization in computed tomography (CT) images. This study evaluates an alternative approach using MRI-based sphere fitting of the ossified acetabular rim, comparing its accuracy to traditional femoral head-based methods. MRI scans of three male infants (ages 10.7- 12.7 months) were used to manually place landmarks on the ossified acetabulum and the cartilaginous boundary …

An Evaluation Of Machine Learning Models' Efficacy In Determining Uav Spoofing Attacks, Nicolas Machado, Jaxon Selzer

Discovery Day - Daytona Beach

An Evaluation of Machine Learning Models' Efficacy in Determining UAV Spoofing Attacks - The rapid integration of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) into urban airspace has introduced significant cybersecurity concerns, particularly due to vulnerabilities in Automatic Dependent Surveillance–Broadcast (ADS-B), which lacks authentication and encryption. This project addresses the problem of detecting spoofing and data manipulation attacks that can compromise UAV safety and mission reliability. The objective of this work is to evaluate the effectiveness of machine learning–based anomaly detection, specifically Long Short-Term Memory (LSTM) and Gated Recurrent Unit (GRU) networks, as protocol-agnostic solutions for identifying anomalous UAV behavior. To achieve this, …

String-Of-Pearls Measurements Of Supersonic Plasma Jets Using Magnetospheric Multiscale Satellites, Amelia Koth

Discovery Day - Daytona Beach

High-energy supersonic plasma jets form when the solar wind, which is a flow of charged particles from the Sun, slows down as it encounters Earth’s magnetic shield. Occasionally, the solar wind remains at supersonic speeds as it enters this region. This forms plasma jets that propagate toward Earth; these jets can carry strong magnetic fields, drive magnetic reconnection, and potentially initiate substorms that lead to auroral activity.   Previously studied plasma jets occurred when the interplanetary magnetic field (IMF) points southward. In contrast, this study focuses on northward IMF conditions, which are less understood, yet still capable of producing supersonic jets. …

Evaluation Of Antimicrobial Resistance In Pathogens Relevant To Long-Duration Space Missions, Natalie Brattain, Yegor Bushnev, Mikayla M. Dutkiewicz

Discovery Day - Daytona Beach

Antimicrobial resistance is a growing global concern that necessitates the development of effective strategies for selecting appropriate antibiotics, especially in the context of future long-duration space missions, where infection control and treatment options are limited. This study employs the Kirby–Bauer disk diffusion assay to evaluate the antimicrobial susceptibility of Pseudomonas aeruginosa and other clinically and spaceflight-relevant bacterial pathogens such as Klebsiella pneumoniae, Staphylococcus aureus, and Streptococcus pneumoniae. These pathogens will be tested with commonly used antibiotics and potential natural compounds.   The pathogens will be cultured and isolated onto Mueller–Hinton agar plates. Antibiotic disks, along with various flavonoids disks, such as …

Generalized Cloud-Based Compressible Aerodynamics Calculator And Simulation Web App, Massimo Mansueto, Liam Griesacker, Andres Torres-Figueroa

Discovery Day - Daytona Beach

The Generalized Cloud-Based Compressible Aerodynamics Calculator and Simulation Web App focuses on the development of a tool to support the analysis, visualization, and teaching of compressible aerodynamics. In the case of most undergraduate aerospace engineering courses, students rely on static equations, charts, and manual calculations, which can make it difficult to conceptualize complex flow phenomena such as shock waves, expansion fans, and nozzle flow. The purpose of this project is to create an accessible platform that integrates a compressible flow calculator, nozzle sizing tool, and interactive simulations into a single educational resource. The application is implemented using modern web development …

Phaëthon System, Brady Roudabush, Lauren Gallo, Emelia Thompson, Jacob Woods

Discovery Day - Daytona Beach

Phaëthon System is the project name for the Search and Rescue Drone Initiative. This initiative will improve the current search and rescue drone industry by introducing new techniques to get through dense forest canopies and other places where an overhead view is not useful. The Phaëthon System uses a swarm of drones that can penetrate under the tree canopy to map and search with the utmost efficiency and safety for rescuers. A command drone is launched to survey the overall search area, and set up a communications and data link. The next component is then released, which is a swarm …

Interplay Between Physical Design Choices And Emergent Cyber System Consensus: A Case Study With An Underwater Swarm, Ava Neubert

Discovery Day - Daytona Beach

Understanding how physical constraints influence collective behavior is critical for designing cyber-physical multi-agent systems in communication-limited environments. This project investigates how agent mobility and communication constraints affect opinion dynamics in a three-dimensional underwater swarm. An agent-based model was developed in AnyLogic, where agents follow realistic motion dynamics and exchange information at discrete communication intervals to reflect underwater limitations. Agent opinions are modeled using a BOIDS-inspired consensus mechanism in RGB space, allowing visualization of convergence behavior. A sensitivity analysis was conducted to evaluate the effects of communication range, agent speed, turn rate, and swarm size. Results show that communication range has …

Fall Hazard Prevention: A Zero-Fatality Goal For Health, Safety, And Well-Being On Construction Sites, Alena Richardson, Chaidaliz Minguela Alicea, Nicola Kaehler, Charlene Weaver

Discovery Day - Daytona Beach

Jobsites face hazards like falls, which threaten the health, safety, and well-being of construction workers. Falls are the leading cause of all accidents and fatalities in construction, accounting for approximately 40% of all worker deaths in 2023. While achieving a zero-accident rate for falls is inherently challenging, prioritizing a zero-fatality objective represents a practical and impactful starting point. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) recommends a six-step action approach for the prevention and control of hazards like falls. Of particular interest, the State of Florida is consistently ranked among the highest for construction fall fatalities, often attributed to insufficient …

Bridging The Gap: Cybersecurity And Occupational Safety Frameworks In Ai Data Centers, Athena Leader

Discovery Day - Daytona Beach

Bridging the Gap: Cybersecurity and Occupational Safety Frameworks in AI Data Centers   As artificial intelligence infrastructure expands, AI data centers represent a critical and underexamined convergence of cybersecurity and occupational safety risk. Existing frameworks such as NIST, OSHA, and ISO standards were largely developed in isolation, leaving significant gaps in how organizations manage risks that are simultaneously digital and physical in nature. This study investigates the gaps and overlaps between cybersecurity and occupational safety frameworks as they apply specifically to AI data center environments. Drawing on a targeted literature review of established regulatory and standards-based frameworks, this research identifies where …

Intensification Of Thermal Energy Storage Systems Based On Sodium Nitrate, Hari Suthan V Mr

Theses and Dissertations

Thermal energy storage (TES) systems employing phase change materials (PCM) bridge the gap between thermal energy demand and supply. The low thermal conductivity of sodium nitrate (NaNO3), an inorganic PCM for high-temperature TES systems restricts charging and discharging kinetics, reducing system-level performance. This thesis investigates the intensification of sodium nitrate-based thermal energy storage systems through the incorporation of different classes of additives. Metal oxides (zinc oxide and aluminium oxide) and carbon-based materials (graphene oxide (GO) and expanded graphite (EG)), were incorporated into NaNO3 to improve its thermophysical properties (thermal conductivity, latent heat, specific heat).

Composites were prepared using low-energy ball …

The Use Of Machine Learning Models For Predicting The Dielectric Strength Of Gases, Matthew Mileski, Paul W. Groth, Timothy S. Wolfe, Adib J. Samin

Faculty Publications

Technological advancements in high voltage systems have pushed sulfur hexafluoride (SF6) to its operational limits. Furthermore, this gas has other drawbacks including a high liquefaction temperature and a high global warming potential. Therefore, there has been an urgent need to find alternative gases with high dielectric strength (DS). In this work, density functional theory (DFT) is used to calculate molecular descriptors that are fed into an artificial neural network (ANN) and a random forest (RF). These machine learning (ML) models are then used to predict the DS for hundreds of molecules. A finite element model (FEM) is also used to …

Functionality Risk Assessment And Risk-Based Management For Critical Infrastructure Systems, Anteneh Zewdu Deriba

Dissertations and Theses

Critical infrastructure systems such as transportation networks serve as the lifelines of modern society, supporting economic activity and ensuring access to critical services. Their disruption under extreme events can produce consequences extending far beyond physical damage to individual assets. In transportation networks for instance, failures of critical assets such as bridges and tunnels can reduce accessibility of communities, limit freight capabilities for commerce, and increase travel distance and travel time of road users. These consequences associated with the system functionality loss are tied not only to the physical vulnerability and failure of individual assets, but also to the system configuration …

Mountain Development In Nepal: Settlements, Infrastructure, And Economic Transformation, Keshav Bhattarai, Ambika P. Adhikari

Himalayan Research Papers Archive

As Nepal urbanizes, expands infrastructure, strengthens local governments, and explores deeper connectivity with India and China, climate change is increasing floods, landslides, heat, and water insecurity. Rapid internal migration, rising disaster risks, youth outmigration, and dependence on remittances are also revealing the limits of conventional urban development, especially in the mountainous region. The central challenge for Nepal is no longer just to accommodate growing towns and cities, but to build settlements that are safe, productive, environmentally resilient, and capable of sustaining long-term prosperity.

This paper argues that Nepal's urban future must be guided by a new development paradigm centered on …

Enhancing A Mid-Wave Infrared Fourier Transform Hyperspectral Imager For Explosions, James T. Stofel, Kody A. Wilson, Martin Larivière-Bastien, Anthony L. Franz, Michael L. Dexter

Faculty Publications

Capturing reliable hyperspectral imager data at a meaningful frame rate for explosions and other fast-changing scenes is not possible in the mid-wave infrared region under traditional sensor operating configurations and processing techniques, which typically have frame rates on the order of 0.5–2.0 Hz. To combat these shortcomings, the scene acquisition parameters were tailored for explosions and a new method for processing optical signatures of fast transient scenes with Fourier-transform infrared hyperspectral imagers was developed. For this technique, the instrument was first configured to collect asymmetric interferograms while optimizing the number of measurement points on the short side of the interferogram. …

Wip: Developing A Generative Ai Autoethnography Assistant, Jyoti Suhag, Jennifer Drewyor, Kathryn Bugbee, Michelle Jarvie-Eggart, Lynn Albers, Leo Ureel

Michigan Tech Publications

Background: Generative AI (genAI) is transforming educational research, offering new possi-bilities for conducting interviews while local sandboxing minimizes data privacy risks and hallucinations. Purpose: This work-in-progress presents the AI Autoethnography Assistant, a project investigating how large language models (LLMs) can support autoethnographic interview design and execution. Approach: Using prompt engineering grounded in Interpretative Phenomenological Anal-ysis, paraphrasing techniques, and structured follow-up questions, we developed protocols that incorporate po-sitionality and prompt reflection on origin stories and pivotal life moments. Outcomes: Conversations conclude at the user’s discretion, with the AI generating a thematic summary. We tested refined prompts across four platforms (Gemini, Claude, …

Modeling And Simulation Of Solar Battery Charge Controller Using Adaptive Particle Swarm Optimization Mppt Algorithm, Mustafa Sacid Endiz, Göksel Gökkus

Mathematical Modelling and Numerical Simulation with Applications

Implementing an effective Maximum Power Point Tracking method is crucial for optimizing solar energy harvesting against environmental fluctuations like solar radiation and temperature. This paper introduces a novel approach for modeling and simulating a solar battery charge controller, using a modified Particle Swarm Optimization algorithm. The power stage of the system is based on a SEPIC converter, which is employed to manage the power conversion and improve the energy transfer to the battery. The developed circuit model is evaluated under various radiation levels at a constant temperature, as well as under different temperature levels at a constant radiation. Simulations are …

Secondary Water Saturation Of The Rock Mass And Quality Of Rocks In Active Mine Areas Bordering The Flooded Workings Of Closed Mines, Mirosława Bukowska

Journal of Sustainable Mining

The goal of this paper was to inspect the influence of capillary water saturation on the specific strain energy of sedimentary rocks. The relationships between the determined specific strain energies in an air-dried state and in a state of capillary water saturation for detrital rock were exponential, with a strong correlation among the variables. For silt, the relationships were described by a second-degree polynomial function, and the correlation was medium or weak. The relationships for kinetic and dissipated energy were described with a linear function. Pearson correlation coefficients indicated a strong correlation among the variables for detrital rock and a …

C.S.A. Assessment - Tamp Family Health Center Portal, Delante Clark

Graduate Scholarship and Creative Works

This C.A.S. assessment evaluates how the Tampa Family Health Centers website influences userattention, cognitive processing, information accessibility, navigation efficiency, and digital user experience.The assessment examines whether the platform supports intentional engagement and informed decision-making while minimizing cognitive overload, distraction, confusion, and unnecessary attentional demands.

TFHC serves as a healthcare access portal providing appointment scheduling, patient resources, providerinformation, healthcare services, MyChart access, payment services, and community health resources.These functions make attention management and information clarity critical to successful user outcomes.

Comparative Analysis Of Artificial Intelligence (Ai) Implications For Active Learning And Assessment At Various Curricular Levels Of Stem And Health Sciences In Developed Versus Underprivileged Countries, Vinay Munlapudi, Santanu De

FDLA Journal

Today’s all-pervasive emergence of artificial intelligence (AI) necessitates a comprehensive evaluation of its role in education, especially for occupational disciplines in health sciences and STEM. AI has reshaped student learning and instructors’ navigation of the evolving, post coronavirus infectious disease (COVID-19) global academic landscape. This study aimed at encapsulating evidence-based AI implications for student-centered, active learning and assessment at various curricular levels of science, technology, engineering, mathematics (STEM) and health sciences education in developed versus underprivileged or less developed countries. An extensive, scoping review of 65 recent, scholarly publications was conducted over six months through diverse search engines (PubMed, Google …

Rockin’ Rover On The Rainbow Road, Michael Kolta, Lawrence Burgee, Ying Yuan

Transformations

This paper presents a progressive series of age-appropriate lesson plans for grades K-12 that all use the same interdisciplinary activity to educate students about Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Mathematics (STEAM) simultaneously. Technology from Texas Instruments (TI) was employed including a TI Nspire graphing calculator that can run Python programs, a TI Innovator Hub, and a TI Rover. The TI Rover is a small, robotic car that has sensors and is controlled by the calculator via the Hub hardware interface. A Python program was developed that uses the color sensor in the Rover to detect the color on colored paper …