Digital Commons Network^™

Assessment Of Local Ecological Knowledge, Oyster Predation, And Habitat Function To Improve Management Of Nearshore Habitats, Cynthia Evelyn Marie Lupton

Theses and Dissertations

Coastal ecosystems along the northern Gulf of Mexico are ecologically and economically vital yet increasingly threatened by environmental change, habitat degradation, and knowledge gaps that complicate restoration and management efforts. This dissertation integrates social and ecological approaches to improve understanding of predator dynamics, stakeholder perceptions, and habitat function related to nearshore habitats. Thereby, providing information that can inform adaptive management and restoration in the region through addressing three overarching objectives: 1) evaluate stakeholder perceptions of oyster (Crassostrea virginica) predation and management practices; 2) quantify environmental and habitat factors influencing oyster drill (Stramonita haemastoma complex) abundance; and, 3) assess the influence …

Using Seafloor Geomorphology, Classification Schema, And Spatial Analysis To Predict Geologic Structures, With Applications For Mars, Emma Morgan

Theses and Dissertations

This study evaluated whether seafloor geomorphology can be used to predict subsurface fault locations along the Cascadia continental margin and explored whether such relationships can be transferred to Mars. Geomorphological classification schemas such as geomorphons, bathymetric position index (BPI), slope, rugosity, aspect, and curvature were derived from seafloor bathymetry data and used as predictor variables in maximum entropy (MaxEnt) models developed separately for Pre-Pleistocene, Pleistocene, Quaternary, and active fault datasets. Model performance ranged from AUC = 0.62 to 0.67, showing moderate predictive skill, with younger fault systems exhibiting stronger geomorphic associations. A secondary analysis showed a weaker but detectable relationship …

Unbounded Derivations On Algebras Associated With Monothetic Groups: An Expository Thesis, Britton Phillips

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis is an expository exploration of the paper Unbounded Derivations in Algebras Associated with Monothetic Groups. Monothetic groups will be utilized to create a minimal system that gives rise to two C*-algebras, and once we have these algebras, unbounded derivations will be able to be defined on them. These derivations are able to be classified and decomposed into ”special” derivations, and these decompositions help simplify the comparisons between derivations on different algebras. In particular, we emphasize the classification, covariance properties, innerness and approximate innerness, and the lifting behavior of these derivations.

Evaluating The Spatial Relationship Between Geomorphology And Subsurface Structures On The Us Atlantic Margin With Applications To Other Terrestrial Planets, Andrea Caitlyn Stiles

Theses and Dissertations

High-resolution digital elevation models (DEMs) are widely available for terrestrial planetary bodies, but subsurface structural data remain limited. This research evaluated whether surface geomorphology could predict subsurface features, specifically faults and methane seeps, along the US Atlantic continental margin as an analog site. Faults were mapped with seismic interpretation and compared with quantitative geomorphic classifications derived from 100-m bathymetry including slope, aspect, rugosity, bathymetric position index, and geomorphon classes. Maximum-entropy modelling was used to predict fault occurrences from surface data. Results indicated that specific geomorphic landforms and slopes had the strongest control on fault presence, reflected in topographic expression of …

Integrating Augmented Reality Visualizations Into Data Science Notebooks Using Microsoft Hololens 2, Derek Willis

Theses and Dissertations

Data-science notebooks support iterative analysis but are limited to two-dimensional (2D) displays. This work presents an approach to extend such environments with rapid augmented reality (AR) visualization while preserving conventional 2D workflows. An opensource R package was developed to convert notebook objects into three-dimensional (3D) models, export them in the Graphics Language Transmission Format (glTF), and transfer directly to a Microsoft HoloLens 2 via a USB connection for viewing in the native 3D Viewer application. The proposed workflow eliminates manual conversion and transfer steps required by earlier methods. A user study employing a post-session questionnaire indicated that participants found the …

Assessing The Relationship Between Subsurface Geology And Surficial Geomorphology: Remotely Predicting Geologic Features And Geohazards Using An Elevation-Trained Machine Learning Algorithm In The Northern Gulf Of Mexico, Allison L. Wing

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis evaluates the capacity to predict subsurface geologic features and submarine landslide susceptibility using surficial geomorphology derived from bathymetric elevation data in the Northern Gulf of Mexico. Quantitative geomorphic variables including slope, curvature, aspect, rugosity, geomorphons, and Bathymetric Position Index were generated from 30-meter digital elevation models and used as explanatory variables in presence-only Maximum Entropy models. Known locations of faults, pockmarks, mud volcanoes, hydrocarbon seeps, and landslides (particularly intact scarps) were used to train and validate predictive models through k-fold cross validation. Model performance was assessed using omission rates and AUC values. Results demonstrate that specific geomorphic signatures, …

A Comparative Performance Analysis Of Task Allocation Methods In Uav-Sdn Networks, Yasameen Ali Al Janabi, Ahmed Mhdi Al-Salih

Journal of Intelligent Informatics, Networking, and Cybersecurity

Task allocation is really important for how unmanned aerial vehicle-software-defined networking networks work and how much energy they use. This is especially true when the network is big or small and when things around it change. We looked at three ways to assign tasks: giving them out randomly giving them out in a manner that maintains load balance, and using something called ``particle swarm optimization'' We tried these methods in two situations: when the unmanned aerial vehicle-software-defined networking network is in open space and when it has to deal with obstacles. We used several unmanned aerial vehicles and tasks: 10 …

Multiscale Modeling Of Chemoattractant-Guided Collective Cell Migration In The Drosophila Egg Chamber, Lara Scott, Bradford E. Peercy, Meghan Kwon, Michelle Starz-Gaiano

Biology and Medicine Through Mathematics Conference

No abstract provided.

Impact Of Innate, Adaptive, And Cellular Immunity On Viral Reproductive Cycle: A Stochastic Extinction Analysis, Rahnuma Islam, David Swigon

Biology and Medicine Through Mathematics Conference

No abstract provided.

Phase-Preserving Machine Learning Forecasting Of Nonlinear Predator–Prey Dynamics, Saira Batool, Muhammad Imran, Brett Mckinney

Biology and Medicine Through Mathematics Conference

No abstract provided.

Modeling Epidemic Dynamics With Renewal Processes And General Lifetime Distributions, Divine Wanduku, Divine Wanduku

Biology and Medicine Through Mathematics Conference

No abstract provided.

Stochastic Invasion And Extinction In Environmentally Transmitted Diseases, Mahmudul Bari Hridoy, Lauren M. Childs

Biology and Medicine Through Mathematics Conference

No abstract provided.

Remote Sensing To Detect Crop Damage By An Invasive Species, Cole Butler

Biology and Medicine Through Mathematics Conference

No abstract provided.

The Making Of An Extremist: How Do We Become Someone Else’S Nightmare?, María Paula Morales

The Confluence

This article explores how ordinary people can be pulled into extremist movements and what psychological forces drive that process. It looks at three perspectives: social identity theory, which explains how group belonging shapes behavior, identity development, which shows how people searching for meaning may find it in extremist causes; and social neuroscience, which connects radicalization to brain activity linked to fear, loyalty, and moral judgement. Together, these approaches show that radicalization is not simply about ideology but about identity, emotion, and belonging. By understanding these dynamics, we can find better ways to prevent extremism and promote healthier, more inclusive communities.

A New Framework For Studying Transient Reactivity In Two-Dimensional Linear Systems., Mary Lou Zeeman, Alanna Haslam-Hyde, James Broda

Biology and Medicine Through Mathematics Conference

No abstract provided.

Dynamic Homeostasis In Relaxation And Bursting Oscillations, Christopher J. Ryzowicz

Biology and Medicine Through Mathematics Conference

No abstract provided.

How Human Behavior Shapes Epidemic Dynamics, Leah Lejeune, Navid Ghaffarzadegan, Lauren M. Childs, Omar Saucedo

Biology and Medicine Through Mathematics Conference

No abstract provided.

Dynamics For Complex Quadratic Networks, Templates And Mutations, Anca R. Radulescu, Eva Kaslik, Alexander Fikl, Sarah Muldoon, Johan Nakuci, Mark Comerford

Biology and Medicine Through Mathematics Conference

No abstract provided.

Modeling, Control Analysis, And Parameter Estimation Of Epidemic Dynamics Using The Unscented Kalman Filter, Muhammad Imran, Saira Batool, Brett Mckinney

Biology and Medicine Through Mathematics Conference

No abstract provided.

Delineating Differences In Firing Rate Estimates Of Healthy And Parkinsonian Single-Unit Basal Ganglia Recordings, Richard R. Foster, Cheng Ly

Biology and Medicine Through Mathematics Conference

No abstract provided.

Dynamics Of A Two-Stage Epidemiological Model With Post-Infection Mortality And Transmission Heterogeneity, B Sagar

Biology and Medicine Through Mathematics Conference

No abstract provided.

College Algebra With Review, Lanee Young Ph.D., Jayme Goetz

All Open Educational Resources

This text is disseminated via the Open Education Resource (OER) LibreTexts Project (https://LibreTexts.org) and like the thousands of other texts available within this powerful platform, it is freely available for reading, printing, and "consuming." The LibreTexts mission is to bring together students, faculty, and scholars in a collaborative effort to provide an accessible, and comprehensive platform that empowers our community to develop, curate, adapt, and adopt openly licensed resources and technologies; through these efforts we can reduce the financial burden born from traditional educational resource costs, ensuring education is more accessible for students and communities worldwide. Most, but …

Agentic Synthetic Data Generation For Automated Model Development, Frederick Eugene Diehl

Theses and Dissertations

Large Language Model research has made large strides in capabilities from sentiment analysis to writing code. These advancements have been realized thanks to research into specific capabilities such as prompting techniques. Language models today have demonstrated the ability to create content, transform, and classify. These capabilities are not limited to academic exploration but also found in commercial products that are positioning themselves from application augmentation to personal assistants. These commercial products tend to steer towards single actions such as “summarize this article” or “write a function that performs action...” In parallel research has continued to advance towards more advanced constructs …

Automatically Constructed Preference Pairs For Chain-Of-Thought: Consistency Gains With Accuracy Tradeoffs, Cameron Scolari, Lanyu Shang

Honors Thesis

We investigate preference optimization over chain-of-thought (CoT) reasoning using automatically constructed preference signals derived from the accuracy and internal consistency of a model. Our results show that framing reasoning as a preference learning problem improves both the accuracy of the final answer and the structure of the model outputs. We observe a non-monotonic relationship between performance and the Direct Preference Optimization (DPO) scaling parameter β, where moderate values maximize accuracy while lower values improve stability, highlighting a tradeoff between optimization strength and reliable generation. We further identify a tradeoff between reasoning consistency and accuracy. Increasing the consistency weight improves agreement …

Ai Shell, Jacqueline Roebuck Sakho

Books

An AI Configuration Shell to train and deploy an Argumentation Coach. Presented and distributed to the UNC Commons Collective in May 2026.

Local And Indigenous Knowledge, Innovation, And Sustainable Development: Creating Sustainable Futures Amidst Crisis Conditions At The Community Level, Carlos Andrés Arias

Dissertations and Theses

In 1987, the Brundtland Commission's Our Common Future (1987) made clear the need to reject longstanding development processes and focus on sustainable development. The Commission stressed that actual sustainable development integrates three elements: social development, economic development, and environmental protection. Though developed nations have achieved economic growth through conventional and extractive development practices, these practices have intensified natural disasters driven by climate change, increased food insecurity, and deepened poverty. This has acutely impacted Indigenous and local communities, many of whom face crisis conditions, such as war, terrorism, civil disorder, and their aftermath. Even so, many of these communities successfully implement …

Pwnagotchi: Deauthentication Attacks, Wpa Handshakes, And Wireless Network Security, Emily Musgrove

Computer Science Honors Papers

Wireless networks are the foundation of modern device communication infrastructure. This project examines the security implications of automated WPA/WPA2 handshake collection using the Pwnagotchi, a portable Wi-Fi network auditing and penetration testing device. The paper provides a technical analysis of WPA and WPA2 authentication mechanisms, including the structure of the 4-way handshake, the creation of cryptographic keys, and the role of deauthentication attacks in forcing reconnections for handshake capture. Additionally, the project explores the vulnerabilities associated with using legacy wireless security protocols such as WEP and TKIP to allow for older technologies that continue to require such encryption methods. This …

2026 May 14 - Tennessee Weekly Drought Summary, Tennessee Climate Office, East Tennessee State University

Tennessee Climate Office Weekly Drought Summaries

No abstract provided.

2026 May 21 - Tennessee Weekly Drought Summary, Tennessee Climate Office, East Tennessee State University

Tennessee Climate Office Weekly Drought Summaries

No abstract provided.

Effectiveness Of The Guided Discovery Method In Teaching The Surface Area Of A Cylinder, Paul Ahortu

2026 Symposium

This study investigates the impact of the guided discovery instructional method on students’ understanding of the surface area of a cylinder. A quasi-experimental pre-test–post-test design was conducted with 100 senior high school students in Cape Coast, Ghana, divided into experimental and comparison groups..

Results showed a substantial improvement in performance for students exposed to guided discovery, with mean scores increasing from 1.25 (pre-test) to 9.43 (post-test) and a large effect size (Cohen’s d = 2.70). Statistical analysis also revealed significant gender differences in achievement.

These findings indicate strong improvement following the guided discovery intervention and suggest its potential to enhance …