Digital Commons Network^™

Photogrammetry: Accuracy And Precision Analysis Of Color And Rim Diameter Utilizing Various Cameras, Christina Threlkeld

High Impact Practices Student Showcase Spring 2026

The goal of this paper is to test whether photogrammetry is a viable/affordable way to generate 3-D data sets suitable for research applications. Utilizing a sample of 10 ceramic rim sherds randomly selected out of 40 viable rim samples from the Rio Verde assemblage, I will generate 3-D models for 3 different technologies. From there I will test measurements by calculating rim diameters and consistency of color through Munsell readings The data collected will help determine what type of data can be extracted from 3-D renderings. In order to ensure accuracy, rim sherd diameter and Munsell data will be directly …

Women In Industrial Engineering Leadership And Barriers To Advancement, Fiorella Barney

High Impact Practices Student Showcase Spring 2026

This research investigates how organizational and cultural barriers influence the advancement of women into leadership positions within industrial engineering. Despite being one of the more gender-balanced engineering disciplines at the entry level, industrial engineering remains largely male-dominated in leadership, and this project set out to understand why that gap persists and what sustains it.

To explore this question, I conducted a review of seven peer-reviewed sources organized around five themes: the scope of underrepresentation, organizational barriers, gendered workplace culture, early career pipeline effects, and attrition. I then conducted a qualitative, semi-structured interview with a woman who began her career as …

Hershey Vs Mars: The Rise Of Chocolate In America, Jasmine Lutz

Honors Theses - Providence Campus

From the early Americas to the chocolate houses of Europe, chocolate has a long history of being exclusive and expensive. This analysis will show how Milton Hershey and Forrest Mars changed the chocolate industry making it accessible to all, regardless of income. Both these giants got their start during the turn of the turn of the 19th century, a time of industrialization, innovation, and the rise of consumerism. The economic structures of the time allowed for both of these men to build their business into household names. Milton and Forrest’s early lives shaped who they were and how they did …

Scrolling, Searching, And Self-Diagnosing: Examining How Social Media Influences Self- Diagnosis And Shapes Mental Health Literacy, Conceptualization, And Identity Development, Sara Elaine Hamilton

DSW Capstone Projects

This capstone examines the influence of social media on the growing issue of self-diagnosis of mental health disorders through three scholarly works: a systematic literature review (SLR), a conceptual paper, and practice application paper. Accessibility, anonymity, and social isolation are identified as contributing factors of self-diagnosis, as individuals increasingly prioritize convenience over traditional help-seeking methods. Research suggests that self-diagnosis is influenced by misinformation and reinforced by validation and a sense of belonging, leading individuals to internalize mental health disorders as part of their identity. Findings further indicate that social media plays a significant role in the dissemination of misinformation about …

Exploring Novice Teacher Readiness For Urban Classrooms: A Phenomenological Study Of Teacher Education Programs, Thomas Virgona

Selected Full Text Dissertations, 2011-

This phenomenological study investigates the preparedness of novice educators transitioning from higher education programs to urban school settings, addressing high teacher attrition rates in under-resourced urban communities. Through the lens of Bandura’s self-efficacy theory and a phenomenological framework, the research explores how novice educators perceive their preparedness for urban classroom challenges and which elements of their preparation proved most beneficial. The study analyzes in-depth interviews with 10 novice teachers across four Title I school districts in Nassau and Suffolk Counties, New York. Findings revealed that participants perceived themselves as underprepared for the socioeconomic realities, behavioral complexities, and cultural diversity of …

Improving The Quality Of Physics Practice, Wyatt W. Thompson

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

This case study started with personal observations and experiences. As a lab teaching assistant, I observed on many occasions that students do not like their current homework platforms, often venting to me about their frustrations during lab time. As a student, I shared similar sentiments with them. To develop a possible solution to these observations, a theory of reasoning was chosen as the foundation. The heuristic-analytic theory of reasoning (HATR) suggests that people present an epistemic model (beliefs and ideas about a phenomenon) through a heuristic process (generation from memory) and engage in an analytic process to validate the epistemic …

Lean Service System Optimization In U.S. Automotive Maintenance Centers: A Time Study And Simulation-Based Approach To Reducing Service Cycle Time And Increasing Efficiency, Rakibul Hasan Sarker

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

The primary objective of this study is to measure the current service time at a U.S. automobile service center, with the aim of reducing waste and optimizing service operations through time study and simulation modeling. Inefficiencies in those service centers increase service time and labor costs, reduce service quality, and reduce workshop productivity, thereby increasing customer waiting time. In this study, real-world shop floor data were collected from a single service center, namely Jiffy Lube. Over the course of ten working days, 205 vehicle data points were acquired. Service time, bay time, and overall process time were computed and examined …

2026-2027 Undergraduate Catalog, Morehead State University. Registrar's Office.

Morehead State Catalog Archive

2026-2027 undergraduate catalog for Morehead State University.

Aadej Comm 12 1 2026

AADEJ - The Communicator

The Communicator is the official publication of the American Association of Dental Editors & Journalists (AADEJ), promoting awareness of the association’s activities and offering valuable insights for dental editors and journalists to enhance their publications. It is published quarterly, distributed digitally via email to members, and posted on the Association’s website at aadej.org, with archives on ADA Commons. Regular contributions from the Editor-in-Chief, Executive Director, President, and Associate Editor cover various topics.

This issue provides practical strategies for journal growth, such as building sustainable author pipelines and using digital analytics to increase content reach. Features include articles addressing ethical, …

Eight Tips For Securing Authors And Articles That Will Enhance Your Dental Journal Quality And Reach, Lindsay A. Robinson Dds

AADEJ - The Communicator

This feature article offers eight practical tips to help dental editors attract high-quality manuscripts and a diverse range of authors. Key strategies include building pipelines with dental schools, mining material from professional meetings, and specifically encouraging the dental student voice. The author recommends using themed issues with guest editors and leveraging digital media like LinkedIn to discover new contributors. Additionally, the article emphasizes supporting authors through mentorship, utilizing website analytics to guide content selection, and maintaining ethical standards regarding the disclosure of Generative AI. These combined efforts aim to bridge research with practical clinical guidance.

An Analysis Of Slms For Machine Translation Of Healthcare Documents, Wyatt Clausen

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

The language barrier creates significant healthcare challenges for patients who struggle with English. While large language models (LLMs) have advanced machine translation, their high computational costs, environmental impact, and risk of data breaches have raised concerns. Small language models (SLMs) can address these concerns and be further adapted to specific tasks through parameter-efficient fine-tuning (PEFT) methods, including Quantized Low-Rank Adaptation (QLoRA). This study compares the Spanish-to-English translation quality of two 7-billion-parameter SLMs, Mistral and Llama 2 7B, in the medical domain, using BLEU, chrF, and COMET as evaluation metrics. It further investigates whether QLoRA fine-tuning and Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG) on …

A Comparative Analysis Of The Ecophysiology Between The Invasive Macroalgae Starry Stonewort And The Native Macroalgae Chara To Predict Invasion Potential, Thomas J. Zellmer

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

Starry stonewort (Nitellopsis obtusa) is an invasive macroalga from Eurasia. Currently, starry stonewort’s invasive range consists of the upper Midwest and Great Lakes region, including the Mississippi River. Starry stonewort poses recreational and ecological problems by forming dense canopies that extend through the water column. Starry stonewort occupies a late-season niche space with dense biomass occurring in late July and persisting well into autumn. There is a lack of information on the ecophysiology of starry stonewort. In this study, two populations of starry stonewort, Minnesota and New York, were analyzed to compare regional differences in ecophysiology, along with chara (native …

Seeing Public Health In Color: Phenomenological Perspectives Of Bipoc Women In Leadership, Jasmyn Spicer

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

Public health is a complex, ever-changing industry that holds pivotal capacity to impact society on a larger scale. For the United States, disparities and inequity in public health have had significant consequences for Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) communities. Effective leadership in public health has the potential to impact roles, policy development, and the overall scope of oversight regarding the quality of care that communities are provided in the industry. While BIPOC women are underrepresented in public health leadership roles, they have the capacity to advance equity in the field and contribute to culturally responsive care in foundational …

Full Issue

Digressions: Literary & Art Journal

No abstract provided.

When Sailboats Fly, Salarah Seymour

Digressions: Literary & Art Journal

No abstract provided.

A Simple Guide To Responsible Authorship And Publication, Julie Simpson, Patricia B. Condon, Bonnie Brown, William C. Clyde, James J. Connell, Ramonda Kindle, Nathan A. Schwadron, John E. Sparrow, Xueting Sun, Engin Taze, May-Win Thein, Anita R. Tucker, Karen T. Van Gundy, James Wible

Integrity in Research and Scholarship

This guide examines the following aspects of responsible authorship and publication practices:

1. The significance and goals of publication
2. Publication mechanisms and responsible practices
3. The importance and guiding principles of authorship
4. The definition and responsibilities of an author
5. Responsible writing practices

Please note that throughout this document there are links to examples of concepts/issues within certain disciplines for illustrative purposes. The examples may not be relevant to all disciplines so check guidance specific to the applicable discipline before proceeding. This guide was adapted from an online training module that was part of the University of New …

Enhancing Surgical Safety, Sarah Moxon

IdeaFest 2026

Surgical site infections (SSIs) account for 20% of hospital-acquired infections, increasing patients’ risk of disability and mortality and raising costs for hospitals. This quality improvement project, using the Model for Evidence-Based Practice Change, aims to reduce SSIs at a rural hospital by 20% within one year. Engaging key players, proven strategies will be implemented, including preoperative nasal decolonization, reducing operating room traffic, and using an SSI risk tool. These strategies will be evaluated through electronic medical record (EMR) documentation audits, tracking door openings, nasal swab cultures, and surveys assessing the SSI risk tool’s impact on clinical decision-making.

The Politicization Of Performance: How Rome Turned Ancient Greek Ritualistic Entertainment Into Political Propaganda, Ava Henderson

IdeaFest 2026

In this poster the topic of how Ancient Greek ritualistic theater was changed to fit the bloody and politically inclined ideals of Ancient Rome was discussed. It explores different theoretical frameworks such as the Ritual Theory, the Spectacle and Power Theory, and the Performance Theory. It also uses many different methodologies including comparative archaeological analysis, textual analysis, and socio-political contextualization. Using these different methods the poster is able to explore how Rome used both their spectacles and their architecture to promote their idealization of war while Greece used their performances and architecture to honor their Gods, specifically Dionysus who was …

Freenergy: Smart Piezoelectric Speed Bumps For Clean Energy And Operational Intelligence, Jorge Luis Zavala Álvarez

IdeaFest 2026

Urban environments are facing a growing demand for energy alongside increasing vehicular activity, particularly in high-density, high-traffic areas. While renewable energy technologies continue to expand, many solutions remain constrained by high installation costs, spatial limitations, and the need for dedicated infrastructure. This creates an opportunity to explore alternative approaches that integrate energy generation into existing urban systems. Freenergy introduces a novel concept that leverages everyday vehicular movement as a distributed source of energy and data. By embedding piezoelectric modules within speed bumps, the system captures mechanical stress from passing vehicles and transforms it into electrical output. Beyond energy generation, the …

Fiber Orientation Effects In 3d Printed Composites, Chloe Melendez

IdeaFest 2026

This project investigated how fiber orientation affects stiffness in 3D-printed fiber-reinforced composites made with consumer-grade printers. Tensile specimens were printed with fibers aligned at 0°, 45°, and 90° and tested to measure Young’s modulus. Experimental results were compared with micromechanical models, including the Rule of Mixtures and Halpin–Tsai equations. An interactive Mathematica simulation was also developed to predict mechanical behavior, providing an accessible tool and open-source data for education and composite design.

Modern Consumption: Digital Media And Food Intake In Young Adults, Norah Mieloch

IdeaFest 2026

This poster explores how digital media influences food engagement in terms of what we eat and why, how hormonal hunger and satiety cues may be impacted by screens during mealtime, how media content targets certain food behaviors (intentional and not), and meal appreciation. In learning about the impacts of digital media consumption alongside food consumption, the audience will understand the effects on their health and how screens change their brain chemistry - hopefully allowing them to make an educated decision of whether or not to engage in media while eating.

Fad Diets Or Bad Diets?, Walker Dorris

IdeaFest 2026

A literature review on fad diets and their effectiveness and sustainability with regard to weight loss and overall health.

The Mechanical-Human Mismatch: Fatigue And Injury Prevention In Motocross, Mark Rivas

IdeaFest 2026

A research project into the risks and causes of injury in the sport of motocross. The research is focused on how the athlete can be better prepared through sport specific training for better technique and other factors. The sport specific training can be developed through the perspective of a physical therapist to develop more durable athletes. With more research the perspective can be utilized in the set-up of the equipment on the motorcycle and the protective equipment riders use can be made safer. The practices and methods used by PT's could be very valuable to the growth of the sport …

Emergent Disorder Induced Transport In Active Matter Systems, Josh Steimel

IdeaFest 2026

Creating randomized obstacles for magnetic particles to traverse in varying magnetic fields in hopes of finding immerging patterns. Responsible for creating CAD files in large quantities and making functional resin prints with obstacles on the micro-scale.

Effect Of Hydration Pack Load Carrying Configuration On Trail Running Energetics And Performance, Ryan Giglio

IdeaFest 2026

Lit Review for KINS 492W Senior Seminar, looking at the effects of hydration pack configuration on metabolic cost/energetics in trail running.

Methods For Degradation Of Pla-Quinoa Composites, Rafael Bernard

IdeaFest 2026

Polylactic acid (PLA) composites were created by integrating quinoa chaff that had been refluxed in a toluene and ethanol solution, with differing ratios of the chaff. These composites underwent testing such as bomb calorimetry, infrared (IR) spectroscopy, water uptake, water contact angle & degredation, antioxidant assay and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). A cellulase enzyme was also purified from E-Coli bacteria for use in degradation studies. Current tests indicate that the refluxing of raw chaff increases homogeniztion of composites, which in turn allows for the increase of certain physical properties as well as increased degredation. This gives promising results concerning the …

From Textbook To Treatment: Designing And Building A Bench-Scale Drinking Water Treatment System, Neeshelle Jaimes

IdeaFest 2026

In Humboldt County, California, the Humboldt Bay Municipal Water District (HBMWD) draws source water from the Mad River aquifer via Ranney Collectors, where natural filtration produces high-quality water that is disinfected prior to distribution to the cities of Arcata, McKinleyville, Eureka, Blue Lake and Manila. As a result, there is no conventional surface water treatment plant in the area for environmental engineering and water science students at Cal Poly Humboldt to visit and learn from. To address this lack of visibility, we developed a bench-scale demonstration water treatment plant for Dr. Yacob Tesfayohanes’ drinking water treatment course.This project scales down …

From Clumsy To Capable: Improving Awareness And Care For Developmental Coordination Disorder In Children, Mallory Akers

IdeaFest 2026

This project analyzing the effectiveness of current interventions and brings awareness to current lack of care for children with Developmental Coordination Disorder. It compares current diagnosis measures like MABC,TGMD-2, Bruininks-Oseretsky Test with interventions to give background of where we are currently to streamline care for the future. Findings show that Neuromotor task training (NTT) and CO-OP interventions are most effective in improving quality of care. Results suggest for improving this problem we can educate health professionals more in the subject and improve diagnosis streamline, implement more school based additional therapies to increase access to care, and improve parents involvement in …

N Y State Dent J January 2026

The New York State Dental Journal

In the January 2026 issue, the reader will find the following feature articles:

• No Need to Travel the Road to Licensure Renewal Alone
• IPS Subperiosteal Implant for the Maxilla and Mandible
• Amyloidoma of the Palate
• Titanium Hypersensitivity as Possible Cause of Dental Implant Failures

This issue includes regular columns with regional news impacting the New York membership including editorial and perspectives columns, legal, association activities, component news, continuing education opportunities, and classifieds.

A Complete Diploid Human Genome Benchmark For Personalized Genomics, Nancy F. Hansen, Nathan Dwarshuis, Hyun Joo Ji, Arang Rhie, Hailey Loucks, Glennis A. Logsdon, Mitchell R. Vallger, Jessica M. Storer, Juhyun Kim, Eleni Adam, Nicolas Alternose, Dmitry Antipov, Mobin Asri, Sofia Barreira, Stephanie C. Bohaczuk, Andrey V. Bzikadze, Sara A. Carioscia, Andrew Carroll, Kuan-Hao Chao, Yanan Chu, Arun Das, Peter Ebert, Adam English, Mark Fleharty, Laura E. Fleming, Giulio Formenti, Andrea Guarracino, Gabrielle A. Hartley, Katharine Jenike, Jenna Kalleberg, Yu Kang, Robert King, Josipa Lipovac, Mira Mastoras, Matthew W. Mitchell, Shloka Negi, Nathan D. Olson, Keisuke K. Oshima, Luis F. Paulin, Brandon D. Pickett, David Porubsky, Jane Ranchalis, Desh Ranjan, Mikko Rautiainen, Harold Riethman, Robert D. Schnabel, Fritz J. Sedlazeck, Kishwar Shafin, Mile Sikic, Steven J. Solar, Alexander P. Sweeten, Winston Timp, Justin Wagner, Dongahn Yoo, Ying Zhou, Erik Garrison, Evan E. Eichler, Michaeel C. Schatz, Andrew B. Stergachis, Rachel J. O'Neill, Karen H. Miga, Steven L. Salzberg, Sergey Koren, Justin M. Zook, Adam M. Phillippy

School of Medical Diagnostics & Translational Sciences Publications

Human genome sequencing typically relies on mapping reads to a reference genome to call variants, but this approach introduces technical biases, excluding duplicated and structurally polymorphic regions of the genome. To overcome this, we present a telomere-to-telomere genome benchmark with near-perfect accuracy across 99.4% of the diploid HG002 genome. This benchmark adds 701.4 Mb of autosomal sequence and both sex chromosomes (216.8 Mb), which were absent from prior benchmarks. We annotated genes and repeats on both haplotypes, including 19,956 protein-coding genes on the maternal haplotype and 19,190 on the paternal haplotype, and developed new methods to measure the accuracy of …