Digital Commons Network^™

Cartel Del Noreste And Human Smuggling: Understanding Modern Tactics: A React Case Study, Anjun Dhillon, Isaac J. Moelter

Reports, Projects, and Research

On August 23, 2026, three members of Cartel Del Noreste (CDN) attempted to smuggle three people across the U.S. southern border in Laredo, Texas. Francisco Suarez, age 20, along with Luis Daniel Segura Guzman, age 26, prepared to transport the group from Mexico to the United States. The cartel members used Facebook to advertise their transportation services and to recruit aliens who needed help. A third CDN member, Bernardo Aniceto Garza, age 27, was placed in charge of driving the vehicle.

Evaluating The Discus Throw As An Ancient Greek Combat Training Tool Through Modern Performance Metrics, Daniel R. Porter

All Graduate Reports and Creative Projects, Fall 2023 to Present

This study’s purpose was to explore the correlations between peak velocity in a rotational throw with a medicine ball, peak force (PF) and rate of force development (RFD) in an isometric mid-thigh pull, time to failure in a plank test, and peak velocity in a sword thrust task, which was also tested for reliability. Twenty-seven recreationally trained male participants between the ages of 18-35 completed the study. The sword thrust task was significantly correlated with the medicine ball throw (p = 0.012, r = 0.475, r² = 0.226, 95% CI [0.724, 0.116]) and PF (p = 0.045, r …

History In The Social Studies Classroom: Developing Historical Literacy And Skills Through Inquiry Lessons, Nancy J. Thatcher

All Graduate Reports and Creative Projects, Fall 2023 to Present

This Plan B project has created a series of inquiry-based lesson plans and activities for World History classrooms that emphasize historical literacy and disciplinary thinking. Rather than producing a traditional research thesis, this project emphasizes applied historical scholarship by translating historical and professional methodology into three classroom ready instructional lesson plans that are aligned with the Utah Core Standards for Social Studies. The project reflects the History MA’s emphasis on disciplinary rigor while addressing the practical needs of public history and education with pedagogical best practices. This project responds to ongoing challenges in World History education, including constrained instructional time, …

Towards The Systematic Cross-Civilizational Comparison: How Civilizations Work Case 3: The Chinese Case, Tiantian Wu

Comparative Civilizations Review

Drawing on Liah Greenfeld’s (2024) framework of Systematic Cross-Civilizational Comparison, this study examines Chinese civilization as an enduring and culturally autonomous system shaped by its unique first principles, “the Great Unity”, which integrates Confucian orthodoxy, political legitimacy, and cultural tradition into a coherent worldview. Historically, this framework justified dynastic rule through moral virtue and the Mandate of Heaven, forming a durable model of statecraft that incorporated Taoist, Legalist, and Buddhist influences. Expressed and perpetuated through the Chinese language, these principles have systematically shaped the civilization’s modes of thought, ethics, and emotional patterns. Although the Opium War and subsequent “Century of …

The First Principles Of Chinese Civilization: Relationalism And Pragmatism, Sai Zhang, Yongnian Zheng

Comparative Civilizations Review

This article examines the first principles of Chinese civilization, relationalism and pragmatism, through Liah Greenfeld’s (2024) definition of civilization as a distinct cultural reality. By comparing Chinese civilization with others, particularly in the context of globalization, we seek to identify its distinctive characteristics. Our overview analysis draws on interdisciplinary literature (including linguistics, philosophy, sociology, political economy, and social psychology). We argue that the complexities of Chinese civilization require a nuanced understanding of its first principles, which are codified in language and cognition. The article explores how these principles manifest in mainstream thoughts such as Confucianism and Legalism, influencing social structure …

A Review Of Spatial Indexing Technologies For Large-Scale Combat Simulation, Kaidi Jin, Xunyun Liu, Dongao Zhou, Yang Wang, Zhaopeng Liu

Journal of System Simulation

Abstract: The real-time performance and scalability of large-scale combat simulations are constrained by performance bottlenecks in spatial queries caused by massive numbers of dynamic entities. Spatial indexing technology becomes the key to solving this problem by establishing an efficient mapping between locations and entities. This paper reviews spatial indexing technologies in large-scale combat simulations. Based on an analysis of the core requirements for index structures in combat simulations, various indexing technologies along three main lines are examined: static indexing, dynamic optimization, and distributed parallelism. The principles, evolution, and applicability boundaries of these technologies are also examined, and their query and …

A Method For Assessing The Contribution Degree Of An Aviation Delivery System And Identifying Key Equipment, Xiaofeng Liu, Chengze Jiang, Xingyu Chen, Deyin Jiang, Bolin Shang, Bifeng Song

Journal of System Simulation

Abstract: Based on the delivery efficiency and delivery quality, a general aviation delivery system effectiveness evaluation model was constructed, and a calculation method of system contribution degree based on efficiency was given. By combining the system calculation experiment and simulation experiment based on agent-based modeling and simulation (ABMS), the design idea of the Monte Carlo simulation experiment for key equipment identification and equipment technology development trend analysis was sorted out, and the key equipment identification method based on ABMS and contribution evaluation was proposed. By taking the intercontinental long-range aviation delivery mission as an example, a variety of simulation experiments …

Bringing Women Into Focus: Adapting Traditional Lesson Standards To Incorporate Women In U.S. History, Emma M. Wilson

All Graduate Reports and Creative Projects, Fall 2023 to Present

This thesis Plan-B project is creating women centered lesson plans for middle and high school social studies curriculum. As a result of male dominance in education the standards, practices, and curriculum have largely focused on a male-dominant narrative. This project works to remedy this imbalance by taking standards directly from the State and adapting lesson plans to highlight historical women actors as the focus, while still aligning with core outcomes. The current male-centered approach to the broader social studies curriculum does not account for the wide array of viewpoints experienced for those living in the United States. Re-envisioning lessons to …

The Long Arc Of Global Citizenship: Historical Foundations, Modern Challenges, And Institutional Innovation At Rollins College, Wenxian Zhang

Faculty Publications

The concept of global citizenship can be traced back to the Greek and Roman periods in Western civilization, as well as to ancient Eastern philosophies. Representing both a prescriptive ideal and an aspirational faith in humanity, the notion is closely linked to the historical development of cosmopolitanism, transnationalism, and transnationality. This study first reviews the rich historical roots and core values of global citizenship, along with the growing need for global citizenship education in the modern era. It then highlights several influential individuals who strongly championed its principles, including theoretical physicist and Nobel Prize winner Albert Einstein and internationalist and …

Spatial Structure And Energy Content Of Wakes Behind Single And Arrayed Undulated Cylinders, Taiga Naomi Drucker-Boisvert, OndˇRej FerˇCák, Jérémie Auzoux, Sarah E. Smith, Zein Sadek, Rowan Moore, Christain T. Murphy, Trevor Dunt, Jennifer A. Franck, Raul Bayoan Cal

Mechanical and Materials Engineering Faculty Publications and Presentations

Biologically inspired undulated cylinder geometries significantly influence wake structure and vortex-induced vibrations in turbulent flows, yet the underlying mechanisms are not fully understood. It is further unknown how these influences extend to multi-cylinder arrays, where interacting wakes accumulate and mix. This study examines the wake characteristics of an undulated cylinder and a smooth elliptic cylinder in single- and multi-cylinder array configurations, using particle image velocimetry and proper orthogonal decomposition (POD). Relative to the smooth elliptic cylinder, the undulated geometry induces pronounced spanwise-axial variability, characterized by enhanced near-wake mean momentum and weak far-wake signatures, consistent with reduced turbulent kinetic energy. While …

Association Between Stress Mindset, Psychological Symptoms, And Psychosocial Risk In Liver Transplant Patients, Sarah Kay Brill

Dissertations

Psychosocial functioning is a central component of liver transplant evaluation, yet less is known about how cognitive factors, such as stress mindset, relate to transplant readiness. The present study examined the association between stress mindset and psychosocial risk, as well as its relationship with depressive symptoms, anxiety, and perceived stress among patients undergoing liver transplant evaluation. Patients included 62 adults completing standard pre-transplant assessment measures, including the Stress Mindset Measure–Specific (SMM-S), Stanford Integrated Psychosocial Assessment for Transplantation (SIPAT), Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9), Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 (GAD-7), and Perceived Stress Scale (PSS). Hierarchical logistic regression analyses indicated that stress mindset was …

Seeing The Unspoken: A Pilot Eye-Tracking Study Of Moral Injury Among Veterans, Eva M. Valdez

Dissertations

This pilot study examined associations between self-reported moral distress, state distress, combat exposure, deployment history, and maximum pupil reactivity among veterans diagnosed with PTSD. Participants viewed neutral and morally relevant images while pupil responses were recorded using eye-tracking technology. Self-report measures included moral distress severity, exposure to potentially morally injurious events, Subjective Units of Distress Scale (SUDS) ratings, total deployments, number of combat deployments, and Combat Exposure Scale scores. Maximum pupil reactivity was calculated by subtracting the mean z-scored maximum pupil response during neutral image presentations from the mean z-scored maximum pupil response during morally relevant image presentations. This variable …

Narrative And Video Games: How Mediums Can Expand Our Stories, Erin Hagy

Theses & ETDs

The objective of this paper is to examine the extent to which video games can be conceived as a narrative format, with specific regards to its consideration in the educational and social spheres. The paper outlines a variety of popular games for consideration, as well as some influencing technological factors, in arguments for the growing importance and inclusion of narrative within the field of gaming. It also exhibits a variety of case studies towards this point and concludes that while video games hold great potential in terms of narrative, the notable variation across the medium can make it difficult to …

Bending And Breaking The Boundary Between Horror And Comedy: An Exploration Of The Existentialist Function Of The Abject In The Works Of John Landis And Woody Allen, Alaynna K. Bromley

Masters Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

This thesis explores the line between comedy and horror in an increasingly postmodern world through the cinema of John Landis and Woody Allen. Chapter One explores the theoretical and historical material that link Landis and Allen, namely in their dealing with (1) Edgar Allan Poe’s effect, (2) Julia Kristeva and Judith Butler’s abject, (3) Sigmund Freud’s “uncanny,” and (4) Mikhail Baktin’s carnivalesque. The chapter will conclude with John Landis’ portions of The Twilight Zone: The Movie, as a linked history that welcomes exploration of Landis alongside Allen. Chapter Two conducts a comparative study of two horror-comedies: John Landis’ An American …

The Kings Are Dead. Long Live The Kings: The Legacy Of Roman Kingship In The Republican And Imperial Periods, Dylan Hillebrand

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

From Romulus through Tarquinius Superbus, Rome’s kings occupied a major place within the collective cultural imagination of the ancient polity long after the office was abolished. For generations, no accusation was as odious as “king” and the entire period was seen as a cautionary tale. While the legacy of the kings remained an essential part of Roman identity, how the people related to that legacy changed eventually resulting in a restoration of kingship. A complete picture of the establishment-rejection-restoration cycle becomes clear through examination of the works of Roman (and Greek) historians. Central questions which guide this study: Why were …

Srividhya Ragavan, Srividhya M. Ragavan

Faculty CVs

No abstract provided.

Helicopter Pilots’ Safety Behaviors: Identifying Factors That Affect Risk Perception Among Helicopter Pilots, Khaled J. Alzaabi

Theses and Dissertations

Helicopter operations frequently take place in complex, high-risk environments, where pilots continuously assess hazards and make critical decisions under pressure. Despite standardized procedures, regulations, and training designed to enhance safe operations, helicopter pilots may perceive risk differently when encountering similar flight situations. Understanding the factors that influence helicopter pilots’ perception of risk is essential for improving helicopter operation safety.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of various factors on risk perception among helicopter pilots. Using an explanatory correlational design, the study assessed whether helicopter pilots’ demographics, flight experience, and affective domain factors explain differences in their …

“Dynt Of Dede:” Reading The Medieval Combat Scene Through The Helmet-Cleave Motif, Andrew Sherwood Thomas

Dissertations

This research explores the continuity of chivalric combat descriptions throughout medieval literature. By tracing the history, development, and distribution of the helmet-cleave motif, this study is able to examine combat scenes spanning a wide reach of time, genera, and language. The purpose of this work is to suggest a reading methodology for the chivalric combat scene that appropriately situates it in its cross-textual context and so reveals the nuance of its expression and the value in its study.

Despite the volume of surviving combat descriptions in medieval literature, they remain underrepresented in the scholarship due to their apparent repetitious and …

Piracy, Terrorism, And The Law: Differential Equations In Hostage Situations, Gabriel Hallevy

Journal of Humanistic Mathematics

Pirates have taken the crew of an American ship hostage. They promise to release the hostages only if another pirate who is held in an American prison for commission of piracy crimes against American citizens, is released. Should the U.S. government enter into negotiations with them? Should they send armed forces and risk the hostages? Should they release the prisoner immediately and unconditionally? The article models and analyzes possible policies regarding sensitive situations involving hostages and other related risks using differential equations. The solutions are surprisingly simple, but not necessarily intuitive. Our analysis aims to demonstrate how powerful mathematics is …

Cyberattacks And The Challenges Of Applying International Humanitarian Law: An Analytical Study In Traditional Rules And Diplomatic Solutions, Mohamed Ibrahim Abdelnabi

BAU Journal - Journal of Legal Studies - مجلة الدراسات القانونية

This paper examines the inadequacy of the current legal framework of international humanitarian law in protecting civilians from the risks of cyberattacks, and analyzes the devastating humanitarian impacts of communications shutdowns and digital attacks on critical infrastructure such as hospitals. The research concludes that legal frameworks need to be modernized, international cooperation strengthened, and effective international accountability mechanisms developed to bridge the protection gap that exists in the digital age and ensure that perpetrators of these violations do not go unpunished.

Ethics Under Siege: The Conflict In Tigray Through The Lens Of Just War Theory, Daniela Widya Purba

Journal of Strategic and Global Studies

This research article explains the ethical principles of the conflict in Tigray based on the Just War Theory. By using the descriptive qualitative methodology, this research article draws data from secondary sources which includes; academic journals, news reports, as well as international legal instruments to analyze the moral trajectory of the conflict. This research begins with jus ad bellum, to assess Ethiopia’s government justification in declaring conflict within Tigray. While the government fulfilled the criteria of just cause and legitimate authority, the question stands on the ambiguous political intentions and the failure to enact peaceful alternatives before resulting in waging …

Oral History With John Barry, Dan Royles

History Faculty Scholarship

Oral history interview with John Barry, who has served as Executive Director of the Southern Tier AIDS Program (STAP) since 2008. He was born in Endicott, New York in 1966, grew up in Vestal, and attended high school at Seton Catholic Central in Binghamton before serving in Germany with the United States Army during the early 1980s. When he returned to Broome County in 1987, some of his friends had been affected by HIV/AIDS and, while earning a degree at SUNY Binghamton, Barry became involved in mutual aid efforts to help people affected by the disease. He went to work …

War Of The Unknown: The Increase In Cybercrime Reveals A Lack Of Remedy And Protection Under International Law, Ava Fields

Florida Journal of International Law

The rapid growth of cybercrime poses significant challenges to the international legal framework, revealing gaps in both remedy and protection. This Note examines the rise of cybercrime and its causes, and highlights the inadequacies of current international legal mechanisms. This Note will do so by delving into three prominent case studies to illustrate these challenges and will provide possible solutions to these issues.

Global Energy Transition: Reflecting On Cop 28 And Case Studies Of Qatar And Morocco, Rafael Leal-Arcas, Vishakha Joshi, Dyuti Pandya

Florida Journal of International Law

This Article examines the contemporary framework for energy transition, focusing on the regulatory and legal obstacles inherent in the transition process. Part I provides an introduction and delves into the intricate interplay between trade dynamics and the establishment of smart grids, evaluating their impact on shaping the energy landscape. The concept of climate-resilient electricity grids is explored in Part I, particularly through the lens of digital solutions adopted in jurisdictions such as India, China, and the United States. Part II discusses the evolving framework set forth by Climate Change Conference of the Parties (COP 28) for the implementation of smart …

Contributions Of Climate Finance And Human Rights Responsibilities In Shaping A North-South Outbound Climate Fdi Promotion Commitment, Zaker Ahmad

Florida Journal of International Law

The distribution of global climate finance is unjust, due to it concentrating on developed nations while leaving developing countries facing a growing shortfall of funds. This Article advocates for incentivizing climate-friendly outbound foreign direct investment (OFDI) from developed to developing countries (i.e., North to South) as a potential solution to this persistent challenge. It demonstrates that additional normative support for such a proposition can be drawn from climate change and human rights legal regimes. Under the climate regime, developed countries remain under a strict obligation to provide financial support. In the human rights regime, recent jurisprudential development shows that the …

Emancipation, Decolonization, And Gender In The Context Of African Integration, Luwam Dirar

Florida Journal of International Law

The 1960s institutionalization and formalization of Africa’s continental integration was a manifestation of the ontological fragility of the concept of emancipation in the African context. As a concept, continental emancipation excluded concerns of women and formalized the divorce between decolonization and racial domination on the one hand and social emancipatory movements on the other. This divorce was contrary to the expectation of women who sought the end of colonial subjugation as a turning point for women’s emancipation from not only colonial and racial domination but also from social oppression. This Article argues that the continental emancipation project betrayed the hopes …

Out Of The Shadows: Us Intelligence Sharing And The Russia-Ukraine War, 2021–24, Frank Leith Jones

Books, Monographs & Collaborative Studies

Focusing on the period from 2021 to 2024, this monograph argues the declassification and public disclosure of US intelligence in anticipation of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine—together with the subsequent sharing of intelligence with Ukraine during the conflict—have significant implications for national security policy making and military operations in future support of allies and partners. The monograph differs from previous studies in three ways. First, it examines public disclosure as a tool of strategic messaging in information warfare. Second, it serves as a model for intelligence sharing for both reassurance and operational support, with the latter highlighting the role of intelligence …

Geopolitical Legitimacy Contestation Of The 2026 Iran War In Al-Jazeera: A Critical Discourse Analysis, Doni Firdaus, Fahmy Lukman

Journal Of Middle East and Islamic Studies

This study investigates the discursive strategies and geopolitical legitimacy contestation surrounding the 2026 conflict between Iran, the United States, and Israel, as reported by Al-Jazeera Arabic. Utilizing Norman Fairclough’s three-dimensional Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA) framework-comprising textual analysis, discourse practice, and sociocultural practice-the research decodes how media language constructs power relations and ideological hegemony. The data is sourced from ten purposively sampled Al-Jazeera reports, spanning multiple journalistic genres, published between February and March 2026. The findings reveal a significant discursive shift in Al-Jazeera's editorial framing. Textually, the use of symmetric prepositions such as "بين" (between) and the juxtaposition of …

Neurint In The Age Of Generative Agentic Ai: A Proposed Paradigm For Left-Of-Bang Strategic Deterrence, James Giordano, Elise Annett

Strategic Insights

This commentary focuses on how neurocognitive intelligence, or NEURINT, could be operationalized through generative agentic artificial intelligence to strengthen anticipatory intelligence and left-of-bang deterrence. NEURINT combines neuroscience, psychology, behavioral science, computational modeling, and traditional intelligence to better understand the cognitive, emotional, cultural, and organizational factors shaping adversary decision-making. This piece looks at how agentic AI, large-scale data integration, cognitive digital twins, and probabilistic forecasting could help intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance identify behavioral patterns, escalation thresholds, vulnerabilities, and potential intervention points before hostile activity becomes operational. It also emphasizes that AI should augment and not replace human analysts. Human judgment, ethical …

The Sinking Ship: Victor’S Justice And The Case For Accepting Tu Quoque In International Law, Cyrus S. Theodor

Ohio Northern University International Law Journal

No abstract provided.