Digital Commons Network^™

System And Method For Detecting Subsurface Voids Using Controlled Heat Addition, Chase Nilsson

Discovery Day - Daytona Beach

This study evaluates controlled heat addition in a confined space to estimate enclosed volumes for irregularly shaped spaces. The intent is to detect hidden voids in cave environments. Conventional methods for identifying such voids are often costly, logistically difficult, and limited in accuracy. Preliminary experiments were conducted with a controlled heat source, a temporary thermal barrier to isolate the test chamber, and simple temperature sensors. Temperatures were recorded for the pre-test baseline, the heating interval, followed by a cooling period. The thermal response showed clear engineering trends that warrant further exploration and modeling. Preliminary results indicate that transient temperature changes …

A Cyber-Physical Flight Simulation Platform For Real-Time Visualization Of Aircraft Dynamics And Sensor-Based Control, Gabriel Martinez, Michael Poinsett

Discovery Day - Daytona Beach

Understanding aircraft dynamics through traditional simulations can be limiting, as results are often confined to screen-based visualization. This project aims to enhance learning and experimentation by creating a system where aircraft motion can be both simulated and physically observed in real time. The primary objective is to develop a cyber-physical flight simulation platform that links mathematical models with physical hardware. The system is designed to (1) represent aircraft dynamic behavior through real-time motion and (2) provide a foundation for integrating sensors and control strategies for responsive flight behavior. The platform combines aircraft dynamic models with a hardware interface capable of …

Radaround: A Field-Expedient Direction Finder For Contested Iot Sensing & Em Situational Awareness, Owen Maute, Blake Roberts

Discovery Day - Daytona Beach

This paper presents RadAround, a passive 2-D direction-finding system designed for adversarial IoT sensing in contested environments. Using mechanically steered narrowbeam antennas and field-deployable SCADA software, it generates high-resolution electromagnetic (EM) heatmaps using low-cost COTS or 3D-printed components. The microcontroller-deployable SCADA coordinates antenna positioning and SDR sampling in real time for resilient, on-site operation. Its modular design enables rapid adaptation for applications such as EMC testing in disaster-response deployments, battlefield spectrum monitoring, electronic intrusion detection, and tactical EM situational awareness (EMSA). Experiments show RadAround detecting computing machinery through walls, assessing utilization, and pinpointing EM interference (EMI) leakage sources from Faraday …

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 …

Honeybee-Inspired Swarm Intelligence For Autonomous Adaptability Of Martian Infrastructure, Morgan Kendall

Discovery Day - Daytona Beach

Current research in autonomous space systems primarily relies on centralized control or swarm methods designed for fixed mission scenarios. These approaches lack the flexibility needed for long-duration Mars operations, where infrastructure must adapt to changing conditions, evolving mission goals, and limited human oversight. This creates a critical gap in developing autonomous systems capable of continuous self-organization. This gap is being addressed by developing a biologically inspired, adaptive Martian infrastructure using swarm intelligence. The scope includes key system domains such as power distribution, communication networks, and surface logistics. Agent-based modeling software will simulate infrastructure components as autonomous agents that evaluate local …

Agent‑Assisted Dispute Resolution Using Early‑Stage Transaction Signals, Neerav Berry, Nireeksha Ravi Reddy, Gavin Shenker, Jalpesh Chitalia, Mark L. Woelfer

Defensive Publications Series

A payment network dispute resolution system includes a memory for storing agentic signal records and a processor coupled to the memory. The processor is configured to receive, prior to transaction authorization, consumer mandate data, agent purchase request data, and payment signal data. This data is stored in association with a dispute index key. Upon receiving a dispute message via a dispute resolution interface, the system retrieves the stored data and applies a rule set to identify whether at least two undisputed prior transactions share elements of the payment signal data. The system determines if the dispute qualifies for auto blocking …

Risk-Aware Intent Belief Gating Layer For Transactional Artificial Intelligence Assistants, Madhav Mittal

Defensive Publications Series

An intent belief layer system (100) for transactional artificial intelligence assistants is disclosed. The system includes a text encoder configured to receive a user utterance and generate an embedding vector, and an intent classifier configured to generate intent-wise logits for an intent taxonomy in which each intent is associated with risk metadata. A belief estimator applies calibrated probability mapping to generate an observation probability distribution, retrieves a prior probability distribution from a session store, and computes a posterior probability distribution using a Bayesian belief update across conversation turns. A risk engine computes an expected risk score over the posterior probability …

Pipeline Array Architecture: Topological Freedom Beyond 2d Grid, Jinhui Wu

Defensive Publications Series

In prior work, we introduced the Pipeline Array architecture—a distributed parallel data processing
framework based on the five core characteristics of Assignment, State Holding, Compare, Block, and
Update. The architecture was presented with a two-dimensional (2D) grid as a typical embodiment for
spatially structured data such as image pixels and sensor grids.
This paper clarifies and extends the topological understanding of the Pipeline Array. We emphasize that
the defining characteristic of an Ordered Array is fixed spatial coordinates and neighbor relationships
—not the specific geometric shape of the array. The 2D grid is one valid embodiment, but not a limitation. …

System And Method For Cost-Per-Second Active Dwell Verification Based On Client-Side Physiological And Behavioral Telemetry, N/A Anonymous

Defensive Publications Series

A system and method are disclosed for establishing a real-time verification and monetization model for digital content delivery based on live client-side physiological and behavioral telemetry. A client-side telemetry agent monitors neural-engagement proxies, including micro-movement patterns, scroll-stop deceleration, and haptic sensor variances, at a high sampling frequency. These proxies are processed into a normalized attention score representing the focus intensity of a viewer. To facilitate real-time financial tracking, the system integrates a robust communication protocol. A server-side dynamic billing gate establishes a secure, low-latency connection with the client-side agent to stream the attention score packets in real time. The server-side …

Standardized Agent-To-Agent Commercial Negotiation And Settlement Protocol, Aura Yavary

Defensive Publications Series

This disclosure describes a standardized communication and negotiation framework for autonomous software agents. The protocol enables real-time, cryptographically verifiable, and automated negotiation between a client-side buyer agent representing a user and one or more server-side seller agents representing commerce platforms or brands. The buyer agent broadcasts a structured intent payload containing constraint parameters and a negotiation endpoint. Seller agents evaluate available inventory against the constraints and return bid packets containing product metadata, validity conditionals, and a cryptographically signed incentive token (such as an HMAC-based token) representing dynamic, session-specific discounts or bonuses. The buyer agent programmatically incorporates these tokens into a …

Radiographic Evaluation Of Kidney Size In Cats: Effects Of Sex And Gonadal Status, Somchin Sutthigran, Auraiwan Klaengkaew, Chutimon Thanaboonnipat, Suppawiwat Ponglowhapan, Nan Choisunirachon

The Thai Journal of Veterinary Medicine

Radiographic evaluation of kidney size using the kidney-to-second lumbar vertebral body length (K/L2) ratio is a standard method for assessing kidney size in cats. However, current reference values underdetermine biological factors such as sex and gonadal status, which may influence kidney and lumbar length. Reproductive hormones are known to influence kidney and vertebral development, but their specific effects on radiographic kidney and vertebral measurements in cats are unclear. This retrospective study aimed to assess the effects of gonadal status on kidney length, L2 vertebral length, and the K/L2 ratio in clinically healthy cats. A total of 285 cats were included …

Ronald E. Mcnair Research Symposium Presentation Schedule 2026, Mcnair Scholars Program

McNair Symposium

This is the presentation schedule for the 24th Undergraduate Ronald E. McNair Research Symposium 2026.

Beyond The Indicators: Community-Defined Sustainability In Bario, Sarawak, Rhonwyn Hagedorn

Capstone Collection

This study examines how Kelabit community members in Bario, Sarawak, Malaysian Borneo define and practice sustainability within community-based tourism (CBT), and how these local understandings align with or diverge from the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The study used a thematic analysis drawing on fifteen semi-structured interviews with Kelabit community members, supplemented by tourist questionnaires and document analysis of online tourism materials. Four themes emerged: sustainability as collective stewardship; community decision-making and collaboration; cultural identity as the core of tourism; and equity, participation, and the limits of growth. Findings suggest that Kelabit community members hold a holistic, relational, and …

From Crisis To Reform: How The 1918 Influenza And Covid-19 Pandemics Redefined The Relationship Between Nurses And The American Healthcare System., Anh N V Le

Undergraduate Research and Scholarship Symposium

The 1918 Influenza and COVID- 19 pandemic have become two major public health crises that reshaped the role of nurses in the America healthcare system. Although a hundred years apart, both pandemics revealed how deeply the country depends on nurses during emergencies without proper and efficient strategies. This paper argues that these pandemics acted as turning points that redefined the social contract between nurses and the U.S. healthcare system. By examining historical context, nurses’ responsibilities, public perception, and long-term effects, this research show how pandemics expanded nurses’ authority while also exposing long-term weakness of the systems. In 1918, nurses were …

Ctamj Forum On Mshsl Activities: Speech, Kathleen Walker, Scott Voss, Tanner Sunderman, Rebecca Meyer-Larson

Communication and Theater Association of Minnesota Journal

The CTAM Journal seeks to raise up voices from notable interest groups. Occasionally, individuals are asked to share their thoughts on issues that pertain to the target readership of CTAMJ.

For this special forum, four coaches share their voices on Minnesota State High School Speech: Kathleen Walker (Fairmont), Scott Voss (Apple Valley), Tanner Sunderman (Mounds Park), and Rebecca Meyer-Larson (Moorhead).

Lights, Camera, Acting! A Collaborative, Interdisciplinary Approach To Basic Filmmaking, Jessica Maloney, Chris Nelson

Communication and Theater Association of Minnesota Journal

No film studio? No problem! This activity is designed to introduce basic concepts of filmmaking across disciplines such as theatre and communications, but could be used by either. It includes an emphasis on acting as well as the technical processes and procedures on set. We have geared this activity specifically towards use in a cross-listed class in Communication and Theatre Arts.

"The Climate Emotion Wheel" - An Exercise To Address Climate Anxiety Inspired By Boal's Forum Theatre, Talin Abadian

Communication and Theater Association of Minnesota Journal

The goal of this exercise is to provide students a space to articulate these complex emotions, engage in collaborative problem-solving with their peers, reclaim a sense of agency and empowerment by exploring meaningful action collectively while also highlighting individual responsibilities towards the environment. This exercise can be used effectively to demonstrate the power of Boal’s Forum Theatre as a tool for collaborative problem-solving and communal rehearsing of solutions to real-world challenges.

Everything I Learned About Teacher Noticing I Learned From Yoga Teacher Training, Grace Giorgio

Communication and Theater Association of Minnesota Journal

The following activity promotes teacher noticing as a pedagogical tool for teachers in training, with a focus on the public speaking classroom. Many students enter the public speaking classroom filled with performance anxiety and fears of how their peers will perceive them. When a teacher can tap into these concerns via by noticing how students are reacting in the moment, they can assuage those anxieties and fears. Hence, teaching instructors effective teacher noticing in teacher training improves the classroom experience for teachers and students alike.

Exploring The Seams Of Performance: Performance Studies & Theater Praxis, Sarah Kozinn

Communication and Theater Association of Minnesota Journal

The exercise aims to use a taxonomy of performance, as theorized by Richard Schechner in his essay “Drama, Script, Theatre, and Performance,” to think analytically about what performance is. (Part of the goal is to “make strange” what students, most often, think they already know by giving then tools to better define and identify the spectrum of what is termed “performance.”)  Students will articulate the porously bounded areas of drama, script, theatre, and performance, teasing apart and developing a definition of what defines theatre as theatre in relation to how they define performance.  Through this, students will develop an analytic …

The Chameleon Experience: Queer Identity, Mental Health, And Transformation, Cameron Penny

Communication and Theater Association of Minnesota Journal

In this autoethnographic piece, I examine the correlation between queer identity and mental health through reflective analysis of my own experiences within a Western socio-cultural setting. I expand external perspectives on the queer experience by highlighting the normalization of queer prejudice and its adverse impact on self-image. I share how the religious praxis of Catholicism enforces binary conformity by promoting dichotomous thinking that simultaneously constricts queer expression and subjugates implicit biases. In tandem, I utilize autoethnography as my medium because it provides a unique outlet to raise awareness for chronically stigmatized identities by centering marginalized voices (Atay, 2011; Chavez, 2013). …

Best Practices And An Agenda For Research In Benefits Communication, Kristi Egbert, Anne Kerber

Communication and Theater Association of Minnesota Journal

Benefits communication is information an employer/organization provides to employees about the types of benefit plans offered and information about them (i.e., health insurance, retirement, vacation time). Despite its importance to jobs across all sectors of the workforce, there is a dearth of current academic research regarding benefits communication. This paper defines benefits communication, examines its impact on organizations and workers, and explores existing research on best practices. Findings underscore the complexity of benefits material and emphasize the need for simpler and clearer language, employee-preferred formats, and adequate time for employees to review information and receive guidance from a knowledgeable source. …

State Of The World: Presidential Rhetoric At The United Nations, Jason A. Edwards, Zoe Hess Carney, Kory Hoyt

Communication and Theater Association of Minnesota Journal

In 1982, President Reagan spoke to the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) for the first time. In doing so, Reagan established a presidential tradition that, we argue, created a new genre of presidential rhetoric. Like the State of the Union speech, presidents, in this address, outline their vision for U.S. foreign policy and global politics for the coming year. Specifically, presidents mediate on the history and values of the United Nations, assess the current state of global affairs, and offer policy recommendations to deal with those issues. Examining presidential rhetoric at the United Nations offers a heuristic to understand U.S. …

Communication & Theater Association Of Minnesota Journal, Volume 49, Issue 1, 2026

Communication and Theater Association of Minnesota Journal

Volume 49, Issue 1 (2026) of the Communication & Theater Association of Minnesota Journal.

Lindenwood Digest, August 12, 2026, Lindenwood University

Lindenwood Digest

• Event & Date: Lindenwood University Employee Digest, published August 12, 2026.

• Geographic Grounding: Lindenwood University, St. Charles, Missouri.

• Key Honorees/Awards: Brandon Perkins was recognized in Q2 Moments for revisions to the faculty performance evaluation guidebook.

• Institutional Context: Key scheduled institutional programs include the 2026 Football Fan Fest on August 14, the Welcome Week Kickoff Meeting featuring Dr. John Porter, Dr. Kathi Vosevich, and keynote speaker Dr. Stephanie Afful on August 17, and the launch of the rebranded Office of Careers, Internships, and Achievements (C.I.A.) directed by Sara VonBokel on August 19.

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 …

Clinical Practice Guideline For Fall Prevention And Reduction, Wendy Zitzloff

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Falls are a significant concern for residents in long-term care facilities who are 65 years old or older, which places them at a higher risk of injury. The risk of falling is unique to each patient and cumulative with advanced age and complex comorbidities. A Long-Term Care (LTC) Facility in Minnesota had 6.6% of long-stay residents experience a fall resulting in a major injury, higher than the Minnesota average of 4.1%. This Clinical Practice Guideline (CPG) outlines foundational components for preventing and reducing falls among geriatric patients in long-term care facilities. The purpose of the CPG is to outline the …

Opioid Overdose Simulation Training For Staff: An Educational Development Project, Brooke Van Buskirk, Tyler Langley, Nancy S. Goldstein

International Nursing Research Congress (INRC)

Outpatient medical facilities have become more likely to encounter in-office emergencies related to opioid overdoses. Literature analysis found gaps in health team response capability in outpatient healthcare settings.¹

Our aim was to design and implement an opioid overdose simulation at an outpatient substance use disorder clinic. Literature reviewed found 4 essential themes to guide our curriculum development: simulation training, emergency action protocols, response training and equipment readiness.^2,3,4,5 These themes were used to create an algorithm on best-practice for overdose response and guided our simulation development.

A four-step simulation was designed including pre-brief education, low-fidelity mannequin simulation, high-fidelity simulation …

The Gap Kalamazoo Instrument To Evaluate Therapeutic Communication Of Pre-Licensure Nursing Students, Tracy J. Perron, Mary Thomas, Chelsea Lebo, Romy Zemer

International Nursing Research Congress (INRC)

Background: Effective communication among healthcare teams is essential for patient safety and satisfaction. Communication is a core competency for students in nursing education.

Purpose: This study aims to adapt the Gap-Kalamazoo Communication Skills Assessment for nursing students to enhance their communication skills and align with the American Association of Colleges of Nursing Essentials competencies.

Methods: This tool was tested with junior and senior nursing students at two institutions, with data collected through self-evaluations, peer evaluations, and faculty evaluations during clinical and simulation experiences.

Results: The results showed a high reliability of the tool (Cronbach’s Alpha 0.832 for seniors, 0.880 for …

Teamwork Under Pressure: Ob Emergency Simulation With Nursing, Midwifery & Nurse Anesthesia Students, Wendy R. Gibbons, Russ Branch, Katie Cole, Desiree Mullis Clement, Lisamarie Wands

International Nursing Research Congress (INRC)

Background: Midwives, nurses and nurse anesthetists frequently work together in one of the most enduring and consistent patient care settings, obstetrical care units. Interprofessional teamwork is a core competency for advanced practice and pre-licensure nursing students and interdisciplinary simulation offer students in prelicensure and advanced practice nursing programs the ability to collaborate, effectively communicate, and learn each other’s roles.

Methods: Faculty within a large university’s midwifery and nurse anesthesia programs designed and implemented an interdisciplinary simulation experience involving students from pre-licensure, midwifery, and nurse anesthesia cohorts. The students performed in the roles of the certified registered nurse anesthetist, certified nurse …

Caring Science And A Magnet Culture Positively Influence Patient Experience: A Theoretical Framework, Mary E. Lough, Grissel Hernandez, Kathleen Bradley, Alice Yan, Cassendra Munro, Rachyl Pines

International Nursing Research Congress (INRC)

BACKGROUND: An academic hospital implemented both Watson Caring Science and a Magnet® culture to support nurse wellbeing and optimize patient outcomes.^1-3 The goal was to create a culture of caring. The research challenge was how to measure culture, which is complex, intangible and often difficult to quantify. Few healthcare organizations deploy theory-driven quantitative evaluations. Most rely on atheoretical data mining rather than conceptually grounded frameworks.

PURPOSE: To develop a theoretical framework to test the hypothesis that: (1) Human Caring Culture directly influences Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (HCAHPS); (2) Human Caring Culture indirectly influences HCAHPS’ outcomes …