Digital Commons Network^™

Reconstructing Nebraska’S Late Quaternary Paleoenvironment, Landscape Change, And Human–Environment Dynamics Using Diatoms And Optically Stimulated Luminescence Dating, Gosia Mahoney

Dissertations and Doctoral Documents, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, 2023–

This dissertation examines Holocene environmental change and human–environment interactions in the Nebraska Sand Hills by integrating geomorphic, paleoenvironmental, and geochronological data. It presents three complementary studies that together explore how climatic variability, local landscape processes, and human activity influenced environmental systems.

The first study reconstructs the early Holocene evolution of a dune-dammed valley in the central Sand Hills. Stratigraphic, sedimentological, and diatom evidence indicate that eolian activity resulted in a blocked fluvial system, leading to elevated groundwater levels and the formation of a wetland that later developed into a lake. Notably, this transformation occurred under relatively dry conditions, demonstrating that …

Politics, Profit, And Programming: Examining The Distinct Effects Of Artificial Intelligence In The Corporate And Political World, Grant Lotts

Honors Projects

How has AI diffusion impacted the power and success of existing countries and corporations? This paper analyzes how these entities have invested their resources into expanding their AI presence, and how it has affected their role in their established spheres. For countries, it is examined how the amount of AI publications they create affects their means of using power, along with how efficient their governments have become. For corporations, it is examined how their capital expenditures (of which AI is becoming increasingly tied to) affects their stock price and annual revenue. Conflicting results are found. Countries tend to exhibit behavior …

“…You Lost Your Way On That River As You Would In A Desert…”: Spec Ops: The Line As A Post-Imperialist Adaptation And Response To Heart Of Darkness, Logan Grime

Honors Projects

As an adaptation of Joseph Conrad’s Heart of Darkness, the military shooter video game Spec Ops: The Line grapples with adapting the themes and the narrative of an imperialist work into a modern post-imperialist context. By swapping England in Africa for America in the Middle East, the game criticizes America’s conduct of war in the Middle East by showing its similarities to the novella’s imperialism. Furthermore, Spec Ops: The Line focuses on America’s imperialism by adapting Heart of Darkness to an interactive format. “The horror” of violent imperialist action is placed upon the player as Spec Ops: The Line …

Unsettling Settled Science: The Perils Of And Rationale Behind Blind Faith In Forensic Evidence, Jaclyn Marra

University of Miami Race & Social Justice Law Review

Science—a seemingly compelling and infallible adjudicative element—plays a pivotal role in criminal trials, serving as a cornerstone for evidence interpretation and decision-making. However, the perceived infallibility of scientific evidence often masks its inherent limitations and vulnerabilities. Forensic methods, widely regarded as objective and precise, can suffer from a plethora of inconspicuous constraints—including flawed methodologies, human error, and biases—which undermine their reliability. The American public and legal system frequently place undue trust in forensic evidence and experts, influenced by portrayals of their certainty in media and popular culture. This phenomenon has been referred to as the “Reverse CSI Effect.” This note …

Presumed Guilty By Proximity: How Geofence Warrants Undermine The Fourteenth Amendment, Radha Patel

University of Miami Race & Social Justice Law Review

Geofence warrants are utilized as a surveillance tool to gather location data on every user within a specific area and are being integrated into policing without a stable legal framework. This integration threatens individual rights and disproportionately impacts people and communities of color. While these warrants are often scrutinized under the Fourth Amendment, this note argues that they significantly undermine the Fourteenth Amendment by granting law enforcement excessive discretion. This unchecked discretion allows systemic bias and racial profiling to influence criminal investigations, creating the potential for wrongful convictions. The analysis in this note details the three-step execution process of geofence …

Development Of A Preclinical Model That Can Be Used To Test Novel Therapeutics For The Treatment Of Mild And Moderate Traumatic Brain Injury, Hayden Anderson

Honors Theses

Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) occurs when a foreign object induces damage to the skull and brain through a forceful blow or whiplash. It is one of the most frequent injuries in the United States, with approximately 250,000 cases of different levels occurring annually. It is well known that severe TBIs can result in persistent physical, cognitive, and socioeconomic consequences and the timing of treatment following this injury can play a critical role in the ultimate outcome. It would be beneficial to develop a safe therapeutic that could be administered rapidly after impact and improve the recovery of the patient. However, …

Age, Income, And The Discounting Of Delayed And Probabilistic Rewards: The Roles Of Financial Resources And Attribute Salience, Haoran Wan

Arts & Sciences Graduate Student Theses and Dissertations

Many everyday decisions involve outcomes that are both delayed and probabilistic. Although previous research has reported inconsistent age-related effects on discounting, few studies have taken into account the multi-attribute nature of real-world choices or the moderating role of financial resources. Accordingly, the present research examined the interactive effects of age, income, and multi-attribute contexts to test how resource constraints and task dimensionality moderate attribute salience. Across two studies (total N = 600), stratified samples of younger (35-45) and older (62-72) adults with lower (<$60,000) and higher (>$100,000) annual household incomes completed standard and multi-attribute adjusting-amount discounting tasks. In Study 1 (Delay Discounting), …

Assessing Usability Gaps And Implementing User-Centered Practices In Nonprofit Web Applications, Mackenzie R. Swain

Departmental Honors & Graduate Capstone Projects

Nonprofit organizations increasingly rely on web applications to coordinate volunteers, yet many such systems lack the usability necessary to support diverse user populations. This study evaluates and redesigns the Gwyneth’s Gift Volunteer Management System using established human–computer interaction principles and user-centered design methodologies. A systematic assessment identified four major usability gaps—menu navigation, form structure, breadcrumb trails, and selection‑bar behavior—each contributing to user confusion, inefficiency, or error. High‑fidelity prototypes were developed to address these issues, emphasizing consistency, reduced cognitive load, transparent navigation, and improved interaction flow. These prototypes informed the implementation of redesigned interface components, including streamlined menus, multi‑step registration forms …

Usa V. Jacob Montague

2026 Decisions

USDC for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania

Partnership For Observation, Leadership, And Arctic Resilience (Polar): Strengthening Eu–Us Cooperation Through Technology, Trade, And Arctic Governance, Nikki Quartuccio, Emily White

Pepperdine Journal of Communication Research

This speech was presented at the EU Delegation to the United States’ 2026 Schuman Challenge. The Schuman Challenge is an academic competition for U.S. undergraduate students to debate transatlantic issues, judged by a panel of stakeholders. The prompt for this speech was to create a policy that analyzes a current issue area in the E.U.-U.S. transatlantic relationship and suggests ways to strengthen it in the years ahead. Our policy, POLAR, the Partnership for Observation, Leadership, and Arctic Resilience, establishes a neutral, AI-enabled early-warning and consultation mechanism hosted within the International Maritime Organization (IMO). By institutionalizing shared situational awareness, structured clarification …

Analysis Toolkit For Potential Lunar Landing Zones, Jacobo Matallana

Morehead State Theses and Dissertations

A thesis presented to the faculty of the College of Science and Engineering Morehead State University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Degree Master of Science by Jacobo Matallana on April 24, 2026.

Multifocal Papillary Thyroid Carcinoma With Ret P.V804m, Eml4-Alk Fusion, And Braf V600e Positivity, Jacob Beiriger, Leonard Estephan, Lubna Zuberi, Stacey Gargano, Elizabeth Cottrill

Department of Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery Faculty Papers

Multifocal papillary thyroid cancer (PTC) can arise from independent primaries with discordant drivers in parallel clonal evolution rather than a single-clone pattern. We present a 31-year-old female with multifocal PTC harboring 3 distinct oncogenic alterations: a germline RET p.V804M mutation, low-frequency EML4-ALK fusion, and BRAF V600E mutation. The RET and ALK alterations were identified in a midpole nodule, whereas BRAF positivity was seen in a separate lower pole tumor. Ultrasound revealed multiple right-lobe thyroid nodules; the dominant 2.1-cm lesion was hypoechoic with calcifications. Fine needle aspiration revealed Bethesda III cytology, prompting thyroid lobectomy and an ipsilateral central neck dissection was …

Evaluating The Applicability Of Gamess For Determining Bond Lengths And Bond Dissociation Energies Through Constructing Potential Energy Curves For H2, N2, F2, Cl2, And Br2, Iaroslavna Kovalenko, Jillian Pabalan

Research and Creativity Symposium

The applicability and limitations of the GAMESS dihydrogen potential energy curve computational tool were evaluated for the following diatomic molecules: H₂, N₂, F₂, Cl₂, and Br₂. The aug-cc-pVDZ basis set and the B3LYP density functional theory (DFT) functional were employed to ensure more accurate electronic energy results for each calculation. Potential energy curves were generated for each molecule by plotting the electronic energy as a function of interatomic distance, and the bond dissociation energies (BDEs) and radii of diatomic molecules were determined. The radii were determined to be 76 pm …

Microburst Day Potential Index: Improving Launch And Public Safety, Zachary Kopel

Ocean Engineering and Marine Sciences Student Publications

Microbursts

•  A common convective wind event 
• Capable of causing damage from wind exceeding 30kts (NWS) 
• Cape Canaveral is a prime microburst environment 
• Can affect launch ops and daily activities by exceeding safety standards

Words That Work: Healthcare Providers’ Acceptability Of Aba Terminology, Marisa A. Hurlock

Thesis Projects

Effective collaboration between behavior analysts and healthcare providers depends on a shared understanding. This study explored how healthcare professionals perceive technical versus plain-language ABA terminology. Healthcare providers (n = 44) rated 10 common ABA terms and their plain-language counterparts across clarity, acceptability, comfort, and likelihood of use. In addition, participants completed a paired-choice procedure in which they selected their preferred terminology for each term pair. Plain-language terminology was generally rated more favorably across all four dimensions and was preferred by approximately 70.6% of respondents. However, this pattern was not consistent across all terms, as several technical terms (e.g., negative …

Role Of Rpm-1 In A C. Elegans Apoe4 Alzheimer’S Disease Model, Lucille Mcdonald

Biomedical Engineering and Sciences Student Publications

Alzheimer’s Disease (AD) is characterized by the aggregation of β-amyloid plaques. The ε4 allele of APOE (APOE4) is linked to increased plaque formation in AD. Therefore, identifying genetic modifiers of APOE4 could present novel drug targets for AD treatment.

Unf Student Research Symposium Conference Program Spring 2026, Office Of Undergraduate Research, Graduate School, Digital Humanities Institute, Hicks Honors College

UNF Student Research Symposium

Formerly known as SOARS, ARISE and U-GLIDE, the Student Research Symposium is a multi-disciplinary conference series at the University of North Florida (UNF) in which undergraduate and graduate students showcase their research projects during the fall, spring and summer semesters. Research at UNF includes inquiry and investigation in all forms. Communication of knowledge produced through student research can be presented in poster format or as an oral presentation at the Student Research Symposium in a welcoming environment. This is an excellent opportunity for students to refine their presentation skills through interaction with peers and faculty as they explain their projects, …

Design And Implementation Of A Monte Carlo Integrated Graphical User Interface For Rocketpy, An Open Source, Python-Based High-Power Rocketry Library, Elena Maria Dishman

Honors Capstone Projects and Theses

No abstract provided.

Design And Fabrication Of Composite Wheels For Uah Moonbuggy, Madilyn Krieger, Erissa Morin, Yoned Galarza

Honors Capstone Projects and Theses

No abstract provided.

Physics-Based Simulation Of A Small-Scale Remote Controlled Rover, Grant Robert Morrison

Honors Capstone Projects and Theses

No abstract provided.

Analyzing Data From Space Telescopes To Model Exoplanet Systems, John Michael Rice

Honors Capstone Projects and Theses

No abstract provided.

Automatic Determination Of Mechanical Properties From Molecular Dynamic Stress-Strain Curves Using Regression Fringe Response, Josh Kemppainen, Tristan Muzzy, Travis Wavrunek, Gregory Odegard

Michigan Tech Publications

Molecular dynamics (MD) simulations have become a powerful tool for studying polymers, designing new materials, and composites. Mechanical behavior in MD simulations are typically evaluated through stress-strain curves. However, MD-generated stress-strain curves are often obscured by thermal noise from atomic vibrations. This noise complicates the reliable derivation of mechanical properties and hinders objective and reproducible analysis. The noise in the stress-strain curves has been removed by using a Butterworth low-pass filter, enabling clearer interpretation of stress-strain data. Building on this, a novel analysis framework the Regression Fringe Response (RFR) is introduced to systematically determine the Young's modulus, yield strength, and …

Complex Neutrosophic Aczel-Alsina Aggregation-Based Hybrid Decision Framework For Machine Learning Encryption In Banking, Muhammad Kamran, Muhammad Shazib Hameed, Muhammad Tahir, Said Broumi, Nurullayev Mirolim Nosirovich

Neutrosophic Sets and Systems

Advanced uncertainty modeling tools have emerged due to the growing complexity of real-world decision environments. Complex Single-Valued Neutrosophic Sets (CSV-NSs) use special functions to represent truth, uncertainty, and falsehood, making it easier to show unclear, conflicting, and vague information. CSV NSs, which consider both size and direction of uncertainty, let one more precisely combine and make decisions by using complex numbers. This work presents robust approaches for combining information, which rely on the Aczel-Alsina (A-A) operator and power-weighted strategies specifically designed for CSV-NS. These are included in a used to design hybrid decision-making framework and in the context of a …

Neutrosophic Sets And Systems, Vol. 98, 2026, Florentin Smarandache, Muhammad Abdel-Baset, Maikel Leyva-Vázquez

Neutrosophic Sets and Systems

This edition of “Neutrosophic Sets and Systems” presents a diverse collection of studies that contribute to the theoretical development and practical application of neutrosophic, fuzzy, hypersoft, and generalized algebraic systems in complex decision-making and information analysis environments. The published works explore innovative mathematical structures, including generalized neutrosophic topological spaces, neutrosophic algebraic systems, hypersoft and dual hesitant frameworks, multi-valued and n-fold algebraic models, and advanced decision-making methodologies designed to address indeterminacy, inconsistency, vagueness, and multidimensional uncertainty. Several contributions introduce new classes of neutrosophic closed sets, contra continuous mappings, and generalized algebraic operators, extending existing theories in topology, algebra, and set theory. …

Carmen Manrique De Quintero: A Forgotten Legacy In Colombian Piano Music, Lina Maria Luisa Marín Diaz

Dissertations and Doctoral Documents, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, 2023–

This doctoral document investigates the life and piano works of Carmen Manrique de Quintero (1871–1931), a pivotal yet overlooked figure in Colombian music history. Positioned as a stylistic bridge between the nineteenth-century estética del salón [salon aesthetics] and the professionalization of the Colombian composer, Manrique de Quintero’s output represents a sophisticated synthesis of European forms and Colombian national rhythms. Despite her membership in the influential Garay artistic lineage and her prolific body of work, her legacy has suffered from editorial blurring, fragmented documentation, and systematic intellectual appropriation. Using a multidisciplinary approach of genealogical reconstruction and artistic archaeology, this study restores …

Global Comparison Of Radiation Safety And Patient Dose In Chest X-Ray Imaging: Practices In The Usa, Africa, And Asia, Khanh L. Ha, Kevin Tran, Ikhlas Musa

Research Methods Poster Session 2026

No abstract provided.

Humanoid Lidar–Rgb-D Calibration For Environment- Agnostic 3d Auto-Alignment, Howard Hua

Electrical and Systems Engineering Undergraduate Student Research

This paper presents an environment-agnostic automatic LiDAR-RGB-D calibration method for a Unitree G1 humanoid platform. The proposed pipeline reconstructs depth-camera observations into 3D point clouds and aligns them directly with LiDAR point clouds, avoiding the need for calibration targets or manual adjustment. The method applies explicit preprocessing, coarse simulated annealing, polish simulated annealing, a symmetric nearest-neighbor alignment objective, and final point-to-plane local refinement. Experimental results show that the coarse simulated annealing stage provides most of the calibration correction, while the polish stage and local refinement further improve convergence and alignment accuracy. Overall, this framework demonstrates a practical target-free approach for …

Ortega Observatory Weather Station, L. Collins, B. Erskine, L. Houck, E. Kornbau

Electrical Engineering and Computer Science Student Publications

The team’s mission was to create an automated weather station with a convenient display to give information on conditions that affect the ability to observe such as rain and wind, in addition to performing necessary maintenance or repair on the Ortega Observatory and aiding in the construction of the PCB that will control the telescope movement arms.

Visualization For Formal Languages, Chris Pinto-Font, Andrew Bastien, Vincent Borrelli, Keegan Mcnear

Electrical Engineering and Computer Science Student Publications

The primary goal is student comprehension of complex DFA concepts.

This project is important for students and professors because being able to visualize Deterministic Finite Automota (DFA) and how it is created and expressed can lead to better understanding of how parsing and computation works.

Speed Of Intravenous Fluid On Glycocalyx Integrity And Central Blood Volume In A Porcine Septic Shock Model, Yosef Levenbrown, Md Jobayer Hossain, Paul T. Fawcett, Marjorie Postell, Anne M. Hesek, Lynell S. Jones, James P. Keith, Thomas H. Shaffer

Department of Pediatrics Faculty Papers

BACKGROUND: It is unclear whether the rate of intravenous fluid (IVF) administration in sepsis influences glycocalyx breakdown. This study aimed to measure the effect of rapid versus slow fluid bolus in a septic pig model on the integrity of the glycocalyx by measuring the serum levels of heparan sulfate and syndecan-1, breakdown products of the glycocalyx. Because endothelial glycocalyx is composed of apical cell membrane-bound proteoglycans such as syndecan-1, covalently bound with long linear glycosaminoglycans such as heparan sulfate, shedding of these different glycocalyx components is closely related. Additionally, we measured central blood volume (blood volume in the heart and …