Digital Commons Network^™

Name, Image, Likeness And The Great American Pastime, Barbara Lauriat

Dickinson Law Review (2017-Present)

The ability of high-profile athletes to commercialize name, image, and likeness (NIL) rights is at the center of many current controversies about the future of college sports in the United States. This Article describes how what we call NIL protection— largely based on publicity rights doctrines developed in the mid-20th century—is historically recent, conceptually unstable, and insufficiently scrutinized, even though it now underwrites major entertainment markets in sports. Just as baseball is a sport particularly identified with the United States, there is also a peculiarly American approach to the protection of persona. Using baseball as the central case study, the …

Losing Your Driver’S License; Just What The Doctor Ordered?, Shawna Traver

Dickinson Law Review (2017-Present)

Having a medical scare or living with a chronic medical condition is a common experience for many people in the United States. But should you go to a doctor in Pennsylvania and tell them of your condition or experience, a little-known law may force the doctor to report you to the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation— without your knowledge. Once the report is received, the Department can recall your license. You can attempt to restore your license by attending a hearing, though you are fighting an uphill battle. Essentially, Pennsylvania drivers may be blindsided by a license recall merely because they …

Sustainable Safety Planning On Two-Lane Highways: A Random Forest Approach For Crash Prediction And Resource Allocation, Fahmida Rahman, Cidambi Srinivasan, Xu Zhang, Mei Chen

Civil Engineering Faculty Publications

During the safety planning stage, accurate crash prediction tools are critical for prioritizing countermeasures and allocating resources effectively. Traditional statistical approaches, while long applied in this field, often depend on distributional assumptions that may introduce bias and limit model accuracy. To address these issues, studies have started exploring Machine Learning (ML)-based techniques for crash prediction, particularly for higher functional class roads. However, the application of ML models on two-lane highways remains relatively limited. This study aims to develop an approach to integrate traffic, geometric, and critically, speed-based factors in crash prediction using Random Forest (RF) and SHapley Additive exPlanations (SHAP) …

Forward Chaining And Emotion Regulation: Exploring The Effects Of Forward Chaining On Emotion Regulation Skills, Celoine Akouri

Masters Essays

Emotion dysregulation places the quality of life for individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) at risk. The current research on emotion regulation teaching strategies after emotion recognition training is limited. This study explored the effectiveness of forward chaining on teaching emotion regulation skills to an adult with ASD who engaged in a long history of self- injurious, property destruction, and screaming behaviors. The emotion regulation intervention used forward chaining procedures to teach a three-step sequence of behaviors to the participant in their adult day program setting using a multiple baseline across time design. The results showed that as the participant’s …

A Comparison Of Using Token Economy With Differential Reinforcement Procedures In Increasing Compliance In Children With Autism, Jada Keyes

Masters Essays

Compliance, or engaging in an adult-delivered instruction, is a prerequisite skill for following daily routines in school-aged children. Noncompliance, engaging in any other behavior than the directed activity or task, is a common barrier among children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). Behavioral interventions, such as token economy and differential reinforcement, have been implemented to increase compliance among children with ASD. However, limited research has compared the effectiveness of combining token economy with different types of differential reinforcement interventions. Thus, this study compared the effects of using token economy with differential reinforcement of alternative behavior (DRA) versus differential reinforcement of other …

Comparative Analysis Of Serum-Free Culture Conditions On Cell Proliferation And Extracellular Vesicle Production By Adipose-Derived Stem Cells, Ayna Ghulldu

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Adipose-derived stem cells (ADSCs) are promising candidates in regenerative medicine due to their proliferative capacity, self-renewal, and secretion of extracellular vesicles (EVs) that mediate intercellular communication. Serum-free media has been increasingly explored for MSC culture as it eliminates xenogeneic components, improving human therapeutic suitability. However, comparative evaluation of distinct serum-free formulations on ADSC proliferation and EV output simultaneously remains limited. This study compares a serum-containing medium to three proprietary serum-free media prototypes differing in composition, including the presence or absence of extracellular matrix proteins, to inform the optimization of culture conditions for clinical use. Proliferation, EV characteristics, and gene expression …

Guideline For A Burnout Bundle For Nurses In Psychiatric Mental Health Units, Festus Irabor

Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) Scholarly Projects - Archive

Abstract

Problem: Burnout among nurses, especially in psychiatric mental health units, significantly impacts both their well-being and the quality of patient care. Despite its severity, with approximately 30% of nurses worldwide affected and contributing to a 31.5% nurse turnover rate (Ge et al., 2023), there are limited formal guidelines specifically targeting nurse burnout prevention in the mental health setting. The issue is particularly acute in the United States, where 91.1% of psychiatric nurses report experiencing burnout, compared to 79.9% of other healthcare professionals (Anger et al., 2024). In the local unit 38.05% have experienced burnout.

Purpose: The PICOTS for this …

Caught In The Web: The Resolution Of The Internet Service Provider Contributory Copyright Infringement Split, Olivia F. Johnson

Cybaris®

No abstract provided.

Are Courts Developing A Consistent Standard For Sanctioning Attorneys Who Misuse Genai In Legal Filings?, Natalia Borges

Honors Undergraduate Theses

This thesis examines whether Florida courts are developing an emerging statewide standard governing attorney use of generative artificial intelligence in litigation and whether this trend supports the need for formal statewide codification. This study addresses growing concerns about fabricated citations, unverified legal research, attorney sanctions, and inconsistent disclosure practices as generative artificial intelligence becomes integrated into legal drafting and research. This research reviews the Florida Rules regulating the Florida Bar, ethics guidance on generative AI, Florida procedural certification requirements, disciplinary actions, and administrative orders from Florida judicial circuits that require disclosure and verification of artificial intelligence use in court filings. …

Beyond Full Fine-Tuning: The New Playbook For Adapting Deep Neural Networks, Cristian S. Mcgee

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Fine-tuning is the process of teaching and specializing a pre-trained neural network on a downstream task. Fine-tuning is a rapidly growing topic in artificial intelligence domains; however, many fine-tuning endeavors are highly specialized without a coherent framework connecting them. This work presents a unified perspective on fine-tuning methods and performance metrics. Our perspective organizes the methods in terms of how they are applied to fine-tuning. This framework showcases methods that (i) update effective subspaces of the pre-trained model, (ii) change the adaptation optimization procedure, and (iii) alter the representations of the embedded input. Additionally, we present unconventional metrics such as …

Noninvasive Monitoring Techniques: The Use Of Scat-Sourced Dna And Camera Traps To Monitor Mammalian Carnivore Species At The Ucf Arboretum, Zachary Montealegre

Honors Undergraduate Theses

The 800-acre University of Central Florida Arboretum Natural Lands functions as a conservation area, recreational space, and research site, making it essential to understand the ecological community it supports. Traditional wildlife monitoring methods such as mark-recapture and blood sampling can be effective but may stress animals or disrupt natural behaviors. To minimize these impacts, this study used non-invasive techniques, specifically scat-based DNA analysis and camera trapping, to assess carnivore species' presence. Two ecologically similar sites within the Arboretum were selected. Suspected carnivore scat was collected twice weekly over two months using both structured and opportunistic sampling. DNA was extracted, amplified, …

On Bended Knee: A Legal Analysis Of Colin Kaepernick’S Grievance And The Broader Implications Of Activism In Professional Sports, Ayoka Smith

Student Works

No abstract provided.

Market Failure In Mixed Martial Arts: Antitrust Constraints And The Need For Statutory Reform In Mma, Martin Adams

Student Works

No abstract provided.

Detection And Management Of Attacks On Synchronized Networks, Michael T. Spearman

Honors Theses and Capstones

The Precision Time Protocol (IEEE 1588) provides sub-microsecond clock synchronization across packet-switched networks and has become foundational infrastructure in 5G fronthaul, industrial control systems, and financial exchanges. Despite its criticality, most deployed PTP networks operate without active security monitoring, and no standardized detection mechanism exists for the class of attacks that deliberately stay below conventional jitter thresholds. This thesis investigates whether hardware-level ptp4l offset logs alone are sufficient to reliably detect two such attacks, slowly wandering packet delay injection and rogue master spoofing, and whether detection can occur before severe synchronization failure.

A hardware-in-the-loop testbed was constructed using two hosts …

Reassessing Argentina’S 2018 Crisis: Fiscal Imbalances, External Constraints, And Imf Policy, Michael Garcia

Honors Theses

This thesis will evaluate the causes of Argentina’s 2018 financial crisis, examining how it should be evaluated through the lens of fiscal imbalance or by external constraints. The dominant interpretation is shown in the International Monetary Fund’s (IMF) 2018 Standby Agreement. It attributed the crisis to excessive fiscal deficits, inflation, and weak monetary discipline. This perspective is supported by the Polak model. The model itself connects domestic credit expansion to balance of payment imbalances. It views external crises resulting from internal policy excess.

This paper offers an alternative interpretation of a post-Keynesian that emphasizes external vulnerability, foreign currency debt, and …

Reassessing Argentina’S 2018 Crisis: Fiscal Imbalances, External Constraints, And Imf Policy, Michael Garcia

Honors Theses

This thesis will evaluate the causes of Argentina’s 2018 financial crisis, examining how it should be evaluated through the lens of fiscal imbalance or by external constraints. The dominant interpretation is shown in the International Monetary Fund’s (IMF) 2018 Standby Agreement. It attributed the crisis to excessive fiscal deficits, inflation, and weak monetary discipline. This perspective is supported by the Polak model. The model itself connects domestic credit expansion to balance of payment imbalances. It views external crises resulting from internal policy excess.

This paper offers an alternative interpretation of a post-Keynesian that emphasizes external vulnerability, foreign currency debt, and …

Un-Determining The Overdetermined Body: Anorexia Nervosa And Selfhood In What I Lost By Alexandra Ballard, Maddalena (Maddy) R. Grieco

Honors Theses

This thesis examines the intersection between young adult fiction and anorexia nervosa through the lens of Alexandra Ballard’s 2017 novel, What I Lost. The fictional space of the novel interacts with the larger trends of American culture and society, forming a connection between the external world and the protagonist’s personal experience with anorexia nervosa. Specifically, this thesis explores three external forces–the fashion industry, the transmission of generational ideals and habits, and the institutional recovery center–that are mapped onto the site of the female body, resulting in the expression of anorexia nervosa. The following chapters detail each external influence, respectively, …

Deep Learning Approaches For Voltammetric Analysis Of Coffee, Ryan Koes

Honors Theses

This thesis investigates deep learning approaches for voltammetric analysis of brewed coffee using a low-cost electrochemical system and screen-printed electrodes (SPEs). Traditional analytical methods, such as high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS), provide precise quantification of key compounds but require expensive instrumentation and specialized expertise, limiting accessibility. While SPEs offer a more accessible alternative, they yielded poor results with traditional processing; however, when combined with a neural network, the system proved more effective. In experiments with 132 coffee samples, mean errors for caffeine, CGA, and TDS predictions were 52.98 ppm, 70.48 ppm, and 0.08%, respectively. These findings …

Utilizing Computer Modeling To Optimize Electric Fields Within Xenon Time Projection Chambers, Miles Meloni

Honors Theses

XENONnT is a physics experiment designed with the goal of detecting dark matter particles. The detector is a time projection chamber; a series of charged electrodes creates an electric field, surrounding a central body filled with liquid and gaseous xenon. Photomultiplier tubes (PMTs), positioned on either end of the chamber, serve to detect light signals. We seek to minimize the root mean square of the electric field norms experienced by the PMTs. This quantity corresponds to the variance in the electric field observed by the PMTs. Establishing a consistent electric field is important to maintaining these sensitive components. The electric …

Inequality In The Urban Forest: Modeling Tree Canopy Dynamics Through Demographics And Restoration Strategies, Eve Johansson

Honors Theses

Urban tree canopies play an important role in environmental quality, public health, and neighborhood livability, yet their distribution is highly uneven and often reflects historical patterns of inequality. In Brooklyn, long-term processes such as redlining, uneven development, and demographic change have contributed to persistent disparities in access to green space.

This thesis examines how urban tree canopy evolves across space and time in Brooklyn and how different restoration strategies affect long-run outcomes. The analysis uses demographic and canopy data from 1990-2020, considering race, income, employment, and educational attainment. Among these, education is the most consistent predictor of canopy coverage, with …

Combining Haptic Feedback With Electromyography To Study Knee Injury In Stationary Cycling, Christopher Kirby

Honors Theses

Patellofemoral Pain Syndrome (PFPS) is the most prevalent overuse injury in cycling, often linked to altered neuromuscular activation patterns of the quadriceps and hamstrings. While sensory feedback has successfully modified cyclists posture, there is a critical lack of evidence-based interventions targeting the underlying muscle activation imbalances associated with chronic knee pain. This study aimed to develop and validate a novel, real-time biofeedback system that utilizes electromyography (EMG) to trigger vibrotactile cues, aiming to shift muscle onset timing earlier in the pedal stroke to mitigate PFPS-related imbalances. A closed-loop system was engineered by integrating a Delsys EMG system with a SageMotion …

Interpreting Legal Standards Of Proof: An Experimental Study Of Probabilistic Decision-Making, Hayley Leopold

Honors Theses

Legal standards of proof play a central role in structuring decision-making under uncertainty, yet they are typically communicated using qualitative language rather than precise probabilities. This raises an important question: how do individuals interpret and apply these standards when making decisions based on probabilistic evidence? This study examines whether individuals apply legal standards of proof in a manner consistent with their commonly associated probabilistic thresholds, and whether quantification and incentives improve alignment with normative decision-making.

To address these questions, I conducted a controlled behavioral experiment in which participants made legal-style decisions under uncertainty. Participants were assigned roles in a simplified …

Reassessing Argentina’S 2018 Crisis: Fiscal Imbalances, External Constraints, And Imf Policy, Michael Garcia

Honors Theses

This thesis will evaluate the causes of Argentina’s 2018 financial crisis, examining how it should be evaluated through the lens of fiscal imbalance or by external constraints. The dominant interpretation is shown in the International Monetary Fund’s (IMF) 2018 Standby Agreement. It attributed the crisis to excessive fiscal deficits, inflation, and weak monetary discipline. This perspective is supported by the Polak model. The model itself connects domestic credit expansion to balance of payment imbalances. It views external crises resulting from internal policy excess.

This paper offers an alternative interpretation of a post-Keynesian that emphasizes external vulnerability, foreign currency debt, and …

Design And Analysis Of Energy Recovery Methods For Reduced Aircraft Emissions, Joshua C. Hauck

Honors Theses

Aircraft flights are an increasingly popular mode of transportation. However, their harmful impacts on the environment are a growing concern. Many engineers have worked to develop fully electric aircraft to address this issue. Although they are much more sustainable than conventional aircraft, electric aircraft encounter severe limitations imposed by current battery technology. One alternative route engineers have taken is developing energy recovery methods (ERMs). These are marketed as devices that reduce aircraft fuel consumption without significantly changing their structure and functionality, making them an excellent short-term solution. However, there is little to no consideration of the tradeoffs induced by the …

Plea Bargaining And The Destruction Of Procedural Justice: A Theoretical And Empirical Critique Of Fairness In The U.S. Legal Sphere, Emma Scillitani

Honors Theses

This thesis examines the legal process of plea bargaining as it currently operates within the criminal justice system in the United States. Through both an empirical and theoretical evaluation of this procedure, it analyzes how plea bargaining exists in practice and whether it can be considered a fair mechanism of case resolution. This project investigates the practice on a molecular level through its presence at a county-level court jurisdiction, which represents broader structural implications of the national legal system. Furthermore, it identifies three central factors that drive the overutilization of plea bargaining: power asymmetry, information, asymmetry, and case processing time. …

Group-Based Integer Factorization: Theory And Performance, Phuong Cao

Honors Theses

Integer factorization, the problem of finding a nontrivial factor of a composite integer N=pq for large primes p,q, particularly at the size of RSA moduli, is a notoriously difficult challenge that takes classical methods such as Trial Division and Fermat’s Algorithm trillions of years to solve. This thesis studies four probabilistic algorithms that exploit algebraic group structures to achieve significantly better, subexponential efficiency for certain classes of N: Pollard’s p-1, Williams’ p+1, Lenstra’s Elliptic Curve Method, and Pell’s Conic Method. In each case, the algorithm operates on a group over ℤ/Nℤ that decomposes, via the Chinese Remainder Theorem, into corresponding …

The Impacts Of Artificial Intelligence Grammar Checkers On The Grammatical Skills Of L2 English Speakers, Tessa Brizhik

Honors Theses

In recent years, generative artificial intelligence (AI) has emerged as a widely accessible tool in academia, upon which students have increasingly come to rely and include in their writing process (Alharbi et al., 2023). Across the field of English second language learning, corrective feedback is widely recognized as a major influence for grammatical development (Lyster & Ranta, 1997). Corrective feedback may function implicitly, explicitly, or as an interaction between both mechanisms. Research suggests that grammatical knowledge may be largely acquired implicitly for adults learning a new language, with explicit learning playing a secondary role (Ivanova et al., 2012, Jackson & …

Investigating Bilingual Language Learning Using Artificial Grammars, Kyla Kelly

Honors Theses

Language development research has established that infants can learn language rapidly and without explicit instruction through implicit learning mechanisms like statistical learning. These mechanisms can be used to learn word boundaries, sounds, meanings, and grammar rules of language. One method for investigating this is artificial grammar learning (AGL), in which people are exposed to sequences of nonwords to see if they can unconsciously learn their underlying grammars. While much of statistical learning and AGL research has focused on a monolingual perspective, most of the world’s population is multilingual. Studies like Weiss, Gerfen, and Mitchel (2009) and Mitchel and Weiss (2010) …

Assessing Relations Between Rape Myth Acceptance, Prior Sexual Victimization, And Bystander Intervention Behavior, Zoe Mendel

Honors Theses

Campus Sexual Assault (CSA) remains a very prevalent issue in higher education (Koss et al., 2022). Through cultural norms, sexual violence is often normalized, with blame frequently shifted away from perpetrators and onto victims. Rape myth acceptance (RMA) contributes to harmful harmful attitudes that justify or minimize sexual violence (Lonsway & Fitzgerald, 1994). Prior research suggests that lower endorsement of rape myths is associated with greater prosocial bystander intervention behavior (McMahon, 2010); however, findings on the role of prior victimization are mixed. This study used a mix-method approach, including a survey and interviews. Results indicated that members of Greek life …

Unchanging Gospel Message, Changing Context: Contextualization Strategies In The Lukan Paul, Irenaeus, And Athanasius, Joy Axelsson

MA in Religion Theses

This thesis examines how early Christian leaders strategically contextualized the gospel within the diverse sociohistorical contexts of the Roman Empire while maintaining theological consistency. Using a comparative synchronic methodology adapted from Michael Gorman, it analyzes five primary texts spanning the first through fourth centuries: the Lukan Paul’s missionary speeches in Acts (Pisidian Antioch, Lystra, and Athens), Irenaeus’s On the Apostolic Preaching, and Athanasius’s On the Incarnation. Each text is analyzed within its literary, historical, and cultural context to identify patterns of strategic constants and variables in gospel presentation. The analysis shows that central gospel elements, such as Christology, monotheism, …