Digital Commons Network^™

Odin: Optomechanical Distributed Instrument For Inertial Sensing And Navigation, Mohanad Warrayat, Jackson Dahn, Ramses Miranda, Andrea Nelson, Jeremiah Stoddart, Miguel Dovale, Jose Sanjuan, Felipe Guzman, Daniel Selva

Small Satellite Conference

ODIN (Optomechanical Distributed Instrument for Inertial sensing and Navigation) is a gyroscope-free inertial measurement unit based on a cube of six monolithic fused silica wafers which complete a twelve-axis sensing capability, i.e., three linear, three angular, and six centripetal acceleration measurements. ODIN will fly as a secondary payload on the GRATTIS (Gravitational Reference Advanced Technology Test in Space) mission, slated for launch in February of 2027, led by the University of Florida and funded by the NASA InVEST program. By the end of the GRATTIS mission, it is expected that ODIN will reach an exit TRL-7.

The primary objective of …

Adaptive Rational Approximation In Dynamic Economic Models: A Novel Application Of The Aaa Algorithm To Economic Growth, Adaye Sosthene Yvan N'Guettia

Mathematics, Statistics, and Computer Science Honors Projects

I study adaptive rational approximation for fixed points that arise in infinite-horizon dynamic programming. I integrate the Adaptive Antoulas–Anderson (AAA) algorithm into Bellman- and Euler-based fixed-point solvers by recomputing a barycentric rational interpolant at each update. In addition to standard AAA, which selects support points from interpolation residuals, I study a residual-weighted variant in which Bellman,Euler, or KKT diagnostics act as secondary weights on the greedy pivot rule. This alignment of approximation adaptivity with the underlying equilibrium conditions can concentrate degrees of freedom in regions of steep curvature, sharp transitions in localbehavior, and other localized features that typically degrade polynomial …

An Analysis Of The Effects And Implementations Of The Early Literacy Grant In Arizona, Alicia Severiano Perez

Mathematics, Statistics, and Computer Science Honors Projects

Over the years, states have implemented Science of Reading (SoR) frameworks to address low literacy levels. The Early Literacy Grant (ELG) in Arizona funds and supports such frameworks for schools serving low-income students. This paper is the first to explore the grant through interrupted time series modeling to evaluate effectiveness and text analysis to understand its implementation. We do not find clear evidence of positive effects caused by the grant, other than some cases, such as Yuma County. Schools typically allocate funds toward salaries and hiring instructors. These findings raise questions about whether its allocations should be closely monitored.

Level Sets For Lehmer Codes Of Pattern Avoiding Permutations, Avery Sinclair

Mathematics, Statistics, and Computer Science Honors Projects

We study the poset structures for two families of pattern avoiding permutations. An n-permutation is a list of the numbers [n]={1,2,...,n}. A permutation is 321-avoiding when it does not contain a decreasing subsequence of length 3. A poset (partially ordered set) is a set such that some elements can be compared with one another. Using Lehmer codes, we define a poset for 321-avoiding permutations. We then fully describe the six lowest levels of this poset. We then consider the analogous poset for 123-avoiding permutations (which don't contain an increasing subsequence of length 3) and fully describe the three lowest levels.

Counting My Nutrition (Cmn) Improved Appalachian Third Graders’ Nutrition Knowledge, But Had Little Effect On Food Attitudes And Dietary Intake: A Pilot Study, Julia Peter

Student Research and Creative Activity Expo

This study evaluates whether a 10-week school-based, math-integrated nutrition education curriculum improves the nutrition knowledge, food attitudes, and dietary intake of Appalachian third-graders in order to support their long-term health.

No-Cloning Constraints And Algebraic Structures In Quantum Error-Correcting Codes, Manh Thang Vo, Felix Tuffour, Pooja Kumari, Alfred Adzika

Student Research and Creative Activity Expo

The no-cloning theorem is a fundamental principle of quantum mechanics that prohibits the perfect duplication of arbitrary unknown quantum states, thereby ruling out classical redundancy strategies based on direct replication. As a consequence, quantum error correction must rely on structured encodings rather than duplication. In this work, we investigate how no-cloning constraints naturally lead to algebraic frameworks for quantum error-correcting codes. Quantum information is encoded into subspaces of multi-qubit systems, where protection is achieved through entanglement and syndrome-based measurements. We show that this structure can be effectively realized using algebraic coding theory, where self-orthogonality and duality replace classical redundancy.

From Entangled Shifts To Quasi-Cyclic Codes, Manh Thang Vo

Student Research and Creative Activity Expo

Cyclic codes arise naturally as ideals of the commutative ring $F[x]/\langle x^n-1 \rangle$, while a comparable algebraic description for quasi-cyclic (QC) codes has remained elusive. In this work, we introduce a noncommutative framework in which QC codes appear naturally as ideals. By embedding graded polynomial quotient rings into finite Szabo matrix rings, we construct a ring whose left,

Strongly Compact Cardinals May Have Surprising Properties, Mohamed Alfardan

Student Research and Creative Activity Expo

We examine whether certain properties arising from statements equivalent to the Axiom of Choice can be extended to uncountable cardinals. We also examine the relationship between these cardinals and strongly compact cardinals. We end with 3 case scenarios and an open question.

Ciers‑Teg V3.0 Thermal Cascade Waste‑Heat Recovery System, Michael Victor Caldwell Mr.

Defensive Publications Series

CIERS‑TEG v3.0 is an open‑hardware, research‑grade thermal‑energy recovery architecture designed for high‑density compute environments such as AI GPU clusters, power‑electronics arrays, and industrial process lines. The system captures waste heat at the chip level, routes it through a controlled thermal cascade, and converts portions of that heat into electrical power, stored thermal energy, and useful low‑grade utilities. Unlike single‑stage thermoelectric approaches, CIERS‑TEG v3.0 maintains exergy across multiple descending temperature stages using microfluidic extraction, gyroid thermal spreading, phase‑change buffering, condensation‑based utility recovery, and parasitic pump‑energy harvesting.

The architecture integrates several previously independent open‑hardware subsystems: Arachne‑Chip ULTRA‑REAL for direct‑die microfluidic heat capture; …

Path-Diverse Optical Mesh With Erasure Coding (Pdomec): A Non-Line-Of-Sight Tolerant Architecture For Free-Space Optical Inter-Satellite Links, Volodymyr Kotegov

Defensive Publications Series

Free-space optical links in satellite constellations deliver high bandwidth but are vulnerable to short-duration blockages caused by orbital debris, atmospheric turbulence, cloud cells and pointing jitter. Conventional link-level retransmission (ARQ) fails on long inter-satellite baselines because the propagation delay exhausts buffers and collapses throughput.

This paper describes a framing-layer architecture that tolerates such blockages without retransmissions or mechanical re-pointing. Incoming data are collected into fixed-length frames, expanded by erasure coding (Reed-Solomon or rateless fountain codes) with a configurable over-provisioning ratio, and the resulting shards are injected simultaneously across multiple spatially separated optical terminals on the same node. The receiving node …

Chip-Based Physical Gift Card Redemption, Ravi Lakkaraju, Erik Duymelinck, Teruhisa Haruguchi

Defensive Publications Series

This disclosure describes a new approach to redeeming physical gift cards—also known as physical gift vouchers or gift certificates—using chip-based redemption technology to prevent common scams. Traditional gift cards rely on scratch-off private PINs, making them highly vulnerable to physical tampering and victim-assisted scams. To solve this, the proposed chip-based redemption system embeds a radio frequency identification (RFID) or near field communication (NFC) chip directly into the physical gift card. Instead of manually typing a code, a user simply taps the card against a tap-enabled computing device for a quick, touchless transaction. The embedded chip securely stores the card’s private …

Oregon State Rank Assessment For Koehler's Rockcress (Boechera Koehleri), Lindsey K. Wise, Gabriel Campbell

Institute for Natural Resources Publications

Oregon state conservation status assessment for Koehler's rockcress (Boechera koehleri) using NatureServe methodology, 2026.

Correlative In Situ Nonlinear Optical Characteriztion Of Plasmonic Colloidal Nanoparticle Growth Dynamics, Stena C. Peterson

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Colloidal noble metal nanoparticles are of extreme interest as nanomaterials and for the wide variety of their possible applications in nanomedicine. The unique linear and nonlinear optical processes associated with these nanomaterials can be studied using a variety of spectroscopic techniques including extinction, second harmonic generation (SHG), and two-photon fluorescence (TPF) spectroscopy. In order to better understand and optimize these nanomaterials for their desired applications, it is important to investigate the growth and photophysical dynamics associated with gold nanoparticles, silver-gold core-shell (Ag-Au CS) nanoparticles, and gold-silver-gold core-shell-shell (Au-Ag-Au CSS) nanoparticles in addition to how their size, surface morphology, composition. and …

Understanding Primary Level Learner Progression In Scotland: Insights From Scottish Online Formative Assessments (Sofa) Data From The Highland Local Authority, Alexander Towne, Sladana Krstic

Assessment and Reporting

This report presents findings from more than 30,000 Scottish Online Formative Assessment (SOFA) assessments completed across one Scottish local authority during the 2024-2025 academic year. It demonstrates how SOFA can be used to monitor learning progression across numeracy, reading and writing, identify attainment gaps between learner groups, and provide detailed diagnostic evidence to support classroom practice, school improvement and local authority panning. Although based on a single local authority, the study illustrates how curriculum-aligned formative assessment can complement national assessment evidence by providing richer insight into learner development.

Temperature Predictions With Zncuins/Zns Quantum Dots, Reu/Fri Program Physics And Astronomy, Amber Banks

Student Works

For hundreds of years, humans have built thermometers based on the principles of thermal expansion and contraction. In the modern world, there is a need to scale down our thermometers to monitor cellular reactions, both within the human body and within artificial organ chips. Lewis et al. (2020) introduces a nanoscale thermometer based on the thermal expansion of CdTe quantum dots. When ex panded, these dots exhibit systematic changes in photoluminescence (PL) which are recognized by a neural network as an increase in temperature. Our research builds upon the framework of Lewis et al. (2020), testing its feasibility with ZnCuInS/ZnS …

Trade Measures—Relationships And Implications, Peijie Wang, Zhiyuan Liu

Plymouth Business School

Various value-added trade measures have been developed to address the concern in the growing volume of trade in intermediates that are double counted when crossing international borders more than once. This paper raises a query and makes an inquiry into the query. How trade figures in these measures would look like if comparisons are made in net terms and in the context of trading with the rest of the world, given that some double counted elements offset themselves in a series of crossing border processes in opposite traffic? Examined among them in this study are domestic value added in gross …

Machine Learning For Functional Outcome Prediction After Vestibular Schwannoma Surgery: A Systematic Review And Diagnostic Test Accuracy Meta-Analysis, Shiva Nischal, Shaan Patel, Musa China, Kush Kale, Yi Hein Chai, Santosh Guru, William Muirhead, Patrick Grover

Department of Neurosurgery Faculty Papers

PURPOSE: Machine learning (ML) models have been increasingly applied to predict postoperative facial nerve dysfunction and hearing preservation after vestibular schwannoma (VS) surgery. However, reported performance varies substantially, and the overall diagnostic accuracy and clinical reliability of these models remain uncertain. We conducted a systematic review and diagnostic test accuracy meta-analysis to characterise the current state and methodological readiness of ML-based prediction of these outcomes.

METHODS: PubMed, Embase, and CENTRAL were searched from inception to February 2026. Studies evaluating ML-based prediction of facial nerve function or hearing preservation following VS surgery were included. Diagnostic performance metrics were pooled using random-effects …

A Proposed Development Process For A Hardware-In-The-Loop Testing System For Cubesat Components, Vahini N. Patel, Victoria Coverstone

Small Satellite Conference

Hardware-in-the-loop testing systems, commonly known as FlatSats, are testbed systems in which spacecraft subsystems, such as the onboard computer (OBC), power system, attitude determination and control system (ADCS), and communications, are laid flat and interconnected as they would be in an actual spacecraft. This arrangement gives easy access to each subsystem, enabling hardware and software testing and troubleshooting without risking fully assembled flight hardware.

FlatSats are widely used throughout the aerospace industry, from government agencies like ESA and NASA to private companies and university research labs, due to their versatility in enabling parallel development. This accelerates timelines and reduces …

Power Simulation Framework For Korucusat-2 Using Freeflyer, Sahil Singh, Annabel Rong, Mukund Karthikeyan

Small Satellite Conference

A FreeFlyer-based power simulation was developed for KORUCUSAT-2, a low Earth orbit CubeSat designed to monitor silicon-anode battery behavior in space. The spacecraft model uses body-mounted solar panels with five modules on each of the +X, -X, +Y, and -Y faces. The simulation integrates orbital propagation, Earth shadowing, Sun-incidence angle, ground-station visibility, mode-dependent subsystem loads, and battery-state propagation to estimate electrical margin. Battery watt-hours and normalized state of charge are updated at each 30 s step so that critical, low-power, operations, and transmission modes can be evaluated against stored-energy limits. The framework provides a traceable prelaunch test bench for power-system …

Multi-Satellite Optical Link Scheduling With Direct Nonlinear Attitude Planning, Leif Nelson, Yung-Jai Pomeroy, Daniel J. Garcia

Small Satellite Conference

The Problem:

Low Earth Orbit (LEO) constellations increasingly rely on Optical Inter-Satellite Links (OISL) to route data across dynamic satellite networks. As satellites move through their orbits, communications continuously change due to line-of-sight constraints, link quality variations, and spacecraft pointing limitations. Traditional routing approaches often consider network optimization separately from spacecraft attitude control, creating a disconnect between planned routes and physically achievable communication links. This work addresses the challenge of simultaneously generating communication routes while validating that satellites can physically point toward their assigned target. The result is an end-to-end framework that integrates network planning, optical link feasibility, and spacecraft …

Business Educational Skills For Successful Aviation Fire Officers, Leo Sedlmeyer

All Faculty and Staff Scholarship

Purpose: This paper explored the business educational skills aviation fire officers use to manage airport fire departments.

Design/Methodology/Approach: The methodology was a qualitative phenomenological study design. The participants began with 10 aviation fire officers from airports throughout the USA who were at least 28 years old, in a leadership role, and had at least 10 years of experience as aviation fire officers (Buttenschon, 2016). Saturation was reached at seven during the interview phase. The limitations of this study were gaining participants' trust and obtaining comprehensive information from them.

Findings: Six themes emerged from this study, with the top three identified: …

From Awareness To Engagement: University Students’ Perceptions Of The Sustainable Development Goals And The Role Of Higher Education Institutions, Ajda Fosner

Higher Learning Research Communications

Objectives: This study examines how university students perceive the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), with a focus on their self-reported knowledge, attitudes, and views on the role of institutions in promoting sustainability.

Methods: An online survey was conducted among students in Slovenia.

Results: The results show that most students are aware of the SDGs and support their integration into education, although their personal engagement with sustainability practices is more reserved. Statistical analysis revealed that both the level and field of study significantly influence students’ SDG awareness, with advanced and social science students reporting higher familiarity. Regarding institutional roles, students placed the …

Spatial Reconstructability Analysis: Information-Theoretic Modeling Of Categorical Raster Data, David Percy

Dissertations and Theses

This research focuses on the application of Reconstructability Analysis (RA), an information-theoretic machine learning (ML) methodology, to categorical spatial data in Geographic Information Systems (GIS). RA was developed in the systems community with applications including classification, prediction, pattern recognition, and decision analysis. RA is implemented in OCCAM (Organizational Complexity Computation and Modeling), a software suite developed at Portland State University that analyzes discrete data in tabular form, with observations in rows and variables in columns. While RA has been successfully applied to a variety of domains, no systematic application to georeferenced raster data arranged in regular grids has been previously …

Predictive Validity Of Basc-3 Anxiety And Working Memory Scores For Clinically Significant Test Anxiety: Including Case-Level Examination Of Misclassified Profiles, Des'tiana Williams, Luis E. Aguerrevere, Nina Harness

Archives of Assessment Psychology

High school and college students can struggle with test anxiety, which may result in test scores below the capacity of the student. Previous literature suggests that test anxiety is related to general anxiety and limited working memory (WM), yet the extent to which these factors predict test anxiety in commonly used clinical psychoeducational assessments has not been thoroughly examined. In this study, we examined how well scores on the Behavior Assessment System for Children- 3rd edition (BASC-3) Self-Report Anxiety scale and Working Memory Index (WMI) on the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale – Fourth Edition (WAIS-IV), Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children …

Design Of A Passive Magnetic Bearing Reaction Wheel For Smallsats And Its Micro-Vibration Performance, Mante Baekeland, Konstantinos Gryllias, Dirk Vandepitte, Cedric Cuypers, Niel Deckers, Tjorven Delabie, René Seiler

Small Satellite Conference

Reaction wheels are a primary source of micro-vibrations aboard satellite platforms, limiting the fine-pointing capability of spacecraft. This paper presents a novel passive magnetic bearing reaction wheel featuring a magnetic–mechanical suspension to reduce operational vibration emissions compared with conventional ball bearing systems. The proposed suspension architecture combines radial permanent magnetic bearings with an axial single-point-contact ball pivot bearing, resulting in a compact, fully passive solution tailored for the SmallSat market. To demonstrate the feasibility of the concept, a hardware prototype was manufactured and tested. Stable operation is achieved across the full operational range up to 4800 rpm. The experimental campaign …

Analysis Of Satellite Drag, Orbit Tracking, And Associated Operational Impacts In Very Low Earth Orbit (Vleo), Angela Crews, Adrian Bryant, Nicholas Ratajczyk, Alec Yenawine, Conor Benson, Chris Roseman, Sara Swenson, Greg Furlich, Rick Marcusen, Sierra Flynn, Chris Pankratz, Scott Palo, Iain Boyd, Marcin Pilinski

Small Satellite Conference

Large constellations of SmallSats in Low Earth Orbit (LEO) are now delivering critical capabilities for missions in Earth observation, navigation, and communications. Very Low Earth Orbit (VLEO), defined here as below 400 km altitude, is emerging as a new frontier for SmallSat constellations due to its unique advantages. VLEO offers improved spatial resolution for Earth observations, reduced latency, increased signal power, and a naturally self-cleaning orbital environment. However, operating spacecraft in VLEO is non-trivial as the spacecraft must overcome the residual atmosphere at these altitudes and the resulting increase in aerodynamic drag and atomic oxygen fluence. As interest grows in …

Development, Verification And Operations Of The Technology Demonstration Payloads On The Source-2 Education Mission At The University Of Stuttgart, Marlin Kanzow, Manfred Ehresmann, Daniel Galla, Sabine Klinkner, Aaron Schmidt, Max Bode, Saulius Juodkazis

Small Satellite Conference

The Stuttgart Operated University Research Cubesat for Evaluation and Education 2 (SOURCE-2) mission serves as a student-led hands-on education project at the University of Stuttgart. Developed jointly by the Institute of Space Systems (IRS), and the Student Small Satellite Association (KSat e.V.) at the University of Stuttgart, the mission enables students to apply theoretical knowledge within an interdisciplinary 6U+ CubeSat project while simultaneously serving as a technology demonstration platform for sustainable space technologies. The payload suite targets future On-Orbit Servicing (OOS), Active Debris Removal (ADR), and next-generation small satellite missions. This paper presents the development, verification strategy, and planned in-orbit …

Multi-Modal Detection And Attribution Algorithm For Low Power Edge Compute Hardware, Margaret Michelsen, Jackson Gardner, Shawn Jones, Jackson Kulik, Mario Harper

Small Satellite Conference

We present a multi-modal detection and attribution algorithm for maritime domain awareness designed to execute on low-power FPGA-based edge compute hardware. Spaceborne hyperspectral sensors generate data volumes far exceeding practical downlink capacity, yet the onboard compute platforms available for real-time processing operate within strict power, memory, and radiation constraints. The proposed algorithm fuses RX anomaly scoring, ACE matched filtering, multi-spectral index evaluation, wake-aware spatial scoring, and spectral glint cancellation in a five-stage pipeline designed for hardware-efficient execution. Mixed-precision quantization assigns FP16 arithmetic to covariance-sensitive stages and INT8 to threshold-based spectral computations, achieving a 12.4× model size reduction and 6.1× compute …

An Ai-Enabled Ground Processing Pipeline For Image Restoration And Super-Resolution In 1u Cubesat Missions, Juan Bernardo Calabrese, Manuel Alejandro González Mendoza, Eduardo De La Vega Segura

Small Satellite Conference

The inaugural 1U CubeSat mission of Universidad Panamericana represents a shift in academic remote sensing, prioritizing ground-segment intelligence to overcome the physical and computational constraints of a 10-centimeter cubic form factor. Given strict power limitations, the satellite utilizes a low-cost, space-qualified XCAM C3D imaging system providing moderate-quality 1.3MP imagery with a ground sample distance (GSD) of approximately 360 meters at an altitude of 550 kilometers. To transform these raw frames into high-value Earth Observation products, this paper details an automated ground station framework hosting a modular image processing pipeline. The pipeline combines traditional image processing—including histogram equalization and edge enhancement—with …

Synthesis, Thermal Stability, And Ionic Conductivity Of Phenyl-Extended Viologen Ditriflate Salts: Tailoring Properties Via Oxyethylene Chain Length, Seonghyeok L. Cox, Emily Moon, Si L. Chen, David King, Haesook Han, Pradip K. Bhowmik, Calvin Ng Yi Bin, Thamil Selvi Velayutham, Alfonso Martinez-Felipe

Chemistry and Biochemistry Faculty Research

Six new phenyl-extended viologen salts with oxyethylene groups paired with triflate anions (OTF) have been synthesized using anionic ring-opening and ring-closing reactions (ANRORC) and metathesis reactions with LiOTf salts. The salts, which contain terminal oxyethylene chains of varying lengths ((CH₂CH₂O)_n, n = 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 7), are named PEOn-OTF. These materials exhibit a fluorescence response and possess high thermal stability, with processing windows up to approximately 300 °C, as confirmed by thermogravimetric analysis. While samples with short chain lengths (n = 1, 2, and 3) undergo crystallization observed …