Digital Commons Network^™

Gci #276 – Omni-Sentinel Mesh (Osm) V4.0, Michael Victor Caldwell Mr.

Defensive Publications Series

GCI #276 – Omni-Sentinel Mesh (OSM) v4.0 is a production-ready firmware blueprint transforming existing infrastructure (2M miles dark fiber DAS, 200K 5G/6G towers, 6K LEO satellites) into a 45–90 minute tornado warning network (<40% FAR, 95% coverage, $50–100M total cost). Three pillars: (1) DAS phase-velocity filtering (TRL 7, 50–100 mi), (2) MEMS stochastic resonance + 6G ISAC OAM tomography (TRL 6, 20 mi), (3) satellite ionospheric detection (TRL 5, 200+ mi). All challenges solved: noise via GCI #301 correlation, MEMS SNR via #75 mesh sync, OAM via #23 pilot signals, latency via edge computing. 3–7x lead time over NOAA. Download-ready firmware (4 packages). Public-private partnership + FCC ERCES path. Licensed under CERN-OHL-P.

Experimental Assessment Of Waste Cooking Oil Biodiesel (Ucme) Blends In A Diesel Engine, Mohanad J. Hameed Al-Karawi

Engineering and Technology Journal

This study experimentally investigates the performance, combustion behavior, and emission characteristics of a single-cylinder, direct-injection compression ignition engine fueled with biodiesel derived from waste cooking oil (WCO). Used cooking oil methyl ester (UCME) was produced via alkaline transesterification using methanol and potassium hydroxide (KOH) and blended with commercial diesel at volumetric ratios of B2, B5, B7, and B10. Engine tests were conducted at a constant speed of 3000 rpm under varying load conditions. The physicochemical properties of UCME blends were found to be comparable to those of conventional diesel, enabling stable engine operation without modification. Performance analysis revealed that B7 …

Experimental Investigation Of Compressive And Wear Behavior Of Polymer/Cnt Nanocomposites, Mohanad J. Hameed Al-Karawi

Terra Joule Journal

Poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) has wide usage in structural and tribological applications, but low compressive strength and poor wear resistance limit its performance in load-bearing sliding conditions. This study investigates the impacts of ultra-low concentrations of multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNT) on flexural properties at 0.1, 0.5, and 1 wt. % on the mechanical and frictional behavior of PMMA nanocomposites. The mechanical performance was analyzed by load–displacement and stress–strain analysis, and the wear behavior was studied using a pin-on-disk tribometer under dry sliding conditions. Raman spectroscopy confirmed the successful incorporation of MWCNTs while maintaining their graphitic structure within the polymer matrix. The …

Incorporation Effect Of Sustainable Fuels And Soot Particles Characteristics On Engine Oils (Sae 5w/30) Behavior In Diesel Engine, Mohammed A. Fayad, Raghad R. Mahdi, Amani Ahmed, M.A.I. Al-Hamid, Suha A. Mohammed, Shaimaa B. Al-Baghdadi, Wissam H. Alawee, Francisco J. Martos

Terra Joule Journal

Incomplete combustion within the combustion chamber generates numerous gaseous and solid emissions, including soot particles. Some of these soot particles are expelled through the exhaust nozzle, while others accumulate on the cylinder walls and accumulated in the engine oil. The accumulation of soot particles in engine oil is considered one of the most important factors affecting engine performance. It causes degrades the oil through their interaction, thus affecting the oil's viscosity, oxidation, and corrosion properties. Therefore, the combined effects of sustainable fuel and soot particles characteristics on engine oil behaviour were studied in this study. Soot samples extracted from lubricant …

Not Just Static: Evolutionary Throughlines In The Female Voice, Maria Hand '26

Honor Scholar Theses

Vocal communication is essential for many forms of human interaction and discourse. As such, the human voice has been the subject of extensive scientific research in a variety of contexts, including that of potentially evolved characteristics. Researchers have long studied the various changes that occur in direct relation to hormonal shifts across the ovulatory cycle, but one particularly interesting facet of this research is the voice. There are numerous acoustic parameters that are highly socially salient, and thus an ideal means with which to study potential ovulatory cycle related changes. Studies of this subject additionally provide further insight into the …

Divide And Conquer: Polarization, Power, And Conspiracy Theories, Lilly Vanhouten '26

Honor Scholar Theses

The following paper is designed to explore belief in conspiracy theories, especially conspiracy theories surrounding the distrust of government like the Uniparty theory in relation to polarization, cults, moral and psychological factors, populism, precedence for having distrust in the government, and influencers. I sought to discover why people believe in conspiracy theories like the Uniparty theory and conducted a media analysis; researched polarization, cult and conspiracy, moral and psychological factors, populism, and precedence; analyzed influencers I watch reflecting conspiracy theory belief; and wrote poetry about conspiracy theories to determine the answer. I found that conspiracy theory belief is influenced by …

Navigating The Ethical Landscape Of Ai Created Responsibility Gaps In Healthcare, Kelsey Dwyer '26

Honor Scholar Theses

This work is a philosophical analysis of the ethical dilemma of AI-created responsibility gaps, or the idea that it is challenging to find someone to hold responsible for outcomes produced by an autonomous system. In particular, my focus is specifically on addressing responsibility gaps created by AI used in healthcare. This complex issue of responsibility gaps becomes more intense in the setting of critical areas of life like healthcare, where moral responsibility is a foundational component of upholding medical ethics. My paper will take a deep dive into exploring the intricacies of this complex problem by applying a pre-existing conceptual …

Plastics, Microplastics, And The Gut Microbiome: Restoring Scientific Communication To Fight For Public Health, Benjamin Sanders '26

Honor Scholar Theses

Over the course of eight years from 2016 to 2024, a study by Nature Medicine found that the concentration of plastics in the brain increased by 50%. Even samples from patients with a documented dementia diagnosis showed a greater accumulation of microplastics (Nihart, 2025). In one of the most protected regions of our body, microplastics have made themselves known. In one of the most exposed regions of the human body, the story is no different. With the emergence of gut microbiome science and understanding, researchers are just beginning to discover the unique interplay between the microbiota of our gastrointestinal tract …

Regulating Dogs Or Protecting Industry? A Critical Analysis On The Animal Welfare Act And The Federal Oversight Of Commercial Dog Breeding In The United States, Ava Knight '26

Honor Scholar Theses

To evaluate whether existing federal laws adequately protect the welfare of dogs, this research relies on publicly available inspection records and enforcement data from the United States Department of Agriculture and Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (USDA, APHIS), federal oversight reports from the United States Department of Agriculture and Office of Inspector General (USDA, OIG), and data collected by animal welfare organizations including Humane World for Animals and the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA). These sources expose how current regulations function in practice and reveal gaps in oversight that allow harmful breeding conditions to …

The Wandering Role: A Rhetorical Analysis Of Gamal Abdel Nasser, Ethan Nichter '26

Honor Scholar Theses

In the mid-twentieth century, Gamal Abdel Nasser emerged as a powerful figure in Egypt and the rest of the Arab world, seeking to uplift the region in the era of decolonization. While contemporary scholars have analyzed Nasserism as a contradiction of itself, an ideology that originated as liberation but resulted in autocratic rule, less attention has been paid to instead break down what made Nasserism so appealing to his audience. I draw upon Max Weber’s theory of charismatic authority and Maurice Charland’s concept of constitutive rhetoric in interpreting Nasserism in three phases: as a political theory, as a ruling ideology, …

Total Resistance: The Conditions For Non-State Actors In Colonial States, Devin Walker '26

Honor Scholar Theses

If one can pardon the hyperbole, the argument that colonialism was one of the defining eras of human history is one that comes with a notable amount of merit. From the 1600s to the late 1990s and beyond, colonial empires that spanned the globe were engaged in a seemingly endless competition driven by a mixture of desire for resources and an intense battle for prestige on a truly global stage. Countless people were subjugated, exploited, oppressed and exposed to all manner of injustices that have had long lasting effects on their native populations, even into the modern day. However, to …

Unequal Recovery: Climate Gentrification And The Marginalization Of Southern Urban Communities In Disaster Relief, Ryan Simone Anderson '26

Honor Scholar Theses

Increases in the severity and frequency of natural disasters in the United States have highlighted the vast inequalities that low-income communities must be prepared to face and rapidly recover from. In the Southern US, this dilemma is prevalent, with a higher risk of flooding, hurricanes, and tornadoes due to increased exposure to natural disasters and climate-related events. These climate-induced issues have revealed a connection between environmental risks and socio-economic vulnerability. Climate gentrification occurs when lower-income communities are displaced to hazardous or vulnerable areas, while wealthier communities relocate to safer, more protected areas. Well-documented, large-scale disasters such as Hurricane Katrina (2005) …

Knightly Arts For Modern Audiences: Faithfully Portraying Historical European Martial Arts In Contemporary Media, Justus (Isaiah) Morgan '26

Honor Scholar Theses

The ahistorical spectacular stylization of medieval and Renaissance European martial arts, which is common in modern artistic media, is flawed. In at least some cases a historically informed approach is preferable. This thesis describes how one might take such a historically informed approach to writing a fight scene. It examines the martial arts practiced by elite members of society through the medieval poems Beowulf and The Song of Roland, and through martial arts manuals including Fiore de’i Liberi’s Flos Delatorum, the glosses of Johannes Liechtenauer’s Zettel, and the rapier manuals of Camillo Agrippa and Girard Thibault d’Anvers. It considers audience …

Playing Hard To Get: Limerence And The Psychology Of The Amator In Latin Love Elegy, Carson Carpenter '26

Honor Scholar Theses

This thesis seeks to further bridge the gap in the literature between the fields of psychology and Latin literature. Specifically, it examines Latin love elegy through modern psychological frameworks of limerence. Limerence is a descriptive psychological condition in which an individual experiences an involuntary, often uncontrollable obsessive attachment to another person known as the limerent object. Drawing from the works of Ovid, Propertius, Tibullus, and Catullus, the thesis argues that the elegiac amator consistently parallels the cognitive andemotional patterns associated with limerence, including idealization, uncontrollable ruminative thinking, emotional volatility, and fixation on reciprocated attention. Using Verhulst’s five stage model and …

Adopting Artificial Intelligence: Cross-Sector Analysis Of Ai Adoption Risks, Brandon Saari, Yona Berger, Yanett Munoz, Alex Agnick, Paul Wagner, Robert J. Honomichl

Journal of Cybersecurity Education, Research and Practice

Artificial intelligence (AI) is rapidly being adopted across public and private sectors. This offers significant gains in efficiency, decision making, and access to information. At the same time, AI introduces complex risks related to cybersecurity, privacy, bias, transparency, accountability, and equity that existing governance and security frameworks do not fully address. This paper presents a cross-sector literature review and comparative analysis of AI adoption risks and mitigation strategies across four critical domains: the federal government, libraries, K–12 education, and healthcare. Drawing on peer-reviewed research, institutional frameworks, and policy guidance, the study identifies sector-specific challenges alongside shared systemic gaps, including insufficient …

A Place To Breathe: High School Students’ Perceptions Of A School-Based Wellness Center, Devan Clayton, Elizabeth Cutrer, Paul Caldarella, Michael Richardson, Jared Warren

Faculty Publications

Adolescents face significant academic and emotional stressors, underscoring the need for accessible school-based mental health support. This qualitative study examined high school students’ (N = 17) perceptions of a school-based wellness center, including both users and non-users. Four focus groups were analyzed using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis to explore experiences, perceived benefits, and barriers to use. Students described the center as a calming, supportive space that aided emotional regulation, short-term recovery, and readiness to return to class. Users emphasized relational connection, belonging, and managing stress and anxiety in a safe, nonjudgmental environment. Students also viewed the center as fostering early …

Graduate Council Minutes 2026-04-06, Northern Illinois University

Graduate Council Archives

No abstract provided.

Psychosocial Mediators Of A Physical Activity And Dietary Intervention In Pregnant Women With Overweight Or Obesity, Meghan Baruth, Sarah Wilcox, Jihong Liu, Rebecca Schlaff

Faculty Publications

Background

Mediation analyses provide insight into both ‘pieces’ of the mediation chain; they allow us to look into the ‘black box’ that is behavior change. They allow researchers to better understand the ‘how’ of an intervention’s effects and/or the ‘why’ behind why an intervention worked or did not work. The lack of publications in pregnant populations highlights the need for additional studies to be conducted and published. The purpose of this study is to examine the psychosocial mediators of physical activity and dietary outcomes in a sample of pregnant women with overweight or obesity participating in the Health in Pregnancy …

Wired Youth: How Technology Shapes Adolescent Minds And Behavior, Kimario Davis '26

Honor Scholar Theses

Social media and digital technology are a huge part of adolescent life, and people worry a lot about how they affect mental health, behavior, and brain development. It’s easy to think technology is either “good” or “bad,” but the reality is more complicated. This thesis looks at social media’s evolution from early platforms controlled by users to today’s algorithm driven, highly visual environments and how these spaces interact with the developing adolescent brain, which is especially sensitive to social feedback and reward. These features make online interactions feel more intense and harder to step away from. At the same time, …

The Life And Legacy Of Sherwood Fiske Brown: A Case Study In The Evolution Of American Higher Education, Alden Small '26

Honor Scholar Theses

This thesis pursues various avenues of inquiry. I analyzed a multitude of primary sources related to Sherwood Fiske Brown, including his undergraduate thesis, master’s thesis, and doctoral dissertation. I visited Colby College over the summer of 2025 and uncovered many biographical documents and papers related to his time at Colby, as well as his sabbatical at MIT in 1957. Of particular interest is a biographical information packet completed by Brown upon his date of hire, which provides his occupational and familial history. I also obtained information from St. Lawrence University, MIT, UMass Lowell, and the Framingham Historical Society. These sources …

Roll Me A History Check: Role-Playing Games In Education, Andrew Thede '26

Honor Scholar Theses

Roll Me a History Check explores the use of Role-Playing Games (RPGs)—a style of narrative game where players create and pilot distinct characters and play through a storyline run by a Game Master (GM)—in education. The primary goals of the project align with its three principal parts. First, a brief review of the existing literature on the benefits of both purely educational and purely entertaining RPGs, with Reacting to the Past and Pathfinder first edition serving as respective examples, will demonstrate the merits of a hybrid system. Next, the rules for the new system, Ludus, will be presented to bridge …

University Of New Hampshire 2025-2026 Faculty Senate Xxx - April 6, 2026 Minutes Summary, Faculty Senate

Faculty Senate Agendas & Minutes

No abstract provided.

Bgc-Argo Float Reveals Shifts In Nitrogen-Carbon Cycling In An Oxygen-Deficient Zone, Mariana B. Bif, Colette Kelly, Mark A. Altabet, Annie Bourbonnais, Claire Elbon, Edgart Flores, Alanna Mnich, Josh Plant, Kenneth S. Johnson

Faculty Publications

Oxygen-deficient zones are hotspots of marine fixed nitrogen loss, but the temporal dynamics of their microbial processes remain poorly resolved. Here we present a nearly three-year high-resolution record from a Biogeochemical Argo float in the Eastern Tropical North Pacific that captures a decline in nitrite concentrations, reflecting a shift in nitrogen redox balance. Using a stoichiometric mass-balance model, we quantify nitrogen transformations, including dissimilatory nitrate reduction to nitrite, denitrification, anammox, and nitrite oxidation, and their coupling to carbonate chemistry. The model shows that dissimilatory nitrate reduction to nitrite dominates nitrogen transformations, while denitrification and anammox vary over depth, biogeochemical transition, …

Systemic Poverty Amongst Puerto Ricans In New Jersey, Karen M. Acevedo-Quintana

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Puerto Ricans account for over 20% of Hispanics in New Jersey. It is estimated that 27.8% live below the poverty line. The poverty rate amongst this community is higher than the state average. Prior to this study, no known study examined what advocates for improving socioeconomic conditions amongst Puerto Ricans in New Jersey believed were the barriers to and/or facilitators of reducing poverty. The purpose of the generic qualitative study was to identify and analyze the perceptions of expert advocates regarding the current barriers to and/or facilitators of reducing poverty amongst Puerto Ricans in New Jersey using interpretivism through the …

Fast-Food Consumption And Metabolic Syndrome Risk In African Children And Adolescents, Norkinsha Willis

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Childhood obesity and excessive fast-food intake represent a significant public health concern among African American children. Grounded in the social-ecological model, this quantitative, cross-sectional study examined whether frequency of fast-food or pizza meal consumption and reliance on low-cost food was associated with total cholesterol (mg/dL) and waist circumference among African American children and adolescents aged 6–15 years while controlling for key sociodemographic factors (age, gender, parental education status, and annual household income). Secondary data from the 2017–2018 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey were analyzed (N=184). Descriptive statistics, nonparametric analyses, and a multiple linear regression model were used to analyze …

Are You There Judy?: A Critical Content Analysis Of Judy Blume's Representation Of Female Puberty, Audrey E. Gilbert

Undergraduate Theses

This study uses a critical content analysis methodology to examine four Judy Blume novels (Johnson et al). Using a lens of gynocriticsm (Showalter) and mirrors, windows, and sliding glass doors (Bishop), power and representation of female puberty are analyzed in Are You There God? It’s Me Margaret, Deenie, Forever, and Just As Long As We’re Together to understand how Judy Blume pushes the bounds of content in young adult literature through depictions of thelarche, menarche, and sexarche. Through the critical content analysis, the role of group interactions and individual experiences are shown as the conductors for power, …

Sandag’S Regional Climate Action Planning, San Diego Regional Climate Collaborative, Brenda Castruita

San Diego Regional Climate Collaborative

The San Diego Association of Governments (SANDAG) is the regional planning agency responsible for transportation planning, public transit development, and environmental planning in the San Diego metropolitan area.1 Beyond these focus areas, SANDAG aims to promote sustainable growth, enhance mobility, and improve the quality of life of local citizens through comprehensive planning and collaboration with local governments, communities, and various partners. SANDAG is governed by a Board of Directors made up of elected officials from each of the region's local city councils and County Board of Supervisors. In addition to developing plans for how people and goods will move …

Rethinking Dual-Task Training In Parkinson’S Disease: Engaging And Innovating For Inclusive Access To Rehabilitation, Nesibe Cakmak, Jennifer Freeman, Lisa Bunn, Camille Carroll

School of Health Professions

Dual-task training helps improve balance and cognitive function in people with Parkinson’s disease, but existing clinician-led, clinic-based programmes lack standardization. This qualitative study aimed to inform new programme designs by exploring the experiences and needs of individuals with Parkinson’s disease, their supporters, and physiotherapists. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with ten participants–six with mild-to-moderate Parkinson’s disease, two supporters, and two physiotherapists. Interviews were recorded, transcribed, and independently analysed by two researchers using framework analysis. Three main themes emerged: what comprises “An Engaging Dual-task Training,” emphasizing enjoyment, daily life integration, and the need for a balance between challenge and reward as well …

Harriet Hosmer: Femininity And Stone, Savannah V. Parrish

Undergraduate Theses

Harriet Hosmer was an American woman sculptor who studied in Rome, Italy, from 1853 to 1900. Hosmer led her own cohort of women artists and inspired other artists in Rome. Hosmer’s sculptures and the controversies surrounding them exemplify her experiences as a career woman of her time. Hosmer made sculptures of women who defied the will of men, both mythical and historical. Hosmer’s sculptures show how she felt restricted in the world, particularly in the field of sculpture as a woman and how like the figures of her sculptures she found freedom in stone, where she could tell the stories …

Odysseus: From Homer To Sophocles, Jonas Hammond

Undergraduate Theses

In two of his plays, the Ajax and Philoctetes, the tragedian Sophocles uses and alters Homer’s Odysseus to augment the moral message he is trying to instill in his audience. His use of Odysseus changes between these two plays as his moral outlook shifts in the face of changing Athenian fortunes. As the focus of his praise moved away from guiles and sophia to focus more on the “noble ideal,” the ubiquity of Homer’s version of Odysseus meant that Odysseus’ character had to be actively altered when Sophocles wished to encourage the Athenians to follow the noble ideal instead of …