Digital Commons Network^™

Information Theory Analysis Of The Solar Wind Magnetic Structures For Space Weather Prediction, Katherine Holland

Doctoral Dissertations and Master's Theses

Forecasting space weather at Earth is highly complicated, because of the limited measurements of the dynamic processes in the Sun that span multiple temporal, spatial, and energy-scales. The solar wind is a highly structured, multi-scale, evolving plasma and consists of coronal mass ejections (CMEs), stream interaction regions (SIRs), expanding flux tubes (Borovsky, 2008), and interplanetary magnetic field (IMF) discontinuities and fluctuations. The aim of this research is to improve our understanding of the evolution and dissipation of different scale-size solar wind magnetic structures as they move from the Sun-Earth Lagrange point 1 (L1) to Earth's bow shock and, ultimately, to …

Reducing Computed Tomography Delay In A High-Volume Emergency Department, Sarah Ouedraogo

All Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) Scholarly Projects

Problem:

Delays in computed tomography (CT) imaging contribute to prolonged emergency department (ED) length of stay and delayed clinical decision-making. At the project site, baseline data demonstrated an average ASAP CT order-to-scan time of approximately 116 minutes for non-critical ED patients, with CT readiness compliance rates of 0%. Gap analysis identified inconsistent patient preparation and fragmented communication between ED nursing and radiology as key contributors to avoidable delays. PICOT question: In non-emergent emergency department (ED) patients (P), how does the use of a CT readiness checklist by ED nurses (I), compared with no standardized readiness checklist (C), affect patient readiness …

Computational Analysis Of Immigration Discourse And Political Polarization: Evidence From U.S. Political Podcasts During The 2024 Presidential Election, Reishiro Kawakami , ‘26

Senior Theses, Projects, and Awards

This study examines how immigration is discussed across the U.S. political podcast ecosystem during the 2024 presidential election cycle, with a focus on differences across the political spectrum. While prior research on immigration attitudes has relied heavily on survey data, this study shifts attention to naturally occurring political communication by analyzing large-scale podcast transcripts. Drawing on a novel dataset of over 48,500 episodes (approximately 40,000 hours of audio) from the top 100 political podcasts ranked on Election Day, this paper combines keyword search, topic modeling, and sentiment analysis to investigate both the thematic structure and emotional tone of immigration discourse. …

Time-Correlated Photons From Spontaneous Parametric Down-Conversion (Spdc), Aaron Dubois , ‘26, Tanvir Islam , ‘26, Prashan Thapa Magar , ‘26

Senior Theses, Projects, and Awards

Time-correlated photons can be used to demonstrate emerging technical applications such as ghost imaging, and they can demonstrate quantum-based phenomena in order to interest undergraduate students in engineering applications involving optics and quantum mechanics. In this work, we use spontaneous parametric down-conversion to generate time-correlated photons. To achieve this, we simulated laboratory parameters with MATLAB and designed optical and electrical setups. Specifically, we used a 405 nm diode laser, various common optical components, and a nonlinear crystal designed to generate time-correlated photons, and we used single-photon detectors, time-to-amplitude converters, custom flash-conversion analog-to-digital converters, a Teensy 4.1 microcontroller, and the Arduino …

Soil Erosion In The Crum Woods: Testing And Mitigation, Andrew Narain , ‘26, Sabina Karabin , ‘26

Senior Theses, Projects, and Awards

This project aimed to determine the optimal erosion mitigation method for a specific site in the Crum Woods in Swarthmore, Pennsylvania. Inexpensive and bench-scale laboratory testing protocol was designed to measure the efficiency of retaining walls and of planting native grasses against a baseline, using rainfall simulations over a smaller version of the site slope. Erosion mitigation was measured through increased water infiltration through soil and decreased sediment runoff. It was found that the retaining wall increased infiltration of water into the soil from 2% (control) to 14.7% (retaining wall), but was outperformed by the plant infiltration of 27.5%. While …

Racing To Safety: Tax Policy For Ai Safety-By-Design, Mirit Eyal, Yonathan Arbel

Articles

The White House recently announced its vision of artificial intelligence (AI) policy: AI development is a race and America must win it. To that end, a new America's AI Action Plan directs federal agencies and states to remove regulatory barriers to AI development and accelerate innovation. This approach leaves limited room for regulatory measures that would address the safety risks of powerful AI systems: their behavior in novel domains remains unpredictable, their decision-making opaqueness, and their alignment with human values is uncertain. While experts warn of large-scale accidents, policymakers find themselves in a bind: Regulate AI and cede ground to …

Near-Wall Void Distribution Characterization In Pebble Bed Reactor Using Gamma-Ray Ct And Dem Simulation, Ahmed Jasim, Mauricio Maestri, Abdullah Al Zubaidi, Omar Farid, Muthanna Al-Dahhan

Chemical and Biochemical Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Accurate characterization of void-fraction distributions in pebble-bed reactors (PBRs) is essential for predicting flow, heat transfer, and neutronic behavior. High-fidelity experimental benchmark data for validating such predictions remain scarce, largely due to the challenges of non-invasive measurements. In this study, gamma-ray computed tomography (CT) was employed to measure radial and cross-sectional porosity in a laboratory-scale pebble bed containing 6cm graphite pebbles. A Discrete Element Method (DEM) simulation was implemented and validated against these measurements, then applied to the full-scale geometry of the Xe-100 high-temperature gas-cooled pebble-bed reactor. Analyses included radial and axial void-fraction profiles in the cylindrical section and conical …

Functional Annotation Of Gordonia Phage Minor Tail Proteins Using Alphafold And Structural Homology Searches, Harani Athwale, Mitchell Thenor

Undergraduate Student Symposium

Bacteriophages are viruses that infect bacteria. The basic phage structure consists of a DNA or RNA genome encased in a capsid protein shell. Some may also have a tail, important for attachment and genome delivery into the bacterial host. Recently, the structure of mycobacteriophage Bxb1 was characterized and determined to have 10 minor tail proteins, each assigned a unique function. The genomes of Gordonia rubripertincta phages Fribs8, Genamy16, Alyssamiracle, and NovaSharks were annotated, depicting several minor tai proteins. However, the specific functions were not determined. Therefore, the goal of this research was to assign a specific function to the minor …

Exercise As An Intervention Against Neuroinflammation During Binge Drinking Withdrawal, Shaina Binu, Ellie Wind, Ariana Hernandez, Iliana Uribe, Victoria Pulido-Correa

Undergraduate Student Symposium

Binge drinking, a public health concern in the United States, is associated with negative emotional and cognitive effects during alcohol withdrawal. These effects are believed to result from changes in brain regions involved in stress regulation, emotion, and decision-making, including the prefrontal cortex, amygdala, and hippocampus. Alcohol exposure has been shown to increase neuroinflammation in these regions, which may contribute to anxiety-like behaviors and difficulty regulating emotions during withdrawal. In contrast, aerobic exercise is a promising non-pharmacological intervention that has been shown to reduce anxiety and support brain health. This project investigates how exercise can reduce withdrawal-related anxiety-like behaviors, following …

Evaluating Item Discrimination And Gender-Based Differential Item Functioning In Safe Sex Behavior Questionnaire (Ssbq), Prarthana Harikrishnan, Xinlei Zhang, Hannah Scheffer

Undergraduate Student Symposium

Risky sexual behavior can increase rates of sexually transmitted infections (STIs), posing a danger to the health of young adults. The Safe Sex Behavior Questionnaire (SSBQ; Dilorio et al., 1992) is a widely used measure to assess risky sexual behaviors among young adults. However, few studies have evaluated the psychometric properties of the SSBQ, such as how well the survey items discriminate between individuals who engage in safer versus riskier sexual behaviors (discrimination), and whether the items function equivalently for men versus women (differential item functioning). In the current study, we applied psychometric modeling to a dataset of 1,094 young …

Investigating Epigenetic Dysregulation Of Long Non-Coding Rnas In Glioblastoma And Glioma Stem Cells, Pujita Kellampalli, Mansi Gandhi, Dhruv Patel, Nehal Pant, Mihika Mishra, Shehr Bano, Aaron Basnyet

Undergraduate Student Symposium

Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) or Grade IV glioma is a very aggressive form of brain tumor with an overall survival rate of 15 months. The tumor contains glioma stem cells (GSCs) that are resistant to existing therapies. Long non-coding RNAs such as DNA methylation are implicated in epigenetic dysregulation of GBM and GSCs. In this study, we screened lncRNAs with altered DNA methylation in both tumor cells and GSCs compared to normal neural cells using 450K methylation array data. We identified 508 methylation sites (320 lncRNAs) that were either hypermethylated (or gained methylation) or hypomethylated (lost methylation) in GBM and GSCs. …

Creatine In Dementia And The Aging Brain, Dylan Kuni

Undergraduate Student Symposium

Dementia is a syndrome that interferes with cognitive functions and an individual's ability to function independently. Dementia includes several subtypes caused by different neuropathologies, with Alzheimer's disease (AD) being the most common form. AD is characterized by the accumulation of amyloid beta plaques and neurofibrillary tau tangles in the brain, associated with neuroinflammation, oxidative stress, and deficits in energy metabolism. While treatments for AD exist, the efficacy, safety, and cost are a concern, highlighting the need for additional prevention and treatment strategies. This literature review examines the role of creatine in brain health and disease, including AD and related dementias. …

An Analysis Of Jump Performance Using Wearable Devices In Collegiate Volleyball Attacking Players, Caiden Largent

Undergraduate Student Symposium

Vertical jump height in volleyball, a key performance measure, may be assessed in a laboratory and measured on the court. Baseline lab measurements are conducted in a controlled environment using a Vertec, while on the court, measurements utilize VERT wearable devices as these measurements. VERT estimates jump height indirectly through inertial measurements when compared to Vertec testing. The purpose of this study is to analyze jump height performance in collegiate volleyball attacking players. Four National Collegiate Athletic Association Division II female volleyball attackers were assessed across five separate matches. Results showed differences shown between jump heights across sets and matches …

Effects Of Bhb(Beta-Hydroxybutyrate) Of Mood, Memory, And Handgrip, Christianna Needham, Sahanj Joshi, Jairaj Bajaj

Undergraduate Student Symposium

The purpose of this study was to test the effects of acute beta-hydroxybutyrate (BHB) on handgrip, mood states and memory of healthy men and women. The subjects were exercise science students from Nova Southeastern University between 18-22 years of age. Subjects performed Handgrip strength, Profile of Mood States (POMS), and Memtrax the tests prior to consuming BHB, as well as 30 minutes, and 60 minutes post consumption. A total of 136 healthy participants (20.5±1.4 years) were randomized into three groups: D-BHB (n=47), L-BHB (n=46), or placebo (n=43). A Two-Way ANOVA test revealed no significant …

Understanding Ice Age Climate In Buffalo Gap National Grasslands Through Heavy Mineral Analysis, Chancellor Rockwell Marks, Jenna Church

Undergraduate Student Symposium

More information about ice age climate change during Marine Isotope Stage 2 (MIS 2), the last glacial maximum, is known from ice cores and marine sediments than from continental geology. For scientists to construct climate models, they need climate information about continental areas for comparison. Marine and ice sediments are deposited in layers, year after year, with relatively little disturbance after deposition. Changes in isotopic composition of these sediments reflect profound changes in Earth's climate. The equivalent continental sediment record is loess (windblown dust), which is deposited in fine layers without subsequent disturbance. Here, we studied loess to determine paleowind …

Modeling The Binding Of Salinosporamide A (Mzb) To The Human 20s Proteasome For Potential Cancer Treatment, Jayden Ross, Jayant Ari, Audrey Anand, Giezel Medina

Undergraduate Student Symposium

This project aims to model and observe the binding of the drug Marizomib (MZB) and compare its binding affinity other similar drugs to the proteosome using the PDB ID 9HMN and bioinformatics tools. MZB is an anti-cancer drug that was derived from the marine bacterium, Salinosporamide A. Its function is to inhibit the human 20S proteasome from breaking down excess proteins, causing the cell to trigger apoptosis. Additionally, MZB has the ability to cross the blood-brain barrier and utilize three catalytically active amino acid sites. The existing PDB ID (9HMN) of a 20S proteasome with MZB bound was 3D printed. …

Developing New Digital Methods To Study And Improve Eyewitness Testimony, Isabella Ryan, Brianna Munoz, Adam Durnin, Tanya Schrader, Joana Vinagre

Undergraduate Student Symposium

Witnesses play a crucial role in criminal investigations. However, their ability to recall important details is influenced by cognitive processes such as memory. To improve eyewitness testimony, psychologists developed science-based interviewing techniques, such as the Cognitive Interview, which are used by police to elicit accurate accounts. We also created new retrieval strategies, namely the Category Clustering Recall (CCR), which has been implemented by agencies such as the Los Angeles Police Department. However, research supporting the use of these techniques predominantly used the mock-witness paradigm, where participants observed a mock-crime on a two-dimensional (2D) screen and recalled it in a controlled …

Corrigendum To “Advanced Techniques In Quartz Wafer Precision Processing: Stealth Dicing Based On Filament-Induced Laser Machining” [Opt. Laser Technol. 171 (2024) 110474] (Optics And Laser Technology (2024) 171, (S0030399223013671), (10.1016/J.Optlastec.2023.110474)), Yun Wang, Yutang Dai, Farhan Mumtaz, Kaiyan Luo

Electrical and Computer Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

The authors regret, that the affiliation for author Yun Wang was incomplete. To accurately reflect both the author's academic affiliation and the research platform where the work was conducted. The correct affiliation for Yun Wang is updated as above. The authors would like to apologize for any inconvenience caused.

A Methotrexate Dashboard: Integrating Mtxpk.Org Into The Electronic Health Record To Facilitate Model-Informed Care For Pediatric Patients Receiving High-Dose Methotrexate., Zachary L. Taylor, Nieko Punt, Chris Jenkinson, Bill Vidonish, Jennifer Young, Maureen M. O'Brien, Laura Ramsey

Manuscripts, Articles, Book Chapters and Other Papers

PURPOSE: The MTXPK.org webtool facilitates model-informed supportive care and glucarpidase use in patients receiving high-dose methotrexate, but its reliance on manual data entry limits workflow integration. We aimed to highlight how translational informatics can advance, automate, and enhance the usability of clinical decision support tools by embedding MTXPK.org within the electronic health record (EHR).

METHODS: A human factors study with 6 clinical providers guided iterative prototype development. MTXPK.org was rebuilt within the EHR using a 3-tier architecture with Fast Healthcare Interoperability Resources-based data retrieval, automated pharmacokinetic modeling, and interactive visualization.

RESULTS: Two rounds of prototyping with task-based evaluations and contextual …

Evaluating Human Rod Photoreceptor Function Using Pixelwise Intensity-Based Optoretinography, Gao Yang, Mina Gaffney, Robert F. Cooper

Biomedical Engineering Faculty Research and Publications

Purpose: More than 50 inherited retinal diseases are known, with rod photoreceptor functional loss serving as an early indicator in nearly half of them. The “optoretinogram” is a relatively new assay that detects optical changes in cells in response to stimuli. This tool has excellent potential for providing insights into the earliest functional changes of rod photoreceptors, with the potential to assist in the early detection, monitoring, and treatment of retinal diseases.

Methods: In this work, we obtained intensity-based optoretinograms (iORGs) from rod photoreceptors using an adaptive optics scanning laser ophthalmoscope. We explore the necessity of both individual rod identification …

Development And Acceptability Of A Patient Decision Aid For People With Degenerative Cervical Myelopathy: An International Mixed-Methods Study, Andrew R. Gamble, David B. Anderson, Marnee J. Mckay, Benjamin M. Davies, Sophie Macpherson, James Van Gelder, Tammy Hoffmann, Kirsten Mccaffery, Samuel X. Stevens, Carlo Ammendolia, Rohil V. Chauhan, Carl M. Zipser, Timothy F. Boerger, Lindsay A. Tetreault, Michael G. Fehlings, Elanor Dustan, Carolyn Nugent, Helen Holmgren, Andreas K. Demetriades, Justin M. Lantz, Rana Dhillon, Chris G. Maher, Joshua R. Zadro

Biomedical Engineering Faculty Research and Publications

Objectives To develop and user-test a patient decision aid for people diagnosed with degenerative cervical myelopathy and who are considering surgery.

Design Mixed-methods study describing the development of a patient decision aid.

Setting A draft decision aid was developed by a multidisciplinary steering group (including study authors with degenerative cervical myelopathy, health professionals and researchers) informed by the best available evidence, authorship consensus and existing patient decision aids.

Participants Patient-participants and health professional-participants who manage people with degenerative cervical myelopathy were recruited through social media and the steering group’s research and practice network. Quantitative questionnaires were used to gather baseline …

A Low-Noise And High-Gain Integrated Photoplethysmography Sensor For Continuous Vital Signs Monitoring, Neethu Mohan

Dissertations

Photoplethysmography (PPG) sensing is an important technology used for measuring health parameters like, heart rate, respiratory rate, blood oxygen saturation, and blood pressure (BP). The PPG sensing is used for individuals who have to periodically monitor their health due to chronic health conditions. The basic requirements of a wearable PPG sensor include non-invasiveness, prolonged battery life, and being userfriendly. These type of sensors have great demand in the healthcare applications and there is a significant rise in the demand of these sensors. The basic objective of these PPG sensors is to make the continuous vital health monitoring easier without the …

Literary Colonization And Locating Avenues Of Subversion In Bobby Flores-Villasis' Suite Bergamasque, Michael Aaron C. Gomez

Akda: The Asian Journal of Literature, Culture, Performance

This paper examines four short stories included in the collection titled Suite Bergamasque, written by multi-awarded Negrense playwright and fictionist Bobby Flores-Villasis. A materialist reading situates Villasis within the canon of Philippine literature in English and analyzes the way his stories formally render the class antagonisms of history through the interconnected narratives of Dumaguete City’s sugar elite. Finally, this paper also contends that the political imagination of Villasis’ work exhorts contemporary Dumaguete writers to critically examine inherited hagiographies in order to describe fully the conditions that have shaped the city into its contemporary formation, particularly the phenomena of gentrification …

Reimagining Legal Education: The Transformative Power Of Small-Group Instruction, Michael I. Meyerson

Articles

Legal education is failing its students. Those entering their first year of law school have greater anxiety and less developed reading and writing skills than ever before. The traditional large Socratic class, which was never the most effective teaching method, has become increasingly counterproductive.

This Article contends that small-group instruction provides the opportunity for superior teaching, especially for first-year law students. Recent scholarship in active learning, educational psychology, and students’ mental health demonstrates the limitations of the traditional large Socratic class experience. Building on that theoretical foundation and informed by sustained classroom experience, this Article argues that small-group pedagogy more …

3rd Place Contest Entry: "Examining Physicians’ Behaviors Regarding Buprenorphine Prescribing For Opioid Use Disorder", Khashayar Eshtiaghi

Eric M. Scandrett Graduate Library Research Prize

This is Khashayar Eshtiaghi's submission for the 2026 Eric M. Scandrett Graduate Research Prize, which won third place. It contains their essay on using library resources, a summary of their research project on physicians' behaviors regarding buprenorphine prescribing for opioid use disorde, and their bibliography.

Khashayar is a student in the Ph.D. in Pharmaceutical Economics and Policy program at Chapman University. Their faculty mentor is Dr. Marc Fleming.

Development Of Holographic Recording Techniques For Optical Couplers Designed For Solar Collection From Windows, Dipanjan Chakraborty

Doctoral

The main purpose of this research is to explore volume holographic optical couplers and investigate their potential for use as solar collectors in glass building structures. Such couplers are from the family of volume holographic optical elements (VHOEs) and their primary function is to re-direct the incident light so that it is trapped by Total Internal Reflection (TIR). They have been proposed for different waveguiding applications such as solar collection, head-up displays, and optical communication. Since the Sun is a non-stationary light source, often at a high altitude, couplers designed for non-normal incidence are crucial.

Ultimately, this work will address …

Afit Librarian Newsletter : Check It Out (Second Quarter 2026), D'Azzo Research Library, Air Force Institute Of Technology

AFIT Library Knowledge Base

In this issue:

• Interview with a Featured Library Advocate, Dr. William Cunningham, AFIT/ENS
• Library Display about “Inventing Flight”
• New Librarian: Catherine Stahl
• Staff Book Picks for Spring Reading

Modeling The Extracellular Matrix-Like Retinal Protein Pikachurin And Its Binding To Α-Dystroglycan And Gpcr (Gpr179), Mohit Belur, Khushi Raval, Riya Chelagiri, Rani Mehta

Undergraduate Student Symposium

Pikachurin is an extracellular matrix scaffold protein that links photoreceptor and ON-bipolar cell synapses by bridging the presynaptic dystroglycan complex and the postsynaptic receptor GPR179, ensuring precise synaptic alignment required for vision. Although its role in dystroglycanopathy associated visual phenotypes is well recognized, there is no published structural model showing how pikachurin engages α-dystroglycan or how this may influence GPCR linked synaptic signaling. This study computationally modeled full length Pikachurin using the complete nucleic acid sequence and available Protein Data Bank structures, integrating Jmol, AlphaFold, and literature-based analysis to predict domain organization, Ca²⁺-binding motifs, and glycan interaction sites …

Using X-Ray Crystallography To Inform Foldamer Drug Design, Isabella Garcia

Undergraduate Student Symposium

Foldamers are synthetic peptide oligomers that fold into well-defined three-dimensional structures, such as alpha-helices and beta-sheets. The goal of this project is to discover the solid-state confirmation of beta-amino acid foldamers that have potential as therapeutic molecules. This research represents an interdisciplinary collaboration between KAIST, a research university in South Korea, and NSU. We solved the single-crystal X-ray structures of two foldamers and then visualized their secondary structures and intermolecular contacts using Mercury. The first foldamer crystallized in the space group P2₁2₁2 and demonstrated a continuous alpha-helical secondary structure, with the residue side chains evenly distributed …

A Compendium Of Sound-Symbol Correspondences In English: More Revelations About The Challenge Of Teaching, Learning, And Applying Phonics, David Reinking, Sharon L. Reinking

Publications

In 2022, we published an article in The Journal of Reading Recovery entitled, “Why phonics (in English) is so difficult to teach, learn, and apply: What caregivers and teach- ers need to know” (Reinking & Reinking, 2022) The article outlined the unique challenges of mastering the diverse, irregular correspon- dences between letters and sounds (phonics) in English compared to the regularity of many other alphabetic languages We provided examples and explained how the complexity of English spelling creates and amplifies difficulties in teaching, learning, and applying phonics Our purpose was not to question the importance and viabil- ity of teaching …