Digital Commons Network^™

Pediatric Thyroid Cancer Lung Metastases And Rai: Long-Term Results, Ryan C Mueller, Nikhil Rammohan, Anthony J Apicelli, Ana Maria Arbelaez, Farrokh Dehdashti, Barry A Siegel, Vikas Prasad, Perry W Grigsby, Stephanie Markovina

2020-Current year OA Pubs

OBJECTIVES: Children with differentiated thyroid cancer (DTC) often present with lung metastases but historically have good outcomes. Radioactive iodine (RAI) is commonly used to treat these children. Given the rarity of this condition, little evidence detailing long-term outcomes and risk of radiation pneumonitis exists.

METHODS: We conducted a retrospective analysis of patients < 20 years old who received RAI for DTC lung metastases between 1973 and 2018. Disease-free survival (DFS) was calculated from diagnosis to last follow-up. Overall survival and rates of acute and late radiation pneumonitis were determined by chart review and obituary searches.

RESULTS: Sixteen patients met eligibility criteria. Fourteen presented with thyroid, nodal, and lung disease; one presented with thyroid and nodal disease with nodal and lung recurrence; and one presented with thyroid-only disease with nodal and lung recurrence. All patients underwent thyroidectomy, 10 underwent neck dissection, and four underwent …

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

Departmental Honors & Graduate Capstone Projects

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

Impacts On Knee And Ankle Joint Stiffness During Walk And Stair Negotiation For Individuals With Acl-R And Oa, Genavieve J. Golightly, Nicholas L. Hunt, Tyler N. Brown

2026 Undergraduate Research Showcase

Knee injuries, including those requiring anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction (ACLR), are associated with numerous degenerative outcomes, including the progression of osteoarthritis (OA). Although reconstructive surgery and physical therapy are available treatment options, OA progression following knee joint injury continues to leave many individuals facing premature joint degeneration. Increased joint stiffness is a common consequence of knee joint injury and is seen in many patients who have undergone ACLR, and may be a contributing factor in the acceleration of OA by creating an environment of concentrated stress on knee cartilage, thereby promoting joint degeneration. It is unclear whether knee injuries alter …

The Scarlet - Volume Civ, No. 11 (April 24, 2026), Scarlet Staff

The Scarlet (Student Newspaper) (2011-present)

The April 24, 2026 edition of The Scarlet (est. 1939), Clark University's student-run newspaper. The Scarlet is intellectually and editorially independent of the University.

Between The Middle Kingdom And The Middle Way: An Analysis Of State Power And Sacred Authority In The Sino-Tibet Conflict, Madison M. Berry, Aimee N. Ebeling, Jayden A. Hanson

Pepperdine Journal of Communication Research

This research paper addresses the growing concerns of the Sino-Tibetan conflict by analyzing the relationship between the People’s Republic of China (PRC) and the Tibetan Autonomous Region (TAR) through an intercultural communication and negotiation lens. By analyzing historical relationships between the two parties and comparing them to similar contemporary situations, this paper examines the sinicization of the Tibetan people. By exploring the “Old Tibet” and “New Tibet” narratives, while acknowledging the centrality of the Dalai Lama to both parties, it also addresses territorial disagreements and the contrasting understandings of sovereignty and modernization, which fuel the conflict. Finally, a policy framework …

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

Pepperdine Journal of Communication Research

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

Variable Arm Reach Extender (Vare), Matthew Gorton, Adam Johnson, Kaleem Bocus, Quin Fredrickson, Vaughn Havins, James Koethe, Leira Maynard, David Mierzejewski, James Moore, Joonhyung Si

Mechanical and Civil Engineering Student Publications

Approximately 6.7% of the US population suffer from physical disabilities, producing the need for assistive devices. Amongst assistive equipment, reach-extenders have a 64% dissatisfaction rate..

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

Research and Creativity Symposium

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

Click Reactions With Surface-Bound Phosphonate Films Toward An Electrocatalytic System For Carbon Dioxide Reduction, Iaroslavna Kovalenko, Emma J. Goehner, K. Nicole Crowder

Research and Creativity Symposium

One way to electrochemically reduce CO₂ is to use modified electrode surfaces with bound transition-metal electrocatalysts. Optimal conditions for modifying copper surfaces with a 1.0 mM solution of (2-azidoethyl) phosphonic acid in acetone have been identified, forming a self-assembled monolayer (SAM) via the tethering by aggregation and growth (T-BAG) method. The SAM protects the copper electrodes from oxidation or side reactions on the copper surface. The copper-catalyzed azide-alkyne cycloaddition (CuAAC) click reaction between the terminal azide group on the phosphonate and the terpyridine ligand has been successfully carried out on the copper surface. This terpyridyl ligand was then used …

April 24, 2026 Minutes, Swosu Faculty Senate

Faculty Senate Minutes

No abstract provided.

“Tolling For The Outcast”: A Therapeutic Jurisprudence Consideration Of The Relationship Between The Americans With Disabilities Act, Death Row Conditions, And Capital Punishment, Michael L. Perlin, Esq., Talia Roitberg Harmon, Maren Geiger, Chelsea Henning

San Diego Law Review

The press has regularly reported on the level of abysmal conditions on death rows in those states that have retained capital punishment. Death-row prisoners are often incarcerated in solitary confinement, and are subject to much more deprivation and harsher conditions than other prisoners. As a result, many experience declining mental health, and it has become clear that persons with mental illness are disproportionately put to death. Some litigants have turned to the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) as a potential source of relief; the Supreme Court’s decision in Pennsylvania Department of Corrections v. Yeskey underscored that the act’s language “unmistakably …

Thou Shall Not Compel Speech: Public Educators’ Free Speech Rights In The Face Of Louisiana’S “Ten Commandments” Law And Other Rules Compelling Private Expression From Public School Teachers, Kailey A. Olsson

San Diego Law Review

First Amendment jurisprudence has significantly evolved within the past decade as the Supreme Court has expanded religious protections, further developed the Compelled-Speech Doctrine, and narrowed what public school activities are considered violations of the Establishment Clause.  There is no other U.S. Supreme Court case that illustrates these monumental shifts in First Amendment interpretation quite like Kennedy v. Bremerton School District.  Writing for the majority, Justice Gorsuch found that a public school district could not suppress the personal religious expression of a football coach, even when that coach led a prayer activity with other football players and within view of other …

The Atmospheric Effects On The Extratropical Transition Of Hurricane Sandy, Natalie Paone

Ocean Engineering and Marine Sciences Student Publications

• Hurricane Sandy formed in the Caribbean in late October 2012 and intensified to a Category 3 hurricane before making landfall in Cuba and later New Jersey (Blake et al., 2013). Sandy caused approximately $68.7 billion in damages and over 250 fatalities, making it one of the most impactful storms in U.S. history. 
• During extratropical transition (ET), tropical cyclones interact with midlatitude systems, leading to structural changes such as expansion of the wind field, development of frontal boundaries, and increased baroclinicity (Hart and Evans, 2001). Sandy is a key example of a hybrid cyclone where ET did not weaken impacts but …

Tiny Engineers: How Polycheateworms Can Extend Sedimentary Oxic Layers And Create Better Seagrass Habitats, Natalie Spohn

Ocean Engineering and Marine Sciences Student Publications

The Indian River Lagoon (IRL) is a shallow, well mixed estuary on the East Coast of Florida. Presently, the IRL is suffering eutrophication due to a cycle of harmful algal blooms (HABs) that deplete the water column of oxygen (2,5). Deposition of organic matter from HABs in the sediment leads to reduced sedimentary oxygen, continuing to support the cycle of eutrophication through benthic-pelagic coupling (1,5). Anaerobic sedimentary conditions can increase concentrations of ammonium and sulfide, leading to seagrass loss (3,4,6,7,10). Bioturbation by infauna can extend the oxic layer of sediments, promoting aerobic processes and helping to remove nitrogen and sulfur …

Ontogeny Of Microbial Community Structure In Shoal Grass Grown In Biochar-Amended Sediments, Sajeda Slhoub, Nicole Katz, Joey Ciocher, Jack Denvir, Jenisse Louis, Katelynn Zagami

Ocean Engineering and Marine Sciences Student Publications

The Indian River Lagoon (IRL) is one of the most biologically diverse estuaries in the United States and contributes over $55.4 billion annually to Florida’s economy. Since 2010, more than 52% of the IRL seagrass meadows have been lost, reducing both the ecological and the economic potential of this ecosystem. Biochar, a stable carbon material produced by pyrolysis, added to soil enhance organic productivity perhaps because of increased microbial activity in the soil (Lehmann et al., 2017). Our study evaluates the use of biochar to grow resilient strains of seagrass for ecosystem restoration in the IRL.

N.A.U.T.I.L.U.S.: Natural Aquaculture Using Technology In Living Underwater Systems, Joey Ciocher, Abby Vallejo, Will Marble, Martin Pham, Roger Jiang

Ocean Engineering and Marine Sciences Student Publications

Marine protected areas (MPAs) are small subsets of marine ecosystems with limited to no access to exploitation to promote sustainability and growth of healthy populations of marine organisms. Factors that affect the performance of MPAs include Size, Age, Level of Protection, Enforcement and Compliance, Isolation and Connectivity, and Habitat Quality and Diversity.

Thermoelectric Migraine Cooling Cap, Emily Ralston

Ocean Engineering and Marine Sciences Student Publications

Migraines affect millions of people and can cause serious pain and discomfort. Many people use ice packs or cooling wraps to try to reduce the pain, but these only stay cold for a short amount of time. Because of this, there is a need for a cooling system that can provide longer and more controlled cooling. This project focuses on designing and building a wearable cooling cap that uses thermoelectric cooling technology. The goal is to create a system that can cool the head while moving heat away toward the neck area and help reduce migraine discomfort.

Recycling Spent Brewing Yeast As A Shrimp Feed Supplement, John Denvir

Ocean Engineering and Marine Sciences Student Publications

The aquaculture industry relies heavily on commercial fish feed, which accounts for over 50% of production costs and limits farm profitability worldwide[1]. Breweries generate about 3 gallons of high-strength wastewater per gallon of beer produced, much of it discarded as an oxygen-depleting pollutant from spent yeast[2]. Therefore, this project tests recycling spent brewer's yeast into a sustainable fish feed supplement to cut aquaculture costs and divert brewery waste from waterways, promoting circular food systems.

Factors Contributing To The Intensity Of Two 2022 Lake Effect Snowstorms At Lake Erie, Johnny Murray

Ocean Engineering and Marine Sciences Student Publications

• Lake effect snow (LES) is a weather phenomenon in which cold mass air passes over relatively warm waters, forming localized bands of snowfall. (Niziol, 1987) 
• LES events are common during the winter months in Buffalo, NY due to the city’s location along the northeastern edge of Lake Erie.
• November 17-20 and December 23-27 in 2022 were two prominent LES events.
• Total maximum snowfall for the events were 81.2” in Nov and 51.9” in Dec. 
• High snowfall totals were in part due to the length of these events, being ~60 hours in Nov, and ~120 hours in Dec.

Correlation Between Particulate Matter And Aerosol Optical Depth Following The 2023 Wildfire Smoke Event In Nyc, Trinity Abraham

Ocean Engineering and Marine Sciences Student Publications

• In June 2023, Canadian wildfires transported smoke into NE U.S., impacting air quality in places such as NYC (Figure 1)
• Climate change increases wildfire frequency and intensity, raising the likelihood of future longrange smoke transport events (NASA, 2025) 
• PM₂.₅ and PM₁₀ refers to the mixture of solid particles and liquid droplets in the air that can penetrate the respiratory system (U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 2025)
• AOD measures how light is affected by aerosols, with higher AOD indicating greater aerosol concentrations (NASA Earth Data)
• Investigating the relationship between AOD and surface PM concentrations can improve early warning systems to support preparedness …

Microgravity Simulator, Aruna Dookeran, Alexander Montano, Elias Orellana, Aiden Smart

Ocean Engineering and Marine Sciences Student Publications

Microgravity significantly affects biological growth, but space-based experiments are costly and difficult to access. Ground-based systems provide an alternative; however, many require continuous manual supervision to maintain operating conditions.

Gamma Ray Burst Afterglow Slopes, Brian Robbins

Aerospace, Physics, and Space Science Student Publications

The standard models for gamma ray bursts (GRBs) typically assume that shockaccelerated electrons follow a power law distribution of energies. However, this behavior is not what some gamma ray bursts show. In this project, it is suggested that the presence of thermal electrons causes temporal and spectral structure across the afterglow, which is significantly different from models assuming a pure power-law distribution of electrons. To model the afterglows, we decide on a large number of samples of GRBs from the Swift database and obtain the temporal and spectral indices at arbitrary times. By finding the temporal and spectral indices at …

Exploring The Viability Of Pgpbs In Martian Regolith Agriculture, Nathan Kawalski, Mckenna Taylor, Andew Palmer, John Z. Kiss

Aerospace, Physics, and Space Science Student Publications

Background:

Humanity's first Martian settlement will need a readily available and replenishable food source. However, Martian regolith has no microbiome, little nitrogen, becomes compacted when watered, and has many toxic compounds such as perchlorates.

Dual-Lev: A Dual-Axis Ultrasonic Acoustic Levitator, Trevor Hennington, Alyx Mason

Aerospace, Physics, and Space Science Student Publications

sound waves to create a standing wave, where regions of high and low pressure form stable nodes that can trap small objects. The upward acoustic radiation force at these nodes balances gravity, allowing the object to float in midair. This technology is applicable in various fields such as chemistry, biological engineering, and sub-gravity simulation. It can also be used for drop dynamics studies, crystallization, and

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

UNF Student Research Symposium

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

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

Honors Capstone Projects and Theses

No abstract provided.

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

Honors Capstone Projects and Theses

No abstract provided.

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

Honors Capstone Projects and Theses

No abstract provided.

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

Michigan Tech Publications

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

Assessment Of Goose-Beaked Whale Responsesto Mid-Frequency Active Sonar Usinga Hierarchical Hidden Markov Model, Stacy L. De Ruiter, Erin A. Falcone, Shannon N. Coates, Brenda K. Rone, David A. Sweeney, Karin A. Dolan, Susan M. Jarvis, Russel D. Andrews, Stephanie L. Watwood, Gregory S. Schorr

University Faculty Publications and Creative Works

Background

Acoustic disturbance is increasingly recognized as an ecological concern, particularly at sea. In light of marine mammal stranding events associated with use of naval mid-frequency active sonar (MFAS), which often involve goose-beaked whales (Ziphius cavirostris), research has sought to detect and characterize Ziphius behavioral responses to MFAS.

Methods

We deployed Sound and Motion Recording and Telemetry (SMRT) tags on 13 Ziphius in the Southern California Bight. The study area includes the United States Navy’s Southern California Anti-submarine Warfare Range (SOAR), and deployments overlapped temporally with training exercises including MFAS use. We used hierarchical hidden Markov models (HHMMs), which provided …