Digital Commons Network^™

Optimizing Fire Station Placement In Sugar Land, Tx: A Socioeconomic Risk-Based Approach, Alicia Gallemore

Data Science Undergraduate Honors Theses

Fire station placement has a critical role in emergency response efficiency and community safety. Traditional optimization models focus on mainly the minimization of response times and the maximization of coverage. However, this approach may overlook potential socioeconomic disparities that can influence emergency demand. This study seeks to expand upon the existing project of zoning a fire station in Sugar Land, TX, by integrating spatial road network analysis and publicly available census data—including population density, median household income, and age-based vulnerability—into a Maximal Coverage Location Problem (MCLP) framework. Using a road network-based travel time with realistic constraints, the goal is to …

Attribute Based Assortment Using Machine-Learning, Hector Negron

Data Science Undergraduate Honors Theses

Retail success is influenced by a store's demographic and environmental context, both of which impact item-level sales performance. This study applies machine learning techniques to optimize item allocation based on club attributes at Sam’s Club locations. By analyzing store- specific factors such as proximity to universities, income levels, and regional preferences, the research identifies patterns that contribute to product demand. The results offer insights into how clubs can enhance inventory decisions, improving sales outcomes while reducing inefficiencies. This study reinforces the value of data-driven retail strategies and presents a practical framework for implementing predictive models in a real-world business context.

Shortage To Surge - Studying The Post-Covid-19 Guitar Retail Market, Jed H. Kim

Data Science Undergraduate Honors Theses

The COVID-19 pandemic was one of the most catalyzing events of the 21st century, leading to supply chain disruptions, lifestyle changes, and a massive shift towards digital technologies. During the COVID-19 lockdown, many people had more free time, and over 16 million individuals learned to play guitar in the first 2 years of the pandemic. According to a study by Fender, 62% of these new guitar learners cited the pandemic as their primary reason for learning the instrument. However, pandemic policies and supply chain disruptions meant that many guitar retailers were unable to satisfy demand, and backorders accumulated. After the …

Computer Vision In Soccer: Yolov11 Analytics Engine For Quantifying Game Strategy, Connor S. Maurer

Data Science Undergraduate Honors Theses

Single-shot object detection capabilities significantly reduce computational overhead for real-time computer vision in sports analytics at 60 FPS. YOLO11’s lightweight CNN gives promising accuracy while meeting the low-latency demand of dynamic soccer matches. As data-driven approaches take over the sport of soccer, efficient player tracking systems become critical for informing coach’s strategies. I prototype the ETL (Extract, Transform, Load) process of data collected from a single- shot detection program and evaluate its viability for estimating player fatigue. YOLO11 detects players, the ball, and other characteristics, with the output transformed by homography to estimate the positions in the real world. These …

Reinforcement Learning, Modeling Markets, And Professional Basketball Free Agency, Jacob Cohn

Computational and Data Sciences (PhD) Dissertations

This dissertation presents a reinforcement learning-based approach to modeling and optimizing decision-making in professional basketball free agency and related economic environments. A Markov Decision Process (MDP) framework is introduced to capture the strategic interactions of NBA teams bidding for free agents under budgetary and roster constraints. To address computational scalability challenges, a reinforcement learning (RL) environment is developed, leveraging Proximal Policy Optimization (PPO) to approximate optimal policies for team decision-making.

Empirical results demonstrate that the RL agent successfully learns strategic bidding behavior that aligns with dynamic programming benchmarks in simplified settings while scaling effectively to larger, intractable environments. The study …

The Art Of Disability And Identity: Using Arts-Based Methods To Examine The Relationships Between Disability, Identity, And Identity Development For Young, Disabled, Women In Higher Education, Amelia Holzer

Education (PhD) Dissertations

Within higher education, much of the research surrounding education and students with disabilities revolves around accommodations, and critiques of structural barriers to access. Further, disability within the context of higher education is often thought of through the lens of “service” and support for students with disabilities in higher education often takes a medical model approach of “curing” the student and “treating” their disability with accommodations (e.g., additional testing time), instead of acknowledging the environmental, social, and cultural factors within the classroom, or outside the classroom that may be causing the impairment. There is a noticeable gap in the higher education …

Drug-Induced Hyperpigmentation Due To Levofloxacin, Miriam Motlak, Steven Manders

Cooper Rowan Medical Journal

Drug-induced hyperpigmentation is responsible for up to 20% of acquired hyperpigmentation cases, especially among the elderly population. The pathogenesis varies depending on the medication involved and may include melanin accumulation, drug deposition, production of special pigments, and iron deposition. We report the case of an elderly, immunocompromised patient with a history significant for leukemia presenting with black-blue hyperpigmentation of the upper and lower extremities, associated with iron deposition following levofloxacin exposure.

...Of Cabbages And Kings, Spring 2025, Emeriti Society, University Of The Pacific

Emeriti Newsletter: "...Of Cabbages and Kings"

"...Of Cabbages and Kings" is the newsletter of the University of the Pacific Emeriti Society. Read more about the Emeriti Society of Pacific by clicking here.

A Brief Social Skills Intervention And Its Effect On Elementary Students’ Social Behaviors, Elizabeth A. Kleitz, Namuna Sunar, Darson Rhodes, Carol Cox

Undergraduate Research (Journal)

Student social skill improvement interventions are primarily conducted at the school site. Students also need social skills to navigate out-of-school time, and more focus on the elementary level is advised. Successful interventions are developmentally appropriate for the age group and focus on skill building. In this study, puppetry was the developmentally appropriate strategy used to teach a social skills-building curriculum. Trained volunteers presented four short, weekly lessons on positive social skill development to elementary students attending their district’s afterschool program. Pre-post intervention, student social skill knowledge scores significantly improved, and afterschool teachers reported significant decreases in student emotional problems and …

Front Matter, Alesa Liles

Undergraduate Research (Journal)

No abstract provided.

The Impact Of Acute Beetroot Juice Supplementation On Resting Cardiovascular Responses In Young Women, Manuel Munoz Ii, Robert L. Herron

Undergraduate Research (Journal)

Research has shown that acute supplementation with dietary nitrate will increase the amount of circulating nitrate, boosting NO bioavailability via the nitrate-nitrite-NO pathway, providing enhanced vasodilation. There are limited dietary nitrate studies including young, healthy female participants. The purpose of this study was to investigate the influence of acute dietary nitrate, via beet root juice (BRJ) supplementation, on resting heart rate and blood pressure in young, healthy women. A total of 11 women (aged 18-22) performed a repeated-measures, placebo-controlled, counter-balanced, crossover design investigated the impact of dietary nitrate on the cardiovascular system’s resting measurements after one hour. All participants completed …

Associations Between Fruit And Vegetable Availability, Parental Feeding Practices, And Picky Eating During Toddlerhood, Naomi Popoolapade, Jennifer Barton

Undergraduate Research (Journal)

Picky eating has been associated with decreased diet quality among young children, thus exploring strategies that parents can use to decrease picky eating behaviors is crucial. In the present study, we sought to examine two objectives: whether 1) home availability of vegetables and fruit at 12 months is associated with picky eating at 36 months; and 2) parental feeding practices, particularly pressure to eat and restriction, at 12 months is associated with picky eating at 36 months. Longitudinal data were drawn from the [blinded for review] birth cohort (n = 468 families). At 12 months, research assistants and mothers completed …

Belmont Fitness And Recreation External Communication Audit, Kasey Scott

SPARK Symposium Presentations

This audit provides a comprehensive audit of the organization’s current communication strategies, channels, and messages to better advise how to maximize their communication efforts. The Belmont University Fitness and Recreation Program is currently facing significant challenges in effectively communicating with and marketing its services to its target audience, which includes students, faculty, and staff. Despite offering a wide range of fitness and recreational activities designed to promote health and well-being, the program has struggled to raise awareness about its offerings to some of their target audience. The lack of clear, engaging communication strategies, along with a consistent presence across key …

University Of Minnesota Morris Constitution And By-Laws, May 2025 Revision, University Of Minnesota - Morris

Constitution and By-laws

No abstract provided.

Equipping The Saints For The Work Of Ministry In The East London Church, Andrew C. Fleming

Doctor of Ministry Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this project was to implement a qualitative evaluation process to measure the progress of the East London Church’s transition toward a flatter team-based ministry model. The research evaluated the effectiveness, fitness for purpose, and procedural weaknesses of the church's articulated leadership goals, which included equipping members for ministry, increasing member involvement, forming ministry teams, and sharing power and resources. The study employed a mixed-methods approach, integrating quantitative data from two Church Health Assessment (CHA) surveys separated by a three-year interval with qualitative insights from focus groups to provide a comprehensive understanding of the transition process. The CHA …

Hearing God's Word Through Ecclesial Listening, Nathan Burrow

Doctor of Ministry Theses and Dissertations

This project dissertation was designed to enhance ecclesial listening when sermons are preached at the Hillcrest Church of Christ. The challenge of listening to the Word of God in a way that forms community is not unique to Hillcrest. It is a common problem for preachers and churches today. Our context, marked by shifts in church membership, societal division, and the isolating effects of digital culture, calls for a renewed emphasis on listening as a church community. This project explores the ways in which we can cultivate practices that encourage ecclesial listening—a way of hearing the preached Word that draws …

Time Variant Particle Swarm Optimization For Autonomous Dynamic Rescue And Recovery, Kyle Sanders

Master's Theses and Capstones

Rescue and recovery missions on extraterrestrial sites are an inevitable necessity, especiallywith increased extraterrestrial exploration. Robotic and crewed missions provide significant challenges due to budgetary restrictions and time constraints. Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO) techniques leverage shared swarm knowledge for solution convergence. However, traditional PSO exhibits performance degradation in dynamic scenarios. The author presents Time-Variant Particle Swarm Optimization (TVPSO), which weighs newer measurements higher than previously held values. This is achieved through implementation of a configurable comparison function as part of the survival of the fittest logical calculations. Three versions of this comparison function are evaluated (exponential, linear, and logistic) against …

High Stakes, Low Barriers: The Role Of Technology And Regulation In The Rise Of Online Sports Gambling, Conner Martin

North Carolina Journal of Law & Technology

No abstract provided.

Is Your Employer Watching You?: Invasive Employee Surveillance In The Modern Era, Madigan Wolford

North Carolina Journal of Law & Technology

No abstract provided.

Exploring Mimicry And Visual Communication In Woodpeckers: A Field Study Utilizing 3d-Printed Models, Lauren M. Smith

Biology Theses

The evolution of similar phenotypes poses an interesting challenge in evolutionary biology. While divergent ecologies may drive differing morphology, physiology, or behavior, similar phenotypes are often due to similar ecology or selection for mimicry. One prominent case of mimetic phenotypes is found in hairy and downy woodpeckers. While several hypotheses might explain the hairy-downy mimicry complex, I aimed to assess the idea that downy woodpeckers benefit from resembling hairy woodpeckers. To test this hypothesis, I used 3D-printed models of various woodpecker species in the field. These models were painted with colors that resemble woodpecker species. The experimental conditions were 3D …

Filipino American Cultural Beliefs, Perceptions Of Autism, And Help-Seeking Behaviors, Swathi Menon

Psychological Science Undergraduate Honors Theses

Background: Filipinos carry a unique culture that is deeply rooted in ideas of family, community, religion, and honor. When Filipinos immigrated to the United States, these values followed and have organically passed down through generations. Studies have explored how Filipino Americans feel about the healthcare system and how Southeast Asians perceive mental health conditions, such as autism. Current research lacks how Filipino culture has impacted Filipino Americans’ perceptions of autism and their help-seeking behaviors if their child were to receive an autism diagnosis. Methods: Participants were asked questions about their cultural values, presented with a vignette depicting an autistic child …

Calming Music As An Emotion Regulation Technique In Response To A Traumatic Sexual Assault Narrative, Mia A. Iandolo

Psychological Science Undergraduate Honors Theses

Experiencing a sexual assault often results in lasting psychological trauma that inhibits the person’s ability to function, so coping strategies are needed to reduce those symptoms. This study was done to understand the effect of listening to calming music (vs silence) on both anxiety levels and memory recall following the description of a sexual assault. It was hypothesized that listening to calming music would decrease both anxiety and memory levels in a manner that the association between music and memory would be at least partially mediated by anxiety levels. Participants (N=99; 68% female; 84% White; 87% heterosexual) came …

The Association Of Fear Of Being Single And Willingness To Tolerate Relationship Baggage In Single People, Rachel K. Wilbourn

Psychological Science Undergraduate Honors Theses

When evaluating their romantic relationships, people may choose to remain in their relationships or leave their relationships for a variety of reasons. One major factor in relationship evaluation is learning about the costs (i.e. negative characteristics or attachments) a partner brings to the relationship. Although research has examined relationship costs and how they may affect relationship evaluation, little research has explored what individual differences may predispose a person to remain in a relationship where a partner may bring costs. This study examined how people’s fear of being single may be associated with their willingness to tolerate relationship “baggage” (i.e. enduring …

The Effect Of Self-Esteem And Social Ostracism On Conspiratorial Thinking, Kayla G. Blevins

Psychological Science Undergraduate Honors Theses

With the rise of misinformation in America today, conspiracy theories and the conditions that influence them have increasingly become a topic of focus for researchers. This study investigated whether social exclusion increases belief in conspiracy theories, and how this relationship is impact by self-esteem among other individual factors. Participants (N = 309) were randomly assigned to recall either a personal experience of social exclusion or their last trip to the grocery store. They then completed randomized measures assessing conspiratorial beliefs, self-esteem, loneliness, and need for uniqueness. Contrary to expectations, no significant differences were found between the exclusion and control groups …

Mitigating Nitrogen Losses: The Role Of Enhanced Efficiency Fertilizers In Sustainable Corn Production, Dipesh Giri

Department of Agronomy and Horticulture: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Nitrogen (N) is essential for crop production, but its inefficient use often leads to environmental losses through nitrate leaching, ammonia volatilization, and nitrous oxide (N₂O) emissions. Enhanced efficiency fertilizers (EEFs), such as nitrification inhibitors (NIs) and urease inhibitors (UIs), have been developed to minimize these losses and improve nitrogen use efficiency (NUE). This research combined a multi-year field experiment and a controlled laboratory study to evaluate how dual-inhibitor fertilizers compare to conventional urea and single-inhibitor formulations in Nebraska cropping systems. The main objective was to understand how nitrogen inhibitors influence N availability, crop performance, and nitrogen losses across different environmental …

Improving Nitrogen Management And Corn Productivity Through Enhanced Efficiency Fertilizer And Cover Crop Integration In Nebraska Cropping Systems, Madhusudhan Adhikari

Department of Agronomy and Horticulture: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Effective nitrogen (N) management is vital for sustaining corn yield and reducing environmental impacts in Nebraska cropping systems. Three field studies were conducted to evaluate the impact of 1) fertilizer type (anhydrous ammonia [AA] with nitrification inhibitor: enhanced efficiency fertilizer [EEF] or AA without EEF) and N application timing (pre-plant vs. split with side-dress UAN) on in-season soil N availability, crop response, nitrous oxide (N₂O) emissions, residual soil N and N use efficiencies (NUEs); 2) winter cover crop (CC) species and crop rotation variability on CC biomass production, N uptake, soil N dynamics, and cash crop performance in …

Extending Cover Crop Growing Window To Improve The Health Of Environmentally Sensitive Soils, Noshin Ara Tunazzina

Department of Agronomy and Horticulture: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Sloping and sandy soils are highly susceptible to degradation. The health of these soils could be improved with cover crops (CCs). However, CC effectiveness in improving soil health mainly depends on CC biomass production, which is often low in temperate regions. The question is: how can we increase CC biomass production? Lengthening the CC growing window can be a potential strategy. This study assessed how 1) interseeded and terminated early (2-3 weeks before crop planting) CC, 2) interseeded and terminated late (at crop planting) CC, 3) drilled (after harvest) and terminated early CC, 4) drilled and terminated late CC, and …

Special-Purpose Governments, Conor Clarke, Henry Hansmann

University of Chicago Law Review

When one thinks of government, what comes to mind are familiar generalpurpose entities like states, counties, cities, and townships. But more than half of the ninety thousand governments in the United States are strikingly different: they are “special-purpose” governments that do one thing, such as supply water, fight fire, or pick up the trash. These entities have expanded far more rapidly than any other form of government. Yet they remain understudied, and they present at least two puzzles. First, special-purpose governments are difficult to distinguish from entities that are typically regarded as business organizations—such as consumer cooperatives—and thus underscore the …

Querying The Ecological Sublime: Colonial Aesthetics, Anticolonial Thought, And The ‘Double Fracture’, Tacuma Peters

Publications and Research

This article examines the ecological sublime in its relationship to the history of colonial aesthetics, anticolonial thought, and contemporary colonialism. It argues that, while Edmund Burke utilized the sublime in support of colonialism (including settler colonialism) in North America and colonial slavery, Samson Occom and Ottobah Cugoano developed versions of the sublime to contest British colonialism in the Americas. The history of this aesthetic contestation has not been represented in scholarship on the ecological sublime, which, this article shows, has a vexed relationship with historical and contemporary colonialism. The article argues that the ecological sublime exhibits the “double fracture” of …

What Is A Jury?, Wanling Su, Rahul Goravara

North Carolina Law Review

No abstract provided.