Digital Commons Network^™

Pedersen By Proxy: Neutral Wind Drivers Of The Magnetosphere, Shreya Gandhi

Physics and Astronomy Undergraduate Senior Theses

Measurements of Saturn’s radio and magnetic periodicities suggest that atmospheric forcing influences the magnetosphere-coupled current systems on the planet (Gurnett et al., 2007). A proposed mechanism for this phenomenon is that thermospheric heating drives strong neutral winds which drag ionospheric plasma and generate currents that close along magnetic field lines (Smith, 2011). However, the local current-closure physics of these processes is di!cult to isolate in global Saturn models even if they suggest neutral wind forcing is a plausible driver for these changes (Jia et al., 2012). This thesis uses the Earth-based auroral GEMINI (Geospace Environment Model of Ion-Neutral Interactions) model …

Tracing The Seam: Machine Learning Models Of The Open–Closed Boundary From Upstream Solar Wind Drivers, Arnav Singh

Physics and Astronomy Undergraduate Senior Theses

The open–closed magnetic field line boundary (OCB) demarcates closed terrestrial field lines from those threaded into the interplanetary medium, and its latitude encodes the instantaneous balance between dayside and nightside reconnection that governs much of the high-latitude space-weather hazard. No single instrument resolves it globally in real time. In this thesis I close that gap empirically. Pairing nearly three decades (1983–2012) of Defense Meteorological Satellite Program particle-precipitation boundaries with the 5-minute OMNI solar-wind and geomagnetic-index record yields ∼9.1×10⁵ causally matched crossings, partitioned into six hemispheric/MLT sectors after a |MLat| ≥ 40° physics cut.

On this corpus I train three …

Towards Efficient Continual Deep Learning, Md Yousuf Harun

Theses

Modern AI systems can achieve remarkable performance on tasks such as image recognition, object detection, and language understanding, but they often struggle with a basic ability that humans rely on every day: learning continuously. When deep neural networks (DNNs) are updated with new information, they can unexpectedly forget what they previously learned, making them difficult to deploy in changing real-world environments. This dissertation explores how to build AI systems that can learn more like humans: adapting to new data, preserving past knowledge, and using prior experience to learn future tasks more efficiently. Rather than focusing only on preventing forgetting, this …

Show Me The Money: Finance Models In Epilepsy Practice., Deepti Zutshi, Emily Klatte, Maysaa Basha, Leisha Osburn, Eric Segal, Nina Garga, Rohit R Das

Medical Education Articles

Healthcare models and the finances associated with such models are complex. Patients with epilepsy (PWE) receive care in a variety of settings, and each is associated with differing reimbursement, financial levers, as well as unique strengths and weaknesses. As the financial climate of healthcare system changes rapidly in the setting of an aging population, physician shortages, and increasing costs of healthcare delivery, it is important for clinicians to understand the financial aspects of caring for PWE. In this review, we examine basic concepts in healthcare economics and then review the financial aspects of care in an academic context, a private …

Leveraging A Vintage Radio Interface To Explore Media Recommender Systems, Paula Kelly, David Powell, Frank Duignan, Emma Clarke, Damon Berry

Research Outputs: 2025-Present

Older adults often face significant barriers to engaging with and critically evaluating complex, AI-driven systems, leading to potential exclusion and marginalisation. This paper introduces a novel approach leveraging a nostalgic vintage radio platform as a familiar and accessible "bridge"to provoke and facilitate meaningful participatory design discussions about such a system. We present a multidisciplinary design project that utilises the tactile and accessible metaphor of an old-fashioned, table-top wood-cased radio to engage older adults in conversations about the ethical impact and accessibility of contemporary media systems. The platform is used as a discussion toolkit to explore the pros and cons of …

Predicting Cybermindfulness With The Cyber-Health Belief Model, James Robinson, Yan Tian, Thomas Skill

Journal of Cybersecurity Education, Research and Practice

This study describes the development of a Cyber-Health Belief Model (CHBM). The health belief model (HBM) is a message strategy that is widely and successfully used in public health research [1] and has been extended into phish training. Most phish training programs assume  end users are victimized because they have insufficient information to defend themselves. While near-term training effectiveness has shown to be effective, evidence for sustained behavioral change is thin [4]-[7].  This problem indicates that the traditional approaches need to be reconsidered and that new models are needed.  Recent research suggests attentional deficits, cyber-fatigue and fatalism and a sense …

Why Communicating Minimum Drawdown Elevations For Lake Powell And Lake Mead Can Mitigate Risks Of Volatile Colorado River Flow., Brittany Fager, David Rosenberg, Erik Porse

Reports

There is consensus across Reclamation’s hydrologic ensembles that volatile Colorado River flow will continue, including annual drops of 6 million acre-feet of natural flow above Lake Powell. This volatility poses risk that water managers cannot respond fast enough with the consequence that Lake Powell and Lake Mead drawdown so they no longer fulfill their Congressionally legislated purposes: deliver water, generate hydropower, protect native fish, or sustain infrastructure. In this post we suggest four reservoir operational strategies to reduce all those risks: (1) Identify Catastrophic Elevations where we lose the ability to operate reservoirs for one or more legislated purposes, (2) …

Egypt Under Construction: Spectacle, Surprise, And The Politics Of Megaprojects, Grace E. Payne

Geography Undergraduate Senior Theses

No abstract provided.

Creating User-Defined Financial Statement Analysis Functions In Excel, Tom Arnold, Xia (Summer) Liu, Cassandra D. Marshall

Finance Faculty Publications

KEY TAKEAWAYS:

Using Excel’s =LAMBDA and =MAKEARRAY functions, user-defined functions are created to generate (1) sets of ratios covering net working capital, DuPont analysis, and leverage, and (2) a set of related cash flow calculations.

Computing and presenting related ratios and cash flows as a unified set allows for more efficient financial statement analysis.

User-defined functions can be copied from a referenced source file into any new spreadsheet, allowing immediate use in the new file because all associated programming is transferred.

New Results On Three-Sided Skyline Range Counting And Reporting, Suruchi Kushwaha, Yakov Nekrich

Michigan Tech Publications

In the orthogonal skyline range counting (resp. reporting) problem we store the set of points P in a data structure so that for any query range Q the number of points (resp. the list of all points) on the skyline of Q∩P can be found efficiently. In this paper we study two-dimensional range counting and reporting problems in the case when the query range is bounded on three sides. We describe a linear-space data structure that answers top-open three-sided skyline counting queries in O(log log N) time, where N is the number of points stored in the data structure. We …

Parent Cultural Wealth: How Beliefs, Curriculum Familiarity, And Community Awareness Facilitate Home-Based Cs Conversations, Nicol Howard, Leiny Y. Garcia, Jean Ryoo, Julie Flapan, Michelle Choi, Paula Nazario, Wei Wei

Mathematics, Physics, and Computer Science Faculty Articles and Research

Parents are critical influences on children's computer science (CS) pathways, yet families’ involvement remains understudied. Guided by parental involvement and community cultural wealth frameworks, this work-in-progress examined survey data from 53 parents representing families historically underrepresented in computing within California (71% women; 54% Hispanic/Latin/x/e). Findings revealed that CS school curriculum familiarity and awareness of CS community events significantly predicted parent-child CS conversations, while parent CS confidence and attitudes did not, suggesting that curriculum transparency and community connections can promote equitable involvement. Future work will integrate qualitative interviews to examine how families draw upon their cultural wealth.

Effects Of Chronic Experimental N Deposition On Northern Hardwood Forests Fade After Cessation Of N Additions, Eileen C. Reeves, Andrew Burton, Katherine E. Higdon, Jennifer R. Eikenberry

Michigan Tech Publications

Background: Anthropogenic nitrogen (N) deposition has the potential to affect forest ecosystem carbon (C) storage and sequestration both positively and negatively. Effects on aboveground biomass increment seem to be largely positive, but the impact of elevated N inputs on soil microbial systems in forests is often negative, reducing microbial biomass and soil respiration rates. Twenty-four years of experimental N deposition at a rate of 3 g N m⁻² y⁻¹ broadly suppressed soil microorganisms across four northern hardwood forest sites. To assess responses to reductions in chronic N inputs, soil and sugar maple root samples from the study sites …

Describing Hidden Curriculum In An Undergraduate Computing Context, Joseph R. Teahen, Briana C. Bettin, Leo Ureel

Michigan Tech Publications

Hidden Curriculum (HC) is the set of essential knowledge, skills, and norms students are expected to know, but never explicitly taught. HC is disproportionately experienced across identities and communities. In computing education, most research addresses immediately identifiable HC within the researcher's context. While such work is important, without proper HC descriptive studies, we could miss more subtle HC that affects student success. This work presents results from interviews with undergraduate computing faculty, students, and peer mentors on their HC experiences. The results demonstrate several categories of HC including development tools, professional skills, institutional navigation, social well-being, and physical well-being. These …

Assessing Indoor Heat Vulnerability And Cooling Strategies In Three Mobile Home Communities In Boulder, Colorado, Usa, Mehdi P. Heris, Skye Niles, Alana Wilson, Megan Mccurdy, Amy Lacourse, Nick Lankau

Biology, Chemistry, and Environmental Sciences Faculty Articles and Research

Extreme heat is an increasing public health and environmental threat shaped by both physical and social factors. This study assesses the vulnerability of mobile homes and their residents at three mobile home parks in Boulder, Colorado. We examined indoor temperature, housing conditions, and social and personal risk factors of the households. We monitored indoor and outdoor temperatures using 27 indoor and 5 outdoor temperature data loggers, comparing mobile homes with air conditioning, swamp coolers, and passive cooling designs. This work provides a detailed analysis of indoor temperature patterns and demonstrates how evaluating trends yields insights into the performance and effectiveness …

Gunk - Genetic Underwater Nucleic-Acid Collector, Kay Hall, Harumy Miura, Isaac Carlos Hernandez-Nguyen, Oscar Emilio Alvarado Flores

Interdisciplinary Design Senior Theses

Environmental DNA sampling is a powerful and minimally invasive tool for biodiversity assessment and species monitoring. However, existing environmental DNA collection systems are costly, difficult to deploy at depth at low cost and with small teams, non-standardized, and inaccessible to non-technical users. This report presents GUNK, the Georeferenced Underwater Nucleic-acid Kollector, a submersible environmental DNA sampler developed in collaboration with ConservationXLabs and the Santa Clara University Robotics Systems Laboratory. GUNK is designed to address three primary goals: reaching sampling depths unachievable by existing low-cost solutions, reducing the financial barrier associated with environmental DNA research, and ensuring the system is easily …

Late Pleistocene-Holocene Environmental Change From May Pond Sediment Cores And Upland 10be Ages, Adrianna Drindak

Earth Sciences Undergraduate Senior Theses

The goal of this project is to reconstruct the deglaciation and post-glacial environmental conditions of northern Vermont that occurred during the transition from the Pleistocene to the Holocene, ~15,000 to 11,000 years ago. This transition marks a major climatic shift, from a glacial period to an interglacial period, and regionally involved the retreat of the Laurentide Ice Sheet (LIS). The retreat of the LIS influenced the surficial geology of North America, exposing the Earth’s surface, leaving glacial deposits, and carving out proglacial lakes. The timing of ice retreat in the region provides information about past climate conditions, which may inform …

Sample Models Of Nmoer Program Implementation, Jennifer Jordan, Valerie Nye, Christine Goshorn

Models of Institutional Implementation

No abstract provided.

Constraints On Crystallization Conditions From Pseudosection Thermobarometry Of The New World Mining District Porphyries Near Cooke City, Montana, Jacob Jared Gordon

Earth Sciences Undergraduate Senior Theses

The New World Mining District (NWMD), located two miles northeast of Cooke City, Montana, is host to a series of epithermal sills, dikes, and plutons, the intrusion of which is responsible for significant Au-Ag-Cu mineralization. These intrusive bodies were emplaced in the Eocene, potentially contemporaneously with the Heart Mountain Detachment - Earth’s largest subaerial landslide, and have been proposed as a potential trigger for the event. The pre-emplacement crys- tallization conditions for the porphyritic dikes in the region, however, remain unknown and have previously been limited to surface observations. Constraining the magmatic conditions of the in- trusives in the region …

A Comprehensive Review Of Optimization Techniques For Healthcare Using Cancer Datasets, Dina Tbaishat, Mohammad Tubishat, Sharif Naser Makhadmeh, Mohammed Azmi Al-Betar

All Works

This study presents a systematic review of metaheuristic optimization techniques applied to healthcare problems using cancer datasets. A structured search of recently published peer-reviewed literature was carried out, focusing on five major application areas: feature selection, classification, image segmentation, hyperparameter tuning, and early detection. For each eligible study, the optimization strategy, dataset characteristics, data modality, learning model, validation protocol, and reported outcomes are provided. The reviewed works were organized into a taxonomy of original, modified, and hybridized algorithms, and a descriptive analysis was performed to assess algorithm prevalence and dataset utilization. The findings highlight that feature selection remains the most …

Group-Based Psychoeducation For Dissociative Disorders: Reducing Ptsd And Dissociative Symptoms While Enhancing Emotion Regulation And Adaptive Capacity, Laura Hawkins, Stephanie A. Johnson, Sarah Chipps, Aimee Mccann, Kim Foreman, Dayeon Heo, Dongjuan Xu, Rebecca Braughton, Abidemi Mary Ajuwon

School of Nursing Faculty Publications

Objective: This study evaluated the effectiveness of the Finding Solid Ground (FSG) program, delivered through psychoeducational groups, as an adjunct to individual therapy for adults with dissociative disorders (DDs). Method: In this naturalistic study, seventy-two adults with DDs were recruited to participate in a 31-week FSG psychoeducational program across multiple outpatient sites while continuing individual psychotherapy. Participants completed assessments at baseline, midpoint, and endpoint, measuring dissociative symptoms, PTSD symptoms, emotion regulation, and adaptive capacities. Analyses examined changes over time and controlled for demographic variables. Results: Forty-seven participants completed all assessments (70% retention). The sample was predominantly female (81%) and White …

Mission Critical: Supporting An Ecology Of Theatre Criticism In Ireland.: A Report From The Mission Critical Symposium, Tanya Dean

Research Outputs: 2025-Present

The content of the report centres on discussions which took place during and after Mission Critical, a day-long, international symposium hosted by the National Theatre of Ireland, with the support of The Irish Times, which brought together critics, artists, audiences and readers, in November 2025. It is supported by the findings of an audience survey carried out by the Abbey Theatre and follow-up interviews between Dr. Dean and a range of professionals from the theatre sector. The report makes clear the many important functions of criticism, underpinning the need for urgent attention to be paid to its long-term sustainability. It …

Brief Of Amicus Curiae Of The National Law School Veterans Clinic Consortium, In Support Of Petitioner, Johnson V. United States Congress, No. 25-735 (U.S. Supreme Court), Yelena Duterte

Court Documents and Proposed Legislation

No abstract provided.

Invisible Nations: Self-Determination As A Legal Shield For The World’S Last Isolated Peoples, Paige Schacher

San Diego International Law Journal

This Comment examines the legal and ethical considerations of self-determination as applied to the world’s last uncontacted tribes—indigenous communities that live isolated from mainstream society. While the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP) established a foundational framework for uncontacted tribes’ right to self-determination, its implementation in practice faces jurisdictional, ethical, and legal issues. By examining international and domestic legal instruments, case studies from India and Brazil, and the evolving role of artificial intelligence in indigenous land monitoring, this Comment argues that domestic and international bodies must collaborate to enforce more tailored protections to guard the autonomy …

V. 17, 2026 Masthead

San Diego Journal of Climate & Energy Law

No abstract provided.

Land Forward: Planning For Legal Reforms To Facilitate Land Back And Community-Driven Relocation In Response To Climate Change, E. Barrett Ristroph

San Diego Journal of Climate & Energy Law

Indigenous and other place-based communities face the loss of their homes due to climate change. The practices that have led to the current climate crisis have also contributed to the historical dispossession and marginalization of these communities. United States laws and programs already provide for land transfers to federally recognized tribes, home buyouts for households in hazard-prone areas, and community development. But these laws and programs are piecemeal, reactive, and often inaccessible to the communities most in need. They do not provide a streamlined method for tribes to regain lands needed for rematriation and adaptation. Nor do they allow place-based …

How States Can React To The “Summer Of Flooding,” Increase Flood Insurance Coverage, And Improve Flood Resiliency, Perry S. Warren, Esq., Joseph P. Keller, Esq.

San Diego Journal of Climate & Energy Law

Summer 2025 was the United States’ “summer of flooding,” as shown by four one-in-1,000-year rainfall events that occurred during a single week in July. Because flood damage is not covered under a standard homeowners, renters, or commercial insurance policy, many individuals and businesses affected by these storms will face difficulties repairing their property unless they purchased flood insurance. As flood risks increase due to climate change, flood insurance will become increasingly unaffordable unless governments intervene.

In 2024, Pennsylvania became the first and only state that established a Flood Insurance Premium Assistance Task Force. The Task Force issued nine recommendations calculated …

A Fission Decision: The Case For Extending Diablo Canyon’S Nuclear Operation, Isabelle Tyler

San Diego Journal of Climate & Energy Law

This Article examines the regulatory decisions and policy debates surrounding Diablo Canyon in the wake of recent legislation aimed at extending the plant’s operational timeline. Presenting a balanced analysis of the arguments both for and against the closure, this Article explores how the new bill reshapes the conversation around the plant’s future. While proponents of the shutdown emphasize safety concerns and the goal of an all-renewable grid, this Article argues that closing Diablo Canyon would hinder California’s decarbonization efforts and jeopardize energy reliability amid increasing power shortages and extreme weather events. By analyzing legal precedents, energy data, and environmental impacts, …

Unlocking Green Innovation: Navigating Trade Secret Law In The Quest For Sustainable Solutions, Jacob Wright

San Diego Journal of Climate & Energy Law

This Comment explores the tension between trade secret protections and the global demand for climate-related technologies, arguing that a more balanced approach is necessary to align intellectual property law with the public interest. By examining the limits of existing legal frameworks, such as the DTSA, this analysis will highlight how these laws prioritize proprietary interests over environmental needs. It will also propose regulatory strategies that could help bridge this gap, such as expanding compulsory licensing frameworks, implementing public-private partnerships, and introducing public interest exceptions specifically tailored to clean energy technologies. Ultimately, this comment aims to contribute to the ongoing conversation …

Back To Intent: Revamping California’S Flagship Environmental Legislation And Tackling The Rise Of The “Super-Commuter”, Jordan Q. Davis

San Diego Journal of Climate & Energy Law

The passage of the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) in 1970 has long been considered a watershed moment in the evolution of government participation in environmental issues. In the years since, CEQA has played a pivotal role in protecting Californians’ access to the beautiful nature offered by the Golden State. However, the very regulation that has been repeatedly relied upon to breathe clean air and drink clean water may very well be an instrument upon which Californians could return to smog-ridden skies. In this regard, CEQA’s biggest vulnerability may come from a most unexpected place: its strength.

The tools by …

Soaring To New Heights Through The Lens Of The Scarlet Macaw–A Post-Loper Bright Interpretation Of The Endangered Species Act’S “Significant Portion Of Its Range” For A Climate-Driven “Foreseeable Future”, Kathryn Wood

San Diego Journal of Climate & Energy Law

This Comment will argue for particular interpretations of “significant portion of its range” and “foreseeable future” under the ESA to prioritize species preservation in the face of climate change.

The analysis begins by describing key aspects of the ESA, including its historical background, its conceptual definitions, its prescribed method for determining endangered species and threatened species, its listing process, and critical habitat requirements. This Comment then discusses climate change as a source of threat and endangerment “within the foreseeable future,” and whether acts worsening climate change can constitute an unlawful taking. Next, this Comment considers how the Supreme Court’s decision …