Digital Commons Network^™

Reimagining Less-Than-Truckload Pricing Development In Competitive Bid Environments With Artificial Intelligence, Lawson C. Levin

Data Science Undergraduate Honors Theses

This undergraduate thesis explores how data analytics and engineering judgment are used to support pricing decisions in the less-than-truckload (LTL) freight market. It’s based on an internship with ArcBest Corporation. It explains the company’s background, its role in the LTL market, and the responsibilities of a Pricing and Supply Chain Engineer within the Yield department.

Most of the internship was spent evaluating requests for proposals (RFPs), in which a negotiating third party provides a customer’s shipment data that must be cleaned, analyzed, and translated into a comprehensive pricing offer. Using the Data Science Analytics Process as a framework, this thesis …

Prescribing Company Action Through Machine Learning And Ai, Breck T. Husong

Data Science Undergraduate Honors Theses

The purpose of this research is to implement an OpenAI Reinforced Learning prescription-giving model for improving sales on a week-by-week basis. The data used comes from a segment of High Impact Analytics’s sales data that has been anonymized for proprietary reasons. The features among the data include inventory numbers, shipments in transit, total quantity and dollars of products sold each week for the past 2 years, all aggregated at the store-item-week level. In order to build this model, Tigramite, a causal discovery model combined with prediction models XGBoost, Linear Regression, Ridge Regression, Lasso Regression, Scikit-learn’s MLP, and Keras’s Neural Model …

A Comparative Machine Learning Framework For Identifying Ai-Generated Versus Real Celebrity Faces, Sidney Gehring

Data Science Undergraduate Honors Theses

The rapid advancements in the world of generative artificial intelligence has enabled the creation of highly realistic fictitious facial images, raising concerns about authenticity and bias in computer vision systems. This study investigates the capabilities of machine learning models to distinguish between real and artificially generated facial images across gender and race focusing on celebrity imagery. Four datasets were used against the classification model, each trained on images of a single celebrity within distinct demographic groups: White women, White men, Black women, and Black men. For each group, real images are paired with AI-generated counterparts designed to closely replicate the …

A Forecasting Framework For Distribution Center Capacity Utilization: An Applied Industry Study, Jordan J. Shortt

Data Science Undergraduate Honors Theses

This project develops and evaluates a predictive modeling framework for forecasting distribution center capacity utilization at Company Y, with monthly forecast horizons up to one year. Motivated by the operational challenges of seasonal demand volatility, promotional cycles, and the absence of a formally defined capacity metric, the study first constructs a historical capacity utilization measure from raw warehouse management system data — reconciling item volumes, location dimensions, and utilization factors across all DCs — which serves as the target variable for all modeling work. Four models are developed and evaluated against a naïve seasonal baseline: SARIMA, LightGBM, LSTM, and a …

Developing Tracking Compliance Standards For Inbound Freight: A Data-Driven Industry Application At O’Reilly Automotive, Jackson Endacott

Data Science Undergraduate Honors Theses

Visibility of inbound freight is critical for managing operational efficiency, yet many organizations lack standardized compliance metrics for third-party carriers to uphold, preventing them from utilizing tracking data to make data-driven decisions. During a summer internship with the Transportation Department at O’Reilly Automotive, data inconsistencies were addressed in the Transportation Management System (TMS), and that data was utilized to create tracking compliance standards for third-party carriers. Data populated from various sources within O’Reilly’s TMS was cleaned, validated, and utilized to create a Tracking Scorecard that evaluates message transmission rates, timeliness, and errors. This tool provides actionable insights to improve tracking …

The Reliance On Children In Atomic Bomb Literature, Chenyeng Vang

English Undergraduate Honors Theses

This paper explores the conventions of children’s literature, or what children embody in literature, and how it functions within atomic bomb literature in three ways: filling the gap of the unreliability of language, pushing past binaries through its queerness, and universalizing messages of peace to focus on a broad vision of a better future. Analysis involves atomic bomb literature written within the first five decades of the bombings, from 1945 to 1995. This research additionally seeks to answer the question: why children’s stories? This paper concludes that the dependence on children within atomic bomb literature hinges upon constructions of children …

Industry Analysis: Consulting Industry, Mckinsey & Company, Lucia Blaha

Theses & ETDs

The thesis analyzes the consulting industry using the Structure–Conduct–Performance (SCP) framework to study McKinsey & Company operations in Germany. The consulting market shows overall market fragmentation, but the high-end strategy market remains dominated by McKinsey, Boston Consulting Group, and Bain & Company (Statista, 2024). McKinsey uses premium pricing together with its worldwide operational capabilities to maintain its dominant market position, which receives constant backing from major corporations and government organizations. The study also examines German and U.S. consulting markets to demonstrate their fundamental differences in structure and operational practices. The U.S. market experiences rapid growth together with new innovations, while …

The Theory Of Structure, Conduct, And Performance: Btg Pactual In The Brazilian Banking And Capital Markets Industry, Gabriela Dos Santos De Medeiros

Theses & ETDs

This paper analyzes the structure and performance of the Brazilian investment banking market, with a specific focus on the performance of BTG Pactual. Using the Structure-Conduct-Performance paradigm and oligopoly theory, this study examines the behavior of firms within the industry to understand the dynamics that shape the performance of the investment banking sector, including the influence of a market structure marked by high concentration and substantial entry barriers on firm profitability and business strategy. The analysis examines BTG Pactual’s business strategy, emphasizing its diverse income sources from advisory, underwriting, trading and asset management business lines.

Learning English Through Music, Rafaela Espindola De Nascimento

Language Study as a Gateway to the Humanities

No abstract provided.

Implementing Engagement Strategies For Growth On Twitch, Chandler Gravely

Communications and Digital Media Theses

Online media sites have changed how viewers’ are taking in content in addition to how content creators engage with their audiences. One of these sites that has proven itself as the main source for live-streaming content, is Twitch. Despite how popular the site is, there is a lack of research on how individual creators can use growth and engagement methods over a period of time to help grow an audience and viewer base. This study will look at how doing so over a three-month period can provide valuable insight into expanding one’s viewer base and channel on Twitch. In order …

Making As A Method For Knowledge Production, Nithikul Nimkulrat, Camilla Groth

DRS Summer Meetings

No abstract provided.

Exergames And Motivation To Exercise, Nathaniel Clark

Theses & ETDs

Physical inactivity is a significant public health concern, and motivation has been identified as a key barrier to regular exercise. This thesis investigates exergames, video games that require physical activity to play, as a means of increasing exercise motivation and physical activity. Chapter 1 describes the Exertron 5000, a custom exergame system developed in Godot, a free and open source node and scene-based game engine. The system uses a lightweight wearable interface to track physical activity to control the game. Movement data is processed through a multi-stage filtering and smoothing pipeline to extract pedaling speed. The exergame is an asteroids-like …

May 2026, Office Of Sustainability

Office of Sustainability Newsletter

No abstract provided.

An Investigation Of Entamoeba Histolytica Chitin Synthases And Other Encystation Factors In Early Encystation, John N. Talledo

All Theses

Entamoeba histolytica is a food-and-water-borne human protozoan pathogen that relies on a two-stage life cycle for successful proliferation outside of the host. E. histolytica exists in its dormant cyst form while outside of its host and converts to the motile trophozoite (amoeba) form in the small intestine. The trophozoites colonize the large intestine to cause symptomatic disease in ~10% of infections, resulting in ~100 million cases of amoebic dysentery each year. Trophozoites can convert back to the cyst form, which is shed in feces to continue the infection cycle.

Currently, there is a lack of understanding of the exact molecular …

Developing Aero-Floating Treatment Wetland (Aeroftw) Scaffolds: A Non-Plastic Alternative To Conventional Plastic-Based Ftws, Ada C. Montoya Gomez

All Theses

This research was conducted to explore the possibility of constructing floating treatment wetlands (FTWs) without using plastic materials. FTWs are floating platforms that hold plants on the water’s surface, letting roots dangle within the water column, to help remove contaminants from contaminated water, especially in stormwater ponds. Many conventional FTWs are made with plastic components, such as mats and plastic cup containers, which can release microplastics into the environment over time. The goal of this project was to design and test a new type of FTW that does not depend on plastics to support FTW flotation. The study took place …

Splitting Shores: Comparative Analysis Of Italy’S And Spain’S Reactions To Immigration, William E. Montgomery V

International and Global Studies Undergraduate Honors Theses

The divergence in public immigration sentiment between Italy and Spain, two countries with striking historical, geographic, and demographic similarities, is seen as a mystery for popular theoretical frameworks. Although both nations transitioned from net emigration to net immigration beginning in the 1970s and 1980s, Italy has consistently exhibited more negative attitudes toward immigration relative to the European average, while Spain has seen sustained improvement in immigration sentiment despite receiving immigrants at historically unprecedented levels. Employing a Most Similar Systems Design and drawing on quantitative demographic and survey data, primary legislative texts, and secondary scholarly literature, this thesis tests Group Threat …

Limerence, Social Media, And The Reinforcement Of Romantic Obsessions Across Online Contexts, Lily Lawson

Honors Projects

This project examines limerence from both a psychological and sociological perspective. The psychological component aimed to investigates whether higher limerent scores predict greater engagement in social media monitoring behaviors related to a romantic interest, and whether these monitoring behaviors are associated with increased interpretation of ambiguous social cues-failure to obtain IRB approval resulted in limitations in completing the study. The sociological component uses qualitative observational methods to examine how two Reddit communities,  r/NevilleGoddard and r/ShiftingRealities,  reinforce limerent and parasocial romantic behaviors. Findings from the qualitative analysis reveal patterns of emotional attachment, ritualized obsession, perceived reciprocation, self-insert fantasy, and escapism across …

Isolation, Purification, And Characterization Of Α-Galactosidase From Watermelon (Citrullus Lanatus), Christopher Henley Jr.

Chemistry & Biochemistry Undergraduate Honors Theses

The enzyme α-galactosidase is a type of glycosidase that removes galactose sugar units from larger molecules in cells. Compounds that inhibit glycosidases have been useful for understanding the structure and function of the enzymes they inhibit, and some have been used to treat certain diseases. Using inhibitors of α-galactosidase to study its characteristics and mechanisms may provide insights into its role in disease and its general utility. Advances in fields such as agriculture, sustainable fuels, and biomedicine may be facilitated by inhibition studies of α-galactosidase, but the current library of known inhibitors is relatively lacking. Obtaining α-galactosidase enzymes from chemical …

The Moral Influences On Non-Denominational Christian Students’ College Major Decision And Future Career Outlook, Makayla Frame

Honors Projects

This is an undergraduate research project for the Honors College. A qualitative research project in the form of case studies was conducted on the influence of Non-Denominational Christian morals and values on how college students decide college major and future career. Non-Denomination students in particular were chosen for this study because of the recent rise in popularity of the Non-Denominational belief in the US, especially among young adults.

The study outlines previous research on the Christian religion, the history of Non-Denominationality, and how typical college students decide their major. The conclusions of the study are that Non-Denominational Christian college students …

Odor Vs. Direction Prioritization In Shelter Navigation By The Whip Spider Phrynus Marginemaculatus, Aiden Barno, Daniel D. Wiegmann, Verner Peter Bingman, Sidney Tyler Ley

Honors Projects

Arthropod navigation is known to rely on a variety of multisensory strategies, yet the prioritization of these cues in whip spiders remains poorly understood. This study examined whether Phrynus marginemaculatus prioritizes olfactory cues or idioethic directional cues when the two cues directly conflict with one another. Twelve subjects were trained to associate a shelter with both a specific odor (geraniol or 1‑hexanol) and a consistent directional movement (left or right) from the release site. In a subsequent test trial, odor and direction were dissociated, and subjects’ time spent in front of each shelter was used to determine an association index …

Household Air Pollution Is Associated With Disease Severity In Ugandan Children Hospitalized With Hypoxemic Pneumonia, Ayla Ahmed, Sehaj Sandhu, Sophie Namasopo, Juliet Nabwire, Qaasim Mian, Andrea Conroy, Jackson Amone, Charles Olaro, Robert Opoka, Michael Hawkes

Paediatrics and Child Health, East Africa

Background Household air pollution (HAP) due to biomass fuel use is a risk factor for childhood pneumonia, a leading cause of under-five mortality globally. This study examined the relationship between HAP and disease severity in Ugandan children hospitalized with hypoxemic pneumonia.

Methods We conducted a retrospective case-control study across 20 Ugandan hospitals. PM2.5 exposure was estimated using caregiver-reported fuel use, cooking duration, kitchen structure, and ventilation. Pneumonia severity was assessed clinically, and associations were analyzed using non-parametric tests.

Results We included 735 children (median age 9 months, 42% female) hospitalized with hypoxemic pneumonia. Most households used firewood (84%) or charcoal …

Multiscale Architecture Governs Stability In Suction-Actuated Variable Stiffness Catheters, Sheridan Lee

McKelvey School of Engineering Graduate Student Theses & Dissertations

Endovascular procedures require devices with widely varying mechanical properties: flexibility for navigating tortuous vessels and rigidity for stable therapeutic delivery. Suction-actuated variable stiffness sheaths address this challenge by incorporating axial wire string arrays that mechanically couple under suction to increase flexural rigidity. However, prototype devices achieve stiffening ratios below theoretical predictions, suggesting that interlayer mechanics and string positioning play a critical role. This study investigates whether interweaving polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) tape within the string array enhances flexural rigidity modulation and curvature stability. Prototype devices with varying wrap configurations were fabricated and evaluated using flexural testing, curvature stability testing, and mathematical modeling. …

Establishing Caenorhabditis Elegans As A Platform For Bioaccumulation And Selectivity Screening Of Anthelmintic Compounds, Jiarui Li

McKelvey School of Engineering Graduate Student Theses & Dissertations

To address the cuticular barrier in anthelmintic discovery, this study establishes a bifurcated framework in Caenorhabditis elegans. First, HPLC-based quantification of 14 PIM inhibitors revealed that cuticular penetrance is primarily dictated by phylogenetic lineage (Clade V) rather than ecological niche. Specifically, C. elegans demonstrated a significant pharmacokinetic correlation with the hookworm Ancylostoma ceylanicum (Clade V) but not the whipworm Trichuris muris (Clade I), validating it as a superior surrogate model for hookworm bioaccumulation. Within this small molecule inhibitor library, SGI-12was identified as a lead candidate with superior potency against C. elegans and bioaccumulation. Second, target validation using a C. …

Computational Fluid Dynamics (Cfd)-Based Performance Prediction Of Transcatheter Microvascular Plugs In Single-Ventricle Patients, Zhuhuan Zou

McKelvey School of Engineering Graduate Student Theses & Dissertations

Transcatheter palliation using fenestrated Modified Micro Vascular Plugs (MVP) has emerged as a promising, minimally invasive alternative to surgical pulmonary artery banding (PAB) for high-risk neonates with single-ventricle physiology. However, clinical applications are currently limited by the difficulty in predicting the resulting pulmonary-to-systemic flow ratio () and the lack of a standardized approach for selecting the optimal fenestration size. This study utilizes patient-specific computational fluid dynamics (CFD) to quantitatively evaluate the impact of varying fenestration diameters on circulatory balance. Patient-specific 3D models of the pulmonary artery (PA) were reconstructed from imaging data for two clinical cases using SimVascular. Transient CFD …

Temporal Logic Planning In Semantic Maps Of Unknown Environments Using Tl-Rrt, Dongrui Yang

McKelvey School of Engineering Graduate Student Theses & Dissertations

Autonomous mobile robots are increasingly expected to perform complex missions in unstructured environments. Traditional path planning approaches handle simple point-to-point navigation, but struggle with complex tasks that involve temporal and logical orderings of objectives. Linear Temporal Logic (LTL) provides a method for complex missions (e.g., sequential visits to multiple targets or surveillance tasks) in a strict way. This thesis presents an integrated planning framework that enables a robot to satisfy LTL-based task specifications in an unknown environment by combining a Temporal Logic RRT* (TL-RRT*) planner with semantic mapping. The robot builds a semantic map of its environment online using simultaneous …

Data-Driven Multimodal Mri Representation Learning For Subtype Discovery And Disease Progression Modeling In Parkinson’S Disease, Zihan Zhou

McKelvey School of Engineering Graduate Student Theses & Dissertations

Parkinson’s disease (PD) exhibits substantial clinical and neuroanatomical heterogeneity, limiting robust patient stratification and clinically meaningful progression modeling from MRI. We propose a unified multimodal 3D generative representation-learning framework that learns an interpretable latent space from co-registered baseline T1/T2 MRI with an edge-aware channel. Confound-corrected latent embeddings support unsupervised subtype discovery, while disease duration provides weak supervision to orient a continuous progression axis. On an independent external cohort (PPMI, N=171), the discovery-trained subtype structure shows significant partial replication (ARI=0.35; permutation test p=0.001) and enables longitudinal clinical stratification: mixed-effects modeling reveals subtype-dependent MDS-UPDRS III progression, with the strongest effect in subtype …

My Own Private Library: The Nicksonian Archives, Nicholas Brown

Georgia Library Quarterly

No abstract provided.

Contents & Note From The Editors, North Carolina Civil Rights Law Review

North Carolina Civil Rights Law Review

No abstract provided.

A Response To Executive Order 14321, Latonya L. Agard

North Carolina Civil Rights Law Review

No abstract provided.

Contents, North Carolina Civil Rights Law Review

North Carolina Civil Rights Law Review

No abstract provided.