Digital Commons Network^™

The Short-Term Water Quality Impacts Of The College Lake Low-Head Dam Removal, Lorraine L. Upton

Student Scholar Showcase

Dam removal in the United States has become a common practice for stream restoration and community safety. Studies have shown removals to restore an ecosystem to its natural flow, but in urban environments, dams can serve as a retention basin that helps to mitigate increased amounts of stormwater and high pollution loads from increased percentages of impervious surfaces. A central Virginia watershed located in an urbanized community recently experienced a low-head dam removal and its conversion to a constructed wetland. This study assesses the short-term impacts of the dam removal through water quality sampling based on its chemical, biota, and …

Electrostatic Doping Of Graphene For Tunable Diodes, Andrew Bales

Linfield University Student Symposium: A Celebration of Scholarship and Creative Achievement

In this work, devices were fabricated to explore the limits of electrostatically doped graphene diodes utilizing hexagonal boron nitride as an insulating layer. Initial tests confirmed the graphene’s responsiveness to gate voltages and demonstrated the viability of electrostatic doping through a thin insulating layer. Degradation of the graphene during testing resulted in a lack of measurable shifts in the completed devices.

Normal Matrices, Fuzhen Zhang

Mathematics Colloquium Series

Normal matrices form a central class in matrix analysis, including Hermitian, skew-Hermitian, and unitary, positive semidefinite, permutation matrices and so on. This presentation surveys fundamental properties of normal matrices, including spectral characterization, unitary diagonalization, and trace (in)equality through majorization. It highlights equivalent conditions for normality, with discussions extending to matrix exponentials and polynomials. Examples and counterexamples are provided to clarify certain subtle points about matrix normality. The talk is based on a recent paper published in JMC (joint work with Y.-J. Hu)

Storage-Aware Shuffle Planner (Sasp): A Storage-Constrained Shuffle Optimisation Layer For Distributed Computation Engines, Ananya Verma, Raouf Khan

Defensive Publications Series

The present disclosure relates to the field of distributed data processing, in particular to storage-aware adaptive shuffle planning (SASP) for shuffle optimisation in distributed computation engines. SASP provides a storage-aware planning layer that restructures shuffle execution based on actual storage capacity. The system collects object-store telemetry, including bandwidth, IOPS, latency, throttling, and concurrency, to construct a storage pressure vector for each prefix. Concurrently, expected shuffle partition sizes are analysed from execution plans. Based on these inputs, SASP forecasts partition-level strain and generates a Shuffle Prefix Mapping Table (SPMT) to assign partitions to output prefixes, ensuring balanced I/O load. A plan …

Trusted Distribution And Authentication Of Ai Agent Artifacts, Niranjan M M

Defensive Publications Series

AI-driven systems increasingly rely on externally developed AI agent artifacts, such as agents, tools, plugins, and services, that are distributed through registries or marketplaces and executed within enterprise environments. While existing registries enable discovery and existing runtime security systems focus on detecting malicious behavior during execution, there is no mechanism to ensure that such artifacts are authentic, legitimately published, and governed across their lifecycle before execution.

The proposal introduces systems and methods for trusted distribution and authentication of AI agent artifacts, establishing a pre-execution trust framework that enables consuming systems to verify publisher identity, artifact authenticity, provenance, and lifecycle state …

An Improved Process For The Preparation Of Solid Dispersion Of (N4-(4-([1,2,4]Triazolo[1,5-A]Pyridin-7-Yloxy)-3­Methylphenyl)-N6-(4,4-Dimethyl-4,5-Dihydrooxazol-2-Yl)Quinazoline-4,6-Diamine With Co-Povidone, Msn Laboratories Private Limited, R&D Center; Srinivasan Thirumalai Rajan; Subrahmanyavithal Irukuvajjula; Saimanoj Kesari; Bhatraju Daveedu

Defensive Publications Series

The present invention provides an improved process for the preparation of solid dispersion of (N4-(4-([1,2,4]triazolo[1,5-a]pyridin-7-yloxy)-3­methylphenyl)-N6-(4,4-dimethyl-4,5-dihydrooxazol -2-yl)quinazoline-4,6-diamine with Co-povidone

Relationship-Validated Unified Payments Interface (Upi) Reverse Payment Safety System For Fraud Prevention, Alok Roy

Defensive Publications Series

The present disclosure relates to a system and method for relationship‑validated fraud prevention in digital payment reversal transactions. The system may be configured to monitor incoming transactions to a user account. Based on monitoring, the system may be configured to detect a user initiation of an outgoing payment following receipt of an incoming payment. Thereafter, the system may be configured to determine whether a payer and payee associated with the payment have an established transaction history and further evaluates timing between the incoming payment and the outgoing payment. The system may be then configured to compare an outgoing transaction amount …

Proactive Automation For Xdevice Layout And Information Retrieval, Rachel Burrows, Karen Vertierra, Daniel Adam, Grant Ashley Rowles, Matthew David Sienzant, Shama Laxmikant Toshniwal, Katie Jean Van Loo, Ricardo Bittencourt Alves Da Luz, Anders Johan Prag

Defensive Publications Series

This document describes a smart system that automatically sets up a user's digital workspace, proactively launching and arranging apps on one or more screens—such as smartphones, tablets, laptops, or multi-monitor computer setups—before the user manually does so.  The system detects a trigger, signal, or clue, such as a scheduled calendar event, a geographic location, or daily routines and habits, to anticipate what task the user is about to start. Using artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning to predict user intent, the system identifies the available hardware (e.g., knowing if the user is commuting on a train with just a mobile …

Dynamic Watch Complications, Sumukh A. Shevde, Kamran Mustafa, Abhijit Adsule

Defensive Publications Series

This document describes a system in which a smart watch—also referred to as a wearable device, fitness tracker, or digital timepiece—displays different configurations of watch faces, widgets, app shortcuts, or complications, depending on different contexts. The system utilizes a context engine to monitor real-time data from sensors and system applications, such as temporal data, spatial data, schedule data, and activity data, to determine a user’s current situation and predict the user’s desired screen layout. The system uses a strict set of rules to resolve any conflicting information to ensure predictable and relevant information delivery. Based on the user’s current context …

Preventing Spurious Bfd Faults On Remote Nodes During Make-Before-Break Updates On Local Nodes, Anonymous

Defensive Publications Series

The present disclosure relates to a mechanism for preventing spurious Bidirectional Forwarding Detection (BFD) faults during make-before-break (MBB) updates in a segment-routing traffic-engineering (SR-TE) network (10). A first node (12-1), operating as a head-end router, is configured to perform a label-stack update for a first SR-TE candidate path while maintaining continuity of BFD monitoring. Prior to the update, the first node (12-1) disables a local BFD detection timer and transmits a first BFD control packet that omits a reverse-path Binding Segment Identifier (BSID). The packet includes a diagnostic field  instructing a peer node (12-6) to disable its BFD detection timer. …

Topological Phase Matrix Computing With Hyper-Spatial Extensions: Integer 12-Vector Lattice With Dynamic Small-World Connectivity (Moution Extension), Olexandr Lozovyi

Defensive Publications Series

We present a deterministic spatial computing architecture extending integer-based phase lattices (VOC AI / MOUTION frameworks) with dynamically evolving non-local connections. The system operates on a 12-vector isotropic neighborhood approximating a face-centered cubic (FCC) topology in 2D projection. By introducing bounded virtual links, the lattice forms an emergent small-world network enabling rapid global information propagation (insight generation) while preserving strictly O(1) per-node complexity. The model is fully integer-based, requires no floating-point arithmetic, and deterministically converges to metastable attractors. This work establishes prior art for bounded-degree hyper-spatial phase computation, dynamic plasticity, and M-layered multiplexed topologies.

System And Method For Dynamic, On-Demand Pedestrian Corridor Management In A Connected Vehicle Environment, Sumukh A. Shevde, Abhijit Adsule, Kamran Mustafa

Defensive Publications Series

This document describes a dynamic, on-demand pedestrian corridor management system in a connected vehicle environment. This management system receives pedestrian crossing requests from personal devices (often referred to as user equipment (UE), wearable assistive technology, or a pedestrian V2X node),  such as smartphones, smartwatches, and extended reality glasses. In response to a pedestrian crossing request, the management system analyzes real-time traffic data from connected vehicles to calculate a coordinated slowdown of the connected vehicles. This coordinated slowdown creates a safe gap for a pedestrian to cross a roadway without forcing vehicles to a complete stop. The intersection manager can monitor …

Automatedly Assemblable Roll-Cage For Formula Racecars, Triggered By Artificial Intelligence (Ai), Anonymous

Defensive Publications Series

Here, it is disclosed the roll cage of an active / automated safety system for the protection of Formula racecar drivers. It consists of a multiple times deployable and retractable titanium or other metal roll cage comprised by two semi-roll cages at each side, that rotate from an undeployed position to a deployed position to assemble said roll cage. When undeployed, each semi-roll cage at each side is concealed inside the corresponding sidepod of the racecar (See Figures 1 to 4). This active safety system can be deployed as a preventive safety measure or deployed to provide protection in an …

Low Latency Wake Up Of Wearable Devices, Nazih Almalki, Sumukh A. Shevde

Defensive Publications Series

This disclosure describes techniques for improving the responsiveness of wearable devices, such as smartwatches, by predicting when a user is about to interact with the device. Often, wearable devices use a low-power co-processor to show a basic watch face while the main application processor is asleep to save battery. However, waiting for a physical touch or button press to wake the main processor can cause a noticeable and frustrating delay. The described techniques use sensors like accelerometers and gyroscopes to define an interaction zone, which is a specific physical position where the device is likely visible to the user's eye. …

Adaptive Hdr Capture And Glare‑Aware Image Reconstruction For Whiteboard And Document Surfaces Using Pc Cameras, Hp Inc

Defensive Publications Series

A PC‑camera‑based HDR system for capturing whiteboard or document surfaces. It detects when the scene contains a plain surface, triggers multi‑exposure capture, classifies regions into strokes/background/glare, and performs a specialized merging algorithm. The method recovers faint handwriting, prevents overexposure, reduces glare, and produces readable captures suitable for meeting notes.

Synthesis And Biological Activity Of Gold(Iii) Complexes With Proline And Fluorinated Proline Ligands, Parker J. Lynch

Student Scholar Showcase

Synthesis and Biological Activity of Gold(III) Complexes with Proline and Fluorinated Proline Ligands

Gold(III) amino acid complexes are an important area of research because metal complexes can provide chemical and biological activity that typical carbon-based drugs cannot. These complexes can form structures that interact with different parts of the cell, such as DNA or proteins, allowing them to disrupt harmful cells. Modifying the ligands in these complexes can improve stability and influence how the metal interacts with biological systems. With growing interest in metal-based anticancer agents, further understanding of gold(III) complexes containing proline-derived ligands is needed. The goal of this …

Assessing The Aesthetic Responsiveness Among Patients In A Free Clinic Setting, Jack E. Pitts

Student Scholar Showcase

Art therapy has increasingly been recognized as a complementary intervention in healthcare settings, with demonstrated benefits for stress reduction and overall biopsychosocial well-being. However, limited research has explored aesthetic engagement within medically underserved and economically disadvantaged populations. This study examines aesthetic responsiveness among patients receiving care at the Free Clinic of Central Virginia using a standardized Aesthetic Responsiveness Assessment. The assessment consists of 14 Likert-scale questions assessing individuals’ cumulative aptitude across three domains: aesthetic appreciation, intense aesthetic experience, and creative behavior. Responses and data were collected voluntarily and anonymously, and they were analyzed to better understand how patients in an …

Respiratory Distress In An Adolescent, Competitive Alpine Skier, Reagan C. Moore

Student Scholar Showcase

A 17-year-old female, elite alpine skier and varsity soccer player presented with shortness of breath (SOB), described as "suffocating," and audible laryngeal stridor often occurring at heart rates exceeding 180 beats per minute (bpm). Based on clinical presentation and the exclusion of allergies and asthma, she was diagnosed with Exercise-Induced Laryngeal Obstruction (EILO). Interventions focused on conservative management, including breathing techniques for vocal cord dysfunction, and the supplemental use of an Albuterol inhaler for symptomatic relief during high-intensity exertion. Unlike other typical exercise-induced dyspnea conditions, this patient's symptoms responded better to a behavioral approach. This included relaxing the larynx; hence …

The Impact Of Customized Alarm Sounds On Reducing Alarm Fatigue In Icu Nurses, Abigail L. Kendrick, Elizabeth G. Dunkum, Carly F. Harris

Student Scholar Showcase

Within hospital care, particularly in intensive care units, alarm fatigue poses a major threat to patient safety. As a result of the constant sound of alarms, nurses become desensitized and overstimulated in the health care setting. Patient safety is threatened by an increased risk of errors in care, which may lead to complications and poor health outcomes. By systematically reviewing various research studies within the time span of 2020-2025 regarding interventions to decrease the relevance of alarm fatigue, research suggests that there are methods that can be applied via numerous approaches. By customizing alarm sounds by severity, it is believed …

Developing A Staff-Led Vertical Flow Model Policy In A Rural Emergency Department, Grace Frankland, Jennifer Rogers Dr.

Steeplechase: An ORCA Student Journal

Clinical Problem

Problem: Emergency department (ED) overcrowding

• ED visits have increased by 47.3% in the last 20

years, while the number of EDs/available beds has

remained relatively unchanged

• Contributing to…

• longer wait times & length of stay (LOS)

• higher rate of patients leaving without being

seen (LWBS) & door-to-provider (DTP) times

• increased mortality

• decreased patient satisfaction

• staff burnout

• preventable errors & decline in quality of

care.

Solution: Vertical Flow Model (VFM)

• An adaptable strategy to address ED

overcrowding by improving patient flow without

increasing physical space/bed capacity.

• Shown to reduce …

Adverse Childhood Experiences And Behavioral Problems Among Hispanic Adolescents, Emily Bennett, Hugo Garcia Arreguin, Aubrey Britten, Pietra Ferreira, Seowon Song

Celebration of Research

Introduction: A growing body of research has documented the impact of adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) on adolescent behavioral problems (Hunt et al., 2017; Larn et al., 2024). Children who experience greater numbers of ACEs are more likely to develop a range of behavioral problems, including aggression, anxiety, and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Despite the well-established association between ACEs and later behavioral problems, less is known about the mediating role of internalizing behaviors in the link between ACEs and externalizing problems among Hispanic adolescents. Guided by Life course perspective, highlighting a developmental approach for understanding heterogeneity in individuals’ experiences and outcomes in …

Late-Season Forb Availability And Bumble Bee Foraging Patterns In Iowa’S Restored Prairies And Suburban Gardens, Isaac De Young, Ellary Carson, Mya Cole, Tucker Draayer, Sharon Huffman, Naomi Johnson, Jasmine Lux, Genesis Maldonado, Caitlin Olson, Maelee Rodenburg, Jordan Shull, Travis Sweeney, Arianna Van Donkelaar, Laurie Furlong, Todd Tracy

Celebration of Research

Pollinators are essential to terrestrial ecosystems, and bumble bees are among the most effective pollinators in the United States (Hatfield et al., 2012). They pollinate forbs (non-grass herbaceous flowering plants), including crops, garden plants, and native prairie species (Dumroese et al., 2016). Their ability to travel long distances, forage in cool temperatures, and buzz-pollinate makes them critical to both wild and agricultural productivity (Mola & Williams et al., 2019). Research shows that bumble bee populations have declined in recent decades due to habitat loss, reduced floral resources, pesticide exposure, and climate change (IPBES, 2016).

Northwest Iowa is dominated by agriculture, …

Bio-Inspired Materials And Metamaterials For Tunable Biomimetic Properties In Diverse Engineering Applications, Sandeep Suresh Babu

Thesis/ Dissertation Defenses

Nature has always played the role of a design cue for several targeted engineering applications, with designers attempting to mimic the characteristics of natural organisms to have significant advantages in the engineering performance cycle. This dissertation explores the relationship between bioinspired design parameters and material compositions in diverse engineering applications, ranging from mechanical energy absorption to tissue engineering applications. A two-fold objective was followed in the study, where the initial focus was based on the structural design of metamaterial lattices based on geometrical cues observed in the horn structure of bighorn sheep and cuttlebone microstructure of cuttlefish. The advances made …

Eagleeye Is Landing: Discovery Of Cytotoxic And Defense Genes In A Cluster A16 Mycobacteriophage, Clara Bader, Kylie Foss, Mallory Gramstad, Korver Hupke, Jenna Kluxdal, Elsie Larson, Ayda Maassen, Adriana Sandbulte, Dane Schoenborn, Emma Steinhardt, Alexa Trover, Sara S. Tolsma

Celebration of Research

EagleEye is a temperate bacteriophage, which was isolated on the host, Mycobacterium smegmatis mc2 155 from soil collected in Houston, TX. It is classified as cluster A16. We are using a systematic genetic screen to uncover functions of phage genes for which the function is unknown. We cloned each gene into the pExTra plasmid and assayed phage gene individually for two phenotypes: cytotoxicity, the ability to interfere with host cell growth, and defense, the ability to protect the host cell from infection by other phages. We have cloned all but 15 of EagleEye’s 95 protein-coding genes. Thus far, we have …

Tactical Seagulls: A Multimedia Children's Story, Clara Showalter

Celebration of Research

This story is true. Well, sort of...

Tactical Seagulls is an in-process children's book that imaginatively and humorously (and yes, a tad chaotically) retells a true story about seagulls trying to steal food from beachgoers. But it's more than just a quirky story. Tactical Seagulls began its life as a means to help teach new vocabulary to children in a non-obvious and enjoyable way. Throughout the process, the vision for this book expanded into something more: it is intended to help revive the practice of the family read-aloud through the intentional incorporation of distinct character voices and personalities, expressive illustrations, …

Health And Motivation, Lydia E. Erickson, Dr. Jay Medenwaldt

Celebration of Research

Mental and physical health are two fundamental components in a person's life that directly affect well-being. Across continents, cultures, and all human backgrounds, mind and body are something every individual has in common. The purpose of this study is to examine the relationship between mental and physical activity when accounting for motivation.

Understanding this relationship is critical for developing more effective health interventions and motivational strategies, especially among adolescent and young adult populations. The researchers hypothesized that intrinsic motivation and physical activity would positively predict well-being.

Participants in this study were students attending Northwestern College. Participants included both male and …

Belonging, Motivation, And Academic Achievement, Rubin Charles

Celebration of Research

This study examined whether motivation correlates with academic success and whether students’ sense of belonging mediates this relationship. A sample of undergraduate students completed self-report measures assessing academic motivation, belonging, and grade point average (GPA). A mediation analysis using PROCESS Model 4 (Hayes, 2022) and a series of multiple regressions revealed that motivation was not significantly related to belonging, and neither motivation nor belonging significantly correlates with GPA. Correlation analyses similarly showed no significant linear associations among the three variables. These findings suggest that motivation and belonging may not directly influence academic performance within a high-achieving sample and highlight the …

Nitrous Oxide Use In Labor, Aimee Aberson, Janae Cam, Rylie Franken, Rachel Henriksen, Ben Robinson, Pam Hulstein

Celebration of Research

Effective pain management during labor is a critical part of maternal care. It influences the mother’s physical and emotional experiences of childbirth. Epidural anesthesia and intravenous opioids are commonly used as analgesia in laboring mothers, but nitrous oxide (N₂O) has proven to be a safe, noninvasive alternative. It allows mothers to maintain mobility and consciousness while still reducing some pain perception. The purpose of this evidence-based practice project is to evaluate the effectiveness, safety, and satisfaction associated with N₂O use during active maternal labor. It reviews current literature on N₂O use during labor, focusing on maternal and neonatal safety, effectiveness …

Political Orientation As A Predictor For Collegiate Anger And Narcissism, Tyson D. Braunschweig, Jay Medenwaldt

Celebration of Research

Recent research suggests a potential association between anger and narcissism among politically right-leaning individuals (Hart & Stekler, 2022; Maglić et al., 2024). It also indicates a potential relationship between political extremism and anger (Marinthe et al., 2025; Dono et al., 2024). To test these hypotheses, 100 Midwest college students were surveyed and answered questions regarding their political orientation, level of narcissism, and level of anger. A multiple regression was performed, seeking to predict political orientation scores from anger and narcissism scores. We found anger and narcissism to not be significant predictors of political orientation, both together and separately. Anger and …

If You Give A Mouse A Phage, Peyton Abraham, Princess Bola-Lawal, Amelia Brown, Anne Eveland, Jenna Kluxdal, Elsie Larson, Gabrielle O'Bannon, Leonardo Romo, Sara S. Tolsma

Celebration of Research

Island3 (Cluster I1) and Sbash (Cluster I2) are Mycobacteriophages that have a high degree of genetic similarity—especially in the region of their genomes that include genes for structural proteins. Because their structural proteins appear so similar, we hypothesized that antibodies raised against Island3 would cross-react with Sbash and vice versa. To test our hypothesis, we immunized female BALB/c mice with phage high titer lysates or filtered M. smegmatis (control), collected serum, and used the antibodies in ELISA and Western Blot assays. We observed less cross-reactivity than we expected.