Digital Commons Network^™

Non-Native Seagrass, Halophila Stipulacea, Reaches Northern Caribbean, Elizabeth R. Whitman, Elizabeth W. Stoner, Stephanie K. Archer

Gulf and Caribbean Research

Halophila stipulacea, a seagrass native to the western Indian Ocean, has become an established invader throughout the western Atlantic, where it often outcompetes native seagrass species across diverse environmental conditions. Here, we report its presence in the northern Bahamas, ca. 2300 km northwest of the first Caribbean record in Grenada and 304 km northeast of the recent observation in Florida, USA. This range expansion represents the northernmost Caribbean record to date and highlights the species’ capacity for long-distance dispersal and continued spread within the region. Our observation underscores the need for coordinated monitoring efforts to track the trajectory of …

Notes On The Ichthyofauna Associated With Artisanal Fishing In A Severely Impacted Estuary In The Southwestern Gulf Of Mexico During The Rainy Season, Rodrigo Vivanco-Cadena, César Meiners-Mandujano, Roberto Martín Cruz-Castán

Gulf and Caribbean Research

No abstract provided.

The Price Of Success, Mark S. Peterson, Nancy J. Brown-Peterson

Gulf and Caribbean Research

No abstract provided.

Manatee Dock Sign Distribution And Its Influence On Publicly-Sourced Sighting Reports In Alabama, Daniela Payán Arias, Sophia C. Corde, Ruth H. Carmichael

Gulf and Caribbean Research

No abstract provided.

A Marine Science Career In The Eastern Caribbean: Witnessing Four Decades Of Change, Hazel A. Oxenford

Gulf and Caribbean Research

Reflecting back on a long and rewarding career from 1980—2023 at the University of the West Indies, based on the small island of Barbados, this paper tracks the many and often remarkable changes in the marine environment, in attitudes and policies, and available opportunities that have influenced my journey as a marine scientist in an ever—changing but resilient Caribbean. From free—access fisheries to degraded stocks, from coral to algal dominated reefs, from flyingfish to Almaco Jacks, from sandy beaches and clear water to a Sargassum crisis — these are just some of the fundamental changes in the marine environment that …

Fifty Years Of Research In The Commonwealth Of The Bahamas: A Quantitative Thematic Analysis Of Scholarly Output, Amina Moss, Krista D. Sherman, Williamson Gustave, Kathleen Sullivan Sealey, Charlotte Dunn, Nicola Simone Smith, Lindy Knowles, Christy Gibson

Gulf and Caribbean Research

This study presents the first longitudinal bibliometric mapping of peer—reviewed research on The Bahamas, analyzing 12,113 Web of Science records (1975–2025) using CiteSpace v.6.4.R2. We identified 36 co—citation clusters (modularity Q = 0.7967; silhouette = 0.9231) and 28 keyword clusters (Q = 0.7523; silhouette = 0.8695), revealing 8 thematic trajectories over 5 decades. Early research (prior to 1990) focused on carbonate geology and sea—level dynamics across the northwestern Bahama Platform and Blake—Bahama Basin (Cluster#0, silhouette = 0.939). From the 1990s–mid—2000s, attention shifted to marine fisheries, Aliger gigas, coral reefs, and ecological resilience (Cluster #1, n = 203). In the …

2026 January, Morehead State University. Office Of Communications & Marketing.

Morehead State Press Release Archive, 1961 to the Present

Press releases for January of 2026.

Cybercrime, Vulnerability And Digital Guardianship: Opportunity Structures And Prevention In A Changing Online Landscape, Mike Toro-Alvarez, Amy Lim

International Journal of Cybersecurity Intelligence & Cybercrime

No abstract provided.

Analyzing Modern Scam Typologies: From Pig-Butchering And Nigerian Advance-Fee Fraud To Crypto Airdrop Schemes, Katalin Parti, Sinyong Choi, Thomas Dearden

International Journal of Cybersecurity Intelligence & Cybercrime

Rapid advancements in digital infrastructure and decentralized networks have fundamentally altered the nature of contemporary cybercrime, making comprehensive empirical and technical analysis more crucial than ever. To address these challenges, this editorial summarizes the research contributions featured in this issue of the International Jour nal of Cybersecurity Intelligence and Cybercrime. The included papers examine the structural on-chain dynamics of sanctioned pig-butchering operations, the representational production and AI-driven evolution of the “Nigerian scam” label, the critical transaction-authorization factors driving losses in crypto airdrop schemes, and the optimization of sentence-transformer models for automated Host Intrusion Detection System (HIDS) alert enrichment. Together, these …

Three-Tier On-Chain Transaction Architecture In A Sanctions-Linked Pig-Butchering Network: A Blockchain-Forensics Case Study, Matthew Stern, Kyung-Shick Choi

International Journal of Cybersecurity Intelligence & Cybercrime

n October 2025, the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) sanctioned 29 Bitcoin addresses asso ciated with the Prince Group and Chen Zhi, providing an opportunity to examine the internal on-chain structure of a sanctions-linked pig-butchering network. This blockchain-forensics case study analyzes the group of 29 addresses using blockchain tracing, cross-plat form attribution checks across multiple commercial analytics platforms, exposure screening, and thematic analysis of transaction be havior. Because the case rests on OFAC designations and DOJ allegations, the traced flows are interpreted as patterns consistent with suspected laundering rather than adjudicated crimes; no fiat …

Attribution Post ‘Aura’ Loss: A Qualitative Discourse Analysis Of The Nigerian Scam Label And Fraud Attribution, Emaediong Akpan

International Journal of Cybersecurity Intelligence & Cybercrime

In this essay, I employ qualitative discourse analysis of eleven purposively selected literature to examine how “Nigerian scam” became an established yet detached signifier of advance-fee fraud in global discourse. I do not treat this association as a reflection of offender identity or national inclination. Instead, the analysis traces how attribution is produced through representational repetition, institu tional uptake, and the circulation of familiar narrative cues. Using qualitative discourse analysis and an interpretive approach, this paper distinguishes among the socio-technical conditions that enable fraud, the institutional processes that stabilize attribution, and the semiotic dynamics through which national categories acquire durability. …

Photogrammetry: Accuracy And Precision Analysis Of Color And Rim Diameter Utilizing Various Cameras, Christina Threlkeld

High Impact Practices Student Showcase Spring 2026

The goal of this paper is to test whether photogrammetry is a viable/affordable way to generate 3-D data sets suitable for research applications. Utilizing a sample of 10 ceramic rim sherds randomly selected out of 40 viable rim samples from the Rio Verde assemblage, I will generate 3-D models for 3 different technologies. From there I will test measurements by calculating rim diameters and consistency of color through Munsell readings The data collected will help determine what type of data can be extracted from 3-D renderings. In order to ensure accuracy, rim sherd diameter and Munsell data will be directly …

The Efficacy Of Travoprost/Timolol In Treating Glaucoma, Yasmin Emam, Sebastian Nieto, Arnav Jain, Chris Rodriguez, Angelia Koppenhoefer

High Impact Practices Student Showcase Spring 2026

This project focuses on evaluating the effectiveness of DuoTrav, a fixed-combination ophthalmic medication containing Travoprost 0.004% and Timolol 0.5%, in the treatment of open-angle glaucoma and ocular hypertension. The purpose of the researcher's study was to examine how this combination therapy compares to a beta-blocker monotherapy in reducing intraocular pressure (IOP), which is a major risk factor for optic nerve damage and vision loss in glaucoma patients.

Key activities included reviewing the cause of glaucoma, analyzing the design and results of a completed and randomized clinical trial, and applying the findings to clinical practice.

One of the most important things …

Reliability Of Professor Ratings, Tridung Bui, Naomi Waddell, Diego Quinones, Kiran Pittan, Fabricio Escrich

High Impact Practices Student Showcase Spring 2026

No abstract provided.

Myth To Mindset: Comparing Perceptions Of Feminine Leadership In Hinduism And Christianity, Maya Arangath

High Impact Practices Student Showcase Spring 2026

This research project investigates the intersection of religion and feminine leadership by comparing barriers in Hinduism and Christianity found in their sacred texts. The purpose of the study is to identify if the customs followed in each tradition affects women in positions of authority in modern day. To uncover that, this project will use a two-part mixed methods approach. First, a primary source comparative analysis will be completed, followed by an in-depth interview focusing on the living theology. A key takeaway from the study so far is the nuanced ways each religion shows feminism. The study suggests that feminism is …

The Lifeboat Project Team 30: Introduction To Advertisement, Holland H. Roedema, Kenna Carlson, Jasmyne Iemnak

High Impact Practices Student Showcase Spring 2026

Our project highlights the research we have completed about the Lifeboat Project and strategic recommendations that would benefit them as an organization in terms of audience engagement and reach. In this presentation, we cover Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats to the organization's social media content. We also include potential utilization of ad placement and budgeting the organization could use for Newspaper advertisement. And finally, we curated mock social media posts for the Lifeboat Project after our team conducted a public survey.The survey's results revealed common social media habits and preferences of individuals in our target audience. Our Service Learning Project …

The Skills That Win Championships: An Nba Team Winrate Prediction Analysis (2023-2024) ​, Royce A. Reeves, Thirumukelan Senthilkumar, Alsion Tafa

High Impact Practices Student Showcase Spring 2026

This study examines the relationship between team performance metrics and win percentage in the 2023–24 NBA season. Using team level data sourced from NBA.com and Kaggle, we analyzed variables including shooting efficiency, rebounds, turnovers, and plus/minus. Exploratory data analysis was conducted to assess relationships and address potential collinearity. Multiple linear regression was used to model win percentage, followed by model selection to identify the most impactful predictors. The final model explains approximately 90% of the variation in team success and identifies plus/minus, three-point percentage, turnovers, and rebounds as significant factors. Results indicate that overall team performance three-point shooting, and limiting …

Constrained Freedom: Economic Strain, Time Control, And Perceived Autonomy In Life, Lorena E. Black

High Impact Practices Student Showcase Spring 2026

Autonomy is often framed as an individual capacity rooted in personal choice, discipline, and self-determination, with dominant cultural narratives positioning freedom as something earned through effort and responsibility. This study challenges that assumption by examining autonomy as a socially structured and unequally distributed condition shaped by material and temporal constraints. Drawing on classical and contemporary sociological frameworks—including Marx’s analysis of labor and material dependence, Weber’s account of disciplined rationality, and Antonio Gramsci’s concept of cultural hegemony—this research positions perceived autonomy as an outcome produced through economic and institutional arrangements rather than solely through individual will. While existing literature has extensively …

Helping The Whole Heart, Aashna A. Shah

High Impact Practices Student Showcase Spring 2026

My service-learning project, “Helping the Whole Heart,” focuses on my second semester volunteering with Shepherd’s Hope, a nonprofit organization that provides free healthcare to uninsured and underinsured adults in Central Florida. The purpose of my project was to support the clinic while learning more about healthcare access, service, and community responsibility. During my shifts, I helped greet patients, check them in, prepare charts, organize paperwork, and assist the clinic team wherever I was needed. Through this experience, I learned that healthcare is about more than just medical treatment. It is also about patience, communication, compassion, and making patients feel respected. …

Eve's Apple, Deiadra Elliott

High Impact Practices Student Showcase Spring 2026

For our final project, we were asked to create or rewrite a fairy tale with a contemporary teenage audience in mind. We had to include gender studies, feminist theory or an approved theory of our own in our work. I chose to rewrite the fairy tale Snow White expanding on the religious themes included in the original work, for a darker, more gruesome tale that teenagers might enjoy. In my research so far, I more about the brothers Grimm and the background surrounding the Grimm's fairy tales. I learned about 19th century Germany, as well as the balance the country …

The Strength Of The Association Between Obesity And Mortality From Diabetes Among Adults In Florida, Diego A. Garcia, Jacob Bleasdale Phd,Ms,Ches, Cristobal Cintron Msc, Drph

High Impact Practices Student Showcase Spring 2026

Background: Diabetes mellitus is a leading cause of preventable death across the United States, with obesity being directly tied to this condition as one of its most significant and modifiable risk factors. Although national-level evidence strongly supports this association, Florida-specific population data is still limited.

Methods: County-level adult obesity prevalence and age-adjusted diabetes mortality data were obtained directly from the Florida Health CHARTS website (FL DOH,2024) for all Florida counties. The Pearson correlation (r) was used to evaluate the strength of association between the variables

Results: A statistically significant, moderate-positive correlation was found between adult obesity rates …

Tracing Evolution Through Teeth: Dental Morphology Of The Lagoa Santa Fossil Population, Kelsey Aaron

High Impact Practices Student Showcase Spring 2026

This study examines dental morphological variation among early South American populations, focusing on individuals from the Lagoa Santa region and coastal shellmound (sambaqui) populations in Brazil. Dental nonmetric traits were recorded using the Arizona State University Dental Anthropology System (ASUDAS), a standardized method for assessing crown and root morphology across populations (Qaqa et al., 2026). These traits are highly heritable and largely unaffected by environmental pressures, making them valuable for reconstructing population history, gene flow, and ancestry (Tinoco et al., 2016). Comparative analysis incorporates global dental variation and reference patterns associated with archaic hominins, including Neanderthals. Traits such as increased …

Analyzing The Impact Of Ai Tool Type And Work Environment On Employee Productivity: A Multiple Linear Regression Analysis​, Katrina Gumerov, Alex Weninski, Victor Aviles

High Impact Practices Student Showcase Spring 2026

An assessment has been conducted to see how much AI tools and workplace conditions affect productivity using a multiple linear regression approach. This project looked at how different kinds of AI tools affect performance, as well as other things like commute time to work, employee well-being, and hours worked. The dataset was cleaned and restructured, and then the various AI tools were grouped into meaningful categories. After grouping the tools, an exploratory data analysis was conducted to look for trends. Finally, models were developed using multiple linear regression. For model selection, forward, backward, and stepwise model selection methods were used …

Drained Defenses: How Altered Hydrology Influences Invasive Plant Species Richness In Cypress Domes, Jamie M. Snider, Cori Mcwilliams, Natalia Knapp-Seale, Deborah Faerman

High Impact Practices Student Showcase Spring 2026

Cypress domes are unique wetland ecosystems distinct in species biodiversity and hydrologic patterns which have become increasingly degraded from alteration of hydrology. These changes are made with little understanding about how this may affect plant communities and weaken a wetland’s resistance to invasive species, shifting its plant regimes. This study investigates how altered hydrology affects the presence of invasive species and may cause plant communities to shift by studying two cypress domes on UCF campus. Three 30 meter transects were established per wetland in random cardinal directions, with 70 cm quadrats placed every 6 meters for a total of 18 …

Analysis Of Azithromycin-Prevention In Labor Use Study, Emily Martinez, Roldine Questel, Willow Baldwin, Emma Coffman

High Impact Practices Student Showcase Spring 2026

This group project was developed for the Health Sciences Seminar course. The purpose of this project was to analyze a clinical trial which evaluated the effectiveness of azithromycin in preventing pregnancy-related maternal sepsis or death. Azithromycin is a commonly prescribed, broad-spectrum oral antibiotic that is inexpensive and widely accessible; It has antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties and may help prevent infection when used prophylactically. The study’s primary measurable outcomes were instances of maternal and neonatal death or sepsis within 6 weeks (42 days) postpartum. Based on the results, azithromycin was effective in preventing instances of sepsis maternally, but not within neonates. …

Coalition For The Homeless Of Central Florida Culture Audit, Daniel S. Torres, Ayushi Goswami, Emannuele Louis Jean, Logan Thompson, James Magdeburg

High Impact Practices Student Showcase Spring 2026

The project we did was a culture audit that evaluated the strength of the organization that is the Coalition for the Homeless of Central Florida. We were able to learn about the way they lead and connect it to the leadership course we were taking. This whether it be through service or speaking to staff and the public, we were able to understand the way an organization could function. The coalition functions as an organization that prioritizes servitude to the public and relational ideals in between the staff. They also match what they say in both their mission and vission.

Women In Industrial Engineering Leadership And Barriers To Advancement, Fiorella Barney

High Impact Practices Student Showcase Spring 2026

This research investigates how organizational and cultural barriers influence the advancement of women into leadership positions within industrial engineering. Despite being one of the more gender-balanced engineering disciplines at the entry level, industrial engineering remains largely male-dominated in leadership, and this project set out to understand why that gap persists and what sustains it.

To explore this question, I conducted a review of seven peer-reviewed sources organized around five themes: the scope of underrepresentation, organizational barriers, gendered workplace culture, early career pipeline effects, and attrition. I then conducted a qualitative, semi-structured interview with a woman who began her career as …

Analysis Of Workplace Attributes On Annual Income In The Technology Sector, Kyle J. Miller, Naddya Jannessa Favela, Kyle A. Carter

High Impact Practices Student Showcase Spring 2026

No abstract provided.

Effects Of Kratom Mixture On Cell Death In Cos-7 Cells Using Immunofluorescence, Hoa A. Nguyen

High Impact Practices Student Showcase Spring 2026

The purpose of this project was to visualize the cellular impact of Kratom (Mitragyna speciosa), a supplement commonly utilized for pain management and opioid withdrawal. The project investigated the effects of a 5% Kratom mixture on COS-7 monkey kidney cells. By using immunofluorescence, the cytoskeleton could be observed, and we can determine if Kratom could result in cellular failure.

In the immunofluorescence protocol, the cells were fixed in a methanol based solution to preserve position, while also permeabilizing the membranes with Triton X-100, and applying specific fluorophores. We used indirect staining for Tubulin (Red, Goat anti-mouse 568), direct staining for …

How Do The Interrogation Strategies Of Women Detectives Differ In Style And Efficacy From Their Male Counterparts?, Sarah M. Quinones

High Impact Practices Student Showcase Spring 2026

This research proposal seeks to examine recorded interrogation footage and in-depth interviews of professional interrogators to analyze how their interrogation styles and efficacies differ between men and women. There is an imminent need for a reformed, standardized, and research-backed interrogation system to improve the efficacy and discriminatory habits of the justice system. The proposed hypotheses include:

• Transformational interrogation styles yield more cooperative and informative responses than transactional interrogation styles. 

• Because women’s interrogation styles more often align with transformational leadership patterns, their interrogations exhibit higher efficacies.

These hypotheses were drawn following an extensive literature review of the current academic contributions, both …