Costumed RodCon Attendee, 06

Alt Text: A RodCon attendee dressed as Thor poses with his hammer outstretched and pressed against the hand of another RodCon attendee, dressed as Sukuna.https://scholarworks.uni.edu/rodcon2026_photos/1052/thumbnail.jp

Kids\u27 Zone Shrinky Dinks

Alt Text: RodCon attendees color and cut out shrinky dinks at the Shrinky Dinks station in the Kids\u27 Zone.https://scholarworks.uni.edu/rodcon2026_photos/1037/thumbnail.jp

Kids\u27 Zone Plant Pal Adoption Center

Alt Text: RodCon attendees create pipe cleaner plants at the Plant Pal Adoption Center table in the Kids\u27 Zone.https://scholarworks.uni.edu/rodcon2026_photos/1003/thumbnail.jp

International Panther Monthly, March 2026

Contents: --- From the Director\u27s Desk--- Last Month With OIE--- Student Spotlight--- UNI\u27s World Window--- Did You Know?--- Behind the Scenes--- Next Month\u27s Activities--- Additional Opportunities--- Get Involvedhttps://scholarworks.uni.edu/internationalnews/1101/thumbnail.jp

Comparing the Cognitive and Physiological Effects of Traditional and Virtual Reality Exercise in Overweight/Obese Adults: A Pilot Study

Research suggests that overweight/obese adults (BMI ≥ 25 kg/m2) have an elevated risk of cognitive decline. Although exercise is recommended to improve both physical and cognitive health, adherence is often low in this population. Virtual reality (VR) is an emerging strategy that may enhance exercise engagement. This pilot study compared the effects of traditional (TRAD) cycling and VR-based exercise on cognitive performance and prefrontal cortex (PFC) oxygenation (O2Hb). Eleven adults (M = 6, F = 5; BMI: 31.1 ± 2.8 kg/m2; VO2max: 30.4 ± 5.7 mL/kg/min) completed a VO2max test and two 16 min moderate-intensity cycling sessions (TRAD, VR) on separate days, each followed by a Stroop task (four rounds of 30 trials). Exercise intensity did not differ between conditions (TRAD: %HRmax 73.9 ± 4.2, RPE 12.9 ± 1.5, BLa− 2.5 ± 1.3; VR: %HRmax 74.0 ± 5.6, RPE 12.7 ± 1.4, BLa− 2.7 ± 1.7). Stroop accuracy was similar between conditions; however, response time was faster post-TRAD in round two (p = 0.005) and round three (p = 0.004). No significant differences in PFC O2Hb were observed. These preliminary results suggest that both TRAD cycling and VR-based exercise are feasible modes of moderate-intensity exercise in overweight/obese adults, with largely comparable post-exercise cognitive outcomes. Larger, counterbalanced studies are warranted

Teen Costume Content Winners

Alt Text: The winners of the Teen Costume Contest pose for a group picture on the RodCon stage.https://scholarworks.uni.edu/rodcon2026_photos/1055/thumbnail.jp

Discover AI, February 2026 [display, photo 2]

Alt Text: Back view of a library exhibit with a poster at the top of the display and library materials arranged on bottom three shelves. Description: Discover AI book display created for February 2026 located on the library main floor next to the Book Bistro cafe.https://scholarworks.uni.edu/lib_humandisplays/1085/thumbnail.jp

Experimental and Computational Study of Nearly Half-Metallic V2CoGa

Here, we present the results of a combined computational and experimental study of electronic, magnetic, and structural properties of V2CoGa, a Heusler alloy that exhibits high spin polarization values in an ordered crystal structure. Our calculations indicate that this compound crystallizes in an inverted cubic structure. The magnetic alignment is ferrimagnetic, due to the anti-aligned magnetic moments of two vanadium sub-lattices. The calculated magnetization value for the ordered structure is 1.97 μ B/f.u. at the equilibrium lattice constant of 5.898 Å. Our calculations indicate that V2CoGa in its ordered crystal structure retains high spin polarization values of around 90% under mechanical pressure. At the same time, this material exhibits a strong tendency toward A2-type atomic disorder, which has a detrimental impact on spin polarization values. In addition, the magnetization magnitude for the disordered cell is 0.38 μ B/f.u. Experimentally, arc-melted samples crystallize in the predicted inverted cubic structure with A2-type disorder. To optimize the crystal structure, the samples were annealed at various temperatures. The cubic phase is preserved up to 700 °C, while annealing above this temperature leads to phase separation. X-ray diffraction patterns, analyzed using Rietveld refinement for a cubic crystal structure (space group F-43m), yields a lattice parameter of 5.929 Å, consistent with theoretical predictions. Thermomagnetic measurements reveal a magnetic transition near room temperature (295 K). Above the transition, the DC susceptibility follows Curie–Weiss behavior, with a calculated effective magnetic moment of 3.6 μ B per formula unit. Given the detrimental effect of A2 disorder on spin polarization, minimizing this disorder is essential to realize the full potential of V2CoGa as a high-spin-polarization material