Digital Commons Network^™

Investigation Of Hyperspectral Data Unmixing And Its Impact On The Task Of Anomaly Detection, Mohammed Younis

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Hyperspectral unmixing is the process of decomposing mixed pixels into distinct spectra or endmembers. In the hyperspectral unmixing process, a linear mixture model and the Fully Constrained Least Square approach are used to estimate an abundance map, which highlights the amount of each endmember that is present in the scene. This unmixing process is essential to tasks, such as target detection, where a reference endmember is provided, and the goal is to highlight areas in the scene that correspond to that reference endmember. As the number of endmembers is important to the unmixing process, we conducted an investigation in which …

Investigation Of Ferroelectric Switching Mechanisms In Boron-Substituted Aluminum Nitride, Mackenzie Porterfield

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

In the pursuit of next-generation memory devices, ferroelectric materials provide a pathway for high-speed operation and non-volatility. The path to marketization for ferroelectric materials favors materials with elements common to the complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS) production, which leads to desirability in tuning boron substituted aluminum nitride – a newly demonstrated ferroelectric with CMOS compatible composition. However, for AlBN to realize its potential, understanding and optimizing the polarization reversal process becomes necessary for further device engineering. This study investigates the role of boron in domain formation and propagation. Through first-principles calculations, we determine that introducing boron atoms along the domain boundary initiates …

Imbalance Learning Representation And Label Shift, Yuexin Wu

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This research addresses the challenges of class imbalance in unsupervised domain adaptation (UDA) and rating prediction in recommender systems. In the context of UDA, the class imbalance between source and target domains presents a significant hurdle for existing models, which tend to focus on domain-invariant representations and class-balanced data. We introduce an unsupervised reinforcement adaptation model (URAM), leveraging reinforcement learning to jointly consider feature variants and imbalanced labels across domains. In recommender systems, the issue of rating imbalance naturally arises, leading to biased predictions and suboptimal performance for tail ratings. Existing rating prediction approaches often rely on weighted cross-entropy and …

The Role Of Religiosity In Predicting Behavioral Economic Variables And Alcohol-Related Consequences Experienced By Black Emerging Adults, Alton Joe Withers

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Psychosocial adversities increase alcohol use and consequences in emerging adults. Black Americans experience more adversities compared to other demographics and this may increase risk for misuse of alcohol. Religiosity may serve as a predictor of alcohol misuse, but little is known about longitudinal associations between alcohol misuse and religiosity in Black emerging adults (EAs). Behavioral economics (BE) posits that alcohol use is determined by the availability and price of alcohol compared to the availability and price of other reinforcements. Moreover, the value of these competing rewards is influenced by the delay of the rewards. Associations between sharply devaluing delayed outcomes …

Is Seeing The Therapist Important? Perceptions Of Therapist Empathy And Skill, Jerry Lee Lovelace

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Psychotherapists have increasingly used alternate telehealth formats for providing treatment (e.g., videoconferencing, telephone, and online chat). In some modes, therapists may not be seen clearly or even at all. The current study aimed to assess visibility’s impact on observers’ perceptions of therapists’ empathy and skill. Participants were randomly assigned to evaluate vignettes of psychotherapy sessions with differing levels of visibility: a video of the session or an audio of the session. Analyses revealed that observers’ perceptions of therapists differed by visibility condition. The study found that in the non-visible condition, female presenting therapists were perceived as less skilled and empathetic. …

Palinopsia: The Persistence Of Vision In Time, Lesley Bragdon

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Lesley Bragdon's art aims to capture and convey her unique perception of the world. She reproduces the distorted, out-of-focus, and shadowy aspects of everyday objects that she sees, highlighting that everyone can perceive objects differently. Bragdon's artistic process involves the hybridization of materials and the transformation of found objects into mixed-media sculptures and installations. She draws inspiration from contemporary artists like Lynda Benglis and Suzanne Jackson, exploring the boundaries between painting and sculpture. The use of shadows plays a significant role in her art, adding layers of abstraction and creating visually captivating experiences. Bragdon's art is influenced by her medical …

Mitigating The Shortcomings Of Language Models: Strategies For Handling Memorization & Adversarial Attacks, Aly Kassem

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Deep learning models have recently achieved remarkable progress in Natural Language Processing (NLP), specifically in classification, question-answering, and machine translation. However, NLP models face challenges related to security and privacy. Security-wise, even small perturbations in the input can significantly impact a model's prediction. This highlights the importance of generating natural adversarial attacks to analyze the weaknesses of NLP models and bolster their robustness through adversarial training (AT). Conversely, Large Language Models (LLMs) are trained on vast amounts of data, which may include sensitive information. If exposed, this poses a risk to personal privacy. LLMs can memorize portions of their training …

Influence Of Landscape And Nutrients On Stable Isotope Dynamics And Food Webs In A River Prior To Re-Establishing Fish Migration, Selina Al-Nazzal

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Great Lakes tributaries are undergoing major ecosystem restoration through dam removal aimed at improving habitat connectivity. Re-establishing connectivity can have consequences for both desirable and undesirable species, especially in watersheds that risk the invasion of non-native species. To predict and evaluate the effects of reconnecting native fish habitats, I used stable isotopes of carbon (δ13C), nitrogen (δ15N), and sulphur (δ34S), spatial stream network (SSN) models and trophic niche measurements to examine the influence of land cover and nutrient concentration on the trophic ecology and distribution of stable isotopes of biofilm, macroinvertebrates, and fishes in the Boardman/Ottaway River (BOR), a tributary …

Robust Visual Observer And Controller Design For System Modeled On Se(3) With Camera Measurements, Tong Zhang

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation presents a controlling method that utilizes visual observation to address the challenge of driving an autonomous vehicle with a kinematic model on SE(3), by using the data obtained from the onboard cameras. This controlling framework is applicable when direct retrieval of the vehicle's attitude information is not possible or when precision control of the vehicle is necessary. However, addressing several challenges to attain closed-loop stability for the observer-based control for autonomous vehicles on SE(3) is essential. 1. The analysis is further complicated by the presence of multiple equilibria in the error dynamics associated with the suggested method. 2. …

Advanced Deep Learning Multivariate Multi-Time Series Framework For A Novel Covid-19 Dataset, Swastik Bagga

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This thesis introduces an innovative framework aimed at addressing the complexities of predicting outcomes in multivariate multi time series datasets in regression analysis. By applying this framework to a novel COVID-19 dataset, it enhances predictive analytics by providing accurate forecasts for epidemic trends at regional or provincial levels, going beyond national-level analysis. The framework incorporates advanced data preprocessing, feature selection, engineering, encoding, and model architecture, effectively capturing intricate variable interactions and temporal dependencies. This makes it a powerful tool for tackling multivariate multi time series regression challenges, offering valuable insights for informed decision-making. Predicting outcomes in such datasets is challenging …

Evaluation Of Koopman Operator Neural Decoding Scheme, Kyle Edwards

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Neural activity correlates with a wide variety of phenomena relating to the animal originating the activity. It is possible to exploit those correlations by measuring the activity and mathematically transforming it via a so-called decoding process to determine what, physically, the activity represented. The signals measured are typically nonlinear, and though classical statistical techniques exist for handling these signals, increasingly influential methods including neural networks and the Koopman operator formalism provide new avenues to explore for handling such nonlinear problems. We propose a method of decoding utilizing a neural network representation of the Koopman operator and test it on the …

The Impact Of Therapist Credentials On Perceptions Of The Psychotherapist, David Mackey Waugh

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Objective. The aim of the present study was to assess whether providing credential information about therapists from an online source would have an impact on perceptions of psychotherapists comparable to when such information is conveyed in physical settings. Method. Participants viewed two emulated psychotherapist websites, one in which credential information was included and another without these credential details. After viewing each website, participants rated the perceived skills and empathy of the therapist. Results. Analysis revealed that therapists were viewed as more expert when professional credentials were provided. Therapists were also viewed as more empathic with credential included, but only when …

Trace Analysis Of Complex Matrices Samples By Ultra Performance Liquid Chromatography Time Of Flight Mass Spectrometry, Drake Hunter Williams

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation discusses the of method development, optimization, and results of trace analysis of complex matrix samples of sodium hypochlorite solutions and environmental samples for contaminants using mass spectrometry bases methods. Sodium hypochlorite solutions are analyzed for the presence and concentration of haloacetic acids (HAAs). These HAAs are possible carcinogens to humans and regulated disinfectant byproducts. HAAs are the result of chlorination of water containing natural organic matter. The regulation of HAAs require the need to quantify and identify them as well as determine their sources. These sources could include formation by reactions or from contamination of treatment chemicals used …

Zero Trust Architectures: A Comprehensive Analysis And Implementation Guide, Nathan Lynn Seymour

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

As organizations navigate an increasingly complex and dynamic cyber threat landscape, the conventional paradigms of cybersecurity are being reevaluated. This thesis delves into the evolution of zero trust architectures (ZTA), tracing the origins of zero trust and providing a critical comparison with traditional cybersecurity measures. Emphasizing the imperative need for advanced security frameworks, particularly in the face of escalating threats like social engineering and ransomware attacks, this study articulates the fundamental motivations behind the adoption of zero trust principles. The core of the thesis articulates a systematic breakdown of the components and pillars constituting a zero trust architecture, explaining the …

An Interacting Segment Model For The Calculation Of Nonlinear Optical Properties: Theory And Application To Peptide Sequences, Aaron R. Jones

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The aim of this thesis is to develop and refine an interacting segment model (ISM) for the accurate computational calculation of molecular electrical response properties. Traditional ab-initio quantum mechanical methods require a tremendous amount of computational resources to calculate these properties for larger molecular systems, rendering them infeasible for larger molecules. This ISM looks to address this issue, serving as a method that allows for accurate and timely calculation of properties of interest. It is found that the fits for both dipole moment and isotropic polarizability yield fantastic results when optimized against a set of ‘test molecules’, yielding errors of …

Exploring The Dimensionality Of Reading Fluency In Grade 4: Prosody And Its Role In Supporting Reading Comprehension, Hannah Anderson

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of the current study was to examine the dimensionality of prosody and its role in supporting comprehension in Grade 4 students (N = 198). Participants were administered a grade-level CBM probe and i-Ready Diagnostic, including the Vocabulary, Literary Text, and Informational Text subtests. Spectrographic analysis was used to extract the prosodic data from audio recordings of the passage reading. A comparison group of 30 adults were recruited. A four-factor measurement model was proposed, with a reading comprehension factor comprised of i-Ready subtest, two prosodic factors comprised of pitch and pausing features gathered from the grade-level passage, and a …

Paleoindian Utilization Of Allendale Chert Deposits Along The Savannah River, Hunter Blake Saunders

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Outcrops of Allendale chert, along the Savannah River, can be characterized with the use of high-resolution chert provenance data in order to study inter-quarry procurement strategies, social networks, and mobility. The thesis presents results of sourcing methods using reflectance spectroscopy. Chert sourcing is a viable technique for determining Paleo-Indian behavior in relation to the use and procurement of stone tools. Reflectance spectroscopy is a non-destructive method used in archaeology to determine the source of chert artifacts. A combination of two instruments is used in the study to quantify and separate source variability of Allendale chert utilized by Paleoindians. Reflectance spectroscopy …

Cyber Resilient Wind Turbine Generator Control System, Nathan Oaks Farrar

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

As wind turbine generator systems become more common in the modern power grid, the question of how to adequately protect them from cyber criminals has become a major theme in the development of new control systems. As such, Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML) algorithms have become major contributors to preventing, detecting, and mitigating cyber-attacks in the power system. In their current state, wind turbine generator systems are woefully unprepared for a coordinated and sophisticated cyber-attack. With the implementation of the internet-of-things (IoT) devices in the power control network, cyber risks have increased exponentially. In the current literature, prevention …

Isolation And Characterization Of Bacteriophages From Fish Tank Samples, Oluwaseyi Oluwagbeminiyi Oladele-Ajose

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Bacteriophages (phages) are viral obligate intracellular parasites that infect bacteria. Research has been carried out on alternative treatment plans for bacterial infections due to the increase in antibiotic resistance. Phages have been proposed as an alternative to antibiotics. This research focused on the isolation and characterization of bacteria from small aquariums. A total of 42 bacterial isolates were isolated from seven different fish tank water samples and were tested to determine if they possessed phages. Spot plaque assay revealed presence of lytic phage for only one of the isolated bacterial strains, which was determined to belong to Enterobacteriaceae family based …

Comparative Lineament And Geomorphic Analysis Of Chaotic Terrains And Noctis Labyrinthus, Mars, Sarah A. Walton

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Noctis Labyrinthus (NL) is an extensional trough network connecting the Tharsis rise and Valles Marineris on Mars. Chaotic terrains are a group of polygonally-fractured surface features commonly associated with subsidence due to rapid fluid loss within the subsurface. Polygonal surface patterns are seen at both sites, where geometric topographic highs are bounded by low troughs. Lineaments, topography, and geomorphology of NL and chaotic terrains were analyzed to determine tectonics and fluid influence in the formation and evolution of both sites. NL shows preferential fracture patterns associated with regional extension. Lineaments within chaotic terrains do not show cumulative preferential trends but …

Functional Cynicism, Michelle Fried

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Trait cynicism, or “cynical hostility” as measured by the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory’s Cook-Medley Scale, is defined and studied as characteristics associated with psychopathology, interpersonal conflict, and negative health outcomes including heart disease and cognitive decline. Likewise, “organizational cynicism” is operationalized in industrial/organizational psychology for the purpose of describing and identifying an undesirable employee type in the workplace. This research proposes an alternative assessment. It reconnects cynicism with its roots in ancient philosophy by asking if cynical attitudes, despite their negative valence ascribed in the modern literature and conventional opinion, may serve a practical purpose. This study of Functional Cynicism …

Inclusive Education For All: Identifying Teacher Beliefs About Working With Students With Disabilities, Chelsea Sharek

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to investigate the beliefs K-12 teachers have when working with students with disabilities in a rural Pennsylvania school district. This study aimed to identify if teachers’ personal beliefs created biases about their students and school systems; thus, forming barriers and preventing an inclusive education when working with disabled students. Instrumentation for this quantitative study is the Multidimensional Attitudes Towards Inclusive Education Scale (MATIES) survey. Findings suggest that some teachers at Sunnyside School District (pseudonym) hold personal beliefs that could create biases about their students and school system that may form barriers when working with …

Negative Psychology Of Anti-Semitism: Fear Of The Uncategorizable, Benjamin Strosberg

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Anti-Semitism is a pervasive global issue, particularly prominent in the United States. Studying and defining anti-Semitism prove remarkably challenging for scholars, leading to inadequate understanding and exclusion from contemporary academic discourse and social justice initiatives. In this dissertation, I made the case that anti-Semitism is hard to categorize, stemming, in part, from the difficulty in categorizing what it is to be Jewish, which seems to be multi-form (a figure of thought, a race, an ethnicity, a religion, a nation, none of the above). In thinking about the difficulty in categorization, I constellated various instances of anti-Jewish practices across historical epochs …

Using A Three-Dimensional Theoretical Orientation Matching Model To Predict Therapeutic Outcomes, Daniel Rhodes

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Matching helpers and clients in a therapeutic setting is inefficient and ineffective. So far, there are no significant and enduring variables that reliably match helpers and clients that lead to positive therapeutic outcomes. This study attempts to match helper and client using theoretical orientation. It uses a quantitative methodology to predict therapeutic outcomes given match quality in the therapeutic dyad. Participants were 30 dyadic pairs—consisting of one helper and one client—who had a pre-existing therapeutic relationship. Each was given an assessment tool, used to measure their theoretical orientation to psychotherapy. Results showed no statistically significant relationships between theoretical orientation match …

Understanding Unacceptable Graduation Outcomes For Historically Excluded Trio Student Support Services Students, Erica Willis

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The primary purpose of this mixed-methods study is to define the problem and to understand the system that has been leading to unacceptably low graduation outcomes for historically excluded Trio Student Support Services (Trio SSS) students at Mid-Atlantic University (MAU), a pseudonym. To achieve the primary purpose extant documents and institutional data that can shed light on system processes and institutional conditions that perpetuate disparities in graduation outcomes, particularly for historically excluded racial groups that exist at the intersection of first-generation status and/or low socioeconomic status, will be analyzed. The secondary purpose of this study is to identify potential change …

A Demonstration Of Enactivist Personality Assessment Using The Five-Factor Model, Garri Hovhannisyan

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation seeks to extend the intellectual and existential horizon of the enactive approach by bringing forth an enactivist understanding of human cognitive life as it is lived from the perspective of personality traits. The theoretical task of this dissertation is to review existing evidence in support of the Enactivist Big-5 Theory (EB5T) of personality and its potential for bridging the phenomenological gap between minimal and human cognition. As a phenomenologically grounded theory of personality, EB5T conceptualizes individual differences not merely as differences in trait measures within a person but as differences in styles of how individuals bring forth, experience, …

The Impact Of Sitting And Crawling On The Acquisition Of Object Permanence In Infants With Motor Delays And Infants With Typical Development, Karl Jancart

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Object permanence (OP) is the ability to understand that objects continue to exist even when they cannot be perceived. During play, infants with an understanding of OP will continue searching for toys when the toys have been obscured by other items. Searching requires movement. The theory of embodied cognition maintains that the form and function of an organism’s body influence how the organism learns; Therefore, if a child has difficulties with movement, as demonstrated by children with motor delays, they will likely have difficulty engaging in play, the modality by which children learn about their world. The current research is …

Interactive Effects Of Sublethal Concentrations Of Fracking Biocides And Abandoned Mine Drainage On Amphipod Behavior, Kelly Lenhart

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This thesis examined the sublethal effects of three pollutants, namely glutaraldehyde, 4,4-dimethyloxazolidine (DMO), and abandoned mine drainage (AMD), on amphipods. The primary objective was to investigate their combined effects on amphipods. The three pollutants, despite having the potential to combine in the environment, have not been studied to determine their potential for detrimental interactive effects which could result in unexpected environmental damage.

The research employed a series of experimental setups involving controlled exposure of amphipods to varying, putatively sublethal, concentrations of the chemicals of interest. Subsequently, effects were assessed via both behavioral and feeding assessments. To facilitate this analysis, novel …

Changing The Face Of Reading Instruction: Do Culturally Relevant Passages Increase The Effects Of The Repeated Reading Intervention For Middle School Black Girls With Reading Difficulties (Bgrds)?, Olajumoke Edith Oshokoya

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Research has shown that fewer studies have focused on improving the reading abilities of middle school Black girls (Morris, 2007). As BGRDs progress through K – 12 grades, they increasingly rely on basic and advanced reading skills (i.e., oral reading fluency [ORF] and comprehension) to learn. Providing BGRDs with engaging reading passages that are relevant to their prior knowledge, background, interests, and experiences, is more likely to motivate them to read, and eventually improve their reading skills (Cartledge et al., 2015). While there is a growing body of literature focused on Black students’ experiences, currently no study has explored the …

Understanding The Psychological Significance Of Astrology In Millennial Women's Lives, Rachel June Floyd

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

In North America, astrology has been experiencing a resurgence in popularity. This is immediately remarkable given that the United States and Canada are industrialized, modern societies where astrology is widely lamented as a pseudoscience. This dissertation presents a phenomenological exploration of the underlying reasons for this cultural trend, particularly among the demographic that uses it most: millennial women. Existing psychological literature on astrology is primarily dominated by correlational studies or historical analyses and lacks the depth and richness of direct experiences of individuals engaging with this phenomenon. This study sought to address this gap within psychological literature specifically, by conducting …