Digital Commons Network^™

Impact Of Graph Structures For Rag Outcomes In Llms, Chris Davis Jaldi

Browse all Theses and Dissertations

Explainability, interpretability and adaptability (EIA) remain three central motivations for next-generation Artificial Intelligence (AI), especially as Large Language Models (LLMs) continue to engage with ever-increasing knowledge bodies. As the landscape pushes toward controllable agentic Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG) systems where AI agents engage in iterative, guided reasoning, a critical question arises as to the extent to which the knowledge design itself shapes these models' reasoning behavior. This work conducts a systematic evaluation of how different conceptualizations and representation of the identical knowledge affect an LLM's path-based reasoning capabilities. Through the introduction of controlled variations along graph structural complexity, linguistic and semantic …

Isometric Centroid Encoder (Ice) And Synthetic Data Generation Approaches For Biological Datasets, Prathyusha Kanakamalla

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This thesis addressed two main challenges in biological data analysis: structure-preserving dimensionality reduction and synthetic data generation for small sample datasets. I proposed the Isometric Centroid Encoder (ICE), a supervised dimensionality reduction method that preserves pairwise distances between class centroids during dimension reduction. Unlike existing methods like Centroid Encoder and Super Encoder, ICE explicitly maintains geometric relationships between biological classes, achieving nearly perfect structure preservation at C dimensions (where C equals the number of classes) with strong performance even in 2D and 3D spaces. Additionally, I compared three generative models (VAE, LSH-GAN, and scDiffusion) for synthetic data generation on small …

Personalized Physics Learning Through Ai: Insights From Problem Generation, Chatbot Dialogues, And Intelligent Tutoring Systems, Atharva Dange

Physics Dissertations - Archive

Artificial intelligence (AI) is poised to transform science education, yet questions remain on how best to integrate these technologies into teaching and learning. This dissertation investigates the use of AI-driven tools in university physics courses through three complementary studies. In the first study, a generative language model (ChatGPT) was used to create novel physics homework problems aligned with course objectives. Analysis showed that, after expert vetting, AI-generated questions can foster higher-order problem-solving and reduce student reliance on solution memorization, though careful instructor oversight is required to ensure accuracy. The second study embedded an AI chatbot as a learning aid in …

The Bacteriostatic, Regenerative, And Immunomodulatory Properties Of Extracellular Matrix Particles For Lung Injury, Keera P. Rhoads

Theses and Dissertations

Acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) is a prevalent, life-threatening lung condition, affecting nearly 200,000 Americans annually, with a 40% international mortality rate. There is no cure for ARDS, and current pharmacological treatments have limited effectiveness. Symptoms can be mitigated with mechanical ventilation, though this often leads to ventilator-induced lung injuries (VILI) and puts critically ill patients at risk of infections, including ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP). A promising therapeutic is the extracellular matrix (ECM), a complex network of structural proteins and bioactive molecules that has been shown to have anti-inflammatory properties and prevent fibrosis. We aim to utilize the regenerative and immunomodulatory …

Exploring User Sentiment On Social Issues Via Neural Network Transfer Learning In Digital Communities, Ananya R. Vangoor

2025 Research Poster Competition

Understanding public sentiment on social issues is crucial for gauging the stance of the general population. Traditionally, surveys have been a common approach for this. However, to capture more candid opinions, social media provides a rich source of unadulterated opinions. By analyzing social media statements, we can gain insights into the perspectives of specific groups. More specifically, we will investigate the attitudes of the public into the relationship between hard work and success in the workplace.

To begin, I will be training a neural network on X, formerly known as Twitter, tweets to categorize each tweet as either pro-luck or …

Analyzing Unmanned Aircraft System (Uas) Incidents From Nasa Asrs Data Using Unsupervised Machine Learning, Kacey Haws, Neelakshi Majumdar

2025 Research Poster Competition

The NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System (ASRS) assembles voluntarily submitted aviation safety incident reports in their database to act on the information provided. This database allows the government, companies, and citizens to submit incident or situational reports to its database to discern recurring issues in the National Aviation System (NAS) so that the proper officials can act [1]. The narratives provided in these reports are text-based, resulting in large amounts of data to process. Previous work in the University of Arkansas Aerospace Systems Engineering and Transportation Laboratory (ASYST) lab involved parsing unmanned aircraft system (UAS) incident reports manually. While these …

Exploring The Stem Career Identity Development Of Black Women Across Their Lifespan, Veronica Hurd

Theses and Dissertations

Although STEM is the fastest-growing career sector, Black women are grossly underrepresented as they account for 2.5% of the workforce. Research highlights that this underrepresentation is due to racialized structures in K-12, postsecondary, and career settings that restrict Black girls’ and women’s STEM opportunities. While macrosystems such as hegemonic ideologies, attitudes, and social conditions shape Black girls’ and women’s opportunities in STEM, they continue to persist and achieve their career goals. To explore these barriers and Black women’s persistence in this industry, this study draws from the autobiographical memories of 10 Black women in the field or formerly in the …

Study Of Fiber-Loaded Slurries For Ceramic Matrix Composite Fabrication By Additive Manufacturing, Gaspard Matondo

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We studied the additive manufacturing of an alumina-matrix composite reinforced with alumina fibers using the Admatec Admaflex 3D printer, which utilizes digital light processing technology. Oxide-oxide composites are composite materials in which both the matrix and the reinforcing element are ceramic oxides. Monolithic alumina ceramic exhibits a good combination of thermal and mechanical properties, including thermal shock resistance, high melting point, thermal oxidation resistance, good thermal conductivity, hardness, and mechanical strength. However, it is very brittle. Introducing alumina fiber as a reinforcing material into the alumina matrix is expected to enhance mechanical properties, particularly toughness, making the ceramic matrix composite …

Scalable Real-Time Stream Clustering For Unbounded Text Streams, Nathaniel C. Crossman

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Social media, AI systems, IoT sensors, and other platforms generate vast amounts of streaming data. Given this vast volume of information, techniques that can reduce and aggregate data into meaningful topics are essential. One such technique is the two-phase stream clustering approach. In the first, online micro-clustering phase, the system forms micro-clusters from the incoming data stream, incrementally merges new items into related existing micro-clusters, and prunes or fades micro-clusters as they become inactive, producing a constantly updating yet compact set of micro-clusters representing potential topics and subtopics of the stream. In the second, offline macro-clustering phase, these micro-clusters are …

Effects Of Invigorating And Relaxing Music On Heart Rate, Blood Pressure, And Heart Rate Variability, Matthew Joshua Faur

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Heart-rate variability (HRV) has been documented to correlate with several health measures, including autonomic nervous system longevity and athletic performance (Zulfiqar, 2010). While increasing age does not affect heart rate, there is a steady decline in HRV, which is a biological marker of aging and the decline of autonomic nervous system function. Furthermore, men who exercise regularly tend to have increased HRV, suggesting a mitigation of the typical age-dependent loss of HRV (Kristal-Boneh et al., 1995). Previous studies have suggested that music may have a physiological effect (e.g., fluctuating vitals, emotional changes) on cardiovascular parameters. However, little is known about …

Effect Of Metal Ions On The Reactive Oxygen Species Scavenging Capabilities Of Cerium Oxide For Biological Applications, Agastya Mittal

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Ceria nanoparticles' capabilities to defend cells against oxidative stress through superoxide dismutase activity are well-documented. Ceria nanoparticles demonstrate a ratio between 3⁺/4⁺ oxidative states on the surface of the particles to exhibit oxygen vacancies, a feature that allows these particles to scavenge Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS) in times of Oxidative Stress. Oxidative stress arises from many wounds in the body, such as wounds in the skin, and can have significant impacts on the health of an individual. Even when receiving treatment for the skin wound, ROS can circulate from around the wound, be generated from an imbalance …

Synthesis And Characterization Of Multifunctional Cerium Oxide Containing Nanoparticles For Biomedical Applications, Ishaan Patel

Honors Undergraduate Theses

This study presents the synthesis and comprehensive characterization of a novel core-shell nanoparticle composed of a maghemite (γ-Fe₂O₃) core and a europium-doped cerium oxide (EuCNP) shell, developed for potential use in cancer theranostics. Using a co-precipitation method, Fe₂O₃–EuCNP core-shell nanoparticles were synthesized and compared against control samples of CNPs, EuCNPs, and Fe₂O₃. A variety of characterization techniques, including UV-Vis spectroscopy, fluorescence spectroscopy, TEM, XRD, XPS, DLS, TGA, and DSC confirmed the successful synthesis of core-shell architecture and europium doping. Moreover, Fe₂O₃–EuCNPs demonstrating strong colloidal …

Effects Of Changes In Strouhal And Reynolds Numbers On Beetle Wing Aerodynamics, Keith L. Thiha

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Insect flight has long been a subject of interest across the scientific community, largely due to the exceptional aerodynamic performance insects demonstrate relative to their size. Insects tend to have very high aerodynamic performance characteristics like thrust and lift generation compared to their size. This has many potential applications in improving aircraft performance, however the flow phenomena concerning insect wing aerodynamics is still an area of ongoing research. This study aims to investigate how variations in key nondimensional flow parameters—specifically the Reynolds number and Strouhal number—affect the aerodynamic performance of beetle wings. Strouhal numbers ranging from 0.2 to 0.6 were …

Cfd Analysis Of Hydrodynamic Cavitation Through An Orifice: Influence Of Different Inlet Pressures And Number Of Orifice Holes, Lemthong Chanphavong, Vongsavanh Chanthaboune, Keophousone Phonhalath

ASEAN Journal on Science and Technology for Development

Hydrodynamic cavitation (HC) is considered an energy-efficient process with high potential for utilization in many chemical processes. This study presents a computational fluid dynamics (CFD) analysis of cavitating flow through an orifice with a constant flow area. The Reynolds-Averaged Navier-Stokes (RANS) equations, coupled with turbulence and cavitation models, are employed to capture the complex flow behaviors. The effects of inlet pressures and number of orifice-holes on cavitation behavior are investigated. Result of the numerical simulation is validated with the existing experimental data from the literature. The CFD study revealed that cavitation initiates just behind the inlet edge of the orifice …

Impact Of Color, Shape, And Typeface On Visual Attention: An Eye Tracking Study On Brand Logo, Suzayana Rosidah, Fransiskus Xaverius Ivan, Suatmi Murnani, Hafzatin Nurlatifa, Kristian Adi Nugraha, Sunu Wibirama

ASEAN Journal on Science and Technology for Development

In numerous cases, companies undertake logo redesigns to enhance brand perception. However, little attention has been paid to the impact of each element of the redesigned logo on visual attention and brand perception. To address this research gap, we collected data from eye tracking and self-report questionnaires of 30 participants during exposure to the old and new logos of a prominent bookstore in Indonesia. The results of the questionnaires revealed a significant relationship between the responses concerning color, shape, typeface, and those pertaining to visual attention (p < 0.05). Most participants were able to grasp the value of creativity, flexibility, progress, change, and strength in the new logo shape. The results of eye tracking show that color was the most influential factor that attracted visual attention in old (F(1.5, 43.4) = 14.905, p < 0.05) and new logos (F(1.7, 50) = 34.757, p < 0.05). This study suggests that companies should selectively choose a color scheme of a logo that better attracts the attention of consumers. In addition, our finding is promising as a practical guide for similar research, as well as a case study on how logo redesign affects brand perception and visual attention.

Regulation Of Haemodynamic Variables By Laguerre Polynomials Based Model Predictive Control., Sai Sandeep Boda, Hiren Kumar G. Patel, Khyati D. Mistry

ASEAN Journal on Science and Technology for Development

Purpose: Cardiac output (CO) and Mean Arterial Pressure (MAP) are two haemodynamic variables that need regulation in clinical situations, particularly in post-cardiac surgery patients. As it is difficult for clinical personnel to monitor continuously, automatic drug infusion to regulate MAP and CO is recommended and essential in the medical environment. Methods: Two input and two output patient model was used in this work to study the variation of haemodynamic variables in response to the infusion of Dopamine (DP) and Sodium Nitroprusside (SNP) drugs. Model predictive control (MPC) algorithm was exercised here as it was a well-established technique to regulate output …

Solid Waste Management Strategies In Coastal Areas Affected By Seawater Flood Disaster, Adib Khoirul Anas, Maryono Maryono, Hartuti Purnaweni

ASEAN Journal on Science and Technology for Development

Solid waste in areas affected by seawater floods must be handled specifically because people often dispose of solid waste on flooded land. This research aims to identify the performance of the community to manage solid waste and solid waste management strategy, solid waste measurement using SNI method 19-3964-1994. Analysis of land affected by seawater floods shows that 12 villages are flooded. Communities in coastal areas are not optimal in managing solid waste because the government has never given directions to manage solid waste in a good way, the facilities and marketing are inadequate so that solid waste is often not …

Exploring Dynamics And Effective Strategies For Tidal Flood Risk Reduction In Indonesia's Coastal Cities, Satria Yudha Adhitama, Diana Puspitasari, Lucia Sandra Budiman, Azis Musthofa

ASEAN Journal on Science and Technology for Development

Indonesia’s coastal regions have distinct charateristics. However, nearly all of these coastal regions are vulnerable to tidal floods. The purpose of this study is to determine the features of coastal regions in Indonesia that have been damaged by tidal floods, as well as the actions implemented to mitigate disaster risk. Thus study takes a qualitiative method with explanatory analysis. The Island Spatial Planning is used to classify Indonesia’s archipelagic regions.An urban area vulnerable to tidal flood was selected from each archipelagic region. The characteristics of coastal regions affected by tidal flood were identified by the tidal flood characteristics, coastal physiography. …

Improving Ethanol Purity By Methanol Adsorption Using Mcm-41: A Study Of Kinetics And Thermodynamics For Industrial Applications, Ali A. Yahya, Nisreen S. Ali, Basma B. Hameed, Talib M. Albayati, Issam K. Salih, Riyadh S. Almukhtar, Narges Elmi Fard

ASEAN Journal on Science and Technology for Development

One of the by-products of the fermentation process that produces ethanol, which is mostly utilized in industry and food, is methanol. For methanol adsorption in batch operations, mixed amines modified (MCM-41) was utilized. A batch adsorption technique loaded with MCM-41 sorbent was used in the study to separate methanol from ethanol. This study used methanol at varying initial concentrations (40-80 mg/L). As a result, the effect of temperature, duration of adsorption, amount of adsorbent and initial concentration of pollutant in the field of ethanol alcohol purification using MCM-41 was investigated through the adsorption mechanism. In addition, first and pseudo-second order …

Leveraging Strategic Information Systems For Competitive Advantage: A Case Study Of Veolia As A Multinational Enterprise, Sohail Nawaz Sabir

ASEAN Journal on Science and Technology for Development

Instead of examining several components that link planning and strategy implementation, researchers have focused on the alignment of IT and business, as well as the Strategic Information Systems Planning (SISP) process. The goal of this study is to examine several approaches that can close the gap between IT project planning and execution. Therefore, the primary objective of the proposed study is to examine SISP implementation strategies that can be theorized in the context of Veolia, a global multinational corporation (MNC). The primary aspects influencing the SISP for this study are the frequency of planning, the function of IT/business managers, assessment …

The Effect Of Blanching And Steaming Pretreatment On The Quality Of Durian (Durio Zibenthinus Murr.) Seed Flour, Nabilah Daniel, Rosnah Shamsudin, Mohd Sabri Pak Dek, Jhauharotul Muchlisyiyah, Masmunira Rambli

ASEAN Journal on Science and Technology for Development

Durian (Durio zibethinus Murr.), the "King of Fruits," has seeds that offer nutritional benefits, including high fiber for gut health and high protein for muscle growth. However, natural browning enzymes can limit its use in baking. This study investigates the comparative effects of blanching and steaming durations (5, 10, 15, 20, and 25 minutes) on the color and techno-functional properties of durian seed flour (DSF), providing an optimization-based approach rarely reported for this material.. Durian seeds were sourced from various stalls in Malaysia, washed, soaked in 0.6% sodium metabisulfite, and then blanched or steamed for for varying durations as …

Performance Evaluation And Economic Analysis Of Lithium Iron Phosphate (Lfp) And Nickel Manganese Cobalt (Nmc) Batteries In Electric Vehicles In Indonesia, Yasa Sanusi, Fatwa Tresna Radityan, Farrah Anis Fazliatul Adnan, Jong Soo Rhee, Dianta Ginting

ASEAN Journal on Science and Technology for Development

The transfer to electric vehicles (EVs) in more and more countries is a response to the increasing problems of climate change and air pollution. Electric cars solve this issue as they have zero emissions. EVs can significantly reduce carbon and air pollution, depending on the charging energy mix. In Indonesia, lithium ferro phosphate and nickel manganese cobalt are among the two most preferred types of batteries for EVs, and both have their advantages. This study evaluates the performance of these batteries in terms of power, range, charging speed, and thermal properties, using a range of battery capacities from 26.7 kWh …

Manure Handling In Circular Farming: An In Vitro Study Of Fermented Poultry Manure As Unconventional Feed For Ruminants, Dimas Hand Vidya Paradhipta, De Lavida Padma Terrakota, Ali Agus, Andriyani Astuti, Viagian Pastawan, Kharisma Taufiqa Hidayah

ASEAN Journal on Science and Technology for Development

The development of the poultry industry must consider the principle of circular economy. Therefore, this study aims to develop a method of fermenting poultry manure as a new, unconventional feed, which can support the model of circular farming. Poultry manure obtained from laying hens was mixed with cassava solid waste at a ratio of 7:3 to maintain proper moisture content. The mixed manure fermented for 14 days into a 30 kg silo in triplicate using different additives, namely Lactiplantibacillus plantarum FNCC 0020 at 1 x 10⁵ cfu/g (LP), Bacillus cereus LS2B as proteolytic bacteria at 1 x …

Macro-Ergonomic And Organizational Behavior Mapping For Organic Waste Management Using Hofstede Culture In Semarang, Indonesia : Pca & Sem Analysis Using Smart Pls, Ratih Setyaningrum, Sahana Pramukti, Ravindran Balasubramani

ASEAN Journal on Science and Technology for Development

Waste management has a very close and complex relationship with community behavior and culture . This relationship is two-way: community culture influences how waste is managed, and conversely, waste management practices can shape or change culture. This study to assess the organizational behavior related to organic waste management. Employing a quantitative methodology, data were gathered using the Hofstede Values Survey Module 13 (VSM 13) - closed questionnaire, with 109 Semarang city Community participants responding via a Google Form. The collected data were analyzed utilizing Hofstede's prescribed formula. The next stage is PCA (Principal Component Analysis) and SEM (Structural Equation Modeling) …

Microplastics Detection, Characterization, And Cytotoxicity Evaluation Via Lab-On-Chip, Liyuan Gong

Open Access Dissertations

Microplastics (MPs) pose a growing challenge to the ecological system, prompting increasing research efforts in diverse directions. Accurate characterization of MPs is essential for understanding their properties, relying on efficient sampling and detection techniques. Additionally, studying the cytotoxic effects of MPs is critical for evaluating their impact on biological systems. Lab-on-chip (LoC) systems offer significant advantages for precise particle manipulation and compatibility with advanced analytical instrumentation, making them valuable for MP detection and characterization. Microfluidic-based on-chip cell-culturing systems provide a controllable, physiologically relevant microenvironment for more realistic in vitro tissue modeling. By leveraging advanced LoC concepts and integrating state-of-the-art machine …

Seasonality Of Cyanobacteria And Eukaryotes In Lake Geneva And The Impacts Of Cyanotoxins On Growth Of The Model Ciliate Tetrahymena Pyriformis, Niveen S. Ismail, Paul Seguin, Lola Pricam, Elisabeth M.L. Janssen, Tamar Kohn, Bas W. Ibelings, Anna Carratalá

Engineering: Faculty Publications

Toxic cyanobacteria are likely to be favored by global warming and other human impacts, posing significant threats to aquatic ecosystems. While cyanobacterial blooms in eutrophic lakes are widely investigated, the dynamics of cyanobacteria and the effects of their toxins and bioactive metabolites on the plankton communities in mesotrophic and oligotrophic lakes are less well understood. Here we investigated seasonal dynamics of cyanobacteria, eukaryotic algae and cyanotoxins in oligo-mesotrophic Lake Geneva—the largest and deepest lake in western Europe. High-throughput sequencing of the 16S rRNA genes in 143 samples along a water column revealed that Lake Geneva hosts diverse, co-dominant cyanobacterial genera, …

Rift - Reddit Information Falsity Tagger, Parth Joshi

Master's Projects

Social media platforms such as Reddit are widely used for sharing and consuming information. User-generated content poses a great risk for misinformation creation and dissemination on these platforms. “Fake news”, as it is commonly referred to, has far-reaching social implications, swaying public perception, making political viewpoints more radical, and adversely impacting health decisions. The covariable features that come with fake news make it even harder to detect because it is presented in the form of text, images, videos, and even social interactions. This paper describes a novel method for detecting fake news on Reddit: RIFT, short for Reddit Information Falsity …

Multilingual Sentiment Analysis Using Ensemble Learning, Farhan Ansari

Master's Projects

The widespread use of multiple social media platforms has amplified the expression of public opinions over the Internet in languages such as English, Hindi and Spanish. With the aid of technological advancements in machine learning, we can analyze opinions posted on the Internet and gauge public sentiments. There are organizations and businesses that are interested in the evaluation of these sentiments as these type of data can generally be used to obtain the opinion of a product, restaurant, a candidate, etc. In this study, we perform a comparative analysis of three popular ensemble learning methodologies (Boosting, Bagging and Stacking) based …

Predicting Crises On The African Frontier Stock Markets With Investor Sentiment Indicators: A Machine Learning Approach, David Korsah, Lord Mensah

Journal of International Technology and Information Management

This study examined the predictive ability of machine learning algorithms in identifying crises within African stock markets. The study employed seven distinct machine-learning models, analyzing historical stock prices from eight stock markets, three major sentiment indicators, and the exchange rates of local currencies against the US dollar, with each data spanning from May 1, 2007, to April 1, 2023. Extreme Gradient Boosting (XGBoost) emerged as the most effective algorithm for predicting crises. Historical stock prices and exchange rates were identified as the most critical features for prediction. On the sentiment side, investors’ perceptions of potential volatility on the S&P 500, …

Preventive Health Care Information Seeking Behaviors Among Baby Boomers In Taiwan, Alexander N. Chen, Michael J. Rubach, Tracy Suter, Hsin Ke Lu, Mark E. Mcmurtrey

Journal of International Technology and Information Management

Preventive health care is widely acknowledged as one of the most effective ways to reduce medical costs and enhance people's health. Preventive health care information (PHCI) is a crucial component. This study examines the PHCI-seeking behaviors of Taiwanese baby boomers. The study found some support for the idea that the preferred media used influenced the likelihood of Information seeking behavior. People with good health conditions were found to be more likely to seek PHCI, while people with greater health care needs sought out PHCI less frequently. The study examined social influences, which were found to be important. Three different types …