Digital Commons Network^™

A Machine Learning Approach To Estimating Agricultural Return Flows: A Case Study Of The Twin Falls Canal Company In Idaho, Kendra Alise Figgins

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

Idaho is the third largest water user in the United States due to its extensive agriculture industry (Murray, 2018). Irrigation has allowed farmers to take advantage of the warm climate and rich soils of the Eastern Snake River Plain to develop one of the nation’s most productive agricultural regions. This area now contains one-third of Idaho’s irrigated acres (Idaho Department of Water Resources, 2024). It also contains critical hydrologic connections between the Snake River and the Eastern Snake Plain Aquifer.

Farming practices in Idaho have gradually shifted over time. Warming temperatures and increased irrigation efficiency are allowing an expansion of …

Sustainability Assessment Of Ground Improvement Techniques: A Life Cycle Analysis Of Lime, Cement, Geopolymers And Biopolymers For Roadway Application, Jillian R. Frost

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

Ground improvement design (GID) is a vital part of constructing safe, long-lasting infrastructure. Traditionally, this is done with a chemical additive such as lime or cement that is mixed with in-situ soil to improve soil parameters such as compressibility, and strength. These stabilizers produce high amounts of carbon emissions. As a response, engineers and researchers are beginning to develop new stabilization methods using biopolymers and geopolymers in hopes of achieving comparable soil stability results as well as reduced environmental impacts.

This thesis work integrates a life-cycle analysis (LCA) and life-cycle-cost-analysis (LCCA) framework to evaluate and compare four soil stabilizer types: …

The Effect Of Loading Conditions And Specimen Size On The Tensile Strength Of Ring-Shaped Specimens, Kolby Scott Mcclure

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

This study introduces a custom-built direct tension testing apparatus designed for ring-shaped rock specimens. The apparatus applies a uniform axial load to the inner surface of the ring and is compatible with standard geotechnical testing equipment. Using this device, 176 granite specimens sourced from Horseshoe Bend, Idaho, were tested under three configurations: Brazilian, indirect ring tension, and direct ring tension. Only specimens exhibiting valid diametrical splitting failure modes (126 out of 176) were included in the final analysis. Direct tension tests yielded the lowest tensile strengths, followed by Brazilian tests, with indirect tension tests producing the highest values. While scatter …

Feasibility Of Small-Modular Reactors In Hybrid Energy Systems, Taylor Reid

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

This thesis evaluates the feasibility of integrating next-generation nuclear technology into hybrid energy systems, framing the analysis within the guidelines suggested by the World Energy Council’s, Energy Trilemma. The trilemma seeks to balance energy security, economics/equity and sustainability. To this end, a computer model was created to illustrate how the limitations of intermittent renewables, like wind and solar (PV), can be addressed when they are combined with a baseload provided by a next-generation nuclear Small Modular Reactor (SMR). The baseload power provided by nuclear energy can smooth the variability of wind or solar power, while simultaneously offsetting the cost of …

Evaluation Of High Concentration Dissolved Oxygen Delivery On Wastewater Treatment Plant Performance, Gregor Ethan R. Posadas

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

Microorganisms are used in wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) to transform constituents and depend on dissolved oxygen (DO) for growth. Limitations in traditional treatment methods pose inefficiencies in performance relative to constituent removal. This study involved monitoring the performance of a selected WWTP located in Greenleaf, Idaho that was retrofitted with a high concentration DO delivery system. The WWTP was selected due to its small scale (classified as a minor discharge facility with a design flow <1 MGD) and capability of being retrofitted with a high concentration DO delivery system proprietary to BioSolution Holdings Co., Ltd. This study aimed to monitor the effects of delivering higher DO concentrations in the WWTP in conjunction with validating the performance and function of the retrofitted high concentration DO delivery system. The performance of the selected WWTP was monitored over the course of one year to capture seasonal fluctuations.

Significant changes in WWTP constituent treatment induced by higher DO concentrations were observed at various points within the treatment processes. Monitored parameters included DO, temperature, …

Harnessing Bioscaffold-Coupled Stimulation Through Electroactive Graphene Foam For Enhanced Cellular And Mechanical Responses: Applications In Cartilage Tissue Engineering, Mone't Sawyer

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

Osteoarthritis is a leading cause of joint degeneration, with limited treatment options that fail to restore native cartilage. Tissue engineering offers a promising strategy by combining cells, scaffolds, and bioactive cues to regenerate functional tissue, though challenges remain in developing systems that integrate and precisely control these signals in three-dimensional environments. This work establishes a scaffold-coupled electrical stimulation (ES) platform using electroactive graphene foam (GF) to modulate cellular and mechanical responses relevant to cartilage tissue engineering. Custom stereolithography-printed bioreactors were developed to deliver low-voltage biphasic square waves (20–60 mVpp, 1 kHz) directly to GF scaffolds under submerged culture, maintaining waveform …

Stimulation And Recording Interfaces For Data Transmission To And From A Micro Neural Stimulation Device, Morgan Riley

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

Advancements in neuromodulation for treating neurological disorders increasingly rely on selective peripheral nerve stimulation rather than whole-nerve activation. Traditional approaches engage all fascicles, causing off-target effects such as involuntary muscle contractions and pain. To address these challenges, this research proposes a minimally invasive microdevice that integrates wireless galvanic impulse communication with an epineural multi-contact nerve cuff. This design facilitates high-throughput, low-power stimulation, recording, and data transfer. Development efforts include optimizing neural stimulation protocols, validating deep tissue galvanic transmission, and fabricating a multi-channel nerve cuff for stable electrode–tissue interfacing. In parallel, custom depth-controlled intramuscular arrays enable high-density electromyography (EMG) recording during …

Reinforcement Learning Based Intelligent Optimisation For Bin Packing Problems: A Review, Nadia Dahmani, Amril Nazir, Ikbal Taleb, Syed M.Salman Bukhari

All Works

The convergence of Reinforcement Learning (RL) and Bin Packing Problems (BPP) is a critical field of study that has profound ramifications in logistics, manufacturing, computer, and retail industries. This paper thoroughly examines the progression from simple rule-based tactics to advanced Deep Reinforcement Learning (DRL) techniques in solving BPPs. By conducting a thorough review of 231 papers conducted between 2019 and 2024, we address and provide answers to important research inquiries, such as “To what extent has academic research explored the use of RL for BPP during this time frame?” and “Which specific areas of application and methodologies have been predominantly …

Artificial Intelligence In Waste Management Systems: Applications, Challenges, And Prospects, Imane Belyamani

All Works

Despite global recognition of the climate crisis, greenhouse gas emissions are projected to rise by 8.8 % by 2030, primarily due to inadequate planning, poor implementation, and insufficient financial support. While international initiatives such as the ’Waste to Zero’ coalition launched at the 28th Conference of the Parties to the UNFCCC (COP 28) highlight the urgency of advancing decarbonization and the circularity of waste systems, this review focuses on how artificial intelligence (AI) can accelerate that transformation. It systematically explores the role of AI in advancing waste management practices, with a focus on predictive analytics, route optimization, and machine learning-based …

Lstm Network-Based Scheme For Automatic Characterization Of Power Quality Disturbances, Akram Elmitwally, Mohamed Nader

Mansoura Engineering Journal

Recognition of power quality (PQ) troubles is a critical task in the electrical power industry. Most previous works solve the classification problem using separate feature extraction phase and classification phase. Each phase has its own techniques, and consumes a computation time. This study proposes to utilize the long short-term memory (LSTM) network as a deep learning model to classify the PQ events in one shot. The LSTM network uses its particular processing to classify a PQ event signal directly by reading its time-sequence data. Then, a dedicated post-classification algorithm (PCA) extracts start time, end time, duration, amplitude, and total harmonic …

Examining The Relationship Between Title 14 Code Of Federal Regulations (Cfr) Part 147 Maintenance School Aviation Maintenance Technician (Amt) Instructor Experience And Instructor Pass Rates For Airmen Certification Standards (Acs) Element Subject Areas, Richard Lyman Johnson

Theses and Dissertations

This quantitative, correlational study examined the relationship between Aviation Maintenance Technician (AMT) instructor experience and student pass rates in 14 CFR Part 147 maintenance schools. Data were collected from February to August 2025 using purposive and snowball sampling, which yielded 67 complete responses. Instructor experience, measured in months of A&P-rated maintenance work prior to teaching, ranged from 1 to 684 months (M = 253.54, SD = 197.97). Student pass rates, defined as the proportion of students passing ACS element subject area courses, ranged from .52 to 1.00 (M = .95, SD = .07). Most instructors were male, White, over 50 …

Qualitative Stereo Vision Using Distributed Extended Waltz Filtering, Ben Mathew

Theses and Dissertations

Stereo vision is a fundamental problem in computer vision, aimed at reconstructing three-dimensional scene structure from two or more two-dimensional images. Traditional stereo algorithms rely on quantitative disparity estimation, often constrained by calibration precision, lighting variations, and surface texture. In contrast, our proposed Qualitative Stereo Vision seeks to understand depth relationships and spatial configurations from multiple planar views through symbolic reasoning and constraint satisfaction, offering a more flexible and cognitively plausible approach to scene interpretation.

This dissertation presents a novel framework called Distributed Extended Waltz Filtering, designed to provide qualitative stereo vision, particularly in the presence of occlusions—a persistent challenge …

The Road To Regulation: A Literature Review Of The Influences On The Updated Silica Standards, Skye M. Medcraft

Capstone Experience: Master of Public Health

Silica is a hazardous compound that poses a risk to human health resulting from dust creating activities across various industries. Several agencies, including OSHA (Occupational Health and Safety Administration) and MSHA (Mine Safety and Health Administration) have adopted regulatory oversight of silica exposure in the workplace. As more research has been conducted on silica exposure, the health effects are becoming better described, which has led to the creation and updating of exposure regulations to protect worker health. The objective of this literature study is to review the data presented to the Department of Labor and discuss how the factors that …

Piezoelectric Energy Harvesting From Roadways: Challenges, Advances, And Future Directions, Heba Gaber, Mohamed Abdelraheem

Faculty Publications

As the global demand for renewable energy intensifies, piezoelectric energy harvesting from roadways has emerged as a promising avenue for sustainable power generation. This systematic literature review analyzes 61 peer-reviewed studies to assess the feasibility, performance, and potential of integrating piezoelectric systems into roadway infrastructure. While technology faces challenges, such as high installation costs, limited energy output, and a scarcity of thorough economic evaluations, findings suggest it holds considerable promise as a supplementary renewable energy source. The review analyzes the operational characteristics and efficiencies of various piezoelectric transducers, identifies key factors influencing system performance, and evaluates recent technological advances. It …

Design And Testing Of A Vr Escape Room Game For Philippine Martial Law History, Eric Cesar Vidal, Jr., Johanna Marion R. Torres, Jesus Alvaro Pato, Kenneth King L. Ko

Department of Information Systems & Computer Science Faculty Publications

This paper presents a Virtual Reality Educational Escape Room game where players learn about the highly divisive Martial Law period in Philippine history. We describe the game’s general design and the results of a user test to evaluate the game in terms of VR presence, immersion, and overall usability.

User Evaluation Of A Virtual Patient For Philippine Medical Education, Ma. Mercedes T. Rodrigo, Samantha Castaneda, James Alvir Maclin V. Alaan, Paolo Santino P. Caoile

Department of Information Systems & Computer Science Faculty Publications

Caladrius is a virtual patient system designed for use in Philippine medical schools. It responds to the need for medical interview training, for greater variety in teaching-learning strategies, and for culturally appropriate technologies. It has two versions: a text-only version whose interface is similar to a chat interface, and an audio version that accepts speech input and responds with speech output. In a prior test of Caladrius, users requested improved audio response time and the inclusion of different patient personalities. A subsequent version of Caladrius was created to comply with these requests. As much of the lag was attributable to …

Investigating The Performance Of Fibre Reinforced Plastic Repairs To Timber Marine Civil Structures At His Majesty’S Naval Base Devonport, Anna G. Walther

The Plymouth Student Scientist

This paper explores Fibre Reinforced Plastics (FRPs) as a composite repair method to restore and enhance mechanical properties of timber marine civil structures within the context of His Majesty’s Naval Base (HMNB) Devonport. To support this, timber composite specimens were manufactured and subjected to flexural and compressive strength tests. Comparisons are made to literature sources for initial predictions, in addition to hand calculations and Finite Element Analysis (FEA) models on SolidWorks. Data demonstrates that FRPs can be used as a cost-effective and beneficial method of repairing timber marine structures. Experimental data demonstrates an ability to restore compressive strength parallel to …

Mechanical Properties Of Sintered Lunar Regolith Simulant Lhs-1 When Moulded Under Different Temperatures And Time At Constant Pressure, Jasper Stevens

The Plymouth Student Scientist

Humans are returning to the Moon for the first time since 1972. And when they arrive, In-Situ resource Utilisation (ISRU), the philosophy of using local materials and resources will be required to help maintain a more permanent presence on the Moon. Lunar regolith is the homogenous layer of inorganic ‘soil’ that covers nearly the entire Lunar surface, making it the most readily available material for ISRU. This report investigates the effect of changing time and temperature applied to samples of lunar regolith simulant LHS-1 formed as freestanding samples under constant pressure, before sintering into a consolidated sample. Compressive testing on …

Application And Suitability Of Using Paraffin Wax In A Thermal Store For Residential Buildings In The Uk, Cameron Edwards

The Plymouth Student Scientist

Heating costs and pressure to reduce carbon emissions are rapidly increasing. A possible solution is the implementation of efficient energy storage systems for UK residential buildings. Paraffin wax-based thermal energy storage offers a promising solution due to its low-cost, high-energy density, and long-term stability. However, its low thermal conductivity significantly reduces its practicality. Multiple upgrades, such as implementing highly conductive particles and nanotubes, have been previously studied but lack the inclusion of cost-effectiveness and real-world feasibility. This paper reviews current research and develops a numerical model using the Enthalpy method and a 2D finite difference approach, utilised in Python. It …

Vacuum-Assisted Resin Transfer Moulding (Vartm): Can Ultrasonic Vibration Decrease Fill Time, Increase Composite Properties, And Reduce Void Formation, Iulia D. Precup

The Plymouth Student Scientist

This study investigated the potential of ultrasonic vibration (28 kHz) to optimize the Vacuum-Assisted Resin Transfer Moulding (VARTM) process. The aim was to assess whether introducing ultrasonic vibration during the resin infusion phase could reduce fill time, improve mechanical properties, and minimize void formation in glass fibre-reinforced polyester composites. Two flexible tooling systems were compared: a reusable silicone membrane and a traditional vacuum bag. Composite plates were manufactured with and without ultrasonic vibration for both systems. Fill time was observed, and post-cured samples were subjected to mechanical testing for flexural modulus, flexural strength, and interlaminar shear strength (ILSS). Void content …

Scaling Wind Farm Layout Optimisation To Meet Uk Energy Demands, Grace Richardson

The Plymouth Student Scientist

This research aims to explore the Wind Farm Layout Optimisation Problem (WFLOP) through both single- and multi-objective optimisation, to show that it can be used to create farm layouts that provide enough power for all homes in the UK. We highlight the intricacies of the problem, including the application of different algorithms and models, and the challenges of scaling the models to achieve optimal results. We employ both a Hill Climbing Algorithm (HCA) and an evolutionary algorithm (NSGA-II) to obtain wind farm layouts, and compare these to the well-known results proposed by Mosetti et al. Moreover, we present a novel …

Design And Validation Of An Industrial Out-Of-Plane Permeability Test Rig Of Fibre Preforms For The Development Of Next Generation Aircraft Structures, Callum Park

The Plymouth Student Scientist

Despite composites comprising 50% of modern aircraft structures, the absence of a standardised method for measuring out-of-plane permeability frequently results in manufacturing defects in early-development aerospace components, directly impacting safety, manufacturing efficiency and costs. This study aimed to address this gap, by designing and commissioning a compact, vacuum-assisted, mass flow test rig, capable of evaluating the saturated out-of-plane permeability of a variety of materials. This design incorporated learnings from theory, previous studies and discussions with industry experts. E-glass, a Metyx unidirectional carbon and the Teijin ITS55 carbon were investigated, where E-glass exhibited the highest permeability of 1.88E-12m², while …

Ai-Driven Electromagnetic Design And Performance Prediction Of Microstrip Antennas, Eduardo Javier Vazquez

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis investigates the application of Deep Learning to automate and accelerate microstrip antenna inverse design. The initial investigation was to predict microstrip antenna performance from its geometry parametric input, and found out that forward prediction with adopted geometric representation results in ill-posed scenario, high ambiguity and unstable mapping. The study later mostly focuses on the inverse prediction by machine learning from S11 parameter input to predict antenna patch geometry parameters instead.

A dataset of 5,000 ANSYS HFSS simulated antennas (later filtered to 4,136 valid samples) was generated using cubic spine -described geometry profiles. Multiple neural architectures were adopted for …

Boundary-Layer Mechanisms In Flow Over Triangular Porous-Textured Flat Plates: A Computational Fluid Dynamics Study, Luis Angel Alvarez

Theses and Dissertations

Growing demand for energy-efficient vehicles drives research into flow control strategies that mitigate aerodynamic drag. Active devices such as morphing flaps or plasma actuators offer real-time authority but require external power. Passive concepts, including riblets, tubercles, porous coatings, and miniature vortex generators, reshape the boundary layer without additional energy input. We propose an integrated passive solution called Triangular Porous Texturing (TPT). TPT combines the two mechanisms: a periodic array of triangular prisms that generate controlled streamwise vortices, and an embedded porous matrix that locally adjusts pressure gradients near the wall. Acting synergistically, these features attenuate near-wall turbulence, redistribute momentum, and …

Development And Testing Of A Prototype Erbium-Doped Lithium Tantalate Based Sensor For Infrastructure Crack Detection And Measurement, Alejandro Barrera

Theses and Dissertations

Ensuring the safety and longevity of infrastructure is crucial to safeguarding communities and preserving economic stability. In this study, the development of a novel sensor for detecting and characterizing cracks in infrastructure, particularly suited for deployment on Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs), is presented. The device utilizes a laser (operating at 980 nm) for excitation of erbium-doped lithium tantalate nanoparticles that emit 1550 nm wavelength, which stimulates a photodiode for data collection. The data was utilized to collect, process, and reconstruct topological information. The synthesized lithium tantalate nanoparticle samples vary in erbium doping percentages of 0.5%, 3%, and 10%. Experimental evaluation …

Feature Extraction From Railroad Bearing Onboard Vibration Sensors Using Machine Learning Models, Diego Cantu

Theses and Dissertations

The University Transportation Center for Railway Safety (UTCRS) has developed an algorithm capable of identifying defective railroad bearings, determining damaged component(s) within, and quantifying severity of the defects. The defect-detection algorithm requires the operating speed as an input, which is not readily available in field operation of onboard sensors. Therefore, onboard sensors deployed in rail revenue service must rely on Global Positioning Systems (GPS) to obtain speed, which can be power-intensive and susceptible to signal interference. This study covers the development of a vibration-based model that extracts operating speed from wireless sensor data to enable fully autonomous onboard diagnostics. Signal …

Building Services Engineering November/December 2025

Building Services Engineering

No abstract provided.

Extreme Bandgap Recessed-Gate Metal Oxide Semiconductor Heterostructure Field Effect Transistors With Drain Current 0.28 A Mm−1 And Threshold Voltage −1.5 V, Abdullah Al Mamun Mazumder, Abdullah Mamun, Kenneth Stephenson, Kamal Hussain, Tariq Jamil, Grigory Simin, Asif Khan

Faculty Publications

Herein, the first demonstration of hybrid high-k oxide (ZrO2-Al2O3) incorporation into extreme bandgap (EBG) Al_0.87Ga_0.13N/Al_0.64Ga_0.36N metal-oxide-semiconductor heterostructure field-effect transistors (MOSHFETs) is presented, with both planar and recessed-gate designs on the same AlN/sapphire template with a state-of-the-art low contact resistance of 1.4 Ω mm (contact resistivity, ρc ≈ 5.7 × 10−6 Ω cm2). The recessed-gate MOSHFETs achieve a threshold voltage shift of ΔVTH = 5.8 V, highlighting improved channel control. Static output measurements reveal a peak drain current (IDS) of 340 mA mm⁻¹ for the planar …

An Audio Data-Driven Roadway Digital Twin And Its Underlying Framework For A Digitized Transportation Construction Environment, Anisha Deria, Pedro J. Chacon Dominguez, Yong-Cheol Lee, Jin W. Choi

Michigan Tech Publications

The increasing need to build and maintain transportation systems has led project managers to manage multiple projects simultaneously. Roadway projects often entail several miles of job site, making it difficult to keep track of progress and maintenance activities. To improve the situation, this study proposes an audio data-driven roadway digital twin framework for real-time and remote monitoring of construction projects. The latent characteristics of a digital twin required for establishing a digitized work environment were investigated. As a primary method of seamlessly linking virtual and physical environments, audio data classified and analyzed by deep neural network (DNN) has been employed …

Property Management System, Abbas Kurnool

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

The real estate industry generates and manages large amounts of data, including tenant information, lease agreements, property maintenance schedules, and financial transactions. Reliance on traditional manual methods often results in inefficiencies, fragmented data, and delays in decision-making. To overcome these challenges, this project presents the design and implementation of a Real Estate Property Management System (REMS) for Future Properties, a company aiming to optimize its operations through digital transformation.

The proposed system is developed on Microsoft Dynamics 365 as the core platform, integrated with the Microsoft Power Platform tools (Power Apps, Power Automate, and Power Pages). This integrated framework provides …