Digital Commons Network^™

Fuel Injection For Hypersonic Air-Breathing Propulsion Systems, Justin Sprunger

Graduate Thesis and Dissertation post-2024

Hypersonic air-breathing propulsion systems face unique challenges related to fuel injection due to the supersonic flow in the combustor. For example, residence times within supersonic combustors are often orders of magnitude shorter than the timescales required for quality delivery of fuel. Additionally, because of the high incoming momentum of the free stream, fuel penetration is difficult to achieve without intrusive fueling structures. Intrusive fueling structures, however, are not desired as they induce high efficiency losses and require advanced cooling systems or thermal protection solutions. Therefore, an understanding of the trajectory of fuel injected from the sidewall of a combustor is …

Towards Robust Deep Learning: Label Noise Modeling, Algorithms, And Applications, Diego Fernando Linares Gonzalez

Graduate Thesis and Dissertation post-2024

This thesis investigates robust and hybrid deep learning with emphasis on improving accuracy and generalization in challenging real-world settings, including learning under noisy supervision and applications to complex scientific data.

In the first part, we address instance-dependent label noise by using a tensor factorization–based methodology that models the noise transition process as an instance-dependent decomposition. We also utilize low-rank block-term structures to capture class-specific and instance-specific correlations. Moreover, we include a robust loss function and rank regularization to achieve stable optimization during model training. We validated this with experiments on benchmark datasets, like Fashion-MNIST, CIFAR-10, and CIFAR-10N, demonstrating higher accuracy …

Reconfigurable Antenna Arrays For Mm-Wave Directional Software-Defined Radio Communications, Ectis Velazquez Jr

Graduate Thesis and Dissertation post-2024

This dissertation explores design challenges and promising solutions for mm-Wave directional software-defined radio (DSDR) reconfigurable antenna arrays. Current state-of-the-art solutions for DSDR antenna arrays at mm-Wave frequencies are typically limited to one beam, which does not take advantage of the directivity and spatial reusability of mm-Wave bands. Additionally, mm-Wave phased array antennas typically incur large amounts of loss from both commercial and state-of-the-art beam steering methods. In this dissertation, both challenges are addressed and so- lutions are proposed through several novel antenna array designs. The first challenge, designing an array for mm-Wave DSDR communications is achieved through a switched-beam array, …

A Framework For Machine Learning Surrogate Modeling In Physics-Based Reacting Flow Simulations, Jose O. Bobren-Diaz

Graduate Thesis and Dissertation post-2024

The design of next-generation combustion systems relies on computer simulations that capture the multidimensional and multiscale physics of turbulent reacting flows. These simulations are computationally intensive, requiring trade-offs to produce results within allowable time and cost constraints. These trade-offs often consist of general assumptions and modeling simplifications that approximate complex physical phenomena. Consequently, these models can limit both the accuracy and the regime of applicability to real systems since these approximations are often heuristic and inconsistent with the governing physics. Moreover, in today’s rapid design-to-prototype development phase, making timely and informed design decisions is important. This requires fast and reliable …

Communication-Aware Trajectory Prediction And Tracking For Connected And Autonomous Vehicles, Arash Raftari

Graduate Thesis and Dissertation post-2024

This dissertation presents a unified framework for communication-aware trajectory prediction and vehicle state tracking in connected and autonomous vehicle (CAV) systems. Unlike most deep learning–based forecasting models that assume full observability of surrounding agents, the proposed approach explicitly accounts for limited communication range, packet loss, and bandwidth constraints that characterize real vehicular networks.

A model-based, error-driven information-passing policy is introduced to extend situational awareness beyond one hop. Rather than relaying messages based on distance or freshness, each vehicle evaluates the utility of received content in reducing system-wide position tracking error (PTE). Using compact Gaussian Mixture Model (GMM) representations of motion …

Attention-Based 3d-Convolutional Neural Network Model For Mechanical Property Predictions Using, Daniel E. Traczyk

Graduate Thesis and Dissertation post-2024

Additive manufacturing (AM), while commonly used for rapid prototyping and creating components with complex geometries, has not been widely adopted for critical applications across the aerospace, automotive, defense, energy, and medical industries. This is, in part, due to the challenges of controlling flaws and uncertainty in the mechanical behavior of additively manufactured components. In recent years, there has been an increase in research aimed at predicting the final mechanical properties of additively manufactured components during the printing process. To address these issues, a 3D-CNN model was trained using low-cost in situ visible-light camera data, anomaly classifications, and the chosen process …

Flywheel Technology: The Reliability Of Functional And Systemic Perturbations In A Crossover Design, Trevor J. Dufner

Graduate Thesis and Dissertation post-2024

The purpose of this dissertation series was to evaluate the reliability, validity, and applicability of the Desmotec D.EVO isoinertial flywheel device (D.EVO) for both isometric and dynamic squat assessments. Study one sought to establish the validity of the D.EVO for assessing squat maximal voluntary isometric contraction (FMVIC) versus a traditional squat maximal voluntary isometric contraction (TMVIC), determine the test-retest reliability of force and power outputs during FMVIC and flywheel squat protocols (FSPs), and explore relationships between these outputs and broad jump (BJ) and vertical jump (VJ) performance. We also identified the number of familiarization sessions needed for reliable data collection. …

Insights Into Iapodian Lifeways: Phytolith And Starch Grain Analysis Of Animal And Human Dental Calculus From Croatia, Angelinne Moreno

Graduate Thesis and Dissertation post-2024

The Piplica hillfort is located near the village of Lovinac within the Lika region of Croatia. The Bronze Age is a pivotal period in Europe that encompasses changes in landscapes, social structures, and famously includes vast production of metals. The Bronze Age in Lika is characterized by changes in social, political, and economic lifeways; denser populations; expanded trade networks; and advancements in agriculture, husbandry, and metal-working. However, little is known about the Iapodes people, who inhabited the Lika region during the Late Bronze Age, and how they interacted with their environment.

The Iapodes were only known from classical Greek written …

Manipulated Workplace Hazing And Attributions, Cole B. Treadaway

Graduate Thesis and Dissertation post-2024

Workplace hazing has scarcely been researched, and when it has, the results have not always aligned. This study seeks to remedy the discrepant findings by examining the importance of hazing severity, as prior operationalizations of hazing severity utilizing the most frequently used and validated measure of workplace hazing do not adequately measure severity, as well as by introducing attribution theory to offer a potential explanation as to why some people respond favorably and others unfavorably to being hazed. This study utilized an experimental 2x2 factorial design with an added control group to examine whether the severity of the hazing and …

Examining The Impact Of The Menstrual Cycle On Neutrophil Function: Immune Response, Il-8 Sensitivity, And Exercise Perception In Resistance Trained Eumenorrheic Women, Jessica M. Moon

Graduate Thesis and Dissertation post-2024

The purpose of this dissertation series was to examine the effect of the menstrual cycle on neutrophil chemotaxis and adhesion profiles, as well as general immunological, functional, and perceptual measures of recovery following resistance exercise in trained women. Study one explored the impact of the early follicular (EFP), late follicular (LFP), and mid-luteal (MLP) phases on neutrophil recruitment and adhesion receptor expression, markers of muscle damage and inflammation, and functional recovery following resistance exercise. Results indicated that menstrual phase did not have a significant impact on immunological recovery or functional recovery. However, main effects of menstrual phase were revealed in …

Enhancing Social Participation: The Role Of Communication Accommodations On Young Children With Ccn, Carli C. Brent

Graduate Thesis and Dissertation post-2024

BACKGROUND: Children with complex communication needs (CCN) have difficulty using and/or understanding speech to communicate, thus facing barriers for successful social participation in family-leisure activities due to limited access to communication supports in these environments. Social participation includes an individual’s active involvement in activities that consist of a social element to produce opportunities for meaningful interactions with others. Children with CCN benefit from communication supports, like Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) devices. AAC supports children with CCN to effectively communicate with themselves, others, and their environment. While communication supports have been recently implemented into private and public spaces, the …

Boba Tea Shops And Identity: Exploration Of Boba Shops Among College Students In Greater Orlando, Naydelin Karime Trejo Vega

Graduate Thesis and Dissertation post-2024

This thesis explores the cultural and social significance of boba tea shops among college students aged 18 to 26 in Greater Orlando. Although many people view boba tea as a trendy drink, this study treats it as a meaningful part of some students’ daily lives, identity formation, and sense of belonging. Through a multi-method approach that includes participant observation, surveys, and semi-structured interviews, I examine what motivates college students to purchase boba tea and how boba shops impact their identity and sense of belonging. I conducted fieldwork at three different boba tea shops in Greater Orlando—two franchises and one locally …

Standby To Standby: How Time Weaponization And Social Currency Impact Identity Within The Veteran Community Upon Discharge., Nichole Ann Carminati

Graduate Thesis and Dissertation post-2024

This research project analyzed the first year of transition from active duty to civilian life by conducting 22 in- person interviews from veteran participants who served in the Global War on Terror post 9/11 and were discharged between 2001 and 2022. The purpose of this research was to identify key areas of vulnerability when evaluating veterans’ transition from military identity to civilian life. Global War on Terror Veterans are at an increased risk of difficulty transitioning to civilian life due to contributing factors of multiple redeployments, stigma over receiving medical and mental health care, and knowledge gaps in obtaining benefits …

Effects Of Cerium Concentration And Scattering Centers On The Performance Of Gagg Transparent Ceramic Scintillators, William M. Bowman

Graduate Thesis and Dissertation post-2024

Cerium-doped Gadolinium Aluminum Gallium Garnet (Ce:GAGG) is a rugged scintillator material renowned for its high light output, fast luminescence decay, good stopping power, and energy resolution, making it an ideal candidate for gamma radiation detection. Its optically isotropic crystalline structure enables the fabrication of transparent optical ceramics, effectively addressing certain limitations associated with single-crystal growth. However, the production of highly transparent ceramics often involves costly processing methods with low overall yield. Reactive sintering offers a more economical alternative, but as with other processing techniques, the elimination of scattering centers—such as porosity and secondary phases—remains a significant challenge. These defects hinder …

Specialty Optical Fibers: Design, Fabrication, And Characterization, Md Abu Sufian

Graduate Thesis and Dissertation post-2024

As conventional silica fibers approach their performance limits in the face of exponentially growing demands for high data throughput in optical communication systems and constraints on power handling capability stemming from material limitations, several alternative technologies have been explored over the past decade. Despite the implementation of advanced multiplexing schemes and progress in digital signal processing capabilities, conventional fibers remain limited by their inherent physical constraints. In this advent, space division multiplexing, where the fiber cross-section comprises multiple simultaneous data channels, has been proposed as a potential solution to satisfy the bandwidth requirements of hyper-scale data centers, Artificial Intelligence infrastructures, …

Metasurface-Refractive Hybrid Lens Design, Ko-Han Shih

Graduate Thesis and Dissertation post-2024

Refractive optics are widely used in imaging systems while optical aberrations can limit their imaging performance and the typical solution to correct is cascading additional refractive optics with varying materials and shapes. Still, this scheme can result in bulky and costly lenses. Metasurfaces (MSs), with their compactness and ability to locally manipulate wavefronts, offer additional degrees of freedom in aberration correction. Integrating MSs with refractive optics creates MS-refractive hybrid lenses, enabling advanced optical performance while maintaining a compact design. Various methods have been proposed for designing aberration-correcting MSs in hybrid lenses, which often rely on predefined target phase profiles or …

Utilizing Programmable Spatial Light Modulators For Beam Shaping And Spectral Synthesis, Shree Ram Thapa

Graduate Thesis and Dissertation post-2024

Programmable spatial light modulators (SLMs) built on Liquid Crystal on Silicon (LCoS) technology enable precise control of multiple degrees of freedom of light, such as amplitude, phase, frequency, polarization, and time. We demonstrate applications of SLM technology that go beyond the conventional 4-f ultrafast pulse shaping approach. By developing a dual-oscillator power amplifier (DOPA), we show that nonlinear wave interactions inside optical fibers can be managed through the spectral phase adjustment of optical frequency combs produced by non-degenerate, cascaded four-wave mixing (CFWM). Our approach utilizes a programmable spectral phase profile, which allows precise regulation of an optical comb’s spectral content. …

Programmable Integrated Topological Photonics, Amin Hashemi

Graduate Thesis and Dissertation post-2024

The interplay between non-Hermiticity and topology has emerged as a frontier in photonics, with important implications for quantum optics, lasers, and sensors. While conventional approaches rely on Hermitian band structures, recent theory shows that loss and dissipation can themselves give rise to novel topological phenomena. In this dissertation, we experimentally explore this paradigm using programmable integrated photonic platforms based on coupled silicon ring resonators. We first demonstrate that purely non-Hermitian effects, without any underlying Hermitian topology, can induce topological edge states. Implementing a non-Hermitian Aubry–Andre–Harper model with loss modulation, we observe edge-localized modes in both periodic and quasiperiodic configurations and …

Clinical Educators' Perceptions And Experiences With Interprofessional Education And Collaborative Practice, Laurie Neely

Graduate Thesis and Dissertation post-2024

As healthcare systems adapt to meet increasingly complex population health needs, interprofessional collaborative practice (IPCP) has emerged as a vital strategy to improve patient outcomes while decreasing costs. Interprofessional education (IPE) is essential for preparing health professions students to engage in patient-centered, team-based care. However, faculty must be equipped to design and facilitate IPE experiences for successful integration into health professions curricula. The Interprofessional Education Collaborative (IPEC) created Core Competencies for IPCP, including roles and responsibilities, teams and teamwork, communication, and values and ethics, to guide faculty in preparing students to be collaborative healthcare providers. While academic faculty have been …

You And Me: Imagination As A Coping Mechanism For Childhood Trauma, Rachel B. Sacks

Graduate Thesis and Dissertation post-2024

You and Me is a two-dimensional (2D) animated short film about a young girl who suffers from an unknown illness. As she tries to rest, two otherworldly monsters transform her room into an unsettling nightmare. These monsters stem from her own distorted perceptions of the doctor and nurse caring for her. You and Me focuses on the difficulties that children navigating medical challenges face in communicating their fears with their caretakers. It is a film rooted staunchly in the subjective world of its protagonist. The art style deliberately combines conventionally appealing character design with surrealist imagery and evocative, unsettling lighting …

Live Content: Turning Guests Into Co-Creators Of Gamified Attractions, Brittany Mcchesney

Graduate Thesis and Dissertation post-2024

Based on an in-depth exploratory literature review, this thesis proposes to assess how a live content team might interact with the lifecycle of a gamified theme park attraction. To offer unique and memorable experiences to Guests, there has been an increase in the development of theme park attractions that are “gamified,” in that Guests can interface with some interactive game element or experience. This is especially pertinent with the development of video-game-focused lands and attractions, such as Super Nintendo World at Universal Studios Japan, Hollywood, and soon to be Epic Universe in Orlando, FL. Attractions can incorporate gamification in a …

Of Fate And Fear: An Interactive Narrative Approach To Experiential Horror, David A. Brescia

Graduate Thesis and Dissertation post-2024

This thesis examines the nature of guest interactivity in themed entertainment, considering best practices when approaching the creation of an interactive theme park offering with the belief that narrative interactivity and guest agency increases the potential for meaningful, memorable, and engaging entertainment experiences. Taking both established literature and existing offerings into consideration, this thesis presents an original creative narrative design concept for a Halloween haunt event overlay, titled Fear the Unknown, that enhances the guest experience with an emphasis on interactivity and agency. This creative work is presented specifically from the point of view of the show writing discipline, consisting …

Reframing Recovery: Comparing Music Interventions And Traditional Rehabilitation Methods For Cognitive Function In Traumatic Brain Injury Patients, Laura Velez

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) affects millions annually, often resulting in long-term cognitive deficits that hinder independence and quality of life. While traditional rehabilitation methods address many physical and functional limitations, cognitive impairments—such as deficits in attention, memory, and executive function—often persist. Emerging evidence highlights music-based interventions as a promising complement to standard therapies, yet comparative research remains limited. This integrative literature review examined the effects of music interventions versus traditional rehabilitation methods on cognitive function in adults with TBI. Using a systematic search of databases including MEDLINE, CINAHL Ultimate, APA PsycInfo, and Music Index, eight peer-reviewed studies were selected for …

Consequences Of Artificial Intelligence In Health Insurance: Lawsuits, Policy, And Ethics, Alyssa N. Roberts

Honors Undergraduate Theses

In recent years, the healthcare system has been burdened by a multitude of obstacles that hinder the ability to provide effective, affordable, and timely care. Among these, one of the most significant challenges is the role that health insurance plays in shaping the quality of care. Health insurance companies are designed to decrease financial strain on patients, but they have introduced inefficiencies through delayed coverage approvals, increased denials, and administrative costs. Artificial intelligence (AI) has started to play an integral role in resolving these issues for the health insurance industry. Through its quick automated claim processing, fraud screening, and reduced …

Transformative Experience Design: Exploring The Supply-Side Perspective In The Theme Park Context, Juliana Rodrigues Vieira Tkatch

Graduate Thesis and Dissertation post-2024

This study investigates how hedonic tourism activities can facilitate personal transformation, particularly in the context of mass tourism. Focusing on theme parks, which draw millions of visitors annually, the research explores the design elements that can foster visitor transformation. The study aims to uncover the design elements embedded in the creation of these activities and the effects they intend to foster in visitors, answering the research question: How do theme park design practices contribute to transformative tourism experiences? This question is significant given the limited empirical work connecting experience design and transformative tourism from the supplier perspective. Using a qualitative …

Motor Unit Control Of Maximal Grip Force Among Older Adults: Reliability, Weakness, And Interventions, Jonathan P. Beausejour

Graduate Thesis and Dissertation post-2024

Recent evidence suggests that grip strength is a critical biomarker of brain, muscle, and metabolic aging. To date, neuromuscular properties related to individual motor unit size and firing rates have not been explored in the context of grip strength assessments in the older adult population. Given the strong correlation between grip strength and all-cause mortality, understanding motor unit characteristics during maximal grip tests will provide novel perspectives and implications regarding healthy aging. The purpose of this dissertation project was to develop an analytical framework to reliably characterize motor unit strategies employed during maximal grip strength tests, and compare these characteristics …

Multilevel Network Governance For United Nations Sustainable Development Goals: The Role Of European Subnational Entities In Urban Resilience, Hasan Isgandar

Graduate Thesis and Dissertation post-2024

This dissertation investigates the role of subnational actors in European Union (EU) multilevel governance networks focused on reducing urban poverty and achieving the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Focusing on the SDG #1 (No Poverty), SDG #11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities) and SDG #17 (Partnerships for the Goals) it examines the participation and impact of subnational actors in two case studies: Naples, Italy and Krakow, Poland. Using Social Network Analysis (SNA), the research investigates the configuration and performance of the networks created within the framework of the URBinclusion projects, which are part of the URBACT and Urban Innovative Actions …

Health Behavior In A Culture-Driven Society: Using Mixed Methods Research To Examine Medical Pluralism In Zimbabwe, Stephen Mhere

Graduate Thesis and Dissertation post-2024

This dissertation examined the role of cultural influences on health-seeking behaviors and healthcare choices among Zimbabweans, focusing on medical pluralism – where individuals simultaneously access traditional, faith-based, and allopathic medical systems. It applied the PEN-3 Cultural Model to examine Cultural Identity, Relationships and Expectations, and Cultural Empowerment. Using a convergent parallel mixed-methods design, data were collected via a Shona-language survey on WhatsApp. Multiple choice, closed-ended, and open-ended survey questions were texted to participants, and they responded by text or audio messages. Response data were collected from 137 study participants. Multinomial logistic regression was used for quantitative data analysis, while deductive …

Teacher Retention And The Disabilities-To-Prison Pipeline, Angela P. Mccloud-Bond

Graduate Thesis and Dissertation post-2024

There is an overrepresentation of individuals with disabilities in the criminal and juvenile justice systems. Similar to the commonly known School-to-Prison Pipeline, Christoper Mallet has coined the term the Disabilities-to-Prison Pipeline to refer to this growing problem. Research has not yet determined how individual variables at the school or district levels lead to the expansion of the Disabilities-to-Prison Pipeline. Mallot (2021) presented three possible hypotheses to explain the expansion of this phenomenon: the differential treatment hypothesis, the school failure hypothesis, and the susceptibility hypothesis. There is a significant gap in the literature that focuses specifically on the differential treatment of …

Eating Disorder Patient Experiences With Best Practices During Psychiatric Treatment: An Exploratory Sequential Mixed Methods Study, Pamela L. Dow

Graduate Thesis and Dissertation post-2024

Eating disorders are among the deadliest mental health disorders and represent a significant financial burden to the U.S. healthcare system. However, little is known about eating disorder patients' experiences during psychiatric treatment. Informed by the Picker Principles of Person-Centered Care and recommendations from the American Psychiatric Association, this study explored eating disorder patient experiences with best practices during psychiatric treatment. First, 10 patients were interviewed about their treatment experiences with a psychiatrist. Themes were analyzed using iterative categorization in Dedoose and informed a quantitative survey to examine patient experiences with their psychiatrist performing best practices during eating disorder treatment. The …