Digital Commons Network^™

Additively Manufactured Engineered Transparent Ceramics For Laser Gain Media, Ross Osborne

Graduate Thesis and Dissertation post-2024

Transparent ceramics (TCs) offer a key advantage over single crystals as solid-state laser materials, in that their composition can be spatially varied to improve laser performance. In this work, additive manufacturing (AM) techniques were applied to TC fabrication to produce laser gain media with engineered gain and index profiles. We have used direct ink write (DIW) to fabricate laser rods and channel waveguides and introduced ink-spraying, a new technique, to realize multilayer planar waveguides. Modifications to the DIW process, including the use of sacrificial drying layers to promote uniform drying, the optimization of the drying, burnout and calcination steps all …

Fundamental Mechanisms For Flame Acceleration And Detonation Phenomena, Rachel Hytovick

Graduate Thesis and Dissertation post-2024

Hypersonic propulsion via scramjets and detonation engines is enabled through the acute understanding of deflagrations, detonations, and multiphase interactions. Deflagrations are explored to understand the compressible flame regime for scramjet unstart and detonation transition in reacting systems. Compressible flames are experimentally classified with a comprehensive diagnostic suite combining particle image velocimetry (PIV), chemiluminescence, schlieren, and pressure measurements in a turbulent shock tube. Several gaseous fuels are explored to identify the universal mechanism responsible for flame compressibility and acceleration. The ability to compress deflagrations and accelerate the system to a detonation directly relies in the successful conversion of energy available to …

A Comparative Analysis Of Figurines From The Lower Rio Verde Valley From Oaxaca, Raynaliz C. Velazquez

Graduate Thesis and Dissertation post-2024

This thesis investigates 618 ceramic figurines from the Lower Río Verde Valley in Oaxaca, Mexico, to explore how figurine use varied across civic-ceremonial, domestic, and outlying contexts during the Terminal Formative and Late Classic periods. The central hypothesis proposes that figurines from the Río Viejo Acropolis, a civic-ceremonial center, would be larger and exhibit greater labor investment than those from residential and peripheral sites, reflecting more labor-intensive ideologies and ceremonial practices. Through typological, spatial, and material analysis, the study examines attributes such as size, surface treatment, production method, and the presence of musical elements. The dataset includes newly analyzed figurines …

Exploring The Experience Of Heart Disease Among Burmese Immigrants In The United States, Khup S. It

Graduate Thesis and Dissertation post-2024

The ongoing political and military turmoil in Myanmar has resulted in a significant increase in the migration of Burmese individuals to the United States in recent years. This demographic shift has brought attention to the health challenges faced by Burmese immigrants, particularly with regard to heart disease (heart attack). The complexities of the U.S. healthcare system, compounded by legal and social barriers, place immigrants at greater risk for health disparities. This study examines the health challenges of Burmese immigrants in Tulsa, Oklahoma, with a specific focus on their perceptions and experiences related to heart disease, as explored through illness narratives. …

Optimizing Emissions And Sustainability Of Alternative Fuel Buses Using Machine Learning And Life-Cycle Modeling, Md Rezwan Hossain

Graduate Thesis and Dissertation post-2024

Public transportation is undergoing a critical transition as agencies seek to balance environmental responsibility, operational efficiency, and economic viability. Alternative fuel buses (AFBs), including electric, compressed natural gas (CNG), propane, and biodiesel, offer opportunities to reduce emissions and advance sustainability, yet their adoption raises complex trade-offs. High upfront costs, infrastructure constraints, range limitations, and variable real-world performance complicate decisions for fleet managers and policymakers. This dissertation addresses these challenges by integrating real-world operational data, life-cycle modeling, and machine learning within a multi-objective optimization framework to evaluate and optimize AFB deployment. Using detailed telematics and GPS datasets from Central Florida's transit …

Smart Urban Air Pollution Management Using Crowdsourced Big Data, Low-Cost Sensor Network And Aerial Remote Sensing, Md Hasibul Hasan

Graduate Thesis and Dissertation post-2024

Air pollution remains one of the most pressing environmental and public health challenges, especially in urban areas with dense populations and concentrated emission sources. Effective air quality management requires accurate information on emissions to guide control strategies and reliable exposure estimates to evaluate health impacts. This dissertation examines multiple sources of uncertainty in both emission and exposure assessments. Two major emission sectors were investigated: on-road motor vehicles and landfills. For on-road sources, detailed traffic information inferred from crowdsourced big data were leveraged to improve the estimation of traffic-related emissions. For landfills, the application of low-cost sensor and aerial remote sensing …

Investigating Algal Toxin Occurrence And Water Quality Correlations In A Freshwater–Estuarine System, Sunday Sam Egon

Graduate Thesis and Dissertation post-2024

Cyanobacterial toxins, particularly microcystin-LR (MC-LR), present persistent risks in freshwater and estuarine environments, especially under flow-regulated system where hydrodynamics and biology interact complexly. This study investigates the occurrence of MC-LR across a lake–estuary water matrixes, sampling 13 sites from Lake Okeechobee through Caloosahatchee canal, river, and estuarine zones from March to September. Water quality parameters including conductivity, temperature, dissolved oxygen, chlorophyll-a, and phycocyanin were measured in situ. The concentration of MC-LR, and nutrients (ammonium, orthophosphate, and nitrite concentrations) were measured in the laboratory. Multivariate correlation, principal component analysis, and multiple regression were employed to determine dominant drivers of toxin occurrence. …

Mems-Based Airflow Sensor For Apnea Detection Using Time-Of-Flight Technique, Parvin Akhkandi

Graduate Thesis and Dissertation post-2024

Sleep is essential for overall human health, influencing cognitive, emotional, and physical well-being. Respiratory-related sleep disorders, particularly obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), require early detection and effective treatment to prevent serious health complications. This dissertation explores innovative advancements in respiratory monitoring sensor development techniques, aiming to improve the diagnosis and management of sleep disorders. The sensor in this work incorporates a pair of Thin-film Piezoelectric on Substrate (TPoS) MEMS resonators operating at ~25 MHz, embedded in two oscillator circuits where frequency variations reflect changes in temperature and humidity caused by respiratory airflow. By precisely measuring airflow travel time between the resonators, …

Exploring The Genetic Structure And Evolutionary History Of Marine Fish Populations Across Micronesia, Pavithiran Amirthalingam

Graduate Thesis and Dissertation post-2024

Most marine species exist as metapopulations, composed of subpopulations inhabiting patchily distributed habitat. Connectivity among these subpopulations is primarily facilitated by larval dispersal via ocean currents. Understanding patterns of population connectivity is crucial for evaluating metapopulation dynamics and ensuring long-term population stability in managed species. Micronesia, a vast region in the North Pacific with hundreds of islands, is the northern extent for many tropical species and is thought to function as vital stepping-stones between the central and western Pacific. However, limited phylogeographic studies in the region have left significant knowledge gaps regarding metapopulation dynamics. Here I address this knowledge gap …

Autoignition Delay Times For Reformate Gas Mixtures From Methane Gas Engines, Matthew Fraze

Graduate Thesis and Dissertation post-2024

Methane slip is a prominent issue in natural gas reciprocating engines that are used in transportation and marine applications. The incomplete combustion that results in methane slip can be resolved with the introduction of hydrogen within the combustion mixture to improve methane oxidation and further enable combustion within the engine crevices where methane has previously remained unreacted. Steam Methane Reforming (SMR) is a common method used to produce hydrogen and can be used to design an onboard device to reduce methane slip from reciprocating engines. The development of this reformer device requires the validation of high-fidelity chemical kinetic mechanisms at …

Integrated Performance-Based Framework For Evaluating Alternative Containment Systems In Subtitle D Landfills Managing Coal Combustion Products, Poyu Zhang

Graduate Thesis and Dissertation post-2024

Designing landfill containment systems that remain effective over decades to centuries poses significant challenges in geoenvironmental engineering, especially for landfills managing coal combustion products (CCPs) with complex hydraulic and chemical behaviors. This dissertation aims to develop an integrated, performance-based framework for evaluating landfill barrier systems by combining numerical modeling, experimental leaching tests, and machine learning prediction. The first component assesses the equivalency of the Florida double liner system relative to the Subtitle D composite liner mandated by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (US EPA). Using field leakage observations and COMSOL Multiphysics-based numerical simulations, results demonstrate that the Florida system, when …

Characterization Of Turbulent Flames In Confined Combustors, Max Fortin

Graduate Thesis and Dissertation post-2024

As industry transitions to a net-zero carbon future, turbulent premixed combustion will remain an integral process for power generating gas turbines and are also desired for aviation engines due to their ability to minimize pollutant emissions. However, accurately predicting the behavior of a turbulent reacting flow field remains a challenge. To better understand the dynamics of premixed reacting flows, this study experimentally investigates the evolution of turbulence in a high-speed bluff-body combustor. The combustor operates across a range of equivalence ratios from 0.7-1 to quantify the role of heat release and flame scales on the evolution of turbulence as the …

Towards An Intelligent Speculative Software-Defined Networking, Ahmad Hariri

Graduate Thesis and Dissertation post-2024

Software-Defined Networking (SDN) separates the control and data planes, enabling better programmability of the control plane to predict, route, and schedule traffic at the data plane. Reactive SDN dynamically installs flow rules when a new flow arrives, making it adaptable to application dynamics. This design is well-suited for emerging low-latency applications like online gaming and AR/VR, which require millisecond-level response times for an acceptable quality of experience. However, Reactive SDN faces limitations, as each new flow triggers a miss, sending a Packet-in message from the switch to the SDN controller, increasing latency. To reduce delay, it's crucial to predict flow …

Characterizing Muscle Control As An Emg Visual Matrix, Peter W. Makary

Graduate Thesis and Dissertation post-2024

Evaluating electrical muscle activity patterns using surface electromyography (EMG) is a widely used technique to assess movement in research settings, but its use has not been translated to clinical settings. This study aims to investigate the potential of evaluating muscle activity control through a visual matrix display. EMG data from older and younger adults collected in a previous seated locomotor perturbation study was used to generate visual matrices representing their lower-limb ankle muscle activity. Visual matrices from each condition consist of 20x20 grids, where each axis represents activity from an individual muscle of muscle pairs, such as the tibialis anterior …

Down By The Tracks, Ova ‘Cross The Trussle: Exploring Systemic And Structural Barriers To Perinatal Healthcare Access For Black Women In Rural Alabama, Trinity C. Johnson

Graduate Thesis and Dissertation post-2024

This dissertation uses semi-structured interviews (n=42), participant observation, archival research, and storytelling, it employs frameworks of structural violence, intersectionality, and reproductive justice to situate Black women’s maternal health within broader histories of racialized medical neglect and reproductive governance. The study explores two questions: (1) What obstacles do Black women in rural Alabama face in accessing perinatal healthcare? (2) How do they navigate these barriers, and what strategies do they employ? A mixed-methods approach—including ethnography, quantitative analysis, and GIS—guides this research, with storytelling serving as both a methodological intervention and a challenge to dominant anthropological narratives. Findings highlight three major themes: …

Haptics Based Grasping Of Novel Objects Using Robotic Manipulator, Nicolas C. Leocadio

Graduate Thesis and Dissertation post-2024

This work is focused on extending and demonstrating the generalizability of previous interactive perception-based work done on a model-free, non-neural algorithm for robotic gripper envelopment of objects using haptic feedback. Using a 6-axis force and torque sensor placed behind the wrist of a robotic arm's manipulator, appropriate motions are generated in order to achieve contact with, align the manipulator with, and place the manipulator around some desired object in a position where grasp is possible by simply closing the manipulator. The algorithm relies on generating restoring (reactive) and frictional forces by rapid multidirectional oscillation of gripper fingers about an initial …

Enhancing The Hardness Of The Multispectral Zns Transparent Ceramics Through Ga2s3 Incorporation: A Comparative Study Of Vapor Transport Deposition And Solid-Solid Reaction Methods, Hayat Soufiani

Graduate Thesis and Dissertation post-2024

Multispectral zinc sulfide (MS-ZnS) is an important optical ceramic widely used in broadband imaging systems due to its wide transmission range and relatively low cost. However, its modest mechanical properties limit its durability in harsh environments. This dissertation investigates two solute strengthening methods, vapor transport deposition (VTD) and diffusion coupling (DC), to enhance the hardness of MS-ZnS windows through Ga2S3 incorporation while maintaining optical transparency. The VTD process successfully incorporated gallium in the subsurface, resulting in up to 120 % increase in microhardness compared to untreated samples, but with slight discrepancies in lateral gallium distribution. The DC technique demonstrated superior …

Bridging The Digital Divide In Biomedical Healthcare: Policy Solutions For Equity In Access, Literacy, And Infrastructure, Brooke E. Turner, Emmy L. Colon Alamo

Undergraduate Scholarship and Creative Works

This paper explores the intersection of digital inequity and biomedical healthcare access in the United States, positioning the digital divide as a structural determinant of health. As telehealth and digital platforms become central to care delivery, communities lacking broadband infrastructure, digital literacy, and affordable internet access face compounded barriers to equitable healthcare. The study introduces five critical dimensions—access, availability, adequacy, acceptability, and affordability—as a framework for addressing these disparities. It proposes the Rhizomatic Digital Ecosystem Framework to guide national and local interventions, emphasizing the need for public investment in broadband expansion, digital education, and affordability programs. By treating digital access …

Themed Experience & Attractions Academic Symposium 2025 Proceedings, Themed Experience & Attractions Academic Society

Proceedings of the Annual Themed Experience & Attractions Academic Symposium

No abstract provided.

A Mathematical Modeling Approach To Investigate The Impacts Of Post-Infection Mortality And Partial Immunity On Disease Endemicity, Brendan M. Shrader

Honors Undergraduate Theses

A number of infectious diseases cause post-infection conditions or complications, such as COVID- 19, Q fever, and Polio. These conditions result in recovered individuals having a higher mortality rate than susceptibles, and this can impact disease dynamics. An existing mass-action model in the literature that incorporated post-infection mortality was shown to have limit cycles, or persistent oscillations, in the infected population. To better understand what causes these limit cycles, we develop and analyze a new epidemiological model with standard incidence. We show standard results, including the existence, uniqueness, and stability of the disease-free and endemic equilibria, and we rule out …

Sexual And Reproductive Health Access Among Racial/Ethnic Minority College Students, Srithanvi Pasunuri

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Sexual and reproductive health (SRH) is critical for individual well-being, yet significant disparities in access persist among racial and ethnic minority college students in the United States. These inequities, driven by systemic barriers such as financial constraints, cultural stigmas, and inadequate campus resources, contribute to higher rates of unintended pregnancies, sexually transmitted infections (STIs), and poor health outcomes within these populations. This systematic review aims to identify and synthesize existing literature on the barriers to SRH access for racial and ethnic minority college students, explore how cultural, social, and institutional factors influence service utilization, and assess interventions proven effective in …

Factors Involved On The Attribution Of Consciousness To Generative Artificial Intelligence And Its Impact On Trust, Sophia Fernanda Sakakibara Olgini Capello

Honors Undergraduate Theses

This study investigates the cognitive factors influencing the perception of mind in generative artificial intelligence systems, focusing on the role of prior experiences with them, theory of mind (ToM), and the tendency to anthropomorphize. The research examined how these factors predict perceived consciousness in ChatGPT and impact users' trust in this system, specifically exploring: (1) how ToM and anthropomorphism contribute to AI consciousness perception, (2) how prior AI experiences influence consciousness attribution, (3) the relationship between consciousness attribution and trust in AI, and (4) how perceptions of AI consciousness relate to mind perception in other entities. Undergraduates (N= 220) completed …

The Evolution Of Surveillance And The Decline Of Privacy, Alan J. Geyer

Honors Undergraduate Theses

This study directly examines how surveillance law and technology have evolved in the United States and how privacy rights have declined correspondingly. The study specifically focuses on how advancements in surveillance technology have overstepped the boundaries of Fourth Amendment protections and analyzes whether these provisions are adequate for protecting citizens in the modern technological era. The study explores newly employed methods of technological surveillance, such as facial recognition, data collection, and automated license plate readers. It focuses on how government surveillance programs have reshaped legal and ethical understandings of privacy. The changes in surveillance and technology have been analyzed by …

The Association Between Pain Sensitivity And Low Energy Availability, Sleep, Mental Health, And Stress In Female Endurance Athletes, Taylor R. Moler

Honors Undergraduate Theses

The disruption of certain physiological functions due to low energy availability (LEA) in female endurance athletes is a prominent concern. This condition resulting from LEA has been described as Relative Energy Deficiency in Sport (RED-S), which can include alterations in metabolism, menstrual function, bone deposition and resorption, mental well-being, and more. The goal of this study was to determine whether pain sensitivity was associated with LEA, sleep, mental health, and stress in female endurance athletes. Participants completed a demographic survey, the Low Energy Availability in Females Questionnaire (LEAF-Q), the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-4), and …

Barriers To Postpartum Depression Treatment: Availability And Accessibility Of Maternal Behavioral Health-Inclusive Support Groups For Low-Income Populations, Radhika S. Venkatesan

Honors Undergraduate Theses

The maternal health crisis is a prevalent and concerning issue in the United States. The lack of efficient availability and accessibility to health care services plays a significant role in augmenting this problem. One health care service that is often understudied is support groups, for prevalent issues like postpartum depression. Considering the socioeconomic burdens of low-income mothers, this paper analyzed the accessibility and availability of maternal health support groups across counties in Florida, with varying amounts of individuals below the federal poverty level (%BPL). Essentially, Florida counties were divided into one of four categories depending on their %BPL. A Fisher’s …

Development Of Cerium Oxide Based Polymer Composites With Enhanced Cytocompatability For Biomedical Applications, Roshna Cherugail

Honors Undergraduate Theses

This thesis presents the synthesis and characterization of cerium oxide nanoparticles (CNPs), and silver-doped cerium oxide nanoparticles (AgCNPs) loaded in alginate beads that were designed to be applied in biomedical settings. Cerium oxide was chosen for its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory capabilities, and silver oxide was selected to enhance antimicrobial functionality, both of which are pivotal in expedited wound closure and promoting cellular proliferation. Through the use of an advance electrospray encapsulation apparatus, alginate-based polymer beads were created by incorporating either CNPs or AgCNPs into the matrix. These beads were later characterized using a range of microscopic and FTIR analyses, in …

Faith Amid Chaos: Does Religiosity Buffer Youth Delinquency In Disordered Neighborhoods?, Mason T. High

Honors Undergraduate Theses

This study examines whether religiosity moderates the relationship between neighborhood disorder and delinquent behavior among juvenile offenders. Drawing on Social Disorganization Theory and Neighborhood Disorder, the study hypothesizes that religiosity, both as an attitude and as a behavior, serves as a protective factor against delinquency in disordered neighborhoods. Using data from the Pathways to Desistance study, this research employs Ordinary Least Squares (OLS) regression with and without interaction terms to assess how individual perceptions of disorder interact with religiosity in influencing minor and major delinquency. Results indicate a significant positive association between perceived neighborhood disorder and delinquency, reinforcing the notion …

Sports And Rhetorical Marginalization: A Case Study Of Angel Reese & Caitlin Clark, Diamond R. Williams

Honors Undergraduate Theses

This thesis explores the manifestation of racism, sexism, and capitalism in the language and rhetoric of sports media through a case study of WNBA players Angel Reese and Caitlin Clark. This study theorizes that sports media has referred to Reese and Clark with damaging language tied to the intersections of their respective identities. This thesis also identifies and analyzes the presence of repeated themes throughout select sports media that mirror relevant theories surrounding stereotypes, biases, and marginalization in sports. Examining and analyzing the subtle nuances at play allows one to understand how language implicitly reinforces harmful narratives and, thus, how …

The Quality-Of-Life Benefits And Risk Of Isotretinoin (Accutane) In Acne Treatment: A Systematic Review, Noelia Valencia Zuniga

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Acne vulgaris is a prevalent dermatological condition, particularly affecting adolescents and young adults. While often treated as a cosmetic issue, acne can significantly impair a patient's mental health and overall quality of life (QoL). Isotretinoin, commonly known as Accutane, is widely regarded as the most effective treatment for severe and persistent acne. However, its use is controversial due to a range of potential side effects, including psychiatric symptoms, teratogenicity, and other systemic complications. To better understand the risk-benefit profile of isotretinoin in acne treatment, we conducted a systematic review, focusing on the QoL benefits and risks associated with its use. …

The Deception Of A Metamorphosis, Heidi A. Hernandez

Honors Undergraduate Theses

With the historic fascination of Roman and Greek mythology, it is easy to get caught up in the epic the tales of the ancient era provide. A price must be paid for the powerful figures of these stories to rise to such heights, and the ancient world finds women to be their preferred form of currency.

Behind these deceptive chronicles are the trials of women left behind, abandoned, abused and subjected to cruel sexual abuse and the elements reduced to their physical value serving as nothing more than a pawn. One woman, a nymph, is amidst this trial, Ovid brings …