Digital Commons Network^™

Evaluation Of Machine Learning Algorithms And Statistical Analysis For Predicting Crash Severity And Determining Contributing Factors: A Comparative Study, Arian Golrokh Amin

Civil Engineering ETDs

Improving road traffic safety relies on the ability to accurately predict traffic crashes and understand the factors contributing to severe injuries. This study employs a dual approach, utilizing both statistical analysis and machine-learning methodologies. Initially, statistical analyses such as chi-squared tests and Cramer's V values are applied to a decade's worth of police report data from Albuquerque, New Mexico, to identify primary causal factors behind crashes. Subsequently, machine-learning models are developed and rigorously compared to predict the severity of traffic crash injuries. The selection of the most effective algorithm is based on comprehensive metrics including accuracy, precision, recall, and F1 …

Differential River Incision Due To Quaternary Faulting On The Río Jemez-Salado System At The Million-Year Timescale, Cameron Reed

Earth and Planetary Sciences ETDs

Analysis of long-term average bedrock incision rates along the Río Salado-Jemez system using fluvial terraces can be used to test and quantify the hypothesis that differential river incision reflects Quaternary fault slip during ongoing uplift of the Jemez and Nacimiento Mountains. Terrace flights were correlated from the Arroyo Peñasco to the Río Salado near the southern nose of the Nacimiento and along the Río Jemez. Using highest/oldest river terraces, resulting bedrock incision values average out glacial/interglacial cycles and are interpreted to reflect differential uplift. For previously mapped and correlated terraces, we applied lidar datasets to refine strath heights. We also …

Teachings From The Hogan Floor: Preserving Culture And Language Through Museum Collections, Nonabah B. Sam

Teacher Education, Educational Leadership & Policy ETDs

In 2021, we faced the unexpected impacts of the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic, especially on the Navajo Nation. There were many things to realize, but one that hits hardest is the loss we suffered with many traditional practitioners passing from this illness. The purpose of this study was to examine linguistic and cultural contributions that Knowledge Keepers might consider making for the future of our Navajo Nation and Diné College. Drawing on my cultural teachings and knowledge, I conducted semi-structured interviews in Navajo and English with 10 participants, including leaders, alumni, staff, and traditional practitioners; I also utilized a circling back …

Distributed Energy Trading Models Utilizing Reinforcement Learning And Game-Theoretic Based Approaches In Smart Grids, Nicholas Kemp

Electrical and Computer Engineering ETDs

Community-driven energy initiatives have become crucial for effective energy management, particularly in trading and management. The rise of Distributed Energy Resources in smart grids demands a redesign of traditional Demand Response Management (DRM) models to account for prosumers' dynamic behavior in energy markets. Decentralization, including peer-to-peer (P2P) energy trading, is vital for resilience and sustainability. This thesis introduces two coalitional DRM models: one based on hedonic community formation games, and the other combining matching theory with coalition games. These models empower prosumers to autonomously select energy trading communities using partially available data. To optimize energy consumption, two additional models are …

Theoretical And Spectroscopic Insights Into Molybdenum- And Tungsten-Sulfur Bonding, Jesse Lepluart

Chemistry and Chemical Biology ETDs

Molybdenum and tungsten chemistry in biology is dominated by bonding interactions with sulfur and the other chalcogens. The highly-conserved structures of these enzymes’ active sites suggest an early evolution in the history of life, with molybdenum and/or tungsten enzymes likely expressed by the last universal common ancestor. Despite their active site similarities, molybdenum and tungsten enzymes catalyze a diverse array of reactions via equally diverse mechanisms. A deep understanding of the electronic structures of these enzyme active sites and their catalytic intermediates is key to understanding this remarkable chemistry.

The work presented here aims to deepen the understanding of molybdenum …

Parallel Multigrid In Time For Chaotic Dynamical Systems, David Alan Vargas

Mathematics & Statistics ETDs

Despite the fact that Parallel-in-Time (PinT) methods are predicted to become necessary to fully utilize next-generation exa- and zettascale machines, there are currently no known practical methods which scale well with the length of the time-domain for chaotic problems, due to exponential dependence of the condition number on the fastest chaotic timescale. I present modifications to the coarse-grid equations along with a novel rediscretization approach which together greatly improve convergence of the multigrid reduction in time (MGRIT) algorithm and allow the first known PinT speedup for a chaotic PDE. The novel Local Shadowing Relaxation (LSR) is presented as an alternative …

Proterozoic Tectonic Evolution Of The Lower Granite Gorge, Grand Canyon, Arizona: A Middle Crustal Record Of Multiple Orogenic Pulses, John M. Bailey

Earth and Planetary Sciences ETDs

The well-exposed basement transect in the Lower Granite Gorge (LGG) of western Grand Canyon provides a middle-crustal record of suturing crustal blocks during the Proterozoic accretionary history of southwestern Laurentia. Orogenic evolution included at least three stages: (1) subduction-related ~1.75-1.72 Ga volcanic arc magmatism, turbidite deposition, and suturing of arc terranes with different crustal thicknesses; (2) intense northwest-southeast crustal shortening at ca. 1.71-1.68 Ga to form the Vishnu Mountains during the Yavapai orogeny; (3) dextral strike-slip shear zones development at ~1.4 Ga during long-term crustal residence and slow cooling above ~250 °C (~10 km) until ~1.3 Ga. Final cooling from …

Chemical And Morphological Characterization Of Airborne Particulate Matter At The Jackpile-Paguate Mine, Pueblo Of Laguna, New Mexico: Implications For Potential Metals Exposure, Andreanna C. Roros

Earth and Planetary Sciences ETDs

The inhalation of windblown particulate matter (PM) derived from abandoned uranium mines (AUMs) is a potential environmental health risk to Native American communities that live in proximity to these sites. However, the aeolian transport of metal-bearing PM from AUMs, as a potential exposure pathway, has not been investigated in any detail. In this study, we sampled airborne particulate matter within the Jackpile Mine located on the lands of the Pueblo of Laguna, New Mexico using passive sampling methods to understand the characteristics of dust within the mine site. The objective was to determine the elemental concentrations, mineralogy, and morphology of …

Exploration Of Semiconductor Gain Medium, Resonator, Pump, And Frequency Stabilization For Laser Guide Star Applications, Mingyang Zhang

Optical Science and Engineering ETDs

Laser Guide Star (LGS) systems are essential for adaptive optics in ground-based astronomical observation. This dissertation demonstrates the feasibility of semiconductor-based LGS systems using the membrane external-cavity surface-emitting laser (MECSEL) platform, employing multiple quantum wells. Various laser cavity configurations were analyzed through simulations and experiments. The in-well pumping method was explored to reduce the quantum defect and address thermal limitations. Multi-pass pumping schemes were designed with Zemax modeling and demonstrated experimentally. To simplify multi-pass pumping, the hybrid-MECSEL (H-MECSEL) design was introduced. COMSOL modeling studied thermal management and thermal lensing effect.

The H-MECSEL achieved approximately 30 W of output power at …

Insight Into Complexity: Novel Information Theoretic Analysis Of Spatiotemporal Interactions, Humayra Tasnim

Computer Science ETDs

Complex systems are comprised of different components. Interactions and associations among these components define the functionality of the system. For example, T cells must directly interact with virally infected cells to kill them. This research characterizes the most relevant components of complex systems by analyzing interacting relationships using information theoretic measures. It emphasizes the importance of spatial and temporal dynamics, which occur when components share spatial proximities or temporal sequences. Novel information theoretic analyses are proposed for quantifying the degree of association among system components, which is key to defining the spatiotemporal dynamics. One focus of this work is the …

Sulfur Sequestration In Anhydrite Through Alteration Of Calcic Wall Rock, Lexi Kenis

Earth and Planetary Sciences ETDs

Heterogeneous gas-solid reactions are suggested as a potential mecha-
nism for sequestering gaseous sulfur through the alteration of calcic wall
rocks. This study explores the concept of a “hierarchy of reactions” pro-
posed by Giggenbach (1987), outlining the interplay between gas components
and redox-related minerals in volcanic wall rocks. Mt. Pinatubo provides a
more felsic composition and more oxidizing conditions compared to previ-
ously studied volcanoes, Kudryavy and Erta Ale (Henley and Fischer, 2021),
and Lascar a more oxidizing case with a similar composition. By employing
thermodynamic models and synthetic melt experiments, evaluations of effi-
ciency of sulfur sequestration across …

White Corn Boy Yellow Corn Girl Find Success On Their Educational Journeys, Sarah Curley

Teacher Education, Educational Leadership & Policy ETDs

This study aimed to provide a narrative analysis of the storied Diné beliefs and values of three Yellow Corn Girls and one White Corn Boy. My research questions were: How do Diné language and culture influence high school students’ success in high school? What cultural beliefs and values contribute to the success of high school students transitioning into their first year of community college? Utilizing the theoretical framework of The Beauty Way of Life (BWOL) model and its philosophies, I gathered narrative data using individual interviews. I examined the impact of the Diné language, cultural beliefs, and values on their …

Optical Responses Of Hybrid Electromagnetic Nanostructures, Dominic Bosomtwi

Optical Science and Engineering ETDs

Fano resonances result from the interference between a broad background and a narrow state, producing asymmetric scattering profiles. Under specific conditions, destructive interference collapses the Fano resonance width, leading to bound states in the continuum (BICs) that localize light within a nanostructure while maintaining an infinitely high-quality factor (Q-factor).

This dissertation explores the design of nanostructures with multilayer hybrid plasmonic-dielectric metasurfaces using full-wave numerical simulations, facilitating multiple Fano resonances and BICs. By adjusting nanoantenna dimensions, multiple modes are excited at plasmonic-dielectric interfaces, leading to strong interactions and hybridization of energy levels, manifested as Rabi splitting.

These findings enable advancements in …

Carbonate And Organic Proxies And The Impacts Of Climate On Lake Systems: Paleoclimate Interpretations From Lake Chalco, Mexico, Aria Holmes

Earth and Planetary Sciences ETDs

This project incorporates several lines of evidence to better understand the climate at Lake Chalco. Chapter 1 utilizes oxygen isotopes from carbonates and show that the Inter Tropical Convergence Zone varies on primarily glacial and millennial timescales; precession is not observed. These data indicate glacials periods were shallower and interglacials were wetter periods at Lake Chalco. Chapter 2 studies carbon, nitrogen, C/N, and TOC proxies and finds that the lake conditions during the glacials and interglacials are primarily a mixed algal-macrophyte-terrestrial organic matter. Deviations show that the lake during the interglacials had more algal organic matter- reflecting influxes of nutrients …

Sand, Ice, And X-Rays: Developing Xct Methods For Frozen Samples And Refining Siliciclastic Facies Models For Perennially Ice-Covered Lakes, Utilizing Cores From Lake Fryxell, Mcmurdo Dry Valleys, Antarctica, Holly M. Levett

Earth and Planetary Sciences ETDs

Sedimentation in perennially ice-covered lakes (PICLs) is proposed to be bi-modal, with mud deposited by stream inflow and sand deposited on the ice cover by aeolian processes and then melting through by absorption of solar radiation. Here, we consider Lake Fryxell, a PICL in the McMurdo Dry Valleys, and several lake bed cores about 30 cm in length, to better understand PICL facies through time, using micro X-ray CT (XCT). Using XCT images along with sieve and laser granulometry data, we constrained the grain-size of PICL deposits to dominantly medium / fine sand with a coarse component. The presence of …

Critical Geospatial Data Science: Principles For Curating, Analyzing, And Sharing Geospatial Data, Daniel Beene

Geography ETDs

Critical geospatial data science (CGDS) offers principles for engaging with geospatial data, methods, and translation by pulling from critical epistemologies in geography. CGDS interrogates objective “truths” in science by actively engaging in critique of geospatial data and methodologies. Specifically, CGDS contends with the political context and motivations behind geospatial data science (GDS) while using GDS methods to understand how social-spatial arrangements manifest and are reinforced through data. CGDS explicitly aims to inform practices for criticality from within GDS and provides opportunities for multidisciplinary research that incorporates social theories, contextualizes geospatial data, and critically evaluates the effects and ethics of (under)representation …

Functional And Structural Analysis Of The Neimann-Pick Disease Type C Pathway To Include Caveolin-1, Anthony Michael Seat

Chemistry and Chemical Biology ETDs

Human disease is often thought of as an all or nothing prospect, either one has the disease or one does not. This does not bear out in clinical or personal experiences, instead demonstrating that disease occurs within a spectrum ranging from presumed unaffected to demonstrably and detrimentally affected.Neimann-Pick disease is one example of this spectrum look into diseased states, with multiple named versions of a phenotypically similar disease. We focus on Neimann-Picktype C (NPC), which is the result of a disruption in the efflux of cholesterol and sphingolipids from the endocytic pathway. NPC demonstrates this concept of a spectrum of …

Chemical And Physical Properties Of Fine Fractions From A Village Proximate To A Uranium Mine: Insights About Soil Health, Mary P. Haley

Nanoscience and Microsystems ETDs

Thousands of abandoned uranium mines (AUM) in Native American tribal lands have not been fully remediated, leaving uranium mine wastes exposed and accessible for potential erosion and transport by wind. Analyzing the metal and organic content of the fine-grained fractions in soils could uncover the impact of mine legacy on the soil health in communities that live in proximity to AUM. This study investigates the physical and chemical properties of the fine-grained fraction (μm) of soils to quantify the effect of heavy metal-bearing particulates on the soil health in the village of Paguate and within the Jackpile-Paguate AUM located on …

Embedding Direction Of Arrival And Antenna Beamforming Algorithms On Automated Software Defined Radio Platforms, Adrian J. Lewis

Electrical and Computer Engineering ETDs

Antenna arrays are an essential technology in the modern era in both communications and radar applications. The algorithms used for antenna arrays are beginning to be embedded in smart device applications to enable greater communication abilities. This thesis explores the idea of embedding direction of arrival and beamforming algorithms using a software defined radio platform. Specifically, the Multiple Signal Classification (MuSiC) algorithm and Minimum Variance Distortionless Response (MVDR) algorithm are combined. The combination of similar algorithms has the potential to be used in many internet of things applications to enable more dynamic communication ability.

Development And Characterization Of Automated Screen Mesh-Based Microfluidic Device To Perform Continuous Countercurrent Liquid-Liquid Extraction, Quinn Mcculloch

Nanoscience and Microsystems ETDs

Continuous Countercurrent Microfluidic Liquid-Liquid Extraction (CC-MLLE) shows tremendous potential to generate large numbers of equilibrium stages of separation in a small footprint, with a minimum of pumping, valving, and phase separation steps. However, CC-MLLE rarely appears in literature because it requires a delicate balance between capillary and hydrodynamic forces for deterministic flow.

This dissertation showcases a patented screen mesh-based CC-MLLE invention that performs stable, long-duration (> 36 hr.), countercurrent liquid-liquid extraction and achieves 37 equilibrium stages within a 38.5 μl internal volume. The device is fabricated from chemically resistant polyetheretherketone plastic, using standard machine shop equipment, a plotting cutter, screen …

Adaptive Screen Capture Video Analysis, Ugesh Egala

Electrical and Computer Engineering ETDs

This thesis presents a system for analyzing student activities during class sessions to gain insights into the learning process. A dataset consisting of 14 screen recordings, with 2 videos labeled across two stages, was used for training, validation, and testing. The methodology employs adaptive sampling, initially at 10 frames per minute to identify active regions, followed by detailed analysis at 1 frame per second using OCR to detect typing activities through character changes. The results demonstrate over a 50% reduction in computational load while maintaining high accuracy in detecting student engagement. A total of 26 hours of screen capture videos …

Gnss And Insar Observations Of Vertical Motion In The Valles Caldera, Nm, Savannah Chase Devine

Earth and Planetary Sciences ETDs

The Valles caldera is a rhyolitic “supervolcano” formed 1.231 Ma. An understanding of whether Valles caldera is currently deforming is needed to inform volcanic hazard estimates for northern New Mexico and will allow for a better understanding of the hazards presented by other rhyolitic caldera systems. Here, we present an InSAR time series of the Valles Caldera using 37 interferograms, spanning 2014 to 2022, which show a small but consistent signal of broad pattern subsidence/yr. We also present GNSS observations from a survey conducted in October 2022 and compare the results to surveys in 2002 and 2003 to estimate the …

The Iep Team: Team Members’ Perspectives Of The Decision-Making Process, Peggy A. Duffie

Special Education ETDs

The Individualized Education Program (IEP) remains a pivotal document for ensuring educational equity for students with disabilities in public education (Bateman, 2017). This qualitative interview study investigated how an IEP team supporting a student with extensive support needs navigated the decision-making process during annual IEP development. Through in-depth interviews with six out of eight team members, I explored IEP team members’ perceptions of their and others’ responsibilities and contributions to the development of an annual IEP. Qualitative coding revealed four key decision-making themes: Unspoken norms, privileging professional knowledge, avoiding conflict and responding to disagreements, and identifying your place at the …

Pulsed Secondary Electron Yield Measurements Of Metallic And Dielectric Materials Of Interest For High Power Vacuum Electron Devices, Bilal Ahmed Malik

Electrical and Computer Engineering ETDs

Secondary electron emission (SEE) from conductors is thought to play an important role in the initiation of Multipactor breakdown in vacuum electron devices. The SEE of dielectric materials plays a crucial role in numerous scientific and technological applications, including particle accelerators, spacecraft charging, and plasma diagnostics. Additionally, the SEE of an insulator may depend on its electrical stress history. In both cases, SEE strongly depends on any conditioning of the material surface. We present measurements on both conducting and insulating materials of interest in these applications. Measurements are being made in an existing test stand, recently modified to enable measurements …

Deep Learning For Multiple Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Coordination In Air Corridors, Liangkun Yu

Electrical and Computer Engineering ETDs

In the future, city skies will be filled with Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) for rapid urban transport, including parcel deliveries and air taxis. NASA's Urban Air Mobility (UAM) envisions UAVs navigating air corridors. These virtual pathways ensure safety and compliance with regulations. However, current research on UAM practical applications is limited. This dissertation focuses on designing air corridors, developing UAV control systems, and ensuring the robustness of control algorithms against disturbances in real-world environments.

Our design features an air corridor system with horizontal lanes and on-off ramps, conceptualized as cylindrical spaces and tori, respectively. To enable each UAV to locally …

Mitigating Algorithmic Bias: Strategies For Addressing Discrimination In Data, Sonia Gipson Rankin

Faculty Scholarship

This article examines the pervasive issue of algorithmic bias, particularly within large language models (LLMs) and the legal system. It argues that unlike simple programming bugs, these biases are deeply ingrained in the design and training data of artificial intelligence (AI) systems. By understanding the historical roots of bias and its realworld consequence across various sectors, we can develop effective strategies to mitigate its impact and ensure AI serves as a tool for progress. Weaving together historical insights, case studies, and forward-looking recommendations, the article aims to equip legal professionals with the knowledge and tools necessary to lead the charge …

Neutrosophic Sentiment Analysis Method Based On Neutroalgebra For The Evaluation Of M-Learning As A Quechua Learning Instrument, Javier Gamboa-Cruzado, María Lima Bendezú, Mauro Cruzado Viera, Angel Núñez Meza, Edgar Damián Núñez

Neutrosophic Sets and Systems

This study focuses on assessing the efficacy of m-learning as a tool for learning Quechua. It uses a unique method of sentiment neutrosophic sentiment analysis, which is based on neutroAlgebra. In the current scenario, where the use of mobile platforms for learning indigenous languages is gaining significance, there is a noticeable absence of methods that can effectively handle the intricate and uncertain nature of users' perceptions towards these systems. Existing literature provides limited solutions that effectively integrate mathematical precision with the ability to recognize and respond to emotions and ambiguous opinions. This article addresses the lack of methodology by utilizing …

Formalizing The Santa Fe Water Bank, Walker Williamson

Water Resources Professional Project Reports

Water users depend on institutional flexibility to efficiently allocate water in legally constrained and overallocated basins. Adaptive market-based mechanisms such as water banking proffer flexibility and fairness, but often face practical challenges fueled by empirical and institutional uncertainties. The Santa Fe Water Bank is a case in point. The City of Santa Fe transfers agricultural water rights from the Middle Rio Grande to its municipal Water Bank for sustainable development. Combined uncertainties in this process can obscure latent changes in water balance and foster misunderstanding, potentially provoking transfer protests. This study develops a formal model clarifying the interrelated institutional and …

Evaluative Analysis Of The Incorporation Of Ict In The Solving Of Mathematical Problems In Primary Education Students With The Help Of Neutrosophic Statistics On Fuzzy Data, Gladys Martha Flores-Choque, Beker Maraza-Vilcanqui, Nain Maraza-Vilcanqui, Queke Maraza-Vilcanqui, Jesús Ttito-Quispe, Elizabeth Norma Calixto-Arias, Liliana Huaranga-Rivera, Aniceto Elías Aguilar-Polo

Neutrosophic Sets and Systems

This paper aims to determine the influence of incorporating Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) in solving mathematical problems in students of the Primary Educational Institution N° 70656 Ricardo Palma Puno, Peru. To collect the information, a pre-test and a post-test were applied in the variable "resolution of mathematical problems" to an experimental group that received classes with the help of the use of ICT. The test was applied to a control group of the same age that followed the traditional method of learning mathematics. Teachers were asked to evaluate children using a linguistic scale because it is simpler and more …

Composite Sustainability Indicator For The Conservation Of Ashigua Páramo: Integration Of Neutrosophic Logic And The Promethee Todim Method, Patricio Clavijo Cevallos

Neutrosophic Sets and Systems

The project was conducted in the Ashigua páramo, Mulaló, Latacunga, Cotopaxi province. Its objective was to develop a composite environmental sustainability indicator for the conservation of the páramo. Neutrosophic logic and the PRO-METHEE TODIM method were used to select and evaluate sub-indicators in a context of uncertain and complex envi-ronmental data. Neutrosophic logic facilitated the management of ambiguities and contradictions in the data. The find-ings highlighted the relevance of sub-indicators linked to carbon storage and ecological productivity. Indicators of regu-latory compliance and sustainable management were evaluated, emphasizing the importance of adjusting environmental policies to regulations and social expectations. This study …