Digital Commons Network^™

Towards Ensuring Integrity And Authenticity Of Software Repositories, Sangat Vaidya

Dissertations

The software development process comprises a series of steps known as a software supply chain. These steps include managing the source code, testing, building and packaging it into a final product, and distributing the product to end users. Along this chain, software repositories are used for different purposes such as source code management (Git, SVN, mercurial), software distribution (PyPI, RubyGems, NPM) or for deploying software based on container images (Harbor, DockerHub, Artifact Hub). In the recent past, different types of repositories have increasingly been the target of attacks. As such, there is a need for mechanisms to ensure integrity and …

Decoding Human Movement Through Experiments And Simulation, Vishnu Deep Chandran

Dissertations

The ability to walk or move independently plays a decisive role in one's quality of life. This human ability requires complex coordination with several systems, such as the nervous, muscular, skeletal, and sensory organs, to execute movement tasks. Hence, any disorder of these systems from injury, disease, or aging severely affects the ability to walk or move independently. Disabilities that impair movement severely affect the quality of life. Therefore, studying the changes affecting human movement is necessary to improve the lives of individuals with impaired movement. Since human movement is complex and many systems interact in non-intuitive ways, the overarching …

Passive Interpretable Deep Learning From Cell Phone Activity For Optimal Patient Care, Pelin Ayranci

Dissertations

The majority of individuals in need of mental healthcare fail to seek it, and the diagnosis of those who do is driven predominantly by the patient's subjective self-assessment. There is a need for mental illnesses trackers that measure psychological and physiological symptoms and provide alerts and interpretable data for therapeutic interventions. We present a system that complements existing protocols to detect distress in mental health, passively monitor patients, and quickly alert authorized parties on possible mental health distress. We evaluate modeling a person's mental health from the sensors and activity logs of her/his cell phone using logistic regressions, LSTM, and …

Parameter Selection In Fully Homomorphic Encryption Schemes And Fhe Applications, Cavidan Yakupoglu

Dissertations

Quantum computing has been gaining momentum as a result of recent technological advances. Existing cryptographic systems rely on the difficult problems that can be solved by sufficiently powerful quantum computers. As the quantum age approaches, the desire to discover new difficult problems that cannot be solved by quantum systems has increased. Lattice-based cryptography is a prominent tool for the post-quantum era that facilitates the implementation of encryption systems for practical applications.

The Learning with Error (LWE) and Ring-LWE problems introduce new lattice hardness assumptions that have been incorporated into public-key cryptosystems to facilitate the implementation of numerous privacy-enhancing applications. Fully …

Effect Of Fluid Penetration On The Damage Processes And Microseismicity Due To The Hydraulic Fracturing Of Rocks, Catarina Baptista-Pereira

Dissertations

The hydraulic fracturing is used when fluids are injected inside the matrices of rocks to allow the creation of new cracks while, the propagation of the existent cracks can also occur. This process has been widely used for the past decades in the deep earth energy sector which comprises four main subsectors: 1) recovery of geothermal resources, 2) CO₂ and hydrogen sequestration; 3) wastewater and nuclear waste disposal, and 4) recovery of (non)conventional fluids. By creating new flow paths or enhancing the existing ones, the pores are allowed to connect and, thus, it increases the permeability of rocks. For …

Importance Of Alkyl Substitution On The Molecular Architecture And Thermomechanical Performance Of Glassy Polybenzoxazine Networks, Bernardo L. Barea-López

Dissertations

This dissertation aims to elucidate different aspects of network formation in different thermosetting polybenzoxazines and the implications on the final morphology, free volume, solvent ingress, and thermomechanical properties. This research is divided into five distinct fragments 1) benzoxazine monomer synthesis, 2) implications of the meta-substitution of the aniline species in the cured benzoxazine network, 3) effect of the cure protocol on meta-substituted aniline based benzoxazine matrices, 4) investigation of the utilization of different bisphenol species for the formation of novel and known benzoxazine networks, and 5) the elucidation of the cure-induced shrinkage of benzoxazine networks utilizing an improved method developed …

Cultural Intelligence Practices Community College Presidents Use To Lead Their Organization, Jennifer Marta

Dissertations

Purpose: The purpose of this qualitative multicase study was to discover and describe the cultural intelligence practices California community college presidents use to lead their organization through the four dimensions of Ang et al. (2007) cultural intelligence (CQ) framework. Lastly, this study will examine the CQ practices of California community college presidents through the four dimensions of Ang et al.’s (2007) CQ framework.

Methodology: This qualitative multicase study was conducted through semistructured interviews of four California community college presidents to discover their use of CQ practices. Artifact collection and review was used to further describe how they use CQ practices …

An Examination Of The Effects Of Workgroup Characteristics On Criminal Case Processing & Case Outcomes, Luis Torres

Dissertations

The court communities and inhabited institutions perspectives posit that courts should be examined through a lens that considers the complex and collaborative process that court actors (e.g., judges, prosecutors, and defense counsels), collectively referred to as the courtroom workgroup, engage in during case processing. However, empirical research infrequently examines such intricacies and devotes little attention to how the characteristics of workgroup members influence courtroom interactions, the efficiency they process cases, and ultimately case decisions. This omission is notable because theory asserts that the dynamics of the workgroup are at least in part driven by the characteristics of its members.

This …

A Crisis Should Not Be Wasted: A Phenomenological Study On How Female Leaders From Military Academic Institutions Find Common Ground During Crisis, Diana Molodilo

Dissertations

Purpose: The purpose of this phenomenological study was to identify and describe the lived experience of female leaders from military academic institutions in finding common ground during crisis situations.

Methodology: This phenomenological study identified and described how female mid-level leaders from Defense Language Institute Foreign Language Center and Naval Postgraduate School found common ground during crisis. The population for this study includes all female leaders from military academic institutions in California, which is estimated at 60 to 100, of which 16 were sampled.

Findings: The findings from this research illustrate that female leaders found common ground when they (a) consistently …

A Study Of Red Snapper (Lutjanus Campechanus) Ecology In The Northern Gulf Of Mexico And The Effect Of Variable River Outflow Using Stable Isotope Analysis Of The Food Web And Eye Lenses, Caitlin C. Slife

Dissertations

In the Mississippi Bight and surrounding waters, river outflow impacts the basal resources of the Red Snapper food web, altering carbon sources and impacting prey and predator isotopes. In this study, the impact of riverine outflow on nutrients, particulate organic matter (POM), and physical water parameters on Red Snapper and their food web was analyzed using stable isotope and stomach content analysis over 5 years. The Mississippi, Pearl, Pascagoula, and Mobile rivers were included in the analysis of river impact. The Mississippi and Mobile rivers were found to significantly impact nutrients and POM in the region. River outflow was also …

A Phenomenological Exploration Of The Lived Experience Of Military Spouses Of Veterans With Combat-Related Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, Teresa W. Yambo

Dissertations

A phenomenological study was conducted to explore the essence of the experience of military spouses living with veterans with combat-related Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). Husserlian phenomenology was chosen as the theoretical framework because it allowed a deeper understanding of the unfolding o f the spouses' day-to-day experience. A purposive sample of 14 spouses living with veterans with symptoms of PTSD participated in unstructured interviews. Data were analyzed using a modification of Colaizzi's method. Four major themes were identified from data analysis: Recognizing Life is No Longer the Same, Living with Unpredictability, Bearing the Burden, and Creating a New Life. Spouses …

The Effects Of Prescribed Fire On Ant-Mediated Seed Dispersal In Missouri, Eva M. Colberg

Dissertations

Many aspects of animal-mediated seed dispersal are vulnerable to disturbance, including partner identity and dispersal quantity and quality. This dissertation explores ant-mediated seed dispersal of the herb Sanguinaria canadensis in Missouri Ozark oak forests, where prescribed fire is a common land management tool. In Chapter 1, I test the definition of a keystone seed disperser using absolute and relative contributions of different ant species to the quantity and distance of seed dispersal, based on field observations of S. canadensis seed dispersal. I demonstrate that the ant Aphaenogaster rudis is better described as a numerically dominant rather than keystone seed disperser, …

Agenda Setting On The Supreme Court Of The United States In 1960, 1977, And 1992, Jessica L. Curtis

Dissertations

This dissertation adds to Supreme Court of the United States agenda-setting research by exploring the following overarching research question: How does the Supreme Court of the United States decide which cases it will review? In addition, this study addresses three gaps in the agenda-setting research by considering types of petitions for writ of certiorari that are often ignored by other studies, analyzing the Court’s case-selection process as a two-step process, and studying the Court’s agenda-setting trends over time. To explore these gaps in the research, an original dataset was created by collecting data on a random sample of petitions for …

Virtual Reality Simulation's Influence On Nursing Students' Anxiety And Communication Skills With Anxious Patients, Tanae A. Traister

Dissertations

The incidence of medical-surgical patients with a secondary anxiety diagnosis is increasing, and nurses' feelings of inadequacy in communicating with anxious patients have hindered the therapeutic nurse-patient relationship, negatively impacting patient outcomes. Simulation methods such as high fidelity simulation and standardized patients have decreased nursing students' anxiety levels in caring for anxious patients. However, they face maintenance costs, availability, and consistency barriers. Full immersion virtual reality simulation has demonstrated
success in nonhealthcare and medical education but is limited in nursing education. Nursing students from an associate and bachelor's degree nursing program participated in a full immersion virtual reality simulation anxious …

Student Nurses' Senior Practicum Experience And Its Role In Transition To Practice, Trilla A. Mays

Dissertations

Newly graduated nurses (NGNs) are not prepared to transition to practice, often leaving practice within the first year. The purpose of this descriptive qualitative study, guided by Meleis' transition theory, was to explore the NGN's perceptions of their senior practicum experience and how the experience prepared them for transition to practice. The Covid-19 pandemic limited recruitment of participants. After extended recruitment efforts, three NGNs were recruited, interviewed using a semistructured interview guide, and recorded using Zoom, which was verified while listening to the recording. The Ravitch and Carl three-pronged coding approach and NVivo was used to assist with the manual …

Adults With Preexisting Diagnosis Of Heart Failure In The Environment Of Coronavirus Disease 2019, Ronald Phillips

Dissertations

Background: Heart disease continues to be the leading cause of death among adults in the United States and other industrialized countries. Heart failure (HF) is a form of heart disease and has become an epidemic with complications and medical care costs increasing at an alarming rate. HF affects more than 5.7 million adults in the United States with an incidence between 550,000 to 670,000 annually, primarily affecting females, African Americans, and adults aged 55 years and older. HF is also associated with a high rate of mortality, estimated to increase, with a risk rate of 13%, 32%, and 64% among …

Measuring Psychological Safety, High-Reliability (Hro) Perception And Safety Reporting Intentions Among Pediatric Nurses, Lauren Pfeifer

Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to explore the relationships between psychological safety, perception of working in a high reliability organization (HRO) and safety event reporting intentions among pediatric nurses working in acute care.

The quality and safety of patient care is dependent upon nurses to report safety events and near-misses in order to address systems' issues and identify improvement opportunities. To encourage feedback and promote reporting, many health care organizations have adopted the high reliability framework and strategies to promote team psychological safety. A dearth of literature exists on how the pediatric nurse perceives their workplace. This study addressed …

A Delphi Study Of The Skills Necessary For A Speech-Language Pathologist Or Occupational Therapist To Be Successful In A Leadership Position, Jessica Miller

Dissertations

Purpose: The purpose of this Delphi study was to identify the skills necessary for a speech-language pathologist or occupational therapist to be successful in a leadership position using an expert panel. In addition, the purpose was to rate the identified skills based on importance and lastly to determine the activities experts recommend to acquire the top-rated skills. Methodology: This study used a three-round Delphi method to collect data from expert leaders in speech-language pathology and occupational therapy. In Round 1, the expert panel was asked to identify the skills necessary to transition from a speech-language pathologist or occupational therapist to …

How Exemplary High School Principals Who Utilize Heart-Led Principles Achieve Extraordinary Results, Jeyan Danesh

Dissertations

Purpose: The purpose of this phenomenological study was to describe how exemplary high school principals in Riverside and San Bernardino counties lead from the heart using Mark Crowley’s four principles (building a highly engaged team, connecting on a personal level, maximizing employee potential, and valuing and honoring achievements) to accomplish extraordinary results in their organizations. Methodology: Semistructured interviews were conducted with 8 high school principals to better understand how the use of heart-led principles can lead to extraordinary results on a high school campus. Interview data were collected, transcribed, and coded for themes, allowing the researcher to triangulate data and …

How System Efficacy Affects Risk Perception: Comparison Of The United States, Iran, And China Throughout The Covid-19 Pandemic, Nazanin Bani Amerian

Dissertations

The current study fills a gap in the risk and health communication literature that deals with perception of risk. The extended parallel process model (EPPM) and associated Risk Behavior Diagnosis Scale lack consideration for attenuated perceptions of risk when people believe that some agent (e.g., government agencies or first responders) will protect them from a hazard. This project’s intention is to establish the validity of a new concept, system efficacy, as an addition to the EPPM model. System efficacy supplements current use of self and response efficacy. In addition, this study tries to investigate how culture affect risk perception by …

A Genomic Investigation Of Divergence Between Tuna Species, Pavel V. Dimens

Dissertations

Effective management and conservation of marine pelagic fishes is heavily dependent on a robust understanding of their population structure, their evolutionary history, and the delineation of appropriate management units. The Yellowfin tuna (Thunnus albacares) and the Blackfin tuna (Thunnus atlanticus) are two exploited epipelagic marine species with overlapping ranges in the tropical and sub-tropical Atlantic Ocean. This work analyzed genome-wide genetic variation of both species in the Atlantic basin to investigate the occurrence of population subdivision and adaptive variation. A de novo assembly of the Blackfin tuna genome was generated using Illumina paired-end sequencing data and …

Data Collection And Machine Learning Methods For Automated Pedestrian Facility Detection And Mensuration, Joseph Bailey Luttrell Iv

Dissertations

Large-scale collection of pedestrian facility (crosswalks, sidewalks, etc.) presence data is vital to the success of efforts to improve pedestrian facility management, safety analysis, and road network planning. However, this kind of data is typically not available on a large scale due to the high labor and time costs that are the result of relying on manual data collection methods. Therefore, methods for automating this process using techniques such as machine learning are currently being explored by researchers. In our work, we mainly focus on machine learning methods for the detection of crosswalks and sidewalks from both aerial and street-view …

The Effect Changes In The Weather Have On Kindergarten Through Third-Grade Students’ Behavior, Sara Michelle Calderon

Dissertations

The joking comments throughout the halls of elementary schools between teachers, “it is going to rain soon” or “a storm is brewing,” seemed to be just a hard day’s excuse. The purpose of this mixed methods study was to understand if there was accuracy in these joking comments. Beginning with quality classroom management and understanding student behaviors, this research examined educators’ perspectives on changing weather and the behavior of their students in their classrooms. In order for a comprehensive understanding, quality classroom management was the most important aspect. Classroom management is one of the most difficult aspects of teaching (Gage …

A Brief Acceptance And Commitment Therapy Protocol For Alcohol Withdrawal Symptoms: A Randomized Controlled Trial For Inpatient Detoxification Patients, Taylor R. Weststrate

Dissertations

Alcohol detoxification inevitability involves physical and emotional discomfort. Common withdrawal symptoms include experiences of nausea, muscle pain, stomach and headaches, shakiness, restlessness, anxiety, and agitation. Rarer, but more severe, withdrawal symptoms can include hallucinations, seizures, and delirium tremens. Pharmacologic treatment of withdrawal symptoms is the primary, and often only, approach to intervention. The current study examined the incremental efficacy of adding a psychotherapeutic program based in Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) for individuals struggling with withdrawal during alcohol detoxification in a residential rehabilitation center. This study compared the standard of care, medication management, which was treatment as usual (TAU) at …

Studying The Synthesis Of 196Hg At Astrophysically Relevant Energies Through The Measurement Of Capture Reaction Cross-Sections Of (P, Γ) (P, N) And (P, Α) Reactions, Khushi Bhatt

Dissertations

Understanding the origin of all the chemical elements is an important question for the nuclear-astrophysics community. There are many unanswered questions like: What astrophysical events are responsible for the synthesis of what particular chemical elements? How many different elements were made in total? What is the abundance of each synthesized element? etc. Currently, scientists are largely depending upon theory and simulations to define nuclear and astrophysical reaction. This makes it critical to have accurate experimental nuclear physics data to input in astrophysical theoretical models. However, out of more than 20000 reactions involved in these calculations, only a very few are …

Peridynamic Modeling Of Crack Propagation In Brittle Materials With Electromechanical Coupling, Semsi Coskun

Dissertations

The bond-based peridynamics (BB-PD) is a widely used peridynamic model in the literature. Despite Poisson's ratio restriction, it still serves as a powerful tool to solve challenging engineering problems with a relatively cheap computational cost. Consider the Poisson ratio of the material does not deviate from the ones that BB-PD can model. In that case, it becomes advantageous to use the BB-PD compared to other PD models in terms of computational cost and simplicity. However, the BB-PD suffers from the so-called surface or skin effect where the material response at boundaries becomes softer than the bulk material points. As a …

A Mixed Methods Investigation Of Third Grade Academic Achievement Data: Pre- And Post-Google Chromebook Usage In A Midwest Elementary School, Brittany Powell

Dissertations

Technology in the educational setting has evolved drastically over the last few decades and continues to currently evolve. As technology advances, best practices for teaching and learning, standardized testing, and curriculum also must evolve. The purpose of this study aimed to fill the gap of the lack of research regarding the possible differences in academic achievement data, pre- and post-Google Chromebooks usage. The researcher investigated educators’ and administrators’ perceptions of technology by conducting inperson interviews at the conclusion of the two-year study. The analysis of qualitative data, gathered from all interviews and researcher journal entries, fell into various thematic categories, …

Surmounting Perceived Barriers For Missouri Female Superintendents: A Phenomenological Study, Leslee Kristina Smith

Dissertations

Female superintendents throughout the United States disproportionately represent superintendents of public school districts (Cassidy et al., 2021; Gullo & Sperandio, 2020). This research study utilized the theoretical frameworks of feminism and the structured organization of institutions (Acker, 1990). In addition, the qualitative study used the phenomenological design. An open-ended survey was utilized, as well as a follow-up interview with open-ended questions to solicit deeper, lived experiences of self-imposed barriers and the strategies lead female superintendents in a Midwest state employed to surmount those barriers. Forty-four female lead superintendents in a Midwest state shared stories of their journeys to a lead …

Project-Based Learning In Introductory Psychology: Modern Adaptations To An Academic Classic, Colton R. Olson

Dissertations

This study used a quasi-experimental design to examine the effectiveness of a project-based learning (PjBL) course design on meaningful learning, student goal orientation, engagement, and perceived classroom motivational climate in an introductory psychology course. Project-based learning was examined in comparison to a traditional, lecture and multiple-choice exam course design in introductory psychology over the course of one semester (N = 247). Generally, there is limited research examining PjBL in large introductory classes, specifically in relation to concrete outcomes such as meaningful learning and perceived classroom climate (Gurung et al., 2016). Therefore, the purpose of the study was to add to …

“Beginning, Again And Again”: The Experiences Of Excellent White Educators In Diverse Urban Schools, Christopher Deremer

Dissertations

This narrative inquiry study focused on the experiences of reputationally excellent White educators working in diverse urban high schools. Using methods from participatory narrative inquiry (Kurtz, 2014), this study asked three participants to explore their respective journeys as educators in diverse urban settings and to use story and reflection as well as more traditional narrative inquiry methods of observation, interviews, and artifact analysis to identify emergent themes about what made these White educators successful and how their definition of success changed throughout their career. The focus on White educators was important because of the demographic divide between students in urban …