Digital Commons Network^™

Exploring Simplified Reservoir Computing Systems For Resource-Constrained Edge Ai Hardware, Ziyi Niu

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Echo State Networks (ESNs) have emerged as a promising paradigm for modeling complex temporal dynamics due to their unique architecture in which only the output weights require training, while the recurrent internal reservoir remains fixed. This characteristic significantly reduces training complexity and computation time, making ESNs particularly attractive for real-time processing and resource-constrained, low-power hardware implementations. However, conventional ESNs typically employ the computationally demanding hyperbolic tangent (tanh) activation function within the reservoir neurons, which poses challenges for efficient hardware realization. To address this limitation, recent research has focused on exploring alternative lightweight activation functions—including Logistic, Tent, tanh-Linear, ReLU, and Quadratic …

The Characterization Of Radiation Forces Using Tunable Acoustic Lenses, Sina Rostami

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation investigates the design, analysis, and optimization of tunable acoustic lenses with a primary focus on beamforming, dynamic focusing, and the generation of limited diffraction beams. The study examines the performance of four-channel and six-channel lenses in producing highly controlled ultrasonic fields with minimal diffraction. Numerical simulations and experimental validation are used to demonstrate how these lenses effectively form focused beams that maintain spatial coherence over a range of distances.

A systematic comparison between the four-channel and six-channel lenses is performed at multiple focal configurations (5.5 cm, 7.8 cm, and 10.0 cm). The results show that both lens types …

The Daily Choices And Personality Quiz: Designing And Testing A New Manipulation Of Masculinity Threat, Caitlin M. Shaw

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Boys receive unique messaging about their gender identity from an early age, including that they must avoid anything associated with femininity (Blakemore, 2003). Failure to follow this group norm is usually met with punishment or ridicule (Kane, 2006; Katz, 2020). Unsurprisingly, this socialization might teach boys that manhood is not guaranteed. Precarious manhood theory (Vandello & Bosson, 2013) argues that manhood–but not womanhood–is a status that must be socially earned, but can be revoked, making it “precarious.” Since the theory’s inception, researchers have explored ways to experimentally examine the consequences of “lost manhood” using masculinity threat paradigms which describe men …

Efficient Hierarchical Design In Reservoir Computing, Shuai Song

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Reservoir Computing (RC) has established itself as a compelling paradigm for modeling complex temporal dynamics, particularly owing to its efficient training regime, theoretical grounding in dynamical systems, and growing compatibility with hardware-oriented deployments. Among RC variants, Echo State Networks (ESNs) remain popular due to their simplicity and effectiveness; however, traditional ESNs with densely connected, randomly initialized reservoirs present inherent limitations in scalability, energy efficiency, and hardware realizability challenges that hinder their adoption in edge and embedded intelligence scenarios.

In this work, we present an efficient hierarchical reservoir computing framework that integrates three complementary strategies: (1) deterministic Simple Cycle Reservoirs (SCRs) …

1:1 Ipad Implementation & Standardized Testing, Kristen Lane Whitehead Zemek

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study investigates the relationship between 1:1 iPad implementation and student performance on the Mississippi Academic Assessment Program (MAAP) standardized tests. As school districts increasingly adopt 1:1 technology initiatives, it is critical to understand their impact on key academic outcomes. This research examines the extent to which the consistent use of iPads in the learning environment influences student achievement in core subjects. By analyzing test score data from schools with established 1:1 iPad programs, this paper seeks to provide empirical evidence to inform educational stakeholders, administrators, and policymakers. The findings aim to contribute to the broader discourse on technology integration …

“Listen To The Angels Shouting”: Witnessing, Erasure, And The Legacy Of John Wesley Work Iii, Kennedy Uselton

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Questions surrounding the relationship between erasure, music, and memory are deeply embedded within contemporary academic discourse. Music and its makers are continually remembered, forgotten, rediscovered, and lost. How we frame these conversations about memory is especially critical when considering the legacy and cultural remembrance of the Blues. This includes acknowledging that the truth of musical memory extends beyond the artists themselves—it includes those who document, study, and shape how the Blues is archived, interpreted, and narrated. This thesis addresses these questions of memory and erasure through a reconsideration of the figure of John Wesley Work III (1901–1967), a Black scholar, …

Do College Students Delegate Over The Counter Product Choice To Pharmacists? A National Survey Experiment, Joanne Elizabeth Mansalay Canedo

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Background: College students are known to have more frequent use for over-the-counter (OTC) cold products. Choice overload can lead to an increased burden of responsibility and dissatisfaction with one’s decision. The act of delegating to a pharmacist can prevent OTC product misuse and potential for abuse. The objective was to examine the effect of OTC choice difficulty and pharmacist accessibility on college students’ likelihood to delegate pharmacists for choosing OTC products for the common cold.

Methodology: An experimental within-subjects survey design was utilized on a national convenience sample of undergraduate students aged 18 years and older through Qualtrics market research …

Study Of The Mechanism And Physiological Impact Of Transcriptional Regulation Of Pilin-Encoding Pila Gene In Caulobacter Crescentus, Anurag Rijal

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The alphaproteobacterium Caulobacter crescentus with a unique dimorphic lifestyle is a model organism for studying prokaryotic development. An important cellular structure is the hair-like appendage called pilus, made up of monomeric subunits called pilins. The pilus helps C. crescentus in surface sensing and attachment, leading to cellular differentiation. Despite these advantages, the C. crescentus cell expresses the pilus filament on its surface for a very short period in its life cycle, during the motile swarmer stage. This study examined the precisely-timed transcriptional regulation of the pilin-encoding gene pilA, and uncovered the impact it has on bacterial survival.

CtrA, a global …

Video Comprehension Score (Vcs): A Metric For Long-Form Video Description Evaluation, Harsh Dubey

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Existing video description evaluation metrics fail to capture the long-range chronology and semantic alignment essential for long-form descriptions. An effective evaluation metric for long-form descriptions must (i) assess global thematic alignment, (ii) measure local semantic alignment, and (iii) evaluate chronological alignment while detecting corrupted content. We introduce Video Comprehension Score (VCS), a reference-based metric, which directly addresses these evaluation requirements through three components: Global Alignment Score for thematic alignment, Local Alignment Score for local semantic alignment, and Narrative Alignment Score for chronological alignment with adjustable tolerance. We evaluate VCS on two large-scale synthetic datasets designed to test corruption detection and …

The Influence Of Bottom-Up And Top-Down Effects On The Density And Distribution Of Common Leopards In The Eastern Himalayas, Karma Choki

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Leopards (Panthera pardus fusca) are widely distributed across Asia, yet their conservation is overshadowed by the conservation status of other flagship predators like tigers (Panthera tigris), in the Eastern Himalayas. Despite their ability to coexist with other large carnivores, leopard populations are shaped by intricate ecological interactions and increasing human pressures. This thesis investigates the abundance and density, habitat use, and drivers of persistence of leopards across Bhutan to inform multi-species carnivore conservation planning. My first chapter provides an overview of the ecological roles of large carnivores and how they persist on the landscape. I review the mechanisms that facilitate …

Comparative Evaluation Of Fungal Strains For The Bioprocessing Of Soybean Hulls Using Cheese Whey As Fermentation Medium, Ruchita Bhattarai

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Globally, soybean is the most widely cultivated oilseed crops, and serve as the primary source of cooking oil, contributing to around 50% of global oilseed production. During the industrial processing of soybean oil, a significant amount of soybean hull (SH) is produced, which makes up about 8% of the grain yield, resulting in approximately 18–20 million tons of hulls, one of the largest by-products in the soybean industry. The hulls have limited commercial value and are primarily used as fiber additives in dairy cattle feed, but a large portion is still discarded as agricultural waste. Similarly, cheese whey (CW), a …

Molecular Dynamics Simulation Of Thermal Properties Of Single Walled Carbon Nanotubes, Shiv Nath Jha

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Molecular dynamics (MD) simulations are a powerful tool for investigating the thermal behavior of carbon nanotubes (CNTs), which are renowned for their exceptional thermal conductivity and potential in nanoscale thermal management applications. This study employs the open-source software LAMMPS, in conjunction with VMD for model generation, to explore the thermal transport properties of (10,10) single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) using non-equilibrium molecular dynamics (NEMD). The thermal conductivity of SWCNTs was evaluated across four tube lengths (5 nm, 10 nm, 20 nm, and 40 nm) and at temperatures ranging from 300 K to 600 K under two distinct boundary conditions: free boundary …

The Effects Of Timbre On Melodic Dictation In Advanced Placement Music Theory Students, William Thomas Ardrey

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of varying timbres on melodic dictation accuracy. Melodic dictation is used not only in collegiate music curricula but also in high school Advanced Placement Music Theory (APMT) courses. Studies examining the effects of varying timbres on dictation are limited (Gephardt, 1978; Gonzalez et al., 2015), and further investigation was needed. Subjects in this study (N = 52) were APMT students who completed melodic dictation tasks in four timbres: Bb clarinet, Bb trumpet, piano, and marimba. A repeated-measures Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) revealed a significant difference in melodic dictation accuracy across …

Creating A Mentorship Program For Assistant Principals To Improve Instructional Leadership, Shadonica Sharee Scruggs

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Effective instructional leadership is essential for strengthening teachers’ instructional capacity and improving student outcomes. However, many assistant principals often lack the mentorship and targeted professional development needed to thrive in this critical role. Providing them with the right support can bridge this gap, empowering them to become transformative leaders in their schools. In this study, I explored the development and implementation of a mentorship program designed to strengthen the instructional leadership skills of assistant principals with the ultimate goal of enhancing student learning outcomes. Using an applied research design, I collected data through surveys, focus groups, and interviews with assistant …

Framing Ncaa V. Alston: Amicus Briefs’ Competing Visions Of Student-Athlete Compensation, Stuart A. Sutton

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this qualitative content analysis was to examine how amici curiae frame policy preferences in amicus briefs submitted before the United States Supreme Court in NCAA v. Alston (2021). The questions addressed in this study were what dominant policy frames did interest groups use to frame policy preference in NCAA v. Alston (2021), and which (if any) policy frames in the amicus briefs emerged in the written opinions of the United States Supreme Court? This analysis indicates the complexities and intricacies of competing vision of student-athlete compensation within the persuasive lens of amicus briefs through interest groups. In …

The Moderating Role Of Engagement On Mindfulness, Sarah Rose Wilson

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The present study examined the moderating role of engagement in a technology-based mindfulness intervention among college students. Drawing on archival data from a prior randomized controlled trial, the analysis focused on whether self-reported engagement influenced changes in mindfulness as measured by the Five Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire (FFMQ). Seventy-five participants in the mindfulness intervention group received brief psychoeducational and practice-based text messages over a 21-day period. A moderation analysis using PROCESS macro tested whether engagement moderated the relationship between pre- and post-intervention mindfulness scores. Results indicated that engagement did not significantly moderate changes in total FFMQ scores, providing no support for …

Evaluating Dietary Consequences On Body Mass And Thermal Heat Flux Of North American Bison (Bison Bison) Yearling Heifers, Kendall Marie Wald

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Evaluating Effects Of Copper Sources In Nursery Pig Diets And Phytase Inclusion And Diet Interactions On Water Usage In Growing And Finishing Pigs, Daniel Rosales

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

In modern swine production, nutritional strategies that optimize growth performance, resource utilization, and carcass quality are essential. Three independent trials were conducted to evaluate how dietary modifications involving copper (Cu) sources, phytase inclusion, and amino acid reformulation affect nursery and grow-finish pigs. The first trial assessed the effects of three different Cu sources on nursery pig growth performance. A total of 1,145 pigs (5.9 ± 1.3 kg BW) were assigned to one of four dietary treatments: control, tri-basic Cu chloride source #1 (TBCC1), Cu chelate (cCu), or tri-basic Cu chloride source #2 (TBCC2), each providing 150 ppm of Cu. Over …

Testing The Effect Of Source And Environment On Native Seed Germination To Inform Seed-Based Restoration Of Grasslands, Brandon Clark

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Grasslands are one of the most endangered ecosystems on the planet, and they provide a variety of important ecosystem services that people rely on. Losses of grasslands can be mitigated through restoration. Seed-based restoration is a regularly used practice due to its practicality and cost-effectiveness. Planting non-local seed that may not be suitable for its destination environment can have consequences in plant establishment and subsequent restoration success. This experiment tested the response (final germination and germination rate) of seed from 11 perennial tallgrass species sourced from 3 different locations to different germination temperature conditions. Seeds from three sources of each …

Global Spectral Clustering Of Temporally Stable Pixels For Epics Identification, Validation, And Hyperspectral Assignment For Satellite Calibration, Juliana Maria Fajardo Rueda

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Refinement Of Trend-To-Trend Cross Calibration Total Uncertainties Utilizing Extended Pseudo Invariant Calibration Sites (Epics) Global Temporally Stable Target, Minura Samaranayake

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Cross-calibration is an essential technique for calibrating Earth Observation satellite sensors, which involves taking nearly simultaneous images of a ground target to compare uncalibrated sensor to a well-calibrated reference sensor. This study introduces the hyperspectral Trend-to-Trend (T2T) cross-calibration technique utilizing EPICS Cluster 13 Global Temporally Stable (Cluster 13-GTS) as the calibration target, offering better temporal stability than previous targets used in T2T cross-calibration by an absolute difference of 0.4%, between coefficients of variation across all bands excluding CA band. A multispectral sensor-specific normalized hyperspectral profile was developed using the EO-1 Hyperion hyperspectral profile over Cluster 13-GTS to improve Spectral Band …

Exploring Tpack To Foster Student Engagement: A Self-Study In A Rural School Secondary Mathematics Classroom, Sindhu Aravind

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

In recent years, the integration of technology into education has transformed teaching practices, enhancing student engagement and providing new opportunities for differentiated learning. However, this shift presents a unique challenge in rural schools, where limited resources and infrastructure can hinder the effective implementation of technology. To investigate these challenges, I conducted a qualitative self-study to explore how technology integration, guided by the TPACK framework, impacts student engagement and learning in a secondary mathematics classroom. This study also examined the teacher’s experience in planning, implementing, and adapting technological tools to address the diverse needs of students, particularly in under-resourced environments. For …

In Defense Of Intellectual Autonomy, Paisley Agyare Boaitey

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Recent attention in virtue and social epistemology has been devoted to analyzing intellectual virtues. However, intellectual autonomy is underappreciated and has been underexplored. The lack of specificity about the formal character of autonomy makes evaluating it as an intellectual character trait and virtue difficult. Here, I will examine extant accounts of intellectual autonomy and show why puzzles about them remain. I then offer intellectual autonomy under a compositional framework. Ultimately, I aim to show that intellectual autonomy—when adequately conceived—is a viable intellectual virtue that epistemic agents in an intellectual community [ought] to cultivate and maintain.

On Developing A Behavioral Paradigm To Measure Intolerance Of Uncertainty: The Ambiguous Approach Index, Heather Clark

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Research in clinical psychology over the last 40 years has solidified intolerance of uncertainty (IU) as an important transdiagnostic etiological and maintenance factor of affective psychopathology. Theoretically, IU is the dispositional cognitive tendency underlying anxiety related avoidance behaviors, such as worry, checking, and hypervigilance which lead to increased functional impairment. IU is associated with increased severity of numerous psychological concerns including anxiety, depression, and other commonly comorbid conditions. Further, higher levels of IU are found in clinical than non-clinical samples, emphasizing its role in mental health outcomes. However, behavioral paradigms used to differentiate between individuals of different diagnostic groups or …

Lucumí Language Preservation In Cuban Literature: A Study Of Miami Santeros’ Perceptions, Dayni Deysi Diaz Mederos

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Santería is an Afro-Cuban religion that has played a significant role in shaping Cuba’s cultural identity and that of its diaspora. Lucumí, a liturgical language primarily derived from Yoruba, is at the core of its religious practices. This language has been incorporated into the works of Cuban writers such as Lydia Cabrera, Alejo Carpentier, Nicolás Guillén, Miguel Barnet, and Nancy Morejón. While previous scholarship has examined Lucumí from linguistic and literary perspectives (Olmstead, 1953; Castellanos, 1939; Concordia, 2012; Ramos, 2013; Matibag, 2017), little attention has been given to how santeros, practitioners of Santería, perceive the representation of their sacred language …

Structure And Function Of Sulfated Fucans And Fucosylated Chondroitin Sulfates: Therapeutic And Mechanistic Insights, Marwa Farrag

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Glycosaminoglycans (GAGs) are heteropolysaccharides widely exploited in the clinic and as molecular models in biomedical research. Marine-derived GAG analogs, particularly sulfated fucans and fucosylated chondroitin sulfates exhibit unique and diverse glycan motifs that are not found in the typical mammalian GAGs. The distinctive structures of the marine sulfated glycans (MSGs) not only expand the structural landscape of GAG-like molecules but also provide valuable platforms to elucidate structure-activity relationships and explore their potential as novel scaffolds for glycan-based therapeutic development. This dissertation presents the isolation, structural characterization, controlled depolymerization, and functional evaluation of several MSGs, highlighting their therapeutic potential, particularly those …

Sentiment Driven Deep Learning Approach In Stock Market Prediction, Zhiqi Niu

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

With the rapid development of Artificial Intelligence (AI) technology, its application in the financial field has moved from theoretical exploration to practical deployment. Especially in stock market forecasting, machine learning (ML) and deep learning (DL) have significantly improved the performance of traditional statistical methods by analyzing massive historical data. However, the stock market is affected by multiple dynamic factors, including macroeconomic indicators (e.g., GDP, interest rates), company fundamentals (e.g., earnings reports, management changes), technical indicators (e.g., moving averages, trading volume), and unforeseen black swan events (e.g., political unrest, natural disasters). These nonlinear interactions of these factors makes stock price prediction …

Missing Physics Or New Physics? Understanding Biases In Gravitational Wave Tests Of General Relativity, Purnima Narayan

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Gravitational wave (GW) observations from binary black hole (BBH) coalescences offer a powerful means of probing general relativity (GR) in its most extreme regime: the strong- field, highly dynamical merger phase. One can compare observed signals to theoretical waveform models to constrain possible deviations from GR. However, the reliability of such comparisons can be compromised by waveform systematics, especially when key physical effects are not incorporated into the models. This dissertation investigates the impact of three such missing physical effects: orbital eccentricity, strong gravitational lensing, and waveform systematics due to precession, higher-order modes, and memory on standard GW tests of …

Educating Students Suffering From Social Emotional Trauma, Terry Peeples

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this applied research was to prepare teachers with proper professional development so that teachers can be equipped with the skills and strategies to educate students who suffer from social-emotional trauma. Students are faced with many challenges outside of school. Sometimes these challenges come from the neighborhoods in which they live, their household and living conditions, the amount of violence that students have witnessed, and many more emotionally scarring situations. I have witnessed students miss out on the opportunity of student learning because of the emotional state they were in at that moment. Many times, students do not …

Differing Russian Translations Of British Pre-Victorian Era Politeness In Literary Texts: A Case Study Of Jane Austen's Pride And Prejudice, Olga Ponomareva

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This case study investigates the translation of pre-Victorian-era politeness in Jane Austen’s novel Pride and Prejudice into Russian. The study addresses translators’ challenges when transferring cultural and social nuances from the original English texts to their Russian counterparts. The primary objective of this research is to analyze how Russian translations handle the concept of politeness, comparing strategies used by two translators, which is achieved through a comparative analysis of selected excerpts from the novel, focusing on the translation of politeness as defined by Brown and Levinson’s (1987) politeness theory. The study contributes to translation studies, showing the importance of cultural …