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Harmonic Data: Ai Music, Edm Transcription, & Minimalist Jazz, Trevor Freed

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This thesis presents research in the domains of music theory and music technology. The topics of the three chapters are as follows: (1) the technical and artistic limitations of artificial intelligence when generating music, (2) the transcription of electronic dance music (EDM) using a hybrid notation system, and (3) the effective convergence of jazz and minimalism in the music of Joe Hisaishi from Studio Ghibli. Each topic investigates a different aspect of harmony and the modern ways in which humans communicate in terms of harmony. The first chapter surveys the latest research projects in AI-generated music and proposes ideas for …

Thermal, Electrical, And Spin Transport: Encompassing Low-Damping Ferromagnets And Antiferromagnetic/Ferromagnetic Heterostructures, Matthew Ryan Natale

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Continuing technological advancements bring forth escalating challenges in global energy consumption and subsequent power dissipation, posing significant economic and environmental concerns. In response to these difficulties, the fields of thermoelectrics, spintronics, and spincaloritronics emerge as contemporary solutions, each presenting unique advantages. Thermoelectric devices, based on the Seebeck effect, other a passive, carbon-free energy generating solution from waste heat. Although current thermoelectric technology encounters hurdles in achieving optimal efficiencies without intricate designs or complex materials engineering, recently research into low-damping metallic ferromagnetic thin films have provided a new method to enhance spin wave lifetimes, thus contributing to thermoelectric voltage improvements. As …

Assessment Of Method Effects Of Keying And Wording In Instruments: A Mixed-Methods Explanatory Sequential Study, Lin Ma

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation presents an innovative approach to examining the keying method, wording method, and construct validity on psychometric instruments. By employing a mixed methods explanatory sequential design, the effects of keying and wording in two psychometric assessments were examined and validated. Those two self-report psychometric assessments were the Effortful Control assessment (Ellis & Rothbart, 2001) and the Grit assessment (Duckworth & Quinn, 2009). Moreover, the quantitative phase utilized structural equation modeling to analyze 2,104 students’ responses and assess the construct of keying and wording. Various hypothetical models were investigated and evaluated. The reliability of each construct in each method was …

Finite Element Analysis Of Thermal-Mechanical Instabilities In Nonmetallic Friction Composite Material, Joseph-Shaahu Shaahu

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Thermal-mechanical instability (TMI) has been a research topic of interest as it focuses a lot on transportation systems. Thermal-mechanical instability was first noticed in railway and experimentally studied with a pin-to-pin or pin-to-surface setup of sliding contact. The topic has been extended into brakes and clutches which are two of the most common sliding systems most susceptible to thermal buckling and thermoelastic instability (TEI), where thermal buckling and thermoelastic instability are two sub-categories of thermal-mechanical instability. Thermal-mechanical instability is an ongoing research to better understand the phenomenon and the limits at which such instability occurs. This work delved into the …

Phenomenological Inquiry Into Middle School Teachers’ Perception Of Creativity, Katalin Grajzel

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Researchers do agree that creativity is an ability that can be developed and should be fostered (Guilford, 1958; Parnes, 1961). Teachers play an important role in creativity development and often serve as gatekeepers to identify gifted and talented students (Bianco et al., 2011; Novak & Jones, 2021; Schack & Starko, 1990). However, teachers’ judgment of their students’ creativity often only correlates weakly with the results of creativity measures (Kettler et al., 2018; Torrance, 1963). Therefore, in this study I explored teachers’ perception of creativity and creative students as well as factors that support or hinder creativity. The findings revealed that …

Natural Resource Conflict And Socioenvironmental Resistance In Arctic States: Assessing Domestic Risks To Circumpolar Security, Jen Evans

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

How does climate change contribute to domestic natural resource conflict and socioenvironmental resistance in the Arctic? The literature assumes that developed Arctic nations possess sufficient state capacity to overcome risks of domestic conflict and unrest posed by regional development and environmental change. Arctic policy correspondingly focuses on natural resource competition, disputes, and conflict at the international level. The mechanisms and processes of domestic natural resource conflict and socioenvironmental resistance in the Arctic have thus been largely ignored in the literature, even though 27 cases of contention have occurred since the ‘shock’ sea-ice melt of 2007.

In this study, I draw …

An Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis Of Urban Early College High School Teachers' Experiences, Tamika Vanessa Taylor Young

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Teachers are fundamental to students' performance by fostering relationships and imparting knowledge in the classroom. Dual-credit teachers work for Early College High School (ECHS) programs to assist historically underrepresented students in accelerating their path toward earning college credits and associate degrees while attending high school. Hard-to-staff ECHS programs with underrepresented pupils in lower socioeconomic urban areas suffer high teacher attrition. How urban ECHS teachers define their professional experiences is still being determined, which affects organizational outcomes. The purpose of this phenomenological qualitative exploratory study was to investigate and understand the lived experiences of urban ECHS teachers in Texas. This study …

Increasing Folic Acid Self-Efficacy In College-Age Women Of Childbearing Age, Kristie Lynn Buchanan

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Preventative measures taken by women of childbearing age before and during conception limit the risk of fetal defects or complications. One specific measure that is recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is that all women of childbearing age take folic acid 400 mcg daily. Evidence-based research suggests that taking 400 mcg daily limits the risk of fetal neural tube defects if taken daily and started at least two months before conception. Fetal neural tube defects are classified as defects that damage the baby’s spine and brain. The researcher conducted an evidence-based practice project that sought to determine …

Parameter Identifiability Analysis And Calibration For Power System Dynamic Models, Lei Wang

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Accurate dynamic models are crucial for stable and reliable power system operation, making their validation essential. The accuracy of parameter estimation is influenced by several factors, including available observables, model structure, and estimation methods. However, in dynamic models, estimating parameters can be difficult when some of them are unidentifiable, meaning their values cannot be uniquely determined from the available data. This challenge may stem from limited impact of parameters on the measured outputs, parameter interactions, or poor data quality. Therefore, an identifiability analysis should be conducted prior to parameter estimation or model calibration. This preliminary step helps to determine which …

Acculturation And Seeking Campus Counseling Services Among Saudi International Students In The United States: An Intrepretative Phenomenological Analysis, Abdullah Almutairi

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study adopts a phenomenological qualitative approach to explore and examine the acculturation process of Saudi students living in the United States, particularly in relation to their access to campus counseling services. The findings of this study identify five themes: 1) premigration expectations and realities, 2) journey of cultural adaptation, 3) navigating academic adaptations, 4) coping with acculturation and academic pressures, and 5) expectations of services provided by campus counseling experiences. This study highlights that the acculturation journey is a complex experience that affects Saudi students’ psychological well-being, which hinders their access to campus counseling services. The purpose of this …

Design Of Topical Ocular Drug Delivery Systems For Management Of Eye Keratitis, Chuntian Cai

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Due to the complexity of the anatomical and physiological barriers in the eye, ocular drug delivery presents significant challenges. The poor solubility of many drugs and short retention times on the ocular surface results in low bioavailability from traditional topical dosage forms. Various types of eye infections, such as bacterial keratitis (BK) and fungal keratitis (FK), can become critical and lead to serious visual disabilities. Therefore, this research study aims to enhance the solubility and corneal permeation of two drugs, Ciprofloxacin (CIP) for BK and the antifungal agent Natamycin (NT) for FK, using nanoemulsion (NE) and cyclodextrin (CD) based technologies.

Topics In Quantitative Symplectic Topology And Rigidity In Circle Dynamics, Joseph Paul Lopez

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation has two parts.

Impact Of Solar Radiation On Perchlorate Formation In The Atmosphere: Evidence From Ice Core Measurements, Bishnu Kunwar

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Perchlorate, which derives from both anthropogenic and natural sources in the current environment, poses a substantial health hazard to humans as it competes with iodine uptake in the thyroid gland. Consequently, there has been considerable concern about minimizing human exposure to environmental perchlorate by restricting its release from man-made sources. However, the absence of a clear understanding regarding the respective contributions of man-made and natural sources has hindered widespread regulation efforts. A 300-year (1700–2007) Summit, Greenland ice core record from a previous study showed relatively stable perchlorate concentrations in Greenland snow prior to 1980, with some elevated perchlorate levels associated …

The Effects Of Degradation On Pla When Combined With Additives In A Single Screw Extruder, Jack Koester

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Species Distribution Modeling Of Aquilegia Brevistyla (Ranunculaceae): A Critically Imperiled Black Hills Disjunct Species, Eric Daniel Puetz

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Unchecked human activity is contributing to rising levels of greenhouse gas emissions, changes in land use, altered disturbance/fire regimes, spread of invasive species, and loss of biological diversity and related breakdown of ecosystem services. Additionally, climatic shifts may lead to phenological mismatches between species and their environments if these changes outpace a species’ ability to adapt or migrate to a more suitable habitat. Isolated mountain populations are particularly threatened by unpredictable climatic conditions, as they may have limited migration corridors and often lower levels of genetic diversity to move or adapt, respectively. As these negative feedbacks compound on the landscape, …

The Hutton Project: Long-Term Agricultural Impacts On Soil Loss And Carbon Dynamics In Eastern South Dakota, Eli Halverson

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Long-term and intensified agricultural land management has resulted in increased rates of soil erosion and has altered much of the carbon cycle at regional and global scales. Anthropogenic degradation of soil resources is a barrier to sustainable production, soil functioning, and ecosystem services. It is difficult to quantify the scope of pedogenic changes due to the lack of legacy data and short temporal scales. This study utilized decades to century-old soil information to quantify historical soil erosion losses and changes in soil carbon pools of eastern South Dakota soils. The results show that soils in the region have been significantly …

Rado Numbers For Two Systems Of Linear Equations, Anthony Glackin

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

For any positive integer n and any equation E of either the form x1+x2+· · ·+xn = x0 or x1 + x2 + n = x0, the two-color Rado number R2(E) is the least integer such that any 2-coloring of the natural numbers 1 through R2(E) will contain a monochromatic solution to E. Let Ek be a system of k equations of the aforementioned form, where Ei represents the ith equation in Ek and the set I = {1, 2, . . . , k} is the set of indices of these equations. This thesis shows that the two-color Rado …

The Effects Of Temperature, Flooding, And Goose Feces Addition On Greenhouse Gas Emissions And Ammonification In Four High-Latitude Soils From Western Alaska, Jenna M. Ross

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The large carbon (C) stock of wetlands is vulnerable to climate change, especially in high latitudes that are warming at a disproportional rate. Likewise, low-elevation Arctic coastal areas will flood more frequently under climate change and sea-level rise, which may alter goose herbivory and fecal deposition patterns if geese move inland. While temperature, flooding, and feces impact soil C emissions, their interactive effects have been rarely studied. Here, I explore the impact of these interactions on CO2 and CH4 emissions and nitrogen (N) mineralization (ammonification) in soils collected from four plant communities in the Yukon-Kuskokwim (Y-K) Delta, a high latitude …

Plant Pathways Associated With Competition For Soybean Root Colonization By Bradyrhizobium Strains, Athira Sethu Madhavan

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Nitrogen is a crucial nutrient for the growth and development of plants. Legume crops like soybeans develop symbiotic associations with soil bacteria from the genus, Bradyrhizobium to obtain fixed nitrogen. In this mutualistic association, rhizobia are released into root nodules that provide a compatible environment for rhizobia to grow and fix nitrogen (Symbiotic Nitrogen Fixation (SNF)). A caveat in such beneficial associations is the competition between different rhizobium strains in soil for infection and nodule occupancy. The elite inoculant strains encounter competition by indigenous rhizobial population in the soil to infect and nodulate a susceptible legume host, because of which …

Effects Of Low-Cost, Low-Tech Tools For Riparian Restoration On Prairie Streams In Western South Dakota, James Andrew Joseph Bolyard

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Despite making up less than two percent of the overall landscape in the arid and semi-arid western US, riparian areas are a crucial resource for agriculture, livestock, and wildlife. However, many have impaired function and reduced riparian cover. Low-Cost, Low-Tech Tools (LCLTT) are a subset of Process-Based Restoration (PBR) used for riparian restoration that were chosen for their cost-effectiveness and minimal technical requirements. LCLTT has been tested in mountainous areas of the western US but only recently implemented in the Northern Great Plains (NGP). Given their novelty as an approach toward restoration for the region, professional restoration and landowner communities …

Near-Real-Time Monitoring Of Crop Progress At Field Scales By Fusing Observations From Both Polar-Orbiting And Geostationary Satellites, Yu Shen

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Development Of Innovative Flocculation Technologies For Agricultural Water Treatment, Noor Haleem

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The development of innovative flocculation technologies is essential for addressing the challenges of agricultural water treatment. These technologies play a crucial role in removing contaminants such as suspended solids and nutrients, thereby ensuring safer water for irrigation and livestock consumption. By enhancing water quality and wastewater management, they contribute significantly to environmental sustainability and public health in agricultural communities. This comprehensive thesis extensively explores various dimensions of flocculation, with a focused effort on methodologies and resources aimed at strengthening sustainability and efficiency. A pivotal aspect of the research involves synthesizing cationic starch (CS), a flocculant derived from an underutilized resource, …

Advancing Biological Applications Through Microfluidic-Based Tool Development, K.M. Taufiqur Rahman

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This research undertook an interdisciplinary approach, integrating bioengineering, microbiology, molecular biology, and systems biology to investigate bacterial dynamics behavior. Specifically, it delved into the development of microfluidic devices for biological applications such as bacterial cell counts, real-time observation of plant roots (here, specialized lectin-coated microbeads are used that mimic root characteristics), and soil microbe interactions. Furthermore, Next-Generation Sequencing and systems biology methodologies were employed to explore the intricate, multifaceted survival mechanisms of Escherichia coli persister population. Studying and quantifying persisters or testing for the existence of VBNC (viable but nonculturable) is challenging. These experiments require precise counts. It has been …

The Relationship Of Macronutrient Intake With Growth In Children With Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus, Jessica L. Freeling

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Child growth, a sensitive metric of overall health, results from the intricate interplay of nature and nurture. While the importance of nutrition in child growth is well established, growth trajectories exhibit substantial individual variability, influenced by sex and age, and often characterized by nonlinear patterns. Inadequate nutrition or disease can hinder growth, with potential for recovery upon proper nutrition or acute disease resolution. However, chronic disease or persistent malnutrition may lead to permanent growth perturbation. Notably, before the advent of insulin, chronic stunting and wasting were hallmarks of Type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM), though the specific impacts under modern standard …

Impacts Of Cover Crops And Diversified Crop Rotations On Soil Biochemical Properties, Hydrophysical Characteristics, And Water Dynamics In Long-Term No-Till Cropping Systems, Sainfort Vital

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This research assessed the impacts of crop rotations and cover crops on the soil's biochemical and hydrophysical properties within long-term no-till systems. The research was conducted at the Southeast Research Farm, near Beresford, South Dakota. The crop rotations contain two levels: 4-year corn (Zea mays L.)-soybean (Glycine max L.)-oat (Avena sativa L.)-rye (Secale cereale L.) (CSOR) and 2-year corn-soybean (CS) rotations. The cover crop factors also had two levels within each rotation treatment: cover crops (CC) and no cover crops (NCC). All plots were managed under long-term no-till (NT), with soils mapped as Egan silty clay loam (fine-silty, mixed, superactive, …

Plant Available Water Drives Semi-Arid Forage Quality And Quantity In A Common Garden Greenhouse Experiment, Parker J. Witt

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Rangeland forage nutrition and biomass production are integral components of sustainable livestock grazing systems and are controlled by soil quality and precipitation. I examined the effects of precipitation on growth and nutrition of three forage species in four different soils that span the longitudinal moisture gradient in South Dakota. I grew little bluestem (Schizachyrum scoparium), western wheatgrass (Pascopyrum smithii), and smooth brome (Bromus inermis) in soils representing the eastern tallgrass/mid-grass prairie (Brookings, 700 mm avg. precipitation.), an eastern mid-grass prairie (Highmore, 550 mm avg. precipitation.), a western mid-grass prairie (Cottonwood, 450 mm avg. precipitation.), and a western mid-grass/short-grass prairie (Sturgis, …

Parametric Study Of Protodune - I And Protodune - Ii Single-Phase Neutrino Detectors Using Computational Fluid Dynamics, Sahil Sharma

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Computational fluid dynamics (CFD) models of two designs of ProtoDUNE single-phase neutrino detectors were developed, refined, and analyzed. These detectors are prototypes for the full-sized far detectors that are part of the Deep Underground Neutrino Experiment (DUNE), an international research collaboration aimed at better understanding of neutrinos and the role they play in our universe. Representative simplified models of the complex geometries of the prototype detectors were created using commercial modeling software, Dassault System’s SolidWorks, and these simplified models were imported to the commercial CFD program SimCenter Star-CCM+®. The baseline parameters including inlet temperatures, ambient temperature, electronic heat load, liquid …

Student Informed Instruction: Vertical Non Permanent Surfaces, Cononiah L. Watson

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

I, an 8th grade mathematics teacher, have used vertical dry erase boards in my classroom for years to promote student engagement and perseverance after participating in a book study on Building Thinking Classrooms by Peter Liljedahl. Year after year, the implementation of this strategy was constantly refined based on research, other teachers’ experiences, and my perceived notions of students’ experiences while at the dry erase boards. I never, however, asked students to thoughtfully share their experiences. In this study, I introduce the method of student informed instruction to refine how I use vertical dry erase boards in my classroom. After …

Error And F -Divergence Analysis Of Generative Adversarial Network, Mahmud Hasan

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

In this dissertation, the focus is to investigate the convergence rates of error and estimation bounds of various f-divergence metrics in the context of generative adversarial networks (GANs). The error convergence rate is developed and explained by a class of functions with the discriminator and generator neural networks. The new class of functions is uniformly bounded, VC type, with bounded envelope function and Vapnik–Chervonenkis (VC) dimension dimension which makes it possible to apply Talagrand inequality. A tight convergence rate is derived for the error of GAN after applying the Talagrand inequality and Borel-Cantelli lemma. The error bound is generalized for …

Campus Recreation Student Employee Professional Development Curriculum: Perceived Student Employee Outcomes, Amanda Alpert Jessee

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Kuh and colleagues (2008) use the term high-impact practices (HIPs) to describe co-curricular programs that are particularly effective in advancing student learning. The original list of HIPs does not include campus employment, which McClellan et al. (2018) argued should be added. According to the results from the 2019 NASPA survey reported by Burnside et al., recreational services is one of the top three areas in the number of student staff members. These student employees tend to come from a diverse academic background (Kampf & Teske, 2013) and may not be pursuing a future career within the recreation field. Campus recreation …