Digital Commons Network^™

Principal And Teacher Perceptions Of Corrective And Developmental Feedback For Teachers, John Kimball Emett

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This study explores why the current structures of systematic, comprehensive, instrument-driven, and inter-rater reliable teacher evaluation may oversimplify the multi-dimensionality of teaching and minimize practitioner voices in the field. A framework for teaching complexity is presented with descriptions of effective school culture and connectivity, educator well-being, connected relationships, reflection for continual improvement, and positive learning environments. Through a mixed method, bounded multiple case study, and descriptive survey research, I sought to understand principal and teacher perceptions along inquiry lines of feedback going well and not going well in both corrective and developmental settings. I probed reflexively with purposive sampling, five …

Real Time Adaptive Control Of A Pid Via Genetic Algorithm Machine Learning Systems, Cemre Tas

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The most common control method that is utilized by all industries across the world is the proportional-integrative-derivative controller (PID) due the relatively low cost and complexity of the system. However, there are draw-backs with PIDs, it is not adaptative to a changing system, so it works on nominal systems, and it starts breaking down when a system begins to have a non-linear response. The method chosen to overcome both is the utilization of machine learning with the use of genetic algorithms.

This method allows any PID system to be capable of adapting in real-time, while not adding significant additional cost …

Solving Real-World Optimization Problems Using Near-Term Quantum Computing With Applications In Vehicle Routing And Drone Delivery, James Bradley Holliday

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Quantum computing (QC) stands at the cusp of revolutionizing computation, yet its near-term potential, constrained by Noisy Intermediate-Scale Quantum (NISQ) devices, remains underexplored. This dissertation investigates how hybrid quantum-classical algorithms can address combinatorial optimization challenges in logistics, focusing on vehicle routing and drone delivery—NP-hard problems with exponential solution spaces that defy classical exhaustive methods. Amidst NISQ limitations like limited qubits and high noise, we confront key challenges: encoding complex constraints, e.g., time windows, battery capacity, into quantum models, balancing quantum and classical components for scalability, and accessing scarce quantum resources. By integrating quantum annealing (QA) and the Quantum Approximate Optimization …

An Examination Of The Relationship Between Postsecondary Education And Earnings In The Architectural Woodworking Industry, Christopher J. Wernimont

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The architectural woodworking industry offers a potential option to job seekers who are looking for alternatives to a formal 4-year postsecondary education. This preregistered quantitative study explores the relationship between postsecondary education and earnings for employees within the architectural woodworking industry. Framed by Human Capital Theory, the research investigates three questions: (1) do postsecondary credentials account for additional variance in income within the industry, (2) is the relationship between postsecondary education and income moderated by whether the credential is related to woodworking, and (3) do individuals with specific types of postsecondary credentials earn higher incomes than those without postsecondary credentials? …

Simulations Of Richtmyer-Meshkov Instability Using High Order Weno Methods, Ryan Holley

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Turbulent mixing due to hydrodynamic instabilities occurs in a broad spectrum of engineering, astrophysical and geophysical applications. Theory, experiment, and numerical simulation help us to understand the dynamics of interface instabilities between two fluids. This thesis presents an increasingly accurate and robust front tracking method for the numerical simulations of shock-induced turbulent mixing known as Richtmyer-Meshkov Instability (RMI). Front tracking is an adaptive computational method, where the interface instability is explicitly represented as lower dimensional manifolds moving through a rectangular grid. All the cell-center states (density, velocity and pressure) are updated using higher order weighted essentially non-oscillatory (WENO) scheme. Performance …

Design And Implementation Of Asynchronous Communication In Multi-Chiplet Systems: A Comparative Study Of Pseudo-Crossbar And Bus Architectures, Matthew Clemence

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

System-on-Chip (SoC) complexity continues to present challenges in global clock distribution and power management. The Globally Asynchronous Locally Synchronous (GALS) approach addresses these issues by enabling asynchronous communication between locally synchronous chiplets. This thesis details the design and implementation of two GALS architectures employing asynchronous handshaking protocols through Multi-Threshold CMOS NULL Convention Logic (MTNCL). The first architecture, a pseudo-crossbar, uses arbiters and multiplexers/demultiplexers (MUX/DEMUX) for prioritized and dynamic communication between chiplets. The second, a bus-based approach, employs D-latches to manage communication sequentially with predetermined interrupts. This research explores the detailed implementation, functional distinctions, scalability, and integration trade-offs inherent to each …

Gender Craze: Framing Policy Discrimination Against Transgender Students In K-12 Education, Quinette Rogers

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Transgender youth in K-12 public education have been systematically marginalized through state-sanctioned violence and discriminatory policies, often portrayed as societal "boogeymen." They face exclusion and othering due to restrictive state legislation, such as bathroom bans, sports participation restrictions, and limited access to gender-affirming care. Current research lacks a comprehensive analysis of how state-level legislation affects transgender students. This study addresses that gap by employing qualitative thematic coding to examine the language, framing, and impact of state education policies on transgender students. By analyzing how these policies are framed around themes such as protecting family, safeguarding children, individual liberty, constitutional rights, …

Exploring Hybrid Cohort-Based Doctoral Program Features That Support Nontraditional Doctoral Students’ Persistence: A Preregistered Case Study., Glenda Winborn

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

With the rise of hybrid learning models, non-traditional learners have greater access to doctoral education. However, attrition rates from doctoral programs remain high, ranging from 40% to 50% across all doctoral programs and exceeding these levels in online non-traditional programs. Numerous causes of attrition or persistence in doctoral studies have been researched and can affect the student, the academic institution, and the broader academic society. This qualitative case study will explore adult and lifelong learning doctoral students' perceptions of the programmatic and instructional support resources that have helped improve persistence in their program. Two of the important programmatic features of …

Evolutionarily Conserved Functions Of The Gene Frazzled In Midline Axon Guidance In Drosophila Melanogaster And Tribolium Castaneum., Piyasi Ghosh

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Axon guidance in bilaterians is often controlled by various signaling pathways in the nervous system, which determine the fate of the axons if they cross the midline or not. One such pathway involved is the ligand-receptor pair Netrin (Net) and Frazzled (Fra), which is also known as the attractive pathway that promotes midline crossing axons in insects and other bilaterians. Orthologs of the pathway ligand Netrins and their receptors Frazzled [Fra] in insects and Deleted in Colorectal cancer [DCC] in vertebrates are widely conserved in bilaterians. How well these regulatory roles of the protein are conserved is poorly understood. In …

The Efficacy Of Foam-Based Hand Sanitizers For The Control Of Enveloped And Non-Enveloped Virus Transmission, Francis Torko

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Infectious disease transmission due to viruses such as severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), influenza virus, human noroviruses (HuNoV), and hepatitis A, can occur via person-to-person contact or contaminated surfaces. Effective hand hygiene, including hand washing and use of hand sanitizers, is considered a critical tool for the control of infectious disease transmission, as recommended by the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the World Health Organization. However, while research on hand washing efficacy is well-documented, research on hand sanitizer efficacy, particularly for foam-based products, remains limited. This research addressed critical gaps in the area of …

Regulatory Compliance Standards And Power System Reliability: A Study On Inverter-Based Resources, Pirouz Honarmand

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The increasing penetration of renewable energy, particularly inverter-based resources (IBRs), has reshaped the dynamics of modern power systems. This thesis investigates the impact of regulatory compliance, especially frequency ride-through requirements under NERC PRC-029-1, on the performance and reliability of interconnected multi-area systems. Using a MATLAB/Simulink-based state-space model built on the foundational structure proposed by Murty [31] and augmented with advanced control methods such as Linear Quadratic Regulator (LQR) control from Mackey and McCann [32] and further refined in the context of IBR damping by Alsarray and McCann [33], we explore three configurations of a three-area load frequency control (LFC) system. …

Automation Of Vulnerability And Patch Management: Information Extraction, Association, And Optimization, Kylie Mcclanahan

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Vulnerability and patch management is an integral part of a robust cybersecurity program, yet it grows increasingly complex due to the sheer amount of data that must be analyzed. Particularly in Operational Technology (OT) environments, analysis must be done manually because of the lack of automated solutions. Additionally, there are many steps in this process, from the initial discovery of the vulnerability to the implementation of its remediation, and each step in the process requires different data in order to be performed effectively. In this work, we provide approaches and strategies to assist operators in industrial or OT environments throughout …

Bacterial Chondronecrosis With Osteomyelitis In Broiler Chickens: Experimental Lameness And Additive Probiotic Treatments, Amanda Anthney

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

With the global population already surpassing 8.2 billion and expected to reach 9.7 billion by 2050, the poultry industry has seen a surge in demand due to its unmatched efficiency and affordability for consumers across the globe. Selective breeding and quality nutrition developments since the industry's commercialization have allowed producers to grow broilers up to 7 pounds by market age. While this extraordinarily efficient process has allowed quality poultry products to be available worldwide, the modern-day broiler has developed a multitude of musculoskeletal issues. Due to the lack of integral skeletal development to match the rapid production of muscle tissue, …

Development Of Si-Based Germanium-Tin Infrared Photodiode, Sylvester Amoah

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Short-wave infrared (SWIR) and mid-wave infrared (MWIR) photodetectors have attracted increasing attention for the past few decades. SWIR and MWIR detectors are used for a wide range of applications in military and civilian defense, such as future automotive night vision, video surveillance security cameras, and integrated night vision in mobile/wearable electronics. The current market-dominating IR photodetector technology is mainly developed with the costly III-V or II-V material systems, such as InGaAs, InSb, and HgCdTe. While many efforts have been made towards the hybrid integration of III-Vs or II-VIs on a Si substrate, it is highly desirable to develop an alternative …

Fergus Of Galloway: A New Translation For A New Audience, Emily J. Aguayo

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

My dissertation focuses on one text – Li romanz de Fergus – an Arthurian romance composed in Old French in the early thirteenth century by a mysterious author named Guillaume le Clerc. I have learned as much as I can about this romance and have looked at it from every angle possible. The scope of my research is narrow and deep because it focuses on one text, its author, and its subject matter. I have created a new theory about the identity of the author, Guillaume le Clerc, based on historical documents such as the Acts of Lordship from Scotland, …

An Analysis Of Cellular And Tissue Function Of Lipin In Drosophila Melanogaster, Judah Christian Scott

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Regulation of energy expenditure and energy storage is a key characteristic of life. Numerous enzymes play a crucial role in regulating energy metabolism. Lipins are a highly conserved family of proteins that function in both lipid synthesis and gene regulation. In the glycerol-3 phosphate pathway, lipins act as a phosphatidate phosphatase (PAP) producing diacylglycerol. In gene regulation, lipins act as transcriptional co-regulators of metabolic genes. The enzymatic PAP activity occurs in the cytoplasm; however, for lipins to function as gene regulators, they must translocate into the nucleus. Nuclear translocation is facilitated by the nuclear localization signal (NLS) within the protein. …

#Girls Gone Viral: Girlification Trends And The Digital Postfeminist Sensibility, Madison Rose Mcbride

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This thesis provides a critical analysis of viral girlification trends on TikTok to bolster understanding of the rhetoric of popular feminism in the emerging digital landscape. Grounded in feminist cultural theory, this thesis posits that women’s digital engagement influences their notions of self-actualization, their avenues for resisting sexist ideals, and ultimately, their political mobilization. Extending scholarship on postfeminism, I offer two unique but co-constructive features of the postfeminist sensibility: post-irony and the confession paradigm. The first chapter analyzes the “girl dinner” trend as a site of post-ironic discourse. Characterized by ambiguity and ambivalence, post-ironic discourse muddles the line between sincerity …

Exploration Of Polymorphic Gate-Based Watermarking In Asynchronous Circuits, Stephanie Stock

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

With the increasing demand for new state-of-the-art integrated circuits (ICs), intellectual property (IP) reuse has become more commonplace to both accelerate the design process and lessen the non-recurring engineering costs of a design. Reuseable IP poses significant security risks, not only to the creator of the IP, but also to the consumer purchasing the IP. For an IP vendor, this risk can come from illegal distribution, cloning, or overuse. For the purchaser, counterfeit IPs may be purchased from an unvetted vendor, leading to a substandard design, malfunctions, IP infringement, or security vulnerabilities. Hardware watermarking is a method to protect designers …

Land Cover Effects On Stream Water Chemistry In The Upper Saline River Watershed, Brandy Everett

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Non-point source (NPS) pollutants and the conversion of natural areas to anthropogenic uses are one of the most critical stressors on water quality. The Upper Saline River Watershed has seen an increase in anthropogenic land cover over the last two decades, leading it to be previously identified as a 319 NPS priority watershed in Arkansas. This study used publicly available data to assess the magnitude and trends of total nutrients (TN and TP) at both the watershed and site level scale. Results suggest a decrease of 2.6%/yr in TN concentrations and 1.5%/yr in TP concentrations at the watershed scale. While …

Determination Of The Internal Erosion Potential Of Bcsa Soil-Cement Using A Modified Hole Erosion Test System, Edgar Enrique Ortega De La Cruz

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Levees play a fundamental role in preserving human lives and resources and are the key infrastructure protecting against flood events. In the United States, the levee system is extensive, but unfortunately many of the levees were either not engineered or have well exceeded their intended design life. This was evident after the Midwest floods of 2019, which resulted in the failure of multiple levees leading to costly losses and repairs. In addition, flood levels remained high for days at a time, making it imperative to find fast and effective repair methods. This thesis presents a study conducted at the University …

Advanced Numerical Techniques For Multiscale Simulations In Biofluid Dynamics, Justin Tamico Jack

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The study of anisometric particle suspensions and congenital heart defects (CHDs) involve exploring complex phenomena within the biological sciences. The former subject dives into the phase behavior of liquid crystals (LCs), particularly the influence of the shape anisotropy of rod-like nanoparticles on phase transitions, through the implementation of statistical techniques involving molecular dynamics (MD). Conversely, the latter topic focuses on the assessment and management of severe congenital arterial stenoses, such as those found in Williams-Beuren syndrome (WS), through advanced multi-scale computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations. Both areas emphasize the importance of detailed analysis and the use of advanced numerical modeling …

An Investigation Into The Effect Of Performance Engineered Mixture (Pem) Design On The Workability And Strength Of Concrete Pavement Mixtures, Alexander Cook

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The Arkansas Department of Transportation (ARDOT) currently requires a minimum cement content of 564 pounds of cement per cubic yard of concrete. This minimum cement requirement can be reduced through the utilization of optimized gradation of aggregates within concrete mixtures as well as the addition of supplementary cementitious materials (SCMs) such as fly ash. The study presented in this paper aims to demonstrate how the use of the Tarantula Curve can be used to design concrete mixtures with reduced cement contents while maintaining sufficient workability for concrete mixtures to be used for slipform paving. Fresh workability was measured using the …

An Analysis Of Policies, Practices, And Barriers To Create A Multi-Dimensional Approach To Renewable Energy Transition For Us Communities, Hanan Wehbi

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The transition from fossil fuel-derived energy resources to clean, renewable, affordable, and reliable energy necessitates a comprehensive approach. This approach must incorporate an interdisciplinary contribution to ensure the sustainability, efficiency, and resilience of the energy system. In the United States, many communities and local governments are developing ambitious plans, regulations, and targets to support the renewable energy transition and enhance energy efficiency. This research builds on the principles of sustainable development planning and transition theory to develop a framework that assists communities in planning their renewable energy (RE) transition and integrate these plans in their long- and short-term development approaches. …

Influence Of Hydrologic And Anthropogenic Disturbance On Stream Populations And Communities, Sarah Frances Sorensen

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Disturbances occur when an external force modifies a habitat, destroying living space, removing food resources, or altering or destroying habitat structure. In lotic systems, a primary source of disturbance is hydrologic disturbance, including drought and flood. Hydrologic disturbances lead to increased mortality rates and dispersal out of disturbed habitats, causing population sizes to decrease and changes to community structures. More research is needed on how disturbances impact stream species and communities, as disturbances are predicted to become more intense with climate change. This dissertation aims to understand how disturbance influences streams at both the population and community level, through a …

Exploring The Capabilities Of Classifier-Free Guidance In Recommendation Tasks, Noah Buchanan

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This thesis addresses the problem of recommending items to users based on their ratings of items through a diffusion recommender system. Regular recommender systems are already capable of efficient recommendation through conventional methods such as collaborative or content-based filtering. Diffusion is a new type of generative AI that aims to improve our previous AI's shortcomings in the generative domain, like Variational Autoencoders (VAEs) and Generative Adversarial Networks (GANs). We use diffusion to create a recommender system that mirrors the sequence users take when browsing and rating items. The current methods of recommendation with diffusion do not use the new innovation …

Supervenience And Non-Naturalism, Michael Hogan

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Supervenience presents a problem for the moral non-naturalist. Supervenience states that one’s moral properties cannot differ without one’s natural properties differing. It, therefore, states a necessary connection between moral and natural properties. Moral properties for the moral non-naturalist are sui generis, which means they are not reducible to natural properties, but also they are utterly different in kind than natural properties and any other kind of property. How can these properties be necessarily connected? This requires an explanation. The challenge to the moral non-naturalist is to provide such an explanation. McPherson (2012) presents an explanatory challenge to the non-naturalist …

Design And Optimization Of Matrix Core Transformer For High Power Bidirectional Isolated Dc/Dc Converter, Zhe Zhao

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Thanks to the advancement of semiconductor technology, the silicon carbide (SiC) devices with high voltage and power capability are developed and widely used in several industry applications, e.g., gird-connected photovoltaic (PV) system, data center power supply, and electrical vehicle (EV) charging station. After the concept of solid-state transformer (SST) was proposed as an important solution to the medium voltage (MV) power conversion systems, this bidirectional isolated DC/DC converter has attracted much attention in academia and industry. One of the main advantages of SST is to improve both the power density and efficiency of the power conversion system by replacing the …

Factors Contributing To Chronic Student Absenteeism In Low Socioeconomic Urban Elementary Schools: An Analysis Of Multiple Stakeholders’ Perspectives, Kellen D. Conaway

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine factors contributing to chronic student absenteeism in two lower socioeconomic urban elementary schools. This qualitative study was guided by two research questions: 1) What are stakeholders’ perspectives on chronic absenteeism at Mission and Lincoln Elementaries? and 2) What changes to practice or policy could improve attendance at Mission and Lincoln Elementaries? Research question one was answered via data collected from interviews with purposefully selected parents, teachers, administrators, social workers, and nurses. Analysis of interview data led to the identification of three themes which reflect stakeholders’ perspectives on chronic absenteeism at Mission and …

An Automated Design Flow From Synchronous Rtl To Optimized Layout Using Commercial Eda Tools For Multi-Threshold Null Convention Logic Circuits, Cole Harrington Sherrill

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This work presents the first automated design flow from synchronous RTL to highly optimized layout for Multi-Threshold NULL Convention Logic (MTNCL) circuits. The developed synthesis flow overcomes many of the drawbacks of existing attempts and leverages the advanced optimization features provided by modern synthesis tools. The remaining timing race conditions native to the MTNCL architecture have been identified and thoroughly explored. Two sets of novel timing constraints were devised: the first responds to these race conditions, yielding highly reliable MTNCL circuits; the second directly targets the critical paths within MTNCL circuits, allowing the designer to optimize the target circuit for …

Multimodal Spectroscopy To Study Tumor Microenvironmental Changes In Vivo, April Mordi

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Every year there are millions of new cancer diagnoses and deaths worldwide. While great strides have been made in technologies and drugs for cancer treatment, there is still a need to understand tumor response to therapy as many patients still endure treatment failure after completing their treatment regimen. Current clinical imaging techniques for detecting response to therapy are utilized weeks to months after the course of treatment, and present limitations to measuring response during treatment. Optical spectroscopy techniques can help meet this need to determine the response of tumors to treatment as it allows for near real-time in vivo characterization …