Digital Commons Network^™

System Design For Highly Accurate And Efficient Target Detection In Triaxial Testing, Qingqing Fu

Masters Theses

Accurate and automated recognition of coded targets is crucial for high-precision photogrammetry-based measurements in triaxial testing. Traditional recognition methods, including those based on deep learning and table decoding, often struggle with issues such as perspective distortion, rotation, and variable lighting, leading to unreliable results. While deep learning approaches offer some improvements, they remain computationally intensive and sensitive to environmental factors.

This thesis introduces an innovative system that replaces deep learning algorithms with a blob analysis-based method for efficient and robust recognition of coded targets. The system also employs newly designed solid points of varying sizes and patterns, eliminating the need …

Development Of A Method To Measure Blast Overpressure Exposure Using Orthogonal Sensor Orientations, Nicholas Kuehl

Masters Theses

Measuring and recording blast exposure to military personnel from shoulder-fired weaponry or improvised explosive devices to correlate health outcomes like mild traumatic brain injury has been a goal for many years. As such, many wearable sensors have been developed and tested for accuracy and reliability. Despite this, knowing the sensor orientation in relation to the blast source is important to fully correlate the actual personnel exposure to clinical outcomes. This research investigates whether pressures recorded at three independent orientations in the x, y and z planes can be combined to a representative pressure that is independent of orientation. Important metrics …

Power Flow Control Of The Triple Active Bridge Converter, Lauryn Reece Morris

Masters Theses

With the rise of renewable energies, electric vehicles, and microgrids, the development of power electronic topologies that can seamlessly integrate these systems into the grid is crucial. The triple active bridge is an extension of the dual active bridge topology and is capable of energy storage or renewable energy integration into a power electronic converter and thus the power grid. Consisting of three H-Bridge converters, the triple active bridge topology is an expanding area of research to meet these growing demands. With the addition of the third bridge, the system has additional nonlinear characteristics which introduce complexity in solving for …

Critical Behavior Ofthedilutedquasi-Onedimensionalquantum Ising Model, Logan Bradley Sowadski

Masters Theses

We explore the phase transition in the diluted quasi-one-dimensional quantum Ising model. We begin by giving an introduction to the Ising model followed by derivations of the properties and observables. A brief overview of Monte-Carlo simulations is also given focusing on two algorithms that make simulations for physically realizable systems possible, the Metropolis and Wolff algorithms. We finally discuss the concept of random disorder in the system and the effects this can have on the bulk of the system.

These concepts are then directly applied to a quasi-one-dimensional Ising model. Motivated by recent experiments on the spin-chain material cobalt niobate, …

Development Of Stalling Detection Algorithms And Operator Behavior Models For Evaluating Hydraulic Excavator Performance, Mateo Fernando Montenegro Defaz

Masters Theses

This study aims to develop a reliable algorithm for stalling detection and investigate how operator behaviors impact the truck-loading process, focusing on swing and bucket rotations. While the study of excavator digging conditions and equipment performance is well understood, describing stalling from telemetry data and the influence of operators’ behavior on overall system efficiency remain underexplored. This study seeks to: (i) develop a reliable algorithm for stall detection by analyzing key operational variables such as velocity and angles; (ii) implement statistical and machine learning techniques, specifically a Support Vector Machine (SVM) classification algorithm, to differentiate between ideal and non-ideal digging …

Design Of A Spacecraft Power System Experiment, Jay Bakulkumar Kamdar

Masters Theses

This research delves into the design, implementation, and analysis of a controlled experimental framework for photovoltaic cell characterization and its application in spacecraft power systems. Such a system was simulated and validated by benchmarking characteristics of a photovoltaic module and implementing them in a system design simulation yielding performance data for comparative analysis. A hardware setup was developed to perform IV characterization tests under steady state thermal conditions. Experiments conducted across various thermal regulation profiles helped quantify the effects of temperature on the photovoltaic performance parameters. Active cooling reduced the steady state cell temperature by 17.9% and improved the cell …

Overall Tropospheric Noise Over The St. Louis Using Isce And Fringe Processing, Maryann Lee

Masters Theses

Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar (InSAR) is a satellite-based technique that is used to measure various aspects such as ground deformation, earthquakes, volcanic activity, and motions of glaciers. Although the technique has proved very useful, measurements errors such as ionospheric and tropospheric noise, and deformation often cause problems with making precise measurements. InSAR is a tool used in geodesy that is used to measure the change of surface deformation over time through a series of repeated SAR acquisitions. These errors in the acquisitions occur from factors of signal decorrelation, atmospheric delays, and phase unwrapping errors that affect the accuracy and precision …

Evaluating Tropospheric Delay Modeling For Enhanced Geospatial Accuracy, Adeyinka Olaoluwa Olaseinde

Masters Theses

Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar (InSAR) is a vital technique for monitoring ground surface deformation across large spatial scales. However, variability in atmospheric water vapor, pressure, and temperature introduces tropospheric delays that can significantly affect measurement accuracy. These delays are often corrected using outputs from numerical weather prediction (NWP) models. RAiDER, an open-source Python package, facilitates this by estimating tropospheric delays using models such as the High-Resolution Rapid Refresh (HRRR). Previous studies have shown that weather model–based corrections can substantially reduce atmospheric noise in InSAR data but also highlight persistent residual errors, especially at spatial scales smaller than the model grid …

Extraction And Separation Of Metal Cations From Synthetic Acidic Solutions Using Emulsion Liquid Membrane, Nouhaila Filali

Masters Theses

The work is organized into two main papers supported by experimental and comparative studies using Emulsion Liquid Membrane (ELM) systems. The first paper explores the individual extraction of heavy metals (Cd, Cr, As, Ni) from synthetic phosphoric acid using Alamine 336 and D2EHPA as carriers. Alamine 336 achieved the highest extraction efficiency (>90%) and stability, offering a promising route to reduce toxic impurities in fertilizer-grade acid. The second paper examines the selective separation of Ni2+ and Co2+ from various acidic solutions using the ELM configuration. Systematic variation of carriers, stripping agent and feed acidity, clarified transport mechanisms and stability, …

Testing The Life-History Dependence Of Dietary Restriction Effects On Oxidative Molecular Damage In Hornworms, Fahime Taheri

Masters Theses

DR and ambient temperature are two environmental factors widely implicated in shaping organismal maintenance and longevity through effects on metabolic rate and oxidative damage. This study tests whether DR and reduced body temperature independently or interactively reduce oxidative protein damage in the gut of tobacco hornworm larvae, a short-lived ectotherm whose life history may constrain typical DR responses. Larvae hatched from eggs were allocated to two feeding regimes (AL and DR) and to 20 °C and 30 °C. At a defined endpoint, guts dissected and homogenized, and analyzed for protein carbonyl content and total protein. Protein damage was expressed as …

Earnest And Authentic Translation From Victorian England To The Wilde West, Carly E. Mcclure

Masters Theses

Oscar Wilde’s critical, theatrical, and fiction works (notably The Importance of Being Earnest and The Picture of Dorian Gray), critique Victorian societal norms through themes of authenticity, duplicity, and identity. In a period marked by strict domesticity and concealed social contradictions, Wilde’s satire dismantles rigid ideologies, exploring self-discovery and societal expectations. Through a retroactive and contemporary definition of authenticity, Wilde’s works exhibit an advocacy for art as a central pursuit rather than purely a reflection of societal norms, which is a defining value of his Authenticism. Wilde’s emphasis on Aestheticism is a key component of his authentic representation of self, …

George Butterworth’S Musical Contribution To A.E. Housman’S A Shropshire Lad And Bredon Hill And Other Songs, Brenden M. Smith

Masters Theses

​George Butterworth and A.E. Housman were highly influential scholars at the turn of the 20th century. Both men were well known for contributing to folk genres in their corresponding fields. Many famous composers implemented Housman's works, the most conspicuous of which was Butterworth. The composer was tragically killed in World War I in 1916, and today, two song cycles of his remain, both are the poetry of A.E. Housman.

​Butterworth's Shropshire Lad cycles are some of the less-performed works in our classical repertory today because Butterworth abandoned most of his works during World War I. The following paper will give …

Sixth Grade Music Composition Unit: A Second Semester Curriculum For Georgia’S Middle School Choral Students, Michaelyn Cortez Findley

Masters Theses

This research presents a music composition curriculum unit designed for middle-school choral students in Georgia, aligned with the state's Standards of Excellence in Music. The unit emphasizes composing, revising, and integrating technology, with a focus on a spiral curriculum that builds upon students' prior knowledge. Key elements include solfege, Takadimi rhythms, call-and-response melodies, and folk songs, providing a comprehensive framework for learning. MuseScore, a music notation software, is used as the primary tool for students to develop and notate their compositions progressively.

The research identifies a gap in resources for teaching composition to choral students with existing musical knowledge and …

The Choir Effect: A Case Study On Adolescent Boys’ Academic Self-Confidence, Dedrick L. Guyton

Masters Theses

Realizing the cognitive and social benefits of choral participation in early adolescent boys may be critical in understanding their academic self-confidence. This qualitative research study examines large public school choral ensemble participation and the academic self-confidence of boys between the ages of twelve and fourteen. Previous studies on formal music education in children suggest that active music participation has academic and social benefits. However, research has not addressed the effects of early music exposure on adolescent boys who sing in a large public school choral ensemble. The research illustrates the experiences of approximately 20 twelve-to-fourteen-year-old male choral ensemble members within …

The Impact Of The Virginia Department Of Education On Music Education During The Covid-19 Pandemic, Erica S. Denham

Masters Theses

This research was to identify how the Virginia Department of Education handled Music Education during the COVID-19 pandemic. When proper support from the Department of Education is given, music educators can run their programs efficiently without doing much research on their own. By examining the COVID-19 policies and procedures created by the Virginia Department of Education, this qualitative study investigated how much emphasis was put on the unique needs of an education in music. Therefore, this investigation examined these policies and procedures to note in what ways music education was taken into special consideration. This study explored three distinct phases …

Jesus's Use Of "Woman" In The Fourth Gospel, Cori Mcgrew

Masters Theses

In John's Gospel, Jesus uses the word "woman" in surprising ways: to address his mother at the wedding in Cana and at the Cross, to address a woman in Samaria, in a parable about a woman giving birth in his Final Discourse, and finally, to address Mary Magdalene at the garden tomb. This thesis uses the unusual way Jesus addresses his mother in the Fourth Gospel as a catalyst to find a connection between all five uses of "woman" by Jesus in John's Gospel, concluding that these instances evoke creation imagery, in particular of Genesis 3:15. The allusion to Genesis …

When Books Come Alive: Crafting A Clean Book-To-Screen Adaptation Worth Watching, Larah C. Cox

Masters Theses

The Things We Leave Unfinished is a screenplay adaptation of the novel of the same name by Rebecca Yarros. In this story, audience members will watch as the characters fall in love during both World War II and the present time, and experience how these themes become unbreakable family ties and strong women. This thesis, due to the importance of availability of clean entertainment for Christians to enjoy, explores what is necessary for a filmmaker to provide that kind of film, and seeks to find the answers in what makes a book-to-screen adaptation successful and worthy of an audience (both …

Musical Flow: An Analysis On Optimizing Yoga Sequences For Work-Related Musculoskeletal Symptoms In Choral Teachers, Vanessa Adams

Masters Theses

This qualitative study identified work-related musculoskeletal symptoms that middle and high school choral teachers experienced and identified yoga asanas that may mitigate the physical imbalances that lead to those musculoskeletal symptoms. Previous studies have focused on musculoskeletal symptoms in instrumentalists, conductors, and vocalists. However, a choral teacher’s work includes all those jobs and requires unique tools curated for their work demands. Self-care can be more easily facilitated when tools that fit the specific needs of choral teachers are available. Proper self-care may lead to reduced musculoskeletal symptoms and improved holistic health. Yoga asanas, which target the most reported areas of …

You're With Me While I Wait, Emily Williams

Masters Theses

The provided thesis is a compilation of an artistic statement, critical paper, and chapters of a novel which I have crafted during my MFA program. In essence, this thesis reflects all I have learned in my academic endeavors to this point and how those endeavors have encouraged my creativity.

For the artist statement, I share the creative process behind my manuscript, including the “why” of glorifying God with my writing that has fed the chapters for my novel. My critical paper highlights the craft element of medical theme weaved throughout the story. I examine the inclusion of medicine in literary …

A Text-Linguistic Analysis Of Deliberative Discourse In Hebrew With Review Of The Lxx Translation, Timothy C. Lang

Masters Theses

This thesis intends to demonstrate that linguistics, specifically the text-linguistic (TL method), may be practically applied to biblical translation and interpretation. Consequently, one may use text-linguistics to discover the biblical author’s intended meaning expressed through the structure of the text. Foundationally, the work of Robert Longacre and Kenneth L. Pike is applied. Functionally, this thesis tests the process described in the dissertation of Ewell Ray Clendenon. While the word test is used, the test is not intended to validate or invalidate the TL method. Rather, the test is analogous to that of a mathematician whereby a proof test is applied …

A Study On Private Piano Curriculum Using Edwin Gordon’S Music Learning Theory, Cody Chandler

Masters Theses

This quantitative descriptive research study addresses the deficiencies in modern piano educational literature pertaining to aural development at the earliest stages of piano education. Contemporary piano methodologies often prioritize music notation over aural skill development during the initial stages of instruction. This study addresses this imbalance, offering insights into curriculum selection based on its influence on competition performance scores, music theory exam results, and student retention. The participants in this study are 329 piano students who began lessons between kindergarten and twelfth grade selected from five qualified piano teachers from 2010-2024. Data was collected by recording competition and festival scores, …

Design(Ing) Disruptions: Towards Intimacies Between Feminist Situated Knowledge, Gossip And Design, Senjuti Sangia

Masters Theses

This project highlights and problematizes the knowledge traditions and politics foundational to problem-solving paradigms in design education and practice. By emphasising the ontological nature and turn in design (Willis, 2006, Fry, 2012) , this thesis critically appraises the aforesaid formulations by extending intersectional feminist theories to dominant design epistemology. Drawing on the sociological framing of the matrix of domination, I investigate the dichotomy of the designer and user- as designers, users, and communities find themselves at different junctions in the matrix of domination. Further, I critique design frameworks from the analytical lenses of feminist situated knowledge, In so doing, I …

Graphic Design And Automation, Ellen Fixsen

Masters Theses

This research examines the use of artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning, and DIY-centric template tools in the area of graphic design and how they affect businesses using them for branding and visuals, and how that impacts the graphic design industry. Although the use of AI in graphic design is a fairly new trend, the technology has been developing over the last several decades, if not longer. With AI definitely here to stay, it has become vital to explore how businesses and designers will move forward and utilize the tools it offers. Incorporating historical and statistical evidence, professional insights, case studies, …

A Novel Interpretation Of Average Run Length For Assessing The Performance Of Control Charts, Gonçalo Sousa

Masters Theses

The Average Run Length (ARL) is a performance measure of Control Charts widely used within Statistical Process Control. In this study we propose a new approach for the computation of the ARL that is based on a novel interpretation of out-of-control signals produced by a Control Chart. Specifically, out-of-control signals used to calculate traditional ARLs may correspond to Type I errors and may not reflect a Control Chart’s true performance. To compensate for this issue, for Shewhart and EWMA charts, constraints are applied to the calculation of ARLs so that only out-of-control signals that occur when the corresponding statistic is …

Computational Modeling In A Calculus-Based Physics Lab: Students’ Problems And Successes In Physics 2060, Abigail Sophia Flowers

Masters Theses

In the past few decades, computational modeling skills have become essential for students who want to pursue careers in physics or engineering. This issue of how to incorporate these skills into students' learning has become an important one because students in these degrees are already required to take several cognates outside of their chosen major. In 2018, Western Michigan University’s physics department decided to take on this issue by reformatting their introductory calculus-based physics labs to include computational modeling within the labs. The labs were first run in the Fall of 2018 and then were improved in spring 2019. When …

Understanding The Performance And Perception Of Odawa Warfare, 1615–1700, Eric P. Morningstar

Masters Theses

This research employs the ethnohistorical method to explore how the Odawa people perceived and carried out warfare from 1615 to 1700. While historians have examined the Odawa, these Native peoples have frequently not been the central focus in the secondary literature. Many primary sources also offer a vague answer as to how the Odawa conceived and carried out warfare. This study aims to clarify historiographical inconsistencies by quantitatively analyzing a database, constructed by the author, of specific primary references to known hostilities between the Odawa, other Native groups, and Europeans. The analysis includes specific variables germane to hostilities such as …

Assessment Of Pedestrian Safety At Roundabout Slip Lanes: A Study On Design Configurations And Surrogate Safety Measures, Norran Kakama Novat

Masters Theses

The implementation of slip lanes at roundabouts has been widely adopted to improve traffic flow and reduce vehicle conflicts. However, the presence of slip lanes introduces significant risks for pedestrians, influencing vehicle speeds, merging behaviors, and increasing the potential for pedestrian-vehicle conflicts. This study investigates pedestrian safety at roundabouts with various slip lane designs, focusing on their impact on vehicle speeds, pedestrian-vehicle conflicts, and yielding behavior. Also, the study evaluates commonly used surrogate safety measures by employing extreme value models to assess their efficiency.

The study addresses two primary objectives: (1) analyzing the effects of different slip lane configurations on …

English Literacy Rates Across The United States, Hailey Reisinger

Masters Theses

Literacy rates among students in the United States have been at an all-time low for the last several years. There have been many factors to this including but not limited to, the COVID-19 pandemic, technology, teacher shortages, and chronic absenteeism. This study looks into the literacy rate decline, the mentioned factors, and what is being done to improve the literacy proficiency among students across the country. This study also looks at what is specifically being done for school divisions across the Commonwealth of Virginia, focusing on one school in particular, Culpeper Middle School.

Fundamentalism And Religious Art At Bob Jones University: Is There A Problem?, Cheryl Sanders Mims

Masters Theses

Bob Jones Sr. founded Bob Jones College in 1927 in Florida with educational, spiritual, and cultural goals for its students in the belief that Christians should be well-rounded - making them better equipped to both witness for Christ and succeed in their chosen professions. Programs were offered in drama and music. The campus moved to Greenville, South Carolina in 1947 where the institution became Bob Jones University and Bob Jones Jr., son of the founder, became its second president. In 1951 he founded an art museum – a natural extension of the Fine Arts programs – and assembled a large …

Poetry For The Lord Instead Of The World: A Study Of The Romantic Poets, The Imposters, And Our Response As Christians, Annabelle Camoirano

Masters Theses

When I was a little girl, I watched my grandfather read all the time. He had shelves full of books stacked on more books. My grandparents had an entire room dedicated to holding the books he’d read over the years. Almost 5 years ago now, we had to move my grandparents out of the home that they had lived in for over 40 years. Going through all those books, my dad found one he knew I had to have. I have always loved collecting old books, and one of my favorite older poets is Edgar Allen Poe. My dad found …