Digital Commons Network^™

Ecological Drivers Of Size And Predictors Of Potential Competition In Soricidae, Wesley B. Holland

Theses

The family Soricidae, encompassing shrews, represents a diverse group of small (head-body length 30-178 mm) omnivorous or carnivorous mammals distinguished by unique morphological and physiological traits. Ecologically, shrews are dominant small predators, significantly impacting invertebrate populations. Their foraging strategies are diverse, with species adapted to fossorial, psammophilic, scansorial, semiaquatic, semifossorial, and terrestrial guilds. High metabolic rates necessitate nearly constant food intake, influencing their prey selection and feeding behaviors. Physiologically, shrews exhibit adaptations for thermoregulation, with Soricinae generally having higher mass-specific metabolic rates compared to Crocidurinae, who can enter torpor to conserve energy. These metabolic differences are crucial for their ecological …

Impact Of Heat Treatment On Microstructure & Friction Performance Of Nasa Al 398 Alloy Rotors, Manjith Srinivas Koganti

Theses

Interaction of friction brakes with external environment can considerably influence their performance which could relate to friction instabilities and friction induced vibration and noise. The goal of this thesis is to optimize the mechanical properties of Al-alloy and address the friction, wear, and noise heat-treated rotors tested in scaled down SAE recommended testing procedure. The adopted T5 heat treatment process of Al-alloys involves a particular order of controlled heating and cooling steps designed to get specific microstructural changes within the alloy leading to optimized strength/hardness. Hardness is measured with Rockwell’s Hardness Tester. Artificial ageing at elevated temperature process is done. …

An Exploration Of Factors Driving Patterns Of Hybridization In Triodanis, Keegan Sean Mcconnell

Theses

Elucidating and preserving biodiversity is an essential component of biological research, yet many natural processes impede our ability to define basic patterns of biodiversity. Hybridization is a common process in flowering plants, with a range of outcomes that influence our understanding of species ecology and evolution. In many systems, factors that facilitate or prevent successful hybridization are poorly understood. In this study, I investigate various potential mechanisms driving patterns of hybridization between Triodanis biflora and T. perfoliata. Previous research in this system has documented extensive hybridization, but some work has also alluded to the potential role of the breeding system …

Pins, Inhwan Jeon

Theses

Pins aims to portray the societal landscape observed and experienced by me as an international student, highlighting sociological concerns like hatred and hate crimes instead of focusing on surface-level metrics such as the risk and fatality rates of COVID-19. Through this work, I want to remind the audience of the multifaceted nature of society and the emotions evoked by COVID-19, prompting reflection on the role of art during times of crisis. While transforming my original medium of metal objects into an installation art format, I explored concepts such as spacing, installation, cognition, narrative, and multiple senses. I integrated these elements …

The Role Of Food Ordering Systems In The Efficiency Of Food Distribution Through Food Banks: A Case Study, Turner Kamm

Theses

Introduction: Food banks face pressure to support an increasing number of food-insecure individuals, and to increase operational efficiency. This study reviewed the role of ordering systems in a food bank through a literature review and analysis of past ordering data. Methods: A literature review was conducted on the role of food ordering systems on efficient food delivery. Order data were categorized by month, county, and product category to assess transaction patterns. Analyses involved total pounds of food received by each county and a formula to calculate the percent of food insecure individuals served by county. Additional analyses compared items that …

The Logical Reasoning Dilemma Of Llms: A Mapping Deficit In Representation Acquisition, Yiling Wu

Theses

Currently, Large Language Models (LLMs) based on the Generative Pre-trained Transformer architecture have made breakthroughs in multilingual language processing tasks and performed similar language processing capabilities to humans. However, their performance in dealing with tasks involving reasoning, especially logical reasoning, show significant shortcomings. In this paper, we argue that logical reasoning competence requires a certain type of representation acquisition capability. Based on this, in order to assess whether LLMs have the potential to overcome the shortcomings of their logical reasoning competence in their subsequent development, this work compares the representation acquisition processes of humans and LLMs. This comparison reveals that …

Modeling Fire Behavior: Increasing Fidelity In High-Complexity Fire Models, Jenna Sjunneson Mcdanold

Theses

Recent technological advances have yielded several high-complexity models for fire behavior. Low-intensity burns present difficulties in modeling due to a strong sensitivity to wind and fuels. This dissertation explores support research to improve representation of low-intensity fire in these high-complexity fire simulations. We focus on three areas: (i) data-driven modeling with a Spatially Extended Radiant heat Fire model (SERF), (ii) fuel heterogeneity with our model Distribution of Understory using Elliptical Transport (DUET), and (iii) research on whole system dynamics using chaos theory. To increase simulated resolution of low-intensity fire behavior, we employ an observational data set to develop SERF with …

Inference On Neutron Star Parameters And The Nuclear Equation Of State With Rift, Using Prior Eos Information, Askold Vilkha

Theses

One of the most extreme objects in the Universe, neutron stars are the remnants of supernova explosions. A usual neutron star has a mass in the range of 0.8 − 2.4M⊙ and a radius of about 10 km. Such small radii and high masses imply extreme densities, that exceed the nuclear density ρnuc . The extreme conditions of cold ultradense matter present inside the neutron star cannot be achieved in terrestrial laboratories, so the equation of state (EOS) of such matter is not well understood. Currently, there are many theoretical models of the EOS based on nuclear physics (Quantum Chromodynamics …

Formulation, Manufacture, And Deployment Of A Sustainable Multi-Layer Agricultural Mulch Film, Yvan David Hernandez-Charpak

Theses

Agricultural mulching films (AMF) increase crop yield while reducing pesticides use, meeting the needs of a growing world population. However, their disposal options have led to an intensifying and concerning problem of plastic pollution. Biodegradable mulch films are available, but adoption has been limited because of their unpredictable degradation rate, making them unreliable compared to conventional polyethylene AMF. This dissertation presents a multi-layer film structure (commonly used in the packaging industry), its manufacture, deployment in the field, and comprehensive sustainability assessment. Its structure consists of a thick middle layer of thermoplastic starch (TPS) and biochar filled-biodegradable poly(butylene adipate-co-terephthalate) (PBAT) thin …

Combined Virtual Reality And Mechanical Balance Platform System With Induced Visual Roll, Shkenca Demiri

Theses

Balance impairments are a common and widespread concern in human health. Acquired through genetics, aging, illness, or prolonged exposure to different environments such as travel by sea or travel in outer space; balance impairments pose significant challenges to those affected. Traditionally, balance studies have been largely qualitative. However, technological advancements have allowed for new methodologies to be developed for analyzing postural sway in a quantitative manner. In this thesis, custom force plate technology, an advanced inertial motion unit (IMU) motion capture system, and a mechanical motion platform, in tandem with a gamification system, were integrated to collect and analyze quantitative …

The Occurence Rate And Types Of Technical Alarms During Continuous Ecg Monitoring In The Intensive Care Unit And Its Potential Contribution To Alarm Fatigue, Markus Tungol

Theses

While continuous electrocardiographic (ECG) monitoring in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) is an important assessment device, technical alarms (i.e., artifact, arrhythmia suspend, and leads off) are frequent and can contribute to alarm fatigue in nurses. For example, we found that of >2.5 million total alarms generated during a one month period, 30% were technical alarms. Examine the number and type of technical alarms (described below) and demographic and clinical factors associated with these alarms.

Low Cost Combined Camera And Imu Based Control For Autonomous Aerial Orientation Adjustment, Remi Mckenzie

Theses

The goal of this research was to create a robot control system that combines gyroscope and accelerometer data with vision tracking to improve aerial orientation control performance over what could be achieved with sensor data or image processing alone. There has been significant research into the function of mobile robots that can autonomously carry out a wide range of tasks across a wide range of environments. However, the full potential of these robots has yet to be realized, especially at the hobbyist level. Air based travel allows for motion capabilities far beyond that of a robot limited to ground travel …

A Systematic Review Of Trauma-Informed Care In Applied Behavior Analysis, Staci Archibald

Theses

Although the use of trauma-informed care (TIC) has been featured in the delivery of different human services fields, its integration in applied behavior analysis (ABA) is scarce. The purpose of this research was to determine how many empirical studies include both principles of behavior analysis as well as TIC. The findings imply that, while research in this area is very limited, including TIC in ABA may improve treatment outcomes, particularly for people with complicated trauma histories and many restrictive measures. This review revealed a significant literature gap regarding specific frameworks and guidelines for effectively integrating TIC into ABA practices. Addressing …

Examining Severing Dynamics Of Cytoskeletal Structures Using Computational Methods, Arthur Peterson Miller

Theses

Within eukaryotic cells, cytoskeletal structures are a category of organelles that serve functions ranging from supporting cell geometry to locomotion. These functions require a coordinated effort of regulatory proteins, which interact with the cytoskeleton distinctively. Severing proteins, which can fragment cytoskeletal structures at their binding sites, are one such example. In this work, using stochastic modeling, we model the interaction of severing proteins on bare cytoskeletal filaments and bundled filaments, which are larger collections of individual filaments. We focus on two types of cytoskeletal protein structures in this work: cylindrical microtubules and linear actin filaments. In the case of microtubules, …

An Investigation Of The Sub-Lethal Impacts To Pollinators From Pesticides, Emily Beahm

Theses

In order to feed a growing global population, agricultural practices must utilize pesticides to maintain high yields. Responsible use of pesticides should be based on literature confirming their efficacy and safety. When pesticides are not adequately investigated prior to their release, there can be severe consequences. Many highly effective pesticides, such as the class neonicotinoids, were allowed to be used commercially prior to thorough assessment of their environmental risks, resulting in consequences that largely have fallen to the exposed pollinator populations. To avoid similar outcomes, I tested the popular biopesticide Botanigard which contains Beauveria bassiana, an entomopathogenic fungus previously exposed …

Using The High-Probability Instructional Sequence To Increase Compliance With Vocal Imitation In Children Diagnosed With Developmental Delays, Kimberly Derque

Theses

Previous studies have evaluated the effects of the high-p instructional procedure involving motor imitation on the levels of compliance with vocal imitation in children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). The current study replicated Hansen et al. (2018) by demonstrating the effectiveness of high-probability (high-p) instructional sequence involving motor imitation to improve compliance with vocal imitation in three preschool age children with developmental delay. A multiple baseline across participants was implemented to show the procedure's effects on compliance with vocal imitation responses. The EESA subtest of the VBMAPP was administered before and after the intervention to determine the level of vocal …

Evaluating The Effectiveness Of Behavioral Skills Training For Teaching Implementation Of Natural Language Paradigm Program To Staff In An Early Intervention Setting, Abigail Kinnear

Theses

Due to the prevalence of language delays in children with ASD, it is important to provide effective treatment and ensure highly trained staff to implement language programs. Natural Language Paradigm (NLP) is a naturalistic approach that includes individualized motivating variables, natural reinforcers, and direct response to reinforcer contingencies to increase vocal communication and generalization of skills. Behavioral skills training (BST) is an effective strategy that uses instructions, modeling, rehearsal, and feedback to teach staff to implement specific programs. The current study replicated Seiverling et al. (2009) study on evaluating the effectiveness of using BST to train three staff to implement …

Reach, Rachel Immel

Theses

Reach is a 2D digitally animated short film that is dedicated to exploring the sacrifices that are made to achieve our dreams. The story of my graduate thesis film follows Moe, a subterrestrial bat-like creature that dreams of being able to see the sky for the first time. Feeling suffocated by his dark and cramped surroundings, he rushes toward the surface as soon as a busted rusty pipe provides what appears to be an opening to the surface. What he does not know is that he is venturing into danger that will change him forever. This project is inspired by …

Towards Human-Embodied Visual Intelligence, Cheng Han

Theses

The rapid development of artificial intelligence (AI) in computer vision has garnered considerable attention across diverse research fields (e.g., image classification, image segmentation, object detection, optical flow, depth estimation). However, this progress is met with an array of challenges that hinder them from real-world deployments. In this paper, three major challenges are discussed: I. Low Task Generalizability. Current visual models are often specifically designed for targeted tasks, constraining their generalizability with varying adaptation scenarios; II. Weak Model Interpretability. Within the paradigm of connectionism, most of these models are frequently regarded as ``black-box'' systems, making them challenging for humans to understand …

Effects Of Simulated Climate Change On Native Southeastern Grassland Vegetation Using Open Top Chambers, Makaila Carpenter

Theses

The southeastern United States is a critical biodiversity hotspot once covered in prairie grassland ecosystems and now facing significant threats due to urbanization, habitat destruction, over-exploitation, biological invasions, pollution, and climate change. This study analyzes the response of Alabama’s native prairie ecosystem to climate change. We used open top chambers (OTCs) to simulate climate change-induced warming. We assessed the response of ecosystem function and structure to higher temperatures (1-3^oC). The indicators of ecosystem function included phenology, leaf surface area (LSA), specific leaf area (SLA), and aboveground and below net primary productivity (ANPP and BNPP respectively). Ecosystem structure was …

Generation Z’S Perspective On Work-Life Balance: Case Of Kosovo, Lorine Bajrami

Theses

This capstone project examines the perspective of Generation Z in Kosovo toward work-life balance by specifically looking at their preferences regarding flexibility, remote work, and the compromise of work-life balance with other work-related factors. People who are born between 1996 and 2010 belong to the Generation Z cohort, which is characterized by profound digital savviness, mental health awareness, preference for flexibility in workplace, and strong desire to balance work and personal life. The data for analyzing the Gen Z’s perspectives on life work-balance is collected through an online survey (n=174) and two focus group discussions. Global reports and existing research …

Impacts Of Professional Development On Researchers, Kayleigh M. Patterson

Theses

In this work, I study the effectiveness of Professional development for Emerging Education Researchers (PEER) using a framework adapted from one that evaluates professional development for teachers. Professional Development (PD) is the process of learning information after one’s main school for job settings. These cover job/career specific skills that are not taught during schooling, since they are normally more specific. While a Ph.D. does set up a lot of specific skills, due to a changing research climate based on discoveries and organizational standards, there are always more skills to learn for a researcher. Therefore, there are professional development for researchers …

The Relationship Between Changing Land Cover And Benthic Macroinvertebrate Diversity In Choccolocco Creek, Northeast Alabama, Kindall Brown

Theses

Land cover changes, driven by urbanization, agriculture, and deforestation, significantly affect the physical and chemical characteristics of water bodies at both the watershed and riparian levels. At the larger spatial scale, a stream’s surrounding watershed facilitates lateral inputs into the stream that are essential for biodiversity support, hydrological stability, and water quality. When a stream becomes disconnected from the lateral inputs due to urban or agricultural development, the morphology of the stream is significantly altered. On a smaller spatial scale, the riparian zone can act as a buffer to pollutants. The vegetation surrounding the stream bank promotes stability to the …

Geo-Slam: Using Geometric Hierarchies To Support Localization And Mapping In Forest Environments, Daniel Castellarin

Theses

Robust mapping and localization can be challenging in environments like forests where easily observable landmarks are virtually indistinguishable from each other. In such environments, GPS or robot odometry may also be compromised by the landscape, tree cover, or method of locomotion. Prior work discussed a method for creating geometric hierarchies to describe the relative positions of unlabeled landmarks. Notably, the polygons from these hierarchies were used to perform accurate place recognition from observations containing partial overlap and sensor noise. Here, we use geometric hierarchies to perform robust data association for collections of virtually identical 2D landmarks in direct support of …

Digital Transformation Of The Accounting And Audit Industry In Kosovo, Lis Musa

Theses

This capstone project analyzes how Kosovo's audit and accounting industry is being affected by digital transformation. Its aim is to explore how digitalization affects skills gaps, job accuracy, company costs, and productivity in different sectors at a time when technological breakthroughs are drastically changing industry. Professionals from Big 10 accounting and audit firms as well as a local Kosovo accounting business were interviewed to gather insights on the potential and difficulties brought about by digital tools and technologies. Research findings show that digital transformation is considerably bridging the skills gap in the industry, imposing constant professional development and adjustment to …

A New Diagnostic Method For Distinguishing Binary From Single Supermassive Black Holes Using Broad Emission Lines, Ziming Ji

Theses

During cosmic timescales, supermassive binary black holes (SMBBHs) form by galaxy mergers, where each galaxy hosts a supermassive black hole (SMBH) at its center. By studying SMBBHs, we can gain insights into galaxy evolution and black hole growth. However, the typical separation between black holes in SMBBHs is usually below 1 pc, making them difficult to resolve using direct imaging or photometry. To be able to distinguish binary black holes (BBHs) from typical AGN powered by single black holes (SBHs), we conducted this research project to develop a new diagnostic method to identify a unique feature of SMBBHs, which can …

The Effect Of Angiogenesis On Thermal Properties Of In-Vivo Human Tissue, Shriya Musuku

Theses

Bioheat transfer is the study of heat transfer in biology. There are several sources of heat in biology including external ones such as surgical applications of heat, or internal ones like cancer tissue. Blood flow networks affect both types of processes and are often generated during disease phenomenon through a process called angiogenesis. This affects the properties of the tissue. Several attempts were made to model flow and heat transfer within various tissues through physical measurements or computer simulations. Both types of models used bioheat transfer models do not consider the geometry of vasculature at its most fundamental level. The …

Simulation Of A Single Photon Counting Photonic Spectrograph For Direct Imaging Of Exoplanet Atmospheres With The Habitable Worlds Observatory, Edwin Alexani

Theses

NASA’s highest-priority future flagship astrophysics mission is a large infrared/optical/ultraviolet (IR/O/UV) telescope, the first in a series of new Great Observatories recommended by the 2020 Decadal Survey. The current concept for this telescope is the Habitable Worlds Observatory (HWO), drawing on past design projects such as LUVOIR and HabEx. A key goal for HWO is to identify habitable exoplanets. The HWO will obtain spectra and direct images of distant, dim worlds, necessitating highly sensitive instruments. The HWO will require a coronagraph that achieves a 10^−10 contrast ratio to suppress the starlight and reveal terrestrial exoplanets. The detector’s dark current and …

A Spectroscopic Search For Recoiling Supermassive Black Holes In Nearby Active Galaxies, Emily Temple

Theses

It is hypothesized that following a galaxy merger the two central supermassive black holes (SMBH) become a binary system, eventually coalescing due to emission of gravitational waves. This coalescence results in a single black hole, with an accretion disk shining with high luminosity that photoionizes the surrounding gas. Therefore, the newly merged SMBH is visible as an active galactic nucleus (AGN). However, the gravitational waves are emitted anisotropically by the binary as it inspirals, resulting in a recoil kick. This ejects the newly merged SMBH from the AGN’s center of the galaxy. The SMBH oscillates around the galaxy’s center of …

Ap Art History For Marshall Public Schools, Gage Bunting

Theses

Advanced Placement Art History (AP Art History) is a course that, while being one of the less popular AP offerings, exists in thousands of schools already. College Board is the institution that facilitates these courses and sets the requirements each school must follow in order to offer the course. With that said, there is not a rigid requirement that all courses be taught in the same manner, and because of that, the curriculum of this project was adapted to enhance learning for students of Marshall High School.

The art department of Marshall High School has evolved in recent years and …