Digital Commons Network^™

Fpso Motion In Synthetic Environments: Stereo-Driven Deep Learning For Wavefield Reconstruction, Motion Analysis, And Mooring System Assessment, Omar Jebari

Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation presents an integrated synthetic environment for simulating the motion and monitoring the integrity of a moored Floating Production Storage and Offloading (FPSO) vessel. The central hypothesis is that synthetic data-driven approaches can (1) accurately estimate spatio-temporal wave fields, (2) predict vessel motion, and (3) monitor the integrity of the mooring system—using stereo imagery of the wave field and structure motion, both of which can be acquired in real time. The first study develops a synthetic framework for estimating spatial wave fields using stereo images captured by dual cameras mounted on a moving FPSO. Dynamic sea states and vessel …

Autonomous Defect Detection In Additive Manufacturing, John Samuel Poindexter Iv

Theses and Dissertations

Additive manufacturing (AM) is the process of creating a product by applying layers of material to build up to the final product. AM has revolutionized the field of manufacturing and has allowed more complex products to be manufactured at reasonable cost, quicker manufacturing time, and optimized material usage. Traditional forms of manufacturing were based on subtractive manufacturing, where by a product would be created by removing material from its source. AM is a new manufacturing process and faces significant challenges when it comes to manufacturing due to defects. Defects can vary from type and severity and can overall weaken or …

Blink-Related Brainwaves As Digital Biomarkers For Cognition Assessment During Complex Tasks, Lexine Carmlixa Sibert-Jolissaint

Theses and Dissertations

Blink-related oscillations (BROs) are neurophysiological responses observed in electroencephalography (EEG) following spontaneous blinking, reflecting the brain processing of new visual information. Prior research has demonstrated BRO responses across various cognitive states, such as resting, cognitive loading, and sensory stimulation, highlighting their potential as a non-invasive biomarker of brain function. We conducted the first investigation of BRO responses during a verbal fluency (VF) task, which is a complex, dynamic task state combining memory, visual perception, executive function, and language processing. Using publicly available EEG data from 22 healthy adults, we measured BRO responses over the left anterior frontal region corresponding to …

Personality Trait Recognition Through Deep Neural Temporal Modeling Of Non-Verbal Behavior, Kushal Vangara

Theses and Dissertations

Personality research seeks to explain the wide range of human behaviors through stable, measurable traits. Human interactions are inherently rich and multidimensional, and analyzing behavioral data offers a promising path to uncover personality insights. The increasing convergence of psychology, computer science, and machine learning has fueled interest in computational approaches to personality assessment. Advances in sensing technologies have made it possible to capture fine-grained information about individuals’ behaviors and interactions in naturalistic and controlled environments. Automated audio-visual analysis techniques extract relevant behavioral cues, which machine learning models then interpret to infer underlying personality traits. This work provides a comprehensive overview …

Ai-Enhanced Flipped Classroom Approach For Chinese Vocabulary And Grammar Learning, Haotian Ye

Theses and Dissertations

This study examines the effectiveness of ChatGPT-4 in enhancing L2 Chinese learners' vocabulary and grammar acquisition within a flipped classroom setting, focusing on its impact on learning outcomes, student motivation, and associated challenges. Conducted over 10 weeks, the study involved 19 native English speakers enrolled in a third-year Chinese course at a U.S. university. The experimental group (n = 11) used ChatGPT to self-study six target words and five grammar structures before attending Tuesday and Thursday sessions, while the control group (n = 8) followed a textbook-based approach. Participants completed in-class vocabulary and grammar quizzes twice a week, three journal …

Integrated Coastal Science And Dune Management: A South Carolina Perspective, Michelle Harris

Theses and Dissertations

Historically, coastal dunes have been poorly understood from a societal perspective despite their protective role in attenuating incoming waves to reduce onshore flood risk. As developed coastlines promote strategies to design and maintain managed dune systems, it is necessary to ensure these strategies are optimized for dune health and resilience, particularly given the increasing threat of natural and anthropogenic stressors. This dissertation work aims to identify strategies that influence coastal dune management in South Carolina (SC), USA from an integrated approach, including a current use assessment, a mesoscale field-based study on strategy efficacy, and by incorporating a societal assessment and …

Thematic Geo-Inquiry In Seventh Grade Geography, Rebekah Driscoll Austing

Theses and Dissertations

With the growth of globalization, geography is an important subject for students of the 21^st Century to understand. Being adept in geography will aid our future generations to be able to use geographic skills to answer complex world issues. Unfortunately, geography has been a long-neglected subject of social studies; often considered boring and not worthwhile with teachers using teacher-centered curriculum methods and memorization. A teacher’s job is to provide appropriate experiences, materials, and context for students to construct and connect knowledge that is useful and beneficial to them. Through a constructivist lens, inquiry-based thematic units can be used by …

New Deep Learning Approaches To Classical Statistical Problems, Shijie Wang

Theses and Dissertations

The field of deep learning (DL) has received considerable attention in recent years. Thanks to rapid growth in computational power, the ability to collect massive datasets, and improvements in software and algorithms, DL is now routinely applied to areas as diverse as computer vision, natural language processing, and bioinformatics. At the same time, DL is only starting to be explored in the context of classical statistical inference problems such as bootstrapping, quantile regression, and mixture modeling. In this dissertation, we develop new DL methodology for three classical statistical problems: 1) weighted M-estimation, 2) joint quantile regression, and 3) mixing density …

Understanding The Through-Space Intermolecular Interactions Of Isothiourea Catalysts In Acylation/Silylation Reactions Of Secondary Alcohols, Ziyuan Gong

Theses and Dissertations

Through space interactions, including cation-π interaction, lone pair-πinteraction, steric hinderance etc. play a central role in organocatalytic reaction. They can control the reactivity or the selectivity of an organic reaction. Previous work in our group has already shown that the chiral isothiourea compounds can catalyze the acylation as well as silylation reaction of secondary alcohol with the possible cation-πinteraction between the catalyst and substrate. However, there is lack of study to understand how the delocalization of the positive charge would affect the reaction rate and whether some unexpected inter- or intramolecular interaction could help stabilize …

“A Threat To The Family”: Phyllis Schlafly And The Construction Of Negative Group Identity, Christopher Howell

Theses and Dissertations

In this dissertation, I argue that Phyllis Schlafly’s fight against the proposed Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) from 1972 to 1976 helped construct the “pro-family” political identity that opposed the ERA and came to define social conservatism in American politics. She did this through the creation and elaboration of a negative group identity: individuals defined by their desire for an imagined past of traditional, stable hierarchies. By taking an anodyne piece of legislation and framing its supporters as direct threats to the status quo, Schlafly effectively mobilized a group of previously apolitical actors towards political activism. In the process, she helped …

Mapping Fire Susceptibility Of The South Carolina Coastal Plain, Breonna Roden

Theses and Dissertations

Wildfires are a natural hazard that have occurred across the world, throughout time. Regions prone to wildfires have been experiencing changes in their fire regimes. Not only has the fire season length increased, but the fires themselves are increasing in frequency and intensity. Wildfire research has been limited for the state of South Carolina, raising concerns along with global warming and population growth. Global warming is likely to become more extreme, which can lead to droughts becoming more frequent and lasting for longer periods of time. According to the 2020 census, South Carolina was the 10th fastest-growing state, which is …

Bridging The Gap Between Science And Technology: A Descriptive Study Identifying Factors Influencing 6-8th Grade Science Teachers’ Implementation Of Virtual Laboratory Simulations, Coral Nicole Hoesli

Theses and Dissertations

Teachers at a South Carolina middle school in the United States were not implementing virtual laboratory simulations at the same rate as other middle schools in the district. This descriptive research examined 6th-8th grade middle school science teacher perceptions and influencing factors behind the choice to implement virtual laboratory simulations. The study examined two research questions: (1) what are the personal and social factors influencing science teachers’ decisions to implement a virtual laboratory simulation, and (2) what are the structural factors influencing science teachers’ decisions to implement a virtual laboratory simulation?

The National Educational Technology Plan (NETP) and the International …

Young Children’S Reading Experiences In An Online Family Book Club Centered On Multimodal Responses, Ling Hao

Theses and Dissertations

This ethnographic case study explored Chinese American children’s heritage language and culture learning and their multimodal responses to culturally relevant picture books. I focus on six Chinese American families who participated in an online family book club. The children were between four and six years old. In each session, I first introduced Chinese characters or cultural traditions related to the book, and then had an interactive read aloud of a culturally relevant picture book. The children discussed the book with one parent and came up with a question and a connection. The children then responded to the book through creating …

How Exposure To Professional Development Affects Teachers’ Use Of Tier One Behavior Interventions, Taurean Jarquise Robinson

Theses and Dissertations

Research suggests that ongoing professional development is most beneficial for teachers. However, many schools cannot provide the time teachers need to participate in the frequent meetings, discussions, and reflections needed to cause professional growth. Student behavior continues to be an area in which teachers need support. Many teachers report that student behavior is one reason they often become unhappy with their jobs and leave their education career altogether. The qualitative action research study used strategies aligned with Culturally Relevant Pedagogy to offer six teachers professional development in Tier 1 behavior interventions. The data gathered measured how much Tier 1 behavior …

Gateways To Reading: Action Research With At-Risk Students At An Alternative School, David Sean Goff

Theses and Dissertations

There is no shortage of research on how low levels of literacy disproportionately affect students of color, but this research was interested in how three theoretical models may impact this trend. The purpose of this qualitative case study was to examine the reading experiences and engagement levels of students in an alternative school English class, applying culturally relevant pedagogy (CRP), self-determination theory (SPD), and zone of proximal development (ZPD). CRP is a theoretical model that upholds students’ cultural identities, while pursuing academic success. ZPD is a theoretical model that suggests learning occurs when content is within students’ ability. SDT is …

Systems Check: A Qualitative Case Study Of Educators And Parent-Educators Supporting Adolescent Readers From An Ecological Systems Perspective, Kristi Nicole Grooms

Theses and Dissertations

In spite of decades of research and an abundance of well-intentioned intervention efforts, supporting adolescent readers, particularly at the middle level, remains a significant area of concern for educators in the United States. The struggles are present for educators working to help underperforming readers reach grade-level and keep advanced readers motivated and engaged. At home, parents and guardians experience similar challenges. Data on adolescent comprehension performance continues to be frustrating in terms of producing consistent positive results. This qualitative action research study investigated the ongoing challenge of supporting adolescent readers, specifically within the context of 7th grade, through a systems …

Extracting Metamorphic Histories Utilizing U-Pb Laser Ablation Zircon Geochronology From The Southern Appalachians Crystalline Rocks And Detrital Sediment, Meredith Kay Love Gawai

Theses and Dissertations

The southern Appalachian mountain belt is an accretionary orogen that formed in the southeastern United States through several phases of oceanic subduction and continental collision during the Paleozoic Era and culminated in the formation of the supercontinent Pangaea. Although many U-Pb zircon ages have been collected from the igneous, metaigneous and metasedimentary rocks in the crystalline core of the southern Appalachians, there remain opportunities to better reconstruct the metamorphic and magmatic history of the southern Appalachians through the lens of zircon geochronology. Such data are valuable in identifying genetic relationships between candidate terranes of the orogen. Herein, I present laser-ablation …

Symmetries Of Del Pezzo Surfaces, Jonathan Smith

Theses and Dissertations

For each del Pezzo surface X of degree d, the action of the automorphism group Aut(X) on the exceptional curves of X induces a map ρ : Aut(X) → W(R_d), where W(R_d) is the Weyl group of a root system R_d dependent on the degree of X. The image of ρ is well defined up to conjugacy in W(R_d), so we say that a group G acts by automorphisms on a del Pezzo surface X of degree d if a representative of the …

Targeting The Country: Exploring The Technology Integration Practices Of World Language Teachers In Rural Georgia, Shannon Borum

Theses and Dissertations

Technology integration affords World Language teachers opportunities to engage with the target language and cultures in a way previously unknown, yet world language teachers in Georgia’s rural high schools have inconsistent integration of technology into their teaching practices. The study was guided by two research questions regarding (1) the current technology integration practices of world language teachers in rural Georgia high schools for communicative language teaching, and (2) the influences the decisions of world language teachers in rural Georgia high schools to integrate technology in their communicative language teaching. The purpose of this action research was to describe how high …

Relative Performance Of Mlr, Wlsmv, And Bayes Estimators: An Investigation Using Confirmatory Factor Analysis With Ordinal Data, Tiejun Zhang

Theses and Dissertations

This study investigated the performance of four robust estimators— robust Maximum Likelihood for continuous data (MLR-CON), robust Maximum Likelihood for categorical data (MLR-CAT), robust Weighted Least Squares (WSLMV), and Bayes estimation—in the context of Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) with ordinal data. The objective was to conduct a comprehensive assessment of their efficacy across varied data conditions. A simulation study was designed to comprise conditions that may be encountered with empirical research. The design included 90 cells with two levels of model specification (correct, misspecified), three sample sizes (100, 200, 500), five item distributions (symmetric, moderately asymmetric, moderately asymmetric-alternating, extremely asymmetric, …

Building A Framework For Analyzing Non-Linear And Multidimensional Kinetics, Mainak Dhar

Theses and Dissertations

Many materials exhibit multiple rates of molecular relaxation due to structural complexities. Standard linear and one-dimensional kinetic cannot extract all the necessary dynamic information about these systems. This dissertation contributes to an overarching scheme to develop new non-linear and multidimensional kinetic experiments to obtain this information. The studies span computation and experiments, picosecond to second timescales, and both single-molecule and pulsed-laser kinetics

Single-molecule kinetics experiments yield time series that contain information about unique structural and dynamic properties of materials. However, these time series are noisy, and data analysis is challenging. Parametric methods are computationally intensive and require strong, unverifiable assumptions …

Explorations Of Multi-Carboranyl Thiols And Phosphines, Jared Ross Riffle

Theses and Dissertations

In order to ascribe the impact of substituent groups on the bis-ortho-carborane, closo-{C2B10}-closo-{C2B10} multi-cluster system, the first sulfur-containing biscarborane derivatives were synthesized. Biscarborane dithiol, disulfide, bis(methyl)thioether, as well as multiple dithiolate salts were structurally characterized. The exceedingly long C–C bonds and shortened C–S bonds in biscarborane dithiol and its doubly deprotonated dithiolate salts are indicative of significant delocalization of electron density from the sulfur atoms into the cluster. Additionally, a new concept of ligand ambiphilicity is described where, instead of the involvement of only a single center in a ligand, this amphiphilicity relies on the redox behavior of the indirectly …

Photometric Redshifts Of Galaxies In Quasar Fields, Ananthavishnu Santhigiri Unni

Theses and Dissertations

Understanding the gas in and around galaxies is crucial for understanding galaxy evolution. Absorption lines detected in the spectra of background quasars offer a powerful tool to study the gas in and around the intervening galaxies. As a part of an effort to understand how the gas interacts with the stellar component of galaxies, our team previously obtained imaging and spectroscopic observations for a large sample of galaxies using the Hubble Space Telescope (HST), the Very Large Telescope (VLT), and the Atacama Large Millimeter Array (ALMA). This sample includes thousands of galaxies, including many without spectroscopic data. The overall goal …

The Impact Of Microlearning Professional Development On Educator Social And Emotional Competencies And Beliefs About Middle School Students’ Social And Emotional Learning, Kelly M. Abbott

Theses and Dissertations

The COVID-19 pandemic disrupted educational experiences for students with extended school closures and social distancing during the 2020-2021 school year and beyond. School closures, social isolation, and societal issues impacted students and caused mental health challenges as well as behavioral issues in the classroom. This study explored the impact of educator social and emotional competencies (SEC) on social and emotional learning (SEL) in the classroom. Previous research on SEL has found benefits to student’s relationship skills, emotional regulation abilities, and increases in academic achievement. This action research study used a mixed method design to gather data from surveys, interviews, classroom …

Insights Into Cortical Organization And Executive Dysfunction In Pediatric Traumatic Brain Injury, Madeleine Reading

Theses and Dissertations

Cortical gyrification is essential for cognitive development, yet its relationship with executive functioning (EF) in pediatric traumatic brain injury (TBI) remains unclear. This study examined whether children with TBI exhibit atypical cortical folding in EF-related regions and whether these differences relate to EF performance. Using FreeSurfer 7.1.1, we analyzed local gyrification index (LGI) in 206 participants (ages 5-18) from 14 sites within the ENIGMA Pediatric msTBI Working Group. Vertex-wise regression revealed that longer time since injury (TSI) was associated with increased gyrification in the right fusiform gyrus and multiple left-hemisphere regions, suggesting region-specific neuroplasticity. Contrary to expectations, higher GCS scores …

Ai-Advanced Optimal Operation And Management For Distributed Energy Resource Dominated Energy Systems, Patrick Mark Wilk

Theses and Dissertations

Electric power systems are undergoing a major transition from a centralized to a decentralized operation paradigm, driven by the rapid adoption of Distributed Energy Resources (DERs). While increased DER penetration contributes to consumer empowerment, energy security, and system flexibility, it also introduces challenges involving grid stability, load variability, and infrastructure constraints. This dissertation addresses these challenges by exploring advanced Energy Management System (EMS) solutions including model-based and model-free optimization methodologies: first, a model-based optimization strategy is proposed to coordinate multi-energy sources, while balancing economic, emission, and operational goals for sustainable campus microgrid operations; second, a distributed multi-agent deep reinforcement learning …

Assessment Of Entrepreneurial Mindset In Undergraduate Engineering Students Using Quantiative, Qualitative, And Multi-Methods Approaches, Alexandra Mary Jackson

Theses and Dissertations

The Entrepreneurial Mindset (EM) has been acknowledged as beneficial for engineers entering the workforce in a constantly advancing society. With an EM, professional engineers are better equipped to be innovative, creative, and translate ideas into reality. However, assessing how students develop an EM has been plagued with difficulties, mainly due to the discrepancy in EM definitions between different fields. This dissertation applies three EM assessment methods guided by one theoretical framework: the Triad of EM, which contextualizes EM into cognitive, behavioral, and emotional dimensions. Chapter 3 of this work analyzes EM across multiple years of an undergraduate engineering curriculum using …

Fremont Human Remains In Sevier County, Alexis Maughan

Theses and Dissertations

This study examines Fremont mortuary practices in Sevier County, Utah, through a systematic analysis of 50 individuals, recovered mainly from Late period sites. While Fremont burials are typically described as highly variable, the Sevier County sample reveals a striking pattern: approximately half of the individuals exhibit evidence of processing and were left scattered on structure floors rather than being intentionally buried. This pattern stands in contrast to the widely accepted description of Fremont burials as consisting mainly of individuals buried separately in expedient pits with minimal grave goods. The analysis draws on previously published reports, compiling the available data on …

The Effect Of Lexical Characteristics On Speech Pausing For People With Broca's Aphasia, Anna Kathryn Walker Smith

Theses and Dissertations

This study examines the connection between speech pause patterns and the lexical characteristics of the words that follow. Speech samples of 16 people with moderate Broca's aphasia and 16 age-matched neurologically healthy controls were evaluated in terms of word length, word frequency in the English language, syntactic category, and articulatory complexity. In general, people with aphasia (PWA) produced pauses more frequently before monosyllabic, very high frequency words with lower articulatory complexity, most of which were content words. The length of these pauses did not significantly correlate with any of the lexical factors examined in this study. The control group had …

Relationship Between Speaking Proficiency And Cultural Identity Of Korean Heritage Language Speakers, Minha Lee

Theses and Dissertations

Heritage language speakers from immigrant families often navigate between two languages and cultures as they form their personal identities. In this process, some develop their identity through their personal choices and external pressures, while others remain in a state of identity confusion. Although many factors contribute to the formation of their identity, the field of language education has continued to focus on the relationship between language proficiency and identity, assuming language ability could be one of the key influences. This study investigated the relationship between Korean speaking proficiency and cultural identity among Korean heritage language speakers born in the United …