Digital Commons Network^™

Implementing 1.5 Millimeter Internal Diameter Columns And A Portable Capillary Column Instrument Into Monoclonal Antibody Analytical Workflows, Benjamin Libert

Theses and Dissertations

Using 1.5 mm inner diameter (i.d.) columns to bridge the gap between routinely used 2.1 mm i.d. columns and capillary bore columns allows for a sequential but significant increase in performance without the need for specialized equipment associated with very low dispersion liquid chromatography (LC) systems. These 1.5 mm i.d. columns balance an increase in sensitivity compared to 2.1 mm i.d. columns (theoretically doubling the time-domain peak area in mass sensitive detectors for the same mass load), while mitigating the efficiency losses due to extra-column dispersion effects that are commonly observed with 1.0 mm i.d. columns. Here, the use of …

Reinforcement Learning For Robotic Tasks: Analyzing And Understanding The Learning Process Using Explainable Artificial Intelligence Methods, Brian J. Campana

Theses and Dissertations

As deep reinforcement learning (RL) models gain traction across more industries, there is a growing need for reliable agent-explanation techniques to understand these models. Researchers have developed explainable artificial intelligence (XAI) methods to help understand these 'black boxes'. While these models have been tested on many supervised learning tasks, there is a lack of examination of how these well these methods can explain hard reinforcement learning problems like robotic control. The sequential nature of learning RL policies and testing episodes create fundamentally different policies over time compared to more traditional supervised learning models. In this thesis, two important questions are …

Zeros Of Convex Combinations Of Elementary Families Of Harmonic Functions, Rebekah Ottinger

Theses and Dissertations

Brilleslyper et al. analyzed a one-parameter family of harmonic trinomials, and Brooks and Lee analyzed a one-parameter family of harmonic functions with poles. Each family was explored to find the relationship between the size of the parameter and the number of zeros of the harmonic function. In this thesis, we examine convex combinations of members of these families. We determine conditions under which the critical curves separating the sense-preserving and sense-reversing regions are circular. We show that the number of zeros of a convex combination can be greater than the maximum number of zeros of either part.

Unlocking Understanding: Enhancing Scientific Literacy Through Interdisciplinary Reading Strategies In High School Science Classes, Nancy C. Hollenweger

Theses and Dissertations

This study investigated the intersection of literacy instruction and high school science teaching in response to low proficiency levels in these areas and interest in pursuing STEM careers among U.S. high school students. Participants reported using close reading practices combined with inquiry-based science instruction to enhance students’ science literacy and reading proficiency. Data were from document analysis, one-on-one interviews, and focus group discussions. Five significant themes showed teachers' journeys from recognizing a problem to implementing new instructional strategies while pursuing knowledge about how to continue growing their craft. The five themes included teacher awareness of students’ literacy struggles, the apprehension …

Procedural Pre-Training For Visual Recognition, Connor S. Anderson

Theses and Dissertations

Deep learning models can perform many tasks very capably, provided they are trained correctly. Usually, this requires a large amount of data. Pre-training refers to a process of creating a strong initial model by first training it on a large-scale dataset. Such a model can then be adapted to many different tasks, while only requiring a comparatively small amount of task-specific training data. Pre-training is the standard approach in most computer vision scenarios, but it's not without drawbacks. Aside from the cost and effort involved in collecting large pre-training datasets, such data may also contain unwanted biases, violations of privacy, …

Ocean Rain Detection And Wind Retrieval Through Deep Learning Architectures On Advanced Scatterometer Data, Matthew Yoshinori Otani Mckinney

Theses and Dissertations

The Advanced Scatterometer (ASCAT) is a satellite-based remote sensing instrument designed for measuring wind speed and direction over the Earth's oceans. This thesis aims to expand and improve the capabilities of ASCAT by adding rain detection and advancing wind retrieval. Additionally, this expansion to ASCAT serves as evidence of Artificial Intelligence (AI) techniques learning both novel and traditional methods in remote sensing. I apply semantic segmentation to ASCAT measurements to detect rain over the oceans, enhancing capabilities to monitor global precipitation. I use two common neural network architectures and train them on measurements from the Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) …

Hardware Acceleration Of Numerical Methods For Solving Ordinary Differential Equations, Soham Bhattacharya

Theses and Dissertations

Along with the advancement in technology, the role of hardware accelerators is increasing consistently, delivering advancements in scientific simulations and data analysis in scientific computing, signal processing tasks in communication systems, matrix operations, and neural network computations in artificial intelligence and machine learning models. On the other hand, several high-speed computer applications in this era of high-performance computing often depend on ordinary differential equations (ODEs); however, their nonlinear nature can present a challenge to obtaining analytic solutions. Consequently, numerical approaches prove effective in delivering only approximate solutions to these equations. This research discusses the implementation of a customized hardware accelerator …

Differential Elliptic Flow Analysis Of Hadrons With Different Wuark Content In Simulated Pp Collisions, Elhussein Osama

Theses and Dissertations

According to current physics theories, it is assumed that in the first microsecond after the big bang, the universe was in a state of matter called Quark-Gluon Plasma (QGP), where the fundamental consistent of matters (quarks and leptons), were highly energetic, and floating around freely. Searching for such phase of matter; as the possible earliest signatures after the big bang, and among many other interesting experimental measurements, the jet quenching and elliptic flow are the most important ones, in the heavy ion collisions at the Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider (RHIC) and the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) experiments.

The azimuthal anisotropy …

Academic Success In First-Year Engineering Students At Private Higher Education Institutions In Egypt: Key Factors, Wassim Alexan

Theses and Dissertations

This research aimed to identify the key factors contributing to the success of first-year engineering students at private higher education institutions (HEIs) in Egypt. It specifically examined how various independent variables influence the success of these students, measured as the dependent variable. By analyzing these relationships, the study seeks to pinpoint key success factors (KSFs) for first year engineering students in this specific educational context. The research work employed a mixed methods approach, utilizing both quantitative and qualitative research methods. The quantitative analysis involved collecting data through a survey administered to a sample of first year engineering students at private …

Activity Descriptors As Tools For Designing Highly Efficient Electrocatalysts For Water Splitting, Aya Gomaa

Theses and Dissertations

There is an uprising urge to design efficient, active, and durable catalysts to achieve sustainable hydrogen production. The unambiguity of which material should be used pushed the scientific community to devote enormous efforts in exploring different elements with different ratios on trial and error bases. However, the bridge between the theoretical calculation and the experiments introduced a new realm of designing efficient catalysts by introducing the concept of activity descriptors. In the first part of the thesis, the ability to convert waste stainless steel (SS) 316L meshes into highly efficient and durable oxygen evolution reaction (OER) catalysts is demonstrated. The …

Evaluating The Influence Of Perfluorooctane Sulfonic Acid Exposure On Blood Glucose Levels: A Comprehensive Multiple Regression Analysis Considering Confounding Factors, Henry Mensah

Theses and Dissertations

Perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) are widely used for industrial and commercial purposes and have received increasing attention due to their adverse effects on health. This thesis investigates the relationship between PFOS exposure and blood glucose levels, considering potential confounding factors. Regression analysis was conducted on a dataset comprising demographic, lifestyle, and biomarker data from a diverse population sample. Sex exhibited a significant role, with females demonstrating an 11.77% increase in blood glucose levels in response to PFOS exposure compared to males, supported by a p-value of 1.04 × 109. Body mass index (BMI) also played a pivotal role, revealing a 2.17% …

Federated Learning Based Autoencoder Ensemble System For Malware Detection On Internet Of Things Devices, Steven Edward Arroyo

Theses and Dissertations

New technologies are being introduced at a rate faster than ever before and smaller in size. Due to the size of these devices, security is often difficult to implement. The existing solution is a firewall-segmented “IoT Network” that only limits the effect of these infected devices on other parts of the network. We propose a lightweight unsupervised hybrid-cloud ensemble anomaly detection system for malware detection. We perform transfer learning using a generalized model trained on multiple IoT device sources to learn network traffic on new devices with minimal computational resources. We further extend our proposed system to utilize federated learning …

Integrated Computational Approaches: Elucidating Molecular Mechanisms Of Pathogenic Proteins And Designing Novel Inhibitors Against Mycobacterium Tuberculosis And Sars-Cov-2, Justin David Carbone

Theses and Dissertations

Chapter 1 introduces computational strategies in computer aided drug design (CADD), focusing on physics-based methodologies to enhance drug discovery. This chapter also discusses the theoretical foundations and practical applications of molecular dynamics (MD) simulations including free energy and stochastic kinetic analysis. In Chapter 2, CADD methods lead to development of inhibitors targeting the RNA Dependent RNA Polymerase (RdRP) of SARS-CoV-2. Inspired by the nucleotide inhibitor Molnupiravir, we aim to design a combinatorial library of 72 novel inhibitors capable of impeding a dual threat inhibition mechanism inducing lethal mutations along with stalling viral replication with specific selectivity to RdRp over Human …

Exploring Culturally Responsive Instruction In Advanced Placement Science: Perspectives From Teachers Of Underrepresented Students, Nathan Frey

Theses and Dissertations

The study investigated teacher perceptions on the influence of culturally responsive instruction in advanced placement (AP) science courses, focusing on teachers of underrepresented student populations. The study explored how teachers viewed these educational strategies to support diverse student groups and bridge opportunity gaps prevalent in AP science education. Through narrative analysis, the research considered teachers' perceptions and implementations of culturally responsive practices and the engagement of underrepresented students in AP science. This exploration interpreted the potential of culturally responsive pedagogy to enhance student outcomes, participation, and interest in science, contributing to a more equitable and inclusive AP science experience while …

Zinc Oxide Nanostructures Synthesized By Hot Water Treatment For The Photocatalytic Degradation Of Organic Pollutants In Water, Ranjitha Kumarapuram Hariharalakshmanan

Theses and Dissertations

Photocatalysis using nanostructured semiconductors for the degradation of organic pollutants has received significant attention as an advanced water treatment method. A photocatalyst absorbs light with energy greater than or equal to its band gap and generates electron-hole pairs. These electrons and holes take part in redox reactions in water to generate reactive oxygen species, such as hydroxyl radicals and superoxide anions, which can break down organic contaminants. However, this method has some challenges, such as electron-hole recombination, which reduces the efficiency, high cost of nanostructure synthesis, and reduced durability of nanostructured photocatalysts in suspension form. The immobilization of photocatalyst nanostructures …

Dreams Of An Elsewhere Or Aspiring To Stay? Navigating Anxious Youthhood And Migration In Morocco, Chaimaa Radouani

Theses and Dissertations

Migration in Morocco has long been a topic of scholarly and public debate, with a particular emphasis on low-skilled labor migration. Nonetheless, there is still a significant need to figure out the aspirations of educated, skilled youth regarding their desire to move or stay in the country. This thesis investigates the aspirations of educated youth in Casablanca, Morocco, and how they are influenced by the changing dynamics of contemporary Morocco. It addresses youth aspirations and migration by examining the elements affecting their decisions within the context of the country’s current economic, social, and political contexts. The primary focus of this …

A Comprehensive Analysis Of The Integration Of Esd Competencies In A Primary Four Curriculum In Egypt: A Case Study, Aya Elkholy

Theses and Dissertations

This qualitative study examines the integration of Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) competencies within the Primary Four Science Curriculum in Egypt under the Education Reform Project EDU 2.0. ESD competencies are viewed as essential for empowering citizens to address real-world challenges. Utilizing a qualitative research design, the study employs document and content analysis of the teacher guide of the Techbook to investigate the incorporation of these competencies. Additionally, interviews are conducted with science teachers to gain insights into the application of the curriculum design. Interviews with curriculum developers directly involved in the curriculum development process with the Egyptian Ministry of …

A Machine Learning Framework For Predicting Fabrication Hours For Industrial Steel Structure Projects, Dalia Ibrahim

Theses and Dissertations

Construction projects are considered high risk projects especially due to their required large capital making them require extreme attention in estimation as overestimating a project will lead to losing bids and underestimating them will lead to incurring more costs than budgeted resulting in losses. However, estimators are often faced with very tight timelines to finish their estimates leading them to primarily rely on their experience disregarding some crucial factors resulting in inaccurate estimates. In the steel structures industry, the steel fabrication phase accounts for 30 to 40% of the overall project cost; in addition, the steel industry is labor driven; …

Machine Learning Multimodal Framework For Fake News Detection And Mitigation, Nada A. Gaballah

Theses and Dissertations

Social media has become our new reality, people wake up every morning and the first thing they do before getting out of bed, is check their social media. Nowadays, people rarely read newspapers, they even rarely watch TV news or listen to radio broadcasts. In recent years, we have witnessed lots of fake news roaming social media every second, with people simply believing it and spreading it even more without checking the credibility of this news. This fake news affected several domains like what happened in the US election in 2016 and again in 2020, the false information about Covid-19 …

Bridging The Gap Between Neuroscience And Education: What Are Teachers’ Perceptions Of Applying “Neuropedagogy” To High School Classrooms?, Hanan Rashwan

Theses and Dissertations

Teachers can use neurobiological explanations to evaluate students' behavior and performance and create more supportive learning settings in their school environment. There is a growing interest among educators regarding the potential benefits of incorporating neuroscience into teaching practices. However, there is a lack of comprehensive understanding of how to effectively integrate cognitive neuroscience into teacher education programs to maximize its impact on student learning and teacher development. This study focuses on understanding teachers' views on the integration of neuroscience principles in educational settings by utilizing a questionnaire and interviews to gather data from participating teachers. The findings reveal that the …

Feasibility Of Oil Palm Agroforestry System: Evaluating The Application Of Oil Palm Ash For Enhancing Cherry Tomato (Solanum Lycopersicum. Var. Nancy Rz) Production Using Brackish Water., Ime Joseph Bassey

Theses and Dissertations

Monoculture systems of oil palm production are ravaging the world’s tropical forests, causing deforestation and biodiversity loss, which contribute to climate change at an uncontrollable pace. Oil palm agroforestry systems (AFSs), one of the strategies of regenerative agriculture, have proven to reverse the unfavorable effects of the oil palm monoculture systems. A sustainable means of soil fertilization and irrigation must be explored to improve the feasibility of oil palm AFSs. This study evaluates the impact of the application of oil palm ash and brackish irrigation on cherry tomato production. The experiment was conducted in a hydroponic system using a 2*4 …

Transforming Orthopedic Surgery: Autonomous Image-Guided Techniques For Femur Fracture Robotic Surgery, Marzieh Sadat Saeedi-Hosseiny

Theses and Dissertations

Long-bone fractures, particularly femur fractures, are prevalent and necessitate surgical intervention due to traumatic forces. Manual reduction procedures pose challenges, including excessive traction forces and reliance on limited X-ray imaging, resulting in malalignment-related complications and repeated surgeries. Current methods for femur fracture reduction are prone to inaccuracies, prolonged surgical times, and postoperative complications. This research introduces image-guided methods to automate a surgical robotic system, Robossis, to enhance femur alignment accuracy, reduce procedure times, and improve patient outcomes. To address these challenges, a marker-based approach utilizing a few X-ray images is developed to detect the spatial relative position of the femur …

Leveraging Biological Mechanisms In Machine Learning, Kyle J. Rogers

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis integrates biologically-inspired mechanisms into machine learning to develop novel tuning algorithms, gradient abstractions for depth-wise parallelism, and an original bias neuron design. We introduce neuromodulatory tuning, which uses neurotransmitter-inspired bias adjustments to enhance transfer learning in spiking and non-spiking neural networks, significantly reducing parameter usage while maintaining performance. Additionally, we propose a novel approach that decouples the backward pass of backpropagation using layer abstractions, inspired by feedback loops in biological systems, enabling depth-wise training parallelization. We further extend neuromodulatory tuning by designing spiking bias neurons that mimic dopamine neuron mechanisms, leading to the development of volumetric tuning. This …

Case Studies For Energy Efficient Machine Learning Inference Acceleration, Recep Erol

Theses and Dissertations

The advancements in machine learning, deep learning and AI have yielded remarkable tools and innovations, but certain groups face barriers preventing their utilization of these technologies. This research identifies and categorizes these barriers, focusing on three distinct groups: those lacking computational power, seeking to deploy models across multiple devices, and struggling with optimization challenges in high-performance computing centers. The study highlights the disconnect between academia's proposed solutions and their practical integration within industries and research centers, emphasizing the lack of convenience and integration among existing tools. To bridge this gap, this research offers a multifaceted approach. Firstly, it introduces publicly …

An Investigation Of The Mindset Context And Its Downstream Effects On Marginalized Student Outcomes In College Stem Courses, Ronia Naim Kattoum

Theses and Dissertations

Multiple national calls centered on critical thinking and social justice have been made to improve and reform higher education in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) courses to increase the representation of students from marginalized groups in the STEM workforce and equip all students for success. To help answer this call, our project has two overarching goals: 1) Identify pathways to increase student success in STEM courses at a moderately selective metropolitan institution with a diverse population that can be generalized to similar institutions, and 2) determine how instructional practices influence perceptions of the learning environment, especially for marginalized students. …

A Study Assessing Stress Induction Methods And Regulation Genes, As Well As Cellular Ultrastructure And Automated Image Analysis In Synechocystis Sp. Pcc 6803, Rebekah White

Theses and Dissertations

In the world of microorganisms, cyanobacteria are a uniquely skilled powerhouse. They participate in global nutrient and carbon cycling. They can photosynthesize, which allows them to use sunlight and carbon dioxide to produce cellular energy. However, photosynthesis involves a lot of molecular interactions where environmental stresses can interfere, increasing the chances of oxidative stress and nutrient imbalances that can amplify deleterious effects. One such stress, iron limitation, is well-studied and its responses in the cell are known. This study assesses the differences between responses when induced by two different iron limitation methods. Then, a specific stress response regulator DspA, also …

Performance Evaluation Of A Novel Dual-Bed Gasification Reactor For The Production Of Green Energy, Ogooluwa Philip Ojo

Theses and Dissertations

The need to maximize current energy sources and create new ones has increased due to the world's growing energy demand and the depletion of major energy sources. Biomass and solid waste, such as wood, sawdust, plant wastes, paper, cardboard, and plastics, present promising carbon-neutral alternatives, collectively accounting for over 10% of global energy generation. The concept of integrating fixed and fluidized bed reactors in industrial applications needs additional research to ascertain the optimal configuration and interplay between these reactor types. Hence this research focuses on the utilization of a unique hybrid modular gasification system that combines fixed and fluidized bed …

Repetitive Thinking, Social Connectedness, And Distressing Sexual Experiences In Autistic And Non-Autistic Students: Examining Social-Cognitive Risk Factors And Mental Health During The College Transition, Erin Elizabeth Mckenney

Theses and Dissertations

The prevention and treatment of mental health concerns are consistently named among autistic adults’ highest clinical and research priorities. While several theories have been proposed to explain the high prevalence of depression and anxiety in autistic populations, virtually no longitudinal research has evaluated causal mechanisms. The first study in this dissertation aims to explore how known contributors to depression and anxiety identified by general population research – namely, rumination, dissatisfaction with social connectedness, and distressing sexual experiences – relate to the development of internalizing symptoms in autistic individuals during the transition to college. The second study explores potential contributors to …

Investigation Of Collision Cross Sections & Time-Resolved Structural Modification Of Biomolecules, Host-Guest Systems, & Small Molecules Using Ion Mobility & Fourier Transform Ion Cyclotron Resonance Mass Spectrometry, Noah Mismash

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis explores the structures and structural changes of supramolecular host-guest systems, proteins, and other small molecules in the gas phase, utilizing a combination of computational modeling and experimental data. The primary instruments employed were a Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometer (FTICR-MS) and an ion mobility mass spectrometer (IM-MS). In the IM-MS experiments, the focus was on investigating the binding behavior of cyclodextrin macrocycles—specifically α, β, and γ-cyclodextrin—with per-fluoroalkane substances (PFAS), which are pervasive environmental contaminants. This investigation involved measuring ion-neutral collision cross sections and using computational modeling to determine whether PFAS compounds bind inside or outside the …

A Study Of Professional Learning Community Leadership Using A Modified Approach, Makayla Willis Needs

Theses and Dissertations

Professional Learning Communities (PLCs) are an important vehicle for teacher reflection and collaboration. The team leader of the PLC plays a critical role in the effectiveness of a PLC in improving instruction and student learning. However, there is less research around how the team leader facilitates the work of the PLC to improve instruction. This paper reports on a self-study investigation conducted by the team leader who used a modified approach to the PLC process focused on student mathematical thinking. The self-study consisted of analyzing video conversations of three PLC meetings to understand the nature of the leadership and how …