Digital Commons Network^™

Comparing Principal Component Analysis And Sequential Fusion Deeponet With Varying Dataset Size For Design Space Exploration Of Hypersonic Flow, J. Dallan Trentman

Theses and Dissertations

Design space exploration and optimization of hypersonic vehicles is costly due to the difficulty of producing high fidelity CFD simulations in the hypersonic domain. Reduced order modeling can allow for design optimization at a fraction of the computational cost. This paper investigates the amount of training data required to produce an accurate Reduced Order Model. A PCA based ROM is developed and compared to a Sequential Fusion DeepONet by comparing model prediction accuracy, training time, and prediction time, across dataset sizes from 25 samples to 1024 samples. These models are applied to 2D hypersonic CFD simulations of the Orion reentry …

Resonant Shock Plate Simulation And Prediction Using Modal Substructuring, Harrison C. Denning

Theses and Dissertations

Aerospace structures such as rockets can experience various shock events during flight, such as stage separation or impacts. These shock events can expose components inside the rocket to large accelerations and stresses which in turn can damage the parts. Shocks are often simulated in the lab using a resonant shock plate test. Resonant shock plate testing is often used to qualify aerospace parts, as it can mimic the shocks experienced during launch and stage separations. However, during the course of development, both the definition of the shock environment and the design of the subcomponent tend to change, so that multiple …

Recognition Of Autism Characteristics In Females: An Examination Of Stakeholders, Laurel Lyn Bishop

Theses and Dissertations

Autism is a neurodevelopmental communication disorder, characterized by differences in social communication, attention, interests, and sensory perception. Diagnostic criteria have historically applied to males, but clinical diagnostic criteria beginning in 2022 now include slight differences in traits comprising the female phenotype. Until recently, autistic females may be missed by the professional and education community or diagnosed later than males. Like their autistic male counterparts, they face an increased risk of suicidal ideation, but they also face more difficulties in peer relationships, academic problems, and increased anxiety and depressive symptoms, but may not get supports. School-age girls spend their days with …

Extreme Heat And Its Impact On Public Transit Ridership In Nyc, Craig Denton

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis explores the connection between extreme heat events and public transit ridership patterns in New York City, with a particular emphasis on low-income communities. It investigates the intersection of socioeconomic factors and heat-related challenges, analyzing how extreme temperature periods influence overall transit use and why certain routes or neighborhoods experience greater declines in ridership during these events.

Utilizing existing literature, NYC-specific transit and climate datasets, and the broader context of transit equity, this research aims to inform strategies that strengthen climate resilience within urban transportation systems. The study’s findings are intended to support policy development and planning initiatives that …

On A Classification Of Goy/Sabra-Type Shell Models Of Turbulence, Austin Ho

Theses and Dissertations

Since their inception in the 1970s, shell models have proved to be a fruitful testbed for studying theories of turbulence. This thesis considers variations of two classical shell models: the Gledzer–Ohkitani–Yamada (GOY) model and the Sabra model. Up to conjugacy classes, we classify all possible GOY-type and Sabra-type models. We numerically approximate the scaling exponents for the newly identified models and develop their mathematical well-posedness.

Understanding The Correlation Between Prediction Performance And Trust In Ai Through Scenario-Based Tasks, Likhitha Kammara

Theses and Dissertations

Trust in artificial intelligence is commonly assessed through self-reported scales or behavioral reliance, yet behavioral reliance is retrospective and can only be observed after a decision has already been made. This thesis examines whether prediction accuracy — a user's ability to predict what an AI system will recommend before its output is revealed — can serve as a prospective correlate of trust in the same empirical sense as behavioral reliance. The study was conducted in two phases using scenario-based AI decision tasks across disaster response, healthcare, and infrastructure restoration contexts, employing a between-group design in which participants either predicted AI …

Quantifying Dust Structure In An Elliptical Galaxy Via Optical–Near-Infrared Color Mapping: A Detailed Study Of Ngc 6251, Luke Reed

Theses and Dissertations

The giant elliptical galaxy NGC 6251 is a well-studied active radio galaxy that hosts one of the largest known relativistic jet systems, with a projected size of approximately 3 Mpc. In addition to its large-scale radio structure, the galaxy hosts a prominent circumnuclear dust feature surrounding the active nucleus, previously interpreted as a warped dust disk. This thesis focuses on the inner morphology and dust structure of NGC 6251 using archival Hubble Space Telescope observations obtained with the WFPC2 and NICMOS instruments.

The central structure of the galaxy was investigated across multiple wavelengths through image calibration, PSF modeling and subtraction, …

From Hesitation To Creation: Bookmaking, Language, And The Development Of Student Confidence In The Arts And Crafts, Kayla Rich

Theses and Dissertations

Many secondary students enter art classrooms believing that artistic ability is an innate talent rather than a skill that can be developed, often resulting in low confidence, perfectionist tendencies, and a reluctance to take creative risks. This action research study investigated how participation in a crafts-focused bookmaking curriculum affected students' engagement, divergent creativity, artmaking, and mindset in relation to success, failure, and creative risk-taking. Drawing on research in growth mindset, guided mastery, craft education, and artists' books, I designed and implemented a scaffolded curriculum that progressed from structured bookbinding techniques and process-based exploration to conceptually driven artists' books. The study …

Educator Perspectives Of Available Special Education Transition Programming Through High School Career And Technical Education Organizations For Female Students In Self-Contained Classrooms, Cassandra L. Aungst

Theses and Dissertations

The problem addressed in this study was that there is a lack of research regarding alignment between special education student transition assessments, transition goals, and transition programming and specifically those who identify as female students. While career readiness programs are accessible to all students, regardless of gender, female students in special education remain underrepresented in career and technical education programs. The purpose of this research was to review educational practices that influence female students with disabilities in relation to their individualized education plan transition goals and programming by addressing (a) educators’ perceptions, (b) systemic challenges, and (c) policy gaps influencing …

Discursive Consciousness And Pedagogical Reasoning Within Teacher Collaborative Inquiry In Rural Mexico, Nelly Yllen Charles Martinez

Theses and Dissertations

This study examines teacher collaborative learning within Matemáticas Equitativas (MATEQ), a school-based professional learning model designed to support equitable mathematics instruction through collaborative inquiry and peer observation. Drawing on Anthony Giddens' structure-agency theory, this research adopts an interpretive qualitative case study with discourse-oriented analysis to examine teachers' pedagogical reasoning by looking at manifestations of discursive consciousness--defined as the capacity to articulate and rationalize one's actions in discourse--during collaborative meetings. Findings show that both the interactional structures and collaborative resources embedded in MATEQ--in particular peer facilitated uses of observation rubrics--mediated teachers' discursive consciousness, strengthening the pedagogical reasoning shared within collaborative inquiry. …

Selective Factors Impacting Charter High School Enrollment, Nathan Marshall

Theses and Dissertations

This study examined factors influencing high school choice among Utah families, comparing parent priorities between charter and traditional public high schools. Using one-way ANOVA with Tukey honestly significant difference (HSD) post hoc comparisons, parental priorities were analyzed across personal, school community, and academic factors. Parents choosing traditional public high schools rated personal and school community factors significantly higher, emphasizing relationships and school climate, while charter high school parents rated academic factors significantly higher, favoring rigor and instructional quality. Charter parents' priorities were not uniform, however, but varied significantly by school model, suggesting that the charter-versus-traditional divide masks meaningful differences within …

Examining Curriculum Alignment: Utah Core Mathematics Standards And The Mathematics Vision Project/Open Up Resources, Jennifer Suzanne Young

Theses and Dissertations

This study examined the alignment between the Utah Core Mathematics Standards (UCMS) and the Mathematics Vision Project/Open Up Resources (MVPOUR) curriculum for Secondary Mathematics I, II, and III, as well as the proportion of Utah secondary students potentially exposed to that alignment through district-level curriculum approval. Using a qualitative comparative case study design, UCMS were systematically compared to MVPOUR topic foci to identify horizontal alignment (standards addressed within the intended course), vertical alignment (standards addressed across courses), combined horizontal and vertical alignment, or lack of alignment. Alignment data were recorded using a spreadsheet-based content analysis and independently coded to support …

Teachers' Perspectives: Literacy Recommendations For Newcomers With Limited Language Proficiency, Rachel Edmunds

Theses and Dissertations

Although multilingual literacy instruction has expanded in recent years, less is known about how teachers can support newcomers with limited language proficiency in Grades 4-6. This gap is significant as many teachers report feeling underprepared to meet the needs of their multilingual learners, especially those with limited language proficiency. The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore the literacy practices and strategies that teachers found effective when working with students who are multilingual newcomers with limited language proficiency (NLLPs) in Spanish and English in Grades 4-6 along with their implementation experiences. Drawing from Vygotsky's sociocultural theory, this qualitative study …

Radiation Effects On The Amd Versal Running An Automatic Modulation Classification Model, Allan D. Howe

Theses and Dissertations

With the recent increase of interest into artificial intelligence (AI), graphics processing units (GPUs) have been used as the main hardware architecture for AI computation. Because of their high power consumption and large size, it is necessary to consider other architectures to perform AI computing in outer-space where size, weight, power, and cost (SWaP-C) are tightly constrained. One such architecture is the Advanced Micro Devices (AMD) Versal Adaptive Compute Acceleration Platform (ACAP), which can achieve acceptable AI throughput at a lower power and size compared to a GPU. As the Versal ACAP gets used in space applications, it is necessary …

Talking Teaching For Change: How Productive Teacher Collaborations Contribute To Teacher Efficacy Beliefs And Student Achievement Gains, Xiaohang Zhang

Theses and Dissertations

Teacher collaboration and teacher efficacy beliefs are complex, multifaceted constructs that play critical roles in student learning and influence one another in multiple ways. School collaborative culture, including collegial trust, collective learning, and shared responsibility, has also been identified as an important factor shaping both effective teacher collaboration and teacher efficacy beliefs. This study employed a sequential explanatory mixed-methods design to (a) examine the relationships between features of collaborative discourse and teachers' instructional efficacy beliefs, as well as the extent to which school type and school collaborative culture influence these relationships, and (b) explore how these collaborative discourse features are …

Equivocation Analysis Across Continuous And Discrete Memoryless Channels, Md Munibun Billah

Theses and Dissertations

Physical-layer security uses the noise already present in the channel to keep a message secret without making any assumption about the eavesdropper's computing power. In Wyner's wiretap channel model, coset coding uses randomness to map the message to many codewords and protects against information leakage from an active eavesdropper. The secrecy provided by such codes is measured by their equivocation, which is the eavesdropper's remaining uncertainty about the message after she observes her channel. So computing equivocation is an important aspect of analyzing the wiretap channel model. Many channels of practical interest have no closed-form expression for equivocation, and exact …

Examining The Relationship Between Past Involvement In Sexual Violence, Gender, And Rape Myth Acceptance In College Student-Athletes, Sarah Baker

Theses and Dissertations

Sexual violence (SV) is a persistent concern on U.S. college campuses, with student-athletes at higher risk for both perpetration and victimization. Rape myth acceptance (RMA) reflects beliefs that excuse or downplay SV, but it is unclear how these beliefs relate to student-athletes’ personal experiences with SV. This study examined RMA based on past SV involvement and gender, with attention to individuals reporting both perpetration and victimization. Participants were 350 NCAA Division III student-athletes who completed measures of SV perpetration and victimization, RMA, and sexism. Analyses evaluated differences in RMA by past involvement in sexual violence and gender while controlling for …

Optical Integrated Sensing And Communication: Deep Reinforcement Learning-Based Beam Tracking For Dynamic Vehicle-To-Everything Networks, Akshat Sharan

Theses and Dissertations

Optical Wireless Communication (OWC) promises ultra-high bandwidth for vehicular networks but suffers from critical beam misalignment in dynamic environments. The emerging paradigm of Optical Integrated Sensing and Communication (O-ISAC) addresses this challenge by unifying the sensing and communication functions over a single shared optical aperture, enabling real-time environmental awareness to guide beam steering. However, the multi-objective, stochastic nature of this joint optimization problem renders classical closed-form controllers inadequate. This thesis proposes and evaluates a deep reinforcement learning framework for continuous beam tracking in a 2D vehicular O-ISAC scenario. We conduct a comprehensive comparative study of four state-of-the-art deep RL algorithms: …

Investigations Into Biophysical Mechanisms Of Amphiphilic Molecules At Protein And Membrane Interfaces, Samuel Richard Pennock

Theses and Dissertations

Amphiphilic compounds play a key role in chemical biology due to their ability to associate with biochemical complexes through a diverse set of noncovalent interactions. Interactions between amphiphiles and biological targets elicit a wide array of modulatory effects, structural stability, and activity. However, due to the inherent complexity of these interactions, there has yet to be a broadly predictive framework for determining whether a given amphiphile-target interaction will be beneficial or deleterious. This thesis seeks to advance the mechanistic understanding of amphiphile-target interactions by investigating two distinct but unified systems. In the first study, the effects of fatty acid ionic …

Using C/Μ Test To Investigate The Coding And Noncoding Regions To Identify Selective Pressures In Hiv-1 Virus., Annie Tran

Theses and Dissertations

Human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) is a single-stranded RNA retrovirus whose error-prone reverse transcriptase drives a high mutation rate, enabling adaptive mutations on drug target proteins that confer antiviral resistance and complicate long-term treatment. This study therefore aims to detect such adaptive mutations on HIV-1 drug target proteins using our novel analysis framework (c/µ) on 5,711 genomic sequences, with findings expected to inform timely therapeutic adjustments and guide the development of more robust antiretroviral strategies. In Chapter 1, our novel mathematical framework (c/µ) and the Near Neutral Unbalanced Selection Theory (NNUST), which posits that most mutations experience weak but …

Blended Learning Development In Mongolian K-12 Education: A Systematic Review And Psychometric Study Of Teacher Readiness, Batbold Bukhchuluun

Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation examines blended learning (BL) in Asian K-12 education through a systematic review and an empirical validation study in Mongolia. The first study reviews peer-reviewed K-12 BL research published between 2000 and 2024 using PRISMA procedures. We analyzed 42 studies to identify publication trends, geographic representation, BL model adoption, articulation of physical and pedagogical design layers, implementation challenges, and reported outcomes. Findings indicate that BL research is concentrated in a limited number of countries, frequently employs flipped learning models, and often lacks detailed pedagogical specification. Common challenges include infrastructure limitations, teacher preparedness, and institutional support. The second study adapts …

Developing An Understanding Of Concavity Built On Covariation, Jade E. Gregg

Theses and Dissertations

This study investigated how six students developed a quantitative understanding of concavity founded in covariational reasoning through a series of task-based teaching interviews. A key finding was the importance of multivariational reasoning--the coordination of more than two variables--in helping students reason deeply about concavity in context. Common difficulties, including confusion about negative rates and overreliance on visual representations, served as productive opportunities for learning when addressed through carefully designed tasks and discussions. The findings extend existing frameworks of covariational reasoning and highlight instructional approaches that can support students in developing a robust, quantity-based understanding of concavity.

Beyond Static Measures: The Predictive Validity And Classification Accuracy Of A Dynamic Assessment Of Decoding For Early Elementary, Bridgett Bakula

Theses and Dissertations

Early and accurate identification of children at risk for reading difficulty is essential to prevent long-term academic failure, yet traditional static assessments often struggle to distinguish between a true reading disorder and a lack of prior instruction. This is particularly evident in the early grades, where floor effects and cultural/linguistic biases limit the classification accuracy of traditional screeners. This study investigated the predictive validity and structural utility of the modifiability index of a dynamic assessment (DA) of decoding, administered in kindergarten. Unlike static measures that evaluate "already actualized" knowledge, DA measures a student's learning potential and modifiability, or the capacity …

How Young Mothers’ Interpersonal And Emotional Well-Being Impacts Parental Stress And Dating Violence, Jonathan Jin

Theses and Dissertations

This two-part dissertation investigated two distinct, yet interconnected aspects of young mothers’ wellbeing which span individual and interpersonal factors. Study 1 examined how adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) are related to parental stress, and how symptoms of anxiety and depression might mediate this association. Within a sample 255 young mothers with an average age of 22.2 (SD = 2.3), the pooled results of a parallel mediation model across 10 imputed datasets indicated a significant average direct effect of ACEs on parental stress (0.25, p < .01), suggesting that experiencing a history of ACEs was significantly associated with more parental stress. Study 2 examined the relationship between young mothers’ romantic attachment, emotion regulation, and dating violence (DV) victimization. In a different sample of 256 young mothers with an average age of 19.8 years (SD = 1.1), more avoidant (less secure) romantic attachment styles (β = 0.26, SE = 0.1, p < 0.01) and more anxious romantic attachment styles (linear component β = 3.81, SE = 0.9, p < 0.001 and quadratic component β = -2.86, SE = 0.9, p < 0.01) were significantly associated with greater DV victimization. Future research may extend this work by using longitudinal designs to test bidirectional links between interpersonal and emotional wellbeing factors among young mothers.

Integrating Multimodal Composition Practices In A Fifth-Grade Classroom To Enhance Student Engagement And Comprehension, Erin Beal

Theses and Dissertations

This study investigated the impact of integrating multimodal composition practices on fifth-grade students' writing development. Specifically, it examined how multimodal opportunities influenced student engagement, content area understanding, and overall attitudes toward the writing process. Utilizing a mixed-methods approach, the study utilized pre- and post-surveys to assess changes in students' self-awareness and dispositions toward writing. Over the course of the research study, data was gathered through anecdotal teacher notes, direct observations, and student work samples. Working both independently and collaboratively, students synthesized content material to create and present original multimodal projects.

Transport Properties And Microstructural Development Of Co₂-Cured, Co₂-Infused, And Cold-Weather Concrete, Arlene Jane Looc

Theses and Dissertations

This research aims to advance the understanding of durability and transport behavior in emerging CO₂-cured and cold-weather concrete technologies. Limited work has examined long-term durability indicators such as permeability, resistivity, and pore connectivity in these types of concrete. To bridge this gap, the study evaluates transport properties alongside microstructural changes that govern the progression of hydration and the evolution of pore structure. This study measures transport properties, determines correlations between resistivity and fluid ingress, and analyzes the evolution of pore structure. To achieve this, the experimental program evaluated three concrete mixtures for external CO₂ exposure, nine for dry ice infusion, …

Leveraging Oxaziridines In Transition Metal Catalysis And As Reactive Intermediates, Jenna Marie Doran

Theses and Dissertations

Oxaziridines are versatile three-membered nitrogen–oxygen heterocycles that can function both as reactive intermediates and as components of transition-metal catalysts, enabling selective and diverse organic transformations. This work explores the dual role of oxaziridines in facilitating alkene functionalization and amide synthesis. We discovered that vanadooxaziridines catalyze intermolecular allylic amination with high regio- and chemoselectivity, providing a mild route to allylic amines, whereas molybdooxaziridine complexes display an unexpected preference for vinyl sulfonation, revealing a divergent pathway from the typical nitrogen-transfer reactions and offering access to synthetically valuable sulfur-containing motifs. In parallel, oxaziridine intermediates derived from imines mediate efficient formation of amides from …

Analytic Solutions To Oceanographic Kinematic Property Equations, James Turbett

Theses and Dissertations

With the recent advent of large submesoscale drifter deployments, interpreting the timeseries of kinematic properties (KP) - divergence, vorticity, shear, and normal strain rates observed therein is a pressing issue. The evolution equations for the four KP are derived from the two-dimensional momentum conservation equations. The resulting equations, a nonlinear coupled system of ordinary differential equations, capture the submesoscale motion of drifters along fixed ocean surfaces, with time and space scales on the order of days and kilometers. This thesis builds theory around KP timeseries behavior by solving for the analytic solutions in the particular cases that one KP is …

Open Neighbourhood Edge Degree And Metric Descriptors Qspr And Multi Criteria Analysis Of Chemicals And Antiviral Drugs, Gayathri A Ms

Theses and Dissertations

Chemical Graph theory offers powerful computational methods for evaluating chemical structures, significantly impacting cheminformatics and drug analysis. It provides a robust mathematical framework to represent, model, and analyse molecular systems through topological indices and graph invariants. These indices serve as effective numerical descriptors, encapsulating significant structural information that enhances the prediction of physicochemical and biological properties. This thesis utilizes mathematical modeling, algorithmic computation, and decision making process to derive extensive insights to drug discovery and molecular analysis.

The thesis introduces a new class of topological indices ONE1, ONE2, ONE3, ONE4, ONE5,ONE6 and ONE7 based on open-neighbourhood-edge-degree and it evaluates the …

Vibro-Seismic Approach For Remediation Of Near-Wellbore Damage, Mounira Ahmed Abdallah

Theses and Dissertations

The research highlights the importance of vibro-seismic technology in the oil and gas industry. The primary objective of this study is to demonstrate how the vibro-seismic method enhances formation properties which are porosity, and permeability. Ultimately, this will lead to improved productivity and its application to remove the wellbore damage.

The research discusses whether or not the formation properties will be enhanced by the optimized acoustic vibration formation parameters. The thesis details laboratory experiments on core plugs, and four key findings are presented. The experimental work first showed that the use of the proper and optimum parameters enhanced the porosity …