Digital Commons Network^™

Injectable, In Situ Forming Peptide Nanofiber Reinforced Composite Hydrogels For Age-Related Macular Degeneration, Shambhavi Bagewadi Ms

Theses and Dissertations

Cell therapy for age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is limited by the absence of a functional substrate such as Bruch’s membrane (BM), which is critical for retinal pigment epithelial (RPE) cell survival and integration. Although preformed substrates have been explored, their implantation can disrupt the fragile retinal architecture, compromise ocular immune privilege and increase infection risk. To address these limitations, an injectable hydrogel capable of forming in situ was developed. The hydrogel consists of thiol-modified hyaluronic acid (HA-SH) and polyvinyl alcohol (PVA). Peptide nanofibers were incorporated to enhance structural reinforcement. Three self-assembling peptides - RADA-16, GAGA and GAGA-YIGSR were designed and …

Power Consumption Prediction And Energy Forecasting Using Machine Learning Models, Sheik Mohideen Shah S Mr

Theses and Dissertations

Power consumption trends are essential to be identified in the energy grid areas to analyze the utilization, deficiency, and the measures to be taken for an effective and comfortable usage of energy. There are two scenarios in which the power consumption can be analyzed, namely identification and prediction. Identification deals with the post-utilization analysis of energy trends, whereas prediction deals with prior analysis of various factors of energy utilization, including the cost, supply details, shortages, and the need for new energy resources. In the existing models, the power consumption-related data are collected through smart meters, and the energy forecasting methods …

The Effects Of Phonetic Knowledge And Bilingualism On The Acquisition Of Non-Native Consonant Clusters, Kylie Wakley

Theses and Dissertations

Speech motor learning involves the production of new sounds or sound sequences. This study investigated how explicit phonetic knowledge and bilingualism affect how individuals acquire sound sequences that do not occur in English, or non-native consonant clusters. Sixty adults with typical speech, aged between 18 and 27 years, participated in the experiment. The researcher recruited participants into four groups based on their phonetic background (experienced or not) and language background (monolingual, bilingual). The participants produced stop-stop and fricative-nasal clusters in the initial position of nonsense words across six practice blocks. The duration of each cluster was measured, which in English …

Multimodal Analysis Of Content Drift And Algorithmic Bias In Youtube Recommendations, Mert Can Cakmak

Theses and Dissertations

Recommendation systems play a major role in shaping how users encounter information on digital platforms, yet their influence often unfolds through sequences of recommended content rather than isolated outputs. This dissertation investigates recommendation bias on YouTube by examining how recommendation pathways evolve across long-form videos and YouTube Shorts. Focusing on politically sensitive narratives, including the China–Uyghur conflict, the South China Sea dispute, and Taiwan’s 2024 presidential election, the dissertation develops a unified framework for understanding how recommendation systems reshape exposure across platform formats. Using an audit-based and multimodal methodology, the dissertation combines controlled recommendation collection, topic and relevance analysis, emotion …

Receptivity And The Thing In Itself: Allison, Allais, And The Problem Of Outer Affection In Kant’S Transcendental Idealism, Amr Elmargoushy

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis examines Kant’s distinction between appearances and things in themselves within the framework of transcendental idealism, focusing on how this distinction is meant to secure objective validity while respecting the limits of possible experience. It critically evaluates two influential contemporary interpretations: Henry Allison’s epistemological reading, which understands the distinction as marking different ways of considering the same object, and Lucy Allais’s metaphysical reading, which attributes a grounding role to things in themselves. The thesis argues that while Allison’s reinterpretation successfully avoids noumenal causation by construing affection epistemically, it generates a structural epistemic circularity concerning the role of receptivity and …

The Impact Of Response Latency On Perceived Level Of Intelligence And Likability Of Autistic Speakers, Brinley Atkinson

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine how turn-taking latency and speaker or listener gender affect the perceived intelligence and likability of the speaker across autistic speakers. In addition, the overarching goal of this research is to help speech-language pathologists (SLPs) better provide support and strategies to autistic individuals to improve their social and professional lives. Neurotypical English speakers (20 male and 20 female) were recruited to listen to a series of conversational speech samples collected from a group of eight autistic adults (four male and four female). In each sample, autistic individuals responded to a series of everyday …

Functional And Structural Lesion Network Mapping: Insights Into Acquired Brain Injury And Insomnia, Kathleen Erekson Rugh

Theses and Dissertations

Insomnia disorder is the most reported sleep disorder and can negatively affect daily functioning. Acquired brain injuries can lead to insomnia disorder. Limited research has explored a causal link between brain networks and insomnia symptoms in this population. This study replicated a lesion network mapping methodology of an insomnia study (Helquist et al., 2024) and extended it to examine structural networks linked to insomnia symptoms in individuals with acquired brain injuries. Traced lesions (N =44) were used as seed regions to compare against normative functional and structural network data. For functional analyses, we used resting state fMRI scans from a …

Baseline Moderators Of A Transdiagnostic Adolescent Sleep And Circadian Health Intervention's Effectiveness At Improving Circadian Sleep Health: A Pilot Investigation, Jamon M. Jex

Theses and Dissertations

The current study examined whether baseline demographic and clinical characteristics moderate the effectiveness of the Transdiagnostic Sleep and Circadian (TSC) intervention in improving adolescent circadian sleep health. Using an integrative data analysis approach, data from three independent adolescent samples (N = 134; ages 10-18) were pooled to evaluate changes across multidimensional sleep outcomes defined by the RU-SATED model of sleep, including regularity, satisfaction, alertness, timing, efficiency, and duration. Linear mixed-effects models were used to assess pre-to-post intervention changes and test moderation by age, sex, family income, and clinical status. Results indicated significant improvements in sleep satisfaction following TSC, with greater …

Crisis Preparedness And Confidence Levels In Faculty & Staff At Rowan University, Paige Bathurst

Theses and Dissertations

This study examined faculty and staff confidence and preparedness in responding to crisis situations at Rowan University. As higher education institutions face an increasing range of emergencies, understanding how employees perceive their readiness is essential for strengthening institutional crisis management efforts. Using a quantitative research design, data were collected through an anonymous online survey distributed to all faculty and staff. The survey measured participants’ confidence across multiple crisis scenarios, perceptions of preparedness and response competency, and participation in crisis-related training. A total of 135 participants completed the survey, and descriptive statistics, including mean confidence and agreement scores, were used to …

Real-Time Instruction Internalization For Large Language Models, Brenden Smith

Theses and Dissertations

For the end user, Large Language Models (LLMs) are programs that process natural language inputs into natural language outputs. In popular usage, this tends to take the form of conversation: a user asks a question, provides information, or gives instructions, and the LLM (hopefully) replies in a manner we would expect of an informed and compliant person. While convenient and intuitive for users, this natural conversational format encourages the misconception that LLMs are learning from conversations, when they do not. This work presents the benefits and practicality of a language model paradigm that meets this user expectation -- that is, …

Reluctant Ratifiers: New Jersey’S Partisan Politics During Reconstruction, 1863-1873, Steven Michael Henderson

Theses and Dissertations

On March 31, 1870, Thomas Mundy Peterson cast a historic vote in Perth Amboy, New Jersey, becoming the first African American in the United States to vote under the Fifteenth Amendment. His vote occurred in a state that had resisted the very constitutional changes that made it possible. New Jersey and Reconstruction, 1863–1873 examines this contradiction, exploring how a loyal Union state became one of Reconstruction’s most reluctant participants before ultimately accepting its reforms. This thesis argues that New Jersey reflected broader Northern divisions during the Civil War and Reconstruction. Despite supporting the Union, the state resisted Abraham Lincoln’s leadership …

The Normative Evolution Of Political Crime In Egyptian Criminal Law 1881 – 1981, Anas Sayed Elkorashy

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis examines the historical evolution of the Egyptian criminal justice system's approach to managing political opposition. It employs the concept of "political crime" as a heuristic for analyzing the prosecution of dissent, despite the absence of a statutory definition within the legal system. By situating these practices within the broader context of political conflict, the study traces how criminal law has been used to manage rivalry and neutralize perceived threats to the state. Drawing on Fraenkel’s theory of the "Dual State," the thesis argues that modern Egyptian criminal justice has developed through a distinctive dual structure. The research distinguishes …

The Development And Evaluation Of An Automated Tactical Tillage Tool To Identify And Control Weeds In Row-Crop Production Systems Using Vision-Based Machine Learning., Clara Anne Cobb

Theses and Dissertations

Controlling in-field weeds in row-crop production systems is vital to the success of the operation. To control weeds, most producers use combinations of weed control strategies, including tillage and herbicide applications. Cotton production operations across the country have been trending toward conservation tillage practices in an effort to minimize soil disruption and maintain crop residues on the soil surface. This practice, in addition to the adoption of herbicide-tolerant cotton varieties, has encouraged more use of chemical herbicides. The overuse of these herbicides has resulted in an increase in herbicide-resistant weeds, making weed control difficult for farmers. This research aimed to …

From Natural Language To Cryptographic Protocol Specifications: Evaluating Llms For Cpsa Generation, Martin Duclos

Theses and Dissertations

Formal verification can prove the security properties of cryptographic protocols, but translating natural language specifications into formal models requires specialized expertise, limiting the broader adoption of formal verification methods. This dissertation investigates whether large language models (LLMs) can lower this barrier by automatically generating Cryptographic Protocol Shapes Analyzer (CPSA) models from natural language protocol specifications. We evaluate three complementary strategies for improving LLM-based CPSA code generation through systematic experimentation across 104 protocols and 15 language models. First, we analyze prompt engineering and find that moderate structured guidance yields the most accurate outputs, while excessive prompt complexity degrades performance. Second, we …

Why Become A Teacher? Perspectives From Undergraduate Students Majoring In Secondary Mathematics Education, Benjamin E. Jordan

Theses and Dissertations

This qualitative dissertation was an exploration of the motivations and factors influencing undergraduate students to pursue a degree in secondary mathematics education through traditional route teacher preparation programs. Grounded in a pragmatic theoretical framework, the researcher attempted to respond to increasing teacher shortages by seeking to understand why students continue to choose the teaching profession despite documented challenges. Prior research indicated two driving forces students consider when choosing a major: intrinsic influences and extrinsic factors. Semi-structured interviews with six undergraduate students from three Southeastern Conference, R1 land-grant universities were conducted. Four academic advisors from four Southeastern Conference, R1 land-grant universities, …

Machine Learning Assisted Development Of Al0.2cufemnni High Entropy Alloy Through Selective Laser Melting, Hareharen K Mr

Theses and Dissertations

High Entropy Alloys (HEAs) are an emerging class of advanced materials that have gained significant attention due to their exceptional mechanical strength, thermal stability, and structural performance. Unlike conventional alloys based on a single principal element, HEAs are composed of multiple elements in a near-equiatomic ratio. Despite these advantages, designing HEAs with tailored properties is difficult because of the enormous number of possible combinations and the limitations of traditional trial-and-error methods. To overcome these challenges, this study presents a machine learning (ML) based approach to accelerate the design and development of an HEA.

In this work, a newly designed composition, …

An Exploration Of The Experiences Influencing The Trajectory Of Black Women Mid-Level Managers Into Senior-Level Administration At Predominantly White Institutions, Christine Hampton Jackson

Theses and Dissertations

This qualitative study explored the experiences of Black women in mid-level, non-faculty management roles at public Predominantly White Institutions (PWIs) in the Southeastern United States, with a focus on how these experiences influence their pathway into senior-level administrative positions. Grounded in Black Feminist Thought, the research utilized narrative inquiry to center the voices of Black women, recognizing their lived experiences as valuable and often underrepresented sources of knowledge in higher education leadership literature. Three research questions guided the study: (1) What experiences do Black women consider the most significant in their trajectory from mid-level manager to senior-level administrator at Predominantly …

Effects Of Melatonin Supplementation On Exercise Induced Stress In Horses, Hannah Clark Valigura

Theses and Dissertations

Exercise is a necessary component of athletic conditioning but imposes substantial physiological stress on horses, resulting in oxidative stress, inflammation, muscle damage, and thermal strain that can impair performance and recovery. Melatonin, a neurohormone with potent antioxidant and thermoregulatory properties, has been proposed as a novel nutritional strategy to mitigate these effects. This dissertation aimed to (1) characterize serum melatonin concentrations following oral supplementation, (2) evaluate the effects of melatonin on oxidative stress, inflammation, and muscle damage biomarkers after exercise, and (3) examine its influence on physiological parameters during exercise under warm weather conditions. Across a series of controlled experiments …

Investigating The Evolution Of Shear Failure In Cross Laminated Timber (Clt) Transverse Layer Using Acoustic Emission, Harika Undadi

Theses and Dissertations

Cross-laminated timber (CLT) is susceptible to rolling shear failure in the transverse layers. This study evaluated the rolling shear failure in southern pine (Pinus spp.) and yellow poplar (Liriodendron tulipifera) CLT panels using block shear, delamination, and interlaminar shear tests. Acoustic emission (AE) monitoring was integrated with video recording to capture structural damage while loading. The results showed rolling shear failure as the dominant failure mode in the transverse layer. The AE energy and the load-displacement curve were classified into stages і) deformation stage with negligible AE signals (elastic behavior); ⅱ) crack propagation stage with increased AE signals; and ⅲ) …

A Qualitative Content Analysis Of Research On Principal Internship And Residency Design, Stephen Vanderford

Theses and Dissertations

Principal preparation programs continue to demonstrate variation in internship structure, mentoring quality, and alignment between field-based experiences and the complex demands of school leadership. Although national research emphasizes immersive, year-long clinical practice, internship expectations remain inconsistent across preparation programs. This capstone project synthesizes research identifying essential components of educational leadership internship and residency experiences. The purpose of this study is to examine exemplary content, instructional strategies, and mentoring practices associated with high-quality internship and residency models. Guided by the Talent Development Framework and informed by the PSEL, the study examines how internship structure, experiential learning, and mentoring processes align with …

The Role Of Math Anxiety – And Associated Support Mechanisms And Strategies – In The Academic Success Of Stem College Students, William Jacob Tschume

Theses and Dissertations

Math anxiety has been widely documented as a barrier to student success, yet its role within institutional student success frameworks – particularly in gateway STEM courses – remains underexamined. The purpose of this quantitative study was to examine the relationship between math anxiety, academic support mechanisms, and academic performance among undergraduate STEM students enrolled in a gateway mathematics course at a large, public, research-intensive university. Guided by the Debilitating Anxiety Model, student success frameworks, Social Cognitive Career Theory, and equity-oriented perspectives, this study addressed three research questions: (1) how student demographic characteristics relate to levels of math anxiety, (2) the …

Exploring The Effect Of Students' Exclusionary Discipline On Their Academic Achievement In A Rural High School., Danya Turner

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this quantitative study was to examine the extent to which exclusionary discipline practices, specifically in-school suspension and out-of-school suspension, are associated with academic achievement among high school students. More specifically, the study investigated the relationship between students’ exclusionary discipline days and performance on Mississippi Academic Assessment Program (MAAP) assessments in Algebra I, Biology, English II, and U.S. History. The study was guided by the Opportunity to Learn (OTL) framework, which emphasizes the importance of access to instructional time for student academic success. Archival discipline and assessment data were collected from a rural public high school in east-central …

Tracing Hazing Across Adolescence: Examining How Prior Hazing Experiences Shape Hazing Motivation And Tolerance Among Newly Initiated Ifc Fraternity Members, John Michael Vanhorn

Theses and Dissertations

Hazing remains pervasive and underreported, disproportionately affecting adolescent and emerging adult men, particularly within athletic teams and fraternity contexts. Although hazing is most often studied within collegiate organizations, many students encounter hazing behaviors prior to college, yet little is known about how these early experiences shape later hazing perceptions, motivations, tolerance, and masculine norms. Grounded in Bronfenbrenner’s Process-Person-Context-Time (PPCT) model, this dissertation conceptualizes hazing as a developmental process shaped by repeated social interactions, individual characteristics, contextual environments, and time across adolescence and emerging adulthood. Using a two-paper approach with a quantitative, longitudinal survey design, study 1 examined fraternity new members’ …

Bridging The Gap: Implementing A Modified Pacing Guide For Students 2-3 Grade Levels Behind In An Accelerated Program, Crystal T. Tyson

Theses and Dissertations

Accelerated secondary programs serving students performing two to three grade levels below proficiency often operate within compressed instructional timelines aligned to state accountability requirements. However, limited research examines how state-level policy structures influence district pacing practices within these settings. The purpose of this capstone study is to examine how accountability frameworks shape district pacing implementation and how pacing compression affects instructional flexibility for accelerated learners. Guided by a policy-to-practice conceptual framework linking state accountability systems, district pacing structures, and instructional impact, the study addresses three research questions focused on (a) policy influence on pacing design, (b) structural implications of pacing …

Delayed Timing Of Spring Application Of Nitrogen In Corn, Elizabeth Mae Worley

Theses and Dissertations

Application timing of nitrogen (N) fertilizer within the corn growing season can be crucial to crop nutrient uptake and availability. A lack of region-specific timing recommendations may result in inefficient fertilizer use and inconsistent yield responses. The objectives of this study were to determine how late in the growing season a first and second N fertilizer application can be pushed until corn yield is impacted and investigate whether Growing Degree Days (GDDs) should be used as better estimate of timing for N application than calendar date or growth stage. First applications were able to be delayed until V4-V6 growth stages …

Assessing The Relationship Between Subsurface Geology And Surficial Geomorphology: Remotely Predicting Geologic Features And Geohazards Using An Elevation-Trained Machine Learning Algorithm In The Northern Gulf Of Mexico, Allison L. Wing

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis evaluates the capacity to predict subsurface geologic features and submarine landslide susceptibility using surficial geomorphology derived from bathymetric elevation data in the Northern Gulf of Mexico. Quantitative geomorphic variables including slope, curvature, aspect, rugosity, geomorphons, and Bathymetric Position Index were generated from 30-meter digital elevation models and used as explanatory variables in presence-only Maximum Entropy models. Known locations of faults, pockmarks, mud volcanoes, hydrocarbon seeps, and landslides (particularly intact scarps) were used to train and validate predictive models through k-fold cross validation. Model performance was assessed using omission rates and AUC values. Results demonstrate that specific geomorphic signatures, …

Feasibility-Aware Deep Reinforcement Learning For Sustainable Timber Procurement Under Hurricane Demand Uncertainty, Jarod Wright

Theses and Dissertations

The timber supply chain connects landowners and mills to provide wood products but faces challenges from stochastic demand, seasonal variations, and disruptions such as hurricanes. Fur- thermore, sustainability concerns like transportation emissions create trade-offs in procurement. This study proposes a feasibility-aware Deep Reinforcement Learning framework for sustainable timber procurement and inventory control under joint demand–hurricane uncertainty. We develop a stochastic mathematical model capturing mill-landowner interactions, seasonal demand, hurricane- driven pricing, and carbon emissions. The problem is formulated as a constrained Markov decision process and solved using Proximal Policy Optimization with a feasibility-enforcing layer. A Mississippi-based case study with 2,100 landowners …

Closing The Implementation Gap: A Research-Based Playbook For High-Quality Teacher Mentoring Programs, Angela White

Theses and Dissertations

This capstone project addresses the ongoing problem of inconsistent, unstructured, and unsustainable mentoring practices in K–12 schools, which contribute to new teacher burnout, uneven instructional support, and high turnover rates. The purpose of the project is to design a research-based mentoring implementation system that strengthens novice teacher support while building mentor capacity. The study is guided by the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research (CFIR) and informed by ERIC implementation strategies, which together provide a structured lens for understanding barriers, facilitators, and effective actions related to mentoring implementation. The research questions explore how intervention characteristics, school-level contextual factors, and implementation processes …

Wildfire Risk Mitigation Methods To Enhance The Resilience Of Power Systems, Fasiha Zainab

Theses and Dissertations

The resilience of the power system has become increasingly important in recent years and needs to be further enhanced in the future under wildfire conditions. A major concern is the two-way interaction between power systems and wildfires: power systems can ignite wildfires and be disrupted by them. Power system-induced wildfires occur when electrical components, particularly transmission lines, ignite fires due to faults exacerbated by extreme weather conditions. The presence of uncertainties, especially those related to unpredictable weather conditions, makes it difficult to handle and can significantly increase the risk of wildfire. Furthermore, these ignitions not only threaten public safety and …

Beyond English: Auditing And Mitigating Cross-Lingual Data Contamination In Multimodal Large Language Models, Pavan Dharma Adapa

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis extends data contamination auditing for multimodal large language models to multilingual settings. Using LLaVA 1.5 and a high-fidelity French parallel dataset derived from ScienceQA, the study evaluates how performance changes when identical image-question pairs are translated from English to French. The resultsshow a substantial cross-lingual performance decline and frequent flips from correct English predictions to incorrect French predictions, indicating that benchmark performance can depend heavily on memorized English-specific patterns rather than stable multimodal reasoning. To address this weakness, the thesis introduces an inference-time mitigation strategy based on perturbation ensembling and cross-lingual consistency aggregation. The proposed method reduces instance-level …