Digital Commons Network^™

Towards Visual Inertial Navigation With Fixed Tetrahedral Targets, Joao Leonardo Silva Cotta

Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation presents a robust method for 6DoF position estimation under impaired visual conditions utilizing a minimum 4-point Perspective-n-Point (P4P) solver designed for tetrahedral targets. Using SO(3) × R 3 instead of SE(3), the method uses a Lie group-based formulation to discriminate between rotation and translation, thereby enabling computationally efficient, resource-conscious op- optimization while preserving correct geometric behavior. Designed using the contemporary C++17 library ShomerTarget, the solver is analytically formulated and assessed under pragmatic robotic conditions. Particularly in low-light and high-dynamic environments, experiments on embedded systems, UAVs, and NASA’s Astrobee show that the proposed solver attains enhanced accuracy compared to …

Mixed-Mode Fracture Analysis Of Additively Manufactured Periodic Orthotropic Functionally Graded Microcellular Materials, Behnam Shahbazian

Theses and Dissertations

The quest for safety, efficiency, and innovation in aerospace engineering demands a relentless focus on understanding how materials and structures behave under extreme and complicated loading conditions. Among the many challenges faced by engineers in this field, predicting and preventing structural failure stands out as both a fundamental necessity and a complex problem. Fracture mechanics, the science of how materials fail under stress, is a cornerstone of this effort. Whether it is the fuselage of an aircraft enduring cyclic loading or the lightweight components of a spacecraft resisting impact, the ability to accurately predict fracture behavior directly influences the reliability …

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 …

Investigation Into The Effectiveness Of G-C3n4 For The Degradation Of Indigo Dye In Aqueous Solution Via Electrocatalysis, Rolando R. Barron Jr

Theses and Dissertations

Indigo dye (IUPAC 2-(3-hydroxy-1H-indol-2-yl)indol-3-one) is one of the most used dyes in the textile industry worldwide with more than 40,000 tons produced each year. It can elicit adverse physiological responses in humans including vomiting, diarrhea, and other gastrointestinal conditions, and it is toxic in large amounts. There is also evidence to suggest that indigo is a teratogen and genotoxic in aquatic life. Environmentally, the enormous amount of indigo used in the textile industry has caused rivers and waterways to run blue as well as severely impacting aquatic and plant ecosystems. The chemicals used in its synthesis are also …

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 …

Narratives In Motion: The New Era Of Dam Building In East Africa, Andrew Nicholas Selassie Prado-Alipui

Theses and Dissertations

Narratives of energy insecurity, underdevelopment, and resource conflict influence how African hydropower projects are justified within the broader context of climate change and demands for sustainable development. The challenge of meeting energy demands provides the overarching motivation for ambitious large-scale hydropower projects in East Africa, especially in Tanzania and Ethiopia. As development projects, the Julius Nyerere Hydropower Project (JNHPP) and the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) can be understood as vehicles of political discourse, framed as the technopolitical solution to questions of national identity that both countries face in the midst of sociopolitical and economic transformation periods. This research shows …

Analysis And Derivation Of The Compressible Euler System With Nonlinear Velocity Alignment: An Investigation Into Collective Behavior, Mckenzie Meredith Black

Theses and Dissertations

Collective behavior refers to the observable patterns, actions, or movements that emerge within a group of entities, such as individuals, animals, or particles, when they interact with each other. In this study, we concentrate on the pressureless compressible Euler system, expanding it to incorporate a family of nonlinear velocity alignment. This extension represents a nonlinear iteration of the Euler-alignment system within collective dynamics, revealing intriguing asymptotic emergent phenomena such as alignment and flocking. Our investigation explores different types of nonlinearity and nonlocal communication protocols, unveiling a diverse spectrum of asymptotic behaviors within the system.

In focusing on the derivation, we …

Keep Your Head Up: An Examination Of Out-Of-School Literacy Practices In An Intergenerational Family System, Johnnie D. Bryant-Johnson

Theses and Dissertations

The asset-based qualitative study used a phenomenological approach within a Community Cultural Wealth framework to question the practices of an intergenerational family system in the Southeastern United States. The study investigated the family system’s out-of-school literacy practices and the exposure to culturally relevant literature. The study revealed that an elder who actively participated in rearing school-aged children intentionally introduced culturally relevant literature. Similarly, the study revealed that the primary caregivers did engage their school-aged children in conversations related to social justice and introduced them to culturally relevant texts. However, a child's inquiry into the topic initiated primary caregivers’ introduction to …

Co-Teaching As A Transformative Tool: Enhancing Cultural Competence, Linguistic Responsiveness, And Pedagogical Practices Of Veteran Teachers, Jennifer Cárdenas

Theses and Dissertations

Guided by the Vygotskian (1978) principles inherent in co-teaching and Lucas and Villegas’s (2013) culturally and linguistically responsive framework, this qualitative, action research study investigated the impact of implementing a co-teaching model between a multilingual learner program specialist and a veteran general classroom teacher for the purpose of enhancing the veteran teacher’s pedagogical practices related to multilingual students. Data from professional development, interview, and conversation transcripts, in addition to observations, revealed the impact of the intervention. This study covered 3 years of a co-teaching partnership in a southeastern U.S. state. The data indicated teacher growth in cultural and linguistic knowledge …

Understanding The Instructional Decisions Of Middle-School Mathematics Teachers: Three Case Studies, Alissa Lockwood

Theses and Dissertations

This action research study aimed to explore how middle-school mathematics teachers make instructional decisions in the absence of a required curriculum. While the school site has an adopted textbook, many of the mathematics teachers view this resource as invaluable. Better understanding the decision-making process of mathematics teachers at the school site can provide critical information to better support the teachers. The research question that guided this action research was: How does it seem that middle-school mathematics teachers make instructional decisions? This sequential two-phase qualitative study examined decision-making from a 6^th, 7^th, and 8^th grade mathematics …

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 …

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 …

“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 …

Creating Systems Of Professional Learning To Encourage Deep Thinking In Social Studies: A Qualitative Study, Elizabeth Poda King

Theses and Dissertations

This paper describes a problem that developed due to a lack of systems in place to provide professional learning for teachers in social studies. This problem was ignited when revised standards were adopted which shifted from heavy content focus to skills and content. Standards requiring both skills and content encourage student inquiry and promote deep thinking by students through the use of historical evidence. Therefore, the purpose of the improvement science plan-do-study-act (PDSA) cycles was to develop a system of job-embedded professional learning to assist teachers with teaching strategies that use historical evidence to promote deep thinking in social studies …

Generalized Sierpiński Numbers And New Irreducibility Criteria On Legendre Polynomials, Robert Scottfield Groth

Theses and Dissertations

A Sierpiński number is an odd positive integer k such that k·2n +1 is composite for all n ∈ Z+. Similarly, a Riesel number is an odd positive integer k such that k · 2n − 1 is composite for all n ∈ Z+, and a Brier number is a number that is both Sierpiński and Riesel. In this dissertation, we consider a generalization of a Sierpiński number and establish their existence by showing, for every fixed A ≥ 2, there are infinitely many odd positive integers k such that the k · an + 1 is composite for every …

Merit, Equity And Intersectionality: Autoethnographic Examination Of Perceived Race And Gender-Based Discrimination In The Workplace, Shavanna Henry

Theses and Dissertations

This autoethnographic action research dissertation uses intersectionality, critical race theory, and racial battle fatigue theoretical lenses to examine my mental health as I experienced perceived race-based and gender-based discrimination at a public high school on the West Coast of the United States. The goal was to examine how my mental health was impacted during the development and attempted implementation of a DEI plan, and how my mental health was affected by the intersectionality of race and gender. I used journal entries and digital artifacts to craft seven vignettes that captured my experience. The findings from coding and analyzing data showed …

The Influence Of Instruction On Underrepresented Stem Leaders On Elementary Students’ Stem Identity And Perceptions Of Stem, Megan Elizabeth Willson

Theses and Dissertations

This action research study explored the influence of exposure to underrepresented STEM leaders on third-grade students’ STEM identity and their interest in STEM careers. Using an integrative STEM approach and guided by both Constructivist Learning Theory and Social Cognitive Career Theory, this convergent mixed methods study consisted of an eight-week intervention with lessons based on different STEM leaders and related activities each week. This eight-week period collected data through weekly researcher field notes, exit tickets and was prefaced and followed by a pre- and post-survey and pre- and post-interviews. Findings from the quantitative data, the Role Identity Survey in STEM …

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 …

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 …

Epic Fantasy As A Postsecular Genre: The Stormlight Archive's Approach To Religion And Belief, Liz Busby

Theses and Dissertations

Epic fantasy as a genre has often been neglected due to its perceived conservative roots that clash with critical reading practices. This paper proposes that a postsecular lens may be more suitable to the critical study of epic fantasy and examines perhaps the most popular contemporary epic fantasy, Brandon Sanderson's Stormlight Archive, through a postsecular lens, First, the paper examines how the Stormlight Archive combines the premodern, fantastical worldview with modern and post-modern concerns to reinvigorate its exploration of the religious "big questions" through a renewed focus on the spiritual nature of the individual. Next, it examines how Sanderson presents …

The Right To Gender-Affirming Care, Justin J. Soulas

Theses and Dissertations

As of recent, twenty-four states have enacted bans on gender-affirming care, restricting minors from accessing medically necessary treatment. Existing scholarship has begun to explore the profound impact of these bans on transgender youth, their parents or guardians, and the medical professionals who support them. However, the body of literature on this rapidly evolving issue remains limited. This thesis aims to fill that gap by offering a legal defense of gender-affirming care, grounded in judicial precedent. It argues that parental rights to make medical decisions for their children—recognized in constitutional jurisprudence—extend to decisions involving gender-affirming treatment. Additionally, it draws on anti-discrimination …

Water Conservation For The Great Salt Lake: Measuring Success And Uncertainty In Utah's Efforts, Sarah E. Witney

Theses and Dissertations

The Great Salt Lake in Utah, United States is one of many saline lakes worldwide that is currently in decline. The shrinkage and collapse of global saline lakes is primarily caused by irrigated agriculture and other human consumptive uses, with secondary contributions from global climate change. Great Salt Lake's area has decreased by more than 50% relative to its long-term natural level. The decline of these lakes triggers serious and long-lasting socioeconomic consequences, including destruction of habitat, degradation of air quality, and damage to the economy. The Utah state government has instituted a variety of programs to conserve water to …

Methamphetamine Effects On The Striatal Neuroimmune System, Hillary Adelaide Wadsworth

Theses and Dissertations

Dopamine is thought of as the reward molecule of the brain, and while it does deal with reward, it is also associated with motivation and crucial for controlled movement. There are two main dopaminergic systems in the brain, the nigrostriatal system, which originates in the substantia nigra compacta and projects dopamine into the dorsal striatum; and the mesolimbic system, which originates in the ventral tegmental area and projects dopamine into the nucleus accumbens. While the mesolimbic dopamine system deals with motivation and reward, the nigrostriatal pathway underlies movement. Microglia are the immune cells of the brain and are incredibly dynamic. …

Reconstruction Of Cad Models Into Single Trimmed Surfaces, Rebecca Rasmussen

Theses and Dissertations

Classical methods by which computer-aided design (CAD) geometries are represented for both design and analysis involve meshing. However, the current process of converting a CAD model into an analysis-suitable surface mesh for the automotive industry takes a significant amount of time and labor, results in a faceted representation of the original smooth geometry, and generates representations that are prohibitively expensive for use in high-order explicit dynamics computations. This research focuses on accurately and efficiently rebuilding given CAD surfaces or meshes, such as shell-like components of automotive vehicles, into smooth, single trimmed spline surface approximations (rather than typical piecewise-linear approximations), making …

Reclaiming Identity: Miné Okubo's Self-Portraiture And Authorship In Citizen 13660, Caroline E. Johnson

Theses and Dissertations

In this thesis, I argue that Miné Okubo's repeated self-portraiture in Citizen 13660 asserts her authority of the soul author of the text, forcing her reader to acknowledge the perspective in which the story is being told. Through the images of herself, she makes clear the fact that the story is filtered through her personal experience, rather than the widely accepted understanding that the novel is a universal story. While the written account strives for a sense of objectivity, the images of Okubo, especially when analyzed through the context of her contemporaries, including comics and photographers, shows how her work …

"The Things I Hate": Romans 7 And The Construction Of Self, Nicole Francis

Theses and Dissertations

The construction of the self has been a central topic of discussion throughout Graeco-Roman history and continues to shape modern theoretical debate. This paper situates Paul’s construction of self in Romans 7 within these ongoing conversations, engaging both ancient and modern perspectives. While many scholars have written books on the topic of the Hellenistic and Roman constructions of self that include thinkers such as Plato, Aristotle, Cicero, Seneca, Epictetus, and others, none of these extant works have explored Paul’s contribution to this discourse. Acknowledging the historical interests and the academic conversations about the historical Paul, this paper seeks to add …

"The Truth Of Our Historic Encounter": Curating Networks Of The Past In Colson Whitehead's The Underground Railroad, Holden O. D'Evegnee

Theses and Dissertations

What unites the critical response to Colson Whitehead's 2016 novel The Underground Railroad is universal interest in the text's attitude towards historical truth. I contend that critics fixate so much on the issue of truth that they miss how the novel offers an alternative to historic truth in the form of an aesthetic encounter. During her employment as a "living exhibit" in North Carolina's Museum of Natural Wonders, protagonist Cora despairs at the apparent absence of truth. Despite the overt manipulation of history to justify white imperialism in the museum, Cora experiences a transcendent moment of refuge when she works …

Development Of Raman Spectroscopic Methods To Analyze Chemical, Biological, And Physical Constituents For Food Safety And Quality, Hannah C. Broadbent

Theses and Dissertations

Ensuring food safety and quality is crucial for consumer health, satisfaction, and regulatory compliance. This study aims to develop rapid, reliable methods for detecting food constituents (i.e. lactose), pathogens (i.e. Listeria monocytogenes), and contaminants (i.e. micro- and nano-plastics) using Raman spectroscopy. With advantages like high specificity, minimal sample preparation, and fast analysis, Raman spectroscopy offers a promising alternative to traditional methods. This research explores its application in assessing chemical, biological, and physical properties of food to enhance safety and quality monitoring. Lactose-free products are increasingly popular due to the global prevalence of lactose intolerance, creating a need for effective verification …