Digital Commons Network^™

The Benefits And Pitfalls Of Public Private Partnerships: Case Study Of The Suez Canal Container Terminal, Egypt, Magda Elswesy

Theses and Dissertations

The study explores the public-private partnerships (PPPs) in constructing, managing, and operating container terminals in Egypt. It examines the benefits the public sector gains from such collaborations and the pitfalls that can be mitigated to foster more effective institutional cooperation. The study specifically focuses on enhancing Egypt's marine container terminals through these partnerships, emphasizing the potential use of growing technology to enable equipment automation. It also highlights concerns regarding the risk of mismanagement of Egyptian terminals, arising from insufficient expected volume to ensure appropriate profitability, especially with the opening of new terminals. The study adopts a qualitative methodology and presents …

Load Balancing In Mobile Networks Using Deep Reinforcement Learning And Traffic Prediction, Shorouk Raafat Mokhtar Abouamasha

Theses and Dissertations

Wireless communication networks are advancing at a rapid pace, driven by various challenges and ambitious goals. This rapid growth is driven by a range of applications, including technologies like the Internet of Things (IoT), as well as innovations in smart cities, autonomous vehicles, and more. Different applications demand specific performance criteria such as high data throughput, low latency, robust reliability, and efficient energy usage. In this thesis, we investigate two enhancements that can be adopted in wireless networks to tackle the challenges of resource optimization and network management. The motivation behind this is the fact that future networks will face …

Pride Flags And Five-Headed Monsters: A Portrait Of A Transgender College Student's Experiences In Campus Housing, Andrew Bamford

Theses and Dissertations

This study seeks to develop an understanding of how transgender students experience living in on-campus housing and how these experiences affect their senses of wellbeing, inclusion, safety, and connection with their college. Additionally, this study solicits suggestions from its participant that can help campus housing departments identify ways to best serve their transgender student populations. Imperative due to the precarity suffered by the transgender community, especially during the notoriously anti-trans second Trump administration (Francois, 2025), this research focuses on transgender student experiences in housing due to the heightened vulnerability they experience in the confines of their on-campus housing assignments (Brauer, …

Conversational Theatre Rehearsals For English Language Education, Empowerment, And Healing, Jennifer Schaupp

Theses and Dissertations

I set out to examine the history and current structure of the English-learning classroom, with a strong focus on adult learners in community-based classrooms, of immigrants, refugees, and more who arrive and make their home in the U.S. as well those born in the U.S. to multilingual homes. I incorporate elements of therapy and theatre, particularly improvisational comedy and Augusto Boal’s Theatre of the Oppressed, as points of comparison to the teachers and students of the classroom by way of Paulo Freire’s Pedagogy of the Oppressed. I use the concept of rehearsal to compare the three disciplines of psychology, language …

Calculating Moment Magnitude Using The Coda Calibration Technique To Update The Earthquake Catalog Of Iraq (1900-2021), Muntadher Al-Kaabi

Theses and Dissertations

The first comprehensive earthquake catalog for Iraq based on moment magnitude (Mw) ‎was compiled by Onur et al. (2017). It spanned the period from 1900 until the end of ‎‎2009, covered the region between 26°–40° N latitudes and 36°–51° E longitudes, and ‎included more than 18,000 earthquakes, of which roughly 4,000 are of Mw 4.0 or larger. ‎With the ongoing efforts of updating the probabilistic seismic hazard assessment ‎‎(PSHA) and the Iraqi building code, the need for an updated earthquake catalog for Iraq ‎in terms of moment magnitude (Mw) has been raised. Robust estimation of moment ‎magnitude (Mw) can be …

Design And Performance Evaluation Of Pv-Powered Ev Charging Stations With Grid Integration And Comparative Analysis Of Dc-Dc Converters For Offboard Chargers, Mohammad Abidur Rahman

Theses and Dissertations

Grid-integrated photovoltaic (PV)-powered electric vehicle (EV) charging stations offer a sustainable solution for reducing grid dependency and fossil fuel consumption in workplace environments. This study proposes a PV-powered EV charging system with an AC bus configuration and grid support to ensure stable and efficient operation. A comparative analysis of four DC-DC converter topologies—Dual Active Bridge (DAB), LLC Resonant, Interleaved Buck-Boost, and Interleaved Buck—is conducted for offboard charging applications. Performance evaluation is carried out using MATLAB/Simulink, considering voltage and current ripple, power density, stress levels, bidirectional capability, and control complexity. Component-level reliability is assessed using MIL-HDBK-217 standards to estimate failure rates …

Blockchain-Enabled Master Data Management, Shakhawat Hossain

Theses and Dissertations

Master Data Management (MDM) is essential for maintaining data quality, accuracy, consistency, and governance within organizations. However, traditional centralized MDM systems continue to face challenges related to data integrity, security, and scalability. This research presents a blockchain-enabled MDM framework designed to overcome these limitations by leveraging blockchain’s decentralized, immutable, and secure architecture. The study aims to identify and address the shortcomings of conventional MDM practices, examine the applicability of blockchain technology in enhancing these systems, and develop a functional prototype to validate the proposed model. The framework incorporates decentralized review mechanisms that improve auditability and ensure trusted data verification by …

First-Generation College Students' Transition Experiences After A Bridge Program, Alison Irvine Mcmurry

Theses and Dissertations

First-generation college students (FGCS) often encounter greater challenges than their peers. Universities offer transition programs like bridge programs, orientations, and advising, but service gaps contribute to FGCS difficulties. Bridge programs are often implemented for specific student groups that the university believes to be at-risk or more vulnerable than their peers. Targeted students are asked to come to campus early for additional training, education, and advising. The program is thought to bridge the gap between what they know and what they need to know to be college-ready and on-level with their peers. This case study examines the transition experiences of seven …

Leveraging Reduced Order Models And High-Fidelity Simulations For Efficient Multifidelity Uncertainty Quantification Of Thermal Systems, Jakob G. Bates

Theses and Dissertations

Simulation-led design is becoming an important part of thermal systems design. Simulations of thermal systems continue to improve in their fidelity, but this comes with an increased computational cost. Additionally, uncertainty in simulation inputs, such as thermophysical properties, leads to uncertainty in simulation outputs. For simulations to be used rigorously for simulation-led design, this uncertainty must be quantified. Performing uncertainty quantification on thermal simulations is made difficult by their many uncertain parameters and high computational cost. Multifidelity uncertainty quantification is a set of methods that reduce the cost of uncertainty quantification by leveraging high-fidelity, high-cost simulations with low-fidelity, low-cost simulations. …

Experimental Characterisation Of Laser Cladding Of Crniw And Crnifealzr Powders On H13 Tool Steel And Optimisation Of Process Parameters, Martin Vinoth S

Theses and Dissertations

In this work, laser cladding on H13 steel substrate with two different powder compositions CrNiW and CrNiFeAlZr has been carried out. The laser power, powder feed rate, and scanning speed were varied and the clad dimensions, aspect ratio, and dilution percentage were measured. The microhardness found in the CrNiW clad is 834 ± 20 HV0.5, which is higher than that of the CrNiFeAlZr clad (780 ± 20 HV0.5) as well as the substrate (548 ± 20 HV0.5).

The X-ray Diffraction (XRD) patterns identified the common phase creation of Ni3C and Fe3C for CrNiFeAlZr and CrNiW coatings, while the oxide formation …

Uhpc Incorporated With Non-Metallic/ Hybrid Fibers And Industrial Wastes - A Comprehensive Study On The Physical, Mechanical Properties And Performance, Sujitha Magdalene P

Theses and Dissertations

The demand for sustainable and high-performance construction materials has led to the exploration of alternative fine aggregates and fiber reinforcements for Ultra-High-Performance Concrete (UHPC). This study investigates the feasibility of using iron ore tailings (IOT), manufactured sand (MS), and copper slag (CS) as partial replacements for river sand (RS), along with various fiber reinforcements, to enhance mechanical properties, durability, and microstructural integrity in UHPC.

The results indicate that IOT at a 30% replacement level (IOT1) exhibited the highest 56-day compressive strength, outperforming MS and CS. Copper slag was found unsuitable for UHPC due to its lower long-term strength. While both …

Application Of Bioinformatic Tools To Tuberculosis Surveillance At The Arkansas Department Of Health, Brian Scott Delavan

Theses and Dissertations

Tuberculosis (TB) remains a public health threat in Arkansas. Great strides have been made over the past fifty years to reduce the number of TB cases in Arkansas. However, the rate of TB cases has remained steady since 2010. According to the Arkansas Department of Health, from 2012 through 2023 the TB Case rate per 100,00 population was between 2.0 and 3.1. To continue Arkansas’ drive towards elimination of TB in Arkansas, defined as one TB case per million residents, new data analysis tools are needed. This project employs multiple bioinformatic tools to analyze TB cases and latent tuberculosis infections …

Post Secondary Teaching Toolkit: A Concise Resource To Highlight Effective Pedagogical Strategies For Post-Secondary Instructors, Matthew Thomas Blackwell

Theses and Dissertations

This project seeks to provide teaching support for post-secondary instructors, especially at the community college level, by creating an instructional toolkit that highlights a selection of evidence-based teaching strategies intended to increase student engagement, learning, and achievement. This toolkit includes evidence-based instructional strategies tailored to support post-secondary instructors of any experience level. It highlights research-proven student-centered engagement and instructional techniques such as cooperative learning, inquiry-based learning, project-based learning, problem-based learning, and student interaction in online learning environments. Within the project, the various instructional and engagement techniques are linked together using the Constructivist Learning Theory theoretical framework, highlighting the importance of …

An Investigation Of Non-Persistence Of Second And Third Year Engineering Students At A Midsize Research University In The South, Kimberly Elizabeth Ball

Theses and Dissertations

Approximately 25% of engineering students drop out during their 1st year of school, with nearly that many leaving during their second or third years. A meta-analysis of engineering non-persistence literature led to the development of an Engineering Non-persistence Model, which incorporates both quantitative and qualitative factors. While previous research primarily focused on factors of non-persistence of engineering students as a whole, this study aims to fill the gap in existing literature by examining factors within the model that contribute to non-persistence among 2nd- and 3rd-year engineering students. The goal is to provide tailored support to second and third year students …

Empowering Patients With Health Insights: Development And Utilization Of Knowledge Graphs For Comprehensive Patient Medical Journey Mapping And Analytics, Hassan Saadeddine Al Khatib

Theses and Dissertations

Healthcare advancements require advanced solutions to process and understand complex patient data. This dissertation outlines a detailed framework for mapping patient journeys with knowledge graphs (KGs), which begins by analyzing existing Patient-Centric Knowledge Graphs (PCKGs) literature to identify current research gaps in the representation and analysis of patient journeys. Our research proposes solutions to these gaps through three main contributions. First, we introduce the Patient Journey Ontology (PJO), which enables systematic encoding of patient encounters, diagnoses, treatments, and outcomes into a semantic knowledge structure designed for interoperability. The construction of patient journey knowledge graphs (PJKGs) is based on this foundational …

Global Attractivity Of Positive Solutions Of Higher Order Nonlinear Difference Equations And Its Applications, Abdulaziz Almaslokh

Theses and Dissertations

Difference equations play an effective role in many mathematical models that represent some phenomena in different fields such as physics, economics, engineering and biology. From this perspective, studying and analyzing such equations are interesting issues for the advancement of scientific research. In particular, studying the asymptotic behavior of positive solutions of some population models that are a system of difference equations has become a necessity. In this dissertation, we examine the global attractivity of positive solutions of certain higher order nonlinear difference equations and apply these results to some population models.

In Search Of Educational Justice: Lived Experiences Of Community College Presidents And Their Authentic Critical Leadership, Juan Felipe Arzola

Theses and Dissertations

There are several gaps in research related to the fields of study of community college leadership and its influence on shared governance discussions and decision-making. The purpose of the current study is to address the gap in the study of community college leadership and its influence on shared governance discussions and decision-making through a critical, intersectional investigation of authentic critical leadership and its potential to influence shared governance group discussions and decision-making in distinctively different ways than those advocated by mainstream leadership theories. Participants participated in semi-structured interviews and were observed in a shared governance group meeting to identify evidence …

Promoting Collaboration And Multi-Directional Reliance By Sharing Mental Model Information For Effective Multi-Agent Teaming, Audrey L. Aldridge

Theses and Dissertations

Successful human-agent teaming requires teammates to form and maintain a shared or common understanding of several attributes regarding taskwork and teamwork. With enhanced information sharing, mental model development, and team functionality, teammates (human, autonomous) can learn to anticipate each others' behaviors, preferences, and needs as well as understand their capabilities and limitations. In designing a framework to support this type of cooperative teaming, there is a need to determine how sharing knowledge, mental models, and common understandings impacts teaming dynamics and performance. By incorporating each individual's understanding into a human-agent interface, this research enables better team coordination and performance through …

An Approach To Expanding The Industrial Training And Assessment Center To The Residential Sector, Cailee Addison Bush

Theses and Dissertations

The Industrial Training and Assessment Center (ITAC) conducts no-cost energy audits for small and medium sized industrial and commercial buildings across the United States, with a goal to train students in energy optimization and cost reduction, while helping companies to reduce inefficiencies and waste. Expanding this program to the residential sector can reduce energy usage across the United States, largely due to this sector contributing to 15% of America’s energy usage. This research examines the development of a procedure to transition the ITAC into including the residential sector. To ensure a seamless introduction of this sector, the procedure must contain …

Adaptive Multi-Sensor Fusion For Robust Autonomous Perception In Unstructured Environments, Samantha S. Carley

Theses and Dissertations

Autonomous vehicles commonly employ multiple sensors to perceive their surroundings. Coupling these sensors would ideally improve perception compared to using a single sensor. An autonomous system can be equipped with object localization and classification, often performed using a visual camera to understand a scene intelligently. Object detection and classification can also be applied to LiDAR and infrared (IR) sensors to further enhance scene awareness of the autonomous system. Herein, sensor-level, decision-level, and feature-level fusion are explored to assess their impact on perception and mitigate sensor disagreements. Specifically, the fusing of RGB, LiDAR, and IR sensor data to improve object classification …

Neural Signatures Of Adhd: A Fast Periodic Visual Stimulation Eeg Study, Haleigh Brielle Davidson

Theses and Dissertations

Fast Periodic Visual Stimulation (FPVS) offers an objective approach for investigating neural responses to emotional stimuli. This study explores the use of FPVS to identify neurophysiological markers associated with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) by comparing brain responses between ADHD and Non-ADHD participants. EEG data were collected while participants viewed sequences of neutral faces mixed with emotional oddball expressions (Angry, Fear, Happy, and Sad). Frequency-domain analyses were performed to compute Baseline-Corrected Amplitudes (BCA) and Signal-to-Noise Ratios (SNR) across occipitoparietal, occipitotemporal, parietal, and frontal regions of interest. Results revealed significantly reduced BCA and SNR values in ADHD participants, particularly in the …

Optimizing Mars Terrain Segmentation With Weakly Supervised Learning: A Focus On Weighted Loss From Annotation Metadata, Malika Dutta

Theses and Dissertations

The study of planetary surfaces heavily depends upon space rovers that gather detailed images of terrain needed for analysis and navigation. Deep neural networks and other sophisticated machine learning techniques are necessary for autonomous navigation in challenging terrain. However, the inconsistent annotations by citizen scientists frequently hinder the performance of these models. This study seeks to optimize terrain segmentation to improve the autonomous capabilities of future Mars rovers by presenting a novel weakly supervised learning framework to handle noise and unreliability in datasets. Using factors like number of clicks, pixel accuracy, and annotator dependability, the method utilizes annotation metadata in …

Multi-Modal Sensor Fusion Of Radar And Lidar For Enhanced Navigation In Obstacle-Occluded Environments, Kyler Ashton Farrar

Theses and Dissertations

Multi-sensor fusion is a practical and well-researched methodology to combine a variety of incoming sensory data into an enhanced digital representation of a real-world environment. A typical use-case for multi-sensor fusion is the combination of LiDAR and RADAR data to obtain simultaneous 3D positioning and velocity measurements for a particular RoI (Region of Interest). This study investigates LiDAR/RADAR sensor fusion for enhanced navigation information when placed in obstacle-occluded environments such as highly vegetated areas. Specifically, a novel fusion-map approach is designed and evaluated for use with a LiDAR/RADAR sensor suite to produce a fused cost map to determine optimal and …

Evaluation Of Municipal Solid Waste Gasification And The Water Gas Shift Reaction For Biomass Carbon Removal And Storage Via Pre-Combustion Carbon Capture, Colby Luke Freeman

Theses and Dissertations

The water gas shift reaction (WGSR) is a critical step in the pre-combustion capture of CO2 from syngas streams. Recent improvements in gasification technologies have improved the prospects of municipal solid waste (MSW) gasification as a tool for waste reduction and carbon dioxide removal (CDR). This study sought to improve the understanding of a biomass carbon removal and storage (BiCRS) system in which MSW gasification is paired with the WGSR. Sixteen MSW samples were gasified in a bench scale semi-batch reactor. A promising copper based WGSR catalyst was tested for activity from 240-300 degrees Celsius and gas hourly space velocities …

Comprehensive Study On Bonding Performance, Durability, And Protective Measures Of Cross-Laminated Timber, Bradia Thelina Henfield

Theses and Dissertations

The increasing use of cross-laminated timber (CLT) in construction necessitates a deeper understanding of adhesive bonding properties, biological durability, and preservative treatments to enhance its performance. This dissertation investigates these aspects through three interrelated studies focusing on hardwood CLT and preservative-treated southern pine CLT. The first study evaluates the adhesive bonding performance of hardwood CLT fabricated from red oak (Quercus spp.), sweetgum (Liquidambar styraciflua), and yellow poplar (Liriodendron tulipifera), using southern pine (Pinus spp.) as a control. Shear block and delamination tests revealed significant variation in bond strength and moisture durability among species. While red oak exhibited the highest delamination, …

An In Depth Examination Of Educational, Family, Economic, And Personal Determinants On Academic Performance, Engagement, And Stress: A Comprehensive Study Among Engineering Students, Oumaima Larif

Theses and Dissertations

This study explores the effects of family, education, economic, and personal factors on students’ decisions to pursue engineering as a profession and their long-term impact on performance as engineering students. We adopted a mixed-method approach, collecting data through surveys administered to undergraduate and graduate engineering students at Mississippi State University. The study results revealed that family, education, economic, and personal factors profoundly influence students' decisions to study engineering. We found that parental expectations, background information, and socioeconomic status, in conjunction with cultural norms, values, gender expectations, and religious beliefs, affect students. Additionally, this study identified gaps in the existing literature …

Impact Of Circular And Non-Circular Nozzle Exit Geometries On Jet Flow Propagation And Turbulence Characteristics, Hiba Maazioui

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis aims to investigate the impact of nozzle exit geometry on jet flow propagation and turbulence characteristics. Computational fluid dynamics simulations were performed using ANSYS Fluent, employing the Reynolds-Averaged Navier-Stokes (RANS) approach, to compare circular, elliptic, and rectangular nozzle geometries. The analysis focused on velocity distributions, turbulence characteristics, and cross-flow interactions. Results indicate that circular jets have the longest potential core and slowest velocity decay, reflecting lower mixing rates. In contrast, elliptic and rectangular jets have shorter potential cores, faster velocity decay, and elevated TKE peaks, suggesting enhanced turbulence and mixing. These findings highlight the significant role of nozzle …

A Rapid Artificial Neural Network Interatomic Potential For Bismuth, Lee Michael Mayfield Jr.

Theses and Dissertations

To study molecular dynamics in bismuth, Quantum Espresso was used to create a density functional theory (DFT) database which was then used as the input for rapid artificial neural network (RANN). The RANN interatomic potential that was developed using this database was then validated. Large-scale Atomic/Molecular Massively Parallel Simulator (LAMMPS) was used to create simulations and gather data using the RANN potential. The properties of bismuth, including elastic constants, melting points, and volume change, were calculated and compared to DFT and experimentally observed data. The RANN potential coincided well with these values. The RANN potential shows good predictive capabilities for …

Integration Of Machine Learning Techniques With Computational Fluid Dynamics For Enhanced Backward-Facing Step Flow, Yahya Mekkaoui

Theses and Dissertations

This research presents a novel integrated framework combining computational fluid dynamics (CFD) with machine learning techniques to enhance the analysis of backward-facing step flows. A high-fidelity OpenFOAM CFD simulation was developed and validated against experimental data, accurately predicting the reattachment length (��/�� ≈ 6.18) and velocity profiles throughout the domain. Machine learning models, including Random Forest, Gradient Boosting, and Support Vector Regression, were integrated through a robust data pipeline, with the ensemble approach demonstrating superior performance (RMSE of 1.18 m/s, ��2 of 0.951). Feature importance analysis revealed pressure (32%) and turbulent kinetic energy (28%) as the dominant physical parameters governing …

Evaluation Of Soybean (Glycine Max (L.) Merr.) Yield Potential Following Simulated Population Loss And Replant Strategies, William Paul O'Neal

Theses and Dissertations

Soybean producers are often faced with challenges regarding stand loss situations that can be caused by many different things. Often, in a replant situation, producers must decide if it is best to keep the failed stand without replanting, keep the failed stand and replant at a lower rate, or terminate the failed stand and replant at a full rate. Therefore, the objectives of this research were to evaluate soybean yield potential following differing levels of simulated stand loss as well as to evaluate soybean yield potential following simulated stand loss with different levels of replant. Experiments were conducted in 2023 …