Digital Commons Network^™

Thermophysical Property Studies: 1. Thermodynamic Consistency For Associating Compounds 2. Autoignition Temperature, Cassandra Jane Guffey

Theses and Dissertations

Accurate thermophysical property data are essential for the design, optimization, and safe operation of chemical processes. Properties such as vapor pressure, enthalpy of vaporization, heat capacity, density, and autoignition temperature--which are among the properties studied in this work--are required for equipment sizing, process simulation, hazard assessment, and economic evaluation. A major focus of this dissertation is the application of multi-property thermodynamic consistency techniques to compounds that exhibit strong vapor-phase association. These methods improve confidence in recommended property values by enforcing rigorous thermodynamic relationships among ideal-gas heat capacity, liquid heat capacity, vapor and liquid densities, vapor pressure, and enthalpy of vaporization. …

Tubuh Yang Mengingat (The Body Remembers): Ecology, Ritual, And Embodied Memory In Contemporary Cirebon Mask Performance, Prameswari Mrajabwana

Theses and Dissertations

Tubuh yang Mengingat (The Body Remembers) is a single-channel, site-specific performance film set across coastal and extractive landscapes in Cirebon, West Java, Indonesia. Reinterpreting the five transformations of Cirebonese mask dance—Panji, Pamindo, Rumyang, Tumenggung, and Kelana—the project examines how colonial extraction, ecological deterioration, and systems of social regulation continue to shape embodied experience materially and somatically. Drawing from Karen Barad’s concept of intra-action and Stacy Alaimo’s notion of trans-corporeality, the work approaches body, land, technology, and history as relationally entangled rather than separate entities. Through live biodata sonification generated from environmental sensors and bodily movement, the film establishes …

Delirious Pink, Reuben Gordon

Theses and Dissertations

How to enliven a tradition as accomplished as painting? With the spirit of New York City and the techniques of Abstract Expressionism and Color Field painting as my backbone, I look to my friends, lovers, and fellow artists to form a thesis defined by love, color, feeling, and individuality.

Uncertainty And Sensitivity Analysis Of Lithium-Ion Battery Performance With Recycled Materials: A Physics-Based Computational Framework Approach, Abdurahman Ajumobi

Theses and Dissertations

The global transition to a net-zero energy economy is increasing demand for lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) and positioning battery recycling as an essential component of future supply chains. However, recycled battery materials exhibit variability due to mixed feedstocks, heterogeneous black-mass compositions, degradation histories, and recycling processes. The resulting uncertainty in material properties can affect battery performance, yet physics-based methods for quantifying these effects remain limited.This dissertation presents a novel computational framework for uncertainty quantification (UQ) and global sensitivity analysis (GSA) of lithium-ion battery performance using recycled cathode materials. The framework combines the Doyle-Fuller-Newman (DFN) electrochemical model, implemented in PyBaMM, with a …

Robotic Arm-Assisted Structured-Light 3d Reconstruction For Large-Area Surface Modeling, Ahmed Elfarran

Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation develops and evaluates a robotic arm-assisted structured-light 3D reconstruction framework for improving reconstruction accuracy and surface coverage under practical experimental conditions. The system integrates camera-projector calibration, Gray-code projection, X/Y decoding, triangulation, MATLAB-based geometric correction, robotic multi-view acquisition, point-cloud alignment, and stitching. First, a tilted-projector structured-light setup was tested with the projector positioned approximately 20 degrees relative to the object plane. This non-ideal configuration introduced global tilt and geometric distortion in the raw point cloud. After correction, the RMSE decreased from 2.8 mm to 0.9 mm, the tilt error decreased from 4.5 degrees to 0.8 degrees, and the dimensional …

A Data-Driven Framework For Uav Trajectory Prediction And Abnormal Motion Detection Using Remote Id Telemetry, Rania Amin

Theses and Dissertations

Unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) systems are increasingly being adopted across commercial, industrial, and autonomous applications, creating a growing demand for intelligent monitoring techniques that improve operational safety, situational awareness, and airspace management. Among recent research directions in UAV systems, trajectory analysis and behavior monitoring have become essential for supporting reliable and scalable UAV operations. This thesis investigates two complementary challenges in UAV monitoring: trajectory prediction and abnormal motion-deviation detection.The first part of this thesis focuses on UAV trajectory prediction under incomplete observation conditions. A deep learning framework was developed to estimate future UAV positions using historical flight information and maintain …

Inline Spectroscopy Of Foley Drainage Urine Under Free-Flow And Chaotic Flow Conditions To Detect Optical Signatures Of Urinary Constituents And Measure Urine Quality, Kordell Mitchell Bernaldez Tan

Theses and Dissertations

Foley catheter drainage systems remain largely passive, and assessment of urine passage, drainage interruption, and changes in urine appearance continues to depend on intermittent visual inspection, nursing documentation, caregiver observation, or delayed laboratory testing. Optical monitoring through the drainage-tube wall could provide objective information without opening the closed drainage pathway or placing sensors in direct contact with urine. This dissertation investigated the feasibility of a clamp-on multispectral optical platform for detecting urine passage and measuring wavelength-dependent optical changes under static and free-flowing drainage conditions.The investigation followed a staged medical-device development approach. Literature reviews characterized monitoring needs in acute, chronic, community, …

Generative Ai As A Pedagogical Partner For Postsecondary Cte Instructors, Audrey Dieken

Theses and Dissertations

Postsecondary Career and Technical Education (CTE) instructors bring valuable industry experience to the classroom. However, they often lack formal pedagogical training which can create challenges in curriculum and instructional design. New instructors often struggle in their first few years, and this frustration may lead them to burnout and possibly attrition. This dissertation in practice explored whether a professional development on Generative AI (GenAI), specifically MagicSchool.ai, can bridge this pedagogical gap. The goal was to equip postsecondary CTE instructors with timesaving, on-demand curriculum development support through an online, asynchronous professional development (PD). The PD addressed how GenAI has the ability to …

On Design Of Sustainable Additively Manufactured Composite And High Performance Ceramic Structures, Awad E Ahmed Elhassan

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis presents two complementary approaches for developing sustainable engineering materials through additive manufacturing and advanced ceramics. The first study investigates the utilization of recycled wind turbine blade waste as reinforcement in Selective Laser Sintering (SLS) of Nylon 12 composites. Composites containing 5 vol.% resin powder and 4.65 and 18.82 vol.% wind turbine waste were fabricated in both solid and porous configurations, and evaluated for their mechanical, tribological, and surface properties. The results demonstrated that 4.65 vol.% reinforcement provided the optimal balance between mechanical performance and sustainability, while 18.82 vol.% significantly enhanced the wear resistance. The second study focuses on …

Malware Detection And Behavioral Analysis In Iot Environments: A Multi-Study Deep Learning Approach, Emmanuela Andam

Theses and Dissertations

Internet of Things devices face a growing volume of malware, and detection systems run into two practical problems: too little labeled data exists for a threat when it first appears, and malware families often resemble each other too closely for flat feature representations to separate. Both problems were addressed on the Ransomware Dataset 2024 using two purpose-built architectures. Detection paired an autoencoder with a meta-learning classifier that adapted from a single labeled example, reached 87.6% accuracy at one-shot, and outperformed standard baselines through fifty-shot. Classification used a state-space sequence model that captures relationships between features a flat vector misses, and …

Identification And Development Of Improved Monitoring For Wildlife-Vehicle Collisions In North Dakota, Lawson Frey

Theses and Dissertations

Wildlife-vehicle collisions (WVCs) represent a significant ecological and public safety concern across the United States, yet data collection systems in many states remain insufficient to capture the true magnitude and taxonomic breadth of collision-related mortality. North Dakota, where WVCs account for approximately 18% of all reported crashes, relies almost exclusively on law enforcement collision reports governed by high property damage thresholds, a protocol that systematically excludes the majority of species and underestimates total mortality. This study addresses these data gaps through three complementary approaches conducted in North Dakota from 2021 to 2025. First, we conducted systematic weekly carcass surveys across …

Geographic 3d-Digital Preservation Tools And Applications In Heritage Tourism, Ricardo Alejandro Gomez-Nieto

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis is more a micro-case study than usual in historical geography focused on land use change, historic preservation, heritage tourism, and informal education at the Grand Forks County Historical Society Museum Village in Grand Forks, North Dakota. The research questions focused on the interconnections of the relationships among people’slocation value, the reinterpretation of the location through historical lenses, and the sequence occupance of the area. The research methodology was grounded in traditional themes of historical geography and was a mixed methods style of data collection and data analysis. The tools of inquiry emphasized the use of 3D imaging, aerial …

Impact Of Active Learning On Student Performance In An Introductory Atmospheric Science Laboratory Course, Kassidy Danae Kjos

Theses and Dissertations

Little investigation into pedagogy in atmospheric sciences has been conducted. While numerous studies across STEM disciplines have examined and demonstrate active learning (AL) is beneficial to student performance, fewer than fifty explored atmospheric sciences specifically. This study expands upon these few existing studies by evaluating a diverse set of AL strategies implemented into introductory meteorology laboratories. Five AL techniques (Think-Pair-Share, Game-Based, Role-Playing, Diagramming, and Gallery Walks) were implemented between two semesters across multiple laboratory sections. Student performance is analyzed using the laboratory and its accompanying lecture curriculum assessments, as well as through pre- and post-tests. Results indicate students exposed to …

Deep Learning For Lithium-Ion Battery Status Monitoring: Robust State-Of-Charge And Trustworthy State-Of-Health Estimation, Mingwei Lei

Theses and Dissertations

In electric vehicle and energy storage applications, the reliable operation of safety-critical battery management systems (BMS) relies on accurate, real-time estimation of the state of charge (SOC) and state of health (SOH). Although data-driven methods show great potential, their practical application is primarily constrained by two major challenges. First, battery operation under real-world conditions involves continuously varying factors—such as temperature, aging stages, and dynamic cell characteristics—making it impossible to exhaustively cover all scenarios during laboratory data collection. This discrepancy often leads to a significant decline in estimation performance due to the domain shift problem. Second, engineering practice requires a balance …

Dual Credit In North Dakota: High School Administrators’ Perceptions And Experiences, Kayla Marie O'Toole

Theses and Dissertations

Dual credit opportunities continue to expand across North Dakota, providing high school students with opportunities to earn college credit while completing high school coursework. Despite this growth, participation in dual credit varies among high schools across the state. The purpose of this study was to examine high school administrators’ perceptions and experiences regarding dual credit programming in North Dakota. The study was guided by the following research question: What perceptions about dual credit exist among high school administrators, and what are their experiences?This study used a survey-based research approach to collect data from high school administrators throughout North Dakota. It …

Testing The Efficacy Of A Non-Invasive, Epidermal, Marker-Based Method For Conducting X-Ray Reconstruction Of Moving Morphology (Xromm) On A Cadaver Chicken, Brian Skillman

Theses and Dissertations

X-Ray Reconstruction of Moving Morphology (XROMM) is widely used to understand the kinematics of living organisms. The first of two standard methods for utlizing XROMM is to surgically implant X-ray dense markers within the bones of interest and euthanize the subject at the conclusion of testing, referred altogether as marker-based. The other standard, known Scientific Rotoscoping, or markerless, involves using thorough videography of the subject and manual bone orientation within the data collection program. These standards both pose unique issues, such as post-surgery complications for marker-based and time constraints for markerless. We investigate an intermediate method for utilizing XROMM involving …

Investing In Tomorrow's Citizens: Exploring Generation Alpha Middle School Students' Perspectives On Civics And Education, Talia Luccia Vazquez

Theses and Dissertations

Democracy requires maintenance from an active, informed citizenry, yet civic literacy in the United States has been rapidly declining while its democratic structures face systematic subversion. To reverse this, educational researchers have recommended increasing time for K–12 civics education. While devoting more time to middle school civics education could help rebuild a civically literate citizenry, public middle schools face the unique challenge of teaching a student population that is experiencing rapid physical and psychological development, alongside a well-documented dip in academic motivation and engagement. Tailoring civics education to be academically motivating to the current student demographic—Generation Alpha—requires an understanding of …

The Design And Economics Of An Electrolysis-Based System For Tribal Nation Green Hydrogen Infrastructure, Frank Yeboah

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis develops technical and economic analyses for a community-scale system that utilizes excess renewable energy to generate green hydrogen and oxygen which can be used by Tribal Nations to improve their energy infrastructure. Many Tribal Nations, such as the Mandan, Hidatsa and Arikara Nation, the Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa Indians and the Prairie Band Potawatomi Nation, are still energy insecure due to aging infrastructure, geographic remoteness and reliance on outside utilities. The use of renewable energy is growing, but the intermittency of solar and wind generation without long-duration storage is an issue. One possible solution is to use …

The Rpm-1/Phr Signaling Hub Modulates Tau-Induced Neurodegeneration Through Regulation Of Microtubule Stability And Mapk Pathways In C. Elegans, Xinxing Ding

Theses and Dissertations

Neurodegenerative diseases, including Alzheimer's disease and frontotemporal dementia, are characterized by the accumulation of pathological tau proteins and progressive neuronal loss. Although research regarding tau-mediated toxicity is extensive, the specific pathology that determine whether neurons maintain homeostasis or succumb to collapse under tau-induced stress remain incompletely elucidated. A central, yet still insufficiently understood, feature of these diseases is the disruption of the microtubule (MT) cytoskeleton . The PHR protein family is evolutionarily highly conserved; within this family, RPM-1 in C. elegans functions as an intracellular signaling hub that regulates axon development, synapse formation, axon termination, and various microtubule-associated processes. This …

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 …

The Influence Of Rainfall And Land Cover Change On Streamflow Variability In Eastern Florida Watersheds, Brynn Romberger

Theses and Dissertations

Streamflow in Florida watersheds is influenced by both land cover change and rainfall variability, but separating their contributions is difficult because both have changed over recent decades. This study evaluated rainfall trends and land cover change to determine which better explains flood and drought threshold exceedance across 27 USGS streamflow gauges within the St. Johns River Water Management District (SJRWMD) from 1985 to 2025. Streamflow was characterized using change-point, trend, and variability analyses with a six-threshold exceedance framework. Land cover was quantified using the National Land Cover Database (NLCD), rainfall characteristics were derived from the Analysis of Records for Calibration …

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, …

Helicopter Pilots’ Safety Behaviors: Identifying Factors That Affect Risk Perception Among Helicopter Pilots, Khaled J. Alzaabi

Theses and Dissertations

Helicopter operations frequently take place in complex, high-risk environments, where pilots continuously assess hazards and make critical decisions under pressure. Despite standardized procedures, regulations, and training designed to enhance safe operations, helicopter pilots may perceive risk differently when encountering similar flight situations. Understanding the factors that influence helicopter pilots’ perception of risk is essential for improving helicopter operation safety.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of various factors on risk perception among helicopter pilots. Using an explanatory correlational design, the study assessed whether helicopter pilots’ demographics, flight experience, and affective domain factors explain differences in their …

Color-Coding: An Aid Or Hindrance In A Multi-Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Supervisory Control Task, Austin Daniel Wood

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of the current study was to investigate the effect of coding types (i.e., alphanumeric coding, color-coding, and redundant color + alphanumeric coding) for vehicle identification and status information on pilots’ recognition performance, situational awareness (SA), and workload for a multi-vehicle operations ground control station (GCS) supervisory control task. With the aviation industry's push towards operators supervising and controlling multiple vehicles, it is pertinent to identify design features that support the capabilities and limitations of human operators. The current study employed a within-subjects, repeated-measures experimental design, in which a sample of 33 students with aviation experience performed three trials, …

Functionalized Loblolly Pine Derived Ultraporous Activated Hydrochars For Efficient Carbon Capture, Swarna Saha

Theses and Dissertations

The increasing concentration of anthropogenic carbon dioxide (CO₂) emissions has intensified the demand for efficient and sustainable carbon capture technologies. This dissertation investigates the development of functionalized ultraporous activated hydrochars derived from loblolly pine through hydrothermal carbonization (HTC) followed by chemical activation for enhanced CO₂ capture applications. Different functionalization strategies, including deep eutectic solvent (DES) modification, zeolite-assisted HTC, palladium-assisted HTC, and CO₂-assisted HTC, were systematically explored to evaluate the influence of pore structure, surface chemistry, and adsorption energetics on CO₂ capture performance. The synthesized materials were characterized using BET, FTIR, XRD, TGA, SEM, and adsorption isotherm modeling to establish the …

Radiation Testing And Failure Analysis Of A Complex Heterogeneous Soc, Garrett Smith

Theses and Dissertations

Heterogeneous System on Chips (SoCs) provide a robust platform that can flexibly handle different applications. Their small form factor and low power consumption for their performance have made SoCs an attractive option for space applications. However, SoCs are sensitive to the ionizing radiation found in space. We need to understand how an SoC will behave in the high radiation found in space. This requires us to perform radiation testing of the SoCs on Earth to understand their behavior. The radiation testing and analysis of a heterogeneous SoC is complex as it contains multiple different processing cores, memories, and other system …

Online Mindfulness Training And Work-Related Outcomes: A Randomized Waitlist Controlled Trial, Conner Lee Deichman

Theses and Dissertations

Mindfulness-based interventions improve employee well-being, yet few studies have examined their impact on work-specific outcomes in private-sector samples. Online mindfulness programs offer a promising, accessible alternative to in-person training. This randomized waitlist-controlled trial evaluated the efficacy of Mindfulness for Humans (MfH), a fully online, self-directed 15-session program, on job satisfaction, burnout, work engagement, subjective well-being, and mindfulness skills among private-sector employees. Participants were randomly assigned to a training-first group or a waitlist-first group and completed measures at baseline, 30 days, and 60 days. Results showed significant improvements in job satisfaction, burnout, subjective well-being, and mindfulness following course participation. The training-first …

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 …

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 …

From Anaerobic Digesters To The Human Gut: Ecological Responses Of Microbiomes To Environmental And Biological Perturbations, Maliea Annholden Nipko

Theses and Dissertations

Microbial communities regulate essential ecological and metabolic processes across both engineered and host-associated ecosystems. Although these systems differ substantially in composition and function, they are governed by common ecological principles including community succession, resilience, species interactions, and responses to environmental and biological perturbations. This dissertation investigates how perturbations influence microbiome structure, function, and stability through three complementary studies spanning anaerobic digestion and the human gut microbiome. First, the effects of an extremophilic biological pretreatment using Caldicellulosiruptor bescii were evaluated in industrial-scale anaerobic digesters treating dairy manure. High- temperature pretreatment substantially altered microbial community composition, with bacterial populations remaining metabolically active …