Digital Commons Network^™

Rapid Kinetic Fluorogenic Quantification Of Malondialdehyde In Ground Beef, Keshav Raj Bhandari

Theses and Dissertations

Presented herein is rapid kinetic fluorogenic method to quantify malondialdehyde (MDA) in ground beef, utilizing 2-thiobarbituric acid (TBA) as the fluorogenic probe. This assay significantly shortens the total analysis time, from sample preparation to data acquisition, to just six minutes presenting a major advancement over traditional methods that typically require two hours and multiple instruments. The assay’s robustness against matrix interferences was validated using sample volume variation and standard addition calibration methods. Additionally, the effects of ambient exposure to air, washing, and cooking on MDA content in raw ground beef were quantified. While both ambient exposure to air and cooking …

Examining Relationships Among Teachers’ Perceptions Of School Climate And Culture And Their Sense Of School Belonging, Kimberly D. Lathan

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of the study was to examine the relationships among teachers’ views of school climate and culture and their sense of belonging within a Mississippi school district. Using a quantitative survey research design, data were collected from 99 teachers during the 2024–2025 school year through the School Climate Survey and the School Belonging Scale Survey. The researcher sought to determine whether differences in the teachers' perceptions of their schools’ climate and culture and their sense of belonging existed by gender and grade span, as well as whether significant relationships existed among the constructs of their schools’ climate and culture …

Electrospun Nanofiber Creation With Varying Polymer-Solvent Combinations For Air Filtration, Lancaster Jace Hill

Theses and Dissertations

This study aims to analyze various polymer-solvent combinations for electrospun creation of nanofiber media and to determine the best-suited solution for lab-grade electrospinning. Suitable solutions allow for controlled morphology of fiber diameters and for efficiency of media creation. The principal variables are solvent, concentration, and voltage. Humidity and temperature play a secondary variable role. The solution must withstand an electric field of ≤30 kV and be insoluble in water to maintain desired morphology and structure. Manipulation of the solutions and variables allow for fiber diameter optimization and beading minimization. High temperature filter applications require efficiency in intense heat and preservation …

Immature Bull Sharks (Carcharhinus Leucas) Of Coastal Alabama: A Formal Assessment Of Habitat Change, The ‘Shark Nursery Area’ Concept, And Facilitation Of Stakeholder Support, Lindsay Lee Mullins

Theses and Dissertations

Evaluation of long-term datasets is essential for management of nearshore, estuarine areas given their heterogeneity and high biodiversity. This is especially true for fisheries, where data deficiency often restricts informed management decisions. The Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources Marine Resources Division (AMRD) has conducted gillnet sampling along the Alabama Gulf Coast since 2001, yielding a long-term dataset capable of assessing resource change responses. The region is highly dynamic, marked by high levels of biodiversity, valuable fisheries, and a population of immature bull sharks (Carcharhinus leucas). However, changing environmental conditions have altered coastal ecosystem dynamics, confounding management efforts. Here, …

Trace Mineral Supplementation Strategies For Beef Cattle During Preconditioning And Feedlot Receiving, Madeline G. Mcknight

Theses and Dissertations

Beef cattle routinely undergo a variety of stressors within the preconditioning and feedlot receiving phases which may impair animal performance and health. Trace mineral supplementation, either through dietary or injectable sources, is proposed to mitigate these effects through metabolic and immune system support. Two systematic reviews and meta-analyses were conducted to evaluate the efficacy of two different oral supplementation methods, organic (OTM) and inorganic (INR), and injectable trace mineral (ITM) solutions on average daily gain (ADG) and morbidity. Across 20 studies, OTM supplementation increased ADG (P = 0.01) when compared to INR, but did not affect morbidity (P = 0.92). …

Spatiotemporal Ecology Of Mycobacterium Ulcerans And Mycolactone Functions In French Guiana And Southeastern United States Aquatic Environments, Magdalene Dogbe

Theses and Dissertations

Mycobacterium ulcerans, the causative agent of Buruli ulcer, produces mycolactone, a polyketide toxin traditionally studied for its role in human pathogenesis. This dissertation presents a comprehensive spatiotemporal analysis of M. ulcerans and mycolactone producing mycobacteria (MPM) ecology in the Americas and also reveals mycolactone's role in the environment as a microbial community regulator. Through comparative studies in French Guiana (endemic) and the southeastern United States (non-endemic), combined with experimental microcosm investigations, this research contributes to environmental pathogen ecology understanding. Environmental surveillance across 2,226 samples from French Guiana revealed complete MPM restriction to freshwater environments, with zero detections from 1,226 coastal …

Novel Experimental Techniques For Pressure Transients, Luliang Zhang

Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation introduces novel experimental techniques for analyzing pressure transients, focusing on dynamic strain and pressure measurements to advance the understanding and application of Pulse Pressure Amplification in percussive devices. The research evaluates a high-speed linescan extensometer utilizing linescan Digital Image Correlation (DIC) on a Kolsky Bar to obtain strain data at high strain rates. This data is critical for accurate material characterization and simulations to model dynamic behavior. Additionally, a novel method for measuring dynamic pressure waves in pipe systems has been developed, enabling direct assessments of pressure amplification in devices such as tapered pipe systems. The findings contribute …

Design, Development, And Validation Of An Automated Hole-Punching System For Precision Irrigation In Lay-Flat Poly Pipe Tubing, Micah James Foster

Theses and Dissertations

Increasing pressure on water resources in agricultural regions, particularly the Mississippi Delta, demands innovative irrigation technologies to optimize water usage while maintaining crop productivity. This research presents the design, development, and validation of an automated hole-punching system for lay-flat poly pipe tubing used in precision irrigation applications. The system ensures accurate and consistent hole placement through an integrated rotary cutting die, a PLC-based control architecture, stepper motor actuation, and distance-sensing and position-synchronization. The software logic maintains precise hole spacing despite variations in tubing speed. System performance was evaluated through extensive testing and statistical analysis of hole-spacing accuracy, repeatability, and sagitta-based …

Lecun-Pso Hybrid Initialization Of Neural Network Using Asymmetric Gait Features For Classification Of Parkinson’S Disease, Michael Joseph Carter

Theses and Dissertations

Parkinson's disease (PD) is a complex condition with a wide range of clinical symptoms. It is a progressive neurological disorder that has afflicted an estimated 1 million people in the US and 10 million worldwide. The diagnosis of PD is typically based on the presence of clinical features, with no specific diagnostic test or biomarker. The methods of assessment for PD are also used, in whole or in part, for similar symptom diseases such as Multiple Sclerosis, Essential Tremors, Multiple System Atrophy, Supranuclear Palsy, Dementia with Lewy bodies and Huntington’s disease. Many of the current clinical tests have low sensitivity …

Physics-Informed Neural Network For Maximum Detectable Distance Estimation In Mobile Gamma Spectrometry, Nancy A. Ibrahim

Theses and Dissertations

Accurate estimation of the Maximum Detectable Distance (MDD) is critical for environmental remediation, nuclear incident response, and public safety. Conventional approaches assume stationary detectors and rely on computationally intensive simulations, limiting their applicability for mobile, real-time surveys. Mobile gamma spectrometry introduces additional complexities due to detector motion, variable acquisition times, and heterogeneous backgrounds. This study addresses the central question of how effectively a Physics-Informed Neural Network (PINN) can estimate MDD for mobile gamma spectrometry, while maintaining both accuracy and computational efficiency under dynamically changing environmental conditions. A multi-phase approach was employed, combining field data collection, computational modeling, and operational tool …

Evaluating The Effects Of Biostimulants On Apple Coloration, Patrick G. Owens

Theses and Dissertations

Apple peel color is one determining factor of apple quality and is a highly sought after trait by both growers and consumers. Historically plant growth regulators (PGRs) such as daminozide and auxins have been used to induce a greater amount of red color in the peel, but these products typically have negative production impacts and raise environmental concerns. One new area of interest is in called biostimulants. This study investigated the effects of two experimental biostimulants (MCEN1 and MCEN2) applied at varying rates and timings, as well as a commercially available plant growth regulator (Blush® 2X), on ‘Honeycrisp’ apple color …

Small Area Estimation Methods For County-Level Forest Biomass Estimation, Pratyush Dhungana

Theses and Dissertations

We evaluated small area estimation (SAE) methods for county-level forest biomass across four Forest Inventory and Analysis (FIA) regions in the contiguous United States using the coefficient of variation and relative root mean squared error. The Standard Fay–Herriot (FH) model was compared with multivariate, spatial, and measurement-error extensions, while the unit-level Battese–Harter–Fuller (BHF) model was compared with mixed-effects random forests (MERF) with auxiliary data from remote sensing. Spatial FH improved precision when spatial dependence was strong; otherwise, Standard FH was more reliable. All FH models were effective with fewer than 100 plots. Measurement-Error FH produced more accurate estimates than FIA …

Advancing Equity In Adolescent Mental Health: A Literature Review And Telehealth Program Design For School-Based Access, Renatta Lindsey

Theses and Dissertations

Adolescents in the United States (U.S.) are experiencing a mental health crisis, with disproportionately high prevalence rates among marginalized youth. Approximately 1 in 5 adolescents are diagnosed with a mental, emotional, or behavioral condition (Panchal, 2024; Sappenfield et al., 2024). Yet, an estimated 40% (1.8 million) of adolescents aged 12-17 who experience a major depressive episode did not receive treatment (Substance Abuse and Mental Health Service Administration, 2024). This project examines existing barriers that hinder access to care for this population. While schools are the most common settings for adolescent mental health supports, more than half report difficulties with meeting …

Study On Vehicle-Pedestrian Interaction Autonomy By Risk Potential Theory, Riku Kikuta

Theses and Dissertations

Vehicle–pedestrian interaction is a critical aspect of autonomous vehicle (AV) development, as socially acceptable AVs must account for pedestrian intention and behavior. Risk Potential (RP) theory provides a framework to build human-like AVs by modeling expert driver risk perception, but conventional RP models treat pedestrians as static obstacles and neglect their dynamics. This dissertation extends RP theory by incorporating pedestrian velocity and orientation into three new models: the RP velocity model, the RP related-velocity model, and the RP Pedestrian Potential Position (PPP) model. These models were implemented in the Navigating All Terrains Using Robotic Exploration (NATURE) autonomy stack and tested …

Complex-Valued Structured Parameterized Learnable Filter Banks For Time-Frequency Domain Based Classification, Sabyasachi Biswas

Theses and Dissertations

Most conventional radar-based classification methods, including human activity recognition (HAR) and modulation recognition, rely on computationally intensive two-stage processes involving time-frequency (TF) transformations, such as the short-time Fourier transform (STFT), to generate micro-Doppler signature (��-Ds). These ��-Ds are then classified using deep neural network (DNN), a method introducing significant temporal latency and limiting real-time applicability. To overcome these limitations, this dissertation proposes a novel complex-valued Deep learning (DL) framework employing structured parameterized learnable filter (PLF) banks, enabling direct classification from raw radar data. The research first introduces high-resolution spectrogram network (HRSpecNet), a deep learning model designed to reconstruct high-resolution ��-Ds …

Improvement Of Spot Spraying Treatments Using Precision Application Technologies, Steffen Telgmann

Theses and Dissertations

Chemical plant protection is widely adopted in agriculture and plays a crucial role in maximizing plant production. Several developments for site-specific applications have been implemented in chemical plant protection, driven by economic, social, and environmental considerations. Spot spraying technology, which utilizes single nozzles or a limited number of nozzles to treat specific areas, is now available and gaining market penetration. However, its performance depends on carefully optimized application parameters to ensure consistent coverage and efficacy, thereby mitigating both under- and overdosing. To address concerns including reduced efficacy, resistance evolution, and environmental impacts, this work researches the effects of nozzle selection …

Improving Artificial Intelligence Literacy Among Middle School Students Using Tangible Objects, Sayantani Dutta

Theses and Dissertations

Given the rapid advancement of Computer Science (CS) and Artificial Intelligence (AI), introducing these disciplines early and effectively in education is essential. Many middle school students, however, struggle to understand these subjects when taught with traditional, abstract, and screen-based methods, which often fail to engage students or build deep conceptual understanding. This study argues that tangible, hands-on learning tools and interactive activities make AI and CS concepts more accessible, concrete, and engaging for students. The findings show that, compared to traditional lectures, hands-on activities lead to substantially improved comprehension, retention, and enjoyment. While the sample size poses limitations, the evidence …

Space Utilization Optimization, Troy D. Rockwood

Theses and Dissertations

Outer space is a crucial and increasingly leveraged resource for advancing human quality of life; however, its utility is constrained by inherent physical and spectral limitations. This thesis examines two distinct resource optimization problems critical to the sustainable development of space. The first part of this work addresses the optimization of physical orbital space. Unlike a terrestrial resource, mismanagement of this orbital space can lead to a runaway cascade of collisions, destroying the utility of entire orbital regimes. This thesis proposes a conjunction metric to quantify orbital capacity based on Keplerian parameters. We develop a computational tool to measure and …

Integrated Experimental, Numerical, And Machine-Learning Framework For The Analysis Of Spray Dynamics In Diesel And Gasoline Direct-Injection (Gdi) Engines, Yassine El Marnissi

Theses and Dissertations

The regulation of diesel and gasoline direct injection (GDI) during cold starts has become subject to stricter numerical limits by both the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in the US and the European Commission (EC). For diesel engines, the EPA’s Clean Trucks Plan (Model Year 2027+) sets a certification NOₓ limit of 0.035 g/bhp-hr and an in-use fleet average limit of 0.050 g/bhp-hr, along with a PM limit of 0.005 g/bhp-hr, representing an 82.5% reduction in NOₓ compared to the former 0.2 g/bhp-hr standard. For gasoline engines, US standards regulate cold-start pollutants such as hydrocarbons (HC) ranging from 0.03 to 0.08 …

Toward A Unified Network Flow Framework: From Conservation Principles To Fluid Dynamics Models, Zonghan Zhang

Theses and Dissertations

Network flows govern a wide range of critical systems, from tangible infrastructures like transportation and power grids to replicable processes such as information spread and epidemics. While tangible flows obey conservation laws and physical constraints, replicable flows, like rumors or viruses, can grow, decay, or vanish unpredictably. Despite their increasing interaction in real-world settings, these flow types are typically modeled in isolation, using disconnected mathematical frameworks. This dissertation presents a unified modeling approach that bridges the gap between conserved and replicable flows by embedding principles from fluid dynamics into graph-based propagation models. I introduce physically informed extensions to classical models, …

Multiple Baseline Single-Case Study: Narrative Resiliency Intervention For Couples With Adverse Childhood Experiences, Emma Elizabeth Allen

Theses and Dissertations

A multiple baseline single case study design was used to examine the effects of a narrative and resiliency-based intervention for couples with adverse childhood experiences (ACEs). Using piecewise multilevel modeling (MLM), the study evaluated changes in depressive symptoms, dyadic coping (DCI), and growth and empowerment measure (Emotional Empowerment Scale [EES-14] and 12 Scenarios [12S]) across waitlist and treatment phases. Five couples (10 individuals) participated in up to 17 waves, with staggered baseline and treatment lengths across dyads. Results indicated significant fixed effects of the 12S subscale for growth and empowerment during the treatment phase. There were no statistically significant fixed …

Power Resilience In Utah's Water Sector: A Survey Of Stakeholder Practices, Preferences And Potential, Tyler Christopher Peterson

Theses and Dissertations

Drinking water and wastewater services are vulnerable to disruptions because they rely heavily on the electric grid. As a result, power outages can lead to water outages, creating cascading failures that compromise sanitation, firefighting, healthcare, and daily routines. Although an important topic, there are little to no studies of water and wastewater power resilience at a geographic or state level. In this study we investigate the extent of existing backup power and renewable energy integration as well as the motivations and barriers around their power resilience. We collect our data through semi-structured interviews with staff at 19 urban and rural …

Climate-Driven Flood Risk Mapping And Adaptive Strategy Modelling For Coastal Tamil Nadu, Sakthi Kiran Dr Mr

Theses and Dissertations

Background: Tamil Nadu’s coastal corridor (Cuddalore–Sirkazhi; ~2,740 km²) experiences recurring floods driven by climate change, rapid urban expansion, and inadequate drainage across low-lying deltaic terrain. Existing flood assessments remain largely reactive and rely on static methods that fail to incorporate future climate projections, demographic growth, and evolving urban patterns.

Methods: This research develops a dynamic, climate-resilient flood risk framework integrating (i) long-term hydroclimatic trend analysis (1984–2023), (ii) satellite-based flood hazard mapping using multi-temporal Sentinel-1A and RISAT-1A SAR, (iii) CORDEX REMO2015 (RCP 4.5)–driven HEC-RAS 2D hydrodynamic modelling, (iv) machine-learning-based susceptibility modelling (RF, DT, SVM), and (v) scenario-based evaluation of structural mitigation …

Evaluation Of Internal Field In Ppln And Studies On Qpm Shg Efficiency Factor, Prasath Rk Mr

Theses and Dissertations

Periodically Poled Lithium Niobate (PPLN) crystals have attracted interest in optoelectronics and nonlinear optics. The response to the applied electric field is determined by their larger electro-optic and nonlinear optical coefficients. An internal electric field exists in congruent PPLN crystals due to its defects. Its evaluation is important in controlling the electro-optical behavior. A simple nondestructive diffraction method is proposed to estimate the internal electric field present in the congruent lithium niobate crystal.

Due to the presence of an unrelaxed internal field, the as-poled sample acts as an index grating. When a light is incident on such a sample, it …

The Impact Of Social Factors On Vagally Mediated Parasympathetic Activity, Andrew Scot Proctor

Theses and Dissertations

Loneliness and social disconnection are recognized risk factors for morbidity and mortality, yet the psychophysiological pathways remain contested. This dissertation examines how social factors relate to vagally mediated parasympathetic activity indexed by heart rate variability (HRV) and tests whether conversational interventions with a human or a large-language-model (LLM)-based companion can acutely reduce loneliness and enhance connection. Across two university sites (BYU, UCSD), N=297 participants (18-27 years) were randomized to (a) a reciprocal self-disclosure conversation with a trained human confederate, (b) a parallel, vocalized LLM chatbot conversation, or (c) a non-social, vocal reading control. Resting HRV (RMSSD, SDNN, HF-HRV) was recorded …

Experimental And Theoretical Characterization Of Molten Salt Thermal Conductivity, Jacob C. Numbers

Theses and Dissertations

Molten salts form an ideal heat transfer fluid for advanced energy generation systems, including molten salt reactors (MSR). Accurate characterization of molten salt thermal conductivity is needed to confidently predict transient thermal behavior and optimize salt properties. Measurements are hindered by salts' challenging material properties, which---in the case of the needle probe device---induced unaccounted physical changes that limited its accuracy and repeatability. Sparse thermal conductivity data in general is exacerbated by a limited fundamental understanding of molecular energy transfer in liquids. This work extends the experimental capacity for compositional studies using the needle probe and proposes a theoretical model for …

Law As Performance: Sovereignty, Legal Indeterminacy, And The Chinese Private Security Industry, Alexandrya Pouliot

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis examines how the legal indeterminacy of international law facilitates state evasion of accountability through the use of private military and security companies (PMSCs) as proxies in extraterritorial operations. Focusing on China’s deployment of PSCs to safeguard Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) projects, it argues that ambiguities within the doctrines of attribution and responsibility under the Articles on the Responsibility of States for Internationally Wrongful Acts (ARSIWA) create a permissive legal environment that enables states to outsource coercive functions without incurring formal liability. Drawing upon Hobbesian Realist theory, Carl Schmitt’s concept of the sovereign exception, and insights from Critical …

Exploring The Potential Of Artificial Intelligence To Improve The Journal Peer Review Process, Eliza Fanny Bondah

Theses and Dissertations

Academic publishing depends on the peer review process to guarantee quality, scholarly rigor, and credibility, but the traditional peer review system receives mounting criticism because of its inefficient operations, biased judgments, and irregular standards. This study explores how artificial intelligence (AI) can improve journal peer review systems to solve a variety of issues, including reducing reviewer exhaustion, minimizing bias, improving consistency, and accelerating the review process. Current literature shows AI as a promising yet controversial solution, which may provide structured feedback with improved consistency and efficiency. Our study examined 52 human reviews together with 26 AI-generated reviews from EdTechnica--An Open …

Bayesian Alignment Prior To Connectionist Temporal Classification Loss, Lawry Sorenson

Theses and Dissertations

We propose revisions of Connectionist Temporal Classification (CTC) loss and forced alignment to support longer input sequences. CTC loss is normally used for training in speech and handwriting recognition tasks when the labels are not fully aligned with the data, while forced alignment is a downstream task that finds the optimal path for segmentation purposes. The current implementations consider all possible alignments between the input and label, which grows exponentially with the size of the input. We show that in cases when silence is removed and speaking rate is consistent, the true alignment is a mostly straight line across time …

Commutative Schur Rings Over Characteristic 2 Special Orthogonal Groups, Andrew Haviland

Theses and Dissertations

We study commutative Schur rings over the special orthogonal groups $\mathrm{SO}^{\pm}(n,2)$ that contain the class $\mathcal{C}$ of transvections. We show that the partition of $\mathcal{C}$ determined by a commutative Schur ring has either one or two parts. We classify all remaining partitions of $\mathcal{C}$ that could be determined by a commutative Schur ring.