Digital Commons Network^™

Effect Of Laser Textured Surface With Different Patterns On Tribological Characteristics Of Bearing Material, Paul Joshua S

Theses and Dissertations

This research work determines the wear rate and friction characteristics of bearing material under different laser textured surface conditions. Chrome steels are used in bearings since they possess high strength and wear resistance. However, when those parts are in service, failure happens due to sliding friction before the lifetime. To improve the durability of the American Iron and Steel Institute (AISI) 52100 chromium steel, in this work, the effect of laser surface texturing (LST) was analysed.

With the different pattern of circle, ellipse, groove and grid were produced on the sample surface, the wear behavior was investigated using the pin …

Generative Ai-Based Optimized Recommender System For Debt Collection Using Large Language Models, Keerthana S

Theses and Dissertations

Reducing the percentage of defaulters who often skip payments throughout the debt collection process might help minimize losses in the banking industry. The debt collection process should be optimized to reduce the rate of defaulters and improve collection rates. Traditional Machine Learning algorithms focused on credit risk analysis, defaulter prediction, and forecasting the recovery rate of debt collection. Researchers are not currently prioritizing the analysis of debt collectors’ performance. The debt collector’s primary responsibility is to retrieve outstanding debts from consumers on behalf of the debt collection firm.

Examining debt collectors’ performance is essential to enhance collection efficiency in the …

The Raye Montague Digital Collection, Paola Cavallari

Theses and Dissertations

The Raye Montague Digital Collection consists of 735 items that have been digitized and catalogued to tell the story of Raye Montague, the United States Navy hidden figure. The Collection addresses the need to remedy decades of historical invisibility Raye Montague was subjected to because of gender and racial discrimination despite her fundamental contributions to U.S. history. This thesis details how the Collection inserts Raye Montague within a broader historical context that uncovers the role Black women had as federal employees in the U.S. military during and after World War II. It also explains how, in designing the Collection, I …

A Frame, A Jar, And A Mural: An Exploratory Crafts-Based Arts Curriculum Infused With Making, Community, And Place, Laura Ann Rowley

Theses and Dissertations

Situated within the current landscape of loneliness and isolation facing today's youth, this research describes a place-based and crafts-based arts curriculum for elementary students in the Salt Lake area. It uses curriculum as an investigative tool to explore the relationships between crafts, place, making, community and belonging. The curriculum itself incorporates place-based activities including hikes, urban walks, and plein air making while looking at the lives and works of local Salt Lake maker-artists Pilar Pobil, Jann Haworth, and Ben Behunin. It also delves into a wide array of craft arts and making including: decorative frame painting, embroidery, quilting, pottery, rubbings, …

Lstm-Transformer Based Robust Hybrid Deep Learning Model For Financial Time Series Forecasting, Md R. Kabir

Theses and Dissertations

The inherent challenges of financial time series forecasting demand advanced modeling techniques for reliable predictions. Financial data, belonging to the category of multimedia data, contains an extensive quantity of information that is widely used for data analysis and decision-making tasks. Effective financial time series forecasting is crucial for financial risk management and the formulation of investment decisions. Accurate prediction of stock prices is a subject of study in the domains of investing and national policy. This problem appears to be challenging due to the presence of multi-noise, nonlinearity, volatility, and chaotic natures in stocks. This paper proposes a novel financial …

A Comparative Study Of Toxicity Propagation Using Epidemiological Models, Niloofar Yousefi

Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation explores the spread and intensity of toxic content on social media, with a particular focus on platform X (formerly known as Twitter). The growing presence of toxic interactions has sparked concerns about their effects on public discourse. Utilizing epidemiological models such as SIR (Susceptible, Infected, Recovered), SIS (Susceptible, Infected, Susceptible), SIRS (Susceptible, Infected, Recovered, Susceptible), SEIRS (Susceptible, Exposed, Infected, Recovered, Susceptible), and the novel SEImIhRS model (Susceptible, Exposed, Moderate Infected, High Infected, Recovered, Susceptible), which are traditionally used to study infectious disease dynamics, this dissertation examines toxicity in platform X discussions. A key contribution of this work is …

Nonlinear Thomson Scattering In An Intense Tightly Focused Ultrashort Laser Pulse, Yance Sun

Theses and Dissertations

We investigate nonlinear Thomson scattering generated by intense laser pulses focused in noble gases. Electrons are ionized from low-density helium or argon early during the laser pulse and scatter light out the side of the focus. We measure fundamental, second, and third harmonic light focus over nearly the entire emission sphere. We investigate the influence of electron bunching, when individual atoms ionize multiple electrons sequentially as the laser field increases early during the laser pulse. Simulations suggest that correlation between electron positions for the ten electrons ionized from argon should distort the spatial pattern of nonlinear Thomson scattering relative to …

Survey And Comparative Analysis Of Pollinator Diversity, Abundance, And Foraging Activity Of Diptera And Hymenoptera In Selected Habitats Of South Texas, Melissa Villarreal

Theses and Dissertations

With the declining bee population, non-bee pollinators can serve as an alternative source for pollination. Diptera is a potential source of untapped pollinator resources based on their abundance and visitation rate, but they are understudied in the field of pollination ecology. This study aimed to characterize the pollinator community in selected areas of South Texas. It focused on the Diptera and Hymenoptera families to compare their diversity, relative abundance, foraging behaviors, environmental influences, and vegetation associations. Active sampling and line transect were used in the survey to sample the Hymenoptera and Diptera communities to their family taxonomic rank. Statistical analyses …

The Influence Of Wind Energy Development On Occupancy Of Medium And Large-Sized Mammals In South Texas, Elwynn Sherman

Theses and Dissertations

Conservation paradigms have shifted from single to multi-species approaches for assessing and conserving mammalian populations and the habitats that they occupy. The effect of wind turbine development is an important anthropogenic change to study due to the increasing demand for wind energy in Texas. In this study, I gathered remote camera trap data on medium and large-sized mammal populations in south Texas Tamaulipan thornscrub habitat. The objectives were to determine species presence, the effect of habitat characteristics and anthropogenic disturbances on species occupancy, and the effect of temperature on species detection. The results showed that distance from wind turbines did …

Flying Under The Radar: Navigating Through Frustrations, Tears, And The Politics Of The Liberal Arts Curriculum, Sandra Houghton

Theses and Dissertations

The elements and principles of art continue to highly influence curriculum in the typical art foundations class. The reduction of art and artmaking to their formal properties constricts a student’s ability to engage in real-life artist processes, and many important contextual meanings are lost. Consequently, art foundations curriculum derived from the elements and principles of art narrows the lens through which we create, teach, and talk about art. In my own experience as an art teacher, I have found that this approach limits my teaching and makes it difficult to fully and authentically understand the works of other artists and …

Understanding The Role Of The Heat Transfer Coefficient Between Tool/Workpiece Interface During Friction Stir Welding, Matthew Goodson

Theses and Dissertations

The heat transfer coefficient is a key parameter in modeling friction stir welding and has yet to be measured experimentally. The importance of this parameter was shown through validating friction stir models on both sides of the tool/workpiece interface. Both a transient plunge and a steady state model were validated by matching experimental temperatures. The steady state tool temperatures were matched (with in 2.5%), but the steady state workpiece temperatures were off by around 20%. The transient model of the FSW plunge showed the effect of varying the ℎ𝑊/𝑇 on workpiece temperatures and tool temperatures. Two methods were looked at …

Investigating The Efficacy Of Prompt Engineering Techniques For Research Survey Paper Generation Using Large Language Models, Innocent Obed Awidi

Theses and Dissertations

The recent advancements in large language models (LLMs), such as ChatGPT, offer promising potential for automating academic writing tasks. This study investigates the efficacy of prompt engineering techniques in guiding LLMs to generate high-quality research survey papers, specifically exploring their application in the fields of artificial intelligence (AI) in drug development and large language model customization for classification. Using a mixed-methods approach, this research assessed the impact of prompt engineering on the coherence, relevance, and overall quality of generated content through quantitative and qualitative analyses. Techniques including prompt refinement, contextual prompting, and iterative prompting were systematically applied to enhance the …

Mitigating Code Reuse Attacks On Risc-V Binaries: Minimizing Gadget Availability Using The Compressed Extension, Heitor Vieira

Theses and Dissertations

Embedded systems are vital in civilian and military applications, requiring high performance and security. The open RISC-V Instruction Set Architecture (ISA) offers significant advantages, including security through community review and strategic independence in microchip supplies. Brazil’s recent partnership with RISC-V highlights its potential for national technological sovereignty. However, RISC-V is not inherently resistant to code reuse attacks (CRAs), highlighting the need to integrate security measures early in development. The RISC-V Compressed extension, while beneficial for optimizing performance and code flexibility, introduces security trade-offs. As RISC-V adoption grows, particularly in critical systems, addressing these security challenges from the start is crucial …

Spectrometric Detection Of Microplastics In The Environment: A Novel Approach Using Hyperspectral Imaging System, Mansurat Abdulmalik Ali

Theses and Dissertations

Microplastics (MPs), defined as plastic particles ranging from 1 μm to 5 mm, have emerged as one of the significant environmental contaminants due to their widespread presence in terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems. MPs originate from primary sources, such as industrial pre-production pellets and microbeads in personal care products, or secondary sources, such as the breakdown of larger plastic particles. Their persistence in the environment is due to their resistance to degradation and capacity to transport toxic substances and pathogens. These characteristics raise concerns about their ecological impacts and potential entry into food chains, ultimately affecting human health. Despite extensive research …

Population Genetics Of Deer In The Northern Great Plains, Usa, Sarah Elizabeth Daman

Theses and Dissertations

Deer are currently under threat of chronic wasting disease (CWD) throughout North America. With CWD distribution increasing globally, understanding the spread of the disease is paramount for the effective management and conservation of deer populations. Conservation genomics has been shown as an effective method to study the behavior and movement of individuals on the landscape at a broad spatial scale. This approach allows for a multi-state evaluation of habitat and landscape features that may influence the dispersals and subsequent gene flow between populations. This study was designed to assess the genetic population structuring of deer within North Dakota and surrounding …

Personality Across Realities: Correlations Between Personality Profiles And Preferences Within Roleplaying Games, Brittany Lee Mancha

Theses and Dissertations

Clinically maladaptive behaviors and personality types have been studied within gamers, both those who play video games and those who roleplay in tabletop games. However, the connection between personality types and the preferences of the players themselves in what and how they roleplay is just barely being studied. Personality traits, such as extraversion/introversion and motivation by pain or pleasure, may be both influencing the gameplay decisions and preferences of players, and vice versa. A total of 500 respondents completed the Millon Index of Personality Styles, Revised (MIPS-R), followed by a demographics survey and finally a survey assessing Dungeons and Dragons', …

Applied Indigenous Knowledge Translation: Naatookyookaasii, Lynn Marie Mad Plume

Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation portfolio comprises three projects aimed at advancing Indigenous health and integrating cultural perspectives into research and practice. Guided by principles of community engagement and ethical research practices, these projects align closely with my career goals in Indigenous health policy and research. The first project, "Measuring Wellness Through Indigenous Partnerships," is a scoping review that examines global Indigenous wellness measures and assesses community involvement in defining measures of wellness. This review informs future practice directions and supports my advocacy for culturally responsive methodology. The second project, "Reciprocal Facilitation: Protocols and Practices for Listening Sessions with Tribal Communities," introduces a …

Observational Analyses Of Aerosol Radiative Impacts On Weather And Climate Scales, Blake Thomas Sorenson

Theses and Dissertations

With the enhanced Arctic warming and sea ice melting in recent decades, this study seeks to expand our understanding of how atmospheric aerosols affect the Arctic radiative budget, on both weather and climate scales. On climate scales, the study of the impact of atmospheric aerosols on Arctic radiative budget, through observation-based methods, remains challenging due to the complicated surface conditions including sea ice, open oceans, and land surfaces. Using satellite observations from the Ozone Monitoring Instrument (OMI), the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS), the Cloud and the Earth Radiant Energy System (CERES), and the Special Sensor Microwave Imager / Sounder …

Causes Of The Morphological Distinctiveness Of Ahuna Mons And Differences In Cryovolcanic Styles On Ceres And The Inner Uranian Satellites Miranda And Ariel, Caleb Strom

Theses and Dissertations

Ahuna Mons is one of the most distinctive features on the dwarf planet (1) Ceres and shows evidence of cryovolcanic activity on a main belt object in the geologically recent past. Ahuna Mons is unusual, however, in that it has a higher aspect ratio and sharper features than other candidate domes on Ceres. It also stands apart from cryovolcanic features identified on other suspected cryovolcanic worlds like Miranda and Ariel, where cryovolcanism is associated with double ridges and potential plume activity. In this work, dome age, based on crater counting, and aspect ratio are compared through correlative analysis to investigate …

Handheld Multimodal Point Spectroscopy, Rgb Imaging, And Fusion Artificial Intelligence To Determine The Species And Freshness Of Fish Fillets, Mitchell Sueker

Theses and Dissertations

When fish species are mislabeled and the fish’s freshness is inaccurately represented, health, environmental, and economic problems can arise for both consumers and the fish industry. Fish are some of the easier foods to mislabel, as the processing of whole fish to fillets makes the visual identification of the species and freshness assessment more challenging. Due to the shortcomings of the current industry standards, confirmed by our interviews with over 20 professionals in all fish supply chain nodes, developing a system that can provide accurate and rapid on-site fraud detection is of necessity. In an attempt to meet these needs, …

An Examination Of Hilbert Spaces, Fnu Sumaiya

Theses and Dissertations

This independent study focuses on the exploration of Hilbert spaces, a cornerstone of modern analysis and a fundamental construct in mathematics. It starts by introducing vector space, metric and metric spaces and then Hilbert spaces and its properties.

This study includes good amount of mathematical proofs, theorems and examples. Through extensive research and analysis, this independent study aims to offer a comprehensive examination of Hilbert spaces, detailing their properties and their pivotal role in modern analysis.

Understanding Mental Health Awareness And Knowledge Of Flight Instructors, Eric Michael Buteau

Theses and Dissertations

Mental health has become an increasing concern in the aviation industry, with pilots often withholding health information for fear of losing their medical certification. Certified Flight Instructors (CFIs), who interact closely with students, are in a unique position to recognize and address mental health crises but lack sufficient training in this area. This study examines CFIs' awareness, knowledge, comfort, and willingness to engage with mental health issues in aviation. A survey was distributed to CFIs at a large aviation university. Survey results revealed no significant correlation between years of experience and knowledge or comfort with mental health topics. However, a …

Numerical Simulation And Assessment Of Underground Blue Hydrogen Storage In Depleted Gas Reservoir, Abraham Kazala

Theses and Dissertations

Nowadays, the world needs more energy than ever before. This need emphasizes that the world also requires a sustainable system that can meet these growing demands while addressing the overall impact on the environment. For this reason, the international community, including all levels of environmental policymakers, have shown a great deal of concern about the tremendous negative effects of fossil fuels on the globe. The impact of carbon dioxide as a Greenhouse Gas (GHG) from burning fossil fuels on the ozone layer and what it entails in global warming and, therefore, climate change has motivated research on finding either alternatives …

Exploring The Potential Of Hybrid Wind-Solar Energy Systems For Residential Applications In North Dakota, Toluwase Testimony Omojiba

Theses and Dissertations

North Dakota's high residential energy consumption, driven by extreme weather, is largely met by fossil fuels, contributing significantly to CO₂ emissions. This study evaluates the technical performance, environmental benefits, and economic viability of hybrid wind-solar-energy systems for residential applications in the state.

Using HOMER modeling, two scenarios were analyzed: homes using a combination of utility gas and electricity, and homes relying solely on electricity. Simulations for Grand Forks, Bismarck, and Dickinson showed that hybrid systems reliably met residential energy demand, covering 100% of the annual load in the gas-electric scenario across all locations. In the all-electric scenario, systems achieved at …

The Role Of Carbon Source And Redox Potential On Microbial C1 Gas Fermentation For Ethanol Production, Ademola Owoade

Theses and Dissertations

In the quest for sustainable and renewable energy sources, microbial gas fermentation has emerged as an alternative method for producing bioethanol and other valuable chemicals. Bioethanol is notable for its extensive application as a biofuel and its capacity to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Conventional ethanol production predominantly depends on sugar and starch feedstocks, which compete for food resources. Microbial C1 gas fermentation presents a sustainable alternative by using industrial waste gases, or gases from gasification of municipal solid wastes, biomass, agricultural residues, animal wastes, and energy crops, which are all nonfood-based. Microbial gas fermentation is influenced by temperature, pH, gas …

Development, Characterization, And Application Of Nanomaterials For Target Detection And Therapeutic Study, Yingfen Wu

Theses and Dissertations

Nanomaterials have emerged as a pivotal area of research in chemistry, driven by their unique properties that make them suitable for both industrial and biomedical applications. Among nanomaterials, nanozyme is a series of nanomaterials with enzyme-mimetic activities that can proceed with the catalytic reactions of natural enzymes, conferring significant potential for their use in various biomedical applications. Herein, we describe three types of nanomaterials products with distinct properties and applications: 1) Fe³⁺-doped graphene quantum dots (GQDs) for sensitive H₂O₂ detection; 2) ratiometric fluorescent nanoprobes based on near-infrared (NIR) semiconducting polymer dots for label-free detection of dopamine; and 3) Multifunctional near …

Dual-Channel Side Channel Attack: Improved Aes Key Decryption By Combining Power And Electromagnetic Side Channels With Convolutional Neural Networks, Sean P. O'Neill

Theses and Dissertations

This research introduces a novel DL approach for SCA that combines power consumption and EM signals to enhance encryption key deduction by leveraging a dual-channel CNN architecture. A new dataset, consisting of simultaneous power and EM signal collections during 128-bitAES encryption, was developed to train and evaluate the model’s effectiveness. The combined approach achieved an 88% reduction in traces needed, from 50 traces to 6, for encryption key classification, outperforming traditional methods such as random forest, DPA, DEMA,and individual side channel CNN models. These findings highlight the potential of integrating multiple side channels in SCA to improve performance without the …

Endolysosomal Mechanisms Of Sars-Cov-2 Spike-Induced Inflammatory Response And Senescence In Human Astrocytes, Wendie Ann Hasler

Theses and Dissertations

The COVID-19 pandemic has led to widespread reports of prolonged neurological symptoms in individuals who have recovered from the acute phase of the infection. These persistent symptoms, collectively termed Neuro-PASC (Neurological Post-Acute Sequelae of SARS-CoV-2 infection), range from cognitive impairments to mood disturbances and other neuroinflammatory issues. Pathological features of Neuro-PASC include vascular impairment, neuroinflammation, and neurodegeneration. One leading hypothesis for the development of Neuro-PASC is the persistent of SARS-CoV-2 viral factors. Post-mortem evidence indicates that the spike protein of SARS-CoV-2 is consistently found in the brains of individuals who died with COVID-19, indicating that viral components can interact with …

Detection Of Apiary Sites From Remote Imagery, Ning Li

Theses and Dissertations

Honey bees are essential for honey production and pollination services, but their colonies have been declining despite increasing demand. This decline may be due to various factors, including habitat loss, altered land use, climate shifts, and pesticide exposure. In order to assess the quantity and quality of habitats for honey bees and determine their availability and suitability for supporting bee colonies, it is crucial to identify the spatial location of registered apiary sites being used. However, such data is not available, which makes it a challenge for researchers in the field to further advance honey bee-related investigations. In my study, …

Structural Degradation Causing Silicone Sealant Failure: A Comprehensive Analysis Using Evolved Gas Analysis And Thermal Desorption-Pyrolysis Gas Chromatography, Eugene Agbor Oga

Theses and Dissertations

Silicone sealants are essential components in various applications, but their long-term performance can be compromised by aging and weathering. This study investigated the thermal degradation behavior of poly dimethyl silicone sealants to gain insights into the underlying mechanisms of failure. A combined approach using Evolved Gas Analysis (EGA) and Thermal Desorption-Pyrolysis Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (TD-Pyr-GC-MS) was employed to analyze the degradation products and identify the factors influencing the degradation process.Aged and weathered sealants exhibited distinct thermal degradation profiles compared to fresh samples. The evolution of siloxane degradation products occurred at lower temperatures in aged sealants, indicating accelerated degradation. TD-Pyr-GC-MS analysis …