Digital Commons Network^™

Study On Factors Influencing The Strong Chromatic Index Of Graphs Derived From Path Graphs, Star Graphs, And Cycle Graphs, Vikram St

Theses and Dissertations

Graph coloring is a major research area in Graph Theory that has a rich collection of research articles contributed by mathematicians across the world. This thesis focuses on a specific type of Graph coloring where the edges of a graph are colored by a principle called strong edge-coloring. There have been numerous research articles published on the least number of colors required to define such a coloring for a given graph G. This least number, χ′s (G), is called as the strong chromatic index of a graph G. Though conjectures stated as early as 1989 remain unsolved, there have been …

A Wrong Made Right: A Qualitative Cross-Case Comparison Study Examining Program Influences On College Readiness, Persistence, And Student Success Outcomes At A Predominantly White University And Historically Black College, Richard Harper

Theses and Dissertations

The increase of underprepared students entering college decreases persistence and graduation rates at postsecondary institutions, ultimately declining degree attainment and social mobility of American citizens (U.S. Department of Education, 2016, McGuire, 2018). ACT, Inc. (2017) data suggests that overwhelming percentages of high school graduates are academically underprepared and are not college-ready. Moreover, an overwhelming number of academically underprepared students come from historically underrepresented populations. To help increase access and college readiness among these populations, specialized programs and services must be implemented to ensure these students are successful at the college level. The Dr. Charles W. Donaldson Scholars Academy is a …

Effects Of Delay On Short-And Long-Term False Memories For Semantic And Phonological Lists, Ece Yuksel

Theses and Dissertations

The Deese/Roediger-McDermott (DRM) paradigm was developed to investigate false memory using lists of words related to an associated, non-present lure. The purpose of the present study was to examine the differences in memory errors for semantic and phonological lists across delays using the DRM paradigm. Previous studies have shown that the higher rates of false memories for semantic than phonological lists typically seen at longer delays is reversed for very short delays (McBride et al., 2019). Delays of 750 ms, 60 s, 90 s, and 2 min, were included to examine the false memory error rates in semantic and phonological …

Investigating The Role Of Betrayal Blindness Between High Betrayal Trauma And Dating Violence Among Young Mothers Maltreated As Children, Lauren Catherine Wallace

Theses and Dissertations

Young mothers experience greater rates of dating violence (DV) victimization and perpetration compared to their non-parenting, female peers as well as older mothers (Joly & Connolly, 2016). Child maltreatment is a salient predictor of DV victimization and perpetration (Li et al., 2019; Murphy et al., 2020). According to Betrayal Trauma Theory (BTT), child maltreatment perpetrated by a close loved one, such as a parent or primary caregiver, is defined as a high betrayal trauma (Freyd, 1996). Young mothers who experienced a high betrayal trauma may endorse betrayal blindness as a way to cope with abuse from their caregiver (Freyd & …

Exclusion Disguised As Access: A Critical Discourse Analysis Of Postsecondary Disability Service Websites, Lavonne Ciezadlo Kopca

Theses and Dissertations

College students with disabilities are an overlooked minority population. However, they comprise an ever-increasing student population in postsecondary institutions. Yet students with disabilities do not persist or graduate at rates similar to their able-bodied peers. People with disabilities have historically been viewed as a low-status group and have been excluded from various social, educational, and economic benefits of citizenship. This study used a critical theoretical lens of social dominance theory to explore ways that higher education may be complicit in perpetuating discrimination and inequities through policies or discourse found in the content of student disability and diversity office websites. Key …

Design And Implementation Of Truly Random Number Generation Using Memristors For In-Memory Computing, Nick Felker

Theses and Dissertations

This paper proposes a new security module based on non-volatile memory. The module uses a memristor-based true random number generator to generate random numbers which can be used for cryptography. The module is implemented in software using a modified RISC-V instruction set architecture. The paper evaluates the performance of the module using the RISC-V simulator Gem5. The results show that the module can generate random numbers at a rate of 63 microseconds per number, which is faster than the standard C library’s random number generator. The module can also be used to scramble strings of characters and generate hashes of …

Unveiling Trends, Terminology, And Teaching Competencies Of Blended Courses In Higher Education, Jennifer Lynn Ramsey

Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation has been written in a three-article journal-ready format and centers on competencies for blended teaching in higher education. I use the PRISMA process and thematic coding to analyze 34 articles from 2002 to 2022, highlighting strategic combination, learner-centered approaches, and additional support. I also use the Google Search API and content analysis to suggest that blended, digital, and flexible may be post-secondary institutions' most frequently used terminology to describe contexts incorporating online and in-person components. I also gather qualitative data from interviews with faculty to highlight the context and nuances surrounding blended teaching competencies, including creative innovation, technology …

Precrastination As A Form Of Intention Offloading: A Test Of The Clear Hypothesis, Ryan Jun Seong Liew

Theses and Dissertations

Precrastination has recently been studied due to its counter-intuitive nature. Precrastination is characterized by completing a task sooner rather than later at the expense of effort. VonderHaar et al. (2019) proposed the CLEAR hypothesis to describe the purpose of precrastination behaviors. The CLEAR hypothesis suggests that precrastination is a type of cognitive offloading behavior that clears one’s mental “to-do list”, leaving more cognitive resources for other tasks. Thus, if the CLEAR hypothesis is accurate, precrastination and other offloading strategies may be related. The current study was designed to test this prediction. My study sought to clarify the underlying mechanisms that …

Reconfigurable Metasurface For 5g & Beyond Wireless Communication, Monisha S

Theses and Dissertations

The potential new applications and increasing demands of future 5th generation (5G) and beyond wireless communication indicate a promising future for mobile communications. However, the transmission medium has traditionally been seen as an unpredictable factor between the sender and receiver. As we enter the digital era of wireless communications, signal quality is deteriorating due to environmental interferences.

With the continuous advancement of technology, there is an increasing need for advanced solutions that can handle complex applications such as haptic communications, the Internet of Things for smart cities, automation, and manufacturing. One technology that has received much attention is the reconfigurable …

Rigorous Verification Of Stability Of Ideal Gas Layers, Damian Anderson

Theses and Dissertations

In this thesis we develop tools for carrying out computer assisted proof of the stability of traveling wave solutions of the spatially one-dimensional compressible Navier-Stokes equations with an ideal gas equation of state. In particular, we obtain rigorous, tight error bounds on a high-accuracy numerical approximation of the traveling wave profile for parameters corresponding to air, and we obtain rigorous representations in a neighborhood of positive and negative infinity of the solution to the first order ODE associated with linearizing the PDE equations about the traveling wave solution. We also develop supporting tools for rigorous verification of wave stability.

Machine Learning Approaches To The Exploration Of Ammonia Synthesis Catalysts Utilizing Experimental Data, Rasika Jayarathna

Theses and Dissertations

Traditional heterogeneous catalyst discovery process relies upon human expert-guided experiments based on domain knowledge and human intuition supported by catalyst characterization. However, this process is time and resource-consuming and suffers from human bias. Machine learning (ML) models trained on experimental data have the potential to significantly accelerate this discovery process by guiding experiments to optimize the catalyst performance and increase the understanding of the catalysts. Ammonia synthesis catalysts are a class of catalysts widely investigated in the literature, which has generated decades of experimental data. Moreover, ammonia has been gaining attention since it can be used as a carbon-free next-generation …

Development Of Anti-Fibrotic Agents For Potential Use In Glaucoma Filtration Surgery To Prevent Scar Formation, Nikhala Shree S

Theses and Dissertations

Glaucoma is the second leading cause of blindness with irreversible vision loss. It is marked by the degeneration of retinal ganglion cells, which results in optic nerve head damage. Intraocular pressure (IOP) is a prime risk factor of glaucoma controlled by various treatment regimens i.e., medication, laser, and/ or surgery. It is reported that longterm exposure to anti-glaucoma medications (AGM) may subtle the surgical success rate leading to postoperative fibrosis. Transforming growth factor beta (TGF-β) is a growth factor that plays an important role in the development of glaucoma and promotes fibrosis.

This study is aimed at developing peptides to …

“Trust Us To Teach It ”: Examining The Associations Among Leadership, Organizational Trust, And Well-Being In Educational Settings, Jessica Mckinley

Theses and Dissertations

Today’s educators are experiencing unprecedented levels of stress, which have been exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. Despite evidence supporting the protective nature of positive climate, effective leadership, and support for educator autonomy, there is also evidence to suggest that negative climate, ineffective leadership, and lacking autonomy continue to be major stressors for educators at work. This study investigated the relations among educator well-being, transformational and autonomy-supportive leadership styles, and organizational trust through the lens of the educator. Using a cross-sectional, survey-based design, this study examined the relations among these variables, as well as identified the relative contributions of leadership and …

Students Speak: A Qualitative Examination Of The Intersection Of Identity And Sexual Violence In A University Setting, Danika M. Charles

Theses and Dissertations

Sexual violence remains a public health concern in the United States. Much of the research has focused on gender-binary individuals, despite the heightened vulnerability of Black, transgender, and nonbinary (BTN) individuals due to societal stigma and discrimination. Campus climate surveys have been recommended by the Obama Administration to address sexual violence, though they often underrepresent BTN students, failing to capture their unique experiences. This study aims to bridge this gap by focusing on the intersection of gender and racial identities, using an intersectional stigma framework to explore the prevalence and impact of sexual violence on BTN students and advocate for …

Efficient Machine Learning On Scientific Data Using Bayesian Optimization, Rui Xin

Theses and Dissertations

Deep Learning is pivotal in advancing data analysis across various scientific fields, from genomics to materials discovery. Despite its widespread use, efficiently learning from limited data and operating under resource constraints remains a significant challenge, often limiting its full potential in environments where data is scarce or resources are restricted. This dissertation explores Active Learning and Automated Machine Learning (AutoML) powered by Bayesian Optimization to enhance the efficiency of machine learning across multiple disciplines. It focuses on algorithm optimization and data management through three interconnected studies. In the first study, we investigate how data management technique - active learning helps …

Therapeutic Potentials Of The Gut-Brain-Microbiota Axis For Prevention And Treatment Of Motivational Deficits In Ecohiv Infected Rats, Mason T. Rodriguez

Theses and Dissertations

People living with HIV begin to experience gastrointestinal disturbances as early as 6 months after initial infection. Regardless of adherence to combination antiretroviral therapy (cART), the gut microbiome of people living with HIV maintains a state of dysbiosis throughout the rest of their lives, providing potential for a novel target for improving the lives of those living with HIV. The present study investigated the impact EcoHIV and cocaine have on the gut microbiome of F344/N rats. Fecal samples were collected from 20 female and 20 male animals at baseline, following self-administration of cocaine, and following inoculation with EcoHIV or Saline. …

Neurocognitive Processes As Longitudinal Predictors Of Reading Fluency, Jody Samuels

Theses and Dissertations

Reading fluency involves a complex interaction of different cognitive skills and abilities that develop with instruction and practice and relies on the automaticity of many distinct reading skills (e.g., pacing, word recognition, expression, phonological awareness). Fluent reading frees cognitive resources, such as working memory, for more advanced components of reading including comprehension and synthesis (Kim & Wagner, 2015; Samuels, 2006). Though early identification of students with fluency challenges is critical for providing evidence-based intervention, most screeners assess skills that are dependent upon instruction (e.g., letter identification, sound-symbol correspondence), delaying opportunities for identification. The current study examines the utility for including …

Fan, Friend, Or Foe: An Exploratory Scale Development Of Perception Of Social Media Influencers On Instagram, Katelynn Danyell Stewart

Theses and Dissertations

This study aims to start the scale-building process of perception of social media influencers. This dissertation analyzes lifestyle Instagram influencers' followers’ perceptions of the influencer, their brand, and their communication and interaction efforts with followers through Instagram. This survey will help test the independent variables and dependent variables through the public relations lens using a combination of parasocial relationship theory, source credibility theory, and uses and gratifications theory to determine the effects and behaviors that lifestyle Instagram influencers have on their followers connected to influencer brand and influencer interactivity; and how lifestyle Instagram influencer usage, influencer authenticity, and parasocial relation …

Offshore Detachment Of The Winyah Bay Plume Through Ekman Dynamics Under Upwelling Conditions, Isabella Moore

Theses and Dissertations

ABSTRACT River plumes play a crucial role in coastal ecosystems by influencing land-ocean interactions, primary production, water quality, and ocean circulation. This study presents observations of a buoyant river plume off Winyah Bay, South Carolina (USA), conducted in 2020 and 2021. Observations comprised CTD casts and shipborne ADCP profiles as well as near surface flow measurements from a floating platform and microstructure profiles in uprising mode. This research focuses on the offshore transport of the buoyant water through Ekman dynamics under upwelling-favorable conditions. Under varying wind forcing and stratification scenarios, the Winyah Bay plume either remains near the coast or …

Multi-Scale Deep Representation Learning In Synthetic Biology, Xiaoyi Liu

Theses and Dissertations

Synthetic biology advances and combines the expertise of engineers and biologists, bridging the gap between engineering and natural life. Synthetic biology has been generally categorized into two broad branches by developing new biological components, networks, and systems to reprogram organisms. The first branch involves using synthetic molecules to mimic natural biological functions. The second branch focuses on assembling natural biological components in novel ways, aiming to produce systems with unique, practical functions. Thus, the de novo engineering of biological modules and synthetic pathways is used in related practical bioengineering applications, such as drug-targeting strategies and microbial product manufacturing. Therefore, synthetic …

Sacred Symbols In A Secular World: Religious Imagery In The Works Of Jack London And Sylvia Plath, Kathleen Elizabeth Long

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis seeks to investigate and analyze the presence of religious symbolism in the novels of Jack London and Sylvia Plath, two authors whose atheist beliefs comingle in intriguing ways with this sacred imagery, offering rich ground for comparative analysis. Despite London’s fervent Darwinist beliefs, he injects subtle religious motif within The Call of the Wild, devoted to promoting atheist thought yet yearning for the grandiosity of myth. Similarly, Plath uses allusions to Judaism within her novel The Bell Jar, subverting classical religious tradition to associate it with themes of animal savagery. By studying these two texts, this …

Interface Between Sensorimotor Dynamics And Trunk-Hip Movement Control: Implications For Movement Assessment In Low Back Pain, John Ryan Gilliam

Theses and Dissertations

Low back pain is the leading cause of activity limitation and work absence and results in billions of dollars in healthcare expenditures. Impaired trunk-hip movement control is associated with the development of back pain and the persistence of symptoms. Theories suggest a causal relationship between altered sensorimotor dynamics, including altered afferent somatosensory information from the periphery and neuroplastic central nervous system adaptations, and impaired trunk-hip movement patterns. We characterized trunk-hip movement patterns and their associated sensorimotor brain dynamics in people with and without chronic low back pain (cLBP). Supine, atop an instrumented system, 48 individuals with cLBP and 37 healthy …

How Passion Functions In Sport Applicant Attraction: A Biometric Approach, Jiayao Qi

Theses and Dissertations

Passion has been extensively researched from the perspective of athletes, entrepreneurs, and employees. In this dissertation, the researcher conducted an in-depth investigation of the way passion functions in sport job attraction. The two-stage experimental design combines the pioneer biometric methodology with qualitative inquiry, and 25 job seekers selected from a larger sample participated in the biometric lab. Results indicate that the interplay between cognitive and affective appraisals is critical in explaining sport job seekers’ highly individualistic and discriminative attraction toward work opportunities in sport. In particular, sports job seekers foster work passion through their multiple identifications with sport (playing history, …

Association Of Hiv Status And Other Minoritized Identities With Psychiatric Diagnoses Among Transgender And Gender Diverse Individuals In The All Of Us Research Program, Fanghui Shi

Theses and Dissertations

Background: Transgender and gender diverse (TGD) people, whose gender identities or expressions differ from the sex assigned at birth, are disproportionately affected by adverse health outcomes, including various psychiatric diagnoses such as depression, anxiety, stress, and substance use disorders. The Gender Minority Stress Model emphasizes that TGD people face both proximal stressors at a personal/individual level (e.g., internalized stigma) and distal stressors at a societal level (e.g., discrimination) due to their minority status, which largely contributes to their increased risk of psychiatric diagnoses. Despite these health disparities, there is a paucity of gender identity data collected in large population-based health …

Communicating About A Nicotine Reduction Policy Among People Who Use Little Cigars And Cigarillos, Charity Afi Ntansah

Theses and Dissertations

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has proposed rulemaking to reduce the nicotine content in cigarettes and other combusted tobacco products to non-addictive levels. A very low nicotine content (VLNC) policy aimed primarily at cigarettes could drive people to other combusted products like little cigars and cigarillos (LCCs), potentially undermining its effectiveness. Expanding the policy to include LCCs requires effective messages for people who use LCCs. This dissertation explores how to communicate the reduced nicotine policy to people who use LCCs. The research recruited four populations with the highest prevalence of cigar use: African American and White males and …

Improving Tcp Performance Using P4-Programmable Data Planes, Jose Antonio Gomez Gaona

Theses and Dissertations

The Transmission Control Protocol (TCP) forms the foundation of reliable end-to-end communication and is widely used by many applications for efficient data transfers across the Internet. TCP relies on various congestion control algorithms (CCAs) to manage its response to network congestion. These algorithms ensure fairness among competing flows and optimize the use of available bandwidth. However, since TCP is deployed within end hosts, its capacity to attain visibility of network events is constrained. This limitation arises from the closed nature of non-programmable network devices, which prevents researchers from exploring customized actions in response to network events. Recently, the emergence of …

Social Media Use And Interactivity: An Application Of Uses And Gratifications, Patrick Bush

Theses and Dissertations

Accessing news media and the coverage of current events has become streamlined and exponentially easier to access due to the explosive growth of internet usage and by extent the increase of social media usage. As this form of media continues to evolve and becomes not only more accessible, but accepted by a variety of audiences, some parties may seek to find or create their own public spheres of influence online to share information and develop conversations relevant to the participants therein. It is here where the concept of digital storytelling becomes a heavy influence on how the individual not only …

Lactobacillus Rhamnosus Interactions With Foodborne Pathogens And Impact On Plant Productivity In A Model Hydroponic System, Esther Titilope Oginni

Theses and Dissertations

Food production is a global problem, and this has been further compounded with changes in weather patterns necessitating the need for a sustainable approach to production. Chapter 1 introduces the broad concept of the Control environment agriculture (CEA) and then narrows it doe to the hydroponic system its food safety risks. The CEA has been employed alongside conventional practices methods to improve meet the demand for food without placing pressure on the land available. Foodborne outbreaks have been recorded in the production medium and are therefore susceptible to contamination. In Chapter 2, the study focused on using Lactobacillus rhamnosus and …

Campus Principals’ Actions And Perceptions That Contribute To The Direct Impact Of Teacher Retention, Efrain D. Reyna

Theses and Dissertations

This study focused on factors that suburban principals could perform to increase teacher retention. A suburban school district in the southwest area of Texas was selected to participate in this research. Principals were chosen and interviewed. Teachers from the selected school district were chosen to participate in a focus group. This qualitative single case study research was focused on the individual perspectives from six different principals, and eighteen teachers. Both participant groups, principals and teachers, were then interviewed to discover if the principal’s actions directly impacted their decision to remain teaching.

Analyzing Teachers' Perceptions Of A Principal's Instructional Leadership Practices On A Dual Language Campus Using The Blase And Blase Reflective Growth Model, Selene Canales-Garcia

Theses and Dissertations

As the research base in support of dual language instruction become stronger and more widely recognized, dual language instruction program popularity has risen and the number of programs implemented across the United States has grown (Christian, 2018). Demand for qualified teachers and school administrators is high, but teacher supply has not risen commensurately (Kennedy, 2018b). Therefore, the problem lies in principals having to prepare and provide the necessary supports and professional development for bilingual teachers. The purpose of this research is to explore teachers' perceptions of the principal's instructional leadership practices using the theoretical framework of the Blase Reflective Growth …