Digital Commons Network^™

Road Maintenance Through Machine Learning, Yashwanth Sai Rachala

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis explores the use of machine learning techniques for road infrastructure maintenance. We propose an innovative machine learning-based approach to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of road maintenance strategies. The focal point of this investigation is the development and implementation of a machine learning framework to enhance road quality monitoring. We use Long Short-Term Memory (LSTM) networks to accurately predict future road conditions and identify potential areas requiring maintenance before significant deterioration occurs. This predictive approach is designed to enable a shift from reactive to proactive road maintenance, optimizing the use of limited resources and improving overall road safety. …

Asset Pricing Bubbles In Agricultural Commodities, Samuel Riffle

Theses and Dissertations

Recent asset pricing bubble bursts in some markets beg the question of whether bubbles exist in others. Determining whether they exist has been investigated for years, with various approaches. This paper combines the Engle-Granger technique with a GSADF test to test for bubbles in corn and soybean futures prices. I attempt to find measures for the market fundamentals of the futures, employing PPIs and costs of production for each commodity. My findings provide some evidence for the existence of bubbles, though the results are not definitive. Overall, the findings imply a possibility for bubbles but also apossibility of true increases …

Mothers With Disabilities As Health Navigators: Narratives Of Pregnancy, Postpartum Depression, And Parenting, Agnes Amoakwa

Theses and Dissertations

Scholars have focused on factors that affect pregnancy decisions, linking it to internal factors such as physical attachment and love towards children and feasibility of external factors, among others, while others have focused on experience with health professionals and accessibility of healthcare facilities and equipment during access to maternal care. While these studies are important, fewer focus has been placed on how women with disabilities navigate the postpartum phase of motherhood and the support needed to navigate through this experience. I employed the communicated narrative sense-making theory to explore the meanings of stories shared by mothers with disabilities about their …

Peer Cybervictimization ( Pcv ) Among University Students In Bangladesh And Institutional Disciplinary Body ( Idb ) Under Routine Activity Theory ( Rat ), Selimul Quader

Theses and Dissertations

Research on cybervictimization of Bangladeshi students is scarce, but the research that does exist suggests a high prevalence of victimization followed by low extent of reporting. None of the extant research exclusively studied peer cybervictimization (PCV) in relation to students’ knowledge of the university authority, hereinafter the institutional disciplinary body or IDB. As per the added propositions of Routine Activity Theory (RAT) (Felson, 1995), the IDB can potentially contribute to guardianship building by alerting students about handlers-managers in the university premises and thereby reduce PCV among students. Thus, the knowledge of (the presence of) the IDB can respond to the …

From Eighty Acres And A Mule To Two Thousand Acres And Twenty-Four Row Planters: Anxieties Of Growth In The Agriculture Sector From Family Farms, Riley Marie Francis

Theses and Dissertations

This study investigates the evolution of the family farm between the 1940s until the 2020s, and how the family farm may continue to evolve in future generations. The aim of this study is to investigate the relationship between the changing reality of agriculture and how farmers think about themselves. In the early days of the United States republic, farms were a means of providing a family or localized community with food and resources. These farms participated in an economic exchange that was an early form of capitalism, characterized by meeting needs but not accruing egregious excess. Today’s agricultural system is …

Towards A Blockchain-Based Data Trading Protocol, Manish Adhikari

Theses and Dissertations

In an era where Artificial Intelligence (AI) and the Internet of Things (IoT) are pushing data to the forefront of industrial and academic pursuits, the dynamics of data trading are rapidly evolving. Blockchain technology, celebrated for its inherent security features like non-repudiation and traceability, plays a critical role in this transformation. However, integrating blockchain into data trading platforms presents significant challenges, especially in achieving the sophisticated security properties required for practical applications.

This thesis introduces a blockchain-based Secure Data Trading (SDT) protocol, crafted to refine the security frameworks of data exchange platforms by emphasizing two critical aspects: data multiple sellability …

Outcomes For Individuals Born Outside Of Marriage, Kathryn Dawn Keithley

Theses and Dissertations

This paper examines the effect of being born outside of marriage (BOOM) on the future outcomes of individuals. I use the Panel Study of Income Dynamics (PSID) individual-level data to follow individuals from birth to age 30 and analyze the effect of being born outside of marriage on future marital status, education level, and poverty status. I find statistically significant impacts of BOOM on future outcomes, though additional childhood controls lessen the effect. I then use arguably exogenous variation from the marital status of an individual’s grandmother at the time of their mother’s birth to instrument for external factors that …

Acculturation Strategy Of The First-Generation Immigrants: A Study On The Muslim Parents In The United States, Eshrat Rahman

Theses and Dissertations

This study aims to investigate the acculturation strategy of the first-generation immigrant Muslim parents in the US. This study is guided by segmented assimilation theory and data for the study was collected by employing qualitative research method. I conducted in-depth interview with twelve first-generation Muslim immigrant parents in the McLean County, Illinois to collect data for the study. The participants responded to a number of open-ended questions relating their cultural and Muslim identity, practice of their Islamic faith in your family and outside and raising their children in a different cultural environment. The finding of this study shows that the …

Labor Dissent And Resistance: Unraveling Power Dynamics In The 2023 Ups Dispute Through Memes, Millicent Elewosi

Theses and Dissertations

This study presents a rhetorical and critical analysis of labor memes disseminated on Twitter/X, Facebook, and Reddit during the protracted dispute between UPS labor and management in 2023. Drawing from rhetorical and argumentation frameworks, the study reveals the multifaceted nature of contemporary activist labor dissent. Through a discursive analysis of sixteen memes, the study unveils the rhetorical strategies employed by UPS workers to articulate grievances and foster solidarity within digital activist spaces. Furthermore, through a Gramscian lens, the study unravels UPS labor’s assertions of power dynamics, critiquing management’s hegemonic control and discerning moments of resistance within labor discourse. This critical …

Navigating Democracy: Perspectives On Western-Style Democracy In Africa, Matthew Edor

Theses and Dissertations

This study examines the compatibility of Western-style democracy with the socio-cultural landscapes of Africa. Utilizing Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA) within Fairclough’s three-dimensional framework and incorporating Afrocentric perspectives, the study highlights how language, power dynamics, and sociocultural practices shape the discourse on democracy in Africa. Pan-Africanism and (neo)colonialism emphasize the quest for African self-determination and the need for indigenous governance structures. The study suggests a Pan-African government structure rooted in collective values and cultural autonomy as a potential alternative to Western-style democracy. While acknowledging the limitations and challenges, the study underscores the significance of contextualizing democracy within African realities and calls …

S ( M ) Othering: A Rhetorical Analysis Of Republican Motherhood, Caroline King

Theses and Dissertations

This study examines seven Republican rhetors who utilize motherhood as a rhetorical strategy in speeches between the years of 1972 and 2020. Specifically, speeches, newsletters, and debate transcripts are analyzed using four theoretical lenses to curate an archetype of the “Republican Mother” – a concept constructed of an amalgamation of the historic “mother of the republic” from the nation’s conception and the ideological values assigned to women within the Republican party, such as traditional gender and spousal roles. I argue that it is the unique combination of womanhood, motherhood, and Republicanism that creates a unique rhetorical strategy seen in these …

Digital Safe Spaces: Nonbinary Community Building On Tiktok, Xan Daggett

Theses and Dissertations

Queer and trans individuals have long relied on the Internet for community building and support; however, with the introduction of more than 700 anti-trans bills since the beginning of 2023 (Trans Legislation Tracker, 2024), conservatives’ consistent mocking and dehumanization of gender nonconforming people (ADL, 2023; Berg-Brousseau, 2022), and a record increase in violence specifically against nonbinary individuals (Astor, 2023), trans and nonbinary people are turning to online spaces more than ever as they endure this hostile social and political climate. While nonbinary people make up over 60% of trans adults in the U.S. (Kirzinger et al., 2023), there is very …

The Impact Of Online Orientation Activities In A Blended New-Student Orientation Modality On Social Connectedness, Pamela Potoma Smalley

Theses and Dissertations

Transitioning from high school to college has been a challenge for most students. The inability to make successful transitions has affected students' ability to integrate and graduate from college. Higher educational institutions look to programs such as new-student orientations to support students as they learn to navigate their new academic (and for many, new living) environments. The COVID-19 pandemic changed how new-student orientation worked as all traditional institutions switched completely to online orientation activities from completely in-person activities. As institutions emerged from the aftermath of the pandemic, they implemented blended new-student orientation modalities consisting of both online and in-person activities. …

Prosodic Speech Rate, Utterance Duration, Interruption Rate, And Turn-Taking Latency In Autistic And Neurotypical Adults, Grace Madeline Bell

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine the following prosodic elements: speech rate, turn-taking latency, number of interruptions, and utterance duration across two groups' neurotypical and autistic young adults. Furthermore, the end goal of this study is to help provide a baseline and clinical application of prosodic differences between autistic and neurotypical adults. Speech samples were collected from 11 neurotypical and 11 autistic young adults from the ages of 18-26. Speech samples were recorded responses from a 10-minute interview between two research assistants and the autistic or neurotypical individual. Using Praat software, speech samples were analyzed and used to …

Commodifying The American Funeral: Impacts On Our Rituals, Grief And Values, Reilly Card

Theses and Dissertations

COMMODIFYING THE AMERICAN FUNERAL: IMPACTS ON OUR RITUALS, GRIEF, AND VALUES

REILLY CARD

63 Pages

Death is a universal experience. Everyone will die. With death comes the need to care for the deceased, and the modern solution to caring for the dead is to outsource the work. Today in America the dead are cared for by funeral homes and funeral directors. This study looks at the role commodification plays in the American funeral experiences and, in turn, how that process of commodification impacts the cultural values of the funeral. This study first examines the literature around funerals, rituals, grief and …

The Influence Of Tile Flow On The Transport-Fate Of Nitrate In The Vadose Zone Of A Saturated Riparian Buffer: A Case Study At The T3 Site In Mclean County, Central Illinois, Benedicta Karl Akrofi

Theses and Dissertations

The Midwest states have highly fertile soils representing one of the world's most intense agricultural production areas. The agricultural lands in the Midwest, including Illinois, are drained using tiles to improve the soil conditions for high productivity. However, the discharge of the tile waters directly into streams short-circuits the soil’s role in nutrient cycling (plant uptake, denitrification, microbial immobilization) and contributes to elevated nitrate as nitrogen (NO3--N) concentrations in surface waters, causing algae blooms which impairs surface waters and degrade water quality. Most NO3--N exports from tile-drained watersheds in the Midwest occur from January to June, corresponding to periods of …

Courtesy Stigma And Mental Health: Exploring The Lived Experiences Of The Mothers Of Registered Sex Offenders, Kimberly Ann Ingold

Theses and Dissertations

While there is a plethora of research exploring how registered sex offenders are negatively affected by the registry, little research has examined how the consequences of the registry affect their family members. More specifically, the mothers of registrants have received even less study even though mothers typically receive blame for their child’s outcomes - including delinquency and criminality. The current paper examines if, and how, the mothers of registrants experience courtesy stigmatization from their child’s arrest and conviction along with how that affects their personal relationships, finances, and mental health. The study utilizes a mixed-methods research design, as 178 women’s …

Digital Performance Management: An Evaluation Of Manufacturing Performance Management Andmeasurement Strategies In An Industry 4.0 Context, Nathaniel David Smith

Theses and Dissertations

Manufacturing management and operations place heavy emphasis on monitoring and improving production performance. This supervision is accomplished through strategies of manufacturing performance management, a set of measurements and methods used to monitor production conditions. Over the last thirty years the most prevalent measurement of traditional performance management has been overall equipment effectiveness, a percentile summary metric of a machine's utilization. The technologies encapsulated by Industry 4.0 have expanded the ability to gather, process, and store vast quantities of data, creating opportunity to innovate on how performance is measured. A new method of managing manufacturing performance utilizing Industry 4.0 technologies has …

Potential For Climate-Based Financing Of Watershed Management To Restore Streams And Improve Water Quality Following A Wildfire: A Case Study Of The Provo River Watershed, Braxton Wayne Porter

Theses and Dissertations

Following wildfires, water quality in forested watersheds is prone to degradation, impacting drinking water treatment and causing increased emissions due to additional energy consumption. We explore the potential for climate-based financing to support wildfire mitigation and watershed restoration and thereby reduce potential water treatment energy demand within the Provo River watershed of Utah, USA. Pre- and post-wildfire erosion and water quality in the Provo River is modeled using GeoWEPP. Energy data from the Don A. Christiansen drinking water treatment plant in the watershed and related literature data are used to estimate the increase in energy use for treating degraded water. …

Influence Of Tile-Drainage Water On Groundwater Nitrate Concentrations: A Case Study Of A Saturated Riparian Buffer Zone, Tosin Aminat Abdulsalam

Theses and Dissertations

In the U.S. Midwest, where fertile soils with high water retention are prevalent, the installation of tile drainage networks have become a common practice to drain excess soil water, enhancing plant growth and increasing crop productivity. However, tile drainage networks coupled with the use of inorganic fertilizers have significant implications on water quality, contributing to eutrophication, leading to harmful algal blooms, and resulting in hypoxic conditions in surface water bodies. To mitigate excess nutrient exports to surface water bodies, edge-of-field practices have been introduced. One such practice is the saturated riparian buffer (SRB), which utilizes a diversion system to redirect …

Online Vs. In-Person Delivery Of Social Skills Group Intervention For Autistic Adolescents: Comparison Of Social Behavior Outcomes, Miiko Lyne Masse

Theses and Dissertations

The COVID-19 pandemic quarantine guidelines made finding quality telehealth services for autistic individuals a vital pursuit. Before the worldwide shift to widespread adoption of telehealth services, however, rural and underserved areas were already using telehealth options to access services, but not yet in the realm of social skills interventions because of the preference for in-person groups and lack of data regarding effectiveness of social skills in a telehealth environment. This study compared effectiveness of an adaptation of Laugeson and Frankel's Program for the Education and Enrichment of Relational Skills (PEERS) social skills curriculum for adolescents in a live synchronous online …

#Bicultural: Social Media Use, Needs Satisfaction, And Well-Being Of Immigrants, Rachel Juliane Hecke

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine the associations between immigrant's bicultural social media use (BSM), general psychological needs satisfaction (GNS), bicultural needs satisfaction (BNS), and well-being outcomes of life satisfaction (LS) and bicultural identity integration (BII). Participants included 223 individuals who use social media and identified as bicultural (many of whom were 1st or 2nd generation immigrants, 60%). Participants completed online surveys. Results from correlations, SEM, and path analyses indicated that there were correlations between the variables of GNS, BNS, LS, and BII. BSM was correlated solely with BNS. Additionally, BNS fully mediated the association between BSM and …

Vanguards Of The Apocalypse: How Christian Eschatology Shaped Early Spanish And English Empire In The New World, Brandon Dull

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis explores the role of eschatology in shaping early Spanish and English colonial empire in the Americas. Historians of this period have been divided in acknowledging the role of religion, and by proxy eschatology, in the development of colonialism in the New World. By examining the way eschatology influenced colonial actors through tangible ways in how they conducted themselves or dictated policy, a narrative emerges that challenges the historiography that dismisses or downplays the spiritual in favor of solely the material. Individuals representing the Spanish and English empires were fervent believers that the end times were fast approaching, and …

Decoding The Past: Evolutionary History Of North American Deer Mouse Populations On The Gulf Islands, Rachel Ann Berg

Theses and Dissertations

Anthropogenic habitat fragmentation is increasing the number of small and isolated organismal populations, and the long-term effects of these recent isolations are not well understood. Small populations are at increased risk of extinction thus it is essential to identify populations that have been isolated over long time periods to use as model systems to study consequences of isolation. Besides understanding genetic consequences, isolated populations may also serve as natural systems to study morphological changes in populations that have independent evolutionary trajectories. Investigating island populations may help in the discovery of long-term isolated populations that may be experiencing morphological changes as …

Story Network Theory, Dramaturgy, And Cinderella: An Interdisciplinary Methodization, Jessie Anne Denning

Theses and Dissertations

Story network theory (SNT) is an analytical approach designed to form connections between chosen topics as well as to study those connections in their relations to stories, distinct story elements, and one another. This will provide a unifying process through which otherwise niche projects, information, or academic disciplines can be more effectively shared and accurately represented. Dramaturgy and fairy tale studies are utilized as an example application for SNT. Chapter Two involves Judith Roof’s work in “Out of the Bind: From Structure to System in Popular Narratives” as inspiration and introductory example of SNT elements, leading to the second half …

Back In The Ring: A Survey Of The Communist Party Of The United States: 1956-1976, Zachary Carlson

Theses and Dissertations

The Communist Party of the United States (CPUSA) suffered greatly under McCarthyism and by 1956 was no longer considered a viable political party by contemporary historians. Therefore, contemporary historians ignore the efforts of the CPUSA after this date. Failure to engage with the CPUSA post 1956 ignores their activity and contribution to the political and social landscape of the United States during the New Left, Civil Rights Movement, and Anti-War Movement. The CPUSA remained an influential political party and organizing power during the post-McCarty years. This survey exemplifies the methods used and spaces occupied by the CPUSA that allowed them …

Building Community Support: A Multi-Scalar Archaeological Analysis Of Sewage Infrastructure In Central Illinois, Anastasia Leigh Ervin

Theses and Dissertations

In the 1920s and 1930s in Central Illinois, urban areas implemented sewage infrastructure consisting of underground sewers and sanitation plants. These sanitary districts soon became an essential service provided within the community and the established infrastructure has undergone expansion and technological updates in the decades since. I use methods and concepts of landscape archaeology in combination with 1940 Census socio-economic demographics, GIS viewshed and smellshed (buffer) analysis, and visual spatial analysis to examine the case studies of three sanitary districts in Central Illinois: Bloomington-Normal, Urbana-Champaign, and Sangamon County to evaluate how these infrastructures shaped their landscapes, or sewagescapes. Sewagescapes have …

N-H Nhc Palladium Catalysts Derived From Unique 2-Phosphinoimidazole Precursors For C-C Cross Coupling Reactions And Application Of Slow Releasing Polymers Impregnated With Gibberellic Acid To Overcome Seed Dormancy For Land Reclamation, Alexandra Jean Setelin Larson

Theses and Dissertations

Organometallic chemistry is highly dependent upon the ligands which are employed on a metal's surface. These ligands control steric bulk and electronics of the metal center which can change the reactivity of the organometallic complex. Ligands that are standard in organometallic chemistry include phosphine ligands. These phosphine ligands have been utilized in the field since the 1960's and have shaped the development of many key organometallic catalysts. Phosphine ligands are easily functionalized and highly reactive. This increased reactivity, however, causes severe limitations as phosphine ligands are often unstable under standard benchtop conditions and must be handled both air and moisture …

A Network Meta-Analysis Comparing Traditional Acupuncture Points And Ashi-Points: Dealyed Onset Muscle Soreness, Yufang Shao

Theses and Dissertations

Delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS) is a type of muscle injury that can occur following moderate-to-high intensity physical activity. More recently, acupuncture has been considered as an alternative treatment method for muscle injury, which includes DOMS. However, there have been no specific investigations into potential differences when using traditional acupuncture (points based on traditional Chinese medicine theory), Ashi-acupuncture (points not on Chinese meridian, also known as tender points), or sham-acupuncture (superficial points, or points neither on the Chinese meridian nor the tender points) for treatment of DOMS. PURPOSE: To investigate the effectiveness of acupuncture treatment with traditional acupoints, Ashi points, …

Tell Me A Story: An Investigation Into Culturally Sensitive Activities To Support Latinos' Help-Seeking Behavior, Estrella Jaqueline Gomez Hernandez

Theses and Dissertations

Despite Latinos continuing to have low rates of going to mental health services within the United States, there remains scarce research on possible interventions. This study aimed to utilize culturally sensitive activities using storytelling to help overcome the stigma related to help-seeking behaviors and mental health within the Latino community. The purpose of this study is to investigate whether utilizing such activities can impact Latinos’ help-seeking behaviors. This qualitative study describes the results of 19 participants in five focus groups within a University campus. Based on thematic analysis, this study’s results suggest that culturally sensitive activities may be a starting …