Digital Commons Network^™

Should I Stay Or Should I Go?: Evaluating The Role Of Climate And Weather Stressors On Moving Decisions In Southeast Florida, Arielle Perry

Electronic Theses and Dissertations 2020 - Present

As climate and weather hazards intensify, Southeast Florida communities face mounting pressures that increasingly influence patterns of migration and immobility. This research examines evidence of climate migration in high flood-risk neighborhoods in Fort Lauderdale by exploring why some populations choose to stay, while others leave, in the context of a changing climate. Using focus group discussions, I investigate how climate and non-climate related factors shape mobility outcomes among residents in the city. Migration outcomes were primarily influenced by negative climate and weather hazard experiences, discontent with existing public in-situ adaptations, and non-climate disamenities, which eroded participants’ sense of place. Voluntary …

Objects In The Sunset, Iskander Guetta

Masters of Environmental Design Theses

This research explores everyday design practices in the Maghreb shaped by economic, political, and ecological struggles amid transnational debates on decolonizing design. To do so, it looks at objects in, through and with the sunset. Taking المغرب — the place where the sun sets — as a conceptual lens, Objects in the Sunset illuminates the savoir-faire born from dispossession, scarcity, and epistemic violence. Working across different scales of the built environment — infrastructures, spaces, objects, and materials — it shifts design away from Eurocentric conceptions: from rationalization to resourcefulness, homogeneity to heterogeneity, optimization to adaptation, disposability to repair, and universal …

Leveraging Information Theory And Ecological Network Analysis To Monitor Communication Networks In A Student Aerospace Team, Christine Sessions

Doctoral Dissertations and Master's Theses

Effective communication is a critical component of successful collaboration in group projects and team settings. However, systematically tracking and analyzing team communications can be challenging, especially in complex, multi-member teams such as those found in the aerospace industry. This paper explores an information-theoretic approach that leverages encoding techniques and graph theory to analyze communication networks within a university’s multi-year, student-led cubesat design project (Project COMET). By utilizing Shannon Entropy as a measure of information flow, encoding communication patterns, and analyzing Ecological Network Analysis parameters, this research aims to understand how an Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University student project team evolves over the …

Aerodynamic And Acoustic Modeling For Evtol Rotor Noise Prediction, Daniella Bezuidenhout, Anastasios S. Lyrintzis, Vladimir V. Golubev

Doctoral Dissertations and Master's Theses

This thesis presents the development and validation of a methodology for predicting total acoustic emissions from a one-fifth scale electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) rotor in both hover and edgewise flight conditions. The approach couples sectional two-dimensional Reynolds-Averaged Navier-Stokes (2D-RANS) airfoil simulations with rotor loading predictions from the Comprehensive Hierarchical Aeromechanics Rotorcraft Model (CHARM), tonal noise calculations using the acoustic solver PSU-WOPWOP, and broadband noise predictions from the UCD-QuietFly framework. Boundary-layer inputs traditionally obtained from the viscous-inviscid solver, XFOIL, were replaced with higher-fidelity 2D-RANS results from OpenFOAM to better capture low-Reynolds-number flow physics, including laminar-turbulent transition and laminar separation …

Adaptive Control Combined With Integral Concurrent Learning For Trajectory Tracking Near Asteroids, Alvaro Diaz Rodrigo

Doctoral Dissertations and Master's Theses

Close-proximity operations in the vicinity of Near-Earth Asteroids (NEAs) are essential for scientific studies and possible future planetary-defense missions. Unlike motion around large celestial bodies, spacecraft dynamics near small, rotating asteroids are dominated by weak, highly irregular gravity fields. While full characterization of an asteroid’s shape enables high-fidelity gravitational modeling, such information is typically unavailable in realistic mission scenarios, and in-situ exploration is often required. As a result, the forces acting on the spacecraft cannot be modeled accurately in advance, leading to significant uncertainty in the equations of motion and challenging guidance and control strategies. To address these challenges, the …

Security Assessment Of A Machine Learning Approach To Generate And Validate Digital Signatures, Juan Ortiz Couder

Doctoral Dissertations and Master's Theses

Cybersecurity has become a global concern as cyber-attacks have become more common, and the cost of the damage caused by them continues to increase. There are several approaches to improve the cyber security of systems such as Digital Signatures, hashing, watermarking, and encryption among others. Digital Signatures are a cryptographic technique used to verify the authenticity and integrity of digital messages or documents. Digital Signatures use a combination of hashing and public-private key encryption to verify the authenticity and integrity of videos, just as they are used for documents and messages. As a result of using a combination of other …

Data-Driven Physical-Layer Optimization For Rf And Optical Communications: Transmitarray Metasurfaces, Contextual-Bandit Mud, And Coherent Optical Links, Chengtao M. Xu

Doctoral Dissertations and Master's Theses

This dissertation studies three physical-layer optimization problems that share a common difficulty: the forward model, whether an electromagnetic solver or a statistical channel model, is either too expensive to evaluate at design scale or too unstable to hold across a single processing block. The first two problems are treated in their own right, as problems in antenna design and in multi-user detection over time-variant channels; the third carries the methodology onto a coherent optical link, where size, weight, and power constraints make a small-satellite deployment the natural target.

The antenna work targets a tri-layer pixelated unit cell fabricated on Avient …

Anti-French Sentiment As A Factor In The Coup Belt, Foster P. Mcgrath

Politics Honors Papers

This thesis examines if anti-French sentiment is a significant factor influencing individuals' support for coups d'état in former French colonies in Africa, mostly in the sub-Saharan Sahel region which has earned the term "Coup Belt."

Do Dreams Reflect Our Culture? A Statistical Analysis On Dream Narratives, Michal Kuderski

Honors Capstones

Dreams are often viewed as personal experiences, but they may also reflect cultural influences. This project investigates whether dream content varies across cultures by analyzing written dream reports from American, Japanese, and Peruvian college students using data from DreamBank.net. The study applies text analysis techniques to identify common themes and compares language patterns, including the use of ‘I’ and 'We,' to examine differences in self-focus. Statistical methods for count data are used to evaluate these patterns, along with resampling to address differences in sample size. Preliminary findings suggest that both dream themes and language use may vary by cultural …

Do National Parks Significantly Improve Air Quality?, Xinyi Liu

Honors Capstones

Healthy living has long been a goal pursued by individuals. In an era where PM2.5 concentrations and greenhouse gas levels are steadily increasing, many people prefer to live in areas with relatively lower levels of air pollution. National parks, as well-known protected areas, typically contain more vegetation and water resources, along with lower levels of human activity. This suggests two potential mechanisms: first, pollutant emissions are expected to be lower; second, vegetation, water bodies, and non-urban land may contribute to the removal or deposition of airborne pollutants, including particulate matter. In everyday experience, people often perceive the air to be …

Automated Analysis Of Radiation Oncology Incident Reports Using Large Language Models, Nathan A. Dobranski

LSU Master's Theses

Patient safety incident reporting in radiation oncology requires expert analysis that is time-intensive and subject to variability. This thesis presents the development and technical validation of a locally deployed large language model (LLM) system for automated incident report analysis across multiple cancer centers. The system was designed for automated summarization and taxonomy assignment of Radiation Oncology Incident Learning System (RO-ILS) reports, operating entirely on local infrastructure to preserve patient privacy. A two-round, multi-rater evaluation methodology was employed, incorporating 600 total expert evaluations from two academic cancer centers. Round 1 established baseline performance using Mistral 7B and Mixtral 8x7B models with …

Elevation, Demographic Composition, And Suicide Rates: A Municipality-Level Analysis In Colorado And Wyoming, Steven Loader

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

No abstract provided.

Staff Education To Enhance Depression Screening Using The Patient Health Questionnaire-9, Thabile Ngcobo

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

No abstract provided.

They’Ve Been Waiting For Me A Long Time, Anna Minzer

Theses

They’ve Been Waiting for Me a Long Time is a photo-based project saturated in process, layers, and iterations. Using collage as a connective approach, They’ve Been Waiting for Me a Long Time interrogates the boundaries of the domestic and wild, the aestheticized and the abject and the trappings of gender in tension with queer values.      As my visual art encapsulates a variety of approaches, my sources and inspirations manifest from a variety of media—installation, literature, philosophy, photography, and wallpaper. With an assortment of influences, I demonstrate a proclivity towards the liminal. A prime purpose of They’ve Been Waiting for Me …

Behaviour-Based Gender Prediction Using Mobile App Usage Patterns, Saleha Alblooshi

Theses

Widespread usage of mobile applications has generated massive behavioural information, which reflects routines, preferences, and lifestyles of users. Gender, demographic details are typically gathered in telecommunications settings in the registration of the SIM, but this data is often based on administrative ownership, and not the user of the device. This inconsistency can break the customer profiling, accuracy of segmentation and effectiveness of targeted marketing. The study is exploring the hypothesis through the examination of the data obtained based on an undertaking to check the validity of the registered gender data in telecommunication customer relationship management systems by using the behavioural …

A Comparison Of Simple And Differentially Signaled Vr Exchange-Production Schedules, David Duong

Thesis Projects

Token systems typically rely on the conditioned reinforcement effects of tokens to increase responding; however, there may be additional effects and properties as well. This study aims to compare rates of responding between simple VR exchange-production schedules, differentially signaled VR exchange-production schedules, and a control condition to evaluate the operant and respondent effects that token correlated stimuli have on responding. The rates of acquisition of flashcards terms with two college students were tracked. Results indicate that the schedule of reinforcement in place had little impact on the acquisition of flashcard terms, with similar rates of responding across all three conditions. …

The Role Of Viewing Traditionally Gendered Media In Childhood On Influencing Adult Ideas Of Gender Roles And Relationship Ideology, Haille Mark

Undergraduate Honors Theses

Research suggests that the media children watch in their childhood has implications for their socialization, including identity formation, and understanding of gender roles. This study examines the role of children’s films on traditional gender roles and relationship expectations in adulthood. In the current study, female college students were surveyed to assess how the films they watched affected their “MRS” Degree seeking ideology, benevolent sexism, and traditional gender roles. Movies were coded using a scheme, which assesses themes of sexualization, objectification, agency and gender roles. A general linear model (GLM) was used to assess the association. The researcher hypothesizes a relationship …

Nurturing The Nurturers: Caritas Literacy Wellness Program, Pakeeza Ali

Doctoral Projects

Burnout, compassion fatigue, and emotional exhaustion remain significant concerns among oncology staff in high-demand ambulatory settings. This quality improvement project implemented the Caritas Literacy and Resilience Training Program (CLARITY), a microlearning-based intervention grounded in Watson’s Caring Science Theory, to support self-caring behaviors and emotional resilience among oncology staff in an ambulatory cancer center. A quasi-experimental, mixed-methods design was used, incorporating pre- and post-intervention survey data and qualitative focus group feedback. Quantitative outcomes were assessed using the Watson Caritas Self-Rating Score (WCSR) and post-intervention ratings of perceived effectiveness of the microlearning format. Wilcoxon signed-rank tests were used to examine pre-post change …

Modeling Of Polar Cap Ionospheric Patches And Attendant Plasma Instabilities: Initialization From Data And Parametric Analysis, Mark Redden

Doctoral Dissertations and Master's Theses

There is a robust history of theoretical work on ionospheric plasma patches and their attendant plasma fluid irregularities, particularly within the polar cap region.  Within this region though, plasma theory does not always yield tractable problems with succinct analytic solutions that are conceptually illuminating. Observational research methods and techniques, using a multitude of ground-based and in-situ systems, provide insights into this complex environment not always readily achieved through theory alone.  Limitations in observational insights exist; however, due to two inherent shortcomings of such systems; sensor observational persistence (in-situ sounding rocket and satellite plasma sensors) and/or sensor spatial resolution (terrestrial systems …

Contributions To Ship-Airwake-Rotor Coupling Characterization Using Controlled Forcing, Guillermo Mazzilli

Doctoral Dissertations and Master's Theses

Shipboard helicopter operations occur within a highly unsteady environment referred to as the dynamic interface (DI), encompassing the coupled effects of the ship airwake, rotor wake, flight dynamics, and pilot response. A central aspect of the DI is the aerodynamic interaction between the ship airwake and the rotor wake, which degrades handling qualities and increases pilot workload, yet the underlying mechanisms governing ship-rotor coupling remain insufficiently understood. The ship-rotor aerodynamic coupling was examined using two canonical ship geometries, the NATO-GD and SFS2, together with a controlled experimental framework, the airflow-and-blade-frequency (ABF) system, which independently varied wake momentum flux and unsteady …

Fluid Belonging, Soft Boundary, Jingyi Liu

MFA in Visual Art

This thesis conceptualizes cultural identity as a fluid and dynamically generated process shaped through the experience of migration. Drawing on contemporary art practices and theoretical frameworks of diaspora and hybridity, the thesis is structured around four interrelated dimensions: fluid identity, memory fragmentation, material interaction, and spatial displacement.

Within the artist’s practice, traditional techniques are reactivated as both cultural signifiers and material approaches that adapt and transform across shifting contexts. Fragmentation is understood not as the loss of information but as a mode of reassembly. Materials such as ink, textile, and dye function as active agents that carry time and cultural …

Effective Resilience Of African American Adolescent Mothers In Urban Communities, Charlene Spicer-Harmon

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

No abstract provided.

Structured Communication Education Program To Improve Interprofessional Communication In An Outpatient Mental Health Organization, Doris Ofodile

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

No abstract provided.

Decision-Making Of Adult Children Not Using Schedule I Substances Like Their Parents, Deanna Alberta Mccloe

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

No abstract provided.

Cross-Cultural Study Of Recruitment And Selection Practices In Nigeria And The United Kingdom, Ugochukwu Chukwu

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

No abstract provided.

The Lived Experiences Of Mental Health Clinicians Treating Adolescents Diagnosed With Oppositional Defiant Disorder, Gilbert Hernandez

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

No abstract provided.

Evidence-Based Clinical Practice Guidelines For Postspinal Hypotension In Pregnant Women, Grace Mackey

Doctor of Nursing Practice Scholarly Projects

Abstract

Postspinal hypotension (PSH) in pregnant women undergoing a cesarean delivery is a common yet significant problem for the safety of the mother and fetus. The physiological effects of a spinal injection may compromise uteroplacental flow, predisposing the fetus to hypoxia and acidosis. Maternal consequences of prolonged hypotension include unstable hemodynamics, loss of consciousness, and nausea. Historically, healthcare providers have used crystalloid preloads and reactive phenylephrine boluses to correct hypotension. However, recent evidence suggests that these interventions have limited effectiveness. Thorough research led to the development of clinical guidelines that propose providing a 500 mL 6% hydroxyethyl starch preload or …

Evidence-Based Practice Guidelines For The Risk Stratification And Anesthetic Management Of Geriatric Surgery Patients At High Risk For Postoperative Cognitive Dysfunction Undergoing Non-Cardiac Surgery, Patrick M. Garvey

Doctor of Nursing Practice Scholarly Projects

As the global geriatric surgical population rapidly expands, managing complications like postoperative cognitive dysfunction is increasingly essential, given its adverse impacts on recovery, quality of life, and healthcare costs. Postoperative cognitive dysfunction can lead to extended hospital stays, delayed recovery, and significant cognitive decline, particularly among elderly patients exposed to general anesthesia. This quality improvement final scholarly project develops and hypothetically implements evidence-based practice guidelines for anesthetic management in geriatric patients at high risk for postoperative cognitive dysfunction undergoing non-cardiac surgery. This Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) project uses preoperative cognitive assessments, such as the Mini-Cog tool, to identify patients …

Practice Considerations For Perioperative Ondansetron Use In Parturients Undergoing Cesarean Sections With Spinal Anesthesia, Mackenzie Glaros

Doctor of Nursing Practice Scholarly Projects

Elective cesarean sections are often performed with spinal anesthesia, a form of neuraxial anesthesia that offers superior pain relief and reduces the risks associated with general anesthesia. However, over 50% of parturients experience side effects from spinal anesthesia, including shivering, hypotension, nausea, and vomiting, which can cause both physiological and psychological issues for the laboring mother and be detrimental to the fetus. Preventing these side effects is vital for improving safety, patient satisfaction, and minimizing complications. While various interventions and medications have been explored to manage these effects, no standardized guidelines exist for their prevention. A review of existing literature …

Proposed Evidence-Based Practice Consideration: The Use Of Remimazolam Tosilate Instead Of Propofol For Endoscopic Procedures Under Monitored Anesthesia Care In The Elderly Population, Tayler Lynn Detwiler

Doctor of Nursing Practice Scholarly Projects

Endoscopic procedures are essential for diagnosing and managing gastrointestinal conditions, particularly in a growing elderly population. The selection of sedative agents significantly influences patient safety and procedural outcomes. Propofol, the traditional choice, is successful but associated with risks such as hypotension, bradycardia, and respiratory depression, particularly in elderly patients. This hypothetical Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) project explores the use of remimazolam tosilate (RT), a novel ultra-short-acting benzodiazepine, as an alternative to propofol during monitored anesthesia care (MAC) for elderly patients undergoing endoscopic procedures. The project utilizes a randomized controlled trial (RCT) design to compare RT and propofol regarding hemodynamic …