Digital Commons Network^™

Supporting Holistic, Informed, Decision-Making Through The Complementarity Of Life Cycle Assessment And Radiological Protection, Bryanna Wattier-Weisensee

All Dissertations

Decision making is challenging and it is necessary to consider all relevant data to make an informed decision. The work herein provides a pathway wherein the fields of radiological protection and life cycle assessment (LCA) can be utilized synergistically to benefit the decision-making using the other (and vice versa). Specifically, LCA parallels decision-aiding techniques used in the optimization of radiological protection and LCA includes an ionizing radiation potential (IRP) impact category wherein the impacts associated with an emission of radioactive material is quantified to determine the human health impact. Thus this body of work focuses on (1) expanding the platform …

An Efficient Computational Frameworks For Design And Analysis Of Metamaterials, Raj Pradip Khawale

All Dissertations

Advancement in additive manufacturing helps in building artificial lattice structures with unique properties that are not available in naturally occurring materials or in continuum structures. Specifically, beam-based lattices are well known for producing lightweight structures with very high strength, auxetic behavior, and energy absorption capabilities. In recent years, numerous research studies have been conducted on generating algorithms and frameworks to obtain unusual properties based on the variation in the cell geometry and material properties. However, the exploration of the full design space is hampered in practice primarily due to restrictions on cell tiling variation. Additionally, the lattices are very intricate, …

Short-Circuit Modeling And Instantaneous Overvoltage Protection Of Renewable Farms, Shah Mohazzem Hossain

All Dissertations

The existing utility grid is experiencing a paradigm shift in electricity generation due to a significant penetration of renewable energy sources. This shift is primarily driven by the large-scale integration of solar and wind energy farms, particularly in the transmission network, where these farms are typically accompanied by battery energy storage in a hybrid configuration to overcome source intermittency and improve reliability. Such renewable farms comprise numerous inverters, pad-mounted transformers, collector feeders, and dc-side components depending on the generation-source type. Additionally, inverters within these farms exhibit distinct operating modes, such as `grid-following'(GFL) and `grid-forming'(GFM), as well as fault control modes, …

Hydrothermal Synthesis, Characterisation, And Magnetic Study Of First-Row Transition Metal Molybdates And First-Row Transition Metal Vanadates, Mahsa Foroughian Foroughian

All Dissertations

Growing high-quality single crystals of transitional metal oxides have been of interest over the last two centuries because of the many applications of these transparent materials in various industries, such as optics, magnetism, semiconductors, and batteries. During this period, a variety of crystal growth techniques have been utilized, each offering unique advantages and disadvantages to the solid-state community.

Traditionally, metal oxides such as molybdates and vanadates are produced using high-temperature techniques (700 to 1200 °C). These methods can cause oxygen to be expelled, resulting in the creation of lattice defects and lower-valence metal ions and complicate precise measurements of physical …

Andre-Quillen Homology And Special Classes Of Ring Homomorphisms, Hossein Faridian

All Dissertations

This thesis is comprised of three chapters. The first chapter deals with a purely algebraic proof of a deep result of Quillen stating that the category of simplicial commutative algebras over a commutative ring is a model category. The central focus of our approach is on the study of shuffle product of connective chain complexes that provides a bridge to translate the constructions in the simplicial algebra world to the chain complex world.

The second chapter delves into Quillen's fundamental spectral sequences that relate Andre-Quillen homology and cohomology to Tor and Ext functors. Our comprehensive treatment develops and streamlines the …

Biogeochemical Controls Of Cesium-137 Migration In Surface Waters And Near Surface Sediments At The Usdoe Savannah River Site, Reid Williams

All Dissertations

Considerable concentrations of cesium-137 (¹³⁷Cs) and other anthropogenic radionuclides have been released into the environment at the Savannah River Site (SRS). Additionally, cesium-containing radioactive waste will be stored onsite for the foreseeable future. Therefore, the goal of this work was to identify mechanisms controlling cesium transport in surface waters and near surface sediments at SRS to further the understanding of ¹³⁷Cs migration in the vadose zone and reservoirs. It was hypothesized that a multitude of factors impact the mobility of ¹³⁷Cs at the SRS, but that the clay sediment fraction provides an important contribution in limiting …

Recyclable Composites Prepared From Animal Coproducts And Industrial Waste Sulfur, Perla Y. Sauceda-Oloño

All Dissertations

Pursuing sustainable and environmentally friendly materials has become a significant objective in materials science, particularly flame retardants and construction materials. This dissertation explores the development and evaluation of novel composites and high sulfur-content materials (HSMs) as potential alternatives to conventional, environmentally harmful materials.

Chapter one reviews recent advancements in environmentally benign flame-retardant additives, highlighting the potential of bio-derived phenols, polysaccharide derivatives, and greener phosphorus sources. The review discusses how green additives can enhance the flame retardancy, thermal stability, and smoke suppression properties of various polymers while addressing the challenges and future directions in the field.

Chapter two investigates the production …

Concert Tickets, Party Matching, Sleeping Barbers, And Single Lane Bridges: Characterizing Student Reasoning About Concurrency, Aubrey Lawson

All Dissertations

Programming with concurrency is challenging both to learn and to teach. A concurrent program has multiple computations happening “at the same time” either simultaneously or in an interleaved manner. It is non-deterministic, imposing only a partial ordering on its decomposed parts. Advantages of concurrency include the potential for increased program throughput, high responsiveness and reduced complexity of program structure. But a concurrent program can be more complex to reason about than a sequential program, in part because the conditions of correctness must hold for all possible execution sequences and also because programmers must implement and reason about synchronization constructs that …

Analysis And Optimization Of Machine Learning Models For Network Intrusion Detection, Willie Lee Waters

All Dissertations

Network intrusion detection NID) is a technology that monitors network traffic and identifies abnormal activity. The ability to identify malicious activity can be manifested by application of artificial intelligence and machine learning (ML). This research delved into analysis, development, and optimization of supervised, unsupervised, and reinforcement learning approaches to network anomaly detection. In the past 10 years, there has been a substantial amount of research on supervised learning, a type of ML that is trained from a prelabeled network dataset that tags each sample with benign or abnormal labels. Unsupervised and reinforcement learning research has been minimal.

This study evaluated …

Voices Of Departure: A Phenomenological Study On African American College Students’ First-Year Decisions To Drop Out In Predominantly White Instutions, Adrianne Leigh Meade

All Dissertations

This study explored the lived experiences of first- year African American college dropouts from predominantly White institutions (PWIs). Guided by Swail’s Geometric Model of Student Persistence and Achievement, the study examined the factors influencing dropout rates among first- year African American PWI students. The study sought to foster dialogue and drive positive change in higher education, aiming to prevent further dropout rates among this student demographic. This study revealed that African American students who dropped out of predominantly white institutions (PWIs) within their first year faced significant barriers across social, cognitive, and institutional dimensions. By amplifying student narratives, this study …

African American Males In Rural Elementary Schools During The Pandemic: Experiences, Challenges, And Strategies For Success, Jessica Lewis

All Dissertations

The present study experimentally examined the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on elementary African American males living in rural areas. The qualitative study used a phenomenological approach to examine students' perspectives, as understood by the parents and educators (N=10). Using semi-structured interviews and thematic coding, the researcher suggested strategies for successfully closing instructional gaps and meeting the needs of this population moving forward.

The theoretical frameworks that triggered this exploration were Intersectionality, Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs, and Conflict Theory. The researcher used the theories as a lens to answer the following research questions: (1) How much has COVID-19 revealed the …

Quantitative Evaluation Of Baseflow Separation Methods Using An Integrated Hydrologic Model: A Case Study In A Snow-Dominated Watershed, Jihad Othman

All Graduate Reports and Creative Projects, Fall 2023 to Present

Baseflow, commonly referred to as the groundwater contribution to streamflow, constitutes approximately 50% of streamflow in mountainous regions of the Western United States. Accurately quantifying the amount of baseflow is critical for water management and decision-making, as it significantly impacts stream water quality, low flow availability, and ecosystem health. Traditionally, baseflow has been estimated using conceptual and automated baseflow separation methods, which are known to be both arbitrary and ambiguous, posing a challenge to validate them. In this study, we developed an integrated hydrologic model that seamlessly integrated the exchange between surface and subsurface flows to physically quantify the baseflow …

Teaching Methods To Build The Numeracy Skills Of Preschoolers With Disabilities And Complex Communication Needs, Avery Briggs

All Graduate Reports and Creative Projects, Fall 2023 to Present

This project explored the use of a curriculum that incorporates naturalistic and explicit instructional approaches through literature and direct teaching moments on the numeracy skills of three students with disabilities and complex communication needs. The numeracy skills targeted included patterning and sorting, shape discrimination, and quantity discrimination. This project took place during Extended School Year (ESY), a program that extends the traditional school year to provide services to students with disabilities. Student present levels and progress were assessed through a pretest and posttest given on the first and last days of ESY, in addition to progress monitoring data taken during …

Quantitative Analysis Of Protective Effect Of Resveratrol Against Nanoplastic-Induced Oxidative Stress, Bryan Gustafson

All Graduate Reports and Creative Projects, Fall 2023 to Present

Nanoplastics and microplastics are a growing ecological and health concern due to their widespread prevalence. The effects of these microscopic particles in biological systems primarily relate to their potential to produce reactive oxygen species and interactive effects with other cytotoxic agents. Of particular interest in this work is the effect on mammalian intestinal cells, due to the regular unintentional ingestion of micro- and nanoplastics in the normal western diet. In this study, Caco-2 cells were cultured and exposed to polystyrene particles in vitro as a simple model of the human digestive endothelium.

Resveratrol, a naturally occurring polyphenolic compound, has been …

Selected Projects In Scenic And Props Design, Melanie E. Valera Garcia

All Graduate Reports and Creative Projects, Fall 2023 to Present

This plan B paper is a compilation of four projects in which I had the opportunity to participate during my years in the master's program, four scenic projects and one on properties. The paper is divided into four chapters: Pinocchio Teatrale, The Boy at the Edge of Everything, Driving Miss Daisy and Ms. Holmes and Ms. Watson Apt 2B. Each chapter has an introduction, a synopsis of the play, a descriptive design process, the execution of its design and a final evaluation.

Professional Portfolio: Assessment Of And Strategies For Improving A Middle School Student’S Mathematics Performance, Gwenyth O. Falck

All Graduate Reports and Creative Projects, Fall 2023 to Present

This project explores strategies to help secondary students with disabilities improve their mathematics performance. With eighth-grade math scores trending downward and algebra serving as a critical gateway to higher education, target interventions are needed. The literature review highlights two main instructional methods: the Explicit Inquiry Routine (EIR) and the Concrete-Representational-Abstract Integration (CRA-I). Both incorporate physical and virtual manipulatives. These approaches have been shown to help students grasp algebraic concepts, retain what they have learned and apply the skills to new types of problems.

In addition to the research review, this paper includes assessment and intervention reports for a seventh-grade student …

Equivalent-Area Studies For Sonic Boom Loudness Mitigation On A Commercial Supersonic Aircraft Configuration, Zachary N. Foster

All Graduate Reports and Creative Projects, Fall 2023 to Present

Since the early 1970s, the FAA has banned commercial supersonic flight over populated areas. This ban has limited aerospace manufacturers’ and commercial aircraft companies’ ability to design and operate subsonic aircraft in their fleets. Since then, research has been conducted to understand the sonic boom and learn how to minimize its loudness. The work presented in this project report aims to use a 1D low-fidelity analysis to study the effect of perturbations to the outer mold line (OML) of a representative model of the N+2 Quiet Commercial Supersonic Concept Aircraft. Using a 1D analysis that employs an equivalent area method, …

Dynamic Key-Based Privacy-Preserving Authentication Scheme For Internet Of Drones, Zain Chaudhary

Honors Theses

The Internet of Drones (IoD) proliferation has catalyzed transformative changes across various industries, from agriculture to urban management. However, expanding drone networks also presents significant security challenges concerning secure communication and authentication. This paper introduces a robust privacy-preserving key-based authentication scheme tailored explicitly for the IoD, utilizing a matrix key generated by Hierarchical Message Authentication Codes (HMAC) and the SHA-256 algorithm to address these vulnerabilities. Our system enhances security by ensuring each drone in the network can authenticate securely and reliably with a central unit, preventing unauthorized access and securing communications against common threats like eavesdropping and impersonation attacks. Our …

Advancing Grid Modernization Through Data-Driven Resilience Modeling And Hosting Capacity Of Distributed Energy Resources, Oscar Samuel Acosta

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

This Ph.D. dissertation focuses on advancing the integration of distributed energy resources (DERs) through concepts surrounding their impacts on power system stability, resilience, and hosting capacity (HC). This dissertation addresses crucial topics in renewable energy deployment, transient fault response, and dynamic modeling. The work begins with the development of renewable energy source (RES) models tailored for offsetting residential heating, ventilation, and air conditioning~(HVAC) and commercial cooling loads. These models utilize solar photovoltaic (PV) and wind energy systems to produce scalable frameworks adapted across diverse climates and building types in application of a partial-load targeting methodology. The dissertation then transitions from …

Mechanical Stability Of Body-Centered Cubic Iron At Earth's Core Pressure And Temperature Conditions Using A Molecular Graph Kernel Regression And Gaussian Process., Blaise Awola Ayirizia

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

We used machine learning to study nonmagnetic BCC iron in conditions similar to thosefound in the Earthâ??s core. Our model predicts the stability of BCC iron at high temperatures and pressures by analyzing a dataset from ab initio molecular dynamics simulations. The framework uses Gaussian process regression to make predictions by comparing the similarity between molecules. This comparison is made using the marginalized graph kernel. To use the marginalized graph kernel, the framework applies a spatial adjacency rule to convert molecules into graphs, where the vertices and edges are labeled by elements and interatomic distances, respectively. We can use this …

D-Optimal Joint Best Linear Unbiased Predictors In Progressively Type-Ii Ordered Statistics, Tamim Alam

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Reliability and life-testing experiments play a crucial role in understanding the longevity and performance of systems and components, particularly in high-stakes applications such as engineering, manufacturing, and quality control. In this thesis, we focus on the prediction of future unobserved failure times by employing joint predictors based on progressively Type-II censored data obtained from such life-testing experiments. Specifically, we derive explicit analytical expressions for the joint best linear unbiased predictors (BLUPs) of two future order statistics under the D-optimality criterion. The derivation involves minimizing the determinant of the variance-covariance matrix of the predictors within the context of progressively Type-II censored …

The Journey And Lived Experience Of Dropout, Hispanic, Teen Fathers, Patricia Ann Cuevas

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

The dropout phenomenon in the United States is an ongoing concern, especially regarding teen fathers. The purpose of this qualitative phenological study was to examine how Hispanic men who fathered a child as adolescent understood and made sense of their lived experiences of dropping out of high school and later returning to their studies. Semi-structured interviews were utilized to gather the data. An analysis of the findings was conducted, revealing the themes of emotional distress, expectations, hard lessons, and the impact of fatherhood. The themes were then applied to the theorical framework of Sensemaking. The results revealed that the participants …

A Machine Learning Approach For Estimating Evapotranspiration For Urban Landscaping Vegetation In Semi-Arid Regions, Damian Lorenzo Gallegos Espinoza

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Water management is important for residents in semi-arid urban areas due to increasing demand, water scarcity, and rising costs. It is estimated that in semi-arid regions, 40-70% of the household water consumption is used in landscaping. Therefore, urban landscaping water use can substantially contribute to water conservation. This work aims to estimate the water needs of urban landscaping vegetation to inform residents in semi-arid regions.Evapotranspiration indicates water and energy exchange between the atmosphere, soil, and vegetation. This interaction depends on solar radiation, evaporation, transpiration, and other biophysical parameters. Evapotranspiration has become a reference for water management in agriculture (e.g., crop …

Examining Key Predictors Of Enrollment At A Regional, Open-Access Research University On The U.S. - Mexico Border, Marcus Gay

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Each year, approximately 64% of admitted students do not enroll at the University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP). This is particularly concerning given the projected decline in regional high school graduates beginning in the 2025-2026 academic year. The El Paso region is also predominantly composed of groups who have been historically underrepresented in higher education, including Hispanic or Latino students, individuals from low socio-economic backgrounds, and first-generation college students. Using logistic regression analysis, this quantitative study investigates how seven key factors impact the likelihood of enrollment among admitted UTEP applicants. The study utilized admissions data provided by UTEP’s Texas …

An Integrated Study Of Aerosol Concentrations And Meteorological Conditions In El Paso Airshed Using Modeling And Instrumentation, Joscelyne Guzman-Gonzalez

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Atmospheric aerosols are solid or liquid particles suspended in the atmosphere. Aerosols can be primary, which are directly emitted into the atmosphere, or secondary, which are formed when emitted gases undergo complex chemical reactions. Atmospheric aerosols can range from a few nanometers to tens of microns in diameter. Atmospheric aerosols play a significant role in climate; they can absorb or reflect heat, influencing temperature and weather patterns. Air quality is also affected by aerosols, which can have detrimental effects on human health, contributing to respiratory issues and other health problems. El Paso Texas is located at the south of the …

Integrating Responsible And Ethical Conduct Of Research Into Cures: A Longitudinal Study Observing Professional Development Of Fellows Within The Ethics Network For Course-Based Opportunities In Undergraduate Research, Aimee Angelica Hernandez-Gaytan

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Using The Schism Model And Hf Radar Data To Study Surface Currents In Texas Bays: A Case Study Of Sabine Lake (Sl) And Galveston Bay (Gb)., Cletus Ozoemena Ogbodo

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Surface currents study provides invaluable understanding into the physical dynamics of oceans, bays, estuaries, and nearshore environments, offering critical insights about water movement and related coastal processes. These currents play a fundamental role in understanding the state of estuarine and marine systems, such as their effects on sediment transport, heat distribution and climate change, nutrient distribution, and pollutant dispersal. In addition, surface current data provides significant economic and ecological implications for coastal communities essential for managing resources effectively and ensuring the resilience of coastal regions against environmental and anthropogenic pressures. This study was driven by the need to address the …

Thermal Inequity Along The Us-Mexico Border: An Analysis Of El Paso, Texas, Mia Alexandra Trevino

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

The Urban Heat Island effect (UHI) combined with rising average global temperatures invariably results in thermal inequality, the unequal distribution of temperature patterns by different socioeconomic and sociodemographic groups, resulting in an array of negative public health impacts. This thesis research focused on the historical factors that contribute to UHI and tree cover in historically underserved neighborhoods in El Paso, Texas. The impact of maps from 1933-1954 created by the Home Ownerâ??s Loan Corporation (HOLC), a federal selective lending program, resulted in decades of disinvestment and inequality especially in redlined areas. Geospatial analyses of environmental and socioeconomic indicators such as …

Preparing Educators To Effectively Engage With Postsecondary Stem Students With Autism, Luzconsuelo Gavaldon

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a lifetime mental disability (Boucher, 2009). Because the brains of people with autism work differently than their non-neurodiverse peers (Kuzminskaite et al., 2020), they tend to respond to external stimuli in a hypo- or hyper-sensory fashion. One of the primary considerations that must be accounted for when working with individuals with autism is that the brains of these persons are each neurologically distinct. In other words, there is no "one-size-fits-all" means by which individuals with ASD learn and develop and, consequently, no single way to therefore engage with said individuals (Anderson & Butt, 2017; Kuzminski …

Optimization And Purification Of Magnesium Borides Fabricated By Combustion Synthesis And By High-Temperature Sintering, Miguel Joaquin Camarena

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Hydrogen as a fuel provides several benefits over the use of fossil fuels; however, one challenge in utilizing hydrogen as an energy carrier revolves around its storage. Achieving sufficient volumetric hydrogen density in a storage solution will facilitate hydrogenâ??s adoption for use in both stationary and mobile applications. Solid-state hydrogen storage provides a promising pathway to solving this problem. However, the hydrogenation of these materials is characterized by slow kinetics and extreme thermodynamic conditions. Magnesium borohydride (Mg(BH4)2) is a promising material in hydrogen storage due to its reversible properties and a theoretical hydrogen capacity of 14.9 wt.%. To synthesize this …