Digital Commons Network^™

Nola 2150, Kristopher Ferber

Electronic Theses & Dissertations (2024 - present)

Abstract

Speculative fiction often takes a dystopic approach where authors envision what will be lost from books being banned in Fahrenheit 451 to us losing our civil liberties in 1984 to most of humanity being wiped out by an engineered virus in Oryx and Crake. This creative thesis takes a more optimistic approach by the act of preservation. In this case the city of New Orleans thriving as an underwater city protected by a glass dome in the year 2150. The city’s vibrant culture remains the same despite being almost too close to comfort to marine life. This work …

Interfacing Neural Models: Biocompatibility And Fabrication Of A Flexible, Self-Folding Microelectrode Array, Fernando A. Pesantez Torres

Electronic Theses & Dissertations (2024 - present)

Neurodegenerative diseases pose a formidable challenge in modern medicine, necessitating the development of advanced research tools that can elucidate their complex pathophysiology. Recent advancements in neurodegenerative disease research have led to the development of three-dimensional (3D) neurodegenerative organoids using human induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs). These organoids closely mimic human brain architecture and functionality, providing a valuable tool for understanding complex diseases. Additionally, the ability to generate and study brain organoids consistently and in large quantities holds potential for a controlled in vitro setting and high-throughput drug screening. However, these models are complex systems requiring specialized maintenance, analysis, and manipulation …

Improving Generalizability In Image Manipulation Detection, Zhenfei Zhang

Electronic Theses & Dissertations (2024 - present)

Image manipulation detection (IMD) aims to determine whether an image has been tampered with and to identify the manipulated regions. These capabilities have become increasingly important with the rapid advancement of media editing and generation technologies, such as Photoshop and generative AI methods, which underscore the need for robust tools for media authentication. Although current state-of-the-art (SoTA) methods achieve strong results on common manipulation types, such as splicing, copy-move, and removal, they often struggle to generalize to manipulation types not represented in the training data. Consequently, their real-world applicability remains limited, with performance degrading significantly in practical scenarios.

In this …

Buoy-Based Eddy Covariance Drag Coefficient At A Near-Shore And Offshore Site, David P. Marcial

Electronic Theses & Dissertations (2024 - present)

An eddy covariance (EC) flux system was integrated onto a Navy Oceanographic Meteorological Automatic Device (NOMAD) floating lidar buoy fitted for measuring the offshore wind resource. The EC flux system consisted of two sonic anemometers and an inertial measurement unit that together provided high-frequency (10 Hz) motion-corrected wind measurements. To assess possible impacts of flow distortion, EC momentum fluxes (10 min) were calculated in gravity-aligned, natural, and planar fit (PF) coordinate frames. The buoy was anchored near the Martha’s Vineyard Coastal Observatory Air-Sea Interaction Tower (ASIT; near-shore) for validation of the buoy-based EC fluxes against the fixed tower measurements before …

Advancing 4h-Silicon Carbide Power Mosfets Through Three-Dimensional Technology Computer Aided Design Optimization, Skylar A. Deboer

Electronic Theses & Dissertations (2024 - present)

This research contributes to the advancement of 1.2 kV 4H-Silicon Carbide (SiC) Metal-Oxide-Semiconductor Field-Effect Transistors (MOSFETs) through the development and implementation of sophisticated three-dimensional Technology Computer-Aided Design (3D TCAD) methodologies. These advanced simulation techniques enable comprehensive evaluation of innovative unit cell architectures that remain inaccessible to conventional two-dimensional (2D) TCAD approaches. By leveraging these 3D simulation capabilities, this work facilitates significant improvements in both the performance and reliability of next-generation wide-bandgap power devices.

Power devices convert electrical energy between different forms throughout the power grid making them essential in applications ranging from personal electronics, electric vehicles, renewable energy systems, industrial …

Effects Of Formative Assessment On Students’ Regulation Of Learning: A Meta-Analysis, Ching-Yen Yu

Electronic Theses & Dissertations (2024 - present)

Does formative assessment (FA) promote self-regulated learning (SRL)? Theoretically, FA has long been believed to facilitate SRL due to their overlapping conceptual frameworks, yet empirical evidence has remained scattered and inconclusive. This study presents the first comprehensive, large-scale meta-analysis to examine whether, to what extent, for whom, and under what conditions FA enhances SRL.

Following a preregistered, PRISMA-guided protocol, we systematically searched the literature from 1998 to 2024 and synthesized 999 effect sizes from 138 studies (n = 23,293 students) using multilevel meta-analytic models that accounted for dependent effects. Across educational levels and contexts, FA, on average, demonstrated a …

Sulfur Chemistry For Protein Synthesis And Modification: From Thiolactone To Bicyclic Sulfoxide Frameworks, Yuming Wen

Electronic Theses & Dissertations (2024 - present)

This dissertation explores two intersecting themes in modern chemical biology: (1) the design of novel ligands for transition-metal catalysis, and (2) the development of thiolactone-mediated strategies for protein synthesis and modification in aqueous media. Together, these studies advance chemical methods for precise molecular transformations under mild, biocompatible conditions.

In the first chapter, a geometrically constrained bicyclic [3.3.1] sulfoxide framework was developed as a new class of bissulfoxide ligands for palladium-catalyzed C–H functionalization. The ligand was synthesized concisely from thiophenol through a three-step sequence and shown to promote allylic C–H amination and alkylation reactions with high efficiency. The catalytic system tolerated …

Teacher Retention Bright Spots: A Four Case Analysis, John Costello

Electronic Theses & Dissertations (2024 - present)

The teacher retention crisis has been extensively studied over the 21st century. Robust survey data from the National Center of Educational Statistics (NCES) has produced volumes on the quantitative characteristics of the teachers, students, and schools associated with low teacher retention (Ingersoll, 2001; Boyd et al., 2011; Ronfeldt, Loeb & Wyckoff, 2013). However, few studies have examined what is going right at high poverty schools which nonetheless maintain exceptionally high teacher retention. This dissertation utilizes a positive deviance lens to examine four schools; two typical schools that had normal teacher retention rates for New York State, and two outlier schools …

Transfection Of Ionizable Lipid Nanoparticles On Raw 264.7 And Mda-Mb-231, Lavanya Bhargava

Masters Theses

"This thesis investigates the preparation, characterization, and transfection efficiency of various ionizable lipid nanoparticles (LNPs) formulated for the delivery of mRNA encoding enhanced green fluorescent protein (EGFP) in RAW 264.7 macrophages and MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cell lines. The ionizable cationic lipid studied are ALC-035, C12-200, C14-4, PPZ-A10, DLin-MC3-DMA. The study addresses the need for effective gene delivery systems to provide a safe and versatile platform that protects and transports nucleic acids into target cells. LNPs were synthesized using microfluidic mixing methods, incorporating lipid components such as the cationic lipids, DSPE, DOPE, cholesterol and PEG lipids to achieve controlled particle sizes, …

Lidar From The Skies: A Uav-Based Approach For Efficient Object Detection And Tracking, Baya Cherif

Masters Theses

"Recently, there has been a growing interest in deploying the Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) technology to gain traction in the autonomous vehicle industry, its applications are expanding into areas like smart cities, agriculture, and renewable energy. This work proposes an advanced approach to enhance aerial traffic monitoring using Li- DAR. We aim to provide accurate, real-time object detection and tracking from an aerial perspective by integrating Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) with LiDAR, culminating in a smart UAV-integrated LiDAR (A-LiD) sensor for traffic surveillance. We introduce an adapted version of one of the newest methods of the cutting-edge 3D object …

Fetal Acidosis Prediction Using Attention Enhanced Convolutional Neural Networks, Anusha Adhikari

Masters Theses

This study explores the integration of spectral mixtures of fetal heart rate (FHR) and uterine contraction (UC) signals to enhance the prediction of fetal acidosis, utilizing the CTU-CHB dataset. Several classification models were trained using two distinct oversampling techniques and inputs, demonstrating that models incorporating spectral mixtures significantly outperform those using raw signals. These models, particularly when combined with convolutional neural networks (CNNs) and attention mechanisms, achieved a notable F1-score of 0.98, with the highest model achieving an area under the Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) curve of 0.95. The research employs a variety of techniques including short-time Fourier transform and …

Long Short-Term Memory (Lstm) -Based Neural Network Model For Optimizing Composite Manufacturing Process Using Autoclave, Sourav P. Bolar

Masters Theses

The combination of high pressure and controlled heat plays a critical role in ensuring the uniform curing of composite materials, leading to parts with superior mechanical properties. In this study, three composite samples of IM7/CYCOM 5320-1, each cut into 12x12-inch squares, were placed in an autoclave at three different locations, spaced 6 inches apart. Sixteen thermocouples were randomly distributed across the setup to monitor the curing process as the autoclave temperature was systematically ramped up and down while maintaining constant pressure, creating a fully controlled curing environment. The primary objective was to optimize the curing locations to reduce machine runtime …

Influence Of Alloy Composition On The Process Robustness Of Steels Consolidated Via Laser-Directed Energy Deposition, Jonathan Kelley

Masters Theses

"To ensure consistent quality of additively manufactured parts, it is advantageous to identify alloys which can meet performance criteria while being robust to process variations. Toward this end, this work investigated the effect of alloy composition on the robustness of steels consolidated via laser-directed energy deposition (L-DED). Ultra-high-strength low-alloy steel (UHSLA) and pure iron powders were mixed in-situ to produce 10 compositions containing 10-100% UHSLA by mass. JMatPro material simulations roughly predicted phases and mechanical properties. Two sets of experiments were used to evaluate the sensitivity of as-built hardness (all 10 compositions) and tensile properties (5 select compositions) to process …

Characterization Of The Microstructural Changes Of Zrb2 Under Heavy Ion Irradiation For Molten Salt Reactor Applications, Narrie Loftus

Masters Theses

A primary challenge in finding suitable materials for Molten Salt Reactors (MSRs) lies in identifying those that concurrently exhibit high corrosion resistance, stability at elevated temperatures, resistance to radiation, and chemical compatibility with molten salts. 11B-enriched zirconium diboride (ZrB₂) is a potential candidate for applications in MSRs due to its unique combination of properties, including high melting point, high thermal conductivity, and resistance to corrosion in harsh environments. This ultra-high temperature ceramic (UHTC) has exhibited stability under extreme conditions, making it an attractive material for components within MSRs.

The microstructural response of ZrB₂ under heavy ion irradiation …

Investigation Of Arm Stiffness Modulation During Overground Physical Human-Human Interaction, Henry Tien

Masters Theses

The vision of advancing robots capable of direct physical engagement with humans begins with an understanding of how humans interact with each other. Even rudimentary interactive tasks, such as shaking hands, provides tremendous challenges for modern robotics and current research into the biomechanics of such interactions is limited. Thus, further analysis of physical Human-Human Interaction (pHHI) will bolster efforts to enhance collaborative robot capabilities. To this end, a custom Force Perturbation Handle (FPH) was developed, including the requisite mechanical, electrical, and software systems, to investigate the unique role of arm stiffness modulation in haptic communication between humans. The novel device …

System Design For Highly Accurate And Efficient Target Detection In Triaxial Testing, Qingqing Fu

Masters Theses

Accurate and automated recognition of coded targets is crucial for high-precision photogrammetry-based measurements in triaxial testing. Traditional recognition methods, including those based on deep learning and table decoding, often struggle with issues such as perspective distortion, rotation, and variable lighting, leading to unreliable results. While deep learning approaches offer some improvements, they remain computationally intensive and sensitive to environmental factors.

This thesis introduces an innovative system that replaces deep learning algorithms with a blob analysis-based method for efficient and robust recognition of coded targets. The system also employs newly designed solid points of varying sizes and patterns, eliminating the need …

Gfrp Reinforced Bridge Barriers: Experiment Testing, Manish Kumar Gadhe

Masters Theses

This study focused on evaluating the performance of concrete bridge barriers reinforced with Glass Fiber Reinforced Polymer (GFRP) compared to those reinforced with conventional mild steel. Four full-scale barriers were constructed, three using GFRP bars as the reinforcement and one with mild steel reinforcement. These were cast on two concrete slabs to ensure consistent support conditions. The use of GFRP aims to address durability concerns associated with steel reinforced concrete (RC), particularly corrosion of these bars in harsh environments.

To simulate real-world impact scenarios, a weighted cart was launched at each barrier using a guided sled system. Sensors, including load …

Development Of A Method To Measure Blast Overpressure Exposure Using Orthogonal Sensor Orientations, Nicholas Kuehl

Masters Theses

Measuring and recording blast exposure to military personnel from shoulder-fired weaponry or improvised explosive devices to correlate health outcomes like mild traumatic brain injury has been a goal for many years. As such, many wearable sensors have been developed and tested for accuracy and reliability. Despite this, knowing the sensor orientation in relation to the blast source is important to fully correlate the actual personnel exposure to clinical outcomes. This research investigates whether pressures recorded at three independent orientations in the x, y and z planes can be combined to a representative pressure that is independent of orientation. Important metrics …

Constraint Programming For Optimized Degree Paths, Mitchell Lee Skaggs

Masters Theses

This work presents a degree planning tool developed as part of the Pervasive Cyberinfrastructure for Personalized eLearning and Instructional Support (PERCEPOLIS) project which generates complete, valid, and personalized degree paths at any point from admission to graduation. This eliminates tedious calculation and double-checking, allowing advisors to focus on a student’s long-term plans and students to proactively explore potential degree paths. The original research contribution of this work is the use of a unified model for academic requirements to automatically translate complex, real-world curricula into a constraint programming model that can be quickly optimized based on personalized student criteria.

Automatically translating …

Overpressure Waveform Comparison Of High Explosive, Methane, And Coal Dust Explosions, Frank James Schott

Masters Theses

Methane and coal dust explosions remain a leading cause of catastrophic mining accidents, making it critical to understand their overpressure characteristics for better hazard modeling, mitigation, and regulation. Although high explosives (HE), flammable gases, and dusts have been studied separately, direct waveform comparisons in identical environments are rare. This study addresses that gap by comparing overpressure waveforms from HE, methane-air mixtures, and coal dust explosions to assess differences in peak pressure, impulse, rise time, and phase duration. Twenty-seven tests were conducted using standardized instrumentation and sensor arrays. Results showed that HE generated the highest peak pressures with short positive phases …

Selective Surface Activation And Flotation Of Pyrite For The Recovery Of Tellurium From Sulfide Tailings, Mulenga Mutema Chibesa

Masters Theses

Copper sulfide tailings from past and present mining operations are important secondary sources of critical elements such as tellurium (Te), a key component in cadmium–telluride photovoltaic solar cells. Characterization of tailing streams from copper porphyry (CP) ore flotation revealed that Te-bearing minerals are predominantly hosted in pyrite, which is usually depressed and discarded. Enhancing pyrite recovery is therefore a critical first step toward concentrating Te minerals for downstream extraction. However, pyrite flotation is often hindered by hydrophilic surface complexes formed during prior processing. This research investigated selective flotation of Te-bearing pyrite from CP tailings using micro flotation and bench-scale flotation, …

An Experimental Study Into The Methods Of Water Coupling And Their Impact On Kinetic Energy And Blast Over Pressure Through The Use Of A Ballistic Pendulum, Jeremiah Alan Cohn

Masters Theses

Water coupled charges utilize the material properties of water to alter their behavior for reductions in overpressure and increases in kinetic energy. Although water coupling has been studied directly, combined usage of the two primary methods of water coupling, tamping and pushing, hinders further research. This study addresses the gap in literature by comparing ballistic pendulum and blast data for charges with water tamping and pushing to determine differences in kinetic energy, peak overpressure, impulse, noise and duration of fireball. The results showed that water tamping provided a 69.1% increase in kinetic energy, an 18.6% reduction in incident overpressure, a …

Aerodynamic Design Workflow Optimization For Fsae: Advanced Cfd And Hpc Automation, Kyle Maynor

Masters Theses

This research identifies and resolves inefficiencies in the Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) workflow of the Missouri S&T Racing Formula SAE Team’s aerodynamic development. Key bottlenecks were found in simulation runtime, laborious simulation preparation, an overly manual simulation submission process, and unchecked mesh quality. A fully reimagined workflow was implemented with simulation parameters to adjust vehicle attitudes. From this, an automated design sweep could be executed to generate aero maps of the developing vehicle using the Design Manager Project. A Python-based submission app handles the terminal interfacing and macro editing that significantly slowed the job submission process before. Using a university …

Development Of Stalling Detection Algorithms And Operator Behavior Models For Evaluating Hydraulic Excavator Performance, Mateo Fernando Montenegro Defaz

Masters Theses

This study aims to develop a reliable algorithm for stalling detection and investigate how operator behaviors impact the truck-loading process, focusing on swing and bucket rotations. While the study of excavator digging conditions and equipment performance is well understood, describing stalling from telemetry data and the influence of operators’ behavior on overall system efficiency remain underexplored. This study seeks to: (i) develop a reliable algorithm for stall detection by analyzing key operational variables such as velocity and angles; (ii) implement statistical and machine learning techniques, specifically a Support Vector Machine (SVM) classification algorithm, to differentiate between ideal and non-ideal digging …

Enabling Drone-Integrated Active Microwave Thermography Via A Slot Antenna Design, Alec P. Fitzmaurice

Masters Theses

Civil infrastructure inspection quality and inspector safety may be enhanced from the advancement in the capabilities of nondestructive testing and evaluation of remote or otherwise hard-to-reach areas such as nuclear power plants, wind turbines, bridges, or other civil infrastructure using drone-based Active Microwave Thermography (AMT). AMT is a nondestructive testing technique that utilizes high frequency energy (often radiated from an antenna) to induce heating in a specimen. Following this thermal excitation, an infrared camera is used to measure the resulting surface thermal profile. From this, defect indications may be detected. To enable drone-based deployment of AMT, where the antenna size …

Perspectives Of Corporate Instructional Design Experts On Effectiveness, Personal Traits And Attributes, And Technology, Thomas A. Gant

Theses and Dissertations

This qualitative phenomenological descriptive study explored corporate instructional design experts' perspectives on effectiveness, personal traits and attributes, and technology that enhance their expertise. Three central themes emerged: "Mastering Instructional Design: The Journey of Continuous Learning and Skill Development," highlighting the importance of mentorship, lifelong learning, and professional development; "Accessing Instructional Design Expertise Through Individual Strengths," emphasizing adaptability, problem-solving, and empathy; and "Navigating Technological Integration and Innovation in Instructional Design," showcasing the transformative role of tools such as virtual reality, learning management systems, and authoring software. Semi-structured interviews conducted via Zoom with 10 corporate instructional designers with at least 10 years …

Foster Care Placement And Law Enforcement Contact, Tranika Guerrero De Los Reyes

Theses and Dissertations

Interaction with law enforcement and delinquency are higher among youth in foster care, and they are likely to experience higher incarceration rates and be involved in criminality, which limits their access to education and employment. The problem addressed in this study was the elevated risk of law enforcement contact outcome (LEO) among adolescents and young adults with a history of foster care placement. The purpose of this quantitative research was to investigate differences in the number of LEO contacts and LEO arrests based on foster care placement type among youth in California’s foster care system.

Guided by the social control …

Regenerating Justice: Chatgpt And The Legal Minefield Of Generative Ai, Katie Szilagyi

Canadian Journal of Law and Technology

This paper adopts an automation bias lens to cast doubt on the growing claims that GenAI is a transformational tool for legal industry. In this context, automation bias refers to the well-known psychological phenomenon in which human decision-makers unwittingly defer to automated processes, flowing from overreliance on the accuracy of the automation. Even well-meaning individuals aiming to keep a “human-in-the-loop” of any automated decision can fall prey to this well-documented phenomenon, trusting the technology more than it deserves to be trusted. Champions for current GenAI technologies often do acknowledge limitations within the existing landscape of tools, like GenAI’s tendency to …

Fabrication Of Functional Microparticles For Biological Analysis, Justin George

Electronic Theses & Dissertations (2024 - present)

To better advance our knowledge of cellular behavior, development of an organism, and disease mechanisms understanding cellular heterogeneity in the functional proteome is essential. Bulk measurements across a cell population often fail to capture the variations which exist between individual cells, however single cell proteomic technology has increasingly demonstrated the characterization of cellular heterogeneity. A single cell functional proteomics assay needs to be both high-throughput and multiplexed to effectively identify biomarkers and provide a quantitative correlation to better understand the interrelationships within complex protein networks. Janus particles have the ability to be engineered to have good compatibility and stability in …

Effects Of Actualized Language Policy On Ukrainian Stability, 1989-2022, Dawn Hersey

Electronic Theses & Dissertations (2024 - present)

This dissertation seeks to generate a new perspective of the complicated relationship between actualized policy and stability through looking at Ukraine’s language policies and stability in a mixed manner approach that includes both primary and secondary sources. Russia justified its irridentist activities through claiming to protect Russian nationals within Ukraine’s borders: language policies within Ukraine appear to be a trigger for Russian antagonism. Neither Russian irridentism nor Ukrainian nationalism are being considered as right or wrong in this dissertation: the intent is to highlight trends, patterns, and perceptions in alignment with Ukrainian language policy. This dissertation does not present a …