Digital Commons Network^™

Public Preferences And Trade-Offs In Critical Mineral Mining Development In The United States, Bamidele Joseph Ajiga

Masters Theses

Rising demand for battery-critical minerals has increased U.S. mining efforts, but projects often face public opposition. There is limited work on how individuals in affected regions evaluate trade-offs between economic and environmental risks.

This research applies a discrete choice experiment to examine individual preferences for proposed battery-critical minerals mining projects in Missouri, Minnesota, and Idaho. 1908 respondents evaluated hypothetical mining projects defined by jobs, state tax revenue, the proportion of tailings reprocessed, groundwater impacts, and surface water impacts, under gold and silver versus battery-critical mineral framings.

Conditional and mixed logit models were used to assess the importance of attributes, demographic …

Calcium Based Carbon Negative Fillers And Additives: Effects On Hydration And Performance Of Low-Carbon Cement Systems, Smita Bhowmick Shithi

Masters Theses

Cement production is a major source of global CO₂ emissions creating an urgent need for carbon-negative fillers and functional additives that lower clinker use while maintaining cement performance. This thesis investigates the effects of organic mineral salts as fillers and additives on cement hydration, fresh properties, compressive strength and pore structure. In the first study, ordinary Portland cement (OPC) was partially replaced with calcium carbonate or calcium oxalate to enable a direct comparison under controlled particle size distribution (PSD). Rheology, flowability, hydration kinetics, phase evolution, mechanical performance and water absorption were evaluated. Calcium carbonate promoted early hydration through nucleation and …

Developing Discharge Estimation Algorithm Using Low-Cost Velocity Sensor And Machine Learning, Barkha Gautam

Masters Theses

Accurate river discharge estimation is essential for flood forecasting, water resources management, and hydraulic decision-making; however, continuous discharge records are unavailable at many river locations. Traditional stage-discharge rating curves are widely used but their reliability may decrease when channel conditions change or flow conditions vary rapidly. This study develops and evaluates Long Short-Term Memory (LSTM) models for discharge prediction using 15-minute time-series data from river monitoring stations in Missouri. Two model configurations, a baseline stage-only model and an enhanced stage-plus-velocity model, are developed and evaluated independently at two river sites to determine whether the inclusion of surface velocity improves discharge …

Examination Of Laser Microwelding As A Technique For The Repair Of Steel Castings, Allan John Woldow

Masters Theses

"Metal castings have long been plagued with minor defects caused by various process and design conditions. Commonly, minor defects are not seen until after machining operations have been completed, and by the time they are identified, they cannot be salvaged in a manner that is structurally sound and does not have other detrimental effects on the product. Detrimental effects may include warping from high heat input in traditional welding, warping from reheat treatment, oxidation of machined surfaces, microstructural anomalies, and reduced mechanical properties. Micro laser welding has the potential to provide a solution to these issues by providing a low …

Validating A Low-Cost Radio Frequency Characterization Framework For Development-Grade Software-Defined Radios In Short-Duration Cubesat Missions, Thomas Wayne Francois

Masters Theses

Software-defined radios (SDRs) and CubeSat platforms have reduced the cost and complexity of space-based communication systems, enabling broader participation in satellite missions. While low-cost radio hardware is increasingly accessible, the ability to characterize and validate its performance remains constrained by the high cost and limited access to traditional RF test equipment. This disparity creates a challenge for small satellite development teams, which must characterize communication-system technical performance with limited access to laboratory-grade instrumentation.

This thesis presents a low-cost RF characterization framework for assessing key radio-frequency performance metrics using readily available hardware and measurement techniques. The approach integrates frequency translation, SDR-based …

Sources Of Tensions In Ai Adoption For Organ Procurement Organizations, Amaneh Babaee

Masters Theses

"Although medical AI systems have promise, the healthcare system has not fully integrated them for improved organizational operations. Studies have been conducted to identify root causes for this hesitancy without targeting a specific domain in healthcare. This generalization can be enhanced for the nuanced or domain-specific factors that offer practical insights to organizations leader. In this thesis, I focus on the factors and sources of tensions in AI adoption in transplant system, which is highly regulated but encourages innovation. Applying the Extended Technology, Organization, Environment (TOE) framework, 10 interviews were conducted at Organ Procurement Organizations (OPOs).

Although not always technically …

Aura-Visionpose: Creating Datasets For Vision-Based Pose Estimation, Mohanad Alameer

Masters Theses

"Spacecraft rendezvous is an integral part of many orbital missions, including active space debris removal (ADR) and in-orbit servicing, assembly, and manufacturing (ISAM). Traditionally, rendezvous missions rely mainly on manual ground-based control to perform rendezvous and docking. While this can be effective on an individual basis, it becomes less practical at scale. Autonomous vision-based methods can reduce reliance on human control, and may improve scalability, response time, and reduce the possibility of human error for both ADR and ISAM. This work lays the necessary groundwork for developing a machine learning (ML) model for autonomous rendezvous by creating a labeled image …

Near-Field Scan Method For Radiated Susceptibility Analysis And The Design And Optimization Of A Miniaturized Spiral Antenna For Ultra-Wideband Applications, Mckennan Edward Starkey

Masters Theses

"The work presented in this thesis consists of two separate topics. The first topic is a new method for the characterization of radiated susceptibility of electronic devices, while the second topic is on antenna design. The first topic proposes an approach to experimentally determine locations within an electronic system that are well coupled to external far-field radiators. This method is performed by using a differential magnetic field probe to sweep across the target device while measuring the total radiated power (TRP) produced by the device in a mode stirred tent. Scan locations where the TRP is larger than the background …

Transformer-Based Language Models For Bitcoin Market Prediction And Interpretation, Erich Gozebina

Masters Theses

"In the context of a Master's thesis in applied mathematics, this work investigates compact transformer-based language models as an instrument for Bitcoin-related predictions and decision support. The work connects three topics: the structure of the Bitcoin system and its data, the mathematical and algorithmic foundations of deep autoregressive transformers, and the design of practical training pipelines for financial applications. On this foundation, a reproducible ETL pipeline for Bitcoin data is developed and two forecasting experiments are conducted with the compact language model nanochat. The first experiment approaches the prediction of next-day price movements through autoregressive next-token generation based on structured …

Castrip Process Technology: Non-Grain Oriented (Ngo) Si Steels Extension And Carbide-Free Bainitic (Cfb) For Flat Products, Naram Naidu Meesala

Masters Theses

"This research explores the development of advanced steel grades manufactured through Castrip® twin-roll thin strip casting technology, with particular attention to non-grain-oriented electrical Si-Steels (NGOES) and carbide-free bainitic (CFB) steels. The Castrip® process offers a near-net-shape route for producing thin steel strips, which greatly decreases the number of processing stages, lowers energy demand, and reduces carbon dioxide emissions when compared with traditional steel production methods.

In the NGOES part of the study, several industrial Fe–Si steel compositions were cold rolled to final thicknesses ranging from 0.35 mm to 0.15 mm. These materials were then exposed to short-duration continuous annealing at …

Structured Decomposition And Efficient Adaptation For Scientific Data Movement: From Transfer Concurrency To Genomic Data Acquisition, Rasman Mubtasim Swargo

Masters Theses

"The end-to-end performance of scientific data movement is increasingly limited not by raw network capacity but by whichever resource along the path is momentarily slowest, a bottleneck that no single static configuration can track. This thesis argues that the right response is to decompose each problem along the resource or workflow axis where bottlenecks vary, adapt only the genuinely dynamic control variables at runtime, and make that adaptation efficient through utility-guided or offline-learned control rather than expensive online search. The thesis develops this principle through four systems of widening scope. AutoMDT decomposes a transfer by operation, assigning separate concurrency levels …

Moth Assemblages Of Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri, Kimberly Anne Steese

Masters Theses

"Moths (Lepidoptera) are ecologically important insects that function as herbivores, pollinators, prey resources, and indicators of ecosystem integrity. Despite their ecological significance, moth communities in the Missouri Ozarks remain poorly documented, particularly within military-managed landscapes. This thesis examined patterns of moth diversity, assemblage structure, and environmental drivers at Fort Leonard Wood (FLW), Missouri, while also assessing the distribution and genetic diversity of species within the genus Papaipema.

Field surveys were conducted from 2019 through 2021 across prairie, savanna, forest, and restoration habitats at FLW using UV bucket traps, sheet trapping, and targeted larval surveys. Across all sampling efforts, 29,116 individual …

Dean's Update, January 2026, Neil W. Schluger

SOM Dean's Research Newsletter

No abstract provided.

Caterpillar's Spatial Metamorphosis: Heavy Equipment Manufacturing In The 21st Century, Utkarsh Kumar, Michael L. Dougherty

Faculty Publications – Sociology and Anthropology

Caterpillar Inc., the world's largest heavy equipment manufacturer, grew rapidly in the 20th century before a crisis of overproduction in the early 1980s threatened its survival. In response, it launched the $2.8 billion “Plant with a Future” (PWAF) program, a sweeping material and ideological overhaul that remade the firm for the post-Fordist global economy. This article advances three interventions. First, it shows how post-Fordism as a spatial and ideological project emphasized decentralization, accountability, and customer orientation, which helped legitimize and institutionalize corporate restructuring. Second, it demonstrates that flexibilization operated as a spatial strategy, implemented through four interrelated processes: bureaucratic restructuring, …

Student Perceptions Of The Learning Environment In A Hospital School Program, Hannah Buck

Brehm Scholars Research

Most research related to hospital school programs has focused on adult perspectives (e.g., teachers, administrators, parents, and clinical staff) rather than on the perspectives of hospitalized students. This study examined the education-related perspectives of hospitalized K–12 students (N = 10) who had engaged with the C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital School Program in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Participants completed one semi-structured interview and two short surveys. Sessions were audio-recorded, transcribed, in vivo coded, and thematically analyzed. Despite the challenges associated with hospitalization, participants generally reported equal or greater enjoyment of in-hospital schooling compared to non-hospital schooling. Survey responses revealed that higher …

Communication Sciences And Disorders Faculty Perspectives On Collaborating With Students As Instructional Partners, Bryanna Cosman

Brehm Scholars Research

Student-faculty partnerships, such as instructional partnerships, have been shown to benefit both students and faculty members who engage in them. This form of collaboration does not commonly occur at public, comprehensive universities, especially in the field of Communication Sciences and Disorders (CSD). The purpose of this study was to understand the perspectives of CSD faculty on collaborating with students as instructional partners (IP), as there is limited research on it. IPs are students who have successfully taken a class in the recent past, attend the course in a subsequent semester, and meet after each class with the professor to discuss …

Tea And Coffee Intakes, Copd, Adult Asthma, And Lung Function In The Uk Biobank, Nicola P. Bondonno, Pratik Pokharel, Benjamin H. Parmenter, Alysha S. Thompson, Amy Jennings, Kevin Murray, Howraman Meteran, Jonathan Hodgson, Tilman Kühn, Aedín Cassidy

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Introduction: Previous studies suggest non-linear associations between tea and coffee intake and respiratory health, with lower risks at low-to-moderate intakes but higher, unexplored risks at high intakes. This study aims to investigate associations between tea and coffee intake and the risk of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and adult-onset asthma. Methods: Among 366 869 participants of the UK Biobank, intakes of tea and coffee were derived from both a food frequency questionnaire and from repeated 24 hour diet assessments. Cross-sectional associations with measures of lung function [forced expiratory volume in 1 second (FEV1), forced vital capacity (FVC), and FEV1/FVC] and …

Bitcoin Halving: How Effective Is It In Driving Cryptocurrency Market Dynamics?, Nyoman Sri Subawa, Caren Angellina Mimaki, I. Made Oka Mahendra, Made Srinitha Millinia Utami

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Bitcoin halving is a quadrennial event that halves mining rewards and is believed to influence cryptocurrency prices and cryptocurrency market dynamics. This study examines the effect of Bitcoin halving on Cryptocurrency Prices, with Government Regulations, Market Sentiment, and Cryptocurrency Performance as mediating variables. A quantitative research approach was employed, gathering original data via survey instruments from 294 participants within the cryptocurrency community in Bali, which were analyzed using PLS-SEM. The findings indicate that Bitcoin halving exerts a favorable and statistically meaningful influence on Government Regulations, Market Sentiment, Cryptocurrency Performance, and Cryptocurrency Prices. Market Sentiment fully mediates the influence of Government …

C2p-M: Critical Connection Protection In Multiplex Graphs, Conggai Li, Wei Ni, Ming Ding, Youyang Qu, Jianjun Chen, Wenjie Zhang, Thierry Rakotoarivelo

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Multiplex graphs represent diverse real-world interactions among entities, where multiple relationship types coexist within the same set of entities. These graphs introduce privacy risks, as data collectors can exploit cross-layer dependencies to infer hidden and sensitive connections. In this work, we propose a C2P-M framework that identifies and protects critical connections while preserving the structural information in multiplex graphs. Unlike conventional methods for single-layer graphs that perturb all edges uniformly, C2P-M selectively protects critical connections, maintaining the analytical usability of the graph. To achieve this, we introduce the multiplex p-cohesion model, which incorporates new score functions that account for both …

Gauging Affective Atmospheres In Language Teacher Education Through Dialogic Queering As Transformative Research, Julian Chen, Maggie Mcalinden

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Inspired by feminist queering and affect theories to disrupt research norms, we drew on our felt experiences to explore the affective atmosphere of language teacher education. In this experimental work, we harnessed affect and queer theories to contest the gendered, classed, and heteronormative atmosphere of language teacher education using a form of post-qualitative inquiry that we named “dialogic queering”. Given our marginalized backgrounds (queer; academic of colour; working-class female academic), dialogic queering creates spaces to explore difficult but genuine thoughts and feelings while challenging norms entrenched in language teacher education. Underpinned by critical empathy, dialogic queering allowed us to decenter …

Real-World Use Of Theophylline In Critically Ill Patients With Sinus Pauses: A Case Series, Muhammad Ali Elahi, Hamza Jalal, William Frick, Bryan D Kraft

2020-Current year OA Pubs

BACKGROUND: A sinus pause is is defined as a delay in sinus node depolarization exceeding 3 s following atrial depolarization. In patients with pauses greater than 5 s accompanied by hemodynamic compromise, the primary treatment is permanent pacemaker (PPM) implantation. However, in the presence of an active infection, alternative strategies such as temporary transvenous pacing or pharmacologic agents may be more appropriate. This report highlights the use of theophylline as a non-invasive therapeutic option in two patients with asymptomatic sinus pauses who had contraindications to PPM placement.

CASES: Patient A was a 74-year-old woman with a history of pulmonary arterial …

"Using Theories" And "Doing Theory": Tool And Action Orientations To Theory At The Interface Of Public Health And Anthropology, Peter Taber, Eileen M Dryden, Jean M Hunleth, Linda S Kahn, Lance Laird, Teresa Winstead, Genevra F Murray

2020-Current year OA Pubs

The use of "theory" is a common concern in public health and anthropology. However, the term can have quite distinct meanings. In this piece, we seek to name and characterize some tendencies in anthropological theorizing that contribute to potential misunderstandings when communicating with non-anthropologist colleagues in public health. In particular, we highlight differences between the use of recognizable, named "theories" that often explicitly frame public health research and interventions, and the open-ended and context-specific work of "doing theory" sometimes referenced in anthropology. Observing the linguistic shifts entailed to refer to theory in each of these cases-"using theories" versus "doing theory"-we …

A Digital Audio Workstation Approach For Matching The Sound Quality Of Speech And Music For Single-Sided Deaf Patients Fit With Cochlear Implants, Stephen R Dennison, Katelyn A Berg, Sarah C Natale, Beatriz De Diego-Lázaro, David Carabias-Galindo, Alberto Acebes-De-Pablo, Joshua S Stohl, Michael F Dorman

2020-Current year OA Pubs

INTRODUCTION: Cochlear implant (CI) patients who are single-sided deaf can match the sound quality of speech presented to their CI ear and speech presented to their normal hearing ear. Previous work using this patient population has generated acoustic approximations of CI sound quality for speech, achieving high similarity ratings through interactive manipulation of sound parameters such as filtering, pitch shifting, and spectral smearing. The present study aimed to extend this approach to music.

METHODS: A digital audio workstation (DAW) methodology was developed for generating sound quality matches to both speech and music in 11 adults with unilateral MED-EL CIs and …

Multi-Institutional Mri-Based Radiomic Pilot Study To Measure The Variations Between Scanner Vendors And Imaging Sessions, Suong Duong, Danny Lee, Carri Glide-Hurst, Bhudatt Paliwal, Jennie Crosby, Michael Boss, Yunfeng Cui, Mi Huang, Heng Li, Khadija Sheikh, Taeho Kim, James Monroe, Jung Hun Oh, Ying Xiao, Jason W Sohn

2020-Current year OA Pubs

BACKGROUND: Multi-institutional clinical trials frequently use MRI imaging for critical decisions and guidance for medical treatments. Collecting and analyzing images produced by various MR vendors and models is quite difficult since image quality can be highly variable. No unifying quality control targeting protocol studies exists to ensure MRI images used in that study are comparable. This project will investigate variations between imaging sessions and between various scanners using radiomic parameters from prototype MRI QA phantom.

PURPOSE: To develop a 3D radiomic phantom for quantifying radiomic feature consistency between MRI scanners across multi-institutions.

METHODS: The prototype phantom consists of five 3D-printed …

Examining Perceptions, Social, And Policy Factors Influencing Hepatitis B Birth-Dose Vaccine Uptake: A Pen-3 Cultural Model Mixed-Methods Study Of Healthcare Workers In Nigeria, Olufunto A Olusanya, Caven Ngoe, Maria Afadapa, Peter Kalulu, Nkiruka Obodoechina, Temitope Ojo, Juliet Iwelunmor, Et Al.

2020-Current year OA Pubs

INTRODUCTION: The timely administration of the birth-dose hepatitis B (HepB-BD) vaccine is recommended by global and national guidelines to effectively prevent perinatal transmission. In high-disease-burden countries, such as Nigeria, the adoption of the HepB-BD vaccine remains limited. Emerging global policy discussions highlight the need to examine healthcare workers' (HCWs') perceptions of pediatric vaccination guidelines, the safety and effectiveness of the HepB-BD vaccine, and how family, social support, and community factors influence vaccine delivery.

METHODS: A convergent mixed-methods study of HCWs was conducted in Nigeria between July and August 2024. Using the PEN-3 Cultural Model as our framework, we concurrently administered …

Assessing The Implementation Of National Sodium Reduction Policies In Nigeria: An Interim Qualitative Evaluation Of Stakeholder Perspectives, Chisom Obiezu-Umeh, Erica L Jamro, Guhan Iyer, Mark D Huffman, Et Al.

2020-Current year OA Pubs

INTRODUCTION: Population-wide dietary sodium reduction is a global priority and a highly cost-effective strategy to lower blood pressure and reduce cardiovascular disease risk. In response, the Nigerian government launched the National Multi-sectoral Action Plan (NMSAP) in 2019, recommending evidence-based policy actions including limiting sodium in processed foods, restricting food advertising especially for children, promoting public awareness, integrating nutrition education in schools, and front-of-package labeling. We conducted a qualitative study to examine progress, barriers, and facilitators in implementing these policy actions 3 years post-launch.

METHODS: Between March and September 2024, we conducted 47 key informant interviews and 5 focus group discussions …

Is Science Still An Old Boys’ Network? A Structural Approach For Assessing Patterns Of Gender Heterophily In A Large Research Network, Jessica Thein, Karen Skinner, Sara Malone, Mia T. Vogel, Bobbi J. Carothers, Todd B. Combs, Douglas A. Luke

2020-Current year OA Pubs

No abstract provided.

Effects Of Anti-Parkinsonian Medication On Gait During Internal And External Rhythmic Auditory Cueing In Pd, Sidney T Baudendistel, Lauren E Tueth, Ryan P Duncan, Allison M Haussler, Liza Birov, Gammon M Earhart

2020-Current year OA Pubs

INTRODUCTION: External and internal auditory cueing strategies improve gait function, including velocity and stride length, in people with Parkinson disease (PD). Further, internal cueing can reduce gait variability, a measure associated with falls. In the present study, we asked whether the efficacy of external and internal rhythmic cues depends on dopaminergic status, i.e., OFF vs. ON medication. This question is relevant to the real-world use of cueing, as dopaminergic medication responsiveness fluctuates for individuals. We measured gait while participants with PD walked with an external cue (music playing aloud) and with an internal cue (mentally singing) in both OFF and …

Hierarchical Bayesian Regression For Experimental Psychology: A Case Study Of Cognitive Control, Thomas A Dudey, Joshua J Jackson, Shelly R Cooper, Todd S Braver

2020-Current year OA Pubs

Arising from the so-called 'replication crisis' in the experimental psychology literature, there has been a growing call to reassess whether specific analytic practices might enhance the accuracy and precision of reported findings. This issue is explored here, through a case study examination of two previously collected datasets from the Dual Mechanisms of Cognitive Control (DMCC) task battery. This case study highlights the unique advantages afforded by Hierarchical Bayesian Regression (HBR) models as a potentially more rigorous analytic approach to statistical inference. In the DMCC datasets, two sets of HBR models are presented, with the estimates of the former used as …

Resolving Heterogeneity In Lymph Node Stromal Cells Using High-Dimensional Analysis Of Non-Optimized Flow Cytometry Data, Mikala E Heon, Eduardo Rosa-Molinar

2020-Current year OA Pubs

Lymph Node Stromal Cells (LNSCs) are a diverse population of cells responsible for maintaining the lymph node environment and regulating the immune response. Given these roles, they have the potential to help replicate lymph node functions