Digital Commons Network^™

Course Of Disease Progression And Time To Death Among Different Dementia Types In A Population Based Study, Kaitlyn E. Kauzor

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is the most common type of dementia, Other types of dementia include vascular (VaD) and mixed forms, like AD with VaD, other mixed forms of dementia or dementia of unknown etiology (DUE). Research has focused on factors that may increase risk of developing dementia, with less understood about disease course. Factors associated with risk for developing dementia onset include age, female sex, family history of dementia, genetics (e.g. having the ε4 allele of the Apolipoprotein E or APOE gene), and various health conditions. This project used previously collected data from the Cache County Study on Memory and …

Data-Driven Techno-Economic Analysis, Optimization, And Uncertainty Quantification Of Integrated Energy Systems In Deregulated Electricity Markets, Jacob A. Bryan

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

Electricity is a ubiquitous energy source in daily life, powering everything from stovetops and cellphones to vehicles and industrial processes. While wind and solar power have become increasingly common sources of electricity, the majority of electricity is still produced by burning fossil fuels, releasing greenhouse gases and propelling climate change. Wind and solar power cannot economically replace these fossil fuel energy sources on their own because they do not produce consistent power; the wind must be blowing, and the sun must be shining for them to make electricity. Nuclear power is a reliable source of energy that does not generate …

A Mass Balance Model Of The Great Salt Lake, Ut With Adaptive Management Applications, Diana Dunn

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

The Great Salt, Utah, USA is a saline lake that provides critical habitat for ecologic communities and generates $1.3 billion annually. It has gone through detrimental change since the 20^th century. Streamflow reaching the lake has been decreased by upstream withdrawal for industrial and municipal use, causing the lake level to drop and salinity to increase to unhealthy levels. Further, in 1959, it was segregated into north and south sections by a railroad causeway. Due to the causeway and limited exchange of water through two bridges, the lake sections have significantly different water surface elevation and salinity levels. The …

Aggregate And Disaggregate Effects Of The Us-China Trade War On Us Agriculture, Aflatun Kaeser

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

In 2018 and 2019, the US-China trade war caused a significant shift in US agricultural trade dynamics. This thesis conducts an aggregate and disaggregate analysis of the impact, using event study analysis to reveal varying effects on US agricultural exports, with a substantial effect on Soybean and Dairy exports. The analysis also found that there are heterogeneous effects on other agricultural commodities such as fruits, wheat, and tree nuts. Using Bayesian Structural Time Series Modeling, the study finds a 29% decline in soybean exports during the trade war period. These findings underscore the importance of considering the heterogeneity in the …

Metabolic Capabilities Of Latilactobacillus Curvatus And The Potential Use As An Adjunct Culture For Food Safety And Quality Control In Yogurt, R. Chase Wahlstrom

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

In the quest for healthier and more natural food products, using beneficial lactic acid bacteria to preserve food, known as biopreservation, is becoming increasingly important. This research focused on a strain of beneficial bacteria called Latilactobacillus curvatus and its ability to inhibit fungal growth both in lab settings and in a yogurt system. This has the potential to enhance the safety and quality of dairy products.

We studied a specific strain of this bacteria, named WSU-1, found in dairy. Through detailed analysis, we discovered that this strain could produce substances that may help protect food from harmful microbes. In laboratory …

Barriers And Drivers To Bus Electrification: The Transit Agency's Perspective, Aleks C. Paskett

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

Battery-electric buses (BEBs) have become increasingly common in recent years, as transit agencies around the world seek to reduce their carbon emissions. Although many agencies and governments have set ambitious climate goals pushing for increased adoption of BEBs, some agencies face difficulty transitioning their fleets to this technology. This study seeks to understand the challenges faced by these agencies, as well as their motivations for adopting BEBs. Researchers conducted a series of interviewers with twelve transit leaders representing ten transit agencies who were leading BEB adoption programs, asking questions about their experiences trying to implement this technology. The interviewees stated …

Development Of A Multidimensional Index Of Fall Risk For Older Adults: The Cache County Study, Alexandra G. Hammond

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

One out of four adults over the age of 65 are estimated to fall each year in the U.S. alone, with that number expected to rise to 52 million falls per year by the year 2030. Improving accuracy for identification of older adults at a higher risk of falling is increasingly important and may be integral in informing the distribution of limited resources and assist in preventing falls in older adults. This project examined the relationship between previously identified risk factors and fall risk to create multidimensional fall risk indexes for older adults, specific for each sex.

Factors best associated …

Interpretable And Robust Deep Anomaly Detection, He Cheng

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

Anomaly detection is crucial in fields like cybersecurity, healthcare, and finance, as it helps identify unusual or potentially harmful events in data. With the rise of deep learning, advanced models have been developed for anomaly detection, but they often operate as "black boxes" that lack transparency and can be susceptible to malicious attacks. My research addresses these issues by creating methods that make deep learning-based anomaly detection more understandable and by investigating how such models can be compromised by backdoor attacks.

To improve transparency, I propose three methods that explain how these models detect anomalies. The first method, called Anomalous …

Development Of A Subsurface Water Velocity And Quality Measurement Payload For Suas, Mitchell Bailey

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

Aquaculture farms, like oyster farms, often use outdated techniques to measure the quality of their waters. These techniques are often stationary or are deployed by an operator who may struggle to reach a location depending on conditions like the presence of a storm or low tide. This creates data sets with gaps over time and across the area of the farm, meaning the data cannot be used to model the standard farm conditions. An Uncrewed Aerial System (UAS) payload is developed in this paper that is capable of measuring depth-velocity profiles through the use of a tethered velocity sensor. The …

Systematic Review On The Use Of Self-Monitoring Interventions With Adhd/Asd Students In School Settings, Sari Christensen

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

This systematic literature review was done to determine characteristics and descriptive analysis of the use of self-monitoring behavior interventions (SMI) with students in the educational setting who are diagnosed with ASD/ADHD. The objective was to create resources for future practitioners and interventionists to direct future use of SMI in schools and identify areas of study needed. Behavior interventions are often used to support students with disabilities to access their education in a school setting. Individuals diagnosed with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) or Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) are included in this population. A type of behavior using the analysis of …

From Pasture To Plate: Striking An Omega Balance Between Grass-Fed And Grain-Fed Beef Ribeyes - Fatty Acid Composition, Minerals, Soil, And Forage Analysis, Travis Earl Statham

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

Most beef cattle in the US are feedlot-finished where intensive feeding of grains is used to increase weight and yield; however, a minority are raised in grass-fed operations that use exclusive pasture, rangeland, and hay for feeding, possibly leading to benefits for the land, soil, ecosystems, forages, and the meat itself. These operations use a variety of methods, and the goal of this was to recognize differences in the soil and forage metrics to help understand the resulting meat fatty acid composition and mineral content. We collected these samples from 78 sets of farmers while testing 25 sets of grain-fed …

Assessing The Attitudes Of General Education Kindergarten Teachers Making Classroom And Teaching Adaptations For Students With Disabilities, Joseph Graul

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

The transition from preschool to kindergarten can be particularly challenging for children with disabilities in inclusive classrooms (general education classrooms where typically developing children and children with disabilities are taught together) as children face new academic, social, and behavioral expectations. Classroom and teaching adaptations can help these students succeed, making the transition to kindergarten and elementary education smooth and effective. This study looks at how general education kindergarten teachers feel about making various classroom adaptations for children with disabilities and compares current teachers’ views to those of a similar 1999 study conducted by Vaughn et al. which this study replicates. …

Designing Technology-Enriched Learning Environments: The Effects Of An Agent-Based Computer Model On Biology Students' Understanding Of The Covid-19 Pandemic And The Nature Of Models In Science, April Sullivan

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

Science education researchers have called for increased attention to the science practice of modeling to engage students in authentic scientific inquiry. A major challenge to integrating the modeling practice into science instruction is that students tend to conceptualize models as static end-products of research rather than generative tools for theory-building. Engaging students in using computer models, specifically agent-based computer models (ABMs), to explain and predict scientific phenomena could improve students' understanding of models in science. In this design-based research project I investigate the effects of an ABM-supported learning environment on high-school biology students' understanding of the COVID-19 pandemic and the …

A Relaxable Vortex Wake Model For Modern Supersonic Panel Methods, Joshua J. Hurwitz

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

This thesis presents an improved vortex wake model for unstructured, supersonic panel methods. Panel methods are numerical methods that utilize inviscid flow assumptions and other simplifications to allow efficient computation of pressure distributions, velocity fields, and aerodynamic forces. They are commonly used for preliminary design, automatic design codes, and automatic optimization routines. Most existing supersonic panel methods do not include automatic wake generation and relaxation. This prevents the accurate analysis of many geometries, including those with conventional horizontal stabilizers or canards. This thesis first outlines the derivation of a relaxable generalized supersonic vortex filament equation. Next, it explores other necessary …

Feature Selection In Multivariate Time Series Data For Enhanced Solar Flare Classification, Yagnashree Velanki

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

Solar flares are powerful eruptions of energy from the Sun that can cause disruptions to technology here on Earth, like communication systems, GPS, and power grids. To help manage these risks, it’s important to accurately identify and classify these solar flares before they cause problems. In our research, we focused on improving how we classify solar flares by looking at large sets of complex data collected over time. We used several techniques to find the most important factors that help us tell different types of solar flares apart. Each method has its strengths, so instead of relying on just one, …

Assessing Canopy Features, Its Shading Factor, And Their Influence In The Estimation Of Evapotranspiration In Almond Orchards Using Uas Information And The Two-Source Energy Balance Model, Moises R. Duran-Gomez

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

This study explored how canopy biomass and shadows affect evapotranspiration (ET) estimates, a crucial factor for irrigation management in almond orchards in California’s Central Valley. Data from 24 drone flights over three almond plots in 2021 and 2022 were analyzed using the Two-Source Energy Balance (TSEB) model, combined with meteorological data from EC-towers. The study found that filtering out shadows improved ET estimation, particularly in young orchards, and identified the importance of using new Leaf Area Index (LAI) models for better accuracy. This research is part of the T-REX initiative, which integrates drone and ground-based data to enhance water use …

Insights From Diverse Environments: Investigating The Fate And Transport Of Semivolatile Organic Contaminants In Alpine, Arctic, And Arid Regions, Jeffrey Perala-Dewey

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

This dissertation investigates the fate and transport of pollutants through four field-based studies in a diverse array of environments. These pollutants travel through the atmosphere and end up in places far from their original sources. In this work I explore how chemical properties of the pollutants and the environmental processes that are present change the way the pollutants travel through the environment. In the first study, pollutants from car engines were quantified in the vegetation along transects in three alpine valleys. Using these measurements, I investigated how the chemical properties of the pollutants impacted their interplay with wind systems in …

Mathematical And Statistical Methods To Harness Limited Data In Models For Ecological Space Use Under Global Change, Sarah C. Bogen

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

The dynamics of how plants and animals use space in their habitats has important implications for the fields of ecology and conservation. However, understanding and responding to these spatial and temporal dynamics is often limited by data availability, financial resources and biases. As average global temperatures increase, suitable habitats shift poleward and require local populations to move with suitable habitat, adapt to the changing environment, or risk extinction. Capacity to persist without movement may be estimated by considering changes to a combination of habitat characteristics. Capacity to track suitable habitat may be modeled through synthesizing information on species demographic mechanisms …

The Geoarchaeology Of An Early Agricultural Landscape On Clear Creek, Fremont Indian State Park, Utah, Michael D. Bianchini

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

Clear Creek is a major Fremont early agricultural landscape in central Utah. The Fremont culture occupied the northern Colorado Plateau and the eastern Great Basin for approximately 1,000 years between AD 300–1300. This study builds an alluvial chronology that details the local history of alluvial fan development and erosion and examines the geoarchaeological context at Five Finger Ridge, the major occupation site in the valley. Geochronologic dating of sediment deposits, analyses of sediment types, AMS radiocarbon dating, and optically stimulated luminescence dating (OSL) ages has helped identify geomorphic contexts of Fremont agriculture in Clear Creek Canyon. This study focuses on …

Using Luminescence Dating To Investigate Geomorphic And Archaeologic Features At The Wiggins Fork Bison Jump Complex, Northwestern Wyoming, Emma T. Krolczyk

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

The Wiggins Fork Bison Jump Complex, located in northwestern Wyoming, is comprised of thousands of human-placed rock piles, known as cairns, that were placed within lines to form an extensive network of drivelines and funnels leading to cliffs or steep slopes. These archaeological features were used by Native Americans as a bison hunting method, where the animals were driven off cliffs for harvest. This research uses luminescence dating, which determines when sediment was last exposed to sunlight, to date the timing of driveline construction and the deposition ages of the underlying river deposits.

Research focused on Jump #4, which had …

Viking And Native North American Interactions: The Spread Of Disease In The Norse Discovery Of North America, Sarah N. Haughawout

Undergraduate Honors Capstone Projects

This paper evaluates the potential for spread of disease in the Norse and Native North American interactions around 1000 CE. At this time, the Vikings were expanding their territory in search of land and natural resources following the Viking Raids in mainland Europe. They traveled to Iceland, then Greenland, and finally the eastern coast of northern Canada. Norse explorers faced numerous obstacles on their journeys, but they still prospered in North America for a time. The Vikings hunted the land and sea mammals, used the land, and found ways to thrive while having hostile relations and contact with the Native …

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 …

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 …

Implementing The Methodology To Generate Diagnostic And Therapeutic Antibodies, Andrea Mariana Carlin

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

This research aimed to establish the methodology for developing monoclonal antibodies at The University of Texas at El Paso. Monoclonal antibodies are indispensable across multiple fields, including diagnostics, therapeutics, and biotechnology, yet there is a shortage of commercially available antibodies targeting specific proteins or possessing specialized characteristics. To address this gap, three models were selected: a peptide derived from the intracellular protein Schlafen 8 and two cell surface protein receptors: mouse vascular endothelial growth factor receptor 2 (VEGFR2) and human melanocortin receptor 4 (MC4R). These proteins present unique challenges in antibody generation, including issues of accessibility, expression, and specificity.

Throughout …

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 …

Uncovering The Light Network Load Performance Penalty Of The Network Link Outlier Factor (Nlof), Michelle Lara

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

This thesis evaluates the effectiveness of the Network Link Outlier Factor with Most Likely Link (NLOF: MLL) algorithm under varying network load conditions. Repeated simulation experiments using Mininet were conducted for four different network-wide load levels: 100 Mbps, 500 Mbps, 1 Gbps, and 5 Gbps. Using statistical inference, our experimental results indicate that NLOF: MLL is ineffective under light load conditions (i.e., 100Mbps load) due to the limited network flow data available for its learning process. This limitation highlights a key challenge in applying the algorithm to lightly loaded networks. A preliminary algorithm was proposed to address this light-load performance …

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.

Protective And Risk Exposures Of Cancers Disproportionately Affecting Hispanics In A U.S. - Mexico Border Population: A Clinical Informatics Approach, Amir Hernandez

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

BACKGROUND: Cancer is the second leading cause of death in the U.S. with over 8 million new cases between 2016 and 2020. A variety of protective and risk exposures are associated with multiple cancers and disparities and inequalities exist in the health outcomes of minority populations. Hispanic populations in the U.S. and Texas have some of the highest rates of cancer incidence and mortality when compared to other populations. The use of Population and Public Health Informatics approaches to address these issues have shown promise when employed in healthcare institutions METHODS: A case-control study design examined associations between multiple cancers …

Pretrial Release Decision-Making: Understanding The Factors Contributing To Pretrial Release Bond Information, Chelsea Sierra Queen

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

At initial appearance, judges and magistrates must strike a balance between a defendantâ??s likelihood of returning to court and the safety of the community when determining pretrial release bonds, using limited available information in short periods of time. Across two complementary studies, factorsâ??both established by literature and novelâ??are assessed to further understand judicial decision-making in pretrial settings. Study 1 was a secondary data analysis to determine whether established factors considered at release are replicated in El Paso, Texas. Study 2 used observational data to review characteristics specific to defendants and the initial hearing interaction, while similarly analyzing established factors considered …

Intrinsic, Doped And Alloyed Gallium Oxide Films For Optoelectronics, Francelia Sanchez Escobar

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Due to the impressive advancement of present technology and increasing energy consumption, there is increasing demand for energy-efficient multifunctional devices based on low-cost, eco-friendly material systems. Gallium oxide (Ga2O3) is an emerging semiconductor with potential for the next generation of power electronics and optoelectronic devices due to its ultra-wide bandgap of 4.8 eV and high theoretical breakdown voltage of 8 MV/cm among other intrinsic properties. Some of the possible applications of β-Ga2O3 include ultra-violet (UV) solar blind photodetectors, field effect transistors, solar cells, and chemical sensors. However, to utilize its full potential, understanding the mechanistic aspects of thin film growth …