Digital Commons Network^™

The Cosmoverse White Paper: Addressing Observational Tensions In Cosmology With Systematics And Fundamental Physics, Eleonora Di Valentino, Jackson Levi Said, Adam Riess, Agnieszka Pollo, Vivian Poulin, Adrià Gómez-Valent, Elena Giusarma, Et Al.

Michigan Tech Publications

The standard model of cosmology has provided a good phenomenological description of a wide range of observations both at astrophysical and cosmological scales for several decades. This concordance model is constructed by a universal cosmological constant and supported by a matter sector described by the standard model of particle physics and a cold dark matter contribution, as well as very early-time inflationary physics, and underpinned by gravitation through general relativity. There have always been open questions about the soundness of the foundations of the standard model. However, recent years have shown that there may also be questions from the observational …

A Theoretical Investigation Of Photo-Induced Deformations And Transitions In Nanoscale Ferroelectrics, Carmel Dansou

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation presents a comprehensive first-principles investigation into the interaction of light with ferroelectric materials, focusing on light-induced structural responses (photostriction) and phase transitions in Ferroelectric superlattices, epitaxially strained BiFeO3 thin films, and twodimensional NbOX2 (X = Cl, Br, I) ferroelectrics. The work aims to provide microscopic insights into how light can control the lattice structure and even the crystallographic phase in these systems, with the broader goal of informing the design of light-responsive functional materials for practical technological applications. The first part explores light-induced effects in PbTiO3/SrTiO3 superlattices with different polarization orientations. Our simulations reveal that photoexcitation modifies the …

The Cannon-Thurston Map For Relatively Hyperbolic Free-By-Cyclic Groups, Kailey Beth Perry

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Let F = H1 ∗ · · · ∗ Hk ∗ Fr be a splitting of a finitely generated free group, H = {H1 , . . . , Hk } a set of subgroups of F , and Φ ∈ Aut(F ) an automorphism such that for any i, Φ([Hi ]) = [Hj ] for some j. Consider the free-by-cyclic group Gϕ = ⟨F, t | t−1 xt = Φ(x)⟩. Suppose Gϕ is strongly hyperbolic relative to H̃ = {H̃1 , . . . , H̃k }, where H̃i = ⟨Hi , t | t−1 xt = Φ(x)⟩. In …

Synthesis Of Pillar[N]Arenes And Bridge-Functionalized Pillar[N]Arenes Via Cyclic And Acyclic Acetals, Babitha Machireddy

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Pillar[n]arenes are macrocyclic compounds consisting of ‘n’ hydroquinone units linked by para-methylene bridges. Since their first report of facile synthesis 17 years ago, pillararenes have attracted significant interest due to their versatile functionality, electron-rich cavity, crystalline nature, and planar chirality. These unique properties have enabled a broad range of practical applications, including small molecule separation, formation of one-dimensional and two-dimensional channels, drug delivery systems, and enhanced emissive and fluorescent properties. The ease of synthesis of pillararenes has been one of the key factors in their widespread adoption and continued exploration in supramolecular chemistry and material science. Despite the efficiency and …

A Security Worth Having: The Pursuit Of Happiness Through Reading Burney, Radcliffe, And Austen, Samantha Meeks

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation explores the works of three female authors of female protagonists in the long 18th century: Frances Burney’s Camilla and Evelina; Anne Radcliffe’s The Mysteries of Udolpho and The Italian; and Jane Austen’s Northanger Abbey, Sense and Sensibility, and Pride and Prejudice. By following the paths to security the female protagonists of these novels fashion, and identifying the elements of Stoicism and related Hellenism and the aspects of cybernetics, this dissertation delves into the choices female protagonists make along the way regarding their security and how such choices lead to agency and self-fashioning for these women. Emotional, economic, and …

From Structure To Specificity: Biophysical Characterization Of Functional Interfaces In Protein Systems, Logan M. Brown

Doctoral Dissertations

Proteins are nature’s dynamic molecular machines, operating across a spectrum from highly ordered scaffolds to intrinsically disordered systems, and executing functions that depend on both precise structures and conformational flexibility. Yet, the mechanistic rules linking sequence, structure, and activity particularly in disordered proteins and specialized functional adaptations remain incompletely understood. This dissertation addresses that gap by integrating structural biology, biophysics, and protein engineering to dissect molecular recognition, stability, and function across three diverse yet thematically connected protein systems. Building on this understanding of protein structure and function, the following four projects apply these concepts to address diverse biological questions, ranging …

Interpolated Factored Green's Function (Ifgf) Method Of Acceleration For Electromagnetic Scattering Off Of A Perfectly Electrically Conducting Surface, Mathew D'Amico

Doctoral Dissertations

Boundary integral equation (BIE) methods are advantageous in scattering problems due to their reduction of the problem's dimensionality as well as their automatic satisfaction of far-field radiation conditions. Specifically, for electromagnetic scattering off of perfectly electrically conducting (PEC) geometries, we are concerned with the magnetic field integral equation (MFIE). Typically, BIE implementation is iterative, with each direct integration requiring $\mathcal{O}(N^2)$ operations for a grid size $N$. For large $N$, this incurs very large computation times. To date, all existing methods that reduce the asymptotic operational complexity of evaluating the MFIE integral to $\mathcal{O}(N\log N)$ rely on use of the Fast …

Investigations Into Prior Knowledge And Self-Efficacy As Predictors Of Exam Performance In General Chemistry, And Student Interactions With Chemistry Textbooks, Gordon Hunter

Doctoral Dissertations

The first chapter addresses the validity and reliability of the Motivated Strategies for Learning Questionnaire (MSLQ) as a tool for chemistry education research. The study shows that the original MSLQ did not meet modern standards of reliability and presents a modified version that better captures self-efficacy in chemistry-specific contexts. The revised instrument shows improved model fit, reinforcing the importance of refining assessment tools for chemistry education research.The effects of prior knowledge and self-efficacy on student performance in a first-semester general chemistry course are investigated in the second chapter. Self-efficacy, defined as a learner's belief in their capability to successfully accomplish …

Psychological Factors Of Acting Talent And Success: You've Got "It", Lorelei Tierney Himlin

Doctoral Dissertations

The goal of an actor is to become invisible, bringing a character to life so convincingly that the audience forgets the actor exists outside the role. Different schools of acting often describe differing methods of portraying characters to this same general effect. To followers of the Meisner school, for example, “acting is behaving truthfully under imaginary circumstances” (Meisner et al., 1987). The “truthful” part involves creating a comprehensive mental model of a character’s imagined personality in order to fully embody that personality and extrapolate it to a situation. Then the actor uses a variety of acting techniques to think and …

Black Hole-Neutron Star Mergers: Numerical Relativity Studies Of Remnant Matter, Gravitational Waveforms, And Automated Simulation Workflows, Tia Kathleen Martineau

Doctoral Dissertations

Black hole–neutron star (BHNS) mergers are key sources for multimessenger astrophysics, offering insight into strong-field gravity and the behavior of matter at supranuclear densities. This dissertation presents three independent contributions to the study of BHNS systems using the Spectral Einstein Code (SpEC). First, a set of simulations spanning a range of mass ratios, black hole spins, and neutron star equations of state is used to map disruption thresholds and quantify remnant disk masses, unbound ejecta, and ejecta composition. These results are compared to predictions from remnant mass model FNH18, to assess its reliability in accurately predicting the resulting remnant masses …

Multi-Level Characterization And Testing Of Fatigue, Fracture And Creep Of The Ultra-High Strength Low-Alloy Steel Fabricated Via Laser Powder Bed Fusion, Nemanja Kljestan

Doctoral Dissertations

This dissertation presents a comprehensive experimental investigation of the mechanical behavior of an high-strength low-alloy (HSLA) steel fabricated via laser powder bed fusion (LPBF). The work focuses on fatigue strength, laser shock peening (LSP) effects, creep behavior, fatigue crack growth and fracture toughness. Fatigue strength was assessed using rotating bending tests, showing superior performance of LPBF specimens compared to as-cast materials due to the dual-variant martensitic microstructures. Laser shock peening enhanced fatigue life by inducing compressive residual stresses, delaying crack initiation and slowing crack propagation. Creep behavior was evaluated for different layer thicknesses, with thinner layers improving secondary creep resistance …

Simulations Of Perpendicular Electron Holes, James Patrick Mcclung

Doctoral Dissertations

Bernstein–Greene–Kruskal modes commonly manifest as electron holes and electrostatic solitary waves in space plasmas. These Debye-scale structures are nonlinear solutions to the steady-state Vlasov–Poisson system. Solutions in one dimension are highly tractable mathematically, observationally, and computationally, and are relatively well-understood. Higher-dimensional, magnetized plasmas are less amenable to study, however. Following a 20-year history of theoretical developments in two-dimensional BGK modes, this thesis presents the first high-resolution 2D and 3D simulations thereof. Stability conditions and phase-space dynamics are discovered and discussed. The simulated modes are ultimately compared to observed electron holes and modern width-amplitude relations. In addition, a significant portion of …

Computational String Theory Using Machine Learning, Giorgi Butbaia

Doctoral Dissertations

Low-energy couplings of certain superstring theories are related to the masses of the particles. One of the most promising superstring theories is $\mathcal{N}=1$ supersymmetric $E_8\times E_8$ heterotic string theory. In a certain embedding of the standard model into $E_8\times E_8$ gauge group of the heterotic string, the particle spectrum consists of $(\mathbf{27})^3$, $(\overline{\mathbf{27}})^3$, $(\mathbf{1})^3$ and $\mathbf{1}\cdot \mathbf{27}\cdot\overline{\mathbf{27}}$ couplings. While the $(\overline{\mathbf{27}})^3$ couplings are quasi-topological, the $(\mathbf{27})^3$ explicitly depend on the Ricci-flat metric on Calabi-Yau.

In this dissertation, we explore recently developed techniques for calculating the normalized Yukawa couplings on various Calabi-Yau manifolds. In Chapter 2, we describe a novel architecture, …

Fine Structure Of Magnetic Reconnection: Impact On Reconnection And Dissipation Rates, Steven Ver Bryck Heuer

Doctoral Dissertations

Magnetic reconnection is a fundamental process in magnetized plasmas where stored magnetic energy is converted to heat and kinetic energy. The objective of this thesis is to examine the role of small-scale structure of the reconnection region and the background plasma conditions on the rate that reconnection converts and dissipates magnetic energy. This is done using in situ data from NASA’s Magnetospheric Multiscale (MMS) mission and particle-in-cell (PIC) simulations of reconnection for different regimes. First, we introduce a new technique for measuring the reconnection rate and demonstrate its accuracy for the simplest regime of reconnection. Next, we show that it …

Resolving The Role Of Wave-Induced Pressure Gradients On The Movement Of Sediments In Nearshore Environments, Melissa Marry

Doctoral Dissertations

Characterizing the hydrodynamic forces responsible for the initiation of sediment motion is fundamental for improved understanding of large-scale sediment transport processes in nearshore environments. Traditional sediment transport models assume incipient sediment motion is only driven by the force applied by bed stress (Bagnold, 1966; Shields, 1936) while more recent work has shown that incipient motion is influenced by the forcing of the horizontal pressure gradient due to surface gravity waves (Foster et al., 2006; Frank et al., 2015; Sleath, 1999). Wave-induced vertical pressure gradients can also destabilize the sediment bed through the process of momentary liquefaction (Florence et al., 2022b; …

Mentors The Hidden Beneficiaries Of Mentoring, Mona Behl, Sarah Clem, Colleen Mouw, Sonya Legg, Erin Hackett, Kristin Burkholder, Kristopher B. Karnauskas, Sarah T. Gille, Lauren A. Freeman, Karan Venayagamoorthy, Jerry L. Miller

Marine Science

The community-based mentorship program MPOWIR (Mentoring Physical Oceanography Women+ to Increase Retention) supports late-stage graduate students and early-career professionals who identify as women or non-binary genders. Its participants engage in mentorship training and professional development, facilitate group mentoring, and draw attention to barriers women and non-binary genders face in physical oceanography. MPOWIR was created to increase the retention of women in physical oceanography in early career stages but has unexpectedly benefited the MPOWIR community beyond graduate students and early career professionals. Senior leaders participating as mentors in MPOWIR report a renewed sense of purpose, new research collaborations, a chance to …

Long-Term Patterns In The Relative Abundance Of Common Snook As A Factor Of Shifting Environmental Conditions In The Florida Coastal Everglades, Jordan A. Massie, Ryan J. Rezek, Rolando O. Santos, W. Ryan James, Natasha M. Viadero, Ross E. Boucek, Jennifer S. Rehage

Marine Science

Objective Environmental variability as a factor of climate change and water management can result in fluctuations in the abundance and distribution of fish populations from year to year, with either negative or positive effects depending on behavioral and physiological requirements and the ability to adapt to changing conditions. Variability in water levels can also influence prey availability, affecting predator abundance in seasonal foraging areas. In this study, our objective was to better understand how environmental variation has affected the relative abundance of Common Snook Centropomus undecimalis in the freshwater/estuarine habitats of Everglades National Park. Methods Electrofishing data over 17 years …

Linking Hydrology, Temperature, And Energetics: Global Change Implications For The Foraging Ecology Of A Generalist Predator, Mack White, W. Ryan James, Justin S. Lesser, Ryan J. Rezek, Jonathan R. Rodemann, Ross E. Boucek, Rolando O. Santos, Jennifer S. Rehage

Marine Science

Objective: The objective of this study was to quantify the effects of temperature, hydrology, and body size on the diet and energy requirements of a generalist predator, Common Snook Centropomus undecimalis (hereafter, “snook”), to gain a better understanding of predator–prey dynamics in the wake of global change. We first ask how temperature, hydrology, and body size influence the occurrence of fish, invertebrates, and empty stomachs in the diet of snook. Next, we model the energetic requirements of snook as a function of body size and temperature. Last, we use predation simulations to test how changes in prey quality, together with …

Biol 635-101: Intro To Comp Neuroscience, Horacio Rotstein

Biology Syllabi

No abstract provided.

Biol 432-101 Introduction To Computational Neuroscience, Horacio Rotstein

Biology Syllabi

No abstract provided.

Chem 336-101: Quantum Chemistry, Farnaz Shakib

Chemistry, Environmental and Forensic Science Syllabi

No abstract provided.

Frsc 359-001: Physical Methods Of Forensics, Kevin Parmelee

Chemistry, Environmental and Forensic Science Syllabi

No abstract provided.

Intellectual Risk-Taking And Emotional Intelligence In Educational Systems: A Comparative Study Of The Usa, Finland, Japan, And Singapore, Peter Hecht

Comparative Civilizations Review

This paper examines how intellectual risk-taking (IRT) and emotional intelligence (EI) are integrated into educational systems in the United States, Finland, Japan, and Singapore, arguing that these factors are essential for fostering creativity, resilience, and academic success. In modern pedagogy, IRT is defined as the willingness of students to engage in challenging academic tasks despite potential failure, thereby promoting innovative problem-solving and critical thinking (Beghetto 210; Dweck 6). Complementarily, EI — an individual’s capacity to recognize, understand, and manage emotions — plays a crucial role in classroom dynamics by enhancing self-regulation and interpersonal relationships (Goleman 43; Mayer et al. 197). …

E-Osce For Nurse Anesthetists: A Practical And Scalable Training Solution, Chih-Ping Yang, Wei-Hsiu Huang

Journal of Medical Education

Background: The Objective Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE) is an essential assessment tool for anesthesia specialist nurses in Taiwan. However, preparing for the OSCE is resource-intensive, requiring significant personnel, time, and financial investment. The COVID-19 pandemic further complicated traditional OSCE arrangements, highlighting the need for remote assessment alternatives. This study evaluates the eff ectiveness of an electronic OSCE (e-OSCE) system as a flexible, cost-effective, and scalable solution for anesthesia nurse training. Methods: This descriptive statistical analysis study involved 50 participants, including 25 certified anesthesia specialist nurses and 25 anesthesia nurse examinees. Participants used a semi-interactive web-based e-OSCE system incorporating self-recorded audio …

The Imperial Gaze: Affective Governance, Hybrid Cartography, And China’S U-Shaped Line, William A. Callahan

Research Collection School of Social Sciences

This article develops ‘the imperial gaze’ concept to explore how maps not only represent the world, but also do things in geopolitics, even provoking mass demonstrations. It examines China’s early-modern and contemporary maps to highlight how they create an imperial gaze that guides Chinese understandings of world order. If your cartographic ‘view of the world’ produces your ideological ‘worldview’, then it is important to see how China’s early-modern maps inform the PRC’s twenty-first-century claims in the South China Sea. The article argues that Chinese cartography does things in geopolitics by mobilising the affective governance of an assemblage of hybrid combinations …

From Release To Adoption: Challenges In Reusing Pre-Trained Ai Models For Downstream Developers, Peerachai Banyongrakkul, Mansooreh Zahedi, Patanamon Thongtanunam, Christoph Treude, Haoyu Gao

Research Collection School Of Computing and Information Systems

Pre-trained models (PTMs) have gained widespread popularity and achieved remarkable success across various fields, driven by their groundbreaking performance and easy accessibility through hosting providers. However, the challenges faced by downstream developers in reusing PTMs in software systems are less explored. To bridge this knowledge gap, we qualitatively created and analyzed a dataset of 840 PTM-related issue reports from 31 OSS GitHub projects. We systematically developed a comprehensive taxonomy of PTM-related challenges that developers face in downstream projects. Our study identifies seven key categories of challenges that downstream developers face in reusing PTMs, such as model usage, model performance, and …

Tetrigidae Of Ethiopia: First Species Delimitation Via Dna Barcoding And Description Of Three New Species †, Tarekegn Fite, Hendrik Devriese, Dustin Kulanek, Josip Skejo, Niko Kasalo, Manaye Misganaw, Tadele Tefera, Jandouwe Villinger, Martin Husemann

All Peer-Reviewed Publications

Tetrigidae is a caeliferan family of Orthoptera constituting a diverse and relatively ancient lineage of small Orthopterans, which has its greatest diversity in tropical and subtropical areas. However, to date, few studies have been conducted on the identification and description of Tetrigidae species in Ethiopia, and even fewer molecular data are available. Hence, we performed the first species delimitation study via DNA barcoding of species belonging to the genera Paratettix, Leptacrydium, Dasyleurotettix, and Morphopoides from Ethiopia. We provide 35 new sequences of the COI gene belonging to six species of these genera. We show that Ethiopian Tetrigidae can be successfully …

Differentiated Learning In An Upper-Level Undergraduate Physics Theory Course, Christina Gurney

Master's Theses and Capstones

‘One-size-fits-all’ education aims to cater to the ‘average’ student, but the ‘average’ student does not exist. Students are individuals, each with a set of needs, abilities, preferences, and interests unique to them. A variety of instructional approaches should thus be used to differentiate students’ learning. This differentiation has been studied mostly for K-12. My study extends this research into an upper-level undergraduate physics theory course. For this phenomenographic pilot study, I interviewed ten students about the differentiated homework assignments in their upper-level undergraduate classical mechanics course at the University of New Hampshire. I performed an issue-focused analysis of the data, …

Sensor-Driven Machine Learning Framework For Rock Climbing Skill Assessment Using Climbing Core Ability And Contact Force Metrics, Blaise Xavier O'Mara

Master's Theses and Capstones

Rock climbers lack tools for skill assessment. Climbers ascend routes, each with varying difficulty (grade); as such, climber skill level is typically described as the highest grade recently climbed. But the subjectivity of rock climbing route difficulty grading presents complications with standardized skill assessment. Measures of climbing core abilities (power, strength, endurance, speed, control, and stability) through non-specific sport exercises and contact forces metrics present more objectivity in climber skill assessment. Presented in this study is a custom force sensor network instrumented in a bouldering route for recording contact force metrics. Twenty-four climbers, split into IRCRA Intermediate and Advanced skill …

Hybrid Physical Education Teaching Process In Colleges: A Performance Evaluation Perspective Using The Single Valued Bipolar Pentapartitioned Neutrosophic Set, Guifang Shen

Neutrosophic Sets and Systems

No abstract provided.