Digital Commons Network^™

Application Of Deep Learning In Analysis Of Stellar Spectra, Piyush Yayati

Master’s Dissertations

In recent years, the analysis of high-resolution stellar spectra has become increasingly important for estimating key stellar parameters such as effective temperature (Teff ), surface gravity (log g), metallicity ([M/H]), and rotational velocity (v sin i). Traditional methods often rely on manual calibration or spectrum synthesis, which can be time-consuming and error-prone, especially for M dwarfs whose spectra are dense with molecular features. In this study, we investigate the use of convolutional neural networks (CNNs) to automate the estimation of stellar parameters using synthetic and observed data.We adopt a StarNet-like CNN architecture trained on synthetic spectra generated from the PHOENIX-ACES …

Causal Explanations In Deep Learning Systems, Dhruv Vansraj Rathore

Master’s Dissertations

Deep learning models often deliver high predictive accuracy; however, their lack of interpretability can hinder their adoption in critical fields such as healthcare and finance. This thesis explores the concept of Intrinsic Causal Contribution (ICC), a novel method for explaining neural network predictions by quantifying each input feature’s intrinsic causal influence on the output, independent of correlated effects. ICC models the network as a Structural Causal Model and employs Causal Normalizing Flows to handle complex dependencies, with efficient estimation via the Jansen Estimator. Analysis on both synthetic and real data sets provides evidence that ICC produces faithful, interpretable attributions, often …

Universally Consistent Hyperbolic Deep Neural Networks, Sagar Ghosh

Master’s Dissertations

The ubiquitous pertinence of Deep Neural Networks has made it pivotal in modern Computer Science Applications, ranging from Computer Vision to Pattern Recognition and Machine Translation. Although these deep architectures are primarily based on Euclidean Spaces, Hyperbolic Neural Networks (HNN) gained traction in recent times to tackle more complex non-Euclidean data having inherent hierarchical structures. These HNN architectures have shown commendable improvements in test results on tree or graph-like data by exploiting the inherent exponential metric distances of hyperbolic spaces, making them more suitable to embed non-Euclidean data. Although HNNs surpass their conventional Euclidean counterparts by commendable margins, little to …

Linear Systems Over Pura Vida Neutrosophic Algebra, Rayyanu Abdullahi Muhammad, Abdulhadi Aminu

Neutrosophic Systems with Applications

Neutrosophic numbers offers a strong foundation for representing uncertainty, indeterminacy, and imprecision within mathematical systems. Pura Vida Neutrosophic Algebra (PVNA) expands upon max-plus algebra (also known as tropical algebra or path algebra) using neutrosophic numbers. In this study, we propose a novel extension of the Pura Vida Neutrosophic Algebra (PVNA) by formulating and analyzing linear systems within this algebraic context–an area that, to the best of our knowledge, has not been previously examined. Specifically, we introduce the concept of Neutrosophic Max-Plus Linear Systems, develop an algebraic methodology for their representation, and establish the necessary and sufficient conditions for the existence …

Cutting Through The Infodemic Efficiently: News Claims Surveillance And Llm-Based Lightweight Fact Verification, Xuan Zhang

Dissertations and Theses Collection (Open Access)

In the context of the current infodemic, the rapid spread of misinformation poses a severe threat to social stability and public health. Recently, the rise of deep learning technologies has offered the potential for accelerating the development of automated misinformation detection and verification. However, current technological capabilities and computational resources often prove inadequate for the exhaustive scrutiny required, rendering the enhancement of processing efficiency a critical imperative. Given the vast amount of data on the internet, current technology and computational power often fall short in timely and accurate scrutiny of each piece of information, making the improvement of processing efficiency …

Rich Models And Methods For On-Demand Same Day Deliveries, Zhiqin Zhang

Dissertations and Theses Collection (Open Access)

Same-day delivery has brought numerous conveniences to people’s lives, but it has also presented challenges in terms of service management. To effectively optimize on-demand same-day delivery operations within urban logistics, intelligent decision-making strategies capable of adapting to rapidly changing circumstances are essential. Employing effective decisionmaking strategies that account for order allocation, route planning, courier scheduling, and other relevant factors, is pivotal in advancing logistics operations, enhancing efficiency, customer satisfaction, and resource utilization in the context of dynamic same-day delivery problems.

The focus of this thesis revolves around different emerging challenges presented by on-demand same-day delivery problems, with a particular emphasis …

Interactive Generative Modeling: A Pathway For Improved Simulation And Decision Making, Changyu Chen

Dissertations and Theses Collection (Open Access)

This dissertation presents Interactive Generative Modeling (IGM), a unified perspective that integrates interactive paradigm and generative modeling to advance the development of general-purpose intelligent systems. IGM is motivated by the observation that while reinforcement learning (RL) has mastered a wide range of complex simulated tasks, it struggles to generalize in high-dimensional, open-ended tasks. In contrast, generative models excel in such settings due to their expressivity and their ability to serve as powerful priors (e.g., LLMs pretrained on massive corpora). By bridging these two paradigms, IGM offers a promising path forward.

The first direction explored in this dissertation is IGM for …

Resilience In Stem: How Gender-Professional Identity Integration (G-Pii) And Self-Compassion Empower Women To Thrive, Isabelle Chiew

Dissertations and Theses Collection (Open Access)

Fostering resilience is crucial for the retention of women in male-dominated fields such as STEM. This paper investigates the interplay between gender-professional identity integration (G-PII), resilience, and self-compassion through two complementary studies. It is hypothesised that G-PII positively predicts resilience, with higher levels of integration associated with greater resilience. Furthermore, self-compassion is expected to moderate this relationship. Study 1 employs a cross sectional survey design to explore the relationships between G-PII, self-compassion, and resilience, while Study 2 uses an experimental design to assess the causal impact of G-PII on resilience. Study 1 found that G-PII was significantly and positively associated …

Learning And Optimization Under Human-Centric Considerations, Qian Shao

Dissertations and Theses Collection (Open Access)

This dissertation investigates learning and optimization problems shaped by humancentric considerations, such as preferences, demonstrations, behavioral patterns, and resource constraints. As real-world decision-making increasingly involves interaction with human agents, data, and limitations, modeling these factors becomes critical for building practical, adaptive, and robust systems.

The research spans four domains. First, we study preference-aware delivery routing by learning implicit practitioner preferences and incorporating them into a hierarchical route optimization framework. Second, we develop imitation learning methods for cost-constrained settings, enabling agents to mimic expert behavior while respecting safety and resource limitations. Third,we explore early rumor detection in data-limited environments, integrating large …

Carolyn Parker's Electronic Frequencies, Charnell Chasten Long

Faculty Publications

The chapter illustrates what it meant for Carolyn Beatrice Parker (1917–1966) to be a Black woman physicist in the US during the Jim Crow era. Her father, a physician, and her mother, a teacher, shepherded her into Fisk University, an historically Black college. As a physics major she studied infrared spectroscopy with the Black physicist Elmer Imes, graduating with a BS in 1938. She later attended the University of Michigan, obtaining an MA in physics in 1941. But like many Black women, she spent time before and after graduate school teaching in the K–12 system. In 1943, she became a …

A Climatological Analysis Of Drought And Flood In California, Kristen Faith Coston

Masters Theses

This research is investigating the climate states that produce droughts and floods and seeks to explain how a sudden shift from persistent drought to drought-alleviating flood is possible. Objectives include investigating how drought and flood in California are influenced by temperature and climate patterns, whether there are any correlation between climate/ocean indices and the Standardized Precipitation Index (SPI), and whether Atmospheric Rivers (ARS) are influenced by certain atmospheric/oceanic states.

All data is collected for 41 years, between 1983 and 2024. The SPI dataset is obtained by coding to filter for the mean value of all pixels in Sacramento County. Monthly …

Unraveling The Decline: A Phenomenological Narrative Exploration Of Chinese Students' Experiences And Decisions In Selecting U.S. Higher Education, Lorne K. Brandt

Theses and Dissertations from DePaul University

This study examined the declining trend of Chinese student enrollment in U.S. higher education by incorporating recent enrollment data and findings from the 2024 Open Doors Report. The researcher employed a phenomenological narrative inquiry approach and conducted semi-structured interviews to explore the lived experiences of Chinese international students through the lens of the push-pull theoretical framework. The analysis confirmed several well-established push-pull factors, including the influence of exchange programs and parental guidance. One counter theme emerged as most participants described a desire to avoid China’s high-stakes exam system. The study identified six additional themes: flexible admissions, desire for independence, merit-based …

Creating Possibilities: The Ethelind Pope Brown Collection: An Overview Of Who May Have Illustrated America's Oldest Naturalist Paintings, Maksym Dedenko

University Honors Theses

This thesis investigates the Ethelind Pope Brown Collection at the University of South Carolina, a rare assembly of hand-illustrated naturalist artworks depicting an assortment of flora and fauna from the eighteenth century. Despite its artistic and educational value, the creator of the collection remains unidentified. Through close textual and visual analysis, archival research, and comparative stylistic study, this project explores several potential authorship theories while providing background to the necessity of evolving science that facilitated its creation.

Determining Sphincs+ Readiness For Standardization Of Slh-Dsa Signature, Jessica Ancillotti

Theses

As quantum computing advances, public-key cryptographic algorithms risk becoming obsolete, requiring the development and implementation of quantum-resistant alternatives. This thesis evaluates SPHINCS+, a stateless hash-based digital signature scheme recently standardized by NIST under the FIPS 205 standard named Stateless Hash-Based Digital Signature Algorithm (SLH-DSA), which was selected for being a conservative and robust choice due to its reliance solely on well-understood cryptographic primitives. In the context of the growing need for quantum-resistant cryptographic solutions, determining the readiness of SPHINCS+ involves assessing its practical viability across different application domains and evaluating how well it meets today’s and future needs. To achieve …

Heat, Smoke, And Resilience In East Central Spokane: Community Insights On Climate Adaptation, Sarah Bliss Matousek, Amanda Gray, Dante Jester, Brian G. Henning

Climate, Water, and the Environment Research

This report presents findings from a multi-methods research initiative exploring the impacts of climate-related hazards—specifically extreme heat and wildfire smoke—on residents of Spokane’s East Central neighborhood. The project combined a community survey with a World Café-style symposium to gather both quantitative data and lived experiences from local participants. Key themes that emerged include the need for more cooling infrastructure, accessible health education, improved indoor air quality, and stronger neighborhood-level communication and support networks. The report highlights how systemic underinvestment in East Central intersects with climate vulnerability, underscoring the urgency of equitable, community-driven solutions. Recommendations include expanding tree canopy, increasing funding …

Building A Smoke-Resilient Spokane: Guidance From Community Conversations, Anna Reed, Hannah Mckinley, Dante Jester, Brian G. Henning, Tania Busch Isaksen

Climate, Water, and the Environment Research

Wildfire season has grown in length and severity in the western United States due to decades of fire suppression and climate change. This trend is projected to continue, worsening air quality and increasing the risk to public health. In response, the Gonzaga Institute for Climate, Water, and the Environment, in partnership with the University of Washington, hosted the Smoke Ready Spokane Symposium in July 2024 in Spokane, Washington. The event convened community partners across sectors to reflect on past wildfire smoke events and discuss locally-relevant wildfire smoke exposure reduction strategies. Symposium participants engaged in small group discussions using the World …

The Frequency, Type, And Function Of Visual Displays In Upper Elementary Standardized Science Tests, Daibao Guo, Katherine Landau Wright, Lianne Josbacher, Eun Hye Son

Boise State University Publications and Presentations

Limited research has explored the use of visual displays (ViDis) in science tests, making it challenging to know how these tests align with classroom instruction and what skills students need to be successful on these tests. Therefore, the current study aims to describe the use of ViDis in upper elementary grade standardized science tests. We quantified the frequency, types, and functions of ViDis in science tests in 23 states and Washington, DC. Findings show that in the 741 test items examined, 74.5% included ViDis. Tables, diagrams, and images are the most common ViDis. Importantly, 42.1% of the ViDis in the …

A Concise Formalization Of Partial Falsifiability, Water Logic, And Neither Nor Logic With Neutrosophic Logic, Takaaki Fujita, Florentin Smarandache, Victor Christianto

Neutrosophic Sets and Systems

No abstract provided.

Interval Valued Fermatean Neutrosophic For Analysis Risk Management Of Practical Teaching Quality In University Art And Design Programs, Yu Cai

Neutrosophic Sets and Systems

No abstract provided.

Machine Learning Models With Neutrosophic Numbers For Network Anomaly Detection And Security Defense Technology, Hussein S. Al-Khazraji, Ahmed M. Alkhamees, Humam M. Al-Doori, Ahmed A. Metwaly, Mohamed Eassa, Ahmed Abdelhafeez, Ahmed Salama S., Ahmad M. Nagm

Neutrosophic Sets and Systems

No abstract provided.

New Approach On Statistical Convergence Of Triple Sequences In Neutrosophic Normed Spaces, P. Jenifer, M. Jeyaraman

Neutrosophic Sets and Systems

No abstract provided.

Fermatean Neutrosophic Fuzzy Methodology For Teaching Quality Analysis In University Basketball Training, Yongzhi Wang, Ruifang Li, Mingtao Guo

Neutrosophic Sets and Systems

No abstract provided.

Reduction Formulae Of 2-Refined Neutrosophic Integrals And Their Applications, Bishnupada Debnath, Florentin Smarandache

Neutrosophic Sets and Systems

No abstract provided.

Exploring Perspectives On Student Engagement And Learning Outcomes In Online-Offline English Teaching: A Structured Assessment Using Superhypersoft And Psi Methods, Dongqiao Chu

Neutrosophic Sets and Systems

No abstract provided.

Planning Negative Emissions Technologies Portfolios Under Neutrosophic Environment,, John Frederick D. Tapia, Maria Victoria Migo-Sumagang

Neutrosophic Sets and Systems

No abstract provided.

A Comprehensive Approach For Performance Evaluation In Petrochemical Industry: Integrating Sustainable Balanced Scorecard, Dynamic Network Dea, And Dematel In A Neutrosophic Environment, Hasan Abedifar, Bijan Rahmani Parchikolaei, Seyyed Mohammad Hadji Molana, Mahnaz Ahadzadeh Namin

Neutrosophic Sets and Systems

No abstract provided.

Uncertainty-Aware Appraising Of User Interfaces In Human Computer Interactions: Blending Tree Soft Sets And Neutrosophic Computational Methodological, Basma K. Eldrandaly, Mona Mohamed

Neutrosophic Sets and Systems

No abstract provided.

Reciprocal Fraction Function Tools Used For \-Rung Quadripartitioned Neutrosophic Sets, M. Palanikumar, Nasreen Kausar, Dina Said

Neutrosophic Sets and Systems

No abstract provided.

Introduction And Application Of The Neutrosophic Ideal In Gamma-Near-Ring, Amr Elrawy, Florentin Smarandache, Susan F. El-Deken

Neutrosophic Sets and Systems

No abstract provided.

Smart Education In Action: Ai-Based Quality Assessment Of Journalism And Media Teaching Practices Using The Neutrosophic Cosine Similarity Measure, Feifan Wang

Neutrosophic Sets and Systems

No abstract provided.