Digital Commons Network^™

Assessing Reproducibility Of Brain-Behavior Associations Using Bootstrap Aggregation Methods, Zhetao Chen

Arts & Sciences Graduate Student Theses and Dissertations

在本论文中，随着越来越多地利用静息态功能连接 MRI (rs-fcMRI) 将神经活动与病理状况联系起来，我们面临着对此类数据可靠性的普遍担忧。我们的探索集中于提高人类连接组计划（HCP）数据集框架内大脑行为关联的可重复性。我们采用两种不同的引导聚合方法来研究功能连接可靠性的增强：使用循环块引导（CBB）的单独时间序列装袋和使用线性支持向量回归（LSVR）模型的主题级装袋。我们对 CBB 个体时间序列 bagging 的调查表明，这种方法并不能显着增强大脑行为关联的可重复性。这一发现指出了实现可靠的功能连接措施的复杂性以及某些聚合方法在克服这一挑战方面的局限性。相比之下，我们的学科水平考试 通过 LSVR 模型装袋呈现出更有希望的结果。这种方法显着增强了分析之间模型权重的可靠性，证明了其在提高数据稳健性和可重复性方面的功效。两种方法的这种不同影响强调了适当的分析策略在提高神经影像数据可靠性方面的关键作用。通过描述这两种方法的结果，本论文有助于对神经影像领域的数据可靠性进行更广泛的讨论。它强调了在不同数据集上持续进行方法创新和验证的必要性，以提高 rs-fcMRI 研究的可靠性和可解释性。

Breaking The Silence: An Inside Look Of The Experiences Of Music Therapists Working With Children Who Have Selective Mutism, Elaine Chen

Theses & Dissertations

Selective Mutism is a complex childhood anxiety disorder characterized by a consistent difficulty to speak in specific social situations, despite being able to speak in other settings. While existing literature has highlighted the efficacy of music therapy as a promising intervention for children with Selective Mutism, there remains a need to explore the experiences of music therapists working with this population. This interpretative phenomenological study aims to explore the experiences of music therapists working with children diagnosed with Selective Mutism. Two board-certified music therapists, selected for their extensive experience in treating children with Selective Mutism, were recruited through social media …

Mending Trust In Ai: Trust Repair Policy Interventions For Large Language Models In Visual Data Journalism, Hangxiao Zhu

McKelvey School of Engineering Graduate Student Theses & Dissertations

Trust in Large Language Models (LLMs) emerged as a pivotal concern. This is because, despite the transformative potential of LLMs in enhancing the interpretability and interactivity of complex datasets, the opacity of these models and instances of inaccuracies or biases have led to a significant trust deficit among end-users. Moreover, there is a tendency for people to personify AI tools that utilize these LLMs, attributing abilities and sensibilities that they do not truly possess. This thesis exploits this personification and proposes a comprehensive framework of trust repair policies tailored to address the challenges inherent in LLM annotations within data journalism …

Characteristics Based Factor Models - Comparison Of Estimation Procedures, Henri Ohl

McKelvey School of Engineering Graduate Student Theses & Dissertations

Understanding cross-sectional and time series variation of asset returns is fundamental in finance, particularly in asset pricing. This thesis explores the integration of factor theory with machine learning to deepen our comprehension of these dynamics. Characteristics based factor models offer a systematic framework for quantifying an asset's underlying risk-return structure, leveraging time-varying conditional information on model parameters carried by firm-specific characteristics. These models serve as valuable tools for discerning the driving components of an asset's expected excess return. Recent research established a novel methodology for consistent parameter estimation within this framework, only requiring a large cross-section but not a long …

Data-Driven Insights Into Spatial Patterns And Disease Etiologies Of White Matter Hyperintensities, Sugandha Roy

McKelvey School of Engineering Graduate Student Theses & Dissertations

In this thesis, we have applied Orthogonal Projective Non-Negative Matrix Factorization (opNMF) to identify spatial patterns of white matter hyperintensities (WMH) within UK Biobank's imaging data. Our selection criteria excluded subjects with a history of neurological, mental, and specific cerebrovascular conditions, allowing us to focus on WMH patterns in a healthy aging population. We have interrogated the association of location-specific WMHs with a variety of demographic, clinical, and genetic factors. Our multivariable regression analysis evaluates the strength and nature of the associations between these factors and WMH distribution. The analysis integrates variables such as age, sex, smoking habits, medication usage …

Thermal Physiology Of Sceloporus Olivaceus And Sceloporus Variabilis In South Texas, Ian Rockel

Masters Theses (Archived)

This study explores the thermal physiology of two sympatric lizard species, Sceloporus olivaceus (Texas spiny lizard) and Sceloporus variabilis (rose-bellied lizard), in South Texas. I document the metabolic rate and its temperature sensitivity, thermal limits, and performance at different temperatures to better understand the impact of rising temperatures and urbanization on these ectotherms, whose body temperature and, consequently, metabolic rate, activity level, and reproductive success depend on their thermal environment. We hypothesize that S. olivaceus will exhibit greater thermal resilience owing to its broader latitudinal range, variable habitat usage within Texas, and presumed more versatile thermoregulatory strategies. Scelorporus olivaceus's higher …

Agent-Based Modeling And Air Sampling Methods For Studying Aerosol Transmission, Lyndsy Stacy

Masters Theses (Archived)

No abstract provided.

Mosquito Species Composition And Host Choice At Two Zoological Parks In Texas, Ashley Aguilar

Masters Theses (Archived)

No abstract provided.

Echo: The 2.5d Bridge Between The 2d And 3d Virtual Reality Space, Emilie Nicole Hopkinson

Dartmouth College Master’s Theses

In response to the expanding prevalence of virtual reality (VR) technology, there arises a necessity for beginner-friendly tools tailored towards individuals with little to no experience in creating art for VR, especially 2D artists. Echo serves as a user-friendly solution that enables primarily 2D artists with little to no experience in 3D editing and VR development to create 2.5D art by providing a simple 3D web editor and to share their VR artwork with a 6-digit share code. By facilitating these functions, Echo is a potential bridge for 2D artists to create art in the VR realm. This study assesses …

America's Next Top Ej Model: Assessing The Role Of Food Access In Environmental Justice Models, Allyson Barry

Department of Environmental Studies: Undergraduate Student Theses

Disruptions to weather patterns and ecosystems due to climate change are a global challenge. However, previous research has found that communities of color, traditionally underprivileged communities, and socioeconomically disadvantaged communities are disproportionately burdened with adverse health outcomes, higher propensities of exposure to weather disasters and pollution, and well-being inequalities. The field of environmental justice (EJ) seeks to eliminate such disparities through environmental laws, regulations, and policies. Published in 2022, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) formulated the Environmental Justice Index (EJI) as a data tool to identify communities …

Sub-Stage Climatic Shifts During Mis 11 Refined From Diatom Assemblage Reconstruction In The Valles Caldera, New Mexico, Savannah Cutler

Earth and Planetary Sciences ETDs

Diatom assemblage reconstruction from the Valles Caldera sediment core (VC-3) was utilized to infer climatic and aquatic changes during a 50-thousand-year [ka] period in the Mid-Pleistocene (435-385 ka). This 50 ka interval spans most of Marine Isotope Stage 11 (MIS 11) – one of the most prominent interglacials of the past 500 ka – and is widely considered an analog for the Holocene and future climate regimes. Nearly all records from MIS 11 are either marine or ice-core based, making VC-3 unique among lacustrine sediment records as it captures insolation variations and climatic changes during the mid-Pleistocene. Analysis of the …

Analysis And Computation Of Constrained Sparse Coding On Emerging Non-Von Neumann Devices, Kyle Henke

Mathematics & Statistics ETDs

This dissertation seeks to understand how different formulations of the neurally inspired Locally Competitive Algorithm (LCA) represent and solve optimization problems. By studying these networks mathematically through the lens of dynamical and gradient systems, the goal is to discern how neural computations converge and link this knowledge to theoretical neuroscience and artificial intelligence (AI). Both classical computers and advanced emerging hardware are employed in this study. The contributions of this work include:

1. Theoretical Work: A comprehensive convergence analysis for networks using both generic Rectified Linear Unit (ReLU) and Rectified Sigmoid activation functions. Exploration of techniques to address the binary …

Accord: Constraint-Driven Mediation Of Multi-User Conflicts In Cloud Services, Abhiroop Tippavajjula, Primal Pappachan, Anna Squicciarini, Jose Such

Computer Science Faculty Publications and Presentations

When multiple users adopt collaborative cloud services like Google Drive to work on a shared resource, incorrect or missing permis- sions may cause conflicting or inconsistent access or use privileges. These issues (or conflicts) compromise resources confidentiality, integrity, or availability leading to a lack of trust in cloud services. An example conflict is when a user with editor permissions changes the permissions on a shared resource without consent from the orig- inal resource owner. In this demonstration, we introduce ACCORD, a web application built on top of Google Drive able to detect and resolve multi-user conflicts. ACCORD employs a simulator …

A Framework For Building Strong School Culture: A Case Study On The Transformative Impacts Of Ethics Education On High School Students, Peter Cohen

Senior Honors Papers / Undergraduate Theses

Recent education reforms to boost school accountability have overlooked the importance of school culture and have prioritized standardized academic achievement. The literature has highlighted the ways in which school culture can improve academic and behavioral outcomes for students, however, very little attention has been paid to the role of moral development in building strong school culture. The literature often neglects iterations of moral development other than character education, such as ethics education, as effective strategies for supporting students and their school environments. In an effort to fill these gaps, this thesis utilizes an auto ethnographic case study to analyze the …

Making Sense Of Learning In Vr, Jason M. Webb

Dissertations - ALL

The goal of this qualitative study was to answer the question: How do educators make sense of learning in virtual reality? This study utilized multimedia learning theory and cognitive load theory to explore how educators understand virtual reality in education. Pre- and postinterviews as well as a VR experience were conducted with 13 educators from higher education institutions. The data was transcribed, coded, and developed into themes that created the data chapters. The findings from this research study revealed that educators identified two themes for extended reality in education. First, the design of virtual reality experiences for students was an …

Brand Market Factor And User Experience Enhanced Charging Space Design For Electric Vehicle, Hao Lu

Theses - ALL

With electric vehicles gradually replacing traditional petrol vehicles in the global market, charging stations usually provide a variety of different charging scenarios and modes to meet the needs of users in different usage scenarios. How to help brands establish standardized charging spaces in the US and China based on local user needs is a problem that needs to be solved. First, the article explores brand market (B-market) factors and user experience factors in EV charging spaces through a literature review. Second, the thesis took China and the United States, which have an advanced position in the global EV market, as …

Frightened Birds: An Exploration Of Insecurity And Its Artistic Expression, Chenyu Wang

Theses - ALL

This thesis aims to examine the root causes of human insecurity and to explore how to live with insecurity, both theoretically and visually. The nature of insecurity is further explored by analyzing it in a philosophical sense and making an analogy with Albert Camus’ understanding of “absurdity.” As a universal feeling, insecurity has enormous potential to be explored as an artistic topic. Creating and thinking from this feeling can trigger the audience’s emotional resonance and inspire more thinking in response. Insecurity is about meaning, about human longing and expectation, about the absurdity that one cannot escape. By analyzing insecurity, one …

Love Or Control? Analyzing Emotional Expression Within East Asian Family Through Artworks, Wenyi Qian

Theses - ALL

The author's own spirited and unconventional childhood defied societal norms, challenging conventional expectations for a young girl. In the name of love, their parents endeavored to guide them towards a more reserved and compliant path. Drawing from these personal experiences, this research aims to unravel the intricate fabric of emotional expression within East Asian families and its profound impact on familial relationships and individual psychological well-being through the lens of artistic works. These themes of love and control frequently surface in the creations of East Asian artists, providing a unique perspective to deepen our understanding of the complex emotional dynamics …

Burning Calories, Burning Ocean: Metabolic Rate In Bivalves As A Predictor Of Extinction Selectivity Through Time And During Rapid Global Warming, Siddharth Gavirneni

Theses - ALL

Organismal metabolic rate is linked to environmental temperature and oxygen consumption, and as such, may be a useful predictor of extinction risk during major climate- driven crises. However, metabolic attributes can be quantified in many ways, highlighting differing aspects of organisms’ ecology. Here, we estimate resting whole-body and mass-specific metabolic rates in post-Carboniferous bivalve taxa using body size and seawater paleotemperature to assess how metabolic rate determines survival both during and outside of intervals of rapid climate warming, or ‘hyperthermals’. Accounting for the effects of geographic range size, we find a pattern of preferential extinction of bivalves with lower total …

Stochastic Algorithms For Simulating Protein Assembly In Biological Cells, Advait Shukla

Theses - ALL

Understanding membrane protein assembly using computational methods is critical in developing drug delivery strategies for tight junction diseases such as Alzheimer’s and Crohn’s diseases. While experimental methods, such as freeze-fracture micrographs, provide microscopic details of the protein strand networks, they cannot offer molecular-level information, which is necessary for drug design. This work attempts to close the gap by computationally predicting strand networks of the claudin family of proteins that form tight junctions across neighboring cells in epithelial and endothelial tissues. Using claudin dimer data collected by the Protein AssociatioN Energy Landscape (PANEL) method coupled with some Markovian approximations, we built …

Development And Application Of Photoresponsive Small Molecule Probes To Modulate And Characterize Neuroreceptors, Spencer Kim

Dissertations - ALL

The field of neuroscience is rapidly evolving and so the development of novel tools that support innovative research is urgently needed. Two tools that have proven to be particularly impactful to the field of neuroscience are activity-based protein profiling (ABPP) and optogenetics, both of which have seen widespread application but with relatively limited advancement of the underlying technology. Limitations of ABPP and optogenetics have become increasingly apparent and research output is stalling due to lack of technological advancement. For example, few systems exist for targeting low-abundance and unstable proteins via ABPP and application of ABPP and optogenetic systems thus far …

Path Planning And Cyber-Physical System Integration In Unmanned Aerial Vehicles For Wireless Communication, Mohamad Hani Sulieman

Dissertations - ALL

Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) have become indispensable in a variety of fields, including surveillance, emergency response, packet delivery, and data collection for the Internet of Things (IoT). These systems are also critical in enhancing connectivity within cellular networks. This dissertation focuses on improving UAV operational efficiency and security by advancing trajectory optimization techniques, enhancing trajectory design through antenna radiation patterns, and increasing resilience against cyber-physical attacks, particularly GPS sensor faults. The first part of the study addresses UAV trajectory optimization in wireless communications, highlighting the significance of trajectory planning in improving the efficiency and reliability of UAV operations. Effective trajectory …

Development And Progress Towards Functional Photoresponsive Systems, Jasmine Gomez

Dissertations - ALL

Chapter 2: Surface Functionalization of Thermally-Expandable Microspheres with Gold Nanoparticles The advancement of methods for controlling motion on a variety of scales is significant in order to develop finely tuned next-generation devices. Here, we’ve created a micron-scale actuator system triggered via photothermal activation and capable of powering macro-scale movement in an elastomer matrix. This system fundamentally relies on thermally-expandable microspheres (TEMs) – a core-shell complex containing a polymeric shell and liquid core that expands dramatically upon heating. To improve the ability of TEMs as soft-actuators controlled via light, we grafted a secondary silicate-silane copolymer shell to attach gold nanoparticles. The …

A Molecular Toolbox To Study Dopamine And Serotonin Receptors For The Development Of Improved Therapeutics, Emma Joanna Doukmak

Dissertations - ALL

Dopaminergic and serotonergic signaling pathways are involved in numerous biological processes including behavior, mood regulation, and cognition. Dysfunction in these pathways can lead to neurological and mental health disorders, which are often treated with drugs targeting the dopamine and serotonin receptors. However, many of these drugs, along with those targeting other G protein couple receptors (GPCRs), suffer a lack of target specificity, leading to nonspecific binding and therefore side effects. In recent years, new advances in chemical biological techniques, including affinity-based protein profiling (ABPP) and optogenetics, have further elucidated the structure and function of GPCRs, which can in turn aid …

A Comparative Analysis Of Deaf Entrepreneurs In China And The United States, Wei Wu

Undergraduate University Honors Capstones

This paper compares the challenges that Deaf business people face in the US and China. The goal is to understand the experience of Deaf people in each country and to see what each country can learn from the other. To understand the experience of Deaf people in these countries, I will first look at the history of disability in each country and the challenges Deaf people face with gaining employment or becoming entrepreneurs. Then, I compare the cultural attitudes of each country towards Deaf people and the policy frameworks each country uses to create opportunities for Deaf people. Finally, this …

Development And Application Of Small-Molecule Probes Targeting Ghrelin O-Acyltransferase, Jacob Moose

Dissertations - ALL

Ghrelin is a 28-amino acid peptide hormone that has wide-ranging physiological effects, including on metabolism, adipogenesis, insulin regulation, and addiction. Ghrelin offers an intriguing option for treatment of pathophysiologies related to these effects, as it requires a unique post-translational octanoyl modification to bind and activate its cognate receptor, growth hormone secretagogue 1a (GHSR). The enzyme responsible for this modification, ghrelin O-acyltransferase (GOAT) therefore offers the ability to modulate ghrelin signaling through inhibition of the maturation pathway. Due to a lack of structural or mechanistic information about GOAT, pharmaceutical development of molecules capable of GOAT inhibition has been desired, but few …

Supporting Science Identity Development With Course-Based Interventions: Strategies To Improve Undergraduate Student Persistence In Stem, Mariah Maxwell

Dissertations - ALL

Science identity can be described as the part of oneself that relates to science, and is made up of four components: competence, performance, recognition, and interest. Science identity is important because students who have a strong science identity tend to persist longer in STEM majors and are more likely to attain a scientific career post-graduation than students with a weak science identity. Despite its importance for undergraduate persistence and career attainment, many students struggle to identify as a scientist, especially those who belong to groups that have historically been underserved in STEM. Therefore, exploring the ability of course-based interventions to …

Recovery Of Cyber Manufacturing Systems From False Data Injection Attacks On Sensors By Reinforcement Learning, Romesh Prasad

Dissertations - ALL

Cyber-manufacturing systems (CMS) represent the future design vision for manufacturing systems, aiming to enhance product quality, and productivity, and reduce downtime. The third industrial revolution was driven by computer systems and automation, while the fourth industrial revolution was inspired by the internet, network, and connectivity. However, this integration also introduces vulnerabilities, particularly through false data injection attacks on sensors. Sensors play a pivotal role in the automation framework of manufacturing systems spanning five levels: process, operational, supervisory, plant, and enterprise. Sensors are instrumental in communicating information from the process level to the enterprise level. It also enables controllers at the …

Robust Fault Location In Power Systems Transmission Lines Based On Traveling Waves Using Multiple Wavelet Types In An Ensemble Model, Mirjavad Hashemi Gavgani

Dissertations - ALL

Fault location plays a vital role in the operation of power systems. It is the key to fast clearance of the faults and minimizing the duration and costs of power outages. Power networks manifest a complex behavior due to their intricate topological connections, phase asymmetry, and time-varying loads. Traveling Wave (TW) analysis provides an accurate estimate of fault location on the power system transmission lines. In this project, we explore the main concepts and steps of implementing traveling waves for fault location and different methodologies for extracting and analyzing the traveling waves using different wavelets. Then, we present an ensemble …

Enhancing Teacher Training In Rural Ghana Using The Internet Backpack, Jane Appiah-Okyere

Dissertations - ALL

This study investigated the interplay of digital capacity building (skills) and infrastructure (Internet access) in shaping teaching and learning practices in a rural community. Educators in rural areas, especially in developing nations, face difficulties in accessing digital resources and Internet connectivity, which hinder the integration of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) skills into their teaching and learning practices. As an intervention to enhance the digital skills of rural teachers, an Internet Backpack was deployed as the sole Internet connectivity tool during targeted andragogical (an adult leaning framework) teacher professional development (TPD) workshops in Essuekyir, Ghana. The workshops aimed to improve …