Digital Commons Network^™

Generalizing Deep Learning Methods For Particle Tracing Using Transfer Learning, Shubham Gupta

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Particle tracing is a very important method for scientific visualization of vector fields, but it is computationally expensive. Deep learning can be used to speed up particle tracing, but existing deep learning models are domain-specific. In this work, we present a methodology to generalize the use of deep learning for particle tracing using transfer learning. We demonstrate the performance of our approach through a series of experimental studies that address the most common simulation design scenarios: varying time span, Reynolds number, and problem geometry. The results show that our methodology can be effectively used to generalize and accelerate the training …

The Relationship Between Career Choice And Indecision Within The Career And Technical Education Pathway Model, Zak A. Konakis

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The United States is shifting the public education model toward one that favors increasing skill complexity to lead students into future careers. It is uncertain, however, if these changes are benefiting students and having the desired impact on the future workforce. Utilizing the Swiss and German dual apprenticeship and work-based learning model, Utah is attempting to bring more practical and hands-on experiential learning opportunities to students across the state. This study intended to understand if these changes are accomplishing the intended result in students in rural eastern Utah.

Furthermore, the study found that students who engage in early experiential learning …

Big Fish And More Of Them: Salmonid Habitat Availability, Quality, And Use Across Multiple Scales Within A River-Reservoir System, John S. Mclaren V

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Reservoirs and their associated rivers provide water for agricultural and municipal uses, ecological benefits for fish and wildlife, and associated recreational activity. However, in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem climate change and population growth are putting pressure on water quality and supply, potentially damaging the unique and economically important coldwater trout habitat that these systems support. In this study, the author investigates the impact of changing water quality and supply on trout habitat quality, quantity, and selection to assist conservation goals in the Henry’s Fork Watershed in eastern Idaho. The study found that higher availability of cold-water refuge habitat in Island …

Effects Of Soil Amendments On Water Quality And Hydrologic Properties In Low Impact Development Systems, Lily Wetterlin

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Low impact development (LID) systems are practices that use natural elements, such as soils and vegetation, to absorb and filter stormwater to protect water quality and aquatic habitats. Many LID designs use native soils; however, urban soils typically have a limited potential for infiltrating and treating stormwater. Incorporation of soil amendments, such as compost and biochar, into LID soils can improve the physical properties of soil. However, soil amendments may increase or decrease pollutants in the water leaving the site. A comparison of the effects of different types and application rates of amendments on water quality is necessary to determine …

Poly(Ionic Liquid)S For Magnetic, Ionic, And Electrical Stimuli-Responsive Applications, Kayla Ann Foley

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Poly(ionic liquid)s (PILs) are a fascinating subclass of strong polyelectrolytes formed from polymerizable ionic liquids. As a result of their unique properties and counterion exchangeability, PILs can exhibit conformation structure or material property changes in response to external stimuli such as changes in pH/ionic environment, magnetic fields, and electric potentials. In Chapter 1, a comprehensive review of PILs design as well as their stimuli-responsive behavior is provided. Additional motivation for each dissertation chapter is also discussed. In Chapter 2, magnetically responsive PILs (MPILs) are developed from complexing paramagnetic salts with a random PIL copolymer containing a metal-coordinating co-monomer, acrylamide. A …

Chemostratigraphic And Paleoclimatic Studies Of Cloverly Formation, Northern Wyoming, U.S.A, Queen Amarachi Kalu

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The Early – Late Cretaceous transition in Western North America recorded a period of rapid climatic and tectonic change in Earth’s history. Major climate events associated with large igneous province eruptions caused several instances of ocean anoxic events (OAE) and perturbations to the global carbon (C) – cycle. These perturbations to the global C-cycle are observed in the bulk organic C record of both marine and terrestrial deposits and can be used to correlate units across major depositional basins. Major efforts are being made to generate time-constrained palaeontologic and paleoclimate information from the North American Cordilleran foreland basin and C-isotope …

Cultural Competence Among Child Life Professionals, Rachel Burger

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

There is an ever-growing need for individuals to work towards cultural competence, especially when those individuals work in healthcare. As healthcare professionals with backgrounds in child development and who provide emotional and psychological support to diverse pediatric patient populations in a variety of different sectors, child life specialists (CLS) and Certified Child Life Specialists (CCLSs) have an even greater need for understanding cultural competence (Thompson, 2009). The purpose of the current study was to examine the cultural competency levels of CCLSs, the type of cultural competence professional development units (PDUs) they participate in, and their perspectives on cultural competence in …

Integrated And Monolithic Iii-Nitride Devices Grown By Mbe, Rohith Allaparthi

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

III-Nitride (III-N) semiconductors with wide bandgap (WBG) characteristics offer promising advancements for high power density, high voltage, and high-frequency applications, presenting a promising alternative to traditional silicon (Si) technology. However, native substrate material for the majority of WBG semiconductors is still not commercially affordable. Because of its highly mature progression, utilizing standard Si wafers as substrates is a cost-effective alternative. This dissertation explores the development of electronic devices based on III-N thin films, grown monolithically via molecular beam epitaxy (MBE), followed by several processing techniques. Initially, a heterojunction p-n diode is realized, incorporating the growth of single-crystal WBG AlN films …

Risk-Returns Of Forward Contracting Southern Row Crops With Crop Revenue Insurance, Chandan Bhattarai

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This study evaluated the risk and return associated with various levels of forward contracting for southern row crops, specifically corn, soybean, and rice, in conjunction with different coverage levels of the Revenue Protection (RP) crop insurance program and government support plans. Forward contracting is a strategy to manage price risk by transferring ownership of physical grain from a seller to a buyer at a pre-agreed time. RP is a return-based crop insurance program offering coverage levels ranging from 50-85 percent in 5 percent increments, which allows producers to hedge against yield or price risks. Additionally, the study analyzed the effectiveness …

Evaluation Of Biochar Rate And Hemp Cultivar For The Phytoremediation Of Heavy-Metal-Contaminated Soil From The Tar Creek Superfund Site, Dietrich Thurston

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Soil contamination by cadmium (Cd), lead (Pb), and zinc (Zn) at the Tar Creek Superfund site in Northeast Oklahoma remains a threat to the environment and local ecosystem. Phytoremediation by industrial hemp (Cannabis sativa L.) and the use of biochar (BC) have been independently shown to be effective methods to remediate heavy-metal-contaminated soils. The objective of this greenhouse study was to evaluate the effects of industrial hemp cultivar (‘Carmagnola’ and ‘Jinma’), BC rate (0, 2, 5, and 10% by volume), soil contamination level (low, medium, and high), and their interactions on above- and belowground (AG and BG, respectively) plant dry …

Constraining High Temperature Deformation And Metamorphism In The Southern Wet Mountains, Colorado, Usa: Implications For The Regional Extent Of The Picuris Orogeny, Sarah Morse

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The Wet Mountains of Colorado are underlain by exhumed Proterozoic metamorphic rock that lies north of the recently identified 1.46 to 1.40 Ga Picuris orogen in northern New Mexico. The Picuris orogen is inferred to have formed in response to a Mesoproterozoic (ca. 1.49-1.40 Ga) contractional to transpressional event extrapolated to be regional in extent. It has been proposed that the Picuris orogen composes the westernmost tectonic segment of the Pinware-Baraboo-Picuris orogen that formed along an evolving convergent margin that becomes younger from northeast to southwest. This study is focused on the record of high temperature deformation, metamorphism, and plutonism …

Fuse Annual Report 2023, Franklin University Library

FUSE Annual Report

Learn about FUSE's performance during the August, 2022 - July, 2023 Academic Year in the Franklin University Library's annual report.

The Seoul National University Agn Monitoring Project. Iv. Hα Reverberation Mapping Of Six Agns And The Hα Size–Luminosity Relation, Hojin Cho, Jong-Hak Woo, Shu Wang, Donghoon Son, Jaejin Shin, Suvendu Rakshit, Aaron J. Barth, Vardha N. Bennert, Elena Gallo, Edmund Hodges-Kluck, Tommaso Treu, Hyun-Ji Bae, Wanjin Cho, Adi Foord, Jaehyuk Geum, Yashashree Jadhav, Yiseul Jeon, Kyle M. Kabasares, Daeun Kang, Wonseok Kang, Changseok Kim, Donghwa Kim, Minjin Kim, Taewoo Kim, Huynh Anh N. Lee, Matthew A. Malkan, Amit Kumar Mandal, Daeseong Park, Hyun-Il Sung, Vivian U, Peter R. Williams

Physics

The broad-line region (BLR) size–luminosity relation has paramount importance for estimating the mass of black holes in active galactic nuclei (AGNs). Traditionally, the size of the Hβ BLR is often estimated from the optical continuum luminosity at 5100 Å, while the size of the Hα BLR and its correlation with the luminosity is much less constrained. As a part of the Seoul National University AGN Monitoring Project, which provides 6 yr photometric and spectroscopic monitoring data, we present our measurements of the Hα lags of high-luminosity AGNs. Combined with the measurements for 42 AGNs from the literature, …

Flow Dynamics In Cardiovascular Devices: A Comprehensive Review, Venant Niyonkuru, Bosco Jean Ndayishimiye Dr, Anicet Barthélemy Sibomana

Digital Journal of Clinical Medicine

This review explores flow dynamics in cardiovascular devices, focusing on fundamental fluid mechanics principles and normal blood flow patterns. It discusses the role of different structures in maintaining flow dynamics and the importance of stents, heart valves, artificial hearts, and ventricular assist devices in cardiovascular interventions. The review emphasizes the need for optimized designs and further research to enhance knowledge of flow dynamics in cardiovascular devices, advancing the field and improving patient care in cardiovascular interventions.

Lack Of Engagement Of Play-Based Learning In Early Childhood Education, Jessica A. Beuilby

Masters Projects

Research has shown that children in early childhood education classrooms, including those at Ottawa Area Center, are having less time to engage with meaningful play-based learning opportunities. This project explores the factors hindering the implementation of play-based learning as well as thought on how to improve the implementation of play-based learning. To effectively address the factors hindering the implementation of play-based learning, administration and teachers must have the adequate knowledge on play-based learning. Two professional development sessions will be used to address the most common factors that hinder implementation. Additionally, it combines elements of evaluation that will be helpful in …

The Negative Effects Of White Teachers Biased Views Towards African American, Alisha M. Brown

Masters Projects

This study explores the possibility that teachers' prejudices against African Americans have an impact on the academic performance of black students. Data show that Black students perform academically lower than any other group of students. This problem needs to be solved in order to guarantee that every student obtains the best education possible. One solution to this issue is to implement culturally responsive teaching in the classroom. Culturally sensitive instruction benefits both the teacher and the student by fostering a sense of community. Additionally, it will increase students' in-class participation. Teachers will learn the fundamentals of eliminating prejudice and becoming …

The Gifted Gap And Advance Placement: A Comparison Of Placement And Advancement Of African American Males Compared To Other Ethnicities In Gifted And Advanced School Programs., Lauren Crusoe

Dissertations (2016-Present)

For decades systemic inequalities in advanced placement courses in education have been a continued driving force to reduce opportunities for African American males compared to other ethnicities. This research provides a statistical analysis of the "Gifted Gap" in school districts within the United States serving an expanding metropolitan region with limited educational opportunities to grow due to gender, racial, and socioeconomic disproportions. The purpose of this quantitative non-experimental study was to investigate the differences between African American male students compared to other ethnic male students, which may pose a "Gifted Gap" due to racial and gender factors in gifted and …

On The Topology Of The Noosphere, Julie A. Yusupova

Journal of Conscious Evolution

As a young child I had a certain set of dreams, the enigma of which remained mysteriously hovering in my memories to this day. In one of these earliest dreams of my life, I am playing hide-and-seek with my friends, but am observing myself from an external third-person perspective, just as all my dreams had regularly been until then. I remember that the next morning, my waking conscious mind had noticed this split between self and observer and judged it unusual, and so in the following night’s dream, I somehow willed my observer self to merge into the body of …

Development And Characterization Of Lead & Lead-Free Perovskite Solar Cell Materials, Rubaiya Murshed

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

In recent years, perovskite photovoltaic technology has offered enormous viability and dimensionality in solar cell research. As a light-harvesting active layer, Perovskite generated remarkable development in device efficiency of 25.7% for the single-junction solar cell, and over 33% for the perovskite/silicon tandem solar cell. Also, perovskite-perovskite tandem solar cell (also called all-perovskite tandem solar cell) shows great potential in device performance and achieved a power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 26.4%. Transitioning photovoltaic technology from the laboratory to commercial products, high PCE, low cost, long lifetime, and low toxicity are some of the critical factors to consider during material selection. Pb-halide …

Development Of A Metapgs For Accurate Prediction Of Osteoporotic Fracture, Xiangxue Xiao

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Introduction: Early identification of individuals at high-risk for osteoporotic fractures who may benefit from preventive intervention is essential. However, the predictive accuracy of the currently used fracture risk assessment tool remains suboptimal. The first aim of this research is to construct genome-wide polygenic scores for the femoral neck (PGS_FNBMD_idpred) and total body BMD (PGS_TBBMD_idpred) and to estimate their potential in identifying individuals with a high risk of osteoporotic fractures. The second aim is to validate the predictive performance of two previously established PGSs (PGS_FNBMD_idpred and PGS_TBBMD_idpred) in an external cohort …

Generative Pre-Trained Transformers (Gpt) And Space Health: A Potential Frontier In Astronaut Health During Exploration Missions, Ethan Waisberg, Joshua Ong, Mouayad Masalkhi, Nasif Zaman, Sharif Amit Kamran, Prithul Sarker, Andrew G Lee, Alireza Tavakkoli

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

In anticipation of space exploration where astronauts are traveling away from Earth, and for longer durations with an increasing communication lag, artificial intelligence (AI) frameworks such as large language learning models (LLMs) that can be trained on Earth can provide real-time answers. This emerging technology may be helpful for acute medical emergencies, particularly in austere and distant space environments. In this manuscript, we provide an overview of generative pre-trained transformer (GPT) technology, a rapidly emerging AI technology, and implications, considerations, and limitations of such technology for space health.

Collaborative Development Of Utah's Outdoor Recreation Strategic Plan: Process And Findings From 14 Regional Workshops, Jordan W. Smith, Jake Powell, Casey Trout, Nate Trauntvein, Rachel Hall, Wayne Freimund

Environment and Society Faculty Publications

Outdoor recreation within Utah is managed and provided through a patchwork of federal and state agencies as well as county and municipal governments. Each of these entities manages outdoor recreation following different mandates and internal objectives. Rarely has there been an opportunity for representatives from federal, state, county, and local governments to sit down, discuss the long-standing and emerging challenges they face, and collectively develop ideas about how to work towards less-disparate and more aligned outdoor recreation management systems. In late 2022 and early 2023, we convened hundreds of land managers, outdoor recreation and tourism professionals, and elected officials across …

Concentration Theorems For Orthonormal Sequences In A Reproducing Kernel Hilbert Space, Travis Alvarez

All Dissertations

Let H be a reproducing kernel Hilbert space with reproducing kernel elements {Kx} indexed by a measure space {X,mu}. If H can be embedded in L2(X,mu), then H can be viewed as a framed Hilbert space. We study concentration of orthonormal sequences in such reproducing kernel Hilbert spaces.

Defining different versions of concentration, we find quantitative upper bounds on the number of orthonormal functions that can be classified by such concentrations. Examples are shown to prove sharpness of the bounds. In the cases that we can add "concentrated" orthonormal vectors indefinitely, the growth rate of doing so is shown.

Multiscale Modeling And Gaussian Process Regression For Applications In Composite Materials, Joshua Arp

All Dissertations

An ongoing challenge in advanced materials design is the development of accurate multiscale models that consider uncertainty while establishing a link between knowledge or information about constituent materials to overall composite properties. Successful models can accurately predict composite properties, reducing the high financial and labor costs associated with experimental determination and accelerating material innovation. Whereas early pioneers in micromechanics developed simplistic theoretical models to map these relationships, modern advances in computer technology have enabled detailed simulators capable of accurately predicting complex and multiscale phenomena.

This work advances domain knowledge via two means: firstly, through the development of high-fidelity, physics-based finite …

Trust-Based Runtime Verification Of Autonomous Robotic Systems, Maziar Fooladi Mahani

All Dissertations

 Trust plays a crucial role in enabling effective collaboration and decision-making within human-multi-robot teams. In this context, runtime verification techniques and trust inference models have emerged as valuable tools for assessing and quantifying the trustworthiness of individual robots. This dissertation presents a study on trust-based runtime verification and introduces a Bayesian trust inference model for human-multi-robot teams. Firstly, we discuss the concept of runtime verification, which involves monitoring and analyzing the behavior of robots during their operation. We highlight the importance of trust as a key factor in determining the reliability and credibility of robot actions. By integrating trust metrics …

Algebraic And Integral Closure Of A Polynomial Ring In Its Power Series Ring, Joseph Swanson

All Dissertations

Let R be a domain. We look at the algebraic and integral closure of a polynomial ring, R[x], in its power series ring, R[[x]]. A power series α(x) ∈ R[[x]] is said to be an algebraic power series if there exists F (x, y) ∈ R[x][y] such that F (x, α(x)) = 0, where F (x, y) ̸ = 0. If F (x, y) is monic, then α(x) is said to be an integral power series. We characterize the units of algebraic and integral power series. We show that the only algebraic power series with infinite radii of convergence are …

Zeros Of Modular Forms, Daozhou Zhu

All Dissertations

Let $E_k(z)$ be the normalized Eisenstein series of weight $k$ for the full modular group $\text{SL}(2, \mathbb{Z})$. It is conjectured that all the zeros of the weight $k+\ell$ cusp form $E_k(z)E_\ell(z)-E_{k+\ell}(z)$ in the standard fundamental domain lie on the boundary. Reitzes, Vulakh and Young \cite{Reitzes17} proved that this statement is true for sufficiently large $k$ and $\ell$. Xue and Zhu \cite{Xue} proved the cases when $\ell=4,6,8$ with $k\geq\ell$, all the zeros of $E_k(z)E_\ell(z)-E_{k+\ell}(z)$ lie on the arc $|z|=1$. For all $k\geq\ell\geq10$, we will use the same method as \cite{Reitzes17} to locate these zeros on the arc $|z|=1$, and improve the …

Nonlinear Charge And Spin Currents In Non-Centrosymmetric Electron Systems, Aniruddha Pan

All Dissertations

In this thesis, we discuss the existence of spin and charge currents in systems with broken spin inversion symmetry proportional to the magnitude square of the driving electric and thermal fields. This outcome is predicated on symmetry considerations in the momentum space, whereby the product between the current operator and the out-of-equilibrium distribution function has to be even.

First, we derive the second-order correction to the particle distribution function $\delta f^{(2)}$ in a semi-classical approximation, considering the local change in the equilibrium distribution function caused by external fields. Our approach departs significantly from the previous theory where $\delta f^{(2)}$ is …

Improved Vehicle-Bridge Interaction Modeling And Automation Of Bridge System Identification Techniques, Omar Abuodeh

All Dissertations

The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) recognizes the necessity for cost-effective and practical system identification (SI) techniques within structural health monitoring (SHM) frameworks for asset management applications. Indirect health monitoring (IHM), a promising SHM approach, utilizes accelerometer-equipped vehicles to measure bridge modal properties (e.g., natural frequencies, damping ratios, mode shapes) through bridge vibration data to assess the bridge's condition. However, engineers and researchers often encounter noise from road roughness, environmental factors, and vehicular components in collected vehicle signals. This noise contaminates the vehicle signal with spurious modes corresponding to stochastic frequencies, impacting damage monitoring assessments. Thus, an efficient and reliable SI …

Electron-Transfer Mediated Photo-Switching In Nanoparticles, Liaoran Cao

All Dissertations

Previous publications from our lab demonstrated viable approaches to design a photo-switching nanoparticle with arguably superior brightness and photostability resulting in an improved resolution in localization-based microscopy, as compared to other photo-switching dyes or particles. As a follow-up, this dissertation is focused on two major tasks: first, developing nanoparticles with better photo-switching properties for super-resolution imaging; second, trying to achieve a better physical picture of the mechanisms involved in photo-switching, including polaron dynamics, charge transfer, and energy transfer. A new class of photo-switchable nanoparticles was developed by blending conjugated polymer semiconductor with fullerene-based electron acceptors, and further blending with polystyrene …