Digital Commons Network^™

The Gender And Race Intersectional Disproportionality-Tool (Grid-T): An Exploration Of Practitioners’ Access To And Use Of High-Quality Data For Special Education Placement, Audrey J. Ford

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Disproportionality in special education (SPED) is upheld by systems and individuals, policies, and practices that both reflect and shape the local communities within which it exists. Even with many proposed solutions for disproportionality, it persists. This two-manuscript dissertation explores two characteristics that make disproportionality difficult to solve (e.g., inconsistent findings and persistence) and proposes a tool to inform data-based decision making in interventions for disproportionality in SPED.

Manuscript One (M1) includes a literature review and development of the Gender and Race Intersectionality Disproportionality- Tool (GRID-T). Based on the findings of the literature review about inconsistence and persistence, I crafted three …

Manufacturer’S Product Line Selling Strategy And Add-On Policy In Product Sharing, Yu Zhang, Min Huang, Lin Tian, Gangshu (George) Cai, Delong Jin, Zhiping Fan

Information Systems and Analytics

During the sharing boom, product lines and add-ons are significant for manufacturers who have established sharing platforms to provide sharing and rental services. In this paper, we consider a manufacturer that provides two products of different quality in the rental channel (i.e., the B2C sharing platform) and the sales channel. We investigate the manufacturer’s product-line selling strategies: either the manufacturer sells low-quality products and rents high-quality products (i.e., the LH product line), or the manufacturer sells high-quality products and rents low-quality products (i.e., the HL product line). We also examine whether to offer the add-on for rental products. The results …

Resource Provisioning For Data-Intensive User-Facing Applications, Huiyang Li

Computer Science and Engineering Dissertations - Archive

Data-intensive, User-facing Services (DUSes) such as web searching, digital marketing, online social networking, and online retailing are critical workloads in clouds and datacenters. Meeting stringent query tail-latency Service Level Objectives (SLO) for DUS queries is essential for optimal user experience and business success. However, achieving these objectives is challenging due to the scale-out nature of DUese workloads and the varying resource demands of queries with different fanouts. Additionally, the design and configuration options for clusters significantly impact query performance. In this dissertation, we present solutions of DUSes performance online and offline optimization. We highlight the importance of reducing query tail …

Optimal Sizing And Safe Management Of Lithium-Ion Batteries In High Voltage Power Systems, Hayden Lee Atchison

Electrical Engineering Dissertations - Archive

Lithium-ion batteries have gained widespread use in various applications, but safety challenges persist due to errors in assembly and faulty electronics management. Ensuring safety and reliable operation in large batteries containing numerous series/parallel cells demand innovative monitoring technologies. Elevated temperatures resulting from normal or abnormal operation are a major cause of battery failure, necessitating effective temperature monitoring techniques. Similarly, abnormal stress/strain signatures offer valuable diagnostic information. In the study discussed here, the application of a Optical Distributed Sensor Interrogator (ODiSI) employing high-definition fiber optic sensors (HD-FOS) for measuring surface temperature and case deformation of 18650 cells under normal and abnormal …

Deep Learning For Molecular Property Prediction, Hehuan Ma

Computer Science and Engineering Dissertations - Archive

Drug discovery has always been a crucial task for society, and molecular property prediction is one of the fundamental problem. It is responsible for identifying the target properties or severe side-effects, so that certain molecules can be selected as the candidates of drugs. Traditional methods usually conduct a series of biochemical experiments to test the molecular properties, which may take up to decades. Nowadays, this process can be facilitated due to the rapid growth of deep learning methods. I present my work toward solving this critical problem by utilizing deep learning techniques. My research study can be summarized in three …

Hardware In The Loop Test Stand For Battery Management System Validation In Shipboard Controls, Cole Dawson Tschritter

Electrical Engineering Dissertations - Archive

ABSTRACT: Traditionally, large-scale power systems have relied on power generation always exceeding the total load demand. Though this is most often the case, there are rare occurrences where failures in the generation, distribution, or even planning, that have led to situations where load demand quickly surpasses the generation capacity. In such cases, uncontrolled shedding of loads occurs, leading to brownouts or blackouts that can have catastrophic impact to both people and property. Advanced architectures, such as microgrids, offer a variety of improvements that are aimed at mitigating or even preventing these failures. Improvements include distributed power generation, active source and …

High Magnification Surface Topography Based Digital Image Correlation (Dic) For Identifying Damage Accumulation And Crack Growth In Polycrystalline Nickel, Arash Valiollahi

Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Dissertations - Archive

Damage index parameters that have been formulated to identify damage localization in plastically deformed materials typically require all six stress or strain components. Recently, simulations through Crystal Plasticity Finite Element Method (CPFEM) have been widely used to extract damage initiation parameters. However, these models are rarely verified due to the challenges in measuring the out-of-plane deformation/strain experimentally. A damage index combining the effective plastic strain and surface roughness change is investigated for identifying damage accumulation sites and predicting crack propagation path in polycrystalline pure Nickel. A novel Digital Image Correlation (DIC) technique is developed to measure both in-plane and out-of-plane …

Investigation Of Thermal Performance Enhancement And Thermo-Mechanical Assessment Of Ite Using Single-Phase Immersion Cooling Technology, Pratik Bansode

Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Dissertations - Archive

The use of air-cooling as a thermal management technique in data centers has consistently maintained its importance, however its efficacy is limited to CPUs with lower power requirements. The expenses and energy use related to the air circulation process for high-power density racks are deemed excessively costly. The limits of air cooling have aroused concerns owing to its low specific heat capacity and poor thermal conductivity, which result in reduced effectiveness. Consequently, a substantial discourse has emerged about alternate and effective cooling methods that provide supplementary advantages, such as the recuperation of waste heat. In light of the limitations associated …

Optimal Aggressive Constrained Trajectory Synthesis And Control For Multi-Copters, Tsung-Liang Liu

Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Dissertations - Archive

Multi-copters have become increasingly popular in recent years due to their availability, mobility, agility, and flexibility. They serve as excellent platforms for control experiments and various applications. Their characteristics also make them an attractive choice for high-speed aerial navigation in complex environments. Numerous studies have been conducted on aggressive trajectory generation and maneuver tracking. However, the level of aggressiveness achievable depends on the optimality of the trajectory plan and the dynamic capabilities of the vehicle. It would be valuable if one can generate a trajectory that fully utilizes the dynamic capabilities of the multi-copter while accommodating specific maneuvers at predetermined …

Enhancing Experiential Learning Through Virtual Reality: A Case Study In System Design And Hazard Analysis, Rafia Rahman Rafa

Industrial, Manufacturing, and Systems Theses - Archive

ABSTRACT: The recent advancement of additive manufacturing (AM) technologies leads to an extensive need for an industrial workforce. Training in AM requires expensive capital investment to install and maintain this technology and proper knowledge about potential safety hazards. Experiential, immersive training platforms like Virtual Reality (VR) can overcome this challenge by providing opportunities for effective learning in a safe and controlled environment. VR can teach students through active participation and immersive, hands-on experiences, which is especially important for manufacturing processes involving high-risk conditions. VR can expose students to manufacturing hazards and allow them to learn through trial and error without …

Analyzing The Thermomechanical Performance Of Tg400g Material Substrate Core Under Immersion Cooling, Venkateswar Vishnu Tirupati Venkatachal

Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Theses - Archive

The relentless surge in demand for seamless information exchange through consumer electronics, driven by the indispensable role of the Internet, has given rise to an unprecedented need for data centres. Yet, the energy consumption of conventional data centres, where a significant one-third of energy usage is attributed solely to cooling, has triggered an urgent quest for energy-efficient solutions. Immersion cooling technology appears as a promising contender due to its exceptional prowess in managing thermal energy. However, its potential impact on the reliability of IT equipment needs a more profound exploration before widespread adoption can be realized. This study embarks on …

Quantification And Identification Of Neuro-Electrophysiological Markers And Brain Network For Biomedical Applications, Shu Kang

Bioengineering Dissertations - Archive

Electroencephalogram (EEG) can detect and monitor neuro-electrophysiological signals in the human brain, including assessing brain function in newborns at risk of neurological injury and healthy adults undergoing intervention with prefrontal transcranial photobiomodulation (tPBM). Moreover, EEG-based brain functional connectivity can be assessed in either resting-state or task-based measurements using graph-theoretical network modeling. However, the management of newborns with mild hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy (HIE) is controversial, and no study has investigated the EEG-based brain network and information flow resulting from HIE. Also, the underlying electrophysiological mechanism of tPBM is still unclear, and further research is needed to determine optimal parameters for tPBM …

Comparison Of Condition Prediction Models To Prioritize Sewer Pipe Inspections, Madhuri Arjun

Civil Engineering Dissertations - Archive

Over time, wastewater collection systems deteriorate, necessitating ongoing adjustments and the development of asset management frameworks by utility proprietors to maintain the performance of their assets. Any asset management framework should emphasize the importance of asset inspection and condition assessment for system-efficient operation and maintenance. In the United States, closed-circuit television (CCTV) is the most common method for inspecting the interior of sewer pipelines. This procedure is expensive and time-consuming due to a city's extensive inventory of pipes. Due to the immense quantity of these pipes, every municipality can only inspect some sections of sanitary sewer pipes promptly. Therefore, the …

Artificial Intelligence-Based Evaluation Of Pipeline Structures Using Multi-Sensor Robots, Mohammad Shaher Moh'd Rababeh

Civil Engineering Dissertations - Archive

ABSTRACT: ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE-BASED EVALUATION OF PIPELINE STRUCTURES USING MULTI-SENSOR ROBOTS Mohammad Shaher Rababeh, Ph.D. The University of Texas at Arlington, August 2023 Supervising Professor: Ali Abolmaali All around the world, pipeline systems are safe, efficient, and cost-effective for transporting liquids such as stormwater and wastewater. However, different defects develop in pipeline structures with aging and use. Leaks and significant failures might create severe danger for the environment, and for humans in urban areas. This deterioration in pipelines happens under the influence of different factors. In general, observing and evaluating pipelines will allow us to understand its behavior under various conditions …

Breaking The Lignin Barrier With Termite Tav5 Treatment Technology (T4): Biopower And Biofuel From Agricultural Waste, Hussain Ali

Civil Engineering Dissertations - Archive

Bioenergy obtained from anaerobic digestion of lignocellulose biomass is one of the promising candidates to help move towards a fossil fuel free future. Agriculture waste has up to 90% lignocellulose content, and the eight leading US crops produce over 500 million tons of residue each year. Unfortunately, lignin is resistant to microbial attack under low oxygen conditions which normally occur in anaerobic digesters, and it often shields lignocellulose components (cellulose and hemicellulose) from decomposition as well. Traditional physical/chemical methods for destroying lignin are typically costly due to energy and chemical requirements and can create toxic intermediates (Rahimi et al., 2020). …

Coastal Home Elevation For Flood Mitigation: Structural Safety And Benefit/Cost Analysis, Cedric Ling

Civil Engineering Dissertations - Archive

construction practice along the Texas Gulf coast under uniform floor live load. The first specimen had four panels with monolithically poured grade beams around each panel, while the second specimen had two panels with monolithically poured grade beams supported by additional steel beams. The second specimen also included carbon fiber reinforced polymer (CFRP) laminate retrofitting under one of the panels. The slabs were supported by concrete block masonry piers with various contact conditions. It was found that the typical contractor-determined elevation layout can withstand the building code-mandated floor live load. Increased column spacing decreased slab load capacity as expected. The …

Assessing The Treatment Efficiency Of Expanded Shale As A Filter Medium In A Bioswale, Ashish Bhurtyal

Civil Engineering Theses - Archive

This thesis presents a laboratory investigation focusing on the use of expanded shale as a filter media in bioswales. Bioswales are known for their effectiveness in improving water quality by removing pollutants such as total suspended solids (TSS) and turbidity. While conventional filter media with rocks, sand, and mulches have been utilized in bioswales to enhance infiltration capacity, the potential of expanded shale as an engineered media has not been thoroughly assessed and documented. The study conducted a series of thirty experiments involving three different flow conditions to mimic typical Best Management Practices (BMP) applications. The primary focus was on …

Analytical And Experimental Of Electromagnetic Wave Propagation Effect On Moisture And Corrosion In An Inhomogeneous Medium, Dafnik Saril Kumar David

Civil Engineering Dissertations - Archive

This dissertation presents electromagnetic wave studies for infrastructure. The research contributes to a comprehensive understanding of electromagnetic wave propagation in moisture and provides insights into corrosion detection and monitoring in reinforced concrete infrastructure. Three major studies are performed to: 1) understand the multiple wave scattering in inhomogeneous moisture medium, 2) validate the experimental reflection through analytical finite difference time domain simulations with experimental measurements, and 3) evaluate the electromagnetic wave responses in the early stage and post stage corrosion experimentally, and 4) develop rapid corrosion monitoring methodology for field applications by employing cutting-edge electromagnetic wave image processing as refer to …

A Novel Regularized Orthonormalized Partial Least Squares Model For Multi-View Learning, Ce Bian

Mathematics Dissertations - Archive

Over the past few years, the size of data dimensions or features has been increasing in various fields of science and engineering, owing to the rapid pace of data collection and the development of more advanced storage methods. However, to handle high-dimensional data, dimensionality reduction is essential before performing classification or regression tasks to eliminate noisy features. There are several numerical methods available for reducing data dimensionality, such as Canonical Correlation Analysis (CCA), Principal Component Analysis (PCA), and Linear Discriminant Analysis (LDA). While these methods offer valuable approaches to data dimensionality reduction, they do come with certain limitations. CCA, for …

An Improved Framework For Estimating Organic Carbon Content Of Mangrove Soils Using Loss-On-Ignition And Coastal Environmental Setting, Joshua L. Breithaupt, Havalend E. Steinmuller, Andre S. Rovai, Kevin M. Engelbert, Joseph M. Smoak, Lisa G. Chambers, Kara R. Radabaugh, Ryan P. Moyer, Amanda Chappel, Derrick R. Vaughn, Thomas S. Bianchi, Robert R. Twilley, Paulo Pagliosa, Miguel Cifuentes-Jara, Danilo Torres

Faculty Publications

The use of loss on ignition (LOI) measurements of soil organic matter (SOM) to estimate soil organic carbon (OC) content is a decades-old practice. While there are limitations and uncertainties to this approach, it continues to be necessary for many coastal wetlands researchers and conservation practitioners without access to an elemental analyzer. Multiple measurement, reporting, and verification (MRV) standards recognize the need (and uncertainty) for using this method. However, no framework exists to explain the substantial differences among equations that relate SOM to OC; consequently, equation selection can be a haphazard process leading to widely divergent and inaccurate estimates. To …

Mastering Enterprise Networks, Mathew J. Heath Van Horn

OER Main

The book starts by providing you with step-by-step instructions to create your own virtual environment on any modest PC or laptop running Windows. After setting up your own learning space, we will walk you through many real-world networking concepts that culminate with you building your own enterprise network. Once you are comfortable with creating computer networks, we will then show you how to attack your own network and then how to defend your network against those attacks.

A Transport Property-Based Assessment Of Triple Ionic-Electronic Conductors As Cathodes For Protonic Ceramic Fuel Cells, Jack Harrison Duffy

All Dissertations

Triple ionic-electronic conductors (TIECs) are a widely studied class of materials for electrodes in ceramic electrochemical devices such as protonic ceramic fuel cells. These ceramics are perovskite-based and exhibit concurrent conductivity of protons, oxide ions, and electrons at elevated temperatures. Despite their numerous references in literature, few studies have systematically probed the fundamental surface- and bulk-level properties of TIECs. In this dissertation, dopant levels are systematically altered in the BaCo_0.4Fe_0.4Zr_0.1Y_0.1O_3-δ-type perovskite TIEC to reveal the effects on structure, transport properties, and durability of each material. The results of this work …

Assessment Of Land And Renewable Energy Resource Potential For Regional Power System Integration With Ml Spatio-Temporal Clustering, Rosemary E. Alden, Claire Halloran, Donovin D. Lewis, Dan M. Ionel

Electrical and Computer Engineering Graduate Research

Toward the planning and development of future electric power systems with extremely large penetration of renewable resources (DERs), detailed assessment of power and energy potential is needed considering both spatial and temporal data per region. Within this paper, a methodology for spatio-temporal DER capacity potential considering land cover types and weather variation are presented using spatio-temporal data. Additionally, an application of empirical orthogonal functions (EOFs) and max-p unsupervised learning techniques is proposed for DER generation to identify zones of similar output power in space and time. A detailed case study for the example region of Kentucky, USA is completed with …

Creators For The Earth: The Academic Library’S Role In Supporting Sustainability Creators And Practitioners Across All Disciplines, Jennifer K. Embree, Neyda V. Gilman

Library Scholarship

The image of a creator often brings to mind individuals that can take an abstract or unique idea and transform it into an impressive, tangible creation. Whether it’s an architect crafting a new building design, an artist painting on canvas, or an interior designer mapping out a new room layout, creators are generally seen as those who can formulate conceptual ideas that are then realized to showcase amazing ingenuity. In the world of higher education, this type of work is often first associated with disciplines like art, design, architecture, and engineering—fields where acts of “making,” “creating,” or “building” are integral …

Subcontracting And Rework Cost Sharing In Engineering-Procurement-Construction Projects, Zhenzhen Chen, Wanshan Zhu, Pascale Crama

Research Collection Lee Kong Chian School Of Business

Infrastructure development projects are overwhelmingly managed through engineering–procurement–construction (EPC) contracts, which allow a project end user to shift all project risks to a contractor. Accordingly, the International Federation of Consulting Engineers recommended a contract template based on a lump-sum contract between the end user and main contractor. However, EPC projects often suffer from quality issues due to moral hazard, which is aggravated by the involvement of subcontractors hired by the main contractor to perform parts of the project. Besides, costly rework is frequently needed to achieve the contractually mandated quality. When the main contractor must share some of the subcontractor’s …

Microgravity Facilities For Cold Atom Experiments, Matthias Raudonis, Albert Roura, Matthias Meister, Christoph Lotz, Ludger Overmeyer, Sven Herrmann, Andreas Gierse, Claus Lämmerzahl, Nicholas P. Bigelow, Maike Lachmann, Baptist Piest, Naceur Gaaloul, Ernst M. Rasel, Christian Schubert, Waldemar Herr, Christian Deppner, Holger Ahlers, Wolfgang Ertmer, Jason R Williams, Nathan Lundblad, Lisa Wörner

All Faculty Scholarship

Microgravity platforms enable cold atom research beyond experiments in typical laboratories by removing restrictions due to the gravitational acceleration or compensation techniques. While research in space allows for undisturbed experimentation, technological readiness, availability and accessibility present challenges for experimental operation. In this work we focus on the main capabilities and unique features of ground-based microgravity facilities for cold atom research. A selection of current and future scientific opportunities and their high demands on the microgravity environment are presented, and some relevant ground-based facilities are discussed and compared. Specifically, we point out the applicable free fall times, repetition rates, stability and …

Equal Access To All: Under Usage Of Adult Day Care Services For Adults With Alzheimer's And Related Dementias In The Hispanic/Latino Community, Jezabel Galvan

Master's Projects and Capstones

The goal for many older adults suffering from Alzheimer's Disease (AD) and related dementias, is to be able to age in the comfort of their own home and with familiar faces. One of the services many older adults suffering from AD and their families opt for to make this possible are Adult Day Care Programs (ADCP). ADCP offer support to caregivers and are a good alternative to long-term care placement. ADCP provides clients with health monitoring by health professionals, as well as socialization opportunities and assistance with activities of daily living (ADLs) (Oliver et. al., 2013). Although ADCP are a …

Mindfulness Training To Reduce Perceived Stress Among Manufacturing Employees: An Evidence-Based Project, Ijeoma Okoro

Doctor of Nursing Practice Projects

Background: Stress, a state of emotional or physical tension, is experienced by individuals for various reasons. The American Psychological Association identifies money, work, and the economy as the most frequently cited sources of stress. Workers in manufacturing settings are particularly susceptible to increased levels of perceived stress due to the demanding nature of their work. To reduce stress levels, some manufacturing companies have begun implementing different interventions, including mindfulness-based stress reduction.

Objectives: The aim of this project was to implement a weekly 30-minute mindfulness training program over six weeks to reduce perceived stress levels among manufacturing employees at a company …

Development And Validation Of Simulation Protocols For Assessing Stresses In A Network Tied Arch With A Posttensioned Tie Girder, Kanchani Lakamalika Kumari Basnayake Mudiyanselage

Dissertations

Posttensioned concrete members; especially the posttensioned tie girders, are critical load resisting elements in network tied arch bridges. The stresses in the structure are influenced by the prestress losses that depend on the posttension force magnitude, time-dependent concrete modulus of elasticity, and concrete creep and shrinkage. The use of performance-based, high-strength, ternary mixes to promote the carbon neutral concrete and the need for executing multiple construction stages challenge the assessment of the state of stress in a completed bridge. The primary objective of this study is the development and validation of simulation protocols for assessing stresses in a network tied …

Simulating Strongly Coupled Many-Body Systems With Quantum Algorithms, Manqoba Qedindaba Hlatshwayo

Dissertations

The complexity of the nuclear many-body problem is a severe obstacle to finding a general and accurate numerical approach needed to simulate medium-mass and heavy nuclei. Even with the advent of exascale classical computing, the impediment of exponential growth of the Hilbert space renders the problem intractable for most classical calculations. In the last few years, quantum algorithms have become an attractive alternative for practitioners because quantum computers are more efficient in simulating quantum physics than classical computers. While a fully fault-tolerant universal quantum computer will not be realized soon, this dissertation explores quantum algorithms for simulating nuclear physics suitable …