Digital Commons Network^™

Growth And Emergent Functionalities Of Oxide Thin Films Utilizing Interface Engineering, Detian Yang

Department of Physics and Astronomy: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Complex oxide interfaces have offered intriguing novel emergent phenomena and multiple functionalities through interfacial reconstructions of spin, orbital, charge, and lattice degrees of freedom. Interface engineering via manipulating interfacial interaction, defects and multiple interfacial quantum charges and orders constitutes the essential method and technique to achieve desired functionalities in oxide heterostructures. In this thesis, shown are two examples of utilizing interfacial reconstruction and interfacial strain engineering to achieve intrinsic exchange bias and realize epitaxial growth of mixed-valence hexagonal manganite thin films, respectively.

Firstly, we demonstrated intrinsic exchange bias induced by interfacial reconstruction in Ni_xCo_yFe_3-x-yO …

Assessment Of Integrated Nutrient Management Practices On Soil Health And Nitrogen Efficiency In Cropping Systems, María José Oviedo Ventura

Department of Agricultural and Biological Systems Engineering: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Groundwater quality in Nebraska is threatened by non-point source contributions of nitrate-nitrogen, primarily by agricultural systems. Intensive crop and livestock production that neglects the value of manure in crop fertility plans can contribute to soil degradation and natural resource impairment. The purpose of this study is to evaluate opportunities to improve agricultural nutrient management throughout Nebraska by quantifying opportunities for manure distribution, evaluating soil health implications of organic and inorganic soil amendments, and assessing nutrient management practices focused on reducing nitrate leaching in agricultural soils.

This study described in Chapter 2 provides a spatial illustration of nitrogen and phosphorus balances …

Data-Driven Framework For Predicting And Scheduling Household Charging Of Evs, Ahmad Almaghrebi

Durham School of Architectural Engineering and Construction: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

The increasing prevalence of EV charging poses challenges for power grid stability and quality due to high charging load demands. Without effective energy management strategies for EV charging, the simultaneous power demand from numerous EVs can strain the electric grid, impacting power quality and the wholesale electricity market. To address these challenges, this dissertation presents a comprehensive framework comprising five critical tasks: analyzing EV charging behavior, optimizing charging schedules, developing predictive models, analyzing aggregated impacts, and evaluating implications of predicted user behavior on scheduling. By examining EV charging behavior at household and public charging stations, this study aims to understand …

Framework Development For Evaluating The Impacts Of Nursing Home Acoustics On Older Adults, Brian J. Puckett

Durham School of Architectural Engineering and Construction: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Nursing homes are complex, multi-faceted environments which provide necessary medical supervision and housing for older adults in need of long-term care. With cognitive and sensory impairments being common adversities faced throughout the aging process, research is needed to better understand characteristics of the built environment which may contribute to difficulties for nursing home residents. Noise, in particular, has been shown to be problematic for nursing home residents in a variety of ways including disrupting sleep, associating with behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia, and leading to increased readmission to hospitals due to verbal communication misunderstandings. As the older adult population …

Phased Array Sonar Exploration Of 4-Dimensional Variability In Oceanic Flow Structures, Devon Northcott

Link Foundation Ocean Engineering and Instrumentation Fellowship Reports

Vertical transport of heat, momentum, and nutrients in the ocean is often driven by small scale, three dimensional instabilities whose cumulative effect is visible in global climate and global patterns of ocean productivity (Belcher et al. 2012; Dong et al. 2022; Taylor and Ferrari 2011). These features are very difficult to observe with standard oceanographic instrumentation directly; observations typically focus on the larger scale conditions that result in small scale instabilities, or measure the mixing that results (D’Asaro et al. 2011; Thomas et al. 2013). Direct observations of the 3D structure of these instabilities are a missing link in our …

Enabling In-Situ Sampling With Underwater Manipulators By Shore-Side Scientists Using A Shared Autonomy Framework And Virtual Reality, Amy Phung

Link Foundation Ocean Engineering and Instrumentation Fellowship Reports

ROVs equipped with robotic manipulators are important for completing offshore exploration and maintenance tasks requiring dexterity at depth, but impart significant operational costs due to the need for direct teleoperation by offshore crew [1]. This also presents barriers to access due to the infrastructure, training, and physical ability requirements for at-sea oceanographic research. Enabling shore-based participants to observe and control robotic sampling processes can reduce these barriers; however, the conventional direct-teleoperation approach is infeasible for remote operators due to the considerable bandwidth limitations and latency inherent in satellite communication. Thus, some degree of ROV autonomy is required to support remote …

A Virtual Method For Establishing Femoral Stem Position In Total Hip Arthroplasty, Samuel Mattei

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Total hip arthroplasty (THA) is one of the most successful orthopedic surgeries performed, in which the hip joint is reconstructed to improve functionality and decrease pain in the joint. Despite the success of these procedures, femoral stem misalignment remains an area that influences THA success. The relationship between the femoral stem geometry and implanted femoral stem size and orientation is underreported due to limitations in the collection of radiographic data used for clinical pre-operative templating. Furthermore, the influence of anatomic measurements on the direction and size of the femoral stem are not considered due to imaging technique and difficulties associated …

Influence Of Overcooking On Food Digestibility And In Vitro Fermentation, Wensheng Ding

Department of Food Science and Technology: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Areas of char or overcooking commonly appear in foods people consume. It has been reported that overcooked food is harmful to human health. However, little research exists on the effect of overcooking on in vitro protein and starch digestibility and gut microbial fermentation. This study aimed to reveal the connection between overcooking and in vitro protein and starch digestibility and gut microbial fermentation. In vitro protein digestibility of an overcooked ground beef patty was almost half that of a standard cooked sample (27 ± 2% versus 48 ± 6%, respectively; p = 0.02). Whole wheat bread protein digestibility was also …

Drinking Water Quality Management Progress In Ontario, Two Decades After Walkerton, Megan Fuller, Emma Wells, Laith Furatian, Ian Douglas, Kaycie Lane

Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering: Faculty Publications

Following the waterborne disease outbreak in Walkerton, Ontario, the province made significant efforts to implement recommendations of the public inquiry that resulted. As Ontario reformed its drinking water sector, other jurisdictions were advancing risk-based quality management frameworks for drinking water, including the World Health Organization (WHO) through its water safety plan (WSP) framework. Two decades after the Walkerton tragedy, this paper seeks to: (i) evaluate alignment of Ontario’s Drinking Water Quality Management Standard (DWQMS) with the WSP framework (ii) review readily available data for evidence that Ontario’s DWQMS implementation has improved drinking water safety and promoted a preventive approach through …

Effect Of Competitive Adsorption Between Specialty Admixtures And Superplasticizer On Structural Build-Up And Hardened Property Of Mortar Phase Of Ultra-High-Performance Concrete, Le Teng, Jingjie Wei, Kamal Khayat, Joseph J. Assaad

Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

This study aims to enhance structural build-up of ultra-high-performance concrete (UHPC) without influencing the initial flowability, which is critical in repair applications (e.g., use of UHPC in thin bonded overlays for bridge deck rehabilitation). Specialty admixtures, such as a viscosity-modifying admixture (VMA), have been used to enhance the structural build-up at rest. However, the use of specialty admixtures can increase superplasticizer (SP) demand to maintain proper flowability; the synergistic effect of these admixtures on structural build-up is not well understood as the coupled admixture content can reverse the net effect on yield stress, viscosity, and thixotropy. In this study, VMAs …

Development And Characterization Of Coal-Based Thermoplastic Composite Material For Sustainable Construction, Haibin Zhang, Wenyu Liao, Genda Chen, Hongyan Ma

Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

The exploitation of coal and the disposal of waste plastic present significant environmental and economic challenges that require sustainable and profitable solutions. In response, we propose a renewable construction composite material of coal-based thermoplastic composite (CTC) that can be made from low-grade coal and plastic waste. We developed and tested the hot-press fabrication method for this CTC, using coal with a maximum particle size of 4.75 mm and recycled high-density polyethylene (HDPE). The effects of the coal fraction (50–80 wt.%) on compressive properties, thermal properties, microstructure, and ecological and economic efficiencies of the CTC were investigated. Test results revealed that …

The Mediating Role Of Security Anxiety In Internet Threat Avoidance Behavior, Xuan Wang, Yaojie Li, Hanieh Javadi Khasraghi, Cherie Trumbach

Information Systems Faculty Publications

In the prior technology threat avoidance literature, inconsistent results are found in examining the relationships between individuals’ perceived susceptibility, perceived severity, and perceived threat, as well as the intention to avoid security threats. One possible explanation for this paradox is lacking consideration of the role of individuals’ negative emotions while facing threats, which is rarely studied before. Therefore, the current study aims to extend the landscape of technology threat avoidance theory by exploring the role of security anxiety in individuals’ responses to security threats from the Internet. Our results demonstrate that Internet users’ risk aversion is strongly influenced by their …

Efficient And Effective Large-Scale Vaccine Distribution, John A. Muckstadt, Michael G. Klein, Peter L. Jackson, Robert M. Gougelet, Nathaniel Hupert

Faculty Research, Scholarly, and Creative Activity

The goal of pandemic response is to provide the greatest protection, for the most people, in the least amount of time. Short response times minimize both current and future health impacts for evolving pathogens that pose global threats. To achieve this goal, efficient and effective systems are needed for distributing and administering vaccines, a cornerstone of pandemic response. COVID-19 vaccines were developed in record time in the U.S. and abroad, but U.S. data shows that they were not distributed efficiently and effectively once available. In an effort to “put vaccines on every corner”, pharmacies and other small venues were a …

Innovative Methods To Strengthen Internal Kytc Communications, P. Gayle Marks, Jeff Jasper

Kentucky Transportation Center Research Report

Communication is the linchpin of every organization. Poor communication leads to inefficiencies, frustration among staff, and employee disaffection and disengagement. Although some state transportation agencies have adopted comprehensive strategic plans for internal communications, many have taken a more piecemeal approach, with some Offices and units (e.g., incident management) developing their own plans that apply only to their operations. The latter approach is less than ideal because establishing a comprehensive communications plan provides an organizing framework for all communications within an organization and is critical for uniting staff around a shared sense of purpose and equipping them with the tools they …

Facilitated Identification Of Kytc Performance Measures, Candice Wallace, Jon Wilcoxson

Kentucky Transportation Center Research Report

Federal and state government agencies are embracing performance management as a means to (1) justify the use of tax dollars and (2) monitor and report program accomplishments. The Kentucky Transportation Cabinet’s (KYTC) efforts to fold Transportation Performance Management (TPM) into its business processes and workplace culture required training that would educate personnel about TPM’s benefits, objectives, and activities. After reviewing training resources on performance management from FHWA, NHI, AASHTO, and state DOTs, Cabinet leadership concluded that their emphasis on federal requirements was not exactly what KYTC was looking for in a training program. Instead, KYTC wanted a training program that …

Evaluating The Use Of A Near-Miss Reporting Program To Enhance Employee Safety Performance, Gabriel Dadi, Farshid Taherpour, Seth Atkins, Ashtarout Ammar, Jon Wilcoxson

Kentucky Transportation Center Research Report

Using safety incidents and crashes to improve safety performance is an outdated and reactive practice in safety and health programs. One component of a modern approach to safety is a near-miss reporting program. This type of program tracks close calls or near misses that do not result in an incident or crash, but which often can be an early indicator that one may happen. While most construction companies have implemented some methods for reporting near-miss events, many agencies, such as the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet (KYTC), struggle getting employees to report near misses. To fill this gap, potential factors that result …

Friction And Texture Equipment Correlation Study, David Hacker, Kean H. Ashurst Jr., Clark Graves

Kentucky Transportation Center Research Report

The Kentucky Transportation Cabinet’s (KYTC) foremost goal is building and maintaining a safe road network. To accomplish this goal, KYTC needs reliable pavement friction and macrotexture data, both of which influence road performance and safety. KYTC currently measures fiction using a lock-wheel skid tester (AASHTO T 242), however, the agency has not been able to collect data at the network level due to equipment and personnel limitations. In 2020 the Cabinet commissioned a study to collect friction and macrotexture data. Investigators used a sideway-force coefficient routine investigation machine (SCRIM) (AASHTO TP 143) to measure friction. To understand the performance of …

Interactive Computer-Based Simulations As Exploratory Learning Activities., Derek Mcclellan

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Typical college lectures follow a direct instruction framework, where instructors deliver a lecture, followed by an activity. Exploratory learning flips this routine by providing students with an activity prior to instruction. Research suggests that this inversion benefits students’ conceptual understanding and ability to transfer their knowledge. The majority of exploratory learning tasks in the literature are problem-solving activities. The current work investigates the use of computer-based simulations during exploratory learning, and whether manipulating the cognitive load of the activity impacts learning. In Experiment 1, undergraduate students (N=66) were randomly assigned to explore a simulation-based circuit construction activity prior …

“Long Live Ear X-Tacy!”: An Oral History Study Of Rhetorics Of Nostalgia And Place., Aubrie Warner

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study aims to explore rhetorical placemaking through how people understand and construct narratives around places that no longer exist. In doing so, it examines the relationship between nostalgia and place — how rhetorical construction of place is influenced and/or informed by rhetorics of nostalgia, how our experiences influence our sense of place (past and present), and how we create continuity for ourselves in the construction and maintenance of particular narratives. This study contributes to the emerging field of rhetorics of nostalgia and places it in direct conversation with rhetorics of place and unpacks how these two are more connected …

False Memories Are Impacted By Semantic Pairing Of Drm Lists., Ryan Coleman

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

In the DRM paradigm, experience of semantically related words leads to false memories of related words called critical lures. These false memories serve as evidence that the relationship between items in a DRM list contribute to an overall gist or central concept for the experience. The present studies aim to investigate whether the higher-order semantic relationship that exists between different DRM lists can also influence recognition memory. Study 1 compared memory confidence ratings for list items and critical lures to two metrics: “Temporal Contiguity”, how closely in time lists appeared to each other at encoding, and “Semantic Distance”, the semantic …

Biocrude Production From Lignin In Hydrothermal Medium: Effect Of Rapid Heating And Short Residence Time, Kyoko Hirayama

Civil & Environmental Engineering Theses & Dissertations

This study aims to address knowledge gaps in the production of valuable products from waste streams generated during lignocellulosic biofuel production. The primary objective is to develop a process that converts lignin, a byproduct of bioethanol refineries, into a sustainable biolubricant.

The first chapter examines recent advancements in synthesizing biolubricants and investigates their scalability. It explores innovative materials, catalysts, chemical modification approaches, and additives that have emerged in the field. A particular hurdle is the oxidative stability of biolubricants derived from plant oils, which are prone to autooxidation due to their C=C bonds. To overcome this, the study aims to …

Teaching Social Determinants Of Health In Physical Therapist Professional Education Programs: Exploring Curricular Approaches And Examining An Assessment Tool, Emily Jordan Hawkins

Rehabilitation Sciences Theses & Dissertations

There is a growing emphasis and need for physical therapists (PTs) to serve not only as clinicians but also as advocates to pursue health equity. Clinical practice for preventing and rehabilitating injuries and promoting physical activity will not eliminate health disparities resulting from the social determinants of health (SDH). Leaders in the field of physical therapy have charged physical therapist professional education programs to teach future PTs to address SDH, however, as of August 2023, the Standards and Required Elements for Accreditation of Physical Therapist Education Programs does not specifically require curricular content regarding SDH. The purposes of this dissertation …

Machine Learning-Based Seismic Damage Assessment Of Residential Buildings Considering Multiple Earthquake And Structure Uncertainties, Xinzhe Yuan, Liujun Li, Haibin Zhang, Yanping Zhu, Genda Chen, Cihan H. Dagli

Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Wood-frame structures are used in almost 90% of residential buildings in the United States. It is thus imperative to rapidly and accurately assess the damage of wood-frame structures in the wake of an earthquake event. This study aims to develop a machine-learning-based seismic classifier for a portfolio of 6,113 wood-frame structures near the New Madrid Seismic Zone (NMSZ) in which synthesized ground motions are adopted to characterize potential earthquakes. This seismic classifier, based on a multilayer perceptron (MLP), is compared with existing fragility curves developed for the same wood-frame buildings near the NMSZ. This comparative study indicates that the MLP …

Visibility Based Hospital Inpatient Unit Design., Uttam Karki

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Patient fall is one of the adverse events in an inpatient unit of a hospital that can lead to disability and/or mortality. Healthcare literature suggests that increased visibility of patients by unit nurses is essential to improve patient monitoring and, in turn, reduce falls. However, such research has been descriptive in nature and does not provide an understanding of the characteristics of an optimal inpatient unit layout from a visibility-standpoint. This dissertation fills significant voids in this domain and adds much-needed realism to develop insights that hospital decision-makers can use to design their inpatient unit layout. Our first contribution (Chapter …

Epitranscriptomic Regulation In Breast Cancer And Pcb-Induced Liver Disease., Belinda Petri

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Post-transcriptional RNA modifications including N6-methyladenosine (m6A) regulate mRNA stability, splicing, and translation. My research examined m6A in two disease models: breast cancer (BCa) and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). Acquired resistance to endocrine therapies (ET) develops in approximately 20% of BCa patients with estrogen receptor α positive (ER+) tumors following treatment. The mechanisms by which tumor cells evade ET are not completely understood. Using a cell line model, we investigated the role of an m6A reader protein, HNRNPA2B1 (A2B1) that is upregulated in ET-resistant ER+ BCa cells. Stable overexpression of A2B1 in ET-sensitive MCF-7 cells (MCF-7-A2B1), results in ET resistance, …

Measurement Of Conduction, Radiation, And Convection Thermal Energy To Assess Baking Performance In Residential Ovens., Sean Simpson

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Residential ovens are complicated thermal environments capable of delivering convection, conduction, and radiation heat transfer to food. The amount and mode of heat transfer can change based on the design of the oven cavity, cooling systems, and oven cycle algorithms. Studies have shown that the changes in one heat transfer mode can have an impact on the quality of baked goods. The many variables involved make designing residential ovens a time consuming and costly process. The goal of this study is to adapt thermal energy sensing technology to collect energy data from a residential oven and develop correlations to quality …

Non-Western Rendition Of Ambient Rhetoric Of Khajuraho Monuments., Shiva Hari Mainaly

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation develops an ambient rhetoric: a living practice that is more disclosive than communicative, more entangled than intersectional, and more subtle than explicit and evidential. Rather than exploring the symbology, iconography, texture, and artistic integrity of Khajuraho monuments, I claim that Khajuraho monuments aim at convincing visitors with their persuadability and affectability inherent in their material bases, architectural panels, fractal design, allegorical cast, aura of attunement, and the environment in which the monument complex is nestled. Khajuraho groups of monuments in Central India, matchless in their monumentality, dynamic in their adjustment to the shifting socio-politico-cultural landscape in the world, …

Fbg Αc 389 – 402 Modulates Factor Xiii Crosslinking In The Fibrinogen Αc Region., Francis Dean Orlina Ablan

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Fibrinogen (Fbg) is a coagulation protein critical for clot formation. Coagulation Factor XIII (FXIII) is a calcium-dependent transglutaminase that crosslinks reactive glutamines (Q) and lysines (K) between fibrin and other anti-fibrinolytic proteins. In the presence of Ca²⁺, FXIII could be activated non-proteolytically (FXIII-A°), or proteolytically by thrombin (FXIII-A*). Significant increases in clot stability and red blood cell retention are linked to FXIII activity in the fibrinogen αC region (Fbg Aα 221 – 610). This region contains several FXIII-reactive glutamines and lysines, as well as a binding site for FXIII-A* (Fbg αC 389 – 402) that includes a key …

The Relationship Between High School Stem Courses And Students Attending Low-Income Schools' College Major And Career Choices: A Social Cognitive Perspective., Don Bacon

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education has received significant attention in the United States since the Space Race with Russia beginning in the 1950s. Most recently, STEM education has received national attention because of the scarcity of qualified STEM graduates taking on the growing number of STEM jobs in the United States. Additionally, an issue exists within STEM college majors and careers, a lack of Black, Latinx, and female students are pursuing these fields hurting the overall number of STEM college students and career holders and negatively impacts the diversity within STEM fields in the United States. The purpose …

Design And Evaluation Of A Multi-Functional Surgical Device For Microgravity Surgeries., Sienna Shacklette

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.