Digital Commons Network^™

Making The Invisible Visible: Cultivating Contexts For Equitable Workloads, Andrea Carlile

Journal of the Association for Communication Administration

Women make up the majority of degree earners and most of those teaching at higher education institutions. Yet, women are not advancing to the highest ranks. How female faculty receive credit for their work may account for the discrepancy in women advancing to the highest ranks. This single-institution case study explored institutional practices and policies as they related to workload satisfaction and rewards for female faculty. Following the framework from the Faculty Workload and Rewards Project, FWRP, the case used the constructs of equity-minded faculty workloads to shape the analysis. Three themes emerged in the analysis: context matters, transparency practices, …

Complete Volume 42

Journal of the Association for Communication Administration

This is the complete Volume 42 of the Journal of the Association for Communication Administration.

Genomic And Functional Characterisation Of Endophytic Bacterium Bacillus Cereus Strain E1 Alleviating Salt Stress And Enhancing Tomato Physiology And Spectral Indices, Balamurugan Sadaiappan, Tanveer Alam Khan, Qurban Ali, Sulamita Santos Correa, Mahideen Afridi, Soumaya Tounsi Hammami, Munawwar Ali Khan, Sunil Mundra

All Works

Mangroves in arid environments represent unique ecological niches that support a diverse range of microorganisms. Endophytic bacteria residing within host plants play a crucial role in promoting plant growth by enhancing pathogen resistance and alleviating environmental stress. Identifying novel stress-tolerant strains, specific to arid environments, is essential for expanding the repertoire of plant growth-promoting bacteria (PGPB). In this study, we investigated the saline tolerance of the endophytic bacterium strain E1, previously isolated from the root of Avicenna marina (grey mangrove). Whole-genome sequence (WGS), phylogenetics and average nucleotide identity (ANI) analysis were performed. The strain exhibited high salinity tolerance, growing in …

Reinforcement Learning Based Intelligent Optimisation For Bin Packing Problems: A Review, Nadia Dahmani, Amril Nazir, Ikbal Taleb, Syed M.Salman Bukhari

All Works

The convergence of Reinforcement Learning (RL) and Bin Packing Problems (BPP) is a critical field of study that has profound ramifications in logistics, manufacturing, computer, and retail industries. This paper thoroughly examines the progression from simple rule-based tactics to advanced Deep Reinforcement Learning (DRL) techniques in solving BPPs. By conducting a thorough review of 231 papers conducted between 2019 and 2024, we address and provide answers to important research inquiries, such as “To what extent has academic research explored the use of RL for BPP during this time frame?” and “Which specific areas of application and methodologies have been predominantly …

Artificial Intelligence In Waste Management Systems: Applications, Challenges, And Prospects, Imane Belyamani

All Works

Despite global recognition of the climate crisis, greenhouse gas emissions are projected to rise by 8.8 % by 2030, primarily due to inadequate planning, poor implementation, and insufficient financial support. While international initiatives such as the ’Waste to Zero’ coalition launched at the 28th Conference of the Parties to the UNFCCC (COP 28) highlight the urgency of advancing decarbonization and the circularity of waste systems, this review focuses on how artificial intelligence (AI) can accelerate that transformation. It systematically explores the role of AI in advancing waste management practices, with a focus on predictive analytics, route optimization, and machine learning-based …

Embedding-Driven Dual-Branch Approach For Accurate Breast Tumor Cellularity Classification, Hossam Magdy Balaha, Ali Mahmoud, Khadiga M. Ali, Mohammed Ghazal, Norah Saleh Alghamdi, Ashraf Khalil, Ayman El-Baz

All Works

This study proposes a dual-branch framework for precise classification of breast tumor cellularity via histopathological images where it integrates two distinct branches: the Embedding Extraction Branch (embedding-driven) and the Vision Classification Branch (vision-based). The Embedding Extraction Branch uses the Virchow2 transformation to generate dense, structured embeddings, whereas the Vision Classification Branch employs Nomic AI Embedded Vision v1.5 to process image patches and produce classification logits. Both branches’ outputs are combined to form the final classification. The framework also suggests Knowledge Block with fully connected layers, batch normalization, and dropout to improve feature extraction and reduce overfitting. The proposed approach reports …

Efficacy Of Zinc Oxide Nanoaciculates As Antagonists Against Meloidogyne Javanica On Phaseolus Abyssinicus, Manar Fawzi Bani Mfarrej, Faheem Ahmad, Amir Khan, Mohd Sajid Ali, Hamad A. Al-Lohedan, Arshad Iqbal, Khalid Umar, Gulam Rabbani, Mohd Farhan Khan

All Works

This work investigates the synthesis of zinc oxide nanoaciculates (ZNA) using the Sol–gel method and their potential as a long-term bio-control agent against Meloidogyne javanica, a root-knot nematode that causes severe damage to Phaseolus abyssinicus. The produced ZNA were evaluated using SEM–EDS, X-ray diffraction (XRD), and UV–Vis spectroscopy to ensure precise evaluation of their nanoscale characteristics. Bio-efficacy assays were carried out at four concentrations (125, 250, 375, and 500 mg/L) to evaluate nematicidal activity on juvenile nematodes (J2) and M. javanica egg masses. The results showed that ZNA had significant toxicity at all doses, with the highest efficacy observed at …

Enhancing Ad/Adrd Management Through Ihelpcare: A Compliant And Culturally Sensitive Ai-Driven Digital Healthcare Platform, Trisha Bhowmick

Master's Theses

The digital healthcare field is expanding fast, and now it requires platforms that use advanced technology and maintain robust data security and compliance practices. In the present paper, we present the main structure, key methods, and compliance strategies of the digital healthcare system iHelpCare, which, while fully meeting the HIPAA/GDPR requirements, provides health services more accessible, efficient, and inclusive. The proposed platform is powered by AI for personalized care solutions, with the main emphasis on preventive health management and providing tools for people with disabilities.

iHelpCare achieves real-time patient monitoring while securing medical data management and easy communication between patients, …

Effects Of Urbanization On The Population Genetics And Morphology Of The White-Footed Mouse (Peromyscus Leucopus) Across An Urban–Rural Gradient, Sydney A. Morton

Master's Theses

Urbanization alters landscapes in ways that can reshape wildlife populations by changing habitat connectivity, resource availability, and selective pressures. To investigate how urbanization influences both genetic differentiation and morphology in small mammals, I examined Peromyscus leucopus (PELE) across an urban–rural gradient in northern Georgia. Using RADseq SNP data from PELE individuals across 13 sites, I quantified pairwise genetic differentiation (F_ST) and tested how various environmental variables, including impervious surface cover, human population density, and tree canopy cover, predict genetic differentiation after accounting for geographic distance. Genetic differentiation increased with geographic distance and, after controlling for isolation by …

Strategic Enhancement Of Biofuel Production Using Bacillus Subtilis As A Model Organism: A Dual Approach Of Gene Essentiality Mapping And Optimization, Angela A. Zebede

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

With rising global demand for renewable energy, enhancing microbial platforms for biofuel production is vital. This study engineered Bacillus subtilis to improve resilience to solvent stress by targeting membrane lipid biosynthesis pathways essential for integrity. Growth curve analysis (OD₆₀₀) showed that phosphatidylserine (PS) and phosphatidylethanolamine (PE) knockout strains grew significantly slower than wild type (168), indicating the importance of these lipids under stress. Laurdan fluorescence spectroscopy was used to assess membrane properties. Generalized polarization (GP) analysis revealed a concentration-dependent reduction in membrane order upon 1%–2% 1-butanol exposure. GP values declined progressively from control to 2% treatment, reflecting increased membrane fluidity …

Perception Of Drinking Water Quality Among Arkansas Residents, Kolade Olawale Olatunde

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Objective: Perceptions of drinking water quality influence public trust, water consumption behaviors, and the willingness to invest in infrastructure improvements. Despite the importance of safe drinking water, regional and socio-economic disparities impact how residents perceive their tap water and their readiness to pay for enhancements. While past research indicates that negative views of tap water quality have resulted in behavioral changes, the connection between perception and actual household water usage remains ambiguous. This study aims to investigate how perceptions of drinking water quality differ across regions in Arkansas and how residents are willing to invest in quality improvements. Method: A …

Series Resonant Converters With Medium Voltage Sic Mosfets For Electric Aircraft Applications, Xinyuan Du

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

To develop high-performance high- power-density MV power converters, the emerging silicon carbide (SiC) devices are more attractive than their silicon (Si) counterparts, since the fast switch frequency brought by the SiC can effectively reduce the volume and weight of the filter components and thus increase the converter power density. From the converter topology perspective, with the MV dc distribution, the single stage isolated dc/dc converter are suitable for next-generation electric aircraft system due to soft switching and high power density. In this work, comprehensive static and dynamic characterizations were conducted for the latest 6.5 kV silicon carbide (SiC) MOSFETs from …

A Thesis On Incentive Structures, Shirking Dynamics, And Market Valuation In Major League Baseball: A Statcast Analysis Of Worker Effort Levels, Charles Jordan

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This thesis examines how guaranteed contract length influences player effort and market valuation in Major League Baseball using high resolution Statcast data across over 1,200 player season observations. Fixed effects regressions on the 2015 to 2024 seasons show directionally consistent but statistically imprecise shirking and final year effort spikes in hard hit rate and sprint speed. Machine learning models (OLS and Random Forest) predict next year Dollars Over League Average (DOL) with out of sample MAE approximately $11.4–11.8 million and approximately 0.23–0.27, with plate appearances, hard hit rate, sprint speed, and contract timing as top predictors. Embedding these findings in …

Discriminative And Generative Video Modeling, Anh Pha Nguyen

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Video modeling stands at the core of modern computer vision, enabling progress in domains such as surveillance, autonomous driving, and instructional assistance. Yet the complexity of spatiotemporal dynamics, multimodal integration, and the need for scalable and generalizable models present significant challenges. This dissertation addresses these issues from three complementary perspectives: discriminative modeling, multimodal (vision + language) alignment, and generative approaches, contributing new methods, datasets, and paradigms for advancing video understanding. In the discriminative setting, we propose a domain-adaptive framework for crowd counting that employs entropy minimization and adversarial learning to improve cross-domain generalization, and introduce a single-stage global association method …

Optimizing Cobb Mx X 500 Broiler Diets Through The Investigation Of Lysine And Energy Synergies, Soybean Processing “Add-Backs” Ingredients, And Soybean Genotype Amino Acid Selection, Savannah Caroline Wells

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation explored strategies to optimize Cobb MX x 500 broiler chicken nutrition by investigating lysine and energy synergies, the utilization of soybean processing by-products (“add-backs”), and soybean genotype selection for enhanced amino acid composition. Three independent but complementary research objectives were pursued to improve feed efficiency, sustainability, and cost-effectiveness in modern broiler production. The first objective assessed the interactive effects of dietary lysine and metabolizable energy (ME) on the performance and carcass traits of Cobb MX × 500 broilers. Using a central composite design, nine dietary treatments were formulated across multiple feeding phases. Results demonstrated that broiler performance responded …

Implementation Of A Three-Port Solar Converter With A Battery Energy Storage System, Maison Christopher Phipps

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The increasing deployment of distributed solar and energy storage systems has created the need for integrated power converters that can efficiently manage photovoltaic (PV) generation, battery energy storage, and grid-tied AC output. This thesis presents the implementation and validation of a 5kW non-isolated Three-Port Converter (TPC) adapted for residential solar applications. The converter consolidates three power stage into a high-frequency, compact architecture: a unidirectional boost converter for PV input, a bidirectional interleaved buck-boost converter for battery energy storage, and a configurable DC/AC inverter for 120Vac single-phase output. The system is controlled using a central controller implemented on a TI C2000™ …

Design And Optimization Of High-Frequency Medium-Voltage Dual Active Bridge Dc/Dc Converter Using Sic Device, Hui Cao

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

High frequency Dual Active Bridge (DAB) converters have become a key enabling technology in medium- and high-power applications such as renewable energy integration, electric vehicle fast charging, and emerging DC power distribution systems. However, when operating at high power and high frequency, DAB converters face critical challenges including limited soft-switching range, uneven semiconductor loss distribution, deadtime-induced resonance, switching-frequency constraints of wide-bandgap (WBG) devices, and transformer DC bias during dynamic transitions. This dissertation addresses these challenges through advancements in modulation strategies and converter architecture. First, an enhanced triple-phase-shift (E-TPS) modulation scheme is proposed to achieve balanced switching and conduction losses across …

Programmable Network Approaches To Resilience And Security In Phasor Measurement Unit Networks, Zhiyao He

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The security and resilience of smart grids are critical for ensuring reliable and stable power delivery. As modern power systems evolve to incorporate more advanced sensing and control capabilities, Phasor Measurement Units (PMUs) have become an important source of high-frequency, time-synchronized measurements that support wide-area monitoring, control, and protection. However, the growing complexity of smart grids and their reliance on real-time communication expose them to a range of cyber threats, including data loss, tampering, and coordinated attacks. This dissertation explores the use of programmable network technologies, particularly P4-based programmable switches, to provide in-network solutions that enhance the reliability and security …

Optimal Network Maintenance And Restoration: Applications And Algorithms, Nayan Chakrabarty

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

In this dissertation, we consider three types of network optimization problems. In Chapter 1, we consider a network maintenance problem which focuses on time-based redeployment of multi-class nodes for reliable wireless sensor network coverage. Whereas previous research on time-based node redeployment assumes nodes are identical with respect to time to failure, we use multiple classes of sensor nodes to represent a scenario where nodes’ times to failure are dependent on positioning in the network. We propose a partial survival signature (PSS) approach for estimating area coverage reliability under a given time-based redeployment policy, where the PSS is estimated by Monte …

Artificial Intelligence For Reliability: Predictive Health Maintenance And Geolocation In Gps-Denied Environments, Rafael Toche Pizano

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

In this dissertation, we explore the potential of machine learning and deep learning techniques to enhance the performance and robustness of applications across two major domains. By addressing the challenges within these fields, we demonstrate that we can leverage learning algorithms to obtain substantial improvements in accuracy and robustness. First, we tackle a problem in the field of predictive health maintenance. We propose a novel auto encoder and neural network based methodology to predict failure times in complex aviation systems to learn to distinguish between normal and abnormal operational behavior, and use this information to inform the neural network to …

Design And Testing Of A Gallium Nitride Power Amplifier For High-Temperature Radar Applications, Walker Landry Harbison

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This thesis offers the design, fabrication, and evaluation of a gallium nitride (GaN) power amplifier integrated circuit (IC) intended for high-temperature radar applications. Radar systems are used in many different applications, such as defense, aerospace, and weather. For their function, these systems require high power, efficiency, and reliability under a wide range of operating conditions. Taking advantage of the material properties of GaN, including its high breakdown voltage, wide bandgap, and thermal conductivity bolstered by the use of silicon carbide in the substrate, this work focuses on examining amplifier performance in both ambient and elevated temperature conditions. The PA was …

Emotion Analysis And Neural Language Models For Classification, Andrew Mackey

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Emotion analysis is a branch of artificial intelligence and natural language processing focused on recognizing emotions hidden throughout various forms of digital data, including text, images, and multi-modal representations. In this dissertation, we present four published and planned works that investigate different methodologies for natural language analysis tasks using deep learning techniques. The first published work we present considers the task of identifying fake news using various text and emotion representations. We demonstrate that emotion representations combined with word embedding techniques can improve the accuracy of fake news classification. Our second published work further investigates the fake news classification task …

Hyperspectral Indicators And Characterization Of Glyphosate-Induced Stress In Common Lambsquarters (Chenopodium Album L.), Mario Andrés Soto Valencia

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Hyperspectral sensing enables detection of herbicide stress in weeds, but practical use requires strategies for redundancy control, rating variability management, and evaluator bias mitigation. This thesis evaluates common lambsquarters (Chenopodium album) under glyphosate exposure, aiming to identify key wavelengths, construct vegetation indices, and improve injury modeling. Greenhouse experiments used dimensionality reduction methods (principal component analysis, Relief F, Bayesian discriminant analysis) to isolate 34 unique wavelengths from about 3,200 bands. Calibration data were collected 14 days after treatment (DAT) to support wavelength selection and model development, while data from 27 DAT were used for independent validation. Class comparisons across six statistically …

Beam Steering Control For A Small-Scale 5g Antenna Array, Omar Wagih Elkalesh

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This thesis demonstrates the design, development, and validation of a full-scale adaptive beam steering control system of a small-scale 5G antenna array, designed and thoroughly evaluated with MATLAB Simulink. Overcoming the significant challenge of establishing strong wireless links in dynamic environments, the new system uses a new closed-loop control framework that can automatically detect the signal sources and automatically change the beam direction in real-time. The use of the adaptation is necessary to combat tracking errors that are caused by the mobility of the mobile users, environmental variations, as well as channel estimation errors, widespread in future wireless communication systems. …

Predicting Stock Price Movement With Llm-Enhanced Tweet Emotion Analysis, An Vuong

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Accurately predicting short-term stock price movement remains a challenging task due to the market’s inherent volatility and sensitivity to investor sentiment. In this thesis, we present a published paper that discusses a deep learning framework integrating emo- tion features extracted from tweet data with historical stock price information to forecast significant price changes on the following day. We utilize Meta’s LLaMA 3.1-8B-Instruct model to preprocess tweet data, thereby enhancing the quality of emotion features derived from three emotion analysis approaches: a transformer-based DistilRoBERTa classifier from the Hugging Face library and two lexicon-based methods using National Research Council Canada (NRC) resources. …

Optical Characterization Of Ge And Gesn Grown In Aspect Ratio Trapping Structures For Enhanced Emitter Performance, Abdulla Said Ali

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Silicon (Si) began dominating the electronics industry since 1960s, the dominance came due to its affordability and well developed fabrication processes. But when it comes to light emitting devices and photonics devices in general, the indirect bandgap of Si has caused many scientists to search for alternative semiconductor materials that can deliver better light emission, materials that can also improve wavelengths detection which is also very limited when it comes to Si, reduce losses and greater light amplification, all this while still being affordable. Despite these limitations, Si has been widely used in Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor (CMOS) manufacturing and …

Novel Approaches To Disinfecting Poultry Processing Wastewater For Reuse, Seth Olorunmijuwonlo Adesope

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Water is an essential resource used in poultry processing, generating large volumes of foodborne pathogen-rich wastewater posing treats to public health. Treating poultry processing wastewater (PPW) is crucial for safe water reuse and sustainable development. Conventional disinfection methods like aerobic digestion and chlorination, although effective, impose considerable operational cost and generate harmful by-products. Integrated recycling systems such as advanced oxidation processes (AOPs) which destroy micro-organisms through the generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) present a promising opportunity for enhancing resources and sustainability. This study investigated the use of photo-electrochemical (PEC), specifically by combining electrochemical (EC) and photochemical (PC; Photosensitizer and …

Design And Development Of A Multi-Port Solid State Circuit Breaker Based On Half Bridge Sic Mosfets, Yannal Nawafleh

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This thesis investigates multi-port solid-state circuit breaker (M-SSCB) architectures that reduce steady-state conduction losses while preserving microsecond-class DC fault interruption and per-port selectivity. The proposed M-SSCB consolidates protection for several node interfaces into a single assembly with shared sensing, control, and a common energy-absorption branch. In normal operation, two electrically symmetric parallel semiconductor paths are established so each port’s current divides approximately in half; because conduction loss scales with current squared, the M-SSCB achieves ≈75% reduction in on-state loss relative to a conventional anti-series SiC path without increasing device count. During fault handling, the coordinated controller detects the local over-current, …

Automation And Upgrading Of Custom Cold Wall Uhv-Cvd Reactor For Group Iv Material Development, Alexander Golden

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Group IV alloys have shown promising results for infrared optoelectronic applications where III-V materials are currently dominant. The III-V material system has vacancies that Group IV materials can fill, most importantly complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) process compatibility making quality devices much cheaper and widely available compared to the current state of the art. Silicon, being an indirect band gap Group IV material, has poor performance in optoelectronic applications but is the dominant material for most of the electronic industry. However, when silicon is alloyed or substituted with other group IV materials, these optoelectronic properties can be enhanced and, in …

Solar Powered Conservation: The Effects Of Solar Photovoltaic Facilities On Avian Community Composition, Michael Christopher Ferrara

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The expansion of solar photovoltaic energy infrastructure is transforming landscapes worldwide. Increasingly, facilities are planted with native vegetation, yet how vegetation characteristics and landscape variables shape wildlife communities in solar facilities remains poorly understood. Because avian populations have been in decline and are sensitive to habitat changes, understanding how solar facilities influence avian communities is important. In Chapter 1, we used autonomous recording units, local vegetation measurements, and land use and land cover data to quantify how avian community occupancy is influenced by solar cover in solar facilities and comparable reference sites. We used a Bayesian multi-species occupancy model to …