Digital Commons Network^™

Empowering Pedagogical Practice Through Autoethnography Within The Context Of Family Literacy Projects, Sarah M. Johnson

Language, Literacy, and Sociocultural Studies ETDs

Family Literacy Projects being used in the high school setting to promote cultural and linguistic identities. The Family Literacy Project is used to bridge the gap between student identities at school and the identities at home. The purpose of this study was for the teacher to reflect in an autoethnographic study of herself in relation to the context of community, pedagogy, and the perceived needs and changes of the project for both students and the school’s culture. Through the autoethnographic study, the focus of the Family Literacy Project is in its importance to the school, community, students, and teachers was …

La Raza In The U.S.-Mexico Borderlands: A Comparative Regional Study Of Mexican American Elite Identity-Making From Texan Independence To The Mexican Revolution, Davis Diego Massey

History ETDs

After the U.S. annexed much of Mexico following the Mexican-American War, Mexicans in  the incorporated regions began to think of themselves as a racial group within the U.S. rather  than a distinctive nationality. The 1848 Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo promised citizenship  rights to all Mexicans in the area. The Treaty promises rarely were put into practice, as they  were left up to the enforcement of territories and states. Even where enforced, the rights of  citizenship were restricted and defined on the basis of race. Local laws excluded  Afro-Mexicans and Mexican Natives from exercising the rights promised by the Treaty. This …

Helium Effects In High Entropy Alloys For Fusion Reactor Plasma Facing Components, Shane Evans

Nuclear Engineering ETDs

The plasma facing materials (PFMs) within fusion reactors, such as the divertor, must be able to withstand high temperature (>1000 K) for extended durations of time, in addition to extreme flux from neutrons, helium (He) ash, and neutral species such as deuterium and tritium. These materials must withstand these conditions while maintaining their selected mechanical properties, minimal sputter yield, and low fuel retention. In recent years refractory high entropy alloys (RHEAs) have been investigated due to their improved mechanical and irradiation-resistant properties when compared to pure W, the current material for PFMs. In this work RHEAs have undergone fusion …

Development Of A Lead-Lithium Eutectic Magnetohydrodynamic Loop For Corrosion Studies, Xavier S. Angus

Nuclear Engineering ETDs

Lead–lithium eutectic (LLE) is a leading candidate coolant and tritium breeder for fusion reactor blankets due to its favorable heat transfer properties and high tritium breeding ratio. However, LLE is highly corrosive and, in the strong magnetic fields present in fusion reactors, experiences magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) effects that can produce significant pressure drops and flow instabilities. Understanding corrosion behavior in these extreme environments is essential for assessing the viability of LLE blanket systems. This work presents the design and construction of a forced-convection LLE corrosion loop to study corrosion behavior at temperatures up to 425 °C and flow velocities up to …

Design And Analysis Of An Intermediate Heat Exchanger And Passive Decay Heat Removal System For A Generic Fluoride Salt-Cooled High-Temperature Reactor Application, Bao Hoang Nguyen

Nuclear Engineering ETDs

Generation IV reactors, such as the Fluoride salt-cooled High-temperature Reactor (FHR), feature efficient heat transfer and passive heat removal systems. However, accurately predicting thermal behavior under steady-state and transient conditions remains challenging. This work designs and evaluates a twisted tube heat exchanger (TTHX) serving as an intermediate heat exchanger (IHX) and a reactor cavity cooling system (RCCS) serving as a passive decay heat removal system for a generic FHR (gFHR), integrating both systems into a system-level MELCOR model. The TTHX was first designed and assessed using a MATLAB-based framework, followed by detailed MELCOR simulations. The results demonstrate effective heat transfer …

Sensitivity-Informed Resonance Parameter Cross Section Adjustments, Matthew Juan Lazaric

Nuclear Engineering ETDs

This work details the process of developing several new features into the MCNP6.3 Monte Carlo code for use in uncertainty quantification and reduction. These new capabilities, which include the CLUTCH method of calculating k-eigenvalue cross section sensitivities and the Windowed Multipole method of calculating cross sections, are implemented and verified against previous implementations and existing cross section data, respectively. These capabilities are then combined to produce sensitivities of k-eigenvalue to resonance parameters, which are verified against direct perturbation sensitivity estimates. The resonance parameters are calibrated using linear Bayesian methods and the accuracy of the resulting cross section is evaluated via …

Representativeness And Sensitivity Analysis Of Accident Tolerant Fuel Cladding Behavior In Reactivity-Initiated Accidents, Melissa Andrea Moreno

Nuclear Engineering ETDs

Accident Tolerant Fuels (ATFs) such as FeCrAl are being developed to enhance safety margins in light water reactors during transients like Reactivity Initiated Accidents (RIAs). This dissertation evaluates the accuracy and representativeness of TRACE thermal hydraulic models for predicting FeCrAl C36M cladding behavior under steady state and transient flow boiling conditions. Benchmarking against University of New Mexico separate effects experiments shows that TRACE reproduces key thermal trends but underpredicts cladding temperatures near CHF by approximately 25 to 30%. A calibrated uncertainty and global sensitivity analysis, using Sobol indices, demonstrates that CHF and cladding temperature variability are dominated by mass flux, …

In-Situ Measurement Of Dynamic Deuterium Retention In Tungsten-Based Alloys Under Plasma Exposure, Ethan Gabriel Rashap

Nuclear Engineering ETDs

Nuclear fusion is a promising pathway for sustainable energy production, but the performance of plasma-facing materials remains a key challenge for reactor operation. In particular, hydrogen isotope retention in tungsten—the leading candidate material for divertor components—affects tritium inventory, fuel recycling, and overall material lifetime. In this work, the temperature-dependent deuterium retention behavior of W–Ti and W–TiTa alloys was experimentally investigated under fusion-relevant ion irradiation conditions between 400 and 700 K. In-situ nuclear reaction analysis (NRA) was used to track retention during plasma exposure and subsequent cooldown, providing depth-resolved insight into deuterium accumulation and release. The results show that deuterium retention …

Continuous Polygenic Trait Evolution Under Brownian Motion With Gaussian Mixture Models, Mary S. Hopkins

Mathematics & Statistics ETDs

Gaussian mixed-models (GMMs) show promise as a tool for modeling polygenic trait evolution for multiple taxa with established phylogenetic comparative methods (PCMs). When phenotypic traits are influenced by more than one gene, neither a gene tree nor a species tree may be completely adequate to model specific cross-taxa dependencies. In such cases common solutions include using trees inferred from concatenated DNA sequences [35, 95] and consensus gene trees [35]. The GMM-based model, first proposed by Jiang in 2017 [55] allows traits to evolve on more than one tree with distinct topologies. This approach provides a framework for trait evolutionary modeling …

Bayesian Designs For Two-Arm Clinical Trials With Time-To-Event Endpoints: Incorporating Historical Data Through Power Priors, Sara Hajraf H. Almutiri

Mathematics & Statistics ETDs

Bayesian methods provide a flexible framework for time-to-event analysis by incorporating prior information. The power prior offers a systematic way to borrow information from historical data. This approach is especially valuable in clinical research, where historical data can enhance inference in early-phase trials with limited sample sizes. This dissertation develops Bayesian approaches for two-arm survival studies using both closed-form and simulation-based methods. The closed-form inference is derived under exponential and Weibull survival models. Under the proportional hazards framework, the posterior is derived through a normal approximation to the log hazard ratio, allowing inference on the treatment effect when the variance …

Does Adjunctive Low-Level Laser Therapy Provide Additional Benefit Following Temporomandibular Joint Arthrocentesis With Hyaluronic Acid? A Randomized Clinical Trial, Moataz Bahaa, Abdelrahman Fahmy Dr., Hesham Morsi, Mahmoud Elfaramawy

Dentistry

Purpose This study aimed to evaluate whether adjunctive low-level laser therapy (LLLT) provides additional clinical benefit over an optimized arthrocentesis protocol with hyaluronic acid in patients with ADDwoR. Materials and methods From December 2022 to December 2023, a single-blinded prospective randomized clinical trial was conducted at The British University in Egypt’s Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery. The study involved 40 female participants diagnosed with Anterior Disc Displacement without Reduction (ADDwoR). Following TMJ arthrocentesis, subjects were assigned to one of two parallel cohorts: Group A received ten subsequent sessions of low-level laser therapy (LLLT), while Group B served as the …

Evaluation Of Intracavity Electromagnetic Field Probes And Sources: Implications For Shielding Effectiveness, Joseph Anthony Ferreri

Electrical and Computer Engineering ETDs

To measure the electric field in a reverberant cavity, a small, minimally invasive probe is required. Common solutions include electrically small surface mounted monopole antennas, B-dots, and D-dots. To obtain an accurate field measurement with a particular probe, it is necessary to characterize it to compensate for its ability to convert electric field into voltage which requires a gauge factor known as effective height. The characterization process is straight forward in open space on a ground plane but requires more insight when in situ in a reverberant cavity. This work adapts ground plane probe characterization methods for cavity measurements, facilitating …

Calibration Methodology, Diagnostic Performance, And Redesign Of The Current Monitors On The Z Machine At Sandia National Laboratories, Stacie Hernandez

Electrical and Computer Engineering ETDs

A proper evaluation of the current diagnostics fielded in the inner-MITL region of the Z facility in 3D simulation models had not been performed until now. The evaluation of the current monitors has brought insight to their performance in a new view that has led to discoveries. The B-dot probe was the current diagnostic-of-choice since before the refurbishment of the Z facility [1] and until the development of the Inductively Driven Transmission Line (IDTL) current diagnostic [2]. Experimental data has shown that the IDTL can produce cleaner signals and it is more robust than conventional B-dots. Simulation (modeled using COMSOL …

Millimeter-Wave Antenna Gain Enhancement Through Stacked Planar Substrates, Zachary Bergstedt

Electrical and Computer Engineering ETDs

This work presents a new wideband millimeter-wave (mmWave) and sub-terahertz antenna design with flexible directivity through the integration of stepped horn antennas and transverse substrate integrated waveguide (SIW) slots for radar and communication applications. The work gives a theoretical and analytical basis for this filter-inspired approach to improving bandwidth and directivity, and presents design and results for a standalone stepped horn, a Ka-band antenna with a solid stepped horn and SIW feed, and W-band antennas with empty SIW feeds and stepped horns manufactured out of multiple planar layers. The realized antennas show bandwidth up to 40% and gain up to …

Statistical And Spectral Theory For Spatially Correlated Random Aperiodic Antenna Arrays, Thomas Edward Christian Jr

Electrical and Computer Engineering ETDs

Aperiodic phased arrays enable beam steering, interference suppression, and spectrum efficiency for 6G, radar, biomedical imaging, and distributed sensing. Minimum inter-element spacing and keep out zones induce spatial correlation, violating the i.i.d. element-position assumption behind classical probabilistic random array theory. This dissertation develops a unified probabilistic spectral framework for correlated (non-i.i.d.) arrays. Second moment power pattern analysis incorporates the pair-correlation function  and structure factor , recovering the i.i.d. limit when  and accommodating unequal excitations. Side lobe and main lobe fields deviate from Rayleigh/Exponential and are modeled by weighted Nakagami and Gamma-mixture distributions, parameterized via Monte Carlo. The blue noise spectral …

Self-Supervised Spoofing Detection, David S. Choi

Electrical and Computer Engineering ETDs

Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS) are vulnerable to spoofing attacks that can mislead receivers with counterfeit signals. Traditional detection techniques, such as antenna-based, encryption based, and signal processing approaches, often face limitations in adaptability, computational cost, or reliance on predefined thresholds. Supervised machine learning models, while powerful, require large labeled datasets and struggle to generalize to unseen spoofing scenarios. In this work, we propose a self-supervised spoofing detection framework based on Adaptive Sparse Gaussian Processes (ASGP). The method predicts incoming GNSS features using past observations and identifies spoofing as anomalous deviations in the prediction residuals. Unlike supervised approaches, ASGP adapts …

Novel Algorithmic Methods For Random Telegraph Noise Detection And Characterization In Electronic Devices, Victor Darie Pepel

Electrical and Computer Engineering ETDs

Random telegraph noise (RTN) produces discrete stochastic fluctuations in nanoscale semiconductor devices and increasingly limits performance and reliability as dimensions scale. This dissertation introduces three algorithmic contributions enabling automated and accurate RTN characterization across diverse devices and operating conditions. First, a computationally efficient histogram-based detection algorithm enables rapid identification of RTN in large focal plane array datasets for statistically robust defect analysis. Second, a frequency decomposition framework separates slow and fast RTN components, extending the range of extractable time constants and reducing estimation error in multi-trap signals obscured by background noise. Third, to address the lack of standardized RTN metrics, …

Hierarchical Safe Reinforcement-Learning Framework For Mission-Aware, Edge-Enabled Multi-Uav Iot Networks, Abee F. Alazzwi

Electrical and Computer Engineering ETDs

This Ph.D. dissertation presents a unified Hierarchical Safe Reinforcement Learning (HSRL) framework for mission-aware, edge-enabled multi-UAV Internet of Things (IoT) networks. The work addresses the need for autonomous aerial infrastructures capable of delivering low-latency communication, scalable edge computation, and provably safe operation in dynamic environments. The dissertation develops three primary contributions. First, it formulates longhorizon drone base station placement and load balancing as a strategic actor–critic learning problem, enabling proactive adaptation to spatiotemporal demand variations. Second, it introduces a mission-aware multi-agent reinforcement learning controller for coordinated mobility, sensing, and computation offloading under latency and energy constraints. Third, it integrates a …

Applications And Comparisons Of Machine Learning Methods In Ultra-Fast Laser Control, Aasma Aslam

Electrical and Computer Engineering ETDs

This dissertation demonstrates the applications and comparative analyses of machine learning methods in ultrafast laser control. By learning the relationship between the system’s input parameters and output pulse characteristics, the performance of a laser can be significantly improved. In this work, the results are presented in two stages by utilizing data from the femtosecond laser system. The first stage concerns two neural networks, named NN1 (fitrnet) and NN2 (feedforwardnet). The second stage, which extended with five different models, namely the linear regression (fitlm), the support vector machine (SVM), the Gaussian process regression (GPR), the boosted tree (fitrensemble), and LASSO (fitrlinear), …

Quantum Control Protocols For Robust Quantum Computing, Leeseok Kim

Electrical and Computer Engineering ETDs

The fundamental goal of quantum computing is to precisely control quantum systems to perform meaningful tasks, including implementing high-fidelity quantum gates for reliable quantum computation and accurately simulating complex quantum many- body dynamics. In this dissertation, we develop improved quantum control protocols for three distinct objectives, quantum error suppression, quantum optimal control, and analog quantum algorithms, achieving performance beyond standard approaches. First, we introduce new dynamical decoupling protocols, including both determin- istic and randomized constructions, that can substantially outperform conventional deterministic sequences. We then extend the randomized approach to dynamically corrected gates. Second, we propose a randomized quantum optimal control …

Alternative Positioning, Navigation, And Timing In Global Navigation Satellite System Denied Environments, Joshua R. Atencio

Electrical and Computer Engineering ETDs

Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS) provide the majority of critical positioning, navigation, and timing (PNT) services for civilian, commercial, and military applications. However, GNSS is vulnerable to service denial from spoofing and jamming from adversaries and environmental obstruction. These vulnerabilities highlight the need for resilient Alternative PNT (APNT) methods. This dissertation investigates APNT frameworks operating in GNSS denied environments. We develop coalition formation and matching theoretic models that allow users APNT services from anchor nodes under resource constraints and in adversarial or emergency conditions. The proposed frameworks optimize positioning accuracy, network utility, and system stability while accounting for geometric dilution …

Fault Tolerant Quantum Computing With Lower Overhead, Benjamin E. Anker

Electrical and Computer Engineering ETDs

Quantum computation promises asymptotic speedups over classical algorithms, but realizing these advantages requires overcoming the noisiness of quantum hardware. Although fault-tolerant error correction can allow for reliable quantum computation even using unreliable components, the resource overheads required can substantially erode the asymptotic performance gains. This dissertation focuses on constructing and optimizing fault-tolerant procedures with lower overhead than previous methods were capable of. We present new frameworks for fault-tolerant syndrome extraction using flag gadgets with exponentially reduced ancilla requirements, explicit measurement schedules that achieve asymptotically fewer measurements than stabilizer generators, and a general method for making arbitrary Clifford circuits fault tolerant. …

One Year Quality Of Life Outcomes In Critically Ill Children: A Multicenter Prospective Cohort Study, Oceanic Study Investigators, Joseph C Manning, Jos M Latour, Elizabeth Draper, Philip Quinlan, Emma M Popejoy, Grazziela Figueredo, Shreya Iyer, Thomas Trimble, Julie Menzies, Martha A Q Curley, Jane Coad

School of Nursing and Midwifery

BACKGROUND: Survivors of pediatric intensive care often experience prolonged morbidity, but recovery trajectories and features associated with impairment in general PICU populations remain uncertain. We aimed to explore the trajectory of health-related quality of life (HRQoL) and fatigue in critically ill children over the first year following PICU discharge, and to identify baseline and PICU factors associated with worse outcomes.

METHODS: OCEANIC is a multicenter prospective cohort study across 10 English PICUs. Children aged 1 month-17 years with PICU stay ≥ 48 h were enrolled (2019-2022) and followed for 12-months (to 2023). HRQoL (PedsQL™ 4.0 Acute Versions) and fatigue (PedsQL™ …

Analysis Of The Relationships Between Students' Memory Ability And Cognitive Ability On Chemical Nomenclature, Yenni Kurniawati, Elsa Tria Monica, Nurul Aulya Nisya, Alfi Novriandri

Jurnal Pendidikan: Teori, Penelitian, dan Pengembangan

Memory ability was needed thing that important to research in relationships and teachers’ effort in increasing learning quality. The research aimed at knowing  the correlation between students’ memory ability and cognitive ability at Islamic Senior High School of Al-Ihsan Boarding School Kubang Raya, Kampar. It was used mixed method design. Technique of colecting the data was used Quantitave method through memory test ability and cognitive ability test. Questionnaire, observation and documentation technique was used for collecting the data in quality. Subject of the research was students of Islamic Senior High School of Al-Ihsan Boarding School Kubang Raya, Kampar. Object …

Development And Preliminary Effectiveness Of Sel-Based Puzzle Media For Improving Emotional Regulation In Second-Grade Elementary Students, Kun Widya Nurfiani, Diana Septi Purnama

Jurnal Pendidikan: Teori, Penelitian, dan Pengembangan

This study developed and evaluated the feasibility, practicality, and preliminary effectiveness of the Social Emotional Learning (SEL)-based Puzzle Expression Emotion media to improve emotional regulation among second-grade elementary school students. The study used a Research and Development design following the ADDIE model. Feasibility was assessed by subject-matter and media experts, practicality by classroom teachers, and preliminary effectiveness through a one-group pretest-posttest field trial involving 51 students from two public elementary schools in Surakarta. Data were collected through interviews, observations, validation sheets, practicality questionnaires, and an emotional regulation instrument. Quantitative data were analyzed descriptively, followed by a paired-sample t-test and N-gain …

Saying “Yes, And” To A Changing Legal Profession Through Improv, Ben Bratman

The Journal of Law Teaching and Learning

As legal practitioners confront the potent impacts of society’s latest technological innovation, legal education can and should say “yes, and” to all the change and uncertainty by leaning into the teaching of human skills. That’s “yes, and,” as in the guiding principle of improvisational theater, or improv. As a form of embodied learning through play, improv exercises are a proven tool for building and refining fundamental human skills, often called the “soft” skills, within a low-stakes learning environment. They can and should be a part of any law school’s effort to graduate confident and skilled communicators who are strong team …

Mapping Change: Plastic Bottle Transformation Drawing, Abby Walker

Bryant University Undergraduate Journal

Explanation about the assignment and what students created.

Beyond The Stars: Voyaging Into The Void In Tolkien’S Early Cosmologies, Kristine Larsen

Journal of Tolkien Research

This paper focuses on Tolkien first two phases in crafting his cosmology, through the Ambarkanta. The concept of the Void – and boundary-transgressing celestial journeys into it – proved problematic, even in these early cosmologies, as we investigate here, not the least problem being, what exactly is the Void?

Reviving The Sacred: Reintegrating Traditional Tantric Philosophies Into Modern Yoga And Meditation Practices, Cameron J. Geary

Denison Journal of Religion

No abstract provided.

Boundaries Of Inequality: The Political Economy Of Redlining And Modern Mortgage Credit, Kyle Guo

Harvey M. Applebaum ’59 Award

This paper investigates the legacy of historical redlining on contemporary access to mortgage credit across three distinct urban policy environments: Baltimore, Philadelphia, and Manhattan. I find that while historical redlining is associated with a statistically significant negative effect on mortgage approval rates, the magnitude of this direct effect is relatively small. In comparison, applicant race, particularly for Black applicants, is a stronger predictor of mortgage approval rates across cities and models. This study utilizes 1930s Home Owners’ Loan Corporation (HOLC) residential security maps and Home Mortgage Disclosure Act (HMDA) data from 2007 to 2017, and uses ordinary least squares (OLS) …