Digital Commons Network^™

Role Of Interferon-Induced Protein With Tetratricopeptide Repeats 3 (Ifit3) In Hiv-1 Associated Neurodegenerative Disorder And Alzheimer’S Disease, Ranjit Kumar Das

Theses and Dissertations

The advent of cART has revolutionized the management of HIV-1 infection and saved the lives of millions of people worldwide. Yet, HAND continues to be clinically relevant with aging people with HIV-1 (PWH). The underlying mechanism of HAND remains poorly understood. In this regard. Signal transducer and activator of transcription 1(STAT1) and IFIT3 genes have been shown to induce neuroinflammation and neuronal cell death. However, the role of IFIT3 in HAND pathology has not been well established. Therefore, the present work investigated the significant role of IFIT3 gene in development of HAND. In the current study, …

The Impact Of Culture On Firm Performance: A Study On The Effect Of Respect, Teamwork, Innovation, Quality And Integrity On Corporate Profitability, Raphael Mwangi Wambugu

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis investigates the intricate relationship between organizational culture and firm performance, focusing on specific cultural dimensions of respect, teamwork, innovation, quality, and integrity as possible determinants of firm performance. The main objective is to find out the impact of these cultural elements on the dependent variable, return on assets (ROA).

As organizations strive for sustained success and competitive advantage, understanding the interplay between culture and financial performance becomes important. The cultural variable of respect is examined as a catalyst for fostering diverse perspectives and collaborative interactions within the organization. Teamwork is analyzed for …

Machine Learning Predictive Models For Load Identification Of Railroad Bridges Subjected To Train-Induced Vibration, Md Masnun Rahman

Theses and Dissertations

The U.S. rail network is among the world's largest, safest, and most efficient. However, many its railway bridges, which play an essential role in its connectivity, are over 100 years old, showing signs of structural deterioration exceeding their practical service life. The increased weight and speed of modern trains also pose a risk to these bridges. Traditional load identification and monitoring technologies like Weigh-in-Motion (WIM) systems are rarely used on railway bridges due to their cost and practical limits. This thesis explores a cost-effective approach to utilize vibration sensors on railway bridges to identify and predict train load features (speed …

Numerical Study Of New Tuned Mass Friction Damper For Seismic Protection Of Civil Structures, Syed Muhammad Bilal Haider

Theses and Dissertations

Tuned Mass Friction Dampers (TMFDs) are passive control systems designed to mitigate vibrations in civil structures subjected to extreme lateral forces such as windstorms and earthquakes. The objective of this thesis is to propose a new TMFDs with enhanced energy dissipation capability for seismic protection of multi-story frame buildings. This new TMFD is termed as “Tuned Mass Multi-Sliding Friction Damper” (TMMSFD) consisting of multiple masses connected to the primary structure through linear springs and while sliding relative to each other at multiple sliding surfaces. TMMSFD offers an improved damping mechanism with reduced stick-slip motion effects compared to standard TMFDs which …

Cultural Norms And The Expression Of Affection In Nigerian Yoruba Families, Tolulope G. Banjo

Theses and Dissertations

Affectionate behaviors have biological and physiological implications for humans. Affectionate communication encompasses behaviors that convey affection to the senders and receivers. The purpose of this qualitative study was to investigate the role of culture and cultural traditions in the expression of affectionate behaviors among members of the Nigerian Yoruba family. Two focus groups were conducted in which participants (18-39 years of age) identified the affectionate behaviors they use in their families. Participants also shared how they perceived their culture playing a role in their affectionate communication. The findings revealed 18 categories of affectionate behaviors used by Nigerian Yoruba …

Corre Y Se Va: A Collection Of Ramblings, Daniella Arredondo

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis explores womanhood, death, and life writings. Through various pieces of nonfiction writings and poetic writings, this thesis reacts to each theme by making a personal connection to certain moments in the narrator’s life. From the Me-Too moment to a tonsil removal, the narrator situates the thesis as a reactive piece to works like “Borderlands/La Frontera” by Gloria Anzaldúa, nonfiction works, like Chanel Miller’s “Know My Name,” and various news articles around events that relate to each theme. The selections of the themes stem from Loteria, a popular bingo-like game within Hispanic culture. The use of these images creates …

In Absentia, Noreen M. Graf

Theses and Dissertations

In Absentia is a collection of short creative pieces that includes short stories, flash fiction, essay, and comics. The critical introduction aims to place my work into the ongoing dialog surrounding the accelerated portrayal of unlikable female protagonists in contemporary literary fiction.

Model-Based And Model-Free Control Approaches In Subgrids: A Conceptual Review Of Control Strategies In Microgrids, Omobolade H. Abioye

Theses and Dissertations

Increased reliance on the power grid and concerns over climate change issues have resulted in the rapid adoption of renewable energy technologies. Consequently, it is necessary to consider how renewable energy resources are combined and controlled. The microgrid serves as the control center for distributed energy resources. This thesis paper introduces the microgrid elements and framework, its control strategies highlighting frequency and voltage control, and the prospects of artificial intelligence for control, considering two significant approaches. Key components of sub grids like the energy management system (EMS) and energy storage systems (ESSs) are discussed, and lastly, the …

Particle Swarm Optimization For Training Quadrotor Pid Controller, Eric Xavier Rodriguez

Theses and Dissertations

The objective of this research is to establish a fundamental approach to tuning PID (Proportional-Integral-Derivative) parameters for a simulated quadrotor drone. Implementing a PID controller for autonomous flight provides a straightforward and efficient method for monitoring and correcting robotic movement based on the robot's current state. However, applying a PID approach to a quadrotor's flight controller poses challenges, such as assigning multiple parameters to control an inherently under-actuated system. This includes the need to find optimal parameter values that reduce the likelihood of large overshoots and lengthy adjustment times. Ineffectively tuning PID parameters can have detrimental effects on autonomously …

The Impracticality Of Silk, Jo A. Reyes

Theses and Dissertations

In the impracticality of silk, the author examines and critiques the world through poetry and prose poetry, specifically addressing gender, sexuality, relationships, the borderlands, and canonized art as they view it to foment a new understanding and voice during a time of societal and personal shifts. Further complicating the author’s understanding are questions around desire both within reclaimed sensuality and within Audre Lorde’s larger understanding of desire as foundational and necessary in creation and liberation, and Gloria E. Anzaldúa’s use of autohistoria-teoria and her work within borderlands as ways toward reevaluating and reclaiming identity and place in the larger world. …

Developing Resilient Defense Strategies Against Pheromone-Based Attacks In Foraging Robot Swarms, Ryan A. Luna

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis delves into the security of stochastic pheromone-based foraging algorithms within swarm robotic systems, a subset of foraging algorithms distinguished by their reliance on probabilistic decision-making mechanisms inspired by the natural world. Such algorithms face vulnerabilities in stigmergic communication that threaten to disrupt swarm operations. This research investigates these vulnerabilities, presenting two distinct contributions.

The first contribution examines the implementation of quarantine strategies as a defensive measure to isolate and mitigate the impact of fake resource attacks. By simulating these attacks, this study quantitatively assesses their detrimental effects on swarm efficiency and explores the efficacy …

Rsm For The Optimization Of Selective Laser Melting Process Parameters For Manufacturing Initial Layers Of Horizontal Overhang Structures, Prince Yaw Asamani

Theses and Dissertations

While prevalent in 3D printed objects, overhang features are difficult to print with selective laser melting due to the limitation of a purely vertical laser. To address this issue, overhang features are typically built on temporary supports, which are removed following printing. However, this results in wasted material and longer production time. Several authors have studied printing overhangs without support structures. However, there has not been a systematic approach to studying the effect of multiple process parameters on the quality of a printed overhang. This thesis investigates the effect of laser power, scanning speed, and hatch distance on the surface …

A Phenomenological Study Of Latina Poets As Leaders At Higher Education Institutions, Rodney Gomez

Theses and Dissertations

This interpretive phenomenological study addresses the underrepresentation of Latinas in higher education leadership roles by focusing on the lived experiences of Latina poets who have served as higher education leaders. Data, collected through semi-structured participant interviews and participant writing samples, was analyzed through a standard method of thematic analysis. Latin American and U.S. theories of decoloniality and Yosso’s community cultural capital guided interpretation of participant experiences. Five themes emerged from the analysis: border negation, foundational values, othered leadership, importance of community, and writing as necessity. Discussion of participation experiences suggests that ways that poetry and creative writing can be used …

At Risk, Punished, And Pushed Out Of School: Leadership Practices Utilized By School Administrators For Discipline Consequences In South Texas Schools, Beulah San Juanita Rangel

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine leadership practices utilized by school administrators for discretionary discipline consequences that feed the school-to-prison pipeline. The researcher utilized a hermeneutic phenomenological approach to investigate factors that influence campus administrators’ decision to use of exclusionary discipline through a series of semi-structured interviews. Through data analysis, three themes emerged: (1) Principals’ Impact on Student Discipline (2) Principals’ Considerations Before Using Exclusionary Discipline (3) Principals Lack of Training.

Teachers’ Perceptions Of Their Principals’ Leadership Attributes In A Lower Rio Grande Valley (Rgv) School District And The Influence On Their Leaders’ Attributes To Their Self-Efficacy, Arely Rios Tamez

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this non-experimental quantitative study is to obtain middle school teachers’ perceptions of their principals’ leadership attributes and analyze how their perceptions of those leadership attributes relate to their sense of self-efficacy. Teacher participants from five middle schools in a lower Rio Grande Valley (RGV) school district in South Texas will be asked to complete two surveys: one survey based on their perceptions of their principals’ leadership attributes (TPPAQ) and another survey measuring teacher efficacy (TEBS-Self). Data analysis using multiple regression will examine if there is a relationship between teacher perceived school leadership attributes of their principals and …

Bayesian Estimation Of Reproduction Numbers From Distributions Of Outbreaks Sizes: Branching Process Approach, Alberta Araba Johnson

Theses and Dissertations

The Generalized Poisson distribution is useful in modeling epidemiological processes as a branching stochastic processes problem. Our goal is to construct accurate and reliable estimators for the reproduction number (R0) (i.e., the number of secondary infections), particularly in the context of disease outbreaks modeled by a Galton-Watson process. Towards this goal, we construct the classical Bayes estimator, the Maximum Likelihood estimator, and the Empirical Bayes (EB) estimator under the Square Error Loss function in Chapter II. We prove that the Empirical Bayes estimator is asymptotically optimal and estimate the rate of convergence. We then proceed to monotonize the Empirical Bayes …

A Dedicated Lane Analysis For Supply Chain Resilience In The U.S.-Mexico Border: Cost-Comparison And Simulation Models, Carlo A. Zorola Gonzalez

Theses and Dissertations

Supply chains have been actively developing and implementing strategies to enhance resilience in response to various disruptive events like the COVID-19 pandemic, hurricanes, geopolitical tensions, and climate change. These strategies aim to address demand and supply imbalances, logistical challenges, and policy restrictions encountered in transborder commerce. One area significantly impacted by such disruptions is cross-border trade between the US and Mexico. Understanding these strategies is crucial for achieving supply chain resilience, defined as the ability of a supply chain to quickly adapt to sudden disruptions without affecting the flow of goods. In both the US-Mexico and US-Canada borders …

An Investigation Into The Enoughness Mindset, Ai Nhan Thi Ngo

Theses and Dissertations

The concept of enoughness was an old but forgotten concept in human history. This research reintroduced the concept to our contemporary culture as a means to deal with consumers' endless desires by exploring the enoughness concept. Contemporarily suppressed under the development of modern capitalism, an extensive mythological trace of the enoughness concept showed its existence through more than 25 centuries across cultures with four key components: reining in desires, knowing contentment, knowing when to stop, and consideration of harmony. Building upon theories of desires, this research positioned enoughness as a means to help tame consumers' endless desires that can be …

Persistence And Lived Experiences Of Doctoral Students At A Hispanic Serving Institution, Jacob Michael Camacho

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine the factors that influence the completion of PhD degrees and identify obstacles to completion at a Hispanic Serving Institution. Low completion rates are a national and global problem predicted to generate a critical shortage of professionals needed by society. The researcher utilized a phenomenological qualitative study to research the phenomenon through the interpretation of an individual's experiences in various situations (Stake, 2010). This research is important as it aims to analyze programs with high completion rates to find the factors that contribute to or impede dissertation completion. This project will focus on …

Variational Bias Sampling For Collaborative Filtering Recommender Systems, Prisca Stephens

Theses and Dissertations

Advancements in digitalization has yielded enormous growth of data on online platforms, overwhelming users with multitude of options to choose from. Recommender systems narrow down these options to a few relevant ones thereby facilitating the decision-making processes for users. This study presents a framework for integrating variational bias sampling into model-based collaborative filtering techniques for recommender systems. Variational bias sampling is a novel and unique way to account for random factors that affect explicit ratings in collaborative filtering recommender systems. A Gaussian distribution is used to model all the possible random factors that could affect ratings. Sampling user and item …

Mitigation Methods For Instrumental Artifacts In Gravitational Wave Data, Raghav Girgaonkar

Theses and Dissertations

Strain data from ground-based gravitational wave detectors are regularly affected by instrumental artifacts known as glitches. Such glitches form the background of false alarms in the detection of gravitational waves from compact binary coalescences, in-turn reducing search sensitivity. If left unaccounted, these glitches along with other non-stationarity may also contribute towards a corrupted representation of the statistical properties of detector noise, subsequently affecting parameter estimation for detected gravitational wave candidates. Therefore, effective data analysis methods to veto glitches and identify non-stationarities in detector data are crucial to enhancing the sensitivity of a gravitational wave search. In this thesis, we …

Sensemaking Of The Unexpected: A Qualitative Study In Understanding The Actions Of South Texas School Board Members To The Covid-19 Pandemic, Angel Magallanes

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of the study was to gather knowledge of how school board presidents make sense of unexpected situations and what influences, informs, or impacts their decision-making during situations void of information and filled with uncertainty for decision-making in the midst of an imminent crisis. The research was focused on the lived experiences of three school board presidents in South Texas during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. Utilizing an interpretive phenomenological analysis, I analyzed interviews and observations of recorded school board meetings as data sources that I could triangulate about the COVID-19 phenomenon for understanding how …

Conditional Constrained And Unconstrained Quantization For A Uniform Distribution On A Hexagon, Christina Hamilton

Theses and Dissertations

In this thesis, we have considered a uniform distribution on a regular hexagon and the set of all its six vertices as a conditional set. For the uniform distribution under the conditional set first, for all positive integers n ≥ 6, we obtain the conditional optimal sets of n-points and the nth conditional quantization errors, and then we calculate the conditional quantization dimension and the conditional quantization coefficient in the unconstrained scenario. Then, for the uniform distribution on the hexagon taking the same conditional set, we investigate the conditional constrained optimal sets of n-points and the conditional constrained quantization errors …

Soil Carbon Sequestration Efforts In Arid And Semi-Arid Climates Under Conservation Agriculture And Reforestation, Samantha Lynn Colunga

Theses and Dissertations

Soil organic carbon (SOC) plays a vital role in the global carbon cycle and aids in climate change mitigation. However, deforestation and intensive agricultural practices threaten topsoil and carbon (C) pools through soil disturbances releasing vast amounts of carbon dioxide (CO2) by enhancing the decomposition of organic materials. Degraded soils typically lack stable aggregates, nutrient and water retention, and overall low fertility. In arid and semi-arid regions, soils are in an even more dire situation, as low precipitation and high temperatures slow down the accumulation of SOC. This thesis has two objectives: 1) to evaluate whether conservation tillage practices increase …

A Descriptive Exploration Of Selected Employment Barriers And Supports For Individuals With Visual Impairments In Bangladesh, Mohammed Mozadded Hossen

Theses and Dissertations

Employment is crucial for individuals with disabilities, including those with visual impairments, as it facilitates financial independence, promotes social inclusion, enhances the quality of life, and enables the utilization of valuable job-related skills. However, some barriers obstruct opportunities for employment for individuals with visual impairments, which affect different areas of their lives. This dissertation investigated the employment barriers, supports, and outcomes for individuals with visual impairments in Bangladesh, with an aim to understanding the factors that impacted employment outcomes for individuals with visual impairment, including access to education and training, availability of employment supports …

How Mathematics Instructors Foster The Development Of Black Students' Mathematics Identity In Undergraduate Active Learning Mathematics Courses, Ashly J. Olusanya

Theses and Dissertations

Black students must overcome unique challenges to succeed in mathematics. Educators are tasked with identifying equitable teaching practices to support these students. Active learning (AL) is a teaching pedagogy that engages students in rigorous mathematical activities and encourages student participation. This research study will explore the professors’ beliefs about how students learn mathematics and why they use active learning in their collegiate mathematics courses. The study explores the connections between these beliefs and their reported use of instructional practices. The study also identifies the instructors’ beliefs about developing students’ mathematics identities, particularly their Black …

Exploring Equity In Biliteracy Development In A Two-Way Dual Language Program, Dalila Ochoa

Theses and Dissertations

This qualitative exploratory study aimed to better understand how biliteracy is conveyed to native English speakers in order for them to acquire a second language, Spanish in a two-way dual language program. The study uses the theoretical framework of Jose Medina’s C6 Biliteracy Framework (2019) and research from Kathy Escamilla (2014). The research questions that guided this study were: (1) What type of instructional methods are the bilingual certified teachers utilizing to support Spanish development for native English students in a two-way dual language program? (2) How are bilingual teachers tracking the progress …

A Multivariate Analysis Of The Gravitational Wave Signal Landscape From Core Collapse Supernovae, Raul Alberto Espinosa Perez

Theses and Dissertations

Core collapse supernovae (CCSN) are highly anticipated sources of gravitational waves (GW) during the on-going fourth observation run (O4) of GW detectors like LIGO and the future observation runs. The GW signal from the CCSN cannot be modeled mathematically. Several groups around the world have engaged in simulation of the predicted GW signals from CCSN sources. These simulations are carried out in supercomputers, and they incorporate general relativity, hydrodynamics, neutrino physics, mass and angular momentum of the stellar progenitor and nuclear equations of state (EoS). The output consists of simulated signals with varying duration, peak frequency, GW energy and time-frequency …

Escúchame, Mi Ciencia Cuenta: Leveraging Cultural Ways Of Knowing To Increase Chicana Stem Engagement, Patricia Ramirez-Biondolillo

Theses and Dissertations

This paper is about leveraging cultural ways of knowing such as ethnobotany in order to increase STEM engagement in Chicanx populations. The conceptual framework utilized in this study combines social justice, Chicana feminist epistemology, land-based pedagogy, critical place-based pedagogy, pedagogical praxis, pluralism and ecological sustainability to achieve this end. Four pre-service Chicana science teachers provided testimonio from their elder assignment and engaged in two focus groups in order to identify relevant themes that impact Chicana engagement in STEM. Major themes identified were challenges in bilingual education, elder knowledge as a form of pedagogy, stagnation in common science teaching practices, tensions …

A Study On A Vector Complex Modified Korteweg-De Vries Equation, Changyan Shi

Theses and Dissertations

In this thesis, we systematically study a vector complex modified Kordeweg-de Vries equation by combining Hirota's bilinear method and the the Kadomtsev–Petviashvili (KP) reduction method. This vector nonlinear equation is a multi-component generalization of the well-known modified Kordeweg-de Vries (mKdV) equation and can be reduced to the known Hirota equation, Sasa-Satsuma (SS) equation, Sasa-Satsuma-mKdV equation as well as coupled Sasa-Satsuma equation. First, we bilinearize the vector complex mKdV equation under both the zero and nonzero boundary conditions by introducing auxiliary tau functions. Then, starting from two sets of bilinear equations of multi-component KP hierarchy and single-component KP-Toda …