This thesis presents a series of neural network classifiers for object detection in both optical and infrared images. The focus of this work is on efficient and accurate solutions. The thesis discusses the evolution of the highly efficient and tiny network Binary Classification Vision Transformer (BC-ViT) and how through thoughtful modifications and improvements, the BC-ViT can be utilized for tasks of increasing complexity. Chapter 2 discusses the creation of BC-ViT and its initial use case for underwater image classification of optical images. The BC-ViT is able to complete its task with an accuracy of 99.29\% while being comprised of a mere 15,981 total trainable parameters. Chapter 3, Waste Multi-Class Vision Transformer (WMC-ViT), introduces the usefulness of mindful algorithm design for the realm of multi-class classification on a mutually exclusive dataset. WMC-ViT shows that the task oriented design strategy allowed for a network to achieve an accuracy score of 94.27\% on a five class problem while still maintaining a tiny parameter count of 35,492. The final chapter demonstrates that by utilizing functional blocks of BC-ViT, a simple and effective target detection algorithm for infrared images can be created. The Edge Infrared Vision Transformer (EIR-ViT) showed admirable results with a high IoU …

In this dissertation, we introduce novel exponential jump-diffusion models for pricing options. Firstly, the normal convolution gamma mixture jump-diffusion model is presented. This model generalizes Merton's jump-diffusion and Kou's double exponential jump-diffusion. We show that the normal convolution gamma mixture jump-diffusion model captures some economically important features of the asset price, and that it exhibits heavier tails than both Merton jump-diffusion and double exponential jump-diffusion models. Secondly, the normal convolution double gamma jump-diffusion model for pricing options is presented. We show that under certain configurations of both the normal convolution gamma mixture and the normal convolution double gamma jump-diffusion models, the latter exhibits a heavier left or right tail than the former. For both models, the maximum likelihood procedure for estimating the model parameters under the physical measure is fairly straightforward; moreover, the likelihood function is given in closed form thereby eliminating the need to embed a probability density function recovery procedure such as the fast Fourier transform or the Fourier-cosine expansion methods in the parameter estimation procedure. In addition, both models can reproduce the implied volatility surface observed in the options data and provide a good fit to the market-quoted European option prices.

The thermophysical properties and deformation behavior of a systematic series of model metallic glasses was investigated. For Zr-based metallic glasses with all metallic constituents, the activation energy of glass transition was determined to be in the range of 74-173 kJ/mol while the activation energy of crystallization was in the range of 155-170 kJ/mol. The reduced glass transition temperature was roughly the same for all the alloys (~ 0.6) while the supercooled liquid region was in the range of 100-150 K, indicating varying degree of thermal stability. In contrast, the metal-metalloid systems (such as Ni-Pd-P-B) showed relatively higher activation energy of crystallization from short range ordering in the form of triagonal prism clusters with strongly bonded metal-metalloid atomic pairs. Deformation mechanisms of all the alloys were investigated by uniaxial compression tests, strain rate sensitivity (SRS) measurements, and detailed characterization of the fracture surface morphology. For the metal-metal systems, plasticity was found to be directly correlated with shear transformation zone (STZ) size, with systems of larger STZ size showing better plasticity. In metal-metalloid amorphous alloys, plasticity was limited by the distribution of STZ units, with lower activation energy leading to more STZ units and better plasticity. The alloys with relatively higher plasticity …

This dissertation investigates videoconference technology adoption by aging-in-place organizations to facilitate the social engagement of older adults. It comprises three studies that examine the initiation and coordination of technology adoption by aging-in-place organizations and addresses the factors associated with successful adoption of relational videoconference technology by older adults. The first study is a systematic literature review exploring the role of aging-in-place organizations in social engagement of older adults through videoconference technology. The second study is a survey of adult relatives and friends of older adults regarding videoconference technology adoption by older adults during the COVID-19 pandemic and their experience with facilitating resources. It applies technology adoption theory and a structural equation model to characterize the role of aging-in-place organizations. The third study is a pilot test of a new online platform called Circular that is designed to support social engagement of older adults. Through these studies, this research extends the existing body of knowledge regarding modes to facilitate adoption of relational technology by older adults and to empower senior centers and other aging-in-place organizations as they seek to socially engage the aging members of their communities.

The research examines the relationship between cyber addiction (excessive use of the Internet, CA), information overload (IO), and assesses their impact on workplace productivity. A multi-methods approach is used employing the Internet Addiction Test (IAT) and a quantitative survey design to assess and test the stated hypothesis. The study used random sampling methods targeting 150 respondents from different information technology departments of various organizations. The study hypothesizes that CA and IO have a reciprocal association, which adversely affects workplace productivity and employee performance. From the findings, IAT scores increase with an associated possibility of reporting burnout, fatigue, and other components associated with CA and IO. Also, CA and IO were significantly correlated, as evaluated by the chi-square test, although the same approach did not yield significant associations between CA and perceived internet dependence. Other findings CA components, such as social media use, significantly associated with task postponement and burnout. As well, CA affected IO with substantial impacts on workplace productivity. The paper highlights managerial aspects that organizations should consider in optimizing the output of their staff. Recommendations include wellness programs, altering the leadership and management styles, and sensitizing the employees on the adverse effects caused by the two variables.

In this dissertation, I examine the political shift or reorientation of Arabs and Muslims from the supranational Ummah to the Western form of nation-state by attending to modern Arabic novel in the period between World War I and World War II. I explore the emergence of secularism in Arab national formation. One of my central arguments is that Arab nationalism is indeed a misleading phrase as it gives the impression of unity and coherence to a complex phenomenon that materialize in a number of trends as a form of struggle. In the first chapter, I defined the scope of my argument and the underlying structure and function of nationalism as a form of representation masked by nationalist ideologies. To investigate the reorientation of Arabs and Muslims from Ummah to adopting nation-state, I utilize Spivak's criticism of the system of representation along with Foucault's theorization of discourse. I argued along Edward Said that although the Western national discourse might have influenced the Arab nationalists, I do not believe they prevented them from consciously appropriating nationalism in a free creative way. I also explained that the Arab adoption of a secularist separatist nationalism was more an outcome than an effect in the …

Recognizing the dual ability of the nitride ligand to react as a nucleophile or an electrophile – depending on the metal and other supporting ligands – is a key to their broad-range reactivity; thus, three DFT studies were initiated to investigate these two factors effects (the metal and supporting ligands) for tuning nitride ligand reactivity for C-H and N-H bond activation/functionalization. We focused on studying these factors effects from both a kinetic and thermodynamic perspective in order to delineate new principles that explain the outcomes of TMN reactions. Chapter 2 reports a kinetic study of C–H amination of toluene to produce a new Csp3–N (benzylamine) or Csp2–N (para-toluidine) bond activated by diruthenium nitride intermediate. Studying three different mechanisms highlighted the excellent ability of diruthenium nitride to transform a C-H bond to a new C-N bond. These results also revealed that nitride basicity played an important role in determining C–H bond activating ability. Chapter 3 thus reports a thermodynamic study to map basicity trends of more than a one hundred TMN complexes of the 3d and 4d metals. TMN pKb(N) values were calculated in acetonitrile. Basicity trends decreased from left to right across the 3d and 4d rows and increases from …

This research proposes FruitPAL and FruitPAL 2.0. They are full automatic devices that can detect fruit consumption to reduce the risk of disease. Allergies to fruits can seriously impair the immune system. A novel device (FruitPAL) detecting fruit that can cause allergies is proposed in this thesis. The device can detect fifteen types of fruit and alert the caregiver when an allergic reaction may have happened. The YOLOv8 model is employed to enhance accuracy and response time in detecting dangers. The notification will be transmitted to the mobile device through the cloud, as it is a commonly utilized medium. The proposed device can detect the fruit with an overall precision of 86%. FruitPAL 2.0 is envisioned as a device that encourages people to consume fruit. Fruits contain a variety of essential nutrients that contribute to the general health of the human body. FruitPAL 2.0 is capable of analyzing the consumed fruit and then determining its nutritional value. FruitPAL 2.0 has been trained on YOLOv5 V6.0. FruitPAL 2.0 has an overall precision of 90% in detecting the fruit. The purpose of this study is to encourage fruit consumption unless it causes illness. Even though fruit plays an important role in people's …

The current research examines the use of social media and its security settings using the Social Exchange Theory (SET) within a Saudi student environment. This research includes an introduction, literature review, methodology, results, and conclusion with the results section presenting the findings from the three essays. The first essay employs the PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses) methodology of SET. PRISMA's systematic and exhaustive approach to literature evaluation increases the likelihood of obtaining high-quality, reproducible findings. In the second essay, which focuses on awareness of X's (Twitter) security settings, a quantitative research approach was utilized. A sample of former and current Saudi students (graduate and undergraduate) at the University of North Texas participated in the investigation. This research provides an empirical examination of the use of X (Twitter) and its security features within this community by employing statistical analysis of the data from respondents. Likewise, the same sample of Saudi students from the University of North Texas was used for the third essay in which the use of Facebook's security settings was examined. Having a consistent sample across both studies enables a comparison and a greater understanding of the security awareness and practices of this group across …

Donor-acceptor systems exhibit distinctive attributes rendering them highly promising for the emulation of natural photosynthesis and the efficient capture of solar energy. This dissertation is primarily devoted to the investigation of these unique features within diverse donor-acceptor system typologies, encompassing categories such as closely covalently linked, push-pull, supramolecular, and multi-modular donor- acceptor conjugates. The research encompasses an examination of photosynthetic analogs involving compounds such as chelated azadipyromethene (AzaBODIPY), N,N-dimethylaminophenyl (NND), phenothiazine (PTZ), triphenylamine (TPA), phenothiazine sulfone (PTZSO2), tetracyanobutadiene (TCBD), and expanded tetracyanobutadiene (exTCBD). The strategic configuration of the donor (D), acceptor (A), and spacer elements within these constructs serves to promote intramolecular charge transfer (ICT), which are crucial for efficient charge and electron transfer. The employment of cutting-edge analytical techniques, such as ultrafast transient absorption spectroscopy, is integral to the study. Furthermore, a comprehensive suite of analytical methodologies including steady-state UV-visible absorption spectroscopy, fluorescence and phosphorescence spectroscopies, electrochemical techniques (including cyclic voltammetry and differential pulse voltammetry), spectroelectrochemistry, and density functional theory calculation (DFT), collectively contribute to the comprehensive characterization of push-pull donor-acceptor systems, with a particular emphasis on their potential as highly effective solar energy harvesting application.

Data management plan for a NSF grant with a name that has not been determined.

All oxide heterostructure Cr2O3/TiO2-x was deposited on Al2O3(0001) single crystal via MBE. The analysis of interfacial interactions involving two metal oxides resulting in magnetic properties gave insights for using such heterostructures as potential spintronic device materials. The corundum phase epitaxial growth of TiO2-x on Al2O3 was characterized using XPS, AES, EELS, and LEED. The data obtained gives evidence of presence of two-dimensional electron gas at titania surface due to oxygen vacancies formation after deposition. On titania, the deposition of chrome in UHV results in the formation of oxidized chromia overlayer by abstraction of oxygen from the TiO2-x underlayer further increasing the number of vacancies present. In industrial R&D project, dry etching of multiple optical device components was performed using a novel angled etch prototype tool. The first set of experiments involved plasma etching of SiC thin films optimized for target application. The best-known method (BKM) worked from 300mm full wafer to 200mm product. In second experimentation, a variety of gray-tone photoresist received from customers were etched using BKM. Customer received etch rate on each gray-tone material. The third experiments compared recipe R1 to test recipe R2 on the test vehicle VDC. R2 showed faster etch rate but lower process repeatability …

Fatty acid amide hydrolase (FAAH) is a widely conserved amidase in eukaryotes, best known for inactivating the signal of N-acylethanolamine (NAE) lipid mediators. In the plant Arabidopsis thaliana, FAAH-mediated hydrolysis of NAEs has been associated with numerous biological processes. Recently, the phylogenetic distribution of FAAH into two major branches (group I and II FAAHs) across angiosperms outside of Arabidopsis (and in other Brassicaceae), suggests a previously unrecognized complexity of this enzyme. Although A. thaliana has long been used to assess biological questions for plants, in this case it will fall short in understanding the significance of multiple FAAHs in other plant systems. Thus, in this study, I examined the role (s) of six FAAH isoforms in upland cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) and two FAAHs in the legume Medicago truncatula.

A series of acene-fused porphyrins and 1,10-phenanthroline-fused porphyrins were synthesized and characterized via NMR spectroscopy and mass spectrometry. The acene-fused porphyrins exhibit unique optoelectronic properties, most notably they exhibit highly red-shifted absorption bands. The 1,10-phenanthroline-fused porphyrins are of interest for their ability to bond to as variety of metals to form chelation complexes.

To address emerging challenges in empowering patients through telehealth, this dissertation has the following objectives: (a) find the key characteristics that enable patient empowerment [PE], (b) determining when will PE work as a solution, (c) find the optimal telehealth care method that enables PE, and (d) evaluate the impact of telehealth on health care outcomes (such as, patient satisfaction, patient trust with primary care providers, etc.) that ultimately enhances PE. These objectives are addressed in three studies presented here as three essays. Collectively, these essays contribute to the knowledge on PE, patient trust, and telehealth by providing insights on leveraging PE towards better health care services and delivery systems. Essay 1 aims to systemically map the concept of PE using principles of systems thinking with the Boardman soft systems methodology that enables a graphical visualization (i.e., systemigrams). Essay 2 investigates the practical and theoretical implications of connecting patients to empowerment care plans and minimizing wait times in healthcare service delivery using electronic prescriptions (s-scripts), phone calls, and video calls. In Essay 3, the mediating role of telehealth services between patient empowerment and patient satisfaction was analyzed, along with patient trust was assessed as a moderator between telehealth usability and patient …

Photograph of the back of a Mary McFadden dress from the UNT Texas Fashion Collection's permanent holdings, mounted in the Neiman Marcus Hub in Oaklawn in Dallas. The garment was mounted as part of a cultural partnership between Neiman's and the TFC.

Photograph of an Issey Miyake dress from the UNT Texas Fashion Collection's permanent holdings, mounted in the Neiman Marcus Hub in Oaklawn in Dallas. The garment was mounted as part of a cultural partnership between Neiman's and the TFC.

Photograph of the back of a Mary McFadden dress from the UNT Texas Fashion Collection's permanent holdings, mounted in the Neiman Marcus Hub in Oaklawn in Dallas. The garment was mounted as part of a cultural partnership between Neiman's and the TFC.

Data management plan for the grant, "UNT Texas Fashion Collection: Assessment and Preservation Training."

Digital twins are virtual renditions of the actual world that include real-world assets, connections, activities, and processes. Recent developments in technologies play a key role in advancing the digital twin concept in urban planning, designing, and monitoring. Moreover, the latest developments in remote sensing technology have resulted in accurate city-scale light detection and ranging (LiDAR) data, which can be used to represent urban objects (buildings, vegetation, roads, and utilities), enabling the creation of digital twin of urban landscapes. This study aims to build a digital twin of the University of North Texas (UNT) using LiDAR and GIS data. In this research, LiDAR point clouds are used to create 3D building and vegetation modeling along with other GIS data (bicycle racks and parking areas) in creating a digital twin model. 3D Basemap solutions of ArcGIS Pro and ArcGIS Online Scene Viewer, respectively, are used to create an initial 3D urban model and build the ultimate digital twin of UNT. The emergency management floorplans of UNT buildings are incorporated into the digital twin to increase emergency management efficiency. Moreover, solar power potential for individual buildings at UNT has been estimated using the Digital Surface Model (DSM) and integrated into the digital twin …

Anthropogenic activities have caused many wildlife spices to decline in populations worldwide. The grassland bird communities are especially being impacted by these land use changes. Breeding success is closely tied to functional habitats for most grassland bird species in North Texas. Restoring these degraded habitats is an important component to aid in conserving wildlife biodiversity. We surveyed the bird population at Riverby Ranch Mitigation site by conducting point count sampling. This site consists of recently restored grassland, wetland, and forested habitat. This research was focused on conducting post restoration monitoring of the bird community in the early succession of the restored habitats. We set out to use the bird community as biomonitors to help assess if the restoration practices could be considered successful. We found that density estimates were more than double at the restored site when comparing to three different references sites under different management practices. This included an unrestored working ranch, a wildlife management area, and a conservation managed prairie site. We found that biodiversity metrics were as high or higher than the reference sites. In addition, we also found that there were more observations of species of high conservation concern present at the restored stie. This research …

The purpose of this three-article dissertation was to expand knowledge and theory regarding digital tool use in biology laboratory courses, such as microbiology, which requires specific laboratory skill development through the perception of instructors and students. Article 1 establishes the broad digital literacy and fluency problem in education by providing definitions and the context behind digital literacy fluency and its impact on acquisition of knowledge in digital learning environments. The study provided a picture of the lack of knowledge about the use of digital tools in education and practical problems around appropriate implementation, infrastructure, and preparedness. Article 2 presents results of a literature research study about the foundational, pandemic-induced, and current digital tool use in biology and microbiology lab courses. Recommendations for improvement in digital tool implementation, pedagogical approach, and appropriate selection to meet learning outcomes were provided. Article 3 describes a 3-layered study to build a new instrument to understand minority-student perceptions of identity and digital literacy and technology barriers on student success in STEM courses. The study identified challenges and benefits of digital tool use in virtual microbiology lab courses, unique challenges of underrepresented populations, and the need to develop an instrument to capture the context of this …

Individuals who desire to pursue the teaching profession have two primary paths for preparation: either completing a traditional college-based program or an alternative program. A generic qualitative inquiry methodology was used to explore the perspective of novice teacher participants on how prepared they felt based on the preparation program they participated in. Data gathering was accomplished through a novice teacher survey and seven one-on-one semi-structured interviews. The data from the novice teacher survey revealed that college-based preparation participants felt sufficiently prepared 33% of the time, while the alternative preparation participants felt adequately prepared 59% of the time. College-based preparation participants in the semi-structured interviews reported that observing veteran teachers was invaluable in preparing for the first year of teaching. The alternative certification program participants revealed that teaching was significantly more demanding and that teachers face challenges beyond delivering effective lessons. The alternative preparation program offered an extensive library of lessons and learning modules; however, there was little to no guidance on selecting which lessons and learning modules to review. Participants indicated that improvement in the support provided to the novice teacher during the first year is vital when transitioning from theory to practice. Continued examination of teacher preparation programs is …

Three individuals prepare themselves to perform unique talents on a live stage, proving to themselves and others that they are far more capable than they imagined.