Digital Commons Network^™

Snow Crash: Concept And Prop Design For The Entertainment Industry, Igor Sobolevsky

Theses

Snow Crash was written by Neal Stephenson and published

in 1992. The novel touches upon the topics of technology,

information, computer science, and philosophy. The main

character, appropriately named Hiro Protagonist delivers

pizza for Uncle Enzo's Cosa Nostra Pizza Inc., but in the

Metaverse (Virtual Reality Network) he's a katana wielding

warrior. Hiro gets involved with the enigma of a new

computer virus that's infecting hackers everywhere. He

navigates the neon-lit streets with a mission of locating and

neutralizing a new villain who is trying to bring

forth the Infocalypse. Neal Stephenson paints a vivid world filled with astonishing multifaceted …

Carry On, Yatao Li

Theses

Carry On is my thesis project for a MFA in Film and Animation at Rochester Institute of Technology. The entire process took more than two years from start to finish. In November 2011, I wrote the first draft of the script. In April 2013, we finished filming. I did not wrap up editing and the final stages of production until December 2013. I ran into many difficulties and faced many challenges during this special experience, yet I also received more help than I had ever imagined in getting me through these hard times. Truthfully, there would be no way for …

Toly: Design To Enhance Parent-Child Relationship, Xiaoyu Wu

Theses

Toly is both a tool and a toy for children and parents. It is composed of two products: a cleaning bubble launcher and an adjustable mop. The form is inspired by sea creatures - specifically a hermit crab and an octopus - which enables Toly to combine role play and household chores. It makes kids love cleaning and provides an opportunity for parents to interact with kids while they are doing necessary housework.

The Function Of Carmil1 In Migrating Cells, Marc Edwards

All Theses and Dissertations (ETDs)

This dissertation describes the physiological role of the Capping Protein- CARMIL interaction in migrating cells. I establish the CARMIL-CP complex as a key regulator of lamellipodial actin assembly and of lamellipodial dynamics. Membrane ruffling at the leading edge of motile cells and macropinocytosis were also found to be dependent on the CARMIL1-CP interaction. This is consistent with macropinocytosis and ruffling being dependent on a functional and dynamic lamellipodium.: Kerr and Teasdale, 2009).

In chapter two I demonstrate that the CBR of CARMIL1 is competent to inhibit CP in cells. I show that overexpression of the CBR in cells leads to …

Understanding Crx-Associated Retinopathies Using Animal Models, Nicholas Minh Abell Tran

All Theses and Dissertations (ETDs)

Cone-rod homeobox: CRX) protein is a "paired-like" homeodomain transcription factor that is essential for regulating rod and cone photoreceptor transcription. Mutations in human CRX are associated with the dominant retinopathies Retinitis Pigmentosa: RP), Cone-Rod Dystrophy: CoRD) and Leber Congenital Amaurosis: LCA), with variable severity. The goal of my dissertation project was to develop and characterize animal models to understand genetic mechanisms of phenotypic diversity in CRX-associated disease. Heterozygous Crx Knock-Out: KO) mice: "+/-") have normal vision as adults and fail to model the dominant human disease.

We generated two Crx Knock-IN: K-IN) mouse models: CrxE168d2: "E168d2") and CrxR90W: "R90W"), which …

Leave Prejudice Behind, Pei-Chen Chien

Theses

In this thesis, I strive to expose societal rules and regulations that constrict and restrict our social interactions in a way that promotes prejudice and xenophobia. Through interacting with the series of sculptures, viewers are given the opportunity to question these societal norms and start a process of self- reflection to truly understand the freedom that comes without prejudice. Interaction is the main element that ties the series of works together, to form a seamless journey of self-discovery. The following artists are discussed in relation to this series of work: Niki de Saint Phalle and Björk Guðmundsdóttir. Their art works …

Bugchaser: Protective Measures, Scott Laforce

Theses

Using photographic installation and new media, Bugchaser: Protective Measures examines risk in response to perceived danger as engaged by bug chasers (or bugchasers) and suburbanites in the United States. The work explores this theme through the contrasting nature of queer social networks and the physical boundaries of the suburban landscape.

Ultimately, this work uproots conventional notions of intimacy as conscribed by the suburban middle-class and de-stigmatizes unconventional behaviors by challenging boundaries that needlessly divide. I have taken liberty with metaphor and used it in an attempt to reverse some of the damages brought forth through historical practices. If the viewer …

Private Flashbulb Memories: The Case Of Coming Out Memories, Gabrielle Weber

Undergraduate Honors Thesis Collection

Participants (N = 83) from Butler University and communities in Indianapolis, IN answered a three part questionnaire regarding their experience revealing their homosexual identity to their parents that included: a narrative, a set of probe questions, and a short demographic section. The narrative and probed recall data were scored in a similar fashion to flashbulb memory narratives with canonical features. The memory of revealing homosexuality to parents displayed flashbulb-like qualities. We found that those most confident in their probed recall answers were those with moderate arousal and few recounts. Also, those reporting moderate affect and fewer recounts had better memory …

Using Lagrangian Coherent Structures To Study Coastal Water Quality, Laura A. Fiorentino

Open Access Dissertations

The accumulation of pollutants near the shoreline can result in low quality coastal water with negative effects on human health. To understand the role of mixing by tidal flows in coastal water quality, we study the nearshore Lagrangian circulation of four recreational beaches in Miami, FL, who, despite close proximity, have varying microbial levels. Specifically, we reveal Lagrangian Coherent Structures (LCSs), i.e., distinguished material curves which shape global mixing patterns and thus act as skeletons of the Lagrangian circulation. We show how these material curves, which shape circulation and mixing patterns, can be used to explain the incongruous states of …

Investigations Of Cost-Effective Biodiesel Production From High Ffa Feedstock, Lesly N. Lesmes Sanchez

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Commercial production of biodiesel from refined vegetable oils has been widely practiced. However, more economic raw materials are required in order to make biodiesel competitive in the fuel market. This is a challenge since low-cost lipid feedstock contains high concentrations of free fatty acids (FFA) and water, which inhibit transesterification. This work investigates new catalyst combinations and method configuration to develop a cost-effective and suitable process utilizing refined canola oil and canola oil with high oleic acid content. Results suggest that potassium carbonate is more tolerant to water in the feed and enhances phase separation when compared to traditional catalyst, …

Online Information Search, Market Fundamentals And Apartment Real Estate, Prashant Das

Real Estate Dissertations

Using a system of multi-step equations, I examine the association between online rental searches and fundamental apartment real estate market variables namely, vacancy rates, rental rates and real estate asset price returns. I find that consumer real estate searches are significantly associated with the market fundamentals after controlling for known determinants of these variables. In particular, I show that apartment rentals related online searches are endogenously and contemporaneously associated with reduced vacancy rate. However, the association between the searches and rental rates is not significantly detected. The searches are contemporaneously associated with positive return on the appraised values of multifamily …

Design Of Endothelial Progenitor Cellular Constructs For Therapeutic Angiogenesis Applications, Ximena Vial

Open Access Dissertations

The goal of therapeutic angiogenesis is the development of functional and mature vasculature by combining biological and physical cues that mimic the native extracellular matrix. In this study we evaluated if immobilizing vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) gradients and SDF-1α on gelatin nanofibrous scaffolds with different fiber orientations (i.e. random or aligned) influence the angiogenic potential of endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) and human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs). Both cell types successfully adhered onto gelatin B scaffolds. VEGF gradients alone or combined with SDF-1α as well as fiber orientation had a pronounced effect on cell behavior, morphology and orientation. Cells …

High Resolution X-Ray Diffraction Analysis Of Cb1 Receptor Antagonists As A Means To Explore Binding Affinity, Steven P. Fournet

University of New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

Abstract

Charge density studies have been conducted on ten CB₁ cannabinoid receptor antagonists via high resolution x-ray crystallography. Bond critical point values and various other properties derived from these studies including the electrostatic potential were analyzed in correlation to the affinity of each compound with the CB₁ receptor. Correlation/anti-correlation was found between several properties and K_i. The data was also interpreted by principal component analysis with three principal components accounting for 85% of the data variation. Data mining was limit due to the low sample count and the requirements set for the inclusion of correlated/anti-correlated variables …

Am800, James Madison Roe

University of New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

In this paper, I will detail the film making techniques that my crew and I employed while making AM800, my thesis film at the University of New Orleans. I will detail the creative and technical steps we took, from the earliest stages of idea conceptualization to the final phases of post-production and screening. During my recounting of this process, I will discuss our creative goals, the challenges that we faced while achieving these goals, and the resulting product's effectiveness as a narrative short film. The quality of the final product will be gauged through the results of test screenings …

Experimental Investigation Of Mist Film Cooling And Feasibility Study Of Mist Transport In Gas Turbines, Reda M. Ragab

University of New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

In the modern advanced gas turbines, the turbine inlet temperature may exceed 1500°C as a requirement to increase power output and thermal efficiency. Therefore, it is imperative that the blades and vanes are cooled so they can withstand these extreme temperatures. Film cooling is a cooling technique widely used in high-performance gas turbines. However, the film cooling effectiveness has almost reached plateau, resulting in a bottleneck for continuous improvement of gas turbines' efficiency.

In this study, an innovative cooling scheme, mist film cooling is investigated through experiments. A small amount of tiny water droplets with an average diameter about 10-15 …

A Wedge Impact Theory Used To Predict Bow Slamming Forces, Ashok Benjamin Basil Attumaly

University of New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

The pressures and impact forces acting on a hull while experiencing bow wave slamming is analyzed using Vorus' Impact Theory. The theory extends the hydrodynamic analysis of planing hulls from simple wedges to irregular shapes using a Boundary Element Method. A Fortran-based code developed by the Author is used to analyze hullforms. Linear strip theory is used to extend the analysis over a three dimensional hull. Post-processing of output data gives hull pressure distributions at different time steps and is visually presentable.

Impact pressure, Impact force, Planing, Wave slamming, Bow impact, Vorus' theory, Boundary Element Method, Linear strip theory

A Numerical Study Of High Temperature And High Velocity Gaseous Hydrogen Flow In A Cooling Channel Of A Ntr Core, Sajan B. Singh

University of New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

Two mathematical models (a one and a three-dimensional) were adopted to study, numerically, the thermal hydrodynamic behavior of flow inside a single cooling channel of a Nuclear Thermal Rocket (NTR) engine. The first model assumes the flow in the cooling channel to be one-dimensional, unsteady, compressible, turbulent, and subsonic. The working fluid (GH₂) is assumed to be compressible. The governing equations of the 1-D model are discretized using a second order accurate finite difference scheme. Also, a commercial CFD code is used to study the same problem. Numerical experiments, using both codes, simulated the flow and heat transfer …

Dynamic User Defined Permissions For Android Devices, Christopher D. Stelly

University of New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

Mobile computing devices have become an essential part of everyday life and are becoming the primary means for collecting and storing sensitive personal and corporate data. Android is, by far, the dominant mobile platform, which makes its permissions model responsible for securing the vast majority of this sensitive data.

The current model falls well short of actual user needs, as permission assignments are made statically at installation time. Therefore, it is impossible to implement dynamic security policies that could be applied selectively depending on context. Users are forced to unconditionally trust installed apps without means to isolate them from sensitive …

Ultra-Low Temperature Measurements Of London Penetration Depth In Iron Selenide Telluride Superconductors, Andrei Diaconu

University of New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

The newly discovered iron based superconductors have captivated the attention of the scientific community due to the unusual mechanism behind their superconductivity and their promise as the next generation high temperature superconductors. After a century of superconductor research, the physical mechanism behind high temperature superconductivity is still not understood. These new materials bring renewed hope in elucidating the pairing mechanism responsible with high temperature superconductors and achieving the ultimate goal of the field, room temperature superconductivity. Consequently, a deeper understanding of the intriguing properties of iron based materials is essential.

A great deal about the pairing mechanism of Cooper electron …

Wastewater Disinfection In Enclosed Recirculation Systems With Electromagnetic Waves, Luis G. Mosquera

University of New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

Finding the most cost-effective and environmental friendly way to treat and disinfect wastewater has been raising concerns around the world. Failure in performing disinfection of wastewater before returning it to the environment could have terrible consequences to human health and the ecosystem. The risks associated to continue with current practices have led to the creation of stringent regulations.

In this research the HYDROPATH technology is tested while attaching a HydroFlow 60i unit to a reactor that works as a closed recirculation system. To determine the feasibility of the HydroFlow 60i unit as an alternative method to chlorine, the EPA method …

Perceptions Of Women's Teams Coaches Regarding Gender Equity And Title Ix Compliance In Community Colleges, Cynthia A. Kenney

University of New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

Title IX was enacted over 40 years ago, and although there have been marked increases in the number of girls and women participating in athletics at every level, gender equity in athletics continues to be a concern. This is especially evident at the community college level. Title IX requires equity in the areas of opportunities for participation, opportunities for financial aid, and equity in benefits and services. This study sought to ascertain perceptions of equity held by community college coaches of women’s teams. A cross-sectional design was used to survey coaches from all regions of the NJCAA who were listed …

Effects Of A Cross-Age Peer Tutoring Program On Reading Performance Of Hispanic Title I Second And Third Grade Students, Ana Isabel Rodriguez

Theses and Dissertations

Hispanic students are falling behind their peers in reading fluency and are struggling to close the gap. This study examined the reading fluency influence on 73 Hispanic second and third grade students while receiving reading fluency support from middle school Hispanic tutors. These students were compared to Hispanic second and third grade students not receiving tutoring reading support. All students were assessed before the tutors gave reading support, mid-year and after the reading support finished using a school district fluency measurement. Findings found that students made rapid growth in reading fluency from the beginning of the tutoring support to mid-year. …

Intraurban Variability Of Ambient Particulate Matter, Varun Yadav

All Theses and Dissertations (ETDs)

An understanding of spatial and temporal variability in ambient particulate matter: PM) is important for effective air quality management and for assessing potential exposure misclassification in epidemiological and exposure studies used to support health-based standards. Spatiotemporal variability of PM in urban areas can be influenced by many factors, such as local sources of primary PM; source locations and their emission profiles; topographic barriers; meteorological patterns; behavior of semi-volatile components; and measurement errors. Intraurban variability is often gauged by conducting measurements at a network of monitoring stations across the region of interest. While certain statistical metrics are commonly used and interpreted …

The Voices Of African American Women's Transition Experiences From A Community College To A Four-Year College Sharing A Campus, Lola Ames

Theses and Dissertations

African American women make up a substantial percentage of the higher education student population. Research on their participation is disproportionately underrepresented and in many cases embedded within the experiences of Euro-American women and African American men. This method of grouping has potentially led to their invisibility in research on higher education experiences. To overcome this mishap, African American women's experience should be disaggregated from those of Euro-American women and African American males. In order to separate African American women's experiences, a phenomenological research design and theoretical framework, such as Black feminist thought are prudent. The purpose of this descriptive phenomenological …

Six Sigma, Firm Performance And Returns Predictability In Emerging Real Estate Market, Bora Ozkan

University of New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation consists of two essays. First essay investigates Fortune 500 companies that implemented Six Sigma. Since the 1980s, industrial organizations have adopted practices such as Six Sigma to maintain and enhance competitiveness. The purpose of this study is to look at the long run stock price and the operating performance of Fortune 500 companies that were identified to have implemented Six Sigma compared to the overall market performance as well as the performance of industry and size matched firms. Even though our sample firms improved several variables after implementing Six Sigma, their operating performances were not quite close to …

The Impact Of The Affordable Care Act On The Safety-Net. A Focus On Two Community-Based Clinics Serving Latin@ Immigrants In The Greater New Orleans Region, Rosa Herrin

University of New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

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Latin@ immigrants face many obstacles to affordable healthcare that push them to disproportionately rely on the primary safety-net for their healthcare needs. This system is mostly funded with public monies that will be significantly reduced when Affordable Care Act is fully implemented. Since undocumented Latin@ immigrants are prohibited from accessing federally funded healthcare, they will be left out of the health care reform. This thesis examines two community-based clinics in the Greater New Orleans area that serve this population, and have developed linguistically and culturally appropriate programs that address its needs. The New Orleans Faith Health Alliance and Common-Ground …

Predicting Voltage Abnormality Using Power System Dynamics, Nagendrakumar Beeravolu

University of New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this dissertation is to analyze dynamic behavior of a stressed power system and to correlate the dynamic responses to a near future system voltage abnormality. It is postulated that the dynamic response of a stressed power system in a short period of time-in seconds-contains sufficient information that will allow prediction of voltage abnormality in future time-in minutes. The PSSE dynamics simulator is used to study the dynamics of the IEEE 39 Bus equivalent test system. To correlate dynamic behavior to system voltage abnormality, this research utilizes two different pattern recognition methods one being algorithmic method known as …

Hurricane-Exposed Youth And Psychological Distress: An Examination Of The Role Of Social Support, Donice M. Banks

University of New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

Hurricane exposure places youth at risk for psychological distress such as symptoms of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), anxiety, and depression, while social support may contribute to resilience following disasters. This study examined associations among family and peer social support, level of hurricane exposure, and psychological distress using both a large single-time assessment sample (N = 1098) and a longitudinal sample followed over a six-month period (n = 192). Higher levels of hurricane exposure were related to lower levels of social support from family and peers as well as to higher levels of psychological distress. Higher levels of family …

A Nonlinear Ship Wave Solution Method, Li Chen

University of New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.

A Multi-Gene By Environment Perspective Of Adhd Symptomatology In Young Children, Amber L. Allison

University of New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a heritable disorder, which has detrimental effects on childhood development and is associated with maladaptive functioning in adulthood. Despite this, we are far from an understanding of the etiology and possible trajectories of ADHD, possibly due to investigations focusing on the contribution of single genes. In fact, single genes are likely not influential enough to alter behavior, but the additive effect of many genes may predispose an individual toward certain behaviors. Further, environmental input can activate or suppress genetic expression, thereby leading to vast individual differences in both normative behavior and psychopathological illness, including …