Digital Commons Network^™

Environmental Physiology Of Medical Cannabis, F. Mitchell Westmoreland

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

Cannabis (Cannabis sativa L.) is increasingly being cultivated for industrial and medical uses. Medical cannabis is grown for cannabinoids and terpenes, compounds that continue to show promising therapeutic potential. Cannabidiol (CBD) and delta-9- tetrahydrocannabinol (Δ9-THC) are the two most common cannabinoids, but more than 150 have been identified in cannabis. The 2018 Farm Bill federally legalized cannabis containing less than 0.3% THC and high-THC medical cannabis is legal in 38 states. There is a need to understand environmental effects on yield and quality to ensure safety and quality for medical use.

The cultivation of medical cannabis is centered around …

Human Or Machine: The Effects Of Centering Productivity On User Psyche Through Digital Management/Tracking Tools, Pema Thangzur

University Honors Theses

This paper examines the growing toxic culture of centering productivity and efficiency in the growth of Big Data-incentivized digital management/tracking tools. In response to the development of personal notetaking tools, mood tracker apps, habit tracking, and other personal data tracking programs, discourse from data scientists, interactive designers, archivists, and technology academics have critiqued how well-meaning the larger tech industry is by providing these tools. However, the current discourse on developing potential solutions to this issue remains understudied as the growth of said tools are fairly new. This paper proposes that digital interfaces employ approaches with users' personal data that center …

Oxider To Fuel Ratio Shift Compensation Via Vortex Strength Control In Hybrid Rocket Motors, Max W. Francom

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

Hybrid motors have existed as a hypothetical propulsion system for decades in a wide range of upper stage rocket motors due to their simple, robust, non-toxic, and versatile nature. However, inherent to hybrids is Oxidizer to Fuel ratio (O/F) shift over time, which results in performance losses for the majority of the rocket’s lifetime. The purpose of this study is to develop a hybrid rocket motor capable of manipulating O/F at will, resulting in an engine which eliminates the undesirable effects of O/F shift. By developing and refining a numerical simulation, a novel injector system, and an open-loop control scheme, …

Case Study: Diesel Powered Loaders Compared To Electric Loaders In Heavy Civil Construction, Jayson Downs

Construction Management

As the construction sector evolves, the environmental consequences of greenhouse gasses have become a significant issue. Numerous contractors are transitioning to electric-powered systems, which offer more energy-efficient methods for heavy machinery, enhanced productivity, and construction equipment that meets new and improved emission standards. This paper aims to examine the viability of heavy civil construction firms transitioning from traditional diesel-powered wheel loaders to electric wheel loaders. Given the competitive and saturated market in road construction, many contractors have already started investing in electric systems. This results in cost savings in terms of fuel efficiency and operating expenses compared to conventionally fueled …

What Effect Does Flexible Work Arrangements Have On Efficiency And Job Satisfaction In Medical Dosimetry?, Michelle Walters

Culminating Experience Projects

Abstract

The purpose of this research study is to determine new trends in the medical dosimetry profession that relate to when and where work is being completed. It is also of interest to understand efficiencies within radiation oncology departments as well as how medical dosimetrists work arrangements impact job satisfaction. A voluntary survey of current medical dosimetrists was conducted which asked close-ended questions about simulation to treatment time frames, employment type, hours worked, departmental efficiency and perceived job satisfaction. It was established that the resulting 185 responses provided statistically significant results. Greater than half of participants answered yes to either …

Performance Evaluation Of E-Ticketing Technologies On Asphalt Paving Projects In New Mexico, Gena C. Robertson

Civil Engineering ETDs

The collection and processing of paper tickets for construction material delivery is an inefficient and antiquated practice that exposes inspectors on highway paving projects to substantial safety risks. An alternative to the collection of paper tickets is e-Ticketing, which uses web-based systems to deliver similar information. This research documented a current paper ticketing process and compared it to an e-Ticketing process that was implemented on several pilot projects. Data were obtained using stakeholder meetings, personnel interviews, and surveys. When compared to a paper ticketing system, e-Ticketing was shown to have fewer opportunities for error, require fewer decision points, and provide …

Productivity As Social Imperative Automation And Transformations Of Labor In The United States And Germany, Anthony Jack Knowles Ii

Doctoral Dissertations

The purpose of this dissertation is to illuminate the social, economic, and political dynamics shaping automation, labor transformations, and productivity development through a comparative historical analysis of the automobile industry in the United States and Germany from the turn of the 20th century to the present. I examine the US and Germany as two value regimes that represent two distinct models of political, economic, and social organization, focusing on three specific dimensions: (1) business structure and practice, (2) labor organizing and struggles, and (3) governments as they support industries and form the legal basis for industrial relations. Major productive developments …

Efficiency Study Of A Hybrid Ac/Dc House, Eunice Dominique Solomon Santiago

Master's Theses

With the proliferation of residential-scale renewable energy sources and DC loads, it has become attractive to use residential DC electrical system that could offer benefits over the legacy residential AC electrical system. The Hybrid AC/DC house provides a sustainable alternative to preexisting residential electrical system by having both AC and DC buses. The DC bus facilitates the connection from DC sources to DC loads, whereas the AC bus interfaces AC sources to AC loads. The study develops the equations to calculate losses based on a model consisting of four main components: Multiple-Input Single-Output (MISO) converter, AC-DC converter, inverter, and DC-DC …

Practical Improvements For Pivot And Surface Irrigation, Jonathan A. Holt

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Irrigation is critical to meeting global food and fiber demands. Optimizing agricultural irrigation may help sustain production levels, while reducing its demand for water. This research evaluated precision sprinklers and drip irrigation for pivots, five pivot track mitigation tools, three scientific irrigation scheduling (SIS) methods, sensors for surface irrigation cutoff, and automating surface systems to implement surge irrigation. With pivots and surface irrigation being the most common methods for irrigation in the West, small improvements from these tools could result in significant water savings.

Low energy precision application (LEPA) sprinklers and mobile drip irrigation (MDI) were tested on two pivots. …

Essays On The Economics Of Sports Wagering Markets, Jacob Lamb

All Dissertations

Economists have long been enamored with using wagering markets and sports data to answer various economic questions. Wagering market data are readily available to answer any number of questions relating to sports and economics. However, most studies surrounding wagering markets have focused on searching for inefficiencies and, consequently, profitable betting strategies against the house. This dissertation takes a different approach, focusing on the information that can be extracted from efficient wagering markets and using that information to answer economic questions. Rather than hunting for inefficiencies, this dissertation confirms the efficiency of wagering markets and uses wagering markets to answer questions …

A Quality Improvement Initiative To Improve Access And Patient Flow In A Non-Emergency Walk-In Care Clinic, Renee J. Broze

DNP Scholarly Projects

Background: A community-based non-emergency walk-in clinic in Southern New Hampshire experienced high volume and inefficient workflows during the pandemic, causing delays in care, long visit times, and low net promoter scores.

Purpose: Institute an evidence-based approach to improve work efficiency through innovative models of care.

Methods: A literature review on best practices for workflow redesign guided the project. The project instituted an on-demand telemedicine service and a clinic fast-track workflow. A mixed methods approach analyzed pre /post cycle times, net promoter scores, and themes from staff interviews. Pre/post cycle times analyzed 12,767 completed appointments.

Results: There was a statistically significant …

Balsa Wood Bridge Senior Project, Ryan Moe

All Undergraduate Projects

For all of human history, people have been working to increase efficiency. This project followed in that pursuit by forcing engineers to create a 400 mm long bridge out of only balsa wood and glue that could withstand over 20 kgs of force with the bridge weighing a maximum of only 85 grams. The bridge also needed to have a lifting mechanism to raise it 140 mm above the starting position.

To accomplish this task, a strong truss needed to be built. Balsa wood is strong in compression so a truss with more beams in compression was used. Statics was …

Engineering Order-Disorder Transitions For High-Performance Thermoelectric Fe2val Heusler Alloys, Cory T. Cline

Dartmouth College Ph.D Dissertations

Fe₂VAl shows great promise as an eco-friendly and low-cost replacement to conventional low-temperature (250-500 K) thermoelectric materials. Current thermoelectric materials use toxic and expensive elements like Te and Sb, whereas Fe₂VAl offers a larger power factor at a lower cost and a reduced risk of environmental pollution. The key issue with Fe₂VAl is the alloy’s relatively large thermal conductivity compared to its semiconductor competitors. This thesis aims to investigate a hierarchical approach to reduce lattice thermal conductivity through a preliminary exploration of heavy element substitutions and mechanical deformation, then through probing order-disorder transitions for …

Improving Medicine-Telemetry Discharge Process, Claire Cafirma

Student Scholarly Projects

Practice Problem: In Maryland, the most recent coronavirus disease (COVID-19) surge caused a significant increase in hospitalization and urgent demand for critical care beds. The identified delays in discharging patients from the emergency department to inpatient units resulted in more extended hospital stays, higher complication rates, and morbidity, which also impacted the health care organization's finances.

PICOT: The PICOT question that guided this project was in a medicine-telemetry unit (P), does the implementation of an enhanced electronic discharge planning tool (I) compared to the current discharge planning tool (C) affect timely discharge (O) during an eight-week time period …

Durability Enhancement Of Anion Exchange Membrane Based Fuel Cells (Aemfcs) And Water Electrolyzers (Aemels) By Understanding Degradation Mechanisms, Noor Ui Hassan

Theses and Dissertations

The past several years have seen remarkable progress in renewable energy sources such as solar and wind, showing excellent efficiency and significant cost reduction. The intermittent nature of renewable resources requires them to be integrated with energy storage systems that can hold or convert this excess energy into other forms. Though batteries have been the most popular, it is also possible to store the energy as chemicals and fuels, such as hydrogen (H₂). Hydrogen generation from water electrolysis has been receiving significant attention in recent years. Among the existing water electrolysis technologies, anion exchange membrane electrolyzers (AEMELs) are …

The Importance Of Street Lighting: A Study In San Luis Obispo, Kaitlyn P. Lam

City and Regional Planning

The purpose of this report is to shed light on the importance of resident and student safety in the City of San Luis Obispo. The report goes over exact locations of frequently used areas in the City of SLO that lack street lighting. By spreading awareness, studying different lighting types, and getting citizen input, it helps to plan out a method of bettering San Luis Obispo’s streets. The report presents information on efficient and cost-effective lighting in order to integrate them into a location specific proposal that the city could utilize. By the end of the report, readers will be …

Constructions And Analyses Of Efficient Symmetric-Key Primitives For Authentication And Encryption., Sebati Ghosh Dr.

Doctoral Theses

In symmetric key cryptography there are two fundamental objectives, viz. 1. confidentiality or secrecy of message from unexpected party and 2. authentication of message which includes authenticating the source of the message as well as integrity of the message against any unwanted modification. Let us first concentrate on confidentiality. In classical symmetric key cryptography two parties, say Alice and Bob, first secretly exchange a key-pair (e, d). Later, if Alice wishes to send a secret message m ∈ M to Bob, she computes c = Ee(m) and transmits c to Bob. Upon receiving c, Bob computes Dd(c) = m and …

Thermodynamic Analysis Of A Novel Cycle For Nuclear Smr And Heat Transfer Performance Validation Of The Related Supercritical Working Fluids, Benjamin M. Pepper

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Currently, all operating nuclear power facilities in the U.S. follow the same general design and process: light-water reactors boil water into steam using bundles of nuclear fuel rods as a heat source, pumping that steam through a turbine which powers a generator to produce clean year-round electricity. Water is an effective coolant, but other facilities around the world have demonstrated the ability to use non-water-based coolants in nuclear reactor designs, which consequently have their own trade-offs. Some positive consequences of using different reactor designs include enhanced safety, better economics, and cheaper clean consumer energy. The work described in this paper …

An Analysis Of Efficiency In Equivalence-Based Instruction In Higher Education, Anishka Madansingh

Culminating Projects in Community Psychology, Counseling and Family Therapy

Equivalence-based instruction (EBI) is a method of presenting instructional content based on the principles of stimulus equivalence. EBI has been demonstrated to be a successful method of teaching advanced academic content to students in the university setting. EBI procedures have been shown to be efficient when teaching a variety of academically relevant content when compared to an alternative teaching approach. The purpose of this study is to compare the efficiency of an EBI training package, where students will be taught and tested for derived relations to a complete instruction (CI) package, where students will be directly taught all targeted relations. …

A Study Of Wings With Constant And Variable Sweep For Aerodynamic Efficiency In Inviscid Flow, Bruno Moorthamers

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Wing sweep has been studied by industry and academia since the pioneering days of aviation for both high-speed and low-speed applications. In transonic and supersonic flight regimes it serves to delay the onset of compressibility effects and decrease wave drag. In subsonic conditions, flying wing designs sweep back the main lifting surface in such a way that it can be used for longitudinal stability and control, to allow for the elimination of a traditional empenage. This is desirable because it can decrease the aerodynamic drag. Sweep can also be seen in nature in the wings of birds and fins of …

Testing Efficiency In Nhl Betting Markets, Charles Luxton, Joshua Spizman, David Moore

Honors Thesis

The efficiency of markets is a prominent topic in the field of finance. Market efficiency has been thoroughly examined across many subsectors of finance; however thus far, existing research has sparsely covered the increasingly prominent sports betting market. This market is currently valued at roughly $10B per year (Grandview). In this article, we evaluate the efficiency of sports betting markets, using NHL betting lines and results from 2015-2020 to create a multivariate probit model which tests the market’s efficiency. Using a multivariate probit model to identify NHL money line bets with a relatively high probability of success compared to their …

Techno-Economic And Sustainability Analysis Of Renewable Natural Gas (Rng) Production, Eesha Bhattacharjee

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Natural Gas (NG) is one of the major sources of energy currently used in the United States. Its major applications include generating electricity, domestic, and industrial heating purposes and as a transportation fuel. The largest component of NG is methane, and it contains trace amounts of hydrocarbons, some CO2 and water vapor.

Biogas (produced by anaerobic digestion (AD) of biomass) upgraded to have high purity methane (often termed as biomethane or renewable natural gas) can be used as an alternative to NG. The upgrading techniques may include CO2 separation from the biogas stream or via to a methanation facility where …

The Effects Of Nomophobia On Employee Engagement, Amber Joy Shirlyn Daniel

Browse all Theses and Dissertations

The study outlines the path that the researcher took to investigate the phenomenon of nomophobia as it relates to employee engagement. In the first two chapters, the researcher outlines a synopsis of the problem, presents gleanings from a review of pertinent literature on employee engagement and nomophobia, and articulates a basic conceptual framework for the study. The researcher also shares how the data was collected and analyzed in the third chapter of this document. In the fourth chapter, the method is articulated and finally, results and recommendations are shared in the last chapter.

Data Envelopment Analysis As A Benchmarking Application For Humanitarian Organizations, Dan Rodman

Theses and Dissertations

Humanitarian aid organizations are under tremendous pressure and competition for donor funds to sustain their operations. However, donor contribution levels have remained relatively stagnant over the past five years and are unlikely to grow in the foreseeable future. Additionally, donor policies and mandates have added pressure on humanitarian aid organizations to comply with new and more complex requirements.

Many humanitarian aid organizations work in some of the most challenging areas of the world, where conflict, famine, environmental, economic, and cultural challenges are prevalent. Given all these factors, a novel form of performance and efficiency measurement is needed to evaluate the …

Municipal Reform In The Progressive Era: Spatial Spread And Fiscal Outcomes Of The Commission Government, Daniel T. Hiller

Honors Theses

The Galveston-Des Moines Plan for commission government, seen as an important municipal reform during the Progressive Era meant to address corruption and inefficiency in many cities, was pitched by business elites and spread like wildfire in the 1910s. Is there a spatial component to the spread of the adoption of the commission form of government? What are the municipal fiscal outcomes of adoption? This paper shows that there was a spatial spread to its adoption using a lagged state adoption proportion variable. This paper also reveals that promises made by business elites such as increased efficiency and projects to improve …

Implementation Of Lean Principles During Operating Room Turnovers, Makenzie Marshall

Doctor of Nursing Practice Projects

Background

Many operating rooms across the country face the daunting task of making their turnovers between surgical patients quicker and more efficient. Turnover time is defined as the time it takes to clean an operating room and set up the next sterile field between surgical patients. The time begins when the patient leaves the operating room suite and stops when the next patient enters the same suite. Running an operating room is a complex and costly endeavor, and even small shortfalls can have a snowball effect, leading to delays, wasteful spending, and substandard patient outcomes; therefore, it is imperative to …

From Soup To Nuts - The Efficiency Of Non-Profits: Evidence From U.S. Food Banks, Mary A. Mattingly

Masters Theses

Nonprofits are a growing part of America’s economy and play an import role in fulfilling the needs of society in addition to private firms and government agencies. Economists haven’t researched nonprofits as much as other firms in the past, but this is starting to change. This project looks at the efficiency of 20 food banks in the United States using Data Envelopment Analysis. The results show that American Food Banks appear to be using their funds efficiently, but others could learn to use their inputs and outputs in a more efficient manner. As more data becomes available, this area of …

The Electrification Of The Kitchen: On The Energy Consumption Of Common Electric Cooking Appliances, Hozen Ricchie Rose Asok Rose

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

In developed countries, electricity has been gaining popularity as a source of energy for meal preparation. Utilizing electricity produced from renewable resources along with efficient electrical cooking appliances could result in sustainable clean cooking. The first objective of this research was to study the efficiency of common electrical cooking appliances—namely induction, resistance plate, resistance coil, infrared, and electric pot— by the water boiling test and the simmering test. The induction and electric pot were observed as the most efficient devices for the water boiling test. For simmering, which mimics many cooking processes, the electric pot and resistance coil were the …

The Benefits Of Utilizing Qr Codes On Construction Jobsites To Conduct Punch, Jack Richard Stryker

Construction Management

The punch process of construction is an important task that a construction project team is faced with before a project reaches final completion. A punch list documents and tracks items that need to be corrected, repaired, or are incomplete. If not closely managed, open punch items can drag out the completion of a project, and is often seen as a tedious task for project engineers. The industry has not seen much change as to how this process is conducted until recent advancements in construction software. This paper will take a deeper look into the benefits seen from utilizing Procore’s location-based …

The Effects Of Constant And Descending Criterion-Level Frequencies On Skill Acquisition Outcomes, Anna Budd

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Higher levels of performance during skill acquisition predict higher levels of response maintenance, but less is known about how many observations of high levels of performance are needed to produce this effect of criterion levels. Across two experiments, we analyzed multiple criterion-level frequency values, or the number of observations of criterion-level performance during teaching. In Experiment 1, we taught children with disabilities target skills to 90% accuracy using constant criterion-level frequencies: one day versus three consecutive days. Across three participants and five comparisons, participants required fewer sessions to meet the terminal acquisition performance criterion when the frequency value was set …