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Robust Detection Of Coronary Heart Disease Using Machine Learning Algorithms, Anas Haitham Domyati

Theses

Predicting whether or not someone will get heart or cardiac disease is now one of the most difficult jobs in the area of medicine. Heart disease is responsible for the deaths of about one person per minute in the contemporary age. Processing the vast amounts of data that are generated in the field of healthcare is an important application for data science. Because predicting cardiac disease is a difficult undertaking, there is a pressing need to automate the prediction process to minimize the dangers that are connected with it and provide the patient with timely warning. The chapter one in …

Estimating And Project Management For The Construction Of A Visitor Deck At City Farm Slo, Eric Cederstrom

Construction Management

This paper will outline the process of estimating and the project management of a visitor deck that was built at City Farm of San Luis Obispo, a local non-profit. The deck was built for the purpose of providing an area for visitors to observe the agricultural land where City Farm educates the community on ecology, nutrition, and sustainable farming. The construction of the deck was completed by three fourth-year Construction Management majors: Eric Cederstrom, Lane Lagomarsino, and Brett Jones. Each project team member was responsible for their own aspect of the project planning and all members collaborated throughout the entire …

Construction Of A Visitor Deck At City Farm Slo, Brett Bryan Jones

Construction Management

This paper will discuss the construction of my senior project. For my senior project, I completed the construction of an observation deck at City Farm SLO. City Farm SLO is a non-profit that provides food to local food banks and has educational gardens that allow students of all ages come to learn and volunteer their time. The deck is centrally located at the highest point on the property, making it a great lookout spot for visitors to view the entire farm. However, the location on top of the hill created challenges that we had to overcome. I completed my senior …

Design Of Self-Assembled Peptides For Wound Healing, Ka-Kyung Kim

Dissertations

According to the CDC, 15% of diabetic patients develop diabetic foot ulcers (DFU) and approximately 170,000 patients undergo non-traumatic amputation annually. DFU is a major complication of diabetes caused by non-healing full-thickness wounds through the dermis. The current treatments include blood sugar control, frequent debridement, offloading, moist wound care, infection treatment, and amputation. To achieve wound closure of DFU, appropriate wound care and antibiotic therapy are essential. Topical regimens include hydrocolloids, alginates, foam, silver-impregnated dressings, and hydrogels. Wound healing is a complex and dynamic interplay between the immune system, keratinocytes, and dermal cells (in case of cutaneous wound). Angiogenesis has …

Casm-Amfmnet: A Network Based On Coordinate Attention Shuffle Mechanism And Asymmetric Multi-Scale Fusion Module For Classification Of Grape Leaf Diseases, Jiayu Suo, Jialei Zhan, Guoxiong Zhou, Aibin Chen, Yaowen Hu, Weiqi Huang, Weiwei Cai, Yahui Hu, Liujun Li

Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Grape disease is a significant contributory factor to the decline in grape yield, typically affecting the leaves first. Efficient identification of grape leaf diseases remains a critical unmet need. To mitigate background interference in grape leaf feature extraction and improve the ability to extract small disease spots, by combining the characteristic features of grape leaf diseases, we developed a novel method for disease recognition and classification in this study. First, Gaussian filters Sobel smooth de-noising Laplace operator (GSSL) was employed to reduce image noise and enhance the texture of grape leaves. A novel network designated coordinated attention shuffle mechanism-asymmetric multi-scale …

Atomistic Investigation Of Nucleosomal H3 Histone Tail In Unmodified And Epigenetically Modified States, Kathryn Piston

Dissertations - ALL

Epigenetics is a growing area of research that could potentially unlock the understanding of questions like how and why we develop certain diseases, how we age, how we inherit certain traits and even how our species evolves. Epi is a prefix meaning above, referring to chemical tags that sit above your genetics and dictate gene expression. Although there are many known links between certain epigenetic tags and diseases like cancer, the molecular mechanisms behind these links remains elusive. Gaining a novel understanding of the behavior of key biological targets for cancer like the histone H3 tail motivated this work. Histone …

A Harmonic Radar System For Honey Bee Tracking To Better Understand Colony Collapse Disorder, William B. Woo

Theses and Dissertations

Honey bees are some of the most important pollinators for agriculture in the world and are pivotal to the health of worldwide ecosystems. Like all insects, bees struggle with exposure to parasites, diseases, and other environmental factors that can negatively affect the overall health of the colony. Recently, a new unexplainable phenomenon called Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD) has been wreaking havoc on bee populations worldwide. As a result, a system capable of tracking bees is required to understand the different contributions of chemicals, parasites, etc. to CCD. This research seeks to show data supporting the development of systems for an …

Sprouting Systems, Abaigeal Aydt, Cassidy Smith

Honors Program: Expanded Learning Clubs

After taking a class at UNL about environmental awareness, two honors students paired up to start a hydroponics club at a local Lincoln school. In reaching out to the LPS director of sustainability, they were paired up with Prescott Elementary School. Over the course of a semester, they developed a club that got a hydroponic grow tower functioning for the school and taught students about nutrition and sustainability. This club is only in its beginning stages, but the impacts that it is making around the school can already be seen.

Increasing Accessibility To Monitoring Ammonia Levels In The Body Through Development Of A Novel Point-Of-Care Breath Ammonia Diagnostic Device, Emily C. Wright, Ashwin M. Sivalingam

Honors Theses

Hyperammonemia is a life-threatening metabolic condition that is characterized by elevated levels of ammonia concentrations in the blood. Resulting from serious conditions such as chronic kidney disease or liver failure, the limited functions of the liver and kidney lead to an increase in blood urea nitrogen (BUN) within the body. Currently, there are a wide variety of treatments for this condition, ranging from various medications to surgical procedures such as liver transplants. However, there is a lack of variety in diagnostic testing methods to determine a patient’s ammonia levels. In most cases, patients will need to schedule a doctor’s appointment …

Research Of The Process Of Obtaining Crystalline Monocalcium Phosphate Based On Extraction Phosphoric Acid From Phosphorites Of Central Kyzylkums, Kholtura Mirzakulov, Gavkhar Melikulova, Mohichehra Shaymardanova, Sherzod Khujamberdiev

CHEMISTRY AND CHEMICAL ENGINEERING

The aim of the research is to establish the optimal parameters of the technological process for the production of feed, crystalline monocalcium phosphate based on defluorinated and desulphated extraction phosphoric acid obtained from phosphorites of the Central Kyzylkum and limestone.

The influence of technological parameters, such as the norms and concentration of phosphoric acid, the process temperature on the filtration rate indicators, the rheological properties of the suspension and the mother liquor, as well as the dependence of the change in the commercial property of crystalline feed monocalcium phosphate, were studied.

It is shown that, regardless of the initial acid …

Plant Protein-Based Nanocomposite Films: A Review On The Used Nanomaterials, Characteristics, And Food Packaging Applications, Shima Jafarzadeh, Mehrdad Forough, Sajed Amjadi, Vahid J. Javan Kouzegaran, Hadi Almasi, Farhad Garavand, Masoumeh Zargar

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Consumer demands to utilize environmentally friendly packaging have led researchers to develop packaging materials from naturally derived resources. In recent years, plant protein-based films as a replacement for synthetic plastics have attracted the attention of the global food packaging industry due to their biodegradability and unique properties. Biopolymer-based films need a filler to show improved packaging properties. One of the latest strategies introduced to food packaging technology is the production of nanocomposite films which are multiphase materials containing a filler with at least one dimension less than 100 nm. This review provides the recent findings on plant-based protein films as …

Design Of An Implanted Vascular Access Device With A Mechanical Septum, Mallory Ann Moffett, Katherine Rose O'Quinn

Honors Theses

As populations continue to age, their need for medical care continues to rise. This is seen by the large need for implanted vascular devices (IVADs). IVADs are essential for individuals with poor venous access and patients requiring long-term venous delivered drugs. This document will explore the existing IVADs, where they fall short, and where our device, the IrisPort system, works to solve the unmet needs of patients. The IrisPort system is a needle-less port system that allows for repeated venous access without the use of a non-coring needle. Prior art searches have shown that the IrisPort is a novel solution …

Dialysis Patient Education On The Prevention Of Kidney Disease Prior To Patients Receiving Dialysis: A Retrospective Descriptive Study, Jamie D. Jones

ATU Theses and Dissertations 2021 - Present

Fifty-two adult patients at an outpatient dialysis center in central Arkansas were surveyed regarding the education that was provided by medical professionals related to kidney disease and dialysis during treatment of hypertension and diabetes. The twenty-question survey inquired about demographic information, medical history, and the timing and perceived comprehension of education received. The researcher discovered that the majority of patients did not receive education that identified hypertension and diabetes as contributing factors of kidney disease until after diagnosis of kidney disease. The vast majority of participants reported that education regarding the life implications of dialysis, including fluid and dietary restrictions, …

A Spatiotemporal Analysis Of Food Pantry Accessibility In Washington County, Arkansas, Coleman Warren

Industrial Engineering Undergraduate Honors Theses

Food pantries are an essential resource for impoverished and food insecure communities. Washington County, Arkansas has a food insecurity rate of 14.3% as compared to the national average of 10.9% (Feeding America, 2019). The Northwest Arkansas Food Bank has a robust pantry network in Washington County to support families and individuals who struggle with food insecurity.

We conducted a spatiotemporal analysis of food pantry accessibility in Washington County, Arkansas to evaluate the effectiveness of the food pantry network in Washington County at supporting communities with the most need. This analysis was conducted using the Two-Step Floating Catchment Area (2SFCA) method …

Interdiction Models To Disrupt The Operations Of Sex Trafficking And Other Forced Illicit Labor Networks, Michael T. Clark

All Theses

Sex traffickers often force their victims to work in both commercial sex markets and perform other illicit activities (e.g., drug dealing, theft, and fraud). Current literature has failed to address interdiction models that aim to disrupt all components of a sex traffickers’ operation, including these other illicit activities. In this thesis, we present a interdiction problem, and its single-level linear optimization reformulation, to reduce the profit of a human trafficking network concurrently operating in the commercial sex market and other illicit activity markets. Our novel formulation aims to investigate the practical implications of interdiction decisions made to disrupt a human …

Rheological Behavior Of Dspc-, Dbpc-, And Dppc-Oxygen Microbubbles And Their Effectiveness In Improving Survival In A Rat Model Of Lipopolysaccharide-Induced Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome, Riaz Ur Rehman Mohammed

Department of Mechanical and Materials Engineering: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) causes 75,000 deaths in the U.S., annually. It is characterized by hypoxemia and damage to the lung alveoli. ARDS Management strategies involve extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) and mechanical ventilation, but none of these methods improve the mortality rates. Oxygen microbubbles (OMBs) consist of a lipid shell with an oxygen core and have potential to augment oxygenation to manage ARDS. Previous studies demonstrated significant improvements in systemic oxygenation and mortality upon administering OMBs.

We replicated an ARDS rat model by intratracheal administration of lipopolysaccharide at a 24 mg/kg dose. After inducing the disease in rats, the …

Inactivation Of Salmonella In Black Peppercorn By Fluidization With Hydrogen Peroxide Vapor, Edel Summers

Department of Agricultural and Biological Systems Engineering: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

The purpose of the present study was to assess the effectiveness of hydrogen peroxide vapor (HPV) at inactivating Salmonella inoculated in whole black pepper when used as fluidizing gas media. HPV treatment was conducted at two different temperatures (45°C and 60°C) and two dwell times (30 min and 60 min). Microbial reduction and residual hydrogen peroxide were measured at three storage times: 0 h (immediately after treatment), 24 h and 48 h post-treatment. The effect of HPV on the quality of whole black peppercorn was evaluated 48 h post-treatment based on changes in piperine content, total phenolics, antioxidant activity, total …

Toward Sustainable Urban Food Production: Integrating Hydroponic Cultivation With Wastewater Reuse, Amanda Tan

All Theses

The growing crisis of freshwater scarcity together with the increasing global food demand directs attention to the need for alternative water sources for agriculture. The research presented here engages this need by carrying out indoor cultivation of food crops in Nutrient Film Technique (NFT) hydroponic systems using residential wastewater. Randomized single factor experimental designs were used to investigate the physiochemical and microbiological makeup of the hydroponic nutrient solution throughout the cultivation cycle and their relationship with different plant development parameters.

For agricultural wastewater reuse to be of low risk to human health there must be some advancement in pathogen monitoring …

Modeling Leaf Area Index And Canopy Height Using Growing Degree Days, Ellie J. Kuhn

Biological and Agricultural Engineering Undergraduate Honors Theses

As the global population increases and food security is recognized as a critical issue, crop growth prediction models help ensure the sustainability of reliable food sources. Using a prediction model based on temperature and simple, measurable field parameters, e.g., Leaf Area Index (LAI) or Canopy Height (H_can), may allow farmers and others to intervene mid-season with fertilizer, irrigation, or other inputs to obtain a better harvest.

This study aims to create a general model that could predict LAI and H_can values for numerous rice varieties using Growing Degree Days (GDD) as the time scale. The models use …

Potato Processing In The Home: Sustainability And Nutritional Impacts, Aubin Payne

Biological and Agricultural Engineering Undergraduate Honors Theses

Potatoes are the world's fourth most consumed crop. Their versatility and long shelf-life make them a staple food for millions of people worldwide. Still, the increasing consumption of highly processed potato products in developed countries has damaged the public's appreciation of potatoes as a valuable source of essential nutrients. Additionally, as public awareness of environmental sustainability increases, the average consumer is more likely to value processing methods that mitigate environmental damage.

Researchers simulated several home storage and processing conditions to find out how nutrition and environmental impact are affected by the home processing timeline. Then, a nutrient analysis, life cycle …

Sensory Comparison Of Beer Carbonated Using Forced Carbonation And The Carbo Rock-It, Michala Smith

Biological and Agricultural Engineering Undergraduate Honors Theses

Craft brewing is a growing market which represents over 12% of beer produced in the United States. Dr. G Scott Osborn, PE invented the Carbo Rock-It™ to improve the carbonation process for craft breweries. The invention allows for shorter carbonation time and uses less CO₂, saving companies money and time. Because of the lack of gas losses through bubbling, Osborn theorized that the Carbo Rock-It could also prevent the “stripping of the nose” that can occur in traditional forced carbonation. Existing research supports the mechanism, as beer flavor and aroma volatiles have been detected during the release of …

A Wearable Electronic Monitoring Device For Low Pressure Garment Applications And Temperature Analysis For Prevention Of Ulceration And Infection, Francisco Mata Carlos

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The healing process of several medical conditions related to venous insufficiency and burn scar management can be improved by the proper application of pressure. Current practices for applying pressure to an extremity do not guarantee the consensus ideal interface pressures for such medical conditions. Applying a low pressure range (within 15 – 40 mm Hg) is challenging due to many factors, but especially because the actual pressure applied by a compression garment used on a patient is unknown. The proposed device, used to sense and display low pressure values, is described in detail throughout the chapters of this thesis.An electronic …

Predicting The Progression Of Diabetes Mellitus Using Dynamic Plantar Pressure Parameters, Mathew Sunil Varre

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Introduction: Diabetic peripheral neuropathy is one of the common complications of type-2 diabetes mellitus (DM). Changes in the intrinsic plantar tissue coupled with repetitive mechanical loads and loss of sensation may lead to foot related complications (skin break down, ulcerations, and amputations) in persons with neuropathy if left untreated. The purpose of this dissertation was to stratify individuals with pre-diabetes, diabetes with and without neuropathy using dynamic plantar pressure parameters during walking, using machine learning algorithms.Methods: Plantar pressure data was collected from one hundred participants during walking with pressure measuring insoles fixed between the feet and thin socks. Simultaneously high-definition …

Investigating The Impact Of Hypoxia On Reactive Oxygen Species Generation Within Murine Breast Cancer Cells, Jared Mcpeake

Biomedical Engineering Undergraduate Honors Theses

When cancer metastasizes from a primary tumor site to secondary site through the bloodstream or lymph, the cancer becomes more difficult to treat. For this reason, it is vital to study what indicates the metastatic potential of a tumor. Current research has shown that cell lines with high metastatic potential display increased levels of metabolic adaptability over their nonmetastatic counterparts after undergoing hypoxic conditions. One method of assessing this adaptability is to measure the concentration of reactive oxygen species (ROS) produced by the cells while undergoing oxidative stress. In highly adaptable metastatic cells, an increase of ROS buildup within the …

Exploring The Role Of Metabolites In Cancer And The Associated Nerve Crosstalk, Inah Gu, Emory A. Gregory, Casey Atwood, Sun-Ok Lee, Young Hye Song

Biomedical Engineering Faculty Publications and Presentations

Since Otto Warburg's first report on the increased uptake of glucose and lactate release by cancer cells, dysregulated metabolism has been acknowledged as a hallmark of cancer that promotes proliferation and metastasis. Over the last century, studies have shown that cancer metabolism is complex, and by-products of glucose and glutamine catabolism induce a cascade of both pro- and antitumorigenic processes. Some vitamins, which have traditionally been praised for preventing and inhibiting the proliferation of cancer cells, have also been proven to cause cancer progression in a dose-dependent manner. Importantly, recent findings have shown that the nervous system is a key …

Cellular Migration As A Function Of Magnetic Field Intervention, Amy Marie Vecheck

Theses and Dissertations

This work aims to assess cellular migration in three-dimensional structures as a function of Zeeman resonance. By using Zeeman resonance to initialize intersystem crossing of electrons, also known as the Radical Pair Mechanism, bioenergetics processes would be modulated. Processes such as oxygen consumption rate and extracellular acidification rate are indicative of cellular respiration and glycolysis and can be altered based on the orientation of the magnetic field applied: parallel and perpendicular, respectively. This study focused on the parallel orientation and looked to used Zeeman resonance to increase flavin adenosine dinucleotide, which results in preventing the breakdown of F-actin. Cellular viability …

Effects Of Continuous In Situ Low-Dose Ionizing Radiation On Microorganisms, Molly E. Wintenberg

All Dissertations

Precise detection and monitoring of nuclear fuel cycle, enrichment, and weapon development activities are critical for supporting warfighter preparation in chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear, and explosives (CBRNE) operations, clandestine activities, and nuclear compliance. A biological sensing system could serve as an alternative to traditional detection methods by using organic material naturally present in the environment to discreetly detect residual trace nuclear material. Microorganisms provide an optimal platform for an alternative sensing system; however, their response to low levels of ionizing radiation is poorly characterized. Combining the power of next-generation sequencing and transcriptomic analysis, this dissertation takes an approach to obtain …

The Environmental And Nutritional Dilemma Of Beef Production And Consumption, Hannah A. Swilling, Stefano De Rosmini, Brooke Lovan

Chemical Engineering Undergraduate Honors Theses

Based on previous studies, it has been stated that beef production and consumption in the United States is detrimental to the environment. However, in depth studies analyzing the change of beef production and consumption, the environmental impacts, the external costs, the lifestyle implications as well as the nutritional, the social and the cultural aspects of beef have not been conducted. The goal of this study is to analyze the multiple aspects of the dilemma over beef production and consumption. This was done through an analysis of beef production and consumption data over the past 60 years to determine how it …

Evaluating Plant Uptake Of 4,4'-Methylenedianiline, Jeff Wight

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

4,4’-Methylenedianiline (MDA) is an important industrial chemical used primarily in the production of polyurethane. It is toxic and a suspected human carcinogen. Polyurethane is used in a wide variety of applications such as furniture cushioning, coatings, adhesives, sealants, and elastomers. Polyurethane in soil may degrade and release MDA. This is concerning due to some models predicting a high potential for MDA to be taken up by plants and stored in edible tissue, creating a possible route of exposure for humans and animals. In this project, the potential for MDA to be take up by plants was investigated in order to …

Nonviral Approaches For Delivery Of Crispr-Cas9 Into Hepatocytes For Treatment Of Inherited Metabolic Disease, Tanner R. Rathbone

All Dissertations

Inherited metabolic diseases (IMDs) of the liver have a collective occurrence of about 1 in 800 births. Current therapies for IMDs of the liver are limited, and the only curative option for patients is orthotopic liver transplantation. Due to shortages of organ donors, immunosuppression following the transplantation, and mortality risks associated with the procedure, alternative treatment options are necessary for curing IMDs of the liver. Therapeutic gene editing has been proposed as a potential strategy for treating IMDs of the liver. Adeno-associated viral vectors (AAVs) are the most widely used delivery method for liver-targeted gene therapies. Although widely used for …