Digital Commons Network^™

A Comparison Of Uniaxial Compressive Response And Inelastic Deformation Mechanisms In Freeze Cast Alumina-Epoxy Composites Without And With Rigid Confinement, Tareq Aljuhari

Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering Theses & Dissertations

Cellular ceramics have an array of improved mechanical properties that make them incredibly desired for different applications such as armor systems, aircraft structures, automobiles bumpers, and biomedical implants. It is also desirable that porous architecture could be shaped into bulk complicated shapes and easy to scale-up with low manufacturing cost. Despite several efficient techniques to fabricate cellular ceramics, some limitations are preventing us from meeting the high demand of the after mentioned applications. For that, freeze casting, also called ice-templating, is technique of solidifying an aqueous ceramic suspension under the effect of unidirectional temperature gradient. In this study, Ice-templated porous …

Testing A Contextual Framework Of Intimate Partner Violence In Young Adults, Phoebe Tabb Hitson

Psychology Theses & Dissertations

Bell and Naugle (2008) proposed a comprehensive theoretical framework that includes multiple variables hypothesized to be involved in intimate partner violence (IPV) perpetration, including distal and proximal variables. The current study (1) assessed the extent to which childhood physical abuse victimization, interparental violence, insecure attachment, accepting beliefs about violence, sexism, stress, alcohol and marijuana use, relationship satisfaction, emotion regulation, and anger management were associated with physical IPV perpetration; (2) determined whether some of these variables influenced physical IPV perpetration more than others; (3) explored the mediation of distal variables by more proximal variables in predicting physical IPV perpetration; and (4) …

Engineering Of Ideal Systems For The Study And Direction Of Stem Cell Asymmetrical Division And Fate Determination, Martina Zamponi

Biomedical Engineering Theses & Dissertations

The cellular microenvironment varies significantly across tissues, and it is constituted by both resident cells and the macromolecules they are exposed to. Cues that the cells receive from the microenvironment, as well as the signaling transmitted to it, affect their physiology and behavior. This notion is valid in the context of stem cells, which are susceptible to biochemical and biomechanical signaling exchanged with the microenvironment, and which plays a fundamental role in establishing fate determination and cell differentiation events. The definition of the molecular mechanisms that drive stem cell asymmetrical division, and how these are modulated by microenvironmental signaling, is …

"I Want To Know What I'M Looking At": Surveilling Gender As A Response To Cultural Anxieties In Halloween, Sleepaway Camp, And Scream, Jennifer Jacinda Mclawhorn

Institute for the Humanities Theses

The purpose of this thesis is to investigate slasher films and how they use gendered tropes to respond to and perpetuate cultural anxieties. The methodology primarily uses textual analysis that includes close attention to content, context, and discourse. The study reveals structural patterns and problems that emerge within slasher films, specifically within the Final Girl trope and the behaviors that govern it. In surveilling the Final Girl’s gender performativity, it is apparent that abjection, or a gut reaction to something that exists between two distinct boundaries or categories, is provoked when the Final Girl crosses a socially established gender boundary. …

Instructional Designers Conducting Professional Learning Using Social Media: A Phenomenological Study Of Their Experiences Through A Self-Regulated Learning Lens, Pauline S. Muljana

STEMPS Theses & Dissertations

Because the instructional design and technology field is dynamic (Sharif & Cho, 2015; Wang et al., 2021), instructional designers need to pursue continuous, just-in-time professional learning (Carliner, 2018) to improve knowledge, skills, and abilities (Sharif & Cho, 2015; Ritzhaupt & Martin, 2015), without being constrained by location, budget, and time (Muljana et al., 2020; Muljana et al., 2021). On the one hand, the omnipresent social media technologies offer affordances for facilitating this type of professional learning. Such technologies allow instructional designers to reach out to colleagues, search for ready-to-implement strategies, and find relevant, timely information. On the other hand, conducting …

The Influences Of Disperser Behavior, Host Availability, And Environmental Conditions On The Distribution Of Oak Mistletoe [Phoradendron Leucarpum (Raf.) Reveal & M. C. Johnst.] In Eastern Virginia And North Carolina, Nicholas Pearce Flanders

Biological Sciences Theses & Dissertations

Mistletoes are shrubs that typically parasitize the branches of host trees and rely on avian frugivores for seed dispersal. Because mistletoes are restricted to a narrow range of suitable recruitment sites and avian frugivores are more visible than other guilds of seed dispersers, mistletoe-frugivore systems afford opportunities for assessing the roles of dispersal limitation and local environment in determining plant distribution. These mechanisms have been proposed as determinants of the observed association of oak mistletoe [Phoradendron leucarpum (Raf.) Reveal & M. C. Johnst.] with forested wetlands in eastern Virginia and North Carolina, USA. I tested the alternative hypothesis that …

Investigating The Biorisk Of Genetically Engineered Thermosynechococcus Elongatus Bp1, Cherrelle Leah Barnes

Chemistry & Biochemistry Theses & Dissertations

Cyanobacteria, also known as blue-green algae, are an ancient group of microorganisms that use simple materials, such as sunlight, carbon dioxide and water, to produce energy while providing oxygen to the atmosphere by performing photosynthesis. Synthetic biology approaches have been employed with cyanobacteria as a platform to produce a range of products, such as biofuels, by inserting a series of genes into the cyanobacterial genome that will allow the conversion of metabolic intermediates to such desired products. Although these methods are promising, it is important to understand any potential bio-risk they pose. This research evaluates the potential bio-risk of genetically …

Ants And Spices: The Potential Of Spices To Repel Pest Ants (Formicidae), Jenny Vu, Hritam Mitra, Joe Steven Hardy, Nirupama Chauhan

2022 REYES Proceedings

We examined the spices nutmeg, cinnamon, Ngo Hiang Spice Mix (anise, galangale, cinnamon and star anise) and turmeric for repellent activity against foraging ants. Control baits consisting of a cracker substrate topped with granulated sugar were presented next to treatment baits (cracker, granulated sugar and spice spread over the sugar) to ants in natural habitats. After an hour, the numbers of ants recruiting to the control and treatment baits were recorded. Jenny Vu first tested nutmeg and then cinnamon; Hritam Mitra tested turmeric; Joe Steven Hardy tested Ngo Hiang Spice Mix and Nirupama Chauhan tested turmeric. Data were analyzed with …

Ants And Spices: Multiple Bioassays Investigating Turmeric (Curcuma Longa) And Chili Powder As Repellents For Ants (Formicidae), Luca Ben Yishay-Sapalio

2022 REYES Proceedings

Spices offer an environmentally friendly method of controlling ants (Formicidae) in homes. In this study, I used three bioassays to examine the effect of Turmeric (Curcuma longa) and one bioassay to examine the effect of Chili Powder as repellents for ants. Tests were conducted near active ants outdoors. All bioassays examined paired control and treatment baits along a transect, and control baits consisted of a small sheet of corrugated cardboard (a sterile yet easy to manipulate substrate) with granulated sugar on top. In the first bioassay, treatment baits were similar to controls but with Turmeric covering the sugar. …

Statistical Genetic Discoveries Using Restricted Maximum Likelihood Method, Erika Wu

2022 REYES Proceedings

In statistical genetics, genetic association and genomic prediction become more successful with a highly heritable trait. Identifying highly heritable components of a complex disease can thus advance scientific understanding of the disease and potentially lead to effective prevention and treatments. Using Matlab and existing large-scale genome datasets, we evaluate a restricted maximum likelihood approach to identify highly heritable components of a complex disease as a function of multiple clinical variables.

Career Pathways Program Annual Report For Ay 2021/22, Wie Yusuf

Career Pathways

Career Pathways launched in August 2017 as the university-wide initiative to provide graduate student professional development. Career Pathways prepares graduate students for successful transition into thriving careers. It is a gateway to resources, programs, events, and planning tools for ODU graduate students and post-doctoral fellows. Career Pathways encompasses both the Preparing Future Faculty (PFF) and the Preparing Future Professionals (PFP) Certificates. The Preparing Future Faculty Certificate was an existing program, started in 2007, while the Preparing Future Professionals Certificate was launched in 2017 concurrently with Career Pathways. With the Preparing Future Professionals Certificate, specifically, the emphasize has been on filling …

Contrasting Sea-Ice Algae Blooms In A Changing Arctic Documented By Autonomous Drifting Buoys, Victoria Hill, Bonnie Light, Michael Steele, Andrew Lowy Sybrandy

OES Faculty Publications

Novel observations of the seasonal evolution of an ice algal bloom on the Chukchi shelf were collected by two autonomous buoys deployed 180 km apart in first-year drifting sea ice. High attenuation of blue light in the bottom of the ice indicated considerable accumulation of ice algae biomass with derived Chlorophyll-a concentrations (Chl a) up to 184 mg m⁻². Differences in the magnitude and persistence of ice algae biomass under each buoy appear to have been driven by differences in snow thickness, as ice thickness was similar between the sites. Minimal snow cover (0.02 m) around …

Monarch, Philip Walzer (Editor)

Monarch Magazine

Summer 2022 issue of Monarch, the Old Dominion University Magazine.

Subtitled: R1: The Gold Standard of Research

Illuminator, Volume 5, Issue 2, Batten College Of Engineering & Technology, Old Dominion University

College of Engineering & Technology Newsletter

June 2022 issue of Illuminator, a monthly publication of ODU's Batten College of Engineering and Technology.

Mycobacteriosis Of Striped Bass (Morone Saxatilis) In Virginia Tributaries Of The Chesapeake Bay, Joshua S. Mcgilly

Biological Sciences Theses & Dissertations

Mycobacteriosis was first documented in Chesapeake Bay striped bass (Morone saxatilis) in 1997 after fish exhibited emaciation and skin lesions. Since it was first identified, studies of mycobacteriosis in the mainstem of the Chesapeake Bay (2003-2007) and the Rappahannock River (2005-2012) have shown high disease prevalence and disease-associated mortality. Until this study, no current prevalence data existed from the Rappahannock River, and no published prevalence data existed for the James River, leaving a gap in our understanding of this disease in major Chesapeake Bay tributaries. We began gathering mycobacteriosis prevalence data from an existing survey collecting striped bass …

Deep Learning Object-Based Detection Of Manufacturing Defects In X-Ray Inspection Imaging, Juan C. Parducci

Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering Theses & Dissertations

Current analysis of manufacturing defects in the production of rims and tires via x-ray inspection at an industry partner’s manufacturing plant requires that a quality control specialist visually inspect radiographic images for defects of varying sizes. For each sample, twelve radiographs are taken within 35 seconds. Some defects are very small in size and difficult to see (e.g., pinholes) whereas others are large and easily identifiable. Implementing this quality control practice across all products in its human-effort driven state is not feasible given the time constraint present for analysis.

This study aims to identify and develop an object detector capable …

Temporal Dynamics And Seed Dispersal In Plant-Frugivore Communities Of The Dominican Republic, Spencer Christian Schubert

Biological Sciences Theses & Dissertations

Plant-animal mutualisms are a foundational component of biodiversity in terrestrial ecosystems. Most tropical forest plants have adapted to produce fleshy fruits to attract frugivorous animals to disperse seeds. Interaction patterns among plant taxa and their seed dispersers are driven by a complex suite of factors involving their evolutionary history and environmental context, and the structure of these mutualistic networks are theoretically tied to their ecological function. I carried out a series of field studies to investigate the temporal dynamics of mutualistic interactions of plant and avian frugivore communities in the central Dominican Republic and how their characteristics affect seed dispersal …

Implications Of Metal Coordination In Damage And Recognition Of Nucleic Acids And Lipid Bilayers, Ana Dreab

Chemistry & Biochemistry Theses & Dissertations

Metal ions have a myriad of biological functions from structural stability to enzymatic (de)activation and metabolic electron transfer. Redox-active metals also mediate the formation of reactive oxygen species which may either cause oxidative damage or protect cellular components. Computational modeling is used here to investigate the role of (1) metal-ion binding to antimicrobial peptides, (2) metal-ion removal and disulfide formation on zinc finger (ZF) proteins, and (3) coordination of thiones/selones for the prevention of metal-mediated redox damage.

Piscidins, natural-occurring antimicrobial peptides, efficiently kill bacteria by targeting their membranes. Their efficacy is enhanced in vitro by metal-binding and the presence of …

Using Stock And Flow Modeling To Address Knowledge Gaps In Marine Plastic Pollution Data, Daniel P. Martin

OES Theses and Dissertations

As plastic becomes a ubiquitous part of society, its growth outpaces waste disposal infrastructure and enters the environment as physical and chemical pollution. Plastic can also erode during the use cycle and reach the environment without any chance of being arrested by collection efforts. Plastic is a hazard to many parts of the earth’s life support system but there are many knowledge gaps regarding the processes by which plastic moves through the use cycle and environment. In particular, the ocean is generally regarded as a sink for plastic out of which it is difficult to escape, but plastic can sink …

Addressing Public Perceptions About Cell-Based Meat And Cellular Agriculture Through Metaphors, Yvette Emma Hubbard

English Theses & Dissertations

Today’s food movement places organic, holistic, and natural foods as priority. The idea aims for better human health, a farm-to-table community, and environmental sustainability. Soon a new meat alternative will become part of the ongoing food movement. What is it? Cell-based protein. It is a protein alternative to livestock protein. It is real protein from a real breathing animal. Cell-based beef for example is grown in a lab with cells from a living cow that does not have to die or be slaughtered. It is destined to become the new protein architecture on the horizon. Parts of this paper are …

A Preventive Medicine Framework For Wearable Abiotic Glucose Detection System, Saikat Banerjee

Electrical & Computer Engineering Theses & Dissertations

In this work, we present a novel abiotic glucose fuel cell with battery-less remote access. In the presence of a glucose analyte, we characterized the power generation and biosensing capabilities. This system is developed on a flexible substrate in bacterial nanocellulose with gold nanoparticles used as a conductive ink for piezoelectric deposition based printing. The abiotic glucose fuel cell is constructed using colloidal platinum on gold (Au-co-Pt) and a composite of silver oxide nanoparticles and carbon nanotubes as the anodic and cathodic materials. At a concentration of 20 mM glucose, the glucose fuel cell produced a maximum open circuit voltage …

Investigating Arrhythmia Potential In Cardiac Myocytes In Presence Of Long Qt Syndrome, Victoria Lin Lam

Biomedical Engineering Theses & Dissertations

Long QT Syndrome (LQTS) is an increasingly studied condition that leads to potentially fatal heart rhythm disorders, called arrhythmias, and sudden cardiac death. The alterations in the electrocardiograms (ECGs) seen in LQTS patients is caused by mutations to genes related to ion channels in cardiac cells. Computational modeling allows the mechanistic study of these ion channel mutations in LQTS by providing quantitative predictors of cardiac behavior in human and rabbit heart models. This work hypothesizes that the repolarization reserve in cardiac Purkinje cells (PC), that form the cardiac conduction system, is lower than that of ventricular myocytes (VM), resulting in …

Transparscit: A Transformer-Based Citation Parser Trained On Large-Scale Synthesized Data, Md Sami Uddin

Computer Science Theses & Dissertations

Accurately parsing citation strings is key to automatically building large-scale citation graphs, so a robust citation parser is an essential module in academic search engines. One limitation of the state-of-the-art models (such as ParsCit and Neural-ParsCit) is the lack of a large-scale training corpus. Manually annotating hundreds of thousands of citation strings is laborious and time-consuming. This thesis presents a novel transformer-based citation parser by leveraging the GIANT dataset, consisting of 1 billion synthesized citation strings covering over 1500 citation styles. As opposed to handcrafted features, our model benefits from word embeddings and character-based embeddings by combining the bidirectional long …

Foundations Of Plasmas For Medical Applications, T. Von Woedtke, Mounir Laroussi, M. Gherardi

Electrical & Computer Engineering Faculty Publications

Plasma medicine refers to the application of nonequilibrium plasmas at approximately body temperature, for therapeutic purposes. Nonequilibrium plasmas are weakly ionized gases which contain charged and neutral species and electric fields, and emit radiation, particularly in the visible and ultraviolet range. Medically-relevant cold atmospheric pressure plasma (CAP) sources and devices are usually dielectric barrier discharges and nonequilibrium atmospheric pressure plasma jets. Plasma diagnostic methods and modelling approaches are used to characterize the densities and fluxes of active plasma species and their interaction with surrounding matter. In addition to the direct application of plasma onto living tissue, the treatment of liquids …

Disaster Victim Identification Competencies: A Comparison Of Dental Hygiene And Dental Assistant Students, Samantha Clara Vest

Dental Hygiene Theses & Dissertations

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to assess cognitive and affective learning outcomes of allied dental students following a disaster victim identification (DVI) multi-media learning experience. Methods: A convenience sample (n=41) of senior dental hygiene and dental assisting students from two institutions completed an IRB-exempt DVI learning experience which included a multimedia intervention with a pretest/posttest survey to assess cognitive and affective changes. The multimedia intervention was a PowerPoint presentation with educational text, audio/video recordings, and presented in a virtual synchronous format by one of the researchers. After completing the learning experience, participants were presented with 10 sets of …

A Direct Method For Modeling And Simulations Of Elliptic And Parabolic Interface Problems, Kumudu Janani Gamage

Mathematics & Statistics Theses & Dissertations

Interface problems have many applications in physics. In this dissertation, we develop a direct method for solving three-dimensional elliptic interface problems and study their application in solving parabolic interface problems. As many of the physical applications of interface problems can be approximated with partial differential equations (PDE) with piecewise constant coefficients, our derivation of the model is focused on interface problems with piecewise constant coefficients but have a finite jump across the interface. The critical characteristic of the method is that our computational framework is based on a finite difference scheme on a uniform Cartesian grid system and does not …

Development Of Modeling And Simulation Platform For Path-Planning And Control Of Autonomous Underwater Vehicles In Three-Dimensional Spaces, Sai Krishna Abhiram Kondapalli

Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering Theses & Dissertations

Autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs) operating in deep sea and littoral environments have diverse applications including marine biology exploration, ocean environment monitoring, search for plane crash sites, inspection of ship-hulls and pipelines, underwater oil rig maintenance, border patrol, etc. Achieving autonomy in underwater vehicles relies on a tight integration between modules of sensing, navigation, decision-making, path-planning, trajectory tracking, and low-level control. This system integration task benefits from testing the related algorithms and techniques in a simulated environment before implementation in a physical test bed. This thesis reports on the development of a modeling and simulation platform that supports the design and …

Pedestrian Evacuation: Vulnerable Group Member Influence On The Group Leaders’ Decision-Making And The Impact On Evacuation Time, Terra Lynne Elzie

Computational Modeling & Simulation Engineering Theses & Dissertations

As pedestrian evacuations of buildings, outdoor venues, and special events occur, dynamic interactions between pedestrians and vehicles during egress are possible. To model pedestrian and vehicle evacuations, simulation models have evolved to incorporate more realistic crowd characteristics and behaviors to provide improved results. Past studies using modeling and simulation, specifically agent-based modeling, have explored pedestrian behaviors such as decision-making, navigation within a virtual environment, group formations, intra-group interactions, inter-group dynamics, crowd behaviors such as queuing and herding, and pedestrianvehicle interactions. These studies have led to relevant insights helpful to improving the accuracy of evacuation times for normal and emergency egress …

Complex System Governance Leadership, David C. Walters

Engineering Management & Systems Engineering Theses & Dissertations

The purpose of this research was to develop a systems theory-based framework for leadership in governance of complex systems. Recognizing complexity and uncertainty as norms for the environments in which organizations exist encouraged researchers to suggest complexity theory, complex systems, and complex adaptive systems as appropriate for addressing these conditions. Complex System Governance (CSG), based in systems theory, management cybernetics, and governance, endeavors to provide for the design, execution and evolution of functions that provide control, communication, coordination, and integration at the metasystem level to support operations and continued system existence (viability). From a management cybernetics perspective, CSG leadership has …

Enhancing Melatonin Secretion: The Methodical Consumption Of Tryptophan From Whole Cow’S Milk To Regulate Sleep Quality In Individuals Aged 18-30 With Delayed Sleep-Wake Phase Disorder, Shraddha Patel

Virginias Collegiate Honors Council Conference

Young adults in the United States are increasingly affected by DSPD (delayed sleep-wake phase disorder), a circadian rhythm disorder that delays evening sleep and morning wake times. Although medicinal supplements have shown to produce effective results on sleep induction, they come with unwanted side-effects. A review of the literature on clinical nutrition and endocrinology suggests that dietary alterations through the timed consumption of tryptophan-abundant whole cow’s milk could be a supplemental means of improving sleep quality. Studies on chrono nutrition indicate that dietary components absorbed by the bloodstream can change the circadian schedule of melatonin secretion from the pineal gland, …