Digital Commons Network^™

Automatic Posture Correction Utilizing Electrical Muscle Stimulation, Ravi Kiran Kattoju

Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-2023

Habitually poor posture can lead to repetitive strain injuries that lower an individual's quality of life and productivity. Slouching over computer screens and smart phones, asymmetric weight distribution due to uneven leg loading, and improper loading posture are some of the common examples that lead to postural problems and health ramifications. To help cultivate good postural habits, researchers have proposed slouching, balance, and improper loading posture detection systems that alert users through traditional visual, auditory or vibro-tactile feedbacks when posture requires attention. However, such notifications are disruptive and can be easily ignored. We address these issues with a new physiological …

Assessing The Relative Influence Of Interpersonal Relationship Factors On Probationer Rule Compliance, Lucas Alward

Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-2023

The quality of probation officer-client therapeutic alliance (TA) can result in improvements in supervision success including reduced rearrest and non-compliance. However, less is known about how clients' perceptions of procedural justice during interactions with their probation officer (PO) influence the quality of the PO-client TA and impact supervision outcomes. While extant research supports the importance of procedural justice for shaping citizen's legitimacy beliefs and compliance to the law within policing, we know little about how and whether these concepts influence the PO-client TA in community supervision and whether they impact compliance. Using self-reported survey data collected from a sample of …

Surface Engineering For Controlled Growth And Deposition Of Nanomaterials - Assembly And Design At The Nano-Microscale, David Fox

Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-2023

Materials with nanoscale dimensions offer several important benefits over bulk materials (e.g. increased surface area, low-cost, deviation from bulk properties, etc.). Such materials are critical components for next-generation energy storage materials, optoelectronic devices, and catalyst systems. However, these materials are often processed in liquid media, and their diminutive structures are fragile in the presence of capillary forces. As such, preparing uniform and stable nanomaterial coatings is a significant challenge. Herein, we discuss an approach where the substrate itself is factored into the assembly and growth of these materials. First, nanoporous surfaces were utilized to achieve a uniform deposition of one-dimensional …

Exploring Quality Of Life Perception Among Pre-Clinical And Clinical Phases Of Medical School Students In One Medical School Program In The Southeastern United States, Carley Blades Myszkowski

Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-2023

Medical education is a complex, intense, and demanding process. Research showed that medical school students experienced significant changes and navigated intense and fluctuating stressors during their four years of medical school (Compton et al. ,2008; Hojat et al., 2004; McKerrow et al., 2020; Pagnin & De Querioz, 2015). Research has shown medical school students were impacted by substantially reduced physical, mental, and emotional health (Rajapuram, Langness, Marshall, & Sammann, 2020). Both internationally and nationally there was a growing interest in researching the health and wellness of medical school students, particularly focusing on quality of life (QOL) (Heidari et al., 2014; …

Examining The Lived Experiences Of Mothers' And Maternal Grandmothers' Co-Caregiving For An Elementary-Aged Child With Asd: A Phenomenological Study, Chelsea Pierce

Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-2023

Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) often require additional support, compared to their neurotypical peers. Caregivers of individuals with ASD frequently report mental health impacts including high stress, as well as the need for familial support. While literature exists around grandparents raising children with ASD, the researcher was unable to identify studies regarding the complex care relationship between mothers and maternal grandmothers as co-caregivers for an elementary-aged child with ASD. Therefore, the researcher conducted a phenomenological study to contribute to the literature on the experiences of mothers and maternal grandmothers as co-caregivers for an elementary-aged child with ASD. The researcher …

Davydov-Split Aggregates Of Cyanine Dyes For Bovine Serum Albumin Detection, Yiping Ma

Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-2023

The p-conjugated supramolecular aggregates have gained significant interest in recent years. The cyanine dye aggregates are particularly interesting due to their unique optical and excitonic properties, which cannot be found in individual molecules. Cyanine dyes can form different kinds of aggregates. H-aggregates are formed when dye molecules are packed in a face-to-face fashion, which gives rise to a blue-shift absorption band and strong emission quenching compared to the monomer. J-aggregates are composed of individual dye molecules in a head-to-tail stacking, which leads to a red-shift absorption band and a sharp intense emission band with a small Stoke shift compared with …

G-Quadruplex Reporters: Structural Studies And Application For Visual And Fluorescent Detection Of Point Mutations In Nucleic Acid Sequences, Ryan Connelly

Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-2023

DNA-based diagnostics traditionally utilize hybridization probes: strands of DNA complimentary to a target sequence that, upon binding, generate a signal to indicate the presence of the target. The classic hybridization probes are the molecular beacon (MB) and TaqMan probes, both single DNA strands with a fluorophore and quencher at opposing ends. Despite their widespread use in applications such as qPCR due to their ability to multiplex with a variety of bound fluorophores, these probes have several shortcomings: temperature limitations for selective target recognition and differentiating single-nucleotide polymorphisms, intrinsic design limitations to interrogate some target sequences, and a high relative cost …

Terahertz Spintronics With Antiferromagnetic Insulators, Gyan Khatri

Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-2023

The existence of the THz gap in the electromagnetic spectrum is not only preventing the advancement of several technologies but also hindering research and developmental activities due to a lack of research facilities operating in the gap region. There is a plethora of materials with dynamics lying in the THz gap region whose study could potentially lead to the development of new technologies for the generation, detection, and processing of THz signals. Antiferromagnets are gaining recent interest due to their high frequency dynamics lying in the THz region, and their potential uses as active elements in THz spintronics devices have …

"Taken In By The 'Man In A White Van' Story": The Digital Activism Efforts Of One Women's Civic Leadership Organization In Human Trafficking Awareness, Alex Rister

Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-2023

Feminist activism in the digital age leverages technology to raise awareness of, and to mobilize support for, important issues and causes. Human trafficking is one such cause, and preventing it is included as a United Nations Sustainable Development Goal to achieve gender equality and empower women and girls. This study sought to understand the digital activism strategies of one women's civic leadership organization, the Junior League, for human trafficking awareness. In addition, this project analyzed how those digital activism strategies did or did not align with social justice approaches to human trafficking and how those digital activism strategies did or …

Data-Driven Diagnostics And Prognostics For Complex Systems: Methods And Applications, Junchuan Shi

Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-2023

Recent advances in artificial intelligence or machine learning have the potential to significantly improve the effectiveness and efficiency of diagnostic and prognostic techniques. The objective of this research is to develop novel data-driven predictive models with machine learning and deep learning algorithms that allow one to model the degradation, detect the faults, as well as predict the remaining useful life (RUL) of complex systems, including bearings, gearboxes, and Lithium-ion (Li-ion) batteries. First, an enhanced ensemble learning algorithm is developed to improve the accuracy of RUL prediction by selecting diverse base learners and features at different degradation stages. The proposed method …

Underlying Dimensions Of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Symptoms Pre And Post-Treatment In Women With Co-Occurring Substance Use Disorder, Emy Willis

Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-2023

A considerable proportion of women worldwide have experienced various manner of abuse in their lifetime (Devries et al., 2011). Women are more at risk of exposure to physical and sexual violence (Hedtke et al., 2008), and women who have experienced interpersonal violence are at heightened risk of developing several mental health conditions including posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and substance use disorders (SUDs; Acierno et al., 1999; McGruder-Johnson et al., 2000; Messman-Moore & Bhuptani, 2017). Treatment outcomes for individuals with co-occurring PTSD and SUDs tend to be worse than for those diagnosed with PTSD alone (Schäfer & Najavits, 2007), and outcome …

Automation, Take The Wheel: An Examination Of Factors Influencing Trust In Automated Driver Assist Technologies, James Ferraro

Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-2023

Driving technology has progressed significantly since the introduction of anti-lock braking and cruise control decades ago. Current driver assist features can alert drivers of oncoming vehicles and even take control to keep the vehicle centered within its lane. The level of trust that people place in automation can impact how they monitor and accept these automated systems. Previous research has shown several performance outcomes associated with improper calibrations of trust in automation. However, there is still a need to examine trust in the context of advanced driving technologies. Research has yet to sufficiently investigate factors influencing trust in assistive driving …

A Study Of Autorotation: Samara Seed Pods And Tethered Autogyros, Jonathan Mcconnell

Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-2023

This work presents an exploration of autorotational behavior, observing naturally occurring structures to provide insight into the stability and design of autorotative mechanisms. A rotor is said to be in autorotation when, in the presence of airflow, a natural rotation generates lift to either suspend or slow the descent of a rotor. This phenomenon is observed in nature in the form of samaras, a seed pod morphology evolved in parallel by maple trees and many other organisms around the world. Simulation and experimental observation of samara vertical descent behavior provides insight into the stability of naturally evolved autorotative structures. A …

The Cultural Significance Of Racial Socialization And "The Talk" Within The Black Family, Deborah Griffith

Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-2023

In the wake of the renewed sense of powerlessness felt in the Black community, "The Talk" (Snell,2016) is primarily considered an essential rite of passage in Black families in preparing Black children how to engage with police when faced with microaggressions of racism. The awareness that the rules are different based on the color of your skin reinforces the narrative that for Blacks, most will face law enforcement that functions to protect and serve Whiteness (Burton, 2015). The purpose of this research was to examine the cultural significance of Racial Socialization and the use of "The Talk" within the Black …

Harnessing The Power Of The Nitro Group In Natural Product Synthesis, Katelyn Bobek

Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-2023

The high reactivity and electron-withdrawing ability of the nitro group makes it a powerful tool in synthesizing a diverse range of bioactive natural products. The potential of the nitro group was employed via two main methodologies: iron (III)-mediated oxidative dearomatization and oxime carbonate butyrolactone formation to reach three important heterocyclic scaffolds; spiro, tropone and γ-butyrolactone. Nitro precursors were enantioselective synthesized by key nitro-aldol (Henry) and nitro-Michael reactions. A library of polysubstituted butyrolactone oxime carbonates were formed under mild DMAP and Boc2O conditions from readily available δ-nitroalcohols in good to high yields with broad functional group tolerability. Six lignan γ-butyrolactone natural …

2d Animation Of The 21st Century: The Digital Age, James Chambless

Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-2023

My thesis project, entitled The Curse Breaker, is a personal and career venture studying the medium of 2D animation while battling my struggle with cigarette addiction. I researched and applied symbolism and narrative strategies while building an impactful hero narrative. Joseph Campbell's The Hero with a Thousand Faces provided insight into the monomyth and hero archetypes. Character and environment designs implemented symbolism as a driving focus of my thesis and fueled the semantic interpretation needed to successfully communicate my struggle with the audience in a non-verbal fashion. The language of cinematography aided in the effectiveness of my thesis film. The …

Raman Excitation Laser Effects On Peak Parameters And Peak Metamorphic Temperatures Of Primitive Carbonaceous Chondrites, Amy Lebleu-Debartola

Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-2023

MicroRaman (µRaman) spectroscopy is often regarded as a non-destructive technique, utilized to analyze limited materials, both terrestrial and extraterrestrial. Carbonaceous chondrite meteorites are of particular interest but they are dark (low albedo) materials, and thus absorb the majority of incident visible light. Raman excitation lasers can induce considerable localized heating, even when low laser powers are used. It has been previously suggested to utilize low power lasers of =0.4 mW to minimize damaging carbonaceous samples in several fields, including Meteoritics, Geology, Chemistry, and Paleontology. Peak Metamorphic Temperatures (PMT) experienced by the meteorite can be estimated from Raman fitting parameters related …

Try Again, Peyton Newell

Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-2023

In my thesis collection, Try Again, I aimed to explore the consequences of choice. Through four short stories and one novella, I focused on close relationships between two focus characters and how both large and inconsequential choices can shape futures. In the novella, Try Again, I practiced game writing and learned how to shape a character when perhaps the largest signifier of character—choice—is left in the hands of the reader, rather than the author. The construction of this thesis and its stories developed my abilities to find high tension in lower stakes.

A Spatiotemporal Evaluation Of Freeway Traffic Demand In Florida During Covid-19 Pandemic, Md Istiak Jahan

Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-2023

This thesis contributes to our understanding of the changes in traffic volumes on major roadway facilities in Florida due to COVID-19 pandemic from a spatiotemporal perspective. Three different models were tested in this study- a) Linear regression model, b) Spatial Autoregressive Model (SAR) and c) Spatial Error Model (SEM). For the model estimation, traffic volume data for the year 2019 and 2020 from 3,957 detectors were augmented with independent variables, such as- COVID-19 case information, socioeconomics, land-use and built environment characteristics, roadway characteristics, meteorological information, and spatial locations. Traffic volume data was analyzed separately for weekdays and holidays. SEM models …

Risk Factors Contributing To Urinary Tract Infections (Uti) In Neonates, Jennifer V. Harshman

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Urinary tract infections (UTI) in neonates are caused by many types of risk factors such as increased length of maternal labor, physiologic maternal conditions, prematurity, and decreased birth weight. Identification of potential risk factors for UTI in neonates can lead to rapid assessment and early interventions to treat urinary infection in the neonate before it transitions to a severe or life-threatening condition, such as a kidney infection or septicemia.

The primary purpose of this literature review was to examine risk factors predisposing neonates to UTI. The secondary purpose was to identify if length of time to drug therapy used to …

The Effects Of Delayed Initial Bathing In Newborns, Danielle Nitzachon

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Delayed bathing of the newborn infant for twenty-four hours after birth can decrease potential newborn complications such as hypoglycemia, hypothermia, and improve the infants skin integrity and breastfeeding rates. The primary purpose of this literature review was to examine the health benefits of delaying initial bathing in newborns for twenty-four hours. A comprehensive review of the literature was performed using peer-reviewed, research articles from multiple databases focusing on delayed infant bathing after birth and health benefits. 15 articles met the inclusion criteria and answered the research questions. Two studies showed the effects of vernix caseosa on improved skin integrity and …

Evaluating Non-Pharmaceutical Sleep Hygiene Interventions For The Prevention Of Delirium And Improvement In Sleep Quality In Critical Care, Sonja L. Colby

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Patients admitted to an adult intensive care unit (ICU) are at risk of developing an acute condition known as ICU delirium, which can impact patients’ length of hospital stay and increase short term and 6-month mortality. The cause of ICU delirium is multifactorial, and lack of quality sleep is a known risk factor. Patients’ sleep in the ICU is frequently interrupted by clinicians involved in their care and equipment alarms. Sleep hygiene interventions to minimize these interruptions for the patient are one strategy to reduce the risk of ICU delirium. Examples of sleep hygiene interventions include eye masks, earplugs, and …

Obstetrical Nursing Care And Cesarean Section Delivery Rates In Laboring Women: An Integrative Review Of Literature, Ayana Cornelius

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Background: There is a documented overuse of C-sections (CS) in the United States. The majority of research surrounding CS overuse focuses on the physician’s role, location (state, city, hospital), hospital policies, and the reason why the CS is being performed. Little research focuses on the nurse’s influence on CS outcomes, although nurses spend the longest amount of time with the patient. Methods: Data for this literature review examined 13 research articles between 1992 to present, exploring factors relating to the overuse of CS, specifically, data relating to the correlation between CS and the nurse’s role. Results: Recent research has shown …

The Effectiveness Of Therapeutic Interventions For The Management Of Vulvodynia: An Integrated Literature Review, Arianna Cohen

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Problem: Vulvodynia, an unexplained vulvar pain, is a medical condition affecting women of all ages, races, and ethnicities and causes pain levels ranging from very mild discomfort to extreme suffering.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to explore women’s knowledge toward seeking care for vulvodynia and to explore the different types of treatments prescribed after diagnosis. The secondary purpose of this review was to describe the treatments most effective in reducing pain caused by vulvodynia.

Methods: A review of the literature was conducted using articles from 2001 to 2021 that focused on diagnosis of vulvodynia and the relief of …

Investigating The Relationship Between The Microbiome And Neuroactive Metabolites In Huntington Disease Model Mice, Christian Millot

Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-2023

Huntington Disease (HD) is an autosomal dominant neurodegenerative disorder caused by a trinucleotide repeat expansion mutation in the huntingtin (HTT) gene. HD is characterized by neurological symptoms, including motor, cognitive, and psychiatric decline. A non-neurological symptom, metabolic dysfunction, is also common in HD and can cause weight change, a feature recapitulated in HD mice. There is a need for a better understanding of the weight changes associated with HD, because patients with a higher body mass index show slower disease progression. Our lab has shown that metabolic dysfunction in HD mice is the result of a disrupted circadian feeding rhythm …

Spectral Characterization And Age Of The Moon And Primitive Asteroids, Vanessa Lowry

Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-2023

In this dissertation work we sought to answer questions about the age, composition, and origin of planetary bodies. We implemented multiple approaches to answer these questions. To determine the age of the Clarissa asteroid family we implemented a modified version of SWIFT: a Solar System integration software package by Levison & Duncan (1994) to account for gravitational as well as thermal perturbations. This work constrained the age of the Clarissa asteroid family to be 56 ± 6 My. Next, we used a sum to one constraint weighted least squares (STO WLS) modeling approach to model thermal infrared (TIR) spectra of …

Investigation Of Realism In Facial Characteristics And Anthropomorphic Language In The Design Of Multimedia Instruction, Ecem Olcum

Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-2023

Emotional design elements have recently been added to the research in cognitive load and multimedia learning (Um et al., 2012). One aspect of eliciting positive emotions is to use anthropomorphic design, which has been found to increase learning performance (Um et al., 2012; Plass et al., 2014; Park et al., 2015; Schneider et al., 2018). The current research aimed to investigate three design factors in three studies: anthropomorphism in verbal and visual design, single-frame or multi-frame illustrations, and realism of the anthropomorphic visual design. The first study confirmed that the anthropomorphic verbal and visual materials were perceived as anthropomorphic by …

Role Of Biological Clocks In Ant Behavioral Plasticity And Parasitic Manipulation Of Ant Behavior, Biplabendu Das

Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-2023

Living organisms exhibit daily rhythms as a way to anticipate predictable fluctuations in their environment. Such daily rhythmicity is the phenotypic outcome of oscillating genes and proteins, driven by an endogenous biological clock. Clock-controlled behavioral rhythms are inherently "flexible" since their phase, amplitude, and period can change throughout an animal's life hallmarked by changes in so-called chronotype. How this inherent plasticity of clock-controlled rhythms is linked to plasticity of behavior is still an open question in biology. Characterizing the various mechanistic links between plasticity of the animal clock and behavioral state will not only shed light on the molecular underpinnings …

The Ceramic Sequence For Vista Alegre, Quintana Roo, Mexico., Carrie Tucker

Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-2023

This thesis creates a ceramic chronology for the site of Vista Alegre, a Middle Preclassic-Postclassic Maya port site on the northern coast of Quintana Roo, Mexico. As a member of the Proyecto Costa Escondida (PCE), I analyzed a sample of ceramic material (14,326 sherds) from three off-structure test units and their extensions (Pozos 8, 8A, 10, 12, 12A, and 12B). I completed "type: variety-mode" identification for 13,114 identifiable sherds with the help of the PCE and the Yucatán INAH ceramoteca facility, and I found a total of 101 established ceramic types and varieties, and twenty-five "specials" for which only the …

Can Feeling Like An Imposter Be Favorable? A Qualitative Study On The Role Of Appraisal In Harnessing The Imposter Phenomenon For Growth, Emily Hill

Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-2023

The imposter phenomenon is a psychological experience characterized by feelings of self-doubt and personal incompetence that persist despite evidence of achievement and success. Employees with these imposter-like thoughts feel as if they ended up in notable roles and positions not because of merit, but from oversight or luck. Research and popular press articles have portrayed the imposter phenomenon as a negative experience, bringing costs to the individual's well-being and work life. Yet, recent research has revealed that perhaps a favorable trajectory to the imposter experience might exist. To address this question, participants were identified and interviewed using a two-phase, sequential …