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Mechanical Behavior Of Bioceramic Materials: Case Study Of The Skeleton Of The Staghorn Coral, Acropora Cervicornis And The Tibia Of The Laboratory Mouse, Mus Musculus, Mahmoud Omer

Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-2023

I studied two types of bioceramics: (A) the aragonite CaCO3 skeleton of the staghorn coral, Acropora cervicornis and (B) the hydroxyapatite Ca10(PO4)6(OH)2 bones of the laboratory mouse, Mus musculus. The research aimed to analyze coral deformation behavior and study dietary and estrogen depletions effects on bone strength. I compared the mechanical and structural properties of staghorn coral skeletons cleaned by chemical bleaching and biological processes. Optical microscopy and computed tomography (CT) revealed a sophisticated microstructure of non-homogenously distributed pores. Staghorn coral skeletons showed ''gracious" fracture, where the unique pore arrangements resisted catastrophic crack growth and prevented instantanous failure. Elastic moduli …

Improving Pedestrian Safety Using Video Data, Surrogate Safety Measures And Deep Learning, Shile Zhang

Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-2023

The research aims to improve pedestrian safety at signalized intersections using video data, surrogate safety measures and deep learning. Machine learning (including deep learning) models are proposed for predicting pedestrians' potentially dangerous situations. On the one hand, pedestrians' red-light violations can expose the pedestrians to motorized traffic and pose potential threats to pedestrian safety. Thus, the prediction of pedestrians' crossing intention during red-light signals is carried out. The pose estimation technique is used to extract features on pedestrians' bodies. Machine learning models are used to predict pedestrians' crossing intention at intersections' red-light, with video data collected from signalized intersections. Multiple …

Trauma, Resilience, And Empowerment: Post-Genocide Experiences Of Yezidi Women, Tutku Ayhan Ergin

Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-2023

Under what conditions do women become more resilient and empowered in post conflict settings? Utilizing data from multi site fieldwork in northern Iraq, Germany, and the U.S. involving over 160 in depth interviews, this dissertation addresses this question by studying the experiences of Yezidi women who were subject to genocidal violence by the Islamic State in Iraq in 2014. By adopting an intersectional approach, it contributes to feminist research on post conflict dynamics and suggests that how women cope with trauma and achieve positive changes in their lives depends on a variety of factors. Age, history of sexual violence and …

Contextualizing The Acute Responses To Arm Cycling, Nicolas Clark

Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-2023

The prescription of aerobic exercise modalities engaging the arm musculature have the potential to extend the reach of physical activity and promote cardiorespiratory fitness in individuals with lower body impairment due to excessive body mass, and among individuals seeking to complement and diversify standard leg training. This study compared the acute cardiopulmonary responses obtained during arm cycling and leg cycling performed at different intensities among lean and average (LA) and overfat and obese individuals (OFO). Participants were 37 young and relatively healthy adults. They were tested for mode-specific peak power output and work rate at ventilatory threshold during two randomized …

Exergoeconomic Analysis And Optimization Of Novel Cogeneration Systems For Freshwater Production, Power And Cooling, Sattam Alharbi

Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-2023

Global consumption of energy and freshwater is increasing continuously due to population growth and improving living standards. The world energy consumption is anticipated to increase by around 50% by 2050 according to the U.S Energy Information Administration (EIA). There is also very limited access to freshwater and cooling in many developing countries. Therefore, developing an efficient energy system, recovering the waste heat (cogeneration system or multigeneration) to produce freshwater and cooling, and using a renewable energy source are promising solutions to meet the energy demand and to reduce environment pollution associated with fossil fuels. In this study, several novel cogeneration …

Processing Of 3d Porous Biomaterial Scaffolds To Enhance The In Vitro Breast Cancer Tumor Microenvironment, Zi Wang

Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-2023

Tumors contain heterogeneous cell populations within the tumor microenvironment (TME). TME supports tumor progression and development via the function of multiple cell types and cell-extracellular matrix (ECM) interactions. 3D porous biomaterial scaffolds can be a type of in vitro tumor models to mimic TME ECM. Current tumor models lack structural complexity replicating tumor ECM, tunable mechanical properties, and have limited mass exchange between cells and their microenvironment. In this work, we firstly developed scaffolds with a hierarchical pore structure via the Freeze-FRESH(FF) fabrication technique that combines 3D printing and freeze-casting. Later, we studied the effect of varying processing parameters and …

Breaking News: The Presence Of Framing In Partisan Cable News Network's Coverage Of Officers Murdering Black Victims, Andrea Smith

Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-2023

This study analyzed how the most partisan cable news networks, FOX News and MSNBC, framed victims and officers in their coverage of cases where officers murder Black victims. In addition, this work investigated how these networks discussed systemic racism within their reports. Using Feagin's white racial frame as a framework, the findings suggest that both networks exhibited anti-black and pro-white framing within their reports, although the frequency and the severity varied across networks. Results also show when counter framing was present, MSNBC still perpetuated the anti-black and pro-white frames. These results have implications for how media should improve their coverage …

Understanding Variation In Sexual Exploitation And Abuse In Un Pkos: The Role Of Military, Police, And Civilian Peacekeepers, Gabriella Cuber

Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-2023

Apart from perpetuating human rights violations in fragile contexts, sexual exploitation and abuse (SEA) in UN peacekeeping operations (PKOs) reduces the international community's ability to pursue peacebuilding missions, threatens the legitimacy of ongoing missions, and undermines gender equality efforts in the host country. While previous research has investigated patterns of SEA violations by peacekeepers, most studies limit their focus on abuses by military and police personnel. This study expands on these studies by examining SEA violations committed by civilian peacekeepers in addition to military and police personnel, as well as separately. I argue that several other determinants beyond military attributes …

A Quasi-Experimental Study Of The Relationship Between Teaching Intensive Reading Using Novels And Student Skills In English Language Arts, Sarah Brevoort

Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-2023

Many research-based reading interventions exist, but little literature examines teaching secondary reading using entire novels as an intervention. This quasi-experimental study examined the relationship between whether entire novels were included in secondary intensive reading and students' English language arts skills. Data were collected through an online survey of eight reading teachers from one Florida school district. Data collected by the survey were teacher qualifications, inclusion of entire novels in reading curriculum, and implementation of research-based teaching strategies. Survey data, Florida Standards Assessment of English Language Arts (FSA ELA) student scores, student demographics and reading placement data were analyzed to answer …

Parameter Calibration And Optimization In Smart Grid For Synchronous Generators And Converters, Seyyed Rashid Khazeiynasab

Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-2023

In power systems, monitoring, protection, and control are usually model based; an accurate dynamic model for either synchronous generators or power electronic converters is essential. Besides, renewable energies, smart loads, energy storage, and new market behavior add new sources of uncertainty to power systems. Therefore, planning in real-time and developing high-quality models is crucial to adapt to uncertainties. In this thesis, we propose a framework for validating and calibrating power system models using novel methods. At the first step, we developed the nonlinear sensitivity-based method to find the critical parameters. Then, we propose an Approximate Bayesian Computation (ABC) based method …

Evaluating Source Water Quality, Pretreatment, And Particulate Mass Transport In A Nanofiltration Membrane Process, Courtney Powell

Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-2023

This document details the source and occurrence of particulates in a nanofiltration (NF) process, considers the implementation of additional pretreatment to improve feedwater quality, and investigates the impact of submicron particles on membrane performance. Much of this research was performed in cooperation with the City of Boynton Beach (City) at the West Water Treatment Plant (WTP) and stemmed from particulate fouling concerns in the pretreatment and NF membrane processes. The water quality of the individual wells that supply the West WTP was evaluated to identify the source of particulates which overload the pre-filters (5-μm cartridge filters) and may contribute to …

The Effect Of Polyelectrolyte Modification Of Ultrafiltration Membranes On Fouling Resistance And Rejection Of Contaminants Of Emerging Concern, Kunal Olimattel

Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-2023

This research attempted to leverage the unique properties of poly (allylamine hydrochloride) (PAH)/poly (acrylic acid) (PAA) bilayer coatings to enhance antifouling and antimicrobial properties of a commercially available ultrafiltration (UF) membrane as well as the removal of PFOA and PFOS—the two CECs that most frequently represent the class of PFAS. The effects of selected water matrix components (humic acids [HA] and cations) on PFOA and PFOS removals were also investigated when using the functionalized membrane. PAH/PAA films were first deposited on the membrane using a fluidic layer by layer (LbL) technique and then crosslinked, followed by embedding of the silver …

Remediation Of Roadway Runoff Nutrients: Querying Sources Delivery Mechanism, Efficacy Of Stormwater Best Management Practices, And Stormwater Routing Through Karst Geology, Mohammad Shokri

Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-2023

Stormwater road runoff is a widespread non-point source of contaminants such as nutrients, which endangers water bodies, especially in vulnerable karst areas such as Florida. While roadside vegetated filter strips (VFSs) and stormwater basins are generally accepted best management practices (BMPs) for stormwater management, uncertainties about VFS nutrient removal are reported and stormwater basins are concerned of facilitating contaminant transport. In this dissertation, the application and efficacy of engineered infiltration media was tested as a subgrade for the enhanced nutrient removal from roadway runoff. Results of field-scale laboratory testing indicated that a VFS with engineered biosorption activated media (BAM) outperformed …

The Effects Of A Remote Based Exercise Intervention On Psychosocial Factors In Young Adults With Autism Spectrum Disorder, Juan Mayo

Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-2023

AIM: The aim for this study was to identify the effects of physical activity (PA) on the psychosocial factors (PA self-efficacy, enjoyment of PA, perceived stress, and depression) amongst young adults with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) through the use of a 12-week remotely prescribed exercise program. METHODSs: This quasi-experimental study consisted of a 12-week remote-based exercise intervention (and a no-exercise control group) for young adults (18 – 35 years) with ASD. Participants were recruited through the Center for Autism and Related Disabilities (CARD), an organization that provides resources to individuals with ASD and their families. The exercise program occurred twice …

Initiation Of Alcohol Use In College Students, Gabrielle Lynch

Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-2023

Alcohol use contributes to widespread harm in college students, and postponing initiation of drinking can reduce negative consequences and risk for developing an alcohol use disorder (Palmer et al., 2010). This study focused on variables related to initiation of alcohol use among new students, and maintenance of abstinence among those who chose not to drink. Data was collected from 467 first year college students, 7.5% of whom initiated alcohol use in college, 33% had never consumed alcohol, and 59.5% started drinking before starting college. Several a- priori hypotheses were supported. Perceptions of peer drinking/attitudes mediated the relationship between academic involvement …

An Evaluation Of The Differences Between Perpetrators In Completed And Averted School Shootings, Ashley Winch

Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-2023

School shootings have received a substantial amount of media attention and there have been a variety of explanations proposed as to their cause. While completed school shootings have been evaluated extensively, little research has been done into school shootings that have been averted, and even fewer studies have evaluated between group differences between completed and averted school shootings. The purpose of the present study was to assess the differences in completed and averted school shootings primarily with respect to the age of the perpetrators, the number of perpetrators, and participation in leakage warning behaviors. Additional demographic variables were assessed with …

"A Penny For Your Thoughts?": Development And Validation Of A Revised Measure Of Rumination, Jenna M. Duronio

Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-2023

The present research sought to demonstrate the utility, validity, and reliability of a new measure of rumination assessing both the intentionality and valence of ruminative thought. The Intentionality and Valence of Work-Related Ruminations Questionnaire (IV-WRRQ) is developed based on Martin and Tesser's (1996) goal progress theory of rumination and existing approaches across various sub-disciplines in psychology. Specifically, it is designed to assess four distinct forms of rumination: deliberate-positive, deliberate-negative, intrusive-positive, and intrusive negative rumination. Initial expert ratings provided insight into the initial construct validity, face validity, and readability of the items. The measure was further refined in a study among …

The Effect Of Covid-19-Related Stress On Registered Nurses In The United States, Samantha Jacqlyn Genova

Honors Undergraduate Theses

The United States, as of October 2021, is the country with the most reported COVID-19 cases and COVID-19 deaths in the world. Since the first case was confirmed, Registered Nurses working in the acute care setting have been at the forefront of this public health crisis. As the pandemic has continued, studies have been conducted to collect, analyze, and reveal the effect of COVID-19-related stress on Registered Nurses in the United States. This critical literature review takes eleven published studies related to this topic, discusses the commonalities between them, addresses limitations in the literature and offers recommendations for future research. …

Home Healthcare Embodied Agents: Priorities And Opportunities, Faith Sauber

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Prevention is a central tenet of modern healthcare. New ways of informing, educating, and allowing patients to keep track of their health are continually developing. Integrating technology that bridges the gap between healthcare providers and their patients is essential in today's digital age. One emerging idea is the use of home healthcare embodied agents. Embodied agents are conservational interfaces that can interact and look like human beings. They can exhibit both verbal and non-verbal language cues and be capable of having a natural conversation. This kind of technology could help both patients and healthcare providers by giving patients a helpful …

Effectiveness Of Virtual Reality On Reducing Pain In Burn Patients, Jillian R. Carr

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Burn patients undergo excruciating levels of pain throughout their treatment in the hospital. Pain levels increase during medical procedures, such as wound care and debridement. As a part of the treatment plan, traditional pharmacologic interventions are provided. Over time, patients become tolerant of pain medications, specifically opioids. The developed tolerance contributes to more pain felt by the patient. Medical providers limit the number of opioids prescribed to prevent addiction and other adverse effects, contributing to the challenge in treating burn pain. Virtual reality (VR) has been studied as an intervention across various settings to alleviate distressing symptoms in patients. Many …

Home-Based Interventions To Lower Neonatal Mortality Rates In Developing Countries, Josee Sarah Etienne

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Aim: To evaluate Home-based interventions to lower neonatal mortality rates in developing countries.

Background: A developing country is a country that is lacking in the services and facilities enjoyed by people in developed countries, such as personally owned automobiles and homes with indoor plumbing and water-carried sewage disposal systems. The difference in resources compared to developed regions, has been evident to the correlation of the increase neonatal mortality rates.

Method: An electronic, systematic review of four databases were used to retrieve 209 articles initially, later filtered to 42 articles utilized in this review. The following databases used are as listed: …

Facilitation Of Enviromental Factors To Reduce Sound Decibels In The Neonatal Intensive Care Unit: A Literature Review, Cassandra Hanlon

Honors Undergraduate Theses

This literature review investigates nursing interventions to reduce decibel levels in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). The secondary purpose of this review was to evaluate if the interventions to reduce noise in the NICU had different outcomes for normal weight premature infants and infants afflicted with neonatal abstinence syndrome. The data bases for completing this review were Google Scholar, the Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL Plus), PubMed, and Elton B. Stephens Co. (EBSCO). The key search words included ‘NICU and decibels', ‘reducing decibels', ‘neonatal abstinence syndrome' ‘decibels', ‘preterm infants' and 'normal weight preterm infant*'. The …

Use Of Mechanical Pronation Beds In Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome In The Intensive Care Unit: An Integrative Review Of The Literature, Amanda St. John

Honors Undergraduate Theses

The increasing rate of Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome (ARDS) reinforces the need for additional resources to assist clinical staff with an individual's care and recovery. Pronation therapy involves physically rotating an individual from the posterior position to the prone position. Pronation therapy has successfully been used for individuals diagnosed with ARDS in Intensive Care Units for decades. However, manual pronation maneuvers by staff members poses risks for those who are critically ill and risk of physical injury to caregivers. Mechanical pronation beds have revolutionized the art of pronation therapy, minimizing risks, and decreasing possibility of kinking or pulling out life …

Race-Based Adjustment In Egfr Algorithms: An Integrative Literature Review, Leah E. Utt

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Background: There is a 3-fold risk of developing end stage kidney disease in Non-Hispanic African Americans compared to Non-Hispanic White Americans (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2017). Estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR), one of the fundamental algorithms for coordinating treatment for kidney disease which factors in age, race, gender, and levels of creatinine, may pose an issue in this vulnerable population. Currently African Americans receive a correction factor between 1.21 and 1.16 to their eGFR to adjusting the value higher, potentially impacting appropriate kidney disease classification, and delaying beneficial interventions (National Kidney Foundation, 2020).

Methods: A systematic literature search …

Getting Crafting When You're Bored: The Interaction Between Personality And Boredom, Jamie Striler

Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-2023

Researchers have proposed job crafting as a solution for alleviating the pervasive issue of workplace boredom. This multi-study dissertation sheds light on the relationship between boredom and job crafting while considering the role of three personality traits: proactive personality, extraversion, and promotion focus. Study 1 utilized a cross-sectional design that measured employee perceptions of boredom along with subject matter expert (SME) ratings of these jobs as boring. The experiment run in Study 2 induced boredom to test its impact on job crafting along with measuring personality. Results did not support the hypotheses that the links between boredom and three dimensions …

Polymer-Based And Functionalized 3d Microelectrode Array (Mea) Biosensors, Nilab Azim

Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-2023

Microphysiological systems are three-dimensional (3D) in vitro systems that recapitulate crucial biological aspects of cell heterogeneity and native tissue architecture by mimicking complex structures that are impossible in two-dimensional (2D) cell cultures. Microelectrode arrays (MEAs) are biosensors used to spatially and temporally monitor the activity of microphysiological systems by transducing cellular signals into electronic signals to provide quantitative data on the in vitro system. Conventional MEAs are typically planar in nature, however, 3D MEAs offer several advantages such as better simulation of an in vivo cellular environment and improved signal-to-noise ratio and cell-electrode coupling. MEA fabrication utilizing traditional cleanroom methods …

A Breathing Intervention To Enhance Cardiac Regulation And Mitigate Stress In Police Cadets, Samantha Napier

Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-2023

Maintaining effective performance under stress can be challenging, especially in the dangerous environments encountered by the police and military personnel. This document reviews the impact of stress on performance, discusses breath interventions as a means of stress mitigation, suggests an approach for exploring the value of a breath intervention in police cadets, tests, analyzes, and discusses a test of this method and results. Biofeedback training can be used to produce resonance breathing that is synchronized with heart rate and optimizes heart rate variability (HRV). This intervention was expected to alleviate physiological and subjective stress responses. Studies reviewed confirm that higher …

Survivors Of Human Trafficking: Reintegration Into The Community And Society, Charrita Ernewein

Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-2023

Human trafficking is a highly profitable human rights violation and is labeled as one of the fastest growing industries worldwide. Few studies provided a detailed analysis of the survivors' accounts of their experiences and how these experiences influenced their reintegration into society. The purpose of this study was to explore and describe the experience of female survivors of sex trafficking as they reintegrated into the community and society using the survivors' voice. This study also aimed to describe the survivors experience with healthcare providers. This study obtained data from hard to detect populations (female survivors aged 18 and older) through …

Remembering To Resume: Using Simulation-Based Education To Teach Nursing Students To Manage Interruptions, Peggy Hill

Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-2023

Introduction: Since nurses are expected to be constantly available and responsive, their workflow is interrupted about 85 times each shift. As nursing students socialize to the profession, they need to learn how to adapt to an interruption fraught practice environment. Background: While some interruptions are important to patient care, dealing with conflicting demands can lead to mental fatigue, increased task time, and enhanced propensity for errors. Some experienced nurses learn to create strategies that facilitate remembering to resume an interrupted task, but they are often adopted through trial and error. When simulation-based education (SBE) is used according to industry standards, …

Visual Learning Beyond Human Curated Datasets, Muhammad Abdullah Jamal

Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-2023

The success of deep neural networks in a variety of computer vision tasks heavily relies on large- scale datasets. However, it is expensive to manually acquire labels for large datasets. Given the human annotation cost and scarcity of data, the challenge is to learn efficiently with insufficiently labeled data. In this dissertation, we propose several approaches towards data-efficient learning in the context of few-shot learning, long-tailed visual recognition, and unsupervised and semi-supervised learning. In the first part, we propose a novel paradigm of Task-Agnostic Meta- Learning (TAML) algorithms to improve few-shot learning. Furthermore, in the second part, we analyze the …