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Dear God The Light, Suado Abdirahman Sheikhhassan

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This creative thesis contains original poetry by Suado Sheikhassan.

"No Redemption In Nonfiction": Portfolio Reflection On The Queer, Anticapitalist Directions Of Creative Nonfiction, Bethany Fitts

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

I reflect on the current state of my artistic practice and discuss rapidly changing documentary methods in the 21st century as they relate to broader evolutions in the creative nonfiction genre. I then discuss these methods alongside my experimental short-doc Gameplay.

Impact Of Flow Conditions On Graphene-Coated Soil And Geotextile Materials, Brennan Power

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Levees are fundamental infrastructures for reducing and mitigating flood risk during extreme weather events. Unfortunately, levees do not eliminate flood risk entirely due to floods potentially exceeding a levee’s capacity. Graphene has become a significant material for enhancing the mechanical properties of materials such as concrete and soil. The focus of this study was to determine methods to coat two materials commonly used in levee sites, sand and geotextile, with graphene to determine the stability of the coating on the materials under different flow conditions simulating real-life scenarios such as wet and dry periods. These graphene-coated materials could then be …

Design, Synthesis, And Application Of Indolizine-Donor Containing Fluorophores For Near-Infrared And Shortwave-Infrared Biological Imaging, William E. Meador

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Low energy light in the near infrared (NIR, 700 – 1000 nm), shortwave infrared (SWIR, 1000 – 1700 nm), and extended SWIR (ESWIR, 1700 – 2700 nm) has numerous important applications including fluorescence biological imaging, secure display technologies, and photodetectors. While inorganic materials have dominated each of these spectral regions, organic molecules that absorb and emit light in these regions are being heavily researched due to their high degree of molecular tunability via structure-function relationships, cheap production due to the avoidance of precious metals, ease of manufacturing through solution processability, and operation under physiological and ambient conditions. This dissertation illustrates …

Ceremony On The Frontier: An Analysis Of A Thirteenth And Fourteenth Century Multi-Phase Mississippian Structure At The Carter Robinson Site, Lee County, Virginia, Taylor Greene

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Carter Robinson (44LE10, occupied from ca. A.D. 1200-1400) is a Mississippian mound site located on the frontier between the edge of the Mississippian world and the beginning of the Radford culture area in southwestern Virginia. Although several structures have been identified and studied in the past, only one structure has been featured intentional burning and reconstruction throughout the occupation of the site, and is designated as Structure 2. This structure is also unique due to its location at the site, on a small rise about 80-meters east of the mound, a construction area typically reserved for the homes of minor …

Gym Theory: A Guide To Maximize Your Gains & Minimize Your Trauma By The End Of The World, Joshua Nguyen

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

A collection of poems with a critical introduction.

Novel Formulation Strategies For Oral And Ocular Drug Delivery, Samir Senapati

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Nanoformulations such as nanoemulsions (NE), solid lipid nanoparticles (SLN), and nanostructured lipid carriers (NLCs) are colloidal particulate systems in the submicron size range and act as carriers of drug molecules. Their size varies from 10 to 1,000 nm (1). The capacity of these nanoparticles to permeate through many anatomical barriers, the prolonged release of their contents, and their stability on the nanometer scale have widely contributed to their efficacy in drug delivery. Owing to the advantages of nanoformulations, they were further explored in our studies to target different diseases like Dry eye disease (DED), glaucoma, and malaria.

Chapter 2 discusses …

Milk And Water Kefir: Microbial Diversity And Sensory Properties, Xia Li

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Kefir is a fermented beverage that has become increasingly popular because of its proposed probiotic functions. It can be classified into two types: milk kefir and water kefir depending on the medium and inoculated starter culture. This dissertation summarizes work exploring the similarities and differences between milk and water kefir with respect to sensory properties and microbial composition. For the kefir sensory test, six milk and six water kefirs were evaluated on the sensory attributes (color, aroma, taste, and mouthfeel). Milk kefirs were assessed as sour and cheesy, followed by a creamy and thick mouthfeel. In contrast, water kefirs were …

An Assessment Plan To Analyze Nudges And Their Effectiveness In A Learning Management System At Educational Institutions, Nishanth J. Rodrigues

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Procrastination is a significant problem in academia with some estimates suggesting that this occurs in as high as 70-90% of college students (Abdi Zarrin & Gracia, 2020) that manifests in numerous harmful ways including postponement of weekly reading assignments, delay in writing term papers, and inadequate preparation and beginning too late when studying for exams. The effects of procrastination vary from the immediate, such as a failed grade on an assignment, to the long-term, including delayed graduation or even failure to graduate, all of which have the “knock-on” effect of harming the students’ self-esteem and future success following their studies. …

I Say See You Later, Lillian Slaughter

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This MFA thesis continues the work that was completed in the master’s thesis “This Is Home: Stories of H2-A Placemaking in the U.S. and Mexico,” by creating a short film about the farm in Kentucky. Through research on ethics and positionality, I explore the ideas that shaped this filmmaking process. The film highlights the experience of working on a mid-sized organic farm that utilizes the federal H2-A visa program for seasonal farmworkers through the lens of a co-worker. This supplemental written thesis includes research, personal accounts of the process of filmmaking, and a reflection of influential films.

Can Graphene-Coated Sand Enhance Water Reuse By Improving Water Quality In The Presence Of Municipal Treated Wastewater?, Madelyn Barber

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The need for alternative water sources is dramatically increasing. Therefore, it is essential to develop alternative water sources to meet the current water scarcity challenges. Water reclamation, recycling, and reuse involving treated municipal and or animal wastewater address these challenges by resolving water resource issues and creating new sources of high-quality water supplies. However, the presence of bacteria, high levels of nutrients, and turbidity, as well as the occurrence of chemicals of emerging concern (CECs) in the treated wastewater, combined with the willingness of the public to use treated wastewater can undermine the wide application of water reuse. Implementing affordable …

Supernatural Law? A Refutation Of Three Recent Natural-Law Arguments Against Catholic Integralism, Jackson Dellinger

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

In the United States, there is a longstanding debate over the proper relationship between religious and civil institutions, or “church and state.” One radical voice in the debate is that of Catholic integralism, a school within Catholic social teaching which argues that Catholic governments should submit to the religious authority of the Church, and that Catholics should aspire towards a Catholic society with this relationship between Church and State for all nations. Recently, interlocutors have attempted to show that integralism is inconsistent with a core element of the Catholic teaching to which they appeal—that is, natural law. In this paper, …

Neverender, David James Gambino

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This is a work of fiction exploring the Global War on Terror from the perspective of US aircrew servicemembers.

Development And Characterization Of Cannabidiol And Rho Kinase Inhibitor Combination Formulations For Ophthalmic Use, Mihir Sanjay Ghonge

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Glaucoma, the leading cause of irreversible blindness globally, is a neurodegenerative disease marked by progressive death of the retinal ganglion cells in the eye. In 2018, FDA approved a 0.02% ophthalmic solution of netarsudil mesylate (NM), Rhopressa®, a rho kinase inhibitor, for the reduction of intraocular pressure in patients with glaucoma or ocular hypertension; the first new drug class in more than two decades. Cannabidiol (CBD) has been studied for its effects on intraocular pressure since the 1980s. In 2022, a study established that topical administration of CBD (1% w/v) decreased the intraocular pressure in pigmented Dutch Belted Rabbits. This …

The Effect Of Mandated Disclosure On Liquidity Among Not-For-Profit Organizations, Erin Johnson

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study examines whether mandated disclosure under Accounting Standards Update (ASU) 2016-14 affects not-for-profit (NFP) liquidity. ASU 2016-14 requires NFPs to disclose information that enhances financial statement users’ ability to assess an organization’s liquidity. Using panel data from fiscal years 2014 through 2019, I compare liquidity before and after the mandated disclosure for the top 100 revenue generating NFPs in 2019. I find that NFPs manage operating reserves, i.e., unrestricted liquid net assets, more closely to NFP sector guidelines after the disclosure mandate. Specifically, I find that NFPs with operating reserves above the recommended range prior to the disclosure mandate …

The Politics Of Being A Black Southern Belle, Latrice M. Johnson

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

“The Politics of Being a Black Southern Belle” aims to examine media representations of Black womanhood and femininity. This thesis particularly focuses on how Black women redefine the southern belle. Film and television depictions of a national (implicitly white) femininity and womanhood have historically excluded Black women. To illuminate this history, the first chapter primarily provides background on historical representations of Black women in film. American standards of womanhood and femininity have been defined according to hegemonic culture—a culture predicated on race, class, and gender. The second chapter moves into an analysis of how Black women redefine the southern belle …

The Sailor Or The Fish // The Seafoam Or The Salt, Marina Rachelle Leigh

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

A collection of poems.

Hiv-1 Tat And Neuroendocrine Aging: Potential Benefits Of Neurosteroid-Based Therapy To Attenuate Premature Age-Related Comorbidities In The Era Of Antiretroviral Therapy, Alaa Nader Qrareya

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The primary objectives of this dissertation are to assess the interaction between human immunodeficiency virus type-1 (HIV-1) trans-activator of transcription (Tat) protein and neuroendocrine status on the pathology of Tat/age-related comorbidities and to investigate the potential benefit of hormonal therapy in attenuating Tat/age insults. The advent of combined antiretroviral therapy (cART) has increased longevity among people living with HIV (PLWH). However, cART cannot fully eradicate viral reservoirs within the central nervous system (CNS). Therefore, ~50-60% of virally-suppressed PLWH experience neurological and psychological sequelae called “neuroHIV”. Moreover, PLWH are more vulnerable to developing premature age-related comorbidities. In PLWH, hypogonadism is common …

Affording The Value Of Technology: Normalcy And Moral Frameworks, Mitchell Roberts

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

It is often held that technology is value neutral. That is, technology is merely a means to an end and has no intrinsic moral worth. However, as some theorists have demonstrated, this view of technology may be mistaken. One theorist, Michael Klenk, offers what he calls an “affordance theory of embodied values” as one principled way of understanding how technological artifacts embody moral values. Under this view, artifacts embody affordances, or possibilities for action. These affordances are then judged in order to assess the moral status of the artifact which embeds them. In this paper, I develop one problem with …

The Effects Of High Intensity Isometric Contractions And Low Intensity Isometric Contractions With And Without Blood Flow Restriction On Blood Pressure And Discomfort, Robert William Spitz

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Purpose: To investigate the effects of high intensity exercise and low intensity exercise with and without blood flow restriction on changes in blood pressure and discomfort.

Methods: 179 participants (18-35 years) were randomly assigned to one of four groups. The control group (CON, n=44) only completed the two testing sessions. The training groups completed only one of the following conditions: 1) 4 sets of a two-minute contractions at 30% maximal voluntary contraction (LI, n=47); 2) 4 sets of a two-minute contractions at 30% maximal voluntary contraction with a 12cm cuff inflated to 50% of arterial occlusion pressure (LI + BFR, …

Unveiling Mississippi's Artistic Souls: A Documentary Journey, Sandip Rai

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This MFA thesis presents a short documentary film focusing on the lives and artistic processes of four distinct artists residing in Mississippi: Andrew Bryant, Anne Scott Barrett, Jared Spears, and Stephen Brown (5th Child). The film delves into the intricacies of each artist's creative journey, capturing their unique perspectives and offering invaluable insights into their artistic endeavors.

Over the course of more than a year, this documentary underwent numerous revisions and refinements to ensure its significance both to the public audience and, most importantly, to the featured artists themselves. As an artist, the filmmaker was deeply motivated to unravel the …

The Effects Of Blood Flow Restriction On The Vasculature And Tolerability During A 2-Week Intervention, Daphney Michelle Stanford

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Blood flow restriction (BFR) has been used to delay muscle atrophy, but it is unclear how this impacts the vasculature. Purpose: Determine the effect of BFR on upper body vasculature. Methods: 40 participants were randomized into control (CON) or BFR. For BFR, 80% of arterial occlusion pressure (AOP) was applied daily (5/week) for 5 cycles (5min inflation, 3min deflation) on the dominant arm. Vascular assessments occurred at baseline (Pre), week 1 (Mid), and week 2 (Post). A cuff on the forearm inflated over 110% AOP for 5min while brachial artery diameter and tissue saturation index (TSI, %) were continuously measured. …

Transportability Of Adversarial Attack, Jonggu Park

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The aim of this thesis is to leverage machine learning algorithms to introduce adversarial cloaks, or noise, into images containing real individuals and assess whether the resulting images still accurately represent human subjects. Specifically, I seek to discern whether images featuring avatars, placed in the same spatial configuration as humans and subjected to similar perturbations, can be effectively used to generate adversarial examples capable of fully masking a person. By analyzing the probability of correctly identifying personhood, I strive to establish a method of utilizing virtual avatars to provide increased privacy for users. This research has significant implications for advancing …

Cosplay Fandom Leisure Engagement: Exploring Cosplay Participation And Involvement On Depression And Wellbeing Toward A Recreation Therapy., Julie A. Morris Chambers

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Engagement in leisure is a complex construct that impacts wellbeing beyond mere participation. Moreover, researchers have explored engagement in various ways including what people do and experience in their personal pursuit of leisure activities (Kleiber et al., 2011). Studies show that leisure engagement positively effects participants' wellbeing and reduces their ill-being. The purpose of this study is to explore the level of cosplay leisure engagement and wellness and mental health of DragonCon (DC) attendees to illuminate if their cosplay engagement has therapeutic effects on wellness, perceived wellness, and depression. In this study, Newman (et al., 2013) and Kuykendall (et al., …

Has Journalism Education Kept Up With Digital Transformation?, Md Sazzad Hossain

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

In the digital world, journalism is a highly technology-dependent profession (Goni & Tabassum 2020). But there are gaps between what journalism schools teach and what employers want (Wenger and Owens, 2013). As a result, students, educators, and professionals demand the development of specific digital skills (Lee 2022). This study examines how journalism educators adapt their programs to respond to changing media environments and to the demands of professional journalism in the digital age. The researcher used a quantitative survey method to target the 119 journalism and mass communication programs accredited by the Accrediting Council on Education in Journalism and Mass …

Molecular Dynamics Simulations For The Mechanical Behavior Of Alpha Quartz With Void Defects Under Tension, Yu Jia

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The structural and mechanical properties of void-free and single-void α-quartz were investigated using MD simulations with three different interatomic potentials (BKS, Vashishta and Tersoff). Two distinct ensembles, NVT and NPT, were separately applied to investigate the tensile response of α-quartz under uniaxial strain and uniaxial stress states. A comprehensive comparison among different potentials, as well as comparison with currently available experiments, has been made. The BKS and Vashishta potentials accurately predicted the structural properties of void-free α-quartz, while the Tersoff potential was deviated significantly from the experimental data. Under tension, the BKS did a better description for the mechanical performance …

Using Diverse Children's Literature To Enhance Social Emotional Learning, Lashana T. Middleton

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study focused on examining the use of diverse children's literature and social-emotional learning (SEL) curricula to enhance the social-emotional competence skills of Pre-K students in general education classrooms. Understanding and developing these skills during early childhood has been shown to be essential for healthy child development, and early education teachers play a critical role in this process. The findings from this study suggest that while teachers have a positive view and awareness of the theoretical foundations of SEL, they may need additional training and support to effectively implement and incorporate SEL strategies in their practices. Specifically, the study highlighted …

Classic Maya Subadult Age Estimates From Ambergris Caye, Belize, Nikki Anne Wicox

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Maya of the Classic period (300-900 AD) were inhabitants of the coastal island of Ambergris Caye, Belize (Guderjan, 2007). The individuals of this island have been explored through other research, however, one sub-population on the island that has yet to be explored in depth is that of childhood. Children play an integral role in society but are often overlooked as active members based upon the modern cultural norms of childhood, as well as the perceived difficulty of identifying children´s activities in the archaeological record (Ardren, 2015; Ardren & Hutson, 2006; Danforth, 1989; Storey, 1992; Wright, 1997). My research aims to …

Assembled Authorship: American Women Writers And The Culture Of Commonplacing, Seth Spencer

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

“Assembled Authorship: American Women Writers and the Culture of Commonplacing” interrogates monolithic conceptions of authorship in the nineteenth century by exploring the expressive capacity of commonplace bookmaking practices for authors marginalized by race and/or gender. “Assembled Authorship” examines the influence of commonplace book culture on the novels of Elizabeth Stuart Phelps, Hannah Crafts, and Fanny Fern—authors who intervene in debates on religious reform, abolition, and antebellum periodical culture. Utilizing research grants from Penn State University and the University of New England, “Assembled Authorship” places high-resolution scans of commonplace books recovered from archives in conversation with the intertextual works of Phelps, …

A Storyteller's Remove: Place-Noticing In Welty's Disturbed Landscapes, Lucy Gaines

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Mississippi author Eudora Welty’s particular attunement to her characters’ place and time earned her canonization among southern authors bound by a peculiar sense of place. Our understanding of place, though, is rapidly evolving, spreading theoretical roots across disciplines and striving to keep up with global environmental change. Adopting frameworks from ecology, sociology, and comparative literature, this work seeks out the common denominators between Welty’s sense of place and our present perspectives, training our eye to notice relationships previously unconsidered. Unmistakable throughlines in Welty’s writing and photography offer fertile grounds for tracing place theory through visual and critical analysis, and find …