Digital Commons Network^™

Aerodynamic & Aeroacoustic Performance Of Wind Turbine Blades Featuring Enhanced Flow-Control, Md Zishan Akhter

Dissertations

Wind energy, being one of the cleanest and most sustainable sources, has undergone remarkable growth in recent years due to advancements in aerodynamics and increased power output. The research community is actively pursuing the development of cutting-edge solutions to further optimize wind turbine technology, ensuring its maximum efficiency and revolutionizing the landscape of wind power.
/="/">This research aims to design and develop flow-control devices for wind turbine blades, employing both active and passive control mechanisms, namely morphing trailing-edge and slot-profile, respectively. The objective is to enhance wind turbine performance across a wide range of wind speeds. The morphing trailing-edge …

Characterization And Structural Shear Behavior Of Recycled Aggregate Concrete Beams Reinforced With Basalt Fibers And Basalt Bars, Shahrukh Shoaib Ul Haq

Dissertations

Recycling construction waste material offers a sustainable solution to the problem of disposing of concrete construction and demolition waste. The use of basalt fibers (BF) and basalt fiber-reinforced polymer (BFRP) reinforcing bars in concrete structures made of recycled concrete aggregate (RCA) would prolong their service life and reduce the maintenance cost. This research aims to investigate the potential use of BF, RCA, and BFRP reinforcing bars to produce sustainable and steel-free structural concrete. The study consisted of material characterization testing, numerical simulation, and large-scale beam testing.
/="/">Material characterization tests were performed on normal-strength concrete (NSC) and high-strength concrete (HSC). …

Electrical, Optical, And Thermal Properties Of Snse Based Materials With High Thermoelectric Performances, Najwa Qasem Al Bouzieh

Dissertations

This thesis conducts a thorough exploration of the characteristics and prospective applications of Tin Selenide (SnSe), a pivotal semiconductor for advancing contemporary electronics and optoelectronics. The investigation mainly focuses on comprehending the alterations in SnSe's properties when doped with elements such as Hafnium, Zinc, Bismuth, Germanium, Sodium, Iodine, and Silicon. 2D-SnSe allotropes, when doped with Hafnium, have exhibited remarkable optical characteristics, especially in the δ-SnSe allotrope, rendering it adaptable for varied optical uses like solar cells and LEDs. Additionally, evaluations of elasticity show improved resilience and augmented in-plane stiffness owing to Hf doping, occasionally reducing ductility. The work uniquely emphasizes …

Control Methods For Maximizing Power Absorption And Grid Integration In Point Absorber Wave Energy Converters, Abdin Yousif Elamin

Dissertations

Wave energy is an emerging renewable energy source with great potential attributable to its consistent availability and high energy density. Technologies responsible for harnessing this form of energy are referred to as wave energy converters (WECs), among which point absorbers (PAs) are a notable subcategory. Unfortunately, the unpredictable and variable nature of waves, coupled with their complex hydrodynamics, has hindered PAs from achieving maximum wave energy absorption. Moreover, the inherent variability in wave energy leads to fluctuations in the power output of PAs. These power fluctuations pose challenges for grid integration, which requires power quality compatible with grid code standards. …

Automation Of Crack Detection And Quantification In Civil Infrastructure Facilities Using Deep Learning Techniques, Luqman Ali

Dissertations

Cracks are the earliest signs of structural deterioration that reduce the lifespan and reliability of structures and can lead to severe damage. Assessment and monitoring of the facilities are required for lifetime maintenance and failure prediction. Structure condition information can be obtained manually, i.e., through subjective visual inspection and evaluation by human experts. Manual inspection techniques are labor-intensive, time-consuming, and inspector-dependent, i.e., vulnerable to the inspector’s perceptiveness. Automatic crack detection is crucial at the earliest stage to avoid further structure degradation and allow fast intervention. Deep Learning algorithms have become more popular in crack detection systems in recent years. However, …

A Data-Efficient Approach For Effective Diagnosis Of Left Ventricular Hypertrophy From Echocardiography Modality, Moomal Farhad

Dissertations

Left Ventricular Hypertrophy (LVH) is a medical condition characterized by the thickening and enlargement of the left ventricle (LV) of the heart. Accurate and timely diagnosis of LVH is vital for clinical prognosis and treatment decisions. Echocardiography has emerged as the gold standard for diagnosing LVH due to its ability to independently predict long-term risks such as heart failure and stroke. Echocardiography, a non-invasive and cost-effective imaging technology, is instrumental in assessing various aspects of heart health. Among the critical diagnostic calculations made possible by echocardiography, the determination of ejection fraction and heart chamber size is paramount in assessing LVH. …

Assessing Small And Medium Enterprises’ Innovation Capabilities Within A Rapid Economic Transformation: An Empirical Study In Saudi Arabia, Mohanad Jabreel Aboudayah

Dissertations

The theory of dynamic capability posits that environmental uncertainty and organizational flexibility drive the growth of innovation capability at the firm level. Environmental uncertainty is the inability of the firm to quickly and accurately forecast changes in economic conditions. Building innovation capability can mitigate environmental uncertainty and enable the firm to gain a competitive advantage by innovating continually in response to evolving circumstances. Organizational flexibility, a key element of the firm’s managerial capabilities, is necessary but not sufficient to attenuate environmental uncertainty. Organizational flexibility enables the firm to identify and assess emerging opportunities, but pursuing those opportunities requires innovation capability. …

Late Cretaceous Ophiolite Emplacement And Cenozoic Collisional Tectonics In The Northern Uae: Insights From Broadband Magnetotelluric Data, Biruk Abera Cherkose

Dissertations

The Late Cretaceous obduction of the Semail Ophiolite onto the rifted passive Arabian margin and the Cenozoic collisional tectonics with the final closure of the Neotethys Ocean are major contributors to the present-day crustal architecture of the northern United Arab Emirates. The emplacement of the Semail Ophiolite and the progressive accretion of the underlying thrust sheets onto the previous Arabian rifted margin in the Cenomanian resulted in lithospheric flexure of the Arabian Platform and led to the formation of a Foreland basin adjacent to the mountain belt in the United Arab Emirates and Oman. Tectonic stacking of the foreland sediments …

Identification And Functional Characterization Of Two Novel Ring-Type E3 Ligases From Sesuvium Verrucosum, Fayas Thayale Purayil

Dissertations

Drought and salinity pose significant environmental challenges that impact the growth and productivity of plants. Sesuvium verrucosum is a succulent halophyte species of the Aizoaceae family. Halophytes have evolved specialized mechanisms to thrive in saline environments. Studying these adaptations can provide valuable insights into how plants cope with stress, thereby improving the resilience of crops and other plant species to combat salinity stress. In plants, the Ubiquitin-Proteasome System (UPS) is crucial in maintaining cellular homeostasis and regulating protein levels, particularly in stress responses. E3 ubiquitin ligases play a major role in identifying targets and transferring ubiquitin to those targets. Among …

A Consortium Of Microalgae And Wastewater Activated Sludge To Generate Biohydrogen, Muhammad Asad Javed

Dissertations

Hydrogen is a clean source and carbon-free source of energy that can be generated photobiologically using green microalgae with 122 kJ/g of energy output which is 2.75 times that of hydrocarbon-based fuels. However, challenges, such as presence of molecular oxygen (O₂) within the cells, hinder their practical application. Molecular O₂, emanating from the activity of photosynthesis, acts as a powerful and effective switch that turns off bioH₂ production activity. The objective of this research was to develop an innovative approach to increase the yield and sustain bioH₂ photoproduction. For this purpose, a consortium of …

Predictive Modelling Of Road Deterioration Using An Artificially Intelligent Bayesian Belief Networks Approach, Babitha Elizabeth Philip

Dissertations

The ability to predict road deterioration is the cornerstone for developing a reliable Pavement Management System (PMS) that optimizes pavement maintenance programs. Such prediction capacity becomes increasingly important, especially when highway agency funds are confined. This research focuses on the development of prediction models based on an artificial intelligence technique, Bayesian Belief Networks (BBN), that aid decision-makers in forecasting expected road distress curves on the lights of various (e.g., environmental, traffic, and road-specific) factors and maintenance decisions. The novelty of this research revolves around deploying BBNs which allow analysts to yield Markovian predictions of annual road deterioration based on incomplete …

Intelligent Computation Offloading In Edge And Cloud Internet Of Vehicles System, Huned Yusufbhai Materwala

Dissertations

The emergence of Internet of Vehicles technology through Vehicular Ad-hoc Networks represents a promising development in the realm of smart city. It empowers the development of smart city applications with a primary focus on improving traffic safety, optimizing traffic flow, and enhancing the overall driving experience. These applications come with demanding quality of service requirements outlined in Service Level Agreements (SLAs). They are communication-intensive, requiring a real-time response, and computation-intensive, demanding high processing. Due to inherent limitations in the computational and storage capacities of vehicles, the system relies on offloading application requests to edge and cloud computing infrastructures. However, the …

Quad Bike Injuries In The United Arab Emirates: Evidence For Injury Prevention Strategies, Preetha Menon Karuveetil

Dissertations

Quad bikes, also known as All-Terrain Vehicles (ATVs), are versatile vehicles designed for navigating uneven terrain. Originally intended for agricultural purposes, they have gained popularity for recreational use, particularly in the middle east, notably the United Arab Emirates (UAE). While these vehicles offer health benefits, they are associated with substantial safety risks, resulting in injuries ranging from lacerations to severe traumatic injuries, imposing a significant economic burden on healthcare systems.

This research addresses a critical gap in the existing literature by focusing on quad bike injuries in the unique context of the UAE, taking into account its desert environment, rider …

First Principles Investigation Of Energy Harvesting Materials For Green Environment, Mehreen Javed

Dissertations

The cutting-edge research of materials enables the discovery of novel energy harvesting materials. In this project the structural, electronic, magnetic, thermodynamic, thermoelectric, and optical properties of different energy harvesting materials are studied. The main objective of this work is primarily to study thermoelectrically efficient half-heuslers and photovoltaically active perovskites. Variant schematics of innovative compounds with defect introduction are investigated. The compositionally altered compounds designed by introducing crystallographic defects in terms of substitutional or interstitial dopants, offer new trends of material properties. To accomplish the task, Density Functional theory based computational packages (VASP and Wein2K) are used. Using defect and strain …

The Relationship Between Startups’ Early Adoption Of Digital Platforms And Startups’ Pre-Money Valuation, Bader Hassan Faqeeh

Dissertations

The objective of this study was to explore whether there was a significant positive relationship between startups’ early adoption of the digital platforms, namely, 1) mobile application, 2) a premium domain name website, and 3) the existence of active startup social media accounts, and startups’ pre-money valuation. To achieve this objective, this research used a relatively novel method in entrepreneurial research to collect data, whereby LinkedIn’s Sales Navigator was used along with an automation tool in order to send hundreds of automated connection and message requests to investors on LinkedIn who were sent a copy of the survey questions along …

Assessing Preschool Children In Uae: Development Of The Preschool Autism Checklist (Pac) For Teachers, Omniah Gharib Alqahtani

Dissertations

This study aims to develop a new assessment tool for teachers to recognize and evaluate early signs of autism spectrum disorders (ASD) in preschool children in the UAE. The study also discussed the cultural characteristics of the Gulf region and their impact on ASD. The available ASD instruments may be unclear in language and difficult to understand for regular teachers. However, a Preschool Autism Checklist (PAC) has been developed that is specifically tailored to the sociocultural norms of the Arab Gulf Countries. The ASD symptoms were taken from the DSM-5 (APA, 2013) as a reference source, while ASD scales incorporated …

Not All Best Practices Result In Best Performances: Two Empirical Studies Of Online Accounting Education, Mark Sanders

Dissertations

Exploring the impact of specific pedagogical strategies in online accounting education on student learning outcomes is central to this research. This two-study dissertation focuses on the influence of course delivery methods on student performance and the mediating function of accounting efficacy. A diverse sample of accounting and business students was quantitatively analyzed to determine the relationship between course structure, classroom justice, students’ motivation and their accounting efficacy, applicability of learned material, and final grades. Even though certain teaching practices were advantageous, the combination of these practices did not always lead to improved student performance, according to the findings. Significant determinants …

The Influence Of Attachment Styles And Mental Health Symptoms On Marital Satisfaction Among Deployed Us Army Soldiers, Leo Mora

Dissertations

Since 2002, changes in the frequency, duration, and nature of military campaigns overseas have piqued efforts to understand the effects of deployment on the mental health of DoD service members, especially married Army soldiers. However, few studies have examined the influence of attachment styles on the emotional health of combat veterans and the wartime impact they have also imparted to their spouses. Thus, in the context of military deployments, this study examines how secure/insecure attachment styles, posttraumatic stress (PTS), and depressive symptoms significantly influence married soldiers and their perceptions of marital satisfaction. In addition, this study also examines pre-existent, internalized, …

The Caregiver Of The Child With Cerebral Palsy: The Unnoticed Victim, Taylor Tusinski

Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to better understand the overall quality of life (QoL) in the primary caregiver who provides care to the child or adolescent, aged 0-17 with mild, moderate, or severe Cerebral Palsy (CP). This study aligned with a nonexperimental or observational design and examined the severity level of CP and the QoL in the mother and/or father.

For research question 1, regression results indicated that the overall model did not significantly predict the mother’s and father’s QoL [R² = .000, R² _adj = -.012, F(1,80) = .003, p = .957]. Regression results indicated that …

Using Natural Language Processing To Evaluate Electronic Health Records Of Patients With Ovarian Cancer For Documentation Of Goals Of Care, Hillarie Elizabeth Joehl

Dissertations

Growing evidence supports the benefits of serious illness communication including goals of care (GOC) discussions and documentation in the electronic health record (EHR). Patients who discuss end-of-life (EOL) care with their clinicians are more likely to have positive outcomes including better-reported quality of life, less distress, and a higher likelihood of receiving care consistent with their preferences. Limited research suggests only a small fraction of ovarian cancer patients have such discussions with their clinicians. Using a novel natural language processing (NLP) methodology, this retrospective and descriptive study explores EHRs for patients with ovarian cancer to characterize documentation of GOC. Using …

Cancer Survivor Empowerment Through Patient-Reported Outcomes, Mary Patricia Johnston

Dissertations

Background: Conventional approaches for assessing and managing symptoms in cancer survivors are unlikely to be effective in cancer survivorship care because clinician-driven assessment limits the voice of the cancer survivor while the burden and complexity of cancer care increases. Yet, cancer survivors are not prepared for the shift from clinician-driven assessment and management of symptoms to cancer survivor self-report of symptoms and self-management of their own care. There are gaps in clinician assessment, and no studies describe how patient empowerment may facilitate the cancer survivor’s ability to assume the responsibilities of monitoring, reporting, and managing symptoms as the cancer survivor …

Peer Culture Of Block Play In An Early Childhood Classroom, Missi Jacobson

Dissertations

This is an ethnographic study of peer culture in the block play area of an early childhood classroom. Researchers have continued to position block play as an essential activity in early childhood classrooms. William Corsaro’s (1985, 1990, 1992, 2003, 2020) work on peer culture in young children and theory of interpretive reproduction is the framework that guided the methods and theoretical lens of this study. I was a participant-observer, using an “atypical adult” technique, in the block play area in a 4-5-year-old classroom with 22 children during a full school year. The children navigated how to build and play socially …

Environments Of War: The Pacific Northwest And The Waging Of World War Ii, Katherine L. Macica

Dissertations

The Pacific Northwest served an essential role in America’s “Arsenal of Democracy.” Weapons and material produced in the Northwest proved essential to the Allied victory in World War II. These weapons served as agents of destruction abroad, but became agents of transformation for the places in which they were produced. This dissertation examines four of the most important resources and industries in Oregon and Washington to emerge or expand as a result of the war: hydroelectric power, forest products, shipbuilding, and aircraft manufacture. The wartime development of these industries profoundly reshaped the physical and economic landscape of the Pacific Northwest, …

Implementation And Evaluation Of A Pain Assessment Tool In A Dementia Care Facility: A Quality Improvement Project, Cynthia A. Carbo

Dissertations

Pain has been under-detected and under-treated in patients with dementia. Signs of distress can be misinterpreted in this population, and patients can be inappropriately given psychotropic medication. Various pain assessment tools for patients with moderate to severe dementia have been devised, and all require further study.

The purpose of this evidence-based project was the selection of a pain assessment tool, training of staff in pain management and tool use in a dementia care facility, and monitoring of pain assessment to comply with regulatory guidelines. Benzodiazepine and neuroleptic doses per patient were monitored before and after the training intervention in an …

Disaster Movies And The Perception Of Human Behavior Myths In Disasters, John Carr

Dissertations

This study explored if disaster movies change the perceptions viewers hold regarding human behavior in disasters, and if so, whether these effects are observable six weeks after watching the disaster movie. The study documented the anticipation of disaster myths in human behavior for 121 respondents, providing data that can better inform the discussion of disaster myths and realities. The study found changes to anticipation of disaster myths in human behavior and realities across multiple categories, with statistically significant results related to the factor of Looting Myth. Limitations for this study include a small sample size, and the external influence of …

Using Industry Sector Entropy To Predict Economic Community Disaster Resilience: Real-World Verification From The Covid-19 Pandemic, Thomas Brindle

Dissertations

The COVID-19 pandemic has presented an opportunity for disaster science researchers to gain insight into the underlying nature of community resilience through comparing the socioeconomic effects of government action to a common threat across urban population centers of varying economic compositions. For example, the negative effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on employment related to public health mitigation efforts in the leisure and hospitality sector of Las Vegas, NV, during the onset of the pandemic were well publicized. In comparison, other population centers of similar size but with different economic sector composition varied in the degree to which employment were affected, …

A Delphi Study Of Effective Strategies For Addressing The Most Significant Challenges To Creating Gender-Balanced High School Career Technical Education (Cte) Pathways, Jon Black

Dissertations

Purpose: The purpose of this Delphi study was to identify what expert high school Career Technical Education (CTE) administrators see as challenges to creating gender-balanced classes across all high school CTE pathways, to rate the significance of the identified challenges according to the experts, and to describe the most effective strategies for addressing the five most significant challenges identified in creating balanced CTE enrollment across all high school pathways. Methodology: This study used a three-round Delphi method to collect data from expert high school CTE administrators. In Round 1, the expert panel was asked to identify challenges to creating gender-balanced …

The Concept Of Home Care Nursing Workload: Analysis And Significance, Barbara L. Mildon

Dissertations

The concept of home care nursing workload has not been widely studied and no evidence was found that an analysis of the concept had been undertaken. Consequently, there was a knowledge gap regarding the definition and attributes for the concept of home care nursing workload as it is currently experienced. To address that gap, a descriptive, three-phase, mixed methods (quantitative and qualitative) study was conducted.

Assessment Of The Cultural Competence, Dementia Attitude, And Alzheimer's Disease Knowledge Among Tertiary Healthcare Providers, Jo Ann Pelaez-Fisher

Dissertations

Alzheimer's disease has made a significant impact on healthcare delivery in the acute care facilities. Tertiary healthcare providers are challenged by the needs of patients diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease while ensuring safe delivery of technical and specialized care in a fast-paced setting. There have been extensive research on informal caregivers and the consequences of providing care to patients with Alzheimer's disease. Few studies have queried tertiary healthcare providers and the influence of culture, attitude, or knowledge on Alzheimer's disease care. No study to date has investigated the elements of high quality Alzheimer's disease care which include cultural competence, positive attitudes, …

Learning Science: Physical And Life Sciences In Curricula Across U.S. Schools Of Nursing, Valerie C. Sauda

Dissertations

Nursing educators are being challenged to provide curriculum that meets the changing healthcare environment and demand for creative, innovative nurses to assist in transforming healthcare into the future (Benner, Sutphen, Leonard, & Day, 2010; Institute Of Medicine, 2011). The liberal education provided within a baccalaureate of science in nursing (BSN) degree program provides a diversity of courses within the curriculum, including courses in the natural, physical, mathematical, and social sciences (American Association of Colleges of Nursing [AACN], 2008). Although nursing programs have included science courses in curriculum since the early 1900s (Nutting & Dock, 1907), there is lack of nursing …