Digital Commons Network^™

Coding Against Stragglers In Distributed Computation Scenarios, Malihe Aliasgari

Dissertations

Data and analytics capabilities have made a leap forward in recent years. The volume of available data has grown exponentially. The huge amount of data needs to be transferred and stored with extremely high reliability. The concept of "coded computing", or a distributed computing paradigm that utilizes coding theory to smartly inject and leverage data/computation redundancy into distributed computing systems, mitigates the fundamental performance bottlenecks for running large-scale data analytics.

In this dissertation, a distributed computing framework, first for input files distributedly stored on the uplink of a cloud radio access network architecture, is studied. It focuses on that decoding …

The Roles Of Inhibition In C. Elegans Locomotion, Lan Deng

Dissertations

Inhibition plays important roles in modulating neural activities at different levels from small synapses to brain regions, and different systems from sensory to motor. To achieve translocation, locomotor systems produce alternation of antagonist muscles, including axial posture and limb movement and alternation. In the nematode C. elegans, a cross-inhibition circuit, involving excitatory cholinergic and inhibitory GABAergic motoneurons, is believed to generate the dorsoventral alternation of body-wall muscles that supports backward undulatory locomotion. This dissertation challenges this prevalent hypothesis, delves into studying different roles of inhibition, and depicts the expression pattern and functional role of ionotropic GABAA receptor, UNC-49, in motoneurons …

Calculating Elastic Properties Of Confined Simple Fluids, Christopher D. Dobrzanski

Dissertations

Confinement in nanoporous materials is known to affect many properties of the fluids confined within their pores. The elastic properties are no exception. This dissertation begins with an overview of the relevant literature on ways of obtaining elastic properties of confined fluids. It outlines some fundamental gaps in our understanding. The chapters following address some of these gaps in understanding elastic properties of the confined fluid, in particular, how the shape of the confining pore matters, how supercriticality effects the properties, how an equation of state designed for confined fluids can be used to calculate elastic properties, and if an …

Neurobiological Markers For Remission And Persistence Of Childhood Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder, Yuyang Luo

Dissertations

Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is one of the most prevalent neurodevelopmental disorders in children. Symptoms of childhood ADHD persist into adulthood in around 65% of patients, which elevates the risk for a number of adverse outcomes, resulting in substantial individual and societal burden. A neurodevelopmental double dissociation model is proposed based on existing studies in which the early onset of childhood ADHD is suggested to associate with dysfunctional subcortical structures that remain static throughout the lifetime; while diminution of symptoms over development could link to optimal development of prefrontal cortex. Current existing studies only assess basic measures including regional brain activation …

Pegylated Block Copolymer For Cancer Imaging And Treatment, Sweety Singh

Dissertations

Gene theranostics have emerged as an important tool for the treatment of cancer as well as other diseases. Among the challenges in this field is the lack of effective vectors to chaperone plasmids into cells while the vector itself exhibits minimal toxicity. Herein, the synthesis, cellular uptake, and gene delivery using a biocompatible norbornene-based block copolymer is reported. This block copolymer, bearing polyethylene glycol moieties along with primary amines is functionalized with both a boron dipyrromethene (BODIPY) fluorophore for fluorescence tracking and a folic acid derivative for cancer cell targeting.

Stoichiometry control afforded residual unreacted amine functional groups available to …

The Impact Of Conversion On The Durability Of Calcium Aluminate Cement Concrete Systems, Marwa Mohsen Korayem

Dissertations

The deterioration of infrastructure in North America has resulted in a significant need for concrete repair materials that can be used to maintain service life of these structures. Hydraulic cement based rapid repair materials can be used to repair pavement and bridge deterioration with minimal impact on economic activities such as freight handling or public transportation. While there are many options for use in repair situations, calcium aluminate cements have become more popular recently, particularly in situations where repairs must be completed rapidly.

Calcium aluminate cement (CAC) is a cement characterized by its rapid strength gain, even at low temperatures …

Modeling Single Microtubules As A Colloidal System To Measure The Harmonic Interactions Between Tubulin Dimers In Bovine Brain Derived Versus Cancer Cell Derived Microtubules, Arooj Aslam

Dissertations

The local properties of tubulin dimers dictate the properties of the larger microtubule assembly. In order to elucidate this connection, tubulin-tubulin interactions are be modeled as harmonic interactions to map the stiffness matrix along the length of the microtubule. The strength of the interactions are measured by imaging and tracking the movement of segments along the microtubule over time, and then performing a fourier transform to extract the natural vibrational frequencies. Using this method the first ever reported experimental phonon spectrum of the microtubule is reported. This method can also be applied to other biological materials, and opens new doors …

Plant Evolution And Urbanization: Quantifying The Effects Of Natural Selection In Shaping Shepherd’S Purse (Capsella Bursa-Pastoris) Populations In New York City, Rebecca Panko

Dissertations

The aim of this study is to quantify the effects of natural selection in shaping Capsella bursa-pastoris populations along an urban-rural gradient in New York City.

A reciprocal transplant experiment with 168 lab-germinated C. bursa-pastoris seedlings from both urban and rural populations are grown in eight paired home and away sites distributed throughout the New York metropolitan area. Sites are visited approximately thirteen times to record plant fitness. There is evidence for local adaptation of urban populations: urban plants have longer reproductive durations and produce more seed pods in urban environments. These findings suggest that urban plants are better adapted …

Schwann Cells In Combination With Gag-Mimetic Scaffolds For Spinal Cord Repair, Sharareh Hashemi

Dissertations

Spinal cord injury (SCI) being a devastating neurological dysfunction can cause extensive irreversible neuronal loss and axonal damage. Fifty-four cases of spinal cord injury per million people occur annually in the United States. Due to the loss of glial cells and demyelination of axons, the neuronal function of surviving neurons is disrupted leading to permanent loss of sensory and motor functions. The glial scar formed by astrogliosis at the chronic stage protects undamaged tissues, but it is known to be a major barrier for axonal regeneration. The limited regeneration capacity of spinal cord makes it challenging to successfully treat the …

Effects Of A Primary Blast-Induced Traumatic Brain Injury On The Susceptibility To Behavioral And Neuronal Deficits On A Susequent Blunt Trauma, Aswati Aravind

Dissertations

Soldiers are often exposed to more than one traumatic brain injury (TBI) event over the course of their service. In recent years, more attention has been drawn to the increased risk of neurological deficits caused by the 'blast plus' polytrauma, which typically is a blast trauma combined with other forms of TBI. The objective of this dissertation is to investigate if exposure to a blast TBI predisposes the brain to increased neurological deficits when followed with a second blunt head trauma. The behavioral and neuronal deficits resulting from a blast plus injury involving a mild-moderate blast followed by a mild …

Particle Engineering Via Surface Modification: Model Based Analysis, Kai Zheng

Dissertations

Size reduction, an important step in particle engineering, leads to downstream processing problems because of fine powders are cohesive. This research aims to improve the fine particle properties through surface modification and develop better understanding of such processes by model-based analysis. Four case studies concerning surface modification are systematically investigated.

First, enhancement of dissolution behavior of griseofulvin is investigated via combination of amorphization and particle size reduction. The dissolution behavior is affected by the particle size and polymer loading. Finest size amorphous solid dispersions dissolve fast enough to negate the higher recrystallization rate and enhance drug loading by reducing the …

Substance Use And Hiv Among Young Black Men Who Have Sex With Men (Msm), Raymond Austin Nation

Dissertations

In the United States, young Black men who have sex with men (MSM), between the ages of 13 and 29 years have the highest rates of new HIV infections. The prevalence of HIV among this population is three to four times higher than their White MSM counterparts. Research indicates substance use is strongly associated with HIV infection among young Black MSM. Twelve HIV-negative and HIV-positive participants from the Bay Area were recruited for this qualitative narrative study to explore the following three aims: (a) describe the role substance use plays in the lives of young Black MSM, (b) describe their …

Nurses' Spiritual Care Practices: Assessment Type, Frequency, And Correlates, Iris Mamier

Dissertations

This descriptive, correlational study described the type, frequency, and correlates of nurses' spiritual care practices (quantitative) and their experiences with the sacred at work (qualitative).

Life Balance In Nurse Educators: A Mixed Methods Study, Joan M. Owens

Dissertations

The topic of nurse educator life balance is significant to the nurse educator community, which is facing a national nurse faculty shortage, challenges in producing enough new nurses, and a continuing shortage of nurses. This compromises patient safety and the quality of care. Major factors identified as contributing to the shortage of nurse educators are educator dissatisfaction with workload and work life balance. Life balance is described as an enjoyable array of daily activities that is meaningful and contributes to the individual's health. Professional quality of life is described as the quality one feels in relation to one's work as …

Syndemic Conditions And Medication Adherence In Older Hiv-Positive Men Who Have Sex With Men, Roland Zepf

Dissertations

For people living with HIV, lack of adherence to medication regimen is a significant problem with serious deleterious outcomes. Reasons for non-adherence are co-concurring psychosocial health conditions—also known as syndemic conditions—such as symptoms of depression, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), past physical or sexual abuse, intimate partner violence (IPV), stimulant use, and binge drinking. Majority of all new HIV infections in the United States are among men who have sex with men (MSM). This dissertation reports on a secondary analysis of cross-sectional data from older MSM living with HIV receiving treatment at two outpatient HIV clinics in San Francisco.

How Does Standard Use Of A Rectal Acetaminophen/Intravenous (Iv) Opioid Combination Compare To Iv Opioid Alone In Improved Comfort Levels And Decreased Overall Opioid Use In Full-Term Infants Post Open Heart Repair?, Jacqueline M. Ochsenreither

Dissertations

Pediatric cardiothoracic surgical patients experience varying degrees of pain in the immediate post-operative period. Multiple analgesic modalities can be utilized to effectively manage pain in this specific patient population. Routinely, IV opioid only is prescribed post-operatively to manage acute pain needs in this select group of patients. However, standard use of rectal acetaminophen as an adjunct to IV opioid to improve comfort levels and decrease overall opioid use in the immediate post-operative period in this select population has not been examined. This retrospective, 18-month, quantitative study was conducted at a large urban children's teaching hospital incorporating electronic medical inpatient chart …

Comparing Teaching Strategies Utilized To Enhance Self-Confidence Among Novice Nursing Students, Ashley N. Carter

Dissertations

Faculty play a considerable role in positively impacting the development of a novice nursing student's self-confidence through contemporary, innovative, and meaningful teaching practices that are data-driven. Employing effective confidence-building teaching strategies early in the curriculum supports the development of confidence as a professional attribute and is critical to student success, patient safety, and patient comfort (Blum et al., 2010; Bulfone et al., 2016; Lundberg, 2008; White, 2009). This prospective, cross-sectional, quantitative, comparison pilot study compared the effectiveness of a role-play (RP) physical assessment simulation with a new teaching strategy, an individual high-fidelity physical assessment simulation (HFS), to determine the impact …

The Effectiveness Of A Chart Audit And Feedback Intervention To Improve Cardiology Provider Delivery Of Heart Failure Self-Care Education, Dorothy L. Murphy

Dissertations

Heart failure is a challenging disease process that presents a high risk of mortality, frequent hospitalizations, and an overwhelming economic burden to the health system. Patient self-care education has been shown to decrease unplanned hospitalizations, emergency room visits, hospitalized days, costs, and mortality rates. However, only 61% of adults with HF receive self-care education within a 12-month period. Under the framework of the Iowa Model for Evidence-Based Practice, the purpose of this project was to implement an electronic health record audit and written and verbal provider feedback intervention with the aim of improving provider delivery of heart failure self-care education …

Physical Activity Improves Depressive Symptoms In Older Adults, Karen Lee Fahey

Dissertations

Engaging in physical activity can help older adults to take part in community activities, maintain relationships, and initiate new friendships, thus preventing loneliness and depression. The purpose of this quality improvement (QI) project was to evaluate whether participation in physical activity improved depressive symptoms in 15 older adults at a local senior center. Pender's health promotion model was used to determine nursing and behavioral science views on components that affect health behavior.

The Effects Of Art Therapy On Hypertension In Black American Women, Ellen Layton Mullarkey

Dissertations

70 million Americans have hypertension affecting one out of three Americans. Heart disease was the leading cause of death in America in 2015. The American Heart Association published an algorithm for implementing alternative approaches to treating hypertension. Creative art therapy was not included. Art therapy blends the therapeutic process of psychotherapy with the art of painting, drawing and sculpture to help express emotions and beliefs that are too difficult to convey in verbal and written communication. The health belief model is a framework that examines why people do not follow the recommendations of health care providers due to real and …

Learned Resourcefulness, Cognitive Processes, And Adaptive Functioning In Depressed Adults, Chien Yu Lai

Dissertations

Approximately 19 million American adults suffer from depressive illness in given 1-year period. Research has shown that depressed persons have difficulty with performing daily tasks, meeting their own personal care needs, and maintaining social relationships. According to Beck's cognitive theory of depression, such deficits in adaptive functioning in depressed persons are affected by disturbances in specific cognitive process that he identified as personal beliefs. However, Adler's social interest theory suggests that one's relationship with others, which he called social interest, is perhaps an equally important cognitive process. Each of these cognitive processes may differentially affect the depressed person's ability to …

Effect Of Patient Handoff Methods On Nurse Self-Efficacy, Christopher Scott Guelbert

Dissertations

Patients experience multiple transitions in care between nursing providers (handoffs) during hospitalization. Handoffs are opportunities for communication errors to occur. Patient handoffs between the post-anesthesia care unit (PACU) to the nursing division is a frequent event within hospitals. Methods of handoff vary in practice from face-to-face, telephone, or written report. Nurses receiving patient handoff may experience varying degrees of self-efficacy levels in providing care to the newly acquired patient from the PACU. Self-efficacy levels can be measured utilizing the Nursing Care Self-Efficacy Scale (NCSES). Variances in nursing self-efficacy scores among the methods of face-to-face and telephone patient handoff were analyzed …

The Nursing Practice Environment And Job Outcomes In Saudi Hospitals, Zainab Ambani

Dissertations

The nursing shortage is a challenging problem globally. In Saudi Arabia, the nurse shortage continues to be a critical problem in all healthcare sectors. International nursing research has shown strong relationships between poor practice environments and unfavorable nurse job outcomes, including job dissatisfaction, burnout, and intention to leave, which often precedes turnover, a leading cause of shortage. However, there is scarcity in this area of research in Saudi Arabia. This study aims to describe and compare the nursing practice environments and nurse job-related outcomes of nurses in two types of hospitals in Saudi Arabia. Additionally, the study aims to test …

Description Of The Moderate Brain Injured Patient And Predictors Of Discharge To Rehabilitation, Sandra Rogers

Dissertations

This retrospective, descriptive study characterized moderate traumatic brain injured patients between the ages of 18 to 64 years that were treated at level I and level II trauma centers within the United States and the predictors of discharge to rehabilitation after acute care using data reported in the National Trauma Data Bank (NTDB®).

Health Literacy Preparation Of Bsn Students: A Basic Qualitative Study, Robin E. Squellati

Dissertations

Understanding the complexity of multiple health conditions, treatment options, and medications requires a high level of health literacy. Yet, 88% of Americans have some deficiency in health literacy. The nursing literature is lacking in best practices for teaching nursing students how to address health literacy concepts with their patients. Therefore, this basic qualitative study explored Bachelor's of Science in Nursing (BSN) students' educational preparation to integrate health literacy in patient education. The primary research questions asked, How do BSN students describe their preparation to integrate health literacy in patient education?

Correlates Of Fatigue In Lymphoma Patients Undergoing Autologous Peripheral Blood Stem Cell Transplantation, Majeda M. El-Banna

Dissertations

Fatigue is the most prevalent and disturbing symptom in cancer patients; however, little research explains the correlates and predictors of fatigue. The purposes of this study were to describe the fatigue patterns in lymphoma patients undergoing autologous peripheral blood stem cell transplantation (APBSCT) and to examine the relationships among these fatigue patterns and the changes in the patterns of melatonin, depression, pain, nausea, hemoglobin level, total sleep time within 24 hours, and number of awakenings at night that contribute to the changes in fatigue during the baseline, chemotherapy and recovery periods. The conceptual framework of this prospective, descriptive, correlational, and …

The Relation Between Patient Education And Picc Line Occlusion And Infection, Patricia L. Cameron

Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to test the feasibility of using an electronic tablet to supplement patient and caregiver education about PICC line maintenance and to compare the percentage of PICC line complications in the intervention group with national percentage rates for patients and caregivers.

Consensus In Anesthesia Handoff Reporting, Robin L. Groves Anselm

Dissertations

Despite some improvement, no consensus exists to perfect quality in anesthesia handoff practice and policy. This quality improvement project was designed to assist a local anesthesia and perioperative workforce questioning the quality of its current handoff. Theories and models used to inform the project included the Inter-Professional Team Collaborative, Lewin's change theory, the continuous quality improvement theory, and the knowledge to action model. The communication assessment tool (CAT) functioned as a needs assessment yielding a gap in handoff practice of 25 participants. The CAT also served as the post project evaluation survey. The situation, background, assessment, and recommendation (SBAR) tool …

Impact Of Nurse-Initiated Intentional Rounding On Patient Satisfaction Scores On A Surgical Unit, Tina Eslinger-Vaughn

Dissertations

This project focused on nurse-initiated intentional rounding (NIIR) as a new nursing approach to patient care. NIIR anticipates the needs of patients as nurses perform hourly checks on their patients, thereby improving the overall patient experience, and increasing patient satisfaction. This DNP project included a summative program evaluation of the use of NIIR on a 33-bed surgical unit (N = 629 patients), guided by the John Hopkins Nursing Evidence-Based Model and Guidelines (JHNEBP). The program evaluation included comparisons of mean patient satisfaction scores 3 months prior to implementation of NIIR, and 3 months after implementation.

Veteran Specific Risk Factors For Delirium, Allison Perkins

Dissertations

Purpose/Aims: This study explored the relationships between military characteristics such as combat experience, mental health issues such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), traumatic brain injury (TBI), depression, anxiety and substance use disorder (SUD), physical comorbidities such as coronary artery disease (CAD), other risk factors, and delirium diagnosis among hospitalized veterans.

Background: Delirium is a common disorder experienced by 25% of all hospitalized adults 65 years and older. No published studies to date have examined whether combat, TBI and PTSD are associated with the incidence of delirium in the hospitalized veteran.

Methods: A retrospective cross-sectional cohort design with a sample size …