Digital Commons Network^™

Photophysical Characterization Of Small Organic Molecules Via Time-Resolved And Steady-State Spectroscopic Techniques, Cameron Luke Smith

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation describes in detail the photophysical characterization of novel organic dyes in the infrared region for bioimaging purposes in a rapidly evolving field which originates from the need for more efficient and bright systems that are capable of replacing current commercial options and functioning in biologically relevant media. Biological tissue, whether it be muscle, adipose, or epithelium, has a higher scattering efficiency, greater light attenuation, and stronger autofluorescence at shorter wavelengths, thus limiting the biological window to longer wavelengths. The goal of this dissertation was the comparison of novel organic dyes for commercial development as bioimaging dye candidates with …

Sustained And Improved Ophthalmic Formulations Of Gatifloxacin For Better Therapeutic Outcomes During Topical Ocular Applications, Poorva Hemant Joshi

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Gatifloxacin (GTX) is a broad-spectrum 4th generation antimicrobial fluroquinolone used in the treatment of ocular infections such as conjunctivitis, keratitis and keratoconjuctivitis. GTX (as a sesquihydrate) is commercially available as aqueous eyedrops for the treatment of bacterial conjunctivitis (BC) which requires frequent administration due to low residence time on the conjunctival surface. The eye is a highly specialized photoreceptive organ, which is protected by a continuous tear flow containing antibacterial components. However, inflammation or scarring of the eye may be difficult to resolve once having occurred. Furthermore, initial infections if ignored are likely to invade the inner portions of the …

Understanding Financial Toxicity Among Adult Cancer Survivors In The Us, Siddhi Korgaonkar

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The term ‘financial toxicity’ (FT) has been used to describe cancer-related financial hardship and psychological distress experienced by cancer survivors. FT can be detrimental to the health and wellbeing of cancer survivors due to its multifarious adverse effects.

This dissertation strives to advance extant knowledge on cancer-related FT research by investigating three key questions: 1. How have the trends in the direct total and out-of-pocket (OOP) healthcare expenditures, and OOP financial burden of US cancer survivors aged 18-64 years evolved between 2008 – 2019? 2. What are the self-reported HIL levels among adult cancer survivors aged 27-64 years in the …

Effects Of Pictorial And Imagery Encoding On False Memories, Paul D. Loprinzi

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Prior research demonstrates that viewing matched pictures is ineffective in reducing false memories for related lures that have not been previously externally presented during the experiment. However, other types of visual processing, such imagery encoding, have been shown to reduce false memories when evaluated from paradigms where the critical item is also thought to be internally activated, such as when using DRM lists. The prior work showing that imagery encoding can reduce false memories when using DRM lists may be confounded by a potential mismatch between the mentally-generated image and the visual word. Using a category associate procedure, as opposed …

Evaluating The Impact Of Increased Cycling On Thermal Power Plants Due To Wind Energy Penetration In The Midwest: A Case Study, Joscelyne Larson

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

One of the most significant shifts in the mix of U.S. electricity generation over the past few years has been the rapid expansion of renewable energy resources, especially solar and wind. However, fossil fuels are still necessary to fulfill the world’s energy requirements. Despite efforts to increase the use of renewable energy sources, these sources can be at times unreliable, causing countries around the world to continue to rely on base load units such as coal and natural gas. This decrease in fossil fuels and increase in renewable energy sources presents many complex issues in terms of power system planning, …

Quantifying The Effects Of Hvac Operation To Mitigate Aerosol Concentration In A Classroom Using Cfd, Scott Deprez

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) is a complex mechanical system for the transition of air between outdoor and indoor areas. These systems are directly responsible for temperature, humidity, and air flow into any given space, thereby providing a level of comfort to those who live indoors. These systems account for 52 percent of U.S. energy consumption. When designing HVAC systems, indoor air quality (IAQ) is the main focus for achieving safe and clean air, such as in the case of airborne diseases. HVAC systems are responsible for the flow of air in indoor spaces and thereby expand the transmissible …

Identifying Optimum Germination Temperatures And Analysis Weights In Seed Testing For Stiff Goldenrod (Solidago Rigida) And River Bulrush (Bolboschoenus Fluviatilis), Rachel Geary

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Federal and state seed laws require seed lots offered for sale to be tested and labeled with the appropriate information before they can be sold. Those tests are conducted in seed testing labs all around the world. In the United States, accredited seed testing labs follow the Association of Official Seed Analysts (AOSA) Rules for Testing Seeds to provide information for labeling. The rules lack instructions for weights and germination for many native species. Stiff goldenrod (Solidago rigida) and river bulrush (Bolboschoenus fluviatilis) are two species that lack any information required for testing. When seed testing labs use correct weights …

Feeding Strategies To Improve Gastrointestinal Health And Growth Performance Of Confinement Fed Ruminants, Forest Laine Francis

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The objective of this dissertation was to investigate how feed additives, orally administered direct fed microbials, and dietary management strategies may be beneficial in improving gastrointestinal health and growth performance of confinement fed ruminants. Four studies were conducted using confinement fed steers (n = 3) and wether lambs (n = 1) to determine the effects of the products and management strategies used. The first study was conducted on finishing steers to investigate the effects of increasing doses of an encapsulated butyric acid and zinc supplement (BZ) on growth performance, efficiency of dietary net energy utilization, carcass characteristics, and gastrointestinal health. …

Genome-Wide Association Studies And Advanced Genomic Selection Strategies: Towards The Optimization Of Oat (Avena Sativa L) Breeding, Girma Ayana

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Oats are important cereal crops worldwide, primarily valued for their nutritional and health benefits. The primary goal of oat breeding programs is to accelerate genetic gain to develop oat varieties with the desired product profiles, with the aim of meeting the needs and expectations of growers, processors, and consumers. Achieving this goal involves conducting extensive and resource-intensive field trials, particularly for traits such as crop yield and grain quality, which are strongly influenced by environmental factors. The availability of cost-effective molecular markers and tools like genome-wide association studies (GWAS) and genomic selection have the potential to accelerate the oat breeding …

Develop Biochar-Based Control Release Nitogen Fertilizers Using Biodegradable Polypropylene, Abdulkarim Aldekhail

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Nitrogen (N) is an indispensable key nutrient for crop plant growth, health, and yield, which significantly affects crop productivity. N fertilizers are wildly utilized in agriculture. Managing N application stands as a necessity to achieve optimal crop yield. Urea is one of the most common N fertilizers in agricultural practices due to its high N content and cost-effectiveness. Due to its commercial scale, feasibility, and reliability, it is demonstrating potential as a medium to improve agricultural sustainability. However, economic challenges, and environmental pollution remain as setbacks. This research focuses on selecting cost-effective and environmentally friendly coating materials for the fabrication …

Evaluation Of Low-Cost Radiometer For Surface Reflectance Re-Trieval And Orbital Sensor’S Validation, Dinithi Siriwardana Pathiranage

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This paper evaluates the Arable Mark 2 sensor, an automated and low-cost radiometer, for its potential to retrieve surface reflectance data and validate orbital sensors such as the Landsat-8 (L8) Operational Land Imager (OLI) Level 2 product. While orbital sensors are widely used for monitoring solar radiation changes, managing natural resources, and understanding climatic trends, atmospheric effects can make it challenging to obtain accurate measurements. Equipped with multiple sensors, including long-wave and short-wave radiometers, the Arable Mark 2 sensor can measure upwelling and downwelling irradiance to calculate surface reflectance. To assess the accuracy and consistency of the Arable Mark 2 …

Extended Cross-Referenced Analysis Using Data From The Landsat 8 And 9 Underfly Event, Garrison Gross

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The Landsat 8 and 9 Underfly Event occurred in November 2021, where Landsat 9 flew beneath Landsat 8 in the final stages before settling in its final orbiting path. An analysis was performed on the images taken during this event, which resulted in a cross-referenced with uncertainties estimated to be less than 0.5%. This level of precision was due in part to the near-identical sensors aboard each instrument as well as the underfly event itself, which allowed the sensors to take nearly the exact same image at nearly the exact same time. This initial calibration was applied before the end …

A Study Of The Local Deep Galerkin Method For The Modified Cahn Hilliard Equation, Shi Wen Wong

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Solving higher order partial differential equations (PDEs) can often prove to be a challenging task due to the involvement of higher-order derivatives of the unknown function, particularly for complex problems. The higher the order of the PDE, the more challenging it becomes to obtain an analytical solution. In such cases, alternative numerical methods are often used, such as finite element method or finite difference method. However, these methods can be computationally expensive and require a significant amount of mathematical expertise to implement. In recent times, there has been significant progress in applying neural networks to various fields, including the solution …

Building No-Tillage Maize Nitrogen Recommendation Algorithm That Considers Improvements In Soil Health, Dwarika Bhattarai

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

In long-term no-till fields, farmers have reported that less N is required to optimize maize (Zea mays L.) yields in long term no-tillage fields than conventional tillage fields. These reductions may be attributed to improved soil health resulting from increasing soil organic matter, higher soil microbial activities, and improved water and nutrient use efficiency. However, the impact of soil health measurements on fertilizer-N requirement has not been determined. The objective of this dissertation was to compare different regional N recommendation models to measured values and develop a maize fertilizer-N recommendation model, using machine learning approaches, that includes adjustments based on …

The Development Of Dark Hyperspectral Absolute Calibration Model Using Extended Pseudo Invariant Calibration Sites At A Global Scale: Dark Epics-Global, Padam Bahadur Karki

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This research aimed to develop a novel dark hyperspectral absolute calibration (DAHAC) model using stable dark targets of "Global Cluster - 36" (GC-36), one of the clusters from "300 Class Global Classification." The stable dark sites were identified from GC-36 called "Dark EPICS-Global" covering the surface types viz; dark rock, volcanic area, and dark sand. The Dark EPICS-Global shows a temporal variation of 0.02 unit reflectance. This work uses the Landsat-8 (L8) Operational Land Imager (OLI) , Sentinel-2A (S2A) Multispectral Instrument (MSI) , and Earth Observing One (EO-1) Hyperion data for the DAHAC model development, where well-calibrated L8 and S2A …

Efficacy, Durability And Design Of A Bucket Wheel Excavator For Icy Lunar Regolith, Austin Lohsandt

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This research project focused on the design and testing of a prototype bucket wheel excavator developed for NASA's Break the Ice Lunar Challenge, which sought innovative ideas for lunar excavation. Several attempts have been made by other universities and private industries to create systems that can successfully excavate simulated frozen regolith, however, few have been successful. The chosen excavation technology employed a bucket wheel concept inspired by large open-pit mining machines, modified to incorporate grinding nubs for pulverizing lunar simulant material. The goals included proving the viability of a bucket wheel excavator for lunar excavation, exploring grinding nubs, conducting durability …

Mechanical Properties Evaluation Of 3d Printed Petg And Pctg Polymers, Kalpesh Krishnarao Bhosale

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

3D printing is also known as additive manufacturing (AM) which has become a popular manufacturing trend over the years. Due to its unique advantages of fast production rate, ability to create complex geometrical features, toolless manufacturing and many more attracts various industries from Aerospace to general cosmetics. Along with the advancement in material science, various polymers including Polylactic Acid (PLA), Polyethylene terephthalate glycol (PETG) and many more are available for 3D printing. Due to the wide range of applications in PLA, it is necessary to improve its toughness to make it more suitable by adding Poly Cyclohexylenedimethylene Terephthalate glycol (PCTG) …

The Effects Of Body Weight, Feed Intake, And Weather On Total And Liquid Water Intake In Growing Beef Cattle, Madison Rae Kovarna

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Research conducted in the 1950s to determine water requirements utilized cattle that vary greatly from the animals being raised today. Additionally, most of the previous research has been conducted on animals being fed for slaughter, rather than bulls or reproductive females. The objective of this study was to analyze the effect of weather variables, dry matter intake (DMI), and body weight (BW) on total daily water intake (TDWI) and liquid daily water intake (LDWI) in growing beef bulls and heifers. Two contemporary groups of Angus and Simmental x Angus bulls and heifers over a two-year period were utilized in this …

Combating Teacher Turnover Through Teacher Development In A Collaborative Culture Of Teacher Leadership, Nina M. Johnson

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This applied action research with program evaluation aimed to determine if teacher-led professional development and empowerment initiatives such as the Teacher Leader Collaborative (TLC) contributed to a group of teachers' efficacy and professional growth to reduce teacher turnover of English Language Arts (ELA) teachers at Bernard Williams Middle School (BWMS). Each year the middle school has a turnover trend in the ELA department. As a result, sustainable school improvement efforts have waned, and teachers have had limited access to professional growth initiatives because of these transitions. The outcome has led to student achievement challenges. Therefore, this applied research study comprises …

A Content Analysis Of State-Level Restorative Justice Statutes, Mason Karlyn Myers

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Restorative justice programs have garnered attention as a potential policy solution to address critical issues within the criminal justice system, such as mass incarceration, re-victimization, and costliness. However, effective implementation of these programs faces various challenges, including communication gaps, inadequate program design, and implementation issues. These challenges may be further exacerbated by the lack of consistent policies at the state level guiding restorative justice practices. Surprisingly, limited research has been conducted to examine restorative justice statutes at the state level. In response to this gap in the literature, this study analyzes the restorative justice policies of all fifty states, including …

A Review Of Mental Health Intake Assessments In Mississippi Jails, Sierra Molina

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Over 64 percent of jail inmates report mental health concerns in the United States. Limited research, however, has explored the guidelines provided by jail facilities for screening and assessing mental illness. To address this gap in the literature, this study used a qualitative design to examine the intake policy guidelines for mental health screening in Mississippi jails. Furthermore, it explored the following questions to discover themes relating to correctional mental health: how many facilities have policies relating to screening for mental health symptoms; how are these guidelines defined by correctional officials; is there variation across location and facility; and are …

Saudi Perspective On Using Efl Resources To Improve Their English Pronunciation In Saudi Public Institutions, Khadija Abdullah Alzahrani

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Due to the lack of a pronunciation curriculum and materials in Saudi universities, EFL students individually select use different resources to help with their English pronunciation difficulties. Therefore, this study aims to describe (a) Saudi students' perspectives and attitudes toward pronunciation resources that may help with their pronunciation (b) if they use them to help with their weaknesses, and (c) the teachers’ perspectives on their students' pronunciation difficulties, their knowledge of the resources the universities provide, and what they use to help the students' pronunciation learning and development. This study investigates what Saudi students think they need to learn pronunciation, …

Level Of Pj (Peace Journalism) Awareness Among Journalists From Saudi Arabia, Abdullah Ayidh J. Alqahtani

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study aimed to ascertain whether Saudi Arabian journalists know peace journalism. According to the peace journalism model and the framing theory, journalists' practices are supposed to foster peace rather than fuel violence. As a result, journalists can shed light on the social and underlying causes of violence with the noble goal of demoting violence and promoting peace. In that sense, 100 journalists from Saudi Arabia made up the sample population of this study. The mixed-method approach was used to collect data; Consequently, the researcher provided the participants with a questionnaire to elicit the level of awareness of peace journalism …

Computational Investigation Of The Structures And Vibrational Spectra Of Isolated And Hydrated Ions, Kayleigh R. Barlow

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

High-accuracy electronic structure theory methods are important in the field of chemistry for probing molecular properties of chemically relevant systems that are often difficult to obtain experimentally. This work focuses primarily on using robust computational techniques to characterize not only small triatomic anions but also anion-water clusters in addition to investigating their vibrational frequencies near the complete basis set (CBS) limit. The MP2 and CCSD(T) ab initio methods are used with second-order vibrational perturbation theory (VPT2) and vibrational configuration interaction (VCI) theory in this work to compute the fundamental vibrational frequencies of small anions. Due it being arduous to experimental …

L2 Perception Of The S-Aspirated Phone In Spanish, Raúl A. Gamboa

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation deals with the perception of the aspirated coda /s/ by Spanish L2 learners. Second language research, with some exceptions, focuses on whether L1English–L2 Spanish learners can perceive the aspirated variant, showing that only advanced learners with time spent in s-weakening regions succeed at the task. L2 studies about s-aspiration have yet to investigate the perception of the aspirated coda /s/ in different environments across actual phrases and sentences. This study focuses on the intelligibility of pairs of ambiguous phrases and sentences perceptually differentiated only by the aspirated coda /s/. Additionally, it investigates the prosodic stress´ influence on the …

Ground Level: Poems, Margaret Graber

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

“Ground Level” is a full-length poetry collection situated at the intersection of ecopoetics and psychology, where the theme of “grounding” one’s self continually emerges in the midst of personal geographical changes and experiences of collective social trauma during a period of prolonged immersion in the natural world. By exploring through an array of poetic forms, structures, and experimentations including golden shovels, contrapuntals, haikus, an abecedarian, a sestina, grounding exercises, poems featuring 20th century children’s television host Fred Rogers, and a sonnet crown which also explores queerness in the 21st century Southeast, the speaker engages with a number of different methods …

"Dug Way To Liberty": Newspapers, Prison, And Jim Crow In Georgia In The Early 1900s, Avery Elise Gross

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

On April 15, 1907, twelve Black and white convicts escaped from the Durham Mines prison camp located on Lookout Mountain, Georgia. Over the next month, newspapers throughout Georgia and in neighboring states reported the escape and discussed the recapture events. Within five days of the prison break, the local white community recaptured all nine Black convicts. None of the white convicts were caught. As this thesis investigates the lives, crimes, and recapture of all twelve prisoners, it connects the convict lease prison system with the newspaper media to understand the impact of white supremacy ideology and the repressive systems that …

Effects And Mechanisms Of Cognitive Impairment During Vigorous-Intensity Exercise, Myungjin Jung

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Recent research indicates that vigorous-intensity exercise concurrent with a prefrontal cortex (PFC)-dependent cognitive task can temporarily deactivate the PFC, leading to impaired cognition. Shifting attentional focus from a cognitive task to exercise or vice versa during exercise may also affect cognitive performance. However, the underlying mechanisms of this effect remain unclear. Therefore, this dissertation aimed to evaluate whether changes in attention and PFC oxygenation mediate cognitive impairment during vigorous-intensity exercise. Seventy-five young healthy adults (37 males, 38 females; 20.3 ± 1.6 years) completed three visits. The initial visit consisted of a max cycle test to measure VO2max via indirect calorimetry. …

The Combined Effects Of Context And Importance On Prospective Memory, Gage Owens Regier

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Prospective memory is memory for activities to be performed in the future. These tasks vary in importance – such as remembering to pick up your medicine on the way home versus buying milk for the next morning – and vary in the amount of contextual information available, where contextual information allows an individual to predict when the intended action might be completed. While importance and context have been studied individually, their combined effects have not been explored. This experiment’s goal was to examine this unexplored interaction using established manipulations and tasks to facilitate comparison to previous work. In doing so, …

Dear God The Light, Suado Abdirahman Sheikhhassan

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This creative thesis contains original poetry by Suado Sheikhassan.