Digital Commons Network^™

Llm For Clinical Named Entity Recognition: A Study On Rag With Pubmed And Umls, Apoorv Tripathi

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The first step of biomedical NLP is recognizing clinical named entities, which consist of identifying and categorizing a variety of clinical entities such as diseases, symptoms, genetics, diagnostic tests, procedures, etc. from a body of unstructured clinical text. This study presents a PubMed and UMLS based Retrieval Augmented Generation framework which improves the performance of the Large Language Models to identify clinical entities by providing context. In particular, the framework consists of a two-stage pipeline, where candidate tokens are identified from initial LLM-based classification and refined with retrieved context from either PubMed or UMLS. The proposed framework is assessed across …

The Effects Of Oleuropein In Olive Leaf Extract Alone Or Combined With Calcitriol On The Viability And Migration Of Human Endometrial Cells In Vitro, Katelyn Devereaux

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Endometriosis is a chronic inflammatory disease affecting approximately 10% of reproductive-aged women worldwide and is commonly associated with pelvic pain, infertility, and reduced quality of life. Current management strategies, including hormonal therapies and surgical intervention, often provide only temporary relief and are associated with recurrence and adverse effects. These limitations highlight the need for alternative, non-hormonal therapeutic approaches that target underlying inflammatory and cellular mechanisms of disease progression.

This study evaluated the effects of oleuropein, contained within an olive leaf extract, and calcitriol, the active form of vitamin D, on cellular viability and migration in immortalized human endometriotic epithelial (12Z) …

The Faces Behind “La Calle Principal”: The Economic Role Of Tourism In Shaping Local Livelihoods In Santa Cruz, Galapagos, Gabriella Alba

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Understanding the socioeconomic influences of a region is a complex endeavor, as many variables contribute to the fluctuations of an economic system, many of which intersect at the political and, in this case, ecological level. Specifically, this research aims to analyze tourism as one of those key factors to answer this question: How does tourism impact the socioeconomic livelihood of locals from La Isla de Santa Cruz, Galapagos? The Galapagos is a series of islands off the coast of Ecuador known for its rich ecological history as a site of scientific discovery. This has led to the archipelago’s extreme protection …

Spot Scanning Proton Beams Characterization Via Plastic Scintillator Detector, Saad Bin Saeed Ahmed

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

In spot scanning proton therapy, the machine steers magnetically a narrow pencil beam across the target volume, delivering highly conformal dose distributions layer by layer. As beam size is very small, this introduces a dosimetry problem. The beam is dynamic and the dose gradients are steep — conditions that push conventional ionization chambers beyond their reliable operating range. Plastic scintillation detectors offer a potential solution. Their sub-millimeter active volumes avoid the volume-averaging effects over larger chambers, and their very high temporal resolution making real-time monitoring feasible. This thesis characterizes the Blue Physics plastic scintillation detector in spot scanning proton fields …

Developmental Underpinnings Of The Other Race Effect Using Fmri, Aquilla Denise Copeland

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

It is well established that perceptual experience with own-race faces is associated with faster and more accurate recognition of own-race compared to other-race faces — a phenomenon known as the other-race effect (ORE). Previous fMRI research has shown that adults generally exhibit more robust face-sensitive responses than children in the core face-processing areas, especially to own-race versus other-race faces. Although much is known about the neural underpinnings of the ORE in adults, little is known about this phenomenon in children. The present experiment aimed to examine face-sensitive fusiform and occipital regions in 8- to 10-year-olds and adults as they engaged …

A Computer Vision Approach To Analyzing Taxane Effects On Prostate Cancer Cells, Diana Elizabeth Dancea

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Actin is a family of proteins that help create the structure of the cytoskeleton, which gives shape to the cell. In many chemotherapy treatments, researchers target actin because it controls the cell division process. Therefore, if they are able to understand the actin fibers, that may help in formulating methods to stop or slow down cancer cells from reproducing. Another important protein is PAK6, which regulates actin. In our research, a collaborative effort with Prof. Michael Lu’s lab at Florida Atlantic University, we use machine learning techniques to analyze cells which had their PAK6 protein knocked out, and compare them …

Efficient Intrusion Detection For Iomt: Integrating Machine Learning, Feature Selection, And Fuzzy Logic, Ghaida Mansour Balhareth

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The internet of medical things (IoMT) has transformed healthcare by enabling real-time patient monitoring, remote diagnoses, and effective data exchange among connected medical devices and clinical systems. The increasing reliance on interconnected medical equipment has also intensified cybersecurity risks, as resource-constrained devices and wireless communication channels are vulnerable to attacks such as man-in-the-middle, spoofing, data injection, and ransomware. Intrusion Detection Systems (IDSs) play a critical role in mitigating these threats; however, traditional IDS approaches often struggle with high-dimensional IoMT data, class imbalance, and uncertainty in traffic patterns, which can increase false alarms and reduce reliability in safety-critical environments. This dissertation …

Impact Of Living Shorelines On Coastal Morphology And Sedimentology, Sydney Garber

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Living shorelines, or nature-based solutions, have emerged as a preferred approach to coastal restoration, but have not been well studied or monitored postimplementation. This project evaluated the efficacy of living shorelines in protecting and stabilizing coastal morphology in Palm Beach County’s Lake Worth Lagoon. The study assessed surface and subsurface sedimentology, short-term water-level variability, and morphological change at two living shoreline areas of Jewell Steinhardt Cove and Snook Islands Natural Area. Each shoreline area has different breakwater designs aimed at stabilizing the shoreline with recruitment of oysters and mangroves in the Lake Worth Lagoon. Overall, seasonal morphology and sediment data …

The "Quiet Professionals": Oral Histories Of The United States Special Forces Veterans Of The Global War On Terror, Chase Rumbley

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This thesis examines how United States Army Special Forces veterans of the Global War on Terror narrate the identity of the "Quiet Professional" across training, deployment, and post-service life. Drawing on oral history interviews with four retired Green Berets, as well as archival and material culture analysis, the study approaches Special Forces as a distinctive military institution shaped by narrative, institutional formation, and war. It argues that Special Forces ethos is not a fixed warrior identity, but a lived and contested achievement produced through rites of passage, embodied hardship, informal legitimacy, and collective memory. Participants describe becoming Special Forces as …

Predictive Analytics In Oncology And Ophthalmology: Machine Learning Applications For Diabetic Retinopathy And Breast Cancer, Ali Abidalkareem

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The convergence of artificial intelligence and healthcare represents one of the most transformative developments in modern medicine, with deep learning technologies emerging as powerful tools for addressing complex diagnostic challenges. This dissertation develops and validates machine learning frameworks that address critical challenges in medical diagnosis through innovative approaches to data augmentation, feature learning, and classification, focusing on two fundamental problems: Diabetic Retinopathy (DR) severity classification using multi-model convolutional neural networks (CNNs), and breast cancer stage identification using microRNA (miRNA) gene expression biomarkers. For diabetic retinopathy classification, this work proposes an ensemble deep learning framework that integrates Diffusion-based data augmentation for …

Three-Dimensional Imaging Of Neuronal Activation Patterns In Chronic Neuropathic Pain And Opioid Pharmacology, Madeline Martinez

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Chronic neuropathic pain severely diminishes quality of life, yet the supraspinal neural circuits that sustain pain perception and mediate analgesic relief remain incompletely characterized. While peripheral and spinal pain pathways are well established, relatively few studies have mapped pain- or opioid-related neuronal activation across the entire brain. This dissertation employed activity-dependent genetic labeling (TRAP2/Ai9), whole-brain tissue clearing, light sheet microscopy, and graph-theoretic network analysis to characterize brain-wide activation patterns across chronic pain and analgesic conditions in mice.

In Chapter 1, we mapped supraspinal neuronal activation in a bilateral spared nerve injury model of chronic neuropathic pain. Although no individual region …

The Solar Car Challenge’S Impact On Participants’ Stem College/Career Aspirations And Nace Career-Ready Competencies Development, Allan Phipps

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This quantitative study examined the impact and efficacy of the Solar Car Challenge (SCC), a secondary-level science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) competition, on alumni postsecondary educational and career outcomes. The study investigated whether participation in the SCC influenced students’ pursuit of STEM college majors, entry into STEM-related careers, and development of career-ready competencies aligned with the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE) framework. While prior research has identified positive relationships between participation in national STEM competitions and STEM aspirations, no empirical studies have examined the SCC or its long-term outcomes.

Using survey data from SCC alumni, this study …

Evaluating The Geographic Patterns In Isotopic Composition For Nesting Hawksbill Sea Turtles In The Wider Caribbean By Coupling Satellite Telemetry And Stable Isotopes, Anna Kreiger

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Combining satellite telemetry and stable isotope analysis offers a framework for inferring sea turtle foraging habitats when spatial isotopic gradients exist. We evaluated this combined approach using carbon (δ13C) and nitrogen (δ1⁵N) isotope values from critically endangered hawksbill turtles (Eretmochelys imbricata) nesting at Buck Island Reef National Monument, U.S. Virgin Islands (N=31), and Long Island (Jumby Bay), Antigua (N = 31). Nesting females were satellite-tracked to identify foraging areas and sampled for skin tissue, and Empirical Bayesian Kriging was used to generate basin-scale δ13C and δ1⁵N isoscapes. Tracked turtles foraged widely across the Caribbean Basin, including the Greater …

Testing Effects Of Acoustic Propagation, Morphology, And Intrasexual Selection On The Elaboration And Performance Of Song In Bachman’S Sparrows (Peucaea Aestivalis), Hans Kayser Gonzembach

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Birdsong is a communication signal shaped by ecological, morphological, and cultural processes. While many songbird species produce relatively simple vocal repertoires, others, such as the Bachman’s Sparrow (Peucaea aestivalis), produce moderately large repertoires with multiple distinct and context-dependent song categories. Despite this complexity, little is known about the major drivers that shape song elaboration in this species. Additionally, it is unclear whether abiotic factors play a significant role in determining how different song types are learned and shared within a population. To better understand how ecological and social pressures shape song variation, I conducted three studies using Bachman’s …

Navigating Help In Stem: How Seeking And Receiving Help Shapes Women’S Self Perceptions And Memory, Samantha A. Mckinney

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Prior research suggests that help-seeking is a social process shaped by interpersonal context, yet less is known about how help type and partner characteristics influence self-related outcomes in STEM settings. The present research examined how autonomy-oriented and dependency-oriented help, partner gender, and the alignment between requested and received help relate to women’s state self-esteem, STEM self-concept, affect, and recognition sensitivity. Across two studies, participants completed a STEM task and interacted with a simulated partner who provided help.

In Study 1 (N = 215), participants received the type of help they requested, allowing for an examination of how help type and …

Development And Application Of A Multiplex Bead-Based Platform For Quantifying Host-Pathogen Protein-Protein Interactions, Larah Gorayeb

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Host-pathogen protein-protein interactions are the key drivers of infectious diseases, where events such as pathogen adhesion and signaling are directly associated with disease severity. One example of this is Malaria, in which the Plasmodium falciparum infected erythrocytes adhere to endothelial receptors to avoid splenic clearance. This study investigated interactions between PfEMP1 CIDR1 field domains and host receptor CD36 using a multiplex platform to quantitatively determine binding affinities. Variants RP18 and RP27 exhibited strong affinity, suggesting a role in cytoadherence and disease severity. To evaluate broader applicability, the platform was expanded to the interaction between host protein SIVA1 and Helicobacter pylori …

Does Volume Cycling Elicit A Skeletal Muscle Hypertrophy Re-Sensitization Effect? A Comparison Of Constant Versus Cycled Resistance Training Protocols, Joshua C. Pelland

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Purpose: This study examined whether volume cycling in resistance training can elicit a skeletal muscle hypertrophy re-sensitization effect without muscle atrophy. We hypothesized that muscle size would be maintained during lower volume phases, that re-sensitization would occur following these phases, and that overall hypertrophy would be similar between cycled and constant volume conditions.

Methods: Thirty-seven trained men and women had their lower limbs randomized to either a constant volume (12 sets/week throughout) or cycled volume (alternating 4-week phases of 12 and 4 sets/week) condition for unilateral calf press training over 20 weeks. Lateral and medial gastrocnemius muscle thickness (MT), calf …

Development, Validation, And Comparative Evaluation Of A Rheotaxis-Based Microfluidic Device To Isolate A Subpopulation Of High-Performance Human Spermatozoa, Charlene S. Fournier

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Fertility has declined over the past decades, and male infertility is now recognized as contributing equally to the need for Assisted Reproductive Technologies (ART). Current clinical sperm processing methods rely on multiple centrifugation steps, which are time- and labor-intensive and may be detrimental to spermatozoa. Therefore, improved methodologies are needed to select functional, healthy spermatozoa while mimicking natural sperm selection. Microfluidics has expanded in reproductive biology and offers an efficient approach to selecting spermatozoa based on progressive motility and rheotaxis—their natural ability to swim against a constant flow. In this study, I developed a rheotaxis-based microfluidic device to isolate highly …

Characterizing The Diet, Movement, And Hooking Frequency Of Pier-Hooked Juvenile Green Turtles (Chelonia Mydas), Cody R. Mott

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Green sea turtles are impacted by their interactions with recreational fishing piers, but how these interactions affect their diet, behavior, and hooking risk remains poorly understood. The objective of this study was to characterize and quantify interactions between juvenile green turtles (Chelonia mydas) and a recreational fishing pier in southeast Florida. The goals were to evaluate how proximity to the pier influences turtle diet, behavior, and incidental hooking. We compared pier-hooked turtles with individuals captured on an adjacent reef and at a control site lacking a nearby pier. Dietary preferences were assessed using nitrogenous blood analytes and stable isotope analysis. …

Characterization Of Srsf1’S Functions In Transcription And Alternative Splicing, Elena Bisotto

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Serine/Arginine splicing factor 1 (SRSF1) is an RNA-binding protein (RBP) that serves as a central regulator of RNA biogenesis. SRSF1 has been implicated in cell replication, motility, ageing, immune function, and other physiological processes, while its dysregulation is associated with multiple cancers and autoimmune diseases. In this study, we characterized the global impact and structural requirements of SRSF1-mediated gene regulation to elucidate its proto-oncogenic functions.

Utilizing a time-course RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) approach in HEK293 cells, we identified 28 primary transcriptional targets of SRSF1, 18 of which were consistently upregulated in the established cancer cell models PC-3 and MCF-7. These targets …

Developmental Dynamics Of Frontal Alpha-Band Eeg Coherence And Fearful Temperament Across Infancy, Samantha Christiana Gott

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Infancy represents a period of rapid neural development during which early temperamental traits begin to emerge. Fearful reactivity, a core dimension of temperament, has been linked to later risk for anxiety and related internalizing outcomes. The present study examined developmental patterns of frontal alpha-band electroencephalographic (EEG) coherence across infancy and tested whether neural connectivity within frontal regions was associated with fearful temperament. Participants were 61 infants recruited through a multisite longitudinal study conducted at Florida Atlantic University, Washington State University, and Virginia Tech. Infants completed laboratory visits at approximately 6, 8, 10, and 12 months of age. During each visit, …

Leading The Charge: A Qualitative Descriptive Study Exploring How Public Middle School Principals Perceive And Enact Their Role As Advocates For School-Based Mental Health, Tanya Irby Tucker

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Adolescent mental health concerns have increased significantly during the middle school years, requiring school leaders to expand their role in supporting students’ social, emotional, and psychological well-being. Although schools are uniquely positioned to deliver comprehensive mental health services, how public middle school principals perceive and enact their role as advocates for school-based mental health services remains underexplored. The purpose of this qualitative descriptive study was to explore how public middle school principals perceive and enact their role as advocates for school-based mental health services. Guided by social cognitive theory (SCT), this study examined how personal beliefs, behavioral practices, and environmental …

Reducing Humpty Dumpty Syndrome In Pediatric Inpatients, Jeanene Burns

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The Doctor of Nursing Practice project examined pediatric inpatient falls. The healthcare agency involved in the project identified concerns regarding pediatric inpatient falls. Data were collected on pediatric inpatient falls that occurred on two nursing units at this agency based on the Generalized Risk Assessment for Pediatric Inpatient Falls and the Humpty Dumpty Falls Prevention Scale. Results from the project indicated marginal statistical significance, with approximately a 60% reduction in falls after the implementation of the Humpty Dumpty Falls Prevention Scale. A recommendation for future research is a comparison of the two pediatric fall risk assessment tools after the Humpty …

Problematizing The Critical Dimensions Of Whiteness With Educational Leaders, Lerita Yvette Cavness

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This action research examines whether and how whiteness is “weaponized” by a P-12 educational leader, the impact whiteness has on their identities, and whether engagement with Critical Whiteness Studies (CWS) will increase pro-equity behaviors. The research employs a layered mixed-methods approach, and a deductive analysis triangulation plan framed by the Critical Dimensions of Whiteness Model (CDWM). This N-of-1 case study included a four-phase intervention workshop series and one post interview. The findings identify how one educational leader engaged in the selfweaponization of whiteness. The findings identify that CWS supported by the CDWM is a disruptive but healing path to awareness …

Addressing The Problems Of Data Variations, Quality, And Scarcity In Training Deep Neural Networks, Jian Sun

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The performance of deep neural networks (DNNs) is strongly influenced by the characteristics and quality of the underlying datasets. This Ph.D. dissertation addresses three pervasive data challenges-imbalance, quality degradation, and scarcity-that commonly hinder the effectiveness of DNNs in computer vision (CV) and natural language processing (NLP) applications.

Class imbalance remains one of the most frequent causes of degraded model generalization. While Focal Loss effectively mitigates inter-class imbalance by assigning higher weights to minority classes, it struggles with intra-class imbalance, particularly in video datasets where longer clips dominate feature representation. To address this, I implement and utilize …

Contribution Of G4 Structure To Alzheimer’S Disease And Tau Pathology, Lena Michaela Kallweit

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The occurrence of Alzheimer’s Disease (AD) is rapidly increasing as our global population ages. With the majority of therapeutic drugs in the last couple of decades failing clinical trials, new molecular targets are needed to combat the expected influx of new AD cases. AD pathogenesis is associated with abnormal protein aggregation, characterized in part by intracellular accumulation of hyperphosphorylated tau (p-tau) in neurofibrillary tangles (NFTs). RNA has been identified as a major non-proteinaceous component of NFTs and has been implicated as an active cofactor in tau aggregation and spread. Recent work has shown that aggregates from AD brains contain almost …

Rooted Wisdom Ecofeminist Tarot, Daniella Orias

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation explores the potential of applying tarot as a pedagogical tool in connection with ecofeminist theories in order to assess if tarot can be a meaningful pedagogical modality to improve learner comprehension. The dissertation is guided by six research questions, explored in the introduction section, in order to examine how tarot embodies ecofeminist critiques of dualistic Western thought. In Chapter 1, the dissertation begins by providing a foundational understanding of ecofeminism, tarot, and pedagogy in order to provide key background information and assess the current conversations around ecofeminism, queer and nature-based tarot decks, and the basis of critical pedagogy. …

A Narrative Study On The Resilience Of Women In Technology Careers, Gina J. Baldridge

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

In spite of the promotion of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education and careers, there is a lack of women entering the STEM workforce and majoring in STEM subjects. Women can experience gender bias and workplace marginalization in STEM careers, but have learned coping strategies that have contributed to their technology career resilience. The purpose of this narrative qualitative study was to explore how women working as individual performers and leaders in technology companies told their career stories of resilience through the perspective of change acceptance, confidence, and communication, three factors in Kumar’s CR8 model of resilience. The model …

Impact Of The Lace Index Scoring Tool On Sepsis Readmissions, Tabitha M. Keaty Sheppard

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Sepsis is a life-threatening medical emergency that negatively affects patients and healthcare organizations worldwide. Consequently, sepsis survivors are presented with even greater health risks following acute hospitalizations, and the financial implications on healthcare organizations increase with each patient readmission. This quality improvement project studied the impact of the LACE Index Scoring Tool on sepsis readmissions within a single healthcare organization in the southern region of the United States. Per quality metric data, sepsis readmissions have remained a prevalent issue at the project site. The purpose of this doctoral project was to reduce 30-day sepsis readmissions following the implementation of the …

Butting Heads With Respiratory Disease: Post-Epizootic Demography And Movement-Driven Spillover Risk In A Badland’S Bighorn Sheep (Ovis Canadensis) Meta-Population, Sean P. Ryder

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Respiratory disease caused by Mycoplasma ovipneumoniae is among the most significant threats to bighorn sheep (Ovis canadensis) conservation in North America. In July 2021, contact between bighorn sheep rams and domestic sheep north of Badlands National Park (BADL), South Dakota, USA introduced M. ovipneumoniae into the Badlands bighorn sheep meta-population, triggering an epizootic that reduced the population by approximately 80%. I evaluated the post-outbreak status of this population through two complementary studies conducted from 2023 to 2025. In Chapter 1, I quantified disease prevalence, adult survival, lamb recruitment, and population growth rate (λ) using serial quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) …