Digital Commons Network^™

War Abstracted, Jay Hatfield

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

War Abstracted is an exhibition in response to the devastation of war. The body of work encapsulates three years of artistic exploration at Florida Atlantic University. The exhibit is a reaction to contemporary conflicts, both global and domestic. It is neither a glorification nor a condemnation of war. The exhibition reflects my experience as a Marine Corps Scout during the Gulf War, the challenges of reintegrating into society with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and uncertainty. It also engages broader themes of global warming and gun violence. Through a diverse range of materials, methods, and presentations, the work navigates personal and …

Sustained Cellular Survival Amid Amyloid Beta (Aβ) Burden, Giselle Shim

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Amyloid beta (Aβ) accumulation is a hallmark of Alzheimer’s disease (AD), persisting in the brain for years. Despite its neurotoxic potential, widespread neuronal death is not consistently observed. Histopathological analysis indicates that most neurons remain viable, suggesting an altered survival state under chronic Aβ burden. This study integrates clinical, imaging, and in vitro evidence to characterize this non-lethal state. FDG-PET imaging reveals reduced glucose metabolism. In vitro, Aβ exposure leads to decreased uptake of glucose and amino acids. Reductions in ATP levels and AMPK activity indicate impaired metabolic regulation. Despite these metabolic disruptions, cell death is not observed, implying a …

Stars And Shapes: An Investigation Of Stripped Envelope Supernovae Structures Using Spectropolarimetry Observations And Hydrodynamic Models, Sabrina Desoto

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Supernovae (SNe) are the energetic deaths of massive stars, dispersing heavy elements throughout the galaxies and shaping cosmic evolution across the universe. However, understanding the connections between the evolution of massive stars, their catastrophic demises, and the myriad of observed SNe, remains a fundamental challenge in astrophysics. My work aims to narrow this gap by integrating extensive observational data with advanced hydrodynamical simulations to better interpret SNe observations and understand the origin of their geometry. The observational component utilizes the largest spectropolarimetry dataset of stripped-envelope (SE) core-collapse supernovae (CCSNe) gathered by the SNSPOL project. Analyzing nine Type Ib and eleven …

Islamic Political Anti-Theology: A Discursive Practice Of Contingency Beyond Sovereign Politics, Jason Andrus

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Contributing to the field of political theology from outside the European Christian tradition, this dissertation develops a description of the distinct logics that Islamic theology generates from its metaphysical assumptions. These logics in turn make possible a discourse of political anti-theology where politics operates through contingency rather than sovereignty. Political theology scholarship has excavated how modern politics derives from secularized Christian theological concepts—particularly transcendent sovereignty. This study demonstrates that Islamic theology's absolute insistence on divine transcendence (tawhid) produces something fundamentally different: a politics that renders sovereign authority conceptually impossible. I identify this discursive practice of political anti-theology through …

Mechanisms Of Correlated Neuronal Activity In The Globus Pallidus, Hamza Albawaliz

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This thesis investigates the mechanisms of correlated neuronal activity in the globus pallidus externus (GPe), a key structure in the basal ganglia. Neuronal activity in the GPe is reportedly decorrelated in healthy subjects but can become highly correlated in Parkinson’s disease. However, high-density neuronal recordings in the GPe of healthy rats reveal a surprising degree of correlated activity. This raises the question of whether intrinsic properties or network connectivity alone can account for such patterns. To explore this, a computational model was developed in which GPe neurons are represented as coupled phase oscillators influenced by experimentally derived phase-response curves and …

Principal Quandles, Jesse Parrish

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This thesis concerns principal quandles and, as a special case, Alexander quandles. A principal quandle is a coset quandle, Q(G,H, f), in which the subgroup H is trivial. If in addition the group G is abelian, then the coset quandle is called an Alexander quandle. The isomorphism types of Alexander quandles were classified [16], and some progress was made on describing the isomorphism types of principal quandles in [14] and [13]. The first part of this thesis applies the ideas used in Holmes’ paper to give a classification of the isomorphism types of principal quandles. The second …

Development Of A Non-Faradaic Impedimetric Biosensor Based On Reduced Graphene Oxide For The Detection Of Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor (Bdnf), Mariana N. Martins

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Neurological disorders affect millions of people worldwide. In the case of Alzheimer’s disease (AD), the rising number of cases significantly increases global healthcare costs. Therefore, early detection of biomarkers at the onset of the disease is essential for early diagnosis. This study presents an electrochemical biosensor designed for the detection of Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor (BDNF) in human plasma, incorporating reduced graphene oxide (rGO) to enhance signal sensitivity. Dielectrophoresis (DEP) was employed to deposit rGO flakes on the electrode surface, improving conductivity and sensor performance. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) was used to monitor changes in impedance associated with BDNF binding events, …

Exploring The Impact Of Statistics Course Modality On Student Learning: A Mixed Methods Approach, Becky Kelleman

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The importance of statistical literacy has become increasingly evident, as individuals grapple with interpreting statistics to inform critical decisions. Despite the recognized significance of statistical literacy, challenges persist in both educators’ and students’ efforts to navigate the complexities of statistics education. The purpose of this study is to explore the impact of different course modalities on undergraduate students’ academic performance in introductory statistics courses. Using Social Cognitive Theory (SCT) as a theoretical framework, this research aims to shed light on the complex dynamics influencing statistical literacy attainment. By addressing gaps and inconsistencies in the current literature, this study seeks to …

Frameworks For Repatriation: Moving Beyond Nagpra, Ashley Joplin

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Museums and similar federally funded educational institutions have been collecting human remains since the Enlightenment era in the 1800s. Since then, these institutions have developed various collections practices that have encouraged the collection of human remains. Often unethical in nature, these collections have harmed historically marginalized communities, such as Indigenous and African American communities. While the ethics of collecting have been under scrutiny for decades, it was not until 1990 under the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA) that mainstream attention was drawn to the ethics of collections practices.

This thesis explores these collections practices and the repatriation …

High Frequency Dc-Dc Converter Design Optimization, Modeling And Control Based-Wbg Technology., Salah Ahmed Abdullah Eltief

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The performance of DC-DC power converters is a cornerstone of modern electric vehicle (EV) powertrains, directly governing overall system efficiency, size, cost, and reliability. This dissertation presents a comprehensive performance analysis and optimization of DC-DC converter topologies to determine the most suitable design for high voltage EV applications. The evaluation rigorously compares efficiency, power losses, and physical size under a range of harsh operating conditions. A primary objective is to leverage Wide Bandgap (WBG) semiconductors, specifically Silicon Carbide (SiC), to push the performance boundaries of power conversion. While SiC devices are known for their superior material properties, a clear understanding …

Reproducibility In Modeling Of Knee Joint Mechanics, Maryam Nazem

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Computational modeling of knee joint biomechanics can provide valuable insights into joint function, injury mechanisms, and patient outcomes, and can support surgical planning and informed clinical decision-making. However, achieving consistent and repeatable results, or reproducibility, is a significant challenge that affects the credibility of these models. This thesis addresses reproducibility through two studies related to the KneeHub Project, which is a multi-institutional collaboration designed to investigate reproducibility in finite-element modeling of the knee.

The first study involved model benchmarking, where predicted results of the calibrated models were compared with the experimental data to evaluate model reproducibility. While all models replicated …

Museums In Public Libraries: An Ethnographic Case Study Of The Blair-Caldwell African American Research Library, Yadira Y. Quintero

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Access to information is a human right, and this thesis explores the benefits and challenges of integrating museums into public libraries by conducting an ethnographic case study of the Blair-Caldwell African American Research Library. The study's findings highlight the complexities of integration. The biggest benefit is the increased access to museum collections, information, and resources. However, challenges arise from the lack of cohesion within the museum and library disciplines, as well as strained community relations. Engaging the community is crucial for successful collaboration, emphasizing the importance of a bottom-up approach that allows for active participation. Integrating museums into public libraries …

Doughnut Economics And Strong Sustainability: Rethinking The Role Of Financial Investment, Isabelle Pierotti

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This thesis investigates how private investment could align doughnut economic framework. Doughnut economics is a strong sustainability economic framework where the economy operates within planetary boundaries while ensuring social equity. Theories of sustainable development, weak sustainability, and strong sustainability are discussed to provide theoretical context for doughnut economics and mainstream economics. The analysis concludes that conventional, profit maximizing private investment does not support a doughnut economics system by supporting the depletion of natural resources and exacerbating social issues. Sustainable mainstream investment also fails to support a doughnut framework. Lastly, while impact investment is theoretically committed to social and financial returns, …

An Auto-Criticism: Exploration Of Professional Development For Secondary Science Educators, Mellissa Ann Pfaff

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This auto-criticism investigates the benefits of experiential professional development for science educators by examining the reflective journey of one teacher-researcher—me—through multiple immersive learning experiences. Using narrative journaling and qualitative analysis, this study captures the influence of these experiences on my identity, instructional design, and ability to create experiential learning opportunities for students.

Rather than approaching professional development as a checklist of strategies, this research seeks to illuminate how deeply engaged, hands-on learning can transform teaching from routine delivery to embodied practice. Thematic coding revealed shifts in curriculum planning, increased responsiveness to student inquiry, and renewed clarity around the purpose of …

Capacity, Allocation And Update Dynamics Of Human Memory Systems, Shaoying Wang

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Information is encoded and stored in three types of memory: sensory memory (SM), short-term memory (STM), and long-term memory (LTM). SM has a large capacity but retains information for only a brief period. When information transfers to STM, only a limited amount can be stored. Information in STM can then be transferred to LTM, which has a much larger capacity and longer retention time. STM is often conceptualized as working memory (WM) to highlight its role in active information processing. Due to the limited capacity of STM, it is commonly believed that STM serves as the bottleneck for information processing. …

Archaeological Predictive Meta-Modeling In Pre-Columbian Mexico, Peter Stamm

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Archaeological Predictive Modeling stands firmly as an important tool for Archaeologists to predict undiscovered sites from civilizations all across the globe. While powerful, this methodology is not without its own set of qualms. Striking a balance between pure a data-driven approach while also observing leading expert theories can be a complicated task. Going further, deciding on the specific domain of features to emphasize or overlook can be a challenge within itself, as one misstep can drastically change the output of model, sometimes for the worst. In addition, creating models that can expose their reasoning process can be rather difficult to …

Ai-Powered Prediction Of Co2 Dissolution In Seawater For Enhanced Carbon Capture Efficiency, Arthur Frot Berthelot

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Climate change remains one of the most pressing global challenges, with carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions playing a crucial role in exacerbating global warming and ocean acidification. Among emerging mitigation strategies, carbon capture and storage (CCS) stands out as a promising solution. This dissertation explores a novel carbon capture approach utilizing seawater and nickel nanoparticles (NiNPs) stabilized by carboxymethylcellulose (CMC) to enhance CO2 dissolution. Unlike conventional amine-based methods, which are resource-intensive and reliant on freshwater, this approach offers a more sustainable and environmentally friendly alternative. To address the high cost and complexity of experimental CO2 capture studies, a predictive artificial intelligence …

Microcrystalline Wax Lab Scale Assessment As Corrosion Protection In Post Tensioning Construction Systems, Supriya Share

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The primary focus of this project is to assess the effectiveness of five different flexible fillers in preventing corrosion-induced failures, particularly when exposed to water and chloride containing solutions. The specimens tested are single steel wires that ranged from (12-16cm) in length and 7 mm in diameter.

Samples are monitored to study the impact of factors like water and chloride solution concentration to identify when and which one could cause corrosion to initiate when the steel wires are coated with different flexible fillers. The goal is to identify the types of flexible fillers that protect the steel wires from corroding …

Gotta Have Somebody: Renal Health And Caregiving Experiences In Rural Florida, Danae Ayra-Barboza

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This thesis examines the dynamics of care in the Everglades Agricultural Area (EAA) using the care circle model to highlight common experiences and themes during chronic kidney disease (CKD) management. Combining the theoretical frameworks of structural violence, social suffering, and care allowed the analysis of caregiving dynamics in the EAA, a community distressed by a history of structural violence that manifests today as poverty, environmental pollution, inadequate education, and poor health outcomes. Thematic analysis synthesizing the experiences of the care circles identified four themes: Geographical, logical, and economic constraints to healthcare; Cultural, linguistic, and educational barriers; Informal and formal support …

Design And Synthesis Of Peptide Based Systems Of Intranasal Rna Delivery, Tamara Damjanovic

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

A promising strategy that could be used to treat many central nervous system (CNS) diseases, including Parkinson’s disease, Alzheimer’s disease and brain cancer, is through gene silencing by short interfering RNAs (siRNA). siRNA induces gene silencing by targeting complementary mRNA for degradation. However, a key challenge in the development of siRNA-based therapies for the CNS diseases is their transport across the blood–brain barrier (BBB) and blood-cerebrospinal fluid barrier (BCSFB). To facilitate the transport of siRNA across the BBB and BCSFB we have designed a siRNA delivery system based on the 17-mer naturally occurring cyclic peptide odorranalectin (OL) carrying multiple positive …

Assessing The Role Of Lead And Wax Shielding In Electron Beam Dose To Facial Tissue, Emma Abiri

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

External Beam Electron Therapy is frequently used to treat facial cancers. Wax and lead shields protect the eye lens and adjacent structures, reducing long term-complications and exposure to healthy tissues. Although these materials attenuate radiation behind the shielding, their impact on surface dose to nearby tissue requires further investigation.

This project evaluated how shielding materials influence surface dose to facial structures using MOSFET detectors on a paraffin wax phantom developed from a patient’s Dot Decimal compensator. Relative surface doses were compared for 6MeV and 9MeV electron beams under varying wax and lead shielding configurations. Results indicate that while wax and …

Humeral Head Retroversion On A Contemporary Skeletal Population With Known Physical Activity To Investigate The Differential Expressions Of Biological Sex, Elizabeth Hightower

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Retroversion is an angled measurement of the humerus that is indicative of habitual overhand activity. Elevated retroversion measurements (in degrees) indicate overhand activity. Overhand activity indicates subsistence gathering from spear or atlatl throwing. Most retroversion research is conducted in populations where men perform more physically demanding labor. Therefore, bioarchaeologists are producing the same data over and over. Additionally, contemporary retroversion data is used as comparative figures. These subjects range from youth to professional baseball players, but the data on women is nearly obsolete. Bioarchaeology needs contemporary female retroversion data. Research was conducted at the University of Tennessee Knoxville where humeral …

A Qualitative Study Of Therapist Discomfort In The Treatment Of Problematic Pornography Use, Yehudah Alcabes

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine the extent that discomfort occurs within therapists’ while treating Problematic Pornography Use (PPU). The study, predicated on the qualitative research design of thematic analysis, utilized semi-structured interviews with a sample of n=15 therapists to explore the following questions: (1) How do therapists describe discomfort in the treatment of PPU? (2) How do therapists experience discomfort in the treatment of PPU? And (3) How do therapists manage discomfort in the treatment of PPU? The findings of this study demonstrate the need to understand the unique nature of therapist discomfort in PPU. This study’s …

The “I’M Too Much, Yet Never Enough” Paradox: A Critical Approach To Discourses Of Afro-Latinidad Among Second-Generation-Immigrant Women In South Florida, Eleni Victoria Webster

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study critically examines discourse and the ways it shapes identities and community belonging for self-identifying Afro-Latina, second-generation-immigrant women in South Florida. This qualitative research uses an intercultural communication framework to analyze interviews and collected poems. Informed by grounded theory and a Black feminist critical approach rooted in the intersectionality theory, the data is analyzed through comparative thematic and metaphorical rhetorical analyses. When discussing the discourses related to the development of ethno-racial identities for Afro-Latinas, certain communicative patterns of self-discovering, self-defining, and self-envisioning emerged. With regard to community belonging, three metaphorical discourses arose: not-enoughness, in-betweenness, and un-humanness. The internalization of …

Conflicting Bases For Judging Action And Actors: The Role Of Individual Differences, Brittney Louramore

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study examined how political orientation, locus of control, and action identification predict moral reasoning across six dilemmas contrasting consistency and compensation. Participants (N ≈ 245) completed measures of ideological beliefs, perceived control, and action construal. Reliability analyses indicated modest internal consistency for Action Identification (α = .53) and low reliability for Locus of Control (α = .32). The six moral scenarios showed very low reliability (α = .11), indicating they captured diverse judgment domains. Binary logistic regressions revealed that political orientation, particularly its social dimension—was the strongest and most context-dependent predictor of moral choice. Economic …

Post-Quantum Cryptology: New Constructions And Cryptanalysis, Tran Ngo

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Classical cryptographic schemes, which are based on the hardness of factorization and discrete logarithmic problems, can be efficiently solved by the Shor algorithm on a quantum computer. This motivated the 2016 National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) call to identify efficient and secure cryptographic schemes that are resilient to potential attacks from both classical and quantum adversaries, a field referred to as post-quantum cryptography. In this work, we focus on designing efficient post-quantum cryptographic primitives based on code-based and lattice-based assumptions, and we analyze their underlying hardness using quantum cryptanalysis. On the construction side, we propose a ring signature …

Accounting For The Flash Region In Breast Radiotherapy: Hu Optimization Of Virtual Bolus And Impact Of Brass Mesh On Skin, Julianna Pontoriero

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

For free-breathing volumetric modulated arc therapy (VMAT), a major challenge in dose delivery is accounting for planning target volume (PTV) motion from respiration. To minimize PTV underdosing, this study implemented a 1.5 cm virtual bolus (VB) to create skin flash. A brass mesh bolus was also modeled in the treatment planning system to simulate its clinical impact. Different Hounsfield Units (HU) were assigned to the VB to determine the most effective value.

Five post-mastectomy breast cancer patients treated with VMAT were retrospectively analyzed. Plan normalization values, conformity indexes, and dosimetric criteria were compared to find the optimal HU for the …

Microplastic Variability In Wetland Sediments And Vegetation: A Case Study Of Spruce Bluff Preserve, Fl, Juana Maria Baudrix

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Plastic pollution has become an imminent threat to the environment and human health. This study explores the occurrence, distribution, and retention mechanisms of microplastics (MPs) in Spruce Bluff Preserve, a 97-acre freshwater wetland ecosystem located along the eastern bank of the St. Lucie River in Port St. Lucie, FL. Understanding MP dynamics in transitional freshwater ecosystem is crucial for environmental management efforts given Florida’s heavily fragmented and managed landscape. This research specifically examined the relationship between wetland vegetation and MP retention in sediments across different ecological zones within the preserve. Surface sediment samples were collected along 8 transects of varying …

Fetal Microchimerism Of The Eye Lens, Jamie Moubarak

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Fetal microchimerism (FMc) is the presence of a small fetal cell population in the mother, sometimes exhibiting stem cell–like properties. FMc has been observed within many placental mammal organs, except the eye. We used Yspecific PCR on genomic mouse DNA to test the hypothesis that fetal microchimerism can also be found in the lens. Of the parous females tested, we detected an Ssty2-specific amplicon in 83% (5/6) of samples and an Sry-specific amplicon in 2/4 samples. 100% (5/5) of non-age-matched parous females were positive for both primers. These results provide evidence that cells of fetal or placental origin …

Interpretable Machine Learning Frameworks For Detecting And Characterizing Adaptive Processes In Genomic Data, Md Ruhul Amin

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Detecting genomic regions influenced by adaptive processes is fundamental to understanding adaptation and its connection to modern human traits. Traditional summary-statistic and likelihood methods capture only simple evolutionary scenarios, while deep learning models such as convolutional neural networks, though powerful, often lose spatial information and lack interpretability. This dissertation introduces three complementary frameworks that overcome these limitations by integrating interpretable machine learning with spatially structured genomic data. The first framework, T-REx employs tensor decomposition to extract informative features from haplotype alignment images, enabling accurate classification of selective sweeps with classical learning models. The second framework, α-DAWG applies wavelet and curvelet …