Digital Commons Network^™

Unbound: An Analog Tapestry Of Reading Experiences, Ipek Koprululu

Theses

This project explores the transformative potential of typography in visual communication, focusing on how typographic treatments can shape and expand the perception of text. Centered on Sylvia Plath’s The Bell Jar, the research investigates how different typographic approaches – employing both analog and digital methods – can alter emotional impact, narrative significance, and universal accessibility. Through a systematic approach encompassing research, design decisions, and presentation, the study reveals how typography can transcend the literal meaning of words, enriching them with diverse emotional and visual interpretations. The project utilizes various formats, including posters, an accordion-style book, a stop-motion video, and interactive …

The Enigmatic Taoist Relic: A Fusion Of Chinese Traditional Culture And Futuristic Imagination, Zhuoran Yang

Theses

The Eight Immortals is one of the representative mythological stories in traditional Chinese culture. Being a cultural creation that incorporates the ideas of local Chinese Taoism, these eight immortals and their iconic instruments, the Eight Treasures, have become symbols and emblems that have appeared as decorations on artifacts throughout the ages. This story has been rewritten into various novels, plays, movies, and even games throughout history. However, they have never broken away from a classical oriental narrative, and its dissemination has been limited to the Chinese-speaking world. And in this age of globalization, this story should have a wider audience …

Ecological Drivers Of Size And Predictors Of Potential Competition In Soricidae, Wesley B. Holland

Theses

The family Soricidae, encompassing shrews, represents a diverse group of small (head-body length 30-178 mm) omnivorous or carnivorous mammals distinguished by unique morphological and physiological traits. Ecologically, shrews are dominant small predators, significantly impacting invertebrate populations. Their foraging strategies are diverse, with species adapted to fossorial, psammophilic, scansorial, semiaquatic, semifossorial, and terrestrial guilds. High metabolic rates necessitate nearly constant food intake, influencing their prey selection and feeding behaviors. Physiologically, shrews exhibit adaptations for thermoregulation, with Soricinae generally having higher mass-specific metabolic rates compared to Crocidurinae, who can enter torpor to conserve energy. These metabolic differences are crucial for their ecological …

Impact Of Foreign Aid To Agriculture In Reducing Poverty In Developing Countries., Richard Amoako

Theses

The effectiveness of foreign aid in reducing poverty has been a contentious issue in development economics. This paper focuses specifically on aid directed towards agriculture, a sector critical for rural livelihoods and poverty alleviation. It investigates the empirical relationship between agricultural aid flows and poverty levels in 46 developing countries between 1997-2020. Fixed effects panel regressions estimate models with the $2.15/day (based on 2017 PPP) poverty headcount ratio as the outcome variable. The key finding is that agricultural aid has a statistically significant poverty-reducing impact. The regression coefficients indicate that on average, a 1% increase in agricultural aid is associated …

Effects Of Urban Borders On Synanthropic Mesopredator Movement And Risk Of Toxoplasma Gondii Infection In The Protected Lands Of Key Largo, Florida Usa, Kelly A. Crandall

Theses

Protected lands are an important source of food, shelter, and reproductive opportunities for wildlife, especially in urbanizing landscapes. When urban development abuts the edges of protected lands, synanthropic species can alter their foraging behaviors and movement to utilize human-supplemented resources throughout the urban-wild interface. Therefore, urban edges on protected lands can have pronounced effects on animal movement and ecosystem function. There is also increased risk of disease transmission where high densities of wild animals exist, or where domestic animals and wild species are interacting. In particular, members of the family Felidae, including domestic cats (Felis catus), can transmit the pathogenic …

Impacts Of Intensifying A Corn-Soybean Rotation With Winter Wheat (Triticum Aestivum) On Nutrient Leaching, Plant Available Nutrients, Crop Yields, And Nitrogen Dynamics In Southern Illinois, Abigail Leigh Spiers

Theses

The Midwestern United States is a nationally and globally important producer of agricultural products and uses intensive practices to achieve high grain yields. However, intensive agriculture is a major contributor of nitrogen and phosphorus export to the Mississippi River and the hypoxic zone in the Gulf of Mexico. Cover cropping is a recommended conservation practice for providing soil cover throughout the winter and taking up nutrients that may otherwise be lost in bare fallow systems, but the associated costs limit widespread adoption of this practice. Double cropping, which involves growing two crops in one year, is functionally similar to cover …

Pins, Inhwan Jeon

Theses

Pins aims to portray the societal landscape observed and experienced by me as an international student, highlighting sociological concerns like hatred and hate crimes instead of focusing on surface-level metrics such as the risk and fatality rates of COVID-19. Through this work, I want to remind the audience of the multifaceted nature of society and the emotions evoked by COVID-19, prompting reflection on the role of art during times of crisis. While transforming my original medium of metal objects into an installation art format, I explored concepts such as spacing, installation, cognition, narrative, and multiple senses. I integrated these elements …

Fruiting Bodies, Abigail Weber

Theses

"Fruiting Bodies" is a motion graphic installation that visually interprets the stages of fungi development through imaginative imagery and dynamic typography. Exploring themes of decay and rebirth, it prompts viewers to reflect on the transient nature of existence and the cyclical patterns of life and death. In its original form, "Fruiting Bodies" is projected onto a large-scale 'petri dish' in a continuous loop format and fosters a visceral engagement with its subject, creating a sense of intimacy and connection with the ever-changing life around us. Its visuals guide viewers through the key phases of fungal growth, redefining fungi as symbols …

The Logical Reasoning Dilemma Of Llms: A Mapping Deficit In Representation Acquisition, Yiling Wu

Theses

Currently, Large Language Models (LLMs) based on the Generative Pre-trained Transformer architecture have made breakthroughs in multilingual language processing tasks and performed similar language processing capabilities to humans. However, their performance in dealing with tasks involving reasoning, especially logical reasoning, show significant shortcomings. In this paper, we argue that logical reasoning competence requires a certain type of representation acquisition capability. Based on this, in order to assess whether LLMs have the potential to overcome the shortcomings of their logical reasoning competence in their subsequent development, this work compares the representation acquisition processes of humans and LLMs. This comparison reveals that …

Low Cost Combined Camera And Imu Based Control For Autonomous Aerial Orientation Adjustment, Remi Mckenzie

Theses

The goal of this research was to create a robot control system that combines gyroscope and accelerometer data with vision tracking to improve aerial orientation control performance over what could be achieved with sensor data or image processing alone. There has been significant research into the function of mobile robots that can autonomously carry out a wide range of tasks across a wide range of environments. However, the full potential of these robots has yet to be realized, especially at the hobbyist level. Air based travel allows for motion capabilities far beyond that of a robot limited to ground travel …

Examining Severing Dynamics Of Cytoskeletal Structures Using Computational Methods, Arthur Peterson Miller

Theses

Within eukaryotic cells, cytoskeletal structures are a category of organelles that serve functions ranging from supporting cell geometry to locomotion. These functions require a coordinated effort of regulatory proteins, which interact with the cytoskeleton distinctively. Severing proteins, which can fragment cytoskeletal structures at their binding sites, are one such example. In this work, using stochastic modeling, we model the interaction of severing proteins on bare cytoskeletal filaments and bundled filaments, which are larger collections of individual filaments. We focus on two types of cytoskeletal protein structures in this work: cylindrical microtubules and linear actin filaments. In the case of microtubules, …

Using Behavioral Skills Training To Promote Online Safety Skills In Individuals With Developmental Disabilities, Robert Lynn

Theses

Abstract

Children are spending more time online, which is putting them at risk of encountering online predators. There have been attempts to minimize the occurrence of these encounters, but most of these involved instructional training and parent supervision. One alternative intervention for addressing safety skills that has been shown to be effective is behavior skills training (BST), which is a procedure based on behavior analytic literature. BST involves instructions, modeling, rehearsal, and feedback. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of BST on the acquisition of online safety skills in adolescents and adults with developmental disabilities. In-situ …

Reach, Rachel Immel

Theses

Reach is a 2D digitally animated short film that is dedicated to exploring the sacrifices that are made to achieve our dreams. The story of my graduate thesis film follows Moe, a subterrestrial bat-like creature that dreams of being able to see the sky for the first time. Feeling suffocated by his dark and cramped surroundings, he rushes toward the surface as soon as a busted rusty pipe provides what appears to be an opening to the surface. What he does not know is that he is venturing into danger that will change him forever. This project is inspired by …

Integrative Approaches To Evaluate Challenges Faced By Songbirds During Migration And Associated Physiological Trade-Offs, Gabriella L. Orfanides

Theses

Migration is a demanding time for birds, and birds face numerous physiological, behavioral, and environmental challenges. As migratory birds balance the costs of numerous stressors during migration, this could result in detrimental physiological trade-offs. Understanding the trials and trade-offs that birds encounter during migration has important conservation implications. I utilized two component studies to better understand challenges encountered by migratory songbirds as well as to identify physiological metrics that may provide insight into these challenges. For the first study, I used nested PCR and DNA sequencing to determine parasite prevalence and diversity of avian haemosporidians in Canada Warblers (Cardellina canadensis) …

Towards Human-Embodied Visual Intelligence, Cheng Han

Theses

The rapid development of artificial intelligence (AI) in computer vision has garnered considerable attention across diverse research fields (e.g., image classification, image segmentation, object detection, optical flow, depth estimation). However, this progress is met with an array of challenges that hinder them from real-world deployments. In this paper, three major challenges are discussed: I. Low Task Generalizability. Current visual models are often specifically designed for targeted tasks, constraining their generalizability with varying adaptation scenarios; II. Weak Model Interpretability. Within the paradigm of connectionism, most of these models are frequently regarded as ``black-box'' systems, making them challenging for humans to understand …

Exploring The Functional Significance Of A Yap1 Missense Variant Of Uncertain Significance In Caenorhabditis Elegans, Nathan Jones

Theses

Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a complex disorder with various implications, such as polycystic ovaries, visceral obesity, and increased risk of cancer. YAP1 was recently identified as a gene of interest in the development of PCOS. Researchers have established that single nucleotide variants in YAP1 are likely to play a role in PCOS development. This project aims to provide insight into the potential impact of a YAP1 variant of uncertain significance (VUS). Studies in C. elegans have established yap-1 as a nematode ortholog for human YAP1. A YAP1 VUS was identified through ClinVar, YAP1 c.1015A>G (p.Asn339Asp). Evolutionary conservation …

Effects Of Simulated Climate Change On Native Southeastern Grassland Vegetation Using Open Top Chambers, Makaila Carpenter

Theses

The southeastern United States is a critical biodiversity hotspot once covered in prairie grassland ecosystems and now facing significant threats due to urbanization, habitat destruction, over-exploitation, biological invasions, pollution, and climate change. This study analyzes the response of Alabama’s native prairie ecosystem to climate change. We used open top chambers (OTCs) to simulate climate change-induced warming. We assessed the response of ecosystem function and structure to higher temperatures (1-3^oC). The indicators of ecosystem function included phenology, leaf surface area (LSA), specific leaf area (SLA), and aboveground and below net primary productivity (ANPP and BNPP respectively). Ecosystem structure was …

Effects Of Vitis Vinifera L. Seed Extract On Short-Term Memory Of Amyloid-Beta-Mediated Neurodegeneration In Transgenic Caenorhabditis Elegans, Elise Patrick

Theses

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a neurodegenerative condition that is a common cause of dementia and a growing concern worldwide with no effective treatment or cure. Two pathological AD hallmarks include buildup of amyloid beta (Aβ) plaques and neurofibrillary tangles in the brain. Recent attention has turned to exploring natural products and compounds for AD symptom relief and treatment. Vitis vinifera grape seed extract (GSE) contains many beneficial substances. GSE has been tested in several animal models and has shown to improve memory and is even being examined in an AD treatment human clinical trial. In this study, the aim was …

Three Zafimaniry Carvings From The Southern Highlands Of Madagascar And Their Symbolic Meaning, Emily Krupp

Theses

The Zafimaniry people are a community living in the southern highlands of Madagascar, most known for their geometric, low-relief works of art that they carve onto wooden surfaces throughout their villages. The shapes that make up the designs signify the Zafimaniry people's ideologies, but motifs carved into the homes specifically represent their beliefs about marriage and societal structure. Three metaphorical symbols have been translated within the motifs by the Zafimaniry people as the patriarch, the family, and the community. A comparative cultural study between the motifs on Zafimaniry window shutters and Swahili doorways reveal similarities in material culture, visual elements …

The Relationship Between Changing Land Cover And Benthic Macroinvertebrate Diversity In Choccolocco Creek, Northeast Alabama, Kindall Brown

Theses

Land cover changes, driven by urbanization, agriculture, and deforestation, significantly affect the physical and chemical characteristics of water bodies at both the watershed and riparian levels. At the larger spatial scale, a stream’s surrounding watershed facilitates lateral inputs into the stream that are essential for biodiversity support, hydrological stability, and water quality. When a stream becomes disconnected from the lateral inputs due to urban or agricultural development, the morphology of the stream is significantly altered. On a smaller spatial scale, the riparian zone can act as a buffer to pollutants. The vegetation surrounding the stream bank promotes stability to the …

Designing An Animated Presentation For Educating Physicians And Patients On Opioid Addiction, Jenny Phillips

Theses

The devastating opioid epidemic in the United States continues to wreak havoc, especially on those suffering from opioid addiction. Regrettably, the lack of reliable treatments and understanding of this disease has hindered physicians' ability to provide adequate care. As a result, those affected often feel ashamed and reluctant to seek help due to the growing stigma surrounding opioid addiction. These barriers prevent the successful treatment of this prevalent and treatable disease. To tackle this issue, Dr. Michael Peck and his team have been essential in traveling to different communities and illustrating the truth about opioids and opioid addiction. They developed …

Ego - Acupressure Ar Glasses, Chin Yin Teng

Theses

Acupressure, a time-honored healing practice rooted in traditional Chinese medicine, is known for promoting relaxation, pain relief, and overall wellness with minimal side effects. Despite its benefits, the practice involves navigating a complex system of 361 acupuncture points, posing a challenge for individuals lacking in-depth knowledge or training. Additionally, professional acupressure treatments can be costly, limiting accessibility. To address these challenges, we have developed Ego, an AR Glasses Smart Assistant designed to make acupressure more accessible and effective for the general public. Ego uses augmented reality to provide an intuitive and user-friendly interface that guides users in locating and applying …

Modeling The Reverberation Response Of The Broad Line Region In Active Galactic Nuclei, Sara A. Rosborough

Theses

The supermassive black holes (SMBHs) that reside at the centers of massive galaxies are observed as active galactic nuclei (AGN) when they are rapidly consuming matter from a surrounding accretion disk, which releases large amounts of electromagnetic radiation. Closely surrounding this engine are the dense gas clouds of the broad line region (BLR), which are photoionized by the continuum radiation emitted by the accretion disk. As these clouds are deep within the potential well of the SMBH, the gas emission lines (the broad emission lines; BELs) are Doppler-broadened by several 1,000 km/s. Measuring the size and velocity dispersion of the …

Salivary Microbiome Signature In Pediatric Inflammatory Bowel Disease, Ghaidaa Mohammed Mesto

Theses

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is a complex disorder characterized by chronic inflammation of the gastrointestinal tract (GIT). IBD mainly includes two distinct diseases, namely Crohn’s disease (CD) and ulcerative colitis (UC). To date, the precise etiology of these conditions is not fully elucidated, although a strong relationship between microbial dysbiosis in the GIT and IBD has been proposed. In general, limited data is available on the oral microbiome of IBD patients, despite its recognizable role in impacting gut health. There is a paucity of research on IBD in the pediatric population, although this disease is becoming more prevalent than in …

Studies On The Corrosion Of Bronze Artifacts From Sarouq Al-Hadid And Al-Qusais Archeological Sites In Dubai, Uae, Zainab Ali Salmin

Theses

This thesis compares the status of bronze artefacts from two archaeological sites in Dubai (UAE): the Sarouq Al-Hadid site (Stone Age to Early Islamic Period) and the Al- Qusais site (Late Bronze Age to Early Iron Age). The main objective of this research is to understand the two sites' environment and their influence on the corrosion of archaeological bronze artifacts found at the sites. This study uses mCed methods to comprehensively understand the corrosion behavior of bronze objects, depending on their burial environment. The two different sites presented different soil types and rates of corrosivity on the buried bronze artifacts, …

Cellular Automata Modeling Approach Of Addiction, Ruba Hameed

Theses

The purpose of this thesis includes the application of a mathematical model, as well as cell automata simulation, to shed light on the behavior of addiction spread in a population. The model describes the key determinants of drug addiction which includes peer influence, availability of substances, support networks, and awareness campaigns. The research aims to gain insights into the underlying mechanisms and patterns of addiction spread to develop effective prevention and intervention strategies.

The study begins by creating a discrete dynamical system that captures the transitions between 4 different states of substance use, including non-users (N), experimental users (E), recreational …

Mitochondrial Control Of Tumorigenicity And Immunogenicity Of Colorectal Cancer, Maram Esam Ahmed

Theses

The Methylation-controlled J protein (MCJ), also known as DNAJC15, serves as an endogenous negative regulator of mitochondrial respiration. MCJ plays a crucial role in cellular bioenergetics by regulating cellular metabolism, and its expression is inversely proportional to the extent of mitochondrial ATP production. In the current study, we aimed to investigate the relationship between MCJ expression and the tumorigenicity and immunogenicity of colon adenocarcinoma. To this aim, we utilized MCJ knockout (KO) mice to assess the impact of tumor-extrinsic MCJ expression in host cells, particularly immune cells, on anti-tumor responses. Comparing the growth of MCJ-expressing cancer cells in wild-type vs. …

Diversity, Distribution, And Determinants Of Bacterial Communities In Arctic Soil, Amna Khaleefa Alhemeiri

Theses

Arctic soils host diverse bacterial communities crucial for ecosystem functioning and nutrient cycling. Understanding the factors shaping their diversity and distribution is essential to assess ecosystem responses to climate warming. This study aimed to assess and compare bacterial diversity and community structure between high- and sub-arctic ecosystems and explore the environmental and climatic factors determining their distribution. We collected 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequence data from 999 samples of high- and sub-arctic soils. All the data was pre-processed and quality-controlled using a similar bioinformatics methodology, followed by statistical analyses including alpha and beta diversity assessments, and volatility analysis using QIIME2. …

Clonality And Epidemiological Studies Of E. Coli Strain Collected From Abu Dhabi Emirate Using Ngs And Bioinformatic Tools, Ahmed Abdelrahman Mohamed

Theses

In the current landscape, where antibiotic resistance in bacteria is steadily rising, the role of bacterial genomics has assumed increasing significance. Therefore, it is necessary for microbiologists to acquire proficiency in the utilization of these methods and tools to harness their potential in gaining valuable insights into bacterial genomes. This can facilitate the development of innovative strategies for managing and treating bacterial infections. Here we present the power of the whole-genome sequencing technology in characterization of multidrug resistant Escherichia coli isolates. Fourteen Escherichia coli isolates were selected for this study. Following the standard microbiological techniques to confirm the sample identification, …

The Effect Of Nuciferine On The Renal Dysfunction Following Ischemia/Reperfusion Injury, Sundus Farag Sallabi

Theses

Renal Ischemia-Reperfusion Injury (IRI) is an inevitable consequence of some surgical procedures and clinical conditions such as renal transplantation and aortic cross-clamping. The pathophysiology of renal IRI includes oxidative stress, an aggravated inflammatory response, apoptotic cell death, and fibrogenesis. These pathophysiological processes underlying renal IRI lead to the development of Acute Kidney Injury (AKI). Therefore, there is a need for effective and affordable therapeutic agents, such as phytochemical compounds to mitigate this injury. Nuciferine (NF), is a phytochemical compound extracted from the plant Nelumbo nucifera Gaertn and has been selected for its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties as demonstrated in the …