Digital Commons Network^™

Revitalizing Lagrange, Jessie Johnson

Theses

LaGrange Mountain is located in Colbert County, Alabama, approximately sixteen miles from the University of North Alabama. The mountain is the site of a prehistoric bluff shelter used by Native Americans, Alabama’s first chartered college-- LaGrange College--as well as a nineteenth century village that included a school for women, and, today is the location of a distillery that is owned by the Dawson family. The LaGrange Living History Association currently manages the college site, which includes an open-air museum that explores early pioneer life and Civil War history as it connects to LaGrange College. The current interpretation of the site …

The Impact Of The National Breeding Index For Dairy Cows On The Beef Merit Of Their Progeny, Shauna Mulhall

Theses

The expansion of the dairy herd, along with enhanced fertility in dairy cows, and increased adoption of sexed semen technologies, has resulted in a growing number of beef cattle originating from the dairy sector. Breeding programs in dairy cows have been primarily focused on improving fertility and milk production, with limited attention given to progeny intended for beef production. To establish a sustainable dairy and beef sector, enhancing the performance and efficiency of beef calves from dairy herds is crucial. This thesis aims to assess how current breeding strategies in Irish dairy farming impact downstream beef merit. The thesis will …

Improving The Most Gg Model To Predict Environmental Impact And Improve On Farm Grass Growth Prediction, Laeticia Bonnard

Theses

The increasing need for highly productive and eco-friendly agriculture is driving demand for decision-support tools to assist agricultural operators in managing systems more precisely and sustainably. Although grasslands provide a cost-effective option for ruminant production and can offer many environmental benefits (biodiversity, carbon storage etc.), grasslands management is challenging due to the inherent climate and soil sensitivities and their potential negative impact on water quality. In Ireland, the Moorepark Saint Gilles Grass Growth (MoSt GG) model was developed for the dual purposes of research-based simulations and on-farm grass growth prediction for farmers. The objective of this thesis was to improve …

Optima: Optimal Protein For Optimal Ageing, Eunice Ti-Oluwani Olaniyan

Theses

The older adult population is increasing globally, and this is associated with an increased prevalence of chronic diseases. This, together with increased consumer concern regarding the overconsumption of animal proteins, has led to a need to consider alternative dietary strategies for older adults. This study developed novel plant protein blends using combinations of pumpkin, pea ad rice protein isolates, and investigated their amino acid profiles, protein content and bioactive properties to identify optimal blends for functional food formulation. A major objective of this study was to formulate protein-rich products. It was hypothesised that blending multiple sources of plant proteins in …

Envisioning Munster Technological University As A Trauma-Sensitive University, Marie Singleton

Theses

Trauma-informed care works on the assumption that individuals utilizing relevant services have experienced trauma (Palmer, 2020). The trauma-informed approach focuses on providing empathy and compassion to create healing relationships and ensure accessibility for all service users. This approach is aimed at understanding, identifying, and addressing trauma in organisations by making changes to practices, policies, and procedures (Champine et al., 2022). Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) (2014:10) states that ‘trauma results from an event, serie s of events, or set of circumstances that is experienced by an individual as physically or emotionally harmful or threatening and that has …

Reclaiming Fantasy: The Female Protagonist In Works Of Visual Art, Literature And Film, Siobhán O'Connor

Theses

‘Reclaiming Fantasy: The Female Protagonist in Works of Visual Art, Literature and Film’ charts representations of the female protagonist through the media in which the archetype is most prominent. From fairy tales to the slasher film, the female protagonist’s representation has been consistent with narratives that pertain to patriarchal constructions of gender. This is particularly true of genres that work on a level of ‘suspension of disbelief’, such as fantasy. This thesis presents findings on the reclamation of the female protagonist by female voices using a multidisciplinary approach, combining feminist theory, literary criticism, and visual art studies. From the 17th …

Improving Long-Term Sustainable Profit For Beef Producers And Processors Through Genetic Selection, Stephen Connolly

Theses

The thesis served to quantify the phenotypic performance of animals differing in genetic merit based on the Irish Terminal Breeding Index. The data in the thesis included performance metrics of interest to both the primary producer and the meat processing industry. It is anticipated that the findings of the thesis will instil a level of confidence among primary producers and meat processors whereby the current terminal breeding objective is generating beef cattle with superior carcass performance, and improved farm margins along with a more desirable animal for meat processors. The impact of genetic differences among animals for performance traits on …

A Portfolio In Creative Writing, Cooper Golden

Theses

When I began writing my thesis project, it was difficult to figure out which stories I had written during my time at UNA would fit. Before, during, and even between semesters, I wrote several stories that might have been good selections, but as they weren’t school assignments, I couldn’t include them. However, making my project has allowed me to go back to three stories and not only revise but improve on what I had written. Something else that I’ve noticed in my project is how diverse the genres of my stories have been. For example, in two stories I focus …

Fetishized Portraits In Victorian Literature, Rachel Smith

Theses

No abstract provided.

Hierarchical Multi-Label Text Classification In Earth Science Datasets, Rajashree Dahal

Theses

This thesis addresses the challenging problem of hierarchical multi-label text classification and introduces a novel zero-shot approach that recommends the label up to the depth of hierarchy in which it is confident. In order to validate the efficacy of the proposed method, we experimented using various potential embedding models such as text-embedding-ada-002, mpnet-all, instructor embeddings, and nasa-smd-ibm-st on Earth science datasets. The experimental results reveal that all considered embedding models surpass the baseline model supervised learning classifier, demonstrating the superiority of the proposed zero-shot approach. This proposed solution can minimize the label imbalance problem typically observed in the supervised learning …

Hesychasm And The Jesus Prayer: Spiritual Formation In An Ecumenical World – Exploring The Practice Of The Eastern Orthodox Jesus Prayer With The Evangelical Protestant Tradition, Craig Francis Bosman

Theses

The question that forms the heart of this research is: “Can the Jesus Prayer establish roots to develop and flourish, and be accepted as a new, legitimate practice in Evangelicalism?” To begin answering, the practice will be explored within its Eastern Orthodox context focusing on the Jesus Prayers’ biblical roots, early development, and official acceptance within Orthodoxy. Then the Evangelical movement will be surveyed to gain an understanding of its identity from a sociological and theological perspective with special attention on its soteriological framework, customary spiritual disciplines, and general attitudes toward mysticism (defined as direct experience of God through apophatic, …

Exploring The Experiences Of A South Asian Client And Facilitators Of Men's Behaviour Change Programs In Western Australia, Madhuri Mathisen

Theses

This study explores the experiences of male perpetrators of Intimate Partner Violence (IPV) attending men’s behaviour change programs in Western Australia from the perspective of program facilitators and a South Asian client. Informed by social and contextual constructionism with Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA), this study examines the experience of 10 mixed culture facilitators who worked with South Asian intimate partner violence perpetrators in men’s behaviour change programs and one South Asian client of an intervention. The participants’ experiences were contextualised through a semi-structured interview. The facilitators’ findings revealed that South Asian clients demonstrated patriarchal beliefs with a victim-blaming tendency and …

The Development, Implementation, And Evaluation Of An Online Program For Emergency Nurses Caring For Victims Of Interpersonal Violence: A Mixed Methods Study, Melanie Brown

Theses

Forensic nursing encompasses a range of skills that can be utilised across healthcare services and legal services. The delivery of forensic nursing care covers a vast number of roles and practice areas that can improve patient outcome, including the care of victims of interpersonal violence who often face multiple barriers in achieving a positive medicolegal outcome. A nurse’s ability to identify a potential victim and initiate forensic nursing care in an emergency care setting can positively influence the patient’s engagement with support services and the justice system. Despite this, a review of the Australian literature has identified inconsistencies in forensic …

Ernst Jünger’S Epistemology And Metaphysics, Angus Baird

Theses

Jünger is typically interpreted in the philosophical literature according to a Heideggerian reading to be a metaphysical Nietzschean who took the will to power to be the essence of reality. This is especially so for Jünger's “Gestalt of the worker.” Yet Jünger likened his Gestalt to Goethe’s “Urpflanze,” a phenomenological, not metaphysical, conception. And Jünger's uses of "will to power" and "eternal return" are inconsistent with cosmological readings of Nietzsche.

This thesis will argue that the core of Jünger’s epistemology is an account of “intuitive perceptions.” Through these intuitive perceptions Jünger thought he grasped metaphysical reality. Through this grasping Jünger …

Early Identification Of Pcos In Adolescents And Alternatives In Management, Melissa Nortz

Theses

Objectives:

This paper reviews the evidence relating to the clinical screening of PCOS in adolescents and alternative management.

Methods:

Using Web of Science, phrases such as “PCOS Screening”, “Adolescents”, “Alternative Therapy”, and “PCOS Overview” were searched. Only articles published between 2000 - 2023 were allowed in this literature review resulting in 25 articles being utilized.

Results:

Studies using 2D ultrasonography revealed adolescents with PCOS had a mean ovarian volume of 9.29 +/- 4.62 milliliters, while the control group had a volume of 4.77+/- 2.30 milliliters (p < 0.001)

A prospective correlation study found that PCOS adolescents had an elevated mean LH level …

Does Alzheimer’S Disease Begin In Your Gut? A Review Of The Gut-Brain Axis Effect On Cognitive Impairment And The Potential For Therapeutic Targeted Interventions., Jane Greenberg

Theses

Objective: To summarize current data regarding the bidirectional communication of the gut microbiota and the brain, specifically in relation to cognitive improvement, microbiota diversity, and dietary interventions. Additionally, the mechanisms underlying these relationships will be explored. Evidence Acquisition: Using the key terms “gut-brain axis" and "Alzheimer’s disease” PubMed and Web of Science were searched for papers published between 2014 and 2023. This yielded 297 results, of which 23 were relevant to this topic. Articles that failed to address cognitive impairment or only studied animal subjects were excluded. After scanning each paper, nine review articles and 14 new studies were selected …

Forced Family Separation At The U.S.-Mexico Border Examined Through Narrative Theory, Emily Ulhman

Theses

An essential argument in grasping the negative impacts of forced family separation, a border policy upheld during the Trump Administration, follows this idea: to better understand the damage of the approaches taken during the Trump Administration's zero-tolerance policy, scholars must look at the narratives of those who experienced it.In my thesis, I use narratology to examine 18 nonfictional personal narratives of family separation enforced throughout the Trump Administration.

Madwomen In Attics, Madwomen In Tombs Feminist Counterparts In Jane Eyre And Dracula, Bethany Howard

Theses

Charlotte Brontë’s early Victorian novel Jane Eyre (1847) enjoys a steady history of feminist interpretations. Sandra Gilbert and Susan Gubar’s The Madwoman in the Attic (1979) is perhaps the best-known. Andrew Weiler sees Jane Eyre as a feminist Christian bildungsroman, and Micael Clarke finds the “feminist ethic” in the Grimms’ “Cinderella” tale in Jane Eyre (708).

However, Bram Stoker’s late Victorian novel Dracula (1897) has generated more varied responses, ranging from ambivalence, as noted by Carol Senf, to highly feminist, to highly anti-feminist. Feminist readings include that of Stephanie Demetrakopoulos, who remarks, “Stoker’s attempt at feminism in this novel is …

The Archaeology Of The Spiritual And Working Lives Of The Muslim Cameleers Of Western Australia In The Late Nineteenth And Early Twentieth Centuries, Roger Bateman

Theses

This thesis describes the lifeways of cameleers (also identifiable as males, Muslims, Asians, ‘Afghans’) who worked in Western Australia’s transport industry in the period 1887 to 1920. With their camels’ unique capabilities in the dry and sandy terrain of Western Australia’s arid and semi-arid areas, they provided a critical service in the early mining and settlement history of Western Australia. This research has been done through the archaeological record of their campgrounds, other sites, and the historical record. The research’s four aims were to gather and compile archaeological evidence associated with the Afghans and their religious lives as Muslims; describe …

Cancer Induced Bone Pain: Pain Classification And Management, Merlina Sulistio

Theses

Pain is a multidimensional personal experience influenced by biological, psychological, social and cultural factors. In the context of cancer pain, particularly cancer-induced bone pain (CIBP), it is essential that clinicians assess the multidimensional nature of pain to fully understand the patient’s pain experience, which often involves an evoked sense of both vulnerability and mortality.

Bone metastases are highly prevalent in advanced cancer, resulting in CIBP being one of the most common cancer pain syndromes. CIBP affects a patient’s physical and social functioning, reduces quality of life, increases psychological distress and often results in hospice or hospital admission. Yet, there is …

The Potential Effects Of Abiotic Stresses On Ziziphus And Acacia Species Grown Under Uae Climate Condition, Almaha Abdulla Alneyadi

Theses

This comprehensive thesis delves into a comparative analysis of two prominent desert plant species, namely Acacia and Ziziphus, shedding light on their distinct adaptive features in response to challenging environmental conditions. The exploration spans various facets, including the germination process, tap root development, and their reactions to water stress, ultimately revealing the superior hardiness and adaptability of Acacia over Ziziphus. In the realm of germination, Acacia stands out with its swift and efficient initiation, indicating a robust mechanism for establishing its presence in arid landscapes. The examination of tap root development further underscores the resilience of Acacia, as it demonstrates …

Development Of Tio2/Nh2-Mil-125 Nanocomposite For The Removal Of Ciprofloxacin Under Induced Solar Irradiation, Bilkis Mojisola Ajiwokewu

Theses

This research focuses on the development and application of Metal-Organic Frameworks (MOFs)-based nanocomposites for the photocatalytic removal of pharmaceutical contaminants, with a specific emphasis on ciprofloxacin (CIP). The photocatalytic degradation of CIP was investigated using as-synthesized photocatalysts of TiO₂ nanowires (TiO₂NWs), bare MOF of NH₂-MIL-125, TiO₂NW/NH₂-MIL-125 composite, and Lanthanum (La)-doped composite. Intriguingly, the TiO₂NW/NH₂-MIL-125 composite exhibited the highest efficiency, achieving a photodegradation rate of 0.0111 min-1, surpassing the independent performances of bare MOF of NH₂-MIL-125 and TiO₂NW. The observed efficiency was attributed to …

Study On The Chemical Composition And Antioxidant Activities Of Essential Oil Extracted From Horwoodia Dicksoniae Growing In The Uae, Salama Sari Al Mansoori

Theses

Plant-derived substances including essential oils, secondary metabolites and other chemical substances are gaining attention due to their broad spectrum use in different fields. Native medicinal plants can play a key role in the healthcare field in any country. Horwoodia dicksoniae is a native endangered plant in UAE. The current study is about the chemical composition and antioxidant properties of H. dicksoniae’s essential oil as well as the evaluation of growth of this native endangered plant under different environmental conditions. For this purpose, the first step included confirmation of the viability of seeds obtained from a seed bank following the …

Small Molecule Modulation Of The P75 Neurotrophin Receptor Attenuates Neurodegeneration In An In Vitro Model Of Parkinson’S Disease, Poshan Pokharel

Theses

The p75 Neurotrophin Receptor (p75NTR) is a multifunctional transmembrane protein expressed in distinct regions of the adult nervous system. p75NTR regulates various functions, including neuronal survival or apoptosis interacting with coreceptors Trk receptors or sortilin. Activation of p75NTR occurs through proteolytic processing, and we previously demonstrated that oxidative stress induces activation of p75NTR in LUHMES cells, a neuronal cell line derived from the human ventral mesencephalon. Dopaminergic neurons of the ventral mesencephalon are vulnerable to oxidative stress and neurodegeneration associated with Parkinson’s disease (PD). Thus, we evaluated the mechanisms behind p75NTR activation and its physiological implications in a PD model. …

Assessing Neurobehavioral Deficits And Neuroinflammation Following Rllb In A Transgenic Mouse Model, Aakaash Gosain

Theses

As global conflicts are escalating, military personnel have long faced the constant threat of explosions, heightening the risk of blast-induced traumatic brain injury (bTBI). The recent increase in war conflicts and combat zones worldwide not only puts the military, service members, and police forces at risk but also innocent civilians who are caught in the crossfire. While moderate to severe bTBIs have been extensively studied, the pathology of repeated low-level blasts (rLLB) remains less understood. This research addresses the gap in knowledge regarding the long-term consequences of rLLB injuries in the neural anatomy. A transgenic mouse model was subjected to …

The Effects Of Blue Light From Digital Displays On Visual Fatigue, Victor Taboadela

Theses

With the ever-increasing viewing time of digital displays, the potential effects of blue light emitted from these displays on eye health and eye fatigue are a real concern. This study presents a literature review of six laboratory studies conducted between 2014 and 2022 on the effect of using filters to attenuate the harmful effects of blue light. The review delves into smartphone and computer screen effects, recent literature reviews on blue light, and potential hazards associated with short-wavelength light. Although the majority of the studies recommended blue light filters, only three of the six laboratory studies (Shi et al. 2021, …

Characterization Of 3d Printed Lattice Structures Used In The Design Of Modified Compression Release Stabilized Transhumeral Prosthetic Sockets, Jade Myers

Theses

Abstract A prosthetic socket is the critical interface between a person and their prosthetic device. Pressure, shear, and friction experienced by the residual limb from wearing a socket can damage soft tissue. While Compression Release Stabilized (CRS) style sockets are beneficial for enhancing prosthesis stability, range of motion, and control, the abrupt differences in compression throughout the socket present risks for tissue damage to the residual limb. A socket design that enables clinicians to control a progressive decrease in firmness in the transition areas between compression and release could mitigate such undesirable effects. Density-graded lattice structures designed and produced with …

Visualizing Visual Neural Pathways In Virtual Reality A Neuroanatomy Tool, Mary Nguyen

Theses

Visualizing the human brain and its structures in three dimensions is a complex and overwhelming task. Sensory pathways such as visual neural pathways, are important but difficult to visualize. With the rising popularity of extended reality (XR) in modern education, a Neuroanatomy tool in virtual reality (VR) was developed to allow students and other learners to explore the human brain and learn about its functions in an engaging way. Virtual reality enables a user to have the ability to visualize complex structures in the brain in a way that is otherwise impossible to see in a cadaver lab or web-based …

Star, Qian Liao

Theses

This document demonstrates the design process of an Augmented-Reality visual interaction design for improving and enhancing the astronomical observing experience for amateurs. Astronomical observation can be fun and romantic when sharing the experience with friends, family, or someone special. Sharing those magnificent moments with friends and family when astronomical events happen could be joyful. However, there are some inevitable barriers. In order to have a successful meteor shower observation, observers must follow a series of strict and professional rules that make the experience usually unaffordable for amateurs. As a result, I proposed a new way for amateurs that combined user …

Retreat Village Design In Letchworth State Park Region: An Architecture Development In A Highly Valued State Park Meets The Triple Bottom Line Of Sustainability, Jing Hua

Theses

Letchworth State Park, located in Livingston and Wyoming counties, New York, renowned as the “Grand Canyon of the East”, is one of the most scenically magnificent areas in the eastern United States. However, there are no well-developed leisure centers around or in the park. The lack of good accommodations, in contrast to the availability of restaurants with local character, leisure activities, and other supporting facilities in the area, fails to fully achieve the development potential of the natural scenery of the region. This thesis demonstrates that a retreat complex village that brings people closer to the natural landscape of Letchworth …