Digital Commons Network^™

Examining The Influence Of Sports Nutrition Counseling On Collegiate Athletes, Jenelle Leon Saravia

Theses

This study explored the influence of nutrition counseling provided by registered dietitian nutritionists (RDNs) on collegiate athletes’ dietary behaviors, knowledge, and perceptions of nutrition. A mixed-methods approach was employed, incorporating qualitative interviews with 15 athletes from six sports across four schools. Participants reflected on their counseling experiences, focusing on its impact on their nutritional habits, health, and athletic performance. Quantitative data, including a one-sample t-test on recommendation scores, revealed a mean score of 6.73 (SD = 0.46) on a 7-point scale, indicating consistently high satisfaction with nutrition counseling. Thematic analysis identified five themes: Influence of Counseling, Behavioral Changes, Self-Reported Understanding …

Application Of Science And Technology Studies To Global Medical Device Donation Policy, Jolie Crunelle

Theses

In low and middle income countries, the World Health Organization estimates that nearly 80% of medical devices and equipment are procured through donation (WHO 2000). While these donations have the potential to play a critical role in the recipient communities’ health, the donated devices sometimes fall short of their potential due to improper use or lack of support—despite the existence of a variety of guidelines and regulations for medical equipment donations. While conducting volunteer biomedical equipment technician work in Guatemala and Uganda, I came to notice the disparity between the guidelines and the reality on the ground. This study aims …

Animating The Mechanism Of Action Of The Novel Glioblastoma Vaccine Survaxm, Sheila Figel

Theses

Glioblastoma (GBM) is a deadly type of malignant brain tumor affecting over 11,000 people in the United States each year. Treatment options for GBM are limited, with the majority of patients receiving surgery and chemoradiation, and surviving around 15 months. New therapies are desperately needed. A novel peptide vaccine, SurVaxM, has shown promise in phase I and II clinical trials, and is currently under investigation in a Phase IIb trial (the “SURVIVE” trial) for newly diagnosed GBM. As SurVaxM moves closer to FDA approval, there is a need for education about the agent and how it works. In order to …

A High-Efficiency Ldo Regulator With Adaptive Psrr And Transient Enhancements, Daniel Zeznick

Theses

Reliable power delivery is essential for all computing systems, particularly those operating with limited or constrained energy sources, such as batteries. Power management circuits must provide energy efficiency, stability, and resilience to disturbances to support accurate and consistent system performance. This thesis presents a high-efficiency low-dropout (LDO) regulator featuring adaptive power supply rejection ratio (PSRR) and transient response enhancement techniques. By leveraging adaptive analog design strategies, the proposed regulator dynamically boosts performance at high load currents, maintaining optimal efficiency across the full load range while circumventing key trade-offs inherent to conventional LDO architectures. The design incorporates several novel circuit techniques …

From Skepticism To Loyalty: A Whitepaper For Companies On Building Consumer Trust In Digital Marketing, Grace Darcy Pora

Theses

Trust is the foundation of business and works as a dynamic relationship between customers and businesses. As social media continues to evolve as the main way that companies promote and sell their products, trust must align with these marketing efforts. Through the analysis of past research, case studies, and current surveys, data, and trends, the relationship between consumer trust and online advertisements can be examined. Consumer trust online is experiencing a consistent downward trend, where consumers are losing trust in the companies and products they purchase from online. There is a heavy amount of skepticism online with the content that …

Scenes Of Self: Redressing Patriarchy Ii, C. Rose Smith

Theses

Drawing together self-portraits and photographic documents, Scenes of Self: Redressing Patriarchy II threads a narrative in black and white on the underpinnings of elitism in US history and culture—a history dating back to the 19th century—of an emerging wealthy economy sustained by the slave market and commodities of its production. A meticulous interpretation of a historicized past eliding with the future, this thesis charts a path toward ancestral recollection to critique the livelihoods of merchants who were also enslavers. This thesis takes up the concept of Afro-surrealism (a movement led by Black artists of the 1970s concerned with the future-past) …

Towards Robust Deep Learning For Medical Imaging With Limited And Noisy Labeled Data, Bidur Khanal

Theses

Deep learning has emerged as a powerful tool in medical imaging, assisting healthcare professionals with several decision-making tasks, such as disease diagnosis, surgical intervention, and treatment planning. Supervised deep learning methods typically require large amounts of high-quality labeled data for training. However, acquiring high-quality labeled data in the medical domain is challenging due to factors such as the high cost of expert annotation and the presence of label noise, often due to inherent user/expert annotation variability. Models trained on limited or noisy labeled data suffer from poor performance due to overfitting, thus reducing their generalizability and trustworthiness for medical applications. …

The Relationship Between Perceived Stress, Rumination, And Sleep Quality Among University Students, Aljazeeya Almansoori

Theses

Sleep is a crucial physiological function that underpins human health and wellbeing, profoundly affecting cognitive abilities, emotional stability, and the overall quality of life. Disruptions in sleep quality and quantity are commonly associated with increased perceived stress and rumination. This study aimed to investigate the correlations among perceived stress, rumination, and sleep quality in university students in the UAE, while also considering demographic factors such as age, gender, marital status, and educational level. It was hypothesized that higher levels of perceived stress and rumination would be associated with lower sleep quality. The study employed a cross-sectional design, involving a sample …

Human-Aware Reinforcement Learning For Adaptive Human-Robot Teaming, Saurav Singh

Theses

The rise of Industry 5.0 has shifted robotic systems toward human-centric design, emphasizing collaboration between humans and machines. While collaborative robots (cobots) are equipped with sensors for safety, they typically overlook human internal states such as fatigue, stress, and workload—factors that significantly impact performance. This lack of awareness limits their ability to adapt and collaborate effectively, particularly in dynamic, real-time environments where human conditions fluctuate. This thesis introduces a novel framework that integrates human internal states into robot decision-making to enhance human-robot collaboration. This research leverages reinforcement learning (RL) to develop methods that enable robots to adapt their behavior based …

The Use Of Robotic Surveillance In The Uae In 2035: Balancing, Innovation, Regulation, And Privacy, Oasha Yousuf Almohier

Theses

This research explores the future of robotic surveillance in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) by 2035, aiming to balance innovation, regulatory oversight, and privacy protection. It investigates the intersection of national security objectives, ethical AI governance, and public trust within the UAE’s rapidly advancing smart city and law enforcement environments. The focus areas include regulatory gaps in current AI laws, ethical concerns such as data privacy and algorithmic bias, and the societal perception of AI-powered surveillance systems. The background of this study stems from the UAE’s ambition to lead in AI deployment, especially within public security initiatives such as autonomous …

Performance Comparison Of Iot-Powered Indoor Hydroponic Systems And Outdoor Traditional Environment, Saleha Alharthi

Theses

Traditional agriculture faces challenges, including high water consumption, greenhouse gas emissions, and fluctuations in environmental conditions. The research aims to develop alternative sustainable solutions to address issues related to traditional farming. Hydroponics provides opportunities to grow different types of vegetables indoors, where conventional agriculture is challenging. This thesis presents a comparative study of soil-based and hydroponic arugula cultivation using the nutrient film technique (NFT). The proposed methodology focuses on maintaining high similarity in the implementation of components across systems to ensure fair comparison. This thesis utilized distinct approaches. The first approach compared an outdoor soil-based system with an indoor hydroponic …

Energy-Efficient Distributed Algorithms: A Survey, Visualizations, And New Results In Radio Networks, Dominick Banasik

Theses

Distributed algorithms have been studied for decades, with a particular focus on round and message complexities. Recent works have presented energy-efficient distributed algorithms, where nodes are allowed to sleep, sacrificing the ability to communicate, and the goal is to minimize the amount of time nodes spend in an awake state. This thesis further explores the area and can broadly be divided into three parts. In the first part of this thesis, we provide a literature survey of existing works. Several fundamental graph problems have been studied in this context. Our survey compares the known results from different models, highlights the …

Enhancing In-Car Interaction: Analyzing Deaf And Hard-Of-Hearing Drivers’ Usage, And Interaction With Voice-Controlled In-Car Infotainment System, Sanskriti Kumar

Theses

Voice Control Interface is a technology that allows users to use spoken language to interact with a system. The system is capable of speech recognition where the user can input a command, the system understands and executes the commands, and gives an output through text and/or speech. Voice Control Interfaces (VCIs) have become an ubiquitous technology, from public information kiosks to personal computer devices and intelligent virtual assistant devices. The technology is constantly evolving and improving with the intentions to make life easier, however, research has revealed unique challenges VCIs pose for Deaf and hard-of-hearing (DHH) users due to reliance …

Detecting Compromised Hardware Integrity With Machine Learning In Multicore Processors, Alexander Beekman

Theses

Due to the globalization of the Integrated Circuits (IC) manufacturing process, the trust surrounding hardware reliability has become compromised through methods such as injection of malicious hardware (including hardware trojans), hardware backdoors, IP theft, and counterfeit hardware. This thesis will focus on the issue of counterfeit hardware. As the complexity of modern day hardware has increased, detecting counterfeits has become increasingly difficult. Current methods of physical and electrical inspection are limited in both depth and size limitations. Physical inspections are only useful for identifying counterfeits that manifest physically, while electrical testing requires expensive and extensive setups. Computational evaluation of all …

Continuous Professional Development (Cpd) For Inclusive Education In Uae Schools: Current Practices And In-Service Teachers’ Preferences, Hafsa Khaled Aishan

Theses

Professional development serves as a driving force in empowering teachers within inclusive education settings. The purpose of this study was to investigate the perspectives of both general and special education teachers about the effectiveness of currently implemented professional development practices. Data were collected using explanatory mixed-methods design, which included a questionnaire and semi-structured interviews. This method was utilized to improve the depth of research through the integration of quantitative and qualitative data. The combination of these two methods strengthens validity, reduces bias, and increases reliability. Non-probabilistic purposive sampling method was employed to collect the data as a total of 115 …

Investigating Teachers' Perceptions On The Effectiveness Of School Inspection In Public Schools In The United Arab Emirates, Ruqaia Adel Mohammed

Theses

School inspection plays a significant role in ensuring quality education in UAE public schools. This paper investigates public school teachers’ perceptions of the effectiveness of school inspections in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and examines the impact of teachers’ demographic factors on these perceptions. A total of 218 teachers across the UAE participated in the study. The research focused on four key domains within the School Inspection Perception Framework (SIPF): Perceived Effectiveness of School Inspections (PESI), Perceived Effectiveness of School Inspection Training (PESIT), Perceived Credibility of School Inspections (PCSI), and Perceived Usefulness of School Inspection Feedback (PUSIF). Data were collected …

The Development Of Year One Students’ Reading Ability In A Curriculum Using Monster Phonics Scheme In The Uae, Sara Berrandjia

Theses

This study explores the impact of the Monster Phonics program on the reading development of Year 1 students in Al Ain, UAE. Reading proficiency is a fundamental skill in early education, and phonics instruction plays a crucial role in literacy acquisition. Monster Phonics, a color-coded synthetic phonics program, has been increasingly adopted in classrooms, yet its effectiveness in multilingual settings remains underexplored. This research aims to investigate how students' reading ability develops in the context of a curriculum using the Monster Phonics scheme. A mixed-methods approach was employed, combining quantitative assessments pre- and post-tests on grapheme-phoneme correspondence, word reading, and …

The Impact Of Rubric-Based Feedback On Efl Writing Proficiency: Exploring Revision Skills And Learning Transfer, Ahmed Abdelraheem Elyan

Theses

This study explores how rubric-based feedback influences the writing development of English as a Foreign Language (EFL) learners, with a particular focus on their revision practices, learning transfer, and the challenges they face with cognitive overload. The research was carried out in a high school context in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), aiming to understand the real impact of structured feedback on students’ writing performance.

Twenty Arabic-speaking students participated in the study, completing four essay writing tasks over eight weeks. These included a pre-test, two feedback-supported drafts, and a post-test. Their essays were assessed using an analytic rubric designed to …

Construction Of Stock Portfolios By Machine Learning Methods, Alfan Gehad Abulehia

Theses

We study the theory and application of two machine learning (ML) algorithms: Long-Short Term Memory Network (LSTM) and Random Forest. The study begins by providing an overview of mathematical foundation, highlighting the significance of mathematics in machine learning. We study and explain the mathematical details involved in these two algorithms. We also study closely related subjects which include but not limited to gradient descent, automatic differentiation, and recurrent neural network. The main ideas behind these topics form the foundation of any ML algorithms.

As an application of the ML algorithms, we focus on the U.S. stock market. We build stock …

A Bayesian Belief Networks Approach To Prioritize Road Safety Mitigation Measures For Eco-Mobility Modes, Fatmah Mohamed Alyammahi

Theses

This study presents an innovative decision-making approach that enables the prioritization of road safety measures for eco-mobility users—pedestrians, cyclists and light-electric micromobility riders—in Abu Dhabi. The analysis uses 2032 eco-mobility crash records (1016 pedestrian, 567 bicycle, 449 e-scooter) from 2020-2023 supplied by Abu Dhabi Police and the Department of Municipalities and Transport. A supervised Bayesian Belief Network (BBN) was constructed around six empirically estimated variables: visibility, predictability, road curvature, obstructions, lighting and speed limit. Maximum-likelihood conditional-probability tables were derived from the cleaned dataset; Beta priors were applied only where cell counts were sparse. Ten conventional machine-learning models—including Random Forest, Gradient …

Assessing Readiness For Transformation From Rulebased To Ai-Based Chatbot In Uae Healthcare: A Case Study Of A Rehabilitation Hospital In Abu Dhabi, Mubarak Alketbi

Theses

This study investigates the readiness for transforming rule-based chatbots to AI-based chatbots in UAE healthcare, examining a rehabilitation hospital in Abu Dhabi through quantitative research involving healthcare professionals (N=96) and technical analysis. Findings revealed positive perceptions of the current system alongside enhancement opportunities through AI capabilities, with perceived usefulness strongly correlating with behavioural intention, high service quality ratings for empathy and responsiveness, midcareer professionals demonstrating the highest AI acceptance levels, and system integration identified as the highest priority implementation area.

The research contributes to healthcare technology transformation knowledge in the UAE by providing a structured implementation framework addressing technical requirements, …

Collaborative Network Traffic Management Strategies Using Distributed Reinforcement Learning And Large Language Models, Saeed Rashed Alkuwaiti

Theses

The focus of this research is to explore collaborative network traffic management strategies using the Distributed Reinforcement Learning (DRL) and Large Language Models (LLMs) approaches. It emphasizes exploring a new tool for addressing network traffic by utilizing Distributed Reinforcement Learning (DRL) and Large Language Models (LLMs). This is achieved by utilizing self-organizing and self-directing techniques to optimize the network performance. Using the NF-TON-IOT dataset, various classifiers such as Random Forest, AdaBoost, C4. 5, Multi-Layer Perceptron (MLP), and SVM with an RBF kernel were tested for traffic classification and intrusion detection. Research recommends that DRL optimizes the complexity of the network …

Smart Traffic Intersections: Leveraging Isac And Millimeter-Waves For Advanced Vehicle Platooning, Mohammed Risal Thadathil

Theses

The rapid advancement of self-driving cars is reshaping the transportation industry and accelerating the development of smart cities. Vehicle platooning, a key capability of autonomous vehicles, has the potential to enhance traffic efficiency, reduce congestion, and improve safety at intersections. However, maintaining platoon cohesion, minimizing latency, and optimizing traffic signal interactions remain significant challenges. This study addresses these issues by leveraging Integrated Sensing and Communication (ISAC) technology with millimeter-Waves (mmWaves) signals to optimize platooning performance at traffic signal intersections.

The research identifies gaps in existing Vehicle-to-Everything (V2X) communication frameworks, particularly in managing platoon movements in urban traffic intersections. To bridge …

A Data-Driven Recommendation System For Selecting The Appropriate Mode Of Learning And Instructional Tools Based On Course Characteristics, Ayisha Manzoor

Theses

The rapid transformation of educational delivery methods during the COVID-19 pandemic required institutions to transition between online, hybrid, and offline learning approaches, creating both challenges and opportunities for educators and students. While online and hybrid learning modes ensured continuity, their effectiveness across different course types remained uncertain. This thesis addresses this gap by developing a datadriven recommendation framework that predicts Course Learning Outcome (CLO) achievement scores using regression, and recommends the most appropriate learning mode (online, hybrid, or offline) along with instructional tools based on course characteristics. This study analyzed 100 undergraduate and postgraduate courses from the College of Information …

Monitoring Sand Migration In Al Ain City Utilizing Remote Sensing Techniques, Sanad Salem Mohammad Fareaa

Theses

Sand migration significantly impacts urban development, infrastructure, and ecosystems in arid regions such as Al Ain city, United Arab Emirates (UAE). This study employs advanced remote sensing techniques to monitor and predict sand dune migration across the Sieh Al Hama dune field, a critical area west of Al Ain. The research objectives include quantifying dune migration rates over three years (2018–2020) using monthly Sentinel-2 satellite imagery, identifying distinct dune fields, and analyzing the textural and mineralogical properties of dune sediments to infer their provenance. Field sampling from four dunes (Large Sabra Dune, Dune 1, Dune 2, and Dune 3) was …

School Leadership Insights And Practices: Understanding Bullying Prevention Strategies Among Teachers In Private And Public Schools Across The Uae, Wissal Mohsen

Theses

This thesis investigates the detrimental effects of bullying on students, including its impacts on mental health, academic performance, and overall well-being. Addressing this issue necessitates a proactive strategy involving school leaders, teachers, and parents. Data was collected via a questionnaire: selected items employed a 5-point Likert scale, while others used a multiple-choice format. Analysis was conducted in SPSS and included descriptive statistics, one-way ANOVA, t-tests, and binary logistic regression. The t-tests indicated that leadership practices implemented to prevent bullying in both public and private schools were highly effective and statistically significant (p < .05). This research contributes to our understanding of how school leadership and teacher involvement influence the efficacy of bullying-prevention strategies. By using quantitative methods, the study offers a comprehensive examination of school policies, bullying-awareness initiatives, and reporting systems. The findings highlight the importance of adopting context-specific approaches to bolster prevention efforts within schools. Future research that combines qualitative and quantitative analyses may yield deeper insights into the real-world challenges encountered in bullying-intervention strategies, thereby bridging the gap between policy formulation and practical implementation to ensure anti-bullying programs are both effective and culturally relevant.

This Night, Roshni Jayakrishnan Nair

Theses

"This Night" is a 2D animated Graduate Thesis Film. The story centers on a devout elderly woman who receives a vision foreshadowing her departure from life. Guided by this vision, she embarks on a profound journey. In her garden, she plucks a hibiscus and offers it to the deities in her home. As she prays with closed eyes, she envisions her hibiscus offering reaching the temple doors. Recognizing this as her sign to depart, she resolves to set out on her journey to meet the goddess at the temple. Plucking another hibiscus to carry with her, a sudden gust of …

Network-On-Chip Packet Obfuscation And Encoding For Hardware Trojan Mitigation, Sydale John Ayi

Theses

Networks-on-Chip (NoCs) represent a transformative advancement in System-on- Chip (SoC) communication architectures, addressing the scalability and performance limitations of traditional bus-based systems. The increasing reliance on NoCs in modern SoCs has raised security concerns, particularly in untrusted fabrication environments. This thesis investigates the vulnerabilities posed by malicious hardware Trojans and untrusted IP cores, such as reverse engineering, misdirection attacks, and brute-force decryption. To counter these threats, the study introduces a robust security framework leveraging encoding and obfuscation techniques. Hamming codes are employed to detect and correct errors, ensuring data integrity and correcting misdirection attacks. Discrepancies between codewords and data words …

Implementation And Dissemination Of The 'About Eating' Program: Evaluating Participant Engagement, Usability, And Module Interest, Justin Konrad Walker

Theses

Abstract Background: Online nutrition education can improve food choices among underserved populations. The About Eating New York (AENY) program is a web-based, self-paced series of modules designed to enhance nutritional literacy, resource management, and confidence in healthy eating. Leveraging dissemination and implementation (D&I) science, AE partnered with community organizations across New York’s ten fiscal regions to extend its reach. Methods: This study analyzed secondary data from the AENY dissemination effort. Participants were recruited via social media and community organizations. Pre- and post-program surveys and end-of-lesson surveys assessed demographics, engagement, and perceptions of usability. Quantitative analyses included descriptive statistics, t-tests, ANOVAs, …

Beyond The Food: A Scoping Review Of Avoidant/Restrictive Food Intake Disorder (Arfid)'S Comorbidities, Nutrition, And Growth Outcomes, Emily Szewczyk

Theses

Objective A scoping review design was chosen for this study to appropriately assess and understand the knowledge on ARFID and to identify psychological or developmental comorbidities, growth outcomes, and nutrient deficiencies and/or excesses in children and adolescents. Introduction Avoidant/Restrictive Food Intake Disorder (ARFID) is a relatively new eating disorder, characterized by the DSM-5 in 2013.1 Individuals with ARFID exhibit selective eating due to lack of interest in eating food, sensory sensitivity, or a fear of possible vomiting or choking.2 The malnutrition seen in individuals with ARFID can result in physical health complications including weight loss, malnutrition, growth delay, decreased bone …