Digital Commons Network^™

Virtual Reality And Video Game Gatekeeping, Autumn Franke

Theses

This thesis focuses on the effects of the video game industry being the only influence on the development of virtual reality technology and the hindrance caused by it. The aim of this thesis is to discuss this flaw and recommend a different route to develop the technology through the education and medical fields instead of the video game industry.

Learning To See And Hear In 3d: Virtual Reality As A Platform For Multisensory Perceptual Learning, Catherine A. Fromm

Theses

Virtual reality (VR) is an emerging technology which allows for the presentation of immersive and realistic yet tightly controlled audiovisual scenes. In comparison to conventional displays, the VR system can include depth, 3D audio, fully integrated eye, head, and hand tracking, all over a much larger field of view than a desktop monitor provides. These properties demonstrate great potential for use in vision science experiments, especially those that can benefit from more naturalistic stimuli, particularly in the case of visual rehabilitation. Prior work using conventional displays has demonstrated that that visual loss due to stroke can be partially rehabilitated through …

Policy Recommendations For Concussion Recovery: Using Evidence Based Data For A Safe Return To Learn In Student-Athletes, Maya Vanderhorst

Theses

The return of concussed students and student-athletes to the classroom is commonly referred to as return-to-learn (RTL). RTL, however, is often overshadowed by returning a student-athlete back to athletic competition (return-to-play), with few recommendations and studies evaluating the effect of improper management of recovery from a concussion in an academic setting. Therefore, the research proposed here aims to track how symptom severity, student behaviors, and oculomotor performance formulate our ability to prognosticate how a student will respond to academic stimuli post-injury. This will be achieved by longitudinally tracking student-athletes as they recover from concussion, using a repeated measures design to …

How Do Academic Advisors Intentionally Design Their Office Space To Be More Inviting? A Qualitative Study On Office Décor And Self-Disclosure, Jessica Garcia

Theses

Academic advising has been part of institutions of higher education in the United States since the early 19th century. With the rise of incoming students each year and the wide range of majors and programs colleges offer, advisors are necessary to help guide students through their academic careers. This paper presents a qualitative study on how advisors intentionally create a space that encourages communication and collaboration within an advisor-advisee relationship. The theoretical framework used in this study is Social Penetration Theory, which suggests that facilitating self-disclosure will also support relationship development. For this research, academic advisors working at two different …

"Can You Please Turn Your Cameras On?" Communication Apprehension And Teleconferencing, Emily James Mcindoe

Theses

With the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, a multitude of normalities in individuals' lives had to change to continue moving forward. The world began to embrace new technologies that allowed individuals to be connected while physically apart. One of the most embraced technologies was teleconferencing. Teleconferencing is not a new technology with the first primitive form being created in 1968, however, it was not until the world had to embrace teleconferencing during the COVID-19 pandemic did the technologies became a common part of everyday life. The term Zoom is now synonymous with video chatting and conferencing becoming a part of …

Predicting Failure Rate Of Oil & Gas Equipment Using Ml, Shaima Alblooshi

Theses

Value of time has become an important perspective in business application ranging from day to day working to big businesses. The value of time is more important in the case of refinery business which has become of paramount importance with increasing energy needs. The main point of contention in refinery operations is the periodic maintenance of the pipelines which consumes of valuable time and resources. With a proper solution which can cater the time requirements of the lead time. The fact is that time consumption is extremely critical for the operations of refinery. Therefore, the application of machine learning is …

Effective Academic Advising Strategy In Higher Education Using Machine Learning, Reem Abuzayeda

Theses

Covid-19 pandemic has caused many obstacles to higher education students, especially students with academic, financial, and family disadvantages. Moreover, Covid-19 has caused negative impacts on enrollment of junior students and students’ academic goals, which has led to a higher rate of dropouts worldwide.

University enrollment is a complex process for students and families, and the decision to drop out is overwhelming to both. Many factors might cause the dropout, but the most important factors that might affect this decision are financial factors and academic standing. Higher education institutions can boost their academic advising plans, through the use of their strategic …

Measuring Macroeconomic Shocks Of The Covid-19 Pandemic: An Empirical Analysis For Bhutan, Lekey Dorji

Theses

Taking GDP growth and inflation as endogenous variables, this paper employs a Structural VAR from Baumeister and Hamilton (2015, 2019) to identify aggregate demand and aggregate supply shocks for Bhutan, focusing on the COVID-19 pandemic. The results suggest that 94 percent of the GDP growth plunge in 2020 is attributable to a fall in aggregate supply. The higher inflation during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 also implies a negative supply shock. Although the magnitudes differ, characterizing the COVID-19 pandemic in Bhutan as a supply shock coincides with preceding episodes that were also primarily driven by supply shocks.

The Role Of Lipocalin 2 In Type 1 Diabetic Osteopathy, Rawan Mahmoud Bdair

Theses

Lipocalin 2 (LCN2), also known as neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin (NGAL), plays an important role in the innate immune response and functions as a growth factor. The role of LCN2 as an anti-inflammatory protein and its function in bone metabolism is poorly understood. It is hypothesized that the administration of Lipocalin-2 in diabetic and non-diabetic rats will positively improve the bone microstructure. This study investigated the effect of lipocalin2 on bone metabolism in type 1 diabetic osteopathy (T1DO). Three-month-old male Wistar rats (n=24) were obtained from the animal house facility at United Arab Emirates University (UAEU) for this study. All animal …

Whole Genome Duplication Analysis Of The Invasive Lonicera Maackii (Amur Honeysuckle), Gaochan Wang

Theses

Invasive Lonicera maackii (L. maackii) is one of the highly successful and problematic bush honeysuckles found in the central and eastern of United States of America, which has been reported to pose a threat to native ecosystems by decreasing biodiversity. The mechanism by which L. maackii negatively impact environments is typically through either the direct effect of increased dominance or the indirect effect of territory modification. Numerous studies have documented the negative effects of L. maackii on native biota and the key traits such as seed dispersal, phenology, resistance to herbivory, rapid growth and environmental plasticity that contribute to invasion …

Socioeconomic Disparities In Covid-19 Vaccination Rates In New York City, Jessica L. Barbieri

Theses

The Coronavirus Pandemic has exposed mass systemic inequalities experienced by vulnerable populations. Vaccines are critical in protecting people from disease and the rest of the damages COVID inflicted on the world, but vaccination distribution might not be equal. The purpose of this thesis is to discover which factors impact uptake of vaccination in New York City. My empirical analysis combines the data on the earnings, educational attainment, gender, age, population size, access to reliable internet, political leanings, and racial makeup of each ZIP code tabulation area (ZCTA) in New York City. The data on vaccination rates is collected at two …

Robot-Assisted Radical Prostatectomy: What To Expect For Your Surgery?, Julia Lunavictoria

Theses

Prostate cancer is one of the most common types of cancer, affecting over 191,930 men, with an estimated 34,500 deaths for 2022 in the United States (NIH, 2022). As men age, the risk for prostate cancer increases; about 34% of all men diagnosed with prostate cancer are above the age of 50, and a staggering 70% are over the age of 80. Robot-assisted radical prostatectomy (RARP) is a minimally invasive surgical procedure used to treat clinically localized prostate cancer. In some cases, hydrodissection is used in nerve-sparing surgeries, protecting the neurovascular bundle and ensuring a higher chance of potency for …

A Patent-Based Approach To Understanding The Role Of University, Company, And Government Collaboration In Biotechnological Innovation, Rachel Strader

Theses

The biotechnology industry has shifted in recent years in corporate policy from a more traditional, closed research and development (R&D) model to an open innovation (OI) model, leading to increased collaboration between companies and academic institutions. The literature has reinforced this shift by demonstrating the role these collaborative relationships play in contributing to high-quality innovations. In this study, I use a unique dataset composed of biotechnology patents granted in the United States from 2000-2020 to examine the relationship between patent assignee and patent quality. Specifically, I measure patent quality using the number of forward citations and patent family size and …

The Irish Early Childhood Care And Education (Ecce) Scheme Is Free And Universal, But At Whose Expense?, Johanna Forde

Theses

This research addresses the historical and current influences on quality practice and provision by reviewing national and international literature debating quality in the Irish Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) scheme (DCEDIY, 2021a). To understand quality components the regulations and policy frameworks that inform and guide the ECCE scheme (DCEDIY, 2021a), including ECCE practice and the implications for provision standards, are explored. Four research questions ask: (1) What constitutes quality provision for children attending the ECCE scheme (DCEDIY, 2021a)? (2) What has informed ECCE regulation and policy in Ireland? (3) What are the identified challenges associated with the ECCE scheme …

An Investigation Of ‘Restrictive Practices’ Within Services For Adults With An Intellectual Disability: Perspectives Of Professionals And Those Involved With Their Care., Rebecca Donovan

Theses

Restrictive practices “are an infringement of a person’s fundamental rights to personal liberty and bodily integrity” (Health Information and Quality Authority, 2019, p.1). The most recent study in Ireland, found 23% of the 627 inspection reports by HIQA, human-right were violated by the use of restrictive practices (Murphy and Bantry- White, 2021). It is recognised that the core function of restrictive practices is to stop, or prevent, an individual from doing something they wish to do, in such a way that manages challenging behaviour outbursts, and provides safety for both staff and service users (Nankervis and Chan, 2021). The uncertain …

An Appreciative Inquiry Of Community Based Disability Sports And Physical Activity Provision To Guide Future Development, Jennifer O Carroll Reidy

Theses

In 2008, the Irish Sports Inclusion Disability Programme (SIDP) was established to provide opportunities for people with disabilities to participate in a variety of sports and physical activity. Regular monitoring has been sporadic and disparate (Sport Ireland, 2016). Using the four-stage method of Appreciative Inquiry (Cooperrider, 1987), a series of interviews was undertaken with providers of the SIDP. Fourteen Coordinators, SIDOs and sports development workers were interviewed about the strengths, impacts and future for the SIDP. Six participants of the programmes also took part in a focus group concerning their perspectives of the current state and future potential for the …

Societal Impact Assessment Of Depression, Mohammed Salah Almazrouei

Theses

Depression is a mental problem characterised by unusual changes in the mood of a person, accompanied by a temporary different emotional response to everyday changes in the phenomena (WHO, 2020). Affected people suffer greatly, hence functioning poorly in the workplace, school, or at home in a family setup. Even though the public is well aware of its existence, there is little going on to combat this condition. Amongst the various stumbling blocks towards achieving an effective approach to address the problem include limited resources and associated well-trained personnel to help the victims.

A mental disorder associated with social stigma and …

Investigating The Role Of Irc20 And Cdc48 In The Maintenance Of Yeast Genome, Asma Albadi Alnuaimi

Theses

DNA, the basic unit of inheritance, is continuously exposed to numerous endogenous and exogenous damaging agents that compromise its function and adversely impact health. However, the cell has evolved intricate DNA repair mechanisms to mitigate the negative consequences of genomic instability. The repair of DNA double-strand break (DSB) is potentially accomplished by various mechanisms, including homologous recombination (HR). An HR-mediated DSB repair requires controlled regulation of repair proteins to ensure timely function. Posttranslational modifications (PTMs), such as ubiquitylation and SUMOylation, are regulatory mechanisms that significantly fine-tune proteins activities. Central to these processes is Rad52, a conserved oligomeric protein that forms …

Heterodimerization Between Chemokine Receptors Cxcr4 And Ccr7 And Its Role In Cancer, Maryam Naveed Muhammad Tariq

Theses

In physiology, the functional and physical interactions between cell surface receptors for signal molecules such as hormones, neurotransmitters, and cytokines, provides an important mechanism of diversity and regulation of signal transduction. Therefore, investigating the functional interactions between these receptors is of great importance for understanding their role in physiology and pathophysiology with potential application in drug discovery. In this context, numerous evidences support the implication of two chemokine receptors, CXCR4 and CCR7, in many cancer types. In this study, we hypothesized that the functional, and perhaps the physical interaction, occurring between CXCR4 and CCR7 may constitute one of the key …

Effect Of Carnosol On G Protein-Coupled Receptor Signaling In Cancer Cells, Laith Jehad Ahmad Abudawood

Theses

Carnosol is a plant polyphenol compound known for its beneficial properties against human diseases such as cancer and diabetes. However, the exact molecular and cellular mechanisms involved, and its molecular targets are not fully known. Carnosol was shown to bind and to modulate specific intracellular signaling proteins in cancer cell lines. In this study, we hypothesized that carnosol may pharmacologically target specific cell surface receptors including G Protein-Coupled Receptors (GPCRs) and Receptor Tyrosine Kinase (RTKs). Therefore, we tested the pharmacological effect of carnosol on the following receptors: Insulin Receptor (IR), Chemokine CXCL12 Receptor (CXCR4), Angiotensin II (AngII) Receptor (AT1R), Glucagon-Like …

A Blockchain Based Policy Framework For The Management Of Electronic Health Record (Ehrs), Aysha Ali Mohammed Murad Qambar

Theses

The rapid development of information technology during the last decade has greatly influenced all aspects of society, including individuals and enterprise organizations. Adopting new technologies by individuals and organizations depends on several factors, such as usability, available resources, support needed for adoption benefits, and return on investment, to mention a few. When it comes to the adoption of new technologies, one of the main challenges faced by organizations is the ability to effectively incorporate such technologies into their enterprise solutions to maximize the expected benefits. For the last several years, Blockchain technology has become a popular trend in a variety …

Virtual Laboratories For Stem Education: An Evaluation Model And Comparison, Jumana Mahmoud Kharsa

Theses

Laboratory work is key to science education, and virtual environments play a vital role in remote learning. This thesis is concerned with the evaluation of virtual laboratories used in educational fields, mainly in STEM courses. This research investigates the basic criteria for evaluating virtual environments used in science education in order to create an evaluation scale. We reviewed the literature to highlight the main guidelines of evaluating virtual laboratories and found that the most common evaluation features for virtual tools are Ease of Use, Usefulness, Motivation, Interface Design, and Realism. Upon generating the assessment scale, we selected two web-based interactive …

Lactic Acid Bacteria Isolated From Fresh Vegetable Products: Potential Probiotic And Postbiotic Characteristics Including Immunomodulatory Effects, Fatima Khaled Alameri

Theses

The ability to perform effectively in the gastrointestinal system (GIT) is one of the most significant criteria for selecting the best probiotic bacteria. Thus, the present study aimed to investigate the potential probiotic characteristics of some selected lactic acid bacteria (LAB) isolated from vegetable products. Probiotic characteristics included tolerance to acid and bile, cholesterol removing ability, bile salt hydrolysis, resistance against lysozyme and antibiotics, production of exopolysaccharides (EPS), antimicrobial and hemolytic activities, and cell surface characteristics (auto-aggregation, co-aggregation, and hydrophobicity). Out of 46 isolates, 17 isolates that exhibited remarkable survivability under gastrointestinal conditions were selected for further analysis. Almost all …

Utilizing Date Pits In Microencapsulation: Effect Of Different Variations On Probiotic Survivability Under In Vitro Digestion, Asmaa Samir Al Hamayda

Theses

This work deals with the medicinal use of date pit powder, which turns it from a waste product to a useful stabilizer for the release of beneficial probiotics in the human intestine. The main objective of this work is to encapsulate probiotics with date pit beads and their subsequent release in the human intestine. The beads were formed using gravitational dripping technique, while INFOGEST protocol was used to test the digested beads and the release of viable probiotic cells. For the three date varieties Raziz, Naghal and Khadrawy, it was found that 0.1 g of date pit powder per 0.2 …

The Design Of A Point Of Care Fet Biosensor To Detect And Screen Covid-19, Nisreen Amer Mohammad Alnaji

Theses

This work proposes and demonstrates a biosensor with reduced Graphene Oxide (rGO) based Field Effect Transistor (FET) for rapid and selective detection of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The main objective of this thesis is to detect the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein antigen on spot selectively and rapidly. The rGO channel is coated with the spike protein antibodies to achieve selectivity. Moreover, the biosensing performance and specificity are governed by decorating the sensor’s channel with Metal Nanoparticles (MNPs) such as, copper, and silver. The designed sensor successfully detects the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein and shows singular electrical behavior for detection. …

The Potent And Selective Histamine H3 Receptor Antagonist E169 Alleviates Cognitive Deficits And Mitigates Disturbed Pi3k/Akt/Gsk-3Β Signaling Pathway In Mk801-Induced Amnesia In Mice, Sabna Tagelsir Hassan Abdalla

Theses

The role of Histamine H3 Receptors (H3Rs) in memory and the prospective of H3R antagonists in pharmacological control of neurodegenerative disorders, e.g., Alzheimer’s Disease (AD) is well-accepted. Therefore, the procognitive effects of acute systemic administration of H3R antagonist E169 (2.5-10 mg/kg, i.p.) on MK801- induced amnesia using the Novel Object Recognition Test (NORT) paradigm in C57BL/6J mice were evaluated. E169 (5 mg) provided a significant memory-improving effect on MK801-induced short- and long-term memory impairments in NORT. The E169 (5 mg) provided effects were comparable to those observed with the Phosphatidyl Inositol 3-Kinase (PI3K) inhibitor LY294002 and were abrogated with the …

Screening For Endophytic Actinobacteria To Enhance Growth And Salinity Tolerance Of Tomato Plants In The United Arab, Amira Hamdy Hassan

Theses

Salinity is one of the most decisive environmental factors limiting the productivity of crop plants, mainly in arid and semi-arid regions. An eco-friendly technology can be used to boost crop production in saline areas by using plant growth-bacteria. Endophytic actinobacteria that produce the enzyme 1-Aminocyclopropane-1-Carboxylic acid (ACC) Deaminase (ACCD) can modulate the levels of Ethylene (ET) in plants to reduce the effect of abiotic stresses including high salt stress. The main objectives of this study were to: (1) Evaluate endophytic actinobacterial isolates from healthy tomato plants cultivated in the UAE that are capable of producing ACCD in vitro; (2) …

Biodegradable Heat Insulation Composites Based On Poly(Β-Hydroxybutyrate) And Date Palm Wood, Amal Ibrahim Mlhem

Theses

Residential buildings contribute the most to energy consumption. It was found that energy savings of 20% can be achieved through the thermal insulation of residential buildings in the United Arab Emirates. For this reason, research has been conducted in the field of sustainable thermal insulation materials. Wood-Plastic Composites (WPC) are a relatively new generation of biocomposites and are particularly suitable for construction and building applications, which offers high thermal and acoustic insulation properties., reducing carbon emissions and decreasing negative impacts on the environment due to their biodegradability, sustainability, renewability, and recyclability. The first part of this study investigated the thermal …

Distribution Of Erm Proteins In The Stomach Mucosa Of Normal And Diabetic Rats, Asmaa Salem Al Sereidi

Theses

Diabetes mellitus (DM), or simply diabetes, refers to a group of metabolic disorders that include a variety of diseases that disrupt our body's metabolism. The long-term uncontrolled disease can lead to stomach complications such as gastroparesis, as well as disruption in several proteins, such as ERM (Ezrin, radixin, moesin) proteins. ERM proteins are three proteins that are structurally and functionally related. ERM proteins have molecular masses of 82, 80, and 75 kDa, respectively. Ezrin is highly expressed in the stomach, especially in parietal cells that secrete gastric acid. ERM proteins function as scaffolding proteins in lipid rafts and granule trafficking …

A Data Driven Model To Promote Preparedness And Respond Intelligently To Pandemic Outbreaks, Safea Mohammed Al Senani

Theses

The COVID-19 pandemic has had a major effect on various vital sectors of the economy, including education healthcare, and the industry. Governments have imposed strict regulations to reduce the spread of this global disease outbreak. Consequently, working from home, online learning, social distancing and various control measures were enforced. In response, many schools shifted to distance learning, although most of these schools were neither technically ready nor administratively prepared for the online transition. Despite recent progress, countries are still experiencing daunting challenges to control the infection rate and magnitude, stabilize the economy, and relax socialization and public life activities. Decision-makers …