Digital Commons Network^™

Aqueous Wastewater Treatment With Aluminium Oxide, Silicon Dioxide And Alginite, Anifat Adenike Bankole

Theses

Wastewater, regardless of the source, has always found its way into the environment. If not treated it can pose a threat to the life of humans as well as aquatic organisms. In regard to the treatment of wastewater containing remnant organic dyes, the adsorption of these on recyclable sorbent materials such as alginite, alumina, and silica gel was evaluated. The main objective of this thesis is to evaluate the sorption process for dye tainted water specifically stemming from educational and research laboratories. Adsorption studies of the wastewater with sorbent materials were carried out under different experimental conditions. The study investigates …

Analysis Of The 16s Rrna For The Identification Of Microbial Communities In The Rhizosphere Of Cultivated Date Palms Trees Under Salt Stress Condition In The Uae Ecosystem, Azra Issa Shamim

Theses

Increasing soil salinity is an emerging global issue, generating land degradation, affecting agricultural production and further affecting quality of ground water. In arid environment with water scarcity, saline ground water has been regularly used for irrigation purpose in date palm (Phoenix dactylifera) plantation, without knowing its impact on their root-associated bacterial communities. The aim of this study is to investigate the impact of saline water irrigation on date palm root-associated bacterial community compositional structure and their diversity. Plant root samples were collected from date palm farms located in Abu Dhabi Emirate, irrigated with either saline, or non-saline water. Overall, we …

Gated Communities In The Uae: From A Social Sustainability Barrier To A Catalyst, Marwa Salem Al Jaberi

Theses

Gated communities are commonly defined as residential areas with restricted access, where commonly public spaces are privatized. The main characteristic of gated communities, based on the physical aspect of the development, involves gates, walls, guards, and closed-circuit surveillance. Scholarly studies have focused on the phenomenon of gated communities through covering its implications on the society and the city, where the benefits of this type of development have been frequently questioned. Gated communities have been linked with their negative impacts on the communities as socially segregated areas form the surrounding urban context. Nonetheless, several other studies advocated paradoxical theories related to …

Letting Go: How Newly-Graduated Registered Nurses In Western Canada Decide To Exit The Nursing Profession, Kathryn M. Chachula

Theses

The Canadian Nurses Association predicts the nursing shortage will rise to an estimated 60,000 Registered Nurses (RNs) by the year 2022. Further compounding this issue is the approximate 14-61% of nursing graduates who will change nursing roles or exit the profession within two years of practice. Using the Glaserian grounded theory method, the purpose of this study was to examine the basic psychosocial process labelled Letting Go involved in how newly-graduated RNs in western Canada arrive at the decision to exit the nursing profession within five years of entry into the workforce through semi-structured interviews.

An Examination Of The Relationship Between Eating Competence And Biopsychosocial Factors In Adults With Metabolic Syndrome, Jenna Hickey

Theses

Background: An association between eating competence and bioclinical factors for healthy adults has been identified. However, no research has been conducted into the association of ecSI 2.0TM scores and biopsychosocial measures for adults with metabolic syndrome. Purpose: To examine the congruence between eating competence and biopsychosocial measures at baseline and post-intervention in individuals with metabolic syndrome. Methods: Self report surveys administered to participants: Satter Eating Competence Inventory (ecSI 2.0TM), Short Form Health Survey Mental Health and Vitality scales(SF-36 MH and VT), Perceived Stress Scale (PSS), Patient Health Questionnaire – 8 (PHQ-8). Bioclinical measures: HDL cholesterol, triglycerides, blood glucose, BMI, and …

The Impact Of Short Papers On Clinical Decision Making Skills Of Nursing Students, Tara R. Hayes

Theses

Clinical decision making and critical thinking are fundamental skills to ensuring the success of undergraduate nursing students. Nursing faculty, and specifically clinical nursing faculty, are responsible for encouraging the development of these types of skills as students work in direct patient care. Traditional methods of clinical evaluation include lengthy case studies, concept mapping, and discussion board participation. While these methods have been in effect for some time, clinical short paper assignments are a fresh, innovative way to challenge students as they refine their critical thinking and clinical decision making abilities. No statistically significant difference was found between the perceived level …

Meaningful Use Of The Ehr-Evaluating The Internal And External Factors Affecting The Timeliness Of Patient Referrals, Beverly J. Schacherbauer

Theses

This project aimed to evaluate specialty referral wait times in a large academic medical center. Internal (organizational) as well as external (patient specific) factors were examined. Additionally, although specific to this QI project, the need to examine the accuracy of EHR data was identified and included. A retrospective review of one month of referral data to five medical specialties was completed (n=752). Logistic regression and multivariable analysis was used to determine whether age, race, insurance, specialty, or days from referral to appointment were associated with delays to timely access. Referrals with significant delays were further reviewed to identify additional factors …

Central Nervous System: Development, Function, And Applications Of The Glymphatic System (With Additional Neuroscience Topics), Austin Fisher

Theses

The presence of accumulated toxic protein aggregations such as amyloid-β, tau, and α- synuclein are implicated in the development of neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s (Soto 2003). Thus, the clearance or removal of these harmful byproducts in healthy brain aging previously represented an unknown system whose functionality is likely to be clinically significant. The finding that directional flow of CSF and interstitial fluid through the brain ensures brain clearance sparked numerous research projects which sought to elaborate on what is now known as the glymphatic system. After initial research revealed the fundamentals of the glymphatic system, scientist J. Iliff defined …

Can Providing Positive Interactions With Snakes Change A Person’S Perception Of Dangerous Wildlife Interactions?, Bethany Walker

Theses

Due to a long co-evolutionary history between placental mammals and reptiles, primates demonstrate aversive responses to snakes. In humans, this can result in ophidiophobia, or the fear of snakes which can arise due to cultural backgrounds, traumatic experiences, or fear instilled by others. However, these reptiles fill essential roles in ecosystems. Conservation and outreach efforts are important to help our population understand snakes’ role in our lives and the state’s broader biodiversity. Negative experiences or preconceptions about snakes can make this message hard to share with the public. Educators can help prevent intentional harm to some of these organisms through …

South To South: Connections In The Ordinary, Fostering Empathy By Encouraging Travel Through Design, Bethany Wetzel

Theses

South 2 South: Connections in the Ordinary, explores similarities between South Korea and Alabama through a designed sensory experience that allows users to engage in cross-cultural information in an inviting and familiar way with the use of recognizable motifs in order to reduce fear, foster empathy, and encourage travel. The creation of South 2 South was informed by research on travel fears, empathy, and transnational relations between the two regions. South 2 South helps facilitate the beginnings of these interactions by presenting new cultural information directly to the more insular communities of northeast Alabama. My hope is that South …

Game-Based Learning: Building Competence In Visual Literacy Through Simulation, Carol Record

Theses

Game-based learning is an ideal experiential learning framework for introducing the critique process to reduce student anxiety and create competence in visual literacy and self-assessment. Critique, the assessment, and analysis of one’s work is an essential step in any creative process. It is an integral part of art school. However, it can also be a source of high anxiety for new students. This paper discusses the importance of critique, the challenges associated with teaching critique, and the benefits of utilizing game-based learning. Examples of game-based learning solutions are explored, including the development of, and response to, Lumen, a card game …

Social Media Practices For Churches, Jordyn Helgen

Theses

This project focuses on providing a resource for churches and similar nonprofit organizations to utilize in order to maximize their social media strategy and generate ideas for content. Furthermore, it will help these organizations to better understand social media and how they can use social media tools to accentuate their religious values and accomplish their mission.

Sensory Evaluation Of Camel Milk, Reem Amer Al Kaabi

Theses

Camel milk is one of the most important sources of nutrients for humans in numerous arid and semiarid environments. Consumer acceptability and sensory analysis are decisive for the commercialization of camel milk. It is essential to understand the sensory qualities of camel milk because of its unfamiliarity and its typical sensory profile, which is different from that of bovine milk. This study aimed to evaluate a trained panel qualitative description of sensory characteristics as well as consumer acceptability and attitude towards pasteurized non-flavoured, flavoured, and camel milk powders. In the consumer acceptability test, samples were evaluated based on acceptability with …

Assessment Of Heavy Metals In Sharks From The Arabian Gulf Waters, The United Arab Emirates, Noor Alali

Theses

Metals occur naturally in the environment however anthropogenic activities have contributed to their increase in the marine ecosystem. As elements have the ability to bioaccumulate, biomagnify and transfer between biological compartments throughout the food web, they pose a great threat to living biota. The characteristics of the Arabian Gulf make it a harsh environment for marine species especially when multiple stressors are acting together. Rhizoprionodon acutus (milk shark) and Carcharhinus sorrah (spot-tail shark) are essential compartments of the Arabian Gulf ecosystem. As they are found up in the food chain and considered a predator species they are under the threat …

Assessing The Impacts Of Sea Level Rise On Land-Use Across The North-Eastern Parts Of The Uae Coastal Areas Using Remote Sensing Technology, Khawla Ali Mohammed Albedwawi

Theses

The consequences of global warming and climate change would result in a considerable rise in sea level. Other larger consequences on coastal lands, agriculture, buildings, and facilities are expected. The goal of this study is to assess the effects of Sea-Level Rise (SLR) on various land uses in the UAE's North-Eastern coastal districts (Fujairah and Kalba cities). Four SLR scenarios will be developed through the QGIS platform and the Landsat images that have been acquired from the USGS Earth Explorer. The area will be observed over 20 years (2000 – 2020). The second goal of this study is to develop …

Role Of Limonene In An Experimental Model Of Rotenone Induced Parkinson’S Disease, Lujain Mohamad Bader Eddin

Theses

Parkinson's disease (PD) is one of the prevalent neurodegenerative diseases in elderly population. The symptoms of PD often begin with motor and cognitive impairment that are attributed to the dopaminergic neurons degeneration. Rotenone (ROT) is a naturally derived pesticide that is used in agriculture to control pests. It is a neurotoxin well-established for use in resembling PD symptoms in research. Limonene (LMN) is a plant derived monoterpene extracted from citrus peel with a wide range of therapeutic effects. Due to the shortage in available therapeutic agents that can cure or halt the progressive degeneration of PD, the main aim of …

Paid Time Off And Work-Life Balance In An Ambulatory Surgical Center, Elizabeth S. Harmon

Theses

To investigate what was considered important to the staff regarding the current paid time off method used in an ambulatory surgical center with the purpose of discovering what works well for an acceptable work-life balance. Considerable research has shown that an adequate work-life balance in the nursing profession is necessary for job satisfaction and retention. The method to request paid time off is often cumbersome and unreliable, resulting in frustration of the nursing staff. Alternatives for granting paid time off requests in an outpatient facility have not been investigated. A non-experimental, two-step study was conducted using qualitative and quantitative methods.

The Improvement Of The Healthcare Industry In Dubai By Using Robotic Nurses During Covid-19, Ahlam Hasan Alhaili

Theses

The project aims to highlight the necessity to improve the Dubai healthcare industry that witnesses limited smart responses during the global pandemic of Covid-19. Mainly by suggesting a solution to overcome problems like nursing staff shortage in Dubai hospitals during Covid-19, which negatively affects the healthcare system's resiliency to a health crisis. The project suggests the smart approach of using robotic nurses to overcome this problem and other issues related to nursing staff, like minimizing direct contact with patients, focusing more on the more complex tasks, leaving more straightforward tasks for robots, and provide the technology that can increase their …

The Importance Of Shifting From Massive To Sustainable Tourism Model: The Case Study Of The City Of Dubrovnik, Niko Katusic

Theses

Tourism is currently one of the largest economical income generators for Croatia and especially for the city of Dubrovnik. Desired worldwide for its economic benefits tourism is going to double during the next 20 years. Considering mass tourism as the main definition for tourism in 21 century that cannot be neglected by current efforts to implement sustainable tourism, this paper draws attention to improved satisfaction that sustainable tourism can provide to locals and tourists operating in the city of Dubrovnik. The question of satisfaction level for stakeholders in tourism destinations is connected to the psychological characteristics and motivation of tourists …

Tuberculosis Screening And Education In The Urban Public School District, Nikolaos S. Moraros

Theses

Tuberculosis (TB) is the world's deadliest curable communicable infectious disease. The eradication of TB is a significantly important intractable global public health challenge for health agencies at all levels. Global migration, cultural-socioeconomic factors and increase of multidrug-resistance tuberculosis (MDR-TB) affect the epidemiology of TB in the United States and other countries worldwide. Studies have shown that increase in TB knowledge and understanding contributes to early TB screenings/diagnosis, interventions and treatments, result in reducing MDR-TB, rates of TB transmissions, relapse, morbidity and mortality. The purpose of this project is: (1) to develop a TB screening risk assessment protocol for the Urban …

An Ethnographic Study Of Pre-Graduate Precepted Nursing Student Clinical Placements In Long-Term Care Homes, Fran M. Meloche

Theses

Long-Term Care (LTC) home recruitment challenges and nursing student disinterest in such clinical placements and careers, underscore this study's urgent need. This qualitative focused ethnography explored preceptor, faculty advisor, and pre-graduate student beliefs, values, and practices contributing to positive LTC home clinical placements.

Environmental Assessment Of The Impact Of Land-Based Discharges On Marine Water And Sediment Quality In Dubai, Uae, Ayman Fathy Halawa

Theses

The current seawater and Creek – Canal waterway in the Emirate of Dubai, UAE, is under tremendous pressure because of continuous urban water discharges from land-based sources. Therefore, the impact of urban water discharges on marine water and sediment quality in the Emirate requires a thorough assessment. The main objective of this study is to assess the impacts of effluent discharges on the quality of water and sediment in the open sea and Dubai Creek. The land-based sources include the power and desalination plants, industrial sector, sewage treatment plant, and stormwater runoff. To achieve the stated objective, relevant data on …

منھج الرؤى السلوكیة في السیاسات العامة ومدى إمكانية تطبيقه في المؤسسات الحكومية في دولة الامارات العربیة المتحدة, خلیفة عبد لله علي الربیعي

Theses

انطلقت ھذه الدراسة من إشكالیة ندرة الدراسات المحلیة عن منھجیة الرؤى السلوكیة كإحدى الأدوات الجديدة للسياسات العامة، والتي تكمل الأدوات والمنھجیة التقلیدیة للسياسات العامة والتي تتميز بإمكانية اختبار السیاسات العامة قبل تطبیقھا، ومدى إمكانية استخدامها في المؤسسات الحكومية في دولة الامارات العربیة المتحدة.

فقامت الدراسة بدایة بتناول نشأة الإدارة العامة ونشأة السیاسات العامة والارتباط الوثيق والمتكامل بین المفهومين. بعد ذلك ناقشت الرسالة نشأة الإدارة العامة وتطورها في دولة الامارات ثم تطرقت بعد ذلك الى مناقشة أنواع مؤسسات الإدارة العامة المعنية بصنع السیاسات العامة في دولة الامارات العربیة المتحدة، ثم تناولت نشأة مفھوم الرؤى السلوكیة وتطوره خلال عقد من الزمن، وكذلك …

Impact Of Sodium Dichloroacetate Alone And In Combination Therapies On Lung Tumor Growth And Metastasis, Aya Mudhafar A. Al-Azawi

Theses

Lung cancer is the second most common form of cancer with the highest mortality rate worldwide in 2020 despite the advances in targeted- and immuno-therapies. Metabolic reprogramming has been recognized as an essential emerging cancer hallmark in which altered metabolic pathways represent an attractive therapeutic target. Sodium Dichloroacetate (DCA), a pyruvate dehydrogenase kinase (PDK) inhibitor, effect has been investigated in various tumors. Building on the already published data, this pre-clinical study aims to explore the anticancer potential of DCA in lung cancer alone and in combination with chemo- and targeted therapies using two non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) cell lines …

The Impact Of Readmission On Family Caregivers Of Children Following Ventricular Peritoneal Shunt Surgery, Mary Uwhuba

Theses

Family caregivers work tirelessly to ensure their loved ones don't need to return to the hospital after discharge. This study will examine the impact of readmission on family caregivers of children who have had ventricular peritoneal shunt (VPS) surgery and been readmitted by looking at the economic, social, familial, and personal strains of caregiving. This study is a descriptive study. The Impact on Family Scale survey (Stein & Jessop, 1985) was used to judge if family caregivers were affected by child's readmission.

Drug Releasing Hydrogels For Opioid Use Disorder, Kaytlyn M. Crowe

Theses

Ease of access to prescription opioids and the strength of synthetic opioids have contributed to the rise in over use disorders, overdose, and death rates during the opioid epidemic. The current overdose standard of care, rescue NLX (NLX), is a competitive antagonist to the μ-opioid receptor but has a relatively short period of action compared to opioid agonists, especially synthetic agonists. Rises in the abuse of these synthetic and semi-synthetic agents in recent years have shown the weaknesses of rescue NLX, as it can leave overdose patients vulnerable to renarcotization and precipitated withdrawal. To prevent both from occurring, we developed …

Subgroups Of Patients Undergoing Chemotherapy With Distinct Cognitive Fatigue And Evening Physical Fatigue Profiles, Lisa Morse

Theses

Purpose was to model cognitive fatigue and evening physical fatigue together to determine subgroups of patients with distinct cognitive fatigue AND evening physical fatigue profiles. Once these profiles were identified, differences among the subgroups in demographic and clinical characteristics, co-occurring symptoms, and quality of life outcomes were evaluated.

The Use Of Machine Learning In Assessing Suicide Risk: A Meta-Analysis, Rachael Kang

Theses

Suicide is a devastating act in which a person takes their own life. Decades of research into suicide have identified a myriad of risk factors that have been used to create assessments of suicide risk and suicidality. However, more recent research has suggested that these identified risk factors may have no better predictive ability than chance, perhaps because suicide is actually a multi-dimensional, multi-faceted construct that has been viewed too simplistically for prediction’s sake. To try and better appreciate the complex nature of suicide while also increasing prediction accuracy, researchers have turned to machine learning. This study sought to meta-analyze …

A Cost Analysis And Policy Review Of Digestate When Deemed A Waste Product And A Fertilizer., Sarah Chandrika Cannon

Theses

Food waste is a multifaceted issue that has proposed solutions as complex as the problem itself. New York State recently announced a food waste ban, effective January of 2020, that will require large scale food waste producers to manage the waste through alternative methods as opposed to disposal in a landfill. One of those methods is through Anaerobic Digestion, a process in which organic matter chemically reacts with bacteria to produce a biofuel along with an associated byproduct, namely digestate. The biofuel in most cases is used to produce electricity to feed back to the grid acting as a net …

Ageing Performance Of Biodegradable Pla For Durable Applications, Rohan Pujari

Theses

The durability of 2 commercially available injection mold grades and one extrusion grade of polylactic acid (PLA) was assessed. Here, the materials were exposed to elevated temperatures/humidity for a period of several weeks. Moisture absorption, molecular weight change, mechanical properties, crystallinity changes, and microscopic imaging were all monitored at regular intervals throughout the course of the combined heat and humidity ageing study. The conditions for the ageing study were set at 60°C and 45% relative humidity and all three PLA grades showed a significant increase in crystallinity and conversely reduced mechanical performance over the 68-day ageing period. Microscopic images of …