Digital Commons Network^™

Exploring English Teachers’ Views On Their Kindergarten Emergent Writing Practices: A Mixed Method Study, Asma Yousef Al Raeesi

Theses

This study aimed at exploring English teachers’ views on the emergent writing practices of kindergarten students. An exploratory sequential mixed method design was adopted by employing qualitative and quantitative means. In the first phase, five kindergarten teachers were selected purposively and interviewed using semi-structured interviews. The results extracted from the qualitative phase served in developing the quantitative tool. The second phase which featured a collection of quantitative data by means of a questionnaire which was distributed randomly to kindergarten teachers in all school districts in the UAE (n=210). The results gleaned from both the qualitative and the quantitative …

Mass Spectrometric Determination Of Retinol In Emirati Population, Israa Samir Mohamed Shawky El-Konaissi

Theses

This thesis is concerned with analyzing vitamin A deficiency. Vitamin A is crucial for several functions, including vision, growth, and cell differentiation. the main aim is to develop and validate an LC-MS/MS method for the determination of vitamin A in plasma matrix and use the new method for the determination of vitamin A levels in the obese Emirati population. Methods: A positive ion electrospray ionisation (ESI) LC-MS/MS method was used in the Multiple Reaction Monitoring (MRM) mode for quantification. It involved i) LC-MS/MS, ii) a guard column together with C18 Ascentis Express F5 column iii) Internal standard, 25-Hydroxyvitamin D3 (6, …

Determination Of Vitamin D Metabolites And Their Epimers In Obese Emirati Population, Bashar Hiatham Alzohily

Theses

Vitamin D deficiency is a global issue, and despite all-year-round sunshine, it is a big problem in the UAE. Obesity or overweight refers to an accumulation of excessive fat that may harm health so, it is considered a worldwide health concern. The accurate measurement of vitamin D active forms is a problematic issue. This study aimed to develop and validate a UHPLC-MS/MS method for the new method for determining vitamin D levels in the obese Emirati population. The vitamin D epimers and other metabolites were determined by UHPLC-MS/MS system, model 8060. The methods include the collection of blood samples from …

Green Synthesis, Characterization, Antioxidant And Anticancer Activities Of Silver Nanoparticle Using Moringa Peregrina Leaf Extract, Khaled Saeed Al Baloushi

Theses

The sustainable green synthesis process for the development of environment-friendly, toxicant-free and biocompatible nanoparticles establishes important aspects in nanotechnology research. Even though; nanoparticles can be produced by either conventional physical and chemical or green synthesis, synthesizing nanoparticles using plant extracts as reducing and capping agents is acceptable. The benefits of plant extract mediated synthesis of silver nanoparticles comprise economic viability, quick synthesis, toxicity free, cost-effectiveness and large scale synthesis. In that way, the aqueous extract of Moringa peregrina leaves was used to synthesizes silver nanoparticles. The silver nanoparticles were characterized by various spectral studies including FT-IR, SEM, HR-TEM and XRD. …

A New Green Composite Based On Polylactic Acid Mixed With Biomass From Uae Date Palm Waste For Cutlery And Food Packaging Applications, Noran Hussein Awad Elsayed Mousa

Theses

Petroleum-based plastic cutlery is widely used and due to its non-biodegradable properties, they cause serious threats to the environment. Therefore, there is a need to fabricate such products from biodegradable material. Date Palm Rachis (DPR) waste was used as a filler in three levels of 30 wt%, 40 wt% and 50 wt% for cost-performance optimization balance and to improve the thermal behaviours of the biodegradable Polylactic Acid (PLA). The preparation of biodegradable PLA/date palm waste composites was done using a melt mixing extruder at 180°C by varying parameters such as mixing time, the composition of date palm waste biomass, biomass …

One-Pot O-Alkylation And C-C Cross-Coupling Reactions Involving Stabilized Phosphoranes, Areej Hashim Mohamed

Theses

This thesis is concerned with the one-pot reactions that are considered to be beneficial to preserve resources, save time, and are deemed a green chemistry strategy. To plan such one-pot reactions, it is important to combine two or more reactions that are compatible with each other and can be run under the same reaction conditions. In this work, possibilities of a combination of Wittig-olefination and Suzuki C-C-cross coupling reactions are explored further. Reaction sequences involve the combination of a Suzuki-reaction / Wittig olefination, a Suzuki reaction / Wittig olefination/hydrolysis, and a Suzuki-reaction / double Wittig olefination. In all cases, stabilized …

Calcium Phosphate/Ionic Liquid Ptfe Composite Membrane For Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cell Applications, Ahmad Ibrahim Hasan Ka’Ki

Theses

The dependence on fossil fuels can be possibly reduced by the utilization of renewable energy sources. Fuel cells offer a promising alternative for renewable power generation. Among the various types of fuel cells, Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cell (PEMFC) is recently attracting attention due to its several advantages of high-power density, all solid structure, and silent operation. The diverse types of materials used in this type of fuel cell raised drawbacks related to fuel cell cost and durability. By far, Nafion of DuPont is still the current state-of-the-art membrane for PEMFCs. It is known for its high ionic conductivity and …

Studying The Impact Of Urban Densification On Social Sustainability: The Case Of Bida Bin Ammar Neighborhood In Al Ain, Uae, Lubna Mohammad Ghaffar Shekfa

Theses

As cities are under the influence of rapid development, industrialization, modernization, and globalization, a key task for local authorities, urban planners, and residents are to understand what makes a neighbourhood socially sustainable. In Al Ain City in the UAE, urban sprawl has been a persistent sustainability problem caused by low urban density and has led to the heavy reliance on private cars. To overcome this problem, urban densification as a sustainable planning approach is recommended. Al Ain 2030 Plan has adopted this approach for the redevelopment of the Asharej District. This research aims at studying the application of urban densification …

Nurse Staffing And Quality Care In Long-Term Care Nursing Facilities: Differences In Rural And Urban Settings, Dorcas E. Kunkel

Theses

Public and congressional concern induced the Institute of Medicine (1996) to recommend increasing registered nurse (RN) staffing levels in nursing homes (NHs) to improve quality of care. The purpose of this study was to answer the question, does the relationship between nurse staffing in long term care nursing facilities and bladder and bowel incontinence for low risk nursing home residents differ by nursing facilities located in rural and urban settings? This study used a secondary database that included aggregate data of all 615 NHs in Minnesota, South and North Dakota including nurse staffing levels, facility descriptives, and the quality measure …

Mend Magazine: Creating Awareness. Shifting Habits Of Consumption., Marie A. Fabozzi

Theses

Generation Y, or more commonly known as Millennials (born from 1981-1996) seamlessly blend the digital realm with the physical world, as a result of adolescence in a time when technology was adopted early on (Dimock, 2019 & Fromm et al, 2013). Research shows that millennials want constant participation and interactivity to be personally engaged and that millennials are a largely influential, specifically with family members (Fromm et al, 2013 and Lu et al, 2013). Combining the Millennial generation's leverage with the topic of climate crisis there is opportunity for current and future generations to establish better habits early on. By …

Integrating All Mobility Systems To Reduce Traffic Congestion, Nasser Al Suwaidi

Theses

The problem of traffic congestion is common in most urban areas with associated negative impact on the social, economic, and ecological well-being of its residents. Traffic congestion is a common phenomenon in the city of Dubai with its large population and high rate of car ownership. To tackle the problem, this study looks at integrating all mobility systems in the city as a possible solution to the traffic congestion menace. The research methodology involves thematic analysis of secondary data on the subject derived from online databases and libraries. The thematic analysis revealed that Dubai had all the factors needed to …

Housing Occupants’ Motivational Drivers For Energy-Savings In The United Arab Emirates: An Exploratory Study, Monaya Muhammed Syam

Theses

The fast urbanization in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) accounts for 70% of energy consumption with the residential sector leading the way, urgently calling for mitigating strategies. Energy-efficient housing in hot climates has been extensively researched in terms of design, building materials and systems. However, an energy performance gap subsides as a direct result of occupants’ behaviour, catalyzing focused research. Moreover, understanding the housing occupants’ behaviour, motivation, and impetus to save energy proved to significantly increase energy savings. Exploring this topic in the UAE is vital given its distinctive specifics; fast-growing economy, harsh hot climate, and heterogeneous population. The latter …

A Process Modeling Approach To Evaluating Worker Requirements For Sexual Assault Evidence Testing, Arden Bonzo

Theses

In recent years, over 100,000 untested sexual assault kits (SAKs) have been discovered in the custody of law enforcement and awaiting testing at publicly funded facilities. The backlog has been attributed to law enforcement discretion and a lack of resources at testing facilities. In response to the backlog, states have adopted various policies for testing SAKs. 11 states have adopted comprehensive policies, mandating testing of all backlogged and incoming kits, in addition to annual inventories, updated tracking systems, and increased funding for testing programs. 30 states have adopted “limited” policies and 4 states have proposed policy reforms. This research attempts …

Nation Branding And The Case Of Saudi Vision 2030 And The Use Of Twitter, Hala Zayed Alsaaidi

Theses

Nation branding has played a pivotal role in how Saudi Arabia represents itself in the global community. This thesis analyzed Saudi Arabia’s government approach towards the implementation of a nation branding strategy using social media as a vehicle to engage with the rest of the world. The study addresses questions of how Saudi Arabia communicates through nation branding as part of its core identity and how different values are presented in the Saudi Arabia Vision 2030 on Twitter. Qualitative content analysis was used to analayze the tweets and tweet contents regarding the Vision 2030 national branding in Saudi Arabia. Data …

Diving Into One’S Painful Past And Darkest Internal Fears: The Developmental Process Of The Thread That Snapped, Austin Brian Harrison

Theses

AN ABSTRACT OF THE THESIS OFAustin Harrison, for the Master of Fine Arts degree in Theatre, presented on April 10, 2020, at Southern Illinois University Carbondale. TITLE: DIVING INTO ONE’S PAINFUL PAST AND DARKEST INTERNAL FEARS: THE DEVELOPMENTAL PROCESS OF THE THREAD THAT SNAPPEDMAJOR PROFESSOR: Dr. Jacob Juntunen This thesis details the development of my full-length play The Thread That Snapped from its early conception in 2019 to full production at Southern Illinois University Department of Theatre’s Christian H. Moe Theatre’s space in March 2020. In writing The Thread That Snapped, I was inspired by traumatic chapters within my life …

Contributions Of Optical Remote Sensing To Permafrost Mapping In Donnelly Training Area, Alaska, Kiran Thapa

Theses

AN ABSTRACT OF THE THESIS OFKiran Thapa, for the Master of Science degree in Geography and Environmental Resources, presented on April 8, 2020, at Southern Illinois University Carbondale.TITLE: CONTRIBUTIONS OF OPTICAL REMOTE SENSING TO PERMAFROST MAPPING IN DONNELLY TRAINING AREA, ALASKA MAJOR PROFESSOR: Dr. Guangxing Wang Permafrost occupies about a quarter of the northern hemisphere land with 25.5 million ha. Global warming and anthropogenic activities affect the dynamics of permafrost. Snow and permafrost, in turn, serve as an indicator of climate change and human activity disturbance. The dynamics of permafrost are often estimated using interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar (InSAR) methods. …

Police Officer Coping: The Effect Of Police Culture, Management, And Family, Megan Heflin-Brand

Theses

This thesis examines the idea that police officers have supportive factors in their lives which influence coping mechanisms used to handle occupational stress. This idea comes from police culture literature which suggests that officers are encouraged to use maladaptive coping strategies like drinking and emotional suppression to deal with stress. Additional research on management support and family support are introduced as alternative supportive factors which can promote the use of adaptive coping like agency offered services and programs. This thesis uses data from “Work and Family Services for Law Enforcement Personnel in the United States” (Robert, O’Quin, & Kennedy, 2000). …

Comparison Of Longitudinal Changes In Resting State Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging Between Alzheimer’S And Healthy Controls, Berk Can Yilmaz

Theses

Resting State Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (rs-fMRI) is a technique that is widely used for analyzing brain function using different approaches and methods. This study involves rs-fMRI analysis of Blood Oxygenation Level Dependent (BOLD) signals acquired from Alzheimer’s disease (AD) Patients and Healthy Controls (HC). Each subject in the study had both functional and anatomical images with at least one rs-fMRI scan with their Anatomical (T1) scans. Previous rs-fMRI studies have demonstrated that AD shows differences in Amplitude of Low Frequency (<0.1 Hz) Fluctuations (ALFF), and Regional Homogeneity (ReHo) measures according to HCs.

The aim of the study is to investigate individual and group level differences using ReHo and mALFF related …

The Effect Of Phytoplankton Properties On The Ingestion Of Marine Snow By Calanus Pacificus, Grace Cawley

Theses

The aggregation of phytoplankton into marine snow provides a mechanism by which smaller particles can coagulate to form larger particles, which can be consumed at various depths or readily transported to the deep ocean and sequestered from the atmosphere on time scales of a thousand years or more. Zooplankton interacting with these large carbon-rich aggregates can obtain nutrition in environments where the phytoplankton size spectrum is small and not directly available, enhancing the possibility of obtaining adequate nutrition in environments dominated by small cells. In addition, interactions between zooplankton and marine snow can result in fragmentation, thus affecting the particle …

The Economic Impacts Of Nuclear Power Plant Closures On Rural Communities, Christina Maher

Theses

The 2015 announcement to close Indian Point Energy Center (IPEC) in Buchanan, NY caused a shockwave of concerns for the local community. As a rural community, Buchanan, NY relies on major employers to provide long-lasting careers with steady incomes and steady tax revenue for the community (Mitchell, 2019). A major employer is a business that produces more goods and services than can be utilized by the local economy, and therefore it exports a significant portion of its goods and employs five hundred workers or more (Montrose EDC, 2019). The type of industries that are major employers includes manufacturing, energy plants, …

Impact Of Celebrity Endorsement In Advertising Of High-Risk Products, Victoria Olaosebikan

Theses

Celebrity endorsement is one of the most popular and effective strategies in advertising. Celebrities are perceived as attractive and having both likable qualities and influential power. Marketers have become more aware of the influence celebrities have on individuals and have harnessed this into advertising products and services. Empirical studies have shown that celebrities have been very effective in advertising low-risk products and services. But how effective is this strategy in advertising high-risk products and services? This study employed the elaboration likelihood model to investigate the impact of a celebrity endorser compared to a non-celebrity endorser on consumer behavior in advertising …

“Take Those Old Records Off The Shelf” A Uses & Gratifications Study Of Different Music Platforms, Emily Hawk

Theses

The platforms people use to listen to music have evolved rapidly in the last fifty years. Digital streaming and digital downloads are the most popular platforms to consume music, but physical platforms like CDs and vinyl are still common or, in the case of vinyl, even growing in use. This study investigated the needs being met and the reasons behind listening to music on these different platforms. This study also compared the differences in gratifications sought between physical music platforms and non-physical music platforms. A survey shared via email, Facebook, LinkedIn, and Instagram, as well as via Amazon’s Mechanical Turk …

Va-U: Addressing The Gaps In Respiratory Protection Through A Holistic Open-Sourced Design Alternative, Aishwarya Uniyal

Theses

With industrialization and urbanization, more populations, whether at the workplace or outside in the streets, find themselves exposed to contaminated air. Respiratory hazards and illnesses arising thereof are prevalent across most industries and economies. Beyond developed economies with strong labor laws, a large part of the workforce faces the lack of access to respiratory protection, which also is evident in the gaps of knowledge of its correct use. Even among the groups with access to respirators, incorrect use arising out of miscommunication or comfort is common. Evaluating the design and use of the different types of respirators while also studying …

Future Bound: Your Future, Your Way, Marisa Nowodworski

Theses

In modern American culture, a lack of emphasis has developed in regards to education and its value and role for the future. This has plagued the nation with despair, which has increased over the last several years. A growing interest in STEAM education and the available paths following secondary education, we can revitalize the nation and redirect our future to a more lucrative outcome: vocations, entrepreneurship, or post-secondary education based upon the correct path for each individual life.

The application of STEAM in education can create opportunities and expand knowledge in fields across the board: exposure to arts can create …

Murine Flexor Tendon Repair Model With Noninvasive Assessment Of Healing With Ultrasound, Fei Rost

Theses

Flexor tendon injuries in the hands are relatively common, significantly disabling more than 100,000 people in the United States per year (Nichols 2019). The majority of flexor tendon injuries require surgical repair, but despite the advancement of technology and medicine, current treatments still yield poor outcomes. Even with prevailing treatments to improve or restore function to the affected digit(s), patients often suffer psychologically and financially in the long-term. A recent study gave a conservative estimate that flexor tendon lacerations cost the American healthcare system and taxpayers between US $240.8-409.1 million per year and emphasized the need to “focus our efforts …

Exploration Of The Motion Graphics Educational Tools Based On The Animations ‘Virtual Property’, Hao Ge

Theses

Every user must agree with a cookie policy if they want to continue viewing a new web page. In most cases, users scan the terms and click the button. However, they often know nothing about what a web cookie is, what advantages a web cookie brings, and what a web cookie’s disadvantages are. Every coin has two sides. Web cookies save users time and enhance their experience, but they may put users on a dangerous path. A new cookie is created and stored on the computer every time users visit a new page. These cookies bring users benefits but also …

The Relationship Between Parental Recall Of Acceptance Experienced In Childhood, Marital Quality And Current Parent-Infant Interactions, Judee E. Onyskiw

Theses

Warm, sensitive parenting has been related to optimal child development. An important contributor believed to influence parenting style is the parent's own childrearing history in the family of origin. Most past research on the intergenerational transmission of parenting used samples of abusing parents and found support for the generational hypothesis. Other studies have shown the generational process to vary as a function of marital quality. The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between childrearing history, marital quality and current parenting style in a nonclinical sample of parents of preterm and term infants. Parent-infant interactions are altered in …

Institutional Anomie Theory: Does Market Mentality Mediate Normative Flexibility?, Christopher David Cassity

Theses

Institutional Anomie Theory argues instrumental crime and violence are a result of weakened social controls that are caused by an imbalance of values favoring the economy. Anomie causes a new moral standard to emerge, one that encourages normative flexibility to achieve goals. The emphasis on the economy permeates into noneconomic institutions that cause them to adopt economic principles and weakens them. The result of this process is that individuals may develop market mentality. Past research has considered normative flexibility to be embedded within market mentality. However, this assumption has not been formally tested. The concepts may be theoretically distinct and …

The Impact Of Herbivory On Methane Cycling In A Created Wetland, Briana B. Stringer

Theses

Wetlands have been identified as one of the largest sources of atmospheric methane (CH4), an important greenhouse gas with 28 times the global warming potential of CO2. Due to the complexity of wetland ecosystems, they have also been identified as one of the largest sources of uncertainties in the global CH4 budget. Net CH4 emissions are controlled by microbial production, consumption by methanotrophs, and transport to the atmosphere through diffusion, ebullition, and plant-mediated transport. Herbivory has the potential to alter these processes, with recent studies showing both positive and negative effects of herbivory on emissions and uncertainty in which components …

A Case Study: Can 3d Printers Be Used To Address The Prosthetic Needs Of Amputees In The Dominican Republic?, Adriana Coll De Pena

Theses

With a history of recurring occupations and dictatorships, the development of the Dominican national infrastructure has been heavily interrupted by continuous transfers of power. As a result, the lack of a lean government structure is evident when studying the national healthcare system. Despite numerous organizations and agencies overseeing the needs of amputees across the country, only about 347 of the estimated 5,350 new amputees receive prosthetics per year (ARS Humano Salud, 2020; Asociación Dominicana de Rehabilitación, 2018, 2019). Although the needs of this large underserved population are not being met, the implementation of more cost-effective 3D printing technologies seems difficult …