Digital Commons Network^™

Intrinsic Inter-Subject Variability In Functional Neuroimaging: Verification Using Blind Source Separation Features, Shruti Gopal Vij

Theses

The holy grail of brain imaging is the identification of a biomarker, which can identify an abnormality that can be used to diagnose disease and track the effectiveness of treatment and disease progression. Typically approaches that search for biomarkers start by identifying mean differences between groups of patients and healthy controls. However, combining data from different subjects and groups to be able to make meaningful inferences is not trivial. The structure of the brain in each individual is unique in size and shape as well as in the relative location of anatomical landmarks (e.g. sulci and gyri). When looking for …

Identifying The Potential Environmental Impacts Of Engineered Nanomaterials, Therese Garvey

Theses

Engineered Nanomaterials (ENMs) are increasingly manufactured and incorporated into a diverse array of consumer products and industrial uses. While ENMs are touted for their technological and efficiency benefits, the potential impacts of increasing emissions and exposures to ENMs are poorly understood. This dissertation takes a critical look at the current knowledge in impact assessment of nanomaterials. First, the current metrics for impact assessment of traditional methods are compared with the proposed set of metrics necessary for nanomaterial impact assessment. Next, in order to understand the potential environmental impacts in context, characterization factors for four case study nanomaterials are modeled using …

The Study Of Cybersecurity Algorithms From Traditional Computing To The Internet Of Things, Daniel Davis

Theses

A progressive approach to teach students how to develop and deploy cybersecurity algorithms across a wide range of heterogeneous computing devices is proposed. Data confidentiality and data integrity can be ensured when sensitive information is transferred between various types of devices over insecure communication channels by using cybersecurity algorithms. A step-by-step procedure to teach students cybersecurity algorithms on devices ranging from personal computers to devices deployed in the Internet of Things ecosystem is needed. We develop four learning modules that offer students the opportunity to explore commonly utilized cybersecurity algorithms across several heterogeneous devices. Students are able to utilize our …

Fabrication And Characterization Of Nano/Micro-Sized Cathodes For Li-Ion Batteries, Piyush D. Jibhakate

Theses

Li-ion batteries have emerged as a leading energy storage technology for several applications including portable electronics devices and electric vehicles. Rigorous efforts are made to develop these batteries with higher energy density, higher power density, and better cycling stability while reducing cost and environmental impact. To better understand how electrode morphology and process parameters contribute to the electrode performance, spinel LiMn2O4 (LMO) cathode material was prepared using sol-gel synthesis method. Simultaneously, nanostructured LMO electrodes were prepared using the template-assisted sol-gel method, which involves soaking of polycarbonate template membranes in the precursor solution followed by drying, to remove the solvent. The …

The Theory Of Planned Behavior As Applied To Helmet Use In Equestrians, Kelly L. Arnold

Theses

The theory of planned behavior is a model wherein beliefs give rise to intention which results in action. We tested it by separating equestrians into helmet users and non-users then presented framed health messages manipulated in a 2 (Helmet: Present, Absent) x 2 (Valence: Positive, Negative) x 2 (Icon: Circle, Rosette) between subjects design. We measured equestrians' intent to use a helmet after viewing a short horse-accident video and found that helmet non-users were most responsive to positively framed messages focusing on helmet use instead of non-use. Reasons for helmet non-use in equestrians as well as information on head injuries …

Cybersecurity Message Framing, Heather Patrick Beard

Theses

Health-focused research has been exploring the impact of message framing on behavioral compliance with health warnings for decades. However, this research venue has yet to be leveraged by designers of warnings intended to encourage safe internet behaviors. The present experiment investigates whether positively or negatively framed cyber warnings are more likely to result in decreased disclosure of personally identifying information in the context of a restaurant reservation tablet application, and whether the effectiveness of these messages varies based on the user’s depth of message processing, perception of risk, and online privacy concern. Results provided support for warning context as an …

Workload In Nursing: A Descriptive Study Using Cognitive Work Analysis, Jonathan Umansky

Theses

Nursing is a high workload profession, and excessive workload has been shown to have an adverse effect on patient care. This problem has been compounded by shortages of qualified nurses in hospitals, resulting in increased workload of the existing nursing staff. Prior research has focused on patient-staff ratios and skill mix to analyze the relationship of workload and degradation of care. The current research implemented a multi-dimensional model for analyzing nurses’ workload in a large general hospital. This method afforded the researcher the opportunity to examine a work domain from multiple angles. Nurses play versatile roles, and workload extends beyond …

Casa Pasiva. An Exploration In Adapting Vernacular Techniques To Meet Passive House Standards In The Dominican Republic., Larissa Reyna

Theses

As a developing country, the Dominican Republic does not have the financial resources or expertise in the construction field to fully implement many of the available sustainable technologies. However, sustainable approaches can be both subtle and radical for their application to this country. If our intention as designers is to really make a change, then the answer is balance, a balance between simple yet effective techniques and new technologies.

The Passive House standard, which focuses on energy efficiency by super insulating and air tightening the envelope, is one of the most rigorous energy standards in Europe and the United States. …

Information Design For Medical Innovation: Raising Student Awareness Of Medical Design Potential, Brian W. Rosenberg

Theses

Medical design has the power to improve, prolong and save lives. Medical professionals and patients throughout the world face critical problems that can be addressed with design solutions developed in an academic setting. International collaboration fostered by universities can be a source of unique technology, cultural development and natural resources that can aid in the discovery and delivery of medical solutions. Projects developed through university based initiatives exemplify how effective information design benefits medical design applications.

MEDdesign is a program initiative of the Vignelli Center for Design Studies at the Rochester Institute of Technology. Through this international program, design students …

Environmental And Density-Dependent Modulation Of Type Iii Secretion System Genes In Pseudomonas Syringae Pv. Tomato Dc3000, Jennifer Louise Stauber

Theses

Pseudomonas syringae pathovar tomato strain DC3000 is a model bacterial plant-pathogen that utilizes a dedicated protein export apparatus, the type III secretion system (T3SS), to translocate virulence proteins called effectors directly into host cells. Because effectors suppress plant immune responses, activation of the T3SS is critical upon entry into the host. The P. syringae T3SS is controlled by the hrpRS-hrpL regulatory cascade, and is activated quickly by specific conditions. Different environmental stimuli have been reported to modulate T3SS gene expression in culture, however it is unclear how each signal affects hrpRS or hrpL. My objective was to identify how environmental …

Developing An Algal Biofilm Filtration System For The Remediation Of Nutrient Pollution In Freshwater Ponds, Danielle Delp

Theses

Anthropogenic nutrient pollution is one of the most serious threats facing aquatic systems in modern times. Pollution with compounds containing nitrogen and phosphorous encourages rapid development of autotrophic biomass, or blooms, that severely degrade the quality of an aquatic system both as a habitat for organisms and as a water resource for human use. In freshwater ponds, the widespread need for treatment of nutrient pollution and resulting blooms has resulted in the growth of a large industry dedicated to pond management and maintenance. These companies utilize a variety of chemical and non-chemical treatments to prevent the growth of blooms or …

Numerical Investigation Of Parameters Impacting The Wall Thickness Of Carbon Nanotubes Manufactured By Template-Based Chemical Vapor Deposition, Yashar Seyed Vahedein

Theses

Template-based chemical vapor deposition (TB-CVD) is a versatile technique for manufacturing carbon nanotubes (CNTs) or CNT-based devices for various applications. In this process, carbon is deposited by thermal decomposition of a carbon-based precursor gas inside the nanoscopic cylindrical pores of anodized aluminum oxide (AAO) templates to form CNTs. Experimental results show CNT formation in templates is controlled by TB-CVD process parameters, such as time, temperature and flow rate. Optimization of this process is done empirically, requiring tremendous time and effort. Moreover, there is a need for a more comprehensive and low cost way to characterize the flow in the furnace …

Biodiversity And The Role Of Bioturbating Invertebrates In Nutrient Cycling In Stormwater Ponds, Kerry Lee Kuntz

Theses

Stormwater retention ponds are typically constructed to manage stormwater in commercial and residential areas, thereby reducing flooding and erosion and improving downstream water quality. Although auxiliary ecosystem services of stormwater ponds are less often recognized, these small aquatic ecosystems may also serve as habitat for aquatic flora and fauna and can be hotspots for biogeochemical cycling. This study examined the biological communities and physicochemical environment of 9 stormwater ponds in Rochester, New York, USA to assess their role in supporting biodiversity and facilitating carbon and nutrient cycling in developed landscapes. A field study revealed that pond age and vegetation cover …

Effects Of Persuasive Communication On Intention To Save Energy: Punishing And Rewarding Messages, Michell Patricia Garcia Mera

Theses

Communication can be used to persuade individuals to change their intentions. This study analyzes the use of rewarding and punishing messages for the purpose of changing intention towards energy saving. It also analyzes the use of social and individual rewards and punishments and their effects in motivating behavioral change positively towards energy saving. Results show that while reward and punishment are both effective in manipulating intention positively towards energy saving behaviors, overall there is no significant difference between the two. However, when individual reward was compared to individual punishment, individual punishment was found to be more effective than reward in …

A Generalized Model Of Cognitive Workload, Taylor Carpenter

Theses

Numerous catastrophic accidents have been the result of human operators making poor judgement calls stemming from suboptimal decision making. This suboptimal decision making, in many cases, arises when an operator is either in a high cognitive workload state, overwhelmed with information leading to a greater chance of missing an important detail, or in a low cognitive workload state, distracted and overall not paying attention to the task at hand. If the cognitive workload of an individual can be properly monitored, suboptimal operator conditions can be recognized or prevented, reducing the chance of an accident. While previous research has led to …

Consistency And Inconsistency In Celebrity Endorsements, Vanessa Veras Victoria

Theses

The purpose of this study was to evaluate consumer attitudes towards brands when exposed to celebrity endorsements in cases where the personality of the celebrity does not match the personality of the brand (inconsistent). Theories used in this research included: Cognitive Dissonance Theory, how consumers are expected to react when receiving information that presents inconsistency; and Schema Theory, how information is stored in the form of schemas. A measure consisting of attractiveness, credibility, purchase intention and likeability was created based on studies by Spear and Singh (2004) and Halonen-Knight and Hurmerinta (2010) in order to evaluate consumer attitudes. A survey …

Measuring, Understanding, And Improving The Performance Of Fully Grouted Resin Bolts In Underground Coal Mines, Aditya Mishra

Theses

Despite progress in research related to ground control, roof falls remain a major problem leading to injuries and fatalities in underground coal mines. Around 68 million rock bolts are installed annually in coal mines in the USA (Tadolini and Mazzoni, 2006), of which 68% of primary supports in coal mines are fully grouted resin rebar bolts. A fully grouted rock bolt is one that is fixed inside the drill hole by means grout, and is fully encapsulated throughout the length of the bolt. Production in underground coal mines is achieved by the combined processes of excavation and ground support, carried …

Training Deictic Relations To Children With Developmental Delays Through The Use Of The Peak Relational Training System, Dena Larae Kime

Theses

Children with developmental delays often do not acquire perspective taking skills without training. These skills are imperative to the ability to relate to others socially and the development of appropriate social behavior. They may lack the ability to recognize that another person’s view may differ from their own, or that reality may differ from appearance. This study used deictic relational training to aid in the development of a ‘Theory of Mind’ and the acquisition of perspective taking skills. The PEAK relational training system was used in a special education classroom to train YOU and I relations, as well as YOU …

Learning By Design, Design By Learning: An Investigation Into (Re)Designing A Rochester School For The Future Of Learning, Catherine C. Lange

Theses

School buildings and their learning environments have remained relatively static over time. Many of the classrooms still in use today were built for traditional, “chalk-n-talk” pedagogies and passive learning; they are not prepared for today’s more active learning approaches.1 Innovative schools are beginning to adopt new curricula and pedagogical strategies that align with research being done on student learning outcomes. In Rochester, New York, an initiative called the Rochester Schools Modernization Program (RSMP) has secured $325 million from New York State for Phase I of an effort to redesign, renovate and update 12 existing schools. Later phases will address the …

American Sign Language Recognition System By Using Surface Emg Signal, Celal Savur

Theses

Sign Language Recognition (SLR) system is a novel method that allows hard of hearing to communicate with general society. In this study, American Sign Language (ASL) recognition system was proposed by using the surface Electromyography (sEMG). The objective of this study is to recognize the American Sign Language alphabet letters and allow users to spell words and sentences. For this purpose, sEMG data are acquired from subject right forearm for twenty-seven American Sign Language gestures of twenty-six English alphabets and one for home position. Time and frequency domain (band power) information used in the feature extraction process. As a classification …

Vaccine Access And Affordability In A Coordinated Market Under Stochastic Reservation Prices, Galo Mosquera

Theses

Ensuring vaccine affordability and accessibility are major challenges for the fulfillment of the immunization goals of the Global Vaccine Action Plan for the decade 2011 – 2020. Four of the five immunization goals in this plan are currently delayed because of limitations in vaccine affordability. The use of combination vaccines can help to make vaccines more accessible as long as their pricing becomes more affordable. Procurement mechanisms, such as tiered pricing and pooled procurement, have generally been used for reducing the cost of vaccine purchases, but they have not been used to ensure overall market affordability. This study extends the …

Open Up, Mahima Tuladhar

Theses

pen up is a graduate 2D animation thesis with a run time of 6 minutes and 27 seconds. It explores the strained relationship between a boy and his father. In amidst of a fight between the two the boy run’s out of the house following a light wisp. It leads him to a cliff where a woman in a black cloak stands. She gives the boy a very magical experience and a reminder of the love he once had with his family. He goes back home where he reminds his father about the love they once had and that they …

Quantitative Analysis Of The Total Bacteria, Lactobacillus, And Bifidobacterium Colonic Microflora In Rats Fed Conventional, Prebiotic, And Probiotic Soy Diets, Deborah Osterholm Jung

Theses

Research suggests that specific compositions of gut microbiota can directly affect energy harvesting and fat storage, which may indicate a potential role of intestinal bacteria in the regulation of body weight (i.e., obesity). The purpose of the current study was to determine if prebiotic- and probiotic-based diets modify gut microbiota in genetically obese rodents. For this, female Zucker diabetic fatty (ZDF) rats were assigned diets containing fructooligosaccharides (FOS), Bifidobacterium (BIF), or Lactobacillus (LAC) for three weeks. qPCR was then used to measure levels of colonic Bifidobacterium, Lactobacillus, and total bacteria. At termination, there was no significant difference in Lactobacillus levels …

The Effect Of Conservation Tillage And Topographic Position On Soil Properties In Central Illinois, Andrew Mellinger

Theses

Since agriculture began, field management has been at the forefront of expanding food production beyond previous limitations. Agricultural productivity is closely related to the physical, chemical, and biological properties of the soil. Landscape position and field management are among primary factors affecting these soil properties. Delineation of topographic positions of the field surface by shape (i.e., convex, concave, and linear) characterizes areas that may accumulate or lose soil and nutrients either during a discrete event or cumulatively over several growing seasons. Increased soil compaction, degradation of soil structure, and erosion have all been attributed to declining agricultural production. In addition …

Developing Chemically Mutagenized Ems Forrest Soybean Population For High Oil Profile, Joshua William Gunther

Theses

AN ABSTRACT OF THE THESIS OF JOSHUA GUNTHER, for the Masters of Science degree in Plant, Soil and Agricultural Systems, presented on November 2nd, 2015, at Southern Illinois University Carbondale. TITLE: DEVELOPING CHEMICALLY MUTAGENIZED EMS FORREST SOYBEAN POPULATION FOR HIGH OIL PROFILE. MAJOR PROFESSOR: Dr. Khalid Meksem SUPERVISOR: Dr. Naoufal Lakhssassi Soybeans (Glycine max (L.) Merr.) are the most important crop that provides a sustainable source of oil and protein worldwide. Five major fatty acids are known, Palmetic, Stearic, Oleic, Linoleic and Linolenic acid, and each is essential for both nutrition and biodiesel. Oil demand for biodiesel production is constantly …

Aflatoxin Level In Selected Spices In Abu Dhabi Markets, Salma Ibrahim Al Hammadi

Theses

Aflatoxins (AF) are toxic secondary metabolites secreted by the fungi Aspergillus or Penicillium. Four aflatoxins (AFB1, AFB2, AFG1 and AFG2) are common in foods and feeds produced or stored under unfavorable conditions of humidity and temperature AFB1 is considered the most toxic.

Spices are significant ingredients in the UAE cuisine, used for the purpose of seasoning, coloring, and flavoring. In this research, 94 samples of spices (including pepper, chili, coriander, fennel seeds, paprika, turmeric, zataria, and mixed spices) purchased from different markets in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi, were analyzed for their contents of AF. Sample were analyzed using high-performance …

Molecular Targets Of Manuka Honey In Human Breast Cancer, Sarah Saif Al Qubaisi

Theses

The medicinal properties of Manuka honey have been extensively studied, particularly in terms of its wound healing and antimicrobial activities. We have previously demonstrated that Manuka honey also has anti-cancer properties against a variety of cancer cell types in vitro as well as in preclinical cancer models. The cellular targets of the anti-cancer activity of Manuka honey, however, remain unknown. For the present study, we selected the triple negative human breast cancer cell line, MDA-MB-231, to investigate susceptibility to Manuka honey and to identify the potential signaling pathways affected. MDA-MB-231 cancer cells are known to constitutively express activated STAT3 transcription …

Assessment Of Current And Future Generated Selected E-Waste Quantities In Abu Dhabi, Khaleel Ibrahim Al Nasseri This

Theses

E-waste is a term used to describe electrical and electronic products that enter the waste stream. Currently, it is the fastest growing stream of municipal waste. Informal disposal of E-waste may cause serious health and pollution problems to humans as well as the environment. Although E-waste may represent less than 5% of the total waste discarded into landfills, yet it includes more than 70% of overall toxic waste. Not only the exact amount of E-waste generated in the UAE is unknown, but it is continuously increasing with the advent of new electronic products. Therefore, the main aim of this thesis …

Designing Eye Tracking Algorithm For Partner-Assisted Eye Scanning Keyboard For Physically Challenged People, Zeenat S. Al-Kassim

Theses

The proposed research work focuses on building a keyboard through designing an algorithm for eye movement detection using the partner-assisted scanning technique. The study covers all stages of gesture recognition, from data acquisition to eye detection and tracking, and finally classification. With the presence of many techniques to implement the gesture recognition stages, the main objective of this research work is implementing the simple and less expensive technique that produces the best possible results with a high level of accuracy. The results, finally, are compared with similar works done recently to prove the efficiency in implementation of the proposed algorithm. …

Investigation Of Groundwater Quality Of Al Hayer Area, (North Of Al Ain City) Using Hydro Geochemical Approach, Mohammed Hosny Ibrahim Gadalla

Theses

Al Hayer is located in the northeast of Al Ain area, Eastern region of the United Arab Emirates. Groundwater abstraction for domestic, agricultural and industrial uses has led to major depletion in the aquifer resulting in groundwater quality deterioration. This study aims to identify the factors affecting the groundwater quality in this area, and to determine the recharge mechanism for the study area to understand the behaviour of major ions in regional groundwater by using hydrogeochemical and isotopic approaches. The hydrochemical analysis of 37 collected samples of groundwater revealed that the groundwater is characterized by moderate salinity and high concentrations …