Digital Commons Network^™

A Cup Is A Corpse: A Thesis Project Implementing An Experimental Approach To Visual Communication And Advocating The Concept Of Slow Design, Yu Fen Kung

Theses

Based on the dissection of the phenomenon of coffee culture and the introspection of the negative environmental impact from the overwhelming usage of paper coffee cups, this thesis explores a design approach to advocate the paper coffee cup issue in an educational and experimental way. A Cup Is A Corpse is a thesis that defines the possibilities between environmental topic and design resolution. It is an advertising campaign targeted on local coffee shops, providing fundamental knowledge of the paper coffee cup matter to regular consumers. A slow design approach is applied to the final design application for the reason of …

Examining Family Functioning In Pediatric Bipolar Disorder Through Kinetic Family Drawings, Christiana Lajudice

Theses

Pediatric bipolar disorder (PBD) is a mental illness that affects the daily lives of children and adults, particularly their family functioning. Past research has found significant differences in maternal-child warmth and disciplinary warmth, maternal and paternal hostility and tension, family cohesion and adaptability, and minor conflicts between children with PBD and comparison groups. Typical methods for assessing family functioning involve objective scales, questionnaires, and interviews. The projective measure, the Kinetic Family Drawing (KFD), has been utilized with other groups including populations of abused and maltreated children, and children with serious medical illnesses, but has yet to be utilized with the …

Passion For Food: Redesigning The Way We Eat, Nicole Chen

Theses

Where has the passion in food gone? The focus of food has been on the obesity epidemic, as people demand fast, cheap, and easy foods. The symbol of food is no longer seen as a basic need for survival because of the abundance and options of goods. Being unaware of food and its' power to bring and express so many facets of life, has given me the chance to discover areas that could be redesigned. During these past few years learning about food has made me fully understand these processes as a symbiotic relationship. In today's society, what separates people …

Human Reliability Analysis In Healthcare: Application Of The Cognitive Reliability And Error Analysis Method (Cream) In A Hospital Setting, Joey Deeter

Theses

Patient safety is a concern within the healthcare domain as it is estimated that tens of thousands of people die annually from preventable medical errors. For over ten years, traditional Human Reliability Analysis (HRA) techniques (e.g., Root Cause Analysis and Failure Mode and Effect Analysis) have been used in hospitals nationwide in an attempt to explain why these errors occur and what can be done to prevent them. Still, patient safety has not improved significantly. Traditional HRA techniques are limited as analysis tools. They do not consider the context in which workers operate. They are also not based on a …

Mental Illness Stigma: An Examination Of The Effects Of Label And Gender On College Students Perceptions Of Depression And Alcohol Abuse, Chelsea P. Reichert

Theses

No abstract provided.

School Leadership Styles And Teachers’ Perceptions Of Their Relationship To Academic Achievement Of Secondary School Students In Four School Districts In Northern Uae., Abdalla Qambar Qasim Ali Loghani

Theses

This study aimed to identify school leadership patterns and their relationship to the academic achievement of secondary school students in four Northern Emirates in the UAE as perceived by the teachers. The study was guided by four research questions and used the quantitative research method. Data for this study were collected through a questionnaire divided into four sections. The first section included demographic information of participants. The second was the Multifactor Leadership Questionnaire (MLQ) in its most recent version, which measures passive, transactional, and transformational leadership. The third consisted of ten statements that assessed instructional leadership. The last section comprised …

Bridgeless Step/Up Unity Power Factor Rectifier For High Voltage Applications, Aysha Kemadish Al-Kaabi

Theses

Power electronic devices with front- end rectifier are widely used in computer, communication and electric vehicle industries. These rectifiers are nonlinear in nature and generate current harmonics which pollute utility power. International harmonic standards (e.g., IEC 61000-3-2 and EN 61000-3-2) have been put in place to confine power pollution. These standards limit the current harmonics generated by loads to a specified threshold depending on load power and application. In other words, a high power factor is required.

Power supplies with active power factor correction (PFC) techniques are becoming necessary for many types of electronic equipment to meet the harmonic regulations …

Procedural Development Of The Kosovo`S Government Annual Work Plan, Arjeta Sahiti

Theses

There is an important need for mentoring and ensuring an effective implementation of The Government Annual Work Plan. There is currently a process of preparing the Annual Work Plan (AWP) and monitoring the implementation of such Annual Work Plan of the Government of Kosovo that needs to be refined. Governments all over the world are involved in planning their activities in order to be able to set their effective mechanisms regarding the implementation of their policies. The project addresses the need for issuing the guidelines for improvement of that process, as well as the main procedures and approaches regarding the …

Donor Coordination In Kosovo 2010-2020 : [Presentation Given On May 22, 2012], Fatlinda Nitaj-Rexhaj

Theses

Not provided.

Hydrodynamic Effects Of An Arch-Shaped Fiber Optic Probe In A Dissolution Testing Apparatus 2, Yiran Zhang

Theses

Dissolution testing is widely used in the pharmaceutical industry to evaluate newly developed drug formulations and as a quality control method to insure that solid dosage forms have consistent dissolution property. Typically, samples are manually drawn from the dissolution vessel prior to analysis. An approach to overcome the limitations of manual sampling consists in the use of sampling probes, such as fiber optic probes, permanently inserted in the dissolution medium and continually sampling the drug concentration in it as the solid dosage form dissolves. Despite their advantages, permanently inserted fiber optic probes can alter the normal fluid flow within the …

Reducing The Risk Of Software Cost Estimation, Shixian Yang

Theses

Inaccurate cost estimation is a well-known problem in software development. The common cost estimation models are point estimates that are unable to quantify uncertainties. Furthermore, it is difficult to calibrate the uncertainties in cost estimation due to the lack of information. The purpose of this thesis is to prove that probability techniques could be synthesized into COCOMO (Constructive Cost Model) to quantify uncertainties. Another aim is to find out how to get more insight on reducing the risk of cost estimation. In this thesis, some historical data is presented to show the variance in factors of COCOMO. Monte Carlo simulation …

Design And Synthesis Studies Of New S-Adenosyl-L-Methionine Analogues, Shanshan Wu

Theses

S-Adenosyl-L-Methionine (SAM), which is involved in methyl group transfers, is the second most abundant coenzyme in the human body. It is made from adenosinetriphosphate (ATP) and methionine catalyzed by adenosyltransferase. Methyltransferases (MTs) transfer the activated methyl group from the sulfur center to a specific position in a variety of substrates, e.g., DNA, RNA, proteins, and secondary metabolites. Methyltransferases have been linked to various diseases, including cancer.

In recent years, more and more SAM analogues have been reported. These analogues show activities in biological target labeling. The purpose of this thesis is to design and synthesize new SAM analogues to inhibit …

Quantifying Prehension In Persons With Stroke Post Rehabilitation, Saumya Sara Puthenveettil

Theses

This study describes the analysis of reaching and grasping abilities of the hemiparetic arm and hand of patients post stroke after a series of interactive virtual reality (VR) simulated training sessions and conventional physical therapy of similar intensity. Six subjects participated in VR training and five subjects in clinical rehabilitation for two weeks. Subjects’ finger joint angles were measured during a kinematic reach to grasp test using CyberGlove® and arm joint angles were measured using the trackSTARTM system prior to training and after training. Downward force applied to the object during grasping was assessed using Nano17TM, a force/torque sensor system …

Fmri Assessment Of Ischemic Stroke In Humans, Rui Yuan

Theses

Cerebral ischemia, or brain ischemia is a kind of stroke where the blood flow is insufficient to the metabolic demand of brain. The lack of oxygen supply will directly lead to the death of brain tissue. There are two major injury regions: the infarct and penumbra. Mostly, since the infarct regions became dead tissues rapidly after stroke, there is a tiny possibility to rescue them in time. But penumbra parts are different. Tissues there will be viable for hours after ischemia. Hence, both theoretically and practically, it is possible to salvage those cells in the penumbra region. Diffusion weighted image …

Analysis Of Tissue Engineering Strategies For Bone-Related Applications, Timothy Buirkle

Theses

Over the past few decades, tissue engineering approaches have pushed their way to the forefront of biotechnological research and development, serving a wide variety of applications. This research utilizes quantitative methods to analyze the outcome of two bone tissue engineering studies. In an in vivo study, the use of Negative Pressure Wound Therapy (NPWT) in combination with stem cell-loaded scaffolds was investigated for the repair of large bone defects. Quantitative histological analysis was performed by determining both the percentage of cells proliferating (BrdU), as well as cells expressing bone-specific markers of alkaline phosphatase (A L P) in the defect. Total …

A Comparative Analysis Of Machine Learning Algorithms For Genome Wide Association Studies, Neha Singh

Theses

Variations present in human genome play a vital role in the emergence of genetic disorders and abnormal traits. Single Nucleotide Polymorphism (SNP) is considered as the most common source of genetic variations. Genome Wide Association Studies (GWAS) probe these variations present in human population and find their association with complex genetic disorders. Now these days, recent advances in technology and drastic reduction in costs of Genome Wide Association Studies provide the opportunity to have a plethora of genomic data that delivers huge information of these variations to analyze. In fact, there is significant difference in pace of data generation and …

Program Effectiveness Of A Parent-Child Group Social Skills Program, Heather Picciott

Theses

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of a social skills group program using pre-post testing and focus groups. Program effectiveness measurement was illustrated using data collected from a pilot parent-child social skills building group program, "Raising Positive Thinkers". The group involved four parent-child dyads and ran for three consecutive weeks, meeting once a week for 90 minutes to introduce, practice and review social skills learned. Quantitative data was collected via pre and post questionnaire using the Social Skills Improvement System rating scale (SSIS). Qualitative data was collected from a focus group at the end of the …

Evaluation Of Natural Plant Powders With Potential Use In Antimicrobial Packaging Applications, Yujie Cheng

Theses

This study investigates the antimicrobial effects of vanillin, turmeric and curcumin in packaging coating application. Reagent alcohol and DMSO were introduced as two solutions for the three antimicrobial agents. The coating solutions involving these three antimicrobial agents are: vanillin/ Reagent alcohol (10, 5, 2.5 and 1.25% (w/w)), vanillin/DMSO (10, 5, 2.5, 1.25, 0.625 and 0.3125% (w/w)), turmeric/ Reagent alcohol (10, 5, 2.5 and 1.25% (w/w)), turmeric/DMSO (10, 5, 2.5, 1.25, 0.625 and 0.3125% (w/w)), curcumin/ Reagent alcohol (10, 5, 2.5 and 1.25 (w/w)) and curcumin/DMSO (10, 5, 2.5, 1.25, 0.625 and 0.3125% (w/w)). The antimicrobial activity effects of the aforementioned …

Emulating The Volume Of Pulminary Nodules: A Quantitative Approach, Meagan Kuhfahl

Theses

Doubling time for small pulmonary nodules is an important indicator used to diagnose lung cancer, a leading cause of death in the United States. The volume of the nodules is measured using computed tomography (CT) scans. Each volume measurement comes with a degree of uncertainty, which in turn increases the uncertainty for the doubling time measurement. Decisions regarding risky and expensive patient treatment depend on doubling time, so accuracy is important. The volume of nodules is estimated by taking a series of points marked on CT scans by radiologists and connecting these points to make a boundary. This boundary includes …

Common Themes In Narratives About Seeking Interpersonal Forgiveness, Kathryn Harter

Theses

This study investigated common themes in the motivations for and obstacles to seeking forgiveness in participant narratives relating to seeking forgiveness in a sample of 156 narratives written by 78 students with a mean age of 21 years at a technical university in the Northeastern United States. Readers used a coding rubric to assess the motivations for and the obstacles to seeking forgiveness as written in the narratives. These motivations and obstacles were explored in the context of a three-stage forgiveness model. The main research question of the study was to explore common reasons that people did or did not …

Girls Living Healthy, Gabrielle Hewson

Theses

My Master of Fine Arts Thesis Project, entitled Girls Living Healthy, is an educational web site for girls ages 8 to 108. It is designed to inform and teach them how to make healthier nutrition and, subsequently, lifestyle choices. This project combines my passion for healthier living with my skills in, and enjoyment of, writing, illustration, and web design. Girls Living Healthy includes hand-drawn illustrations, original and applied hardcoded scripting language, resource and links, a glossary of less common terms, a quick interactive game called "Mood Swings", and the culmination of over a year's personal research and participation. My overall …

Discovering The Role Of Serpine2 In Copd, Swati Shimpi

Theses

SERPINE2 is a genetic marker of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD), which is a complex human disease and has no cure. In COPD patients three distinct pathology features, Emphysema, Chronic bronchitis and bronchus- associated lymphoid tissue or BALT like lesions, are observed. SERPINE2 deficient mouse was studied in Mariani lab to find association of SERPINE2 with COPD. This mouse model emulates the lungs of COPD and mimics the lesions of BALT in COPD, with excessive lymphocytes. A total of six samples, three knock out and three age - matched wild type, were used for differential gene expression analysis by Microarray. …

Macroinvertebrates Online, Caitlin Treuting

Theses

Macrobenthic invertebrates are important indicators of water quality in many aquatic systems, but accurately identifying these organisms is a challenge, particularly for citizen scientists, due to insufficient funding for training programs and events and a dwindling pool of training personnel. Accurately identifying these organisms is key to the accuracy of the models used to generate the water quality assessments. To help address these issues, this project has developed an interactive online photographic key for macrobenthic invertebrates, designed to improve classification accuracy with minimal training for use by citizen scientists. The online digital photographic field guide was created and tested against …

Dynamic Pricing Strategy To Optimally Allocate Vaccines, Mauricio Pommier Gasser

Theses

In the United States, the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) makes recommendations as to which cohorts (identified groups of individuals) ought to have higher priority access to vaccines when their supply is insufficient to immunize all susceptible individuals in the country. Typically, cohorts are determined based on susceptibility to contracting seasonal influenza and on the resulting consequences of infection for different age groups. For seasonal influenza, high-risk cohorts commonly include children, teenagers, pregnant women and people with different chronic diseases. This study proposes the application of revenue management theory to better allocate seasonal influenza vaccines among different risk-based population …

The Grinning Wall: History, Exhibition, And Application Of The Hyrtl Skull Collection At The Mutter Museum, Sara K. Keckeisen

Theses

No abstract provided.

The Impact Of Education And Gender On Perception Of Borderline Personality Disorder, Jennifer J. Noonan

Theses

No abstract provided.

Embracing Immigration: Contemporary Japanese College Students Perceptions Of Foreign Labor In Japan, Kristin M. Wingate

Theses

No abstract provided.

The Movement For Sustainable Agricultural In Japan: A Case Study Of Post 3/11/2011 Organic Farmers In Saga, Fukuoka, Kagawa, And Hyogo Prefectures, Seth A.Y. Davis

Theses

No abstract provided.

Arthritis – An Interactive Study Of Common Rheumatic Diseases, Giovanna Santoni

Theses

The purpose of this thesis was to develop an interactive educational tool about Arthritis for medical students at the University of Rochester School of Medicine (URMC). This consisted of an online tutorial that students can access at anytime on the web, containing all lecture material and supplemented by illustrations and animations on the subject. These audiovisual aids aim to engage the student in a study session where he/she can study the material and evaluate their progress in a direct self-paced manner during lecture or later during study sessions for future referencing. This website tutorial was designed using Macromedia Flash 8 …

Microencapsulation Of The Non-Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs Into Biodegradable Polymers Using Supercritical Fluid Technology, Safaa Mohamad Al Mahdi Ali Yousif

Theses

Osteoarthritis is a disease that attacks human bones especially in older people and usually nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDS) are being prescribed for patients with Osteoarthritis. These kinds of drugs usually have low aqueous solubility and in order to have their therapeutic effects, their solubility should be enhanced. The purpose of this study was to find solution for this problem and one way to do that is to reduce the particle size by forming micro particles. In this project, one of these types of drugs ibuprofen (isobutyl-propanoicphenolic Acid) was encapsulated into a polymer (PVP polyvinylpyrrolidone) using supercritical fluid technology (Supercritical CO …