Digital Commons Network^™

Digital Laser Speckle Image Correlation, Mahshad Mosayebi

Theses

This thesis examines the feasibility of combining Digital Image Correlation (DIC) with laser speckle based methods to form a new hybrid deformation measurement method called Digital Laser Speckle Image Correlation (DilSIC). Consequently, this method does not require any sample preparation and allows for the measurement of displacement of micro structures in addition to large displacements. In this technique, a coherent 30mW-632nm laser beam is expanded with 40X lens and then illuminated on the target surface to produce a fine, homogenous laser speckle pattern. Images were captured before and after deformation due to external load and the whole field displacement and …

Oil Recovery By Surfactant Flooding; Sensitivity Analysis To Technical Parameters And Economic Analysis, Hadel Mohsen Moustafa

Theses

Various enhanced oil recovery methods including miscible gas injection, chemical, thermal and other methods are applied at the third phase of production after the primary and secondary recovery have been exhausted. Surfactant flooding is one of the chemical methods that is capable of recovering more oil by decreasing the IFT and/or wettability alteration.This piece of work aims to asses and select the development options using surfactant process that maximize oil recovery for a synthetic reservoir model by optimizing technical and economic analysis.

Reservoir simulation study using ECLIPSE 100 was used to study the different development options of surfactant flooding applied …

Durability Of Glass Fiber-Reinforced Polymer Bars In Seawater-Contaminated Concrete, Abdelrahman A. E. Alsallamin

Theses

This research aims to investigate the durability performance and microstructure characteristics of two different types of glass fiber-reinforced polymer (GFRP) bars in severe environment. GFRP bars encased in seawater-contaminated concrete were immersed in tap water for 5, 10, and 15 months at temperatures of 20, 40, and 60°C. Half of the specimens were conditioned under a sustained load of 25% of their ultimate strength whereas the other half was conditioned without load. Following conditioning, the GFRP bars were retrieved then tested to failure under uniaxial tension. Microstructure analysis was performed by employing differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) …

Measuring Social Engagement Within A Triple Helix Cluster Consisting Of The Academic Institute, The Innovation Centre And The Public Authority Using Sociometers, Shay Ryan

Theses

This thesis examines tools used to measure social engagement in a Triple Helix cluster. Triple Helix members were identified in the following areas: Academic Institute, Innovation Centre and Public Authority. The main objectives of the study were to; 1) Identify how formal and informal communication occurs in a Triple Helix Cluster; 2) Measure and analyse communication within and between groups using sociometers and 3) Use qualitative techniques to establish the communication experiences of Triple Helix members.

A critique of the literature is presented pertaining to Triple Helix theory, Knowledge, Social Engagement and Measuring Social Engagement. The empirical approach involved using …

Fundoggy: Using Gamification And Social Network Services To Create A Mobile Fundraising Application For Helping Shelter Dogs, Yu Ri Na

Theses

The proliferation of new media is rapidly changing the world of philanthropy and more effective methods of raising funds and developing donor relationships must be sought. Furthermore, today’s trends indicate that the amount of giving by individuals has increased gradually, but the generation gap in donors is increasing.

Fundamentally, this thesis project seeks effective ways to attract young donors and show how to maintain a continuous connection with them by using today’s trending business and marketing buzzwords, “gamification” and “social network services.” Employing a game’s entertainment, problem-solving challenges, interactive experience, and customer loyalty improvement is expected to create significant synergy …

Mdd, What And How: A Motion Graphics Short Film, Yi Zhou

Theses

Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) is a growing mental health problem these days as it creates more social issues and creates problems for families and individuals. However, people still do not know enough about this mental disorder. The purpose of this short motion film is to provide people with a quick and effective introduction to MDD. This film explores a way to deliver essential information in a short amount of time and in a clear way for the audience to understand. It tells a story through the point-of-view of those who have friends or family members suffering from MDD. This story …

Degrees Of Altruism As Dependent Upon Degrees Of Relations, Bobbi Jackson

Theses

In David Hume's A Treatise of Human Nature (1738), he asserts that humans act most altruistically toward people in the closest relations to us, e.g., in family or friendship relations, and somewhat less so toward those who are merely in our own ethnic group, of our own nationality, etc., and least altruistically toward people in the most distant relations to us. But, current empirical data appears to indicate vast multitudes of exceptions to Hume's claim. The purpose of this paper is to attempt to determine the cause of this apparent conflict and suggest potential solutions that might allow Hume's theory …

Network Exploration Of Correlated Multivariate Protein Data For Alzheimer's Disease Association, Matthew J. Lane

Theses

Alzheimer Disease (AD) is difficult to diagnose by using genetic testing or other traditional methods. Unlike diseases with simple genetic risk components, there exists no single marker determining as to whether someone will develop AD. Furthermore, AD is highly heterogeneous and different subgroups of individuals develop the disease due to differing factors. Traditional diagnostic methods using perceivable cognitive deficiencies are often too little too late due to the brain having suffered damage from decades of disease progression. In order to observe AD at early stages prior to the observation of cognitive deficiencies, biomarkers with greater accuracy are required. By using …

Literary Pedagogies At Umsl: Combining Case Study With Personal Narrative, Elizabeth Miller

Theses

Through traditional scholarship and an analysis of survey data collected from undergraduate literature students at the university, I investigate the ways in which pedagogies of composition and disability studies can be incorporated into the teaching of literature. Historically, literary scholarship has not focused on issues of pedagogy to the degree that other divisions within English Studies have done, and it is therefore necessary to determine what gaps exist, if any, and how they might be bridged. For example, composition pedagogies often emphasize active, student-based teaching paradigms that are rooted in students’ personal experiences and the kind of writing that interests …

Automated Quality Assessment Of Printed Objects Using Subjective And Objective Methods Based On Imaging And Machine Learning Techniques., Ritu Basnet

Theses

Estimating the perceived quality of printed patterns is a complex task as quality is subjective. A study was conducted to evaluate how accurately a machine learning method can predict human judgment about printed pattern quality.

The project was executed in two phases: a subjective test to evaluate the printed pattern quality and development of the machine learning classifier-based automated objective model. In the subjective experiment, human observers ranked overall visual quality. Object quality was compared based on a normalized scoring scale. There was a high correlation between subjective evaluation ratings of objects with similar defects. Observers found the contrast of …

Mpls & Qos In Virtual Environments, Amar Madhavan

Theses

The rise of high performance computing has seen a shift of services from locally managed Data Centers, to centralized globally redundant Data Centers (Cloud Computing). The scale of operation and churn required for cloud computing has in turn led to the rise of faster and programmable network pathing, via SDN & NFV. Cloud compute resources are accessible to individual researchers, as well as larger organizations. Cloud computing relies heavily on virtualization and abstraction of resources. The interconnect between these resources is more complex than ever, due to the need to seamlessly move from virtual to physical to hybrid networks and …

Fragments, Yue Liu

Theses

My work comes from my understanding and perception of historical fragments. I think imperfection is a natural beauty, which exists everywhere in our lives. My perspective was influenced by a Buddhist theory called “Wabi-sabi”, and I referred to the method of “architecture renovation” to create my jewelry work. During the creation, I was also inspired by a jewelry artist named John Iverson, with his work influencing the many forms and techniques I used for this project.

I also adopted a different method of constructing material to represent my interpretation of my observation of “fragments.” In my heart, fragments not only …

Fresh Food Delivery System Based On Suburban Community, Zhuo Wang

Theses

Healthy eating is one of the biggest problem that affect people’s health in US, unhealthy eating causes billions of dollars on related disease every year. Eating more fresh food is one the most efficient and simplest way to improve this situation, So questions are why certain people can not eat enough fresh food and how to help them eat more fresh food. Following the questions, my research shows that there are multiple reasons involved including long commute time, far away from fresh food shop and price, according to the research, a fresh food delivery system based on suburban community called …

Mobile App Of Food Combinations- Medley For Mom, Xun Zhao

Theses

“There were variations in the types of dietary intervention and the effect of specific nutrient components. There was no heterogeneity for dietary intervention components, but considerate heterogeneity for all dietary interventions combined.” With the development of the society and the improvement of living conditions, people’s eating habit has become much more diverse. However, some food combinations could potentially bring discomfort, such as indigestion, constipation and so on.

Due to the individual differences of the human digestive system structures, improper food combinations lead to various harms to different groups of people, among which pregnant women suffer the most.

“There is little …

Mobile Big Data Analytics In Healthcare, Alramzana Nujum Navaz

Theses

Mobile and ubiquitous devices are everywhere around us generating considerable amount of data. The concept of mobile computing and analytics is expanding due to the fact that we are using mobile devices day in and out without even realizing it. These mobile devices use Wi-Fi, Bluetooth or mobile data to be intermittently connected to the world, generating, sending and receiving data on the move. Latest mobile applications incorporating graphics, video and audio are main causes of loading the mobile devices by consuming battery, memory and processing power. Mobile Big data analytics includes for instance, big health data, big location data, …

The Effect Of Using Social Media Marketing On Customer Engagement In The Public Sector: The Case Of The Zakat Fund, Sultan Faisal Ali Alremeithi

Theses

Social Media Sites (SMSs) are affecting a wide cross-section of marketing activities, including research, strategy formulation, advertising, promotions and sales. It is proposed that Social Media Sites (SMSs) are not only an addition to the modern marketer's toolkit, but mark an endemic and ecological change.

The purpose of this research is to investigate what antecedents determine a user's engagement with an account on a social media sites (SMSs).

Through their use, the social media have facilitated various business opportunities as well as providing the public sector with platforms through which organizations can engage current and future customers. Still, the huge …

An Immersive Learning Model, Shamsa Abdulla Salem Al Mazrouei

Theses

Our overarching goal is to provide children with immersive game-based learning environments to support Arabic linguistic skills acquisition. We postulate that immersion in- creases learning. To investigate this hypothesis, we developed a model and built an implementation of an educational virtual environment (EVE) that supports immersion and thus, induces effective learning. Experimental results confirm our hypothesis.

Our model integrates learning content, learning activities, immersion and gameplay. Based on our analysis of various curricula, specifically the United Arab Emirates grade one curriculum, we identified the nature of the learning content in order to satisfy the curriculum requirements. This content is conceptually …

Microbial Degradation Of Various Organic Pollutants Using Bacteria Isolated From Petroleum Sludge, Manal Ali Alhefeiti

Theses

Intensification of agriculture and manufacturing industries has resulted in increased release of a wide range of xenobiotic compounds to the environment. The extensive discharge of hazardous waste in industrial wastewater and the recalcitrant nature of some of these organic pollutants have fueled a strong interest in exploring efficient and environmentally friendly approaches for wastewater remediation. Bioremediation approaches can provide efficient, inexpensive and environmentally safe cleanup tools. In the present study, our main objective was to isolate novel bacterial strains from UAE petroleum sludge and to examine their abilities to degrade various aromatic pollutants, including azo dyes and emerging pollutants. We …

Effects Of Environmental Diesel Exhaust Particles On Gastric Stem Cells, Heba Ahmed Mazen Al Sadik

Theses

I would like to express my special thanks to the General Secretariat of the Executive Council of Abu Dhabi Emirate and Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC) for their input and support. Last, but certainly not least, these acknowledgments would be incomplete without expressing my deepest appreciation to my family. Special acknowledgment of this achievement goes to my parents, who not only showed me unconditional love, acceptance, and respect for the person that I am throughout my life, they also showed me the strength of character which has brought me to where I am today. To my wife, for her …

Performance Study For Capillary Machine-To-Machine Networks, Maisaa Othman Albaghdadi

Theses

Communication technologies witness a wide and rapid pervasiveness of wireless machine-to-machine (M2M) communications. It is emerging to apply for data transfer among devices without human intervention. Capillary M2M networks represent a candidate for providing reliable M2M connectivity. In this thesis, we propose a wireless network architecture that aims at supporting a wide range of M2M applications (either real-time or non-real-time) with an acceptable QoS level. The architecture uses capillary gateways to reduce the number of devices communicating directly with a cellular network such as LTE. Moreover, the proposed architecture reduces the traffic load on the cellular network by providing capillary …

From Character To Characteristics, Yen-Ting Chen

Theses

Through my life experiences, the way my family raised me, and fostered my thoughts, I have developed a strong connection to my native language. Taiwan is a country where the traditional Chinese characters are still widely in use, alongside with Hong Kong, Macao and Singapore. In fact, traditional Chinese characters can carry specific meaning individually, or further create various meanings when used in combination, which is profound and intriguing. Focusing on the form and structure of Chinese characters and their relationship with literal meaning, I wanted to design and create furniture that brings together culture, family, and personal vision.

As …

A Passionate Journey: Info-Motion Graphics Video Exploring Why And How To Find Work You Love., Jia Zhou

Theses

Benjamin Disraeli, a 19th century British Prime Minister, once said, “Man is not a rational animal. He is only truly good or great when he acts from passion.” Passion is the fuel that can power you toward the realization of your dreams. To live a truly satisfying and purposeful life, it is important for every individual to know what their passions are so life will be fulfilling.

Teenagers choose their career after they graduate from high school. They begin to wonder what they will become and what contributions they can make in the future. It is important for people to …

Social Table Design For Culinary Enjoyment, Jiekun Qian

Theses

The purpose of this thesis was to design a new culinary experience to gather people together and make the cooking and dining activities more socialized, interactive and joyful.

A-Round is a modular culinary table that can satisfy user’s specific needs in regard to different social aspects by changing the elements of the middle part of the table (burner top, storage tray, serving tray, table top, etc.). The round shape semantically reduces the distance between people and gathers them together. By changing behaviors of users and offering resources around the dining area, this product not only functionally improves the culinary process, …

Understanding Traffic Characteristics In A Server To Server Data Center Network, Siva Shankar Chandrasekaran

Theses

The number of Data Centers and the servers present in them has been on the rise over the last decade with the advent of cloud computing, social networking, Big data analytics etc. This has eventually led to the increase in the power consumption of the Data Center due to the power hungry interconnection fabric which consists of switches and routers. The scalability of the data center has also become a problem due to the interconnect cabling complexity which is also responsible for the increase in the energy used for cooling the data center as these bundles of wires reduce the …

Interviews Define Face Validity Of Physical Activity Survey Items With Fourth Graders, Elizabeth Dubiel Wayman

Theses

School-based and after school interventions to encourage child participation in physical activity use self-report surveys, among other methods, to assess level of physical activity. The current study investigated the face validity of nine physical activity self-report items used to evaluate the Fuel for Fun program, a nutrition and physical activity intervention for fourth graders administered in Colorado. A convenience sample of fourth graders demographically similar to Fuel for Fun participants in Colorado were cognitively interviewed to examine understanding and comprehension of survey items. Qualitative content analysis of interview transcripts revealed that 87.5% to 100% of students reported understanding the items …

The Role Of Estrogen In Mouse Gastric Stem Cell Homeostasis, Aysha Mohamed Yusuf Alkaabi

Theses

To maintain cellular homeostasis, the epithelial lining of the stomach wall continuously fluctuates between cellular proliferation, differentiation, and apoptosis. A key player in this process is the gastric stem cell (GSC). GSCs are located in the isthmus region of the corpus gastric gland and have the potential to proliferate and differentiate. Although several pathways have been identified to regulate stem cell role in several body tissues, little is known about controlling GSC homeostasis. This project aims to study the role of estrogen (E2) in GSC homeostasis using the well-established mouse gastric epithelial progenitor (mGEP) cell line. Our data showed that …

Fabrication Of Low Adhesion Films Through Pulsed Light Sintering, Dhananjay Dubey

Theses

Pulsed photonic sintering/curing of materials has significant potential to change the way we process thin films. The pulsed light technology has tremendous benefits with processing time lying in the order of milliseconds. This process can be used to thermally process printed films and has huge energy saving potential when compared to conventional thermal processes. This research specifically aims at fabrication of low adhesion polymer film coatings, such as Teflon, using an energy efficient photonic sintering technique. Teflon, due to its non-stick properties, is widely used in printing processes, cooking accessories, antireflection windows and in several other applications. Sintering of Teflon …

Interactive Dynasty: An Effective Way To Learn About The Tang Dynasty History, Xiangyin Li

Theses

Today, interaction design is applied to multiple areas of visual communication and instructional design. Interactive elements can be found in websites, apps, and kiosk terminal equipment. Through the integration of interactive content such as step-by-step tutorials, the user can acquire a variety of different types of information efficiently and effectively to learn about historical events.

China has one of the longest and continuous cultures today. Its own unique charisma attracts many history buffs to learn more about important historical events. Kiosk terminals in history museums have successfully provided a learning environment for users to learn about China through interaction design. …

Patients' Perceptions Regarding Nursing Care In The General Surgical Wards At Kenyatta National Hospital, Elwin Shawa

Theses

Nursing care is a major component of the health services because it is one of the determinants of quality health services. The anecdotal patients' care evaluation and media reports have portrayed negative publicity and image regarding nursing care in certain hospitals. Patients' perceptions regarding nursing care is thought to be the determinant of quality nursing care. To explore patients' perceptions and experiences regarding nursing care in surgical wards.

Electrical, Electronic And Optical Properties Of Mos2 & Ws2, Weitao Tang

Theses

Two dimensional materials such as graphene, boron nitride and transition metal dichalcogenide (TMDCs) monolayers have arisen as a new class of materials with unique properties at monolayer thickness. Their electrical, electronic and optical properties are of great importance for a variety of applications in optoelectronics as light emitters, detectors, and photovoltaic devices. This work focuses on MoS₂ and WS₂, which are two important members of the TMDC class of materials. The properties of monolayer MoS₂ and WS₂ are investigated as well as the properties of bulk MoS₂ and WS₂ to provide an understanding …