Digital Commons Network^™

Ellen Couture Designs Vintage Lingerie Fashion Line, Robyne Grier

Theses

Grier and Associates d/b/a Ellen Couture Designs (ECD) is a fashion subsidiary that creates garments comprised of vintage inspired lingerie and nightwear. This line is paying homage to the owner, Robyn Grier’s, grandmother, Ellen Sutton, who was a professional seamstress, patternmaker and designer. My final project will be an illustration of 10 garments created for Ellen Couture Designs Fashion line.

have sketched 10 designs that will be the initial collection for Ellen Couture Designs. A description of the garment and its historical significance will be provided. It is a common trend for the fashion designers and the industry to create …

An Appreciative Inquiry Of Community Based Disability Sports And Physical Activity Provision To Guide Future Development, Jennifer O Carroll Reidy

Theses

In 2008, the Irish Sports Inclusion Disability Programme (SIDP) was established to provide opportunities for people with disabilities to participate in a variety of sports and physical activity. Regular monitoring has been sporadic and disparate (Sport Ireland, 2016). Using the four-stage method of Appreciative Inquiry (Cooperrider, 1987), a series of interviews was undertaken with providers of the SIDP. Fourteen Coordinators, SIDOs and sports development workers were interviewed about the strengths, impacts and future for the SIDP. Six participants of the programmes also took part in a focus group concerning their perspectives of the current state and future potential for the …

Phubbing And Fear Of Missing Out As Mediators Between Problematic Social Media Use And Life Satisfaction Among Young Adults, Najeera Peer Meera Levai

Theses

Recent studies have shown certain risk indicators for young adults' decreased life satisfaction as a result of excessive social media use. However, few studies have looked at possible impact of problematic social media on life satisfaction, and less information is known about the mediating factors that contribute to this association. The purpose of the current study was to determine whether problematic social media use predicts life satisfaction among young adults. It also explored whether phubbing behaviour and fear of missing out might both serve as mediators in this relationship. A sample of 351 young adults (18–25, M_age = 19.74 …

Heterodimerization Between Chemokine Receptors Cxcr4 And Ccr7 And Its Role In Cancer, Maryam Naveed Muhammad Tariq

Theses

In physiology, the functional and physical interactions between cell surface receptors for signal molecules such as hormones, neurotransmitters, and cytokines, provides an important mechanism of diversity and regulation of signal transduction. Therefore, investigating the functional interactions between these receptors is of great importance for understanding their role in physiology and pathophysiology with potential application in drug discovery. In this context, numerous evidences support the implication of two chemokine receptors, CXCR4 and CCR7, in many cancer types. In this study, we hypothesized that the functional, and perhaps the physical interaction, occurring between CXCR4 and CCR7 may constitute one of the key …

Addictive Social Media Use: Examination Of The Psychometric Properties Of The Arabic Bergen Social Media Addiction Scale And The Mediational Role Of Sense Of Control In The Relationship Between Depression And Social Media Addiction, Louis J. Fourie

Theses

The period of COVID-19 has proven to be a turbulent period where extreme psychological trends can be examined due to lockdown procedures, social isolation, and public fear. The use of technology such as social media has increased with research highlighting the harm of overuse. The purpose of the current study is to investigate the psychometric properties of an Arabic translated version of the Bergen Social Media Addiction Scale (BSMAS) to assess for addictive social media use. Secondly, the study further examines the association between depression, social media addiction, and an individual’s sense of control. Specifically, the potential mediational role of …

حمایة حقوق الملكیة الفكریة بنظام السجل الرقمي (البلوكتشین), حصة محمد الكعبي

Theses

Protection of Intellectual Property Rights through the Digital Recording System (Blockchain)

The digital ledger system (Blockchain) appeared in 2008 by the Japanese programmer Satoshi Nakamoto, and his innovation came to ensure the circulation of the digital currency Bitcoin. The digital system (blockchain) has been likened to a digital record; In which information is stored and documented in an elaborate manner that is difficult to penetrate.

The UAE government has adopted the technology of digital transactions (Blockchain) in executing government transactions. To achieve the desired results, the country launched the UAE Digital Transactions Strategy 2021 and the Dubai Digital Transactions Strategy. …

Enhancement Of Phenolic Recovery And Bioactivity Of Date Palm Leaf Extract Using Natural Deep Eutectic Solvents And Green Extraction Technology, Raghad Shehadeh Abdal Rahman

Theses

This study was designed to explore date palm leaves, an agro by-product, as a potential source of natural polyphenolic compounds using appropriate green Natural Deep Eutectic Solvent (NADES) and emerging green extraction technologies. Herein, six different NADES were prepared using six different hydrogen donors and choline chloride as hydrogen bond acceptor at a molar ratio of 1:2 (w/w) and different NADES concentrations (10, 20, 40, and 80%, in water, at 40°C). Among the studied NADES, Glycerol-based NADES showed higher phenolic yield compared to saccharide and organic acid-based NADES. Afterward, to enhance the extraction efficiency, NADES were coupled with microwave (MAE-NADES) …

Utilizing Date Pits In Microencapsulation: Effect Of Different Variations On Probiotic Survivability Under In Vitro Digestion, Asmaa Samir Al Hamayda

Theses

This work deals with the medicinal use of date pit powder, which turns it from a waste product to a useful stabilizer for the release of beneficial probiotics in the human intestine. The main objective of this work is to encapsulate probiotics with date pit beads and their subsequent release in the human intestine. The beads were formed using gravitational dripping technique, while INFOGEST protocol was used to test the digested beads and the release of viable probiotic cells. For the three date varieties Raziz, Naghal and Khadrawy, it was found that 0.1 g of date pit powder per 0.2 …

Screening For Endophytic Actinobacteria To Enhance Growth And Salinity Tolerance Of Tomato Plants In The United Arab, Amira Hamdy Hassan

Theses

Salinity is one of the most decisive environmental factors limiting the productivity of crop plants, mainly in arid and semi-arid regions. An eco-friendly technology can be used to boost crop production in saline areas by using plant growth-bacteria. Endophytic actinobacteria that produce the enzyme 1-Aminocyclopropane-1-Carboxylic acid (ACC) Deaminase (ACCD) can modulate the levels of Ethylene (ET) in plants to reduce the effect of abiotic stresses including high salt stress. The main objectives of this study were to: (1) Evaluate endophytic actinobacterial isolates from healthy tomato plants cultivated in the UAE that are capable of producing ACCD in vitro; (2) …

A Data Driven Model To Promote Preparedness And Respond Intelligently To Pandemic Outbreaks, Safea Mohammed Al Senani

Theses

The COVID-19 pandemic has had a major effect on various vital sectors of the economy, including education healthcare, and the industry. Governments have imposed strict regulations to reduce the spread of this global disease outbreak. Consequently, working from home, online learning, social distancing and various control measures were enforced. In response, many schools shifted to distance learning, although most of these schools were neither technically ready nor administratively prepared for the online transition. Despite recent progress, countries are still experiencing daunting challenges to control the infection rate and magnitude, stabilize the economy, and relax socialization and public life activities. Decision-makers …

Societal Impact Assessment Of Depression, Mohammed Salah Almazrouei

Theses

Depression is a mental problem characterised by unusual changes in the mood of a person, accompanied by a temporary different emotional response to everyday changes in the phenomena (WHO, 2020). Affected people suffer greatly, hence functioning poorly in the workplace, school, or at home in a family setup. Even though the public is well aware of its existence, there is little going on to combat this condition. Amongst the various stumbling blocks towards achieving an effective approach to address the problem include limited resources and associated well-trained personnel to help the victims.

A mental disorder associated with social stigma and …

User Behavior Analysis For User Profile Prediction, Islam Al Qaisi

Theses

The importance of user behavior analysis is becoming increasingly valuable to Software as a Service (SaaS) businesses such as EDI (Energy Data Intelligence). Users of big data applications require attention in order not to lose customer loyalty in a competitive business environment. With data analytics techniques, knowledge can be extracted about the user behaviors, and that would be a beneficial exercise to the business when it comes to improving services to the customers whether it’s a tailored customer support, targeted marketing campaigns or enhanced product features. This capstone project is focused on predicting user profiles through their web usage behavior. …

‘Meet New Vcd’ Immersive Art Gallery, Wenting Toby Xue

Theses

Students of the Visual Communication Design (VCD) program may have a relatively distressing question about how to explain some details of this program to others. Someone will always ask how to define and explain the VCD. Therefore, in the spirit of redefining the VCD program and creating a platform to more intuitively demonstrate the current success of VCD students in visual design. The curriculum of this program and related student works are mainly user-centered design as the primary starting point. Innovation and forward-looking are necessary. To better communicate the VCD project and expand its influence. According to the questionnaire and …

Detailing The Effects Of Cbd On Parp And Survivin Expression In Ewing Sarcoma, Tyler Carter

Theses

Ewing sarcoma (ES) is an aggressive pediatric bone cancer with low five-year survival rates, particularly with recurrent disease because ES often becomes resistant to chemotherapy in these recurrences. Cannabidiol (CBD) has been identified as a potentially promising therapeutic for patients with ES. In other cancer types, CBD has demonstrated effects on two major proteins that contribute to chemotherapy resistance. The first, Poly (ADP-ribose) Polymerase I (PARP1), is a DNA damage repair enzyme that is overexpressed in recurrent ES. Though chemotherapy induces DNA damage in these cancer cells, the high levels of PARP1 facilitate repair of the DNA, allowing the mutated …

Horror: Where Are We? Where Do We Go?, Branden Boehnke

Theses

This project will investigate the current production standards, inspiration and evolution of the genre of horror in media. The final deliverable is a 30 minute documentary covering the genre as a whole across different forms of media. The documentary also includes interviews of respected figures within the genre from different aspects of media such as film, video games, viral social media posts and online databases.

Predicting Delays In The Supply Chain With The Use Of Machine Learning, Raghad Al-Saghir

Theses

The supply chain includes all the steps in an item's life cycle starting from raw material and all the way to the customers. Delays in these steps have always been a problem faced by businesses due to the huge financial loss these delays account for. These delays frequently cause significant financial losses, irritate customers, and loss of customer confidence. The aim of this study is to construct a prediction model that predicts late deliveries before its occurrence with the use of big data and machine learning. The study used Dataco Supply Chain dataset and cleaned, visualized, and trained it using …

Traffic Accidents Analysis & Prediction In Uae, Majid Alhosani

Theses

UAE has state-of-the-art roads and traffic infrastructure, and yet there has been a rapid increase in the number of traffic accidents. As per National Agenda 2021, the UAE traffic departments are working to minimize the rate of road traffic death per 100 thousand people. The Traffic and Patrols Directorate in Abu Dhabi launched a road safety management plan. This aims at decreasing the fatalities from traffic accidents to 3 per 100,000 inhabitants by 2021. According to police, distracted driving, sudden swerving, entering a road without ensuring that it is clear, tailgating and speeding without considering the road conditions has caused …

Fraudulent Insurance Claims Detection Using Machine Learning, Arif Ismail Alrais

Theses

As the different countries around the world evolve into a more economical-based and stimulating their economy is the goal. The main purpose of most of these countries is to fight off money launderers and fraudsters for better economic growth. A popular fraud topic in this regard is insurance fraud since it costs the companies and the public billions. Applying data analysis and machine learning are great ways used to address many problems regarding any automated system. To address this problem, first extensive research should be made to check out what has been applied and what the most promising solution using …

Predicting Electrical Faults In Power Distribution Network, Ahmad Adel Bin Sulaiman

Theses

Electricity is becoming increasingly important in modern civilization, and as a result, the emphasis on and use of power infrastructure is gradually expanding. Simultaneously, investment and distribution modes are shifting from the large-scale centralized generation of electricity and sheer consumption to decentralized generators and extremely sophisticated clients. This transformation puts further strain on old infrastructure, necessitating significant expenditures in future years to ensure a consistent supply. Subsequent technical and prediction technologies can help to maximize the use of the current grid while lowering the probability of faults. This study discusses some of the local grid difficulties as well as a …

Miniaturized Iii-V/ Si Hybrid Laser With An Integrated Modulator, Praveen Kumar Singaravelu

Theses

Light interaction with microscopic and nanoscopic structures enable manipulation of its characteristics which can be used to detect objects in 3D sensing, propel satellites to space using photonic propulsion and transmit data through optical communication. For optical communication, the basic components are lasers, modulators and photodetectors. The development of CMOS microfabrication foundries helps to manufacture silicon-based photonic devices with high yield that is directly co-integrated with electronics in a single chip. However, the lack of emission of photons efficiently in silicon propelled the necessity of hybrid photonic devices that inherits the combined advantage of different materials i.e. functionality and volume. …

Radiometric Effects Of Centimeter Scale Roughness Of Bare Soils, Dylan J. Shiltz

Theses

The roughness of a bare soil surface has important implications in both the reflective and microwave domains of remote sensing. In a natural environment, roughness is present at a wide range of length scales, from the roughness of individual particles to meter or kilometer scale geological features. This thesis will focus on centimeter scale roughness,i.e. surface features whose length scale is much greater than individual soil particles, but which are still small enough that they are unresolved in remote sensing applications. Wind driven and hydrologically driven features, such as the ripples found on a beach or on the surfaces of …

Understanding The Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear And Explosive (Cbrne) Defense Policy Making Process Through Historical And Current Event Analysis, Michaela Christine Mesiti

Theses

Understanding Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear, and Explosives (CBRNE) defense policies is critical in promoting safety to civilian and military personnel in the United States and globally. This thesis first examines a few of the most significant CBRNE policies in history, their place in the world today, and how their creation has impacted society. Utilizing two canonical policy making models– the “linear model” and the “policy stream model”– a range of case studies are analyzed to examine how decision-making behind CBRNE policy compares with other comparable policy domains, particularly non-CBRNE biotechnology innovation. The likelihood of proactivity and the potential influence of …

Implications Of Unregistered Employment In Kosovo’S Pension System, Drin Cela

Theses

Governments give substantial importance towards retirement. Pension spending accounts for one of the largest spending items of public expenditure. The importance of pensions is going to increase in the future, as demographic trends reflect the greying of the population, in which a decreasing number of working people will need to support an increasing amount of retired people. At the same time, informal employment is a pressing economic issue as is apparent when comparing its size to the general economy. Kosovo is a country that faces both problems, ageing and high informal employment. This study explores the relationship between these two …

Repercussions Of A Disruption: The Impact Of Global Ict Supply Chain Trends In Kosovo, Dior Ramosaj

Theses

This study seeks to analyze what type of impact the global ICT supply chain trends, apparent in the last two and a half years, have had in Kosovo. Specifically, the study will focus on two areas, the global shortage of electronic chips, affecting the hardware sector, and a rise in demand for software, due to the transition of working from home following the recent COVID- 19 pandemic. A parallel will be drawn between the global trends and Kosovo. The research methodology is comprised of a combination of primary and secondary data. Primary data has been collected through interviews with representatives …

Skills Gap In The Information Technology Sector In Kosovo, Erze Ahmeti

Theses

The main focus of this research project is to identify the extent to which companies in the IT sector in Kosovo are being affected by the skill gaps and the ways through which they are trying to bridge these skill gaps. While the IT industry in Kosovo shows great growth potential, the skill gap appears to be a prevailing problem that hinders this sector’s development. The study analyzes the implications of the skill gap for the growth of private companies and the sector in general; as well as the ways used by the sector to narrow the skill gap. To …

Efficient And Scalable Triangle Centrality Algorithms In The Arkouda Framework, Joseph Thomas Patchett

Theses

Graph data structures provide a unique challenge for both analysis and algorithm development. These data structures are irregular in that memory accesses are not known a priori and accesses to these structures tend to lack locality.

Despite these challenges, graph data structures are a natural way to represent relationships between entities and to exhibit unique features about these relationships. The network created from these relationships can create unique local structures that can describe the behavior between members of these structures. Graphs can be analyzed in a number of different ways including at a high level in community detection and at …

Impacts Of Drugs On Neurotransmission, Wenrong He

Theses

The most sophisticated and mysterious human organ is the brain. The human brain is made up of billions of neurons, which are working nonstop to send and receive messages to regulate the body’s basic functions. Neurons communicate by releasing neurotransmitters from a sending neuron into the synapse, then a receiving neuron picks up the signals on its receptors from neurotransmitters. Drugs can interfere with the communication between neurons in the brain. They can affect the way people feel, react or behave. Drug use impacts the brain’s neuronal circuits which may lead to inflexible behaviors, lack of self-control, and compulsive drug …

Architecture Of Video Games: Potential Reference, Wael Mkaouar

Theses

The Architecture perspective / scale in video games has evolved throughout time to an extent that it is no longer a mere spatial visualization to host the game, but it has become an interaction medium between the player and the game. Architecture in recent video games played a fundamental role in bridging the gap between the real and the digital world. The analogy between these two is increasingly established through the representational immersion and the participation of the player in a highly realistic environment transforming the gaming experience into an entertaining and educational journey. The aim of this thesis is …

Framing Trust In Artificial Intelligence (Ai) Ethics Communication: Analysis Of Ai Ethics Guiding Principles Through The Lens Of Framing Theory, Namrata Nagar

Theses

With the fast proliferation of Artificial Intelligence (AI) technologies in our society, several corporations, governments, research institutions, and NGOs have produced and published AI ethics guiding documents. These include principles, guidelines, frameworks, assessment lists, training modules, blogs, and principle-to-practice strategies. The priorities, focus, and articulation of these innumerable documents vary to different extents. Though they all aim and claim to ensure AI usage for the common good, the actual AI system outcomes in various social applications have invigorated ethical dilemmas and scholarly debates. This study presents the analysis of AI ethics principles and guidelines text published by three pioneers from …

Microengineering Aligned Collagen Substrates In Microfluidic Systems, Adeel Ahmed

Theses

Cells in vivo are surrounded by a fibrous matrix of proteins and macromolecules called the extracellular matrix (ECM), of which type I collagen is the major constituent. During tissue development or cell-matrix interactions, collagen fibers organize into aligned domains with defined degrees of alignment and directionality. Aligned fibers guide stem cell differentiation and influence cell-cell communication and cell motility. In the tumor microenvironment, aligned fibers guide tumor cell invasion and have been linked to poor patient outcomes. Since fiber alignment instructs cell behavior in vivo, there is a need for in vitro models to replicate fiber alignment and thus provide …