Digital Commons Network^™

Biological Treatment Of Produced Water Using Algae: A Proof Of Concept, Shibin Hashem Mohammed Nadersha

Theses

Produced water (PW) is the effluent generated during oil mining and extraction. On average, for every barrel of oil, 4 - 5 barrels of PW are generated worldwide. In UAE, 1.22 billion cubic meters of PW were generated in the year 2017. Proper management of PW is thus very important taking into account the large volumes of it being generated. In addition, PW is considered toxic as it contains various contaminants such as aliphatic and aromatic hydrocarbons, inorganic salts, metals, phenols, radioactive materials, and chemical additives. Disposal of untreated PW into oceans and water bodies can cause adverse effects on …

Improving Phytoremediation Of Oil Polluted Soil In The Uae Using Acc Deaminase Producing Bacteria Under Arid Conditions, Maitha Mubarak Almansoori

Theses

Many 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylic acid (ACC) deaminase-producing and oil-degrading rhizosphere actinobacteria were isolated from oil-contaminated soils in the United Arab Emirates. These actinobacterial isolates were further selected based on their ability to solubilize phosphorus, to produce siderophores, and to produce plant growth regulators (PGRs) including auxins and polyamines. The ability of the most-promising isolate #20 (Streptomyces sp.) to promote the growth of the hyper-accumulating plants “Bermuda grass” in soil polluted with Light Arabian Crude Oil (LACO) was evaluated under greenhouse conditions. Under controlled greenhouse conditions, the application of the strongest Streptomyces sp. #20 which exhibited the maximum production of ACC deaminase and …

An Examination Of The Relationship Between Eating Competence And Biopsychosocial Factors In Adults With Metabolic Syndrome, Jenna Hickey

Theses

Background: An association between eating competence and bioclinical factors for healthy adults has been identified. However, no research has been conducted into the association of ecSI 2.0TM scores and biopsychosocial measures for adults with metabolic syndrome. Purpose: To examine the congruence between eating competence and biopsychosocial measures at baseline and post-intervention in individuals with metabolic syndrome. Methods: Self report surveys administered to participants: Satter Eating Competence Inventory (ecSI 2.0TM), Short Form Health Survey Mental Health and Vitality scales(SF-36 MH and VT), Perceived Stress Scale (PSS), Patient Health Questionnaire – 8 (PHQ-8). Bioclinical measures: HDL cholesterol, triglycerides, blood glucose, BMI, and …

The Red Palm Weevil In The Uae: Morphological Diversity And Rnai-Mediated Gene Silencing Of Two Cuticle-Related Genes, Safa Hashem Mohammed Musaed

Theses

Red Palm Weevil (RPW), Rhynchophorus ferrugineus (Coleoptera: Curculionidae), threatens palm trees worldwide. A better understanding of this insect can help with designing an adequate management strategy. This study aimed to a better understand the morphological diversity of RPW and examined RNAi-mediated gene silencing of two cuticle-related genes, vestigial (vg) gene, and Laccase (Lac2) gene by injecting the last larval stage with double-stranded RNA (dsRNA). For the morphological diversity study, adults of RPW were collected and classified by their prothoracic spots. Additional morphological characters were measured such as Pronotum Length (PL), Pronotum Width (PW), Elytra Length (EL), Elytra Width (EW), and …

Sensory Evaluation Of Camel Milk, Reem Amer Al Kaabi

Theses

Camel milk is one of the most important sources of nutrients for humans in numerous arid and semiarid environments. Consumer acceptability and sensory analysis are decisive for the commercialization of camel milk. It is essential to understand the sensory qualities of camel milk because of its unfamiliarity and its typical sensory profile, which is different from that of bovine milk. This study aimed to evaluate a trained panel qualitative description of sensory characteristics as well as consumer acceptability and attitude towards pasteurized non-flavoured, flavoured, and camel milk powders. In the consumer acceptability test, samples were evaluated based on acceptability with …

A Cost Analysis And Policy Review Of Digestate When Deemed A Waste Product And A Fertilizer., Sarah Chandrika Cannon

Theses

Food waste is a multifaceted issue that has proposed solutions as complex as the problem itself. New York State recently announced a food waste ban, effective January of 2020, that will require large scale food waste producers to manage the waste through alternative methods as opposed to disposal in a landfill. One of those methods is through Anaerobic Digestion, a process in which organic matter chemically reacts with bacteria to produce a biofuel along with an associated byproduct, namely digestate. The biofuel in most cases is used to produce electricity to feed back to the grid acting as a net …

How Nurse-Led Clinics Improve Health Care Access, Rose Marie Alessandra C. Conos

Theses

The project will seek to address how nurse-led clinics enhance access to health care services, lead to patient satisfaction, and offer inexpensive and quality health care services. To evaluate these variables, the project will research nurse-led clinics in different geographical locations, some urban areas, and some are rural areas. When one lives in an urban area, it does not necessarily mean that there are readily available resources for the individual. Rural areas are addressed because there are few hospitals, and some of the areas are not accessible to transportation. These patients may have chronic diseases, behavioral or psychiatric conditions, comorbidities, …

Urban Farming Design In Los Angeles: An Adaptive Reuse Project In Response To Food Crisis And Housing Crisis, Pin-Han Su

Theses

As the world population is constantly growing and will reach 9 billion people by 2050, the current danger to the world's food supply system creates a severe challenge. By 2050, more populations will be living in the cities and creating higher demand on food supply, but the farmable lands on our planet could be much less because of climate change and urbanization. Agricultural leaders have argued that cities will need to produce food internally to respond to demand by increasing population and to avoid harmful pollution and unaffordable food prices. Architecture, as the most influential element affecting our daily life, …

Orthorexia Nervosa: A Multidisciplinary Analysis Of The Gaps In Current Research, Education, And Diagnostic Efforts, Olivia Drew Garror

Theses

Background: Orthorexia nervosa (ON), a term coined in the late 1990s by Steven Bratman, MD, is characterized by an obsessive preoccupation with practicing a “healthy diet”. There is scant reliable literature on the topic and it remains unrecognized as a diagnosis in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual for Mental Disorders 5. Thus, debate surrounding its legitimacy as a diagnosis continues. However, eating disorders (EDs) in the category Other Specified Feeding and Eating Disorder (OSFED), including ON, account for the highest percentage of ED diagnoses in the U.S. Although primary care physicians are often the first to encounter patients suffering from …

Dissecting The Normal: The Effects Of Covid-19 Pandemic In The Gastronomy Sector Of Kosovo, Rrona Skenderi

Theses

This project analyzes the impact of Covid-19 pandemic on the gastronomy sector in Pristine, Kosovo. The scope of this research is to perceive the challenges faced by the gastronomy sector, as well as to understand how consumer behaviors have changed due to the pandemic and the social distancing measures. Since this is a new topic and there were no comprehensive studies in this topic, primary data were collected through interviews, and an online survey. The research results show that the pandemic has caused a change in consumer behaviors. Consumers are now more reluctant to go out in restaurants, and they …

Literature-Assisted Validation Of A Novel Causal Inference Graph In A Sparsely Sampled Multi-Regimen Exercise Data, Aditya Gupta

Theses

Background. Causal mechanisms supporting the cardio-metabolic benefits of exercise can be identified for individuals who cannot exercise. With the use of appropriate causal discovery algorithms, the causal pathways can be found for even sparsely sampled data which will help direct drug discovery and pharmaceutical industries to create the appropriate drug to maintain muscles. Objective. The purpose of this study was to infer novel causal source-target interactions active in sparsely sampled data and embed these in a broader causal network extracted from the literature to test their alignment with community-wide prior knowledge and their mechanistic validity in the context of regulatory …

The Influence Of Pollinator Behavior On Patterns Of Pollen Dispersal And Its Implications For Floral Evolution, Alex Lascher

Theses

Despite a storied history of pollination research, little information exists on how the unique characteristics of individual pollinators effect patterns of pollen dispersal. As these patterns of pollen dispersal inform our understanding of floral evolution, filling in this knowledge gap is imperative. I attempted to do so by analyzing two different outcomes of pollen dispersal: 1) pollen carryover, and 2) geitonogamy (i.e., intra-plant movements). For the pollen carryover, I analyzed the results of an experimental study in which bats in flight cages removed pollen from the male flower of a Burmeistera glabrata plant, and then visited 10 female flowers of …

A Comparative Study On Cannabidiol In Melanoma Migration And Invasion: Charlotte's Web Vs. Purified Cbd, 2020–2021, Ruby Thamert

Theses

Over the last decade, much attention has been focused on compounds from Cannabis sativa in treating a variety of diseases including cancer. This study examines the abilities of two different cannabidiol oils to decrease the migration and invasion of melanoma cells in vitro. Skin cancers are the most common cancers in the world. While malignant melanoma is the least common type of skin cancer, it is the deadliest. Patients diagnosed with stage IV disease have only a 15-20% five-year survival rate even with aggressive multimodal treatment, demonstrating the need for additional therapeutic options. Because melanoma is often fatal when …

Characterization Of Proteostasis Mechanisms In Chlamydia Trachomatis, Amanda M. Blocker

Theses

Chlamydia trachomatis is a gram negative, obligate intracellular pathogen with a highly reduced genome of ~1 Mbp. It is the leading cause of the reportable sexually transmitted infection known as chlamydia in the United States and is the leading cause of preventable blindness (trachoma) worldwide. While treatment of infections is possible, weaknesses of current approaches include treatment failure, antibiotic-induced dysbiosis, and resistance development of bystander bacteria during chlamydial treatment. These weaknesses support the need for improved therapeutic approaches. C. trachomatis undergoes a biphasic developmental cycle with two forms, the infectious elementary body (EB) and replicative reticulate body (RB), that have …

Molecular Mechanisims Underlying The Anti-Cancer Activity Of Gum Arabic From Acacia Sp. In Triple-Negative Breast Cancer Cells, Sawsan Yaslam Hussein Alyafii

Theses

Metastatic breast cancer is the leading cause of cancer-related deaths among women worldwide. Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is the most aggressive, accounting for 15-20% of all breast cancer cases. As TNBC cells lack the expression of hormone receptors estrogen receptors (ER) and progesterone receptors (PR) and human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2), TNBCs are unresponsive to hormonal therapy and often become highly resistant when exposed to standard chemotherapy, which has been identified as a major obstacle in TNBC treatment. Gum Arabic, a natural exudate produced from plants, is widely used traditionally for religious, cosmetics as well as medicinal purposes …

Can Date Palms Planted For Urban Landscaping Purposes Serve In The Production Of Edible Fruits? An Evaluation Of Tissue Element Concentrations, Fruits Quality And Health Risks, Khattab Omar Adam Al Nidawi

Theses

More than 80.000 date palms are grown for ornamental purposes as part of public urban greenery in the city of Al Ain. The fruits that these palms produce, are often not valorized as food for humans, due to the fear that they might contain potentially hazardous pollutants, such as heavy metals. When palms are grown near roads or in urban environments, pollution might arise from the exhaust and dust produced by vehicles, industrial activities, as well as through urban waste material deposition, including irrigation with treated sewage effluent. On the other hand, many date palms grown for landscaping purposes might …

Anticolon Cancer Activity Of Aristolochia Rotunda Root Extract, Ghufran Ayman Al Salloum

Theses

Colon cancer is the third leading cause of cancer death worldwide and the first cause of cancer death in the UAE. While the conventional cancer therapy options like chemotherapy, radiation, and surgery are effective in the treatment of most cancers, they exhibit precarious side effects that can endanger the life of the patient. The present study explores the potential anticancer effect of Aristolochia rotunda root extract against human colorectal cancer cells. The root extract exhibited strong anti-proliferative activity in a concentration- and time-dependent manner against human colorectal cancer cell lines. A. rotunda root extract also inhibited colony growth and induced …

In-Vitro Analysis Of Potential Autophagy Mediated Safranal-Sorafenib Combined Effect On Hepatocellular Carcinoma, Aaminah Farrukh

Theses

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the most commonly occurring cancers worldwide. The risk factors include obesity, hepatitis, alcoholism, smoking etc. One of the biggest associated challenges is the current treatment strategies. The therapeutic options are limited with economical and accessibility challenges, especially with increased HCC incidence. Sorafenib, a multikinase inhibitor, is one of the first FDA approved drugs for HCC. But drug resistance and cancer relapse are a common drawback for this treatment. The need for better treatment is crucial now more than ever. The use of saffron as a potential natural therapeutic option is not a novel strategy. …

Molecular Mechanisims Underlying The Anti-Cancer Activity Of Gum Arabic From Acacia Sp. In Triple-Negative Breast Cancer Cells., Sawsan Yaslam Alyafii

Theses

Metastatic breast cancer is the leading cause of cancer-related deaths among women worldwide. Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is the most aggressive, accounting for 15-20% of all breast cancer cases. As TNBC cells lack the expression of hormone receptors estrogen receptors (ER) and progesterone receptors (PR) and human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2), TNBCs are unresponsive to hormonal therapy and often become highly resistant when exposed to standard chemotherapy, which has been identifies as a major obstacle in TNBC treatment. Gum Arabic, a natural exudate produced from plants, is widely used traditionally for religious, cosmetics as well as medical purposes …

Population Structure And Relative Abundance Of Elasmobranch Species Utilizing Inshore Waters Of Abu Dhabi, Shamsa Mohamed Al Hameli

Theses

The diversity, abundance, and distribution of elasmobranchs is poorly documented along the Arabian Gulf coast of the United Arab Emirates, with only a handful of publications focusing on elasmobranchs with the majority of data are collected through landing site and market surveys lacking site and species-specific data that are crucial for conservation management plans. The main objectives of this research were to determine the occurrence and utilization; quantify the relative abundance across different seasons; and describe the demographic structure of elasmobranch species that occurs in shallow waters around mangroves in Khor Al Saadiyat and adjacent islands, northeast of Abu Dhabi, …

The Role Of Irak-1 Transcripts In Sepsis, Adithya Subramanian Sahasranamam

Theses

Sepsis is a complex, life-threatening syndrome that can lead to systemic organ failure and dysfunction. Its high morbidity and mortality rates makes it a critical global health issue. The primary factors at play during sepsis are abnormal inflammation and a lack of oxygen supply to the tissues and muscles. The toll-like receptors play a crucial role in eliciting innate immune in response to infection, primarily through the interleukin-1 receptor-associated kinase (IRAK) pathways. Disturbances in the homeostasis of IRAK signaling cascades can lead to immune dysfunction. n this paper, we review the molecular mechanisms of IRAK-1, an important mediator of TLR-induced …

The Effects Of A Value-Affirmation Writing Exercise On Stress And Craving For Nicotine In Electronic Nicotine Delivery System Users, Justin Bell

Theses

Electronic nicotine delivery systems (ENDS) have become an increasingly popular choice to ingest nicotine, especially among adolescents. It is assumed that with a rise of ENDS usage, more people will be looking for strategies to help quit the devices. As previous research has revealed the efficacy of stress reduction interventions to aid in the cessation of nicotine, a stress reducing writing intervention based in self-affirmation, value affirmation, was evaluated for its ability to reduce anxiety and craving for nicotine in individuals using ENDS. Nicotine dependent participants (N = 92) using ENDS were randomly assigned to complete either a value affirmation …

Assembly And Annotation Of The Genome Of An Invasive Bush Honeysuckle, Amur Honeysuckle (Lonicera Maackii), Erin R. Kesel

Theses

Invasive species are a global problem that cause significant environmental and economic damage. It has been estimated that the cost of invasive species in the United States is at least 120 billion dollars annually. Lonicera maackii, commonly known as Amur honeysuckle, is an invasive shrub found in New York State. In invaded regions, L. maackii has caused decreased species richness of native plant and animal species. It has also negatively affected the native migratory bird populations that eat the plant’s berries. Currently, there is no available genomic sequence for any Lonicera species. With next generation sequencing, new information can be …

Chek And Hava, Komal Ashfaq

Theses

Chek and Hava is an absurdist romantic comedy about using your boyfriend to rebel against your parents. While remaining light and easy to watch, it is additionally meant to have three intentionally designed layers:

1. The surface level story revolves around Hava bringing home her boyfriend Chek- an unemployed artist, that she knows her wealthy demigod parents will disapprove of. Her parents ultimately force Chek out of his carefree life and into a corporate career, accepting him and deflating Hava’s rebellion. She finally breaks free by exiting the system of their beliefs and trying to form her persona independently rather …

Evaluation Of Chili Pepper (Capsicum Annuum), Tiger Nuts (Cyperus Esculentus), And Turmeric (Curcuma Longa) As Sources Of Antioxidant Compounds For The Potential Of Antiaging-Like Activity, Chelsea Toyer

Theses

Aging is a natural process that living organisms go through as they become older. In humans and other animals, aging is accompanied by several morphological changes, including the formation of wrinkles. Wrinkles are also caused by various environmental factors such as excessive exposure to sun or pollution, and continuous sleep deprivation. These environmental factors cause oxidation of skin cells and the degradation of subcutaneous fatty acids, leading to the formation of wrinkles. Skin care and wrinkle treatment products are part of a multimillion-dollar industry. Plant-based products are an alternative method for treating wrinkles and premature aging. Several antioxidants naturally found …

Safeskin: A Blockchain System Of Products’ Lifespan Development To Help The User Find Safer Products, Ru Li

Theses

Due to the escalating demand for cosmetics skincare products and a growing number of beauty products putting people’s health at risk by counterfeits or using chemical ingredients in order to give a better skincare result, people start to have more concerns about the quality of cosmetics and skincare products. Today, many companies strive to make the transparency of the ingredients by labeling on the packaging and knowledge their customers about the benefits of the ingredients they are using. However, the consumers unable to find out how does the product being produced by the original company, and being transferred to the …

Examining Awareness And Identification Procedures Of Students With Specific Learning Disabilities In Uae Elementary Government Schools, Hana Aidrous Omar

Theses

Specific Learning Disability (SLD) is the most prevalent type of disability. Many students have been incorrectly identified as having SLD when, in fact, they have a different issue or disability. Other students with serious academic problems have been ignored and have not been evaluated. This study, therefore, examines the procedures used to identify students with SLD in UAE elementary government schools. The purpose of this study is twofold: (a) to examine the diagnostic procedures and steps that UAE elementary government schools follow to identify and place students with SLD and (b) to investigate school professionals’ awareness of SLD. A mixed …

Evaluation Of Nutrient Solutions Produced From Aqueous Extracts And Decomposition Products Of Organic Waste Materials On The Plant Growth Performance In Hydroponics, Noura Said Al Nuaimi

Theses

Hydroponic plant production involves the cultivation of plants in absence of soil. In this system, the supply of the plant root with water and nutritional elements occurs via a nutrient solution made of inorganic salts. Hydroponic plant cultivation often achieves higher yields, water use efficiencies and quality of crops compared with soil production. In addition, it renders the farming system independent from soil properties. However, the currently available systems rely on the steady input of non-renewable inorganic salts. Unlike soil-based systems, hydroponics, so far, do not offer feasible opportunities for recycling nutritional elements from within crop residues or organic waste …

The Fresh Fridge - Design To Enable Healthy Eating, Tatiana Ferrucio

Theses

A significant part of the population has adjusted life years (DALY’s) due to bad eating habits throughout their lives. This study explores the pain points to a healthier diet and proposes a design intervention for this problem.

The goal is to empower users to eat healthier and in a more sustainable way. As part of the discoveries throughout the research, healthy eating is the individual’s ability to achieve their nutritional values according to their physical structure and biotype.

The design process for this project considered potential strategies to engage people on healthy eating, using positive design methodologies to maintain people …

Representational Enactivism, Zhexi Zhang

Theses

In the literature on enactive approaches to cognition, representationalism is often seen as a rival theory. In this paper, I argue that enactivism can be fruitfully combined with representationalism by adopting Frances Egan’s content pragmatism. This representational enactivism avoids some of the problems faced by antirepresentational versions of enactivism. Most significantly, representational enactivism accommodates empirical evidence that neural systems manipulate representations. In addition, representational enactivism provides a valuable insight into how to identify representational content, especially in brainless organisms: we can identify representational content by investigating autopoietic processes.