Digital Commons Network^™

"Falling Hair And Drilling Bone": A Phenomenological Inquiry Into The Lives Of Adolescents Undergoing Chemotherapy, Rudolf Cymorr Kirby P. Martinez

Theses

This study, employing the interpretative phenomenological approach, explored the adolescents' experience of undergoing chemotherapy. Five (5) coresearchers were carefully chosen based on a present criteria set upon by the researcher and are as follows: 1) They are willing to articulate, share, participate, and describe their lived experiences, 2) They have undergone at least the second chemotherapy sessions, either as an in-patient or out patient, as one of their treatment modality for their cancer regardless of its type and severity. And 3) that they are adolescents between 12-18 years of age.

Modeling And Implementation Of Hfo2-Based Ferroelectric Tunnel Junctions, Spencer Allen Pringle

Theses

HfO2-based ferroelectric tunnel junctions (FTJs) represent a unique opportunity as both a next-generation digital non-volatile memory and as synapse devices in braininspired logic systems, owing to their higher reliability compared to filamentary resistive random-access memory (ReRAM) and higher speed and lower power consumption compared to competing devices, including phase-change memory (PCM) and state-of-the-art FTJ. Ferroelectrics are often easier to deposit and have simpler material structure than films for magnetic tunnel junctions (MTJs). Ferroelectric HfO2 also enables complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS) compatibility, since lead zirconate titanate (PZT) and BaTiO3-based FTJs often are not.

No other groups have yet demonstrated a HfO2-based FTJ …

Customizable Textured Tablet Case And Magnetic Prompting System To Improve Communication For Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder, Christina Maragioglio

Theses

As Autism Spectrum Disorder diagnoses increase in prevalence, there is a growing need for assistive devices to help meet the communication needs of each person and their own unique set of challenges. Autism is a neurological disorder which most prominently impacts communication and social skills but can impact each person differently by way of coupled conditions. Of these conditions, two of the most common with Autism are Sensory Processing Disorder (SPD) and Motor Skill delays.

Additionally, to help with communication and language development, Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) techniques are often used, with tablet AAC applications being one of the …

Integration Of Daylighting Into Educational (School) Building Design For Energy Efficiency, Health Benefit, And Mercury Emissions Reduction Using Heliodon For Physical Modeling, Angela Read

Theses

This thesis examines the concept of incorporating daylight into a school using a heliodon device and Illuminance Rendering in Cloud for Revit software to create a physical and computer model of how the building will function in its given location as a tool to improve the institution’s economy, society, and environment. To properly design the inclusion of natural light in a school building, the climate and weather of the location and the unique timing of occupant use must be considered as daylighting design practices often include concepts that could increase glare or cooling loads. By carefully examining the impacts of …

Accelerating Stochastic Random Projection Neural Networks, Swathika Ramakrishnan

Theses

Artificial Neural Network (ANN), a computational model based on the biological neural networks, has a recent resurgence in machine intelligence with breakthrough results in pattern recognition, speech recognition, and mapping. This has led to a growing interest in designing dedicated hardware substrates for ANNs with a goal of achieving energy efficiency, high network connectivity and better computational capabilities that are typically not optimized in software ANN stack. Using stochastic computing is a natural choice to reduce the total system energy, where a signal is expressed through the statistical distribution of the logical values as a random bit stream. Generally, the …

Evaluating The Compounding Effects Of Weight Loss And Weight Gain In Choosing To Exercise, Courtney Wilson

Theses

The present study used healthy questionnaires to evaluate the compounding effects of weight loss and weight gain in choosing to exercise. The questionnaire was distributed to 31 participants via social media outlets. Demographic information was also recorded such as height, weight, ethnicity, and income. The height and weight recorded was used to correlate the BMI with the AUC values. This data did not show a strong correlation between body mass index with high or low AUC values, these values were evenly distributed between underweight, normal/average weight, and overweight participants. . The questionnaires designed to assess how people view exercise and …

Survival And Capture Efficiency Of River Otters In Southern Illinois, Andrew U. Rutter

Theses

River otter (Lontra canadensis) populations in Illinois have rebounded considerably after >80 years of harvest protection and a successful reintroduction program. However, few studies of river otter ecology exist in the Midwestern U.S. where river otter numbers have increased in recent decades. Capturing study animals safely and efficiently is a critical part of wildlife research, and difficulties associated with live capture of river otters have contributed to the dearth of research on the species. Furthermore, estimating survival rates and identifying causes of mortality are important in effectively managing river otters. To address these knowledge gaps, my objectives were determine survival …

Effect Of Ppo-Inhibiting Herbicides On Male-To-Female Sex Ratio Of Amaranthus Palmeri, Mafia Mahabub Rumpa

Theses

TITLE: EFFECT OF PPO-INHIBITING HERBICIDES ON MALE-TO-FEMALE SEX RATIO OF AMARANTHUS PALMERI Background: Amaranthus palmeri S. Wats. (Palmer amaranth) is a dicotyledonous, dioecious species having separate male and female plants that forces outcrossing, ensures genetic diversity, and is recognized as one of the most noxious, invasive agricultural weed pests in the Mid-West. It can be characterized by extended emergence periodicity, aggressive growth habit, high fecundity, and high water use efficiency as well as high competitive ability. Fisher (1930) predicted 1: 1 primary sex ratios after the period of parental investment, but initial field studies indicated that A. palmeri populations were …

A Preliminary Study Of Conductive Filaments Printed Via Fused Filament Fabrication, Smruti Ranjan Sahoo

Theses

Initially used as a prototyping tool for designers, additive manufacturing, also popularly known as 3D printing, has become an advanced process for manufacturing usable parts. This technology is expanding rapidly into a wide number of areas, such as electronic device fabrication, wearable electronics, biometric devices etc. It is especially useful for fabricating electronic devices, as it is possible to additively manufacture electrical traces within mechanical components simultaneously in a single operation cycle. This research specifically explores 3D printing using conductive feedstock materials with the fused filament extrusion (FFE) process. Commercially available conductive silver nanoparticle ink and graphene based polylactic acid …

Estimating The Range Shift And Harvesting Intensity Of Junipers In Bhutan (Eastern Himalaya), Rinchen Namgay

Theses

The authors of more than 97% of the scientific publications on climate change agree that global temperature has increased in the last six decades and is caused by human beings via emission of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. This phenomenon has altered natural ecosystem functions, causing many species to shift to a more suitable habitat. Throughout the world, because of recent climate warming, many forms of range shift associated with climate warming has occurred. While animals can move as warming happens, plants being stationary organisms cannot move, so the difference in the distribution of different plant life stages is an …

Evaluation Of Functionalized Magnetite Nanoparticles For The Removal Of Heavy Metal Ions From Aqueous Media, Khaula A. Ai Jahoushi

Theses

Sorption is one of the most efficient techniques for the removal of heavy metal ions from waste water. It involves the use of solid materials, known as sorbents, which can be natural of synthetic in origin. Recently, synthetic nanomaterials of various compositions have been used as sorbents. Among these materials, calcium phosphate; also known as hydroxyapatite (HAp), and magnetite were previously investigated as potential sorbents. In the current study, commercial HAp, and magnetite nanoparticles as well as their physical and chemical mixtures were investigated as potential sorbents for the removal of Cd²⁺ ions from simulated wastewater. A comparison is made …

Study Of Y-Chromosome Str Markers In United Arab Emirates Population, Tareq Zeyad Mohammed Ahmed

Theses

The recently introduced 6-dye Yfiler Plus multiplex which includes 27 Y-STR loci (DYS576, DYS389I, DYS635, DYS389II, DYS627, DYS460, DYS458, DYS19, YGATAH4, DYS448, DYS391, DYS456, DYS390, DYS438, DYS392, DYS518, DYS570, DYS437, DYS385 a/b, DYS449, DYS393, DYS439, DYS481, DYF387S1a/b and DYS533) has been used to study 343 UAE Arab male individuals using Yfiler Plus® amplification kit. This set includes seven rapidly mutating loci (RM Y-STRs). These RM Y-STRs are useful for discriminating between closely related and unrelated males.. According to measures of genetic diversity the highest diversity were observed at loci DYS385=(0.94984), DYF387S1=(0.930523) and DYS449=(0.895402). Therefore, these loci should be considered the …

Comparative Degradation Of Emerging Pollutants Using Chemical And Enzymatic Approaches, Khadega Abobaker Al-Maqdi

Theses

Organic pollutants, especially those found in water bodies; pose a direct threat to various aquatic organisms as well as humans. A variety of different remediation approaches, including chemical and biological methods have been developed for the degradation of these organic pollutants. However, comparative mechanistic studies of pollutant degradation by these different systems are almost non-existent. In this study, the degradation of two emerging pollutants an antibiotic pollutant, Sulfamethoxazole (SMX) and a model thiazole pollutant, Thioflavin T (ThT), was carried out using advanced oxidation process (AOP), using UV+H2O2 or a peroxidase enzyme system. Optimization conditions for Sulfamethoxazole degradation by peroxidase enzyme …

Determination Of Primordial And Anthropogenic Radionuclide Concentrations In Agricultural Soil Of The United Arab Emirates Using Gamma-Ray Spectrometry, Rahaf Moutaz Billah Ajaj

Theses

The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has initiated the first civilian nuclear power plant, and it will be operating four reactors between (2018-2020). The establishment of Barakah Nuclear Power Plant, which will employ the nuclear power to generate clean energy, is a significant step forward minimizing the UAE carbon footprint. Before the construction of any regulated nuclear facility, it is essential to investigate the environmental background radiation level in the country. Such an investigation is critical for providing the background data for the environmental impact assessment of the nuclear facility. The present study represents the first research effort in the (UAE) …

A Field Study On Treating Wastewater Using Bioretention And Permeable Pavement Systems, Rubab Ammad

Theses

The wastewater treatment study was conducted as a part of the efforts initiated by the UAE government for combating water shortage in the country by adopting the strategy of water conservation and reuse. This study investigated the performance of two water sensitive urban design systems, the Permeable Pavement and the Bioretention System, in improving the wastewater quality from fish tanks. Conventionally, these systems are used for storm water treatment but as UAE is situated in an arid climatic zone and experiences minimal rainfall, the two systems in undertaken study have been used in treatment of wastewater to gage their performance …

Mmtv Gene Expression Depends Upon A Short Cis Acting Sequence Within The 5' Untranslated Region Of The Viral Genome, Shaima Akhlaq

Theses

Retroviral genomes have been shown to contain regulatory sequences at the 3’ end of their genomes that have been implicated in critical steps of the viral life cycle, including nucleocytoplasmic RNA export, RNA stability, and post-nuclear export functions, such as translation. Recently mouse mammary tumor virus (MMTV) has been shown to encode Rem protein and its cis-acting cognate sequence located at the 3’ of the genome, the Rem-responsive element (RmRE). The binding of Rem to RmRE facilitates the export of genomic RNA (gRNA) from the nucleus to the cytoplasm. Using an expression system, our previous results have shown that …

Moderators In The Relationship Between Child Maltreatment And Symptoms Of Depression, Sarah Nowalis

Theses

Experiencing child maltreatment is a risk factor for later psychopathology, however, not all survivors of child maltreatment go on to develop mental illness. Therefore, there are likely important moderators that interact with child maltreatment to contribute to the development of psychopathology. The present study examined attachment and stress severity of life events as possible moderators in the association between child maltreatment and later depressive symptomatology in a population of college students. Participants completed measures of attachment, stressful life events, current mood symptoms, and demographic information. An attachment style characterized by anxiety and avoidance, and greater cumulative stress severity were expected …

Recent Works: Exploring Connections With Naturally Derived Materials Through The Context Of Art, Edmond Caputo

Theses

Recent Works is a body of art that arrived from my deep connection to the earth and nature. I was born and raised on a lake in upstate N.Y. and my childhood offered me a plethora of stimulation for my senses to receive and appreciate. It is a magical place to discover childhood, to experience as an adult, and one that remains my sanctum sanctorum. Growing up and bearing witness to a fluctuating and fragile ecosystem, where you can experience some of nature’s most triumphant moments and its transitional phases, has revealed itself in a way that has continuously informed …

2-D Electrophoresis Modeling Of Multienzyme Cutting Of Polypeptides, Howard Mayes

Theses

2-Dimensional Electrophoresis is one of the tools in the identification of proteins by molecular weight and pH. The display of molecular weight allows the researcher to quickly identify whether a specific protein or peptide string is in the sample. The pH measurement allows even better resolution between different species in the sample. The MultiEnzyme ElectroPhoresis (MEEP) program tries to model that by providing a graph that displays separated protein strings by both molecular weight and pH. The ability to cleave the protein with 43 different enzyme variations allows the researcher to analyze appropriate enzymes to isolate a protein subsequence before …

Rethinking Dalian New International Airport: The Exploration Of A Net-Zero Airport Powered By Tidal Power Energy On An Artificial Island., Xiaofan Jiang

Theses

Fossil fuel is still the number one energy resource in China, and among the fossil fuel, coal is the primary resource to generate electricity and heat during heating days. Fossil fuel will result in global warming, sea level rising, but we may not perceive these because of the relatively subtle changes. Nevertheless, China got the punishment from the natural in recent years, most of the mainland China is experiencing the terrible smog, which gets worse in the winter. The cause of the smog is same to London, a huge amount of coal has been consumed in last few decades. To …

Re-Envisioning Kindergarten Learning Spaces In The U.S Education System, Suhina Agarwal

Theses

The thesis work aims at improving the learning environments of the Kindergarten classrooms in the United States by taking inspiration from a very simple and popular play element namely the ‘blocks’. The classroom environments and learning methods have not seen a significant change since the time of the Industrial Revolution. The essence of school education remains the same, which is expected to be a closed classroom, conventional furniture and the teacher determining the learning activities. With the changing times, as new studies on multiple styles of learning and brain functions emerge, there is a need to customize education and cater …

Control Of Thermal Power System Using Adaptive Fuzzy Logic Control, Nastaran Naghshineh

Theses

Controlling thermal power systems increases the overall system efficiency and satisfies the desired requirements. In such a large system, fuel reduction of even a small percentage leads to large energy saving. Hence, power systems are gaining significant attention from engineers and scientists.

In this thesis, the uncontrolled power system for single area, two area, and three area is modelled using state space representation. Frequency deviation is simulated using MATLAB and SIMULINK. PID control is added to the system to analyze the effect of conventional control on system output response. Adaptive fuzzy logic control is added to the uncontrolled system using …

Numerical Simulation For Identification Of Insects Using A Cw Lidar System, Christo Videlov

Theses

Mosquitos are the most common vector of disease in the world, causing millions of deaths a year. While curing the diseases they cause is one approach to this problem, another could be to avoid the mosquitos in the first place. Knowing their flight patterns, location, and population in one area could aid in this. Additionally, classifying the mosquitos in an area would be helpful. The age and sex of the mosquito is important to find as they affect the chances of the insect carrying diseases such as malaria or yellow fever.

Many current methodologies to monitor insects are based on …

Matrix Completion Algorithms With Applications In Biomedicine, E-Commerce And Social Science, Yiran Wang

Theses

This thesis investigates matrix completion algorithms with applications in biomedicine, e-commerce and social science. In general, matrix completion algorithms work well for low rank matrices. Such matrices find many applications in recommender systems and social network analysis. On the other hand, biological networks often yield high rank matrices. For example, the adjacency matrix representing interactions between transcription factors and target genes in the cell is a highly sparse matrix, in which most entries correspond to absent interactions and only a few entries correspond to present interactions. This sparse matrix is a high rank or even full rank matrix. Matrix completion …

Vertical And Cross-Shore Distributions Of Barnacle Larvae In La Jolla, Ca Nearshore Waters: Implications For Larval Transport Processes, Malloree Lynn Hagerty

Theses

Many marine organisms begin their lives as tiny larvae that are at the mercy of ocean currents. Understanding the transport and subsequent dispersal of larvae is crucial, as it drives population connectivity in the ocean. Larval transport is a complex process involving both physical motions of the water and larval behavior. Vertical positioning is especially important because currents vary throughout the water column, and larvae at different depths will be advected differently. With swimming speeds insufficient to swim against currents, marine larvae can mediate cross-shore transport by controlling their depth distributions. Thus, the overall objective of this study was to …

Understanding And Optimizing Growth And Development Of California Yellowtail (Seriola Dorsalis) In Aquaculture Using Physiological Tools, Laura Schwebel

Theses

Physical fitness metrics were used to assess the health and development of California Yellowtail, Seriola dorsalis, in an aquaculture environment during two grow-out experiments. The first experiment sought to evaluate the effects of a common aquaculture deformity (an improperly inflated swim bladder) that has been hypothesized to impact energy allocation, growth, and development. Metrics including metabolic rate, critical swimming speed, feed conversion ratio, and growth rate, were monitored over a 32-week period in three groups of California Yellowtail: wild-caught (“wild”), healthy hatchery-reared (“inflated”), and hatchery-reared with uninflated swim bladders (“uninflated”). At the start of the grow-out period, wild fish …

Long-Term Changes In A Spatially Subsidized Insular Ecosystem In The Archipelago Of Bahía De Los Ángeles, Baja California, Mexico, Thais Fournier

Theses

Interactions between climate change and the processes that structure coastal communities are poorly understood.Long – term weather patterns that include extreme events (e.g., El Niño Southern Oscillation, or “ENSO”) allow us to test hypotheses of how changes in weather (e.g., precipitation) will influence communities over long time frames. One system that is particularly vulnerable to climate changes is the coastal ecotone, which occupies 8% of the earth’s surface. A large exchange of resources (spatial subsidies) link habitats across this ocean – land interface, often with dramatic consequences for the recipient systems. Spatial subsidies such as marine input influence …

Allrecovery – Mobile App For Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia Education, Yao Jia Zhang

Theses

Acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) is a cancer of the bone marrow. Lymphoblasts are unable to mature due to errors in signaling leading to an accumulation of non-functioning lymphoblasts. ALL is one of the most common cancers found in children; with an estimated 6590 new cases in the United States in 2016 (seer.cancer.gov, 2016). When a family finds out that their child has been diagnosed with cancer, it could be a shocking and terrifying experience. Understanding and learning about the nature of the disease can be a helpful method to cope with the fear and anxiety. ALLRecovery is created to present …

Life Begins, Yuju Yen

Theses

My work reveals the world I see, the world I feel, and the world I imagine. The story I want to tell in my thesis is about every stunning moment when a life begins. While the sculptures and jewelry in my thesis body of work differ in scale, they are all singing the same theme: when a life starts to grow and when a flower blooms.

The forms of my thesis work are inspired from various natural lives, such as virus, fungi, jellyfish, bacteria, blooming flowers, and sea creatures. They are vividly waving, rotating, spinning their tentacles, antennas, and microfibers …

Searching For Color In Black & White: Epistemic Closure, The Rit Archives, And The Colonial Roots Of White Invisibility, Andrew James

Theses

When examining an image, a viewer often focuses on what they see and less often on what they are able to see. Nowhere is this as true, and as problematic, as it is with the visual representation of persons of African descent. This study describes how problematic photographic representation was used as a powerful semiotic tool in the Victorian age conquest of the other, was exported to early Hollywood (creating a lucrative hate-based industry), and was then pushed back into the cultural recesses, settling finally into systemic forms of modern oppression, empowered by the invisibility of whiteness. Images from the …