Digital Commons Network^™

A Magneto-Thermally Controllable Microstrip-Patch Antenna For Low Rcs Applications, Sallam Mohammad Al Hendi

Theses

This research focuses on the development of a novel technique for reducing the Radar Cross Section (RCS) of a microstrip antenna operating in the terahertz spectral regime. This can be accomplished by loading the antenna with Indium Antimonide (InSb); a thermally-magnetically controllable semi-conductor. The low-RCS feature of the antenna implies that it becomes hardly detectable by detecting radars; a desired feature in stealthy applications. For an optimal operation beside low RCS, the other antenna parameters (e.g., radiated power, gain, standing-wave ratio, and reflection coefficient) must be within tolerable ranges. Thus, a study on the effects of the temperature and the …

The Evaluation Of Carbon Benefits Produced By Urban Street Trees, Hanyu Wang

Theses

Urban tree service and urban forestry are important fields that focus on the care and management of trees in urban areas. Urban trees provide numerous benefits around all aspect, including carbon storage, improving air and water qualities. Carbon storage refers to the process of removing carbon dioxide (CO2) from the atmosphere and storing it in various reservoirs, and in this case, in trees and forests.

i-Tree is a suite of software tools developed by the United States Forest Service that provides a range of resources for assessing and managing forests. i-Tree Eco is one of the more used tools from …

Emergent Properties Of Cells And Tissues In Health And Disease, Pancy T. Lwin

Theses

This dissertation uses statistical physics based mathematical models to investigate and predict the emergent properties of biological systems in both healthy and diseased states. Three projects are presented, each exploring a different aspect of biological systems. The first project focuses on modeling cartilage-like tissue systems as a double network consisting of two interconnected networks. By using rigidity percolation theory, we study the tunable mechanics and fracture resistance of such biological tissues in healthy and degraded states. Our findings show that the secondary network density can be tuned to facilitate stress relaxation, leading to robust tissue properties when the primary network …

Using Machine Learning Application For Cardiovascular Disease Prediction And Diagnosis, Abdullah As'ad Mohammad Abu Hanieh

Theses

Despite the "information rich" nature of the healthcare business, not all data are mined to reveal unseen patterns or knowledge and enable sound decision-making. Nowadays, a persistent need is increased for data mining to discover new information from different datasets and apply it in the healthcare system to help healthcare professionals in decision making for predicting diagnosis and treatment for different diseases, such as cardiovascular disease (CVDs). In the current era, it is estimated that cardiovascular diseases constitute 30% of the global mortality rate annually. Predicting cardiovascular diseases at the right moment is challenging for cardiac consultants. The medical industry …

The Effect Of Demographic Imbalance On Crime, Maher Bhadri

Theses

This study investigates demographic imbalance on crimes in the UAE by analyzing a record of crimes from 2020 to 2022 using descriptive and inferential statistics. The findings reveal gender, marital status, and age imbalance among crime offenders in the UAE. Males, married individuals, and individuals in their 30s are more prevalent in committing crimes. Certain countries, accused individuals, and certain types of crimes are also more frequent in the UAE. Policymakers and law enforcement agencies can use these insights to develop targeted interventions to reduce crime rates in the country. Future studies should investigate the underlying causes of these imbalances …

Dubai Emirate Land Price Prediction Using Analytics And Machine Learning, Shaikha Ali Mohsin Alattar Alhashmi

Theses

The Dubai Emirate is a burgeoning and vibrant region that has gained significant attention in the real estate industry due to its rapid development. With an increase in demand for land, the region has experienced a substantial surge in land prices. Therefore, precise land price prediction has become paramount for real estate investors, developers, and government officials. The purpose of this study was to employ analytics and machine learning techniques to accurately forecast land prices in the Dubai Emirate.

The study employed a dataset that included influencing factors such as, location, amenities, infrastructure, size, and other variables that affect land …

Renewable Energy In Water Desalination: Route Of Technology, Vulnerabilities And Solutions Towards Cyber Intrusion, Aya Elshinawy

Theses

The diminishing of fossil fuels is inclining day by day which poses a huge dilemma that possesses a challenge for researchers to try and unlock the key for advanced technologies where energy is sustainable. Mankind was created in a self-sustaining planet where the Sun is the peak of the energy chain which branches out many renewable and sustainable energy sources. Scientists have been exploring the possibilities of exploiting the energy of the sun in many different ways including, photovoltaics for electricity generation, solar thermal applications for heating as well as electricity generation, energy storage applications and Desalination. Water scarcity is …

Appearances Are Deceiving: Long-Distance Subject Anaphors And Phasal Binding Domains, Fahad A. Almalki

Theses

An unusual behavior of anaphors is to occur in embedded subject positions and bebound across a finite clause boundary by a matrix subject. This thesis, however, demonstrates that such constructions exist in Malki Arabic, besides other languages. First, this thesis shows that the clause size of the embedded clause in which subject anaphors are allowed is CP and not always a TP. Second, in light of current reductionist approaches to binding domains of the classical binding theory to phase theory, a cross-clausal binding relation bears issues to those approaches, as a long-distance antecedence relation crosses a phase boundary. Taking long-distance …

College Students' Perceived Behavioral Expectancy Violations By Instructors In The Zoom Classroom, Kaleb Kronimus

Theses

As of the COVID-19 pandemic, video conferencing briefly usurped face-to-face as the primary medium of communication for education and professional settings. Even now in 2022 as the impact of the pandemic begins to be felt less, video conferencing remains an integrated part of educational settings, with Zoom being the most prominent video conferencing application in education. This study used expectancy violations theory to explore both the behavioral expectations students have of their instructors on Zoom, as well as what instructors themselves believe their students' expectations to be when on Zoom. This paper explores both the general expectations held by students, …

Building A New Bridge: Justin Favela's Puente Nuevo, Kelley Yost

Theses

This thesis analyzes an installation work, Puente Nuevo, created in 2019 by artist Justin Favela at the Amon Carter Museum of American Art. In this large-scale, piñata-like mural, Favela asserts his Latinx identity while questioning cultural stereotypes and viewer expectations with a sense of humor and irony. The unique materiality of Favela’s work, based in the folk art forms of papel picado and cartonería, transforms spaces into immersive environments that are fun and provocative, and capable of housing darker associations as well. He builds layers of meaning into his pieces by revising historic works, such as picturesque landscapes by Casimiro …

Finding The Circle In The Square: A Neoplatonic Interpretation Of Kazimir Malevich’S Black Square, Matthew Madison Rowe

Theses

This thesis explores the influence of Silver Age philosophers Vladimir Soloviev, Sergei Bulgakov, and Pavel Florensky on Kazimir Malevich’s Black Square. Malevich was among the first to apply Silver Age philosophy to abstract art, fully rejecting all objective representation in art. The thesis argues that Malevich’s Suprematism was the result of the fundamental antimony of the Russian religious worldview, which understands reality as both immanent and transcendent. This understanding of reality was not unique to Russia but was the result of historic influences, including the Neoplatonic and religious-humanist philosophy that was prevalent in Russian intellectual culture during this period. …

Bridge: A Thoughtful Workflow, Isabella Rainey

Theses

The creative workspace is filled with all walks of life – from right to left brains, different personality types, mental health setbacks, and differences in neurodivergencies. While the differences amongst employees can be a huge asset, it can also create a struggle to have productive and inclusive workflows – specifically in relation to project life cycles. These types of differences can create a gap in regards to healthy communication, which can lead to lesser productivity in the long run due to a disconnect with employees battling mental health setbacks. There are many tools out there already that focus on productivity, …

High School Curriculum Outline And Unit Plan For Unit 3: Researching And Referencing For The Comparative Study, Kendra Bomar

Theses

Before beginning the International Baccalaureate Art program, most high school students will have already spent a significant amount of time studying a variety of art genres and will have a solid understanding of art terminology and methods. This is because the program is designed to build upon prior knowledge and experience. This is true for the majority of schools that participate in the IB program. It is common practice for educational institutions that provide tough programs to insist that students complete prerequisite coursework before they are allowed to enroll in the challenging programs that the institution provides. This is done …

Can You Escape Agency By Falling Asleep? Killing Two Constitutivists’ Problems With One Stone, Henrique Cassol Leal

Theses

In this paper, I present a new problem to constitutivism (the idea that agency grounds our practical norms) and argue that the solution to this problem also solves Enoch’s shmagency question. The problem I bring forth involves the fact that agency seems to be metaphysically escapable, such as when we fall asleep, or get hit by a truck. If this is correct, then we allow for perplexing cases in which a wrongdoing is done, but no agent is responsible, nor is any norm broken—for, what grounds responsibility and norms, our agency, has disappeared. I thus argue for a notion of …

Intentional Passing And Closeted Agency, Logan Bohlinger

Theses

It is characteristic of closeted queer agents that they behave so as to pass as heterosexual, cisgender, or otherwise as non-queer. Thus, I take it that an action-theoretic account of the phenomenon of straight-passing is essential to developing an action-theoretic account of the practical disposition of being “in the closet.” To progress towards a broader account of closeted queer agency, I endeavor in this thesis to clarify the patterns of practical reasoning involved in straight-passing with an aim to demonstrate that straight-passing, in all its forms, is something that a queer agent can intentionally do. However, a queer agent often …

The Interstellar Scintillation Of Psr J1614-2230, Lekshmi Rajagopal

Theses

Observations of the millisecond pulsar J1614-2230 as part of the NANOGrav 12.5 yr dataset were utilised to study the scintillation and interstellar medium along the line of sight of PSR J1614-2230. Modelling noise signals in pulsar line of sight allows for isolation of the raw signal and therefore more precise pulse period measurements. These are extremely useful in Pulsar Timing Arrays and in their potential to be used as cosmic detectors for the gravitational wave background. J1614 presented clear, distinguishable intensity variations in a long observation taken in March 2014 by B.J.Shapiro-Albert et al. (2020), which provided motivation to further …

Content Analysis Of Activities Of The Emirati Science Textbooks For The Fifth Grade In Light Of Science Process Skills, Teba Abdulazeez Al-Faiadh

Theses

Similar to several other countries, the United Arab Emirates places a high value on the use of science textbooks in the process of teaching and learning science. Therefore, the content of science textbooks must always be evaluated and analyzed in light of scientific knowledge and skills. Providing science process skills in the activities of science textbooks is essential and has a significant role in pushing students toward balanced scientific knowledge because attention to skills is a tool that enables the student to succeed in understanding the nature of science. However, based on the literature, there is a scarcity of scientific …

Design Of A Mini Leo Gnss Constellation And A Custom Gnss Signal Simulator Development, Mohamed Mohamed Yaser

Theses

This thesis is concerned with Low Earth Orbit (LEO) Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS) constellations and signals, and how can they provide rapid Positioning, Navigation, and Timing (PNT) services for the emerging technologies. The first objective of this thesis is to perform a simulation of a new mini-LEO GNSS constellation at 1000 km and assess its performance in different scenarios. The second objective is to design a signal simulator for two signals that are propriety of the Global Navigation Satellite Augmentation Systems (GNSSaS), which are the BOC(2,2) and ATLBOC(7.5, BOC(2,2)) modulation schemes. To simulate the mini-LEO GNSS constellation, two software …

Transmuting Tragedy: The Political Martyrdom Of The Executed Leaders Of The 1916 Easter Rising In Irish Visual Arts, Megan Howard

Theses

The Easter Rising of 1916 marked a defining moment in Irish history, as a group of Irish nationalists sought to overthrow British rule and establish an independent Irish Republic. While the rebellion was initially unsuccessful, it was a pivotal moment in Irish history that sparked a wave of national mourning and resistance following the execution of its leaders by the British government. Such a transition occurred with the careful and deliberate shaping of their legacy by their families with the aid of the Irish Catholic Church. This thesis explores the depiction of the executed leaders of the 1916 Easter Rising …

An Inward Mission Of The Fourth Gospel And Its Reflection In The Ge'ez Rite Divine Liturgy, Brother S. Bdeho

Theses

Various themes of the Fourth Gospel have been explored by scholars. The exploration of its concept of mission and worship is also present. However, the missionary method and its inseparability from worship have not been examined adequately. This thesis examines this unique feature of the Gospel in three major sections. First, the Catholic Church’s contemporary teaching on mission is reviewed based on Ad Gentes (AG) and Redemptoris Missio (RM), which offer the core teaching. The findings show the ad extra missionary praxis is inspired by the s Gospels (AG) while RM shows a move towards ad intra missionary praxis inspired …

Intrinsic Programmed Death Ligand 1 (Pd-L1) Role In Promoting Triple Negative Breast Cancer (Tnbc) Progression, Duaa Salem Alkaabi

Theses

This thesis is concerned with Triple Negative Breast Cancer (TNBC), which is characterized by lack of estrogen, progesterone, and HER2 receptors expression, making targeted drugs ineffective. TNBC has a high proliferative rate, which results in a poor prognosis. Chemotherapy, the primary treatment for metastatic breast cancer, is not an ideal choice due to its toxicity towards normal cells. Therefore, Cancer-targeted therapy has been developed to improve the specificity and strength of the immune system against cancer cells. PD-L1 is an immunosuppressive protein that inactivates T cells by binding to the inhibitory receptor PD-1. The clinical use of PD-L1 blockade agents …

Understanding Scoliosis: What Caregivers And Patients Need To Know, Megan Moore

Theses

Scoliosis is an abnormal curvature of the vertebral column that typically occurs in children approaching puberty. 80% of scoliosis cases are idiopathic (Scoliosis Research Society, 2022). The severity of a scoliosis curve is measured in degrees and is usually diagnosed when it is greater than 10 degrees. A severe curve exceeds 45 to 60 degrees and can require surgical treatment (Scoliosis Reduction Center, 2020). Severe scoliosis causes physical deformities, such as unaligned ribs, hips, and shoulders, but also may reduce the amount of space in the chest, affecting the function of the heart and lungs (Mayo Clinic, 2022). The purpose …

House Price Prediction Using Machine Learning Model, Abdulla Alfalasi

Theses

Data Analytics and Machine Learning play an important role in extracting insights and patterns from datasets. The primary objective of using the above techniques for real world problems is to understand the intricacies of the problem, which is impossible with the help of manual human effort. The below chart shows the price trend (per sq. ft) over the past 10 years in Dubai, with a steady rise during the years from 2014. The 2020 pandemic plummeted the global prices due to the lack of demand and travel restrictions, which is clearly depicted in the chart. But at the very end …

First-Principles Calculations On The Electronic Structure, Mechanical, Vibrational, And Thermal Properties Of The Ca₃Bin Antiperovskite Alloy, Reem Maher Mohamad

Theses

Antiperovskites are the counterparts of perovskites. They have diverse properties that make them physically rich and technologically relevant. In the recent years, the alkaline earth based antiperovskites, especially the ones with small semiconductor bandgap, have captured tremendous attention due to their properties which make them efficient to be used in optoelectronic and thermoelectric applications. In this thesis, we are shading light on the alkaline antiperovskite ����₃������ due to its narrow bandgap. Thus, it can be considered as a promising candidate for thermoelectric and optoelectronic applications. Specifically, it is used to harvest waste thermal energy into electricity at low …

What Drives Larval Condition For Northern Anchovy (Engraulis Mordax)? Implications For Coastal Pelagic Species Recruitment Fluctuations And Fishery Management Practices, Michelle Robidas

Theses

Discerning the causes of population boom and bust cycles for coastal pelagic species (CPS) has been a major focus of fisheries management research for over a century. Year-class strength is contingent on larval survival and condition, which can be influenced by larval size at age and growth rate. These two factors, in turn, can be affected by maternal investment and environmental variables such as water temperature, salinity, oxygen, and chlorophyll a. We evaluated each of these factors from 127 two to eight week-old Northern Anchovy (Engraulis mordax) larvae off the coast of San Diego to San Francisco, …

Gatekeeping Access To Emergency Departments: A Survey Of Hmo Policies, Regina Conway-Phillips

Theses

The purpose of this study is: (1) to determine if the practice of "gatekeeping" to control access to emergency departments by clients is a prevalent practice in nationwide Health Maintenance Organizations (HMOs}; (2) to determine if a consistent HMO-wide definition of "life-threatening" emergency medical condition exists; (3) to delineate emergency triage systems used by HMOs; (4) to determine what medical directors perceive is the impact of gatekeeping access to emergency department (ED} services on the timeliness of HMO members receiving ED services; and (5) to see if differences exists in for-profit and non-profit HMO gatekeeping policies.

Students With Hidden Disabilities’ Perceptions Of Online Versus On-Campus Education, And Disability Support Services, Susan Young

Theses

A focus on widening access and participation in Higher Education has resulted in increased numbers of tertiary students with hidden disabilities in recent decades, globally. While academic supports at an institutional level are available for this student population, issues are reported with them consistently, which often leads to their non-utilisation. This is one possible explanation for why these students experience inequitable academic circumstances compared to their peers concerning lower grades and welfare levels, and higher withdrawal and failure rates. There is a paucity of research available on adequate accommodations that support the academic success of students with hidden disabilities in …

An Examination Of The Privacy Paradox Phenomenon In The Uae Context, Maitha Majdi Al Ahbabi

Theses

The proliferation of technology and the internet has led to the collection and sharing of personal information online. Privacy breaches and data breaches have become a growing concern, leading to the emergence of the "privacy paradox" phenomenon, where by individuals express concerns about privacy, but continue to engage in behaviors that compromise their privacy. Despite the importance of this issue, relatively little research has been conducted in the UAE on the topic of the privacy paradox. This study aimed to investigate the presence of the privacy paradox in the UAE and the factors that motivate individuals to use technologies that …

An Examination Of Bilateral Skill Proficiency And The Impact Of A Coach Mentoring Intervention In A Gaelic Football Development Academy, Kevin Murray

Theses

This programme of research had two aims which organised the research into two distinct phases. Phase one examined differences in bilateral skill proficiency and frequency of use between selected and non-selected Under 17 inter-county male academy Gaelic footballers. Phase two explored the coaching practices of three youth Gaelic football coaches in the same youth Gaelic football academy. In phase one, quantitative data from a bilateral skills test and match play analysis from 82 players which were retrospectively grouped as selected (n=19) and non-selected (n=63) to an Under 17 inter-county team revealed that selected players scored significantly higher than non-selected in …

Learning To Calibrate Trust Through Explainability, Amber F. Chesser

Theses

Automation has been implemented in a range of machinery. Providing supplementary information about system processes (i.e., explainability) could mitigate over-reliance and enhance operator awareness of potential anomalies. Trust plays a critical role in human- automation collaboration, as over-trust can lead to misuse or over-reliance, while under-trust can result in disuse or the failure to engage automation when it could enhance performance. Dynamic learned trust and situational trust fluctuate during an operator's interaction with a system and can be influenced by the rate of system failures or workload respectively. Design features like explainability can impact perceived usefulness and help users identify …