Digital Commons Network^™

Urban Heat Island Mitigation: A Gis Based Analysis Of Cool Roofing, Canopy Cover, And Imperviousness In Rochester, New York, Benjamin Lyon

Theses

Urban Heat Islands (UHI’s) pose an increasing risk to public and environmental health. This phenomenon of heightened temperatures occurs in developed cities around the world, largely due to anthropogenic changes in the landscape. This study investigates the interactions of two UHI mitigation strategies, cool roofing, and altering vegetation cover and impervious surfaces, within the city of Rochester, New York. Using Landsat 9 band 10 imagery and land cover data, surface temperature patterns were analyzed in relation to roof color, imperviousness, and canopy cover across the neighborhoods within the city. GIS based statistical analyses were utilized to predict temperature changes resulting …

An Investigation Of Electrical Surface Impact As A Three-Dimensional Low-Energy Defibrillation Method, Rhiannan Ruef

Theses

Ventricular fibrillation is a medical emergency that leaves the heart unable to beat properly, and is fatal within minutes if left untreated. Furthermore, it’s the leading cause of sudden cardiac arrest according to the NIH, killing over 400,000 Americans every year. Previously, we’ve proposed a new low-energy defibrillation method to restore the heart to its normal rhythm during fibrillation. Our method required further investigation due to the presence of several important dynamical processes. In this dissertation, we report the results of these investigations. First, we will present our results related to a novel behavior called “flopping,” which occurs when a …

Narrow Band Random Vibration Reliability Of A Doped Near Eutectic Tin-Bismuth-Based Alloy With A Large Fine-Pitch Ball Grid Array Device, Gregory Derr-Haverlach

Theses

This thesis investigates the vibration reliability and microstructure of two low temperature lead-free solder alloys. The experimental design involved a 2x2 factorial setup, with solder paste type and time above liquidus (TAL) as the primary factors. The solder pastes tested were Indalloy 281 and Indalloy 303, with TALs of two minutes and three minutes. Indalloy 281 is a eutectic Sn42/Bi58 solder and Indalloy 303 is a doped near eutectic Sn-Bi solder. The objective of the study is to identify how reliability changes between solders and the time above liquidous and to also examine the microstructure and the significant factors that …

Urban Pollinator Vertical Garden: Design Strategies For Sustainable Human - Pollinator Interaction In Urban Environments, Chungmin Park

Theses

The project focuses on the urban spaces as vibrant ecosystems, integrating pollinator habitats, vertical gardens, and green spaces. It emphasizes community engagement and education to promote environmental responsibility and calls for global urban stakeholders to prioritize collaboration and innovation for sustainable urban development. Ultimately, it aims to create resilient and vibrant cities for future generations.

Neural Patterns Of Self-Efficacy And Resulting Changes After Cognitive Rehabilitation In Mild Traumatic Brain Injury, Emma N. Tribbey

Theses

Mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) often leads to cognitive impairments, which can significantly affect recovery outcomes. Although there are many different interventions available for individuals with mTBI, evidence-based research has indicated that cognitive rehabilitation programs can lead to significant improvement in psychological symptoms as well as psychosocial and vocational functioning in mTBI. Additionally, clinical research has identified a construct, self-efficacy, or the belief in one's capacity to achieve goals, that may play a critical role in further improving cognitive rehabilitation outcomes. Current research examining self-efficacy and cognitive rehabilitation in mTBI has found that higher self-efficacy is associated with greater treatment …

Nietzschean Expressivism, Cameron Jackson

Theses

What is Nietzsche’s metaethical stance? Does he even have one? We can, I argue, reconstruct an interesting metaethical view from his writings. Rather than focusing narrowly on his claims about moral judgement, I explore Nietzsche’s philosophical psychology broadly in order to argue that he is best interpreted as holding an emotivist type of expressivism. The function of moral judgement lies within its affective and action-guiding nature, and its communal role of coordinating our evaluative attitudes with one another.

Moonstorm In The Mainstream Or On The Margins?: Constellating St. Louis Lesbian Rhetorics From The Archives, Aurora Blanchard

Theses

Combining rhetorical analysis, oral history collection, and archival study, this multi-genre research project explores lesbian feminist organizing in the 1970s. Moonstorm was a St. Louis lesbian feminist magazine that operated in the 1970s and 1980s. The sample in this research project focuses on the issues of Moonstorm published between 1973 and 1977. Issues of Moonstorm are available for viewing in the archives of the State Historical Society of Missouri. Building on V. Jo Hsu’s theory of constellating, the poems and stories found in Moonstorm serve as sites of both contested and unconditional belonging for modern LGBTQ+ activists. Constellating, specifically in …

Colloidal Control Via Micellar Solutions, Timothy F. Niper

Theses

Mesoscale colloids composed of polyoctahedral silsesquioxanes (POSS) are promising candidates for the self-assembly of hierarchical structures as a continuum of size and morphology can be readily synthesized. However, there are substantial challenges in creating customized colloids that exhibit specific structural features, programmable binding, and stimuli responsiveness. Here, we explore a novel route to gain structural and directable control of these colloids by pairing them with thermoresponsive, polymeric micelles. These polymeric micelles cannot only swell the interstices of oligomeric colloidal droplets with the accuracy provided by the well-defined polymer micellization transition, but also act as absorbable colloidal depletants—a new class of …

Vigilante Justice Violence In Ghana: Does A Visible Police Force Reduce Support For Instant Justice?, John Ampomah

Theses

Vigilante justice remains a persistent issue in Ghana, with a significant portion of Ghanaians subscribing to it to address their grievances. While existing research has examined the social and cultural drivers of vigilante justice in Ghana, the role of visible police presence (i.e., police station and police patrol) on vigilante justice has received limited attention. This study seeks to add to the literature by exploring the relationship between visible police presence and support for vigilante justice by drawing on Black’s (1983) Self-Help Theory. First, I argue that a visible police force directly reduces public support for vigilante justice and indirectly …

How Bats View Their Flowers: Exploring The Use Of Visual Floral Cues By Nectarivorous Neotropical Bats, Lindsey R. Dennison

Theses

Neotropical nectar bats in cloud forest ecosystems must navigate and forage in dark, complex landscapes containing an incredible diversity of flowering plants. Despite these challenges, nectar bats are extremely successful at exploiting nectar resources from plants. Much of the sensory ecology behind these bat-plant interactions has been investigated and we know from previous studies that echolocation and olfaction are critical sensory modalities to nectar bats. Echo-acoustically conspicuous floral and vegetative structures as well as sulfur-containing volatile compounds function as signals, allowing bats to sense plants. However, not all plants exhibit conspicuous echo-acoustic and/or olfactory characteristics. Furthermore, many neotropical bat-pollinated plants …

Exploring Rural Vs. Urban Variations In Emt Scope Of Practice: Advanced Airway And Iv Access Policies, Michaela Geffert

Theses

This thesis investigates how states across the United States (US) modify the Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) Scope of Practice (SoP) to permit advanced skills, with a focus on advanced airway management via supraglottic airways (SGAs) and intravenous (IV) access procedures, and whether rurality plays a role in these decisions. While the National EMS SoP Model establishes minimum competencies for each emergency medical services (EMS) provider level, individual states often alter their standards in response to local demographic, geographic, and resource-based needs. This study reviewed SoP policies from all 50 states, and 44 states were included. Logistic regression analysis was utilized …

The Impacts Of Water Lily Invasion And Removal On Wetland Ecosystem Function, Vanessa R. Baker

Theses

Colonization by native and non-native invasive plants is considered a primary reason for the failure of wetland restoration and creation projects. We investigated the impact of invasion and subsequent removal of Nymphaea odorata (white water lily) in two permanently flooded wetlands in Western New York State. Long-term grazer exclusion experiments at these sites demonstrated that selective grazing by herbivores, such as waterfowl, reduced emergent vegetation and overall plant diversity, simultaneously facilitating N. odorata expansion. This interaction ultimately promoted a negative feedback to waterfowl use of the wetlands because of the lack of open water space. To evaluate potential remediation options, …

Investigating The Impact Trichoderma Virens On Maize Phytohormones During Drought, Salt, And Cold Stress, Kathryn Spencer

Theses

Abiotic stresses are becoming increasingly frequent and severe due to climate change, leading to significant reductions in crop yields. Though sessile, plants are not defenseless. They can invite plant-growth promoting microbes to colonize their rhizosphere and help reprogram their chemical defense systems. Through these partnerships, plants can more rapidly and robustly recover from environmental stressors compared to those grown in isolation. In this study, the role of the beneficial microbe Trichoderma virens in phytohormone production was explored in maize, a globally important staple crop, under drought, salt, and cold stress, with or without microbial inoculation. Using a liquid chromatography mass …

A Computational Framework For Investigating Novel Bacterial Conjugation Inhibitors, Serena Tuytschaevers

Theses

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a major global threat, contributing to an estimated 700,000 deaths annually. One of the main ways that AMR genes spread among bacteria is through conjugation. Therefore, it is crucial to develop conjugation inhibitors (COINs) to combat AMR. Shared characteristics between known COIN molecules are a hydrophobic tail, unsaturations, and a polar head. Considering these characteristics and accounting for the efficacy of 2-hexadecynoic acid and Tanzawaic Acids (TZAs) low toxicity, we designed a new set of TZA analogs. The predicted protein target of previously identified COINs is TrwD, an ATPase in the type IV secretion system (T4SS). …

Protpen: A Pipeline That Combines Sequence- And Structure-Based Approaches To Predict Protein Functions, Diya Mathai

Theses

Proteins of unknown function represent a significant gap in our understanding of biological processes, with many organisms, especially prokaryotes, harboring large portions of their proteomes that remain uncharacterized. For example, in Pseudomonas aeruginosa, a major human pathogen, a large proportion of proteins are categorized as unknown or hypothetical in function. The precise number varies across species, but studies have shown that up to 30–50% of proteins in bacterial proteomes can lack functional annotations. Addressing this gap is critical to understanding the biology and pathogenicity of such organisms. Recent advancements in computational tools, particularly those in sequence and structure-based prediction, offer …

Examining The Influence Of Sports Nutrition Counseling On Collegiate Athletes, Jenelle Leon Saravia

Theses

This study explored the influence of nutrition counseling provided by registered dietitian nutritionists (RDNs) on collegiate athletes’ dietary behaviors, knowledge, and perceptions of nutrition. A mixed-methods approach was employed, incorporating qualitative interviews with 15 athletes from six sports across four schools. Participants reflected on their counseling experiences, focusing on its impact on their nutritional habits, health, and athletic performance. Quantitative data, including a one-sample t-test on recommendation scores, revealed a mean score of 6.73 (SD = 0.46) on a 7-point scale, indicating consistently high satisfaction with nutrition counseling. Thematic analysis identified five themes: Influence of Counseling, Behavioral Changes, Self-Reported Understanding …

Application Of Science And Technology Studies To Global Medical Device Donation Policy, Jolie Crunelle

Theses

In low and middle income countries, the World Health Organization estimates that nearly 80% of medical devices and equipment are procured through donation (WHO 2000). While these donations have the potential to play a critical role in the recipient communities’ health, the donated devices sometimes fall short of their potential due to improper use or lack of support—despite the existence of a variety of guidelines and regulations for medical equipment donations. While conducting volunteer biomedical equipment technician work in Guatemala and Uganda, I came to notice the disparity between the guidelines and the reality on the ground. This study aims …

Animating The Mechanism Of Action Of The Novel Glioblastoma Vaccine Survaxm, Sheila Figel

Theses

Glioblastoma (GBM) is a deadly type of malignant brain tumor affecting over 11,000 people in the United States each year. Treatment options for GBM are limited, with the majority of patients receiving surgery and chemoradiation, and surviving around 15 months. New therapies are desperately needed. A novel peptide vaccine, SurVaxM, has shown promise in phase I and II clinical trials, and is currently under investigation in a Phase IIb trial (the “SURVIVE” trial) for newly diagnosed GBM. As SurVaxM moves closer to FDA approval, there is a need for education about the agent and how it works. In order to …

Basking In Abundance: Distribution And Abundance Of Alabama Map Turtles (Graptemys Pulchra) In The Upper Coosa River, Abigail Wilkins

Theses

The Alabama Map Turtle (Graptemys pulchra) is one of the least studied species of turtle in the United States. Little is known about the species distribution and abundance within the northeastern portion of its range. The aim of this study is to determine the distribution of G. pulchra in the Upper Coosa River drainage as well as estimate population sizes for G. pulchra at 6 sites accessible in the Upper Coosa River Drainage. I used a variety of methods (e.g., rapid assessment surveys, trapping, mark-resight population estimates) to determine the presence and abundance of the species in the Upper …

Combination Of Hdac And Fyn Inhibitors In Synovial Sarcoma, Kyra Parker

Theses

The SS18-SSX fusion protein is an oncogenic driver in synovial sarcoma. At the molecular level, SS18-SSX functions as both an activator and a repressor to coordinate transcription of different genes responsible for tumorigenesis. Here, we identify the proto-oncogene FYN as a new SS18-SSX target gene and examine its relation to synovial sarcoma therapy. FYN is a tyrosine kinase that promotes cancer growth, metastasis and therapeutic resistance, but SS18-SSX appears to negatively regulate FYN expression in synovial sarcoma cells. Using both genetic and histone deacetylase inhibitor (HDACi)-based pharmacologic approaches, we show that suppression of SS18-SSX leads to FYN reactivation. In support …

المسؤوليَّة الجِنَائِيَّة عن الاتجار بالأعضاء والأنسجة البشريَّة في ضوء المرسوم بقانون اتحادي رقم (25) لسنة 2023 – دراسة مقارنة, مريم سعيد الحمودي

Theses

Criminal Liability for Trafficking in Human Organs and Tissues in Light of Federal Decree Law No. (25) of 2023 – “A Comparative Study”

The crimes of trafficking in human organs and the legal responsibilities they raise are among the most heinous, complex, and multidimensional criminal phenomena, and are considered the most dangerous sources of human rights violations, because they have taken an approach that violates the integrity, dignity, and humanity of the human body

The trade in human organs, as one of the forms of human trafficking crimes, which is an organized cross-border crime, has become a fast …

Performance Comparison Of Iot-Powered Indoor Hydroponic Systems And Outdoor Traditional Environment, Saleha Alharthi

Theses

Traditional agriculture faces challenges, including high water consumption, greenhouse gas emissions, and fluctuations in environmental conditions. The research aims to develop alternative sustainable solutions to address issues related to traditional farming. Hydroponics provides opportunities to grow different types of vegetables indoors, where conventional agriculture is challenging. This thesis presents a comparative study of soil-based and hydroponic arugula cultivation using the nutrient film technique (NFT). The proposed methodology focuses on maintaining high similarity in the implementation of components across systems to ensure fair comparison. This thesis utilized distinct approaches. The first approach compared an outdoor soil-based system with an indoor hydroponic …

Investigating Teachers' Perceptions On The Effectiveness Of School Inspection In Public Schools In The United Arab Emirates, Ruqaia Adel Mohammed

Theses

School inspection plays a significant role in ensuring quality education in UAE public schools. This paper investigates public school teachers’ perceptions of the effectiveness of school inspections in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and examines the impact of teachers’ demographic factors on these perceptions. A total of 218 teachers across the UAE participated in the study. The research focused on four key domains within the School Inspection Perception Framework (SIPF): Perceived Effectiveness of School Inspections (PESI), Perceived Effectiveness of School Inspection Training (PESIT), Perceived Credibility of School Inspections (PCSI), and Perceived Usefulness of School Inspection Feedback (PUSIF). Data were collected …

A Data-Driven Recommendation System For Selecting The Appropriate Mode Of Learning And Instructional Tools Based On Course Characteristics, Ayisha Manzoor

Theses

The rapid transformation of educational delivery methods during the COVID-19 pandemic required institutions to transition between online, hybrid, and offline learning approaches, creating both challenges and opportunities for educators and students. While online and hybrid learning modes ensured continuity, their effectiveness across different course types remained uncertain. This thesis addresses this gap by developing a datadriven recommendation framework that predicts Course Learning Outcome (CLO) achievement scores using regression, and recommends the most appropriate learning mode (online, hybrid, or offline) along with instructional tools based on course characteristics. This study analyzed 100 undergraduate and postgraduate courses from the College of Information …

The Development Of Year One Students’ Reading Ability In A Curriculum Using Monster Phonics Scheme In The Uae, Sara Berrandjia

Theses

This study explores the impact of the Monster Phonics program on the reading development of Year 1 students in Al Ain, UAE. Reading proficiency is a fundamental skill in early education, and phonics instruction plays a crucial role in literacy acquisition. Monster Phonics, a color-coded synthetic phonics program, has been increasingly adopted in classrooms, yet its effectiveness in multilingual settings remains underexplored. This research aims to investigate how students' reading ability develops in the context of a curriculum using the Monster Phonics scheme. A mixed-methods approach was employed, combining quantitative assessments pre- and post-tests on grapheme-phoneme correspondence, word reading, and …

Hybrid Treatment Method Of Biofiltration Preceded With Advanced Oxidation Process For The Removal Of Emerging Contaminants From The Wastewater Treatment Plant Effluent, Anjali Mohan Payathuparambil

Theses

The global demand for potable quality water has been on a continuous rise. Consequently, water reuse is now considered as an alternative to significantly expand supplies of freshwater in communities facing water shortages. Most of the conventional wastewater treatment plants (WWTP) are not efficient in the removal of emerging contaminants from the water, which will cause serious issues to the environment, human and animal life. This research investigated the possibilities of treating wastewater for reuse. First, the feasibility of utilizing a biofiltration system without pre-treatment for removing emerging contaminants from the WWTP effluent was investigated. Two types of biofilter media- …

التَّسوية الجزائيَّة في قانون الإجراءات الجزائيَّة الإماراتي, Fatima Salem Al Dhaheri

Theses

Penal Settlement in the UAE Criminal Procedure Law

In pursuit of enhancing justice and improving the efficiency of the criminal justice system, modern legislations have witnessed significant developments in the mechanisms through which the state exercises its right to impose sanctions. This has been achieved through the adoption of innovative approaches in criminal policy. Several legal systems have embraced alternative mechanisms to resolve criminal disputes outside the framework of traditional criminal proceedings, whether in cases of violations (infractions), misdemeanors, or even certain felonies. In line with this approach, the UAE legislator introduced the Criminal Settlement System in the latest amendment …

Design And Evaluation Of Geopolymer Composite As A Potential Sorbent Of Heavy Metals From Water, Ebtesam Mohammed Alghafri

Theses

Reducing the levels of heavy metals in water is crucial, given their severe environmental and health impacts. Various methods exist for heavy metals removal. Yet, they mostly come with multiple drawbacks, such as costly treatments and limited efficiency. Previous studies have found geopolymer to be a promising sorbent because it is synthesized using by-product materials, making it an eco-friendly and economically sustainable alternative. Limited studies explored the sorption potential of fly ash-slag blended geopolymers; none examined the effect of mix design factors synergically on sorption, mechanical properties, and durability, and few considered solution characteristics and operating conditions simultaneously. Therefore, this …

Detection And Quantitation Of A Drug And Pesticides In Food Products Of The Uae (Dates And Camel Milk) By Liquid Chromatographic Techniques, Afnan Wael Alanqar

Theses

In this thesis the detection and quantification of the traces of multi-residue pesticides in 26 date fruits samples as well as the presence of the anthelmintic drug thiabendazole in pasteurized commercial camel milk consumed in the United Arab Emirates is examined. The main objective of this thesis is two folds; first is to determine whether a selected 12 pesticides of 8 different chemical groups- in the case of date fruits- and the drug thiabendazole-in case of camel milk- exists in the randomly collected samples of corresponding matrices. Second, is to quantify these compounds and compare their amount to the established …

A Microgravity Investigation Of The Subsurface At The United Arab Emirates University Campus, Fidha Farzana Ismail

Theses

This thesis investigates subsurface structures within the United Arab Emirates University (UAEU) campus using microgravity survey. Gravity methods are widely used in geophysical exploration to detect density variations that may indicate subsurface anomalies. The primary objective of this research is to generate the Bouguer anomaly map of the UAEU campus to map subsurface structures and to assess potential geological hazards such as cavities. A total of 76 gravity stations were measured across the UAEU campus using the Scintrex CG-6 gravimeter. The acquired gravity data underwent standard processing to obtain the Bouguer anomaly, including tidal, instrumental drift, latitude, free air, Bouguer, …