Digital Commons Network^™

Uas Teaming For Search And Rescue Applications, Conner Carriere

Theses and Dissertations

Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) in Search and Rescue (SAR) operations,combined with teaming configurations and optimized path planning algorithms, enhance efficiency in locating and assisting disaster victims. Flooding accounts for 90% of natural disasters in the USA, necessitating rapid scouting and supply drops in affected areas. Current UAS path planning lacks proper start and end point selection and does not use multiple aircraft collaboratively.

This study introduces a UAS teaming strategy with high-altitude leader drones for area coverage and lower-altitude follower drones for detailed data collection and supply drops. The focus is optimizing follower drone path plan- ning using the Open-Loop …

Development Of Multifunctional Biobased Lubricants From Soybean Oil And Their Tribological Behavior, Piash Bhowmik

Theses and Dissertations

Depletion of mineral oil leads the researchers to look for renewable oils recently. Soybean, which is one of the most produced crops globally, has been identified as a potential source for such oil. The problem with vegetable oils is, they consist of unsaturated fatty acids which leads to oxidation of the oils. With proper modification and the use of suitable additives, these oils can be adapted for use in various sectors. High oleic oils are becoming increasingly popular due to their high oleic acid content, which is a monounsaturated fatty acid. These oils are gaining attention for their improved stability …

Protective Factors For Suicidal Ideation In Transgender Adults Living In Rural Communities, Genel Gronkowski

Theses and Dissertations

Transgender adults living in rural communities within the USA may be at an increased risk for suicidal ideation compared to their cisgender peers. Meyer’s Minority Stress Model postulates that this may be due to unique stressors that result from a minoritized identity that may lead to poor mental health outcomes, such as suicidal ideation; individual and community level protective factors may buffer or protect from poor health outcomes. The purpose of this study is to identify protective factors that may be unique to transgender adults experiencing suicidal ideation in rural communities. Utilizing a grounded theory approach, a homogenous group of …

On The Design Of Novel Bioplastics-Based Materials Using Advanced Blend Design And Solvent Casting, Edner Oloo

Theses and Dissertations

The development of bioplastic composites holds significant importance in addressing theescalating environmental concerns associated with conventional plastic materials, also referred to as traditional plastics. Traditional plastics are derived from fossil fuels. The utilization of fossil fuels to produce these plastic materials, and at the alarming rate they are currently being produced, contributes to several issues such as climate change, resource depletion, and plastic wastes accumulation. Therefore, development of bioplastic composites has emerged as a promising solution along with recycling. Bioplastics composites offer a sustainable alternative by utilizing degradable and renewable resources such as bioplastics (plant-based polymers) or agricultural biomass wastes. …

Encompassing ‘Himdag’ (Indigenous Way Of Life) To Address Cardiometabolic Disease In American Indian And Alaska Native Communities Through Research, Policy And Action, Heather Medicine Bear

Theses and Dissertations

Cardiometabolic diseases (CMD), encompassing conditions such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes, kidney disease and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, present a significant health burden within American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) communities. This dissertation, through the culmination of three products, including a scoping review, policy brief and strategic planning toolkit, seeks to understand and address CMD in tribal communities through an Indigenous lens. Product #1, Interventions for Cardiometabolic Health in American Indian and Alaska Native Communities: A Scoping Review, entails a thorough review of implemented CMD interventions targeting AI/AN communities to understand programmatic, clinical, and community-based prevention strategies. By synthesizing available evidence, …

Exploring The Dark And Gothic: An Analysis Of Edgar Allan Poe And Nathaniel Hawthorne’S Gothic Elements In American Literature, Alejandra Serna

Theses and Dissertations

This paper examines the significant contributions of Edgar Allan Poe and Nathaniel Hawthorne to the development of American Gothic literature. Poe’s stories “The Tell-Tale Heart” and “The Black Cat” are renowned for their psychological elements and exploration of the human psyche, while Hawthorne’s “The Birthmark” questions the nature of evil as a universal human experience. By examining the ways in which these authors engage with themes of mental disorders, symbolism, and science versus nature, this thesis explores how such work by Poe and Hawthorne play in shaping the readers' understanding of the darker elements of American Gothic literature and its …

Consumption Of Over-The-Top (Ott) Media Streaming Services In Rural Tamil Nadu, Rajarathi K

Theses and Dissertations

Over-the-top (OTT) Media Streaming Services are modern online entertainment services based on new media technologies. During the COVID-19 lockdowns, the OTT consumer base experienced exponential growth, especially in India. Currently, the Indian OTT industry is in its second growth phase, owing to increased consumption in rural India. The interests of rural consumers align with different types of OTT content, providing potential market for OTT media streaming services. Tamil Nadu is a front runner in the consumption of YouTube and other popular OTT media streaming services in the country. The Government of Tamil Nadu is making penetration efforts to establish OTT …

Increasing The Robustness Of Machine Learning By Adversarial Attacks, Gourab Mukhopadhyay

Theses and Dissertations

By perturbation or physical attacks any machine can be fooled into predicting something else other than the intended output. There are training data based on which the model is trained to predict unknown things. The objective was to create noises and shades of different levels on the images and do experiments for measuring accuracy and making the model classify the traffic signs. When it comes to adding shades to the pictures, pixels were modified for three different layers of the pictures. The experiment also shows that with the shadows getting deeper, the accuracies drop significantly. Here, some changes in pixels …

Functional & Evolutionary Analysis Of Tbx2a And Tbx2b In Zebrafish Heart Development, Maliha Tasnim

Theses and Dissertations

Congenital Heart Disease (CHD) is the most common birth defect, affecting approximately 1% of live births. This dissertation explores the genetic mechanisms underlying CHD, focusing on the T-box transcription factors Tbx2a and Tbx2b in zebrafish. Utilizing advanced bioinformatics techniques, we reconstructed the ancestral sequences of these genes to understand their evolutionary trajectory and functional divergence. Our analysis highlights the evolutionary conservation of the DNA-binding domain in tbx2a and tbx2b, suggesting its crucial role in maintaining correct gene expression patterns during development. We observed unique and shared amino acid substitutions in these proteins, indicating potential adaptive changes and conserved functions. Comparative …

Robustness Of Aging Transition In Competing Effect Of Heterogeneity And Symmetry Breaking Coupling, Gowthaman I

Theses and Dissertations

The knowledge of emergent dynamics and the mechanisms by which self-organizing complex systems operate is a perennially difficult problem that can be effectively resolved by employing an ensemble of coupled dynamical units as a framework. Several intriguing collective dynamical behaviors, such as synchronization, chimera, clustering, oscillation quenching, etc., have been reported using an ensemble of coupled oscillators. Failure or degradation in the performance of even one of the local oscillators in a network of oscillators can lead to cascading failures resulting in the collapse of the entire network such as power blackouts. Similar dynamics can also be observed among neuronal …

Resisting Exploitation: A Study Of Karen Joyce Warren’S Ecofeminist Ethic In The Selected Indian Movies, Kogila S

Theses and Dissertations

According to Warren, “The exploitation of nature and animals is justified by feminising them; the exploitation of women is justified by naturalising them” (EPWP 27). Women and nature have the same right to live independently. They are not meant for exploitation. However, patriarchy has long exploited them.

The changes are happening only in the ratio, not in the act of controlling. This research aims to study the undervalued state of women and others in nature concerning Warren's eight features of ecofeminist ethic in Indian movies, namely Harish Ram L's Thumbaa (2019), Amit Masurkar’s Sherni (2021), and Rathindran Prasad R’s Boomika …

Potential Value Of Brazzein-Yeast As A Broiler Chicken Feed Additive, Lauren Ruth Neuleib

Theses and Dissertations

A variety of flavors, including sweeteners, have been used in animal feeds to improve feed palatability and increase feed intake by livestock (Chen et al., 2020). While many of these sweeteners are found in the form of carbohydrates, brazzein is a sweet-tasting protein. This study was conducted to identify the potential of brazzein to influence feed intake by livestock, using poultry as a model. The preliminary study's purpose was to develop methods appropriate for the subsequent feeding study. In the preliminary study, eight pens of five birds were fed one of four treatment diets: Control or the Control plus one …

Optimization Of A Sers-Based Vertical Flow Immunoassay Utilizing A Plasmonic Syringe Filter For Rapid Biomarker Detection And Quantification, Anthony Abeiku Amissah

Theses and Dissertations

Many current diagnostic tools for accurate disease detection and quantification are often tedious and involve multiple complex steps. Consequently, there is a critical need for alternative point-of-care devices that are affordable and deliver rapid and reliable results. Recently, surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) has emerged as a highly effective analytical method, enhancing Raman scattering of molecules adsorbed onto nanoparticles and allowing for low-level detection and quantitative chemical analysis. In this study, we employ SERS to develop a rapid diagnostic test using human immunoglobulin G (hIgG) as a model biomarker because it is abundant in human serum, cheap, readily available, and well-understood. …

The Role Of Furan Moieties On The Thermal Decomposition And Char Formation Of Intrinsically Fire-Resistant Epoxy Thermosets For Composites, Amy E. Honnig Bassett

Theses and Dissertations

Fire-retardant chemicals added to epoxy thermosets used as coatings, adhesives, and fiber-reinforced polymer composites (FRPCs) negatively impact performance and the environment. This dissertation takes a novel approach to mitigate the flammability of these systems by designing intrinsically fire-resistant epoxies via the incorporation of furan moieties. Glycidyl amines based on furfuryl amine and judiciously selected derivatives of furfuryl amine were synthesized to produce furan-based di-epoxies (FDEs) that were cured by anionic polymerization and with amine curing agents. The furan ring was found to impart additional reactivity for cross-linking and to induce char-forming reactions at higher temperatures. More importantly, the placement of …

A Systematic Review Of Implementation Fidelity Interventions For School-Based Behavior Supports In Special Education Settings, Paige C. Mesui

Theses and Dissertations

Problem behavior has been increasing in classrooms and has significantly contributed to teacher burnout. Students in special education settings have been found to demonstrate problem behaviors more than their general education peers. Schools have a responsibility to implement evidence-based behavioral support to assist students with their behavioral needs, decrease problem behavior, and increase desired behavior in the classroom. There is a relationship between the level of implementation fidelity and the effectiveness of an intervention. If there are not high levels of fidelity, the results are not expected to mimic what has been found in the research. The purpose of this …

Student Stress In Animal Science, Jayden Lynn Lawrence

Theses and Dissertations

Anecdotally, college students have high levels of stress when compared to the rest of the population. There have been many studies that support this idea in programs outside of animal science, but with the shift in animal science from students that have prior livestock experience to those that do not, it is important to acknowledge how this shift impacts the student population. By evaluating courses in animal science, and how they impact student stress it is possible to determine if the present-day curriculum causes any additional stress on students that have less prior experience. In the United States, a majority …

Constructing The Other: Unveiling The Exotic, Barbaric And Parodied Archetypes In Western Discourse, Alexandra Goitia Goitia

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis builds upon Edward Said’s seminal work, "Orientalism," to explore the complex dynamics of "Otherness" in Western thought across various contexts. Said’s theory elucidates how the West has historically constructed a distorted image of the East to justify colonial dominance, framing the East as a mere extension of Western fantasies and fears. This study expands Said’s framework by applying it to a diverse range of texts beyond the Muslim world, examining how Western narratives perpetuate the Exotic, Barbaric, and Parodied Other. The first part of the thesis juxtaposes Hernán Cortés’s "Cartas de relación" with Netflix’s "Marco Polo," illustrating how …

Precrastination As A Form Of Intention Offloading: A Test Of The Clear Hypothesis, Ryan Jun Seong Liew

Theses and Dissertations

Precrastination has recently been studied due to its counter-intuitive nature. Precrastination is characterized by completing a task sooner rather than later at the expense of effort. VonderHaar et al. (2019) proposed the CLEAR hypothesis to describe the purpose of precrastination behaviors. The CLEAR hypothesis suggests that precrastination is a type of cognitive offloading behavior that clears one’s mental “to-do list”, leaving more cognitive resources for other tasks. Thus, if the CLEAR hypothesis is accurate, precrastination and other offloading strategies may be related. The current study was designed to test this prediction. My study sought to clarify the underlying mechanisms that …

Development Of Anti-Fibrotic Agents For Potential Use In Glaucoma Filtration Surgery To Prevent Scar Formation, Nikhala Shree S

Theses and Dissertations

Glaucoma is the second leading cause of blindness with irreversible vision loss. It is marked by the degeneration of retinal ganglion cells, which results in optic nerve head damage. Intraocular pressure (IOP) is a prime risk factor of glaucoma controlled by various treatment regimens i.e., medication, laser, and/ or surgery. It is reported that longterm exposure to anti-glaucoma medications (AGM) may subtle the surgical success rate leading to postoperative fibrosis. Transforming growth factor beta (TGF-β) is a growth factor that plays an important role in the development of glaucoma and promotes fibrosis.

This study is aimed at developing peptides to …

Therapeutic Potentials Of The Gut-Brain-Microbiota Axis For Prevention And Treatment Of Motivational Deficits In Ecohiv Infected Rats, Mason T. Rodriguez

Theses and Dissertations

People living with HIV begin to experience gastrointestinal disturbances as early as 6 months after initial infection. Regardless of adherence to combination antiretroviral therapy (cART), the gut microbiome of people living with HIV maintains a state of dysbiosis throughout the rest of their lives, providing potential for a novel target for improving the lives of those living with HIV. The present study investigated the impact EcoHIV and cocaine have on the gut microbiome of F344/N rats. Fecal samples were collected from 20 female and 20 male animals at baseline, following self-administration of cocaine, and following inoculation with EcoHIV or Saline. …

Neurocognitive Processes As Longitudinal Predictors Of Reading Fluency, Jody Samuels

Theses and Dissertations

Reading fluency involves a complex interaction of different cognitive skills and abilities that develop with instruction and practice and relies on the automaticity of many distinct reading skills (e.g., pacing, word recognition, expression, phonological awareness). Fluent reading frees cognitive resources, such as working memory, for more advanced components of reading including comprehension and synthesis (Kim & Wagner, 2015; Samuels, 2006). Though early identification of students with fluency challenges is critical for providing evidence-based intervention, most screeners assess skills that are dependent upon instruction (e.g., letter identification, sound-symbol correspondence), delaying opportunities for identification. The current study examines the utility for including …

Sacred Symbols In A Secular World: Religious Imagery In The Works Of Jack London And Sylvia Plath, Kathleen Elizabeth Long

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis seeks to investigate and analyze the presence of religious symbolism in the novels of Jack London and Sylvia Plath, two authors whose atheist beliefs comingle in intriguing ways with this sacred imagery, offering rich ground for comparative analysis. Despite London’s fervent Darwinist beliefs, he injects subtle religious motif within The Call of the Wild, devoted to promoting atheist thought yet yearning for the grandiosity of myth. Similarly, Plath uses allusions to Judaism within her novel The Bell Jar, subverting classical religious tradition to associate it with themes of animal savagery. By studying these two texts, this …

How Passion Functions In Sport Applicant Attraction: A Biometric Approach, Jiayao Qi

Theses and Dissertations

Passion has been extensively researched from the perspective of athletes, entrepreneurs, and employees. In this dissertation, the researcher conducted an in-depth investigation of the way passion functions in sport job attraction. The two-stage experimental design combines the pioneer biometric methodology with qualitative inquiry, and 25 job seekers selected from a larger sample participated in the biometric lab. Results indicate that the interplay between cognitive and affective appraisals is critical in explaining sport job seekers’ highly individualistic and discriminative attraction toward work opportunities in sport. In particular, sports job seekers foster work passion through their multiple identifications with sport (playing history, …

Lactobacillus Rhamnosus Interactions With Foodborne Pathogens And Impact On Plant Productivity In A Model Hydroponic System, Esther Titilope Oginni

Theses and Dissertations

Food production is a global problem, and this has been further compounded with changes in weather patterns necessitating the need for a sustainable approach to production. Chapter 1 introduces the broad concept of the Control environment agriculture (CEA) and then narrows it doe to the hydroponic system its food safety risks. The CEA has been employed alongside conventional practices methods to improve meet the demand for food without placing pressure on the land available. Foodborne outbreaks have been recorded in the production medium and are therefore susceptible to contamination. In Chapter 2, the study focused on using Lactobacillus rhamnosus and …

Viewing Ir Through A Unicolonial Lens: A Case Study On The Effects Of Cultural Recognition On State Behavior, Andrew Viera

Theses and Dissertations

The following thesis utilizes the concept of unicoloniality, a process found within several ant species, to analyze the aggressive behavior and alliance-forming behavior of states. Through the unique lens of ant colony behavior, this study creates a new variable for quantifying culture that measures whether two states can recognize each other based on their cultural identity. Utilizing this noble variable, a logistic regression model was run to test the impact of cultural recognition on state behavior. The results indicated that cultural recognition had no effect on the decision of a state to join an alliance or engage in a militarized …

Interleukin 24 Induces Apoptosis Through Glycogen Synthase Kinase-3 Beta Inactivation In Prostate Cancer Cells, Sual J. Lopez, Moira Sauane

Theses and Dissertations

Interleukin 24 (IL-24) is a tumor-suppressing protein currently in clinical trials. IL-24 induces cancer-specific apoptosis by activating endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress and mitochondria dysfunction. We have previously demonstrated that IL-24 leads to apoptosis in cancer cells by protein kinase A (PKA) activation in human breast cancer cells. To further understand the mechanism by which IL-24 induces apoptosis, I analyzed the role of glycogen synthase kinase-3 (GSK3), a highly conserved and normally active serine/threonine kinase in cancer cells and downstream target of PKA. The work reported here provides direct evidence that GSK3 was inhibited following IL-24 treatment in human prostate cancer …

The Role Of Nr4a Transcription Factors In The Body And Their Effects In The Pancreatic Beta Cell, Jacob A. Herring

Theses and Dissertations

A central aspect of type 1 and type 2 diabetes is decreased functional β-cell mass which leads to systemic glucose dysregulation. Functional β-cell mass takes into account β-cell insulin secretion, β-cell proliferation, and β-cell survival. Several treatments are currently used to help maintain glucose levels in individuals with diabetes. However, cures for these diseases are not available due to inability to expand functional β-cell mass. Transcription factors control expression of target genes critical for various functions, and transcription factors that control β-cell function, proliferation and survival play a significant role in β-cell development and function. A more thorough examination of …

The Effect Of Advertising On Consumer Self-Improvement Motivation: When And How Advertising Motivates Consumers, Suwakitti Amornpan

Theses and Dissertations

In today's modern world, advertising permeates nearly every facet of consumers’ daily lives, from billboards over city streets to posts seamlessly integrated into social media feeds. The current research identifies a positive unintended consequence of advertising on consumer behavior: increased consumer self-improvement motivation. Across four studies, I find that exposure to mass (vs. luxury) advertising increases consumer motivation to engage in self-improvement. Specifically, I argue that because advertisements for mass (vs. luxury) products prime attainable (vs. unattainable) consumption goals, they increase consumer confidence in their ability to achieve their consumption goals (i.e., they enhance self-efficacy perceptions). This, in turn, puts …

Ecological Effects On Greenhouse Gas Emissions In Vegetated Estuarine Soils Of The Lower Laguna Madre, David R. De La Garza

Theses and Dissertations

Coastal wetlands are important ecosystems that provide numerous ecosystem services including erosion control, habitat for fauna, and carbon sequestration. Notably, coastal wetlands are producers of greenhouse gases (GHGs) but are able to store significant amounts of carbon relative to their surface area. Mangrove forests are amongst the most effective ecosystems for carbon sequestration. Soil emits (GHGs) containing carbon (such as carbon dioxide (CO2) and methane (CH4)), which are produced by organic matter decomposition and soil organic carbon mineralization, and both are an important component of the global carbon cycle. Soil emissions may be affected by a variety of factors including …

Validating An Automated Rodent Ultrasonic Vocalization Data Collator, Devin Mark Kellis

Theses and Dissertations

Rodent ultrasonic vocalizations (USVs) are a key dependent measure within behavioral science that have translational relevance with respect to medical, especially neuropsychiatric, illnesses. In recent years, several programs have been developed to enable the recording, labeling, and parameterization of rodent USVs via conventional, machine learning, or deep learning approaches. However, there remains a need to further automate the downstream process of data collation so that labeled and classified USV parameters can be rapidly formatted and analyzed via statistical approaches based on experimenter preferences. The aim of this thesis was therefore to validate an automated vocalization data collator (AVDC) to expedite …