Digital Commons Network^™

Advanced Oxidation Of Tert-Butanol With Ultraviolet Light Emitting Diodes And Hydrogen Peroxide, Lauren R. Mainolfi

Theses and Dissertations

Tert-butanol (TBA), a versatile chemical widely used in industrial processes, poses exposure risks through inhalation, ingestion, and skin contact. Environmental contamination, often from industrial activities, emphasizes the importance of robust waste management and monitoring to protect water supplies from potential TBA migration and ensure drinking water safety. This study employed hydrogen peroxide (H2O2): TBA molar ratios of 100, 200, 400, and 500:1 in a Continuous Flow Stirred-Tank Reactor (CSTR) with UV-LED as the TBA degradation mechanism in an Advanced Oxidation Process (AOP). The UV-LEDs and H2O2 were synergistically employed to generate hydroxyl radicals in an advanced oxidation process. Gas chromatography–mass …

Retrospective Cohort Study Of Pure Tone Audiometry Hearing Changes From Ototoxic Metalsand Solvents, Continuous Noise, And Impulse Noise Exposures At Hill Air Force Base From 2005 To 2019, Zachary I. Johnson

Theses and Dissertations

This retrospective cohort epidemiological study investigated the relative risks of hearing loss associated with ototoxicants in combination with noise exposure. Utilizing Department of Defense (DoD) industrial hygiene and hearing conservation data, this research expanded on a 2020 thesis conducted on Tinker Air Force Base (AFB), applying a similar methodology to Hill AFB, adding 893 evaluated individuals. Grouped into twelve exposure combinations with a minimum of three years of exposure duration, the study assessed various hearing loss indicators, including DoD Standard Threshold Shift (STS) and NIOSH STS. Ototoxic substances consistently elevated relative risk (RR) compared to noise-only exposure groups, but none …

Selection Of Soil Stabilization Methods For Low-Volume Road Applications, Peter J. Spinks

Theses and Dissertations

This study examines a potential method of selecting an ideal soil additive to assist road planners in selecting an ideal soil stabilizer for low-volume road construction with in-situ soils. Essential for the socioeconomic success of rural communities, low-volume soil or gravel roads account for approximately 54% of US road expenditures to maintain and remediate. Soil stabilization can provide significant savings in regards to the cost, effectiveness, and environmental impacts of these roads. With hundreds of commercially available soil treatment products available with significant variations to their effects, it can be difficult for road planners to select the most appropriate product. …

Deploying Field-Capable Genome Sequencing: Human Performance Considerations Under Various Personal Protective Equipment Ensembles, Steven A. Torres

Theses and Dissertations

Field-portable genome sequencing enhances the Department of Defense's strategy for detecting biological threats, particularly in resource-limited environments. While current field-capable detection methods are effective, challenges in identifying emerging threats pose risks to personnel safety. As biotechnological advancements like portable nanopore genome sequencing can advance biological detection capabilities, the viability of conducting laboratory tasks under Mission-Oriented Protective Posture (MOPP) ensembles lacks sufficient data. This research assesses the effectiveness of tools like pipettes, centrifuges, vortexes, and nanopore sequencing within a MOPP ensemble. Novice participants were utilized to explore the extension of this capability, and they completed tasks in three conditions: Fatigues, Laboratory …

Life Cycle Analysis Of Mobile Nuclear Reactor Compared To Other Alternative Fuels In Indopacom, Maria J. Hurtado

Theses and Dissertations

Energy is an item that makes the military vulnerable as it is something that they depend on the most which can have negative impacts. Mobile nuclear reactors are gaining the interest of many leaders in the military as a viable option of a potential alternative fuel source. There are many positives in utilizing mobile nuclear reactors in terms of environmental impacts and feasibility of transport. Studies have shown that mobile nuclear reactors can produce very low or negligible carbon emissions during operations. The focus of this thesis is to determine the environmental impacts of nuclear reactors, logistical requirements, and determine …

Navigating Complex Environments: A Comparative Study Of Shortest Path Algorithms For Military A2ad And Civilian Obstacle Avoidance, Ebony N. Williams

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis investigates advanced navigation in complex environments for urban and military applications, focusing on overcoming obstacles through algorithms like Dijkstra's. It highlights the role of adaptable cost functions in customizing strategies for different scenarios. The research identifies effective algorithm-cost function combinations, improving route planning and safety in civilian and defense sectors. It advances pathfinding knowledge and sets the groundwork for future enhancements with Python simulations and AFSIM.

Development Of Salinomycin Derivatives As Potential Anticancer Agents, Viren Soni

Theses and Dissertations

Salinomycin is a poly-ionophore antibiotic that was originally isolated from Streptomyces albus by Miyazaki and colleagues from Kaken Chemicals Co., Ltd., Tokyo, Japan. Salinomycin exhibits antimicrobial activity against Gram-positive bacteria including Bacillus subtilis, Staphylococcus aureus, Micrococcus flavus, Sarcina lutea, Mycobacterium spp. Some filamentous fungi, Plasmodium falciparum, and Eimeria spp. as well as protozoan parasites responsible for the poultry disease coccidiosis. Hence, it is used in veterinary medicine. In 2009 Gupta et al demonstrated that salinomycin selectively killed human breast cancer stem cells (CSCs) with great efficacy, and the mechanism of action of this novel CSCs molecule was explored. To name …

Postal Delivery Systems And Cryptomarkets, Trevor Lewandowski

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis utilizes quantitative methods to evaluate the relationship between the level of development of state postal delivery systems and the number of drug sales originating on dark web cryptomarkets. I use data from the United Nations Universal Postal Union on state postal system operating expenditures to convey postal system development and compare it to the country-of-origin and acceptable countries-of-destination listed on cryptomarket drug postings. The cryptomarket drug postings being used were collected by previous scholars from a leak on Agora from 2014-2015. This dataset contains 96,286 observations of cryptomarket-based drug transactions. This paper expected to find that moderately developed …

Integrative Genomic Insights Into Coral Resilience: Adaptive And Acclimatory Responses To Seasonal Environmental Shifts, Tasnim Ghanim

Theses and Dissertations

Coral reefs, critical to marine biodiversity and coastal protection, face escalating threats from climate change-related phenomena such as ocean warming. This warming is leading to widespread thermal stress that contributes to coral bleaching and infectious disease in corals, leading to the disruption of marine ecosystems and the economies that depend on them. Focusing on the brain coral Platygyra daedalea, known for its thermal resilience in the Persian Arabian Gulf—a region that exemplifies the extreme stressors of climate change—our study aims to dissect the genetic, transcriptomic, and microbiological underpinnings of coral survival in high-temperature environments predicted for the end of …

Green Fame On Tiktok Analyzing Digital Persuasion Appeals On Climate Change Discourse Among The Public And Youth., Sherry Ayad

Theses and Dissertations

In a constantly changing media ecosystem, TikTok is gaining prominence and attention, particularly among youth and Gen Z. The platform’s unique affordances are recently being utilized by young voices to promote self-expression and social activism. Consequently, TikTok’s changing nature is giving space for serious social and political issues impacting the future of young generations on topics such as climate change. By analyzing the top N=400 TikTok videos from the 27th Conference of the Parties (COP27) to the 28th Conference of the Parties (COP28), this study contributes to rare knowledge of utilizing TikTok’s affordances in scientific and political topics such as …

Abundant Bodies In Times Of Excess: A Critical Exploration Of Fatness From Cairo To Tokyo, Sarah Aly

Theses and Dissertations

This work is an autoethnographic exploration of the social construction of fatness in contexts of existing and emerging neoliberal state control through the embodied experiences of fat people, following the tradition of ‘fat epistemology’ promoted by the emerging 'critical fat studies' field. It is a comparative study of the experiences of fatness as an unstable embodied category of being, rather than a liminal undesirable state or medical condition, in Cairo, Alexandria, and Tokyo, paying particular attention to the gender, racial, and class dynamics surrounding the construction (and marginalization) of fatness across various spatial and temporal contexts. These experiences are considered …

Investigating Language Ideologies And Attitudes Towards Dubbing Disney Movies Into Arabic, Nouran T. Soliman

Theses and Dissertations

This research delves into the analysis of online discussions surrounding the dubbing of Disney movies into two Arabic varieties: Modern Standard Arabic (MSA) and Egyptian Colloquial Arabic (ECA). The objective is to uncover the language ideologies and attitudes taken by Disney fans online. Dubbing Disney movies into these two varieties has sparked numerous debates on social media, particularly on Facebook. The study employed stance-taking to analyze the metalinguistic comments made by Facebook users about the use of these two Arabic varieties in the context of Disney. A Verbal Guise Technique (VGT) experiment was conducted on Disney excerpts to complement the …

Illuminating How Nestling Mouth Color And Body Size Shape Parental Care In A Cavity-Nesting Species, Shana Border

Theses and Dissertations

Young animals often solicit care from their parents using behaviors and morphologies collectively termed begging, and for many nestling birds these begging displays include presenting their parents with vividly colored mouthparts. Mouth color is a complex trait that varies both across and within species, and different aspects of color may be under independent selection and serve different functions; the two primary proposed explanations for the evolution of mouth color are to increase nestling conspicuousness to parents and to provide parents with information about nestling quality. In addition to signals like mouth color, parents could also directly assess traits like nestling …

Hybrid Hydrolysis And Fermentation Of Prosopis Juliflora Pods For Biohydrogen Production By Dark Fermentation, Gayathri G

Theses and Dissertations

The rapid consumption of fossil fuels has resulted in the energy crisis and many environmental issues, including air pollution and the greenhouse effect. Hydrogen is the independent source of the highest energy content, with 122 KJ g-1. Biohydrogen produced from lignocellulosic biomass (LCB) is an excellent alternative fuel for its cleanability, renewability and sustainability. Biohydrogen production from dark fermentation using lignocellulosic biomass provides low cost and a sustainable pathway to utilize a vast amount of waste.

Dark fermentation has considerable potential for hydrogen production because it does not require sunlight, allowing for full-time operation and minimizing bioreactor complexity. The major …

Growing Trust-Building Habits Of Novice School Administrators: A Qualitative Research Study, Stacie France

Theses and Dissertations

A team of three novice school administrators adopted actions to develop teacher identified, trust-building habits. By developing trust-building habits, novice leaders reduced their cognitive load while navigating the fast pace of ever-changing American schools and striving to better serve students, especially students who are marginalized. The problem of practice addressed is that novice administrators need to uncover their trust-building strengths and address trust-diminishing habits. During a 90-day intervention, the novice administrators collectively grew the trust-building habit of accessibility and individually aimed to develop a trust-building habit of empowerment, care, or communication. Findings show novice administrators increased their understanding of trust, …

Can Mirna Be The Missing Link Between Parkinson’S Disease And Pesticides?, Fatma Gobba

Theses and Dissertations

Parkinson’s disease (PD) is a common neurodegenerative condition that leads to significant morbidity and a decline in the quality of life. It develops as a consequence of the loss of dopaminergic neurons in the substantia nigra pars compacta. Nevertheless, the development of PD is influenced by environmental factors, and the intricate nature of these relationships is further complicated by a multitude of factors, including the genetic backgrounds that are specific to populations and variations in environmental exposures, such as pesticides. Pesticides, consisting of a diverse family of chemicals commonly used in both agricultural and household settings to protect crops against …

Impairment Of The Glial Phagolysosomal System Drives Prion-Like Propagation Of Huntington’S Disease, Graham Davis

Theses and Dissertations

The ability of glia to tightly regulate neuronal health and homeostasis in the CNS is conserved across species. Yet, despite the ability to degrade protein aggregates, glia are vulnerable to the accumulation of neurotoxic amyloid aggregates during neurodegenerative disease progress, and even exacerbate their spread. A developing narrative highlights glia as a double-edged sword in neurodegenerative diseases: initially capable of dynamically responding to amyloid aggregate-ladened dying neurons but also capable of inducing chronic inflammation and creating seeding-competent amyloid oligomers. Thus, uncovering the mechanisms that allow glia to control aggregate deposition while preventing the neurotoxic effects and seed generation is vital …

The Relationship Between Cognitive Impairment In Psychiatric Patients And Readmission Rate To An Inpatient Facility, Cherilyn Isis Schuff

Theses and Dissertations

The primary intention of this study was to further understand the impact of assessing cognitive impairment in psychiatric patients, as a mediating factor on readmission rates. Mild cognitive dysfunction impacts a patient’s functional outcomes (Bowie & Harvey, 2006; Davis et al., 2012; Marcantonio, et al., 2001). Little information exists to guide best practices in the treatment of adults with cognitive impairment who are hospitalized for acute conditions (Davis et al., 2012). A cognitive impairment may impact patient prognosis and ability to function outside of a setting focused on stabilization. Neuropsychological testing is a valuable tool in predicting a patient’s cognitive …

Development Of Monitoring Systems Using Computer Vision Techniques For Precise Fish Farming, Abinaya N.S

Theses and Dissertations

Fish farm is a biosystem with diversity and uncertainties demanding, an intelligent manual monitoring process, which is labor-intensive, invasive, costly, discontinuous, and persistent. The proposed work aims to develop Computer Vision (CV) -based monitoring techniques for precise fish farming to address these problems. Three major monitoring operations namely (i) Fish behavior analysis, (ii) Fish Classification (FC) and (iii) Biomass estimation have been investigated.

Fish schooling activity has been monitored using an overhead vision camera. Problems associated with fish occlusion are addressed using the weighted K-means clustering technique which provides an accurate estimation of fish school locations. Temporal variations of these …

Prevention Of Food Fraud In Egypt: Policy Implementation Challenges And The Way Forward, Hager Yehia Shalaby

Theses and Dissertations

Prevention and control of food fraud is now an emerging policy goal for different governments. Food fraud is intentionally adulterating food intended for personal gain and deceiving consumers. Adulterated food continues to be a significant threat to Egypt's food sector because of its negative impact on the food industry's reputation. Additionally, it jeopardizes the success of initiatives to increase investment, tourism, and exports in Egypt. Addressing fraud is, by definition, the most challenging food control system form because it directly addresses a personal stake benefiting from fraud behavior. In light of the importance of food fraud prevention as an emerging …

Development Of An Electromagnetic System For Wireless Magnetic Manipulation Of Soft Capsule Endoscope For Drug Delivery Applications, Nada Ashraf Hussein Mahmoud

Theses and Dissertations

Wireless capsule endoscopy (WCE) is a remarkable diagnostic device that examines the gastrointestinal (GI) tract. The WCE is a small capsule integrated with a camera that is used to visualize the inner mucosa of the GI tract. WCE has been proven to be the most effective method to diagnose GI diseases and GI cancers. The procedure reduces the discomfort and risk compared to conventional endoscopy methods. However, current WCEs lack the ability to take a biopsy or deliver a drug to a specific location. Those therapeutic functions can be introduced by wirelessly controlled WCEs. This thesis introduces an electromagnetic system …

Cardiac Active Tension Modeling Via Genetic Algorithm-Optimized Fractional Order Systems, Afnan Khaled Elhamshari

Theses and Dissertations

Developing a computational model to model cardiac activity has been increasingly important in recent decades. Accurate cell-level active tension modeling for cardiomyocytes is critical to understanding cardiac functionality on a patient-specific basis and developing an effective in-silico cardiac model. However, cell-level models in the literature fail to account for viscoelasticity and inter-patient variations in active tension. This research proposes a genetic algorithm-optimized, fractional order system to model cell-level active tension by extending Land’s state-of-the-art model of cardiac contraction. The model features the (left) Caputo derivative of six state variables that identify the mechanistic origins of viscoelasticity in a myocardial cell …

Nanostructured Cu-Zn Electrode Materials For Green Hydrogen Production, Rahma Leil

Theses and Dissertations

The continuity of human civilization heavily depends on securing sources of energy. After the 1970s energy crisis, scientists and engineers are meticulously looking for fuels that are alternatives to fossil fuels. Hydrogen can store solar energy to be further used as a fuel. One of the renewable ways to produce hydrogen is Photoelectrochemical (PEC) water splitting. PEC water splitting is a promising way to produce green hydrogen. However, one of the bottlenecks in realizing scalable green hydrogen production systems is the inability to identify and fabricate earthabundant, stable, and durable photocathodes. The main challenges with the reported photocathodes so far …

A 3d Imaging-Based Critique Of Wire Arc Additive Manufacturing (Waam) Simulations, Omar Oraby

Theses and Dissertations

Residual stresses play a critical role in the mechanical behavior and structural integrity of engineered components. Understanding and quantifying these stresses are essential for ensuring the reliable performance and durability of materials and structures. Traditionally destructive methods are used that involve sample sectioning and material removal. However, non-destructive methods have gained popularity due to their advantages in preserving the specimen's integrity for further testing and material waste reduction. Among these techniques, Digital Image Correlation (DIC) stands out as a powerful non-contact and full-field measurement approach. DIC captures displacements and strain distributions by analyzing the deformation of speckle patterns on the …

The Consequences Of Civil-Military Relations On Civil Wars In The Middle East, Alaa Bahnasy

Theses and Dissertations

To unravel the complex dynamics surrounding the outbreak of civil wars in the aftermath of the Arab Spring uprisings, one of the first questions that come to mind is the reason why some Arab countries have witnessed civil wars whilst others have not. The civil-military relations play a significant role in the matter. While much of the existing literature on the causes of civil wars, there is a scarcity of papers that take into consideration the role of civil-military relations. This research focuses primarily on two variables independent variables, namely the civil-military relations and the diversified ethnicities alongside the dependent …

Economic Feasibility Of Material Waste Management “Reduction, Reuse, Recycle And Repair’ Strategies In Egypt’S Footwear Industry, Amira Motawea

Theses and Dissertations

The study aims to provide a comprehensive examination of the feasibility of waste management strategies in the leather and footwear industry, both globally and within the specific context of Egypt. It explores the benefits and challenges associated with efficiently recycling, treating, or reusing material waste generated by the footwear industry, with a particular focus on Egypt. The study begins by discussing established waste management practices in the global fashion industry and focusing on footwear material waste.

The study examines successful waste management methods and systems employed globally, highlighting their potential applicability to the Egyptian fashion sector. A key aspect of …

Aerodynamic Investigation Of Naca 0020 Airfoil With Extended And Serrated Trailing Edge At Various Turbulent Intensities, Livya E

Theses and Dissertations

Lift (upward force) is a significant aerodynamic component that directly relates to the aerodynamic efficiency (lift-to-drag ratio) of the airfoil. Enhancement of airfoil lift is important for industries like wind turbines, aircraft, and turbo machinery. The present study investigates the NACA series airfoil by modifying the trailing edge in the form of extension and serration. The angle of attack was changed from 0° to 35° instep of 5°, and the airflow Reynolds number was fixed as 2.14 × 105. To figure out the flow behavior, surface pressure has been collected from the 50 pressure ports provided over the airfoil surface. …

Behavioral Effects Of Novel Treatments For Pain Using Different Pathways, Danya M I Aldaghma

Theses and Dissertations

Pain is defined as an unpleasant sensation that is mostly caused by a stimulus from our surroundings. This sensation has the potential to become a significant concern, disrupting daily activities, and diminishing overall quality of life. However, it could also hold significant importance as it serves as a protective mechanism. Pain acts as an alarm system for the human body, alerting it to potentially harmful situations where tissues may be at risk of damage1. Despite the considerable advancements in pain treatment and the extensive knowledge scientists possess regarding the pathophysiology and pathways of pain, numerous medications aimed at alleviating pain …

Deep Learning Model Compression On Edge Devices For Audio, Afsana Rahman Mou

Theses and Dissertations

Audio classification plays a crucial role in interpreting and understanding soundscapes, enabling applications like voice assistants, sound event detection, and music analysis. However, deploying deep learning models for audio classification on edge devices presents significant challenges. These models often require substantial computational resources and memory, which are limited on edge devices. Balancing performance, efficiency, and accuracy remains a key hurdle in this field. In this research, we explore various deep learning architectures, including Convolutional Neural Networks (CNN), Long Short-Term Memory (LSTM), and Audio Spectrogram Transformer (AST), for the purpose of audio classification on the ESC 50 and Audio Set datasets. …

An Analysis Of Fathers’ And Toddlers’ Behaviors During Shared Book Reading, Caitlin Marie Kelly

Theses and Dissertations

Shared book reading interactions between parents and their children have been studied to draw correlations to a child’s vocabulary growth, language development, mathematical scores, and socioemotional skills. However, there is a lack of research regarding fathers’ and toddlers’ engagement and behaviors during shared book reading interactions. The current study investigated and analyzed father and toddler interactions during shared book reading. The data was collected from a larger longitudinal study. Seven father-child dyads participated in the study (Mage = 35 years; range = 30-43 years). The children included four males and two females, and up to two videos were collected for …