Digital Commons Network^™

Tio2 Coating Methods On Sb2o3 And Their Use As Anode Material In Lithium-Ion Batteries, Kithzia Czarina Gomez

Theses and Dissertations

The following thesis is concentrated on the development of TiO2Sb2O3 composite material through the hydrolysis of TiCl4 to be applied as anode material for lithium-ion batteries. Antimony (Sb) has been a material of interest due to its high capacity and good chemical properties. The TiO2 accommodated the harsh volume expansion that Sb encounters during the alloying process while still preserving the high capacity offered by Sb. Its electrochemical performance exhibited a stabilized capacity of 523 mAhg-1 after reaching 40 cycles with a capacity loss of 2.4% till reaching 100 cycles. High reversible capacity characteristics were present with an initial capacity …

Security Of Text To Image Conversions, Zobaida Alssadi

Theses and Dissertations

The use of images and icons to represent news or narratives has grown in popularity. Still, one critical problem is that they are not equivalent to language, making them vulnerable to adversary attacks. This study examines the impact of image-poisoning attacks based on polysemantic words and of image attacks based on cultural differences when converting text to images. Such attacks can lead to the loss of important information and create confusion and incorrect interpretations of the intended meaning, misinforming the general public. The study specifically focuses on possible effects in a news and story context. This study highlights the significance …

Optimizing Convolutional Neural Networks For Transient Detection In Optical Astronomy With Augmented Datasets, Wendy Mendoza

Theses and Dissertations

We present a technique for optical transient detection using artificial neural networks, particularly a Convolutional Neural Network (CNN), a deep learning algorithm. This method analyzes images of the same area of the sky captured by several telescopes, with one image serving as a reference for a probable transient’s epoch and the other as an image from a previous epoch. We train the CNN on simulated sources and test it on actual image data samples using data from the Dr. Cristina V. Torres Memorial Astronomical Observatory and Sloan Digital Sky Survey. This autonomous detection method replaces the standard procedure, which involves …

The First Peoples Of The Lower Rio Grande Valley Of Texas And Northern Mexico: An Interdisciplinary Approach To Defining The Paleoindian Period, Starr Elena Hein

Theses and Dissertations

The archaeological record of the Lower Rio Grande Valley of Texas and northern Mexico is poorly understood. There are few excavated sites at which Paleoindian cultural materials have been found, and in these cases the context is uncertain. In order to better understand the Paleoindian period, projectile points that reside in private collections are documented, and the time period they are assigned to, based on absolute dating from surrounding regions, is used to cross-date local materials. This is limited by the lack of named typology for Upper Paleolithic materials in the Americas. Clovis is well represented in the Lower Rio …

Biochar Reduces The Pupation And Eclosion Of A Specialist (Manduca Sexta) And A Generalist Pest (Spodoptera Frugiperda), Nischal Wagle

Theses and Dissertations

Chapter 1: This chapter incorporates detailed information about the biochar concept, its production, composition, and properties, harmful arthropods and their damage, the effect of soil on the arthropod community, and the application of biochar on arthropod control.

Chapter 2: The comprehensive lab experiment was conducted with modified pupation media enriched with walnut shell biochar (Chapter II) to evaluate the effects of biochar on the pupation and eclosion success rates of a specialist (Manduca sexta) and a generalist pest (Spodoptera frugiperda). We found that the biochar treatment led to a significant reduction in pupal mass, adult mass, adult wingspan, body length, …

Drug Repurposing: New Mechanisms And Applications Of Existing Compounds, Biyun Celia Cui

Theses and Dissertations

HIV infection remains a significant global health challenge. Despite the widespread use of combination antiretroviral therapy, people living with HIV (PLWH) still face a disproportionate burden of major health problems. One of these problems is HIV-associated neurocognitive disorders (HAND), which includes a spectrum of cognitive, motor, and behavioral impairments. Although severe forms of HAND have decreased, milder forms are on the rise, posing a significant obstacle for PLWH.

The persistence of HIV in the central nervous system (CNS) is a challenge of HAND treatment and involves a combination of factors, including neurotoxic HIV proteins, chronic neuroinflammation, and comorbidity with substance …

Cdk8 And Cdk19 Mediator Kinases As Novel Targets In Advanced Prostate Cancer, Jing Li

Theses and Dissertations

Following androgen deprivation therapy (ADT), prostate cancers (PCa) progress to castration resistant prostate cancer (CRPC) status, where their growth becomes independent of androgen signaling, through altered androgen receptor (AR) signaling or other genetic or transcriptional changes. Metastatic CRPC remains incurable, and the most potent new drugs prolong survival by only a few months. There is an urgent need for novel agents against advanced CRPC. Here we have investigated the roles of CDK8 and CDK19, two isoforms of Mediator kinase, which regulates transcriptional reprogramming, in regard to their biological activities and as potential novel targets for the treatment of CRPC.

To …

A Study Of Computational Thinking Skills And Attitudes Towards Computer Science With Middle School Students, Lorien W. Cafarella

Theses and Dissertations

Many middle school students come to Computer Science (CS) classes without any previous CS instruction or any Computational Thinking (CT) skills that are needed to be successful. To overcome this, many curriculums and programming environments have been used to engage students and to instill a love of CS. Which curriculum should be used to develop CT skills that will also increase positive attitudes towards CS so students will continue in this field of study in higher grades? The purpose of this mixed method action research study was to evaluate how Code.org’s block-based programming curriculum affects middle school CS students’ CT …

Measuring Social Vulnerability And Exposure To Potential Risks Induced By Spaceport Operations In South Texas: An Empirical Study Utilizing Gis Methods And Social Vulnerability Indicators, Evan D. Garcia

Theses and Dissertations

The commercialization of space has increased spaceport development and activity across the United States. The magnitude of growth can be witnessed through the spaceport expansion and spacecraft testing at the SpaceX “Starbase” Launch Facility, located along the Texas-Mexico border. Matching the pace of SpaceX’s growth while evaluating levels of risk, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) diligently conducted a comprehensive Programmatic Environmental Assessment (PEA). While this assessment provides significant environmental impact data and risk analysis, much is left to understand regarding hazards and risk exposure to local communities. More specifically, research is needed to understand hazards associated with operational- and anomaly- …

Dechlorination Of Waste Pvc (Polyvinyl Chloride) Using Hydrothermal Liquefaction Method, Vahab Ghalandari

Theses and Dissertations

In 2019, waste plastic production in the United States (U.S.) amounted to approximately 73 million metric tons. Projections indicate that by 2030, the generation of waste plastic in the U.S. will increase to nearly 90 million metric tons, and by 2060, it is expected to surpass 140 million metric tons. One prominent type of waste plastic is polyvinyl chloride (PVC), characterized by its high chlorine content, making it a halogenated plastic. This dissertation presents a comprehensive investigation of the dechlorination of waste PVC (WPVC) through various hydrothermal liquefaction (HTL) methods to produce environmentally friendly solid and liquid products. In this …

Effect Of Variable Delays To Reinforcement On Skill Acquisition Of Tacts In Children With Autism, Ya-Chien Yang

Theses and Dissertations

Basic research has established that immediate reinforcement produces the best outcome when learning a skill. More recent research has followed, showing that even 8-10 seconds of brief delays may impair learning. In one of the few applied studies on this topic, Majdalany et al. (2016) showed that participants with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) acquired tacts more quickly with immediate reinforcement, compared to delays of 6s and 12s. However, no research has examined variable delays to reinforcement, which may be more common in classrooms and clinics. Thus, the purpose of the proposed study was to expand previous research by examining variable …

Comparing Video Modeling To Tactile Feedback To Train Medical Skills, Kelcie Erin Mccafferty

Theses and Dissertations

Medical skills and practices have been continuously advancing, with many recent advancements in clinical practice. However, medical training has yet to develop in tandem with medical advancement. Behavior analysis has a large body of research and practice in the area of skill acquisition to offer the medical field. TAGteach® is one example of a behavior analytic method that could be beneficial to the medical field. Although traditional applications of TAGteach® have been proven to be effective, they may not be socially valid or accepted by the larger population or medical professionals. The purpose of the present study was to compare …

Comparative Analysis Of Soil Properties, Microbial Community Composition, And Yield Responses To Cover Crops In Different Ecoregions Of South Texas, Daphne Zapsas

Theses and Dissertations

Comprehensive understanding of soil properties, their interdependencies, and the effects of management practices is crucial for designing sustainable agricultural strategies. By adopting site-specific and need-based practices that enhance soil health, farmers can optimize crop growth, increase yield, and contribute to long-term environmental sustainability. Cover crops have been recognized for enhancing soil fertility, promoting microbial activity, and increasing organic matter content. However, while their effectiveness is well documented in temperate regions with readily available water, their impact in water limited systems in subtropical regions remains mixed. The aim of this study is to assess soil conditions in four different farms across …

Long-Chain Fatty Acid Sensing And Catabolism In Commensal Escherichia Coli Impact Murine Gut Colonization, Tessa Carolina Cox

Theses and Dissertations

The gastrointestinal tract is home to trillions of microbes that collectively influence host physiology, immunity, nutrient metabolism, and infectious disease. The overgrowth of naturally-occurring Escherichia coli in the gut is a common signifier of microbiome dysfunction and occurs in many chronic diseases including obesity. Recent studies have shown that higher fat intake is associated with increased gut E. coli growth. However, it remains unknown whether gut E. coli utilize lipids such as long chain fatty acids (LCFAs) as carbon sources to colonize the mammalian gut. Therefore, the central objective of my dissertation was to utilize bacterial genetics and various mouse …

Extreme Persuasion: Analyzing Meaning Creation And Persuasive Strategies Within Extreme Discourse On Alternative Social Media, Naomi Kathryn Lawrence

Theses and Dissertations

Despite a long history of counterterrorism strategy, the U.S. has seen a drastic increase in domestic attacks over the past decade. Previous studies have found that, due to increasing content-related restrictions, many individuals who participate in extremist-related discourse have migrated away from mainstream social media and toward alternative social media platforms. This study consists of a comprehensive content analysis based on Multimedia Critical Discourse Analysis theories to study how meaning is created via the combination of text, image, and symbols, as well as how various persuasive narratives and rhetorical appeals are used within extreme discourse on social media. This research …

Archetypes Revisited: Investigating The Power Of Universals In Soviet And Hollywood Cinema, Iana Guselnikova

Theses and Dissertations

This paper examines the concept of archetypes in Soviet and Hollywood films, drawing perspectives from ancient philosophy and the thought of Carl Jung and post-Jungians. While psychoanalysis provides a valuable framework for understanding the human psyche and the idea of archetypes, it has its limitations and gaps that require further exploration. To address these issues, this paper proposes the adoption of a structuralist approach, with reference to the work of Vladimir Propp on the morphology of the fairy tale. Incorporating Propp's ideas can complement psychoanalytic theory and provide a more comprehensive understanding of the underlying patterns and structures that shape …

Identification Of New Disinfection Byproducts In Drinking Water And Impacts Of Algae, Md. Tareq Aziz

Theses and Dissertations

The disinfection of water has been hailed as one of the most important triumphs for public health in the 20th century. Drinking water treatment plants produce safe drinking water by inactivating microorganisms through the use of disinfectants, including chlorine, chloramine, chlorine dioxide, UV irradiation, and ozone. However, these disinfectants also produce toxic disinfection by-products (DBPs), through reactions with natural organic matter and anthropogenic pollutants, as well as bromide and iodide present in source waters. The presence of bromide and iodide results in the formation of bromo- and iodo-DBPs which are much more toxic than DBPs containing chlorine. DBPs are always …

Capturing Visuals In Hospitality: A Multi-Dimensional Exploration Of Photographs In Interdisciplinary Research, Ningqiao Li

Theses and Dissertations

The widespread practice of photo-taking and sharing behavior fosters research on photographs to probe into consumer behavior and business strategies. Consequently, the critical role of photographic research has been acknowledged in the fields of marketing as well as tourism and hospitality. To delve deeper into understanding photographs, this dissertation carried out three independent but interconnected studies to examine photographs from both macro and micro perspectives.

The first study systematically reviews photographic research across sociology, marketing, computer science, and tourism and hospitality. It explores key topics, methodologies, and theories, and compares the merits and drawbacks of various research methods employed in …

Bayesian Spatial And Spatio-Temporal Models For Complex Data Sets, Rongjie Huang

Theses and Dissertations

The cost of testing for infectious diseases can be high, and analyzing large amounts of historical data to forecast disease prevalence can be a time-consuming process. Group testing techniques offer a way to decrease the expenses associated with testing, but this comes at the cost of increased complexity of the data structure due to grouping and imperfect testing when compared to individual-level testing. In this dissertation research, we propose two Bayesian mixed effects spatial group testing regression models: one for areal data and the other for point process data. The former model utilizes a conditional autoregressive (CAR) prior for areal …

Mechanisms Of Social Stress Susceptibility And Resilience In Female Rats, Brittany Sara Pate

Theses and Dissertations

Social stress is the most common form of stress humans experience and often precipitates the onset of several comorbidities, including anxiety, depression, post-traumatic stress disorder, and cardiovascular diseases. While many individuals experience social stress and can respond, cope, and recover, some individuals are more likely to develop subsequent health conditions. Importantly, women are particularly susceptible to stress-related disorders, and the prevalence rates for these comorbid conditions are 2-3-fold higher among females compared to males. Epidemiological data suggest that cycling ovarian hormones may play a role in promoting stress susceptibility in females. Therefore, the current studies aimed to examine the effects …

Disco Murder City, Caleb Bethea

Theses and Dissertations

Disco Murder City is a slasher detective story haunted by sleep paralysis demons. The plot, characters, genre conventions, and prose blur, bend, rotate, and break as an animation artist named Netti sets out to pin down the killer knifing kids down at the disco—by catering to his addiction of stealing masks from demons. The trauma of a sleep paralysis demon outbreak across the city has sent the youth to revive dead clubs. Through Netti’s meandering through the mystery, he grapples with addiction recovery, past trauma, and arbitrary guilt. He ends the novel by trading in his eccentric fur coat for …

Dissolved Oxygen Dynamics And Nutrient Cycling In Marine And Lacustrine Benthic Communities, Corrianna R. Boucher

Theses and Dissertations

The delivery of biodetritus to the sediment water interface supports a complex series of biogeochemical reactions collectively referred to as early diagenesis. From the abyssal ocean to littoral freshwater ecosystems, this work explores the dynamics of these reactions in deep ocean detrital aggregates and lacustrine benthic algal mats. In the ocean, periods of increased export flux to abyssal depths increase the organic carbon export as aggregates to the seafloor while in littoral freshwater, proliferations of benthic algae such as Microseira wollei have grown to fill much of the shallow water column they inhabit.

Data collected at Station M (Sta. M) …

The Mechanism Of Pda-Peg/Copper Selectively Killing Cancer Cells And Its Application In Treating Triple-Negative Breast Cancer And Advanced Ovarian Cancer, Xiangxiang Hu

Theses and Dissertations

Cancer is one of the leading modality diseases. The number of cancer patients has increased in the last decades due to radiation, aging, stress condition, and other reasons. There are three traditional cancer therapies (radiation therapy, chemotherapy, and surgery). Even though these treatments improve the life span of cancer patients, many cancer patients still lost their lives due to the development of tolerance. Thus, it is urgent to develop new kinds of treatments to extend the life span of patients. In recent decades, nanomedicine, which utilizes nanotechnology to deliver chemotherapy agents into tumor sites and improve the anticancer effect and …

Breaking Down The Human: Disintegration In Nineteenth-Century Fiction, Benjamin Mark Driscol

Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation brings together nineteenth-century texts written by Mary Shelley, Edgar Allan Poe, Gustave Flaubert, Benito Pérez Galdós, Rachilde, and Oscar Wilde in order to trace a common thread weaving in and out of literature produced during this period: the theme of corporeal disintegration and its psychic and social ramifications. Each of the analyzed works considers the human condition from diverse perspectives and portrays the breakdown in interpersonal relationships as characters become estranged from society and each other. Of course, the examples considered here are canonical ones widely discussed in criticism—some of them as forebears of literary Modernism, for which …

Pd-L1 Nano-Eraser: A Novel Intracellular Pd-L1 Degradation Approach And Its Application In Cancer And Alzheimer’S Disease Therapy, Mingming Wang

Theses and Dissertations

Nanoparticle-based targeted therapeutics have revolutionized the field of pharmaceutics by providing precise and efficient drug delivery systems. These therapeutics utilize nanoparticles as carriers to transport drugs selectively to the target site, reducing side effects and enhancing therapeutic efficacy. Although significant advancements have been made in nano-targeted therapies, there are many challenges that need to be addressed to fully realize their potential.

In this study, we proposed a novel approach to extend the potential application of anti-Programmed Death Ligand 1 (PD-L1) antibody (aPDL1) in cancer treatment and Alzheimer’s disease therapy by leveraging the Trim-Away pathway. aPDL1-based Trim-Away involves tagging target PD-L1 …

Comprehensive Method For Clarinet Latin American Music Heritage Case Study – Venezuela, Carmen Teresa Borregales

Theses and Dissertations

Latin American music and music-making have much to offer in their performance traditions and richness of genres, which demand technical proficiency and musicianship. In particular, some contemporary new music for clarinet carries traditional elements, including rhythmic patterns, accentuation, articulation, harmonic progressions, and instrumentation, among others. This study proposes an innovative approach to technical practice and skill development for clarinet, based on twelve etudes for clarinet, commissioned from twelve outstanding Venezuelan composers who explore Venezuelan traditional music genres. The results represent a comprehensive method for clarinet, appropriate for advanced-level players, and its application to pedagogical and performance practices.

Conceptual Design And Preliminary Safety Analysis Of A Proposed Nuclear Microreactor For Mobile Application, A. S. M. Fakhrul Islam

Theses and Dissertations

Conceptual design and preliminary safety analysis of a proposed helium-cooled Micro Nuclear reactor In ONe megawatt (MINION) thermal output is done through three-dimensional computational analysis. Compared with the conventional high temperature gas-cooled reactors (HTGR) that use tri-structural or bi-structural isotropic (TRISO or BISO) fuel particles, MINION uses traditional clad fuel pellets. This greatly simplifies the core design and allows for a substantially more compact design thanks to the fuel’s signif-icantly higher U-235 atom density. Uranium carbide (UC) enriched up to 19.75% in U-235 is used as fuel. In the power-flattened design, U-235 enrichment varies radially between 19.75% and 10.5% in …

Automated Fiber Placement Through Thickness Defect Stacking Optimization, Noah Christopher Swingle

Theses and Dissertations

In its 2022 commercial market outlook, Boeing forecasted an 80% increase in the global fleet through 2041 compared to 2019 pre-pandemic levels. This sharp rise in demand will drive pressure onto airframe manufacturers to ramp up production and find more efficient ways to design and manufacture airplanes. Complicating this challenge is the industry’s recent transformation from traditional metal-based airframes towards hybrid composite-metal aircraft. While composites have been used in aviation for decades, aircraft manufacturers are still struggling to design and manufacture quality parts at a high rate. Automated Fiber Placement (AFP) is one of the main manufacturing techniques used to …

Effects Of Caffeine On Measures Of Clinical Outcome And Recovery Following Mild Traumatic Brain Injury In Adolescents, Jacob Michael Eade

Theses and Dissertations

OBJECTIVE: The overarching purpose of this study was to investigate the influence of habitual caffeine consumption on mTBI outcomes in adolescents. BACKGROUND: Adolescents who suffer an mTBI have an increased risk for neurological impairment and symptomology. Thus, it is important to elucidate modifiable lifestyle factors that have the potential to influence injury outcomes and recovery. Caffeine is a legal psychoactive compound prevalent among the adolescent population. Marketed as an ergogenic aid caffeine coincides with recreational activities where incidence of mTBI is high. However, no human study has explored the influence of caffeine consumption on mTBI pathology. It was hypothesized that …

Returning Home: The Thesis Of A Master, Yang Thai Vang

Theses and Dissertations

Over centuries, Hmong people have moved from mountain to mountain, home to home, country to country, crossing rivers and valleys in search of an escape from oppression. The Txiv Xaiv (Plig) ritual and chant has survived serial exodus and diaspora that Hmong people have experienced. This ritual encodes Hmong historical and cosmological understandings as an oral text, passed down from master to student, and performed at funerals to apply that understanding in the management of souls--ultimately to send them home. The Txiv Xaiv (Plig) serves as a glue, connecting the past generations to the generation of today and the generations …