Application Of Palmprint Data For Prediction Of Diabetes, Ramasamy K Mr

Theses and Dissertations

Type 2 diabetes is one among the diabetes mellitus which has strong relation with lifestyle, genetics and metabolic dysfunction. The increasing global prevalence, rising healthcare costs, and high percentage of undiagnosed individuals leads to the need of noninvasive, cost-effective early detection methods. In conventional diagnostic methods, laboratory investigations and periodic clinical visits are needed, which may not be feasible for working and middle-aged populations. To overcome this, the research work proposes an automatic, non-invasive and early prediction of Type 2 diabetes using palmprint image analysis integrated with clinical data for identifying diabetic and non-diabetic individuals. The first proposed method aims …

Biomechanical And Talar Cartilage Responses To Running In Individuals With Chronic Ankle Instability, Minsub Oh

Theses and Dissertations

Context: Chronic ankle instability (CAI) has shown altered movement patterns and joint loading, which increase the risk of posttraumatic ankle osteoarthritis. Abnormal vertical ground reaction force (vGRF) during running may contribute to talar cartilage degeneration; however, the acute biomechanical and cartilage responses to running in individuals with CAI remain unclear. Purpose: The purpose of this study was to compare running biomechanics and changes in talar cartilage thickness and T2 relaxation times before and after running between individuals with CAI and healthy controls. Methods: Twenty individuals with CAI and 20 healthy controls completed running biomechanics and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) sessions. …

Performance Enhancement And Modeling Of Thermochemical Conversion Of Herbaceous And Hardwood Biomass Via Gasification With Integrated Sustainability Evaluation, Sanal Kumar Ap Mr

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis investigates the thermochemical conversion of three biomass feedstocks, namely Prosopis juliflora (PJ), Oryza sativa rice husk (RH), and Sesamum indicum stalk residue (SR), through experimental, simulation, and environmental analyses to evaluate their suitability for sustainable energy production. Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) was conducted under inert conditions at multiple heating rates to study the thermal degradation and kinetic behavior of the biomasses.

Activation energy was evaluated using Kissinger, Flynn–Wall–Ozawa (FWO), Kissinger–Akahira–Sunose (KAS), Friedman, and Coats–Redfern methods. The results indicated that SR exhibited the highest thermal stability, followed by RH and PJ. Experimental gasification studies were carried out in a throatless …

Development Of Novel Plasminogen Activators From Fragments Of Streptokinase Enzyme, Vijay G Mr

Theses and Dissertations

Thrombotic disorders such as myocardial infarction, ischemic stroke, pulmonary embolism and deep vein thrombosis remain major causes of mortality and disability worldwide, creating a continuing need for effective, safe and affordable thrombolytic therapy. Streptokinase is one of the most widely used plasminogen activators because of its activity, low cost and broad availability. However, its wider clinical utility is limited by high immunogenicity, allergic reactions, neutralizing antibody formation and poor suitability for repeat administration. This thesis aimed to develop novel streptokinase-derived plasminogen activators by identifying smaller functional fragments that retain thrombolytic activity while potentially reducing immunogenicity.

A literature-guided fragment-based strategy was …

Examining The Relationship Between Past Involvement In Sexual Violence, Gender, And Rape Myth Acceptance In College Student-Athletes, Sarah Baker

Theses and Dissertations

Sexual violence (SV) is a persistent concern on U.S. college campuses, with student-athletes at higher risk for both perpetration and victimization. Rape myth acceptance (RMA) reflects beliefs that excuse or downplay SV, but it is unclear how these beliefs relate to student-athletes’ personal experiences with SV. This study examined RMA based on past SV involvement and gender, with attention to individuals reporting both perpetration and victimization. Participants were 350 NCAA Division III student-athletes who completed measures of SV perpetration and victimization, RMA, and sexism. Analyses evaluated differences in RMA by past involvement in sexual violence and gender while controlling for …

Investigations Into Biophysical Mechanisms Of Amphiphilic Molecules At Protein And Membrane Interfaces, Samuel Richard Pennock

Theses and Dissertations

Amphiphilic compounds play a key role in chemical biology due to their ability to associate with biochemical complexes through a diverse set of noncovalent interactions. Interactions between amphiphiles and biological targets elicit a wide array of modulatory effects, structural stability, and activity. However, due to the inherent complexity of these interactions, there has yet to be a broadly predictive framework for determining whether a given amphiphile-target interaction will be beneficial or deleterious. This thesis seeks to advance the mechanistic understanding of amphiphile-target interactions by investigating two distinct but unified systems. In the first study, the effects of fatty acid ionic …

Using C/Μ Test To Investigate The Coding And Noncoding Regions To Identify Selective Pressures In Hiv-1 Virus., Annie Tran

Theses and Dissertations

Human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) is a single-stranded RNA retrovirus whose error-prone reverse transcriptase drives a high mutation rate, enabling adaptive mutations on drug target proteins that confer antiviral resistance and complicate long-term treatment. This study therefore aims to detect such adaptive mutations on HIV-1 drug target proteins using our novel analysis framework (c/µ) on 5,711 genomic sequences, with findings expected to inform timely therapeutic adjustments and guide the development of more robust antiretroviral strategies. In Chapter 1, our novel mathematical framework (c/µ) and the Near Neutral Unbalanced Selection Theory (NNUST), which posits that most mutations experience weak but …

From Compliance To Inclusion Through Collaborative Action Research (Car): Service-Animal Access In Experiential Settings In Higher Education, Allison Christina Gainer

Theses and Dissertations

Experiential learning is essential for degree completion, licensure, and professional preparation, although access to service animals in practical contexts is often ambiguous and inconsistently implemented. This study examined the disconnect between legal access protections and institutional practices in real-time access decisions driven by safety, program integrity, accrediting standards, and decentralized decision-making. The purpose of this qualitative Collaborative Action Research (CAR) study was to examine Rowan University’s understanding, interpretation, and implementation of service animal regulations and procedures and to suggest alternatives for legal and equitable access. The study was based on the social model of disability and used four CAR cycles. …

Climate Anxiety And Nurses’ Awareness, Motivation, And Behaviors In Addressing Climate-Related Health Risks, Sarah Kaplan

Theses and Dissertations

Background: Climate anxiety, the emotional distress associated with awareness of climate change and its consequences, is an emerging mental health concern that may influence how nurses perceive and respond to climate-related health risks. Climate change is largely driven by emissions of greenhouse gases which radiate and absorb heat. Human-caused climate change is leading to higher average global temperatures and increasing risk to health through poor air quality, changes in vector borne diseases, extreme weather events, and exacerbation and development of physical and mental illnesses. This study contributes to nursing science by examining climate anxiety and climate related health practices among …

Beyond Static Measures: The Predictive Validity And Classification Accuracy Of A Dynamic Assessment Of Decoding For Early Elementary, Bridgett Bakula

Theses and Dissertations

Early and accurate identification of children at risk for reading difficulty is essential to prevent long-term academic failure, yet traditional static assessments often struggle to distinguish between a true reading disorder and a lack of prior instruction. This is particularly evident in the early grades, where floor effects and cultural/linguistic biases limit the classification accuracy of traditional screeners. This study investigated the predictive validity and structural utility of the modifiability index of a dynamic assessment (DA) of decoding, administered in kindergarten. Unlike static measures that evaluate "already actualized" knowledge, DA measures a student's learning potential and modifiability, or the capacity …

A Teacher’S Critical Content Analysis Of Children’S Literature In A Read Aloud Book Series, Tanya Renee Gilliam

Theses and Dissertations

Tanya Gilliam A TEACHER’S CRITICAL CONTENT ANALYSIS OF CHILDREN’S LITERATURE IN A READ ALOUD BOOK SERIES2025-2026 James Coaxum, Ph.D. Doctorate of Education This study examined the cultural responsiveness of kindergarten read aloud texts in the Houghton Mifflin Harcourt (HMH) Into Reading curriculum used in District Rynie. Using critical content analysis, seventy read alouds were analyzed to explore representations of culture, identity, and power. The analysis was guided by Botelho and Rudman’s multicultural framework, Bishop’s mirrors, windows, and sliding glass doors model, and Short’s criteria for multicultural literature, across four domains: Authenticity and Representation; Content and Perspective; Challenging Bias and Equity; …

How Young Mothers’ Interpersonal And Emotional Well-Being Impacts Parental Stress And Dating Violence, Jonathan Jin

Theses and Dissertations

This two-part dissertation investigated two distinct, yet interconnected aspects of young mothers’ wellbeing which span individual and interpersonal factors. Study 1 examined how adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) are related to parental stress, and how symptoms of anxiety and depression might mediate this association. Within a sample 255 young mothers with an average age of 22.2 (SD = 2.3), the pooled results of a parallel mediation model across 10 imputed datasets indicated a significant average direct effect of ACEs on parental stress (0.25, p < .01), suggesting that experiencing a history of ACEs was significantly associated with more parental stress. Study 2 examined the relationship between young mothers’ romantic attachment, emotion regulation, and dating violence (DV) victimization. In a different sample of 256 young mothers with an average age of 19.8 years (SD = 1.1), more avoidant (less secure) romantic attachment styles (β = 0.26, SE = 0.1, p < 0.01) and more anxious romantic attachment styles (linear component β = 3.81, SE = 0.9, p < 0.001 and quadratic component β = -2.86, SE = 0.9, p < 0.01) were significantly associated with greater DV victimization. Future research may extend this work by using longitudinal designs to test bidirectional links between interpersonal and emotional wellbeing factors among young mothers.

Do I Belong Here?: A Narrative Inquiry Into Ableism, Accommodation, And Professional Identity Among Medical Students With Mobiilty Disabilities, Nicole J. Albano Robinson

Theses and Dissertations

Abstract Nicole J. Robinson DO I BELONG HERE?: A NARRATIVE INQUIRY INTO ABLEISM, ACCOMMODATION, AND PROFESSIONAL IDENTITY AMONG MEDICAL STUDENTS WITH MOBILITY DISABILITIES 2025-2026 Ane Turner Johnson, Ph.D. Doctor of Education in Educational Leadership Despite federal and institutional disability policy designed to protect equitable access to education, medical students with mobility disabilities encounter systemic barriers shaped by ableism, inconsistent accommodation practices, cultural bias, and exclusionary learning environments. This qualitative study sought to describe the lived experiences of undergraduate medical students with mobility disabilities within U.S. MD and DO programs. A qualitative narrative inquiry using Kim’s (2016) two-phase life story interview …

Hybrid Lipid-Gold Nanoparticles Designed For Simultaneous Gene Therapy And Photothermal Therapy Against Cancer, Navya Sree Devaguptapu

Theses and Dissertations

Traditional cancer treatments such as chemotherapy and surgery include adverse side effects and acquire resistance. Here, I developed a novel hybrid lipid-gold nanoparticle technology (LGNP) to achieve simultaneous gene regulation and photothermal therapy, specifically targeting pediatric acute myeloid leukemia (AML) and ovarian cancer. This core material consists of slice core/gold nanoshells, which are efficient heat transducers where NIR light activates nanoshells embedded in tumors, generating localized heat for tumor ablation. The ionizable lipid coating facilitates intracellular delivery of nucleic acids, such as mRNA or siRNA, to modulate gene expression effectively. Lipid-gold hybrid nanoparticles (LGNPs) are synthesized via a controlled self-assembly …

Vibro-Seismic Approach For Remediation Of Near-Wellbore Damage, Mounira Ahmed Abdallah

Theses and Dissertations

The research highlights the importance of vibro-seismic technology in the oil and gas industry. The primary objective of this study is to demonstrate how the vibro-seismic method enhances formation properties which are porosity, and permeability. Ultimately, this will lead to improved productivity and its application to remove the wellbore damage.

The research discusses whether or not the formation properties will be enhanced by the optimized acoustic vibration formation parameters. The thesis details laboratory experiments on core plugs, and four key findings are presented. The experimental work first showed that the use of the proper and optimum parameters enhanced the porosity …

Fraud And Focus: Examining Self-Control Strategies In Students Experiencing Impostor Phenomenon, Francesca Angela Catalano

Theses and Dissertations

Impostor phenomenon (IP) is a common experience among individuals in achievement contexts characterized largely by feelings of self-doubt, attributions of success that focus on external factors, and beliefs that one is “fooling” others about their competence. Current research suggests the effects of IP are complex (e.g., IP is associated with higher grade point average and productivity but also self-handicapping, psychological distress, and difficulties adjusting to college). To better understand these complex effects, this study proposes a self-control perspective for IP, where this phenomenon is seen as involving additional self-control burdens. Specifically, the study examines whether IP is associated with grade …

A Holistic Framework For Enhancing Machine Learning Reliability: From Model Architecture And Algorithm Design To Human Interpretability, Kyle Naddeo

Theses and Dissertations

Modern machine learning systems can perform well on benchmarks yet fail in ways that are difficult for users to anticipate, interpret, or manage. This dissertation treats reliability as more than accuracy: a reliable system performs when it can, signals when it should not be trusted, and supports abstention, fallback, escalation, or human review. Unlike robustness, which emphasizes performance under shift, corruption, adversarial perturbation, or drift, reliability also requires recognizing limited competence, preserving useful semantic structure when fine-grained certainty is unjustified, and exposing mechanisms that make failures understandable. The dissertation develops this view through four contributions. Uncertainty-aware decision heads provide portable …

Advancing Data Usability, Activity Modeling, And Stability Optimization In Computational Enzyme Design, Spencer Gardiner

Theses and Dissertations

A grand challenge of computational biology is to computationally design, in a single pass, a protein sequence that catalyzes an arbitrary chemical reaction at a high rate under specified conditions [1]. This work details advances in three essential areas on the path to that goal: data quality, activity prediction and modeling, and stability optimization. The structure and implementation of the Allotrope Simple Model (a FAIR data format for many scientific instruments) was examined in [2], setting the stage for training deep learning models on high-quality experimental datasets from diverse sources. In [3], the limits of physics-based and deep learning tools …

Enhancing Emotional Support For Advanced Placement Students, Laine Mckay Nesbitt

Theses and Dissertations

Although they may struggle with their emotional well-being, academically accelerated students are underrepresented in the research literature. Teachers are in a position to influence students' emotional well-being. Minimal qualitative research with student voices has been conducted. This study highlights the perspectives of students who have participated in an academically accelerated program. Students were interviewed about what their teachers do to help or hinder their emotional well-being and what they wish that teachers could do to support their emotional well-being. A total of 14 high school students were interviewed using the critical incident technique (CIT). The participants emphasized the importance of …

Maternal Perspectives On Support Needs: Insights From The Fonofale Model, Sara Lani Ditto

Theses and Dissertations

This interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA) explored the lived experiences of parents raising children with disabilities in American Samoa. Five participants across two focus groups shared their perspectives on navigating educational, healthcare, and community systems while supporting their children with disabilities. Using the fonofale model as a cultural framework, the study incorporated culturally responsive methodology including card sort activities to facilitate dialogue on potentially sensitive topics. Analysis followed the Nizza et al. (2021) IPA approach, progressing from exploratory notes to experiential statements, clustered themes, and finally overarching themes. Findings revealed four major themes: systemic burden on parents, structural and service gaps, …

Respect And Aggression In Intimate Relationships: A Grounded Theory Of Relational Responsiveness, Aaron T. Fife

Theses and Dissertations

The negative effects of aggression in intimate relationships have been well documented through research and clinical literature (Lawrence & Bradbury, 2001; Shortt et al., 2006). Conversely, the positive effects of respectful behavior are well-known (Gottman, 1994; Dew & Wilcox, 2013). This important dimension of relationships is crucial to understanding what makes up healthy and unhealthy relationships. However, little is known about how couples understand the varying types of respect and aggression within intimate relationships, nor how they are lived and experienced relationally. The purpose of this study is to explore the dyadic processes behind respect and aggression as well as …

Toward Passwordless Document Encryption, Isaac Henry Teuscher

Theses and Dissertations

Document files with sensitive information are used across nearly every industry. In recent years, cyberattacks targeting cloud-based file transfer applications have resulted in millions of sensitive documents being exposed. Although document encryption methods exist, they are often limited in usability, security, or deployability. Password-based encryption, the most widely available option, remains vulnerable to brute-force attacks, unauthorized sharing, and human error. We address these gaps in three phases. First, we present a structured comparative framework adapted from the usability-deployability-security model to evaluate nine document encryption methods across 15 design properties, identifying the benefits and limitations of current approaches. Second, we design …

A Lesson In Class: How Parents' Class Identity Changes Relate To Children's Exposure To Social Classes -- A Latent Profile Analysis, L. Caroline Moore

Theses and Dissertations

Class inequality in the United States has reached levels not seen since the late 1920s. This inequality has been linked to numerous harmful societal outcomes and may be particularly detrimental for children, who often experience limited intergroup contact with individuals from different social class backgrounds. Drawing on Social Identity Theory and the significant role parents play in shaping children's social environments, this study examined how White and Black parents' changes in perceived social class from childhood to adulthood relate to the ways they prioritize exposing their children to different social class environments (N = 702, U.S. sample). Latent Profile Analysis …

Likes, Lies, And Body Esteem: The Moderating Effects Of Age, Concealment, And Gender Between Social Media And Body Esteem For Utah Adolescents, Talise Hirschi

Theses and Dissertations

Social media use has become common among adolescents and contains many messages about one's body such as the thin and muscular ideal. Many parents are learning how to help their adolescent learn how to use social media, and some adolescents may conceal their social media use for various reasons. 588 adolescents (ages 11-18; 77% White; 55% female) from Utah filled out surveys about their social media use and body esteem each school year. In a two-wave cross lag panel model, specific aspects of social media use such as time spent on social media, problematic media use (PMU), and social media …

I Will Defend My Self, Emily Ward Hawkins

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis examines caregiving and motherhood as forms of load-bearing infrastructure. Cultural narratives often portray motherhood through sentimental images of joy, tenderness, and devotion, obscuring the structural labor that sustains family life. This project examines maternal labor as a largely unseen system of support that organizes family life while often remaining backgrounded. Caregiving reorganizes time, space, ambition, embodiment, and future orientation within maternal life. Through sculptural works using architectural materials and construction systems, such as oriented strand board, blueprint racks, metal armatures, and graph paper, the project visualizes caregiving as a structural condition. These materials reference the language of architecture …

This One's For The Girls: Co-Creating A Social Confidence Group Intervention For Autistic Adolescent Girls, Kendra Noelle Zitzman

Theses and Dissertations

Numerous studies have been completed regarding social confidence-building interventions for individuals with autism. However few studies have studied autistic females' experience with social confidence and targeted interventions for their unique needs. The purpose of this study was to co-create a social confidence curriculum with adolescent and young adult autistic females based on their experiences, perceived strengths and weaknesses, and goals. We analyzed first-person experiences and perceptions about social confidence-building interventions and supports. We used pre- and post-group interviews of the adolescent autistic participants (n =11) and college-aged mentors (n = 4), pre- and post-group measures with the Social Responsiveness Scale, …

Beyond The Bell Curve: Understanding Native American Academic Placements, Sarah-Margaret Clark

Theses and Dissertations

This study examined biases regarding the referrals that teachers make regarding student placement recommendations for Native American students. Special education teachers (n = 97) from around the United States completed a digital card sort task involving 24 fictitious student record cards. The student record cards contained subtle information about the ethnicity of the student, as indicated through the use of racial identification (Native American, Asian, or White) on the student records and the use of student names that may be associated with these three categories. Academic information was equal among each of these three groups. Each group contained identical male …

Unlocking Potential: Teachers' Perspectives On 504 Accommodations For Students With Adhd, Haley Stubbs

Theses and Dissertations

This study examined high school teachers' perspectives on the development, implementation, and effectiveness of Section 504 accommodations for students with ADHD. Five secondary teachers from a public high school participated in a focus group, and data were analyzed using inductive thematic analysis. Findings indicate that teachers report limited understanding of the 504 process, minimal involvement in eligibility decisions, and little training on how to implement accommodations. Teachers describe accommodations as vague and difficult to apply consistently within the constraints of secondary classrooms, often relying on universal classroom practices and student self-advocacy to meet student needs. Teachers also question whether accommodations …

The Use Of Mobile Applications By Non-Governmental Organizations For Volunteer Recruitment And Retention In Egypt, Mona Sami Morshidy

Theses and Dissertations

Abstract 

Non-governmental organizations (NGOs) have increasingly used digital technology and mobile applications to facilitate volunteerism. In Egypt, mobile applications offer significant opportunities to enhance volunteer management. This study explores how mobile applications and digital platforms facilitate volunteering recruitment and retention in Egypt. The study employs a qualitative research design based on 34 semi-structured interviews with NGO representatives and volunteers with varying years of volunteering experience. The findings highlight the mobile application's effects on recruitment, retention, and management, as well as the challenges of adapting it. The results indicate that NGOs primarily use mobile applications to manage existing volunteers, with only …

Effects Of A Peer Mentoring Program For Adolescent Newcomers On Feelings Of Peer Connectedness And School Belonging, Eden Elizabeth Moon Barnhill

Theses and Dissertations

There is a significant lack of empirical evidence regarding the effectiveness of peer mentoring to support newcomer students, particularly for refugee populations. This study evaluated the effects of a peer mentor program for newcomer students on their feelings of peer connectedness and school belonging in a high school setting. Participants were made up of 15 newcomer student mentees across three high schools. Measures were administered pre- and post-intervention, and participants were also interviewed about their experience. Results indicated no quantitative findings of significance but did yield a small positive effect size for peer connectedness. According to qualitative data, many participants …