Digital Commons Network^™

Assessing Adoption Barriers Of Sustainable Packaging In Egypt, Carol Ramses Morgan

Theses and Dissertations

Sustainable packaging has become an essential part of business decisions and corporate directions. With the rise of environmental damages due to improper waste management and unsustainable practices, businesses have a major responsibility to analyze their products’ life cycles and redesign them with sustainability in mind. Applying sustainable packaging could save companies large amounts of resources, therefore cutting costs, while also achieving the legal and social duty as a corporation towards society and the environment. Many developing countries, with specific focus on Egypt, have recently focused on legislative and corporate decisions in order to encourage more sustainable practices. Egypt’s new Waste …

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 …

The Effect Of Institutionalized Barriers On Historically Excluded Athletic Training Students, Chelsea Kuehner-Boyer

Theses and Dissertations

The Institute of Medicine has found that barriers exist that directly contribute to the underrepresentation of racial and ethnic groups in health professional education. Yet, little research has been done to evaluate the barriers that affect athletic training students. An integrative review was conducted to identify barriers that affect students in professional healthcare programs, and 52 articles were retained to create an original survey to measure the barriers faced by athletic training students. The purpose of this study is to understand the barriers that affect athletic training students, especially athletic training students from historically excluded groups. This study hypothesizes that …

Design And Development Of Deep Eutectic Solvent Assisted Pressurized Liquid Extraction Of Nutraceuticals, Harish Babu B

Theses and Dissertations

Over recent decades, the usage of nutraceuticals has been exponentially increasing as alternates to pharmaceutical drugs. However, extraction of these therapeutically significant compounds from their corresponding sources requires the use of volatile organic solvents like hexane, ethanol and chloroform which increases the global warming potential. This problem has been overcome in recent decades by the use of supercritical carbon dioxide (SCO2) as the extraction solvent. Since SCO2 is non-polar in nature, the extraction of polar compounds with better efficiency is questionable.

On the other hand, modernization in solvent engineering has created generations of green solvents like ionic liquids (ILs), deep …

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 …

Improving Post-Secondary Credential Attainment: A Case Study Of Action Research In A Workforce Development Context, Peter James Selden

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to understand what environmental, structural, group dynamic, programmatic, intermediate measure, or outcome measure factors influence the effectiveness of action research being used to improve postsecondary credential attainment for the Tulsa Talent Hub team. This case study focused on the perceptions of those team members that were involved in an action research or community-based participatory research project in Tulsa, Oklahoma, which was facilitated by a team of individuals from Impact Tulsa. The researcher examined how each member that was interviewed perceived overall impact and effectiveness of the action research process used. Through qualitative analysis, the …

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 …

Impact Of Ableist Microaggressions On Dis / Abled Youth: Perceptions Of School Climate And Academic Motivation, Nitza M. Torres Gonzalez

Theses and Dissertations

Ableist microaggressions are often subtle and covert negative attributions and behaviors towards people with dis/abilities that perpetuate stereotypes and inequities (Conover et al., 2021). Although limited research exists that has explored the impact of ableist microaggressions, some scholars have noted similar findings to studies to that have focused on racial microaggressions. Specifically, exposure to ableist microaggressions has been associated with negative mental health outcomes and increased negative affect, feelings of exclusion, and low academic performance and self-concept (Kattari, 2017; Kattari, 2020; Keller & Galgay, 2010; Lett et al., 2019; Nadal et al., 2014; Storey, 2007). Most of these findings have …

Foster Care, Aces, And Social Communication Development: A Mixed Methods Study, Caroline Marie Giuffre

Theses and Dissertations

A childhood spent in foster care has been linked to various adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) including neglect, maltreatment, and physical abuse. The presence of ACEs has the potential to negatively impact neurological development. Our study seeks to inform practicing speech-language pathologists on the potential risks of a history of foster care on the pragmatic domain of language: social communication. The current literature focuses more on general language development, such as expressive language or the prevalence of language delays. This article details our use of a survey study given to adoptive parents of foster children on their child’s social communication abilities. …

Performance Analysis And Evaluation Of Image Processing Techniques, Dcnn And Bsn Model For Detection And Classification Of Diabetic Retinopathy, Sudha S

Theses and Dissertations

Diabetes is a disorder that arises when blood sugar level increases. Insufficient secretion of insulin hormone is the ground for the evolution of diabetes, and it affects most of the critical organs in our body. Diabetes causes leakage of blood in the retinal blood vessels, inducing an eye disease, Diabetic Retinopathy (DR). The visual identification of micro features in fundus images makes the clinicians complex and challenging tasks. Therefore, timely diagnosis and proper treatment can prevent eye blindness. This research is proposed to identify and classify diabetic retinopathy using an Image Processing technique, Deep Convolutional Neural Network (DCNN), Biological Sensor …

Exploring A Gene Panel For Parkinson’S Disease In An Egyptian Cohort, Asmaa Saeed Gabr

Theses and Dissertations

Parkinson’s disease is a highly heterogeneous disorder characterized by diverse neuropathological features, clinical presentations and progression patterns. In Egypt, Parkinson’s disease incidence rates lie outside the range reported elsewhere. The genetic background to the pathogenesis of Parkinson's disease has been postulated for a long time. However, Parkinson’s disease has never been systematically investigated in Egypt. This study aimed to explore genetic variants and interactions that are associated with the familial and sporadic forms of Parkinson's disease in an Egyptian cohort. This includes examining variants in PD-related genes, exploring the role of specific genes like MAPT and adjacent genomic regions, and …

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 …

Phosphomolybdic Acid-Doped Zeolitic Imidazolate Framework-8 Hybrid: Nanostructured Material With Synergistic Antibacterial Effect, Mariam Mohammad Abdelkhalek

Theses and Dissertations

Bacterial infections represent a major global health concern, causing millions of deaths and significant economic burdens. The development of nanostructured surfaces with antibacterial activity can revolutionize infection control practices. In this study, a hybrid material of Zeolitic imidazolate framework-8 (ZIF-8) doped with phosphomolybdic acid (PMA) was synthesized and characterized by FESEM, EDS, XRD, FTIR, and N2 sorption isotherm. The antibacterial activity against Escherichia coli as a model organism was tested by colony forming unit (CFU) reduction assay, minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC), and time-kill curve. PMA@ZIF-8 performance as an antibacterial agent was superior to its individual constituents, suggesting synergistic effect of …

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 …

Reliable Outdoor Ai-Based Autonomous Uav Localization And Trajectory Tracking Using Cellular Networks, Ghada Afifi

Theses and Dissertations

Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) are becoming an integral part of numerous commercial and military applications. In many of these applications, the UAV is required to self-navigate in highly dynamic urban environments. Existing localization and trajectory planning techniques, which rely mainly on the Global Positioning System (GPS), do not provide an effective real-time solution for self-localization and path planning, particularly in dense urban environments. The purpose of this thesis is to study the localization and trajectory planning of UAVs independent of GPS systems or other detectable mobile signals. We propose to utilize the broadcast signals from existing cellular networks to localize …

Investigating The Association Between Gut Bacteria And Childhood Neuropsychiatric Disorders, Maha Abdo

Theses and Dissertations

Background: The etiology of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) remains unclear. However, it’s believed to be a multifactorial condition. Several studies suggest the involvement of gut and oral microbiome in the predisposition of ASD symptoms. Understanding the pathophysiology could aid in developing better treatment strategies that improve the quality of life of ASD individuals and their caregivers.

Aim: The current study aims at characterizing the gut and oral microbiome composition of ASD children compared to their healthy siblings and mothers as control groups.

Methods: Stool and saliva samples were collected from fourteen families at Ain Shams University Hospital, Outpatient Clinic. The …

Antibacterial And Anticancer Activities Of A Fosmid Clone From Atlantis Ii Red Sea Brine Pool., Marina Nabil

Theses and Dissertations

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) and cancer are among the top global human health issues requiring urgent control practices. AMR caused 5 million death cases around the world in 2019. This number is expected to reach 10 million deaths by 2050. Cancer deaths reached 10 million in 2020. Additionally, anticancer drug resistance is a common cause of death among cancer patients. Screening for novel compounds is one of the strategies recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO) to control drug resistance in microbial and cancer cells. Marine natural products (MNPs) are characterized by chemically diverse structures with various bioactivities, especially in extreme …

Thin-Film Nanocomposite Membranes With Alumina Nanoparticles For Textile Wastewater Treatment Applications, Amr Mohamed Tayel

Theses and Dissertations

Thin-film nanocomposite (TFN) membranes are gaining great interest in industrial wastewater treatment due to their superior performance, especially for higher water flux and pollutants’ rejection, as well as improved chemical, thermal and mechanical stabilities, compared to other types of membranes. The performance of TFN membranes can be enhanced using different types of nanofillers, among which ceramic nanomaterials, such as Al2O3, offer a promising potential for applications involving treatment of industrial wastewater such as textile effluents, and this is due to their stability, hydrophilicity, and relative low cost. The study of the TFN membrane properties and structure allows the optimization and …

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 …

Preliminary Investigation Of Urban Quality Of Life: Towards Effective Measurements Of Wellbeing In New Urban Communities In Cairo., Aly Elnady

Theses and Dissertations

This study focuses on investigating Urban Quality of Life (UQoL) in New Cairo as a case study for New Urban Communities (NUCs) in the Greater Cairo Region. The objective of this thesis is to get an accurate description of urban life in NUCs as a distinct mode of urbanization. The study investigates residents’ Subjective Well Being (SWB) and life satisfaction within a wide range of urban life domains, grouped in a conceptual framework of seven sections: Housing & Neighbourhood Quality, Transport & Mobility, Health & Wellness, Education & Employment, Culture & Recreation, Social & Community Support, and Governance & Neighbourhood …

The Role Of The Cdk8 Kinase Module In Maintaining Proteostasis, Stephen Willis

Theses and Dissertations

The underlying etiology of numerous disease states results from perturbations in the maintenance of cellular proteostasis. Carcinogenesis relies on these perturbations to foster uncontrolled cell growth and eventual metastases, while neurodegenerative diseases are a consequence of such perturbations. Control of these processes occurs at numerous molecular levels, commonly starting with transcription. A key transcriptional complex that is involved is the CDK8 Kinase Module (CKM). The CKM is conserved from yeast to man, forming a tetrameric complex consisting of MED12, MED13, CDK8, and CCNC. The CKM has not only been implicated in a variety of cancers but also in a spectrum …

Spectrum Of The Lakes: Unveiling Water Color Of Minnesota's Sentinel Lakes With Satellite Remote Sensing For Water Quality Monitoring., Andrew J. Dooley

Theses and Dissertations

Surface waters are precious natural resources requiring costly time and labor for effective water quality monitoring. New applications of water color analysis by satellite remote sensing are a promising approach to water quality monitoring for scientific, industrial, recreational, and cultural benefit. Water color is an inherent proxy of ecological health and water quality. This research expands previous applications of lake water color analysis and pioneers water color chromaticity analysis for midcontinent lakes in Minnesota, USA. The results of this project are the first accounts of Minnesota’s Sentinel Lake water color, variability of water color by ecoregion, and temporal consistency of …

Determining The More Effective Behavior Analytic Intervention For Children With Autism Who Exhibit Pica Behaviors, Jennifer J. Lanham

Theses and Dissertations

Abstract

Determining the More Effective Behavior Analytic Intervention for Children With Autism Who Exhibit Pica Behaviors. Jennifer J. Lanham, 2024: Applied Dissertation, Nova Southeastern University, Abraham S. Fischler College of Education and School of Criminal Justice. Keywords: autism, pica, eating disorders, intervention, applied behavior analysis

This dissertation was designed to determine which behavior analytic intervention was more effective in the treatment and reduction of mouthing non-nutritive substances in children diagnosed with autism. This study included four participants in an A-B-A reversal design with a component analysis across four intervention phases. The study participants were enrolled in a center-based treatment environment …

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. …

Analyzing Novel Metal Alloys For Glucose Sensing And Electrocatalysis, Anna Grace Boddy

Theses and Dissertations

In pharmaceutical and medicinal chemistry, metals and metal alloys often receive less attention compared to biological or organic compounds due to many factors including toxicity in the body for drug development or the cost of these metals. However, metals can play an important role in pharmaceuticals, having an impact on original cancer drugs, such as platinum used for head and neck tumors. Electrocatalysis is also another topic that receives less attention over topics such as chromatography in pharmaceuticals due to its potential toxic catalysts and voltages that could be harmful to the body. Electrocatalytic sensors can play an important role …

Elastin-Like Polypeptide As A Model To Study Intrinsically Disordered Proteins, Sadegh Majdi

Theses and Dissertations

The elastin-like polypeptide (ELP) is a well-studied structural protein that is easily amenable to amino acid (AA) sequence modifications and has the potential to yield a wide variety of uses in bioengineering and biomedical applications. One unique property of ELP is the inclusion of intrinsically disordered domains (IDP) within the structure that allow for its diversity of physical properties. While it is generally understood that amino acid sequence dictates protein folding arrangements, the contributions of specific amino acid sequences to the intrinsic disorder of ELP has yet to be fully resolved. Therefore, identifying the contributions of specific amino acid sequences …

Unveiling The Unique Ras Isoform And Domain Specific Regulation Of Braf Kinase, Tarah Trebino

Theses and Dissertations

BRAF kinase is a key member of the MAPK pathway, important for cell growth and division. Upstream signals promote BRAF activation by interaction with the membrane bound GTPase, RAS, which leads to relief of autoinhibition and dimerization. The N-terminal regulatory domains of BRAF, including the BRAF specific region (BSR), the RAS binding domain (RBD), and the cysteine rich domain (CRD), govern the conformational state of the cytosolic, autoinhibited monomer and drive the RAS-RAF interaction. Active BRAF phosphorylates and activates its substrate MEK, which in turn phosphorylates and activates ERK. Mutations in RAS and BRAF are the cause of many cancers …

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 …

Investigation Of Machine Learning Driven Adaptive Control Strategy For Heat Exchanger Under Varying Fouling Conditions, Reshma Madhu Pk

Theses and Dissertations

Fouling is an undesirable and inevitable phenomenon that affects Heat Exchanger (HE) dynamics, increases maintenance cost (>50%), and loss of production. Conventional fouling prediction and control techniques demand an in-depth understanding of the HE-specific fouling dynamics. Hence, machine learning emerges as an ideal tool for learning the fouling process from the available measurement dataset.

The proposed work aims to design a machine learning-driven adaptive control technique for an industrial HE, subjected to varying fouling conditions. Naphtha cooler, an industrial HE utilized in petroleum refineries, employs cooling water to lower Naphtha temperature, but the high impurities in the recycled cooling …