Digital Commons Network^™

Exploring Pragmatic Functions And Linguistic Features Analysis For Some Terms Of Endearment In Egyptian Colloquial Arabic As Discourse Markers, Samar Abdeltawab

Theses and Dissertations

In Arabic and many languages, terms of endearment are used as discourse markers to express affection. However, their meanings differ depending on the pragmatic context in which they are said.

Despite the abundance of research on terms of endearment in various languages, there is a noticeable lack of studies examining the pragmatic functions and linguistic features of these terms in Arabic. This research aims to fill this gap by providing a comprehensive exploration of the pragmatic functions and investigating the syntactic and morphological characteristics of selected terms of endearment in Egyptian colloquial Arabic. It offers a detailed analysis of their …

Unlocking Local Economic Potential: Understanding The Role Of Place-Based Industrial Policy In Egypt, Nashwa Shaban

Theses and Dissertations

Industrial Policy has regained prominence in both academic and practical spheres over the years, as the discourse largely shifted from an ideological debate to exploring ways for effective implementation. This renewed interest, coupled with growing concerns over regional inequality and persistent economic distress, has sparked a growing interest in Place-based Industrial Policies. Place-based Industrial Policy is an approach to industrial policy that focuses on both specific industries and locations through various policy Instruments. Similar to industrial policies, the outcomes of place-based policies have been mixed, nevertheless, evidence suggests that they often achieve the intended objectives especially in lagging and declining …

Assessing Egypt’S Readiness To Introduce Program And Performance-Based Budgeting, Eman Negm

Theses and Dissertations

Program and performance-based budgeting is one of the recent and most controversial developments in the Egyptian budgetary system. As a results-based budgeting methodology, it can potentially support the government's endeavors to enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of public expenditures and improve the overall levels of transparency and accountability. As per the new Unified Finance Law, Egypt is preparing for the full implementation of the program and performance budgeting reform to start in FY 2027-2028. The main objective of this study is to assess the readiness of Egypt to introduce program and performance-based budgeting based on six main assessment pillars which …

Breaking Taboos: Syrian Women Reshaping Gender Roles In Zarqa, Jordan, Farah Qonaish

Theses and Dissertations

This research explores the changes in gender roles among Syrian refugee women in Jordan. Since 2011, more than a million Syrian refugees have settled in Jordan. Around 83% of Syrian refugees have resided in host communities in Jordan and around 70% of the Syrian population come from the rural areas in Syria refugees. Syrian refugees have experienced change on different levels of their lives since the beginning of the displacement. This ethnographic study was conducted in Zarqa, a major city in the middle region of Jordan, and a major host community for Syrian refugees in Jordan. The city is known …

Esg Significance In Relation To Corporate Bankruptcy Prediction, Sama Elkady

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis aims to enhance corporate risk assessment through studying ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) significance in modeling bankruptcy. Through using artificial intelligence’ natural language processing (NLP), we develop a proxy for ESG scoring based on companies annual reporting retrieved through EDGAR. We integrate the derived ESG score with traditional financial ratios used to calculate Altman’s Z-score (1968) in predicting bankruptcy. Through S&P’s Compustat, we obtain a sample of 108 healthy & bankrupt firms -spanning 14 years of fiscal observations- and match them through time and industry. We use stepwise GLM regression to estimate bankruptcy probability observing that ESG and …

Functional Dissection Of The Periplasmic Domain Of Rcsd, The Phosphotransfer Protein Of Escherichia Coli Rcs System, Abdelraouf Dapour

Theses and Dissertations

Microbial resistance to antibiotics poses a major health threat worldwide, prompting the scientific community to dedicate considerable efforts toward understanding the molecular mechanisms underlying this resistance. The Gram-negative cell envelope serves as a formidable barrier to environmental stressors and numerous antimicrobials. In E. coli and other enterobacteria, the Rcs system (Regulator of capsule synthesis) is a crucial two-component signalling pathway that plays a critical role in maintaining the integrity of the bacterial envelope. One unique aspect of the Rcs system is the involvement of several auxiliary proteins in its signalling cascade. Among them, RcsD, an inner membrane 100 kDa protein, …

Expectations Versus Reality In New Cairo's Gated Communities: An Interdisciplinary Analysis Of Socio-Spatial Features, Ala'a Marwan

Theses and Dissertations

This research aims to introduce a new framework to identify the disparities between gated community residents’ experiences and real estate developers' visions towards the development. As New Cairo experiences significant growth, many residents are increasingly relocating to gated communities. It has become crucial to assess users’ expectations before moving and their lived experience post-moving to allocate the gaps between their expectations and reality, otherwise, the GC developments will grow apart from users’ updated preferences. The research focuses on the socio-spatial qualities such as accessibility to services and facilities, community interaction, and vast green areas between buildings for privacy, all of …

Metaheuristic Techniques To Optimize Trajectory Planning Of Uav Swarms: Enhancing Data Acquisition In Wireless Sensor Networks, Nada Ali Mohamed Ahmed Ahmed

Theses and Dissertations

Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) have become increasingly integrated into various applications due to their cost-efficiency, rapid deployment, flexible maneuvers, and enhanced performance. This has led to the development of a new field called UAV-assisted Wireless Sensor Networks (U-WSNs), which focus on data routing, network performance optimization, and planning UAV trajectories between sensor nodes in wireless sensor networks. In this thesis, a new framework has been proposed to manage a swarm of UAVs cooperatively serving large-scale wireless sensor networks. The framework consists of three optimization problems: distributing sensor nodes among UAVs, finding optimal trajectories in the presence of obstacles, and performing …

Plants, Protests, Pachakuti: How Trees March And How People Tree, Ashley A. Lundquist

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis explores the multi-faceted role of plants, specifically Wituk and Manduru, in Amazonian protests and environmental advocacy. By examining the communicative and relational ontologies inherent in Runa culture, the study elucidates how plants influence social movements and contribute to environmental protection. Wituk and Manduru create paint. Paint facilitates good communication which creates good relationality. Good relationality allows for increased capacities and inhibits greedy consumption allowing for a balanced world order. Through the use and agency of Wituk and Manduru, movements become multi-species phenomena in which ecological entities combine with Runa bodies. The relationships shared between Runa, Wituk, and Manduru …

Role Of An Smc-Like Protein, Recn, In Reca-Mediated Homology Search During Double-Strand Break Repair Via Homologous Recombination, Afroze Abdehaque Chimthanawala

Theses and Dissertations

The most deleterious form of DNA damage is the formation of a double-strand break (DSB). If left unrepaired or repaired incorrectly, DSBs can result in genome rearrangements, mutations, or even cell death. Hence, cells across domains of life have resorted to homologous recombination (HR) for the faithful repair of DSBs. A critical step in homologous recombination is the search for the intact homologous sequence by the break ends, termed ‘homology search’. This process is not well understood in vivo, especially when the break site and intact homologous template are not positioned adjacently.

Spatial reorganization of chromosomes is maintained by structural …

Using Rna-Sequencing To Explore Mechanistic Markers, New Therapeutics, And Immune Imbalance: A Study Of Cancer And Autoimmunity Through The Lens Of Triple Negative Breast Cancer, Systemic Lupus Erythematosus, And B-Cell Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma, Naomi Lydia Rapier-Sharman

Theses and Dissertations

Cancer and autoimmune diseases both impose a substantial healthcare burden on the US and world populations. In 2016, there were over 17 million cases of cancer, leading to nearly nine million deaths. Additionally, autoimmune diseases cause substantial mortality and morbidity and are present in 3-5% of the general population. Despite the increased attention scientists now give diseases that are impacted by immune imbalance, we have yet to find regimens to treat the core cause(s) of tissue dysfunction without drastically decreasing the quality of life for many patients with either cancer or autoimmune disease. For instance, anti-CD19 Chimeric Antigen Receptor (CAR) …

Customized Feminine Hygiene Wash Containing Postbiotics From Lactobacillus Spp. To Treat Urinary Tract Infections (Uti), Veena G. Nair

Theses and Dissertations

Probiotics, which support host health by maintaining normal microbial flora, offer a promising approach for preventing recurrent infections. To evaluate the prophylactic potential of vaginal probiotics against urinary tract infections (UTIs), we conducted a study on 54 healthy South Indian women aged 18–40 who visited the Obstetrics and Gynaecology outpatient clinic at Trichy SRM Medical College and Research Centre between June and July 2022. Vaginal swabs were collected following ethical guidelines, and commensal microbiota were isolated for probiotic characterization, with the broader objective of developing a customized feminine hygiene wash enriched with vaginal postbiotics.

Lactobacilli cell-free supernatant (CFS) demonstrated potent …

The Farthest I Can Sense Time, Danielle Alhassid

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis examines the experiences of immigration, identity, and language through the lens of diasporic memory and intergenerational storytelling. At its core lies Communion of Empty Mouths (2024), a multi-channel video installation exploring the physical, communal, and ephemeral dimensions of language development and loss. The work juxtaposes live animation, tactile materials like ceramics, and experimental soundscapes to delve into the ancestral and embodied nature of linguistic expression.

Anchored in Yiddish poet Celia Dropkin’s text My Hands and inspired by familial narratives, the thesis critiques hierarchical and gendered dimensions of language, focusing on Yiddish as a diasporic medium of resistance and …

Geospatial Machine Learning Approaches For Studying Urbanization Impact, Surface Reflectance Patterns, And Groundwater Health Risks, Bibhash Nath

Theses and Dissertations

Geospatial machine learning techniques have been used to study: the impact of urbanization on land use and land cover change, surface reflectance patterns in boreal regions, and groundwater health risks from arsenic in India. These studies combined spatial data, remote sensing, and predictive models to gain valuable insights for sustainable living and protecting human health.

Resurrection In The Regensburg Pendant: Materials And Iconography, Devotional Object As Sacred Jewelry, Margarita Benacerraf

Theses and Dissertations

The Regensburg butterfly (1310-1320), an exquisitely crafted reliquary pendant, was found in the head of a fourteenth-century crucifix in 1991. The locket’s butterfly shape—and the ways in which the butterfly serves as a metaphor for Christ’s redemption—remains a fascinating window into late medieval Christianity and devotional practices in the medieval world.

Identifying Personality In Reptiles And Assessing Welfare Implications For Their Roles As Ambassador Animals In An Educational Setting, Valery Gonzalez

Theses and Dissertations

This study examined behavioral variability and personality in 13 reptiles used as ambassador animals at the American Museum of Natural History. Observations across seasons and novel object tests revealed individual differences, behavioral components, and correlations. Findings emphasize reptilian complexity, highlighting welfare implications while underscoring the need for further research.

Examining Risk Factors For Comorbidity Between Posttraumatic Stress Disorder And Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder In A Sample Of Trauma-Exposed Transgender Adults, Dylan Seeley

Theses and Dissertations

Comorbid PTSD-OCD post trauma exposure is understudied. Little research examines specific risk factors and marginalized populations. This study examined gender-based victimization, emotional avoidance, and executive functioning as risk factors. Findings suggest gender-based victimization is a unique gender minority stressor that may pose significant risk for transgender populations.

Using Spatial Network Analysis To Explore Migration Of Extended Families In Historical Research, Rock Miller

Theses and Dissertations

This project proposes a geoinformatics approach for understanding the migration of extended families in historical contexts. It uses full-count longitudinal census data (developed by the Minnesota Population Center) and graph methods to define multi-generational extended family relationships and to model the locational structures of these families as a spatial network. Graph algorithms and mapping methods are used to interrogate these structures as reflections of the patterns of family outmigration and extension over time. The study is based on a set of extended families resident in a 15-county study area in the Bluegrass region of Kentucky in 1870, and their evolution …

Structures Of Feeling: Zoe Leonard And The Photographic Archive, Anika Zempleni

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis examines Zoe Leonard’s work with photographic archives. Focusing on three of Leonard’s archive-based projects—The Fae Richards Photo Archive (1993-96), You see I am here after all (2008), and In the Wake (2015-16)—this thesis argues that these works are connected through frameworks of feeling and subjectivity.

Aesthetics And Hidden Orientalism In Chicago's Nickerson Mansion, Julie Treumann

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis offers new research on the Sitting Room at the Nickerson Mansion, an 1883 Gilded Age-era house in Chicago, IL. As a rare extant example of neo-Islamic interior design, it provides a new lens on Orientalism in American domestic architecture and a new perspective on Mrs. Nickerson, a little-known female tastemaker of her time.

For Now We See Through A Darkened Mirror, But Then Face To Face: Striving To See Christ ‘Beneath The Veil’ In A Fourteenth-Century French Book Of Hours, Daniel S. Berman

Theses and Dissertations

M.90’s folio 130r evoked spiritual union with God in the Eucharist and in Heaven, and the concomitant need for repentance if divine union in any form could be achieved. It was also an authoritative relic of Christ’s body which helped the worshiper imaginatively reconstruct that body in their own space.

Social Networks And Behavioral Adaptation Of Serrano Horses In A Rewilding Initiative In Spain, Ashley Bruno

Theses and Dissertations

Rewilding is a conservation measure that involves actively relocating species or restricting human land use to improve ecosystem sustainability. However, critics raise concerns that rewilding privileges ecosystem function over endangered species. Due to a lack of monitoring around species’ relocations, uncertainty lies in ecological outcomes and psychological, social, cultural impacts on affected animals. For this project, we collaborated with the non-profit Rewilding Europe that sought to conserve Serrano horses (Equus caballus), an ancient and under-studied breed of Spanish horse by relocating 11 individuals to a protected site in Guadalajara, Spain in June 2022. Our research aimed to address …

‘Keeping It Real’ Goes Wrong: Deconstruction Of Masculinity In The Work Of Jay-Z And Kendrick Lamar, Leo Mcmahon

Theses and Dissertations

Jay-Z and Kendrick Lamar use their latest albums, 4:44 and Mr. Morale and the Big Steppers, to address the wake of damage their behaviors have caused. On a personal level each artist apologizes to their wife for infidelities, but along the way they deconstruct performances of masculinity that have dominated popular hip-hop music since the late 1980's. Highlighting the pressure the music industry puts on hip-hop artists to perform a hyper-sexual, hyper-violent masculinity, I argue that the artists join the genre of African-American autobiography to reveal the inauthentic performances of 'realness' in hip-hop. Posturing as representatives of African-American men, …

Self-Awareness And Identity Transformation In The Latinx Experience: A Comparative Analysis Of Gloria Anzaldúa’S Borderlands/La Frontera, Yuri Herrera’S Signs Preceding The End Of The World, And Corrido Music By Los Tigres Del Norte, Kimberly Cruz

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis explores how literature and music, including titles by Yuri Herrera, Gloria Anzaldúa, and Los Tigres del Norte, reflect evolving Latinx identities amidst socio-political pressures. It emphasizes self-awareness as a tool for change, portraying Latinx identity as dynamic, shaped by history, and continuously negotiated in resistance to marginalization.

Body Of Work: Wax As Medium In Art And Science In Enlightenment Bologna, Kristen Pou

Theses and Dissertations

Eighteenth-century Bologna is well known for its body of accurate and precise wax anatomical models. However, wax was also used for non-scientific purposes: for portraiture and religious artworks. This paper sets forth an argument to explain the scholarly neglect of enlightenment Bolognese waxworks that did not depict anatomized human bodies.

The Existence Of Critical Thinking Skills In Higher Education: Evolving Or Vanishing, Michele Monroe

Theses and Dissertations

This study will encompass research on how and why a void has evolved in students' critical thinking skills between the secondary and higher education realms. The research questions that will be addressed are whether instructional methods, tools, and strategies meet the demands of our 21st-century students and how assessments facilitate students' analytical and critical thinking beyond content. The participants for this study will be four English professors from a suburban area private university. The design for this research will be a qualitative methods approach using an interpretative phenomenological design. Qualitative data will be collected through the use of interviews asking …

Testing Mediation Models Of Antisocial Behavior In The Context Of Parental Criminal Justice System Involvement, David Alfonso Tio

Theses and Dissertations

Parental criminal justice system involvement (CJSI) affects a significant portion of our children in a multitude of ways, including increasing the child’s risk for developing antisocial behaviors and, in doing so, perpetuating the intergenerational cycle of criminal offending that uniquely and unjustly afflicts marginalized communities of color and leaves behind what many have termed the ‘hidden victims’ of CJSI. This dissertation aimed to answer two research questions: 1. Does the division into two categories, the aggression, and rule breaking dimensions, provide a superior fitting model than the more commonly used unidimensional measure?; 2. Is it more accurate to model the …

A Teacher Like Me: Perspectives Of Hispanic English As A New Language (Enl) Teachers On The Impact Of Cultural Representation In Schools, Stephany Contreras

Theses and Dissertations

As the cultural and ethnic makeup of the United States rapidly evolves, the disproportion of diversity in education is becoming a common phenomenon. This gap is particularly evident on Long Island, New York, where staff demographics are inconsistent with the diversifying student population. This phenomenological study explored how Hispanic English as a New Language (ENL) teachers use their language, customs, traditions, beliefs, and culture to positively impact their Hispanic students. It also examined the benefits of teacher-student cultural and ethnic matching and the challenges Hispanic ENL teachers face in predominantly White-staffed schools. Guided by culturally relevant pedagogy and the concept …

Impact Of Different Leadership Styles On Job Satisfaction Of Private Sector School Teachers In Private Schools In Pakistan, Saira Ali

Theses and Dissertations

he present study aims to investigate educational leadership styles i.e. Transformational and distributed leadership style, teacher job satisfaction, and student outcomes in secondary schools in Pakistan. The present study employed phenomenological interviews with a sample size of 5 teachers and 1 principal in order to investigate the potential relationship between transformational leadership styles and indicators of teacher satisfaction and student success. The findings of this research revealed a positive association between transformational leadership styles and both teacher satisfaction and student success. Positive school climates conducive to growth were fostered by leaders who demonstrated empathy, collaboration, and transparency. The challenges encountered …

A Qualitative Study Of Teacher Efficacy In The Reading Classroom, Anne Dunphy

Theses and Dissertations

This qualitative research study delves into the lived experiences of reading teachers within the context of their classrooms and student achievement. Utilizing a phenomenological approach, the study examines the perceptions of 12 elementary reading teachers from public schools regarding the influence of teacher self-efficacy on the academic success of their students. The research questions are centered on elucidating the teachers' experiences and beliefs surrounding self-efficacy and its impact on student achievement. Teacher self-efficacy, defined as the belief in one's ability to succeed in accomplishing a task, emerges as a critical factor in teacher retention within the education profession. Through in-depth …