Digital Commons Network^™

Alma Mater: Implications Of Student Mothers Not Receiving "Nourishment" From Their University, Haylie M. June

Theses and Dissertations

Student mothers, comprising over one-fifth of college students, face unique challenges balancing academic pursuits with parental responsibilities. They seek higher education to improve financial prospects and set examples for their children. However, financial burdens, including childcare costs and debt, hinder their progress. Moreover, they face role conflict and societal judgment, feeling undervalued and alienated within the university community. Despite their resourcefulness, challenges persist, emphasizing the need for institutional support. Research explores how student mothers utilize social, cultural, and financial capital to manage their roles. Interviews with thirty-nine student mothers reveal heavy reliance on individual resources but underscore the need for …

Demand Response And Peer-To-Peer Energy Trading For Residential Microgrid, Kanakadhurga D

Theses and Dissertations

Demand Side Management (DSM) is vital in handling uncertain renewable power generation and demand in a deregulated power system. The flat load profile can be obtained using the Demand Response (DR) techniques with the storage elements and proper switching. The increasing penetration of renewable-based distributed generation (DGs), batteries, and electric vehicles (EVs) supports the DR measures that facilitate utility and consumer.

This research aims to minimize the peak demand, electricity cost, and emission rate by effectively utilizing the storage with Renewable Energy Sources (RES). The first specific aim of the research objective focuses on the impact of DR implementation, DGs …

Intergenerational Transmissions Of Body Image And Eating Issues: An Analysis Of Maternal And Interpersonal Socialization From College-Age Women, Elena Kae Cotter

Theses and Dissertations

Negative body image affects countless young American women and can lead to serious eating concerns if overlooked. A young girl may develop negative body image if she is pressured to fit into dominant social appearance standards perpetuated by the media and social groups such as her friends, peers, and family, especially her mother. One relationship that remains underexplored is that between mothers and daughters, specifically regarding young adult women and their retrospective thoughts on their mothers’ influence on their self-presentation at a young age. This study uses qualitative interviews and content analysis of transcribed interview texts, focusing on maternal influence …

Creating Virtual 3d Artifacts For The Clinton Presidential Library And Museum, Jackelyn Raquel Cordova Romano

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this thesis project is to create virtual 3D artifacts for the Clinton Presidential Library and Museum for use in their e-museum website to aid museum accessibility of objects. These 3D artifacts will be used by the Clinton Museum for their webpage and the artifacts were modeled carefully to appear as close as possible to the objects chosen by the museum team. As an institution part of the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA), the limited access of objects due to the sheer size of the collection creates a problem with the institution’s mission of providing access to …

Social Support Of First-Generation College Applicants During The Transition To College Onboarding Phase: A Mixed Methods Sequential Explanatory Case Study, Amanda Dawn Coltri

Theses and Dissertations

This mixed methods case study sought to explain first-generation college applicant melt with respect to support provided through a digital onboarding platform at State University. Data were analyzed to understand use of the platform for social support purposes, resulting in a predictive model that demonstrated social support was a greater predictor of melt among first-generation college applicants than both distance from home and adjusted gross income. Additionally, staff were interviewed regarding support practices and platform usage. Three key findings emerged: the onboarding platform did not provide adequate support to applicants; enrollment management staff scrambled to compensate for this support gap; …

Evaluating On-Screen Edit Checks For Improving The Quality Of Healthcare Data, Emel Seker

Theses and Dissertations

This study investigates the impact of on-screen edit checks (OSECs) on reducing data entry errors in Electronic Data Capture (EDC) systems, addressing a gap in existing literature on the efficacy of OSECs. Employing a crossover experimental design, the research utilizes deidentified neonatal opioid withdrawal data from the ACT NOW CE study. Twenty participants were divided into two arms to enter data into an electronic case report form (eCRF): one arm began with OSECs enabled and the other without and transitioned to the opposite halfway through. Each participant processed 20 cases, yielding a total of 130,815 data points across 285 questions …

Development Of Hybrid Multi Criteria Decision Making Techniques For Efficient Cloud Service Selection, Obulaporam Gireesha

Theses and Dissertations

During the past few decades, cloud computing became a primary driver for the next generation of digital technology due to the increase in organizational performance and profitability based on a ‘pay-as-you-use’ fashion at anytime and anywhere across the globe. Cloud computing enables various enterprises to access pooled resources (like storage, network bandwidth, software applications, processing power, etc.) over the Internet with minimal Information Technology (IT) infrastructure and capital expenditure.

Indeed, the enormous popularity of cloud computing in both academia & industry over the decade has resulted in a wide range of similar cloud services offered by numerous service providers. Even …

From Crisis To Aftermath: The Role Of Nursing Professional Development Educators During The Covid-19 Pandemic: A Realist Case Study, Kimberly Kanner

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this qualitative, realistic inquiry case study was to examine and understand the experiences of NPD educators as they assisted new graduate nurses transitioning into clinical nursing practice during the COVID-19 pandemic in acute care hospitals in the state of New York. Moreover, this research study sought to understand how the COVID-19 pandemic brought about changes to the NPD educator's role and their ability to assist new graduate nurses transitioning into clinical practice post-pandemic. The sample included NPD educators from acute care hospitals in the state of New York. Data collection included semi-structured interviews and document collection. The …

Effects Of Print Process Parameters On Droplet-Powder Interaction In Binder Jet Additive Manufacturing, Jacob Lawrence

Theses and Dissertations

Binder jet additive manufacturing (BJ) offers unique advantages, including the ability to produce complex geometries and utilize a wide range of materials, but faces challenges related to part quality and defect formation. This thesis investigates the effects of process parameters on droplet-powder interaction, powder relocation, and line formation in BJ printing. A custom BJ test platform was developed to enable precise control over key process parameters and in-situ monitoring. High-speed synchrotron X-ray imaging revealed modes of powder relocation above and below the powder bed surface. Testing revealed that parameters that increase moisture in the powder bed, such as lower droplet …

Fabrication And Testing Of A Stitched Sandwich Composite Main Landing Gear Door, Mary Dimitroff

Theses and Dissertations

Lightweight sandwich composite structures exhibit high strength and bending stiffness and have been used in various load-bearing aerospace structures. A primary weakness of these structures is the low interfacial strength that can result in the disbonding between the facesheet and the core. Through-thickness reinforcement techniques, such as stitching, can be utilized to improve the interfacial strength of sandwich composites. This study focuses on fabrication and structural testing of stitched sandwich composite main landing gear (MLG) strut doors. The MLG strut doors are constructed from carbon fiber non-crimp fabric facesheets and closed-cell foam core that are stitched using a modified lock …

Functional Complementation And Occidiofungin Susceptibility Of Fungal Actin Orthologs In S. Cerevisiae, Moshood Fagbolade

Theses and Dissertations

Occidiofungin is an antifungal compound that targets the conserved cytoskeletal protein, actin. Despite >90% amino acid conservation between fungal actin proteins, sensitivity to occidiofungin has been shown to vary with C. albicans, F. oxysporum, and P. digitatum exhibiting a resistant profile relative to S. cerevisiae. To determine whether differences in the amino acid sequences of actin contribute to differences in occidiofungin susceptibility, we expressed the actin gene from these fungal organisms in the ACT1 S. cerevisiae shuffle strain. Functionality of actin gene products was determined by measuring growth kinetics, actin protein levels, nuclear position, and actin cable formation. Results demonstrated …

Continuum And Discrete Models For Particle-Based Heat Exchangers In Thermal And Thermochemical Energy Storage, Ashreet Mishra

Theses and Dissertations

Thermal energy storage (TES) systems based on renewable energy sources (concentrated solar, wind, and photovoltaic etc.) are crucial to reducing dependence on conventional energy generation systems and reducing renewable energy’s intermittent nature. TES can be utilized in conjunction with concentrated solar power (CSP) in particle-based power cycles where the particles can be charged (heat addition) using solar energy and then discharged (heat extraction) using particle-based heat exchangers (HX). Efficient particle based HXs are vital in coupling heat transfer fluid (HTF) from thermal receivers to power cycle working fluid (WF). Heat transfer enhancement is essential for adopting particle-based moving packed-bed heat …

Evaluating The Effects Of Key Virulence-Associated Genes In Estimating The Virulence Of Escherichia Coli, Using Embryo Lethality Assay And Experimental Infection Studies, Fozol Korim Ovi

Theses and Dissertations

Avian pathogenic Escherichia coli (APEC) causes a wide range of diseases in chickens called colibacillosis, resulting a substantial economic loss to the poultry industry. This dissertation aims at addressing this disease by exploring key virulence-associated genes (VAGs), swarming motility (SM), and multi-locus sequence types (MLST) of E. coli isolates obtained from colibacillosis-infected or asymptomatic commercial hens. Secondly, by classifying the E. coli isolates into different virulence categories based on the presence of five key VAGs [iroN, ompT, hlyF, iutA, and iss]. Finally, by performing embryo lethality assays and experimental infection studies to establish the effect of these VAGs. Our findings …

Spatial And Temporal Vulnerability Analysis Of Natural Disasters Due To Climate Change, Weiwei Xie

Theses and Dissertations

Natural disasters have become more severe and frequent than previous assessments with global warming. The increasing risk of natural disasters presents different groups of populations with diverse vulnerabilities, particularly those underrepresented social groups which need specific support before, during, and after extreme disasters. Hence, it is highly desired to examine vulnerability quantitatively and qualitatively across different social groups in risk to natural disasters. This dissertation study aims to investigate the measure of social vulnerability to two types of climate change-related natural disasters: sea-level-rise floodings and wildfires. In the study of sea-level-rise floodings, high-risk flooding areas are first identified for a …

Conservation At The Speed Of Light: Applications Of Non-Invasive Technologies For Assessing Physiological Phenomena In Amphibians, Li-Dunn Chen

Theses and Dissertations

The Anthropocene epoch in which we are currently living, also known as the Holocene, has brought about unprecedented losses in planet Earth’s biodiversity. Numerous extirpations of floral and faunal species have been influenced by human encroachment and more specifically, the exploitation of such species and the respective habitats in which they reside. It is this notion that has propelled many scientists to take up intellectual arms in an effort to protect these invaluable resources. The purpose of this research was to develop technologies to measure and evaluate various variables that influence animal physiology, specifically in amphibians who represent the most …

Physiology And Gut Microbiome Diversity In Honey Bee Colonies Along An Agricultural Intensification Gradient, Urita Mma Agana

Theses and Dissertations

Honeybees (Apis mellifera L.) are the major insect pollinators of many different crops. A drastic decline in the honey bee populations has been reported over the past decade. While many factors have contributed to this decline, pesticides, poor nutrition, and Varroa mites are the most common concerns noted by scientists and beekeepers. Aside from direct toxicity from pesticides, it has been observed that sublethal pesticide doses have effects on honey bee physiology and behavior such as oxidative stress, disruption of foraging and homing, and changes to honey bee neurophysiology. The primary objectives of this project were to examine honey bee …

Abundance And Control Of Nuisance Watershield (Brasenia Schreberi) Populations In Mississippi, Mackenzie M. Lee

Theses and Dissertations

Aquatic nuisance plants (ANS), like watershield (Brasenia schreberi), negatively affect water chemistry, ecosystem ecology, and human uses of waterbodies if not properly managed. Understanding ecological predictors as well as efficient control strategies is needed for successful control of ANS. This research assessed 1) potential environmental and ecological predictors of watershield prevalence along with 2) submersed injections of flumioxazin herbicide for watershield control. Twenty-one lakes in the state of Mississippi were surveyed for watershield presence. Watershield prevalence was not correlated to water clarity or plant diversity suggesting these are not drivers of watershield prevalence. A series of mesocosm and field trials …

“A Hiker Who Is Strong” Is Stronger Than “A Strong Hiker”: Modifier Position Affects Noun Perception, Peter John Weber Ii

Theses and Dissertations

Simple shifts within the syntactic structure of a sentence can have significant effects on the cognitive processes involved in language comprehension (Deckert, 2015; Ellis, 2002; Ferreira, 2003). Modifier position is one such syntactic element that has shown the importance of structure as demonstrated by Karimi et al. (2019). Post-modified words (e.g., a “peasant who was highly educated”) are encoded more robustly and are retrieved more easily than pre-modified words (e.g., a “highly educated peasant”). We explored the potential influence of modifier position on statement believability, namely, how much people believe a statement they have not heard before in Experiment 1. …

Synthesis Of Colloidal Nanomaterials Of Emerging Semiconductor Chalcogenide Perovskites And Related Structures, Daniel Zilevu

Theses and Dissertations

The quest for efficient and cost-effective thin-film photovoltaic (PV) materials has recently zeroed in on hybrid lead halide perovskites, owing to their low cost, ease of processing, and exceptional efficiency metrics—peaking at 33.9% when combined with silicon in tandem devices. Nevertheless, there are substantial concerns about the stability, toxicity, and consequential environmental footprint of lead-based perovskites, thereby necessitating rigorous research to identify and develop alternative materials with superior stability profiles and diminished toxicity. Amongst the myriad candidates, chalcogenide perovskites and their related structures, represented by the empirical formula ABQ3 (with A = Ca, Ba, Sr; B = Zr, Hf, Ti; …

Towards Carbon Dioxide Reduction: Synthesis And Characterization Of Ccc-Nhc Pincer Iron Complexes., Joshua Mensah

Theses and Dissertations

The industrial revolution came with its downside of emission of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere. The NOAA reported in 2019 that, of the greenhouse gases emitted into the atmosphere, CO2 contributed to about 80% of the increased greenhouse gases hence the need for CO2 Sequestering and Storage (CSS) and ultimately leading to Carbon Capture and Recycling (CCR) as a viable option to convert CO2 into useful forms. The race to find the best catalyst for CCR has led to the synthesis of many organometallic compounds. Pincer complexes catalyzed CO2 reduction has gained notoriety recently because of the tunability and robustness …

Developing Non-Invasive Molecular Sampling Methods For Effective Wildlife Monitoring, Daniela Adjaye

Theses and Dissertations

Monitoring of wildlife populations is critical to conservation and public health and provides crucial information necessary for effective decision-making and management. Effective wildlife monitoring requires effective and adaptable sampling methods that consider the researchers as well as species being monitored. This thesis assesses non-invasive sampling methods to 1) detect cryptic shrew species, and 2) identify bacteria of public health concern present in American black bear (Ursus americanus) fecal matter. Results from Chapter 2 demonstrate the potential for monitoring rare and sparsely distributed small mammals using soil sourced environmental DNA with targeted sampling (e.g., cover objects for shrews). Chapter 3 demonstrates …

Hydrologic Connectivity Between Oxbow Lakes And Rivers Within The Lower Mississippi Alluvial Valley, Hafez Ahmad

Theses and Dissertations

This research investigated hydrologic connectivity, the intricate network of water pathways linking waterbodies, and its implications for biodiversity exchange in floodplains. Chapter 1 provides an exhaustive literature review encompassing factors influencing hydrologic connectivity, assessment approaches, scales, challenges, and management tools. Existing research often focuses on single scales and short-term periods, revealing a need for comprehensive multi-scale and extended temporal analyses. The absence of standardized definitions and methodologies in this field is also considered. Chapter 2 presents an innovative approach quantifying eight key connectivity metrics using remote sensing and GIS within the Lower Mississippi Alluvial Valley (LMAV). This adaptable method assesses …

Analysis Of Glacier Changes In The Western United State: Assessing Area, Volume, And Albedo Changes, Bernard Latif Abubakari

Theses and Dissertations

Glaciers in the western United States, essential freshwater reservoirs, and climate change indicators, are evaluated to understand their present conditions using Sentinel 2A satellite imagery and Random Forest machine learning. Furthermore, this study utilizes MODIS albedo and temperature data, along with Sentinel 5 Precursor, to understand trends and changes in summer glacier albedo within the region, while also investigating the underlying factors influencing glacier albedo, with Mount Rainier as case study. The results of this study reveal that glaciers have lost 236.96 km2 in their area and a corresponding volume loss of 4.9 km3 from the mid-20th century to 2020. …

Processing And Characterization Of Conjugated Polymers Utilizing Electrospinning Technique For Optoelectronic Applications, Humayun Ahmad

Theses and Dissertations

The electrospinning technique is an attractive route for processing conjugated polymers (CPs) in a significant quantity for large-scale applications. However, the processing-structure-property relationship of the electrospinning process for CPs is not well understood. This dissertation provides a fundamental understanding regarding the structure development of CPs in electrospun fibers because of different processing conditions and relates that to fiber properties. Electrospinning was conducted for a mixture of polyethylene oxide (PEO) and poly(3-hexylthiophene) (P3HT) of three different molecular weights and two aging conditions: freshly prepared and 24 h aged spinning solutions. The aging of the spinning solution led to the self-assembly of …

Constraints And Challenges For Ensuring Food Security In The Northern And South-Western Region Of Bangladesh: A Policy, Hazards, And Climate Change Perspective, Zia Ahmed

Theses and Dissertations

Achieving food security in Bangladesh remains an arduous task, as the country struggles with several challenges. These challenges include the effects of climate change, occurrence of natural disasters, lack of proper access to credit facilities, and the anthropogenic modification of the agricultural landscape. The vulnerability of agricultural practice in the northern regions to drought, flood, and riverbank erosion, as well as the increased occurrence of coastal surges, waterlogging, cyclones, coastal floods, shrimp aquaculture and soil salinity in the southwestern region, poses a major threat to Bangladesh’s attainment of food security. In this context, we analyze the anthropogenic factors such as …

Individual Differences In Attention Processes And Creative Thinking, Berna Altunisik

Theses and Dissertations

Effects of mind wandering on creative thinking is unclear in the literature. Using multiple measures of mind wandering and creativity, the current study investigates the role of different contexts on the relationship between mind wandering and creative thinking. Thought probes measured intentionality and freely moving dimensions of mind wandering in a lexical decision and a movie task (between-subjects). Three measures of attention control were also obtained. Deliberate and spontaneous mind wandering traits were measured with a survey. Participants did not show off-task behaviors during the mind wandering tasks. Attention control positively predicted creative problem solving and divergent thinking scores. Freely …

Removal Of Emerging Contaminants From Water Using Green Adsorbents, Rabia Amen

Theses and Dissertations

Water availability is presently under risk owing to the increased discharge of pollutants from both industrial and residential properties. A distinct category of pollutants known as "emerging contaminants" (ECs), whose hazards were either unknown before they were noticed, e.g., antibiotics, dyes, PFAS, etc. Most of the ECs are unregulated and pose a threat to aquatic and human life at even low doses. Our water treatment facilities are not designed to efficiently eliminate these toxic substances. Therefore, we need an economical tertiary treatment approach. Adsorptionis a sustainable, cost effective and simple technique, making it a viable technique for pollutants elimination on …

Deep Reinforcement Learning For Advanced Wireless Networks Enabling Service And Spectrum Coexistence, Walaa Alqwider

Theses and Dissertations

The evolution from the fifth generation (5G) networks to 6G promises to revolution- ize connectivity, supporting a vast array of applications from high-definition video streaming and immersive augmented reality experiences to critical machine-type communications. However, this progression brings along the challenge of efficiently managing the limited radio spectrum (RF) resources to accommodate the diverse quality of service (QoS) requirements of a variety of service and user types. Another problem gaining traction with the advances of wireless communications technology is the coexistence between active communication systems and passive RF sensing operating in the same or adjacent bands. Central to addressing these …

The Effects Of Work-Life Balance, Teleworking, And Deia On The U.S. Federal Employee Job Satisfaction: Towards Developing A Contemporary Needs Theory, Latara Marie Arterberry

Theses and Dissertations

The study of work-life balance, teleworking, and diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility are increasingly studied among scholars using different theoretical frameworks. However, no study examines work-life balance, teleworking, and diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility as needs in these contemporary times that, when met, lead to higher employee job satisfaction. Existing scholarship suggests that employee job satisfaction is a function of needs. However, with globalization, human needs have changed to include social justice concerns and the desire to have a more fulfilling family life. When organizations respond to these needs, it leads to employee job satisfaction, which ultimately improves organizational performance. …

Wavelet-Enhanced 2d And 3d Lightweight Perception Systems For Autonomous Driving, Simegnew Yihunie Alaba

Theses and Dissertations

Autonomous driving requires lightweight and robust perception systems that can rapidly and accurately interpret the complex driving environment. This dissertation investigates the transformative capacity of discrete wavelet transform (DWT), inverse DWT, CNNs, and transformers as foundational elements to develop lightweight perception architectures for autonomous vehicles. The inherent properties of DWT, including its invertibility, sparsity, time-frequency localization, and ability to capture multi-scale information, present an inductive bias. Similarly, transformers capture long-range dependency between features. By harnessing these attributes, novel wavelet-enhanced deep learning architectures are introduced. The first contribution is introducing a lightweight backbone network that can be employed for real-time processing. …