Digital Commons Network^™

Methodology For Selecting The Column Configuration With Lowest Media Replacement Cost For Small Adsorption Systems, Artem Bausk

Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

The relative performance of three column configurations often used for adsorption systems serving small communities was evaluated in terms of which results in the lowest overall replacement cost. Replacement cost is the cost of fresh media and the transportation, labor, and material costs to replace the media. Both the adsorption capacity and the media replacement costs were modeled. The pore and surface diffusion model was utilized to simulate the fixed-bed adsorption and obtain the breakthrough curves, which were then normalized using the target effluent to influent concentration ratio (C/C_o) and the mass transfer zone fraction (%MTZ_BT). …

Effects Of Sediments On Bmps For Highway Runoff Control, Matthew Garder

Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Numerous studies conducted on highway stormwater runoff and its control with Best Management Practices (BMPs) indicate that sediment is the major pollutant that affects performance and longevity of BMPs. Currently, there are several knowledge gaps related to the effects of sediments on highway BMPs: a) how much sediment will be generated by a construction site by a section of highway with its surrounding watershed under different conditions; b) how sediment is intercepted by different BMPs with or without pretreatment sections; and c) what are the effects of these sediments on BMPs’ hydraulic behavior, longevity, and pollutants removal or release. The …

Addressing Security Risks For Mobile Devices: What Higher Education Leaders Should Know, Casey J. Gordon

Department of Educational Administration: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

This qualitative study examined the topic of mobile device security at higher education institutions in the Midwestern United States. This study sought to answer the question of how higher education institutions have responded to threats to campus data security posed by mobile devices. It explored the questions of what institutions are doing currently, the policies and procedures they have in place, and what leaders should do in the future.

This research study consisted of four case studies, compiled through interviews with key Information Technology (IT) professionals and faculty at each of the four institutions studied as well as an examination …

Teacher Preparedness For Spiritually Transformational Teaching: A Case Study In One Christian High School, Wendy Lewis

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This single instrumental case study examined a purposive sample of teachers from Live Oak Christian High School (a pseudonym) for indications that they were spiritually qualified, sufficiently trained, and intentionally committed to transformational Christian teaching. Spiritually qualified teachers would evidence an active Christian faith as demonstrated by a sound basic theology, verbalization of a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, and various spiritual practices. Teachers who were sufficiently trained would evidence personal knowledge, experience, education, or training related directly to Christian education. Teachers who were committed to transformational Christian teaching would evidence that intentionality in documents, surveys, classroom observations, and personal …

Attitudes And Perceptions Of Suicide And Suicide Prevention Messages For Asian Americans, Priyata Thapa, Yoonhee Sung, David A. Klingbeil, Chih-Yuan Lee, Bonnie Klimes-Dougan

Department of Family Science and Human Development Scholarship and Creative Works

Understanding the context of suicidal behaviors is critical for effective suicide prevention strategies. Although suicide is an important topic for Asian Americans, there is limited information about what Asian Americans' attitudes are towards suicide and their perceptions about the effectiveness of prevention efforts. These questions are critical to examine to provide foundational knowledge for determining how best to intervene. In this study, Asian American (n = 87) and White (n = 87) participants completed self-report indexes on their knowledge of depression and suicide (e.g., estimates of suicide rates), coping attitudes (e.g., help-seeking) and suicide prevention attitudes (e.g., usefulness of PSAs). …

The Effect Of Warming And Simulated Rainfall On Soil Microbial Community Structure And Function, Torri A. Ivancic

Biology Theses

Soil respiration, from plant roots and soil microbes, accounts for 60 – 80 percent of total ecosystem respiration, with the microbial component contributing approximately 54 percent. Global climate trends resulting from CO₂ emissions include increased soil temperatures and changes in precipitation regimes resulting in less frequent, more intense rainfall events. Soil temperature and moisture availability drive soil respiration rates, but how they impact the microbial respiration is poorly qualified. I investigated how the soil microbial community responds to changes in temperature and moisture availability in a laboratory based experiment. Soils from a mixed hardwood forest under two thermal regimes …

The Seed: Urban Vertical Farming Germinated, Michael Lima

Architecture Thesis Prep

This thesis is proposing a mixed use commercial and agricultural building within the Warehouse District of Minneapolis, Minnesota. With a population rise of 1100% in the last ten years and close proximity to areas in need of food justice action this building investigates the ability for buildings to act not only as shelter for people, but also as life springs for those living within its proximity. Food production, water filtration and education of the human connection to their role in nature are three of the tenants that “The Seed” addresses. The Seed will germinate the concept of Vertical Urban Farming …

Private Data, Public Safety: A Bounded Access Model Of Disclosure, Mary D. Fan

North Carolina Law Review

No abstract provided.

State-Created Immigration Climates And Domestic Migration, Huyen Pham, Pham Hoang Van

Faculty Scholarship

With comprehensive immigration reform dead for the foreseeable future, immigration laws enacted at the subfederal level -- cities, counties, and states -- have become even more important. Arizona has dominated media coverage and become the popular representation of the states' response to immigration by enacting SB 1070 and other notoriously anti-immigrant laws. Illinois, by contrast, has received relatively little media coverage for enacting laws that benefit the immigrants within its jurisdiction. The reality on the ground is that subfederal jurisdictions in the United States have taken very divergent paths on the issue of immigration regulation.

Compiling city, county, and state …

Mylife: An Online Personal Memory Album, Di Wang, Ah-Hwee Tan

Research Collection School Of Computing and Information Systems

In this demo, we illustrate the formation, retrieval, and playback of autobiographical memory in an online personal memory album named MyLife. The memory in MyLife consists of pictorial snapshots of one's life together with the associated context, namely time, location, people, activity, imagery, and emotion. MyLife allows direct import of memories from other online personal photo repositories. For memory retrieval, users can use not only exact cues, but also partial, vague, inaccurate, and random ones. The retrieved memories are then played back as a movie-like slide show with various visual effects and background music. MyLife holds high potential in both …

An Investigation Of Research On Altruism In Recent Literature Of The Three Sectors: Public, Private, And Non-Profit, Jennifer Saksa

Honors Projects

The purpose of this study was to investigate the topic of altruism in the recent research literature of the public, private, and non-profit sectors. The top twenty most cited articles of each of the three sectors from 1995 to 2014 were retrieved from the Web of Science Journal Citation Report database and reviewed. Data was accumulated for content analysis of trends of publishing, changing industry viewpoints on altruism, and how altruism is referenced in these articles in each sector. With the results of the literary analysis, altruism can be considered a developable skill by organizations and that it can be …

The Impact Of Natural Disasters On Children In The United States, Samantha M. Przybylski

Senior Projects

The goal of this paper is to consider the unique experiences of children in natural disaster preparedness, response and recovery. This paper seeks to stress the importance of taking special interest in children’s needs during times of crisis. Through a case study of Hurricane Katrina, an exploration of the disservice children receive in noted. In closing, a possible solution-oriented approach is discussed.

Representational Politics In Video Game Media – Gender In Pokémon, Glenn R. Miller

Senior Projects

The Pokémon franchise is a global powerhouse however it lacks representation that is necessary for the variety of races, sexualities, genders, and sexes that inhabit the countries where the games are released. These are fleshed out with the analysis of the works of Anne Fausto-Sterling, Jack Judith Halberstam, Judith Butler, and a critical analysis of the releases and features of the Pokémon games. An observance on representation is also conducted.

Exploring The Criticisms Of Grand Juries In The United States, Heather Geurink

Honors Projects

No abstract provided.

Comparative Policing: America And The United Kingdom: An Exploratory Historical Analysis With An Eye On The Present, Erin Dougherty

Honors Projects

No abstract provided.

Control Of Mesoscopic Transport By Modifying Transmission Channels In Opaque Media, Raktim Sarma, Alexey Yamilov, Seng Fatt Liew, Mikhael Guy, Hui Cao

Physics Faculty Research & Creative Works

While controlling particle diffusion in a confined geometry is a popular approach taken by both natural and artificial systems, it has not been widely adopted for controlling light transport in random media, where wave interference effects play a critical role. The transmission eigenchannels determine not only light propagation through the disordered system but also the energy concentrated inside. Here, we propose and demonstrate an effective approach to modify these channels, whose structures are considered to be universal in conventional diffusive waveguides. By adjusting the waveguide geometry, we are able to alter the spatial profiles of the transmission eigenchannels significantly and …

Modeling Trade-Offs Between Plant Fiber And Toxins: A Framework For Quantifying Risks Perceived By Foraging Herbivores, Meghan J. Camp, Lisa A. Shipley, Timothy R. Johnson, Jennifer Sorenson Forbey, Janet L. Rachlow, Miranda M. Crowell

Biology Faculty Publications and Presentations

When selecting habitats, herbivores must weigh multiple risks, such as predation, starvation, toxicity, and thermal stress, forcing them to make fitness trade-offs. Here, we applied the method of paired comparisons (PC) to investigate how herbivores make trade-offs between habitat features that influence selection of food patches. The method of PC measures utility and the inverse of utility, relative risk, and makes trade-offs and indifferences explicit by forcing animals to make choices between two patches with different types of risks. Using a series of paired-choice experiments to titrate the equivalence curve and find the marginal rate of substitution for one risk …

When Disclosure Is Involuntary: Empowering Users With Control To Reduce Concerns, David W. Wilson, Ryan M. Schuetzler, Bradley Dorn, Jeffrey Gainer Proudfoot

Information Systems and Quantitative Analysis Faculty Proceedings & Presentations

Modern organizations must carefully balance the practice of gathering large amounts of valuable data from individuals with the associated ethical considerations and potential negative public image inherent in breaches of privacy. As it becomes increasingly commonplace for many types of information to be collected without individuals' knowledge or consent, managers and researchers alike can benefit from understanding how individuals react to such involuntary disclosures, and how these reactions can impact evaluations of the data-collecting organizations. This research develops and empirically tests a theoretical model that shows how empowering individuals with a sense of control over their personal information can help …

Information Technology Impacts On Firm Performance: An Extension Of Kohli And Devaraj (2003), Anand Jeyaraj, Rajiv Sabherwal

Management Information Systems Faculty Publications

Despite the importance of investing in information technology, research on business value of information technology (BVIT) shows contradictory results, raising questions about the reasons for divergence. Kohli and Devaraj (2003) provided valuable insights into this issue based on a meta-analysis of 66 BVIT studies. This paper extends Kohli and Devaraj by examining the influences on BVIT through a meta-analysis of 303 studies published between 1990 and 2013. We found that BVIT increases when the study does not consider IT investment, does not use profitability measure of value, and employs primary data sources, fewer IT-related antecedents, and larger sample size. Considerations …

On Air, Hoi Yee, Debe Sham

Artists-in-Residence Programme : Exhibition Catalogues

The booklet features various artworks created by Ms. Debe Sham, Artist-in-Residence for 1^st Semester 2015/16, Lingnan University. These include The 3^rd Party, an interactive installation that incorporates galvanized zinc pipe with mirrors and pads, and the new Rainbow Series, with connected chairs created for ON AIR exhibition held during her residency at Lingnan. Readers can understand more about Debe’s works through various commentaries given by her mentors and members of Department of Visual Studies.

As part of the residency program, Ms. Debe Sham also taught 2015 Studio Practice Course, entitled Stepping Out: Form & …

Midfield Rf Signal Detector, Dawei Zhang

Electrical Engineering

This project is part of a Master’s thesis which looks at alternative ways to measure blood glucose. The Master’s thesis uses mid-field signals in order to match impedance and therefore lose less power as they travel through flesh. The goal of this senior project is to build a receiver for those signals and give accurate RSSI (received signal strength indicator) measurements. Mid-fields were originally explored by Stanford professor Dr. Ada Poon [3] who used the signaling technique to recharge the batteries of deeply implanted devices. Devices implanted near the surface of the skin were able to have their batteries recharged …

Exploration Of The United States’ Cultural Legacy In Panama Through Analysis Of American Foreign Policy And Public Opinion, Katherine A. Boss

Honors Theses

The study of a culture is nearly too difficult to accomplish academically, therefore the consilience of data, personal experience, and public opinion offers the most comprehensive approach. The Panama Canal has just celebrated its centennial and remains to this day one of the most important geopolitical and global economic hubs in the world. Nearly every country that participates in maritime trade utilizes the canal. Panama has ambitious plans for the canal’s future, as it nears completion of a multibillion dollar expansion project; however predicting how Panama handles this growth and new responsibility as a major world power is directly related …

The Relationship Between Pre-Service Teachers’ Basic Technology Competence, Technology Self-Efficacy And Perceptions Of Adopting Educational Applications On Ipads For Classroom Use, Rebecca Ann Martindale

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

iPads and tablets are the latest technological tools that schools are adopting for classroom use. Yet, according to the Teacher’s Use of Educational Technology in U.S. Public Schools: 2009 Report, 25-50% of the teacher population surveyed report rarely or never using basic classroom technologies (LCD projectors, whiteboards, document cameras and computers) for teaching (Gray, Thomas, & Lewis, 2010). A modified Perceived Characteristics of Innovating (PCI) instrument originally developed by Moore & Benbasat (1991) was used to determine intention to integrate educational applications on iPads for classroom use. Multiple regression analysis was conducted to determine whether technology competence or technology self-efficacy …

Portion Size Communication By Means Of Package Design, Tami J. Strickland

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This qualitative study assessed consumers’ current methods of determining portion sizing of chicken products and examined their perceptions of how effectively three package designs communicate portion size. Everett M. Rogers’ Diffusion of Innovations (DI) Theory analyzes the characteristics of the consumer of the innovation (adopter) and the impact these characteristics have on adopting new innovations. The innovation in this study will be the prototype packaging. Focusing on Rogers’ adopter characteristics and defined proprietary consumer segmentation characteristics, this study will be pivotal for future package design projects targeting nutrition education.

Focus group questions were scrutinized through a pilot study and revised …

Genetic Factors Influencing B-Type Natriuretic Peptide-Mediated Production Of Cyclic Guanosine Monophosphate And Blood Pressure Effects In Heart Failure Patients, David E. Lanfear, Jia Li, Raza Abbas, Ruicong She, Badri Padhukasahasram, Ramesh C. Gupta, David Langholz, W Hw Tang, Keoki L. Williams, Hani N. Sabbah, Sheryl L. Chow

Cardiology Articles

Natriuretic peptides (NPs) represent a critical pathway in heart failure (HF). We explored genetic determinants of pharmacodynamic effects of B-type NP (BNP) and changes in plasma cyclic guanosine monophosphate (cGMP) and blood pressure (BP). HF patients (n = 135) received recombinant human BNP (nesiritide) at standard doses, and plasma cGMP levels were measured at baseline and during infusion. We tested the association of 119 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in 4 candidate genes (NPR1, NPR2, NPR3, and membrane metallo-endopeptidase (MME)) with the change in cGMP and BP. Gene-based testing for association of genetic variation with endpoints was significant only for MME. …

Methylseleninic Acid Promotes Antitumour Effects Via Nuclear Foxo3a Translocation Through Akt Inhibition, Míriam Tarrado-Castellarnau, Roldán Cortés, Miriam Zanuy, Josep Tarragó-Celada, Ibrahim H. Polat, Richard Hill, Teresa W-M Fan, Wolfgang Link, Marta Cascante

Toxicology and Cancer Biology Faculty Publications

Selenium supplement has been shown in clinical trials to reduce the risk of different cancers including lung carcinoma. Previous studies reported that the antiproliferative and pro-apoptotic activities of methylseleninic acid (MSA) in cancer cells could be mediated by inhibition of the PI3K pathway. A better understanding of the downstream cellular targets of MSA will provide information on its mechanism of action and will help to optimize its use in combination therapies with PI3K inhibitors. For this study, the effects of MSA on viability, cell cycle, metabolism, apoptosis, protein and mRNA expression, and reactive oxygen species production were analysed in A549 …

Application Of The Aeroacoustic Analogy To A Shrouded, Subsonic, Radial Fan., Bryan Buccieri

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

A study was conducted to investigate the predictive capability of computational aeroacoustics with respect to a shrouded, subsonic, radial fan. A three dimensional unsteady fluid dynamics simulation was conducted to produce aerodynamic data used as the acoustic source for an aeroacoustics simulation. Two acoustic models were developed: one modeling the forces on the rotating fan blades as a set of rotating dipoles located at the center of mass of each fan blade and one modeling the forces on the stationary fan shroud as a field of distributed stationary dipoles. Predicted acoustic response was compared to experimental data. The blade source …

Commencement Program 2015 December: College Of Liberal Arts, The University Of Texas At Arlington

Commencement Programs, Photos, and Video

No abstract provided.

Evolving Efficient Foraging Behavior In Biologically-Inspired Robot Swarms, Joshua Peter Hecker

Computer Science ETDs

Human beings are driven to explore distant new worlds as we seek to better understand our place in the Universe. Because of the inherent dangers of human spaceflight, we often send robots as surrogate explorers, controlled from millions of miles away by teams of capable rover drivers here on Earth. As technology continues to advance, scientists and engineers aspire to build low-cost, durable, fully autonomous rovers to succeed today's tele-operated extraplanetary explorers. Here we aim to advance this goal by designing and programming robots that can successfully navigate unknown and variable environments. We present a swarm robotics system that mimics …

Lest I Forget: Case Studies In Listening To High School Students Struggling With Academic Literacy, Lois M. Todd-Meyer

College of Education and Human Sciences: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Adolescents who struggle with the academic literacy demands of high school have often experienced years of frustration and even failure with literacy learning. School districts are now accountable for making sure all students achieve a prescribed level of proficiency as measured by standardized and performance assessments. How can educators best help adolescents who struggle with literacy reach a level of proficiency that will facilitate their success not only on standardized tests, but will also help them become engaged citizens of our democracy? The purpose of this study was to listen closely to high school students who were identified as struggling …