Digital Commons Network^™

Electrogenerated Chemiluminescence Study Of Semiconductor Nanoparticles Towards Sensitive Detection Of Biomolecules, Yiliyasi Wusimanjiang

Dissertations

The main focus of this dissertation is to unfold the fundamental aspects of electrogenerated chemiluminescence (ECL) generation from semiconductor nanoparticles (also known as quantum dots or QDs) within different ECL systems. The ECL and photo-physical interactions between the CdTe QDs (λ_emission= ~760 nm) and the CdSe QDs (λ_emission= ~550 nm), as well as the effects of carbon nanotubes on ECL of QDs were separately investigated. Optimum experimental conditions for peptide bond formation on an electrode surface through EDC (1-ethyl-3-(-3-dimethylaminopropyl) carbodiimide hydrochloride)/NHS (N-Hydroxysulfosuccinimide) coupling were also revealed using cyclic voltammetry technique. Based on the information …

Nanostructured Morphologies In Glassy Polymer Networks, Brian Greenhoe

Dissertations

The body of this work describes a novel approach for the dispersion of multi-walled carbon nanotubes in a high T_g epoxy prepolymer matrix using a twin screw high-shear continuous reactor. The method demonstrated improves on previous dispersion methods in several ways. It offers increased efficiency through excellent heat transfer, while being solvent-less, scale-able, and tailorable to drive dispersion states to judiciously chosen dispersion states. Furthermore, it was shown that dispersion state and agglomerate morphology can be directed, in several ways, through processing conditions and also by controlling the matrix viscosity profile through cure. Broadband dielectric spectroscopy, optical hot-stage microscopy, …

A New Multi-Layer Perceptron Trainer Based On Dragonfly Optimization Algorithm., Mohy Eldin Abo-Elsoud, Mohamed Morsy, Shaima Elnazer

Mansoura Engineering Journal

In this paper, Dragonfly Optimizer (DO) was used to train Multi-Layer Perceptron (MLP). DO was used to find the weights and biases of the MLP to achieve a minimum error and a high classification accuracy. Four standard classification datasets were used to benchmark the performance of the proposed method. In addition, the performance of the proposed method were compared with three well-known optimization algorithms, namely, Genetic Algorithm (GA), Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO), Ant Colony Optimization (ACO), and Grey Wolf Optimizer (GWO) which were used to train MLP also. The experimental results showed that the DO algorithm with the MLP was …

Modeling Of Carbon Dioxide Capture In Fluidized Bed., Shady Emad, Ahmed Hegazi, Salah El-Emam, Farouk Okasha

Mansoura Engineering Journal

Carbon capture and storage (CCS) has been globally gaining popularity as a viable greenhouse gases mitigation strategy throughout the last decade. Calcium looping (CaL) is an emerging technology to capture carbon dioxide from flue gases of fossil fueled power plants exploiting the reversible gas-solid reaction between the carbon dioxide (CO2) and calcium oxide (CaO) to form calcium carbonate (CaCO3) in a fluidized bed. In this work, a dynamic model of a bubbling bed carbonator, the key reactor in the capture process, has been presented. The model incorporate both hydrodynamics and chemical kinetics to provide more reliable predictions. The model has …

Theoretical Development Of Mathematical Model To Predict Vertical Wicking Behavior Of Flow Through Terry Towels., Hemdan Abou-Taleb, Heba El-Fowaty

Mansoura Engineering Journal

Theoretical models have been proposed in this paper to predict the vertical wicking behaviour of fabrics based on different fibre, yarn and fabric parameters. The yarn and fabric models have been developed based on Hagen – Poiseuille’s equation on fluid flow and pore geometry through the yarns (inter–fibre pores) and fabrics (inter–yarn pores) have been determined. Factors such as yarn porosity, number of fibres in a yarn cross-section, fibre denier, yarn denier, yarn crimp, hydraulic pore diameter and fibre contact angle have been taken into account for development of the yarn model. Also, factors such as yarns diameters, ends & …

Integrated Design Of Downwind Land-Based Wind Turbines Using Analytic Gradients, Andrew Ning, Derek Petch

Faculty Publications

Wind turbines are complex systems where component-level changes can have significant system-level effects. Effective wind turbine optimization generally requires an integrated analysis approach with a large number of design variables. Optimizing across large variable sets is orders of magnitude more efficient with gradient-based methods as compared to gradient-free method, particularly when using exact gradients. We have developed a wind turbine analysis set of over 100 components where 90% of the models provide numerically exact gradients through symbolic differentiation, automatic differentiation, and adjoint methods. This framework is applied to a specific design study focused on downwind land-based wind turbines.

Downwind machines …

Kin Selection And Its Discontents, David C. Queller

Biology Faculty Research

Kin selection is a core aspect of social evolution theory, but a small number of critics have recently challenged it. Here I address these criticisms and show that kin selection remains an important explanation for much (though not all) social evolution. I show how many of the criticisms rest on historical idiosyncrasies of the way the field happened to develop, rather than on the real logic and evidence.

The Effects Of Implementing Close Reading In A Third, Fourth, And Fifth Grade Public School Setting To Improve Student Achievement, Cory Valentine

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this ex-post facto, causal-comparative study is to determine the effects of close reading on student achievement. Close reading is a strategy developed through literary criticism and the influences of I. A. Richards and the New Critics. This study analyzes close reading to determine the most efficient practice to help students develop critical reading, thinking, and written communication skills. The researcher examined 2013 to 2015 New York State English Language Arts Exam data from 10 school districts located in the Broome-Tioga BOCES Region. For the study, 6,040 student exams in Grades 3, 4, and 5 were analyzed. Using …

Gifted With Asperger's Syndrome (Twice-Exceptional): The Difference Post-Graduate Certifications Held Make On Early Childhood Teachers' Knowledge, Terry Wright

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Twice-exceptional students (Gifted with Asperger’s Syndrome) can be difficult for even the experienced teacher. Robust knowledge of Asperger’s Syndrome and Giftedness prepares teachers to meet the needs of these often-unidentified students. The purpose of this cross sectional survey design research was to study how post-graduate certifications held (dependent variable) affected early childhood teacher knowledge (independent variable) of Asperger’s Syndrome and Gifted/talented learner characteristics. From two large suburban school districts and small, private schools in Central Texas, 242 early childhood teachers (pre-k-second grade) participated in three online researcher created instruments entitled Teacher Knowledge of Asperger Characteristics, Teacher Knowledge of Gifted and …

Predictors Of The Use Of English Language Assistance Services By English Language Learners In Elementary Schools, Juanita Hosch-Martin

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The number of English language learners (ELLs) in the American classrooms is growing at a rapid rate. The purpose of this correlational study was to determine whether there was a statistically significant relationship between the need for English language assistance services predicted using a combination of a student’s home language, student’s first language, student’s language used most, and W-APT scores for elementary school students in a southeastern state. The instrumentation for this study consisted of the Home Language Survey and W-APT scores. With the approval of the IRB and a southern state school district, the research was conducted using a …

The Creation And Examination Of An Index Of High School Grade Point Average And Sat Score To Predict College Performance, Todd Wadsworth

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

A variable derived from commonly available performance metrics was created. The derived variable was an index created from the quotient of each student's high school cumulative grade point average and SAT composite test score. Its predictive validity for college performance of both first-semester males and females was examined. The data used in the study was archival and obtained from a college freshmen cohort of 544 students. The analysis was carried out by conducting three separate bivariate correlation analyses. Descriptive statistics of the index were also reported, both as a whole and disaggregated by sex. The descriptive statistics included means, variances, …

The Relationships Between School Climate, Teacher Self-Efficacy, And Teacher Beliefs, Paige Lacks

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This quantitative study examined the relationship between school climate, teacher self-efficacy, and teacher beliefs. Teachers at two middle schools in rural southern Virginia participated in the study. Middle school teachers were surveyed using the School Climate Index to collect information about teacher-perceived views on their school’s climate and the Teacher Sense of Efficacy Scale to gather information about teacher self-efficacy. Pearson Product-Moment Correlations were used to measure the relationship between school climate and teacher self-efficacy as well as teacher self-efficacy and four teacher-perceived climate factors, including collegial leadership, teacher professionalism, academic press, and community engagement. Data analysis did not provide …

The Effect Of Group Counseling Intervention On The Performance Of Rural Students On The Georgia High School Graduation Tests, Donna Caudel

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

With an increase in high-stakes testing, educators continue to search for the best methodologies for assisting students in maximizing academic achievement and successful completion of graduation requirements including mandatory tests for high school graduation. At the time of this study, students graduating from Georgia high schools were required to pass five academic subject area tests in order to receive a high school diploma. Psychometric theory, social cognitive theory, and cognitive behavioral theory provided the theoretical framework for this study. Students from a rural high school in Georgia comprised the sample. This quantitative study employed a posttest-only control group design with …

Understanding And Tackling Societal Grand Challenges Through Management Research, Gerard George, Jennifer Howard-Grenville, Aparna Joshi, Laszlo Tihanyi

Research Collection Lee Kong Chian School Of Business

“Grand challenges” are formulations of global problems that can be plausibly addressed through coordinated and collaborative effort. In this Special Research Forum, we showcase management research that examines societal problems that individuals, organizations, communities, and nations face around the world. We develop a framework to guide future research to provide systematic empirical evidence on the formulation, articulation, and implementation of grand challenges. We highlight several factors that likely enhance or suppress the attainment of collective goals, and identify representative research questions for future empirical work. In so doing, we aspire to encourage management scholars to engage in tackling broader societal …

Personalized Medicine: Is It Time For Infectious Diseases?, Maha A. Al-Mozaini, Michael K. Mansour

Saudi Medical Journal

No abstract provided.

The East Texan, 2016-12-01, Texas A&M University-Commerce

All Issues

A color copy of The East Texan, a student newspaper published at Texas A&M University-Commerce.

Using Digital Performance Feedback To Increase Teacher Treatment Integrity, Heather Marie Whipple

Master's Theses

In intervention research, assessing treatment integrity is important to establish functional control of the independent variable and make accurate decisions regarding treatment effectiveness. This study examined the effects of digital performance feedback (DPF) as a follow-up strategy for teachers to increase integrity. A multiple baseline design was utilized to determine the effectiveness of this strategy. Results from this study expanded previous literature on ways to promote treatment integrity and help move toward a science of intervention implementation. The primary dependent variable measured was treatment integrity. Student behavior was also assessed to determine if there is a relationship between treatment integrity …

Modern Fair-Weather And Storm Sediment Transport Around Ship Island, Mississippi: Implications For Coastal Habitats And Restoration Efforts, Eve Rettew Eisemann

Master's Theses

The Mississippi – Alabama barrier island chain is experiencing accelerated sea level rise, decreased sediment supply, and frequent hurricane impacts. These three factors drive unprecedented rates of morphology change and ecosystem reduction. All islands in the chain have experienced land loss on the order of hectares per year since records began in the 1840s. In 1969, Hurricane Camille impacted as a Category 5, breaching Ship Island, and significantly reduced viable seagrass habitat. Hurricane Katrina impacted as a Category 3 in 2005, further widening Camille Cut. To better understand the sustainability of these important islands and the ecosystems they support, sediment …

Bloom Or Bust: Retrospective Analysis Of The Giant Jellyfish, Nemopilema Nomurai (Scyphozoa: Rhizostomeae), Ecology In The East Asian Marginal Seas, Naomi Yoder

Master's Theses

The Giant Jellyfish, Nemopilema nomurai, is a large-bodied bloom-forming jellyfish that occurs in the semi-enclosed basins of the East Asian Marginal Seas. N. nomurai has bloomed more frequently in the past 20 years than in any period previously recorded. In Japan, recent N. nomurai blooms were responsible for millions of dollars in lost revenue and equipment damage to commercial fisheries alone. This study statistically analyzed 21 environmental factors in connection with N. nomurai occurrence (using occurrence as a proxy for blooms). Eight factors resulted in a statistically significant or marginally significant (p ≤ 0.10), linear or non-linear relationship with …

Characterization Of Wy 14,643 And Its Complex With Aldose Reductase, Michael Sawaya, Malkhey Verma, Vaishnavi Balendiran, Nigam Rath, Duilio Cascio, Ganesaratnam Balendiran

Chemistry & Biochemistry Faculty Works

The peroxisome proliferator, WY 14,643 exhibits a pure non-competitive inhibition pattern in the aldehyde reduction and in alcohol oxidation activities of human Aldose reductase (hAR). Fluorescence emission measurements of the equilibrium dissociation constants, Kd, of oxidized (hAR•NADP+) and reduced (hAR•NADPH) holoenzyme complexes display a 2-fold difference between them. Kd values for the dissociation of WY 14,643 from the oxidized (hAR•NADP+•WY 14,643) and reduced (hAR•NADPH•WY 14,643) ternary complexes are comparable to each other. The ternary complex structure of hAR•NADP+•WY 14,643 reveals the first structural evidence of a fibrate class drug binding to hAR. These observations demonstrate how fibrate molecules such as …

Simple Soil Quality Tests And Organic Management Practices For Orchards In The Intermountain West, Esther Oline Thomsen

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Soil health is often overlooked as a long-term management strategy as growers face an increasing number of short-term management challenges in the Intermountain West. The costs of inputs are rising and water resources are becoming more limited. Soil with poor health typically requires more amendments and fertlizers to meet crop needs. Soil health tests can help reveal management practices that reduce soil health, as well as those that improve soil health. Practices known to improve soil health are reduced to no tillage, cover crop use- especially legumes, and addition of mulch and other organic materials. Soil health testing is not …

Physical Modelling Of Wave Scattering Around Fixed Fpso-Shaped Bodies, T. Mai, D. Greaves, A. Raby, P. H. Taylor

School of Engineering, Computing and Mathematics

No abstract provided.

Evolutionary Multi-Path Routing For Network Lifetime And Robustness In Wireless Sensor Networks, Aam Rahat, Rm Everson, Je Fieldsend

School of Engineering, Computing and Mathematics

Wireless sensor networks frequently use multi-path routing schemes between nodes and a base station. Multi-path routing confers additional robustness against link failure, but in battery-powered networks it is desirable to choose paths which maximise the overall network lifetime — the time at which a battery is first exhausted. We introduce multi-objective evolutionary algorithms to find the routings which approximate the optimal trade-off between network lifetime and robustness. A novel measure of network robustness, the fragility, is introduced. We show that the distribution of traffic between paths in a given multi-path scheme that optimises lifetime or fragility may be found by …

The Impact Of Sports Participation On The Academic Achievement Of African American Girls, Sarita Singleton

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Although there are several educational benefits resulting from participation in high school sports, African American students do not always experience the positive outcomes that other populations share. The purpose of this causal comparative study was to investigate the effect of athletic participation on the academic achievement of African American high school female students. The sample consisted of 100 female African American 12th-grade students. Descriptive statistics were collected and analyzed. Analysis involved archival data to determine the grade point averages and graduation rates of student athletes and non-athletes in two urban high schools in Georgia. The study sought to determine if …

Life Satisfaction: A Study Of Engagement And The Academic Progress Of High School Students With Specific Learning Disabilities, Rebecca Dilling

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this transcendental phenomenological study was to understand how high school students with specific learning disabilities describe life satisfaction and its impact on student motivation, academic engagement, and academic progress. Bruner’s constructivist theory guided this research. Other theories included: Piaget’s cognitive development theory, Bronfenbrenner’s ecological theory, Vygotsky’s social learning theory, Erikson’s psychosocial development theory, Maslow’s hierarchy of needs theory, Bowlby’s attachment theory, Dewey’s brain-based learning theory, Glasser’s control theory of motivation, Bandura’s social cognitive theory, Deci and Ryan’s self-determination theory, and Bandura’s self-efficacy theory. Data collection tools included the researcher’s journal, classroom observations, student interviews, two student focus …

The Kinematics And X-Ray Emission Mechanism Of The Large-Scale Jet Of 3c 111, Devon Clautice

Theses and Dissertations

Relativistic jets are the most energetic manifestation of the active galactic nucleus (AGN) phenomenon. AGN jets are observed from the radio through gamma rays and carry copious amounts of matter and energy from the sub-parsec central regions out to the kiloparsec and often megaparsec scale galaxy and cluster environs. While most spatially-resolved jets are seen in the radio, an increasing number have been discovered to emit in the optical/near-IR and/or X-ray bands. Here we discuss a spectacular example of this class, the 3C 111 jet, housed in one of the nearest, double-lobed FR II radio galaxies known. We discuss new, …

Phytotoxicity Of Silver Species To Egeria Densa And Applications To Phytoremediation, Leonard James Bernas

Theses and Dissertations

Silver species pose a significant threat to aquatic ecosystems because the use of silver nanoparticles (AgNps) for industrial applications is significantly increasing, as are discharges into waterways. The effects have only been studied on select fish and aquatic plants, so more research is needed to understand the risks associated with silver species in the environment. Egeria densa (E. densa, also known as Elodea densa), a common freshwater submerged macrophyte, was exposed to 0-1.25 ppm silver cations and 2 and 15 nm AgNps in an aqueous environment for 7 days. E. densa was chosen for this study because it is a …

Categorizing “Muck” In The Indian River Lagoon, Florida, Based On Chemical, Physical And Biological Characteristics, Katherine Mae Beckett

Theses and Dissertations

During the past six decades, the thickness and areal extent of muck sediments have continually increased in the Indian River Lagoon (IRL), Florida. These sediments are anoxic, store and release nutrients, and destroy natural benthic habitats. The main objective of this research was to develop guidelines that help prioritize sites for muck removal based on the following: (1) biological abundance and diversity, (2) muck thickness, and (3) the physical and chemical composition of muck. Thinner muck deposits (20-40 cm), collected during two seasons at eight locations in the lagoon and adjacent creeks, had greater variability in sediment composition and ~5 …

Digital Quorum Sensing For Self-Organizing Malware, Mark E. Fioravanti Ii

Theses and Dissertations

INTRODUCTION: Malware authors present an interesting problem for the security community as they evolve and adapt to overcome network and host defenses. The determined adversary is a special class of malware author who may attempt to disrupt national interests. These adversaries may seek potentially novel Command and Control (C2) channels to coordinate their activities. Isolated and air-gapped networks pose an interesting challenge that these adversaries must adapt to in order to maintain persistence on these networks. In this work we propose that a determined adversary may seek to implement a digital quorum sensing system inspired by the quorum sensing systems …

Specialized Distributed Hardware Design For Real-Time Atmospheric Turbulence Mitigation Error Correction Calculation, Subhadra Subramanian

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis demonstrates an approach to solve execution challenges of Image processing of an Atmospheric turbulence mitigation technique in real-time. An atmospheric turbulence mitigation technique is used to eliminate the aberrations caused by turbulence in the images. The error calculation is a mathematically intensive process, that includes Fast Fourier Transform (FFT) to convert the image from the spatial domain to the spatial frequency domain. The FPGA based hardware accelerator design and architectures are investigated in this work to perform Fast Fourier Transform and error calculations in real-time, defined as 30Hz. A scalable and parallel platform is designed to execute the …