Digital Commons Network^™

Reconstruction Algorithms For Novel Joint Imaging Techniques In Pet, Homayoon Ranjbar

McKelvey School of Engineering Graduate Student Theses & Dissertations

Positron emission tomography (PET) is an important functional in vivo imaging modality with many clinical applications. Its enormously wide range of applications has made both research and industry combine it with other imaging modalities such as X-ray computed tomography (CT) or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). The general purpose of this work is to study two cases in PET where the goal is to perform image reconstruction jointly on two data types.

The first case is the Beta-Gamma image reconstruction. Positron emitting isotopes, such as ¹¹C, ¹³N, and ¹⁸F, can be used to label molecules, and tracers, such …

Abiotic- And Biotic-Formation Of Manganese Oxides And Their Fate In Environmental Systems, Haesung Jung

McKelvey School of Engineering Graduate Student Theses & Dissertations

Manganese (hydr)oxide (Mn (hydr)oxide) minerals are ubiquitous in aquatic and terrestrial environments. These minerals have high surface areas and are highly sorptive and redox active. From decades of accumulated knowledge about natural redox cycling, we have found that Mn (hydr)oxides play critical roles as electron donors and acceptors in elemental geochemical cycling and biological metabolisms in nature. Thus, Mn (hydr)oxides have garnered increasing interest to understand natural systems. Considering the variety of redox reactions with Mn (hydr)oxides in nature, it is also expected that there should be diverse pathways to form Mn (hydr)oxides through abiotic and biotic processes. Previous studies …

Knowledge Driven Approaches And Machine Learning Improve The Identification Of Clinically Relevant Somatic Mutations In Cancer Genomics, Benjamin John Ainscough

Arts & Sciences Graduate Student Theses and Dissertations

For cancer genomics to fully expand its utility from research discovery to clinical adoption, somatic variant detection pipelines must be optimized and standardized to ensure identification of clinically relevant mutations and to reduce laborious and error-prone post-processing steps. To address the need for improved catalogues of clinically and biologically important somatic mutations, we developed DoCM, a Database of Curated Mutations in Cancer (http://docm.info), as described in Chapter 2. DoCM is an open source, openly licensed resource to enable the cancer research community to aggregate, store and track biologically and clinically important cancer variants. DoCM is currently comprised of 1,364 variants …

Development Of In Vitro Drug Screening Platforms Using Human Induced Pluripotent Stem Cell-Derived Cardiovascular Cells, Yosuke Kurokawa

McKelvey School of Engineering Graduate Student Theses & Dissertations

Drug-induced cardiotoxicity is a critical challenge in the development of new drugs. Since the advent of human pluripotent stem cell-derived cardiomyocytes (CMs), researchers have explored ways to utilize these cells for in vitro preclinical drug screening applications. One area of interest is microphysiological systems (i.e. organ-on-a-chip), which aims to create more complex in vitro models of human organ systems, thus improving drug response predictions. In this dissertation, we investigated novel analysis methods and model platforms for detecting drug-induced cardiotoxicity using human induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC)-derived cardiovascular cells.

First, we utilized human iPSC-derived CMs (iPS-CMs) to establish optical methods of …

The Easy Wrap Orthopedic Cast, Rana Rezaei

Theses

The orthopedic professionals and physicians believe in a safer and faster method to replace the existing application and removal of the orthopedic cast. They also believe that the orthopedic treatment process has much more room for improvement. The Easy Wrap orthopedic cast has several benefits. First, it enhances the application and removal procedure. Second, it replaces the existing casting process to reduce the injuries to patients and physicians. Finally, it decreases the number of lawsuits against hospitals and clinics caused by cast injuries.

Background: Using a cast removal saw creates burns and cuts on patient’s skin. This medical saw is …

3d Hybrid Model For New Product Development, Nataraj Munoli

Theses

Peter Thiel, in his book Zero to One, mentioned the importance of going from zero to one over one to infinity. The value of innovation and creating a unique product will always hold a higher value than doing something that has already been done. The author explains how the businesses that are unique or have very few competitors tend to be more successful when compared to businesses that offer similar services or products as offered by numerous other businesses. To achieve this edge over the contemporaries, there is a growing need to introduce new products to the market by exploiting …

Boulder Distribution Analysis Of Impact Craters In The Tharsis Region And Elysium Planitia, Mars, Nicole Button

LSU Master's Theses

Crater counting is an accepted method for dating the surface of a planetary body. An older landscape will have a higher areal density of craters due to exposure of impacts occurring over a longer time period. Since each initial impact only forms one primary crater, secondary craters need to be excluded in the crater counting method to appropriately catalog only distinct impact events. However, small primary craters may be difficult to distinguish from secondary craters. Understanding physical features of impact craters, such as the ejecta blanket, would improve the planetary community’s ability to differentiate between the two types of craters. …

A Comparison Of The Aerodynamic Centers For Panel Code Compressible Corrections And Openfoam 5 For Mach 0.1 To 0.8, Dustin Weaver

All Graduate Plan B and other Reports, Spring 1920 to Spring 2023

It is known that the aerodynamic center changes from quarter chord to half chord from incompressible to compressible flows on airfoils. Compressible corrections are derived and implemented in a vortex panel code. These results will be used to find the aerodynamic centers for the specified Mach range of 0.1 to 0.8 in 0.1 increments within - 6 to 6 degrees angle of attack. OpenFOAM 5 cases will be created with specific meshes and settings. The results calculated from OpenFOAM 5 will be compared to the results obtained from the compressible corrections.

Afro-Latinx Transnational Identities: Adults In The San Francisco Bay And Los Angeles Area, Koby Heramil

Master's Theses

This paper examines the identity construction of Afro-Latinas/os/x in the San Francisco Bay and Los Angeles Area. Marginalized communities predominately Black and Latina/ o/x concentrated are at the epicenter of disenfranchisement caused by the globalization of neoliberalism. Neoliberal reforms to education restrain the various nuances of pluralistic teaching, focusing only on the performance of standardized tests thus pressuring schools to center their interest in securing funding. This has greater implications for low-income communities of color where multicultural pedagogy is limited. More importantly, this association of neoliberalism reforms to education affects Afro-Latinx individuals, because they are maligned in the conversation about …

The Resisters: Contemporary Ethiopia Through A Feminist Lens, Eldana Mathias Temesgen

Master's Theses

Based on the recent mass protests in Ethiopia, there is a strong indication that the Oromo people of Ethiopia, who are at the forefront of these protests, have been placed in a position of marginal importance, influence and power in their society. Due to the power and agency wielded by the government, some ethnic groups in Ethiopia, including the Oromo ethnic group, claim to be underrepresented on a political, economic, and social scale, which has led to conflict.

The nuances of ethnic based conflict, such as the situation in Ethiopia, have been tackled through several disciplines and examined through different …

Development Of Design Equations For Drilled Shafts In Granular Dense Soils Using Dem Simulations, Sadia Faiza

Civil Engineering ETDs

Drilled shafts have proven to be cost-effective, excellent performing, deep foundation systems where large loads and lateral resistance are major factors. The available design methods that are recommended by FHWA (2010) for drilled shafts are mostly empirical and are developed based on generalized data which sometimes can be conservative for a particular soil. The main objective of this study is to develop a design methodology for estimating the side resistance of an axially loaded drilled shaft based on the current and the unique properties of the soil. The objective was met through using the discrete element method (DEM) to investigate …

Increasing Clabsi Bundle Compliance In The Nicu, Hannah Barry

Master's Projects and Capstones

Central lines are frequently used in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) for the administration of medications and total parenteral nutrition (TPN). Central line-associated blood stream infections (CLABSIs) have the potential to cause harm in the vulnerable neonate. Current evidence shows that having a CLABSI bundle compliance rate of 95 percent or greater correlates with a reduction in CLABSI occurrences. The purpose of this project is to increase compliance to CLABSI prevention practices in the NICU through education and ongoing central line audits. Baseline line audit data revealed an 80 percent compliance rate (n = 50) and 50 percent of …

Transgender Bathroom Rights In The Time Of Trump, Catherine Jean Archibald

Tennessee Journal of Race, Gender, & Social Justice

On May 13, 2016, the Obama Administration issued a guidance document entitled “Dear Colleague Letter on Transgender Students,” which interpreted federal law as requiring that transgender students be permitted to use bathrooms that correspond with their gender identity in schools receiving federal funding. Considerable litigation ensued. Less than a year later, on February 22, 2017, the Trump Administration rescinded this guidance document. The Trump Administration asserts that it should be up to individual states to decide what bathrooms transgender children may use in schools.

This article addresses where transgender bathroom rights stand now that Obama’s Dear Colleague Letter has been …

It's Not Complicated: Containing Criminal Law's Influence On The Title Ix Process, Margaret Drew

Tennessee Journal of Race, Gender, & Social Justice

Title IX processes that address campus sexual assault are undergoing dramatic changes in structure as well as in policy review. After receipt of the Department of Education’s 2011 “Dear Colleague” letter, colleges and universities were impelled to review how their institutions were implementing Title IX. From website information through investigation and decision-making on alleged violations, the ways in which higher education addresses federally guided changes is a matter of national conversation. This article addresses change considering campus sexual assault allegations, and does not explicitly address other forms of Title IX complaints, such as athletic funding and opportunities. This essay limits …

On The Same Team: Locker Room Talk, Student Athletes, And A Call For A Restorative Justice Approach To Sexual Assault Education, Brian A. Pappas

Tennessee Journal of Race, Gender, & Social Justice

No abstract provided.

Postmodern Social Control: Dividuals And Surveillance, Ernest M. Oleksy

The Downtown Review: An Interdisciplinary Journal Written and Peer-Reviewed by Mandel Honors College Students at Cleveland State University

As a society's foundational philosophy changes, so, too, will its forms of social control. By using the works of thinkers like Deleuze and Foucault as pivot points, the dynamic nature of social interactions and the agents to mediate those actions shall be investigated. This article includes findings from archival analysis written in a journalistic prose for simplicity of consumption.

Edward A. Ross: Social Development And Social Control, Ernest M. Oleksy

The Downtown Review: An Interdisciplinary Journal Written and Peer-Reviewed by Mandel Honors College Students at Cleveland State University

With a foundation in philosophy and history, core concepts of sociology and criminology that were initially posited over a century ago are still useful in understanding the workings of today's society. The contributions of Edward A. Ross have helped latter day researchers centralize their studies of polycentric topics by using social control as an omnipresent social fact. By comparing Ross's descriptions of 19th century society and the researcher's descriptions of 21^st century society, a continuous understanding of a heavily pluralistic discipline comes to life.

Standing And The Ninth Floor Again: The Military Hospital By Sghaier Ouled Ahmed, Hager Ben Driss

Transference

Translated from Arabic by Hager Ben Driss

Excerpts From The Clutter Of Words By Suzanne Alaywan, Nina Youkhanna

Transference

Translated from Arabic by Nina Youkhanna

Transference Vol. 5, Fall 2017

Transference

No abstract provided.

Identifying Impaired State For A Driver, Catherine Cardinal, Cliff Sze

Defensive Publications Series

Generally, the present disclosure is directed to improving driver safety by identifying impaired drivers. In particular, in some implementations, the systems and methods of the present disclosure can include or otherwise leverage one or more machine-learned models to predict a driver’s impairment state based on driving data.

No Story, No Myth, Jonathan Lamb

Criticism

No abstract provided.

Are You My Internal Object?, Sharif Youssef

Criticism

No abstract provided.

Determining High-Level Topical Annotations For A Conversation, N/A

Defensive Publications Series

Generally, the present disclosure is directed to annotating a conversation with high-level topical annotations. In particular, in some implementations, the systems and methods of the present disclosure can include or otherwise leverage one or more machine-learned models to predict topical annotations for a conversation based on audio data from the conversation.

Determining Projection Format For A Video, N/A

Defensive Publications Series

Generally, the present disclosure is directed to determining one or more projection formats for a video. In particular, in some implementations, the systems and methods of the present disclosure can include or otherwise leverage one or more machine-learned models to predict a projection format for a segment of a video based on image data extracted from the video.

Recommending Items For Deletion Based On Item Quality And Usage, N/A

Defensive Publications Series

Generally, the present disclosure is directed to recommending items stored in a data storage system for deletion. In particular, in some implementations, the systems and methods of the present disclosure can include or otherwise leverage one or more machine-learned models to predict a likelihood of deletion for an item based on item data and user interaction data for one or more items.

Using Customer Support Interaction Data To Estimate Customer Satisfaction, N/A

Defensive Publications Series

Generally, the present disclosure is directed to using customer support interaction data to estimate customer satisfaction. In particular, in some implementations, the systems and methods of the present disclosure can include or otherwise leverage one or more machine-learned models to predict a customer satisfaction score based on customer interaction data.

Determining Priority Value Of Processes Based On Usage History, Neil Dhillon, Tanmay Wadhwa

Defensive Publications Series

Generally, the present disclosure is directed to determining optimal priority values for one or more processes in a computing system. In particular, in some implementations, the systems and methods of the present disclosure can include or otherwise leverage one or more machine-learned models to predict an optimal priority value for a process based on system data and/or process data.

Semi-Supervised Classification Using Object Metadata, Dave Feltenberger

Defensive Publications Series

Generally, the present disclosure is directed to classification of data objects (e.g. documents, images, graphs, etc.). In particular, in some implementations, the systems and methods of the present disclosure can include or otherwise leverage one or more machine-learned models to classify a data object based on object data and/or metadata associated with the object.

Optimizing Route Guidance To Preserve User Loyalty, Thomas Price

Defensive Publications Series

Generally, the present disclosure is directed to optimizing route guidance in a navigation or ride share service to preserve user loyalty. In particular, in some implementations, the systems and methods of the present disclosure can include or otherwise leverage one or more machine-learned models to predict likelihood of user abandonment based on user data and/or route data.