Digital Commons Network^™

Reflections About Grasshoppers And Inchworms In The Information And Communication Technologies Era, Boris Handal, H Gonzales

Education Papers and Journal Articles

This article presents a multifaceted reflection on the different prevailing strategies to obtain knowledge in the educational system. In an effort to illustrate this complex process, the paradox of the grasshoppers and caterpillars are brought in their applications to the education system. This paradox has great relevance in the contemporary educational system because it points to a process that will alter the foundations of teaching and learning particularly in this age where ICT have achieved highly sophisticated levels. Grasshoppers’ dispositions — intuitive oriented, non-lineal and proactive—and those from the caterpillars — structured, predictive and reactive — have a profound and …

Patient Evaluation Of Emotional Comfort Experienced (Peece): Developing And Testing A Measurement Instrument, A Williams, L Lester, C Bulsara, A Petterson, K Bennett, E Allen, D Joske

Health Sciences Papers and Journal Articles

Objectives: The Patient Evaluation of Emotional Comfort Experienced (PEECE) is a 12-item questionnaire which measures the mental well-being state of emotional comfort in patients. The instrument was developed using previous qualitative work and published literature.

Design: Instrument development.

Setting: Acute Care Public Hospital, Western Australia.

Participants: Sample of 374 patients.

Interventions: A multidisciplinary expert panel assessed the face and content validity of the instrument and following a pilot study, the psychometric properties of the instrument were explored.

Main outcome measures: Exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis assessed the underlying dimensions of the PEECE instrument; Cronbach’s α was used to determine the …

Lack Of Evidence For Decreased Protein Stability In The 2397 (Met) Haplotype Of The Leucine Rich Repeat Kinase 2 Protein Implicated In Parkinson’S Disease, Ryan S. Anderton, Lauren Hill, Rhiannon Morris, Frank L. Mastaglia, Wayne Greene, Sherif Boulos

Health Sciences Papers and Journal Articles

Missense mutations in the leucine rich repeat kinase 2 (LRRK2) gene are the leading genetic cause of autosomal dominant familial Parkinson’s disease. We previously reported that two mutations within the ROC domain, namely R1441C and A1442P, exhibit increased protein degradation leading to lowered steady state LRRK2 protein levels in HEK293 cells. More recently, the common WD40 domain LRRK2 haplotype, Met2397, which is a risk factor for Crohn’s disease, has been shown to lower steady state protein levels in HEK293 cells. In view of recent evidence implicating LRRK2 and inflame-mation in PD, we investigated the effects of Met2397 on LRRK2 expression, …

Changes In Fatty Acid Composition Of Human Milk In Response To Cold-Like Symptoms In The Lactating Mother And Infant, Andrew S. Gardner, Ibrahim A. Rahman, Ching T. Lai, Anna Hepworth, Naomi Trengove, Peter E. Hartmann, Donna T. Geddes

Health Sciences Papers and Journal Articles

Infants rely on their innate immune systems to protect them from infection. Human milk (HM) contains fatty acids (FAs) and monoacylglycerols that are known to exhibit antiviral and antibacterial properties in vitro. The specific fat content of HM may potentially affect the efficacy of this antimicrobial activity. This preliminary study investigates whether the proportions of FA in HM change in response to infections, leading to cold-like symptoms in the mother or infant. Milk samples were obtained from mothers (n = 26) when they and their infants were healthy, and when mother, infant, or both suffered cold-like symptoms. The milk was …

What's The 411 On Sex In The African American Church? A Qualitative Exploration Of African American Girls' Exposure To Sex Communication In The Church., Brittany Berry

Theses and Dissertations

WHAT’S THE 411 ON SEX IN THE AFRICAN AMERICAN CHURCH? A QUALITATIVE EXPLORATION OF AFRICAN AMERICAN GIRLS’ EXPOSURE TO SEX COMMUNICATION IN THE CHURCH

By: Brittany M. Berry, Ph.D.

A dissertation submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy at Virginia Commonwealth University.

Virginia Commonwealth University, 2017.

Major Director: Dr. Faye Z. Belgrave, Professor, Psychology

The purpose of this dissertation research was to explore sex communication with African American girls in the African American Church. This research was guided by two objectives: (1) to explore African American adolescent girls’ exposure to sex communication in …

Mathematical Models Of The Inflammatory Response In The Lungs, Sarah B. Minucci

Theses and Dissertations

Inflammation in the lungs can occur for many reasons, from bacterial infections to stretch by mechanical ventilation. In this work we compare and contrast various mathematical models for lung injuries in the categories of acute infection, latent versus active infection, and particulate inhalation. We focus on systems of ordinary differential equations (ODEs), agent-based models (ABMs), and Boolean networks. Each type of model provides different insight into the immune response to damage in the lungs. This knowledge includes a better understanding of the complex dynamics of immune cells, proteins, and cytokines, recommendations for treatment with antibiotics, and a foundation for more …

Big Data Visualization Platform For Mixed Reality, Aliakbar Panahi

Theses and Dissertations

The visualization of data helps to provide faster and deeper insight into the data. In this work, a system for visualizing and analyzing big data in an interactive mixed reality environment is proposed. Such a system can be used for representing different types of data such as temporal, geospatial, network graph, and high dimensional. Also, an implementation of this system for four different data types are created. The data types include network data, volumetric data, high dimensional, and spectral data for different mixed reality devices such as Microsoft HoloLens, Oculus Rift, Samsung Gear VR, and Android ARCore were created. It …

Synergy: Game Design + Qur'an Memorization, Sultana Jesmine Moulana

Theses and Dissertations

The rise of digital technology has transformed nearly every part of our daily lives, including the way we learn and memorize. Such transformations raise interesting questions for one of the most long-standing and demanding memorization tasks in the world: the memorization of the Islamic holy book, The Qur’an. For Muslims, The Qur’an is a timeless, sacred text, cradling within its covers many profound images, stories, and parables. Despite rigorous research in the fields of game design and memorization techniques, very little work has been done in combining these two areas of research to create a game-based memorization experience of The …

Ca2+/Calmodulin-Dependent Protein Kinase Type Ii (Camk-Ii) Is Required For Hematopoietic Stem Cell Specification, Camden E. Kurtz

Theses and Dissertations

Ca2+/Calmodulin-dependent protein kinase type II (CaMK-II) is a Serine/Threonine protein kinase that is activated by Ca2+ and Calmodulin to phosphorylate substrates involved in myriad developmental processes. This project implicates CaMK-II in specification of HSCs, and zebrafish provide an ideal embryonic model to study hematopoiesis. Zebrafish genetic manipulation was achieved through: incubation in chemical inhibitors; injection of notochord-targed WT and DN CaMK-II constructs with Transposase; and injection of camk2g1 translation-blocking morpholino antisense oligonucleotide (MO). Whole-mount in situ hybridization (WISH) and immunolocalization on zebrafish embryos allowed visualization of key HSC markers and pathway components that implicated CaMK-II in the specification of HSCs. …

Examining Health Behaviors In College Students With And Without Chronic Conditions, Duc-Thi J. Barsell

Theses and Dissertations

Many college students are in a developmental period in which they are transitioning from pediatric to adult health care. This time period can be challenging for all college students and especially for students with a chronic condition. The current study investigated the association between various health-related factors (health locus of control [HLOC], health literacy, health self-efficacy, and health-related quality of life [HRQOL]) and health behaviors in college students, as well as the moderating effect of having a chronic condition on those associations. These health behaviors were further operationalized as healthy lifestyle behaviors (preventative and wellness behaviors, dietary behaviors, physical activity) …

Three Measures Of Coping In Video Games (Civ-Iii): The Development, Construct Validation, And Profile Analysis Of The Civ-Iii, Chelsea M. Hughes

Theses and Dissertations

Video games provide a competitive, goal-oriented environment. They involve individuals who often seek intentionally to frustrate their opponents’ goals. The gaming community is made up of players who vary in their interpersonal style, learning histories, and skill levels. In this rich and dynamic environment, stress is a common experience. Given the prevalence of gameplay in the population and the frequency of gameplay among gamers, it is important to examine coping responses to stressors, particularly maladaptive ones. The present research entails three studies. In Study 1, I use exploratory factor analyses to develop three scales purported to measure maladaptive coping strategies …

Role Of The Pediatric Dental Provider In Human Papillomavirus (Hpv) Education, Meredith L. Dugoni

Theses and Dissertations

Purpose: This study investigates knowledge about HPV and examines if pediatric dental providers should include HPV education for guardians of patients 10-18 years.

Methods: Legal guardians of 10-18 year-old patients of the Virginia Commonwealth University Pediatric Dental Clinic were enrolled in this prospective cohort study. Participants completed a baseline survey, were provided HPV education, completed an initial follow-up survey, and then completed a 6-month follow-up survey.

Results: A total of 54 participants completed the baseline and initial follow-up surveys and 17 completed the 6-month follow-up survey. The average number of correct responses was 3.4 of 6 knowledge questions, which significantly …

Art For Recovery, Lucy Dabney

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis explores the design of a space for opioid addicts in recovery that combines an art therapy studio with a gallery space. It would provide a new type of therapy available to the area, engage and educate the Richmond community and spread awareness of the disease of opiate addiction. It will also enable addicts to express themselves in a non-verbal, creative format that allows for them to create a legacy and leave an imprint on the community.

Positions Of Place: Converging Viewpoints In Visual Communication, Gregory J. Schmidt

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis includes a body of work that explores our visual relationship to the physical spaces and places we inhabit in our everyday lives. Today we live in a complex world where we are bombarded with fragments of information and inundated with distractions. As designers, we are equipped with tools and methods that allow us to experience and interpret our environment through multi-faceted perspectives and from different viewpoints. My approach to graphic design adopts techniques and practices from a mix of different disciplines. The work focuses on a design process that alternates between the parallel depiction of first-person and third-person …

Spooky Action At A Distance, Jonathan A. Rehwoldt

Theses and Dissertations

The question posed is “Can I experience remote human intimacy?” This is only posed after a network of computer code, images and entities have worked through the studio apparatus. These objects only materialize after khaos, the gap, the chasm has been recognized and a remote position has been realized. The work is about examining this constellation of objects and processes in their aspiration to answer the stated question in the affirmative. The resulting presentation is an experience of the failures and illuminations of both the material and the work.

Wiped Clean, Elizabeth H. Hunter

Theses and Dissertations

It seems that all forms of pain, quotidian and monumental, are catalogued in the same muted and inaccessible space in our memory. In my installation Wiped Clean, I question whether human capacity to externalize physical trauma is aided by a the physical design of our institutions. I examine the architectures and structural mechanisms that mediate traumatic and intimate experiences with our bodies, and explore the potential of self-formation within these conditions.

Active Design: Creating A Blue Zones Model For Interior Environments, Alexis Holcombe

Theses and Dissertations

How might interior environments play a role in promoting life long well being? According to Passarino, et al., genetic variety only accounts for about 25% of the variation of human longevity. A combination of diet, environment and exercise comprise the greatest factors. The amount of time Americans spend indoors presents a challenge to increasing physical activity: the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) states that Americans spend 93% of their lives indoors (Roberts, 2016). Therefore, if physical activity is crucial to living longer, the design of interior environments could logically be a critical factor in promoting natural movement and sustaining lifelong well-being. …

Sub For More, Chelsea Lee

Theses and Dissertations

This written thesis unpacks the thoughts and motivations behind the decisions I have made in my artistic practice that have ultimately culminated in my M.F.A. Thesis Exhibition: Sub for More. By merging images of my own work as well as internet sourced images of the culture that drives my work, I have created a platform to begin to understand my experience during graduate school. This text examines and explores my belief in the inherent power in pop culture, my obsession with fame, celebrity, and my self-identity as a participant in current pop-culture.

Development Of My Footprint Calculator, Karthik Mummidisetti

Theses and Dissertations

The Environmental footprint is a very powerful tool that helps an individual to understand how their everyday activities are impacting environmental surroundings. Data shows that global climate change, which is a growing concern for nations all over the world, is already affecting humankind, plants and animals through raising ocean levels, droughts & desertification and changing weather patterns. In addition to a wide range of policy measures implemented by national and state governments, it is necessary for individuals to understand the impact that their lifestyle may have on their personal environmental footprint, and thus over the global climate change. “My Footprint …

In Search Of A Function For An Uncharacterized Conserved Protein In Streptococcus Sanguinis Sk36, Ayana Scott-Elliston

Theses and Dissertations

With the number of fully sequenced bacterial genomes increasing in the past 7 years, it has been discovered that a large percentage of the putative protein coding genes have no known function. This lack of knowledge leaves scientists with an incomplete understanding of bacteria. In this study, conserved hypothetical protein mutants from Streptococcus sanguinis SK36 were screened on solid media with various environmental conditions. From these screens, the candidate protein, SSA_2372, displayed a sensitivity to acidic conditions. Its homolog in Bacillus subtilis 168, BSU00030, also displayed a sensitivity to pH conditions at its acid tolerance extremes unlike its other homolog …

D Is For The Most Cherished Sense (Whence It Comes And Wither It Goes), Hallie S. Mcneill

Theses and Dissertations

A transcript of the audio that constitutes the work by the same title, along with an introduction and relevant bibliography.

Immersive Theater & The Physical Narrative, Lauren Prisco

Theses and Dissertations

Immersive Theater is a form of experimental theater that places spectators at the heart of the created work, by removing them from the constraint of static seats and instead encouraging them to explore an installed environment as a way of understanding the narrative. This thesis explores how Interior Design directly enhances a performance by creating spaces that challenge a spectator’s physical understanding of a narrative.

Kazakhstan: Is Sharing Faith A State Security Issue?, Felix Corley

Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe

No abstract provided.

Driving Courts Crazy: A Look At How Labor And Employment Laws Do Not Coincide With Ride Platforms In The Sharing Economy, Alyssa M. Stokes

Nebraska Law Review

I. Introduction

II. Background ... A. The “Sharing” Economy ... B. Who Is an Employee? ... 1. Misclassification of Employees as Independent Contractors ... 2. The Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) ... 3. California Wage and Hour Laws

III. Litigation for Ride Platforms in the Sharing Economy … A. Trouble for Uber Begins in Berwick v. Uber Technologies, Inc. ... 1. Facts ... 2. California Labor Commission Finds Uber Driver Is Employee ... B. California District Court Weighs in: O’Connor v. Uber Technologies, Inc. ... 1. Facts ... 2. The California District Court Weighs in on Uber’s Alleged Misclassification ... …

Newbs Lose, Experts Win: Video Games In The Supreme Court, Angela J. Campbell

Nebraska Law Review

I. Introduction

II. The Advantage of a Supreme Court Expert ... A. California’s Counsel ... B. Entertainment Merchant Association’s (EMA) Counsel

III. Background on the Video Game Cases ... A. Cases Prior to Brown v. Entertainment Merchants Ass’n ... B. Brown v. Entertainment Merchants Ass’n ... 1. Before the District Court ... 2. Before the Ninth Circuit ... 3. Supreme Court

IV. Comparison of Expert and Non-Expert Representation in Brown ... A. Merits Briefs ... 1. Statement of Facts ... a. California’s Statement of Facts ... b. EMA’s Statement of Facts ... c. A More Effective Statement of Facts ... …

The Sec’S Data Dilemma: Addressing A Modern Problem By Encouraging Innovation, Responsibility, And Fairness, Gregg Moran

Nebraska Law Review

I. Introduction

II. Modern Threats to Sensitive Data

III. The FTC’s Approach to Data Security

IV. The SEC’s Approach to Data Security ... A. The Safeguards Rule ... 1. Development of the Safeguards Rule ... 2. Safeguards Rule Enforcement Actions ... a. NEXT Financial Group ... b. LPL Financial Corp ... c. J. P. Turner & Co. and Stephen Bauman ... d. Commonwealth Equity Services ... e. GunnAllen Financial ... f. R. T. Jones Capital Equities Management ... g. Craig Scott Capital ... h. Morgan Stanley Smith Barney ... B. Other Statutes and Regulations ... 1. Statutes and Regulations the …

Cybersecurity Stovepiping, David Thaw

Nebraska Law Review

I. Introduction

II. The Concept of Stovepiping

III. Stovepiping in Cybersecurity ... A. Policy Making, Complexity, and Change ... B. Complex Passwords: A Case Study ... 1. Fundamentals of Password Complexity ... 2. “Guessability”—the False Assumption ... a. Password Guessing via Authentication (Login) Interfaces ... b. Password Guessing via Unprotected/Unsanitized Service ... c. Offline Password Attacks ... 3. “Defense in Depth”—Measuring Marginal Benefit

IV. Implications of the Stovepiping Disjuncture ... A. Addressing the Same Question … B. Overcoming Policy Entrenchment ... C. Risk-Analytic Framework for Cybersecurity

V. Conclusion

The Modern Penny Dreadful: Public Prosecution And The Need For Litigation Privacy In A Digital Age, Jennifer A. Brobst

Nebraska Law Review

I. Introduction

II. Cybercrime and the Social Impact of Loss of Privacy

III. Balancing Constitutional Rights of Transparency with the Need for Anonymity in the Courtroom … A. Anonymous Juries ... B. Jane Doe Motions and Disclosure of Litigant and Witness Identities

IV. Limitations on the Right of Public Access to Court Proceedings ... A. Bans on Recording Devices in Court ... B. Closing the Courtroom

V. Public Records and Privacy-Related Exemptions

VI. Not So Private Rights of Action ... A. Statutory Remedies ... B. Defamation ... C. Invasion of Privacy ... D. Employee Harassment

VII. Conclusion

What’S Next For E-Government? Innovations In E-Government Through A Cybersecurity Lens, Emefa Agawu

Nebraska Law Review

I. Introduction

II. What Is E-Government?

III. Trends in E-Government Innovation ... A. Increasing Access to Content ... B. Digitize Service Loop ... C. Expand or Create New Government Functions

IV. State and Local Governments in a Changing Threat Landscape ... A. CIA Framework ... B. Applying the CIA Framework ... 1. Trend 1. Increasing Access to Information ... 2. Trend 2. Digitizing Government Service Loop … 3. Trend 3. Expanding or Creating Government Functions

V. Innovations in E-Government: Case Studies ... A. New Jersey: Open Data Initiative ... B. Boston: Mayor’s Office of New Urban Mechanics

VI. Conclusion

Steam Generation By Solar And Natural Gas Generators For Thermal Enhanced Oil Recovery, Abha Dwivedy

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

With easy oil recovered all across the world, the oil fields are depleting and extraction of heavy oil is becoming more important. The exploration and drilling of new fields is expensive and time intensive. With most of the oil remaining is heavy and viscous; Enhanced Oil Recovery (EOR) methods are followed. Thermal EOR is the most widely used method in which steam injection is the most popular. Every year natural gas is burnt to produce steam and this amount is increasing as heavy oil reserves are developing all across the world. With increase in technological advancements and goal of reducing …