Digital Commons Network^™

Design Of An Attitude Control System For A Spacecraft With Propellant Slosh Dynamics, Nolan Coulter

Doctoral Dissertations and Master's Theses

The presence of propellant slosh dynamics in a spacecraft system during a maneuver leads to attitude control system (ACS) performance degradation resulting in attitude tracking errors and instability. As spacecraft missions become more complex and involve longer durations, a substantial propellant mass is required to achieve the mission objectives and perform orbital maneuvers. When the propellant tanks are only partially filled, the liquid fuel moves inside the tanks with translational and rotational accelerations generating the slosh dynamics. This research effort performs a comparative study with different optimal control techniques and a novel application of a model reference artificial immune system …

A Remote Observatory For Geocoronal Hydrogen Emissions, Margaret A. Gallant

Doctoral Dissertations and Master's Theses

The Investigating Near Space Interaction Regions (INSpIRe) observatory is an adaptable research facility that is designed to use Fabry-Perot interferometer (FPI) to study the faint Balmer series emissions of the terrestrial upper thermosphere and exosphere, collectively known as the geocorona. This instrumentation is designed to be deployable to a clear-air site, necessitating remote operations of the entire observatory, including control and monitoring. The facility currently employs a siderostat to allow for pointing at sky targets, a pressure-tuned dual-etalon FPI to allow for high spectral resolution (R_80,000) measurements, and several charge-coupled device (CCD) imagers for guiding and collecting data. The environment …

Marine Boundary Layer Aerosol In The Eastern North Atlantic: Seasonal Variations And Key Controlling Processes, Guangjie Zheng, Yang Wang, For Full List Of Authors, See Publisher's Website.

Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

The response of marine low cloud systems to changes in aerosol concentration represents one of the largest uncertainties in climate simulations. Major contributions to this uncertainty are derived from poor understanding of aerosol under natural conditions and the perturbation by anthropogenic emissions. The eastern North Atlantic (ENA) is a region of persistent but diverse marine boundary layer (MBL) clouds, whose albedo and precipitation are highly susceptible to perturbations in aerosol properties. In this study, we examine MBL aerosol properties, trace gas mixing ratios, and meteorological parameters measured at the Atmospheric Radiation Measurement Climate Research Facility's ENA site on Graciosa Island, …

The Role Of Cathelicidin In The Regulation Of Gut Microbiota And Inflammasome Activation In Alcoholic Liver Disease., Fengyuan Li

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Alcoholic liver disease (ALD) is characterized by gut dysbiosis and hepatic and intestinal inflammation. Gut microbiota is critically maintained by antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) expressed in the epithelial and immune cells. AMPs are also identified as immune-regulators in various diseases. Previous studies demonstrated that deficiency of AMPs REG3 lectins exacerbated alcoholic steatohepatitis. LL-37 is the sole member of human cathelicidin AMP family, named CRAMP in mouse. Despite of the extensive studies in infectious diseases and in gut-microbiota-related inflammatory bowel disease, the role of LL-37/CRAMP in ALD is yet unknown. Our previous studies showed a decreased intestinal CRAMP in a mouse model …

The Photometric Effect Of Macroscopic Surface Roughness On Sediment Surfaces, Greg Badura

Theses

The focus of this work was on explaining the effect of macroscopic surface roughness on the reflected light from a soil surface. These questions extend from deciding how to best describe roughness mathematically, to figuring out how to quantify its effect on the spectral reflectance from a soil’s surface. In this document, I provide a background of the fundamental literature in the fields of remote sensing and computer vision that have been instrumental in my research. I then outline the software and hardware tools that I have developed to quantify roughness. This includes a detailed outline of a custom "LiDAR" …

Covariance Estimation From Limited Data: State-Of-The-Art, Algorithm Implementation, And Application To Wireless Communications, Ian Tomeo

Theses

There are many different methods of filtering that have been known to provide better results than basic Sample-Matrix-Inversion (SMI). Providing a well-conditioned covariance matrix to these filters will provide a higher Signal to Interference plus Noise Ratio (SINR) than SMI filtering when there are large numbers of receiver element and interference signals. The available number of coherent snapshots that will be used for filter estimation is “not large enough” with respect to the array dimensionality. Common techniques to deal with this situation is to use Krylov or Singular Value Decomposition (SVD) reduced rank filtering. Auxiliary Vector (AV) filtering with the …

Chinese Ornaments Of The Imperial Robe: A Modern Motif Design Interpretation, Xiaoya Shen

Theses

“Twelve Ornaments” are a group of ancient Chinese symbols and designs that are considered highly auspicious. In ancient China, because they signified authority and power, they were employed in the decoration of textile fabrics, and were embroidered on vestments of state, such as the Imperial Robe. They are the patterns that could represent the essence of Chinese traditional national dress.

This thesis project is based on the analysis, research and summarization of this design history as well as the establishment of effective visual design solutions intended to transform the twelve ornaments into modern motif designs. The design will retain the …

Evaluation Of Alternative Valorization Options For Institutional And Industrial Food Wastes, Swati Hegde

Theses

In recent years many countries and several regions in the United States have passed legislation on banning landfilling of organic waste. It is a well-known fact that organic wastes, including food scraps, generate methane under anaerobic landfill environments and contribute significantly to global warming. As more regions are mandated to follow the landfill ban, there is an increasing demand for alternative technologies for the disposal, treatment and upcycling of food wastes. Disposal and treatment may not result in any value-added products and hence are not the most efficient ways to manage food waste. As food waste has a high energy …

Creating Sustainable Industrial Building In China By Lowering Energy Use And Improving The Working Environment, Wenjie Hu

Theses

Over 70% of energy in China is consumed by industrial buildings and related support activities. In order to reduce production costs, owners of factories tend to pay little attention to protecting the environment or workers’ health, causing many serious consequences. Poorly designed buildings require more energy to operate and are less energy efficient to maintain. A lack of natural lighting results in more energy consumption for interior illumination, and improper fenestration design requires more energy to keep buildings cool. An uncomfortable working environment will affect the working efficiency and physical health of the labor force. In this thesis, two simple, …

The Design And Verification Of A Synchronous First-In First-Out (Fifo) Module Using System Verilog Based Universal Verification Methodology (Uvm), Vinoth Nagarajan

Theses

With the conventional directed testbench, it is highly improbably to handle verification of current complex Integrated Circuit (IC) designs, because a person has to manually create every test case. The greater the complexity of the designs, the higher the probability of bugs appearing in the code. Increasing complexity of ICs has created a necessity for performing verification on designs with an advanced, automated verification environment. Ideally this would eliminate chip re-spins, minimizing the time required to enable checking of all the design specifications, ensuring 100% functional coverage. This paper deals with the design of Synchronous FIFO using Verilog. A FIFO …

Multi‐Modal Analysis Of Deciduous Tree Stands Toward Ash Tree Inventory: Biomass Estimation And Genus‐Level Discrimination In A Mixed Deciduous Forest, Timothy D. Rupright

Theses

The invasive species Agrilus planipennis (Emerald Ash Borer or EAB) is currently impacting ash trees in a large part of the continental United States. One way of measuring the effect of this infestation on the US markets is to determine the spread of the species and the biomass destruction/loss due to this invasive pest. In order to assess such impacts, it is necessary to determine how and where ash trees are located toward accurately measuring the relevant ash species biomass and tree count.

This study utilizes data captured over the campus of Rochester Institute of Technology in Rochester, NY. Hyperspectral …

Research & Development Of A Sensory Exploration System, Surabhi Vijay Rajandekar

Theses

Learning Disabilities affect individuals in all age groups and affect how one comprehends the information they receive. Individuals with learning disabilities are often distracted by their surroundings and face difficulties to follow paths in surroundings. Learning disabilities can be addressed with proper support, feedback, and assistive technology. Schools provide children a favorable environment to learn and can support overcoming such difficulties with the help of different activities. This paper discusses the design of a sensory exploration system for individuals with Autism Spectrum to help them learn how to follow paths and not get distracted. The sensory exploration system is called …

On Interpixel Capacitive Coupling In Hybridized Hgcdte Arrays: Theory, Characterization And Correction, Kevan Donlon

Theses

Hybridization is a process by which detector arrays and read out circuitry can be independently fabricated and then bonded together, typically using indium bumps. This technique allows for the use of exotic detector materials such as HgCdTe for the desired spectral response while benefiting from established and proven silicon CMOS readout structures. However, the introduction of an intermediate layer composed of conductors (indium) and insulators (epoxy) results in a capacitive interconnect between adjacent pixels.

This interpixel capacitance (IPC) results in charge collected on one pixel, giving rise to a change in voltage on the output node of adjacent pixels. In …

The Development Of An Advanced Low Profile Retractor For Neurosurgery, Mike Allen

Theses

This thesis presents the design and development of a skull mounted retractor system for neurosurgical applications. It was hypothesized that a low profile retractor platform could be developed with a multi-point skull mount and a surrounding attached perimeter to better meet the needs of surgeons when invasive retraction is required. Attachment points adjoined around the edge of the craniotomy did not require additional drilling and were intended to provide a more stable, low profile, non-cluttered platform from which spatulas or flexible arms could easily leverage lobe retraction. This improved system is expected to improve operating times and reduce incidence rates …

Effects Of An Educational Intervention On Exclusive Breastfeeding Rates In Marshallese Mothers Residing In The U.S., Connor K. Otto

The Eleanor Mann School of Nursing Undergraduate Honors Theses

Background: The largest population of Marshallese immigrants in the Contiguous U.S. resides in Northwest Arkansas. Despite adequate access to healthcare, the Marshallese face many health disparities, perhaps partly due to the language barrier they face in healthcare settings and education. Regarding breastfeeding rates, women in the Marshall Islands have a significantly higher rate of exclusive breastfeeding than in Marshallese women residing in the U.S. who face cultural barriers. Breastfeeding is positively correlated to many benefits for infants and is recommended exclusively for at least 6 months by pediatric policy organizations.

Objective: The purpose of this research is to examine breastfeeding …

The Relationship Of The Well-Being Of Adults With And Without Dyslexia: A Causal-Comparative Study, Ashleigh L. Anderson

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This study examined the effects of dyslexia on well-being as an adult. The researcher compared adults given a diagnosis of dyslexia with adults not given a diagnosis of dyslexia for well-being using a quantitative causal-comparative method. Participants for this study were a convenience sample, consisting of 219 adults with and without a self-identified diagnosis of dyslexia per the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders 4th edition (DSM-IV). The researcher used the Warwick-Edinburgh Mental Well-Being Scale (WEMWBS) and measured the well-being of adults who are diagnosed as dyslexic and adults that are not dyslexic. The researcher utilized a 14-item questionnaire …

A Quantitative Examination Of The Relationship Between Leadership Style And Employee Job Satisfaction In Registered Nurses In The Pittsburgh Msa Region, Jeffrey Belsky

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Healthcare worker jobs, particularly in the nursing profession, are among the fastest growing occupations in the United States. However, the nursing field is overwhelmed with an aging workforce, low morale, ineffective leadership practices, employee dissatisfaction, and increased worker turnover. Healthcare organizations have witnessed an increase in employee job dissatisfaction amongst nurses, which ultimately has led to increased employment turnover among other negative consequences such as lack of organizational commitment, absenteeism, reduced patient care, and disgruntled employees. This quantitative, nonexperimental, correlational research examined the relationship between perceived Registered Nurse (RN) job satisfaction and leadership styles in the Pittsburgh Metropolitan Statistical Area …

Impact Of Positive Behavior Interventions And Supports On At-Risk, Black Male Students' Academic Performance, Sandra Adomako Letterlough

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Black male students have experienced disproportionate disciplinary actions at higher rates compared to male students of other races, which has an at-risk effect on academic achievement because of lost instructional time, poor student-teacher relationships, and decreased motivation to learn. Implementing Positive Behavior Intervention and Supports (PBIS) could help to reduce the time spent out of class due to a disciplinary issue, thus increasing the opportunity to learn. The purpose of this causal-comparative study was to determine the impact of PBIS on academic achievement and frequency of office disciplinary referrals (ODR) in a PBIS and non-PBIS alternative middle school. The sample …

Leveraging A Massive Open Online Course In The Local Church To Teach Hermeneutics, Howard Dale Tryon

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The increase in massive open online course (MOOC) offerings in theological higher education presents unique equipping opportunities for local churches, providing high-quality instruction from authoritative scholars. The purpose of this project is to facilitate participation in a MOOC to equip members of Calvary Baptist Church, Lynchburg, Virginia, with basic hermeneutic principles in order to enrich personal Bible study and prepare for teaching the Bible. A pretest and posttest assess the effectiveness of the program to impart knowledge of hermeneutical concepts and skills. A concluding survey determines the extent to which participants plan to use learned hermeneutic methods and principles in …

In This Issuereview Articleoriginal Articlescase Report

Saudi Medical Journal

No abstract provided.

Premarital Hepatitis Screening: Attitude Towards Screening And The Risk Factors For Transmission, Ibtehaj M. Alharbi, Badr M. Aljarallah

Saudi Medical Journal

Objective: To explore all research articles investigating hepatitis premarital screening programs (PSPs) worldwide, considering all different outcomes of such programs, including efficacy, possible limitations to screening, and participants’ knowledge and satisfaction regarding the program. Methods: The present systematic review used the databases of PubMed, Ovid Medline, and Google Scholar to search for articles related to both PSPs and the hepatitis viruses. Research articles were identified between October and December 2017, and articles were selected and extracted based on predefined inclusion and exclusion criteria from the year 1957 up to 2017. The review included all full-length original articles related to premarital …

Knowledge And Practice In The Management Of Asymptomatic Hyperuricemia Among Primary Health Care Physicians In Jeddah, Western Region Of Saudi Arabia, Norah A. Alqarni, Abdul H. Hassan

Saudi Medical Journal

Objectives: To assess knowledge and practice levels in asymptomatic hyperuricemia (AH) and investigate predictors of urate-lowering therapy (ULT) misprescribing among primary health care (PHC) physicians. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among 201 PHC physicians from December 2017 to May 2018. A based clinical guidelines for hyperuricemia management from American Professional Organizations, a semi-structured questionnaire was administered to collect demographic and professional data; knowledge and practice levels in management of AH; and barriers to the management of hyperuricemia and gout, with focus of the misprescribing of ULT in AH. A 2-stage stratified sampling technique was used to select 4 PHC …

Development Of An Oral Anticoagulant-Use Attitude Scale, And Assessment Of Its Validity And Reliability, Ozlem Dogu, Nursan Cinar, Unal Erkorkmaz

Saudi Medical Journal

Objectives: To develop a reliable scale that can measure the attitudes of individuals using oral anticoagulant drugs (OACs). Methods: This methodological study was conducted with 296 followed-up individuals using OACs for at least 6 months and visiting the cardiology and neurology clinics of a hospital in Turkey during 2017. A 20-item pool was used to construct the scale and all items were found suitable after content validity analysis and preliminary testing. Construct validity was examined using confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) and exploratory factor analysis (EFA). Results: The Kaiser-Meyer-Olkin (KMO) value of the scale (0.79) and results of Bartlett’s test showed …

New Advances In Amblyopia Therapy Ii: Refractive Therapies, Courtney L Kraus, Susan M Culican

Open Access Publications

The treatment of anisometropic or ametropic amblyopia has traditionally enjoyed a high treatment success rate. Early initiation and consistent use of spectacle correction can completely resolve amblyopia in a majority of patients. For those with anisometropic amblyopia that fail to improve with glasses wear alone, patching or atropine penalisation can lead to equalisation of visual acuity. However, successful treatment requires full-time compliance with refractive correction and this can be a challenge for a patient population that often has one eye with good acuity without correction. Other barriers for a select population with high anisometropic or ametropic amblyopia include rejection of …

In Vivo Characterization Of Connective Tissue Remodeling Using Infrared Photoacoustic Spectra, Yuan Qu, Peng Hu, Junhui Shi, Konstantin Maslov, Peinan Zhao, Chiye Li, Jun Ma, Alejandro Garcia-Uribe, Karen Meyers, Emily Diveley, Stephanie Pizzella, Lisa Muench, Nina Punyamurthy, Naomi Goldstein, Oji Onwumere, Mariana Alisio, Kaytelyn Meyenburg, Jennifer Maynard, Kristi Helm, Emma Altieri, Janessia Slaughter, Sabrina Barber, Tracy Burger, Christine Kramer, Jessica Chubiz, Monica Anderson, Ronald Mccarthy, Sarah K England, George A Macones, Molly J Stout, Methodius Tuuli, Lihong V Wang

Open Access Publications

Premature cervical remodeling is a critical precursor of spontaneous preterm birth, and the remodeling process is characterized by an increase in tissue hydration. Nevertheless, current clinical measurements of cervical remodeling are subjective and detect only late events, such as cervical effacement and dilation. Here, we present a photoacoustic endoscope that can quantify tissue hydration by measuring near-infrared cervical spectra. We quantify the water contents of tissue-mimicking hydrogel phantoms as an analog of cervical connective tissue. Applying this method to pregnant women in vivo, we observed an increase in the water content of the cervix throughout pregnancy. The application of this …

Combating The Actor's Sacrifice: How To Amend Federal Labor Law To Influence The Labor Practices Of Theaters And Incentivize Actors To Fight For Their Rights, Shelley Attadgie

Cardozo Law Review

Part I of this Note will provide a background of the stage theater industry and the current federal and state labor laws and regulations. Section L.A will introduce the basic structure of the acting world, the differences between union and non-union actors, and the conflict surrounding the recent repealing of the Los Angeles 99-seat Theatre Waiver. Section I.B will discuss current minimum wage laws, focusing on the provisions of the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA). Part II of this Note will analogize the actor's situation in the line with the relevant statutes, regulations, and case law to determine whether theaters …

Haemoglobin: An Amenable Outcome Factor Of Acute Ischemic Stroke After Thrombolysis, Saumya H. Mittal, Rakshith Kc, Misri Zk, Shivanand Pai

Manipal Journal of Medical Sciences

Objective: To study the role of haemoglobin in outcome of thrombolysis after stroke. Material and method: Our observational study was conducted over five years at KMC Hospital, Mangalore from July 2011 to July 2016. All patients above the age of 18 years presenting to the hospital within 4.5 hours of onset of stroke were included into the study. The patients’ stroke severity was calculated by National Institute of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) score, while the outcome was measured by Modified Rankin Scale (mRS) score. The patients were divided into good outcome, poor outcome and expired group of patients depending on …

Hand Hygiene And Its Implications In Health Care Associated Infections In A Tertiary Care Facility - A Questionnairebased Survey, Vishnu Kundoor Reddy, Abhimanyu Chatterjee, Sheffali Sharma, Nikhil Harish Chaturani, Chiranjay Mukhopadhyay

Manipal Journal of Medical Sciences

Background: Health care associated infections (HCAI) pose a serious threat, especially in developing countries. Hand washing is a proven and easily practiced technique for reducing HCAI. Aim: To measure the knowledge, attitude and practices of students and faculty in medical and paramedical fields in a tertiary care facility. Method: This cross sectional study was conducted using a Knowledge, Attitude and Practice (KAP) questionnaire constituting of 18 questions. The questionnaire was distributed to students and faculty of health care related colleges via online form resulting in 799 responses. Study population was divided into medical students, paramedical students and faculty subgroups Result: …

A Review On Contact Lens Related Microbial Keratitis In Asian Countries, T Thevi, S C Reddy

Manipal Journal of Medical Sciences

Bacterial or fungal keratitis/corneal ulcer is the most dangerous complication which occurs when patients do not follow good hygiene practices in handling the contact lenses. When the ulcer heals, it results in corneal opacity and loss of vision. A review of the literature on keratitis/corneal ulcer in patients wearing contact lenses from different countries in Asia was performed in Pubmed, Google scholar and Science direct search engines. In patients of infectious keratitis/corneal ulcer, contact lens wear was reported as a risk factor in 0.4% to 69.4% in Asian countries. Soft lenses and those made of polymethylmethacrylate accounted for most ulcers. …

Gst Contract Review, Vincent Ooi

Research Collection Yong Pung How School Of Law

GST contract review—overviewTax lawyers are often asked to review a commercial contracts from a Goods Services Tax (“GST”) perspec-tive. This note focuses on contracts for the supply of services or goods, and not a contract for the sale and purchase of a business.Understanding the GST consequences of the contractThe contract that you are asked to review will usually contain a GST clause, but it is insufficient to look only at that clause. As further explained in Practice Note: How to review a commercial contract for GST purposes, you should also review the whole contract so that you can establish:• What …