Digital Commons Network^™

Case Study Analysis Of Shared Visual Arguments And Propaganda Techniques Of Russian Propaganda Posters And Russian Internet Memes, Cindy D. Vasquez

Communication Theses - Archive

Rhetoric, the study of argument using logic, has been studied for centuries. However, there is some disagreement among scholars on whether or not argumentation can be applied to visual imagery. Images are noted to have more emotional appeal than text does. Visual propaganda was mass produced in the form of propaganda posters, most popularly in the early 20th century. In more recent times, the sharing of images has moved to social media, popularly through memes. This paper analyzes two Soviet propaganda posters produced by one Soviet publishing house, Litizdat, and two memes created by the Russian organization the Internet Research …

Free Space Optical Communication, Anuj Gohil

Electrical Engineering

Communication is key to day to day activities for all companies and people. Wireless communication has made us expect more from our tools. Radio Frequency has been the preferred medium for a couple decades, but there is a need for faster secure communication. Free Space Optical Communication is an alternate wireless communication system which uses optics to create a link. It utilizes low-power and converts an analog signal into digital pulses which are transmitted across space to a receiver. Its only caveat is its vulnerability under atmospheric obstacles. The goal of this project is to create a free space optical …

Pv Mppt Water Pump Controller, Jacob R. Lamkin

Electrical Engineering

The intention of this project is to create a low cost way to extract the maximum useful power from a PV module to power a water pump. This approach will yield maximum financial and technical accessibility for end users. The project was successful in powering a water pump from a PV module as desired, and the microcontroller driven control circuitry was capable of finding and maintaining operation at the maximum power point of the PV module. Due to the low performance of the buck converter used in this project, this approach was not as efficient as desired and would require …

Cultural Colonization And Young Adult Liturgical Experience, Timone Davis

Journal of the Black Catholic Theological Symposium

As Catholic churches around the United States close and those that remain open take note of their aging parishioners, young adults are seen as the answer. But how do we engage young adults in the ancient worship of the Catholic Church, when the United States culture directs them to what is shiny and new? When many consider how to engage young adults, they typically start with the Eucharistic Liturgy. This article looks at what the U. S. Catholic bishops have described as the cultural colonization of the Eucharistic Liturgy and the role the U. S. culture plays in our society …

Eyes Focused On The Light, Kimberly Flint-Hamilton

Journal of the Black Catholic Theological Symposium

Letter from the Editor

Full, Conscious And Active Participation: Sunday Eucharist, Black Life And Theological Considerations, Kathleen Dorsey Bellow

Journal of the Black Catholic Theological Symposium

The renewal of Catholic worship implemented through Vatican Council II instruction was designed to encourage the people of God towards “full, conscious and active participation” in liturgical celebrations. Their holistic engagement in liturgy is considered the best and most effective formation for the Christian life. This work presents Black Catholic theological reflections that connect “full, conscious and active participation” in Sunday Eucharist with the faithful’s weekday commitment to community-building that affirms Black life.

Regrouping In The Clearing: Resisting Liturgiam Authenticam And Reconsidering An African American Rite, Kenneth L. Crowe Hamilton

Journal of the Black Catholic Theological Symposium

In light of the move to the right manifested in the recent changes to the Roman Rite, this essay seeks to add an Africentric and postcolonial critique to other recent liturgical and linguistic critiques of the new rite by liturgy scholars and pastors. I argue that the new translation is an attack on not only Vatican II principles but also on black Catholic theological principles, the black Catholic community, and oppressed populations in general. The essay seeks to locate the racism, sexism, heterosexism, and classism behind the imperialist nostalgia of Liturgiam Authenticam by revisiting the 1960s and the issues and …

Priestly Formation And Sexual Abuse In The Roman Catholic Church: In Dialogue With The Nigerian Church, Simonmary Asese Aihiokhai

Journal of the Black Catholic Theological Symposium

Reading the signs of the times today cannot be done legitimately without a critical look at the current sex abuse crisis perpetuated by the clergy of the Roman Catholic Church. To deny the fact that the Church has a crisis on its hands is to trivialize the pain and sorrow experienced by all in the Church, and most especially by the victims of the crisis. This work provides an x-ray vision of some of the factors shaping this crisis and boldly offers some interventions that can help the Church to navigate its way out of the crisis. There is an …

The Generation Of Operational Policy For Cyber-Physical Systems In Smart Homes, Jared Wayne Hall

Graduate Theses/Dissertations

The term “Cyber-Physical Systems” (CPS) refers to those systems which seamlessly integrate sensing, computation, control, and networking into physical objects and infrastructure [1]. In these systems, computers and networks of physical entities interact with each other to bring new capabilities to traditional physical systems. Since its introduction, the field of Cyber-Physical Systems (CPS) has evolved with new and interesting advancements concerning its capability, adaptability, scalability, and usability [1]. One such advancement is the unification of the Internet of Things (IoT), a concept that enables real-world everyday objects to connect to the internet and interact with each other, with CPS [1]. …

Cyclophilin A Enhances Hiv-1 Reverse Transcription In Human Microglial Cells, Zachary Michael Ingram

Graduate Theses/Dissertations

Parenchymal microglia represent a susceptible cell type to HIV infection and contribute to HIV Associated Neurocognitive Disorders (HAND). Currently, HIV host-protein interactions in microglia are understudied, but relevant to the design of antiviral drugs. HIV replication events rely on host and viral proteins to evade an immune response while improve replication success. Post-fusion the HIV capsid is released into the cytoplasm and begins trafficking towards the nucleus. During transit viral RNA is transcribed to DNA through reverse transcription (RT). In addition, the HIV capsid that protects the reverse transcription complex disassembles in a step termed uncoating. Once the pre-integration complex …

I Was A Teenage Misanthrope: Essays, Lane E. Pybas

Graduate Theses/Dissertations

The essays in this collection each explore to some extent my experience of mental illness, specifically clinical depression and generalized anxiety disorder. In writing these essays, I wanted to experiment with different methods of representing the self as it undergoes an experience of mental illness. In the essay “I Was a Teenage Misanthrope,” for example, I portray myself in a somewhat humorous way, highlighting my antisocial behaviors for comic effect, in order to depict a period of my life that might otherwise have been too difficult to write about. In “Quiet Midwestern Bitch,” an essay about anxiety, I represent multiple …

Analysis Of Nation-Building During Insurgency In U.S. Defense Policy Strategy, Joseph Valles

Graduate Theses/Dissertations

U.S. defense policy has often relied on a strategy of nation-building to reform the local government and address the root causes of the instability in a given nation or region. This strategy has, in recent years, been criticized for being ineffective and a wasteful drain on American resources. This paper will determine if such criticism is valid by analyzing the performance of four security environments where such a strategy was used: Vietnam, El Salvador, Afghanistan, and Iraq. The paper will determine if such a strategy was effective in these conflicts by analyzing the progress of reforms and, when possible, the …

Phenotypic Study Of Anthracnose Resistance In Black Walnut And Building A Mapping Population, Sadie D. Land

Graduate Theses/Dissertations

Black walnut anthracnose, caused by Gnomonia leptostyla, is the most widespread and destructive disease affecting black walnut trees (Juglans nigra). Breeding cultivars for a higher resistance to anthracnose is a natural and efficient strategy for improving the health and production quality of black walnut trees. The two goals of this study were to reveal that the ‘Sparrow’ cultivar of black walnut contains a significantly higher resistance to anthracnose than the ‘Football’ cultivar when separated from environmental factors, and to expand the ‘Football’ × ‘Sparrow’ F1 mapping population to evaluate how the trait of resistance is inherited in the progeny. A …

It's A Hard Nacht Life: Understanding How Nlrp12 Ticks, Abbigale Julia Brown

Graduate Theses/Dissertations

The protein NOD- like receptor pyrin domain containing 12 (NLRP12) comes from a family of protein receptors with a wide range of functions including fertility as well as anti-inflammatory properties. The biological role of NLRP12 is poorly understood: research on the mechanisms behind its function and/or activation remains contradictory between different cell models. Current research suggests its involvement in a multi-protein complex named the inflammasome. The alternative hypothesis that has also been proposed is that NLRP12 is not a part of the inflammasome, rather it negatively regulates a transcription factor known as NF-��B down stream of Toll-like receptors. NLRP12 is …

Synthesis And Characterization Of Ion-Implanted Gold Nanoparticles, Nurlathifah Fnu

Masters Theses

Gold negative ions of 70 keV energy were implanted within the quartz substrates at room temperature at seven different fluences starting from 2 x 10¹⁶ particles/cm² to 8 x 10¹⁶ particles/cm² with the increment of 1 x 10¹⁶. Prior to the implantation, Stopping and Range of Ions in Matter (SRIM) calculations were carried to obtain the Bragg peak below the surface of quartz. Rutherford Backscattering Spectrometry (RBS) was carried out using 2.0 MeV He⁺⁺ ions to measure depth and implanted fluence of gold, and learn how they varied with fluence. Backscattered He particles …

Ultrafast Relaxation Dynamics In Graphene Oxide-Dye And Perovskites Nanocomposites, Abubkr A. Arzaq Abuhagr

Dissertations

Novel materials such as graphene oxide (GO), reduced graphene oxide (RGO), and Perovskites nanocomposites nanosheets have shown interesting electrical and optical properties. These materials have shown prominence in research regarding optical sensing applications. The interaction of different fluorescent molecules like dye molecules with GO, and RGO have been studied recently to develop novel optical sensors, photo-catalysts, and light-harvesting agents. In this study, we have monitored the excited state interactions of dyes covalently attached to GO and RGO nanosheets. Three amine derivatives of anthracene, pyrene, and coumarin were covalently bound to different systems via amide bonds and diazotization. Characterization of different …

Multiple Ssid Framework For Rss-Fingerprint Based Indoor Positioning Systems, Ahmed Kareem Abed

Dissertations

Location-Based Indoor positioning systems significance stems from the bloom of recent applications in various fields such as in tracking services for an elder or a patient within large living communities, mobile robot localization, and several other security applications. Currently, Global Positioning Systems (GPS) are the most widely used location-sensing technique. However, satellite-based GPS signals require line of sight (LOS) to work correctly, which is something cannot be achieved inside buildings. Fortunately, wireless LAN can be employed in indoor positioning systems (IPS), and since all large buildings such as malls, hospitals, airports, schools, and museums have hundreds of Wi-Fi access points, …

Analyzing Impacts Of Transportation And Non-Transportation Activities On Human Health With An Advanced Platform For Collecting Travel And Physical Activity Data, Raed Abdullah Hasan

Dissertations

Recently much attention is paid to the lack of physical activities that may cause the health problems in many counties. Travel activities provide a certain amount of physical activities, and the active transportation, such as walking and cycling, becomes more important as an essential element of transportation. The active transportation is expected to contribute to improving human health by reducing cardiovascular disease, obesity, and premature death. However, detailed relationship between the transportation choices and human health has not been well understood. Therefore, there is a need for investigating traveler behaviors and how their choices affect physical activities and public health. …

Toward Self-Reconfigurable Parametric Systems: Reinforcement Learning Approach, Ting-Yu Mu

Dissertations

For the ongoing advancement of the fields of Information Technology (IT) and Computer Science, machine learning-based approaches are utilized in different ways in order to solve the problems that belong to the Nondeterministic Polynomial time (NP)-hard complexity class or to approximate the problems if there is no known efficient way to find a solution. Problems that determine the proper set of reconfigurable parameters of parametric systems to obtain the near optimal performance are typically classified as NP-hard problems with no efficient mathematical models to obtain the best solutions. This body of work aims to advance the knowledge of machine learning …

Aku Research 2019, Office Of Research And Graduate Studies

Office of Research and Graduate Studies

Content

- Messages

- AKU: Leadership in aligning research with the SDGs

- Nutrition survey highlights stunting crisis in Pakistan

- KITAB project: using machine learning on ancient texts

- Analysing policy to address the burden of NCDs

- ECD interventions for marginalised communities

- Gut bacteria: exploring new avenues in malnutrition

- Uncovering the expression of Islam in popular culture

- Identifying at-risk fetuses through artificial intelligence

- Detecting and combating XDR typhoid in Pakistan

- Reducing maternal and newborn deaths in Kenya

- Assessing the impact ofteachers’ low status on education

- High impact research

- Facilitating research …

Why Do Young Physicians Make A 'Detour' To Aesthetic Clinics? An Exploration Of Professional Identity Among Young Physicians Who Changed Career Paths, Chiung-Hsuan Chiu, Jeng-Cheng Wu, Chien-Yu Chen

Journal of Medical Education

Purpose: An increasing number of young physicians in Taiwan terminate their postgraduate year or specialty training in favor of working in aesthetic clinics or other industries. Some choose to return to teaching hospitals and complete their specialty training, while others choose alternative pathways. This study aims to understand the reasons and significance of this problem and explore what makes these young physicians change career paths. Methods: This preliminary study collected data via in-depth interviews and analyzed the transcripts using the template coding method. Eight participants recruited via snowball sampling were classified into three groups: those who returned to the training …

The Relationship Between Biofilm Production And Human Respiratory Cell Attachment And Invasion By Acinetobacter Baumannii, Rachel A. Pearson

Theses and Dissertations

Acinetobacter baumannii is an opportunistic gram-negative bacterial pathogen that causes many nosocomial infections in immunocompromised individuals. Common infections include catheter-associated urinary tract infections, ventilator-associated pneumonia, skin and soft tissue infections, and bloodstream infections that often lead to septicemia. Increasing multidrug resistance (MDR) in A. baumannii warrants new approaches to understanding its virulence mechanisms and pathogenicity. As a first step in infection, A. baumannii can attach to host cells, providing a surface for the bacteria to grow and perhaps facilitating biofilm formation and subsequent tissue invasion. In this study, we evaluated antibiotic resistance and characterized biofilm formation, attachment, invasion, and surface …

Principals' Perceptions Of Brain-Based Learning, Tami Hudson Godman

Theses and Dissertations

The problem addressed by the study was a lack of research on principal’s perceptions of brain-based learning and the potential impact on classroom instruction. The purpose of this study was to determine the association between the principal’s perceptions of brain-based learning and instruction at their schools. The following research has been conducted using a qualitative paradigm. A case study involved a focus group of 12 principals and additional interviews with four of those principals. The qualitative data were thematically coded to provide information on patterns and practices within a variety of schools in the area. The findings offer the educational …

Fbi Investigations Into The Civil Rights Movement And The New Left, Meredith Donovan

Theses and Dissertations

This paper examines how the FBI investigated civil rights organizations and social movements from the 1950s through the 1970s. It compares the reasons for the investigations, the investigative methods, and the extent of the investigations. The paper uses FBI files as the basis for the information and to form the argument that the FBI chose its targets based on who posed a significant threat to the status quo. The FBI had a social and political motive to suppress dissent against the government and to suppress the people who challenged laws to advance their rights. The movements examined are the civil …

Mal-Who? Mal-What? Mal-Where? The Future Cyber-Threat Of A Non-Fiction Neuromancer: Legally Un-Attributable, Cyberspace-Bound, Decentralized Autonomous Entities, Jonathan A. Schnader

North Carolina Journal of Law & Technology

For decades, science fiction writers have tackled philosophical and existential questions arising from the creation of artificial intelligence (“AI”) by human beings. AI, however, is no longer a fictional concept, but rather an evolving part of modern society. How will AI systems impact United States’ national security interests? Considering the increased national security threat coming from actors in cyberspace, policymakers should consider the cybersecurity risk of AI systems that operate entirely in cyberspace. This article opines that a serious threat to national security will arise from a cyberspace-bound, decentralized autonomous entity (“CyDAE”) because of the “unexplainability” of current AI system …

The Influencers: Facebook's Libra, Public Blockchains, And The Ethical Considerations Of Centralization, Michele Benedetto Neitz

North Carolina Journal of Law & Technology

The theoretical promise of blockchain technology is truly extraordinary: a peer-to-peer distributed immutable ledger that could revolutionize economies, societies, and even our daily lives. But what if blockchain technology is not as decentralized as people think? What are the ramifications if, in reality, a blockchain’s core decisions are actually influenced by small groups of people or corporations?

This short article seeks to answer that question, by demonstrating that decentralized public blockchains are only as immutable as the decentralization of their governance. Moreover, the announcement of Libra, Facebook’s new permissioned blockchain, shows a growing trend of centralized control around decentralized technologies. …

Perceived Impact Of Virtual Scenario-Based Branching Simulations Among Radiology Program Students, Kimberly Lynn Onstott

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

The influx of medical technology and medical knowledge creates challenges for healthcare providers in maintaining up to date knowledge and skills for their practice. Healthcare educators are further challenged in that the goal is to encourage learners to become competent healthcare providers who are knowledgeable and skilled, self-directed, and who will think critically and ethically when faced with challenging situations. Advancing imaging technologies and new complex procedures in radiology increase the risk of harm for patients and providers as advanced imaging is often learned outside of a primary degree in radiology with real patients through on the job training. Online …

The Expatriate And Transnational Distance Student Phenomenon: A Series Of Investigations, William H. Stewart Iii

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

The scale and scope of distance education has changed significantly over the last 250 years. Technology, from the early days of correspondence courses to radio, television and satellite broadcasting, has continually increased the scope, scale, and access potential to education. Distance courses and programs, however, were typically serving local, regional, or national communities. The Internet, by contrast, has transformed distance education by enabling access to education by virtually anyone, anywhere in the world. Students are no longer limited or constrained by geography or residency, yet how such potential has been conceptualized, identified, and subsequently researched has been limited by homogenous …

Liminal Space In Higher Education: Lived Experiences In The Space Between At-Risk Academics And Big-Time Athletics In Division I Power Five, Lainey J. Brottem

Dissertations

The purpose of this qualitative, interpretivist phenomenological study was to understand and provide a transferable, informed, and learned perspective of the daily experience of working in the liminal space between two powerful, ostensibly cooperative but often competing interests: major university undergraduate academics and big-time Division I athletics. Nine learning specialists from Division I Power Five institutions participated in phenomenological interviews. Findings indicated that the phenomenon constituted a liminal space between the opposing forces of academics and athletics, with student-athletes, faculty, colleagues, and coaches having influence on the liminality. Unit directors diminished the sense of liminality while faculty contributed very little …

Using Online Communities To Prepare Teachers To Operate As Transformative Intellectuals, Zachary Morgan Clancy

Dissertations

Online communities have the potential to help teacher education programs inform and prepare future teachers to teach children equitably and confront social injustices. Online communities of scholars, activists, and artists can be used as a resource for teacher educators to prepare teacher-candidates and in-service teachers to participate in teacher inquiry and practitioner research. In turn, the research that they generate can be used by preservice and in-service teachers in the future. Online communities can also be used by classroom teachers as a form of professional development. My study included six participants – undergraduate college students, classroom teachers, and teacher-educators – …