Digital Commons Network^™

A Silicon Valley Life: A Silicon Valley Love Story, Sharon Simonson

Master's Theses

In the last three decades, Silicon Valley has become one of the world’s most watched and imitated communities. Daily news reporters, long-form journalists, cinema and television-programming producers have crafted a public image, but it represents nothing of the lives of hundreds of thousands of Valley residents. These fabrications obscure and diminish our complex human profile and reduce our uniquely beautiful geography to a place to generate financial profits, with all the damaging disregard such attitudes foster. The essays of A Silicon Valley Life: A Silicon Valley Love Story seek to show our true self: our rich mix of people drawn …

Lstm-Enabled Level Curve Tracking In Scalar Fields Using Multiple Mobile Robots, Kunj J. Parikh

Master's Theses

Autonomous mobile sensor networks are ideal candidates for exploring large-scaleunknown fields with tasks ranging from source seeking, level curve tracking, mapping an unknown field, and many more. In this work, we investigate the problem of level curve tracking in unknown scalar fields using a limited number of mobile sensors. The level curve tracking problem has been studied in many applications such as monitoring the propagation of fire boundaries and the algae blooms. We design and implement a long short term memory (LSTM) enabled control strategy for a mobile sensor network to detect and track the desired level curve. We develop …

The Body Corporate, Mihailis E. Diamantis

Law and Contemporary Problems

No abstract provided.

Using The Corporate Prosecution And Sentencing Model For Individuals: The Case For A Unified Federal Approach, Rachel E. Barkow

Law and Contemporary Problems

No abstract provided.

Prevalence And Phylogenetic Analysis Of Babesia Ovis Isolated From Sheep And Goats In Erbil Province, Kurdistan Region- Iraq, Zuber I. Hassan

Polytechnic Journal

A total of 143 blood smears were obtained from sheep and goats (n = 98) and (n = 45), respectively, by jugular venipuncture between February 2019 and December 2019. Samples were examined for parasite occurrences. Results reveal that the prevalence of infection by the parasite was 12.24% and 11.11%, respectively (microscopically), while 20.41% sheep and 17.78% goats (molecular-based identification using 18S SSU rRNA sequence). Both methods revealed the specificity and sensitivity of the diagnostic assays. Phylogenetic analysis of Babesia ovis (MN309736-MN309745) displays that the pathogens identified in this study are clustered together, which indicating similar molecular characteristics. Overall, these results …

The Application Of The Guide Code Of Conduct For Muslim Tour Leadercommunities During The Covid19 Pandemic, Mochamad Fajar Akbar, Asep Syaiful Bahri

Journal of Indonesian Tourism and Policy Studies

Research on the application of the guide code of conduct for Muslim tour leader communities during the Covid19 pandemic is to determine the strategy for implementing the guide code of ethics for Muslim tour leader communities during the Covid19 pandemic. The sample in this study is the Muslim tour leader community, amounting to 200 respondents. The data analysis method used in this research is descriptive method using Importance performance analysis. Based on the survey results, there is an average value of the level of importance is 8.19 and the average value of the level of need is 7.39. This indicates …

Cat Tracks – Tracking Wildlife Through Crowdsourcing Using Firebase, Tracy Ho

Master's Projects

Many mountain lions are killed in the state of California every year from roadkill. To reduce these numbers, it is important that a system be built to track where these mountain lions have been around. One such system could be built using the platform-as-a-service, Firebase. Firebase is a platform service that collects and manages data that comes in through a mobile application. For the development of cross-platform mobile applications, Flutter is used as a toolkit for developers for both iOS and Android. This entire system, Cat Tracks is proposed as a crowdsource platform to track wildlife, with the current focus …

Effect Of Straw Throwing Method And Some Operational Parameters On The Performance Of A Small Rectangular Baler, Affan O. Hussein

Polytechnic Journal

The experiment was carried out on a private farm in Karak village in 2017 to study the effects of the method of throwing the straw behind the combine harvester and some operational factors on the performance of a small rectangular baler. The field was planted with wheat (Triticum spp.) and barley (Hordeum vulgare). A small rectangular baler type (Ćicoria 454), Italian made was used to pick up and bale the straws, which were thrown as heaps and windrows in the field. The results obtained showed that picking up the straw as windrows improved the baler’s performance over the heaps in …

Biocompatibility Of Styrene-Butadiene Copolymer-Modified Calcium Phosphate And Mineral Trioxide Aggregate : A Comparative Histological Study, Hala B. Kaka., Raid F. Salman

Polytechnic Journal

The biocompatibility of root canal filling material is one of the basic conditions for a successful endodontic treatment and healing of the periodontium. This study was aimed to evaluate the biocompatibility of calcium phosphate cement modified with the styrene-butadiene copolymer-modified calcium phosphate (mCPC) by its implantation in the subcutaneous tissue of rabbit. Fifteen female rabbits of comparable weight were used in this study, each one had received three different tubes; one containing mCPC, the other with mineral trioxide aggregate Fillapex, and an empty control tube on the subcutaneous tissue of thighs. After a definite time (3, 7,and 14 days), the …

A 3d In Vitro Model Of The Human Airway Epithelium Exposed To Tritiated Water: Dosimetric Estimate And Cytotoxic Effects, Giorgio Baiocco, Isabelle George, Sébastien Garcia-Argote, Isabella Guardamagna, Leonardo Lonati, Yordenca Lamartinière, Thierry Orsière, Bernard Rousseau, Andrea Ottolenghi, Awadhesh Jha, Laurence Lebaron-Jacobs, Christian Grisolia, Véronique Malard

School of Biological and Marine Sciences

No abstract provided.

Evaluation Of Antimicrobial Effect Of Acacia Nilotica Plant Extract And Selected Commercial Disinfectants Against Some Pathogens Causing Mastitis, Nisrin Obid Allah, Mona Elsayed, Marwa Ahmed, Fatma Elgohary

Mansoura Veterinary Medical Journal

Objective: This study was conducted to screen the antibacterial activity of Acacia nilotica plant extract and four disinfectants(TH4, Tek-trol, Virkon S and peracetic acid)against pathogens causing mastitis (E.coli, Staphylococcus aureus and Streptococcus agalactiae). Design: Descriptive study Animals: Three hundred eighty-two dairy cows Procedures: Three thousands and seventy seven samples were collected from three dairy farms at Dakahlia province. Samples include animal samples (1528 of both quarter milk and teat skin swabs) and 221 environmental samples include 60 bedding, 60 Milk linear, 36 feed, 36 water, 11 bulk tank milk and 18 workers' hand swabs. All samples were examined bacteriologically for …

Effects Of Norfloxacin On Fetal Development In Pregnant Female Rats, Eman Soliman, Nani Nasreldin, Rasha Abdel-Gelil, Galal Youssef, Magdy Amer

Mansoura Veterinary Medical Journal

Objective: To evaluate the effect of norfloxacin on pregnant female rats. Animals: 30 pregnant female rats (170-200 gm of weight and 3.5-4 months age). Design: Randomized controlled study. Procedures: The effect of orally administrated norfloxacin, given twice daily for 10 successive days, on the fetal development in pregnant female rats at therapeutic (35 mg/kg) and double therapeutic (70 mg/kg) doses was investigated in pregnant female rats. At 6th -15th day of pregnancy, 30 females were classified, in groups of ten rats, into 3 groups.Group 1 (control group): rats were given distilled water orally. Group 2: rats were given norfloxacin at …

Faktor – Faktor Yang Mempengaruhi Kejadian Leptospirosis Di 2 Kabupaten Lokasi Surveilans Sentinel Leptospirosis Provinsi Banten Tahun 2017 – 2019, Novie Ariani, Tri Yunis Miko Wahyono

Jurnal Epidemiologi Kesehatan Indonesia

Leptospirosis termasuk dalam zoonosis, penyakit menular yang disebabkan oleh bakteri Leptopira. Terjadinya kasus leptopsirosis terkait erat dengan rantai penularan, dan rantai penularan leptospirosis terkait dengan banyak faktor. Faktor risiko leptospirosis dapat diklasifikasikan ke dalam 3 kelompok utama: faktor hewan, faktor lingkungan, dan faktor manusia. Banten yang merupakan daerah endemis Leptospirosis, terpilih untuk menjadi lokasi surveilans Sentinel Leptospirosis, tepatnya berlokasi di Kab, Tangerang dan Kab. Serang. Penelitian tentang leptospirosis masih sangat jarang dilakukan di provinsi Banten, maka dilakukan penelitian dengan tujuan untuk mengetahui faktor faktor yang mempengaruhi kejadian leptospirosis di 2 kabupaten lokasi surveilans sentinel leptopspirosis provinsi Banten selama tahun 2017 …

A Historical Ecology Of Aridland Springs In Desert National Wildlife Refuge, Nuwu/Nuwuvi (Southern Paiute/Chemehuevi) Ancestral Territory, Nevada, Yarrow Sarah Valentine Geggus

Dissertations and Theses

Aridland springs are among the most threatened ecosystems in the world. Vital to desert ecologies and Indigenous cultures, these complex and individualistic ecosystems have layered histories. To inform management in the changing landscape of Desert National Wildlife Refuge, a 1.6 million acre protected area in Southern Nevada, I conducted a historical ecology study of a sample of ten upland springs. Through a six-part interdisciplinary methodology including interviews, archaeological survey, botanical survey, and archival research, I summarize findings into three broad eras: the Nuwu/Nuwuvi pre-Contact Era, the Settler Era, and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Era.

For millennia, Nuwu/Nuwuvi drank …

Covid-19’S Impact On Climate Change Research And Institutional Resilience In Higher Education In Vermont And Tanzania, Stephanie Clement

Capstone Collection

The COVID-19 pandemic impacts all sectors of society. It is necessary to understand how higher education institutions (HEIs) react to, adapt to, and build resilience in the face of such a crisis. HEIs around the world shifted how they deliver education to their students and struggled to adapt to a changing economy. Yet, there is little information on how HEIs bolster their resilience to exogenous shocks, like the coronavirus. This study assesses how the COVID-19 crisis impacted institutional resilience and climate change research at four HEIs: the University of Vermont (UVM) and Vermont Law School (VLS) in Vermont, United States …

Ancient Beliefs And Their Religious And Mystical Symbols, Elyor Alimkulov

The Light of Islam

The article examines the concept of religious symbols, the history of the origin of religious-mystical symbols in ancient Egypt, Greece and Rome, their essence and content and meaning today. Also, the author’s views on the introduction of the concepts of symbol and religious symbols into scientifc circulation are expressed, various defnitions of these concepts by Western scientists are given, the role of symbols in society is determined. It is noted that in ancient Egyptian beliefs, each tribe worshiped and revered not only its own god, but also a certain animal that was somehow connected with this god, regardless of whether …

Reducing Calories Of Margarins, Khodjaev Sarvar, Abdurakhimov Saidakbar, Akramova Rano

CHEMISTRY AND CHEMICAL ENGINEERING

The goal is to reduce the calorie content of margarines by changing the composition and fat base. In this regard, we studied the change in caloric content and the content of trans-acids in margarines with a change in their fat content. To reduce calorie content, the fat base of margarine was also reduced to 60%, and to increase the biological value of the product, it was enriched with highly unsaturated fatty acids. It was determined that with an increase in the number of unsaturated fatty acids and a decrease in the margarine fat content, the stability of the emulsion deteriorates. …

Extraction Of Unsaturated Fatty Acids From Vegetable Oils, Pecherskaya Mariya, Mamatkulov Shavkat, Ruzimuradov Olim, Butanov Khakimjan

CHEMISTRY AND CHEMICAL ENGINEERING

The article studies the possibility of extraction of monounsaturated oleic acid from highly stable vegetable oils produced at industrial scale. To solve the set tasks, have been selected samples of vegetable oils, present in the domestic market with a high content of unsaturated fatty acids: cottonseed and sunflower, imported rapeseed and olive oils. These oil samples were degraded by hydrolysis, recovered by acid treatment, and purified by repeated recrystallization in ethanol. The composition of saturated and unsaturated fatty acids included in triglycerides of vegetable oils was investigated using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). In the obtained samples, the fatty acid composition …

Water-Soluble Jerusalem Artichoke Extracts As Fat Replacer In Dietary Margarine Recipe, Salijanova Shahnozaxon, Ruzibayev Akbarali, Rakhimov Dilshod, Xusanov Zafar

CHEMISTRY AND CHEMICAL ENGINEERING

Creating dietary margarines using biologically valuable substances is the purpose of the work. According to the results of the experiments, it was found that the use of soybean oil, edible vegetable phospholipids and a Jerusalem artichoke extract in the margarine, allowed reducing the amount of fat and enriching the margarine with omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids, dietary fibre, inulin and other water-soluble substances. Based on these studies prepared margarine enriched inulin and essential fatty acids, which provide not only a preventive property of the finished product, but also high flavor indicators, as well as, original and attractive appearance.

High-Efficient And New Technology For Producing 5-Nitro-2-Acetylaminobenzimidazole, Saidov Sarvar, Abdurazakov Askar, Karimov Rikhsibay, Khvan Alla

CHEMISTRY AND CHEMICAL ENGINEERING

The aim of this work is to create new veterinary products for agriculture based on local raw materials, to develop a highly efficient technology for their production. Waste from the production of medamine produced in the pilot production of the Institute of Plant Chemistry of the Academy of Sciences of the Republic of Uzbekistan. The process of synthesis of 5-nitro-2-acetylaminobenzimidazole was studied by one-factor experiments. The structure of the obtained product was investigated by IR, Mass, 1H, 13C NMR spectroscopy. The main factors influencing the process of obtaining 5-nitro-2-acetylaminobenzimidazole were revealed. On the basis of the obtained research results, a …

Identifying Successful Strategies Within An Extrinsic Reward System To Improve Behavior In The Alternative School Setting, Christian Burner

Dissertations

Purpose: The purpose of this Delphi study was to identify strategies that are successful within a school-wide extrinsic rewards system to improve alternative school student behavior in the alternative school setting. A second purpose was to rate the effectiveness of the identified strategies for improving alternative school student behavior in the alternative school setting.

Methodology: This study used a Delphi method, consisting of 3 rounds, to collect data from alternative schoolteachers who are experts in implementing strategies within a school-wide extrinsic rewards system. In Round 1, participants were asked to identify strategies to improve student behavior in the alternative school …

A Multidisciplinary Approach To Investigate Deep-Pelagic Ecosystem Dynamics In The Gulf Of Mexico Following Deepwater Horizon, April Cook, Andrea Bernard, Kevin M. Boswell, Heather Bracken-Grissom Dr., Marta D'Elia, Sergio Derada, Cole Easson, David English, Ron Eytan, Tamara Frank, Chuanmin Hu, Matt Johnston, Heather Judkins, Chad Lembke, Jose Lopez, Rosanna Milligan, Jon A. Moore, Brad Penta, Nina Pruzinsky, John A. Quinlan, Travis M. Richards, Isabel C. Romero, Mahmood S. Shivji, Michael Vecchione, Max D. Weber, R.J. David Wells, Tracey Sutton

Marine & Environmental Sciences Faculty Articles

The pelagic Gulf of Mexico (GoM) is a complex system of dynamic physical oceanography (western boundary current, mesoscale eddies), high biological diversity, and community integration via diel vertical migration and lateral advection. Humans also heavily utilize this system, including its deep-sea components, for resource extraction, shipping, tourism, and other commercial activity. This utilization has had impacts, some with disastrous consequences. The Deepwater Horizon oil spill (DWHOS) occurred at a depth of ∼1500 m (Macondo wellhead), creating a persistent and toxic mixture of hydrocarbons and dispersant in the deep-pelagic (water column below 200 m depth) habitat. In order to assess the …

Dialogue As Being With: An Antitoxin To Hate And Intolerance, Tony Osborne

Journal of Hate Studies

As the social and political landscape becomes more fearful, intolerant, and self-centered, the concept of dialogue offers a different path, a constructive way of approaching alien ideas and beliefs. Understanding the principles of true dialogue is the most effective way to foster inner and outer harmony, broaden one’s horizons, and check aggressive, intolerant impulses. Dialogue’s roots are ancient, related to a method of argument called dialectic. It is a special partnership based on mutual respect and humility. Dialogue isn’t easy to engender. It requires four pre-conditions: 1) non-empirically verifiable topic; 2) two-way flow; 3) fairness; and 4) willingness to risk …

Taking Profound Offence Seriously: Freedom Of Speech V. Human Dignity, Raphael Cohen-Almagor

Journal of Hate Studies

This study discusses the issue of offence to sensibilities as possible grounds for limiting freedom of expression. This issue is constantly brought to the public agenda, as for example, in the limitation imposed in Israel on the playing of Richard Wagner’s music by Israeli orchestras. The proposed thesis is as follows: The Offence to Sensibilities Argument will take precedence over free expression only in cases where profound and direct damage is inflicted upon the sensibilities of individuals or a target group, undermining their dignity, especially when the speaker’s intentions are to offend the target individual/group under circumstances in which the …

Noninvasive Vagus Nerve Stimulation And Morphine Transiently Inhibit Trigeminal Pain Signaling In A Chronic Headache Model, Lauren E. Cornelison, Jordan L. Hawkins, Sara E. Woodman, Paul L. Durham

College of Natural and Applied Sciences

Introduction: Chronic headache conditions are characterized by persistent sensitization of the trigeminal system, which involves dysfunction of descending pain modulation. We previously reported that noninvasive vagus nerve stimulation (nVNS) inhibits trigeminal nociception in models of episodic migraine through a mechanism involving enhanced serotonergic and GABAergic descending pain signaling. Objectives: The analgesic effectiveness of nVNS and morphine were investigated in an animal model of chronic headache mediated by the combination of the 3 migraine risk factors of neck muscle tension, paradoxical sleep deprivation, and pungent odors. Methods: Sprague-Dawley rats were injected with complete Freund's adjuvant in the trapezius and sleep deprived …

Recovery Of Hippocampal-Dependent Learning Despite Blunting Reactive Adult Neurogenesis After Alcohol Dependence, Chelsea G. Nickell, K. Ryan Thompson, James R. Pauly, Kimberly Nixon

Pharmaceutical Sciences Faculty Publications

Background:

The excessive alcohol drinking that occurs in alcohol use disorder (AUD) causes neurodegeneration in regions such as the hippocampus, though recovery may occur after a period of abstinence. Mechanisms of recovery are not clear, though reactive neurogenesis has been observed in the hippocampal dentate gyrus following alcohol dependence and correlates to recovery of granule cell number.

Objective:

We investigated the role of neurons born during reactive neurogenesis in the recovery of hippocampal learning behavior after 4-day binge alcohol exposure, a model of an AUD. We hypothesized that reducing reactive neurogenesis would impair functional recovery.

Methods:

Adult male rats were …

Exploring The Relationship Between Anger, Aggression, And Perpetrator Substance Use In The Commission Of Sexual Offenses, Dominique Rivera

Student Theses

This study examined the potential association between perpetrator substance use, anger, and aggressive behavior in the commission of sexual crimes. The sample included 246 adult males convicted of rape (n = 54) or child molestation (n = 192). Descriptive statistics revealed that 64.6% of the individuals in this sample (n = 159) were intoxicated at the time of the offense. Results showed that perpetrators who used substances at the time of the offense were more likely to exhibit aggressive behavior toward the victim (e.g., weapon use, verbal abuse) than those who did not. Offenders with higher pervasive anger scores were …

Modulation Of Aub-Tdrd Interactions Elucidates Pirna Amplification And Germplasm Formation., Nicholas Vrettos, Manolis Maragkakis, Panagiotis Alexiou, Paraskevi Sgourdou, Fadia Ibrahim, Daniel Palmieri, Yohei Kirino, Phd, Zissimos Mourelatos

Computational Medicine Center Faculty Papers

Aub guided by piRNAs ensures genome integrity by cleaving retrotransposons, and genome propagation by trapping mRNAs to form the germplasm that instructs germ cell formation. Arginines at the N-terminus of Aub (Aub-NTRs) interact with Tudor and other Tudor domain-containing proteins (TDRDs). Aub-TDRD interactions suppress active retrotransposons via piRNA amplification and form germplasm via generation of Aub-Tudor ribonucleoproteins. Here, we show that Aub-NTRs are dispensable for primary piRNA biogenesis but essential for piRNA amplification and that their symmetric dimethylation is required for germplasm formation and germ cell specification but largely redundant for piRNA amplification.

A Neat Approach To Malware Classification, Jason Do

Master's Projects

Current malware detection software often relies on machine learning, which is seen as an improvement over signature-based techniques. Problems with a machine learning based approach can arise when malware writers modify their code with the intent to evade detection. This leads to a cat and mouse situation where new models must constantly be trained to detect new malware variants. In this research, we experiment with genetic algorithms as a means of evolving machine learning models to detect malware. Genetic algorithms, which simulate natural selection, provide a way for models to adapt to continuous changes in a malware families, and thereby …

Childhood Trauma And Post-Trauma Environment Affect Fear Memory And Alcohol Use Differently In Male And Female Mice, Gavin Vaughan, Katherine Kompanijec, Shreyya Malik, Allison R. Bechard

Psychology

Background: Childhood trauma is associated with the development of adult mental health and substance use disorders, with females generally being more at risk. Alcohol is commonly used for coping with trauma, and alcohol use disorder (AUD) affects ~14.4 million adult Americans annually. Research investigating sex differences in the environmental modification of anxiety and alcohol use following childhood trauma will extend our understanding of the etiology of AUD. Here, we sought to model the interacting effects of a single-episode late childhood trauma with post-trauma environment on adult alcohol use using male and female mice.

Methods: C57Bl6/J mice (d22) exposed to predator …