Digital Commons Network^™

State V. Ahmed

Idaho Supreme Court Records & Briefs, All

No abstract provided.

Vocational And Life Skills Quarterly Report: Grant Cycle 4 Quarter 2 October-December 2020, Uno Nebraska Center For Justice Research, Katelynn Towne, Michael Campagna

Reports

This report presents quarterly data and evaluation updates for the Vocational and Life Skills Program (VLS) through Quarter Two of Grant Cycle Four. VLS was created by Nebraska Legislative Bill 907 in 2014 with the purpose of reducing recidivism and increasing meaningful employment for individuals convicted of a crime in Nebraska. The report contains 1) descriptions of the eight funded organizations across the state, 2) a snapshot of participation, 3) demographics of the participants, and 4) participation breakdowns and descriptions of the skills participants are gaining through VLS programming.

The VLS initiative is evaluated by the Nebraska Center for Justice …

The Gap Between Family Income And Graduation Rates, Kaylee M. Gatto

Applied Economics Theses

Family income has determined to have a significant effect on graduation rates for students. A family’s income can impact many aspects of a student’s life. There has been numerous studies performed on the effect that family income has on student’s graduation rates. This thesis focuses on the hypothesis that students who come from families with higher income are more likely to succeed and graduate than those from lower income families. This thesis focuses on how family income effects these students and in what ways. This thesis shows the differences that high income and low income students face. The findings performed …

Cost-Benefit Analysis Of Constructing And Operating A Streetcar System In Buffalo, Ny, Daniel Kevin Zielinski

Applied Economics Theses

In about 30 of the largest 300 US metro areas, fixed-rail electric streetcars have been reintroduced or refurbished after 75 years of policy favoring petroleum-powered buses. Unlike buses, new streetcar systems are designed to enhance or regenerate economic activity along their routes in urban centers that lack the population density to support subway systems. This paper assesses the criteria utilized by the US Department of Transportation in its decision-making process for supporting streetcar projects. Using multi-factor cost-benefit analysis, a model of a potential streetcar reintroduction for Buffalo, New York is presented.

Evolutionary Theory In Applied Problem-Solving, Lawrence C. Scharmann

Department of Teaching, Learning, and Teacher Education: Faculty Publications

Biology’s quest to be considered a mature science was initiated by Charles Darwin with the publication of On the Origin of Species2 in 1859. Naturalists quickly endorsed Darwin’s explanation for the relationships between similar species (i.e., common ancestry). Nonetheless, one of the arguments posed against evolution was that its supposed mechanism of action – namely natural selection – was considered conjecture at best since Darwin provided little in the way of evidence to support how natural selection might actually work. It was not until the 1930s when geneticists T.H. Morgan, Theodosius Dobzhansky, Ernst Mayr, and G. Gaylord Simpson noted that …

System And Method For Bio-Inspired Filter Banks For A Brain-Computer Interface, Ali Fatih Demir, Ismail Uysal, Huseyin Arslan

USF Patents

A system and method of steady-state visual evoked potential (SSVEP) frequency detection using bio-inspired filter banks (BIFB) includes, acquiring electroencephalographic (EEG) signals from a subject in response to a repetitive visual stimulus, estimating the power spectral density (PSD) of the channel of the EEG signals including at least one SSVEP response, extracting one or more SSVEP response features from the estimated PSD of the channel using a bio-inspired filter bank (BIFB) and classifying the extracted SSVEP response features to determine if the detected SSVEP response frequency from the EEG signals acquired from the subject substantially matches the repetition frequency of …

Digital Fabrication Of A Small Diameter Polymer Optical Waveguide, Venkat Rama Bhethanabotla, Thomas M. Weller, Roger Brandon Tipton, John Townsend Bentley, Eduardo Antonio Rojas

USF Patents

A novel polymer optical waveguide and method of manufacturing is presented herein. A digitally manufactured process is described which utilizes a micro-dispensed UV optical adhesive as the contour guiding cladding, a fused deposition modeling technology for creating a core, additional optical adhesive to complete the cladding and a subtractive laser process to finish the two ends of the optical interconnect.

Improving Emergency Airway Care At A Critical Access Hospital, Kelly Mitchell

Student Projects for Graduate Degrees

Emergency airway care is of the highest priority in caring for patients arriving at the emergency department with critical injuries and conditions. Intubation via laryngoscopy is the gold standard for placing an endotracheal tube to manage ventilation. In rural areas, emergency airway care is often the responsibility of non-expert providers who rarely have the opportunity to perform this life-saving procedure. These less experienced providers often take a longer time and make more attempts at endotracheal intubation. Multiple attempts and increased time taken to secure an airway are associated with higher morbidity and mortality. A critical review of the literature supports …

Maximum Footprint, Minimum Space: A Guide To Small-Lot Residential Accessory Building Construction, Edward Michael Conner

Student Projects for Graduate Degrees

Short of reading several chapters of building codes that lack diagrams, helpful descriptions or layman’s glossary of terms, homeowners are without a starting point when constructing an accessory structure such as a shed, fence or deck on their property. This project evaluated industry best practices, analyzed areas of misunderstanding or misapplication of Municipality of Anchorage (MOA) regulations, and developed a user-friendly pamphlet to reference for design and construction of accessory buildings on shared residential lots. Key stakeholder interviews and community surveys were conducted throughout project planning and execution phases to identify knowledge gaps and pain points. Employing and adapting the …

An Investigation Into The Development Of A Low Cost, Easy To Use Seizure Analysis Tool., Cody Dean

Masters Theses

The need for collaborating and sharing data and research between doctors, researchers, universities and patients has never been more necessary. We are seeing firsthand how a deadly virus can completely devastate the world in a matter of months and being able to react quickly is the top priority. Open source tools are making it possible to share research and learnings about viruses like COVID-19 across countries, industries, and universities and these tools and philosophies extend across all areas of medical research.

The amount of data that is being collected within the medical industry is increasing at an exponential rate and …

A Cfd Study Of Operation Room Air Conditioning: Air Curtain Performance, Spencer Lee Boer

Masters Theses

An operation room is a critical environment when it comes to the safety of patients undergoing surgery. There are a lot of factors that go into reducing Surgical Site Infections (SSI) following a surgery. This comes in the form of cleaning standards, surgical practices, but also environment controls. The characteristics of airflow within an operation room are related to the risk of an SSI. Some of these factors are temperature, velocity, and turbulent air around an open wound which could increase the chance of bacteria or other particles entering the very vulnerable patient. As clean room standards continue to be …

Development Of A Tiny House Design Tool To Increase Safety, Efficiency, And Cost-Effectiveness, Michael Joseph Stratton Ii

Masters Theses

A growing number of people are choosing to live more sustainably, and this is commonly done through living in an extremely small house, also called a “tiny house”. There is no set definition for a tiny house, but it typically refers to a structure less than 500 ft2, sometimes built by the homeowner, and frequently built on a travel trailer.

The popularity of tiny houses has increased over the years due to different television shows, internet videos, and photo sharing websites, but the technical details are rarely covered, which is why this study examines the structural, stability, weight, and thermal …

Hormonal Responses To Seasonal Thermal And Ecological Stressors In Japanese Macaques (Macaca Fuscata), Lilianne Nelson

Masters Theses

Relative to most primate species, Japanese macaques (Macaca fuscata) experience extreme seasonal variation in thermal and ecological stressors that can impact energetic demands. To cope with these environmental changes, levels of metabolic hormones, such as cortisol and triiodothyronine, fluctuate to facilitate energetic adjustments. While previous research in primates has investigated thermal and ecological stressors individually, a combined assessment of these stressors alongside hormone levels can provide a more holistic understanding of the relationship between a primate’s thermoregulation, energetic balance, and stress. The goals of this study were to determine the effects of season, temperature and ecological stress on …

Meta-Analysis Of The Association Between Acute Particulate Matter Exposure And Cardiovascular Disease, Issa El-Kildani

Masters Theses

Cardiovascular disease, which involves a wide range of conditions, including narrowed or blocked coronary arteries, has remained the leading cause of death in the United States for over 50 years. The majority of cardiovascular conditions are preventable, which can be identified through risk factors. However, maintaining healthy life choices can be difficult for most Americans, as the vast majority live in populated urban cities. Urban life can pose hazardous conditions to individuals, especially air pollution. Air pollution includes gaseous pollutants, such as carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxides, ozone and sulfur dioxide, and particulate matter. Of these pollutants, particulate matter has become …

Implementing Purposeful Rounding As A Quality Improvement Project To Improve Patient Satisfaction In The Emergency Department, Kersten O'Brien

Master's Projects

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to describe a quality improvement project to develop and implement a purposeful rounding protocol to improve patient satisfaction and call light rates which affect both patient and nursing staff satisfaction in the emergency department (ED). Importantly, patient satisfaction scores in the ED tend to be low but high scores are related to improved competitive advantage, reimbursement rate, patient outcomes, and nursing staff interruptions.

Methods: A literature review was conducted to determine best practices. Using the lean process and the Plan-Do-Study-Act (PDSA) model, this information was used to identify opportunities for improvement and to …

A Standardized Unit Based Process For Obtaining Heart Failure Patient Weights, Lesli E. Teed

Master's Projects

Introduction: A CNL student-led process improvement process improvement project was proposed to help improve the accuracy of Heart Failure patient weights on a geriatric specialty unit. Cardiology voiced a preference for patients to be weighed using electronic standing scales rather than in-bed scales to improve accuracy. A literature review revealed that in-bed scale weights were less accurate due to inconsistencies in zeroing the bed prior to obtaining the weight, not removing excess patient care equipment and bed linens, and not ensuring that the patient was wearing a minimal amount of clothing.

Methods: Electronic standing scales were purchased, current practice state …

Growing Evidence Of The Value Of School Board Training, Daniel W. Eadens, Frank D. Davidson, Danielle M. Eadens

Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works

The last three decades of board research has embarked on various aspects of school boards (Alsbury, 2008b; Delagardelle, 2008; Resnick & Bryant, 2010; Strauss, 2018) including characteristics of effective boards (Alsbury & Gore, 2015; Dervarics & O’Brien, 2016), importance of targeted school board trainings (Cook, 2014; Gann, 2015; Hess & Meeks, 2010; Plough, 2014; Pollard, 2012; Reimer, 2015; Weiss, Templeton, Thompson, & Tremont, 2014; Wilkins, 2015), boards and student achievement (Blasko, 2016; Brenner, Sullivan, & Dalton, 2002; Ikejiaku, 2000; Lorentzen, 2013; Peterson, 2000; Saatcioglu & Sargut, 2014; Shelton, 2010), board behaviors (Bradley, 2013; Choi, 2013; Gates, 2013; Gomez, 2013; Murray, …

Extent Of Preformative Wing Molt In White-Eyed Vireos At A Site In Texas, David A. Cimprich

North American Bird Bander

No abstract provided.

Inland Flyway Review Maps 2020 Report, Steven Gabrey

North American Bird Bander

No abstract provided.

The Use Of Social Media In English Teaching And Learning: Exploring The Perceptions And Experiences Of English As A Foreign Language Instructors, Waheeb Shadid Albiladi

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The attention on using social media for educational purposes is increasing. Research shows that social media platforms are effective teaching and learning tools. The purpose of this study was to examine foreign language teachers’ experiences in using social media in the teaching and learning of English. Research Design: A qualitative research method was used for the data collection and analysis. Data were collected through a survey and in-depth interviews with foreign language teachers. The participants included 35 English teachers (15 for the interview, 35 for the survey) representing different educational levels, including public and private schools and foreign language institutions. …

Optical Properties Of Ultrathin In(Ga)As/Gaas And In(Ga)N/Gan Quantum Wells, Yurii Maidaniuk

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Recently, structures based on ultrathin quantum wells (QWs) began to play a critical role in modern devices, such as lasers, solar cells, infrared photodetectors, and light-emitting diodes. However, due to the lack of understanding of the formation mechanism of ultrathin QWs during the capping process, scientists and engineers cannot fully explore the potential of such structures. This study aims to investigate how structural parameters of ultrathin QWs affect their emission properties by conducting a systematic analysis of the optical properties of In(Ga)As/GaAs and In(Ga)N/GaN ultrathin QWs. Specifically, the analysis involved photoluminescence measurements combined with effective bandgap simulation, x-ray diffraction, and …

Predicting The Hydration Free Energy Of Small Alkanes And Alcohols From Custom, Electronic Structure-Based Force Fields, T. Ryan Rogers

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Mathematical theories reveal the fundamental physics involved in experimentalphenomena. Computer models of such theories are routinely used to corroborate or explain experiments and predict properties of chemical systems. Therefore, an important effort in computational chemistry is the development of more accurate and efficient chemical models. Current-generation models are only beginning to approach experimental-quality predictions of hydration free energies (HFEs).Using computations of quantum mechanical (QM) forces and classical simulations based on these forces, I investigate models to predict several properties of solutes and solutions. This dissertation is a collection of projects exemplifying methods used to gain insight into chemical systems.

Simulations …

Understanding Radiation Resistance In Head And Neck Tumor Xenografts Using Diffuse Reflectance And Raman Spectroscopy, Sina Dadgar

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Each year, 800,000 new patients are diagnosed with head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC), a majority of whom are treated with a combination of daily fractions of radiation and weekly chemotherapy sessions for up to seven weeks. Current methods to evaluate treatment response of individual patients are limited to anatomical measurements of tumor burden using CT scan or MRI 4-8 weeks after completion of treatment. However, earlier knowledge of radiation-response prior to or at early days after commencement of therapy can aid oncologist with escalating and de-escalating treatment plans for exceptionally non-responding and responding patients. Such a knowledge can …

The Effects Of Solution Condition On Virus Filtration Performance, Fnu Namila

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Virus filtration is an integral part of the downstream purification of mammalian cell culture-derived biotherapeutics to assure the viral safety of the products. Virus filtration membranes remove viruses based on a size-exclusion mechanism. Commercial parvovirus filers possess unique membrane structure and are designed to remove smaller non-enveloped parvoviruses with size 18-26 nm. However, some filters face issues, such as pre-mature fouling, the decline of filtrate flux, and reduction in virus retention. This doctoral dissertation focused on identifying the factors that influence the filtrate flux and the virus retention capability of commercial virus filters. The effects of solution pH and ionic …

Projecting Water Available For Irrigation Use And Identifying Water Supply Stress Under Climate Change Scenarios In Selected U.S. Fruit And Vegetable Production Regions, Andrew Shaw

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Climate change affects water resources differently across geospatial regions in the United States (U.S). There is a concern of how water availability will be affected by changes in long-term temperature and precipitation patterns, specifically in major production regions for eight fruit and vegetable crops. The effects on surface water available for irrigation use and supply stress in five regions containing 31 Agricultural Statistics Districts (ASDs) were assessed. The Water Supply Stress Index Model was used and modified to project water available for irrigation use across nine climate scenarios driven by historical data, five General Circulation Models, two population scenarios, and …

Combining Implicit Geological Modeling, Field Surveys, And Hydrogeological Modeling To Describe Groundwater Flow In A Karst Aquifer, Fernando M. D’Affonseca, Michael Finkel, Olaf A. Cirpka

KIP Articles

In three-dimensional (3-D) implicit geological modeling, the bounding surfaces between geological units are automatically constructed from lithological contact data (position and orientation) and the location and orientation of potential faults. This approach was applied to conceptualize a karst aquifer in the Middle Triassic Muschelkalk Formation in southwest Germany, using digital elevation data, geological maps, borehole logs, and geological interpretation. Dip and strike measurements as well as soil-gas surveys of mantel-borne CO 2 were conducted to verify the existence of an unmapped fault. Implicit geological modeling allowed the straightforward assessment of the geological framework and rapid updates with incoming data. Simultaneous …

Impact Of Financial Deepening On Socio-Economic Development In Nigeria: 1991 - 2018, Igonibo Dumoteim Abili

Bullion

This study investigates the relationship between financial deepening and socioeconomic development in Nigeria. The specific objectives examined the impacts of broad money supply, private sector credit and financial openness on human development index in Nigeria from 1991 to 2018. Time series data on each of the variables were analyzed using Fully Modified Least Squares and Granger Causality test. The unit root test results revealed that all the variables in the model became stationary after first difference and are all I (1). The cointegration test result revealed that the variables had long run relationships. The cointegrating regression result indicated that broad …

The Role Of Agriculture In The Economic Diversification Of The Nigerian Economy: (1980 – 2016), Adamu Hassan Muhammad, Tahir Hussaini Mairiga, Iliya Ayuba Thompson, Usman Ismaeel Bello

Bullion

This study empirically examines the role of agriculture in the diversification of the Nigerian economy, using time series data from 1980–2016. Estimation results using Cointegration and Vector Error Correction Technique indicate that agricultural output has a positive relationship and significant impact with non-oil exports (NOE) and that non-oil revenue has a positive relationship with non-oil exports (NOE). It was recommended that, government should endeavor to increase agricultural productivity by improving its expenditure on the sector so as to enhance the growth of the economy. Government should also increase its non-oil revenue and revive the sector through sufficient budgetary allocation and …

Impact Of Monetary Policy On Inflation Rate In Nigeria: Vector Autoregressive Analysis, Eggon Ahmed Henry, Ajidani Moses Sabo

Bullion

The Nigerian monetary authorities have implemented several monetary management policies with the aim of achieving price stability and economic growth in the country, but without success. This study was conducted to examine the impact of monetary policy management on inflation in Nigeria during the 1985- 2019. Autoregressive distributed lag analysis was employed on time series data covering the period. It was found that while monetary policy rate and foreign exchange rate impacted negatively on inflation; broad money supply impact positively on it. Therefore, the study recommended that monetary authorities should fix the exchange rate at where the value of Naira …

Covid-19: Descriptive Case Study Of A K-8 School District’S Abrupt Transition To Remote Learning From A Traditional In-Person Model, Matthew C. Ferreira

All Theses And Dissertations

COVID-19 resulted in many changes worldwide in how humans and organizations interact and operate. One such significant adjustment was the closure and transition from a classroom instruction model to a remote instruction model across the United States. The purpose of this descriptive case study was to explore student achievement, teacher preparation and instructional hours, and student attendance levels for grades kindergarten through eighth grade (K-8) at four schools in a single school district. The study examined these datasets at a school administrative unit (SAU) comprising of three terms during the 2019-20 school year, comparing pre-COVID-19 levels with post-COVID-19 levels. The …