Digital Commons Network^™

Flexible Strain Detection Using Surface Acoustic Waves: Fabrication And Tests, Rishikesh Srinivasaraghavan Govindarajan

Doctoral Dissertations and Master's Theses

Over the last couple of decades, smart transducers based on piezoelectric materials have been used as sensors in a wide range of structural health monitoring applications. Among them, a Surface Acoustic Wave sensor (SAW) offers an overwhelming advantage over other commercial sensing technologies due to its passive, small size, fast response time, cost-effectiveness, and wireless capabilities. Development of SAW sensors allows investigation of their potential not only for measuring less-time dependent parameters, such as pressure and temperature, but also dynamic parameters like mechanical strains. The objective of this study is to develop a passive flexible SAW sensor with optimized piezoelectric …

Advances In The Understanding Of Sourcing And Fate Of Pyrogenic Organic Matter In The Environment, Aleksandar Ivaylov Goranov

Chemistry & Biochemistry Theses & Dissertations

With higher occurrences of forest fires worldwide, there has been an increase in scientific interest surrounding the chemistry of pyrogenic organic matter (pyOM). The main structural components of pyOM, the condensed aromatic compounds (ConAC), exhibit intriguing physico-chemical properties and have been one of the main focuses of biogeochemical research. The overwhelmingly large number of scientific articles regarding pyOM and ConAC are guided by the assumption that ConAC in the environment are exclusively of pyrogenic origin, even though some recent studies have suggested that some of these ConAC could also be derived from non-pyrogenic radical-driven processes. To evaluate this controversial proposition, …

Holy Stitches Batman, Or, Performative Villainy In Gothic/Am, A. Luxx Mishou

English Theses & Dissertations

Holy Stitches, Batman, or, Performative Villainy in Gothic/am is an interdisciplinary examination of gothic affect and deviant fashion in the narrative construction of villainy. It asks not just what a villain looks like, but what it means to look like a villain. A villain is a character who consciously and purposefully deviates from standards of normativity in order to pursue their own, often criminal, interests. The signifier of “villain” articulates a different purpose – an adversarial relationship with normativity that guides personal identification. Not exceptional to a gendered cultural system, they are informed by the societies in which they operate, …

Drag Incorporated: The Homonormative Brand Culture Of Rupaul's Drag Race, Nathan T. Workman

Institute for the Humanities Theses

This thesis argues RuPaul’s Drag Race (RPDR, 2009–) positions itself as a homonormative pathway to LGBTQ+ social inclusion through privileging neoliberal selfbranding and commodity activist practices that reify privileged raced, classed, and sexuality identity markers. Utilizing interdisciplinary and intersectional cultural studies methods to conduct a textual analysis, I examine how RPDR produces homonormative LGBTQ+ identities through the commodification and standardization of drag cultures. In conversation with existing RPDR scholars, I critically survey RPDR’s gender biases and prosocial messaging as an example of brand culture’s reification of hegemony and homonormativity within LGBTQ+ communities. This research considers the …

The Effects Of Military Sexual Trauma And Depressive Symptoms On Reintegration, Rachel L. Davies

Psychology Theses & Dissertations

Reintegration is a challenge for many veterans returning to civilian roles after military service. Difficulties range from an assortment of issues such as self-care to community participation. Military sexual trauma may be an experience that alters or changes veterans and result in difficulty in reintegration. Specifically, it was predicted that military sexual trauma would indirectly affect reintegration, via depressive symptoms. In addition, locus of control was predicted to play a role in how military sexual trauma impacts reintegration with external locus of control acting as a buffer. Participants were a cross-sectional community sample of both female veterans who reported having …

Air Pollution And Outdoor Recreation On Urban Trails: A Case Study Of The Elizabeth River Trail, Norfolk, Va, James E. Mccann

Human Movement Studies & Special Education Theses & Dissertations

Poor air quality represents a significant health risk, especially when recreating outdoors in urban parks and trails. It is important for managers of urban parks and trail to understand how potential visitors’ perceptions of air quality and health risks and benefits may affect visitation. The goal of this study was to investigate temporal variance in air quality along the Elizabeth River Trail, an urban trail located in Norfolk, Virginia, as well as trail users’ perceptions of air quality and of health benefits in relation to trail use. The researcher rode a bicycle with a Dylos DC1700-PM mobile air quality monitor …

Using Machine Learning Software In The Human Resource Recruiting Process For Candidates From Dubai Police Academy, Ibrahim Alkhazraji, Ali Saeed Buhaliba

Theses

Since Machine learning software explored the first recruitment software and found that utilizing technology improves their efficiency at work, speed, and makes the process easier, the use of machine learning for recruitment has become one of the major themes in human resources. In a few years, hiring top talents may lean entirely on the ability of the recruiters to automate their workflows intelligently. Over time, the function of human resource management has indeed evolved in organizations, as technology has been marveled for its greater efficiency in almost every sector. The use of Machine learning for recruiting in organizations has not …

Deafspace™: Existing Buildings Adapted To Provide A More Optimal And Sustainable Environment, Christopher William Brucker

Theses

Architectural design often creates spaces that are accessible to many, but not all people. In particular, many buildings are designed for hearing people; those who design with accessibility in mind typically consider the needs of blind people and wheelchair users, but often neglect the needs of Deaf people. Thus, most built environments are hearing-centric and unconducive for Deaf people. Furthermore, the relationship between architecture and accessibility for people with disabilities did not become a priority in the United States until 1990 when the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) was introduced. The ADA requires architects to think differently and design barrier-free …

Barrier-Free Assistant, Jiajia Li

Theses

With the rapid development of the Internet in recent years, social media is also changing and influencing people's social ways. Become an indispensable part of people's social life. Social contact should belong to the whole people, and daily communication is the demand of everyone. However, some particular groups still need to face many obstacles when using social media. For Pre-lingually deaf people, sign language is their first language, and English is their second language. Sometimes when they read some information in the second language, they can't fully understand it, which leads to obstacles when they use social media. Secondly, in …

Engram, An Application Of Recording And Throwing Back Memories With Your Parents, Tong Wu

Theses

Adults can recall memories from the age of three. Our brains help us sort out important things for long-term memory and more trivial things for short-term memory. 1 We pull up these pieces of memory when we need them. We can remember a lot, but we also keep forgetting, forgetting details.

Therefore, humans have always had the habit of recording. Today we record our lives by posting in social media, taking photos, and so on. In most of the more modern methods, we record our life initiatively, which means we need to do something to record a piece of memory. …

We Eat, Maliheh Rahrovan

Theses

We Eat is an animated short film showing the struggles of a survivor living in an apocalyptic world within a cruise ship that holds the last of humanity, most of whom are wealthy, opulent, greedy people. We follow the protagonist on her journey through the ship as she attempts to save a single baby calf. The inhabitants on the ship are obese, obsessed with consumption, and all are wearing animal masks that cover their eyes. Justine, the protagonist, frightened as she slips from a room, closes an unseen item in her luggage case, and begins to flee the hungry passenger …

Roll Back, A User Experience Design To Help People Recall Memories, Haotian Sun

Theses

This article introduces a user experience design of recalling memories. People take numerous photos in their whole lives, so they need a powerful tool to help them organize and review all those pictures in an interesting way. After having interviews with target users, most of them have problems with organizing massive digital photos. This process costs them a lot of time and makes them feel boring. In this article, a mobile app named “Roll Back” is designed to solve this problem, users can review their memories randomly by solving a simplified Rubik’s Cube game, their photos will display on the …

Miss, Jiahui Liu

Theses

Miss is a 2D animation graduate thesis film, with a length of 5 minutes and 50 seconds. The production phase went from September 2019 to November 2020.

"Miss" is a microcosm of ordinary children's emotional expression facing the death of their loved ones in reality. The protagonist is a child. The first time he met his relatives' death, he was at a loss and didn't know how to deal with it. He tries to pray and find an answer. But the answer is already in the heart of the little boy in the end. The temple gods are very kind …

Three-Way Comparison Of Selected Substrates Used In Wine Labels: Wood-Based Paper, Synthetic Paper, And Stone Paper, Sanjana Babu

Theses

Wine labels are one of the most important factors that attract customers to a particular wine bottle. This exploratory study came from an opportunity to expand on the limited material science research published about wine label substrates. It limits its geographic scope to the European and Indian wine label markets. Two synthetic substrates and a stone-based substrate were selected and tested, and their results were compared with test measurements from popular wood-based substrates in this market. When tested, each substrate had an adhesive coating and a liner backing suitable for the substrate. These substrates were tested using six properties: four …

Automatic Pigment Classification In Painted Works Of Art From Diffuse Reflectance Image Data, Tania Kleynhans

Theses

Information about artists' materials used in paintings, obtained from the analysis of limited micro-samples, has assisted conservators to better define treatment plans, and provided scholars with basic information about the working methods of the artists. Recently, macro-scale imaging systems such as visible-to-near infrared (VNIR) reflectance hyperspectral imaging (HSI) are being used to provide conservators and art historians with a more comprehensive understanding of a given work of art. However, the HSI analysis process has not been streamlined and currently requires significant manual input by experts. Additionally, HSI systems are often too expensive for small to mid-level museums. This research focused …

Identifying Signs Of Human Trafficking In Healthcare Settings: A Literature Review, Mary Elizabeth Baldwin

The Eleanor Mann School of Nursing Undergraduate Honors Theses

Human trafficking is the commercial trade of human beings for profit, and it is the fastest growing criminal industry in the world. There are an estimated 40 million people that are trapped in this modern day slavery (National Human Trafficking Hotline, 2020). In the United States, over 86% of trafficking survivors reported accessing healthcare at some point during their trafficking situation (Lederer & Wetzel, 2014). Healthcare workers are on the front lines of battling this crime, as they have a vital role in identifying signs of trafficking in their patients. This review evaluates ways in which healthcare workers can screen …

Opportunities And Challenges Of Geospatial Analysis For Promoting Urban Livability In The Era Of Big Data And Machine Learning, Anna Kovacs-Györi, Alina Ristea, Clemens Havas, Michael Mehaffy, Hartwig H. Hochmair, Bernd Resch, Levente Juhasz, Arthur Lehner, Laxmi Ramasubramanian, Thomas Blaschke

Faculty Research, Scholarly, and Creative Activity

Urban systems involve a multitude of closely intertwined components, which are more measurable than before due to new sensors, data collection, and spatio-temporal analysis methods. Turning these data into knowledge to facilitate planning efforts in addressing current challenges of urban complex systems requires advanced interdisciplinary analysis methods, such as urban informatics or urban data science. Yet, by applying a purely data-driven approach, it is too easy to get lost in the ‘forest’ of data, and to miss the ‘trees’ of successful, livable cities that are the ultimate aim of urban planning. This paper assesses how geospatial data, and urban analysis, …

Development Of A Single Emitter Ionic Liquid Ion Source Research Platform, Thomas V. Kerber

Masters Theses

A single emitter ionic liquid ion source using porous borosilicate glass was developed. Two emitters with different radii of curvatures were tested using 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium tetrafluoroborate (EMI-BF₄). I-V curves of the currents on the extractor electrode and a collector plate were obtained for potential differences between the emitter and the extractor ranging from 0 V to 3500 V. For the first emitter chip, extraction began near 2400 V. The highest emission current measured on the first chip was 80 µA at 3500 V with an interception current on the extractor of 4.86 µA. An new collector plate was used …

Applied Behavior Analysis In The Secondary Art Classroom, Linda S. Stewart

Masters Theses

Special needs students in the secondary art classroom can be difficult to reach. Students with special needs are required by law to be provided with a fair and appropriate education. The challenge for art educators is to adequately meet the needs of all students in the classroom. This paper examines a brief history of education for students with special needs, behavior management in the classroom, Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) therapy, the token system, and the value of a structured classroom environment. ABA therapy techniques in the secondary art classroom provide a tool in the classroom management aspect of providing structure …

All-Caps, Yonathan A. Arbel, Andrew Toler

Articles

A hallmark of consumer contracts is their use of long blocks of capitalized text. These "all-caps" clauses are meant to alert consumers to nonstandard, risky, or important aspects of the transaction that would otherwise be hidden in the fine print. Based on a belief in the power of all-caps, courts will often deny enforcement of many key terms-such as war­ranty disclaimers, liability releases, arbitration clauses, and automatic billing-unless they are presented in all-caps. This article is the first to empirically examine the effectiveness of all-caps. Using an experimental methodology, the article finds that all-caps fail to apprecia­bly improve consent. Moreover, …

Covid-19 Reflections On Resilience And Reform In The Child Welfare System, Robert Latham, Kele Stewart

Articles

No abstract provided.

The Life And Death Of Confederate Monuments, Jessica Owley, Jess Phelps

Articles

Confederate monuments have again received increased attention in the aftermath of George Floyd's tragic death in Minneapolis, Minnesota, on May 25, 2020. Momentum and shifting public opinion are working toward the removal of these problematic monuments across the country. This Article seeks to provide insight for monument-removal advocates: specifically focusing on the legal issues associated with the "death" or removal of these monuments, how property law shapes and defines these efforts, and briefly examining what happens to these statues after removal. Our exploration of Confederate monuments reveals that some removal efforts occur outside of legally created processes. Both public and …

The Effects Of Consumer Buying Habits In The Automotive Industry, Tiffany R. Towne

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This study addressed the effects of consumer buying habits in the automotive industry. With consumer buying habits constantly changing and the advancement of technology and e-commerce, there is a growing opportunity for brick-and-mortar stores and dealerships to adapt their strategies to maintain and enhance revenues and profitability. Failure of organizations to adapt their strategies have resulted in a loss of revenue and led to bankruptcy. This qualitative case study addressed the failure of an organization to adapt to consumer buying habits in the automotive industry resulting in a loss of revenue and profitability. Further, the study provided an understanding of …

Comparing Digital Citizenship Perceptions Of Online Students And Teachers, Tamarack Autumn Grammon

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this study was to identify commonalities or differences between teacher and student perceptions of digital citizenship, defined by the norms of behavior with regard to technology use. The study was conducted with online, secondary students and teachers from the same population using the DCS (Digital Citizenship Scale) instrument created by Choi, Glassman, and Cristol (2017). The study addressed the problem of inconsistent digital skills among online, secondary students and teachers by gathering data about areas where deficiencies may exist for both teachers and students in the same population. Variables included: (1) online, secondary student perceptions of digital …

Student Success Of Online Vs. In-Person Biology Courses At Virginia Community Colleges, Jennifer Claire Scott

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Community colleges have a significant role in preparing students for STEM-related careers through certificates, degrees, and transfers to four-year institutions. In addition, online education is a growing mode of higher education, particularly for community college students. However, community college and online students are both at a high risk of attrition and show a lower success rate for degree completion. The purpose of this study was to identify differences in attrition and success between students in online and in-person biology courses at Virginia community colleges. Also, this study addressed downstream effects of online education by examining course completion of second-semester biology …

Joint Statement On Data Protection And Privacy In The Covid-19 Response

Saudi Medical Journal

No abstract provided.

Assessing The Cognitive Status Of Older Adults Attending Primary Healthcare Centers In Saudi Arabia Using The Mini-Mental State Examination, Sulaiman A. Alshammari, Adel A. Alhamdan, Saad M. Bindawas, Maysoon M. Al-Amoud, Saada M. Al-Orf, Philip C. Calder

Saudi Medical Journal

Objectives: To assess the cognitive status of older adults in Saudi Arabia. Methods: This was a cross-sectional, multistage, stratified study of older individuals (≥60 years of age) attending primary healthcare centres in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia between January 2015 and April 2017. We collected data using a structured questionnaire, which incorporated questions regarding demographic and anthropometric variables, the Arabic version of Mini-Mental State Examination, the Mini-Nutritional Assessment tool, and the Modified Katz Index of Independence in activities of daily living. Results: Of the 1299 participants, 914 (70.4%) were male, with a mean age of 66.2 ± 5.9 years. Approximately 79.1% of …

Effect Of Ulnar Collateral Ligament Reconstruction On Pitch Accuracy, Velocity, And Movement In Major League Baseball Pitchers, Braden Mcknight, Nathanael D Heckmann, Xiao T Chen, Kevork Hindoyan, J Ryan Hill, Graham Goldbeck, Reza Omid, George F Rick Hatch Iii, Timothy P Charlton

Open Access Publications

Background: Ulnar collateral ligament (UCL) reconstruction is frequently performed on Major League Baseball (MLB) pitchers. Previous studies have investigated the effects of UCL reconstruction on fastball and curveball velocity, but no study to date has evaluated its effect on fastball accuracy or curveball movement among MLB pitchers.

Purpose/Hypothesis: The primary purpose of this study was to determine the effects of UCL reconstruction on fastball accuracy, fastball velocity, and curveball movement in MLB pitchers. Our hypothesis was that MLB pitchers who underwent UCL reconstruction would return to their presurgery fastball velocity, fastball accuracy, and curveball movement. The secondary purpose of this …

Survival Analysis Of Colorectal Cancer Patients With Liver Metastasis, Brandon O’Grady

Dissertations and Theses (Open Access)

Background- Colorectal cancer is the third most common cancer in the world. I investigated the survival rates among colorectal cancer patients diagnosed with hepatic metastasis to see if any variables are associated colorectal risk and survival. Methods- Patients were diagnosed from 2000-2019 and collected through MD Anderson’s database. A descriptive analysis, univariate analysis, Kaplan-Meier with Mantel log-rank test, Cox proportion hazard regression and a Stratified Cox Model was performed to investigate death. A competing risk regression was implemented to investigate liver recurrence. Results- There was a clear difference in the survival outcome between liver surgery patients and non-liver surgery patients …

Navigating Hate: The Public Deliberation Of Matthew Shepard And Hate Crime Legislation, Abigail Barnes

Master's Theses

Since Matthew Shepard’s murder in 1998, his narrative has been recirculated to justify a federal hate crime statute and Shepard has been used as a symbol for the demand for hate crime legislation. This study seeks to evaluate how Shepard is used in public deliberation, the role of private organizations in the public deliberation of hate crime legislation, and the discursive history of the Shepard-Byrd Hate Crime Prevention Act of 2009. Through a rhetorical criticism, this study finds that the nuances of Shepard’s narrative are abandoned in order to construct him as a “permissible” symbol for LGBTQ+ protections. However, if …