Digital Commons Network^™

Formation And Interrogation Of A Modeling Excel Database For Sorbent Preconcentrate With Gc/Ms, Lisa Caravello

Chemical and Biological Engineering ETDs

Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are of great interest and the subject of much research, as they can be used in various applications. Preconcentrating this class of analytes is necessary as they can be elusive with simple sampling techniques. VOCs are often captured using sorbents in thermal desorption tubes as preconcentrates prior to analysis, commonly gas chromatography mass spectroscopy (GCMS). There are gaps in knowledge in behavior of materials used as sorbents i.e., if they will retain an analyte of interest appropriately. In this research I seek to eliminate speculation and unknown variables of analyte and sorbent combinations by creating a …

The Heart And Soul Of Engagement In The Float Pool Team, Kymberly Dexter

Master's Projects and Capstones

Problem: The assistant nurse manager (ANM) role is considered an entry-level management position and is not intended as a permanent career role. The unintended consequence is that there is a high rate of organizational turnover, making it challenging to build and retain a solid, cohesive, and productive team.

Context: A new manager of a float pool team in a 166-bed community hospital found that with little financial investment, a significant impact is made by holding a safe space for listening to the ANM team and designing education and training around what is most important to frontline managers.

Interventions: A baseline …

Perinatal Exercise Effectiveness To Prevent Offspring High-Altitude Pulmonary Hypertension, Eric Leslie

Health, Exercise, and Sports Sciences ETDs

The effectiveness of perinatal exercise (i.e., exercise by mothers immediately prior to, throughout, and after pregnancy) to attenuate high-altitude pulmonary hypertension and associated health consequences in the offspring exposed to chronic hypoxia in early life was investigated. Four groups were used to compare the effects of perinatal exercise to offspring exposed to low altitude (i.e., normoxic) conditions or simulated 4500 meters of high altitude (i.e., hypoxic) as well as their respective, sedentary controls. Offspring in the hypoxic groups had lower body weights and tail lengths as well as higher hematocrits, right ventricular systolic pressures, and right heart weights. The hypoxic …

Investigating The Effectiveness Of Prehospital Recognition And Administration Of Intravenous Antibiotics In Septic Patients, Laura Keane, Ian Peterson

Physician Assistant Capstones, 2020-current

Objective: To compare the 30-day mortality rate of suspected sepsis patients who received prehospital (Emergency Medical Services- EMS) antibiotic administration in an ambulance as compared to antibiotic administration in the hospital. Design: Systematic literature review. Methods: Research was conducted in PubMed and Google Scholar with the search terms: sepsis, antibiotics, prehospital, EMS, ambulance. The 3 articles selected were chosen after removing articles not from a randomized control trial, no antibiotic administration, and not a free article. Results: From our meta-analysis of the three studies, we concluded that providing antibiotics before arriving at the hospital for patients with suspected septic infections. …

Species Distribution Modeling Of Northern Sea Otters (Enhydra Lutris Kenyoni) In A Data-Limited Ecosystem, Elizabeth L. Hasan

Marine Biology

Species distribution models are used to map and predict geographic distributions of animals based on environmental covariates. However, species distribution models often require high resolution habitat data and time-series data on animal locations. In data-limited regions with little animal survey data or habitat information, modeling is more challenging and often ignores important environmental attributes. For sea otters (Enhydra lutris), a federally protected keystone species with variable population trends across their range, predictive modeling of distributions has been successfully conducted in areas with an abundance of sea otter and habitat data. Here, we used open-access data across a single time step …

Reinforcement Learning-Based Demand Response Management In Smart Grid Systems With Prosumers, Jenilee Jao

Electrical and Computer Engineering ETDs

In this thesis, we introduce a reinforcement learning-based price-driven Demand Response Management (DRM) mechanism in smart grid systems consisting of prosumers. Our proposed approach accounts for the prosumers behavioral characteristics and models the emerging interactions among all the involved actors in the smart grid system, i.e., prosumers, Energy Management System (EMS) and utility companies. In particular, an off-policy reinforcement learning is introduced enabling the EMS to determine the optimal price that should be announced to the prosumers on an hourly-basis towards minimizing the overall systems cost. In this process, the utility companies hourly-based wholesale price and the prosumers energy generation …

Evaluation Of Antibacterial Potential Of Artemisinin Extracts Of Artemisia Annua In Vivo And In Vitro, Arsalan Khan, Akhtar Ali, Imtiaz Ali Shah, Umm-E- Aimen, Waseem Ullah, Imtiaz Khan

Journal of Bioresource Management

To ensure universal health care, the World Health Organization recognized the significance of complementary and alternative medicines (CAM) and recommended the use of natural herbs and plants bearing therapeutic potential and fewer adverse effects. Therefore, Artemisia annua herb was evaluated for its antibacterial potential and therapeutic efficacy against Staphylococcus aureus, Streptococcus and Escherichia coli both in vitro and in vivo. Artemisinin was extracted from Artemisia annua by chemical treatment. Subsequently, the culture sensitivity tests were performed on MHA by disk diffusion method to determine the antibacterial potential of the Artemisinin extracts against the test bacteria (in vitro phase). …

Distribution Network Planning And Operation With Autonomous Agents, Abdulraheem Hassan Alobaidi

Electrical Engineering Theses and Dissertations

With the restructured power system, different system operators and private investors are responsible for operating and maintaining the electricity networks. Moreover, with incentives for a clean environment and reducing the reliance on fossil fuel generation, future distribution networks adopt a considerable penetration of renewable energy sources. However, the uncertainty of renewable energy sources poses operational challenges in distribution networks. This thesis addresses the planning and operation of the distribution network with autonomous agents under uncertainty. First, a decentralized energy management system for unbalanced networked microgrids is developed. The energy management schemes in microgrids enhance the utilization of renewable energy resources …

Distribution Network Operation With Solar Photovoltaic And Energy Storage Technology, Mohammad Ramin Feizi

Electrical Engineering Theses and Dissertations

Among distributed energy resources, solar photovoltaic (PV) generation has the largest penetration in the distribution networks. Serving electric vehicles (EV) with renewable resource generation would further reduce the carbon footprint of the energy supply chain for electric vehicles. However, the integration of solar PV and EVs in the unbalanced distribution network introduces several challenges including voltage fluctuations, voltage imbalances, reverse power flow, and protection devices’ malfunctions. The uncertainties associated with solar PV integration and electric vehicles operation require significant effort to develop accurate optimization methodologies in the unbalanced distribution systems operation. In this thesis, in order to cope with the …

An Investigation Of The Role Of System Effectiveness In The Acquisition And Sustainment Of U.S. Defense Systems: 1958 To 2022, John Green

Operations Research and Engineering Management Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation investigates the role of the system effectiveness methodology in acquiring and sustaining U.S. military weapons systems from 1958 to 2021. The period of interest has seen numerous changes in both the acquisition process and the application of system effectiveness to acquisition and sustainment. Several of the changes were disruptive, including shifting acquisition and sustainment to a commercial paradigm and completely overhauling the approach to acquiring new systems. The method of inquiry integrated three qualitative methods–structured literature review, grounded theory analysis, and historiography–into an innovative approach for investigating the changes to system effectiveness. The database for the investigation was …

The Challenge Of Change, Eric F. Spina

President's Blog: From the Heart

"Some people are book-smart, but lack empathy, kindness and mercy. You cannot go about transforming the world — which is ultimately your assignment when you leave today — without both," President Eric Spina told the Class of 2022 at winter commencement. "As Flyers, you’re called to use your minds and hearts to work across disciplines and differences to make the kind of profound change the world needs."

Effectiveness And Safety Of Direct Oral Anticoagulants Among Patients With Non-Valvular Atrial Fibrillation And Multimorbidity, Amol Dhamane, Mauricio Ferri, Allison V. Keshishian, Cristina Russ, Nipun Atreja, Cynthia Gutierrez, Birol Emir, Huseyin Yuce, Manuela Di Fusco

Publications and Research

Introduction

In the USA, there is a steady rise of atrial fibrillation due to the aging population with increased morbidity. This study evaluated the risk of stroke/systemic embolism (S/SE) and major bleeding (MB) among elderly patients with non-valvular atrial fibrillation (NVAF) and multimorbidity prescribed direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs).

Methods

Using the CMS Medicare database, a retrospective observational study of adult patients with NVAF and multimorbidity who initiated apixaban, dabigatran, or rivaroxaban from January 1, 2012 to December 31, 2017 was conducted. High multimorbidity was classified as having ≥ 6 comorbidities. Cox proportional hazard models were used to evaluate the hazard …

Inhibition Of Rad18 By Arsenic, Lindsay B. Volk

Biomedical Sciences ETDs

Arsenite exposure leads to the retention of UV-induced DNA damage, thus burdening translesion synthesis (TLS). Rad18 is an essential factor in initiating TLS through PCNA monoubiquitination and is implicated in homologous recombination. It contains two functionally and structurally distinct zinc fingers that are potential targets for arsenite binding. Results from this study reveal arsenite binding to both zinc fingers of Rad18 and a corresponding loss of domain function. Importantly, arsenite inhibited Rad18 RING-dependent PCNA monoubiquitination and polymerase eta recruitment to DNA damage. Further analysis demonstrated multiple effects of arsenite, including the reduction in the nuclear localization and UV-induced chromatin recruitment …

Ela High School Teacher Beliefs About Academic Language Learning, Wendy Aro

Doctorate in Education

The enrollment of English learners (ELs) in K-12 schools in the United States continues to surpass all other student groups reshaping U.S. public schools (National Center for Education Statistics, 2017). Research suggests while learning English, ELs fall behind academically, which can determine how long an EL remains in an English learner program (Wixom, 2014). Educators and leaders are faced with the challenges associated with EL education including professional development, retaining EL specialized teachers, and designing, implementing, and evaluating EL service models. Other challenges include ensuring EL access to grade-level content standards while simultaneously developing the language of the subject area. …

Prioritizing Prosocial Behavior For Preschool Children: How Are Parents Affecting Psb Development?, Deborah Zupito

Doctorate in Education

Scholars and Early Childhood Education (ECE) professionals acknowledge the critical nature of prosocial behavior (PSB) skills in the lives of preschool-aged children. Research specifies that children lacking PSBs are socially and academically disadvantaged. Studies have shown that 30% of preschoolers exhibit negative emotional/social behavior, and 80% of preschool educators report negative social behaviors (NSBs) adversely affecting their jobs. It is well-researched that a child's earliest experiences shape social and emotional behaviors, explicitly parenting and the home environment; however, less research exists about parents' knowledge and perception of their role relating to PSB development in their child's life. This qualitative case …

Lens: A Novel Image Processing-Based Approach For Low-Cost Segmentation Of Computed Tomography Scans Of Lungs, Monica Hinga

Computer Science ETDs

A staggering amount of data has been collected and analyzed since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. Some of that data, however, particularly computed tomography (CT) scans of lungs, are difficult to analyze computationally. Segmentation of COVID-19 lesions provides researchers with insights into where lesions form, their volume, and in the case of time course data, how lesions grow as disease progresses. Spatial information, which has received little attention in the literature, has the potential to provide valuable insight to within-host viral and immune dynamics. Unfortunately, state-of-the-art supervised deep learning methods require labeled data, which can be prohibitively expensive to …

Void-Semiconductor Gaas Photonic Crystal Surface-Emitting Lasers By Epitaxial Regrowth And Single-Epitaxy Methods, Kevin James Reilly

Nanoscience and Microsystems ETDs

Monolithic semiconductor lasers including edge-emitting lasers (EELs) and vertical-cavity surface-emitting lasers (VCSELs) fail to realize simultaneous achievement of both high-power high-quality beams due to intrinsic limitations of their resonant cavity. Photonic crystal surface emitting lasers (PCSELs) address these structural limitations through employment of a two-dimensional photonic crystal (PC) cavity that creates feedback at a single wavelength for laterally scalable devices. This function of the PC allows PCSELs to power scale with area while maintaining single-mode emission required for diffraction-limited beams. In this way, PCSELs fulfill an industry demand for high-power high-quality lasing from a single chip.

Early PCSELs were fabricated …

On The Effects Of Geometrical And Fluid Conditions On Thermal-Hydraulics Of Miniature Heat Sinks, Mahyar Pourghasemi

Mechanical Engineering ETDs

During the past three years, miniature heat sinks have been integrated into the cooling loop of devices such as MW-class gyrotron resonators and high-power laser arrays. These applications involve high cooling rates in the range of 20-25 MW/m². Liquid metals such as Na and NaK offer very high thermal conductivity in the range of 16-79 W/mK, while their dynamic viscosities are only slightly higher than water viscosity. They can also be used in applications with operating temperatures varying from 25 ^oC to as high as 800 ^oC due to their very high boiling points. Several research …

Cyber-Secure Distributed Control Of Microgrids With Improved Communication And Control Protocols, Jee Won Choi

Mechanical Engineering ETDs

This dissertation proposes a cyber-secure distributed control of microgrids with improved communication and control protocols. The finite-time event-triggered control protocol for islanded AC and DC secondary control is introduced. For AC microgrids, the proposed strategy can effectively perform frequency restoration and voltage regulations while sharing the active and reactive power among the distributed generators (DGs) based on their power ratings. For DC microgrids, the proposed control protocol can provide accurate current sharing and critical bus voltage regulation. The finite-time control enables a system to reach a consensus in a finite period of time enhanced from asymptotic convergence. The event-triggered communication …

Spatial Single-Cell Identification Of Cell Layers Within Mouse Brain Using A Novel Spatially Resolved Transcriptomics Technology, Radha Swaminathan

Biomedical Engineering ETDs

Spatially resolved transcriptomics technologies investigate gene expression in the context of a tissue. While imaging-based technologies enable gene expression quantification at a single-cell level, only two NGS-based technologies are currently capable of single-cell resolution. Both Stereo-seq and Seq-Scope involve two rounds of sequencing: one to sequence the location of spatial barcodes and the other to obtain sequence of cDNA. Thus, the objective of the research study is to develop a technology that can capture transcripts from every cell of a tissue without the need for two rounds of sequencing. To this end, a capture surface or barcoded array (similar to …

Length-Weight Relationships Of The Bream Abramis Brama (Linnaeus, 1758) In Beni- Haroun Dam Of Mila City (North-East Of Algeria), Tolba Mounia, Hadjab Ramzi, Chikara Bouziani Mohamed, Berrouk Houda, Kaouachi Nouha

Journal of Bioresource Management

The study of fish growth is a valuable tool in providing good understanding on the general biology and growth of fish populations, in addition to the comparison of the same fish species populations living in remote geographic areas. Thus, the present work was designed to study the age and growth of Abramis brama species newly introduced in Beni-Haroun dam (Mila department, Northeast Algeria). Here, the study was conducted on sampling of 141 individuals from July 2015 to October 2016. The age of fishes was determined according to scalimetric method, since the fish sex was determined by macroscopic method, showing that …

Phytoplankton Community Of Boalia Khal Tributary Of The Halda River, Chattogram, Bangladesh, Md. Shafiqul Islam, M.A. Azadi, Munira Nasiruddin

Journal of Bioresource Management

Boalia Khal is one of the important tributaries of the River Halda. The productivity of the Boalia Khal tributary of the Halda River mainly depends on the phytoplankton diversity. A study was conducted for two years period from January 2017 to December 2018 to identify the phytoplankton community of the Boalia Khal tributary. A total of 61 species of phytoplankton under 37 genera belonging to 8 classes were recorded. The dominant group of phytoplankton was 25 species of Diatoms (40.98 %) followed by 18 species of Green Algae (29.5 %), 9 species of Euglenophytes (14.75 %), 7 species of Blue …

The Pain Of Helping: Crisis Response Teams Experiences With College Student Suicide, Audra E. Dowling

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Capstones

This qualitative multicase study explores the lived experiences of seven higher education professionals who serve or have served on a crisis response team at the time of a college student suicide. It asks the following research question: How has a college student suicide impacted the individual psychological needs (safety, trust, esteem, intimacy, control) of those serving on a crisis response team? Using constructivist self-development theory (McCann & Pearlman, 1990) as a lens, psychological needs have been analyzed as fulfilled needs or distorted needs across two interviews and three journaling prompts to assess the impact on seven participants in this qualitative …

Implications Of Spatial Population Dynamics For Abundance Estimation And Catch Apportionment Of Alaska Sablefish (Anoplopoma Fimbria), Kari Hammarsten Fenske

Fisheries

Spatial dynamics in fish populations are challenging to identify and incorporate into population dynamics models due to the large amount of data required and the uncertainty associated with spatial processes. However, ignoring spatial dynamics can result in biased population estimates and negatively affect population sustainability or the ability to meet fishery management goals. My research explored implications of spatial dynamics for the assessment and management of Alaska sablefish (Anoplopoma fimbria). Sablefish are highly mobile, targeted in commercial and recreational fisheries, and documented to have spatial variation in population dynamics such as abundance and biomass. However, gaps remain in understanding the …

“Women Who Speak With The Power And Authority Of God”: The Role Of Women In The Northern Indian Mission, 1964-1973, Amber Miller

Student Works

Since the Church's founding in the early 19th century, numerous historians have chronicled the story of "Lamanite" Missions for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Most of these Indian Mission histories, however, mention little more about women than missionaries marrying Native women, and non-native women receiving blessings that they will one-day teach the "Lamanites." Although the continuing conversation of these historic missions covers a wide range of views and interpretations, the roles and contributions of women often take a subordinate position in the Indian Mission narrative. The Northern Indian Mission of 1964 to 1973 serves as a microcosm …

Shifts In Microbial Community Composition During The 2019 Pacific Marine Heatwave In The Northern Gulf Of Alaska, Jacob Cohen

Oceanography

Climate change has led to a gradual increase of sea surface temperatures in the Northern Gulf of Alaska (NGA) interspersed with marine heatwaves (MHW) that impose a rapid but temporary perturbation of sea surface temperature. MHWs have the potential to alter marine microbial community structure, which may impact the production and transfer of carbon to higher trophic levels. The year 2019 was characterized as an MHW in the North Pacific, with sea surface temperatures in the NGA reaching ~2.5 º C above average during 2019 and ~1 º C above average during 2020, while 2021 had near-average sea surface temperatures. …

In Vitro Anti-Helicobacter Pylori And Antioxidant Activities Of Plants Used In Algerian Traditional Medicine For Gastrointestinal Disorders, Souhila Tabak, Bendif Hamdi, Mohamed Djamel Miara, Luca A. Vitali

Journal of Bioresource Management

It has been recognized that gastric colonization with Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) induces a risk of developing ulcer disease and gastric cancer. The interest of this research relates for the first time to the study of the Anti-Helicobacter pylori activities of three medicinal plants methanolic extracts, namely Allium sativum, Allium cepa and Foeniculum vulgare. The activity of the methanolic extracts was assessed against two strains of H. pylori (SAN158 and 26659) by the disc diffusion method on Muller Hinton agar. The content of phenolic compounds (TPC) was determined by the Folin-Ciocalteu test and the antioxidant …

Spatio-Temporal Variation Of Some Physico-Chemical Parameters Of Water In Lower Seybouse River (Northeastern Algeria), Adem Fraga, Amel Ketif, Karima Sifi, Aziz Laifa

Journal of Bioresource Management

Oued Seybouse is one of the most important rivers in Algeria. It runs for about 240 km, flows through sevenwilayas (Guelma, Annaba, Souk Ahras, El Tarf, Oum El Bouaghi, Constantine and Skikda) and 68 municipalities, 30 of which are fully included in its basin, and only partially for the others. OuedSeybouse’s water is exposed to multiple sources of pollution, as it directly receives industrial and urban discharges throughout its course. Also agriculture, which is intensively practiced in the lower valley of Seybouse, contributes to the pollution of this watercourse. In this context, we set out to assess the physical-chemical quality …

Rev. Jimmy Lee Spivey

African American Funeral Programs

Rev_Jimmy_Lee_Spivey.pdf - Funeral program for Jimmy Lee Spivey

Pandemic Reflections: Stories Of National Ffa Student Leaders During The Covid-19 Pandemic, Theresa Seibel

Senior Honors Projects, 2020-current

The impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic were felt by most every individual in the world, and the effects of the pandemic will have implications for years to come. Even still, it becomes necessary to capture the work and impacts of this life experience of those who lived and led during such a time. The National FFA Organization, with its student leadership, continued to deliver its mission of the organization during the pandemic. This project aimed to develop a digital narrative to contribute to the historical record of FFA officers’ experiences in the National FFA Organization during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The …