Digital Commons Network^™

Fiber Assisted Re-Assembly Preformed Particle Gel For Conformance Control, Zhe Sun

Masters Theses

"In Enhanced Oil Recovery technology today, gel treatments have been implemented as a cost-effective method to improve the oil sweep efficiency in reservoirs by plugging the high permeability zones. This study presents a novel gel composition to be used in conformance control in order to improve oil recovery for mature oilfields.

The product is a fiber-assist re-assembly preformed particle gel which could be generalized to the preformed particle gels (PPG). The product developed in this study could be injected into the reservoir act as a conformance control agent by plugging water thief zones and channels in the beginning process. Due …

Forty Years Of Inferential Methods In The Journals Of The Society For Molecular Biology And Evolution, Claudia A.M. Russo, Adam Eyre-Walker, Laura A. Katz, Brandon S. Gaut

Biological Sciences: Faculty Publications

We are launching a series to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the first issue of Molecular Biology and Evolution. In 2024, we will publish virtual issues containing selected papers published in the Society for Molecular Biology and Evolution journals, Molecular Biology and Evolution and Genome Biology and Evolution. Each virtual issue will be accompanied by a perspective that highlights the historic and contemporary contributions of our journals to a specific topic in molecular evolution. This perspective, the first in the series, presents an account of the broad array of methods that have been published in the Society for Molecular Biology …

Myopia Progression Following 0.01% Atropine Cessation In Australian Children: Findings From The Western Australia – Atropine For The Treatment Of Myopia (Wa-Atom) Study, Samantha Sze Yee Lee, Vinay Kumar Nilagiri, Gareth Lingham, Magdalena Blaszkowska, Paul G. Sanfilippo, Maria Franchina, Antony Clark, David A. Mackey

Articles

Background: A rebound in myopia progression following cessation of atropine eyedrops has been reported, yet there is limited data on the effects of stopping 0.01% atropine compared to placebo control. This study tested the hypothesis that there is minimal rebound myopia progression after cessation of 0.01% atropine eyedrops, compared to a placebo. Methods: Children with myopia (n = 153) were randomised to receive 0.01% atropine eyedrops or a placebo (2:1 ratio) daily at bedtime during the 2-year treatment phase of the study. In the third year (wash-out phase), all participants ceased eyedrop instillation. Participants underwent an eye examination every 6 …

Comparing Thin And Volume Regimes Of Analog Holograms For Wavefront Sensing, Emma Branigan, Andreas Zepp, Suzanne Martin, Matthew Sheehan, Szymon Gladysz, Kevin Murphy

Articles

Two analog holographic wavefront sensors, for measurement of defocus, have been fabricated as both thin and volume phase transmission holograms in a self-developing photopolymer. This represents the first reported direct comparison of hologram regimes when designed for wavefront sensing. An analysis of the effect of crosstalk in the presence of one other aberration mode (astigmatism X (0/90°), coma X (horizontal), and primary spherical aberration) was carried out with each version of the sensor. The performance of thin and volume analog holographic wavefront sensors was characterized under emulated conditions associated with moderate atmospheric turbulence.

Short-Term Effects Of Cyclopentolate And Tropicamide Eye Drops On Macular Choroidal Thickness In Myopic Children, Emmanuel Kobia-Acquah, Daniel Ian Flitcroft, Gareth Lingham, Eoin Kerin, James Loughman

Articles

Background: To investigate the short-term effects of cyclopentolate and tropicamide eyedrops on choroidal thickness (ChT) in myopic children using placebo or low-dose atropine eyedrops. Methods: The analysis included 242 myopic individuals (7–19 years) enrolled in two randomised placebo-controlled clinical trials of low-dose atropine eyedrops. Cycloplegia was induced using either one drop of 1% cyclopentolate (n = 161), two drops of 1% cyclopentolate (n = 32) or two drops of 1% tropicamide (n = 49). ChT measurements were taken using swept-source optical coherence tomography before and 30 min after administering the cycloplegic eye drops. A subset of 51 participants underwent test–retest …

Radiofrequency Interference Detection Using Lstmand Statistical Analysis Discriminator, Luke Smith

Masters Theses

"Wireless devices are becoming increasingly pervasive across all aspects of society. Examples of such devices include radios, routers, mobile phones, tablets, and more. As the number of radio frequency (RF) devices continues to rise, so does the amount of interference and noise increase. This is why an efficient approach to interference detection is explored. Most research within this area has been done strictly within the frequency domain as viewing a signal within this domain provides many insights into what makes the signal. This has, however, led to the time domain being underutilized for this area of research.

To explore the …

Development Of A Particulate Matter Sensor Network For Air Quality Monitoring In Indoor Settings And In Mines, Abdulrahman Bani

Masters Theses

"The importance of indoor air quality (IAQ), especially concerning particulate matter (PM), has become increasingly recognized due to its substantial impact on public health. Individuals spend a significant portion of their time indoors, where PM concentrations can exceed that of outdoors, leading to potential adverse health effects ranging from immediate irritation to long-term respiratory and cardiovascular diseases. The dynamic nature of indoor environments, combined with the diversity of PM sources, presents considerable challenges for effective IAQ monitoring and management. Traditional approaches to IAQ assessment often fall short, lacking the granularity and immediacy required to address these challenges adequately.

This abstract …

The Graduation Walk: Pareto Optimization Of Degree Paths, Arianna Gail Sy Chaves

Masters Theses

"A student’s academic history, course availability at their institution, and the overall degree of difficulty of the schedule for each semester are all critical factors in their academic success and experience. This thesis proposes an advanced recommendation algorithm that considers these real and conflicting factors that are involved in identifying a prudent degree path - a semester-by-semester course schedule to graduation - for each student. The original contribution of this work is the use of weighted-sum multi-objective constraint programming to minimize an increased number of optimization criteria and identify Pareto-optimal degree paths to be recommended to the student. The conflicting …

Computational Fluid Dynamics Analysis Of Thermal-Hydraulic Phenomena In Nuclear Reactor Systems, Mehedi Hasan Tusar

Masters Theses

"A computational analysis of thermal-hydraulic processes in nuclear reactor systems is performed, leveraging Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) to advance the design and ensure the safety of nuclear reactors. Divided into two primary sections, the initial part examines thermal-hydraulic behavior in the Replacement Research Reactor (RRR) operating at 20 megawatts and evaluates potential enhancements for the Missouri University of Science and Technology Reactor (MSTR) to operate at an increased capacity of 2 megawatts from the existing 0.2 megawatts. Detailed simulations reveal insights into flow characteristics, temperature distributions, and pressure drops, highlighting the effective use of realistic and porous media modeling techniques …

Iterative Power Flow Control Architecture For Dc-Ac-Ac Triple Active Bridge Converters: Design, Simulation, And Hardware Testing, Jonathan Henri Saelens

Masters Theses

Driven by widespread electrification and escalating energy demands, efficient and cost-effective converter systems are necessary to maintain and improve our nation's electrical grid. Facilitating this necessity are power electronic converters in applications such as smart grids, renewable energy integration, and electric vehicles. Guided by the demand for improved converter topologies and conversion efficiency, much research has been conducted on varying designs, development, and control implementations. One such topology gaining significant research attention is the triple active bridge (TAB) converter. The TAB is a three-port power converter enabling both bidirectional power flow on each port and galvanic isolation for safety and …

Bootstrapping Large N Qcd, Jan Albert Iglesias

Electronic Dissertations and Theses, 2010-current

We revisit from a modern bootstrap perspective the longstanding problem of solving Quantum Chromodynamics (QCD) in the large N limit. In particular, we set up a program to carve out the space of large N confining gauge theories using S-matrix bootstrap techniques, with the ultimate goal of cornering large N QCD. We begin by restricting to pion scattering. By simply imposing the full set of positivity constraints that follow from 2 → 2 pion scattering, we already derive universal bounds on the effective field theory (EFT) governing their low-energy interactions. We critically examine our exclusion plots, which exhibit some intriguing …

Disaggregating Longer-Term Trends From Seasonal Variations In Measured Pv System Performance, Chibuisi Chinasaokwu Okorieimoh, Brian Norton, Michael Conlon

Articles

Photovoltaic (PV) systems are widely adopted for renewable energy generation, but their performance is influenced by complex interactions between longer-term trends and seasonal variations. This study aims to remove these factors and provide valuable insights for optimising PV system operation. We employ comprehensive datasets of measured PV system performance over five years, focusing on identifying the distinct contributions of longer-term trends and seasonal effects. To achieve this, we develop a novel analytical framework that combines time series and statistical analytical techniques. By applying this framework to the extensive performance data, we successfully break down the overall PV system output into …

Qos-Aware Power-Optimized Path Selection For Data Center Networks (Q-Pops), Mohammed Nsaif, Gergely Kovásznai, Ali Malik, Ruairí De Fréin

Articles

Data centers consume significant amounts of energy, contributing indirectly to environmental pollution through greenhouse gas emissions during electricity generation. According to the Natural Resources Defense Council, information and communication technologies and networks account for roughly 10% of global energy consumption. Reducing power consumption in Data Center Networks (DCNs) is crucial, especially given that many data center components operate at full capacity even under low traffic conditions, resulting in high costs for both service providers and consumers. Current solutions often prioritize power optimization without considering Quality of Service (QoS). Services such as video streaming and Voice over IP (VoIP) are particularly …

Addressing The Complexity Of Spatial Teaching: A Narrative Review Of Barriers And Enablers, Ergi Bufasi, Ting Jun Lin, Ursa Benedicic, Marten Westerhof, Rohit Mishra, Dace Namsone, Inese Dudareva, Sheryl Sorby, Lena Gumaelius, Remke M. Klapwijk, Jeroen Spandaw, Brian Bowe, Colm O'Kane, Gavin Duffy, Marianna Pagkratidou, Jeffrey Buckley

Articles

Extensive research has established that spatial ability is a crucial factor for achieving success in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM). However, challenges that educators encounter while teaching spatial skills remain uncertain. The purpose of this study is to develop a research framework that examines the interrelationships, barriers, and enablers amongst various educational components, including schools, teachers, students, classrooms, and training programs, that are encountered when teaching for spatial ability development. A thorough examination of international research, in combination with a detailed review of the primary Science and Mathematics curricula in Ireland, Latvia, Sweden, and the Netherlands, is undertaken to …

Reducing Falls In Adults On A Neurology Unit: An Evidence Based Quality Improvement Project, Kari Congenie, Sandra Scheidenhelm, Rachel Zastrow

DNP Scholarly Projects

BACKGROUND: Falls are a common concern in hospitalized adult patients affecting quality of life, length of stay, and cost.

LOCAL PROBLEM: A quality audit at a community hospital identified increased falls/falls with injury rates on a medical-surgical unit.

METHODS: A quality improvement initiative was implemented using a fall prevention toolkit to understand its effect on total fall/fall with injury rates, nursing knowledge, and nurse perceived efficacy.

INTERVENTIONS: The Fall Tailoring Interventions for Patient Safety (TIPS), an evidence-based toolkit, was implemented over five months.

RESULTS: Knowledge quiz scores were similar pre- and post-education. Fall rates and calls to the …

The Constitutionality Of Barring Undocumented Immigrants From Second Amendment Protections, Abby Vorhees

American University Law Review

Under current federal law, undocumented immigrants remain unable to access one of the most fundamental rights contained within our Constitution: the Second Amendment right to keep and bear arms. Several undocumented immigrants have challenged the constitutionality of the federal prohibition (18 U.S.C. § 922(g)(5)(A)), resulting in a three-way circuit split on whether undocumented immigrants are protected by the Second Amendment. The Supreme Court, however, has remained silent on the issue, leaving undocumented immigrants unprotected.

The Supreme Court’s 2022 Second Amendment decision, N.Y. State Pistol & Rifle Ass’n v. Bruen, upended the traditional method of constitutional review, means-end scrutiny, in favor …

Today And Yesterday, Vol. 48, 2024, Illinois State University, Department Of History

Today and Yesterday

Newsletter of the Illinois State University Department of History

Responsible Governance And Tribal Customary Rights, Kekek Jason Stark

Faculty Law Review Articles

This article explores the question of how tribal constitutional law is interpreted and controlled by traditional tribal law principles in the context of tribal customary rights. Specifically, this article addresses the notion of whether an action, by the tribal government or a citizen, can infringe on the fundamental rights of citizens or whether the infringing action is limited by the customary obligation of responsible governance. This article addresses these competing views and argues that tribal courts can restore harmony—the goal of tribal law—by ensuring responsible governance through the appropriate balancing of tribal customary rights with the need for tribal government …

Pacing Beside The Pool: Coaching Champion Writers To A Strong Finish In Clinic (Without Jumping In And Finishing For Them), Hillary A. Wandler

Faculty Law Review Articles

No abstract provided.

Wcbu Annual Report, 2024, Wcbu, Bradley University

WCBU Annual Report

Annual report for WCBU, an NPR Network radio station licensed to Bradley University and operated by Illinois State University via WGLT

Going Federal, Staying Stateside: Felons, Firearms, And The "Federalization" Of Crime, Jonathan Abel

American University Law Review

Scholars have long debated the federalization of crime. Proponents assert that federal prosecutions are more likely than state prosecutions to result in convictions and severe punishments, and thus more likely to deter crime. Opponents argue that federalization leads to the arbitrary, and even racist, punishment of a few unlucky defendants plucked from a sea of similarly situated peers. Everyone seems to agree about one thing, though: the federal system outstrips the state system in effectiveness and severity. Yet, no one has obtained the state-court data needed to substantiate these comparisons. This Article fills that gap with an examination of the …

Searching For Truth That Speaks To Power: Free Speech And Equality On Campus, Stephen M. Feldman

American University Law Review

University campuses are being rent apart in disputes pitting free expression against equality [read: diversity, equity, and inclusion]. Yet scholarly discussions and university declarations widely agree: While universities should encourage an inclusive educational environment, free-speech principles prohibit universities from restricting or punishing hate speech, group libel, and other forms of offensive expression. This Article argues that this prioritizing of free speech over equality on campus is mistaken. Equality should often be favored over free expression in campus settings. Although Supreme Court precedents are ambiguous, one can reasonably argue that the doctrine allows universities to restrict and punish offensive expression, including …

From Rancid To Reasonable: Unfair Methods Of Competition Under State Little Ftc Acts, Samuel Evan Milner

American University Law Review

When Congress gave the Federal Trade Commission the power to identify and enjoin unfair methods of competition, it did not create a parallel private right of action as it had for other antitrust laws. Yet approximately two dozen states have since enacted their own “Little FTC Acts,” under which private plaintiffs may sue for damages and other remedies. These poorly understood state laws are actively shaping American competition policy on a national scale. The Ninth Circuit recently affirmed the nationwide injunction that Epic Games obtained against Apple under California’s law despite concluding that Apple violated no federal or state antitrust …

Review Of Veterans Law Decisions Of The Federal Circuit 2022-2023 Edition, Yelena Duterte, Hugh Mcclean, Stacey-Rae Simcox

American University Law Review

In 2022 to 2023, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit (“Federal Circuit”) continued its conversation with the Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims (“Veterans Court”), Department of Veterans Affairs (“VA”), and veterans to help sculpt the jurisprudence coming from the youngest of the federal courts, the Veterans Court. The Federal Circuit’s jurisprudence addressed ten main legal issues: class actions, petitions for writ of mandamus under the All Writs Act, defining standards of proof with the term “results from,” the benefit of the doubt doctrine post-Lynch, education benefits, less than honorable discharges, the rating schedule, implicit denials, equitable …

A Year In Review: The Federal Circuit's 2023 Government Contract Law Decisions, Sophie Marsh, Taylor Mcdaniels, Allison Moors

American University Law Review

This Article continues previous in-depth reviews of government contract law cases decided by the Federal Circuit and published by the American University Law Review. In 2023, the Federal Circuit clarified the appropriate standard of review, emphasizing that, more likely than not, the Boards of Contract Appeals should apply a de novo standard of review. Additionally, the court set significant judicial precedent by holding that the issues of party standing, timely raising a solicitation defect, and asserting a sum certain are nonjurisdictional. Finally, the court also issued decisions concerning implied-in-fact contracts, excusable delays, and the importance of reporting unallowable costs.

The Efficacy Of Mandatory Mediation In Courts Of Limited Jurisdiction: A Case Study From The Missoula Justice Court, Paul F. Kirgis, Brock L. Flynn

Faculty Law Review Articles

Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR), particularly mediation, has become an integral component of the judicial system, promising efficiency, cost savings, and enhanced litigant satisfaction. Courts of limited jurisdiction, which handle high volumes of landlord-tenant disputes, debt collection cases, and small claims, have increasingly adopted mandatory mediation programs to alleviate docket congestion and promote settlement. This article contributes to the growing body of research on mediation in courts of limited jurisdiction by analyzing case outcomes in the Justice Court for Missoula County, Montana. Through a review of public court records from 2019-2023, we examine settlement rates, compliance with mediated agreements, and the …

Healthcare Utilization And Clinical Characteristics Of Genetic Epilepsy In Electronic Health Records, Christian M Boßelmann, Alina Ivaniuk, Mark St John, Sara C Taylor, Gokul Krishnaswamy, Alex Milinovich, Costin Leu, Ajay Gupta, Elia M Pestana-Knight, Imad Najm, Dennis Lal

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Understanding the clinical characteristics and medical treatment of individuals affected by genetic epilepsies is instrumental in guiding selection for genetic testing, defining the phenotype range of these rare disorders, optimizing patient care pathways and pinpointing unaddressed medical need by quantifying healthcare resource utilization. To date, a matched longitudinal cohort study encompassing the entire spectrum of clinical characteristics and medical treatment from childhood through adolescence has not been performed. We identified individuals with genetic and non-genetic epilepsies and onset at ages 0–5 years by linkage across the Cleveland Clinic Health System. We used natural language processing to extract medical terms and …

Anesthetized Animal Experiments For Neuroscience Research, Shin Nagayama, Sanae Hasegawa-Ishii, Shu Kikuta

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Brain research has progressed with anesthetized animal experiments for a long time. Recent progress in research techniques allows us to measure neuronal activity in awake animals combined with behavioral tasks. The trends became more prominent in the last decade. This new research style triggers the paradigm shift in the research of brain science, and new insights into brain function have been revealed. It is reasonable to consider that awake animal experiments are more ideal for understanding naturalistic brain function than anesthetized ones. However, the anesthetized animal experiment still has advantages in some experiments. To take advantage of the anesthetized animal …

Rectifying Harm Through Care-Based Practices: How Journalists Might Tend To Disengaged Communities, Sue Robinson, Patrick R. Johnson

College of Communication Faculty Research and Publications

Journalists struggle to engage with disengaged communities, especially conservative and BIPOC groups. In this research, we suggest that an ethic of care, born from developmental psychology, can be a strategy for trust building. Using a multi-phased, multi-method approach through interviews, surveys, and a focus group, we found that community members believe journalists must be more careful and intentional with cultural and political language relating to ideology, racial identity, and sexual orientation. This study shows that journalists must address harm by contending with negative news experiences, nuancing labels and language associated with their communities, and adopting a combination of five care-based …

Extending Athlete Reputational Crises: Theorizing Underperformance Crises And The Flip Appeal, Lillian B. Feder, Diana Zulli

College of Communication Faculty Research and Publications

Crisis management scholarship recommends matching crisis response with crisis type to repair reputational damage. However, focusing on the corporate context has limited our understanding of crisis types and available responses. One crisis context yet to be extensively explored is sport/fan interactions online, an increasing site for athlete crises. This article addresses this gap, developing a theoretical framework for underperformance crises, where online publics perceive athletic underperformance as a norm violation that merits excessive hate toward athletes. Using the crisis case of basketball player E. J. Liddell, whose underperformance during a 2021 March Madness game resulted in widespread online harassment, we …