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Prevalence Of Premenstrual Syndrome And Its Associations With Dietary And Other Lifestyle Factors Among University Female Students In Dubai: A Cross-Sectional Study, Haleama Al Sabbah, Noof Al Mutawa, Enas A. Assaf

All Works

Background: Premenstrual syndrome is a relatively prevalent condition that affects a significant number of menstruating women worldwide. It can range from mild to severe and may interfere with daily activities. Objective: This study aims to investigate the prevalence of premenstrual syndrome and its associated factors among female university students in Dubai. Design: This study was designed as a cross-sectional study. Methods: The analysis for this study involved 217 female university students (aged ⩾18 years old) who completed a self-reported online questionnaire. Participants were recruited through simple random sampling, and the study received ethical approval from the Zayed University Ethical Committee. …

Follow-Up Biomonitoring Study Of Metal Exposure In Apprentice Welders In Montreal, Quebec, During Gas Metal Arc Welding (Gmaw), Jairo Buitrago-Cortes, Philippe Sarazin, Denis Dieme, Jonathan Côté, Capucine Ouellet, Naïma El Majidi, Michèle Bouchard

Études primaires

Welding activities are known to expose workers to metal fumes, but few studies have focused on assessing the internal exposure of apprentices in learning environments. This study aimed at determining internal doses of metals in apprentices performing gas metal arc welding (GMAW) during their training course. A total of 85 apprentice welders were assessed, and multi-elements were measured in urine, hair, fingernail, and toenail samples collected at the beginning of the program, and at the beginning and end of GMAW practical training. Concentrations of welding fumes and metals were also determined in personal respirable air samples. Serial measurements of metal …

Black And African American Young Adult Male Experiences: Implications For Building Resilience And Survival Skills Within Educational Settings And Public Spaces, Akimma Wright-D'Abreau

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

The aim of this study is to better understand, from the perspective of Critical Race Theory, the experiences of adolescent males who are Black and living in the United States and to examine how they build resilience and survival skills. Participants were between the ages of 18 and 26 and asked to recall adolescent experiences as part of a semi-structured interview with a Black Storytelling approach. There were six participants and data were analyzed using thematic analysis. According to the results, there were seven themes: (1) Policing In the United States of America Comes in Many Forms, (2) Recognizing Racism …

Deep Learning Techniques For Image Segmentation In Dermoscopic Skin Cancer Images, Norsang Lama

Doctoral Dissertations

"Melanoma is recognized as the most lethal type of skin cancer, responsible for a significant proportion of skin cancer-related deaths. However, early detection of melanoma is essential for successful treatment outcomes. Computer-aided skin cancer diagnosis tools can save lives by enabling earlier detection of skin cancer. Image segmentation is a crucial step in computer-aided diagnosis as it allows the detection of critical features or regions in an image. Thus, an accurate image segmentation method is necessary to create a more precise computer-aided diagnostic tool for skin cancer diagnosis. This dissertation includes investigating and developing deep learning techniques to improve image …

Development Of Uas And Geophysical Techniques For Agriculture And Environmental Site Characterization, Yunyi Guan

Doctoral Dissertations

"Soil properties are critical for agricultural management. Geophysical techniques such as ground penetrating radar (GPR) and electromagnetic induction have been used to measure soil properties for agricultural applications. However, their measurements are only acquired along select traverses within a field, and the data processing can be time-consuming, the instruments can also be expensive. Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) are a recent advancement used for precision agriculture. Compared with geophysical data, UAVs have higher resolution and wider coverage and can quickly collect data across the whole field. The operation is also relatively simpler with a more economical acquisition cost. This research investigates …

A Lightweight Machine-Learning Framework For Enhancing Security In Iot Blockchain Networks, Charles Connor Rawlins

Doctoral Dissertations

"Blockchain is one of the fastest technologies that rivals the Internet in terms of adoption speed. This security method is applicable to data-centric environments for validating data in the presence of faults. However, traditional blockchain implementation introduces bottlenecks with computationally intense security measures to prevent malicious spam and resolve conflicts. This dissertation explores a new direction for blockchain technology that allows limited nodes, like IoT devices, to make independent decisions with compressed knowledge of past blockchain history through the use of machine-learning for active decisions (or the first machine-intelligent blockchain protocol). Proposing to introduce machine-intelligence into the rapidly evolving paradigm …

Modeling And Control For Precision Robotic Machining, Patrick Bazzoli

Doctoral Dissertations

"Robots are used in a wide variety of manufacturing applications, but machining applications in which robots can excel are limited by their lower accuracy and stiffness relative to traditional CNC machines. This work is composed of two parts: one to evaluate a robot’s accuracy and one to compensate for the vibrations of the robot due to its lower stiffness.

In order to evaluate whether a robot has the necessary accuracy to perform a given machining task, Paper 1 discusses a novel Model Invalidation method. This methodology provides a statistical framework as well as a measurement strategy for determining if a …

Kinetic Modeling And Simulations Of Plasma-Surface-Dust Interactions For Lunar Exploration, David Clifford Lund

Doctoral Dissertations

"Due to the recent relevance of NASA’s focus on lunar missions, a better understanding of the lunar plasma-surface-dust environment is vital for their success. The lunar surface, devoid of an atmosphere and a global magnetic field, is directly exposed to solar radiation and solar wind plasma. This exposure leads to the electrical charging of the lunar surface due to the bombardment of solar wind plasma and the emission/collection of photoelectrons. Therefore, this research developed accurate and efficient computational models of plasma-surface-dust interactions and extend a legacy simulation code, namely the Immersed-Finite-Element Particle-in-Cell (IFE-PIC), to a parallel version: Parallel Immersed-Finite-Element Particle-in-Cell …

Analytical Methods For Monitoring Traumatic Brain Injury Biomarkers/Treatment And Pharmaceutical Residual Solvents, Olajide Philip Adetunji

Doctoral Dissertations

"The development of highly sensitive and efficient analytical methods utilizing advanced instrumentation is necessary to help improve disease diagnosis and therapeutics. A major neuro-consequence of traumatic brain injury (TBI) is oxidative stress from the generation of reactive oxygen species and the depletion of antioxidant defenses. Alteration in concentrations of certain small molecules also occurs with the disease progression and can help understand TBI pathophysiology. Two analytical methods employing liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) were developed and validated to monitor the potential small-molecule TBI biomarkers at sub-ppb levels. Subsequently, the neuroprotective effect of an antioxidant prodrug, N-acetylcysteine amide (NACA), …

Current Education Offerings On Occupational Therapy: Addressing Feeding, Eating, And Swallowing Across The Lifespan, Thilini Abeywickrema, Kate G. Barlow, Janelle Hatlevig, Cuyler Romeo, Tatiana Barcelos Pontes

Journal of Occupational Therapy Education

Occupational therapists play a vital role in the care of individuals with feeding, eating, and swallowing (FES) disorders across the lifespan. Although there are certain standards created by the Accreditation Council of Occupational Therapy (ACOTE) for understanding of assessment and management practices specific to FES, there are inconsistencies in how occupational therapy programs in the United States address FES disorders within their curriculum. This cross-sectional exploratory survey study received responses from 54 Master of Occupational Therapy (MSOT) programs and 63 entry-level Occupational Therapy Doctoral (OTD) programs. Survey questions included quantitative and qualitative information on general information regarding FES content taught …

Effective Communication With People With Dementia: An Exploratory Study Of Pre-Registration Occupational Therapy Students, Samita Kirve, Lucy Perkins

Journal of Occupational Therapy Education

Dementia is a major global concern, with 50 million people already affected worldwide in 2018, and this number is expected to triple by 2050. Healthcare practitioners, specifically occupational therapists, are responsible for providing care and ensuring the well-being of people with dementia. However, occupational therapy students may not always have the necessary knowledge and skills to effectively communicate and support dementia patients, which could negatively impact the quality of care they provide. To explore this issue, a study was conducted with final-year pre-registration occupational therapy students at a public university in England. The study used a qualitative methodology, with semi-structured …

The Development Of An Automated Microscope Image Tracking And Analysis System, J. Walker Orr, Lillian Mcafee, Zach Heath, Marvin Hozi, Young Bok Abraham Kang

Faculty Publications - Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science

Microscopy image analysis plays a crucial role in understanding cellular behavior anduncovering important insights in various biological and medical research domains.Tracking cells within the time-lapse microscopy images is a fundamental techniquethat enables the study of cell dynamics, interactions, and migration. While manual celltracking is possible, it is time-consuming and prone to subjective biases that impactresults. In order to solve this issue, we sought to create an automated software solu-tion, named cell analyzer, which is able to track cells within microscopy images withminimal input required from the user. The program of cell analyzer was written inPython utilizing the open source computer …

Fostering Entry Level Practitioner Knowledge, Confidence, And Competence In Trauma-Informed Care Application, Mollie Keyser, Mary A. Barnes

Journal of Occupational Therapy Education

Trauma is pervasive worldwide and is associated with poor health outcomes if left unaddressed, however, a gap in practice continues to exist in the implementation of trauma-informed care (TIC). Occupational therapy practitioners will encounter individuals, communities, and populations influenced by trauma, which warrants the need for TIC to improve overall service delivery across the lifespan. However, TIC is currently not systematically integrated into any Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education (ACOTE) occupational therapy educational standards. The purpose of this study was to design, implement, and evaluate a TIC application-based workshop for a sample of entry-level occupational therapy doctorate (OTD) students. …

Addressing Sexuality In Occupational Therapy Practice: A Qualitative Exploration Of Students’ Needs, Barriers, And Facilitators, Keren Shavit-Buckley, Amy J. Nwora, Renee Cadzow, Bryan M. Gee

Journal of Occupational Therapy Education

Disability and chronic disease can have a profound effect on individuals’ sexuality and sexual health, resulting in decreased quality of life for many. While sexuality and sexual health are identified within the domain of occupational therapy (OT), this topic is not routinely addressed in clinical practice. This qualitative phenomenological study explored the perceived needs, facilitators, and barriers to addressing sexuality in clinical practice by 10 graduate OT students recruited from one Western New York (WNY) university. Semi-structured virtual interviews were conducted utilizing a researcher developed interview guide. The Theoretical Domains Framework (TDF) was used as the conceptual framework for the …

Gender Differences In Preschool Conduct Disorder Symptoms Across One-Year, Madeline K. Petersen

Theses and Dissertations--Psychology

Conduct disorder is a childhood disruptive behavior disorder that exhibits striking gender differences in prevalence, comorbidities, and associated outcomes. These gender differences, particularly symptomology, remain understudied in conduct disorder despite the growing prevalence in females. This paper seeks to examine gender differences in parent rated conduct disorder symptoms in preschoolers overrecruited for disruptive behavior problems at three different timepoints across one-year. It is hypothesized that males will exhibit higher levels of physical aggression symptoms at the initial timepoint with declining rates across a one-year period compared to females, while females will exhibit lower levels of conduct problems at the first …

Mud Acoustics, Charles W. Holland, Stan E. Dosso, Jason D. Chaytor

Electrical and Computer Engineering Faculty Publications and Presentations

Imaging the ocean requires an understanding of how different seafloor sediments interact with sound waves.

Advancing The Understanding Of Clinical Sepsis Using Gene Expression–Driven Machine Learning To Improve Patient Outcomes, Asrar Rashid, Feras Al-Obeidat, Wael Hafez, Govind Benakatti, Rayaz A. Malik, Christos Koutentis, Javed Sharief, Joe Brierley, Nasir Quraishi, Zainab A. Malik, Arif Anwary, Hoda Alkhzaimi, Syed Ahmed Zaki, Praveen Khilnani, Raziya Kadwa, Rajesh Phatak, Maike Schumacher, M. Guftar Shaikh, Ahmed Al-Dubai, Amir Hussain

All Works

Sepsis remains a major challenge that necessitates improved approaches to enhance patient outcomes. This study explored the potential of machine learning (ML) techniques to bridge the gap between clinical data and gene expression information to better predict and understand sepsis. We discuss the application of ML algorithms, including neural networks, deep learning, and ensemble methods, to address key evidence gaps and overcome the challenges in sepsis research. The lack of a clear definition of sepsis is highlighted as a major hurdle, but ML models offer a workaround by focusing on endpoint prediction. We emphasize the significance of gene transcript information …

World Spirit And The Apotheosis Of Artificial Superintelligence: A Speculative Design Proposal, Ian Gonsher

Scholarly Research

This essay puts forth a speculative design proposal for a device with affordances for talking to, and receiving responses from, God. We begin with an analysis and critique of the concept of God, framing this concept within an understanding of Hegelian Spirit (Geist) and technological evolution. In this context, Spirit, or World Spirit (Weltgeist), can be characterized as the aggregate consciousness of all people - as human consciousness itself: In the simplest terms, this immanent framing of the “mind of God” is culturally and socially constituted as the communication that people engage in with each other, in all the diverse …

Variables Impacting First Time Pass Rates Of Msot Students, Amy L. Brzuz, Julia M. Hawkins-Pokabla, David Prier

Journal of Occupational Therapy Education

To enter practice as an occupational therapist, one must complete an occupational therapy program at an accredited institution and then pass a national certification exam. This exam is called the National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy (NBCOT) Exam. Individuals can take the exam more than once to achieve a passing score but must pay a fee each time. Not passing the first time can lead to stress, increased costs, and delayed entrance into the profession. Thus, being a first-time passer is ideal. The purpose of this retrospective quantitative study was to identify variables impacting first time pass rates of …

Intentional Uses Of Music In Occupational Therapy Practice: The Effectiveness Of A Workshop, Anna B. Galloway, Alexandra K. Rodriguez

Journal of Occupational Therapy Education

Occupational therapy practitioners (OTPs) do not receive additional training on the physiological, emotional, mental, and physical effects of music on the body or how to improve and increase its use in occupational therapy (OT) practice. Additionally, the specific effects of the use of music within OT practice have not been fully explored. This workshop was created to develop skills related to appropriately using music as supported by the American Occupational Therapy Association’s Occupational Therapy Practice Framework-IV, and to address gaps in knowledge regarding how to use music intentionally, effectively, and safely in OT practice. This study's purpose was to evaluate …

Applying Social Bond Theory To Foster Care Instability And Justice System Contact, Therin P. Foley

Honors College Theses

While placing a child in foster care is often in an effort to protect them and their future, it does not always fully succeed. Placement in foster care has been found to be highly unstable. Additionally, it has been linked to an increase in individuals’ likelihood to engage in delinquent and criminal behavior. This thesis looks at the possibility that these two aspects may be related through Hirschi’s (1969) Social Bond theory. It examines available data from ten different states in order to explore this idea. The results of this investigation show that the instability of the foster care system …

Synthesis Of Chiral Amino Acids Via Direct Amination Of Diazo Ester With A Rhodium-Based Catalyst, Steven J. Boyles

Honors College Theses

Amino acids are critical molecules within living organisms as they are the building blocks of proteins. In organisms, proteins serve as regulators of necessary processes, structural components in tissue, hormones, and neurotransmitters. Amino acid therapy is an emerging treatment in the medical field used to treat symptoms of diseases such as Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, and multiple sclerosis. Amino acid therapies have also shown promising effects when it comes to treating mood disorders and weight management. In order to increase the number of amino acids available and increase the potential treatments for other ailments, there is a drive to increase …

The Taphonomy Of Teaching Skeletons, Emily T. Siddell

Honors College Theses

Human remains have been used in teaching contexts since the mid-1600’s and this practice still continues today. After human skeletal remains have been used in teaching contexts they are sometimes sold, repurposed, or improperly disposed of. This creates the potential for these remains to end up in forensic contexts and would need to be identified as being teaching specimens. The purpose of this research project is to understand the impacts of the methods that are used to clean and prepare skeletal teaching specimens, as well as the impacts of the subsequent use and curation of the human remains. The materials …

Enhancing Flight Delay Predictions Using Network Centrality Measures, Joseph Ajayi

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

Accurate prediction of flight delays remains a formidable challenge within the aviation industry, owing to its inherent complexity and the interconnectivity of its operations. Traditional flight prediction methods frequently utilize meteorological conditions—such as temperature, humidity, and dew point—alongside flight-specific data like departure and arrival times. However, these predictors often fall short of capturing the nuanced dynamics that lead to delays. This thesis introduces network centrality measures as novel predictors for enhancing the binary classification of flight arrival delays. Furthermore, it emphasizes the application of tree-based ensemble models, which are recognized for their superior ability to model complex relationships compared to …

Hybridization And Duplex Stability Of Peptide Nucleic Acid Containing An Azobenzene Switch, Carmen J. Velasquez

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

Light-driven molecular switches that can be turned on and off on demand have found many biological applications. For DNA, RNA, and synthetic derivatives, the switch can be used to interfere with a hybridization event with a complementary strand. To explore this potential, we have synthesized three light-sensitive PNA which have an azobenzene group (PNA-5azo5 and PNA-4azo4), and two azobenzene groups (PNA-2azo5azo2) as part of the PNA backbone. UV experiments were used to verify the conversion to the cis-isomer from the initial trans state for all of the single-stranded Azo-PNA ( PNA-5azo5, PNA-4azo4, and PNA-2azo5azo2) by irradiating at 365 nm …

The Relation Between Disordered Eating And Perceived Stress, Tori E. Byars

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

Disordered eating behavior encompasses a spectrum of maladaptive eating patterns, including emotional eating, binging, restricting, and other similar behaviors. Perceived stress is the extent that an individual perceives their demands exceed their ability to cope. Existing research has demonstrated a positive relation between high ratings of perceived stress and disordered eating behaviors (King et al., 2009; Skead et al., 2018). The current study aimed to expand this research by examining the relation between disordered eating and stress in students, workers, and those who partake in both commitments. Utilizing a single survey, participants completed assessments including the Perceived Stress Scale, the …

Exploring The Relationships Among Adhd, Generalized Anxiety Disorder, And Emotion Regulation, Anna S. Hall

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

This study investigated the relationships among Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) symptoms and common comorbid struggles for clients, including Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD) symptoms, and executive functions, especially emotion regulation. ADHD and GAD are prevalent mental health conditions, are commonly comorbid with each other, and are both correlated with relative deficits in executive functions. Executive functions comprise higher-order cognitive processes like planning, inhibition, initiation, and monitoring, as well as emotion regulation. Prior research established connections among ADHD symptoms, GAD symptoms, and emotion regulation but did not examine which specific facets of emotion regulation were most relevant. The current study aimed to …

A Novel Magnetorheological Pump Concept For Insulin Delivery, Mohammad Towhidul Islam Rimon

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

Over the past 25 years, awareness of type 1 diabetes has significantly increased, leading to a comprehensive understanding of various aspects, including its genetics, epidemiology, and disease burden. According to the Type 1 Diabetic Index, about 8.7 million people around the world live with this long-term autoimmune disease characterized by insulin deficiency and resultant hyperglycemia. However, the increased availability and utilization of artificial pancreas systems could potentially save 673,000 lives by 2040. Although, the advancement of diabetes technology offers Type 1 diabetic patients more tools to enhance glycemic management and achieve effective outcomes, many patients are still hesitant to adopt …

Variation In The Fear Response Of Atlantic Sand Fiddler Crabs (Leptuca Pugilator) To Anthropogenic Disturbance, Katrina L. Buttram

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

Leptuca pugilator is a common inhabitant of southeast Georgia salt marshes. This study examined the boldness of Leptuca pugilator across environmental conditions and human impacts. Here, boldness was defined as time taken to reemerge from a burrow after a fear stimulus. I hypothesized that crabs would vary in their boldness based on their surroundings, reproductive timing, and sex. Field and experimental trials were conducted to isolate which factors most influence boldness. Field trials were conducted at four sites varying in human influence throughout the breeding season. During each survey, vegetation height, substrate temperature, average burrow width, burrow count, and distance …

Social And Structural Determinants Of Health As Predictors Of Covid-19 Vaccine Hesitancy Among Older Adults In The United States, Kingsley Kalu

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

Background: Although vaccination is one of the greatest accomplishments in public health, some people, especially older adults, are reluctant to take vaccines. This study examined the association between the social and structural determinants of health and COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy among older adults in the United States.

Methods: Secondary data from the Health and Retirement Study (HRS) was used. The HRS participants were 65 years and older, and the sample size was 2311. Multinomial multivariable logistic regression models were conducted for this study.

Results: The study shows that social determinants of health (marital status, educational level) and structural determinants of health …