Digital Commons Network^™

A Waste-To-Fuel Approach: Utilizing Parkia Speciosa Peel Extract For Green Synthesis Of Zno Nanocatalyst, Nurul Zannah Siregar, Vivi Sisca, Isalmi Aziz, Wulandari Wulandari, Dicky Annas

Baghdad Science Journal

Biodiesel can be made by a transesterification reaction using a ZnO catalyst. This research aims to synthesize and characterize the ZnO catalyst and test its activity in producing biodiesel from waste cooking oil. ZnO was synthesized by the one-pot phytosynthesis method by adding petai peel (Parkia speciosa Hassk). ZnO catalyst size 42.9 nm. The resulting surface area and pore size are 7.629 m²/g and 1.693 nm, respectively. The particle size and constituent components of the ZnO catalyst are 93.21 nm with 82.3% (Zn) and 17.7% (O). FTIR spectra confirmed the formation of metal-oxide stretching at wave number 511 …

Reducing Unreliability Of Complex Systems By Numerical Optimization: A Hybrid Approach, Fouad Hamza Abd Alsharify, Ahmed Hasan Alridha, Zahir Al-Khafaji

Baghdad Science Journal

This paper investigates the effectiveness of numerical optimization techniques in enhancing the reliability of complex systems. The main objective of the study is to reduce the unreliability of complex systems by narrowing the range of component unreliability, thereby reducing the probability of system failure and achieving stability and robustness in the reliability of complex systems. The technique for this task involves formulating the problem as a multi-objective numerical optimization problem under specified constraints using Particle Swarm Optimization and Simulated Annealing algorithms, as well as a hybrid approach combining the two algorithms. The multi-objective optimization techniques were applied to a more …

Arts & Literature: Living On The Margins, Bashir Cassimally

Genocide Studies and Prevention: An International Journal

Living on the Margins follows the parallel journey of a mountain gorilla and a Batwa youth in Rwanda against the backdrop of displacement and genocide. The story explores the marginalization of a human community and the bond between people, animals, and land.

K-12 Teachers’ Perspectives On The Adoption Of Virtual Reality And Augmented Reality Technology In Classroom Instruction, Breanna Mckenley

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The problem addressed in this basic qualitative study was that although some K–12 teachers have access to virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) technologies, these tools are not widely accepted or adopted for classroom instruction. Guided by the technology acceptance model, the purpose of the study was to explore K–12 teachers’ perspectives on their willingness to incorporate VR/AR, the perceived usefulness and ease of use of these technologies, and the challenges they encounter or anticipate during the adoption process. Semistructured interviews were conducted with 10 K-12 teachers from public, charter, and private schools in the United States who had …

Mapping And Modeling Threat-Evoked Brain States After Early Life Adversity, Taylor W. Uselman

Biomedical Sciences ETDs

Early life adversity (ELA) increases lifelong neuropsychiatric vulnerability. Yet how ELA reorganizes brain-wide activity and circuit coordination across later experience remains unclear. This dissertation tests the hypothesis that ELA alters adult brain-wide activity and responses to threat through disrupted coordination among neural systems that regulate emotional experience, including prefrontal-limbic and monoaminergic systems. Longitudinal manganese-enhanced MRI of adult mice exposed to standard or fragmented early care, combined with computational processing and statistical modeling, quantified brain states before, during, and long after innate predator threat. These studies established that acute threat evokes large-scale, distributed brain activity that evolves over time. ELA potentiates …

Prenatal Alcohol Exposure Induces Vulnerability To Mild Stress Through Heightened Limbic Glial Activation And Cytokine Release, Justine R. Zimmerly

Biomedical Sciences ETDs

Fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD) results from prenatal alcohol exposure (PAE) and is linked to development of mood disorders, which in turn are driven by dysregulation of the sympathetic nervous system, the neuroendocrine hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis, and the central nervous system (CNS) neuroimmune response to stressors. PAE alters brain glial activation and proinflammatory cytokine expression through secondary challenges such as psychological stressors. The goals of the experiments presented in this dissertation were to 1) examine peripheral glucocorticoid receptor function following mild acute stress in adult PAE offspring, 2) characterize a sensitized cytokine stress response in the hippocampus, medial prefrontal cortex, …

Myeloid Mmp14 Couples Extracellular Proteolysis To Inflammatory And Metabolic Remodeling During Obesity, Long J Shao, Fathima Elizondo, Feng Gao, Elizabeth L Lieu, Bharati Reddi, Maryam Elizondo, Iqbal Mahmud, Kristin Eckel-Mahan, Philipp E Scherer, Xin Ge, Huaizhu Wu, Sean Hartig, Kai Sun

The Brown Foundation: Institute of Molecular Medicine

Macrophages orchestrate tissue remodeling, inflammation, and metabolic dysfunction in obesity, but the role of macrophage-intrinsic extracellular proteolysis in immunometabolic regulation remains unclear. Matrix metalloproteinase-14 (MMP14), a membrane-bound protease, is strongly induced during monocyte-to-macrophage differentiation and further elevated in adipose tissue macrophages from high-fat diet (HFD)-fed mice. Pharmacological inhibition or myeloid-specific deletion of Mmp14 impaired macrophage differentiation, proliferation, migration, phagocytosis, and inflammatory activation in response to obesity-associated adipose tissue signals. Mechanistically, MMP14 promoted inflammatory programming by increasing endotrophin generation and enhancing TLR4-NFκB signaling. MMP14 also reprogrammed macrophage lipid metabolism by suppressing lipolysis and promoting lipid accumulation, altering metabolic communication with neighboring …

You Can't Teach Kids From A Book: Language, Authority And Revitalization In Jicarilla Apache Life, Mariann Skahan

Anthropology ETDs

This dissertation examines how Jicarilla Apache is learned, taught, and used across community life, with particular attention to contemporary language revitalization. Based on ethnographic research with elders, educators, language workers, families, and community institutions, it follows language practices across classrooms, culture camps, homes, ceremonial settings, and collaborative archival projects. I show that linguistic knowledge does not carry the same authority or consequences in every setting. Words may be recognized without being taken up, speakers may possess linguistic knowledge without being authorized to teach or correct, and archival texts may preserve linguistic forms without preserving the relations needed to interpret and …

Final 2022 Unreclaimed Sites Sampling: Ur-07 Site Evaluation Summary Report, Pioneer Technical Services, Inc.

Silver Bow Creek/Butte Area Superfund Site

No abstract provided.

Functionalization Of The Amine Group For Access To 4-Imidazolidinone-Sulfadiazine Hybrid Derivatives And Study Of Their Biological Activities, Sabaa A. Yousif, Rafid S. Dawood

Baghdad Science Journal

The work successfully synthesized twelve novel derivatives of 4-imidazolidinone bearing a sulfadiazine moiety using a one-pot reaction. This was done by condensation of sulfadiazine with twelve different aldehydes to afford the corresponding imines as intermediates, which were then followed by a cyclization reaction with glycine to furnish the desired products 1-12 in 56-85% yields. The structures of these products were identified by FT-IR and ¹H NMR spectroscopy. In addition, a number of the produced compounds demonstrated diverse antibacterial and antioxidant activities. In terms of the antibacterial activity, the compounds 1, 2, 3, 4, …

State Estimation In Indoor Lifi Using Markov Chains: Polar Angle Prediction And Performance Analysis, Mohanad Sarem Almothfar, Alyaa Abdulhussein Al-Joda, Hawraa H. Abbas

Baghdad Science Journal

The reliability of Light-Fidelity (LiFi)-based indoor connectivity depends directly on the device orientation and the non-isotropic nature of the optical wireless communication (OWC) channel. In an actual indoor OWC system, the link quality varies significantly with the receiving orientation of the user equipment (UE). During deep-learning-based tracking, this variability imposes considerable computational overhead on resource-constrained IoT microcontrollers when estimating the user's position and orientation. To solve this problem, we employed a discrete Markov Chain estimator to calculate transition probabilities over 3 × 3 m and 5 × 5 m grids. The simulation and experimental results show that the higher the …

Optimized Fast-Learning Network Model With Smote For University Network Intrusion Detection Systems, Robert Wamusi, Guma Ali, Taban Habibu

Baghdad Science Journal

Traditional Intrusion Detection Systems (IDSs) tend to have a high false positive detection rate, are time-consuming to train, and lack the flexibility to react quickly to changing cyber threats, such as Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attacks and phishing. Such restrictions decrease the responsiveness and reliability of the IDS services implemented in the university network, both wired and wireless, at the Uganda Christian University (UCU), where network and traffic analysis have become a necessity. This study analyzes the current threat environment of networking at UCU in terms of the type, origin, and target of various attacks to identify gaps in …

A New Numerical Approach For Solving Caputo-Fabrizio Fractional Differential Equations, Manoj Kumar

Baghdad Science Journal

In this paper, we present a novel numerical scheme for solving fractional-order differential equations of the form ^CFD_t^η ψ ( t ) = f( t,ψ ( t ) ),ψ ( 0 ) = ψ ₀,0 < η < 1,t∈[ 0,T ], where ^CFD_t^η denotes the Caputo-Fabrizio derivative operator. Further, we establish the stability and error analysis of the proposed scheme. We also extend this scheme for solving systems of fractional differential equations. Furthermore, we perform the several numerical simulations and present the results graphically. The obtained solutions are compared with those achieved through the well-known methods such as fractional Adams-Bashforth method and a new predictor-corrector method. It has been observed that the proposed method offers greater accuracy than these established methods. Hence, the proposed scheme can be utilized for the simulations of various fractional order differential equations, when the derivatives are considered in the Caputo-Fabrizio sense.

Detecting Http Flood Attacks Using 2d Array Summation, Kamal Alieyan, Belal Sudqi Khater, Ayman Ghaben, Mamoun Abu Helou, Waheeb Abu-Ulbeh, Hani Iwidat

Baghdad Science Journal

One of the popular ways of attaching networks and servers is by adopting DDoS (Distributed denial of service). The preferred sector of hacking targeted are online services and networked area with high traffic. Although innovative and modern methods have been developed to mitigate these threats, there is still a need for more effective techniques to detect DDoS HTTP flooding attacks. This paper aims to address this gap by proposing an advanced mathematical approach capable of efficiently handling, processing, and detecting DDoS HTTP flooding attacks. The paper introduces a unique method based on the summation of rows and columns in a …

Methylene Blue Dye Removal In Aqueous Solution Using Synthesized Mncuo2 Nanocomposite: Thermodynamic And Kinetic Studies, Sara Mohammed Hassan, Ahlam M. Farhan

Baghdad Science Journal

This work reports the preparation of manganese and cupper Hybrid Oxide nanocomposites by a green synthesis method. The material was characterized by X-ray Diffraction (XRD), Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscopy (FESEM), and Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM). Brunauer–Emmett–Teller (BET) surface area measurements The synthesized materials were examined for their dye adsorption performance through the removal of basic methylene blue (MB) as a model compound from water. Various adsorption parameters were investigated, such as adsorbent dosage, contact time, solution pH, and temperature. Mesoporous MnCuO₂ nanocomposites displayed satisfactory results, with rapid adsorption occurring and the use of low-concentration sorbents and contact times …

Synthesis, Spectroscopic Characterization, Biological And Computational Study For Some Metal Ions Complexes With Schiff - Mannich Base Ligand Derived From 1,3,4-Thiadiazole, Israa Rasheed Ghadhban, Shaymaa R. Baqer

Baghdad Science Journal

A new Schiff–Mannich base ligand derived from 1,3,4-thiadiazole was synthesized via the reaction of 2-amino-5-mercapto-1,3,4-thiadiazole with sulfabenzamide and indoline in the presence of formaldehyde, yielding N–(4-((5-(2-oxoindolin-3-ylideneamino)-1,3,4-thiadiazol-2-ylthio)methylamino) phenyl thiolperoxy) benzamide (L). Six multivalent metal complexes were subsequently prepared with Co(II), Ni(II), Cu(II), Pd(II), Pt(IV), and Au(III) ions. The ligand and its complexes were characterized using various spectroscopic techniques, including FT-IR, UV-Vis, ¹H NMR, and ¹³C NMR, while magnetic susceptibility and conductivity measurements were performed for the complexes. Infrared analysis revealed tetradentate coordination of the ligand to all metals, with octahedral geometries for most complexes and square planar geometries for …

Study The Density Dependence Of Nuclear Matter Properties In Some Magnesium Isotopes, Huda Abdul Jabbar Hussein, Wasan Z. Majeed

Baghdad Science Journal

In this study, the symmetry energy, neutron pressure, and incompressibility modulus for the magnesium isotope ^20–35Mg are investigated using the Coherent Density Fluctuation Model (CDFM). In order to make the transition from infinite nuclear matter properties to finite nuclei, the weight functions |f(x)|² are calculated. The results showed a nonlinear relationship between the symmetry energy and the thickness of the neutron skin (ΔR_n), where ΔR_n initially increases as the symmetry energy rises, reaching a maximum, and then gradually drops with further increases in symmetry energy. Furthermore, the incompressibility coefficient and neutron pressure demonstrated irregular trends, …

Synthesis, Characterization, Molecular Docking, And Anticancer Activity Of Triazole-Derived Trinuclear Metal Complexes (Tat3), Eman M. Ramadthan, Khansaa Shakir Al-Nama, Ammar H. Al-Sabawi

Baghdad Science Journal

A novel series of trinuclear coordination complexes of Co(II), Ni(II), Cu(II), Zn(II), and Cd(II) was synthesized using a triazole-based ligand, namely 4-amino-5-((bis((4-amino-5-thioxo-4,5-dihydro-1H-1,2,4-triazol-3-yl)methyl)amino)methyl)-2H-1,2,4-triazole-3(4H)-thione, (TAT3) in an alcoholic medium. The obtained complexes were investigated using a comprehensive set of physicochemical and spectroscopic techniques, including CHNS elemental analysis, Fourier-transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy, UV–visible spectroscopy, proton and carbon-13 nuclear magnetic resonance (¹H and ¹³C-NMR), mass spectrometry, magnetic susceptibility measurements, and molar conductivity. Structural and surface morphology assessments were further carried out using X-ray diffraction (XRD) and field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM). The spectroscopic and analytical data confirmed that …

Synthesis, Characterization, And Biological Evaluation Of A New Azo Dye Ligand 1-[2,4,6-Trihydroxy-3-(2-Hydroxy-Phenylazo)-Phenyl-Ethanone] And Its Complexes With Co(Ii), Ni(Ii), Cu(Ii), Zn(Ii), And Cd(Ii), Ban Hasan Al-Agele, Areej Kamal Assim Aldabbagh

Baghdad Science Journal

1-[2,4,6-trihydroxy-3-(2-hydroxy-phenylazo)-phenyl-ethanone] is a new azo dye ligand (H₂L), which was used to form a number of new azo dye-metal complexes by reaction with salt chlorides of Co, Ni, Cu, Zn and Cd(II). The complexes were characterized using mass spectroscopy, infrared analysis, ultraviolet-visible spectrophotometry, ¹H-, ¹³C-NMR spectroscopy, conductivity, magnetic susceptibility, DSC, TGA, C.H.N., metal content, and melting point. The results highlighted the ligand's trigonal behavior and that all the complexes yielded tetrahedral geometry, with the exception of Co and Ni, which produced octahedral geometry. They are all non-electrolytic. The compounds' capacity to function as antioxidants was used …

Use Of Single Particle Level From Experimental Data To Find Level Density Pre-Equilibrium Region Of Nuclear Reactions Reaction, Tibba Hassan Madhi, Ali Dawoud Salloum

Baghdad Science Journal

In this study the new formula of the single particle levels was obtained using the experimental data of the level density parameter and this new formula was substituted into the four formulae of partial level density corrected for pairing these formulae are the first method, the second method (improved pairing), the third method (exact Pauli correction) and finally the fourth method or back shift energy, where the study was conducted for ⁵⁶Fe isotope. The results of each formula were compared with the results of the same formula when the single-particle levels were used from the equidistant spacing model where …

Investigation Of Radiation And Heavy Metal Hazards In Nutritional Supplements For Athletes, Sarah Amir Abdalabass, Ahmed Fadhil Mkhaiber

Baghdad Science Journal

Nutritional supplements are widely consumed worldwide. This study assesses uranium isotopes and radon concentrations in nutritional supplements using CR-39 detectors to evaluate potential radiological health risks. In addition, the concentrations of selected heavy metals were quantified using atomic absorption spectroscopy (AAS), The results indicated that the activity concentrations of uranium isotopes (U²³⁸, U²³⁵, and U²³⁴) were (6.07 ± 0.5 Bq/kg), (0.2 ± 0.02 Bq/kg), and (6.2 Bq/kg), respectively. The average total annual effective dose (AED) and the risk of excess fatal cancer per million population (RECFPMP) were (0.0006 ± 0.00005 mSv/y) and (2.2 ± …

A Spectral Approach To Join Based Operations On Graphs, S. Sripriya, A. Anuradha

Baghdad Science Journal

The success of Spectral Graph Theory is due to its immense applications in several fields of science and technology. The parameter `graph energy' plays a significant role in the Hückel Molecular Orbital Theory, where it is used to approximate the total π -electron energy of conjugated hydrocarbons. Several modified versions of the energy parameter have been defined by many researchers depending on the context. This study explores the spectral characteristics and energy distributions associated with selected graph operations derived from the first Zagreb, second Zagreb, and sum-connectivity matrices. When the adjacency matrix provides information only on the existence of a …

Urban Climatic And Health Impacts Of Aerosols, Yuezhi Li

McKelvey School of Engineering Graduate Student Theses & Dissertations

Aerosols, also known as particulate matter (PM), strongly influence the climate and pose considerable risks to human health. As short-lived climate forcers, aerosols alter the Earth’s radiative budget by absorbing and scattering incident solar radiation, thereby affecting global and regional temperatures, atmospheric circulation, cloud formation, and precipitation patterns. From a public health perspective, exposure to particulate matter, particularly fine and ultrafine particles, has been associated with a wide range of adverse outcomes, including respiratory diseases, neurodegenerative disorders, and premature mortality. In addition, aerosols can transport pathogens and represent a critical pathway for the transmission of airborne infectious diseases. Despite contributing …

Thermal Sensitivity Of Native And Introduced Crabs: Implications For Reproductive Success, Keria Moritsugu-Vandehey

Dissertations and Theses

Temperature is a major driver of physiological and developmental processes in marine organisms, and continued climate warming is expected to affect reproduction and recruitment in estuarine species. Early life stages are often particularly sensitive to environmental stress, yet relatively little is known about how warming influences embryonic development, hatching success, and larval survival across co-occurring native and introduced crab species.

This study examined the effects of temperature on embryonic development, hatching success, and early larval survival in four estuarine crab species from the Pacific Northwest: the introduced European green crab, Carcinus maenas, and the native shore crabs Hemigrapsus nudus …

Neural And Computational Mechanisms Of Effort Under The Pressure Of A Deadline, M. Andrea Pisauro, Daniele Pollicino, Lucy Fisher, Matthew A. J. Apps

School of Psychology

Deadlines fundamentally shape motivation. Research examining effort-based choices finds effort is an avoided cost. However, this overlooks how making progress on longer-term goals to be reached before deadlines motivate people to exert high effort for little immediate reward. Here, we test a framework where motivation depends on deadline pressure (work remaining / time remaining). Across four studies we use computational modelling examining decisions when physical effort makes progress on goals with deadlines. In support of the hypotheses, deadline pressure significantly impacts decision-making, shifting people from avoiding effort, to seeking the progress it makes. Using ultra-high-field fMRI, we show that functionally …

Consumer Prioritization Of Revenue Generation Strategies In College Football Programs, Nels Popp, Chris Greenwell

Journal of Issues in Intercollegiate Athletics

Collegiate athletic departments face increasing financial pressures, making it vital to identify revenue generation strategies that align with fan preferences for sustainable growth. This study explores how various methods, including corporate logos on uniforms, increasing game-day costs, and accepting loans from private investors, are ranked by consumers in terms of their acceptability and potential impact on fan experience. Guided by prospect theory, we hypothesize fans prefer strategies seen as gains rather than losses and fan identification influences these preferences. Results from rank-ordered surveys of 7,110 respondents reveal that strategies enhancing program visibility without direct financial impact, such as corporate logos, …

Behavioral Analysis Of Cryptoprocta Ferox At The Central Florida Zoo And Botanical Gardens, Rita R. Albert

The Pegasus Review: UCF Undergraduate Research Journal

The fossa, Cryptoprocta ferox, is the largest carnivorous mammal endemic to the island of Madagascar. C. ferox is currently listed as a vulnerable species by the IUCN Red List (2015) due to deforestation. Most fossas are now located in zoos for breeding and repopulation purposes, but research on captive mating has been limited due to the low numbers of successful breeding attempts in captivity. The Central Florida Zoo and Botanical Gardens is home to two fossas, one male and one newly introduced female. This study notes behavioral changes in captive mating fossas, with a focus on the male fossa …

A Multidimensional Conceptual Framework For Supportive Outdoor Environments In Healthcare Settings, Mona Ali, Dalia A. Beheiry, Rowaida Kamel, Hammam Serageldin

HBRC Journal

The integration of supportive outdoor environments (SOEs) in healthcare settings has gained increasing attention for their potential to enhance patient recovery, support staff well-being, and contribute to holistic therapeutic outcomes. This scoping review examines design recommendations for inclusive outdoor environments in healthcare settings that impact user health and experience. Guided by the Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) framework for scoping reviews, a comprehensive search was conducted across five databases (Google Scholar, PubMed, ScienceDirect, JSTOR, Sage), yielding 697 records. Following screening and applying the inclusion and exclusion criteria, 18 articles were selected for analysis. This scoping review identified consistent evidence linking outdoor …

Physiological Impacts Of Plastic Ingestion On Sea Turtles, Heather Seaman

Electronic Theses and Dissertations 2020 - Present

Over the years, plastic production has increased to astonishing numbers and is predicted to continue. Over time, environmental plastic will degrade into smaller pieces, which sea turtles can mistake for prey. Chemicals associated with plastics have been identified in tissues of sea turtles, and some are suspected to be endocrine disruptors. Sea turtles are known to ingest plastics, but more information is needed to illuminate the potential physiological impacts plastic chemicals may have on sea turtles. This study compared plastic ingestion and toxicant levels across species and ontogenically, as different species and life stages inhabit different areas which will influence …

Micro-Computed Tomography Analysis Of Fibroblast Growth Factor-2 Activity-Induced Healing Of Dentocraniofacial Bones In Rodent Models: A Systematic Review, Fadhlil Ua. Rahman, Azhari Azhari, Lusi Epsilawati, Ria N. Firman, Barunawaty Yunus, Irfan Sugianto, Muliaty Yunus

Journal of Dentomaxillofacial Science

Objective: This study aimed to assess the impact of fibroblast growth factor-2 (FGF-2) on dentocraniofacial bone healing in rodent models using micro-computed tomography (micro-CT).

Materials and Methods: A systematic review was conducted following PRISMA 2020 guidelines. A literature search was conducted using the PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, ScienceDirect, and Wiley Online Library databases. This review included in vivo rodent studies that examined increased FGF-2 activity in craniofacial bones using micro-CT. Methodological quality and risk of bias were assessed using the ARRIVE 2.0 guidelines and the Systematic Review Center for Laboratory Animal Experimentation tool.

Results: A total of 5 studies …