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Real-Time Non-Photorealistic Rendering Method For Black And White Comic Style In Games And Animation, Yan Hu, Lizhe Chen, Hanna Xie, Yuyao Ge, Shun Zhou, Xingquan Cai

Journal of System Simulation

Abstract: To address the issues of high resource consumption and lengthy workflow in general nonphotorealistic, this paper proposes a real-time non-photorealistic rendering method for black and white comic style in games and animation. A specialized lighting model is designed to highlight the main environmental light and the grayscale grading of diffuse reflection based on the analysis of the lighting model effect. The pre-processing of the scene is achieved by merging the various components of the lighting model. A screen space three-phase edge detection method is proposed to sequentially perform depth edge detection, normal edge detection, and color edge detection on …

Lizzie: A Work Of Historical Fiction, Sandra Rouse

Masters Theses

This thesis was completed as a part of the MFA program in Creative Writing at Liberty University. The critical paper covers the genre of historical fiction. The creative piece contains the opening chapters of Lizzie, a novel of historical fiction covering the life of Elizabeth Evelyn Wright.

Trauma, Memory, Imagination, And Survivance: Uncovering Haunting Stories Within The Southwest Borderlands, Tania Paloma García

American Studies ETDs

This dissertation project explores hidden histories of the García/Espinosa/Sargent/Burns family in northern New Mexico/southern Colorado during the middle-to-late eighteenth/early nineteenth centuries, and continuing into the present. The project, in part, focuses on prominent rancher, lawyer, landowner, and territorial representative of New Mexico and Colorado, José Victór García. García’s life and legacy is examined regarding the lesser-known story of his “ownership” of several enslaved Indigenous youths on his property in Conejos County, Colorado. The methodology of haunting is employed to expose complex histories of Indigenous peoples in the Southwest borderlands, and within a broader context of colonialism. Indigenous enslavement is considered …

Patterns Of Stand Structure And Species Composition Through Time And Space In A Piñon- Juniper Woodland In The Southwestern Us, Kyle H. Gonterman

Biology ETDs

Piñon- juniper (PJ) woodlands in the Southwest United States are expected to see mortality and structural change in response to climate change. The extent to which this habitat structures itself as well as its response to these changes over time are not well known yet and have not been examined to this extent for the location of this study within the Sevilleta National Wildlife Refuge. Within a small range, we discovered these woodlands consist of persistent woodland, shrubby woodland, and juniper savanna in which structural, spatial, and regeneration patterns differ. In this study, we discovered the specific differences between these …

Conservation Genomic Investigation Of A Threatened Trout Species Endemic To The Gila River, David Thomas Camak

Biology ETDs

Climate change is a looming threat to the persistence of species, especially aquatic, imperiled species. Species native to desert streams are at a particular disadvantage, as many species already face drought, floods, wildfires, and threats from nonnative species, all of which are thought to be exacerbated by climate change. Species such as the threatened Gila Trout (Oncorhynchus gilae) already have small ranges and persist in fragmented and isolated habitats that limits gene flow between populations. Therefore, it is important to understand the current genomic status of such populations to be able to predict the future effects of climate …

The Impact Of Xenophobia On Agricultural Trade In South Africa, Maxwell Peprah Amponsem

LSU Master's Theses

The growing number of farm attacks and xenophobia is one of the most serious crime issues facing the South African government. This study examines the impact of xenophobia on agricultural trade, using port-level trade data and xenophobia incident records from 2010 to 2023. Utilizing fixed effects Ordinary Least Squares (OLS) specifications, I find a significant negative impact of xenophobia on agricultural exports, while non-agricultural trade remains unaffected. These findings highlight the need for targeted policy interventions to combat xenophobic violence and stabilize the agricultural sector, ensuring the continuity of South Africa's trade and economic growth.

Segundo Congreso Internacional De Iconografía Precolombina, 2023. Actas, Victòria Solanilla Demestre

Zea E-Books Collection

El objetivo de este II Congreso fue, como en el anterior, abrir un espacio de reflexión propositiva y multidisciplinaria para que, a partir de análisis de objetos plásticos u otras manifestaciones concretas, así como de documentos escritos, se pudiera replantear la importancia de la imagen y de la interpretación iconográfica como fuente de conocimiento de las culturas precolombinas. Es el momento de seguir aceptando nuevos enfoques pluridisciplinares o si se quiere más “humanísticos” que nos den una visión lo más completa posible, a través de la iconografía, del pasado precolombino tan rico en imágenes y símbolos.

Contribuciones de Luz Adriana …

Antitumor Activity Of A Pyrrolobenzodiazepine Antibody-Drug Conjugate Targeting Lgr5 In Preclinical Models Of Neuroblastoma, Jianghua Tu, Yukimatsu Toh, Adela M Aldana, Jake J Wen, Ling Wu, Joan Jacob, Li Li, Sheng Pan, Kendra S Carmon, Qingyun J Liu

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Neuroblastoma (NB) is a cancer of the peripheral nervous system found in children under 15 years of age. It is the most frequently diagnosed cancer during infancy, accounting for ~12% of all cancer-related deaths in children. Leucine-rich repeat-containing G-protein-coupled receptor 5 (LGR5) is a membrane receptor that is associated with the primary tumor formation and metastasis of cancers in the gastrointestinal system. Remarkably, high levels of LGR5 are found in NB tumor cells, and high LGR5 expression is strongly correlated with poor survival. Antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs) are monoclonal antibodies that are covalently linked to cell-killing cytotoxins to deliver the payloads …

Application Of Automated Radio Telemetry To Explore Space Use Of Golden-Cheeked Warblers (Setophaga Chrysoparia), Michael Gamble

LSU Master's Theses

Understanding the spatiotemporal ecology of birds is essential to inform conservation and management decisions that could help maintain bird populations and reverse current population trends. Advancements in automated radio telemetry systems (ARTS) may improve our ability to monitor animal movements continuously and simultaneously but require further testing and development to maximize their benefits for wildlife research. My goals were (1) to investigate the use of automated telemetry to track fine-scale songbird movements in a forested environment, and (2) to use automated telemetry to quantify home range size, spatial overlap between home ranges, and extraterritorial forays for male and female golden-cheeked …

Geographical Capacities Of Fabric Productions At Al-Muthanna Governorate And The Mechanisms Of Improving Them, Rahman Jameel Said

Uruk Journal of Human Sciences

This paper aims at identifying the fabric industries and how we can improve it due to its primary role in realizing economic development in general and industrial development in particular in the governorate that has the intended requirements to take it into consideration by political decision makers to so as to find legislations and laws that support industrial investment and achieve sustained industrial improvement. Among these factors: labor supply, marketing, working capital, and energy resources.

A Phenomenological Exploration Of Language Shift Of Ikalanga In Botswana: Implications For Language Revitalization, Annah Sephene Macha

Language, Literacy, and Sociocultural Studies ETDs

This study explores the phenomenon of language shift among the Bakalanga community in Botswana, focusing on the gradual displacement of the iKalanga language by dominant languages such as Setswana and English that hold official status for education and broader communication. iKalanga faces significant challenges, as minority languages face extinction globally, the Bakalanga’s experience reflects broader trends where dominant languages supplant indigenous ones in education and wider communication. This research employed a phenomenological approach to investigate how the Bakalanga transmit knowledge amidst this language shift. Data was collected through focus groups, life history narratives, documents, and individual interviews, and analyzed using …

Insight Into Complexity: Novel Information Theoretic Analysis Of Spatiotemporal Interactions, Humayra Tasnim

Computer Science ETDs

Complex systems are comprised of different components. Interactions and associations among these components define the functionality of the system. For example, T cells must directly interact with virally infected cells to kill them. This research characterizes the most relevant components of complex systems by analyzing interacting relationships using information theoretic measures. It emphasizes the importance of spatial and temporal dynamics, which occur when components share spatial proximities or temporal sequences. Novel information theoretic analyses are proposed for quantifying the degree of association among system components, which is key to defining the spatiotemporal dynamics. One focus of this work is the …

A History Of The Development Of Alternatives To Animals In Research And Testing, John Parascandola

New Directions in the Human-Animal Bond

Growing public interest in animal welfare issues in recent decades has prompted increased attention to the efforts to develop alternative, nonanimal methods for use in biomedical research and product testing. In A History of the Development of Alternatives to Animals in Research and Testing, the first book-length study of the subject, John Parascandola traces the history of the concept of alternatives to the use of animals in research and testing in Britain and the United States from its beginnings until it had become firmly established in the scientific and animal protection communities by the end of the 1980s. This …

Exploring The Academic Health Department Model: A Study Of Awareness, Attitudes, And Practices In Kentucky's Local Health Departments​, Jonathan Dunham Vorbeck

Online Theses and Dissertations

Public health involves the organized efforts of society to prevent disease, prolong life, and promote health. These efforts are exemplified through partnerships across various public and private sectors, including academia, which are crucial in addressing complex public health challenges. The concept of an Academic Health Department (AHD) embodies a formal collaboration between academic institutions and public health practice organizations, aiming to integrate public health practice with academic training, research, and service delivery. Despite the documented benefits of the AHD model, there is a knowledge gap regarding local health departments' (LHDs) awareness, attitudes, and practices related to the model, particularly in …

Elevational Gradients Shape Bee Network Structure And Community Composition Across Tropical Lowland To Montane Forests In Costa Rica, Jenny Hsu

Online Theses and Dissertations

Mutualistic networks, such as those between plants and pollinators, play a crucial role in ecosystem stability and resilience. Previous theoretical work has posited that mutualistic networks with higher diversity, connectance, nestedness, interaction diversity and more generalist species are more resilient and stable. However, in some ecosystems, specialized interactions and specialists may promote network stability. Drivers of network properties in the neotropics, especially low and mid-elevations, remain relatively unknown, and thus this area should receive special attention. Replicated empirical networks comparing properties along environmental gradients in these regions can help contribute to resolving this debate. A total of 28 networks, replicated …

Variations Of Inflammatory Markers Levels (Esr And Crp) In The Perioperative Period Of Total Knee Arthroplasty, Khalil Ibrahim Sadiq, Mohamedbakir Abbas Abdulzahra, Rafid Mousa Jaffar

Iraqi National Journal of Medicine

Background: The preferred method of treatment for severe osteoarthritis of the knee is total knee arthroplasty (TKA). TKA has been linked to a significant increase in inflammatory markers such as erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR)—a test that measures how quickly red blood cells settle to the bottom of a test tube—and C-reactive protein (CRP)—a protein made by the liver that increases when there’s inflammation in the body. Aim: Assessment of the typical time trend and physiological kinetics of CRP and ESR during the early postoperative period over 4 weeks Methods: The study was conducted in the Basrah arthroplasty center, from June …

Living A Life Behind Filters And Smiles, Lisa K. Bohler

Masters Theses

This thesis is built on the authentic life stories of a family that endured the painful realities of child abuse and neglect. The artist's statement provides insight into the origin of the memoir-style story and why it is appropriately labeled as autofiction. The limitations in the research were not hindrances but rather a testament to the veracity of the stories, which are true memories. The critical research paper aims to determine whether the popularity of autofiction is a genuine reflection of society.

The Patriarchal Framework Of Extreme Religious Cult Communities And The Post-Exit Affect On Families, Pamala M. Schievelbein

Masters Theses

The Lies We Keep is a screenplay about Pinnacle, a patriarchal cult community that employs mind control and narcotics to subjugate the women in the community. They follow a false religious doctrine and community framework that were created during the Victorian era when the Mormons migrated west and ended their culture of polygamy to avoid prosecution. This thesis brings to light the many facets of extreme religious cults and their daily lives within a controlling framework including specific gender roles, abuse, manipulation, and inequality. Government intervention and Freedom of Religion are also discussed in parallel to the Branch Davidians in …

White Corn Boy Yellow Corn Girl Find Success On Their Educational Journeys, Sarah Curley

Teacher Education, Educational Leadership & Policy ETDs

This study aimed to provide a narrative analysis of the storied Diné beliefs and values of three Yellow Corn Girls and one White Corn Boy. My research questions were: How do Diné language and culture influence high school students’ success in high school? What cultural beliefs and values contribute to the success of high school students transitioning into their first year of community college? Utilizing the theoretical framework of The Beauty Way of Life (BWOL) model and its philosophies, I gathered narrative data using individual interviews. I examined the impact of the Diné language, cultural beliefs, and values on their …

Peer Recovery Support Specialists' Attitudes Toward The Therapeutic Use Of Psilocybin To Treat Depression, Tammala Watkins

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Psychedelic substances such as psilocybin are derived from various naturally occurring plants and fungi. During the 1950s and 60s, a great deal of research was conducted to examine the use of psychedelics to treat mental health conditions. However, research was halted in 1970 as a result of political and social pressure. Since 2000, there has been a renewed interest in the potential therapeutic value of psychedelics to treat depression, anxiety, PTSD, and other mental health conditions. There has also been an increasing curiosity regarding attitudes towards psychedelics. While current attitudinal research has primarily focused on mental health providers, and patients, …

The Forgotten American Heroes: A Phenomenological Study, Lynda Burke

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This phenomenological study explored the experiences of service providers who work first-hand with homeless veterans in Tennessee. Americans seem to view homeless people as inferior to others without considering the factors that have led these individuals to become homeless. They fail to acknowledge the hardships they face, the daily challenges to their mental health, and the invisible wounds that go unnoticed and are often overlooked. As more men and women have returned to the United States following their service in Afghanistan, Iraq, and other global locations, a significant number of combat veterans are struggling with untreated or unmanaged mental health …

Provider Implementation Of Probiotics As An Adjuvant Treatment Modality For Patients With Anxiety And Or Depression In A Primary Care Setting, Sarah Dedmon

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The prevalence of anxiety and depression among Americans is growing rapidly. Patients are seeking out traditional treatments as offered by their primary care providers, but also frequently look toward integrative or complementary methods of managing their symptoms. The use of dietary supplements is at an all-time high, yet the U.S. Food and Drug Administration does not regulate these substances for potency and purity or evaluate them using quality standards as it does pharmaceuticals. Most providers lack education regarding the physiological interaction their patients may experience when using these substances and are naïve to their place in primary care medicine. The …

A Phenomenological Study Of The Experiences Of College Graduates With Chronic Illnesses Who Faced Health Threats And Interruptions In Their Daily Activities, Paula J. Uzuka

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this transcendental phenomenological study was to examine the experiences of individuals with chronic illnesses who graduated from college while facing health threats that often interrupted their daily activities. The theory that guided this study was Bandura's self-efficacy theory. Bandura defined self-efficacy as what a person understands about their ability to accomplish specific goals. In addition, Leventhal's construct, the common-sense model of self-regulation, provided the substructure of Bandura's theory, illustrating that with the right guidance, individuals can make decisions and manage their own health. An individual can use the theory and model to determine the necessary actions to …

Efficacy Of Liver Free And Chitosan Against Eimeria Tenella In Chickens, Zhang Yu, Abdulaziz Alouffi, Ebtsam Al-Olayan, Gungor Cagdas Dincel, G. Tellez-Isaias, Inkar Castellanos-Huerta, Danielle Graham, Victor M. Petrone-Garcia, Beniamino T. Cenci-Goga, Luca Grispoldi, Luis Madeiro De Carvalho, Saeed El-Ashram

Poultry Science Faculty Publications and Presentations

Eimeria spp. are the pathogen that causes coccidiosis, a significant disease that affects intensively reared livestock, especially poultry. Anticoccidial feed additives, chemicals, and ionophores have routinely been employed to reduce Eimeria infections in broiler production. Therefore, the shift to antibiotic-free and organic farming necessitates novel coccidiosis preventive strategies. The present study evaluated the effects of potential feed additives, liver free and chitosan, against Eimeria tenella infection in White Leghorn broiler female chickens. One hundred sixty-five 1-day-old White Leghorn broiler female chicks were divided into 11 groups (15 female chicks per group), including the positive control group (G1), the negative control …

The Potential Anti-Arrhythmic Effect Of Sglt2 Inhibitors, Hong-Yi Duan, Hector Barajas-Martinez, Charles Antzelevitch, Dan Hu

Department of Medicine Faculty Papers

Sodium-glucose cotransporter type 2 inhibitors (SGLT2i) were initially recommended as oral anti-diabetic drugs to treat type 2 diabetes (T2D), by inhibiting SGLT2 in proximal tubule and reduce renal reabsorption of sodium and glucose. While many clinical trials demonstrated the tremendous potential of SGLT2i for cardiovascular diseases. 2022 AHA/ACC/HFSA guideline first emphasized that SGLT2i were the only drug class that can cover the entire management of heart failure (HF) from prevention to treatment. Subsequently, the antiarrhythmic properties of SGLT2i have also attracted attention. Although there are currently no prospective studies specifically on the anti-arrhythmic effects of SGLT2i. We provide clues from …

African, American, And Southern: The Survivors Of The Clotilda And The Wanderer, Kirsten Chaney

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this dissertation is to explore the life experiences of first-generation enslaved Africans illegally brought to the United States of America after the passage of the 1808 Act Prohibiting the Importation of Enslaved Persons to the United States of America. The life experiences of those brought to the United States on board ships such as the Clotilda and the Wanderer create a stark contrast to the life experiences of multigenerational enslaved persons. The difference and Americanization can be viewed through the organization of the freedmen towns founded by each group, the education level achieved by the descendants of …

Oregon State Rank Assessment For Midget Quillwort (Isoetes Minima), Lindsey K. Wise

Institute for Natural Resources Publications

Oregon state conservation status assessment for midget quillwort (Isoetes minima) using NatureServe methodology, 2024.

Digital Agriculture Applications In Maize Nutrient Management And Soybean Crop Stands Assessment, Bhawana Acharya

LSU Master's Theses

High soil moisture from frequent excessive precipitation can reduce maize (Zea mays L.) yield and increase nitrogen (N) loss. Early-stage soybeans (Glycine max) are also susceptible to damage under these conditions. Traditional methods for assessing N status in maize and plant stands in soybean are labor-intensive and time-consuming. In this study, UAV remote sensing was used to assess maize N status under different N rates and excessive soil moisture. For soybeans, we compared a blob detection method with the YOLOv8 model to estimate plant density using ground images from a handheld camera. Additionally, YOLOv8 performance was evaluated …

Deterioration Of Bio-Based Polylactic Acid Plastic Teabags Under Environmental Conditions And Their Associated Effects On Earthworms, Winnie Courtene-Jones, Fannie Burgevin, Lily Munns, Maia B. T. Shillam, Francesca De Falco, Antoine Buchard, Richard Handy, Richard Thompson, Mick Hanley

School of Biological and Marine Sciences

In response to the plastic waste crisis, teabag producers have substituted the petrochemical-plastic content of their products with bio-based, biodegradable polymers such as polylactic acid (PLA). Despite widespread use, the degradation rate of PLA/PLA-blended materials in natural soil and their effects on soil biota are poorly understood. This study examined the percentage mass deterioration of teabags with differing cellulose:PLA compositions following burial (−10 cm depth) in an arable field margin for 7-months, using a suite of analytical techniques, such as size exclusion chromatography, 1H nuclear magnetic resonance, dynamic scanning calorimetry, and scanning electron microscopy. The effect of 28-d exposure to …

High School Teachers’ Perceptions Of The Use Of Achieve3000 As A Literacy Proficiency Intervention, Cameron Ashley Gaines

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The problem that was addressed through this study was that inconsistency in using a literacy development initiative resulted in no improvement of low literacy scores in April of 2022, as a total of 80.85% of high school students in one learning zone within a Georgia school district scored below literacy proficiency on the Georgia Milestones Assessment System. The purpose of this qualitative study was to examine high school teachers’ perceptions of the use of Achieve3000 as a literacy intervention using the conceptual framework of disciplinary literacy. This study's two research questions focused on high school teachers’ perceptions of using Achieve3000 …