Digital Commons Network^™

Development Of Detection And Tracking Systems For Autonomous Vehicles Using Machine Learning, Tyler Ward

Morehead State Theses and Dissertations

A thesis presented to the faculty of the Elmer R. Smith College of Business and Technology at Morehead State University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science by Tyler Ward April 25, 2023.

Diagnosis And Management Of Colon Cancer Patients Presenting In Advanced Stages Of Complications, Vlad Denis Constantin, Adrian Silaghi, Dragos Epistatu, Anca Silvia Dumitriu, Stana Paunica, Daniela Gabriela Bălan, Bogdan Socea

Journal of Mind and Medical Sciences

Colorectal cancer is an important health problem with a significant impact on the individual and society. Malignancy (including colorectal cancer) is usually slightly symptomatic in its initial stages. This causes cancer to be discovered in some patients accidentally (either through screening tests in predisposed individuals or during routine investigations for other diseases), while in other patients the colorectal cancer is discovered in late stages, when the symptoms are much more intense due to complications. Unfortunately, such advanced cases of the disease have high rates of morbidity and mortality even with treatment. Current treatment methods are usually complex, interdisciplinary, causing significant …

Tips And Tricks For Laparoscopic Cholecystectomy In The Patient With Ventriculoperitoneal Shunt; A Case Report, Carmen Popa, Andrei Moisin, Mihai Faur, Mihaela Racheriu, Ramona Coca, Cristian Mihai Branescu, Tiberiu Trotea, Denisa Tănăsescu

Journal of Mind and Medical Sciences

Laparoscopic surgery in patients with ventriculo-peritoneal shunt is challenging in terms of technical approach. The severity of possible complications and the lack of studies on this association increase the surgeon's discomfort with such surgery. The main complications that may occur are increased intracranial pressure, secondary pneumo-peritoneum pneumocephalus, encephalitis and the risk of catheter injury during laparoscopic procedures. We present the case of a 56-year-old patient operated in 2004 for a basilar artery top aneurysm with subarachnoid hemorrhage and secondary hydrocephalus, for which a ventriculo-peritoneal shunt was fitted. This patient presented in our clinic with diffuse abdominal pain, more accentuated in …

A Phenomenological Take On Mirror Self-Face Perception In Schizophrenia, Giovanni Pennisi

Journal of Mind and Medical Sciences

Studies concerning social deficits in schizophrenia has often been restrained to exploring facial recognition. Various investigations have shown that those diagnosed with schizophrenia have difficulties in perceiving the identities and emotions of those around them merely through observing their facial features. A few others have also taken into account the issue of self-face recognition in individuals with schizophrenia, finding that their capacity to associate photos or videos of their own face to themselves is hindered due to the illness. However, to my knowledge, only a few studies have so far delved into the intricacies of how individuals with schizophrenia or …

Recent Advances In The Role Of Rehabilitative Therapies For Parkinson’S Disease: A Literature Review, Bazza Sohail, Muhammad Affan Iqbal, Aisha Razzaq, Abdul Wasay Nafe, Robina Malik

Journal of Mind and Medical Sciences

Regardless of medical therapies and surgical interventions for Parkinson’s disease, patients develop progressive disability. The role of therapies is to maximize functional ability and minimize secondary complications through movement rehabilitation within a context of education and support for the whole person. The overall aim is to optimize independence, safety and wellbeing, thereby enhancing quality of life. Trials have shown that physiotherapy has short-term benefits in Parkinson’s disease. However, which physiotherapy intervention are most effective remains unclear. This article provides a guidance framework rather than a ’recipe’ for treatment. This review shows that a wide range of rehabilitative therapy interventions to …

Creatine Supplementation And Endurance Performance: Surges And Sprints To Win The Race., Scott C. Forbes, Darren G. Candow, Joao Henrique Falk Neto, Michael D. Kennedy, Jennifer L. Forbes, Marco Machado, Erik Bustillo, Jose Gomez-Lopez, Andres Zapata, Jose Antonio

HPD Articles

Creatine supplementation is an effective ergogenic aid to augment resistance training and improve intense, short duration, intermittent performance. The effects on endurance performance are less known. The purpose of this brief narrative review is to discuss the potential mechanisms of how creatine can affect endurance performance, defined as large muscle mass activities that are cyclical in nature and are >~3 min in duration, and to highlight specific nuances within the literature. Mechanistically, creatine supplementation elevates skeletal muscle phosphocreatine (PCr) stores facilitating a greater capacity to rapidly resynthesize ATP and buffer hydrogen ion accumulation. When co-ingested with carbohydrates, creatine enhances glycogen …

The Inherited Intestinal Microbiota From Myeloid-Specific Zip8ko Mice Impairs Pulmonary Host Defense Against Pneumococcal Pneumonia, Derrick R. Samuelson, Deandra R. Smith, Kelly C. Cunningham, Sabah Haq, Daniel N. Villageliú, Christi Christi Ellis, Niaz Bahar Chowdhury, Amanda E. Ramer-Tait, Jeff Price, Daren L. Knoell

Food for Health: Publications

Intestinal dysbiosis increases susceptibility to infection through the alteration of metabolic profiles, which increases morbidity. Zinc (Zn) homeostasis in mammals is tightly regulated by 24 Zn transporters. ZIP8 is unique in that it is required by myeloid cells to maintain proper host defense against bacterial pneumonia. In addition, a frequently occurring ZIP8 defective variant (SLC39A8 rs13107325) is strongly associated with inflammation-based disorders and bacterial infection. In this study, we developed a novel model to study the effects of ZIP8-mediated intestinal dysbiosis on pulmonary host defense independent of the genetic effects. Cecal microbial communities from a myeloid-specific Zip8 knockout mouse …

The Effectiveness Of Using A Community-Based Yoga Program To Increase Feelings Of Inclusion In Adults With Intellectual Disabilities, Cynthia Schmidt

Post-Professional Occupational Therapy Doctorate - Innovations in OT Symposium: Transforming Possibilities into Practice

No abstract provided.

Semantic Overflow Of Powerful Feelings: Digital Humanities Approaches And The 1805 And 1850 Versions Of Wordsworth's Prelude, Dylan Hansen

Theses and Dissertations

Scholars have repeatedly contrasted the 1805 and 1850 versions of William Wordsworth’s The Prelude since the discovery and publication of the former by Ernest De Sélincourt in 1926. Points of contention have included the 1850 poem’s grammatical revisions and shifts toward greater political and religious orthodoxy. While these discussions have waned in recent decades, digital humanities tools allow us to revisit oft-debated texts through new lenses. Wanting to examine scholarly claims about The Prelude from a digital humanities perspective, I collaborated with Dr. Billy Hall to enter both versions of the poem into a data analysis and visualization tool, which …

The Morpheme -Ga In Pastaza Quichua, Charles W. Alger

Theses and Dissertations

Pastaza Quichua (PQ) is a member of the Quechua IIB branch of Quechuan languages and has a rich morphology. However, this richness is often over-simplified for the sake of simpler explanation. Most Quechuan languages have a morpheme that is usually spelt -ga, -ka or -qa, and is described as a topicalizing clitic. In this thesis, I will examine the morpheme -ga in PQ, which, like its cognates, is often said to be a topicalizing clitic, despite the fact that it frequently breaks traditional rules for both topic marking and clitic-hood. I find that -ga is a topic marker according to …

The Risk Of Malignant Degeneration Of Müllerian Derivatives In Pmds: A Review Of The Literature, Federica Gagliardi, Augusto Lauro, Livia De Anna, Domenico Tripodi, Anna Esposito, Flavio Forte, Daniele Pironi, Eleonora Lori, Patrizia Alba Gentile, Ignazio R. Marino, Ernesto T. Figueroa, Vito D'Andrea

Department of Urology Faculty Papers

Persistent Müllerian Duct Syndrome (PMDS) is a rare autosomal recessive disorder of sex development characterized by the presence of fallopian tubes, uterus and upper one-third of the vagina in individuals with XY genotype and normal male phenotype. The main complications of PMDS are infertility and the rare risk of malignant degeneration of both testicular and Müllerian derivatives. We report the case of a 49-year-old man who, during repair of an incisional hernia, was incidentally found to have a uterine-like structure posterior to the bladder. In the past at the age of 18 months, he had undergone bilateral orchidopexies for bilateral …

Of All That Continues To Change, Elizabeth Mckenzie

Honors Theses

I am researching the concept of metamorphosis as a reflection of myself and my journey for this Graduating Presentation project. I will be exploring the different components that influence this process of change and growth. Through my process I will inquire “What is necessary for this drastic evolution to occur, and what ideas must be present for it to follow through?” For this project, I will choreograph a staged work comprised of about 7-10 dancers (and understudies). I plan to take the audience through the ups, downs, and influences involved in the process of metamorphosis.

In order to experience growth …

Construction And Research Of Bioreactor Simulation Scale-Up Model, Hu Yi-Wen, Han Fei-Fei, Jin Kui-Qi, Sun Yang

Food and Machinery

Objective: Building a perfect bioreactor scale-up model provides convenience for enterprise production, and a guidance for reactor manufacturers. Methods: Through the test of 1.5, 5, 20, 200 L scale reactor, the correlation and parameters of the volume dissolved oxygen coefficient kLa and mixing time tm were optimized and explored, the simulation amplification model of bioreactor was established, and the Scaleuper amplification system was built by MATLAB. Results: Compared with the test results, the simulation deviation of kLa was within ±15%. By introducing the definition of critical speed into the correlation of tm, the overall simulation deviation of tm was reduced …

Quality And Safety Management Research Of Traditional Fermented Meat Products, Zhao Ya-Li, Zhang Xiang-Mei, Lu Han, Yang Bei, Wen Gang

Food and Machinery

The quality safety risks and quality management issues of traditional fermented meat products were analyzed. This paper put forward suggestions on increasing research and development efforts, accelerating the knowledge benefit transformation process, standardizing the standard system, refining supervision standards, standardizing workshop production, optimizing product markets, strengthening the awareness of social participation, and promoting social co-governance, in order to improve the overall quality and safety level of the traditional fermented meat products industry.

Effects Of Aqueous Extracts From Ficus Pumila On Pulmonary Dysfunction And Inflammation In Rats With Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease, Yao Mei-Xiang, Wang Cheng-Yuan, Xie Jian-Hua, Zhu Xiao-Juan, Zhou Ming, Nie Shao-Ping, Zhong Hong-Guang

Food and Machinery

Objective: The preventive and therapeutic effects of the aqueous extract of Ficus pumila on COPD model rats were observed and its mechanism was also discussed. Methods: COPD model was established by intratracheal injection of lipopolysaccharide and smoking. Using the pulmonary function test, the level of related inflammatory factors detection in the BALF by ELISA, the blood gas analysis and HE staining for lung pathological observation. Results: The results showed that the indexes of the model rats were consistent with the pathological characteristic of COPD. The model group animals had obvious airflow obstruction, while the high dose of F. pumila aqueous …

April 25, 2023 General Faculty Minutes, University Of South Carolina

Faculty Senate

No abstract provided.

From Mascot To Marine: The Long Walk To The American Military Dog Program, Elisabeth Jana Phillips

Masters Theses

In World War II, the military dog became synonymous with patriotism and the fight for a free world. In the absence of a military dog program at the beginning of World War II, the United States was the exception amongst Western powers. The establishment of an official military dog program in the United States during World War II was a critical and inevitable step in the development of the country’s military. Through the creative collaboration of civilians and military personnel, the K9 Corps and Dogs for Defense organization produced trained military dogs that had immediate positive impacts on the battlefield …

Toward The Design, Synthesis, And Characterization Of Abiotic Coiled-Coil Peptides Via Solid-Phase Copper-Catalyzed Azide-Alkyne Cycloaddition (Sp-Cuaac) Click Reaction For The Preparation Of Controlled Self-Assembly Molecular Building Block, Liaquat Ali

Chemistry Theses

The production of cutting-edge materials, the development of novel medications, drug delivery systems, technological advancements, and biosynthesizing all depend on molecular building blocks. Proteins are required for the creation of intricate, well-organized structures, and coiled-coil protein domains are vital subunits for the oligomerization of protein complexes, gene expression, and the structural components of biological materials. The numerous interactions between a wide variety of amino acids make it difficult to assemble protein complexes with a particular shape. In the current study, we successfully designed and synthesized four different 32-residue peptides, each of which had two modified amino azide residues. These peptides …

Secondary Traumatic Stress Among Nationally Credentialed Victim Advocates: Baseline And Risk Factors, Bette Marie Stebbins Inch

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Crime victims rely on the expertise of nationally recognized victim advocates to navigate the complex criminal justice process that includes reporting the crime and participating in the criminal legal system while recovering from trauma. People indirectly involved in traumatic events can also experience adverse effects. Providing direct services to traumatized crime victims may increase an advocate’s risk of developing secondary traumatic stress and negatively affect client services. This study was designed to examine the occurrence of specific symptoms matching the Secondary Traumatic Stress Scale to establish a baseline of secondary traumatic stress among a sample of nationally credentialed victim advocates …

Understanding The Resurrection Of Jesus Christ And Its Soteriological Significance, Zach Maldonado

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this DMIN action research project was to develop and implement a study on the resurrection of Jesus at Life Church. The problem was that people at Life Church did not adequately understand the resurrection of Christ for their belief in salvation. The study sought to help members of Life Church understand what Scripture teaches about salvation. The goal for this action research project was for members of Life Church to understand, defend, and articulate the resurrection of Jesus and its soteriological implications. There were seven total participants that took part in the study. Every participant was given …

Assessing The Dynamics Of The Southeast Florida Shark Community From 2013-2019 Via Catch Per Unit Effort And Stable Isotope Analysis, Alexandra Barth

All HCAS Student Capstones, Theses, and Dissertations

Sharks, as well as other top predators, are in drastic decline worldwide. As apex and near-apex predators, species such as nurse, lemon, and tiger sharks maintain balanced marine ecosystems by enacting top-down trophic control. However, this cascading effect is diminished with exploitation via commercial and recreational fishing. Sharks are generally long-lived, mature late, have long reproductive cycles, and produce few offspring. Much remains to be learned about the community structure, population trends and conservation statuses of shark populations worldwide. Comprehensive studies on the composition of the shark community in Southeast Florida north of Miami have been limited. This study assessed …

Assessment Of Spatial And Temporal Variations In Chloride Concentration In An Agricultural Tile-Drained Area In Central Illinois, Okiemute Commander

Theses and Dissertations

Long-term increase in chloride (Cl-) concentration in surface water and groundwater from anthropogenic sources, including deicing salts, agriculture, septic effluents, and wastewater treatment plants is a growing cause for concern all over the world. In rural midwestern US with predominant agricultural land usage and less impervious surface cover, agriculture may serve as a potential source for Cl- in surface and groundwater systems. A saturated riparian buffer (SRB) installed adjacent to a central Illinois stream to reduce nutrient losses was used to identify populations of Cl-, substantiate agricultural influence, and identify spatial and temporal Cl- variations within the SRB. 2297 water …

Culture As Capital: Slavery As An Instrument Of Cultural Exchange In Sixteenth And Seventeenth Century Ottoman Empire, Laura Baldwin

Departmental Honors & Graduate Capstone Projects

In the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, the Ottoman Empire and European states clashed during warfare, resulting in mutual enslavement and the collision of cultures. The first-person accounts from enslaved Europeans and Ottomans and the secondary works of historians suggest that, despite losing freedom and experiencing poor treatment and violence, captives adapted to their captors’ culture and could actually gain opportunities for social mobility, power, and agency through cultural exchange. Living and working within an otherwise unknown culture, they participated intimately in a cultural exchange that included learning and applying new languages, skills, and customs. This cultural exchange did not stay …

Coded Ceramics: Computational Design Of Persian Ceramics, Nasrin Iravani

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

This research explores the use of computer-aided technology and robotics in the creation of digital art and crafts, while also considering the cultural history of digital design. It begins with an examination of the most recognizable styles of Persian ewers made between the years 1,000 and 1,400 AD in the Islamic era. After analyzing a hundred ewers from this period, I classified them based on distinctive features such as openings, necks, bodies, spouts, handles, and bases. Then I designed a series of 3D printed ceramic vessels – titled Coded Ceramics – that were inspired by elements of the historic ewers. …

Book Review: The Secret Life Of Secrets: How Our Inner Worlds Shape Well-Being, Relationships, And Who We Are, Michele Hoffnung

Sociology Between the Gaps: Forgotten and Neglected Topics

No abstract provided.

Symbiotic Creations, Jonathan Beres, Gabrielle Bartlett

Student Research Design & Innovation Symposium

During the Fall semester of 2022, Symbiotic Creations competed in the Future Food All-Star’s competition and mentorship program with the main goal to create a probiotic snack made from 100% culinary by-products. Our three objectives were to create a hydrocolloid structure within the gummies (properly thickened gummy), use only vegan products, and provide a probiotic benefit to the final product. Most products in the market rely on animal-based thickeners like gelatin. Initially, we experimented with agar agar, tapioca powder, and cornstarch but none of these starches actually formed the hydrocolloid structure. After many trials, we succeeded in forming the hydrocolloid …

Rethinking Process To Design A Compelling Editorial Publication, Erik Furtado

Student Research Design & Innovation Symposium

During the Fall semester of 2022, Symbiotic Creations competed in the Future Food All-Star’s competition and mentorship program with the main goal to create a probiotic snack made from 100% culinary by-products. Our three objectives were to create a hydrocolloid structure within the gummies (properly thickened gummy), use only vegan products, and provide a probiotic benefit to the final product. Most products in the market rely on animal-based thickeners like gelatin. Initially, we experimented with agar agar, tapioca powder, and cornstarch but none of these starches actually formed the hydrocolloid structure. After many trials, we succeeded in forming the hydrocolloid …

Designing & Implementing Robotic Animal Interventions For Adults With Dementia, Lisa Benson, Shannon Strate

Student Research Design & Innovation Symposium

Dementia is a leading cause of disability and dependency worldwide and expected to increase in the next few decades. Robotic Pet Intervention (RPI) is an emerging, non-pharmacological intervention incorporating robotic animals, with promising implications for people with dementia. This capstone project examined the impacts of robotic pet interventions (RPI) on occupational performance outcomes of adults with dementia living in long-term care facilities. For the capstone project, customized group and individual therapy interventions incorporating robotic cats were developed and implemented for local memory care residents. For the capstone experience, educational materials were presented and provided for facility stakeholders, including care staff …

Heartpaws - A Company Focused On Connecting Pets With Their New Fur-Ever Families, Alyssa Audino

Student Research Design & Innovation Symposium

HeartPaws was created as a new approach to pet adoption. The company would work with shelters across the nation to successfully connect these animals with their fur-ever homes. HeartPaws’ purpose is to create more visibility outside the immediate vicinity of the shelter, and with more people seeing them, the higher the chance of adoption. When establishing the branding attention to typography and color palette were integral. Focusing on softer, rounded letter forms, and warm inviting colors emphasized the friendly, loving nature of the brand. Utilizing browns & pinks not only fit the brand feel but are also common colors of …

Notes On Lung Development In South African Ghost Frogs (Anura: Heleophrynidae), Jackson R. Phillips, Jens Reissig, Gary Kyle Nicolau

Biology Student Research

Lungs are a prototypical trait of most tetrapods, but some amphibians have become secondarily lungless over evolutionary time. Anuran (frog) tadpoles offer an opportunity to examine lung loss from an evolutionary perspective, because there are many independent instances where lungs are not inflated until adulthood, and so are functionally lost. Lung loss is typically associated with living in fast-flowing streams, and so we examined larval lung development in the stream specialist family Heleophrynidae. We find that one genus, Hadromophryne Van Dijk, 2008, has large lungs as tadpole, while the other genus, Heleophryne Sclater, 1898, has much smaller, stunted lung buds. …