Digital Commons Network^™

Language Barriers In The Field Of Audiology: Spanish-Speaking Patient & English-Speaking Audiologist, Jamiles Trejo

Doctoral Scholarly Projects & Capstones

Language barriers in the healthcare system have been a continuously growing dilemma in the United States, affecting communication between a provider and patient, which leads to problems in healthcare delivery. Policies and regulations currently in place have attempted to decrease language barriers but several healthcare providers are not aware of the responsibility, have not prioritized the issue, or have not been held accountable through the enforcement of the laws. The goal of this paper was to provide best practices for audiologic testing that minimize language and cultural barriers and maximize the benefit the patient receives from the hearing evaluation. The …

Screening For Minimal Hearing Loss In Children, Mackenzie Koven Quinn

Doctoral Scholarly Projects & Capstones

The purpose of this study was (a) to compare the hearing screening outcomes obtained with the Colorado school-based hearing screening (which mandates screening at 20 dB HL at 1000, 2000, 4000 Hz in both ears and conducted with supra-aural headphones) with screening outcomes obtained with the experimental Wireless-Automated Hearing-Test System (WAHTS) technology with high-attenuation headphones and (b) to determine the feasibility of utilizing the WAHTS to screen for hearing loss at additional test frequencies (500 and 6000 Hz) and at a lower intensity (15 dB HL) in order to explore the feasibility of screening for minimal hearing losses in children …

Punishing Maternal Ambivalence, Elizabeth Kukura

Fordham Law Review

There are certain landmarks on the road to parenthood that together comprise a cultural narrative about becoming a parent, a narrative that many aspire to emulate and that some achieve: celebrating a (heterosexual) marriage with a big wedding; a positive pregnancy test leading to overjoyed reactions; first ultrasound pictures hung on the fridge (and shared on social media); a healthy pregnancy with baby showers and nesting to prepare for the new arrival; maternity photo shoots and babymoons to celebrate the final moments before life changes; and finally, an uncomplicated labor and delivery that, in an instant, transform the couple into …

Anthropomorphism In Architecture: An Investigation Into Anthropomorphism Through Ancient Greco-Roman Religious Structures, Emily Wilcox

Architecture Undergraduate Honors Theses

This paper will outline and detail an investigation into religious Greco-Roman structures of antiquity through the lens of anthropomorphism. Through defining anthropomorphism, three lenses of thought have presented themselves as means of inquiry: metaphor, scale and proportion, and ergonomics. Previous research into these structures and cultures has shown that there was indeed consideration for the human body in designing in construction; this project hopes to solidify these claims and present new supporting information regarding specific relationships to the body using anthropomorphism. Many contemporary buildings approach the relationship to the human body as a mask or an afterthought, disregarding what reflecting …

We're Virtually There: Providing Health Sciences Education And Wellness Through Virtual Reality Experiences, Gail M. Kouame

University Faculty and Staff Publications

This is a presentation by Gail Kouame for the MLA 2022 Annual Meeting. This presentation describes two virtual reality projects undertaken by the Greenblatt Library at Augusta University in Augusta, Georgia. The first project is one that her two co-authors, Jenn Davis and Lachelle Smith, initiated. Jenn is the Data and Scholarship Librarian and Lachelle is the Allied Health Sciences Librarian. They wanted to figure out a way to introduce concepts surrounding data literacy and data management in a more engaging way. The primary objective of this project is to instruct graduate students in the health sciences disciplines on how …

Equal Protection And Scarce Therapies: The Role Of Race, Sex, And Other Protected Classifications, Govind Persad

SMU Law Review Forum

The allocation of scarce medical treatments, such as antivirals and antibody therapies for COVID-19 patients, has important legal dimensions. This Essay examines a currently debated issue: how will courts view the consideration of characteristics shielded by equal protection law, such as race, sex, age, health, and even vaccination status, in allocation? Part II explains the application of strict scrutiny to allocation criteria that consider individual race, which have been recently debated, and concludes that such criteria are unlikely to succeed under present Supreme Court precedent. Part III analyzes the use of sex-based therapy allocation criteria, which are also in current …

Software Security Management In Critical Infrastructures: A Systematic Literature Review, Gülsüm Ece Ekşi̇, Bedi̇r Teki̇nerdoğan, Cagatay Catal

Turkish Journal of Electrical Engineering and Computer Sciences

Critical infrastructure (CI) is an integrated set of systems and assets that are essential to ensure the functioning of a nation, including its economy, the public's health and/or safety. Hence, protecting critical infrastructures (CI) is vital because of the potential severe consequences that may emerge at the national level. Many CIs are now controlled by software, and likewise, software is often the major source of many security problems in critical infrastructures. Software security management in CIs has been addressed in the literature and several useful approaches have been provided. Yet, these approaches are fragmented over multiple different studies, often do …

Classification And Phenological Staging Of Crops From In Situ Image Sequences By Deep Learning, Uluğ Bayazit, Deni̇z Turgay Altilar, Ni̇lgün Güler Bayazit

Turkish Journal of Electrical Engineering and Computer Sciences

Accurate knowledge of crop type information is not only valuable for verifying the declaration of farmers to obtain subsidy or insurance for the grown crop, but also for generating crop type maps that serve a variety of purposes in land monitoring and policy. On the other hand, accurate knowledge of crop phenological stage can help farm personnel apply fertilization and irrigation regimes on a timely basis. Although deep learning based networks have been applied in the past to classify the type and predict the phenological stage of crops from in situ images of fields, more advanced deep learning based networks, …

Development Of A Control Algorithm And Conditioning Monitoring For Peak Load Balancing In Smart Grids With Battery Energy Storage System, Turhan Atici, Sezai̇ Taşkin, İbrahi̇m Şengör, Maci̇t Tozak, Osman Demi̇rci̇

Turkish Journal of Electrical Engineering and Computer Sciences

As the traditional electricity grid transitions to the smart grid (SG), some emerging issues such as increased renewable energy penetration in the power system that cause load unbalances require new control methods. Storage of energy seems to be the best option to struggle with such issues. In this manner, energy storage technologies ensure the operating flexibility of the distribution system operator in the power system in terms of both sustainability of energy and peak load balancing. In this study, a grid condition monitoring user-interface and control algorithm is developed for the peak load reduction and supply-demand balancing in a SG …

A Novel Crimping Technique Approach For High Power White Good Plugs, Ömer Ci̇han Kivanç, Okan Özgönenel, Ömer Bostan, Şahi̇n Güzel, Mert Demi̇rsoy

Turkish Journal of Electrical Engineering and Computer Sciences

The crimping process is essential to human health and the durability of devices, especially in domestic appliances. Moreover, terminal crimping is critical to the safe transmission of electricity; incorrect crimping leads to problems including overheating of the plug, power loss, arc, and failure of the mechanical connection. In recent years, analysis has been performed by the finite element method (FEM) to prevent the incorrect design of crimping and to develop higher performance crimping techniques. A novel crimping technique for domestic appliances requiring high powered plugs is proposed in this study. After defining the crimp parameters and the materials that are …

Strategic Integration Of Battery Energy Storage And Photovoltaic At Low Voltage Level Considering Multiobjective Cost-Benefit, Samarjit Patnaik, Manas Nayak, Meera Viswavandya

Turkish Journal of Electrical Engineering and Computer Sciences

Renewable energy sources, such as solar photovoltaic (PV) systems and battery energy storage systems (BESS), help reduce greenhouse gas emissions while fulfilling the world?s growing energy demand. The inclusion of BESS reduces the peak hour demand, and control of charging and discharging of BESS can be economical for distributors facing time-based energy pricing. This paper discusses a novel multiobjective Horse herd optimisation algorithm (MOHHOA) approach, which is inspired by the social behaviour of horses in herds for PV and BESS optimal allocation in the radial distribution system. The proposed algorithm combines multiple benefits like benefits from economic gain per day, …

Hallucinogenic Neoshamanism As Antimodernism: Development And Ethical Considerations, Ethan Thompson

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Humans have been using hallucinogenic plants and fungi for thousands of years. Historically, people around the world have made use of these substances to aid in their spiritual development. Studies of the usage of hallucinogens in indigenous societies often use the term “shamanism” to characterize the associated system of belief and ritual practices. In popular understanding, shamanism is a religious system that features highly ritualized performances in which a practitioner (shaman) utilizes an altered state of consciousness to gain access to realms inhabited by spirits with the intent of recruiting their help to resolve a problem, cure a patient, correct …

Dikos Nitsaa’Igii-19 (“The Big Cough”): Coal, Covid-19, And The Navajo Nation, Warigia M. Bowman

UC Law Journal

Both in an absolute sense, and in a comparative sense, COVID-19 is infecting and killing people inside of Navajo Nation at a higher rate than in nearby states. This Article investigates how U.S. energy or mineral extraction policy—particularly regarding coal and uranium— weakened Navajo health and may have contributed to the COVID-19 infection crisis on Navajo. The relationship between U.S. mineral extraction and the health vulnerabilities currently being exposed on the Nation raise issues of administrative law, Indian law, and finally, Tribal and federal governance. This Article also contributes to the literature in environmental justice, natural resources law, and energy …

Regulating Marginalized Labor, Mary Hoopes

UC Law Journal

Farmworkers are one of many vulnerable groups who exist largely in the shadows of the law. While there is a relatively robust regulatory framework that ostensibly governs the conditions under which they work, it is highly fragmented and seldom enforced. One agency, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), has emerged as an important exception, adopting innovative strategies to secure substantial settlements and a wide range of injunctive relief. Decades before contemporary movements on behalf of low-wage workers of color began, the EEOC was mounting an initiative to bring farmworkers into the core of Title VII’s protections and jurisprudence. Drawing upon …

Robotic-Assisted Versus Open Technique For Living Donor Kidney Transplantation: A Comparison Using Propensity Score Matching For Intention To Treat, Francis Tinney Jr., Tommy Ivanics, Joel Stracke, Lauren Malinzak, Ahmed M. Elsabbagh, Tracci Mcevoy, Shunji Nagai, Atsushi Yoshida

Surgery Articles

Living donor robotic-assisted kidney transplantation (RAKT) is an alternative to open kidney transplantation (OKT), but experience with this technique is limited in the United States.

METHODS: A retrospective review of living donor kidney transplants performed between 2016 and 2018 compared RAKT with OKT with regard to recipient, donor, and perioperative parameters. A 1:1 propensity score matching was performed on recipient/donor age, sex, body mass index, race, preoperative dialysis, and calculated panel reactive antibodies.

RESULTS: Outcomes of patient survival, graft survival, and postoperative complications were assessed for 139 transplants (47 RAKT and 92 OKT). Propensity score analysis (47:47) showed that RAKT …

Experimental Investigations On The Conductance Of Lipid Membranes Under Differential Hydrostatic Pressure, Rose Whiting, Pangaea W. Finn, Andrew Bogard, Fulton Mckinney, Dallin Pankratz, Aviana R. Smith, Elen A. Gardner, Daniel Fologea

Physics Faculty Publications and Presentations

The unassisted transport of inorganic ions through lipid membranes has become increasingly relevant to an expansive range of biological phenomena. Recent simulations indicate a strong influence of a lipid membrane’s curvature on its permeability, which may be part of the overall cell sensitivity to mechanical stimulation. However, most ionic permeability experiments employ a flat, uncurved lipid membrane, which disregards the physiological relevance of curvature on such investigations. To fill this gap in our knowledge, we adapted a traditional experimental system consisting of a planar lipid membrane, which we exposed to a controlled, differential hydrostatic pressure. Our electrophysiology experiments indicate a …

Noise Pollution And Its Effects On Human Mental And Physical Health, Seth Anderson

Department of Environmental Studies: Undergraduate Student Theses

Noise pollution is defined as unwanted sound, capable of causing both mental and physical harm. In order to see if there was a correlation between increasing noise pollution (dB) and (a) increasing Negative Affect Score (NAS), (b) decreasing Positive Affect Score (PAS), and (c) increasing Resting Heart Rate (RHR), research was conducted. Participants were taken to four different testing locations, each with a corresponding dB level, and asked to (a) have their Resting Heart Rate (RHR) taken and (b) fill out a questionnaire based on the Positive and Negative Affect Schedule (PANAS) psychological measure. At the conclusion of this study, …

The Effects Of Human Activity On Reintroduced Bighorn Sheep (Ovis Canadensis) Populations, Justine Cherovsky

Department of Environmental Studies: Undergraduate Student Theses

Since the decimation of North America’s bighorn sheep (Ovis canadensis) populations due to human impacts, translocations have been the primary conservation strategy to repopulate the native habitat. Following the extirpation of the species in Nebraska, bighorns were reintroduced with the hope to establish a stable population, but nearly four decades of management has resulted in large-scale die-offs and unstable herds. Ongoing human impacts have created similar results across the country as reintroductions struggle to establish independent bighorn herds. A systematic literature review was conducted to analyze current human related effects, evaluate the effectiveness of management practices, and compare these findings …

Supercritical Water Gasification And Pyrolysis: Cleaning Up The Great Pacific Garbage Patch, Kelly L. Emery

Department of Environmental Studies: Undergraduate Student Theses

This research paper is a comparative meta-analysis of gasification of hydrocarbons in supercritical water, specifically concerning the great pacific garbage patch (GPGP). The research explores two ways to clean up the GPGP while also harnessing the waste as biofuel. This research compares the environmental and economic outcomes between supercritical water gasification and pyrolysis. I will be comparing which thermochemical process of converting hydro-pollution into usable, methane-rich gas is most economically beneficial and environmentally sustainable. The relevance of this use of plastic refuse is that it would not just be diverted to a different landfill or back right where it started …

The Accessibility And Sustainability Of Local Foods: A Snapshot From The Food Hubs Of Lincoln, Nebraska, Tess Foxall

Department of Environmental Studies: Undergraduate Student Theses

The current state of agriculture in the United States utilizes industrial practices that pose a myriad of risks to both human and environmental health. By focusing on smaller farms and local food systems that utilize more sustainable agriculture practices, communities can benefit in terms of economic, environmental, and social health. Food hubs can play a key role in local food systems to connect local producers with consumers and increase access to local food. The goal of the research was to analyze the accessibility and sustainability of local food from food hubs in Lincoln, Nebraska to find the key barriers to …

E-Waste Impact On The Health Of Guiyu, China Citizens: A Comparison Pre And Post China’S Prohibition Of Foreign Garbage Imports, Oliva Hultman

Department of Environmental Studies: Undergraduate Student Theses

Electronic Waste (E-waste) is an inevitable product in our society. At the end of a technological products lifespan, this waste is commonly exported from the Western World to places like Guiyu, China. There the waste has been recycled by melting and dissection of devices. However, these devices contain harmful materials like Lead (Pb) and other heavy metals. These components of the technology process, when not properly dealt with, leach into the citizens’ lives. In 2017, China issued a Prohibition on Foreign Garbage Imports where, while focusing on plastics, limited the waste being brought into the country. This study will compare …

University Of Nebraska Sustainability Recommendations, Kat Woerner

Department of Environmental Studies: Undergraduate Student Theses

In August 2020, the University of Nebraska (NU) system published a 5-year strategic plan with a point to “set and achieve University-wide sustainability goals.” Sustainability efforts at the University of Nebraska are well established as each campus has developed a Sustainability Master Plan (SMP) over the course of the last six years. With limited resources, a system-wide, coordinated effort is critical and requires a hierarchy of actions that are based on: clear goals and metrics that support the university mission, effective tracking systems, policies, strategies, actions, practices that support the goals, and organizational structure to oversee and support implementation.

The …

Reintroduction Of The Grey Wolf, Cody Willers

Department of Environmental Studies: Undergraduate Student Theses

A comprehensive literature review of the topic of the reintroduction of the grey wolf (Canis lupus) into the lower 48 states has been conducted to determine the viability of the grey wolf as a method for managing the overgrowth of medium to large ungulate populations. Due to the overgrowth of medium to large ungulate populations without the presence of the grey wolf, detrimental environmental impacts were being seen on many ecosystems such as Yellowstone in North America. Through predation and the fear of predation, the presence of the grey wolf in these ecosystems can provide a solution to the negative …

Wildfires And Prescribed Fires: Do They Impact Soil Quality?, Kate Nelson

Department of Environmental Studies: Undergraduate Student Theses

Globally, climate change has had an adverse effect on natural phenomena and ecosystem trends, including drastically increasing the number of wildfires that occur annually. As a result, the number of wildfires in the western United States have doubled since 1984. More specifically, ideal wildfire conditions have also prolonged the wildfire season in California. The objectives of this study were to determine if wildfires had an effect on soil quality and determine if wildfires and prescribed fires had different impacts on soil quality in northern California. A literature review was conducted to address the knowledge gaps and understand the perceived changes …

The Case For Local Data Sharing Ordinances, Beatriz Botero Arcila

William & Mary Bill of Rights Journal

Cities in the United States have started to enact data sharing rules and programs to access some of the data that technology companies operating under their jurisdiction— like short-term rental or ride hailing companies—collect. This information allows cities to adapt to the challenges and benefits of the digital information economy. It allows them to understand what the impact of these technology companies is on congestion, the housing market, the local job market, and even the use of public spaces. It also empowers cities to act accordingly by, for example, setting vehicle caps or mandating a tailored minimum pay for gig …

From Negative To Positive Algorithm Rights, Cary Coglianese, Kat Hefter

William & Mary Bill of Rights Journal

We consider this issue here and suggest that the current calls for a negative right to be free from AI could very well transform over time into positive claims that demand the use of algorithmic tools by government officials. In Part I, we begin by sketching the current landscape surrounding the adoption of AI by government. That landscape is characterized by strong activist and scholarly voices expressing a pronounced aversion to the use of digital algorithms—and taking a decidedly negative rights tone. In Part II, we show that, although aversion to complex technology might be understandable, that aversion is neither …

Sars-Cov-2 - Related Nonpharmaceutical Interventions In Atlantic Canada, Japan, Slovakia, And Sweeden, Mária Gemzická

Student Projects for Graduate Degrees

At the end of 2019 a new pandemic of respiratory infection started and affected every continent (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention [CDC], 2021). Since the Chinese Ministry of Health announced a new pneumonia outbreak in Wuhan province caused by SARS- CoV-2 virus, countries around the world started preparations for their own epidemic response. Actions of Japan, Slovakia, Sweden, and four provinces of Atlantic Canada were analyzed for association of their adopted measures with morbidity and mortality of their population. While both nonpharmaceutical and pharmaceutical interventions were necessary for the best outcomes, nonpharmaceutical interventions aiming on decrease of population mobility …

Headcase Regulates Growth In Response To Nutritional Status Downstream Of Insulin Signaling, Thomas George

Honors Scholar Theses

Cancer cells are notorious for growing in an unrestricted manner without regard for environmental cues. Recently, Li et al. (2019) discovered headcase (hdc) functions by binding to the mTORC1 complex in the mTOR signaling pathway and preventing further signaling. Interestingly, under nutrient restricted (NR) conditions, cells with mutated hdc proteins proliferated more than cells with normal functioning hdc. It is well known that insulin signaling is downregulated under NR conditions, so a potential signaling pathway with insulin, PI3K, PDK1, Akt, PTEN, and hdc was created as a way to explain the link between hdc function and nutritional status. A Drosophila …

Identification Of Translesion Synthesis Inhibitors That Target Rev7/Rev3 Protein-Protein Interactions, Seema Patel

Honors Scholar Theses

Translesion synthesis (TLS) is a cellular mechanism utilized by cancer cells to tolerate DNA damage caused by chemotherapeutics, like cisplatin, by replicating past unrepaired lesions. This increases the rate of mutations, which leads to the emergence of drug-resistant cancer cells. Preliminary studies have shown that disrupting the protein-protein interactions (PPI) in the TLS heteroprotein complex increases cells’ sensitivity to first-line genotoxic chemotherapy, illustrating how inhibiting TLS assembly and function can significantly increase cancer cell death. These results underscore the therapeutic potential of targeting TLS PPI. Our current work in this area is focusing on inhibitors capable of disrupting the Rev7/Rev3 …

The Effects Of A Plant-Based Diet With Eggs On The Parameters Of Metabolic Syndrome, Insulin Resistance, And Dietary Choline And Carotenoids, Lindsey Huang

Honors Scholar Theses

Objective: Plant-based (PB) diets have been shown to positively affect the parameters of Metabolic Syndrome (MetS). The addition of eggs, which are rich in choline and carotenoids, could also complement the beneficial effects of PB diets by increasing HDL-C and improving the other parameters of MetS. Methods: Twenty-four subjects with MetS completed this 13-week randomized, controlled, crossover clinical trial. Following a 2-week run-in period where subjects followed a lacto-vegetarian diet, subjects were randomly allocated to consume 70g of spinach with either 2 whole eggs or the equivalent amount of egg substitute. At the end of 4 weeks, subjects underwent a …