Digital Commons Network^™

Mass Customization Of Housing: A Framework For Harmonizing Individual Needs With Factory Produced Housing, Basem Eid Mohamed, Carlo Carbone

All Works

Integrated processes for design and fabrication have guided mass customization of architectural systems and components. Providing affordable and accessible housing, a vital segment of the building industry, is a multifaceted process that witnessed various manifestations towards individualization over the past few decades. Design flexibility in housing systems is becoming a crucial aspect, informed by consumers’ lifestyles, demographic patterns, and lifecycles change at a rapid pace. As the housing market demands more personalized, efficient, and agile strategies, prefabricated building systems have always presented a viable alternative for flexibility and cus-tomization, following a rise of interest in the last decade focused on …

Cities Of God Under Occupation: Settler Colonial Practices And Pacification In The Favelas Of Rio De Janeiro And The Occupied Palestinian Territories, Amanda Pimenta Da Silva

Theses and Dissertations

The 2002 film ‘City of God’ tells an anecdotal story of violence in the favelas of Rio de Janeiro, and is a reminder that the societies we tend to take for granted can actually be a luxury. The film portrays the daily life of the peripheries of Rio and its relation with drug trafficking, crime, and poverty, and how it has deteriorated into a war zone so dangerous that anyone risk being shot to death. Thousands of miles away from the Brazilian slums there is another so-called city of God, or the city chosen by God to be the home’s …

Problem Solving For Industry, Jozimar Basilio Ferreira, Nicholas Chibuike-Eruba, José Fernando González Anavia, Jolomi (Oritsejolomi) Sillo

ICT

This project seeks to use reinforcement learning to develop AI agents used to controlled NPCs in video game worlds that are capable of mastering decision tasks in their video game environments. Our job will be to develop algorithms and methods that can effectively train the AI agents using Reinforcement learning, which can be used in various gaming environments and scenarios such as racing games and first-person shooters. We then market these agents to video game developers for use in their game worlds. The developer can use our agents as-is in their game without modifications or they can train them further, …

Electromagnetic Interference Shielding Effectiveness Of A Layered System Consisting Of A Carbon Nano-Reinforced Polymer Composite Coated With Metal Oxide And Graphite, Veronica Montserrat Serrato

Theses and Dissertations

In this study, the electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding effectiveness (SE) of vapor grown carbon nanofiber (VGCNF) reinforced polyvinylidene difluoride (PVDF) composite and PVDF/VGCNF thermally sprayed with magnetite (Fe3O4) and graphite has been investigated. EMI SE evaluations were performed in the frequency range of 30 kHz-1.5 GHz. The developed nanocomposite (NC) system was fabricated by high shear mixing using a Banbury type mixer. The material was then subjected to compression molding. Subsequently, the films were thermally sprayed using Fe3O4/graphite powder. The NC and coated NC films had average thicknesses of 0.82 mm and 0.93 mm, respectively. The NC films were subjected …

Evolution Of Sex Chromosomes In Geckos (Reptilia: Gekkota), Shannon Elizabeth Keating

Dissertations (1934 -)

Sex chromosomes control sex determination in many plants and animals, playing a vital role in a species’ evolution. Current models of sex chromosome evolution have been formulated by studying clades with stable, morphologically distinct (heteromorphic) sex chromosomes, such as mammals and birds. However, many taxa have morphologically indistinguishable (homomorphic) sex chromosomes, including many fish, amphibians, and reptiles. The knowledge gained from these understudied systems may provide new insights into the overarching paradigms of sex chromosome evolution. Thus, the historical focus on stable, heteromorphic sex chromosomes and failure to consider homomorphic sex chromosomes or systems with frequent turnovers may mean the …

Temporal Sentiment Mapping System For Time-Synchronized Data, Jiachen Ma

Dissertations (1934 -)

Temporal sentiment labels are used in various multimedia studies. They are useful for numerous classification and detection tasks such as video tagging, segmentation, and labeling. However, generating a large-scale sentiment dataset through manual labeling is usually expensive and challenging. Some recent studies explored the possibility of using online Time-Sync Comments (TSCs) as the primary source of their sentiment maps. Although the approach has positive results, existing TSCs datasets are limited in scale and content categories. Guidelines for generating such data within a constrained budget are yet to be developed and discussed. This dissertation tries to address the above issues by …

“Now I Will Recall The Works Of God”: Allusion And Intertextuality In Sirach 42:15-43:33, Gary Patrick Klump

Dissertations (1934 -)

Since the discovery of the Hebrew fragments of Sirach in the Cairo Geniza, the study of influence and intertextuality has been pervasive. However, previous scholars have generally overestimated the occurrence of literary allusion, partially due to the lack of a universally accepted method and nomenclature. This dissertation addresses that issue by investigating Ben Sira’s deployment of culturally constructed registers related to the storm-god theophany, the combat myth, divine speech, and the sapiential register in Ben Sira’s Hymn to the Creator. Using a reconstructed version of the Masada Manuscript, none of the discrete parallels proposed by various scholars held up as …

Improved Management Of Recalcitrant Nutrient Species: Transformation And Adsorption, Synthia Parveen Mallick

Dissertations (1934 -)

Soluble non-reactive nutrient species, i.e., dissolved organic nitrogen (DON) and soluble non-reactive phosphorus (sNRP), are not effectively removed and recovered. Unfortunately, the non-reactive species can cause eutrophication in receiving waterbodies. Thus, removal and recovery of soluble non-reactive nutrients is critical for reducing nutrient discharge and advancing the national goal of enhanced nutrient recovery. Transformation of non-reactive nutrients to more readily removable/recoverable species using ozonation and UV/H2O2 for enhanced nutrient recovery has been reported in literature. Electrooxidation (EO) may outperform these processes in transforming nutrients as EO can utilize multiple oxidation pathways, e.g., in-situ generated oxidants or direct electron transfer (DET). …

Immobilized Phosphate-Binding Protein Systems To Remove And Recover Phosphate, Faten Bakri Hussein

Dissertations (1934 -)

Inorganic phosphorus (Pi) is a critical element for all life and a major component of DNA’s backbone. Global agriculture requires Pi to support the rapid growth of plants and high crop productivity. Yet, the mineable Pi supply needed for global agriculture is in short supply in nature and Pi reserves are unevenly distributed around the world. In contrast, surplus Pi in water poses a serious pollution problem as it can cause eutrophication. Scarcity of non-renewable Pi resources combined with pollution in the form of overabundant Pi presents a phosphorus paradox. Tackling this issue is necessary and using innovative approaches targeting …

Adaptive Pedagogy Framework For Risk Management, Incident Response And Disaster Recovery Education, Hsiao-An Wang

Dissertations (1934 -)

The field of Cybersecurity, both in cybersecurity education and cybersecurity workforce demands, has been growing steadily as the dangers of cyber-threats continue to rise. The gap between the supply and demand of the cybersecurity workforce has been widening throughout the past decade. In response to the increased demand, many government agencies have actively engaged in collaborative efforts with higher education institutions to produce more capable graduates to address the need. However, with the various educational utilities available to instructors, few utilities offer content related to risk management, incident response, and disaster recovery practices. Furthermore, many students lack the awareness to …

Modulation Of Mitochondrial Protein Synthesis In Yeast – Role Of The Mrp7 (Bl27) Protein, Jessica Anderson

Dissertations (1934 -)

Oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS) is responsible for the generation of most of the cellular energy (ATP) within the cell. OXPHOS enzymes are mosaic in origin, as protein subunits are encoded by both nuclear and mitochondrial genomes. Mitochondrial ribosomes have been shown to respond to the availability and import of nuclearly encoded OXPHOS components, and thus the current dogma states that mitochondrial translation is synchronized to the import of these nuclear encoded proteins, as well as the availability of chaperones to co-assemble them within the inner mitochondrial membrane. We demonstrate here that the yeast Mrp7 (bL27) protein is involved in the coordination …

Classification Of Twitter Vaping Discourse Using Bertweet: Comparative Deep Learning Study, William Baker, Jason B. Colditz, Page D. Dobbs, Huy Mai, Shyam Visweswaran, Justin Zhan, Brian A. Primack

Computer Science and Computer Engineering Faculty Publications and Presentations

Background:

Twitter provides a valuable platform for the surveillance and monitoring of public health topics; however, manually categorizing large quantities of Twitter data is labor intensive and presents barriers to identify major trends and sentiments. Additionally, while machine and deep learning approaches have been proposed with high accuracy, they require large, annotated data sets. Public pretrained deep learning classification models, such as BERTweet, produce higher-quality models while using smaller annotated training sets.

Objective:

This study aims to derive and evaluate a pretrained deep learning model based on BERTweet that can identify tweets relevant to vaping, tweets (related to vaping) of …

Where Are The Girls? Exploring Influences On Female Eighth Grade Public School Students’ Choices Of Technology Classes In Texas: A Mixed Method Action Research Study, Shasta Colon

Theses and Dissertations

There is a continuing trend of unrepresented female students in STEM classrooms, particularly in technology courses. There is a focus on the K-12 learning environment to increase the number of female STEM students, which will encourage a growth in participation for females in the STEM field (Sassler, Glass, Levitte, & Michelmore, 2017). The purpose of this study was to increase the number of females students who enroll in technology courses in a public school in Kether Independent School District (KISD). The participants were 66 eighth–grade female students who were enrolled in the College and Career Readiness (CCR) and Technology Applications …

Otulin's Novel Regulatory Mechanisms In Genotoxic And Inflammatory Nf-Kb Signaling, Mingqi Li

Theses and Dissertations (ETD)

Triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) is aggressive but cannot be treated with hormone therapy or molecular therapy due to the lack of a target. Chemotherapy is a systemic treatment that works by attacking rapidly growing cells, which is initially more effective for TNBC patients than those individuals with the hormone receptor-positive breast cancer. However, patients with TNBC tend to develop resistance to chemo drugs, called chemoresistance. After years of effort, the signaling pathways involved in TNBC chemoresistance are gradually revealed, including the nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-kB) pathway. Transcription factor NF-kB is widely involved in cancer development and progression, and its …

The Sex Difference In Depressive Symptoms Among College Students, Penelope E. Seminario

Research Psychology Theses

The sex difference in depression is a well-established and replicated clinical finding, with previous literature indicating that females report more depression than males. However, recent theory and research suggests the sex gap in depressive symptoms may have declined or been eliminated in recent years. The current study examined depressive symptoms among a current (2017-2021) cohort of 1377 undergraduates (18-29 years; M=19.80, 79% female) using the 20-item Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CES-D). I hypothesized that the current sex difference in depressive symptoms would be small or nonsignificant. Results indicated that although males reported more anhedonia (t = 2.65, …

The Sneaker Value: A Disquisition Into Sneaker Resale Market, Xincheng Ding

Theses - ALL

The secondary market for sneakers has proliferated in recent years. In the secondary market of sneakers, it is typical for the resale price of sneakers to be higher than the retail price. Using the theory of planned behavior as a theoretical framework, this study will examine how the economic, hedonic, symbolic, and social values of sneakers influence consumer attitudes and subjective norms. In addition, this study will examine the relationship between social media hype and perceived behavioral control. Finally, this paper examines how TPB components (subjective norms, perceived behavioral control, and attitudes) influence consumers' purchase intentions. To achieve this research …

An Independent Identity, Brion Patrick Hardink

Theses - ALL

Much of my time in graduate school was spent pondering the very basic question, "what is art?" My experience was that certain distinctions separate the Illustration and Fine Art disciplines. This is something I have wrestled with. One common component between the disciplines, however, is the aspiration to communicate ideas and feelings. It is not so much the medium or mode of expression that is important as is the content. To this end, mortality is the one universally relatable truth all human beings share. The opposing ways in which different cultures have understood, accepted, and expressed this is something which …

The Impact Of Live Streaming E-Commerce Features On Chinese Consumers' Attitude And Purchase Intention, Tianmeng Yan

Theses - ALL

In recent years, live streaming e-commerce has been gaining popularity among Chinese consumers as a new social trend. Compared to traditional e-commerce, the shopping model of live streaming service plus e-commerce demonstrates some benefits of social media features, encouraging consumers to engage in live shopping. This study aims to predict how different live streaming e-commerce features (visibility, interactivity, price discount, and celebrity endorsement) influence Chinese consumers' attitude and purchase intentions. It also examines how TPB components (subjective norm, perceived behavior control, and attitudes) can affect Chinese consumers' purchase intention using a theoretical model combined with the TPB model and the …

Cucurbitacin B: A Potential Natural Agent For Targeting Tumor Immune Cell Population, Emmanuel Anning

Theses and Dissertations

Immune checkpoint blockade (PD1, PDL-1 and CTLA-4) immunotherapies have emerged as the breakthrough in cancer treatment. However, some malignancies show marginal response. One factor that influences the efficacy of immunotherapy is the development of immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment (TME), caused by infiltration of myeloid derived suppressor cells (MDSCs) and tumor associated macrophages (TAM) into the tumor, facilitating metastatic tumor growth and immunotherapy resistance. We have identified Cucurbitacin B (Cuc. B), a potent small molecule that targets TAM and MDSCs and inhibits Stat3, CSF-1R, and PI3Kγ signaling axis at lower doses compared to the pharmacological inhibitor of PI3Kγ (IPI-549). IL-4 polarization of …

Screening For Potential Therapeutic Targets Of Yb-1 Protein Using A Bioinformatics Approach, Omar Muneer Karkoutly

Theses and Dissertations

Treatment options for cancer are becoming much more limited due to the robust characteristics of cancer that allows them to rapidly develop drug resistance. This may be a result of cancer cells’ ability to switch between differentiated and undifferentiated states (plasticity). Diagnostic measurement and detection of cancer and its progression is essential for developing successful treatments. Specific cancer targets whose expressions are highly associated with increased incidence, risk, and spread of cancer therefore become perfect targets for therapeutic intervention. One such novel target that is still being studied is the Y-box binding protein 1 (YB-1), which …

Essays On Individuals’ Information Assessment, Information Disclosure, Participation, And Response Behaviors In Online Health Communities, Joseph Ade Manga

Theses and Dissertations

The emergence of online health communities (OHCs) has enabled the use of information technologies to address some social and health needs including but not limited to emotional, social, and health-related issues. This information age has encouraged user generated (UG) content, which facilitates both peer-to-peer and business-to-peer interconnections. This rich and active information epoch (i.e., OHCs) is distinct in that value is generated when peers or participants—who may be content generators and/or content consumers—interact together by exchanging information and receiving supports aimed at addressing their specific needs; and this is made possible through the online platforms or support groups acting as …

Self-Service Technologies That Appear Human Interacting With Customers: Effects On Third-Party Observers, Ross Paul Murray

Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation examines the effects of viewing and hearing service failure and recovery interactions between self-service technologies (SSTs) and customers on third-party observers. Third-party observers are those that observe the actions of other customers as they interact with a firm in some way. These observations could occur in the present (face-to-face) or past (watching a video or listening to an audio recording). Third-party observers provide a unique perspective as they can provide a more neutral perspective of a failed service transaction and recovery as compared to the involved customer and firm.

This dissertation contributes to the SST literature and to …

Influence Of Paclitaxel Nanomedicine On The Pancreatic Tumor Immune Components, Godwin Peasah-Darkwah

Theses and Dissertations

Pancreatic cancer (PanCa) is one of the leading causes of cancer-related mortalities in the U.S due to ineffective therapeutic options. Pancreatic tumors are highly desmoplastic and inhibit efficient uptake of therapeutic payloads. Paclitaxel (PTX) has been tested in PanCa therapy with marginally better clinical outcomes, but remain limited by its poor hemocompatibility, biodistribution and intracellular accumulation in tumor cells. Thus, we synthesized a next generation nanoparticle system for PTX to improve its pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics (PKPD) in treating PanCa. We also examined ability of the nano formulation to potentiate gemcitabine (GEM) activity in combating chemoresistance in the pancreatic tumor microenvironment …

Color Characterization Of Color Changing Orthodontic Adhesives, Megan Fried

Master's Theses (2009 -)

Objective:A popular product to facilitate removal of excess adhesive during bonding of orthodontic appliances is a color changing adhesive. Before polymerization, these materials are a bright color but upon curing, manufacturers claim they become translucent. After debonding, there is often resin embedded within the enamel, so the appearance of these materials after polymerization can affect the esthetics of a patient’s dentition. The purpose of this study was to analyze the color characteristics of various orthodontic color changing adhesives and determine if there is a significant difference in color changing capabilities and in translucency after polymerization between products. Methods:Grengloo and Blugloo …

Properties And Behavior Of Tricarbonyl Manganese Scorpionate Complexes, Billy Shone

Master's Theses (2009 -)

Manganese tricarbonyl complexes have widely been studied for their ability to release carbon monoxide (CO) in the presence of light for potential applications in cancer therapy and in catalysis. Most studies focus on the kinetics and quantity of CO release and the overall impact on cell death. Far fewer studies identify the manganese intermediates and final products after decarbonylation. Identification of such products would be critical to improving reactivity and understanding potential (undesirable) side effects in future applications employing these CO releasing molecules (CORMs). Recently, nitrogen confused C-scorpionate ligands were introduced by the Gardinier group where a pyrazolyl ring is …

In-Between Cultural Expectations And Medical Recommendations: Mothering Discourses Among Nigerian Women On Facebook, Oluwaseyi Esther Ambrose

Master's Theses (2009 -)

One critical health concern that hinders a child’s survival and growth in Nigeria is child mortality. Yet, the factors responsible for the high child mortality rates are preventable, and many can be traced to cultural beliefs and traditional practices related to mothering and childcare. Previous research, however, especially that used social media as its focus, rarely included the perspectives of mothers. Hence, this study examines myths, cultural beliefs, and traditional practices surrounding mothering and child-rearing among Nigerian mothers via a Facebook group, Ask the Pediatricians (ATP). Through a textual analysis of mothers’ discourses on the ATP group, the study reveals …

Differential Impacts Of Hhv-6a Versus Hhv-6b Infection In Differentiated Human Neural Stem Cells, Elham Bahramian, Mercede Furr, Jerry T. Wu, Ruben Michael Ceballos

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications and Presentations

Within the family Herpesviridae, sub-family β-herpesvirinae, and genus Roseolovirus, there are only three human herpesviruses that have been described: HHV-6A, HHV-6B, and HHV-7. Initially, HHV-6A and HHV-6B were considered as two variants of the same virus (i.e., HHV6). Despite high overall genetic sequence identity (~90%), HHV-6A and HHV-6B are now recognized as two distinct viruses. Sequence divergence (e.g., >30%) in key coding regions and significant differences in physiological and biochemical profiles (e.g., use of different receptors for viral entry) underscore the conclusion that HHV-6A and HHV-6B are distinct viruses of the β-herpesvirinae. Despite these viruses being …

The Case For Mandatory Reporting As An Ethical Dilemma For Social Workers, Sam Harrell, Stéphanie Wahab

School of Social Work Faculty Publications and Presentations

Mandatory reporting of child abuse is a part of the civil legal system that can activate a policy cascade disproportionately criminalizing racialized and marginalized communities. While social work scholarship has explored ways to increase provider compliance with mandatory reporting laws, there is a dearth of research focused on how social work education guides future providers towards the praxis of mandatory reporting discourses. This article presents findings from a content analysis of social work textbook excerpts focused on mandatory reporting of child abuse in the U.S. We found that textbooks affirm social work’s loyalty to the State by approaching mandatory reporting …

It's Not You, It's Me: Shame And Misrepresentation In Online Dating, Diedrah Todd

Research Psychology Theses

In the U.S. public opinion about online dating is overall positive with 54% of Americans reporting that relationships that start online through an app or dating site are just as successful as relationships that begin in-person. In dating, success is linked to desirable characteristics such as resources or physical appearance. However, feelings of external shame, which is when a person perceives themselves as existing negatively in the mind of another person is a powerful motivator for avoiding being seen as socially unacceptable. Being seen as socially undesirable as a result of feeling as though oneself is lacking in desirable characteristics …

Can You Be A Legal Ethics Scholar And Have Guts?, Cynthia Godsoe, Abbe Smith, Ellen Yaroshefsky

Faculty Scholarship

No abstract provided.