Digital Commons Network^™

Millimeter-Wave Software-Defined Radios With Programmable Directionality, Marc H. Jean

Graduate Thesis and Dissertation 2023-2024

Fifth generation (5G) networks are currently being deployed at millimeter wave (mmWave) bands, beyond 22 GHz. The wireless node density and gigabit-per-second demands of 5G Internet-of Things (IoT) devices are pushing for more spatial reuse and higher frequency bands, which can be achieved by directional beamforming methods. Over the years, researchers have relied on synthetic data and simulation for studying directionality and beamforming, due to the lack and high cost of mmWave hardware. Hence, there is a major need for software-defined radio (SDR) platforms that enable programmable directionality in wireless studies and experimentation. Recently, more affordable and commercially available mmWave …

Investigating K–12 Teachers’ Attitudes, Beliefs, And Self-Efficacy After Implementation Of Problem-Based Learning, Paulina Bzdun

Graduate Thesis and Dissertation 2023-2024

This mixed-methods study investigated the factors that impact K–12 teachers' perceived self-efficacy, attitudes, and beliefs regarding the implementation of problem-based learning (PBL), with a specific focus on the influences within a K–11 schoolwide setting. The first part of the study analyzed 21 responses to the pre- and post- Teacher PBL Self-Efficacy, Attitude, and Implementation Questionnaires; the second part analyzed three individual teachers’ interview responses gathered during one-on-one Zoom interviews with the researcher.

The quantitative data questionnaires covered relationships between teachers’ perceived attitudes and beliefs, self-efficacy, and implementation of problem-based learning. Findings showed that there was a statistically significant relationship between …

Advancing Policy Insights: Opinion Data Analysis And Discourse Structuring Using Llms, Aaditya Bhatia

Graduate Thesis and Dissertation 2023-2024

The growing volume of opinion data presents a significant challenge for policymakers striving to distill public sentiment into actionable decisions. This study aims to explore the capability of large language models (LLMs) to synthesize public opinion data into coherent policy recommendations. We specifically leverage Mistral 7B and Mixtral 8x7B models for text generation and have developed an architecture to process vast amounts of unstructured information, integrate diverse viewpoints, and extract actionable insights aligned with public opinion. Using a retrospective data analysis of the Polis platform debates published by the Computational Democracy Project, this study examines multiple datasets that span local …

Aspira And The Young Lords: Examining Their Impact On Fostering A Puerto Rican Cultural Identity In New York City During The 1960s And 1970s, Asmara M. Cortes-Caba

Graduate Thesis and Dissertation 2023-2024

This thesis examines how the organizations ASPIRA and the Young Lords Party fostered a cultural identity within Puerto Ricans in New York or “Nuyoricans.” ASPIRA, founded in 1961 by Antonia Pantoja, aimed to create leaders who would later give back to their communities. They established clubs for Puerto Rican high school students in schools and at ASPIRA centers in Manhattan, Brooklyn, and Bronx. The Young Lords Party, founded in 1969, was a grassroots organization that fought against social injustices through their initiatives called “offensives.” ASPIRA and the Young Lords Party contributed greatly towards the development of a Nuyorican identity and …

Impact Of Social Support On Turnover Intentions And Burnout Among Hispanic Religious Leaders, Sandra Montenegro

Graduate Thesis and Dissertation 2023-2024

In some cases, role stressors force members of the clergy to rely on social support to maintain themselves serving in ministry. In this study, the Job Demands and Resources (JD-R) model is applied to investigate the interaction between vocational demands (role stressors and occupational distress) and resources (social support) in predicting burnout and turnover intentions in Florida clergy. A cross-sectional survey design was used to assess the buffering role of social support systems in mitigating turnover intentions and the overall impact on clergy burnout. The findings suggest that role overload, role conflict, and occupational distress are significantly related to burnout, …

Thermosensitive Phosphors As Optical Temperature Sensors In Extreme Environments, Marcos Ramon Imer Rocha Pita

Wayne State University Dissertations

Luminescent temperature sensors offer unique advantages over thermocouples and pyrometers for applications in extreme environments such as operando wall temperature mapping of combustion engines. A refractory oxide host doped with an optically active ion has the potential to afford a thermosensitive phosphor with a well-defined temperature response in such extreme environments. However, the design of thermosensitive phosphors with targeted temperature sensitivity and spatial resolution in the operational temperature range of interest has been hindered by the inability to rationally select host–activator pairs. A major scientific question is what crystal-chemistry features a low thermal conductivity oxide must possess to afford a …

Dietary Folate Regulates Organismal Growth And Longevity, Aiman Shahab

Wayne State University Dissertations

Folate (Vitamin B9) is an essential cofactor in one-carbon transfer reactions. It is involved in multiple critical processes including DNA synthesis, DNA methylation, protein synthesis and antioxidant defense mechanisms. Inadequate intake and availability of folate is a known risk factor for several diseases. The effect of folate deficiency in causing adverse health outcome is well documented. Recently, excess folate exposure has been associated with deleterious effects on health in humans and animal models. However, the underlying mechanisms involved in mediating such effects are poorly understood, requiring extensive investigations. This work was conducted to understand the effect of excess folate on …

Density Functional Studies Of Molecular Separation And Charge Transport, Timothy Quainoo

Wayne State University Dissertations

This thesis presents a series of studies which can be grouped majorly into two sections both focusing on the utilization of density functional theory techniques; Molecular electronics and Molecular separation. Molecular electronics has been anticipated to hold a great future as it seeks to apply molecular building blocks in the creation of electronic components. On the other hand, the utilization of mild conditions in chemical processes is geared toward the major goals of green chemistry as it produces less waste and is cost-effective. Thus, this dissertation tackles and answers some of the unanswered questions in literature by using theoretical methods …

An Exploration Of Medical Mistrust In Urban African American Adolescents With High Risk Asthma, Meghna Shukla

Wayne State University Dissertations

Problem: Little is known about the relationship between medical mistrust and health outcomes in adolescents, particularly minority adolescents with chronic illness. There is also a paucity in knowledge on the relationship between caregivers’ trust or mistrust in a provider and if this is similar or dissimilar in their adolescent’s beliefs. To address this critical gap in research, this study aims to explore medical mistrust in AA adolescents with high-risk asthma and their caregivers. Asthma is currently the leading pediatric chronic respiratory condition in the United States, with a reported 60% had uncontrolled asthma symptoms. Asthma disproportionately affects urban, disadvantaged, minority …

Addressing Salon Segregation: Structural Racism In The Salon Industry, Jessica S. Willson

Wayne State University Dissertations

In the United States, hair salons remain unofficially segregated by race, reflecting broader patterns of systemic inequality with deep historical roots and contemporary manifestations. This dissertation examines Black hair not merely as a physical attribute but as a profound aspect of cultural identity and personal expression. It aims to illuminate the broader implications of salon segregation, challenging the notion that it is a natural outcome of human preferences or tendencies. Instead, it argues that this segregation is the result of entrenched social processes, deliberate structural racism, and discriminatory policies that cause significant harm to Black individuals. By presenting testimonials from …

Exploring How Administrative Factors Including Mentoring, Compensation, And Workload Impact The Retention Rates Of Novice Title I Teachers, Danielle Jones

Graduate Thesis and Dissertation post-2024

This study explores the administrative factors impacting the experiences and retention rate of Title I beginning-year teachers that have 1-3 years of experience. Considering Title I schools primarily serve students from marginalized backgrounds, understanding the role of administrative factors becomes crucial. These factors significantly influence both student outcomes and teacher effectiveness, emphasizing the need for further exploration. For this reason, this research seeks to identify and understand the impacts administrative structures have on the performance, satisfaction, and retention of new teachers in Title I schools. This quantitative study will examine the experiences and outcomes of new teachers in Title I …

Inequalities In Use Of Hospitals For Childbirth Among Rural Women In Sub-Saharan Africa: A Comparative Analysis Of 18 Countries Using Demographic And Health Survey Data., Manuela Straneo, Claudia Hanson, Thomas Van Den Akker, Bosede Afolabi, Anteneh Asefa, Alexandre Delamou, Mardieh Dennis, Luis Gadama, Nyika Mahachi, Welcome Mlilo

Centre of Excellence in Women and Child Health

Introduction; Rising facility births in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) mask inequalities in higher-level emergency care— typically in hospitals. Limited research has addressed hospital use in women at risk of or with complications, such as high parity, linked to poverty and rurality, for whom hospital care is essential. We aimed to address this gap, by comparatively assessing hospital use in rural SSA by wealth and parity.

Methods; Countries in SSA with a Demographic and Health Survey since 2015 were included. We assessed rural hospital childbirth stratifying by wealth (wealthier/poorer) and parity (nulliparity/high parity≥5), and their combination. We computed percentages, 95% CIs and …

Essays On Foreign Trade Zones, Xincheng Huang

Dissertations and Theses Collection (Open Access)

In 1934, in the midst of the Great Depression, the US Congress enacted the Foreign Trade Zones (FTZs) Act, and all states have at least one zone. FTZ play a significant role of sourcing foreign products, constituting about 12% of all imports entering the US and over 28% of total taxable goods during the US-China Trade War. As of 2021, there were 258 approved FTZs and roughly 85% of the outputs are domestically consumed. The US government set three main objectives of FTZs, including facilitating international trade, fostering domestic economic activities, and attracting foreign investments. This thesis firstly quantitatively measures …

An Approach To Multidimensional Discrete Generating Series, Svetlana S. Akhtamova, Tom Cuchta, Alexander P. Lyapin

Mathematics Faculty Research

We extend existing functional relationships for the discrete generating series associated with a single-variable linear polynomial coefficient difference equation to the multivariable case.

Disease Footprints: Understanding Basic Pathophysiology, Jeff Vasiloff, Md, Mph

OHIO Open Faculty Textbooks

Basic pathophysiology explained by Jeffrey Vasiloff, MD, MPH, Associate Clinical Professor, PA Program; Adjunct Professor, PT Program, College of Health Sciences and Professions, Ohio University Dublin Medical Campus; Physician Consultant: Ohio Association of Physician Assistants; Physician Volunteer: Franklin County & Columbus Medical Reserve Corps; Board Certification: Internal Medicine & Diabetes and Endocrinology.

Molecular Study Of The Agr Gene In Multidrug-Resistant (Mdr) And Extensively Drug-Resistant (Xdr) In The S. Aureus, Mays Ali Salim, Estabraq Ali Maklef, Montaha Abdul-Karim Al-Saffar

Al-Esraa University College Journal for Medical Sciences

Staphylococcus aureus a gram-positive coccus and one of the most important opportunistic bacteria that can lead to nosocomial infections. The purpose of this study is to explore the distribution and prevalence of the Agr gene in multidrug-resistance (MDR) and extensively drug-resistant (XDR) S. aureus. 62 isolates performed antibiotic sensitivity test. The isolates showed 66.12% resistance to clindamycin with MIC at range≥4, erythromycin 77.41% with MIC at range≥8, ciprofloxacin 19.35% with MIC at range≥4, oxacillin 75.80% with MIC at range≥4, cefoxitin 45.16% with MIC at range≥8, gentamycin 29.03% with MIC at range≥16, nitrofurantoin 14.51% and MIC at range≥128, and tetracycline …

Report: Evaluation Of Seal!Nd: School Year 2022-2023, Shawnda Schroeder, Jordan Jaeger

Indigenous Health Faculty Publications

The North Dakota school-based sealant program (SEAL!ND) prioritizes providing preventive oral health care to underserved students by targeting schools with 45% or greater of their students enrolled in the free and reduced fee school lunch program (these are considered qualifying schools). Although schools with a larger proportion of youth who are from lower-income households are prioritized by federal funding, additional schools participate and receive care from local dental providers (these are referred to as non-qualifying). During the 2022-23 school year, 58 schools participated in SEAL!ND; 40 qualifying schools (Q) and 18 non-qualifying (NQ); 55 of the 58 schools had two …

Infographic: How Well Do North Dakota Third-Grade Students Take Care Of Their Teeth?, Shawnda Schroeder

Indigenous Health Faculty Publications

93% of the third-grade students had visited the dentist at least once in their life. Children who report never seeing a dentist have a significantly higher need for urgent dental care.

Brief Of Amici Curiae Scholars For The Advancement Of Children’S Constitutional Rights In Support Of Defendants-Appellees: St. Mary Catholic Parish V. Roy, Lauren Fontana, Catherine Smith, Tanya M. Washington, Robin Walker Sterling, Suzette Malveaux, Jeremiah Chin, Sara S. Hildebrand

Scholarly Articles

Amici are scholars of children and the law, education law, family law, and anti-discrimination law. Amici draw this Court’s attention to the harms that four-year-olds in the LGBT community – LGBT children and children with LGBT parents – would bear should state-funded religious schools be granted a license to discriminate against them. An exemption to Colorado’s Universal Preschool Program’s equal-opportunity requirement would allow plaintiffs to discriminate against these children and plant unfair barriers in their paths to a high-quality education and inflict dignitary, psychological, and familial harms upon an entire class of young people solely because of their or their …

Amicus Brief Of Children’S Rights Legal Scholars And Advocates As Amici Curiae In Support Of Neither Party: Trump V. Anderson, Catherine Smith, Jeremiah Chin, Philip L. Gregory, Mathew W. Dos Santos, Julia A. Olson

Scholarly Articles

Amici write, not to urge a particular merits outcome to the questions presented, but to advocate for a judicial review process that (1) is true to constitutional text and this Court’s precedent, (2) accounts for non-voting children and future generations who fall within the protections of the counter-majoritarian provisions of the Constitution, and (3) embraces the perpetuity principle over the political question doctrine.

Abrams, Sebastian B. - Volume 2, Carter County Genealogical Society

Carter County Genealogy Collection

Genealogy of the Sebastian Basil Abrams family in Carter County, Kentucky.

Stamper, Andrew Jackson - Volume 3, Carter County Genealogical Society, Betty Stamper Wellman

Carter County Genealogy Collection

Genealogy of the Andrew Jackson Stamper family in Carter County, Kentucky.

Andrew Jackson Stamper is the fifth child of John R. 'Pewter John' and Sarah 'Sallie' Stamper

Profile Matching: Identifying Conditions That Impact The Appropriateness Of Personality Scoring Methods, Wyatt Stahl

Wayne State University Dissertations

Profile matching is an assessment scoring method that quantifies the level of fit with an ideal profile. The method is sometimes used to score personality trait data in employment selection contexts. Some initial research has suggested that profile matching may be a valid method of scoring these data, however, little is known about how the criterion-related validity and standardized mean demographic differences that are produced by profile matching compare to other methods of scoring personality data. Additionally, little is known about the trait characteristics and validation conditions that affect what scoring method may be most appropriate. The present research utilized …

Relationship Between Genotype And Disease Phenotype For Gluten-Related Disorders, Michael Roberts, Nadine Grzeskowiak, Stephen Bricher

Faculty Publications

We investigated gluten-related disorders (GRD) in intestinal biopsy-proven subjects to determine the relation between genotype (i.e., Human Leukocyte Antigen (HLA) DQ alleles) and phenotype (i.e., antibody levels and clearly defined symptoms). Subjects had known DQ genotypes, information on IgA anti-Endomysial antibodies (EMA) and/or anti-tissue Trans Glutaminase (tTG) antibodies (tTGA). Subjects also answered a survey characterizing gastrointestinal, skin, and neural symptoms. Though all were biopsy-proven, HLA genotypes included all combinations of DQ2.5, DQ2.2, DQ8, DQ7.5, DQ5, and DQ6. Subject antibody levels were proportional to the number of DQ2.5 haplotypes, and subjects with non-CD-associated haplotypes did not have positive antibody scores (despite …

Id 340-001: Materials And Processes, Martin Short

School of Art and Design Syllabi

No abstract provided.

Putting The Puzzle Pieces Together: Creatively Connecting Student Support Offices To Students And Each Other, Kate Wimer, Tate Jackson, Jenny Bruxvoort

Faculty Publications - George Fox University Library

In late August 2022, Murdock Library was anything but quiet. On one side of the building, a line wound out the door of the Academic Resource Center, where students were racing to create magnetic poetry on the back of sheet pans. On the other side of the building, the library director missed his cornhole target, almost hitting the printing station. His student opponents cheered. Around campus, students raced with cotton balls at Health and Counseling, stacked macaroni boxes at the food pantry, and solved a rebus puzzle at Student Life. Although it may have been an unorthodox scene to some, …

What If There Are No “Good” Sources Of Information? Considering A Paradigm Shift In Information Literacy Instruction, Kate Wimer

Faculty Publications - George Fox University Library

The last decade has seen major shifts in culture, the information landscape, and library instruction. For most of that time, librarians have focused on helping students question information sources, in part a reaction to the rise in misinformation and disinformation, and in part in response to specific requests from our communities who look to the library as a source of “good” information. Yet, students are still not critical enough of external information that aligns with previous beliefs, and hypercritical of external information that does not, reinforcing polarized thinking. There has been a paradigm shift in the information environment and among …

East Marshall Street Well Project: Reparative Work And The Policy For Human Remains, Rome Kamarouthu

East Marshall Street Well Project Symposium Posters

This poster introduces the public to the history of medical exploitation tied to the East Marshall Street Well in the 19 th century, as well as the reparative efforts of the East Marshall Street Well Project, a partnership between VCU and a community group known as the Family Representative Council. It stresses that the Family Representative Council has called upon VCU to bury the remains found in the well, as well as to support research and memorialization efforts. The poster highlights the work of student fellows in fulfilling those recommendations, specifically in conducting and processing oral history interviews, and in …

Don't Call It 'Privacy': Data Protection, From Ideas To Constitutional Law, Raphaël Beauregard-Lacroix

SJD Dissertations

Data protection law has been subject to various criticisms, among which is one of a fundamental kind: devoted to procedures, it lost sight of its privacy-bound origins. This dissertation aims to provide a novel historical and comparative account of the transatlantic development of data protection law, from the origins to this day, identifying how it may yet succeed in reaching the policy goals its original proponents imagined, and untangling key legal concepts along the way.

The regulatory concept of data protection was founded on three basic principles: purpose limitation, universality, and institutional supervision and enforcement. These three principles trace their …

Nanoscale Characterization Of Interaction Of Nucleosomes With H1 Linker Histone, Ahmed Yesvi Rafa, Shaun Filliaux, Yuri L. Lyubchenko

Journal Articles: Pharmaceutical Sciences

In eukaryotic nuclei, DNA is wrapped around an octamer of core histones to form nucleosomes. H1 binds to the linker DNA of nucleosome to form the chromatosome, the next structural unit of chromatin. Structural features on individual chromatosomes contribute to chromatin structure, but not fully characterized. In addition to canonical nucleosomes composed of two copies each of histones H2A, H2B, H3, and H4 (H3 nucleosomes), centromeres chromatin contain nucleosomes in which H3 is replaced with its analog CENP-A, changing structural properties of CENP-A nucleosomes. Nothing is known about the interaction of H1 with CENP-A nucleosomes. Here we filled this gap …