Digital Commons Network^™

Investigating The Relationship Between Foster Care And Sex Trafficking: What Factors Are Maintaining The Cycle Of Abuse, Shannon M. Budgell

Student Theses

Sex trafficking is a global crime and human rights issue that benefits abusers at the detriment of vulnerable groups, including children involved in the United States welfare system. This meta-synthesis explored the risk factors present within the United States foster care system that expose children to potential victimization. Using qualitative research, the purpose of this study was to review sex trafficking exploitation and analyze the current policies creating this vulnerability in the nation’s child welfare services. Upon completing a systematic literature search, nine studies were included by meeting the following criteria: qualitative or quantitative research studies published in English any …

The Method Development And Validation Of Designer Benzodiazepines In Oral Fluid Using Solid Phase Extraction And Lc-Ms/Ms, Jenna L. Monsell

Student Theses

Oral fluid is a useful biological matrix. Collection is non-invasive, quick, observable, and its correlation between oral fluid and blood drug concentration make oral fluid an important matrix to use as a roadside test. Designer benzodiazepines have become increasingly popular over the years, adversely affecting motor skills and leading to driving under the influence. Many previous studies have focused on the method development and validation of designer benzodiazepines in blood and hair but fail to validate a method to detect designer benzodiazepines in oral fluid. This study focuses on the method validation of 13 designer benzodiazepines in oral fluid using …

Comparing Bone Histology, Topography, And Other Physical Attributes To The Presence Of Viable Dna After Interval Cremation, Eldad Cano Jr

Student Theses

This research aims to compare the resulting characteristics caused by thermal exposure to bone samples – such as physical composition, microscopic histology, and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) analysis – to the qualitative and quantitative DNA analysis within the samples. By using kilns to cremate sus scrofa domesticus bone samples at five different temperatures, cortical and cancellous bones of the tibia, humerus, femur, and fibula will be analyzed and compared to determine any correlation with these factors and the presence of viable DNA. This contribution to research within the realm of forensic anthropology can grant a better understanding of how bone …

An Examination Of Lgbtqia+ College Students And Their Past Experiences With Homelessness, Michaela Dakota Castor

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

In the United States, there are more than 20 million people who identify as LGBTQIA+ which equates to roughly 8% of the population (Powell 2021). Although LGBT youth only make up 5% to 10% of the youth population, 28% will experience housing insecurity (The Trevor Project 2022). For many members of the LGBTQIA+ community, â??coming outâ?? is a sentimental and often scary experience. LGBTQIA+ youth, in particular, are afraid of being rejected and kicked out of their homes because of their sexuality and gender expression. 1 in 4 LGBTQIA+ individuals will be homeless and 68% will face some sort of …

Implementation Of State Of New Mexico's Manual Of Procedures Psab Supplement 12 Capital Assets By A Southern New Mexico School District In Disposal Of E-Waste In The Post Covid 19 Environment, Hector Serrato Giron

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

The COVID-19 pandemic has caused diverse social, economic, and political challenges. The particular challenge that was the focus of this study is the upsurge in electronic use and consequent upsurge in electronic waste. This was caused by the implementation of online instructional delivery processes during Covid-19 (Ermakova, 2021), the switch to home offices (Adejumo & Oluduro, 2021) and the fact that school districts have directed massive financial investments to instructional technology (Baldé & Kuehr, 2021). This trend of heightened e-waste generation is likely to continue (Jiang et al., 2021).

I used a qualitative approach to address the two research questions. …

Interfacial Interactions Between Engineered Nanoplastics And Biological Systems: Towards An Atomic And Molecular Understanding Of Plastics- Driven Cellular Dyshomeostasis, Afroz Karim

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

The persistent presence of micro (nano) plastics in our environment has raised concerns regarding potential health risks associated with human exposure. With the extensive use of plastic materials and the widespread consumption of plastic-contaminated food items, two types of microplastics, polystyrene (PS) and polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA), have attracted increased attention. While the adverse effects of microplastics on animals and marine life have been extensively studied, their potential impact on human health remains largely unexplored. Specifically, the interaction between microplastics and biomolecules within the human body and their effect on human health have yet to be comprehensively investigated. This dissertation study focuses …

Repositioning Propranolol To Block Mitogenic Signaling In Breast Cancer, Alexa Noel Montoya

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Breast cancer is the second most diagnosed cancer among women and is about 30% of all new cases of female cancers each year. It is projected that 1 in 8 every U.S. woman (about 13%) develop invasive breast cancer over the course of her lifetime. While advances in cancer research have made it possible to elucidate several breast cancer genomic subtypes, and develop new novel therapies, many of these agents are associated with significant toxicity, as well as high costs. A retrospective cross-sectional study of 404 breast cancer patients was performed to determine the effect of β-blocker usage on tumor …

A Psychometric Validation Of An Adapted Withdrawal Intolerance Scale For Alcohol Withdrawal Syndrome, Sarah Nicole Najera

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

While potentially life threatening, alcohol withdrawal is often under treated and inadequately integrated into the continuum of care for AUD. The current study served as part of a clinically impactful line of research by identifying key physical and psychological aspects of withdrawal. Using a measure previously developed for smoking cessation, a withdrawal intolerance measure was adapted (IDQ-A) and psychometrically validated. We aimed to establish construct validity of a three factor model of the IDQ-A, convergent and discriminant validity, as well as predictive validity. Those highly motivated to quit drinking and high in alcohol dependence were recruited via specialized social media …

Integrating Machine Learning Methods For Medical Diagnosis, Jazmin Quezada

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Abstract:The rapid advancement of machine learning techniques has revolutionized the field of medical diagnosis by offering powerful tools to analyze complex data sets and make accurate predictions. In this proposed method, we present a novel approach that integrates machine learning and optimization models to enhance the accuracy of medical diagnoses. Our method focuses on fine-tuning and optimizing the parameters of machine learning algorithms commonly used in medical diagnosis, such as logistic regression, support vector machines, and neural networks. By employing optimization techniques, we systematically explore the parameter space of these algorithms to discover the most optimal configurations. Moreover, by representing …

Enhancing Recovery With The Use Of Animals, Christina Martinez

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

Avenues is a program designed to help adults lead happier and more productive lives by overcoming mental health and chemical dependency challenges. The problem is, participants are not fully prepared for independent living following these programs. The plan was to provide participants a therapeutic approach to gaining hands-on experience while combating symptoms of mental illness with the use of animals, with hopes that participants would be better prepared for life after leaving the program. If the project met the expected outcome, the agency would see a lower rate of participants returning to the program and a higher success rate of …

Improving Stress Management For Elementary School Students, Ashley Man

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

This capstone project focuses on stress management for elementary school students. As there has been a rise in elementary school students' reports of stress, a longitudinal study examined daily school stress and coping strategies of elementary school children in the United States. The students were ages 7 to 11 years old and results highlight critical relations between students’ exposure to daily stress at school, their stress appraisals and future expectations, and usage of coping strategies (Sotardi, 2016). The students' ability to manage daily stress in productive, socially acceptable ways was reported to be restricted. This shows that students may not …

The Potential Of Tropical Montane Cloud Forest Epiphytes To Acclimate To A Drier Microclimate., Emily Anders

Master's Theses and Capstones

Tropical Montane Cloud Forests (TMCF) are characterized by frequent cloud immersion and host a rich community of canopy epiphytes. Epiphytes rely on atmospheric inputs of water, making them susceptible to reductions in cloud immersion. We used an experimental cloud reduction experiment in a Peruvian TMCF to examine the potential of five functional groups of vascular epiphytes (orchids, ferns, shrubs, bromeliads, and succulents) to acclimate to reduced cloud immersion via plasticity in morphological and physiological traits related to water use, water storage, and productivity. Complementary data for vascular and nonvascular epiphyte growth and dieback collected over a 3-year period provided additional …

The Lawlessness Of Sackett V. Epa, William W. Buzbee

Case Western Reserve Law Review

No abstract provided.

Increased Phenotypic Plasticity Linked To Broader Geographic Range Size In Sunflower (Helianthus) Species, Thomas Wiegand

Masters Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

Human activity worsens global biodiversity loss, particularly for vulnerable rare species. Plant species can respond to environmental changes via adaptation and/or acclimation or migration, yet limited genetic diversity and fitness in rare species can hinder these processes. Changes in light availability from human activities impact the growth and fitness of broadleaf species like sunflowers (Helianthus spp.). In a garden experiment, we compared the phenotypic plasticity of five Helianthus species representing different geographic ranges. Locally restricted H. longifolius and H. verticillatus showed less plasticity in growth and allocation traits than widespread H. angustifolius and H. maximiliani. Rare species with narrower ranges …

Developing A New Interatomic Potential And Atomistic Study Of Nitihf, Saeed Ataollahi

Masters Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

With the growing demand for high-temperature shape memory alloys (HTSMAs), NiTi-based HTSMAs have gained more attention for implementation in applications at elevated temperatures. Among NiTi-based alloys, NiTiHf has shown to have great potential, by having high transformation temperatures, lower preparation cost and good thermal stability. However, until today, most studies conducted on NiTiHf have focused on a limited range of compositions due to the difficulties and high cost of the experimental studies. Therefore, there exists a lack of comprehensive research on the thermo-mechanical behavior of these HTSMAs. Computational simulations are a very cost-effective and feasible approach for addressing this shortcoming. …

Examining The Quality Of Gender Measurements In Criminological And Criminal Justice Research: Pervasive Apathy Or Bad Research Methods?, Jadon Clark

Masters Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

Criminology has often been criticized for its lack of gender inclusivity and ‘androcentrism,’ particularly by feminist and queer criminologists who note that the field rarely uses separate measures of gender and sex assigned at birth or ones that extend beyond the binary, severely limiting the applicability of evidence-based, gender-responsive services in the criminal justice system. Other fields have adopted measures of gender that capture multiple identities and acknowledge the complexity of gender. However, it is unclear whether criminology has heeded these calls for inclusivity. Using a gender theory perspective, the current study analyzed 566 articles published between 2011 and 2020 …

Vascular Flora And Rare Plant Modeling Of The Walls Of Jericho Forever Wild Tract, Jackson County, Alabama, Garrett Billings

Masters Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

A floristic inventory in the Walls of Jericho Forever Wild Tract was conducted during the 2021-2023 growing seasons. The Walls of Jericho Forever Wild Tract is a 5,142 ha protected area in Jackson County, Alabama. In total, 32 collection trips were made for a total of ~56 field days, resulting in 709 species, representing 372 genera in 125 families. Forty species of conservation concern were documented, including 12 S1 and 17 S2 species. Eighty-five (12%) of these species were non-native. The top three most represented families were Asteraceae (14%), Poaceae (9%) and Cyperaceae (7%). Additionally, we modeled suitable habitat using …

Deep Learning And Generative Ai Approaches For Automated Diagnosis And Personalized Treatment: Bridging Machine Learning, Medicine, And Biomechanics In Predicting Tissue Mechanics And Biomaterial Properties., Yasin Shokrollahi

Theses and Dissertations

Machine learning, particularly deep neural networks, has demonstrated significant potential in predicting high-dimensional tasks across various domains. This work encompasses a detailed review of Generative AI in healthcare and three studies integrating machine learning with finite element analysis for predicting biomechanical behaviors and properties. Initially, we provide a comprehensive overview of Generative AI applications in healthcare, focusing on Transformers and Denoising Diffusion models and suggesting potential research avenues to address existing challenges.

Subsequently, we addressed soccer-related ocular injuries by combining finite element analysis and machine learning to predict retinal mechanics following a soccer ball hit rapidly. The prediction errors are …

Natural Walking Interfaces To Improve Immersive Training In Virtual Reality, Niall L. Williams

Link Foundation Modeling, Simulation and Training Fellowship Reports

Virtual reality (VR) allows users to be placed in a computer-generated environment and provides realistic visual feedback through motion tracking, high refresh rates, and a stereoscopic display [16]. VR presents a new opportunity to provide immersive experiences with applications to job training, entertainment, social interactions, and therapy and rehabilitation. One important aspect of providing users with a comfortable, immersive virtual experience is granting users the ability to freely explore the virtual environment (VE) [5, 6, 30]. Due to the importance of exploration for virtual experiences, it is crucial that we develop locomotion interfaces that provide the best user experience.

Agenda (12-1-2023), Associated Students, Incorporated

Associated Students, Incorporated records

No abstract provided.

Women Leaders In The Oil And Gas Industry: How They Lead With Authenticity And Deal With Underrepresentation And Gender Bias In The Macro, Meso, And Micro Levels Of Society, Michelle Ann Ballard

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study was conducted between March 2023 and April 2023 and measured if women leaders in the oil and gas industry could lead authentically while dealing with gender biases. Women executives encounter macro-level challenges such as recruitment, retention, maintaining a career in oil and gas, feeling a sense of belonging, and gender prejudices. Women have faced organizational obstacles and challenges such as modifying their personalities, being underrepresented in their organization, unequal compensation, discriminatory stereotypes, and scarcity of resources. However, women in the industry also confront nonorganizational deterrents such as work-life conflict, harassment, and being regarded as poor advocates for their …

Overexpression Of Ubtf Correlates With Aggressive Phenotypes Of Prostate Cancer Cells, Guillermo Andres Saldana

Theses and Dissertations

Prostate cancer (PrCa) is one of the most common malignancies in men globally and the second leading cause of cancer associated deaths in developed countries. Accumulating evidence have demonstrated involvement of various molecular and cellular factors in the development, progression and chemoresistance of PrCa and many of them were successfully established as potential molecular targets for therapy. Despite these advancements, the underlying mechanisms of PrCa occurrence is still unclear, which limits the diagnosis and therapy. Therefore, it is an urgent need to discover potential molecular targets which can be used in rational design of new strategies for the prevention and …

Aedes Aegypti Host Preference On Canines Versus Human Volatile Skin Compounds, Melissa Bernadette Rosalez

Theses and Dissertations

It is critical to understand how Aedes aegypti mosquitoes detect hosts through cues such as volatile skin compounds. In South Texas, evidence suggests that this mosquito is showing a feeding preference for canines over humans. This shift may impact the transmission of Dirofilaria immitis, canine heart worms, in local dog populations. Our study is set to explore Ae. Aegypti attraction to hosts using canine and human volatile compounds. Volatile skin compounds will be collected using a volatile collection system. Compounds will be analyzed using gas chromatography/mass spectrometry. It is anticipated that the main volatile skin compounds amongst humans are nonanal, …

Growth Rates, Morphology, And Potential For Mariculture Of The Southern Population Of Crassostrea Virginica In The Lower Laguna Madre, Texas, Jerad Lee Fuelling

Theses and Dissertations

The Eastern Oyster also known as Crassostrea virginica, is an important resource here in the United States. Historically, this species has been overfished, poorly managed, and plagued by disease. Oyster mariculture is a growing industry here in the United States and is a sustainable solution to producing oysters. Texas has become the last coastal state to legalize oyster mariculture which means there is now a vast coastline with many unique bay systems that are open to this industry. One bay system that is particularly unique is the Lower Laguna Madre which is a hypersaline lagoon. Little is known about …

Electrolysis Degradation Of Cyanuric Acid In Wastewater At Cu/Go Cathodes, Chioma Chinwe Nwakanobi

Theses and Dissertations

This work evaluates the development of electrochemical processes for the oxidative degradation of persistent organic chemicals in waste waters, specifically the oxidation of cyanuric acid in the presence of NaCl at Cu/GO cathodes and Ti anodes. The experiment used a graphene oxide doped copper mesh cathode to examine different concentrations of cyanuric acid (30 mg/L, 40 mg/L, and 50 mg/L) and various concentrations of NaCl electrolyte (0.007mol/L, 0.03mol/L, 0.07mol/L, 0.1mol/L, and 0.2mol/L). In addition, the effect of pH (2, 4, 6, and 8), and applied current (0.200A, 0.150A and 0.100A) were studied. The Cu/GO electrode played a central role in …

Intellibeehive, Christian Ivan Narcia-Macias

Theses and Dissertations

Utilizing computer vision and the latest technological advancements, in this study, we developed a honey bee monitoring system that aims to enhance our understanding of Colony Collapse Disorder, honey bee behavior, population decline, and overall hive health. The system is positioned at the hive entrance providing real-time data, enabling beekeepers to closely monitor the hive's activity and health through an account-based website. Using machine learning, our monitoring system can accurately track honey bees, monitor pollen-gathering activity, and detect Varroa mites, all without causing any disruption to the honey bees. Moreover, we have ensured that the development of this monitoring system …

Robust And Uncertainty-Aware Image Classification Using Bayesian Vision Transformer Model, Fazlur Rahman Bin Karim

Theses and Dissertations

Transformer Neural Networks have emerged as the predominant architecture for addressing a wide range of Natural Language Processing (NLP) applications such as machine translation, speech recognition, sentiment analysis, text anomaly detection, etc. This noteworthy achievement of Transformer Neural Networks in the NLP field has sparked a growing interest in integrating and utilizing Transformer models in computer vision tasks. The Vision Transformer (ViT) model efficiently captures long-range dependencies by employing a self-attention mechanism to transform different image data into meaningful, significant representations. Recently, the Vision Transformer (ViT) has exhibited incredible performance in solving image classification problems by utilizing ViT models, thereby …

Using Statistical Clustering Of Trajectory Data To Support Analysis Of Subject Movement In A Virtual Environment, Martín Alejandro Galicia Avila

Theses and Dissertations

The rising use of virtual reality software requires new methods of spatiotemporal analysis to enhance the user experience. This investigation is focused on forming clusters from spatiotemporal trajectories within a virtual environment and analyzing them in search of human immersion and behavior insights. The cluster centroids are plotted and analyzed to identify associations with the trajectories and user demographics.

Gaze Tracking Embedded Collaborative Robots For Automated Metrology And Reverse Engineering, Sachithra H. Karunathilake

Theses and Dissertations

Conventional geometric metrology, or three-dimensional (3D) scanning, and reverse engineering heavily rely on the experience of the operators. With an increasing need for automation, robot arms have been adopted for this task. However, due to the large variety of parts and designs, automated path planning could provide a scanning solution that may overlook the critical area, which could potentially deteriorate the scan results. This study explores the integration of collaborative robotics (cobots) with eye tracking technology to improve the autonomous 3D scanning process. The primary objective of this study is to enhance the accuracy and efficiency of cobots in …

Rhythmic Ritual: Hand Papermaking As A Transformative Process, Keatan Mckeever

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis is an exploration of the transformative processes of hand papermaking, both personally and materially, through various artworks situated between two- and three-dimensional forms. The conceptual motivations supporting my practice are informed by intuition, locally sourced materials, human connection, material structure, and low-tech approaches to the papermaking process. In the first portion of this thesis, I discuss how I chose paper as my artistic medium, and the transformational process of hand papermaking through a historical lens. The second half follows the experimentation and limitations that informed my practice, the content of my work regarding material and structural qualities, and …