Digital Commons Network^™

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 …

Leveraging Agile Software Methodologies Within Software Development To Introduce A Novel Educational Software Methodology, Montserrat Guadalupe Molina

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Agile Software Development has been growing increasingly popular in the software engineering industry as a way to produce working software in a quick and people-centered manner. Agile methodologies require practitioners to have strong technical and non-technical skills, such as teamwork, project management, and communication skills. Students graduating from the software engineering discipline have been found to be lacking in these areas, leading to many difficulties faced by recent graduates as they begin their professional careers. Given that Agile Software Development is the most popular software development lifecycle currently used by practitioners in industry, it is important to expose students to …

Bitcoin's Technical Foundation And Its Potential For A Decentralized And Environmentally Friendly Future, Iqtiar Md Siddique

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

This research examines a systematic analysis of Bitcoin, employing a Coefficient of Variation (CV) approach to gauge its degree of decentralization. Bitcoin, an innovative decentralized digital currency, has received much attention for its potential to revolutionize traditional financial systems. This study employs the Coefficient of Variation (CV) to acquire insights into the wealth distribution and concentration among Bitcoin users. This research demonstrates how decentralized the network of Bitcoin is. The methodology uses real data on Bitcoin addresses and their holdings to compute the Coefficient of Variation (CV). This approach provides valuable insights into the ongoing discourse surrounding Bitcoin's decentralization, offering …

Development Of A 3d Printed Conductive Biopolymer For Cardiac Tissue Engineering, Britanny Lizeth Stark

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the leading cause of death in the US, with approximately 859,000 deaths each year. The major contributor to CVD is Acute Myocardial Infarction (AMI), which causes the death of approximately 25% of the cardiomyocytes present in the left ventricle of the heart. After AMI, the adult human heart has a very limited regenerative capacity. Moreover, the electrical propagation of the myocardium is severely disrupted, making the heart more susceptible to failure and patient death. However, current pharmacological treatments do not address the loss of cardiomyocytes and the disruption of electrical propagation in the heart. Tissue engineering …

Evolution Of Forest Bitis (Macrocerastes) In Africa: Phylogeography, Population Genetics, And Potential As A Model For Batesian Mimicry, Eugene Richard Vaughan

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

The major biogeographical patterns characterizing the diversification of widely distributed species in the African rainforest remain poorly understood because of the low number of well-sampled studies that are focused on this region. I examine the phylogeography and population genetics of two broadly sympatric sister lineages of large African forest vipers (genus Bitis, subgenus Macrocerastes), the rhinoceros viper (B. nasicornis) and the Gaboon vipers (B. gabonica and B. rhinoceros). Despite their close relationship, these two lineages have notably different patterns of divergence in time and space. A time-calibrated phylogeny with sequence data from five genes, and population structure and PCA analyses …

Characterization Of Fcc Al-Cu-Ni-Mn-Ag High Entropy Alloy, Gina Zavala Alvarado

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

The effect of Ag on the microstructure developed in Al-Cu-Ni-Mn alloy has been determined. The modified Al-Cu-Ni-Mn alloy by Ag addition shows the presence of three microconstituents consisting of phases rich in (1) Cu, (2) Ni, and (3) Ag. The foregoing alloys heated for 24 hours from 600 to 1000 °C show excellent oxidation resistance. Oxide formation and microstructural changes of the alloy have been characterized by elemental mapping and X-ray diffraction (XRD). Results show that the elements of Al and Mn preferentially oxidize while Cu and Ni provide oxidation resistance to the alloy. Hardness was taken on the alloy …

Diverse Impacts Of Commercial Ev Charging Load Infrastructure On Electric Power Grid, Antonio Avila

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

With the rising prominence of electric vehicles (EVs) in the transportation sector, this thesis delves into the critical nexus between commercial EVs, charging infrastructure, and their consequential impacts on the power grid. As commercial EVs, particularly medium and heavy-duty variants, gain traction as viable alternatives in the commercial transportation landscape, understanding the intricacies of their charging requirements becomes paramount. This thesis critically examines the technological and logistical dimensions of the charging infrastructure for supporting commercial EVs, evaluating the consequential implications on the power grid and proposing strategies for mitigation through the utilization of Distributed Energy Resources (DERs). In tandem with …

Exploring Aging Using The Selection, Optimization, And Compensation (Soc) Framework In Conjunction With Kinematic Gait And Verbal Fluency Task Analysis In Healthy Adults, Emily Ann Chavez

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

This multi-study dissertation examined dual-task performance in young and middle-aged adults using verbal fluency tasks (VFT) during different walking scenarios (baseline, performing a VFT, walking narrowly, and performing a VFT while walking narrowly) as well as the Selection, Optimization, and Compensation (SOC) model. Thirty adults (15 young adults (YA; 19-44 years) and 15 middle-aged adults (MA; 45-65 years) participated in this study. Overall, there were no significant differences between groups when data was examined in short (means of means approach) and long-form (incorporating all data), when analyzing clustering and switching strategies, gait speed variability, or dual-task costs. Overall, these three …

Viability Of Magnetic Nanoparticles For Magnetic Hyperthermia Cancer Therapy, Marcos Adrian Garcia

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Over the last few decades magnetic nanoparticles have gained an extraordinary amount of attention in the science community. Their versatile use in many different research areas such as medicine, engineering and technology and many other areas has made them a popular subject. In this thesis, the synthesis of different systems of magnetic nanoparticles will be explored along with the potential use of the MNP's as viable candidates for Magnetic Hyperthermia Cancer Therapy. With values of over 200 emu/g for Iron-Silver magnetic nanoparticles with particle sizes ranging from 30-70nm and their heating properties under an AC magnetic field. As well of …

Secondary Administrators' Perceptions Of Truancy Decriminalization In Texas: House Bill 2398, Mae Read

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Seven Campus Truancy Administrator's perceptions and lived experiences were investigated as they responded to mandated changes in Texas truancy policy and how effective the implemented Truancy Prevention Measures would be perceived on high school campuses located in Far West-Texas. Campus Truancy Administrators provided insight as to interpretation of policy on their individual campus; challenges associated with enforcement of truancy policy; the effectiveness of Truancy Prevention Measures; and how implementation of these measures resulted in additional changes pertaining to loss of credit; changing graduation rates; and enforcement of Truancy Prevention Measures on student groups exempted from court proceedings.The study found Campus …

Tracking Emissions In Power Systems, Kenji Santacruz

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Greenhouse gas emissions have been increasing in concentration in the atmosphere, which poses risks to the environment. Since 2011, the 𝐶𝐶𝐶𝐶2 emissions reached an average of 410 parts per million (ppm). The burning of fossil fuels for energy production was identified as the primary source of these emissions, making up 25% of global emissions by sector in 2010. To promote sustainable practices, there is an increasing need to accurately track greenhouse gas emissions in power systems. To accomplish this, an emission tracking method that can provide emission information for each load point in real-time is needed. In addition, certain indices …

Towards A Spaceworthy Cots Graphics Processing Unit: Hardware Performance Counter Based Symptomatic Fault Detection, Antonio E. Teijeiro

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Ionizing radiation remains an obstacle to bringing graphics processing units (GPU) to space. Since radiation-hardened GPU chips are technically infeasible at the moment, an emphasis has been placed on the adaptation of commercial-off-the-shelf (COTS) GPUs to the space domain. At present, GPU error detection methods require redundant computation. This thesis work explores the utilization of hardware performance counters, special registers useful for monitoring internal GPU hardware events, for symptom-based, lightweight error detection. Hardware performance counters are successfully utilized for the detection of anomalous single event upsets in the L0 instruction cache, the load store unit, the arithmetic and logic unit, …

An Integrated Theoretical Examination Of General Strain And Identity Theory To Describe Lesbian, Gay, And Bisexual (Lgb) Youth Drug Use, Ciarra I. Hastings

All Dissertations

In recent years, the United States has experienced an increase in LGBT+ youth perpetrating drugs, sex, and violent offenses. According to identity theory, individuals maintain three main identities that if incongruent can create friction which could lead to crime. The friction may involve the LGBT+ identity and other contributing factors such as demographics age, race, religion, level of education, adverse childhood experiences, stigmatization, discrimination, mental illness, and identity measures (masculine versus feminine identities and sexual minority identity).

This study examined how the LGBT+ identity may create a strain with an individual’s three main identities, personal, group, and societal, and how …

People, Place, And Planet: Global Review Of Use-Inspired Research On Water-Related Ecosystem Services In Urban Wetlands, Jason Sauer, Heejun Chang

Geography Faculty Publications and Presentations

With climate change and urbanization, city planners and developers have increasing interest and practice in constructing, restoring, or incorporating wetlands as forms of green infrastructure to maintain water-related ecosystem services (WES). We reviewed studies that valued in functional or monetary units the water regulation and purification services of urban wetlands around the globe. We used the adaptive management cycle (AMC) as a heuristic to determine the step that a study would represent in the AMC, the connections between the cycle steps that were used or considered, and the stakeholders involved. Additionally, we identified the social, ecological, and/or technological dimension(s) of …

Editorial: Innovations, Advances, And Challenges In Precision Radiation Oncology Physics, Fada Guan, Lawrence Bronk, Jinbo Yue, Radhe Mohan, Zhe Chen

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

No abstract provided.

Toll-Like Receptor 4 Agonist Injection With Concurrent Radiotherapy In Patients With Metastatic Soft Tissue Sarcoma: A Phase 1 Nonrandomized Controlled Trial, Yongwoo David Seo, Hailing Lu, Graeme Black, Kimberly Smythe, Yuexin Yu, Cynthia Hsu, Juliana Ng, Pedro Hermida De Viveiros, E Houston Warren, Brett A Schroeder, Ryan B O'Malley, Lee D Cranmer, Elizabeth T Loggers, Michael J Wagner, Lynn Bonham, Venu G Pillarisetty, Gabrielle Kane, Peter Berglund, Frank J Hsu, Xinlei Mi, Borislav A Alexiev, Robert H Pierce, Stanley R Riddell, Robin L Jones, Jan Ter Meulen, Edward Y Kim, Seth M Pollack

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Importance: Metastatic soft tissue sarcomas (STSs) have limited systemic therapy options, and immunomodulation has not yet meaningfully improved outcomes. Intratumoral (IT) injection of the toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) agonist glycopyranosyl lipid A in stable-emulsion formulation (GLA-SE) has been studied as immunotherapy in other contexts.

Objective: To evaluate the safety, efficacy, and immunomodulatory effects of IT GLA-SE with concurrent radiotherapy in patients with metastatic STS with injectable lesions.

Design, setting, and participants: This phase 1 nonrandomized controlled trial of patients with STS was performed at a single academic sarcoma specialty center from November 17, 2014, to March 16, 2016. Data analysis …

Small Scale Desalination Technologies: A Comprehensive Review, Hamed Kariman, Abdellah Shafieian, Mehdi Khiadani

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

In recent decades, problems related to fresh water has become a very important issue for humans. Small-scale desalination (SSD) systems, besides large-scale desalination (LSD) systems, fulfil an important role in meeting freshwater demand by eliminating the cost of transmission and have the advantage of treating water on-site. In this study, for the first time, a comprehensive review of previous studies has been carried out on SSD systems (less than 25 m3/d water production). These systems are powered using renewable, non-renewable or hybrid sources of energy, incorporating different treatment technologies such as: reverse osmosis (RO); electro dialysis (ED); capacitive deionization (CDI); …

Multi-Scale Mapping Of Australia’S Terrestrial And Blue Carbon Stocks And Their Continental And Bioregional Drivers, Lewis Walden, Oscar Serrano, Mingxi Zhang, Zefang Shen, James Z. Sippo, Lauren T. Bennett, Damien T. Maher, Catherine E. Lovelock, Peter I. Macreadie, Connor Gorham, Anna Lafratta, Paul S. Lavery, Luke Mosley, Gloria M. S. Reithmaier, Jeffrey J. Kelleway, Sabine Dittmann, Fernanda Adame, Carlos M. Duarte, John B. Gallagher, Pawel Waryszak, Paul Carnell, Sabine Kasel, Nina Hinko-Najera, Rakib Hassan, Madeline Goddard, Alice R. Jones, Raphael A. Viscarra Rossel

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

The soil in terrestrial and coastal blue carbon ecosystems is an important carbon sink. National carbon inventories require accurate assessments of soil carbon in these ecosystems to aid conservation, preservation, and nature-based climate change mitigation strategies. Here we harmonise measurements from Australia’s terrestrial and blue carbon ecosystems and apply multi-scale machine learning to derive spatially explicit estimates of soil carbon stocks and the environmental drivers of variation. We find that climate and vegetation are the primary drivers of variation at the continental scale, while ecosystem type, terrain, clay content, mineralogy and nutrients drive subregional variations. We estimate that in the …

An Improved Genetic Algorithm Based Fractional Open Circuit Voltage Mppt For Solar Pv Systems, Aakash Hassan, Octavian Bass, Mohammad A. S. Masoum

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

To extract the maximum power from solar PV, maximum power point tracking (MPPT) controllers are needed to operate the PV arrays at their maximum power point under varying environmental conditions. Fractional Open Circuit Voltage (FOCV) is a simple, cost-effective, and easy to implement MPPT technique. However, it suffers from the discontinuous power supply and low tracking efficiency. To overcome these drawbacks, a new hybrid MPPT technique based on the Genetic Algorithm (GA) and FOCV is proposed. The proposed technique is based on a single decision variable, reducing the complexity and convergence time of the algorithm. MATLAB/Simulink is used to test …

Non-Invasive Glucose Detection Using A Triple Pole Csrr Sensor, Chibuike Nnabuife Okika

Theses

A compact, low-cost, portable, non-invasive blood glucose sensor has been designed and presented in this paper. The proposed sensor is a triple-pole square Complementary Split Ring Resonator (CSRR) sensor that is etched on an FR4 substrate. At the bottom of the sensor is coupled an etched Microstrip Transmission Line (MTL) with an impedance matching of 50 Ω, which excites the sensor elements. Utilizing the CSRR-based sensor overcomes the disadvantages of pain and discomfort that the traditional method of pricking the skin to measure blood glucose levels could pose. The sensors work in such a way that as the glucose concentration …

The Effect Of Tensile Reloading On The Lüder Phenomena In Aisi 1524 Steel Alloy, Mohamed Rashid Almatroushi

Theses

Some low-carbon steels, magnesium-aluminum alloys, and nickel-based alloys exhibit plastic flow instability at their respective yield points in the form of a drop and plateau of stress in the stress-strain curve. This phenomenon is often referred to as the Lüder phenomenon in the yield point elongation region of the stress-strain curve. The Lüder phenomenon is characterized by the formation of regions, or bands, of high strain intensity at certain locations on the material. This behavior has been shown to be affected by several parameters such as material composition, grain size, temperature, strain rate, and microstructure to name a few. This …

Gut Microbial Communities Of Hybridising Pygmy Angelfishes Reflect Species Boundaries, Megan J. Huggett, Jean-Paul A. Hobbs, Federico Vitelli, Michael Stat, Tane H. Sinclair-Taylor, Michael Bunce, Joseph D. Dibattista

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Hybridisation and introgression of eukaryotic genomes can generate new species or subsume existing ones, with direct and indirect consequences for biodiversity. An understudied component of these evolutionary forces is their potentially rapid effect on host gut microbiomes, and whether these pliable microcosms may serve as early biological indicators of speciation. We address this hypothesis in a field study of angelfishes (genus Centropyge), which have one of the highest prevalence of hybridisation within coral reef fish. In our study region of the Eastern Indian Ocean, the parent fish species and their hybrids cohabit and display no differences in their diet, behaviour, …

Metal Organic Frameworks With Carbon Black For The Enhanced Electrochemical Detection Of 2,4,6-Trinitrotoluene, Shaghraf Javaid, Muhammad R. Azhar, Xinyu Li, Juliette I. Phillips, Tanveer Hussain, Hussein Abid, Jun Chen, Xiaobo Ji, Debbie S. Silvester

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

The sensing of explosives such as 2,4,6-trinitrotoluene (TNT) directly at an explosion site requires a fast, simple and sensitive detection method, to which electrochemical techniques are well suited. Herein, we report an electrochemical sensor material for TNT based on an ammonium hydroxide (NH4OH) sensitized zinc-1,4–benzenedicarboxylate Zn(BDC) metal organic framework (MOF) mixed with carbon black on a glassy carbon electrode. In the solvent modulation mechanism, by merely changing the concentration of NH4OH during synthesis, two Zn(BDC) MOFs with novel morphologies were fabricated via a hydrothermal approach. The as-prepared MOFs were characterized using X-ray powder diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Fourier …

December 2023 News Releases, University Of Montana--Missoula. Office Of University Relations

University of Montana News Releases, 1928, 1956-present

No abstract provided.

Key Communication Technologies, Applications, Protocols And Future Guides For Iot-Assisted Smart Grid Systems: A Review, Md Ohirul Qays, Iftekhar Ahmad, Ahmed Abu-Siada, Md Liton Hossain, Farhana Yasmin

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Towards addressing the concerns of conventional power systems including reliability and security, establishing modern Smart Grids (SGs) has been given much attention by the global electric utility applications during the last few years. One of the key advantageous of SGs is its ability for two-way communication and bi-directional power flow that facilitates the inclusion of distributed energy resources, real time monitoring and self-healing systems. As such, the SG employs a large number of digital devices that are installed at various locations to enrich the observability and controllability of the system. This calls for the necessity of employing Internet of Things …

Estimating The Chemical Composition Of Secondary Compounds Of Iraqi Wild Agaricus Bellaniae Characterized Morphologically And Genetically, Ziena M. Abdul-Qader, Rukiabaa A. Chechan, Sudad K.M. Al-Taweel

Baghdad Science Journal

This study, which is considered the first of its kind in the world and the Arab homeland, was carried out in the laboratory of mushroom production belonging to the Medicinal Plant Unit/ College Of Agricultural Engineering Sciences/ University of Baghdad during the period from July 21, 2016, to December 30, 2018, aiming to isolate and purify the mycelium of the wild isolation in addition to the genetic and morphological identification of the mushroom Agaricus bellaniae. The obtained pure isolation was tagged in the American National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI) with symbol MF987843.1, thus Iraq would be the second country …

Preparing New Ceramic Membranes From Syrian Zeolite Coated With Silver Nanoparticles To Treatment Wells Water, Abdulrazzaq Hammal

Baghdad Science Journal

As a result of the exacerbation of the problem of water pollution, research was directed towards studying the treatment using ceramic membranes, which proved to be highly effective in treating all water sources. The research aims to study the possibility of preparing a new type of ceramic membranes from Syrian zeolite that was not previously used in this field. In this research, ceramic membranes were prepared from Syrian raw zeolite in several stages. Zeolite sample was characterized, grinded, mixed with boric acid, pressed to form desks, treated thermally according to experiment program, finally coated with silver nanoparticles. Specifications of prepared …

Corrosion Inhibition Efficiency Investigation Of Yttrium Oxide Nanoparticles Coated On Carbon Steel Alloy, Maha J. Hassin, Taghried A. Salman

Baghdad Science Journal

Metal oxide nanoparticles demonstrate uniqueness in various technical applications due to their suitable physiochemical properties. In particular, yttrium oxide nanoparticle(Y2O3NPs) is familiar for technical applications because of its higher dielectric constant and thermal stability. It is widely used as a host material for a variety of rare-earth dopants, biological imaging, and photodynamic therapies. In this investigation, yttrium oxide nanoparticles (Y2O3NPs) was used as an ecofriendly corrosion inhibitor through the use of scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Fourier transforms infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), UV-Visible spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction (XRD), and energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy(EDX), the physico-chemical characterization of Y2O3NPs was examined. The primary characteristic …

A Comprehensive Review On Shale Studies With Emphasis On Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (Nmr) Technique, Yujie Yuan, Reza Rezaee, Mei-Fu Zhou, Stefan Iglauer

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Multi-scale shale studies put a significant emphasis on high-resolution investigations from nanometer to decametre scales. Despite that multiple advanced techniques have been used in shale studies, they are mostly limited to the detection scopes and have restricted capacity for high-resolution characterization of shale nanopores with substantial heterogeneity. Therefore, it remains a challenge for accurate resource estimation in unconventional shales. The nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) is an advanced technique enabling non-destructive and fast measurements, and has the advantage of high-resolution evaluation of shale formations and nanopore structure. Petrophysical studies using NMR have made breakthroughs in shale studies. However, multi-scale shale investigations …

Global Dataset Of Soil Organic Carbon In Tidal Marshes, Tania L. Maxwell, André S. Rovai, Maria F. Adame, Janine B. Adams, José Álvarez-Rogel, William E. N. Austin, Kim Beasy, Francesco Boscutti, Michael E. Böttcher, Tjeerd J. Bouma, Richard H. Bulmer, Annette Burden, Shannon A. Burke, Saritta Camacho, Doongar R. Chaudhary, Gail L. Chmura, Margareth Copertino, Grace M. Cott, Christopher Craft, John Day, Carmen B. De Los Santos, Lionel Denis, Weixin Ding, Joanna C. Ellison, Carolyn J. E. Lewis, Luise Giani, Maria Gispert, Swanne Gontharet, José A. González-Pérez, M. Nazaret González-Alcaraz, Connor Gorham, Anna E. L. Graversen, Anthony Grey, Roberta Guerra, Qiang He, James R. Holmquist, Alice R. Jones, José A. Juanes, Brian P. Kelleher, Karen E. Kohfeld, Dorte Krause-Jensen, Anna Lafratta, Paul S. Lavery, Edward A. Laws, Carmen Leiva-Dueñas, Pei S. Loh, Catherine E. Lovelock, Carolyn J. Lundquist, Peter I. Macreadie, Inés Mazarrasa, J. Patrick Megonigal, Joao M. Neto, Juliana Nogueira, Michael J. Osland, Jordi F. Pagès, Nipuni Perera, Eva-Maria Pfeiffer, Thomas Pollmann, Jacqueline L. Raw, María Recio, Ana C. Ruiz-Fernández, Sophie K. Russell, John M. Rybczyk, Marek Sammul, Christian Sanders, Rui Santos, Oscar Serrano, Matthias Siewert, Craig Smeaton, Zhaoliang Song, Carmen Trasar-Cepeda, Robert R. Twilley, Marijn Van De Broek, Stefano Vitti, Livia V. Antisari, Baptiste Voltz, Christy N. Wails, Raymond D. Ward, Melissa Ward, Jaxine Wolfe, Renmin Yang, Sebastian Zubrzycki, Emily Landis, Lindsey Smart, Mark Spalding, Thomas A. Worthington

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Tidal marshes store large amounts of organic carbon in their soils. Field data quantifying soil organic carbon (SOC) stocks provide an important resource for researchers, natural resource managers, and policy-makers working towards the protection, restoration, and valuation of these ecosystems. We collated a global dataset of tidal marsh soil organic carbon (MarSOC) from 99 studies that includes location, soil depth, site name, dry bulk density, SOC, and/or soil organic matter (SOM). The MarSOC dataset includes 17,454 data points from 2,329 unique locations, and 29 countries. We generated a general transfer function for the conversion of SOM to SOC. Using this …