Digital Commons Network^™

Computational Investigation Of Mononuclear Iron Water Oxidation Catalyst Design, Kristal Stevens, Emily Jarvis

Chemistry and Biochemistry Faculty Works

Hydrogen production from non-carbon sources is an essential component of clean and sustainable technology for reducing greenhouse gas emissions from fuels. Water oxidation, which splits water molecules into hydrogen (protons) and molecular oxygen, is a thermodynamically challenging, multistep reaction achieved in photosynthetic organisms via photocatalysis by the Oxygen Evolving Complex (OEC) of Photosystem II. Mononuclear water oxidation catalysts that aim to mimic nature typically rely on heavy, rare metals such as ruthenium and iridium. Replacing these metals with iron is particularly appealing because it is abundant, benign, and inexpensive. We use density functional theory to characterize the catalytic ability of …

Cash Kid: The Need For Increased Financial Protections Of Internet Child Stars On Youtube, Kylie Clouse

William & Mary Law Review

This Note explores the gaps in California’s child entertainment law and the dangers of leaving child internet stars unprotected. This Note argues that while California could update their “Coogan Law” to include young internet stars, a previous attempt (and failure) to do so suggests that this may not be the best way to address the issue. In the alternative, YouTube itself has the framework to address this problem through its Partner Program. If YouTube were to fix the problem directly, it would leave child stars on other online platforms unprotected; but it could set a precedent among other platforms that …

Academic Economic Espionage?, Elizabeth A. Rowe

William & Mary Law Review

In 2018 the U.S. government announced that Chinese espionage was occurring in university research labs, and the Department of Justice subsequently made it a high priority to prosecute economic espionage in academia. The DOJ’s grave concerns about espionage in academia have continued, and the Director of the FBI has lamented that American taxpayers are footing the bill for China’s technological development. This geopolitical concern about espionage has had real world and personal consequences in academia. Since 2019, over a dozen high-profile criminal prosecutions have put prominent professors at major research universities across the country in handcuffs and almost all the …

Using What We Have: How Existing Legal Authorities Can Help Fix America's Nursing Home Crisis, Nina A. Kohn, Adrianna Duggan, Justin Cole, Nada Aljassar

William & Mary Law Review

The COVID-19 pandemic exposed systemic quality-of-care problems in American nursing homes as well as the deadly consequences of a regulatory system that has enabled nursing homes to divert funds needed for care to profit. Policy experts have responded by urging regulators to improve nursing-home oversight practices and by calling for new regulatory and statutory authority to increase accountability. These calls, however, have been met with sharp political headwinds. This Article suggests a path around the political impasse. Specifically, it identifies and explores four opportunities to leverage existing statutory schemes to create stronger incentives for nursing homes to provide high-quality care. …

House Churches In The New Testament: Contextual, Theological, And Missiological Perspectives, Boubakar Sanou

Journal of Adventist Mission Studies

For most of the first century, private dwellings shaped the Christians’ community life. Evidence to this phenomenon is found in the Acts of the Apostles and the letters of Paul. According to Acts 2:41, the Early Church numbered more than three thousand members after Pentecost. When the synagogues became off limits to them, meeting in private homes became a practical necessity for worship, fellowship, service, and mission (Acts 2:46; 5:42). In four of Paul’s epistles, he explicitly references private homes as the gathering places for early Christians (1 Cor 16:19; Rom 16:3-5; Col 4:15; Phil 2). The epistles are better …

Comparing Agency Costs In Contract Production: Private Equity M&A Versus Corporate And Sovereign Bonds, Stephen J. Choi, Mitu Gulati, Robert E. Scott

Case Western Reserve Law Review

No abstract provided.

Doing Good Or Just Looking Good?: An Analysis Of Delaware’S Public Benefit Corporation A Decade After Its Creation, Amanda Schwaben

Case Western Reserve Law Review

No abstract provided.

A Study On Api Security Pentesting, Hadi Asemi

Master's Theses

Application Programming Interfaces (APIs) are essential in the digital realm as the bridge enabling seamless communication and collaboration between diverse software applications. Their significance lies in simplifying the integration of different systems, allowing them to work together effortlessly and share data. APIs are used in various applications, for example, healthcare, banks, authentication, etc. Ensuring the security of APIs is critical to ensure data security, privacy, and more. Therefore, the security of APIs is not only urgent but mandatory for pentesting APIs at every stage of development and to catch vulnerabilities early. The primary purpose of this research is to provide …

Learning Opportunities 2023/2024, Illinois Math And Science Academy

Course Catalogs

The graduation requirements of the Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy are established by the IMSA Board of Trustees. Each semester students must take a minimum of five academic courses (2.5 credits) for a letter grade (not Pass/Fail) not including Fine Arts, Wellness, SIR, Internship, and Independent Study. Students may enroll in a maximum of nine courses each semester including academic courses, Fine Arts, Wellness, SIR, Internship, and Independent Study. The College and Academic Counselor approves enrollment for students in all courses and experiences. Only courses taken for a letter grade will count towards graduation credit.

2023 (Fall) Ensi Informer Magazine, Morehead State University. Engineering Sciences Department

ENSI Informer Magazine Archive

The ENSI Informer Magazine published in the fall of 2023.

Nanomechanical Membrane-Based Temperature Sensor With Sub-Nanowatt Resolution: Theory, Fabrication, And Measurements, Sangmin Oh

Master's Theses (2009 -)

A micro-Kelvin (∼10−6 K) resolution thermometry for resolving micro/nanoscale heat transport using a nanomechanical membrane-based device is investigated in this research. Detecting local temperatures at the micro/nanoscale requires high resolution thermometry because of the extremely low thermal transport. High resolution thermometry to resolve the smallest heat flow output can be resolved by both minimizing the thermal conductance (Gth) and achieving the highest temperature resolution (∆Tth) according to Q̇res = Gth ×∆Tres. The nanomechanical device proposed in this research is based on the membrane structure with silicon nitride (SiN) membrane. A 20 nm thick low stress SiN film is deposited on …

Magnetic Endothelialization Of Flow Diverters To Promote Rapid Healing Of Cerebral Aneurysms, Amanda Thome

Master's Theses (2009 -)

Cerebral aneurysms are dilations of normal vasculature in the brain. When patients are diagnosed with a cerebral aneurysm there are many different treatment options, but one of the newest treatments is flow diversion. Flow diverters create a barrier over the neck of the aneurysm that restores flow to the parent vessel and away from the aneurysm. While these devices have high success rates thus far, they are still associated with some clinical issues such as in-stent thrombosis, delayed aneurysmal occlusion, and side brand occlusion. To mitigate this the current standard of treatment includes a dual anti-platelet therapy regimen which poses …

Effects Of Thermocycling And Hydrolytic Aging On The Flexural Strength Of Additively Manufactured Restorative Materials, Steven Mustafa Abu Al Tamn

Master's Theses (2009 -)

Introduction: Additive manufacturing is being integrated into various aspects of clinical prosthodontics due to its potential for use in various indications and the promise of improved clinical efficiency and properties.Objective: The purpose of this in-vitro study was to evaluate the flexural strength of two 3D-printed resin composites in relation to a conventionally fabricated resin composite after being subjected to two different artificial aging methods: thermocycling and distilled water storage. Material and methods: A total of 220 samples were fabricated (N=220); 72 samples were fabricated from Integrity composite (Dentsply Sirona) and 148 samples were fabricated from two 3D-printed composite materials MFH …

Improving Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo Diagnosis, Sida Zhang

Master's Theses (2009 -)

Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo (BPPV) is one of the most common causes of dizziness. Especially for people over 45, the risk of BPPV is substantial. On the other hand, BPPV is often misdiagnosed and may require expensive examinations. This thesis introduces a prediction model based on machine learning to quickly, inexpensively, and accurately diagnose BPPV. The thesis starts by introducing BPPV and the statistics of BPPV misdiagnosis. Then, a patient survey is introduced. The patient survey includes 50 BPPV-related questions, which are used as training data for the machine learning model. Logistic Regression, Decision Tree, and Naïve Bayes were compared …

Cheiloscopy Examination And Classification Of Lip Prints With And Without Parafunctional Oral Habits: A Cross-Sectional Observation Study, Emily Smith Regan

Dental Hygiene Theses & Dissertations

Problem: Lip prints are unique and have potential for use as a human identifier. The purpose of this study was to observe possible cheiloscopy differences of individuals with and without parafunctional oral habits. Additionally, inter-rater reliability (IRR) of lip print examiners was observed. Methods: This IRB approved blinded cross-sectional observational study collected lip prints from sixty-six individuals using lipstick and adhesive tape to transfer lip prints to white bond paper for viewing purposes. Each set of included lip prints was divided into quadrants and dichotomized as those with or without an oral parafunctional habit. Each quadrant sample was manually analyzed …

The Role Of Membrane Porosity In Ion Removal By Ro/Nf Membranes And Development Of A Regenerable Pac-Loaded Membrane, Yizhi Hou

Dissertations (1934 -)

Reverse osmosis (RO) and nanofiltration (NF) membranes are widely used for water treatment applications. They are charged porous materials, in which size exclusion and charge exclusion work together to dictate solute transport. In this study, membrane porosity was primarily determined by pore size. Thicker, more porous membranes with smaller pores had higher NaCl removal and less permeate water flux. Higher porosity membranes have greater inner pore surface area available to support a greater number of functional groups, thereby rejecting ion flux and increasing ion removal. The Donnan steric pore model (DSPM) was used to determine that the contribution of diffusion …

Framing Automation Trust: How Initial Information About Automated Driving Systems Influences Swift Trust In Automation And Trust Repair For Human Automation Collaboration, Scott Anthony Mishler

Psychology Theses & Dissertations

The study examines how trust in automation is influenced by initial framing of information before interaction and how later active calibration methods can further influence trust repair or dampening after an automation error in a three-experiment study. As more human drivers begin to use automated driving systems (ADSs) for the first time, their initial understanding of the system can influence their trust leading to a miscalibration of trust. Prior studies have investigated how trust develops through interactions with an automated system, but few have looked at integrating swift trust and framing to calibrate trust before interaction and investigate further active …

Characterizing Allosteric Regulation And Conformational Dynamics In Staphylococcus Aureus Pyruvate Carboxylase, Amanda Joan Laseke

Dissertations (1934 -)

Pyruvate carboxylase (PC) produces oxaloacetate from pyruvate and bicarbonatein an ATP-dependent manner. The catalytic activity of PC places it at a pivotal intersection between catabolism and anabolism. Understanding the essential metabolic role of PC requires a more complete description of how its activity is regulated and how that regulation is manifested through changes in conformational dynamics. PC activity is regulated by the mutually exclusive binding of the allosteric activator, acetyl-CoA, and the allosteric inhibitor, L-aspartate. The binding site for acetyl- CoA has largely been identified, but the binding location for the acetyl moiety is unknown. Given that the acetyl moiety …

Application Of The Social Determinants Of Health To Geriatric Patients By Nurse Practitioner Students, Theresa Marie Gruenke Schnable

Dissertations (1934 -)

ABSTRACT APPLICATION OF THE SOCIAL DETERMINANTS OF HEALTH TO GERIATRIC PATIENTS BY NURSE PRACTITIONER STUDENTS Patient outcomes are influenced by the social determinants of health (SDOH), which influence differing exposures to opportunities or health risks. Holistic care of geriatric patients includes considering SDOH in patient assessment, diagnosis, and care delivery. Understanding how NP students care for geriatric patients using a SDOH lens provides insight into their practice behaviors and helps educators understand how to strengthen NP programs to achieve better patient outcomes and advance health equity for the geriatric population. The purpose of this study was to describe how NP …

Mixing Rates In Stably Stratified Flows With Respect To The Turbulent Froude Number And Turbulent Scales, Matthew R. Klema, Subhas Karan Venayagamoorthy

Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

In this analysis the quantification of diapycnal diffusivity Kρ in stratified flows such as those found in the ocean and atmosphere is explored. There are two simplifications that are routinely made when estimating mixing rates in stably stratified flows. First, a constant value is commonly assumed for the (irreversible) mixing coefficient Γ . Second, dissipation rates of turbulent kinetic energy ϵ are inferred using either the Thorpe (or Ellison) length scales or from microstructure measurements using the isotropy assumption. Data from three independent direct numerical simulations of homogeneous stratified turbulence are used as a testbed to highlight impacts of these …

Strategies That Contribute To The Sustainability And Success Of Community College Non-Credit Workforce Development Programs, Amy Lovin Henecke

Educational Leadership & Workforce Development Theses & Dissertations

Several factors contribute to the challenges community college leaders face in maintaining and sustaining noncredit workforce development programming. For example, these factors include funding reductions from state legislators and corporations using internal training departments for workforce development. There are community colleges that do overcome these challenges and achieve sustainability, provide revenue to the college, and increase and expand programming. The purpose of this case study was to identify strategies that contribute to the sustainability and success of community college noncredit workforce development programs.

The research focused on two community colleges in the United States that are nationally recognized for achieving …

Modified Vaccine Vectors To Understand Adjuvant Functions Of Listeria During Chronic Schistosomiasis, Stephanie K. Norwood

Biological Sciences Theses & Dissertations

Vaccination is one of the most effective strategies employed to prevent infectious diseases. Successful vaccination is dependent upon the induction of a specific, robust, and prolonged immune response. One of the major challenges faced by vaccine development is vaccine failure due to host-related factors that can modulate the immune system, which leads to non-responsiveness to vaccinations. The generation of new vaccine strategies is imperative to combat these effects. Live bacterial vectors are one approach used as they can elicit humoral immunity, cellular immunity, or both. Listeria monocytogenes is a Gram positive, intracellular pathogen that is an effective bacterial vaccine vector …

Dental Hygiene Students Reported Physiological Symptoms Associated With Wearing An N95 Respirator Mask, Peyton Shea Butler

Dental Hygiene Theses & Dissertations

Purpose: Physiological symptoms and comfort levels while wearing an N95 respiratory mask has not been examined with dental hygienists. The purpose of this study was to investigate dental hygiene students reported physiological symptoms and comfort perception while wearing an N95 respirator mask during patient care appointments. Methods: After IRB approval (IRB #1987754-2), a 16-item questionnaire was distributed through email to a convenience sample of 65 dental hygiene students. Questions assessed respiratory, dermatologic, cardiac, mask mouth and general physiological symptoms, as well as comfort levels. Additionally, participants were asked to respond to demographic questions and one open ended question inquiring about …

Assessing The Effectiveness Of A Transdisciplinary Culturally Relevant Stem Curriculum Intervention On High School Chemistry Students’ And Teachers’ Learning Experiences, Rachel Sparks White

Teaching & Learning Theses & Dissertations

Within traditional secondary science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education, students in the United States and many other nations are taught and assessed in discipline-specific silos through separately required standards and skills. The integration of curriculum across the STEM disciplines is essential to increase student learning and create relevance in the classroom, yet teachers find this approach to be challenging due to the lack of resources and traditional training methods. In Spring 2023, the CReST (Culturally Relevant STEM) research team conducted a mixed methods study in a mid-Atlantic US high school using a uniquely designed transdisciplinary and culturally relevant six-instructional …

Switching Methods For Three-Dimensional Rotational Dynamics Using Modified Rodrigues Parameters, Matthew Jarrett Banks

Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering Theses & Dissertations

A rigid body in space has three degrees of rotational freedom. As a result, a minimum of three independent parameters is required to define the three-dimensional orientation of a rigid body. As is well known, every set of three independent parameters has at least one orientation where mathematical or geometrical singularities are encountered; therefore, when the use of a three-parameter representation is desired, a method for singularity avoidance must also be considered. A common practice for singularity avoidance is to switch between parameter sets whose singularities occur at different orientations. With this in mind, modified Rodrigues parameters (MRP) are considered …

An Evaluation Of Network2work At Piedmont Virginia Community College, Cynthia M. Finley

Educational Leadership & Workforce Development Theses & Dissertations

Barriers to education and training can have a generational impact on socioeconomic status and economic development. Post-traditional students have been shown to experience a variety of barriers to education and family sustaining employment. Social capital has been shown to help alleviate some of the barriers for students resulting in stronger economic outcomes, such job retention, and higher wages. This case study examined a workforce development approach to providing support to post-traditional students in non-credit industry training. The researcher examined student outcomes, credential attainment and employment, between two student groups (Network2Work versus a nonNetwork2Work group) using chi-square and logical regression analysis. …

Diy Handwashing Stations, Mary S. Choate

UNH Cooperative Extension

No abstract provided.

Structural Insights Into The Cl-Par-4 Protein: Ionic Requirements, Conformational Transitions, And Interaction With Cisplatin, Krishna Kumar Raut

Chemistry & Biochemistry Theses & Dissertations

Cancer continues to be the leading global cause of death, with challenges in early diagnosis, drug resistance, non-specific drug targeting, and cancer recurrence and metastasis posing formidable obstacles in cancer therapy. In this context, Prostate Apoptosis Response-4 (Par-4), a pro-apoptotic tumor suppressor protein, emerged as a promising therapeutic target due to its ability to selectively induce apoptosis in cancer cells, thereby minimizing the drug-associated adverse effects. However, a comprehensive understanding of the structural features of Par-4, specifically the caspase-cleaved fragment (cl-Par-4), is crucial for therapeutic advancements.

This dissertation investigated the effects of various ions, both monovalent and divalent, on the …

Faster, Cheaper, And Better Cfd: A Case For Machine Learning To Augment Reynolds-Averaged Navier-Stokes, John Peter Romano Ii

Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering Theses & Dissertations

In recent years, the field of machine learning (ML) has made significant advances, particularly through applying deep learning (DL) algorithms and artificial intelligence (AI). The literature shows several ways that ML may enhance the power of computational fluid dynamics (CFD) to improve its solution accuracy, reduce the needed computational resources and reduce overall simulation cost. ML techniques have also expanded the understanding of underlying flow physics and improved data capture from experimental fluid dynamics.

This dissertation presents an in-depth literature review and discusses ways the field of fluid dynamics has leveraged ML modeling to date. The author selects and describes …

A Phenomenological Model For Creep And Creep-Fatigue Crack Growth Rate Behavior In Ferritic Steels, Ashok Saxena

Mechanical Engineering Faculty Publications and Presentations

A model to rationalize the effects of test temperature and microstructural variables on the creep crack growth (CCG) and creep-fatigue crack growth (CFCG) rates in ferritic steels is described. The model predicts that as the average spacing between grain boundary particles that initiate creep cavities decrease, the CCG and CFCG rates increase. Further, the CCG data at several temperatures collapse into a single trend when a temperature compensated CCG rate derived from the model is used. The CCG and CFCG behavior measured at different temperatures is used to assess the effects of variables such as the differences between the base …