Digital Commons Network^™

Registration Of High Yield Conventional Soybean 'S17-2193' With Resistance To Multiple Diseases, Francia Seconde Ravelombola, Yi-Chen Lee, Donghun Lee, Caio C. Vieira, Alemu Mengistu, Lin Feng, Grover Shannon

Crop, Soil and Environmental Sciences Faculty Publications and Presentations

'S17-2193' (Reg. no. CV-565, PI 707954) is a high-yielding late maturity group IV (relative maturity of 4.7), conventional soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.] cultivar developed and released in 2022 by the University of Missouri Fisher Delta Research, Extension, and Education Center. S17-2193 was tested in over 88 environments (40 environments for preliminary, advanced, cooperative and uniform tests; and 48 environments for soybean state variety tests) from 2018 to 2021 in 10 states: Alabama, Arkansas, Illinois, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, North Carolina, and Tennessee. Results showed that S17-2193 was well adapted across the mid-South United States. This soybean cultivar has …

Speed Breeding And Fungal Blight Testing Of The Darling 54 American Chestnut (Castanea Dentata), Virginia G. May

All Theses And Dissertations

The American chestnut (Castanea dentata) was a dominant, foundational forest canopy species in eastern North America until an imported chestnut blight (caused by Cryphonectria parasitica) rendered it functionally extinct across its native range. Biotechnological approaches, like the Darling 54 transgenic line, have potential for future restoration, but need both lab and field evaluations of their breeding and blight tolerance. This thesis adds to the body of knowledge on the Darling 54 American chestnut. This research reports three novel advancements made through indoor breeding and the first systematic field test for blight tolerance of transgenic American chestnuts.

Historically, …

Simulation-Guided Pan-Cancer Analysis Identifies A Novel Regulator Of Cpg Island Hypermethylation Heterogeneity, Xianglin Zhang, Wei Zhang, Jinyi Zhang, Xiuhong Lyu, Haoran Pan, Tianwei Jia, Ting Wang, Xiaowo Wang, Haiyang Guo

2020-Current year OA Pubs

CpG island hypermethylation, a hallmark of cancer, exhibits substantial heterogeneity across tumors, presenting both opportunities and challenges for cancer diagnostics and therapeutics. While this heterogeneity offers potential for patient stratification to predict clinical outcomes and personalize treatments, it complicates the development of robust biomarkers for early detection. Understanding the mechanisms driving this heterogeneity is essential for advancing biomarker design. Here, simulation-based analyses demonstrate that tumor purity and the high prevalence of low epi-mutation samples significantly obscure the identification of negative, rather than positive, regulators of CpG island hypermethylation, limiting a comprehensive understanding of heterogeneity sources. By addressing these confounders, we …

The Impact Of Dwell Time On The Contextual Effect Of Visual And Passive Lead-In Movements, Laura Alvarez-Hidalgo, David W. Franklin, Ian S. Howard

School of Engineering, Computing and Mathematics

Contextual cues arising from distinct movements are crucial in shaping control strategies for human movement. Here, we examine the impact of visual and passive lead-in movement cues on unimanual motor learning, focusing on the influence of “dwell time,” where two-part movements are separated by the interval between the end of the first movement and the start of the second. We used a robotic manipulandum to implement a point-to-point interference task with switching opposing viscous curl fields in male and female human participants. Consistent with prior research, in both visual and passive lead-in conditions, participants showed significant adaptation to opposing dynamics …

Simulation And Feasibility Assessment Of A Green Hydrogen Supply Chain: A Case Study In Oman, Mi Tian, Shuya Zhong, Muayad Ahmed Mohsin Al Ghassani, Lars Johanning, Voicu Ion Sucala

School of Engineering, Computing and Mathematics

The transition to sustainable energy is crucial for mitigating climate change impacts. This study addresses this imperative by simulating a green hydrogen supply chain tailored for residential cooking in Oman. The supply chain encompasses solar energy production, underground storage, pipeline transportation, and residential application, aiming to curtail greenhouse gas emissions and reduce the levelized cost of hydrogen (LCOH). The simulation results suggest leveraging a robust 7 GW solar plant. Oman achieves an impressive annual production of 9.78 TWh of green hydrogen, equivalent to 147,808 tonnes of H₂, perfectly aligning with the ambitious goals of Oman Vision 2040. The …

Generating Training Events For Building Cyber-Physical Security Skills, Avanthika Vineetha Harish, Kimberly Tam, Kevin Jones

School of Engineering, Computing and Mathematics

As the threat of cyber attacks increases, the cyber security sector continues to train professionals as one form of mitigation. Gamification and infrastructure like cyber ranges have been proven useful in training cyber security specialists to detect and react to cyber-attacks in information technology. However, a subset of all digital threats target cyber-physical systems, not just information systems, and these threats have been growing rapidly in recent years. While those threats are increasing, training specific to cyber-physical threats is not growing as quickly as information technology training solutions. While cyber ranges are useful for training and supporting events like cyber …

Impact Of Altering Gut Microbiota With Multinutrient Supplementation On Neuropsychiatric Symptoms In Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder, Benjamin Hinkle

Physician Assistant Scholarly Project Papers

Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is a prevalent neuropsychiatric condition affecting children, often characterized by inattention, hyperactivity, and impulsivity. Recent evidence suggests a potential link between gut microbiota composition and neuropsychiatric disorders, including ADHD, through the gut-brain axis (GBA). A literature review of studies published between 2017 and 2024 explores the efficacy of multinutrient interventions on influencing gut microbiota to treat the core symptoms of ADHD in children ages 6-12 years old. Findings indicate that multinutrient supplementation may modulate gut microbiota and subsequently impact neuropsychiatric symptoms, offering a promising adjunctive treatment for ADHD. However, variability in study methodologies and small sample sizes …

The Comparison Of Once Daily Insulin And Once Weekly Insulin In Patients With Diabetes Mellitus, Carly Gilbertson

Physician Assistant Scholarly Project Papers

Diabetes mellitus is a chronic metabolic disorder characterized by hyperglycemia resulting from defects in insulin secretion, insulin action, or a combination of both. The purpose of this literature review is to determine if patients with diabetes mellitus taking once weekly insulin injections compared to once daily insulin injections offer the same, or better, effectiveness at lowering their HbA1c. This is critical in the management and progression of the disease. The electronic databases PubMed, Clinical Key and Embase were searched and there were 92 articles found. Inclusion criteria included articles published within the past 5 years, randomized clinical trials and meta-analysis. …

Benefits Of Succession Planning In Medical Laboratories, Christina Jones, Samantha Peterson, Robert Porter

Medical Laboratory Science Independent Study Projects

This discussion examines the potential impact of implementing a succession plan in the laboratory to reduce survey deficiencies. It highlights the importance of understanding the determinants of quality in the lab, addressing staffing shortages and turnover, and the role of succession plans in improving workplace quality. Quality encompasses various aspects from quality control to quality management. Accreditation and inspection processes, such as those required by the Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments of 1988 (CLIA ‘88), play a crucial role in ensuring quality laboratories.

However, frequent turnover, including leadership changes, poses challenges to maintaining quality. The laboratory workforce faces high turnover rates …

The Need For Standards In Autonomous Driving: Exploring Ethical And Social Implications In The Successful Deployment Of Autonomous Cars, Nandni Patel

Honors Theses

Autonomous driving incorporates applications and algorithms of AI to enable self-driving vehicles as viable transportation options across the country. Self-driving vehicles may provide advantages over human-driven vehicles in several ways, including cost savings, accessibility to transportation, efficiency, convenience, and reduced traffic. However, there are still challenges due to the added lack of cybersecurity issues, laws, and ethical factors to consider in gaining public trust. Ethical issues such as choosing how to respond to accidents and algorithms for safety decisions are factors in the progression of autonomous vehicles for many companies. Since a gap exists in research and development for ethical …

The Psychology Of Morbid Fascination: The Role Of Spectatorship In Executions, Rubbernecking, Dark Tourism, And True Crime Consumption, Sydnee L. Hope

Honors Theses

This literature review examines the general idea of morbid fascination through the lens of spectatorship. The questions that this paper will attempt to answer and contribute knowledge towards are, “What is the psychology behind morbid fascination?” and “Why are humans drawn to the macabre?”. This paper will use a myriad of different sources such as books, peer-reviewed articles, personal accounts, documentaries, podcasts, and different studies from the psychological, criminal justice, and philosophical fields of study to very carefully review, report, compile, and add new theories onto the information provided. The sections discussed throughout will fall under four categories: Public Executions, …

Uncertainty Quantification Of Turbulent Premixed Flames, David L. Brown

Honors Theses

This thesis presents an uncertainty quantification (UQ) study of turbulent premixed flames, focusing on the impact of uncertainties in operating conditions on the normalized consumption speed. Namely, temperature, pressure, and equivalence ratio are the operating conditions that are under study. Due to significant computational demands associated with direct MC methods for UQ, surrogate modeling techniques including Polynomial Chaos Expansion (PCE), Stochastic Collocation (SC), and Gaussian Process (GP) are evaluated based on efficiency and accuracy. Through this study, PCE is identified as the optimal surrogate model due to its accuracy and significantly reduced computational costs. PCE is subsequently applied to investigate …

Investigating The Role Of Ilv1 On Stress Response In Saccharomyces Cerevisiae, Luke H. Beachboard

Honors Theses

Saccharomyces cerevisiae, a model organism within molecular genetics, is also known for its broad role within baking, brewing, biofuel, and pharmaceutical industries. An unpublished study at The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga observed decreased cell viability in an ILV1 Knockout strain of S. cerevisiae when exposed to environmental stressors. A subsequent study at The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga found expression levels of the candidate genes to be significantly altered within the ILV1 Knockout strain relative to the BY4743 Wildtype strain, demonstrating the reality of a pleiotropic role within ILV1. Now, this study aims to further investigate this peculiar characteristic …

Unleashing Movement: Analyzing Predictors Of Children’S Physical Activity In A Children’S Museum Environment, Nancy G. Penrod

Honors Theses

This study examines the role of an interactive children's museum in promoting physical activity among children aged 5-10, with a focus on the influence of various predictors, including sleep, family activity, typical physical activity levels, and participation in sports. Using a mixed-method design, participants were monitored with an Actigraph wGT3X accelerometer during a typical museum visit, and their parents completed a survey on factors influencing their child's activity. The study had 15 participants who were recruited by a member of the research team as they entered the museum. The results revealed that children whose parents were more active with them …

A Simplified Thermal And Battery Model For Off-Grid Solar Air Conditioning In Florida’S Hurricane Context, Steven A. Sanford

Honors Theses

Florida’s hurricane-prone climate often leaves residents without power and at risk of dangerous indoor heat conditions. This thesis examines whether an off-grid, solar-powered air conditioning system can feasibly maintain safe indoor temperatures over a one-week outage period during peak hurricane season. A simplified, lumped-capacitance thermal model and an energy-based (Coulomb-counting) battery state of charge (SoC) approach were developed in MATLAB to simulate a DC-powered air conditioner (the DC48 unit) in a single-zone space. Historical weather and solar irradiance data from Vero Beach, Florida, represent the hot and humid conditions typical of post-hurricane scenarios. The model uses an on/off plus deadband …

The Effect Of Catalyst Choice On Biodiesel Yield And Quality Using Waste Cooking Oil As A Feedstock, Neka Long

Honors Theses

Biodiesel is one current area of interest as a replacement for traditional diesel fuel. Benefits of biodiesel include that it can be derived from renewable resources, and it possesses properties similar to that of traditional diesel fuel. Biodiesel is often produced through a catalyzed transesterification process, which involves the use of a catalyst to aid in the conversion of triglycerides into alkyl esters. A method called the transesterification double step process (TDSP) was researched and used in this project due to the success seen using this method for the conversion of waste cooking oil to biodiesel. In this project, four …

Biomimetic Design Of Mechanochromic Single-Chain Nanoparticle Polymer Networks, Samuel Robinson

Honors Theses

Hydrogels are a class of polymer networks that show promise in many biomedical applications but are typically limited in use due to their brittle nature. Synthesizing hydrogel networks that are comparable to biological materials has long been an area of interest. In this study, we are working to create a polymer network inspired by the muscular protein, titin. Titin can unfold under mechanical tension, releasing stored length, making the muscle material extensible and durable. To mimic this behavior, we propose creating a polymer network with similar stored length using single chain nanoparticles (SCNPs) cross-linked with phenolphthalein (PP) and β-cyclodextrin (β-CD). …

Comparison Of Rt-Qpcr And Rt-Ddpcr On Assessing Model Virus In Wastewater, Wafa Youssfi

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

There is an increasing demand for quantifying viral loads in diverse wastewater systems using polymerase chain reaction (PCR). This study evaluates the performance of two commonly used workflows: reverse transcription quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR) and reverse transcription droplet digital PCR (RT-ddPCR) in wastewater. We compared the two methods by measuring the viral ribonucleic acid (RNA) of a model virus Phi6 in samples collected from various treatment stages at the Westside Wastewater Treatment Facility in Fayetteville, AR. RNA was extracted from real and synthetic wastewater samples and analyzed in parallel using both RT-qPCR and RT-ddPCR. Findings reveal that both methods demonstrated similar …

Subsurface Characterization Using Electrical Resistivity Tomography (Ert) Integrated With Masw, P-Wave Refraction, And Boring Results, Mohammadyar Rahimi

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Electrical resistivity tomography (ERT) has gained widespread application in geotechnical engineering as a non-invasive method for subsurface characterization. Despite its versatility, several challenges remain regarding its resolution capabilities, interpretive limitations, and integration with other investigative methods. This dissertation addresses three key applications of ERT, focusing on its effectiveness and limitations in resolving thin subsurface layers, detecting anomalies such as voids, and supporting environmental assessment in river restoration projects.

The first study investigates the ability of ERT to resolve thin, discontinuous clay layers beneath levees, using the Melvin Price Reach of the Wood River Levee on the Mississippi River as a …

An Integrative Approach To Einstein’S Field Equations Of General Relativity For High School Students, Christina M. Aintablian

Senior Honors Theses

Einstein’s Field Equations form the foundation of the theory of General Relativity, describing the interdependence of mass-energy and spacetime curvature, where curvature gives rise to gravity. However, the complexity of these equations makes them difficult for high school students to grasp. The mathematical framework of General Relativity is introduced step by step, beginning with relative motion and culminating in a discussion of complex phenomena that challenge modern physics. Each explanation intertwines core concepts of relativity with pre-established mental models to enhance learning. Through the use of figures, analogies, narratives, and thought experiments, a structured framework is developed to make relativity …

A Causal Model Of Performance Shaping Factors For Human Reliability Analysis In Manufacturing., Prameet Ranjan Jha

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Human reliability analysis is a critical component of probabilistic risk assessment, aimed at predicting and mitigating human errors in complex systems. This dissertation develops a novel approach to human reliability analysis in manufacturing by integrating structural equation modeling and Bayesian networks to improve the estimation of human error probabilities. Traditional human reliability assessment methods, such as the Standardized Plant Analysis Risk-Human Reliability Analysis (SPAR-H) and the Technique for Human Error Rate Prediction (THERP), provide structured techniques for estimating human error probabilities. However, these methods often fail to capture the complex interdependencies among performance shaping factors (PSFs), limiting their applicability in …

Dirty Dianthus: A Review Of The Microbotryum-Dianthus Plant Pathogen System., Roxanne Kaaren Hayes

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Microbotryum dianthorum is a species complex of smut fungi that act as biotrophic plant pathogens of Dianthus flowering plants. This group of pathogenic fungi are situated within a larger group of fungi that act as biotrophic plant pathogens, some of which are responsible for extensive crop loss in our agricultural system. These pathogens are distinct from other Microbotryum species in their ability to infect not only a single host, but multiple hosts. Their unique ability to parasitize several plant hosts may unlock potential clues about the potential for emergent infection disease in crop systems. Previous work has established that these …

Healthcare Access And Agency In Material Culture: A Specialized Analysis Of Pharmaceutical Artifacts From Louisville’S West End., Sara Marian (Deurell) Ignacio

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The American Victorian Period of the 1870s to 1920s was a time of significant transitions in medicine. In Louisville, Kentucky, this period saw an influx of Black healthcare professionals and the founding of Louisville National Medical College, the state’s first medical school open to people of color. A number of these professionals lived and/or practiced in the Beecher Terrace study area, which was excavated between 2017 and 2020. Patent medicine brands and archival records were examined qualitatively in order to understand neighborhood and case study household health concerns and consumer choice. Statistical analyses of the medicine bottles recovered during the …

Musical Influence And Propaganda During The Russian-Ukrainian War., Kamil Józef Pedziwiatr

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This thesis explores the role of music as a tool of influence and propaganda during the Russian-Ukrainian war, examining its progression both in Ukraine and Russia from the beginning of the conflict to the present. The study traces how music has been employed by both nations to influence and shape public perception, reinforce national identity, and advance political agendas. In Ukraine, music has become a medium for resistance and solidarity. Ukrainian artists bring back the traditions of the Kobzari, the wandering minstrels of Ukrainian folklore, who used song to communicate stories of resistance, national pride and important historical events. Today, …

Bibliography Of Christianity And Mathematics Update, Calvin Jongsma

Faculty Work Comprehensive List

This was a banquet talk given at the Twenty-fourth Biennial Conference of the Association of Christians in the Mathematical Sciences held at Dordt University on May 28-June 1, 2024.

It provides an update on the progress being made in the author’s project of producing a second edition of Bibliography of Christianity and Mathematics. This work is now being developed as a Zotero database with a slightly broader focus on Religious Faith and the Mathematical Sciences and with a much expanded list of books, articles, and blog posts on the topic. The author hopes to make the database public sometime …

Particle Deflection In A Macroscale Ultrasonic Angled Wave Device, Nicholas Rivet, Bart Lipkens, Walter Presz

Student Work - College of Engineering

Macroscale bulk ultrasonic standing waves oriented at an angle relative to a fluid velocity field offer a method for sensitive particle separation. We have previously reported on the theoretical development of such a system (Proceedings of Meetings on Acoustics Vol. 30, 045004 (2017), https:// doi.org/10.1121/2.0000652). Particle deflection is uniquely defined by two parameters, i.e., the non- dimensional ratio of the acoustic radiation force to the fluid drag force exerted on the particle and the angle of the standing wave with respect to the fluid velocity. Here, we highlight the development and testing of a thirty-degree acoustofluidic angled wave device with …

Side Channel Analysis Of Modern Cryptographic Processors, Srinivas Nittala

Master’s Theses - College of Engineering

In an era of escalating cyber threats, hardware-level attacks have emerged as critical vectors for breaching cryptographic security. This thesis investigates two major classes of hardware-based attacks: firmware retrieval, key recovery and side-channel analysis. The first phase demonstrates practical firmware extraction from an embedded device using tools like CH341a, Binwalk, and Ghidra to reveal cryptographic vulnerabilities and recover encryption keys. The second phase explores power analysis attacks, specifically Differential Power Analysis (DPA), using the ChipWhisperer platform on STM32 and XMEGA microcontrollers to successfully extract AES encryption keys without physical tampering. These experiments underscore the limitations of relying solely on software-based …

The Three Angels’ Messages And The Seventh-Day Sabbath: Antidotes To The 1844 Theological Divide Of Neo-Darwinism, Karl Marx, And Frederick Nietzsche, Ron Reece

Journal of Adventist Youth and Young Adult Ministries

The “Great Disappointment” of October 22, 1844, left a group of believers wondering what did happen in 1844. This seminal time period in world history was also defined by the scientific and philosophical ideas of Charles Darwin, Karl Marx, and Frederick Nietzsche that challenged God’s grace and redemption at (1) creation; (2) Mt. Sinai; and (3) Calvary. The Three Angels’ Messages and the seventh-day Sabbath are Christ’s antidote to awaken humanity from this confused and deceived state of reality. They also address the secular philosophies of Neo-Darwinism, Marx, and Nietzsche. Seventh-day Adventists need to embrace a new understanding of 1844 …

Using Hyperspectral Uas To Map Hydrated Compounds In Martian Terrestrial Analog Systems, Andrew G. Fleming

Master's Theses and Capstones

Hypersaline lakes and playas in arid environments on Earth can serve as analogs for paleolake environments of interest on Mars because the hydrated compounds within these systems indicate the presence of ancient hydrologic networks and display strong relationships with microbial life. Traditional orbital observations map these compounds at spatial resolutions ranging from tens to hundreds of meters per pixel. This study uses in-situ measurements, Uncrewed Aerial Systems (UAS) hyperspectral mapping (10 cm), and EnMAP satellite hyperspectral mapping (30 m) to map heterogeneous mineralogical assemblages in hypersaline lakes in Southcentral British Columbia, Canada (BC). We tested the ability of high-resolution UAS …

Effects Of Foil Thickness And Trailing Edge Thickness On The Performance Of Cross-Flow Turbines, Katie Dold

Master's Theses and Capstones

The University of New Hampshire (UNH) and Ocean Renewable Power Company (ORPC) collaborated on the fabrication and testing of various blade shapes for cross-flow turbines (CFT). The UNH Wave and Tow Tank was used to test seven different 1.0 m scale, three-bladed cross-flow turbines with modified NACA 0018, 0021, and 0024 hydrofoil profiles with trailing edge thickness of 0.4%, 4.0%, and 8.0% of chord length. The effects of different foil thicknesses and trailing edge thicknesses on the performance of cross-flow turbines were examined motivated by factors such as manufacturability, cost, and structural integrity. These blades were constructed using a novel …