Mathematical Modeling Of Pre And Post Combustion Processes In Coal Power Plant, Ashish Pramod Kotwal

Theses and Dissertations

Coal is a brownish-black sedimentary rock with organic and inorganic constituents. It has been a vital energy resource for humans for millennia. Coal accounts for approximately one quarter of the world’s energy consumption, with 65% of this is energy utilized by residential consumers, and 35% by industrial consumers. Coal operated power stations provide 42% of U.S. electricity supply. The United States hold 96% of coal reserves in North America region, out of which 26% are known for commercial usage. The coal combusted in these power generating facilities requires certain pre-combustion processing, while by-products of coal combustion go through certain post-combustion …

Impact Of Concurrent Palliative Care In The Lung Cancer Patient, Kavita Sharma

Aurora GME

In 2010, Jennifer Temel et al. published a seminal paper in NEJM on early referral (within 8 wks. of diag) to subspecialty PC at MGH in patients newly diagnosed with advanced non-small-cell lung cancer. This showed that early outpatient palliative care in addition to usual oncology care for metastatic non-small cell lung cancer improves physical symptoms, depression, sense of well-being, and not only doesn’t shorten life, but it may also prolong life. This has been a game changer for collaboration between oncology and palliative care. My talk highlights the importance of early involvement of palliative care in the lung cancer …

Dikos Nitsaa’Igii-19 (“The Big Cough”): Coal, Covid-19, And The Navajo Nation, Warigia M. Bowman

UC Law Journal

Both in an absolute sense, and in a comparative sense, COVID-19 is infecting and killing people inside of Navajo Nation at a higher rate than in nearby states. This Article investigates how U.S. energy or mineral extraction policy—particularly regarding coal and uranium— weakened Navajo health and may have contributed to the COVID-19 infection crisis on Navajo. The relationship between U.S. mineral extraction and the health vulnerabilities currently being exposed on the Nation raise issues of administrative law, Indian law, and finally, Tribal and federal governance. This Article also contributes to the literature in environmental justice, natural resources law, and energy …

Alpha-Crystallin-Membrane Association Modulated By Phospholipid Acyl Chain Length And Degree Of Unsaturation, Geraline Trossi-Torres, Raju Timsina, Laxman Mainali

Physics Faculty Publications and Presentations

α-crystallin-membrane association increases with age and cataracts, with the primary association site of α-crystallin being phospholipids. However, it is unclear if phospholipids’ acyl chain length and degree of unsaturation influence α-crystallin association. We used the electron paramagnetic resonance approach to investigate the association of α-crystallin with phosphatidylcholine (PC) membranes of different acyl chain lengths and degrees of unsaturation and with and without cholesterol (Chol). The association constant (K_a) of α-crystallin follows the trends, i.e., K_a (14:0–14:0 PC) > K_a (18:0–18:1 PC) > K_a (18:1–18:1 PC) ≈ K_a (16:0–20:4 PC) where the presence of Chol decreases K …

Experimental Investigations On The Conductance Of Lipid Membranes Under Differential Hydrostatic Pressure, Rose Whiting, Pangaea W. Finn, Andrew Bogard, Fulton Mckinney, Dallin Pankratz, Aviana R. Smith, Elen A. Gardner, Daniel Fologea

Physics Faculty Publications and Presentations

The unassisted transport of inorganic ions through lipid membranes has become increasingly relevant to an expansive range of biological phenomena. Recent simulations indicate a strong influence of a lipid membrane’s curvature on its permeability, which may be part of the overall cell sensitivity to mechanical stimulation. However, most ionic permeability experiments employ a flat, uncurved lipid membrane, which disregards the physiological relevance of curvature on such investigations. To fill this gap in our knowledge, we adapted a traditional experimental system consisting of a planar lipid membrane, which we exposed to a controlled, differential hydrostatic pressure. Our electrophysiology experiments indicate a …

Sars-Cov-2 - Related Nonpharmaceutical Interventions In Atlantic Canada, Japan, Slovakia, And Sweeden, Mária Gemzická

Student Projects for Graduate Degrees

At the end of 2019 a new pandemic of respiratory infection started and affected every continent (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention [CDC], 2021). Since the Chinese Ministry of Health announced a new pneumonia outbreak in Wuhan province caused by SARS- CoV-2 virus, countries around the world started preparations for their own epidemic response. Actions of Japan, Slovakia, Sweden, and four provinces of Atlantic Canada were analyzed for association of their adopted measures with morbidity and mortality of their population. While both nonpharmaceutical and pharmaceutical interventions were necessary for the best outcomes, nonpharmaceutical interventions aiming on decrease of population mobility …

Identification Of Translesion Synthesis Inhibitors That Target Rev7/Rev3 Protein-Protein Interactions, Seema Patel

Honors Scholar Theses

Translesion synthesis (TLS) is a cellular mechanism utilized by cancer cells to tolerate DNA damage caused by chemotherapeutics, like cisplatin, by replicating past unrepaired lesions. This increases the rate of mutations, which leads to the emergence of drug-resistant cancer cells. Preliminary studies have shown that disrupting the protein-protein interactions (PPI) in the TLS heteroprotein complex increases cells’ sensitivity to first-line genotoxic chemotherapy, illustrating how inhibiting TLS assembly and function can significantly increase cancer cell death. These results underscore the therapeutic potential of targeting TLS PPI. Our current work in this area is focusing on inhibitors capable of disrupting the Rev7/Rev3 …

The Effects Of A Plant-Based Diet With Eggs On The Parameters Of Metabolic Syndrome, Insulin Resistance, And Dietary Choline And Carotenoids, Lindsey Huang

Honors Scholar Theses

Objective: Plant-based (PB) diets have been shown to positively affect the parameters of Metabolic Syndrome (MetS). The addition of eggs, which are rich in choline and carotenoids, could also complement the beneficial effects of PB diets by increasing HDL-C and improving the other parameters of MetS. Methods: Twenty-four subjects with MetS completed this 13-week randomized, controlled, crossover clinical trial. Following a 2-week run-in period where subjects followed a lacto-vegetarian diet, subjects were randomly allocated to consume 70g of spinach with either 2 whole eggs or the equivalent amount of egg substitute. At the end of 4 weeks, subjects underwent a …

An Argument For Sensuous Revolution And Its Manifestation In The Food System, Anna Smith

Honors Theses

In this food system, we witness issues such as health disparities, social injustice, and environmental injustice, which all flow within one another. When seeking to address such issues it is essential to recognize their inherent interconnectedness and root causes; otherwise, intended solutions can perpetuate the issues they aim to solve when they do not encompass full-seeing. The greatest barrier to full-seeing is disconnection with experience, which occurs when what we are experiencing is obscured by static conceptions. This inhibition of holistic understanding, when occurring through such limited perspectives, makes solving issues such as health disparities, social injustice, and environmental injustice …

My Female Gaze, Sawyer Suerth

Honors Theses

My Female Gaze is a research paper that accompanies a two-year-long photographic study. I take back the disembodied power that the male gaze has over me in public space by taking photos of men that look at my body. For other works in the series, I have revisited the same areas and rephotographed the scenes, taking a forensic approach to the criminal potential of the male gaze. In this supporting paper, I expand on socio-political movements like feminism and internalized surveillance of the self, which contribute to my assertion that women have less visual, social power than men in public …

A Seminar For Student Leaders To Engage And Retain Members In Student-Led Organizations, Luke Mcpherson

Honors Theses

The challenge of attracting and maintaining members in student-led organizations (SLO) inspired this thesis. Current research literature was used to create a presentation for student leaders. The presentation applied marketing principles as well as best practices suggested by the research. Interviews with four student leaders and two administrators involved in student activities were conducted to interact with the research. Their insights suggested that the strongest factor in attracting students was social, whether personal invitation or a sense of belonging to the group. The strongest deterrent to participation was a perception that the benefits did not outweigh time commitments to school …

An Argument And Model For Garden Corps, Sydney Ellis

Honors Theses

The benefits of community gardening have been thoroughly documented. Despite the value of community gardens, however, these gardens face many barriers that threaten their sustainability. This research investigated the benefits, barriers, and solutions to barriers of community gardening. The author performed literature review and conducted interviews with four community garden coordinators from the Chattanooga area to explore these topics. The author used the insights gained from the interviews to develop a business model for Garden Corps, a nonprofit dedicated to building capacity for community gardens.

Theoretical Studies Of Benzoquinone Reactivity In Acidic And Basic Environments, Natali Majoras

Honors Theses

Quinones are a class of organic compounds containing a six-membered unsaturated ring with two carbonyl groups. They are biologically relevant mostly due to their ability to participate in redox reactions. Prior experiments in our lab showed that quinones can induce protein modifications that are pH dependent. In an acidic environment the modifications were less significant than in a basic environment. Previous computational studies have also been carried out to model, in neutral solutions, the reaction between various quinones and various amines. Various amine groups are used as a model for the amino group of lysine to represent protein modification. The …

Junior Year Gpa - Understanding Its Predictive Relationship To High School Ranking, Act Score, And The Shift To Online Learning, Emily Nicole Miller

Honors Theses

Considerable amounts of resources are allocated to assist and retain students during their first and second years in college, and many universities provide extra support to students as they prepare to graduate and start their professional careers; however, resources are not often specially aimed at third year students (i.e., students in their junior year). The primary goals of this study were to contribute to the body of literature and gain a better understanding of the relationships between students’ ACT scores, their Tennessee High School Quality ranking scores, and their cumulative GPA at the end of their junior year. This research …

Reimaging Take-Up In Challenging Times: Determining The Predictive Value Of Publicly Available Socio-Demographic Data For Social Assistance Programs, Margaret Dempsey

Honors Theses

Social assistance programs throughout the nation have experienced major obstacles to both funding and service provision related to the COVID-19 pandemic. The present study examines one strategy that a local Chattanooga nonprofit organization, Chattanooga Endeavors, explored to increase the rate of participation in a 21-day online program that assists justice involved individuals to address goals related to employment, education, and public assistance. The organization has access to judgment orders from Hamilton County (TN) Criminal Court and has used this information to identify individuals who have been sentenced to serve a prison term and who are eligible for an outreach program …

The Majorana Demonstrator Readout Electronics System, N. Abgrall, M. Amman, I. J. Arnquist, Frank Avignone Iii, A. S. Barabash, C. J. Barton, P. J. Barton, F. E. Bertrand, K. H. Bhimani, B. Bos, A. W. Bradley, T. H. Burritt, M. Busch, M. Buuck, T. S. Caldwell, Y-D. Chan, C. D. Christofferson, P.-H. Chu, M. L. Clark, R. J. Cooper, C. Cuesta, Et. Al.

Faculty Publications

The Majorana Demonstrator comprises two arrays of high-purity germanium detectors constructed to search for neutrinoless double-beta decay in 76Ge and other physics beyond the Standard Model. Its readout electronics were designed to have low electronic noise, and radioactive backgrounds were minimized by using low-mass components and low-radioactivity materials near the detectors. This paper provides a description of all components of the Majorana Demonstrator readout electronics, spanning the front-end electronics and internal cabling, back-end electronics, digitizer, and power supplies, along with the grounding scheme. The spectroscopic performance achieved with these readout electronics is also demonstrated.

Memorable Messages In Brca-Positive Disclosures, Alyssa R. Cam

Honors Thesis

Communication in healthcare involves sensitive topics and memorable messages that can impact the way an individual handles a tough situation. Genetic testing for illnesses, like the BRCA gene mutation, creates a time of uncertainty leading to difficult conversations. Communication behaviors contribute to recalling messages of importance that shape future actions. Support and compassion are significant characteristics in messages when encouraging preventative behaviors and aiding in decision-making. This study investigated common themes of memorable messages in BRCA-positive disclosures by collecting data from 123 individuals who have experienced a positive BRCA diagnosis. Memorable messages from healthcare workers, loved ones, and coworkers or …

Creating Flexibility With A New Faculty Classification, Louis K. Falk, Kelly B. Smith, Jennifer Lemanski

Communication Faculty Publications

In recent years Institutions of Higher Education have refocused their instructional methods toward online or remote options. This rearrangement has brought challenges to many universities and colleges, the likes of which have not been seen before. Preparing, encouraging, and converting faculty to online instructors has been one of the core issues. Within Higher Education at major colleges and universities a professor whose primary responsibility is teaching strictly online has not been widely accepted. This paper explores the relatively recent changes in Higher Education, types of instruction, the traditional faculty structure, and calls for the addition of an online faculty rank, …

Implementation Of Intentional Rounds To Decrease Patient Falls Implementation Of Intentional Rounds To Decrease Patient Falls On An Inpatient Medical Oncology Unit, Kellie Olsen

Doctor of Nursing Practice Scholarly Projects

No abstract provided.

Comparing Composite Severe Weather Indices Of Thunderstorm Activity On Sea-Breeze And Non-Sea-Breeze Days In The Mobile, Alabama Area, Elizabeth Seiler

Honors Theses

Sea breezes (SB) occur frequently from May through October along the U.S. Gulf of Mexico Coast. One reason why SBs interest forecasters is their ability to spawn summertime thunderstorms, which can cause flash flooding, lightning, and hail. However, forecasting the exact timing and location of SB-driven convection can be challenging. This thesis will focus on Mobile and Baldwin Counties in southwest Alabama, which experience two types of phenomena – SBs along the Gulf of Mexico Coast and bay breezes on either side of Mobile Bay. Over the past years, multiple undergraduate students have analyzed Mobile, Alabama radar imagery of past …

Ink (2022)

Ink, 2008-

The student-run features magazine covering the fashion, art, music and culture worlds at VCU and in Richmond. Published annually in print and updated regularly online.

Maine Cdc Extreme Temperature Community Resilience Guidebook, Jarvis Thanex Louis

Muskie School Capstones and Dissertations

The purpose of this guidebook is to help community leaders, public health departments, municipalities, and state and local emergency planning agencies prepare for extreme temperature events in Maine. The Environmental and Occupational Health Program at the Maine Center Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) developed this Extreme Temperature Community Resilience Guidebook using existing best practices and strategies to adapt to the changing climate and to address community needs during extreme temperature events. Because extreme temperature events are becoming more frequent, local leaders must work in collaboration with private and public community partners to prepare and respond to the impact of such …

What Can We Learn From The Caregivers Of Adults With Dementia? A Qualitative Study, Lauren Michalakes Md

Muskie School Capstones and Dissertations

Introduction: In the US today, there are approximately 6.5 million people age 65 or older living with Alzheimer’s Disease or other dementias. This number is expected to increase to 12.7 million by 2050. Dementia imposes debility and frailty upon those effected, which is progressive and often follows an unpredictable trajectory. This places significant burdens on their informal caregivers, negatively impacting financial security, emotional and physical health, and overall quality of life. Informal caregivers are a heterogeneous group of partners, spouses, adult children, family members and others. Purpose: This qualitative study explores the experiences, worries and concerns of informal caregivers of …

Planning And Implementing A Large-Scale Covid-19 Vaccination Clinic Recommendations, Reflections And Lessons Learned & A Guide For Maine Communities, Melissa Fochesato

Muskie School Capstones and Dissertations

In November 2020, the Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention (Maine CDC) requested assistance from Maine hospitals to dispense COVID-19 vaccines. Mid Coast Hospital became a point of dispensing for Sagadahoc and Northern Cumberland Counties. Mid Coast Hospital became a MaineHealth member in January 2021, and benefitted from policies, procedures, and support of the larger MaineHealth system but did not adopt the Electronic Medical Record (EMR) system used by MaineHealth to schedule appointments, register patients and document vaccination until November 2021. The inability to use the EMR system required and allowed Mid Coast Hospital to make adaptations to the …

Running Head: Increasing Access To Telehealth Services In Maines Healthcare System, Kaylee Leclerc

Muskie School Capstones and Dissertations

Telehealth is an effective method of communicating and visiting with your healthcare provider along with other redundant use of medical and professionals. Telehealth has become increasingly prevalent in the United States healthcare system over the past couple of years, particularly during the Coronavirus Pandemic. Defined by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (2019) (CDC) telehealth is “the application of electronic information and telecommunication technologies in support of and promotion of long-distance clinical healthcare and professional education in healthcare” (Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19), 2020). A key component of reforming the U.S. healthcare system is the use of telehealth to improve …

In The Well A Social Media Communication Pilot To Engage And Educate The Public On Health Care Systems And Policies, Debra Dunlap

Muskie School Capstones and Dissertations

The purpose of this capstone project was to engage the general public to think and learn about health care systems and the policies and public opinions that influence them. The project developed a method of public engagement and education by establishing a new social media blog titled In the Well, and piloting four posts and companion recordings. A brief impact study was conducted to assess the effectiveness of this communication method, and to answer the key question: are the project’s social media posts an effective method for engaging and educating people to think about health care systems and policies?

Improving The Quality Of Burn Care Through Implementation Of The American Burn Association Competencies, Laura Ritter

DNP Projects

Background and Significance: Specialty certification is an important method to demonstrate that nurses possess training, expert knowledge, and skill in a specialty field. The American Burn Association (ABA) and the Burn Nurse Competency Initiative (BNCI) developed 11 competencies that specify the training, expert knowledge, and skills that nurses require for all aspects of burn nursing practice. The ABA and Board of Certification of Emergency Nurses are in the process of developing a burn certification for nurses. They suggest that all burn units begin to adopt these competencies to ensure consistent and competent care.

Purpose: To adopt the ABA …

Dontrell, Who Kissed The Sea: An Exploration Of Scenic Design Process, Emma Laine Hoffbauer

Johnny Carson School of Theatre and Film: Theses, Student Research, and Creative Work

The purpose of this thesis is to provide research, supporting paperwork, production photographs, and other pertinent materials which document the scenic design for the University of Nebraska-Lincoln/Nebraska Repertory Theatre production of Dontrell, Who Kissed the Sea by Nathan Alan Davis. This thesis contains the following: research images collected to develop and communicate ideas regarding location, shape, texture, scale, mood, and historical and architectural reference to the production team; preliminary sketches and digital renderings, and photographs of the 1⁄4” scale model; a full set of drafting plates and painter’s elevations used to communicate finished appearance of each scenic element, a list …

How Love Ought To Be: The Power Of Sapphic Representation In Animated Children’S Cartoons, Olivia Storz '22

Honor Scholar Theses

Though there has been a long history of LGBTQ+ representation across various forms of media, cartoons are uniquely suited to counter hegemonic teachings that privilege heteronormativity. Consuming media with LGBTQ+ characters not only has the potential to shape attitudes towards the LGBTQ+ community and make them more positive, but cartoons have the unique power to teach children important lessons that they do not learn in school, including narratives about queerness. In the absence of discussions about LGBTQ+ identities in the classroom, children overwhelmingly end up priviling heterosexuality in their interactions. As such, cartoons then have the power to counter these …

Designing Visuo-Haptic Illusions With Proxies In Virtual Reality: Exploration Of Grasp, Movement Trajectory And Object Mass, Martin Feick, Kora Persephone Regitz, Anthony Tang, Antonio Kruger

Research Collection School Of Computing and Information Systems

Visuo-haptic illusions are a method to expand proxy-based interactions in VR by introducing unnoticeable discrepancies between the virtual and real world. Yet how different design variables affect the illusions with proxies is still unclear. To unpack a subset of variables, we conducted two user studies with 48 participants to explore the impact of (1) different grasping types and movement trajectories, and (2) different grasping types and object masses on the discrepancy which may be introduced. Our Bayes analysis suggests that grasping types and object masses (≤ 500 g) did not noticeably affect the discrepancy, but for movement trajectory, results were …