Digital Commons Network^™

Performance Enhancement And Modeling Of Thermochemical Conversion Of Herbaceous And Hardwood Biomass Via Gasification With Integrated Sustainability Evaluation, Sanal Kumar Ap Mr

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis investigates the thermochemical conversion of three biomass feedstocks, namely Prosopis juliflora (PJ), Oryza sativa rice husk (RH), and Sesamum indicum stalk residue (SR), through experimental, simulation, and environmental analyses to evaluate their suitability for sustainable energy production. Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) was conducted under inert conditions at multiple heating rates to study the thermal degradation and kinetic behavior of the biomasses.

Activation energy was evaluated using Kissinger, Flynn–Wall–Ozawa (FWO), Kissinger–Akahira–Sunose (KAS), Friedman, and Coats–Redfern methods. The results indicated that SR exhibited the highest thermal stability, followed by RH and PJ. Experimental gasification studies were carried out in a throatless …

Development Of Novel Plasminogen Activators From Fragments Of Streptokinase Enzyme, Vijay G Mr

Theses and Dissertations

Thrombotic disorders such as myocardial infarction, ischemic stroke, pulmonary embolism and deep vein thrombosis remain major causes of mortality and disability worldwide, creating a continuing need for effective, safe and affordable thrombolytic therapy. Streptokinase is one of the most widely used plasminogen activators because of its activity, low cost and broad availability. However, its wider clinical utility is limited by high immunogenicity, allergic reactions, neutralizing antibody formation and poor suitability for repeat administration. This thesis aimed to develop novel streptokinase-derived plasminogen activators by identifying smaller functional fragments that retain thrombolytic activity while potentially reducing immunogenicity.

A literature-guided fragment-based strategy was …

Application Of Cost-Effective High-Resolution Remote Sensing To Characterize Flooding In Mountain River Corridors, Ishwar Joshi, Ian Gowing, Brian M. Crookston

Civil and Environmental Engineering Student Research

This study evaluated a cost-effective UAV-based multi-sensor approach for characterizing river corridor conditions during and after moderate floods in two mountain river corridors in Northern Utah, USA: the Logan River and Blacksmith Fork River. These study reaches included urban, rural, and agricultural areas, hydraulic structures and bridges, and fish passage structures. A DJI Matrice 300 UAV was used with two separate payloads: an AgEagle Altum-PT multispectral camera and an R3 Pro V2 two-return LiDAR system. The workflow included UAV flight planning and data collection, post-processing of the multi-spectral and LiDAR sensor data, spatial resolution and accuracy assessment, and interpretation of …

American Mythology: The Western, The American, The Christian, And The Intersection Of The Three In "The Sins Of Tom Budd", Brandon Kopp

Masters Theses

Close to the turn of the 19th century, Frederick Jackson Turner famously proclaimed the death of the frontier, and extolled the lapsed era for the virtues and qualities which it championed - qualities which he claimed defined the American cultural identity. The Western genre of fiction carries on the traditions and values of that era to past, present, and future generations of Americans and partakes deeply in the rich tradition of human storytelling in a way that examines universal human conditions from the unique perspective engendered by frontier living and the American West. Just as Homer's work created and built …

The Book Of Old, Sarah Booth

Masters Theses

This thesis explores how fantasy and fantasy-related screenplays externalize the conflict between characters' desires (external goals) and their needs (internal transformation) through surreal imagery, symbolic worlds, and narrative design. While traditional screenwriting mainly emphasizes the difference between what a character wants and what they need, fantasy uniquely makes this tension visible by turning psychological struggles into physical settings, creatures, and story challenges. Through close analysis of Spirited Away (2001), Pan's Labyrinth (2010, and Black Swan (2006), this thesis argues that fantasy cinema not only portrays character transformation but also renders it materially and visually, translating the abstract tension between desire …

Murder Of A Creative: Mfa Thesis, Himani Sanjeevkumar Mehta

Masters Theses

In the creative industry, the phrase “fast-paced environment” is often treated as an essential ingredient for productivity and success. The contemporary design landscape operates within an output-driven system that prioritizes speed, visibility, and measurable worth, contributing to the growing commercialization of creativity. Within this framework, the creative process is often diminished or overlooked where it no longer serves efficiency, reducing creativity to a consumable outcome rather than a reflective and sustaining practice. As a result, creative professionals and students increasingly experience creative anxiety, burnout, and paralysis, alongside imposter syndrome, perfectionism, and self-doubt. These conditions are rarely examined as systemic outcomes …

Shattered Glass: Finding Anna In The Brokenness, Tracy A. Scoville

Masters Theses

This thesis began years ago when I started a novel about a woman that suffered with a mental illness. The story grew into part of a novel. Within the artist’s statement, I present a view of mental illness that I filter through my own experiences. I examine Anna’s struggles with how she thinks, acts and processes stress through a lens of bipolar II disorder. The critical paper examines the importance of dialogue and the need for it to fit the individual characters. The story of Anna, with the use of good dialogue, comes to life in the creative manuscript Shattered …

Constructing Authority: Narrative Craft And The Making Of Meaning In Creative Nonfiction, Lindsay Erin Hickman

Masters Theses

What is this world without stories? Without truth and the sharing of knowledge for those that come after us? As a Christian, I see the Bible as the most influential narrative in my life and imagination. The Bible is filled with facts, lists and information we can verify, but that does not make it any less creative. How can one read the Bible and not see God’s creativity not only in creation, but in every word? Psalms 139: 13-15 states, “For thou hast possessed my reins: thou hast covered me in my mother's womb. I will praise thee; for I …

Is Genuine Redemption Possible Through A Counterfeit Christ?, Tams M. Mullins

Masters Theses

Members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS), commonly referred to as Mormons, consider themselves Christians without equivocation. Evangelical Christianity has, however, challenged this claim since the inception of the Latter-day Saints. The Latter-day Saints purport to be Christian in doctrine and practice and claim a Christian identity centered around their acceptance of the death, burial, resurrection, and ascension of Jesus Christ. While the Latter-day Saints ascribe to a high Christology, confess Jesus as Lord, and regard Him as their Redeemer, the Jesus of the Latter-day Saints’ literature bears little resemblance to the Jesus of evangelical Christianity. …

News You Can Use: What To Know Before You Buy Glp-1s Online, Clara Turnage

University of Mississippi News

OXFORD, Miss. – The skyrocketing demand for GLP-1 weight-loss medications has led to a surge in compounding pharmacies producing similar products at lower prices, but researchers warn that these medications are not always as safe as they claim.

Single-Dose Administration Of Therapeutic Divalent Sirna Targeting Mecp2 Prevents Lethality In An Mecp2 Duplication Mouse Model., Vignesh N Hariharan, Ashley Summers, Amy E Clipperton-Allen, Jillian Caiazzi, Samuel R Hildebrand, Daniel O' Reilly, Qi Tang, Zachary Kennedy, Dimas Echeverria, Nicholas Mchugh, David Cooper, Jacquelyn Sousa, Chantal Ferguson, Hassan H Fakih, Laurent P. Bogdanik, Monica Coenraads, Anastasia Khvorova

Faculty Research 2026

MECP2 duplication syndrome (MDS) is a rare X-linked neurodevelopmental disorder caused by duplications of the dosage-sensitive methyl-CpG-binding protein 2 (MECP2) gene. Developing therapies for MDS is challenging due to the variability in MECP2 expression among patients and the risk of inducing Rett syndrome through excessive pharmacological intervention. Reducing dosage to optimize silencing often compromises durability and necessitates increased dosing frequency. We present here a series of fully chemically modified small interfering RNAs (siRNAs) designed for isoform-selective and total Mecp2 silencing. Among these, we identify six lead siRNA candidates across two chemical scaffolds, achieving targeted total Mecp2 expression reductions ranging from …

Maine Democratic Primary Voters Want Jackson As Senate Nominee, In Close Race With Collins In General 7/21/2026, Unh Survey Center

All UNH Survey Center Polls

Over half of recent Democratic primary voters prefer Troy Jackson as the Democratic nominee for Senate. Most Democratic primary voters believe Graham Platner's withdrawal from the race was the right decision. Jackson and incumbent Republican Senator Susan Collins are statistically tied in a November election matchup. Collins earns high marks from Mainers on bringing federal dollars to the state during her tenure in office but receives lower ratings on her votes on key legislation, Cabinet nominees, and Supreme Court justices. In Maine's election for governor, Democratic nominee Hannah Pingree holds a double-digit lead over Republican Bobby Charles. Amid questions about …

Federal Partnership Helps Expand Innovative Protected Agriculture Research At Unh, Mark Wanner

UNH Today Archive

No abstract provided.

Severe Hypertension In Postpartum: How A Nurse Driven Protocol Can Decrease A Delay In Treatment, Kayleigh Momme

International Nursing Research Congress (INRC)

Severe hypertension in the postpartum period is a significant contributor to maternal morbidity and mortality, affecting up to 10% of pregnancies. Prompt and standardized treatment of severe blood pressure elevations is critical to prevent complications such as stroke, heart failure, and eclampsia. At the practicum site, delays were identified in administering intravenous (IV) antihypertensive medications due to reliance on resident physicians to give the medication, resulting in inconsistent and prolonged treatment times. The purpose of this quality improvement project was to implement an evidence-based nurse-driven protocol for administering IV antihypertensives to postpartum patients with severe hypertension, defined as systolic blood …

Wait! Do Longer Wait Times Lead To Preventable Harm?, Jamie L. Warg, Dawn Bowker

International Nursing Research Congress (INRC)

Background: Since the onset of COVID-19 in 2020, hospitals have experienced significant increases in Emergency Department (ED) wait times and extended hospitalizations. These delays have led to capacity challenges, with patients often held in the ED due to the unavailability of inpatient beds. Prolonged ED stays may increase the risk of preventable patient harm. As Pak et al. (2021) noted, “wait time estimates are critical for delivering safe, effective care to patients in an emergency department.”

Research Aim: This study aims to examine whether prolonged ED stays (greater than 3 hours) are associated with an increased incidence of preventable patient …

Effects Of Tongue Resistance And Strengthening Exercises In Elderly With Mci: A Double-Blind Rct, Kuei-Ru Chou

International Nursing Research Congress (INRC)

Purpose: Frail older adults with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) often experience reduced tongue function, resulting in inefficient bolus transport and swallowing difficulties. Tongue resistance exercises (TRE) use isometric or isotonic movements against resistance to enhance tongue strength, while tongue strengthening exercises (TSE) involve repetitive, high-intensity movements to improve tongue pressure and swallowing coordination. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of a combined TRE + TSE program on tongue function, swallowing pressure, swallowing performance, and quality of life (QoL) in frail older adults with MCI.

Methods: A prospective, double-blind, three-arm randomized controlled trial was conducted. Participants (n = 89; mean …

Substantial Inter-Model Variation In Oae Efficiency Between The Cesm2/Marbl And Ecco-Darwin Ocean Biogeochemistry Models, Michael Dominik Tyka, Mengyang Zhou, Elizabeth Yankovsky, Dustin Carroll

Faculty Research, Scholarly, and Creative Activity

Induction of a CO2 partial pressure (pCO2) deficit in the surface-ocean through ocean alkalinity enhancement (OAE) or direct ocean removal (DOR) methods has been recognized as a promising approach to meet the projected need for negative CO2 emissions. The difficulty of directly measuring the counterfactual CO2 flux due to rapid spreading of the DIC-deficient plume has put ocean circulation models in the center of the Measurement, Reporting and Verification (MRV) challenge. Confidence in the results of such models is essential for the emerging industry to access carbon credit markets and grow at the required pace, to reach substantial negative emissions …

Instructional Slides From Molten Salt Electrochemistry Symposium (Moses) 2026, Devin Rappleye, Carlos Mejia, Alex Peroff

Faculty Publications

This instructional slide set was developed for the 2026 Molten Salt Electrochemistry Symposium (MoSES) as an introduction and review of fundamental electrochemical concepts and methods used in molten salt systems. The material is intended for students, researchers, and practitioners seeking to better understand and interpret electrochemical measurements in high-temperature molten salts.

Topics include electrochemical thermodynamics, kinetics, mass transfer, electrode potentials, cyclic voltammetry, chronopotentiometry, chronoamperometry, square-wave voltammetry, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS), and common approaches for analyzing electrochemical data. Emphasis is placed on building physical intuition, understanding underlying assumptions, recognizing common experimental artifacts, and connecting electrochemical signals to real chemical and transport …

July 21, 2026 Ereporter, University Of Alabama At Birmingham

eReporter (campus newsletter)

No abstract provided.

Debtor's Objection To Derivative Standing

Catholic Dioceses in Bankruptcy

No abstract provided.

Training In The 21st Century: A Transcendental Phenomenological Exploration Of The Experiences Of Virtual Reality Integration For Training Industrial Vocations, Christina M. Bardine

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this transcendental phenomenological study was to understand the experience of the application of virtual reality (VR) for trainees at a VR training lab for vocational training. The theory guiding this study is the technology acceptance model (TAM), as it encompasses the experiences and perceptions that influence overall acceptance of VR technology in training. The central research question of this study asked, What is the lived experience of the trainees that framed their acceptance of the use of virtual reality and gaming technologies for vocational job training. This transcendental phenomenological study explored the experiences of 19 adult vocational …

Effective Strategies To Improve Telemedicine Services For Veterans In Baltimore, Maryland: A Qualitative Single-Case Study, Dolapo Uthman

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This qualitative single-case study investigated the inefficiency and limited accessibility of telemedicine services within a selected healthcare organization located in Baltimore, Maryland. The purpose of this study was to investigate how telemedicine services can be improved to enhance healthcare outcomes for patients and their overall quality of life. The data were collected using semi-structured interviews with 16 participants, supported by fieldnotes, and publicly available documents, and analyzed using reflexive thematic analysis. Methodological triangulation was used to validate the findings to ensure credibility and consistency. The research indicated that telemedicine enhances access to healthcare and supports continuity of care, especially for …

A Transcendental Phenomenological Study Of Novice Elementary Teachers' Perceptions Of Managing The Behavioral Needs Of Students With Disabilities In Inclusive Classrooms, Jordan Brooke Royalty

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this transcendental phenomenological study was to explore the lived experiences of managing the behavioral needs of students with disabilities in inclusive classrooms for novice elementary general education teachers at public elementary schools in a southern state. The theory guiding this study is Bandura’s social cognitive theory, as it underscores the role of personal experiences, social interactions, and self-efficacy in shaping behavior and professional competence. The central research question guiding this study is: What are the lived experiences of novice elementary general education teachers managing the behavioral needs of students with disabilities in an inclusive classroom setting in …

Earning The Green Light: How Organized Baseball Survived During World War Ii, Amanda Lauren Curto

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This dissertation examines how professional baseball survived and contributed to the United States war efforts during the Second World War. It argues baseball’s survival was dependent on its relationship with the federal government during the war. Previous scholarships studied baseball’s symbolism, cultural, economic, and social impacts during wartime. The scholarship has not explored how these methodologies sustained baseball while under wartime conditions. Drawing on primary sources including federal government records, correspondences, and national and local newspapers, this dissertation reconstructs the relationship between professional baseball and the federal government. Providing crucial support for Organized Baseball’s continuation came from President Franklin D. …

The Effect Of Shangshou Daoyin Qigong On Sleep Quality In Patients With Schizophrenia, Kuei-Hua Chang, Jun-Dai Lin

International Nursing Research Congress (INRC)

Purpose: This study aimed to examine the effectiveness of Shangshou Daoyin Qigong, a traditional Chinese mind–body exercise, in improving sleep quality among patients with schizophrenia. Sleep disturbance is highly prevalent in this population and has a substantial impact on daily functioning and quality of life. The study sought to provide evidence for a safe, non-pharmacological nursing intervention applicable in psychiatric settings.

Methods: A quasi-experimental design was conducted in the chronic rehabilitation wards of a psychiatric teaching hospital in central Taiwan. Seventy-four inpatients diagnosed with schizophrenia were purposively sampled and divided into an experimental group (n = 37) and a control …

Improving Accuracy Of External Ventricular Drain Care Among Neurosurgical Icu Nurses, Chun-Fang Chang, Shuang-Yu Yang, Lu-Hsin Huang, Ya-Lan Chao

International Nursing Research Congress (INRC)

Background: External ventricular drain (EVD) care is a vital procedure in neurosurgical ICUs. Improper management may cause severe complications and threaten patient safety. Routine audits revealed multiple deficiencies in EVD care, prompting this improvement project.

Purpose: To enhance EVD care accuracy among ICU nurses through systematic education and evaluation.

Methods: Root cause analysis identified key issues: lengthy training materials, limited teaching aids, and lack of audits. From August 10, 2023, interventions included:

(1) gamified education sessions;
(2) mnemonic cards with concise learning phrases;
(3) virtual reality (VR) simulation for hands-on learning; and
(4) a structured audit and feedback system to …

Barriers And Facilitators To Family Engagement In Critical Care, Brigitte S. Cypress

International Nursing Research Congress (INRC)

Background: Family engagement in care for critically ill patients remains an inconsistent practice and an understudied area of nursing science. Rounds for this study are an interdisciplinary activity conducted at the bedside in partnership with patients, their families, and the healthcare professionals involved in providing the care.

Aim of the Study: We sought to explore and describe the facilitators and barriers to family engagement during patient and family-centered interdisciplinary rounds in the intensive care unit.

Methods: This qualitative exploratory study is part of a multisite experimental study (#Pro2020001614; NCT05449990). We analyzed the narrative data from the qualitative questions added to …

In Re: Avandia Marketing

2026 Decisions

USDC for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania

Jonathan Russo V. Perez

2026 Decisions

USDC for the Middle District of Pennsylvania

John Gordon V. Greg Gordon

2026 Decisions

USDC for the Middle District of Pennsylvania