Digital Commons Network^™

Evaluating Spatiotemporal Vegetation Index Variation To Detect Salt Marsh Dieback On The Georgia Coast, Emmanuella Bosompemaa Obeng

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

Salt marshes, essential for coastal protection and carbon sequestration, are increasingly vulnerable to dieback events, threatening ecosystem resilience and vital services. Detecting these shifts early is essential for timely intervention. However, few studies have applied Early Warning Signals (EWS) to coastal marsh systems. Most EWS research has focused on lakes, forests, or climate tipping points, with limited application to salt marsh dieback in the southeastern U.S. Site-specific, long-term spatial analyses are also lacking, as prior work often examines short time frames or single disturbance events. This study investigates the spatiotemporal patterns of salt marsh dieback on the Georgia coast from …

Tradition Reimagined, Andrea Ortiz

MA Projects

Tradition Reimagined explores the dynamic intersection of traditional Mexican craftsmanship and contemporary art, celebrating the rich cultural heritage of Mexico while embracing innovative artistic practices. This exhibition brings together an extraordinary collaboration between Mexican artisans, whose ancestral techniques have been passed down through generations, and contemporary artists who reinterpret these traditions through a modern lens. Hosted at Galería Kurimanzutto’s Chelsea space in New York, the exhibition highlights the importance of preserving artisanal practices in an era where immediacy and mass production threaten their sustainability. Artisans from regions such as Oaxaca, Jalisco, Chiapas, and Puebla bring their expertise in weaving, ceramics, …

Things Of Beauty: Madame De Pompadour, Patroness Of 18th Century French Arts, Mitaali Vohra

MA Projects

Things of Beauty: Madame de Pompadour, Patroness of 18th Century French Arts takes the shape of an exhibition that will be held at The National Gallery London, starting Thursday, December 12 2024 as a commemoration of a sophisticated, international icon of style, luxury and the arts - Marquise de Pompadour. The exhibition opens the following week of one of the most important decorative arts auctions of the year - Treasures London at Sotheby’s, which will be held on December 4, 2024 and present for sale, works of historical and bold scale, design and beauty, including a chance find of four …

Artcatalyze Investments: Empowering Art Investment Innovation, Wan Yu Hung

MA Projects

The Art Investment Fund represents an ambitious fusion of art expertise with state-of-the-art Web3 and cryptocurrency technology, poised to revolutionize the landscape of art investment. At its core, the Fund is dedicated to establishing a secure and transparent art investment trading platform that caters to the needs of artists and collectors alike. Anchored by a team of seasoned art advisors, the Fund offers personalized guidance tailored to each client's unique financial goals, ensuring that investment decisions are informed and strategic. Additionally, a cadre of skilled art restorers plays a crucial role in preserving the integrity and enhancing the long-term appreciation …

Catalysta Proyecto: A Hybrid Approach To Showcasing Latin American Art In The Dominican Republic, Valerie Cabrera Brugal

MA Projects

Catalysta is a contemporary online art gallery that exclusively features Latin American artists, creating a dedicated platform for these voices to be seen and celebrated on the global stage. Our mission is to simplify the often-overwhelming experience of entering the art world, especially for young collectors who are new to the process. Our product offers a streamlined and accessible way to discover and purchase high-quality artwork without the traditional barriers. By providing information on the artist’s background, a description of the artwork and full disclosure of the price we offer a simple way of accessing and acquiring an art piece. …

Journey To Enlightenment: The Spiritual Essence Of Himalayan Art, Danji Jiang

MA Projects

"Journey to Enlightenment: The Spiritual Essence of Himalayan Art" is a groundbreaking and relocatable exhibition, with its inaugural presentation envisioned at Hong Kong's M+ Museum. This immersive exhibition redefines how audiences engage with Himalayan art, shifting the focus from its historical and decorative interpretations to its intangible essence—the spiritual energy, emotional resonance, and universal truths that inspired its creation. By integrating advanced technologies such as VR, AI, and lighting design, the exhibition reconstructs the original context in which these artifacts were created, offering a transformative experience that bridges the gap between ancient spiritual practices and contemporary engagement. The concept of …

Hom: House Of Mexico In New York, Victoria Espinosa

MA Projects

New York City remains the epicenter of the global art world, attracting curators, collectors, museum directors, and other key players who are constantly seeking new ideas and emerging talent. For Mexican artists, having a presence in this dynamic environment is essential for gaining the visibility and recognition they deserve on the international stage. To address this need, I am committed to establishing a dedicated space in New York—not as a commercial gallery or museum, but as a non-profit platform showcasing the depth and diversity of Mexican arts & culture. The goal is to create a bridge between Mexican creativity and …

Paris: One Hundred Years Later, Olympia Rizzo Buaron

MA Projects

From April through October of 1925, the heart of Paris hosted the (the 1925 Paris Exposition), a monumental event that transformed the city into a showcase of artistic and industrial innovation.1 The year 2025 marks the one hundredth anniversary of this historic exposition. The French government initiated and funded the project during the interwar period, a time characterized by dynamic cultural shifts, a spirit of liberation, and a widespread embrace of modernity. Commonly referred to as the Roaring Twenties, this era was defined by a blend of hedonism, artistic innovation, and social upheaval, deeply shaped by the aftermath of World …

Facilitators And Barriers To Reducing Maternal Mortality Rates In Non-Hispanic Black Women: An Integrative Review, Melissa Marie Andersson, Elizabeth L. Goes

All Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Introduction - Black maternal mortality remains a crucial public health crisis in the United States despite a plethora of research on the incidence. This presents in the persistent disparities in health outcomes between Black and White mothers and newborns. While numerous studies have explored isolated factors contributing to this issue, few have synthesized the full scope of barriers and facilitators influencing Black maternal health outcomes in the United States specifically.

Research Aim - This integrative review aims to identify and organize the key facilitators and barriers to reducing Black maternal mortality in the United States using the socio-ecological model as …

Nap-Trap Reveals 5'Utr-Mediated Translation Regulation During Zebrafish Development, Ethan C. Strayer

Yale Graduate School of Arts and Sciences Dissertations

The cis-regulatory elements encoded in an mRNA determine its stability and translational output. While there has been a considerable effort to understand the factors driving mRNA stability, the regulatory frameworks governing translational control remain more elusive. We have developed a novel massively parallel reporter assay (MPRA) to measure mRNA translation, named Nascent Peptide Translating Ribosome Affinity Purification (NaP-TRAP). NaP-TRAP measures translation in a frame-specific manner through the immunocapture of epitope tagged nascent peptides of reporter mRNAs. We benchmark NaP-TRAP to polysome profiling and use it to quantify Kozak strength and the regulatory landscapes of 5’ UTRs in the developing zebrafish …

Testing The Effect Of Speech Separation On Vowel Formant Estimates, Joseph A. Stanley, Lisa Morgan Johnson, Earl Kjar Brown

Faculty Publications

While recent advances in sociophonetic data processing have made it possible to analyze large datasets and audio not originally intended for linguistic analysis, overlapping speech in recordings with multiple speakers continues to be an issue that results in lost data. We evaluate whether current source separation models produce audio that is clean enough to produce reliable measurements for sociophonetic analysis. We compare formant estimates from a pair of pristine recordings and merged-and-separated versions of those same recordings using the Libri2mix, Whamr16K, and WSJ02mix source separation models. Based on auditory inspection of the separated files, visualization of vowel formant estimates, and …

The Death And Afterlife Of The Coptic Language In Mamluk Egypt., Ramona Teepe

Yale Graduate School of Arts and Sciences Dissertations

My dissertation, The Death and Afterlife of the Coptic Language in Mamluk Egypt, argues that although Coptic “died” out as a spoken language in the thirteenth century, Coptic intellectuals purposefully developed a way to teach Coptic as a classical language and thus set the course for its survival as a liturgical language until today.

The Arab conquest of Egypt in 642 CE conventionally marks the end of the period which Coptic studies covers. After the conquest, Arabic slowly superseded Coptic as a language of politics, administration, and finally (roughly by the end of the twelfth century) of everyday life. …

Individual Or Shared Identity? Perceptions Of School Climate In Catholic Schools By Ethnic Background, Daniel Hamlin, Curt Adams

Journal of Catholic Education

School climate has been routinely associated with positive student outcomes. Scholars have found that Catholic schools promote positive school climate by emphasizing shared identity and values. However, others argue that this approach serves the interests of dominant groups, producing poor school climates for minority students. To explore these claims, this study examined perceived school climate among students (n = 22,286) and parents (n = 12,997) in Catholic schools with different racial/ethnic compositions. Results indicated that students attending majority-minority (50%> and 90%>) and Hispanic-serving Catholic schools report similarly to their peers attending less diverse Catholic schools. Results from …

Design And Fabrication Of An Integrated Solar Still And Uv/Pasteurization System For Domestic Use, Majid H. Ali, D A. Al-Saadi, V V. Ostrikov

Babylonian Journal of Mechanical Engineering

Water, that miraculous liquid, is the fundamental foundation upon which life on Earth is based. The first human civilizations were founded on water, and wherever water is found, civilization is found. Given the increasing population, rising living standards, and developments that have led to increased water pollution and limited water resources, and given the expected rise in fuel and electricity prices in the future, and to rationalize electricity consumption, the use of solar energy is an effective solution for desalination and sterilization of water.In this research, a solar-powered desalination and sterilization system was designed and manufactured to make water potable. …

Teacher Practice Improvement Tool: A Summary Of The Underpinning Research, Fabienne Van Der Kleij, Marijne Medhurst, Michelle Lasen, Christina Rogers, Pauline Taylor-Guy

School and system improvement

In 2025, ACER published the Teacher Practice Improvement Tool (TPIT), as part of its family of improvement tools. A comprehensive review of international research was undertaken to inform the development of the TPIT, which resulted in the inductive development of five inter-related domains that holistically capture the practices of highly effective teachers. This document summarises the research evidence underpinning each of the five domains of the TPIT, drawing on a review of 102 studies. While recognising the interconnections between domains, it presents a structured narrative of key evidence and research-informed considerations for each domain. This summary offers a high-level overview …

Factors Affecting The Integration Of Dental Services Into Health And Social Care For People With Complex Needs, Afsha Musa, Joelle Booth, Hannah Wheat, Robert Witton, Martha Paisi

Peninsula Dental School

Background: People with complex social and medical needs require a high level of support and face multiple barriers in accessing health and social care services. With limited access to dental care, their high oral health needs go largely unaddressed. Integration of oral healthcare into primary care, alongside improved cross-sector working, has been advocated to bring together services across the system to achieve oral health equity. Aim: To explore the factors affecting integration of dental services into health and social care for people with complex needs. Methods: A qualitative research study was undertaken across two sites in the southwest of England, …

Testing An Intervention To Develop Resilience In Student Nurses And Embed A Strategy In Undergraduate Curricula, Claire Chick

School of Nursing and Midwifery Theses

BackgroundResilience is considered an umbrella term to encompass key factors including wellbeing, emotional intelligence, self-awareness and empathy. A growing body of literature concludes the necessity for resilience-enhancing interventions to be embedded in undergraduate curricula; it is not enough to simply assume that resilience and coping are an innate component of the student nurses’ journey.Aims and objectivesAims1. To identify if a novel action learning intervention is more effective in developing resilience in student nurses than current practice.2. To embed resilience education in undergraduate curricula to support students’ well-being.Objectives1. To compare the effectiveness of interventions with current practice2. To assess stakeholder engagement …

Machine Learning-Based Prediction Of Endometrial Cancer Prognosis, Sherif Shazly

School of Nursing and Midwifery Theses

This thesis develops and uses machine learning tools to predict the prognosis of endometrial cancer. With endometrial cancer being the most common gynaecologic malignancy in low- and middle-income countries, accurate prognostic models are essential for improving patient outcomes. This research aims to develop and validate machine learning-based models to predict CSS (cancer-specific survival) and DFS (disease-free survival) at 3- and 5-year intervals, utilizing patient demographics, preoperative imaging, histopathological characteristics, and treatment data.The study employed multiple machine learning algorithms, including logistic regression, support vector machines, XGBoost, and random forest, to create three predictive models: a preoperative model, a management-based model, and …

Factors Controlling Protein Metabolism And Growth In The Common Limpet Patella Vulgata, Ignacio Alvarez-Cienfuegos

School of Biological and Marine Sciences Theses

The intertidal environment is a complex and highly dynamic ecosystem shaped by the interaction of strong abiotic and biotic factors. Organisms living in this habitat present marked physiological and behavioural adaptations to cope with extreme and fluctuating conditions, which make this ecosystem the perfect natural laboratory to analyse the effects of biological interactions and physical stressors in ectotherm protein metabolism and growth in the field. Patella vulgata’s ability to maintain aerobic metabolism out of the water, its homing behaviour, its high abundance, and wide geographical distribution facilitates the study of ectothermic physiological processes in the field. Despite the importance of …

Investigating Tree Diversity And Structure Across Varying Land Cover Classes And Altitudes In The Savanna Woodlands Of Sudan, Nasradeen Adam Hamed Gadallah, Zoro Bertin Gone Bi, Victor Ongoma, Ali Omer, Abdelhakam Esmaeil Mohamed Ahmed, Ahmed M. M. Hasoba, Ahmed A. H. Siddig

All Rsif Scholars' Publications

Climate and land use changes significantly endanger tree species’ structure and diversity in savanna woodlands. The destruction of these ecosystems hinders the achievement of several global environmental and development targets, notably SDGs 2, 13, and 15, which underscores the need for continuous tree monitoring to inform decision-making on biodiversity conservation. This study aims to characterize the relationships between tree diversity and structure across different land cover (LC) classes—Dense tree cover (D), Sparse tree cover (S), Grasslands (G), and Wetlands (W)—and altitudinal gradients (AGs) in Alain forest, located in Sudan’s savanna woodlands. A systematic sampling was used across varying AGs and …

Farmers’ Knowledge, Attitude, And Motivation For Adoption Of Climate-Smart Agroforestry In Two Contrasting Agroecosystems Of Rwanda, Donatien Ntawuruhunga, Edwin Estomii Ngowi, Halima Omari Mangi, Raymond John Salanga, Kenneth Lynch Leonard

All Rsif Scholars' Publications

Globally, the experiences show that climate-smart agroforestry (CSAF) can contribute to sustainable agricultural growth and rural transformation while tackling climate change. This study evaluated the interplay between farmers’ knowledge, attitude, and motivation to adopt CSAF. The study used data from 381 farmers surveyed in Bugesera and Rulindo regions, Rwanda. Bugesera, in the semi-arid savannah lowlands, and Rulindo, in the temperate central highlands, were purposively selected for their distinct physiographic features. A questionnaire was used to collect the data and descriptive statistics, Pearson correlation, and binomial logistic regression were performed for data analysis. The results from the correlation analysis showed that …

Effects Of Different Lengths And Doses Of Raw And Treated Sisal Fibers In The Cement Composite Material, Tsion Amsalu Fode, Yusufu Abeid Chande Jande, Young-Deuk Kim, Min-Gyu Ham, Jieun Lee, Thomas Kivevele, Nima Rahbar

All Rsif Scholars' Publications

Sisal fiber moisture sensitivity and degradation are treated by alkaline and pozzolanic methods, such as silica fume and kaolin surface coating. However, it is novel that the treatment of sisal fiber by calcined bentonite slurry can coat sisal fiber from moisture and protect it from cement hydration by consuming free lime and reducing cement matrix alkalinity. Therefore, the present study treated sisal fibers with calcined bentonite slurry and investigated the effect of using different lengths and doses of treated and raw sisal fibers in a mortar. The results indicate that the treatment of sisal fiber with bentonite slurry improved the …

Impact Of Anthropogenic Activities And Urban Proximity On The Conservation Of Trees Outside Forests On Agricultural Lands In The Mongala Province, Democratic Republic Of Congo, Jean Pierre Azenge, Justin Kassi N’Dja

All Rsif Scholars' Publications

This study analysed the influence of charcoal production, artisanal logging, and urban proximity on the conservation of Trees Outside Forests on Agricultural Lands (TOF -AL) in the Mongala Province (Democratic Republic of Congo). A stratified random sampling methodology was applied to 45 villages distributed across the three territories of the province (Bongandanga, Bumba, and Lisala). Within each village, an inventory of TOF AL was conducted using linear transects and systematic sampling, allowing for the evaluation of the con servation index, species richness, density, and diversity of TOF -AL. The practice of extractive activities, including charcoal production and artisanal logging, was …

Evaluation Of Advanced Kalman Filter On Real-Time Agricultural Soil Parameters Through An Iot Resources-Constrained Device, Egas Jose Armando, Damien Hanyurwimfura, Omar Gatera, Kwang Soo Kim, Athanase Nduwumuremyi

All Rsif Scholars' Publications

Effective sensor denoising is crucial for accurate, real-time agricultural decision-support systems. This study explores the application of Unscented Kalman Filter (UKF) extensions on resource-constrained devices to improve sensor denoising and enhance the reliability of Internet of Things (IoT) based agricultural soil monitoring. The study was conducted in Ruhango district, Rwanda, utilizing a wireless sensor node equipped with a Raspberry Pi 5 (ARM v8) and an integrated seven-in-one soil sensor measuring temperature, humidity, electrical conductivity, pH, nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium. The sensor was placed at a depth of 20 cm in ten cassava farms, collecting data every 30 min for eight …

Application Of Biosynthesized Nanoparticles In Chemical Enhanced Oil Recovery: Main Mechanisms, Recent Advances, Challenges, And Opportunities, Godfrey Osemudiamhen Eseigbe, Sunday Sunday Ikiensikimama

All Rsif Scholars' Publications

Nanoparticles are increasingly used in chemical enhanced oil recovery (CEOR) due to their ability to improve oil recovery by altering reservoir rock and fluid properties. These nanoparticles, which have unique physical and chemical traits, can be synthesized chemically or biologically. Biological synthesis, involving fungi, bacteria, algae, yeast, or plant materials are more stable, efficient, cost-effective, and environmentally friendly. With rising global energy demand and a shift towards greener solutions, the focus has moved from hazardous chemical synthesis to green synthesis for CEOR. Although some research exists on green nanoparticles for oil recovery, a comprehensive review of these studies and the …

Integrating Technology In Medical Education: A Possible Pathway For Advancing Primary Healthcare, İkbal Hümay Arman

Health Professions Education

No abstract for this article type.

Correlation Of Undergraduate Gpa With Grades At Saudi Licensing Exams—Can Grades Predict Future Academic Performance?, Mansour Al Qurashi, Hashem Sameer Almarzouki, Mubarak Al-Mansour, Ali S. Al-Shareef, Sabina Nisar Ahmed, Mohamed Eldigire Ahmed, Muhammad Anwar Khan, Sara Seraj Abed, Hawazen Zarif, Tahani Alfudhail

Health Professions Education

Background: In this competitive world where new generations strive to prove their academic excellence through grades, it is worth discussing the impact of grades on learning and the acquisition of required knowledge and skills and considering whether these scores can predict future academic performance on graduation.

Objectives: Our study aimed to determine a relationship between undergraduate GPA and their score at the Saudi Medical Licensing Exam (SMLE) over the years and to report any difference in students' academic performance entering medical school through direct or graduate entry programs over the years.

Methodology: An analytical cross-sectional study included all medical …

Evaluating Nursing Students' Attitudes Towards Addressing Sexual Health: A Principal Component Analysis Of An Arabic Questionnaire In Saudi Arabia, Junel Bryan Bajet, Nahed Alquwez, Jennifer Mesde, Ejercito Balay-Odao, Mohammed Bien Kulintang, Shihab Mohammed, Abdulellah Alsolais, Khalaf Alotaibi, Jonas Cruz

Health Professions Education

Purpose. This study assessed the psychometric properties of the Students' Attitudes Towards Sexual Health- Arabic Version (SA-SH-A) among student nurses.

Methods. The study utilized a quantitative, methodological approach. A convenience sample of 267 nursing students in one university situated in the central region of Saudi Arabia. The study used face-to-face surveys to collect data from November 2021 to August 2022. For content validity, the item-level content and scale-level content validity indices were applied following the averaging method. Researchers used Cronbach's alpha (α) to measure the reliability, and analysis of the principal component with the varimax rotation was employed for construct …

Pharmaceutical Marketing Within Pharmacy Education In Arabic Countries, Dana Osama Allan, Hamzeh Almomani, Enas Alabood, Ibrahim Alabbadi

Health Professions Education

Purpose: Pharmaceutical marketing education is key for developing communication skills in pharmacy students and preparing them for various positions in the pharmaceutical sector. This study evaluates the current status of pharmaceutical marketing education in Arab pharmacy schools and explores innovative methods for its delivery.

Methods: A descriptive study was conducted with a pre-developed questionnaire distributed via email to 166 pharmacy schools across 21 Arabic countries. Analyses were performed using SPSS on the responses received from 29 universities in 9 countries.

Results: Out of the 29 respondent universities, 23 (79.3%) offered pharmaceutical marketing education. Most universities provided the course as required …

The Impact Of Continuing Nursing Education On Nurses’ Knowledge And Quality Of Practice: A Systematic Review, Areti Stavropoulou, Martha Kelesi, Marianthi Baltagianni, Evangelia Sigala, Eleni Tsapnidou, Georgia Gerogianni, Georgios Katharakis

Health Professions Education

Purpose. To explore the impact of continuing education on nursing knowledge and quality of practice.

Method. In compliance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis (PRISMA) guidelines, a systematic review was conducted in January 2024 using the PubMed, Trip, Science Direct and Scopus databases. The inclusion criteria comprised original research studies, published between 2018 and 2024.

Results. The results of 14 research studies that met the inclusion criteria, yield that continuing nursing education significantly contributes to the enhancement of nurses’ knowledge and skills. Through continuing education, nurses may develop high levels of self-confidence and proficiency in …