Digital Commons Network^™

Work-Life Balance Fantasy Logics Of Mothers Working In Community Colleges: A Glitch Methodology Using Intimate Inquiry And Aesthetic Mediation, Emily Hanson Moore

Educational Leadership & Workforce Development Theses & Dissertations

This post-qualitative study explores work-life balance as a sustaining fantasy produced by neoliberal, patriarchal, productivity-driven systems and how this fantasy manifests affectively for mothers who work in community colleges. The study began by contextualizing the work-life balance fantasy within higher education as a gendered workscape. Using intimate inquiry (Laura, 2013) and aesthetic meditation as the primary approaches, the researcher engaged in conversations with participants about their experiences mothering and working in community colleges. The primary data sources were these conversations, participant artifacts, researcher self-reflection and artifacts, and a range of contemporary cultural texts including podcasts, poetry, television, social media posts …

Hydrogen Sulfide As A Strong Ligand Affecting Trace Metal Cycling In The Pacific And Southern Oceans, Nicole R. Buckley

OES Theses and Dissertations

Historically, hydrogen sulfide was considered unimportant in the open ocean since it has primarily been associated with anoxic environments. Yet, in the late 1980s it was suggested that this sulfur gas is also being produced in the oxic, surface ocean through the hydrolysis of carbonyl sulfide (OCS). Since then, several studies have demonstrated that hydrogen sulfide is indeed found in oxic seawater at pico- to nanomolar concentrations due not only to carbonyl sulfide hydrolysis, but also assimilatory sulfate reduction by phytoplankton. Hydrogen sulfide’s importance in seawater is largely due to its high metal-ligand stability constants allowing it to affect the …

Integration Analysis Of Nssm, Winlogon, And P2p Networks: Security Impact And Mitigation Strategies, Maisa Emneina

Theses and Dissertations

In today's digital world, where everything is interconnected, new security threats are constantly emerging. This thesis explores the security risks that come from the combination of three specific technologies: Non-Sucking Service Manager (NSSM), Winlogon Helper DLLs, and Peer-to-Peer (P2P) networks. NSSM is a powerful tool for managing services, but it can also be used by attackers to find and exploit system weaknesses. Winlogon Helper DLLs are essential for the Windows logon process, making them a critical target for attacks. When you add P2P networks into the mix, which many applications use to share data, the potential for security issues increases …

Innovative 4d Printing Of Biomimetic Collagen-Tcp Scaffolds For Bone Regeneration, Karly Morgan Liebendorfer

Theses and Dissertations

Bone tissue engineering (BTE) is a promising alternative approach to autografts and allografts when treating various bone diseases and disorders. BTE enables the fabrication of biocompatible, biomimetic, and osteo-stimulating constructs for the repair and regeneration of damaged bone tissue. The native bone environment primarily consists of anisotropic type 1 collagen (organic) and hydroxyapatite nanocrystals (inorganic). Composite biomimetic scaffolds fabricated by combining collagen with bioceramics have shown immense promise for BTE applications. Prior work has reported on different biofabrication methods to synthesize collagen-based composite scaffolds for use in BTE applications. However, to date, a customizable 3D composite scaffold that resembles the …

An Exploratory Study On E-Learning Software Utilization Among Professional Instructional Designers In Virginia, Mark Richard Parsons

STEMPS Theses & Dissertations

This master's thesis aims to explore the diverse landscape of e-learning software employed by professional instructional designers in Virginia to develop educational content. The study investigated the learning management systems and rapid authoring software, their utilization, the challenges and benefits associated with their usage, and future trends. By gaining insights into the preferences and practices of instructional designers, this research contributes to a deeper understanding of the dynamic field of e-learning software in the context of Virginia's educational landscape.

A Privacy-Preserving Federated Learning Framework For Blockchain Networks, Youssif Abuzied, Mohamed Ghanem, Fadi Dawoud, Habiba Gamal, Eslam Soliman, Hossam Sharara, Tamer Elbatt

Faculty Journal Articles

In this paper we introduce a scalable, privacy-preserving, federated learning framework, coined FLoBC, based on the concept of distributed ledgers underlying blockchains. This is motivated by the rapid growth of data worldwide, especially decentralized data which calls for scalable, decenteralized machine learning models which is capable of preserving the privacy of the data of the participating users. Towards this objective, we first motivate and define the problem scope. We then introduce the proposed FLoBC system architecture hinging on a number of key pillars, namely parallelism, decentralization and node update synchronization. In particular, we examine a number of known node update …

Use Of Language-Adapted Resources In The Non-English Speaking Patient Population, Jenny Lansing, Emma Dubois

Nurse Residency

Background: Across the healthcare field, it is essential that patients and families can both communicate and understand the care they receive. A lack in this can lead to delays in care, missed findings, unnecessary care and costs, and even preventable emergencies. Limited research surrounds the impact that language barriers pose as well as methods to address this.

The Impact Of Prone Ventilation Among Patients Diagnosed With Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome, Mary Steward, Kimberly Loomis

Nurse Residency

Background Mechanical ventilation is a commonICU intervention for patients in respiratory distress. Proning is a form of mechanical ventilation that has been recently studied which improves gas exchange and lung perfusion among patients specifically diagnosed with ARDS.

A Review Of Secondary Technology Education Teacher Needs In Virginia, M. Kathleen Ferguson

Educational Leadership & Workforce Development Theses & Dissertations

Technology education teachers can have varied pre-service training experiences, thus their needs for classroom support may vary greatly. Perkins V requires evidence-based research to justify the use of funding for professional development. This researcher sought to support Virginia’s secondary technology education teachers, professional organizations, and the Virginia Department of Education’s Technology Education Specialist by providing research to determine professional development needs. This three-phase qualitative study used a survey, documents review, and focus groups to triangulate data to provide information about the research questions. The research questions focused on teachers’ educational background, technology program goals, and issues specific to secondary technology …

Reinforcement Learning Based Proactive Entanglement Swapping For Quantum Networks, Tasdiqul Islam, Md Arifuzzaman, Engin Arslan

Computer Science Faculty Research & Creative Works

Entanglement generation and swapping is a difficult process due to probabilistic nature of quantum mechanics. To overcome this issue, existing quantum routing algorithms try to create entanglement on multiple paths between source and destination. Although it is possible to save entangled qubits on unused links using quantum memories, the quantum routing algorithms discard them and try creating new entanglement in each time slot. In this work, we leverage the longevity of entanglement and introduce two enhancements to improve the performance of existing routing algorithms: (i) The generation and caching of entanglements across multiple time slots, and (ii) the proactively executing …

From Integers To Fractions, Shuyuan Yu, Pooja Sidney, Dan Kim, Clarissa A. Thompson, John E. Opfer

Psychology Faculty Publications

Fractions are the gatekeepers to advanced mathematics but are difficult to learn. One powerful learning mechanism is analogy, which builds fraction understanding on a pre-existing foundation of integer knowledge. Indeed, a short intervention that aligned fractions and integers on number lines improved children's estimates of fractions (Yu et al., 2022). The breadth and durability of such gains, however, are unknown, and analogies to other sources (such as percentages) may be equally powerful. To investigate this issue, we randomly assigned 109 fourth and fifth graders to one of three experimental conditions with different analogical sources (integers, percentages, or fractions) or a …

Dynamic Metabolic Flux Analysis Amidst Data Variability: Sphingolipid Biosynthesis Case Study In Arabidopsis Thaliana Cell Cultures, Abraham Boluwatife Osinuga

Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Sphingolipids are pivotal for plant development and stress responses. Growing interest has been directed towards fully comprehending the regulatory mechanisms of the sphingolipid pathway. In this study, we explore its de novo biosynthesis and homeostasis in Arabidopsis thaliana cell cultures, shedding light on fundamental metabolic mechanisms. Employing ¹⁵N isotope labeling and quantitative dynamic modeling approach, we obtained data with notable variations and developed a regularized and constraint-based Dynamic Metabolic Flux Analysis (r-DMFA) framework to predict metabolic shifts due to enzymatic changes. Our analysis revealed key enzymes such as sphingoid-base hydroxylase (SBH) and long-chain-base kinase …

Development And Characterization Of Β-Cyclodextrin Inclusion Complexes With Enzalutamide For Easing Administration And Efficacy Of The Drug In Crpc, Meghana Kolli

Theses and Dissertations

Prostate cancer (PC) is prevalent among men in the US, often leading to castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC) with therapy. This is marked by androgen receptor (AR) overexpression, resistance, mutations, and splice variants. Enzalutamide (ENZ), a nonsteroidal antiandrogen, surpasses first-gen AR inhibitors like Bicalutamide. It's the go-to drug for CRPC. We explore ENZ for self-assembly complex formation, crucial for CRPC treatment. Using the solvent evaporation method, we developed β-cyclodextrin and ENZ self-assembly complexes (β-CD-ENZ). β-CD acts as both agent and solubilizer, FDA-approved and safe. Efficacy was tested on PC cell lines (C4-2B) and (22Rv1), including 3D cultures for cytotoxicity and a …

Triticale As A Source Of Resistance To Wheat Streak Mosaic Virus And Triticum Mosaic Virus, Marcos Winicius Goncalves De Souza

Department of Agronomy and Horticulture: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Wheat streak mosaic virus (WSMV) and Triticum mosaic virus (TriMV) present a great threat to wheat production in the Great Plains area of the United States due to the loss of photosynthetic area causing reductions in crop yields. Effective control of these viruses is limited to a few available strategies including controlling volunteer wheat and using currently identified resistant genes to both the vector and viruses. While effective, these genes show temperature sensitivity and yield drag, and evidence that the vectors and viruses can overcome them has been found. Thus, new methods of genetic resistance are urgently needed. Field observations …

Utilization Of Probiotics To Compete With Clostridioides Difficile For Nutrient-Niches In A Variety Of In Vitro Contexts, April Elizabeth Johnson

Department of Food Science and Technology: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Clostridium difficile is a major threat to public health and primarily affects at risk groups such as elderly, immunocompromised individuals, and individuals on antibiotics. Many decades of research have been conducted to figure out ways to exclude or reduce C. difficile colonization and toxin production. Two major proposed mechanisms for colonization resistance are production of secondary bile salts and competition for nutrients.

In Chapter 2, we found that antibiotic treatment disrupted bile salt metabolism increasing the levels of the primary bile salt cholate and decreasing the levels of deoxycholate, a secondary bile salt. However, bile salts were not required …

Growth And Simulation Of Dielectric-Metal Nanoheterostructured Thin Films By Ballistic Deposition, Shawn Wimer

Dissertations and Doctoral Documents, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, 2023–

This thesis is divided into two related topics: the structural and chemical characterization of dielectric-metal nanoheterostructured thin films grown by glancing angle deposition (GLAD) and the results of the simulated growth of films and structures by GLAD with discrete-space and continuous-space Monte Carlo ballistic simulation.

Individual structures comprising films grown by GLAD were investigated by S/TEM and SEM imaging, electron diffraction, and chemical characterization and mapping by EDX. Different intermolecular interactions within and between different materials, including Si, Ag, Au, and ZrO₂, are linked to differences in the shapes of individual materials in heterostructures, the shape of heterostructures …

Exploring Gen Z’S Identity Formation And Its Influence On Consumption Of Pop Culture And Entertainment Merchandise, Melisa Annette Spilinek

Dissertations and Doctoral Documents, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, 2023–

Fandoms have grown in size and influence, becoming a complex and dynamic cultural phenomenon that richly impacts the consumption of media and consumer behavior. The capitalistic United States with its diverse and media-savvy population, is a prime destination to study fan studies, particularly among young adults who are a crucial component of fandom influence.

The internet has grown to be a major component of the fan experience, an integral part of fandom culture. Online communities provide avenues for Generation Z to connect with others who share similar struggles, challenges, and interests, highlighting the importance of digital platofrms on the evolution …

French Interwar Popular Romance And Ideals Of Femininity: A Literary And Historical Study Of Magali, Kelly Kamrath

Department of Modern Languages and Literatures: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Against a background of political turmoil, economic crises, and cultural upsets from both within and abroad, France between the two World Wars was home to a flourishing romance novel industry. At first glance lighthearted love stories seem simple and frivolous in comparison to the canonical writings of the time, such as those of Simone de Beauvoir and Jean-Paul Sartre. However, this literature was far from art for art’s sake. The romance novels of interwar France, written half a century before the scholarship of romance fiction would truly begin, have yet to receive the attention they deserve. During the interwar period, …

Modelling, Design, Control, And Implementation Of Advanced Isolated Dc/Dc Converters For Renewable Energy Applications, Yuqi Wei, Quanming Luo, Di Mou, Shuang Zhao, Marco Liserre, H. Alan Mantooth

Electrical Engineering and Computer Science Faculty Publications and Presentations

Demand for high-efficient isolated DC/DC converters to achieve energy transfer among renewable energy sources, energy storage elements, and loads is increasing because of renewable energies’ increasing market penetration. Traditional converters pose significant challenges due to the wide voltage range operation nature of these components. Interest in improving the power converters’ performances for renewable energy applications is growing rapidly. Researchers are exploring accurate analysis methods, optimal design, and novel control strategies to improve the power converters’ performance. These strategies can improve the converters’ performance without any modifications to the traditional hardware. In addition, design automations are drawing more and more attention. …

Rescoring The Animation: “Das Müesli”, Alexandre Alves Lunardelli

Scoring for Film, Television, and Video Games

This thesis narrates the journey behind all stages of my Culminating Experience project in the Master of Scoring for Films, Games, and TV at Berklee Valencia. It focuses on the challenges of reading the narrative arc of a picture, conceptualizing the music, and writing and orchestrating it. The development of a digital mock-up, as well as the post-production stages, are also discussed in the later chapters. The music written will be analyzed in sections with score excerpts for better clarity, where I will discuss references, melody, harmony, and orchestration in depth. The results of this journey are insightful as I …

Green Boots, Finlay Crowther

Scoring for Film, Television, and Video Games

For many years Green Boots was one of the great mysteries of Mount Everest. The title refers to the once unidentified body of the climber, now thought to be Tsewang Paljor, whose body rested in a cave near the top of Everest and was identified only by his bright green Koflach boots. His body remained in this cave for many years, as it was too difficult to remove at this altitude. All climbers who wanted to reach the summit would have to pass through Green Boots’ Cave, which served as a reminder of the perils of mountaineering and reaching this …

Experimental Study On The Detection Of The Existence And Location Of Mimicked And Unexpected Interface Debonding Defects In An Existing Rectangular Cfst Column With Pzt Materials, Qian Liu, Bin Xu, Genda Chen, Weilong Ni, Zhixun Liu, Chun Lin, Zhiyou Zhuang

Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Interface bonding conditions between concrete and steel materials play key roles in ensuring the composite effect and load-carrying capacity of concrete–steel composite structures such as concrete-filled steel tube (CFST) members in practice. A method using both surface wave and electromechanical impedance (EMI) measurement for detecting the existence and the location of inaccessible interface debonding defects between the concrete core and steel tube in CFST members using piezoelectric lead zirconate titanate (PZT) patches as actuators and sensors is proposed. A rectangular CFST specimen with two artificially mimicked interface debonding defects was experimentally verified using PZT patches as the actuator and sensor. …

Synergetic Effect Of Viscosity Modifying Admixtures And Polycarboxylate Ether Superplasticizer On Key Characteristics Of Thixotropic Uhpc For Bonded Bridge Deck Overlay Rehabilitation, Le Teng, Ming Jin, Jiadi Du, Kamal H. Khayat

Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Thin bonded ultra-high-performance concrete (UHPC) overlay is an advanced technology for bridge deck rehabilitation. UHPC should be tailored to secure adequate flowability and high thixotropy to facilitate mixing and placement with a low risk of sagging of the material on sloped bridge deck surfaces. The synergetic effect between nano clay (NC) and polycarboxylate ether (PCE) superplasticizer or cellulose-based viscosity modifying admixture (VMA) and PCE on the rheological properties (yield stress, plastic viscosity, and thixotropy), cement hydration, autogenous shrinkage, compressive strength, and porosity was systematically investigated. The bond strength between conventional concrete (CC) representing existing bridge deck concrete and thixotropic UHPC …

In Situ Synthesis, Characterization And Photocatalytic Efficacy Of Silver-Enhanced Mxene And Graphene Nanocomposites, Kishore Chand, M. Mustafa Azeem, Muhammad Nazim Lakhan, Mukhtiar Ahmed, Muhammad Jehanzaib Aslam, Ahmer Hussain Shah

Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

The emergence of 2D materials has significantly expanded the wide range of nanomaterials with diverse applications. Notably, their high conductivity, catalytic efficiency, and hydrophobicity have fueled heightened research interests for water treatment applications. This research aimed to investigate the synthesis and characterization of MXene and reduced graphene oxide (rGO) nanocomposites with silver nanoparticles (Ag) for enhanced catalytic activity in the decomposition of Direct Blue-24 dye. In this study, we employed well-established methods, previously documented in the literature, to prepare two distinct nanocomposites. Novel nanocomposites, namely reduced graphene oxide–silver nanoparticles (rGO–Ag) and MXene–silver nanoparticles (MXene–Ag), were synthesized using the hydrothermal and …

Predicting Iot Distributed Ledger Fraud Transactions With A Lightweight Gan Network, Charles Rawlins, Jagannathan Sarangapani

Electrical and Computer Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Decision-making and consensus in traditional blockchain protocols is formulated as a repeated Bernoulli trial that solves a computationally intense lottery puzzle, called Proof-of-Work (PoW) in Bitcoin. This approach has shown robustness through practice but does not scale with increasing network size and generation of new transactions. Resource constrained Internet of Things (IoT) networks are incompatible with full computation of schemes like Bitcoin's PoW. Our effort proposes a first step towards an alternative consensus using machine learning-based decision-making with prediction of fraud transactions to alleviate need for intense computation. To improve base approval probabilities for fraud detection in an ideal security …

Master Of Social Work Portfolio, Courtney Marie Aadland-Lewis

Graduate Student Portfolios, Professional Papers, and Capstone Projects

No abstract provided.

Msw: Portfolio, Dorothy Leigh Mccombs

Graduate Student Portfolios, Professional Papers, and Capstone Projects

MSW journey

Flying Wing Aerodynamic Design And Airbrake Integration, Philip Lawson Mantz

Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering Theses & Dissertations

During the 2022-2023 Academic year, the defense contractor, AeroVironment, tasked the Unmanned Aerial Systems Laboratory at Old Dominion University with designing an autonomous drone platform. A brief summary of the aerodynamic requirements included that the drone should cruise at a target cruise speed of 30m/s, the drone would operate up to an altitude of 1500m and be able to land within a 20m radius of a designated landing spot. The laboratory chose a flying wing model. Additionally, the aircraft would have an airbrake system integrated into the platform.

The aerodynamic requirements were configurated through the use of a ‘constraint diagram’. …

Alternative Applications Of Composite Materials To Reduce Radar Cross Section, Mark Patterson

Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering Theses & Dissertations

The use of carbon nanoparticles and graphene in composite materials has created a foundational shift in enhancing performance across mechanical, thermal, and electrical properties. Such applications are vital in the aerospace industry. However, there has not been such a focus on the material use for reducing radar cross section (RCS). Historically, RCS is minimized by designing sharp geometric shapes to deflect or dissipate the incoming electromagnetic waves away from the receiving antenna. However, these designs are not always optimized for aerodynamics. The goal of this research is to understand the application of composite materials and specifically carbon nanotubes (CNTs) to …

The Impact Of Peer Observational Learning On Honesty Following A Transgression, Hannah M. Sliman

Psychology Theses & Dissertations

Parents and teachers concerns about the development and socialization of lying aligns with research suggesting that persistent lying is related with delinquency, aggression, and conduct problems. We were interested in examining the difference between two groups: Honest and Praise (HP), and Control Group (CG) for the extent to which exposure to the experimental condition influenced a child’s decision to be honest and confess after a transgression. The study was designed to examine the extent to which observing peers of similar age receiving praise for being honest can promote honesty amongst children. Further, the study determined if gender influences honest reporting. …