Digital Commons Network^™

Essays On Nonparametric Benchmarking Of Energy Firms And Natural Gas Market Integration, Matthew Cronin

All Dissertations

My dissertation focuses on issues related to the technical efficiency of energy firms as well as the integration of U.S. natural gas markets during the era of shale gas expansion of the early 2000s. In the first chapter, I use nonparametric methods to estimate changes in efficiency and productivity of natural gas pipelines in the U.S. during the period of shale gas expansion during 2007--2018. This period, known as the Shale Revolution, saw an increase in shale gas production from less that 5 billion cubic feet per day (BCF/d) in 2007 to over 60 BCF/d in 2018. This increase in …

Evaluation Of Kappa Opioid Receptor Specific Compounds And Their Effect On Ptsd-Like Behavioral Activity, Daniel Murnock

Theses, Dissertations and Culminating Projects

Background: Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a complex and multifaceted neurological disorder that is characterized by intrusive thoughts, avoidance behaviors, alterations in cognition and mood, and alterations in arousal and reactivity. Current studies utilize stress paradigms to mimic behavioral symptoms and neurobiological changes associated with PTSD. The project aims to instead utilize the kappa opioid system and three distinct Kappa Opioid Receptorspecific compounds (Salvinorin A, U50,488, and nor-BNI) to induce these changes. Pharmacokinetic analysis of Salvinorin A and U50,488 revealed a time of peak plasma concentration (Tmax) of 0.25 hours in both groups. 3-Chamber Social Novelty testing revealed a significant …

Suppression Of Microrna 124–3p And Microrna 340–5p Ameliorates Retinoic Acid-Induced Cleft Palate In Mice, Hiroki Yoshioka, Akiko Suzuki, Chihiro Iwaya, Junichi Iwata

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

The etiology of cleft lip with or without cleft palate (CL/P), a common congenital birth defect, is complex, with genetic and epigenetic, as well as environmental, contributing factors. Recent studies suggest that fetal development is affected by maternal conditions through microRNAs (miRNAs), a group of short noncoding RNAs. Here, we show that miR-129-5p and miR-340-5p suppress cell proliferation in both primary mouse embryonic palatal mesenchymal cells and O9-1 cells, a neural crest cell line, through the regulation of Sox5 and Trp53 by miR-129-5p, and the regulation of Chd7, Fign and Tgfbr1 by miR-340-5p. Notably, miR-340-5p, but not miR-129-5p, was upregulated …

Does Proactivity Drive Use? Understanding Growth In Chat Reference Services, David A. Hurley, Adrienne Warner

University Libraries & Learning Sciences Faculty and Staff Publications

Libraries that implement trigger-initiated proactive chat reference services see substantial increases in the number and complexity of reference transactions. However, it is not clear if this growth is a result of something inherent to proactivity, or other factors such as increased awareness of the service. To investigate this, we compare usage during periods with and without proactivity in databases in which our chat reference service is established. Steep and immediate increases when proactivity is enabled and sharp declines when it is disabled suggests that proactivity itself is driving the changes. We recommend human computer interaction (HCI) and user experience (UX) …

Innovadores Guaymíes: Un Estudio De Caso De Emprendedores En Una Sociedad De Menor Complejidad Socioeconómica., Milton R.A. Machuca-Gálvez Phd, Mlis, John R. Bort Phd

University Libraries & Learning Sciences Faculty and Staff Publications

Traducción al castellano de la disertación doctoral Guaymí Innovators: A Case Study of Entrepreneurs in a Small Scale Society de John R. Bort, presentada al Departamento de Antropología y la Escuela de Postgrado de la Universidad de Oregón, junio de 1976. Traducción de Milton Machuca-Gálvez, PhD, MLIS.

Se enfoca en el cambio socioeconómico en los indígenas guaymí del occidente de Panamá. Principalmente en cómo los guaymíes reaccionan a las cambiantes circunstancias económicas de su entorno. La mayor parte de los datos utilizados se obtuvieron mediante observación participante junto con materiales del censo que sirvieron para complementar el trabajo de campo. …

Techno-Economic Feasibility Analysis Of A Fully Mobile Radiation Oncology System Using Monte Carlo Simulation, Alex T. Price, Casey I. Canfield, Geoffrey D. Hugo, James A. Kavanaugh, Lauren E. Henke, Eric Laugeman, Pamela Samson, Clair Reynolds-Kueny, Elizabeth A. Cudney

Engineering Management and Systems Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

PURPOSEDisparities in radiation oncology (RO) can be attributed to geographic location, socioeconomic status, race, sex, and other societal factors. One potential solution is to implement a fully mobile (FM) RO system to bring radiotherapy to rural areas and reduce barriers to access. We use Monte Carlo simulation to quantify techno-economic feasibility with uncertainty, using two rural Missouri scenarios.METHODSRecently, a semimobile RO system has been developed by building an o-ring linear accelerator (linac) into a mobile coach that is used for temporary care, months at a time. Transitioning to a more FM-RO system, which changes location within a given day, presents …

Hydration Of High-Alumina Calcium Aluminate Cements With Carbonate And Sulfate Additives, Jonathan Lapeyre, Sai Akshay Ponduru, Monday Uchenna Okoronkwo, Hongyan Ma, Aditya Kumar

Chemical and Biochemical Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

This study investigated the influence of limestone (LS) and calcium sulfate (C$) mineral additives on the hydration kinetics of high-α-Al₂O₃ calcium aluminate cement (CAC) utilizing experimental techniques and thermodynamic simulations. Increasing the replacement level of limestone or calcium sulfate increased the cumulative heat of the hydration reaction. The limestone exhibited limited acceleratory effects to the CAC hydration kinetics due to the coarseness of the powder. The coarse particle size distribution limited any heterogenous nucleation that would have occurred with a finer particle size as well as the intrinsic insolubility kinetically limits the formation of monocarboaluminate phases. Conversely, …

Awakening To Beauty, Volume Viii, University Of Dayton. University Honors Program, Angela Ann Zukowski

Chaminade Scholars: Awakening to Beauty

Images and reflections of the members of the 2023 cohort of Chaminade Scholars. Published in May 2022.

Electronic Fingerprint Safe, Bryton Flecker, Carlos Bucheli, Tristan Arias

Mechatronics Final Projects

The objective for this project was to create a lockbox storage solution which used a fingerprint sensor (3) as the mechanism for locking and unlocking the device. A user of the device would have the ability to add or remove up to four fingerprints from the device while it is unlocked. As a backup measure for the event that a fingerprint is no longer recognized, the lockbox will have a preprogrammed PIN assigned to the device which the user can enter to unlock it. User input was implemented via a series of buttons (5) on the front panel of the …

Manifestations Of Myth In Antonin Dvořák’S Stabat Mater, Pia Marie Rodriguez

Music Honors Theses

No abstract provided.

A Remote-Controllable Robotics Platform Based On The Pic16f88 Microcontroller, Clyde Johnson, Matthew Roche, Max Ulmer

Mechatronics Final Projects

The goal of this mechatronics system design project is to create a simple robotics control and interface platform using a Microchip PIC processor. The intent is for this platform to be able to host a wide variety of simple sensors, displays, and outputs that can be carried around by its drive. The platform will be able to take in and interpret 2.4GHz remote-control signals.

For a novel twist on remote-control robotics, we have designed this robot to be encapsulated within an acrylic sphere. It is platformed on a 3D-printed chassis that holds upright its two geared DC motors that rest …

Vinyl Player, Cooper Adams, Joshua Geer, Drew Gray

Mechatronics Final Projects

The goal for our final project was to design and manufacture a record player capable of producing music using a 12 inch LP or 7-inch single vinyl record. When powered, the record player spins the vinyl at a specific speed, and using the needle sound vibrations are sent to an audio amplifier to output sound. A motor is used to control the desired speed and rotate the plate which the vinyl record is placed on. Figure 1 shows a simplified sketch of the needle cartridge system; the system consists of a needle and an attached magnet that is placed near …

Defenses In Dispute: The Bureaucratic And Domestic Politics Of The First Anti-Ballistic Missile Debate, Samuel D. Lair

History Honors Theses

Since the dawn of the missile age in the mid-1940s, policymakers have grappled with the question of whether and how to defend against ballistic missiles. The saga of the rise of the United States’ first anti-ballistic missile system, known initially as Sentinel and later as Safeguard, and its subsequent demise after the signing of the Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty in 1972, has been well cataloged by historians and strategic thinkers. Although many scholars present the story of this ABM system as the logical and inexorable consequence of the acceptance of deterrence theory and mutual vulnerability by the U.S and the Soviet …

The Story Of The Ziffersystem And The Russian Mennonites: Counting Blessings, Emily Grace Warkentin

Music Honors Theses

No abstract provided.

Community Connections, May 2022, University Of Dayton. Fitz Center For Leadership In Community

Newsletter: Community Connections

No abstract provided.

Tennessee Jail Summary Report, May 2022, Tennessee. Department Of Correction.

Jail Summary Reports

No abstract provided.

The Effects Of Microgravity On Human Endothelial Cells In Relation To Deep Vein Thrombosis, Allie Burgess

Biomedical Engineering Undergraduate Honors Theses

Deep vein thrombosis (DVT) is a condition where blood clots form in one or more of the deep veins of the body, causing leg pain and/or swelling, potentially leading to pulmonary embolism and/or stroke. The incidence of DVT among astronauts serving on the International Space Station has been shown to be greater than that of the general population, calling into question the effects of microgravity on human thrombolytic processes. Additionally, microgravity conditions have been shown to cause muscular atrophy and a decrease in muscle strength and mobility. Because collagen composes a large portion of muscle tissue, this study also assessed …

Hydrogel Drug Delivery Platform Integrity And Utilization Analysis, Joshua Carson Adams

Biomedical Engineering Undergraduate Honors Theses

Traumatic Spinal Cord Injury (SCI) generally results in permanent sensorimotor dysfunction. This is due to failed axonal regeneration at the site of injury. Recent studies have highlighted the use of stem-cell based therapies embedded in hydrogel to treat SCI. Embedding cell therapies in hydrogel provides a platform that increases the survival of both integrated grafted cells and stem cells/stem cell progeny. There are a variety of drug delivery agents for treating SCI such as neuro-regenerative cells and Schwann cells, however, single agents are not promising for functional regeneration. We propose a combinatorial approach using sciatic nerve (SN) extracellular matrix (ECM), …

Determination Of Tissue-Level Changes In Tumors That Are Indicative Of Metastasis Using Optical Spectroscopy, Sanidhya D. Tripathi

Biomedical Engineering Undergraduate Honors Theses

Breast cancer, accounting for 12% of all new cancer cases, is one of the leading causes of death in women worldwide. Although patient survival has improved over the years, metastatic spread to other organ sites and not due to the primary tumor is the most common form of tumor recurrence, accounting for 90% deaths. Hypoxia is a common hallmark of solid tumors and is linked with metastasis, therapeutic resistance, and poor patient survival. Defined as a state of decreased oxygen availability, cells under hypoxia have an increased rate of genetic mutation, local invasion, and resistance to treatment such as radiation …

Characterizing The Expression Pattern And Function Of Tartan During Drosophila Development, Alaina Baggett

Biomedical Engineering Undergraduate Honors Theses

The development of complex structures and organs by multicellular organisms relies on the ability of epithelial cells to self-organize. Epithelia are sheets of connected cells, and compartment boundaries are formed between certain epithelial cells to create distinct tissue compartments. Compartment boundaries are specialized cell-cell interfaces that are enriched for the cytoskeletal proteins actin and myosin, leading to straight cell edges under relatively high tension that act as fences keep cells from moving between compartments. In the model organism Drosophila melanogaster (fruit fly), compartment boundaries in the early embryo are established in response to the non-uniform striped expression of the cell-surface …

Librarians’ Attitudes Toward Providing Environmental Education Services In Georgia, Xiaoai Ren

Georgia Library Quarterly

This article reports on the findings from a survey of the Georgia Library Association (GLA) members on their attitudes toward providing environmental education services in libraries, and their perceptions of the role libraries should play in developing environmentally sustainable community. Information on the environmentally sustainable practices within libraries was also collected, along with the libraries' environmental education services. Most respondents agreed that it is vital to integrate environmentally sustainable practices into library operations and provide environmental education services. However, the study also identified a gap between librarians’ attitudes and the actual environmentally sustainable practices and environmental education services in their …

Kennesaw State University's Adobe Creative Jam, Ellie Burell

Georgia Library Quarterly

The Kennesaw State University Library System had the honor of partnering with the Norman J. Radow College of Humanities and Social Science for this year's Adobe Creative Jam. As Georgia's only Adobe Creative Campus, Kennesaw State University offers an annual Adobe Creative Jam to raise awareness of Adobe's Creative Cloud software that is offered to all KSU students, faculty, and staff through a friendly, informative, yet competitive event. This year's Adobe Creative Jam broke records for the university and for Adobe.

Validation Of The Kiswahili Version Of The Migraine Disability Assessment Scale In Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania, Aliasger Nagri

Master of Internal Medicine

Background: Migraine is a chronic paroxysmal neurological disorder characterized by multiphase attacks of head pain and many neurological symptoms. The MIDAS is a five (5) question-based questionnaire used in clinical practices to identify the disability caused by migraine at work, school, household or social life; with a score indicating little or no disability (0-5), mild disability (6-10), moderate disability (11-20), and severe disability (21+). Translated versions of the MIDAS scale in a number of languages has been validated. Translating and validating the Kiswahili version of the MIDAS questionnaire is essential and needed to ensure its comparability to the original English …

Designing Autonomous Drone For Food Delivery In Gazebo/Ros Based Environments, Hrishitva Patel

Computer Science and Engineering Research

There has been a growing global trend towards convenience, speed, and ease in delivery services, and this has been further accelerated by the COVID pandemic. With the everincreasing demand for easily accessible deliveries and expanded delivery service coverage, it has become critical that innovations in this space be developed to further ensure the industry’s smooth operation. With the emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic, the inadequacies became more apparent, emphasizing the need to revolutionize and accelerate the trend in order to meet the increased demand. Drone delivery systems are of particular interest in this context because they can enable faster and …

Incorporating Climate Change In Nepa Reviews: Recommendations For Reform, Michael Burger, Romany M. Webb, Jessica A. Wentz

Sabin Center for Climate Change Law

The National Environmental Policy Act (“NEPA”) requires federal agencies to conduct an environmental review prior to moving ahead with any major federal project, plan, or program that could significantly affect the environment. As part of the environmental review, agencies must share information with, and solicit feedback from, the public. The goal is to improve federal decision-making by ensuring that agencies take a hard look at the environmental effects of their actions and fully inform the public about those effects.

In guidance issued in 2016, the Council on Environmental Quality (“CEQ”)—the federal body charged with implementing NEPA—identified climate change as a …

Helping New Jersey State Agencies And Departments Align Their Actions With Ghg Reduction Mandates And Environmental Justice Principles, Jennifer Danis, Zoe Makoul

Sabin Center for Climate Change Law

This white paper analyzes New Jersey’s implementation gap in both the climate and justice space. Its findings are potentially applicable to the many other states who have set climate and justice goals, without robustly embedding them into their existing legal and administrative landscapes. New Jersey already has GHG reduction targets, a plan, and mapped pathways. While more aggressive tactics and targets may be required to meet evolving scientific knowledge, and cost-effective technology and markets will evolve over time, New Jersey’s climate-alignment tools and pathways are clear. The EMP, the 2020 GWRA 80x50 Report, and EO-274, among other strong state initiatives, …

Facilitators And Barriers Of Reflective Learning In Postgraduate Medical Education: A Narrative Review, Catherine Gathu

Family Medicine, East Africa

Background: Reflection in postgraduate medical education has been found to aid in the development of professional skills, improve clinical expertise, and problem solving with the aim of advancing lifelong learning skills and self-awareness, leading to good medical practice among postgraduate residents. Despite the evidenced benefits, reflection remains underused as a tool for teaching and learning, and few trainee physicians regularly engage in the process. Factors that affect the uptake of reflective learning in residency training have not yet been adequately explored.

Objective: The purpose of this review is to demonstrate the factors that influence the adoption of reflective …

The Quality Of Primary Care Performance In Private Sector Facilities In Nairobi, Kenya: A Cross-Sectional Descriptive Survey, Gulnaz Mohamoud, Robert Mash

Family Medicine, East Africa

Background: Integrated health services with an emphasis on primary care are needed for effective primary health care and achievement of universal health coverage. The key elements of high quality primary care are first-contact access, continuity, comprehensiveness, coordination, and person-centredness. In Kenya, there is paucity of informa- tion on the performance of these key elements and such information is needed to improve service delivery. Therefore, the study aimed to evaluate the quality of primary care performance in private sector facilities in Nairobi, Kenya.

Methods: A cross-sectional descriptive study using an adapted Primary Care Assessment Tool for the Kenyan context …

Girls On The Map: Mapping For Program Planning And Social Change, Eva Roca

Adolescents and Young People

This guide explores ways in which maps can add depth to the learning process as practitioners design programs for girls. Mapping leads practitioners through a cycle of information collection and analysis. It supports decision-making about where, with whom, and when to work, and how programs can make a real difference in girls’ lives. Programs increasingly recognize the importance of household and community characteristics in shaping girls’ lives, yet it is relatively less common to measure or map community features as part of program planning. Mapping relevant populations of girls and the features of the communities they live in can inform …

Cu And Ni Co-Sputtered Heteroatomic Thin Film For Enhanced Nonenzymatic Glucose Detection, Brianna Barbee, Baleeswaraiah Muchharla, Adetayo Adedeji, Abdennaceur Karoui, Kishor Kumar Sadasivuni, Mizaj Shabil Sha, Aboubakr M. Abdullah4, Gymama Slaughter, Bijandra Kumar

Bioelectrics Publications

In this work, we report a wafer-scale and chemical-free fabrication of nickel (Ni) and copper (Cu) heteroatomic Cu–Ni thin films using RF magnetron sputtering technique for non-enzymatic glucose sensing application. The as-prepared wafer-scale Cu–Ni thin films exhibits excellent electrocatalytic activity toward glucose oxidation with a 1.86 μM detection limit in the range of 0.01 mM to 20 mM range. The Cu–Ni film shows 1.3- and 5.4-times higher glucose oxidation activity in comparison to the Cu and Ni electrodes, respectively. The improved electrocatalytic activity is attributed to the synergistic effect of the bimetallic catalyst and high density of grain boundaries. The …