Digital Commons Network^™

Data Processors For Power System Control., Mofreh Mohamed, Faiez Areed, Kamel Soliman

Mansoura Engineering Journal

In modern control centers, Data Processor (DP) has been installed to process the unreliable and erroneous telemetered data. The main focus of the present paper is concerned with developing more efficient algorithm of Parallel Data Processing (PDP), to generate satisfactory results with minimum amount of computation expense and implementation costs Both algorithms of the conventional Central Data Processor (CDP) and the proposed POP are programed. The effectiveness of PDP is verified by number of tests on different models of power systems under extreme conditions. A set of results for PDP and for CDP are obtained The results show that more …

Tapered Contact Flocculation; Process And Application., Ahmed Ashry

Mansoura Engineering Journal

Tapered Contact Focculation (TCF) is a modification of fixed bed contact flocculation. The process employs a bed of graded spherical plastic media to obtain a tapered velocity gradient. A general equation for calculating the velocity gradient in any fixed bed medium with spherical grains was developed using the Ergun equation for determining the head Joss across the medium. In the TCF process, theoretically, increasing the flocculation rate and temperature increase the G-value, while increasing the media diameter and porosity reduce the G-value. TCF can be applied to different water treatment plant systems which use flocculation. TCF media can be manufactured …

Predicting The Transient Stability Of Ceps Using Aes Method., Ibrahim Mansy

Mansoura Engineering Journal

Analysis of the stability of power systems following a transient disturbance involves the study of a large set of nonlinear differential equations. A new approach to the quantitative study of the transient stability of complex electric power systems (CEPS) is presented, using approximate evaluation of stability method (AES). The analytical steps for this method are detailed in this study. Also a constraint, which depends on the relative speed of angle variations, in applying this method for predicting the stability of CEPS is explained. The present work aimed to study the effect of many factors on the transient stability of a …

Study Of Heat Pipe Performance With Water/ Water-Based Nanofluid., Mohamed Saafan, Elsayed Elshafei, Osama Ali Ebraheem

Mansoura Engineering Journal

Thermal performance of a flat heat pipe cooling system is experimentally investigated. Pure water and Al2O3-water based nanofluids are used as working fluids. An experimental setup is designed and constructed to study its performance under different operating conditions. The effect of working fluid, filling ratio, volume fraction of nano-particle in the base fluid, and heat input rate on the average heat transfer coefficient and in turn the average Nusselt number are investigated. Total thermal resistance of the heat pipe for pure water and Al2O3-water based nanofluid are also predicted. Correlation is obtained to predict the influence of Prandtl number, filling …

Augmentation Of Solar Still Performance Using Flash Evaporation., A. El-Zahaby, A. Kabeel, A. Bakry, S. El-Agouz, O. Hawam

Mansoura Engineering Journal

A new design of a stepped solar desalination system with flashing chamber is experimentally investigated. The main objective of the investigation was to study the performance of step—wise water basin coupled with a spray water system by augmenting desalination productivity through using two air heaters. The effect of using the spray system for seawater is investigated experimentally at different velocities of the water sprays holder and Flow rates on the performance of the solar still in a previous article by the authors [ll. in the present article the effect of the inlet raw water temperature (at motor speed of 250 …

Investigating Acculturation, Health-Promoting Lifestyle, And Health Status Among Nigerian Immigrants In The United States, Frank Uche Akpati

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The United States has a significant number of immigrants from Africa. More come from Nigeria than other African countries. Even though acculturation influences health behavior in other cultures, this relationship is understudied in the Nigerian immigrant community in the United States which can influence their health care. This study examined the relationship between acculturation, health-promoting lifestyle, and health status of Nigerian immigrants. Key constructs from Berry’s acculturation model guided the study. Acculturation was conceptualized as occurring through varying levels of ethnic society immersion (ESI) and dominant society immersion (DSI). The study also examined the influence of education on acculturation using …

Numerical Studies Of Regularized Navier-Stokes Equations And An Application Of A Run-To-Run Control Model For Membrane Filtration At A Large Urban Water Treatment Facility, Jeffrey Belding

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

This dissertation consists of two parts. The first part consists of research on accurate and efficient turbulent fluid flow modeling via a family of regularizations of the Navier-Stokes equation which are known as Time Relaxation models. In the second part, we look into the modeling application for the filtration/backwash process at the River Mountains Water Treatment Facility in Henderson, NV.

In the first two chapters, we introduce the Time Relaxation models and their associated differential filter equations. In addition, we develop the regularization method which employs the Nth van Cittert deconvolution operator, which gives rise to the family of models. …

Racial/Ethnic Disparities In Mental Health Diagnosis Of Maltreated Youth, Shadie Burke

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Racial/ethnic marginalized youth are more likely to receive a misdiagnosis of a mental health disorder than their White peers. Misdiagnosis contributes to existing disparities for racial/ethnic marginalized groups by leading to longer durations of untreated and worsening mental health symptoms. For maltreated youth, receiving a misdiagnosis can lead to a failure to connect with appropriate mental health services, medication regimens, therapeutic foster homes, and academic and developmental resources. To date, very few empirical studies have identified disparities in mental health diagnosis among racial/ethnic marginalized maltreated youth. The present study examined two key research questions: (1) what racial/ethnic disparities in diagnoses …

From Language Comprehension Towards General Ai, Binay Dahal

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Language comprehension or more formally, natural language understanding is one of the major undertakings in Artificial Intelligence. In this work, we explore a few of the problems in language understanding using fixed deep learning models. Specifically, first, we look into question generation. Asking questions relates to the cognitive ability of language comprehension and context understanding. For that reason, making progress in question generation is significant. We introduce a novel task called “question generation with masked target answer” and propose various models and present the baseline result for the task. Next, we extend on the question generation task and develop a …

Factors Associated With Medication Decision Making In African American Families Of Children With Adhd: A Mixed Methods Study, Amy Glasofer

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is the most common neurobehavioral pediatric disorder in the United States. Pharmacotherapy is a recommended component of treatment for ADHD. While medication treatment of ADHD is not optimized overall, minority groups experience medication treatment disparities. The persistently lower rates of medication treatment in minority groups may have culturally specific origins which cannot be generalized across minorities. The purpose of this dissertation was to assess and extend knowledge regarding medication decision making (MDM) in African American caregivers of children with ADHD. To assess the state of the science on ADHD disparities, a review of 41 descriptive studies exploring …

Determination Of The Presence Of Sars-Cov-2 In Environmental Surface And Air Samples From Public Areas In Las Vegas, Kristina Mihajlovski

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Contaminated surfaces and airborne spread are found to be among the main ways of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) transmission. Studies conducted in the hospital setting have shown that SARS-CoV-2 is found on frequently touched surfaces, personal protective equipment, and in air samples of patient isolation rooms. However, few environmental sampling studies have been done in public areas. Taking in consideration that COVID-19 cases may be symptomatic, presymptomatic, and asymptomatic, environmental monitoring may be essential for prompt detection of the virus. The objective of this study was to determine whether SARS-CoV-2 can be detected on environmental surfaces and from air samples …

Computational Sodium Heat Pipe Simulation In Three Dimensions For Transient Nuclear Reactor Analysis With Variable Surface Heat Flux, Valerie Jean Lawdensky

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Heat pipes are used to transfer heat through phase change in a liquid/vapor contained in a metal tube. They are passive devices that require no pumps to circulate the fluid and can transfer heat far more efficiently than a solid copper rod of the same diameter. They are commonly used in laptop computers where copper heat pipes filled with water take heat away from the CPU and transfer the heat to air through a heat exchanger. Heat pipes were also used in the Kilopower nuclear reactor where higher temperatures required sodium as the working fluid with stainless steel tubes. Computer …

Exploring Treatment Targets To Mitigate Fear Of Falling Activity Avoidance Behavior In Parkinson's Disease And Older Adults, John Vincent Rider

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Fear of falling (FOF) is a significant concern among individuals with Parkinson’s disease (PD) and older adults in general. This FOF can lead to avoidance behavior resulting in activity restriction. Some level of fear of falling avoidance behavior (FFAB) may be protective (adaptive) and decrease the likelihood of falls, especially among individuals with physical limitations and high fall risk. However, excessive (maladaptive) avoidance behavior may lead to downstream consequences such as further physical and psychological decline and an increased likelihood of falls, especially when there is a disparity between the FFAB and physiological fall risk. While poor physical functioning, disease …

Monitored Compression Therapy: Using Smart Technology To Optimize The Treatment Of Lower Extremity Swelling, James Skelly

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Chronic Venous Insufficiency (CVI) and Venous Stasis Ulcers (VSUs) are symptoms which stem from diabetes – a disease effecting over 34 million people in the United States alone as of 2020. This Thesis details the design of a pressure-sensing garment used to enhance the treatment of CVI. The garment uses small force sensors (four levels: the insole of the foot, the lower leg, the lower calf, and the upper calf) to sense the pressure applied by a compression stocking. The sensed data is transmitted wirelessly via Bluetooth to a smartphone application that was developed to display the data and interface …

The Concept Album As Postmodern Literature: A Critical Examination Of Nine Inch Nails' The Downward Spiral, Kelly E. Stith

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

With the humanities becoming progressively more open to interdisciplinary studies, there exists a space for music to be part of the discourse surrounding literature. One of the most important developments for music was the rise of the concept album, a medium where the individual tracks are defined by a larger theme or a unifying narrative. The concept album first emerged in the 1960s and became a method for musicians to experiment with expanded storylines and lyrical motifs that overthrew classical models of music albums. One of the most

influential concept albums, Nine Inch Nails’ The Downward Spiral, which came out …

What Do General And Organic Chemistry Students Consider When Making Decisions About Acids And Bases? A Phenomenographic Study, Sarah Wood

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Chemistry students often struggle in organic chemistry courses. In fact, these courses are viewed by some as “weed-out” classes. There are many fundamental concepts covered in general chemistry that contribute to students’ ability to succeed in organic chemistry. One of those fundamental topics, and the focus of this study, is the topic of acids and bases. Acid–base topics are featured in both general and organic chemistry courses, and the interests of this study lie not only within the realm of organic chemistry but also general chemistry.

The purpose of this study was to determine both undergraduate general and organic chemistry …

Translingual Practices For The Development Of Latinx Teacher Candidates: A Pedagogy For The Border, Alcione N. Ostorga

Bilingual and Literacy Studies Faculty Publications

This article explores the application of translingual pedagogies within a course on the development of bilingualism for Latinx bilingual teacher candidates (BTCs) in the U.S.-Mexico borderlands. Using a self-study methodology, it examines the application of translanguaging pedagogies for Latinx BTCs, and their evolving language ideologies. The participants were mostly emergent bilinguals (EBs) whose native Spanish language development was negatively impacted by hegemonic educational practices in the local K-12 schools. Therefore, while the first aim of my pedagogical practices was to promote learning of the content of the course, a second aim was to promote the development of academic Spanish language …

Impact Of Fish Oil On Intestinal Permeability, Inflammation, And Performance In Swine, Anthony Fernando Alberto

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Our research examined the effects of fish oil supplementation on intestinal permeability, systemic inflammation and performance in piglets. An lipopolysaccharide (LPS) challenge was done to stimulate the synthesis and release of the cytokines, in an effort to mimic the immune response that piglets would have when facing stress or pathogen challenge. Fish oil increased feed intake but did not affect growth when compared to control. Total fatty acid digestibility increased by 6% when fish oil was included in the diet. Also, we observed a 16% increase on 16-carbon fatty acids digestibility. Fish oil did not affect the plasma …

Comparative Metabolism Of Aflatoxin B1 In Two Quail Genera Coturnix Japonica And Callipepla Californica, Sean Moody

All Graduate Plan B and other Reports, Spring 1920 to Spring 2023

Avian species are highly susceptible to the hepatotoxic mycotoxin aflatoxin B₁ (AFB₁). Domesticated turkeys are exquisitely sensitive, due to a combination of highly-efficient hepatic cytochrome P450 (CYP)-mediated bioactivation, and to dysfunctional alpha-class glutathione S-transferases (GSTAs) which typically detoxify the bioactivated electrophilic metabolite exo-AFB₁-8,9-epoxide (AFBO). Wild turkeys are relatively resistant to AFB₁ in large part due to expression of functional GSTAs. Quail, a related Galliforme, are slightly less sensitive in vivo to AFB₁, but whether this is related to the hepatic metabolic profiles of these two critical enzymes has not been rigorously evaluated. …

Integrity, Freedom, And Trust – A Comprehensive Understanding Of Corruption And Its Effect On Human Rights, Nelu Burcea, Lucile Sabas, Carlos Biaggi

Faculty Publications

Book of Abstracts, UNEQUAL WORLD Conference Third Edition

Dreams Of Molecular Beams: Indium Gallium Arsenide Tensile-Strained Quantum Dots And Advances Towards Dynamic Quantum Dots (Moleculare Radiorum Somnia: Indii Gallii Arsenicus Tensa Quanta Puncta Et Ad Dinamicae Quantae Puntae Progressus), Kevin Daniel Vallejo

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

Through the operation of a molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) machine, I worked on developing the homoepitaxy of high quality InAs with a (111)A crystallographic orientation. By tuning substrate temperature, we obtained a transition from a 2D island growth mode to step- ow growth. Optimized MBE parameters (substrate temperature = 500 °C, growth rate = 0.12 ML/s and V/III ratio ⩾ 40) lead to growth of extremely smooth InAs(111)A films, free from hillocks and other 3D surface imperfections. We see a correlation between InAs surface smoothness and optical quality, as measured by photoluminescence spectroscopy. This work establishes InAs(111)A as a platform …

A Wireless, Multi-Channel Printed Capacitive Strain Gauge System For Structural Health Monitoring, Kshama Lakshmi Ranganatha

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

Structural health monitoring of soft structural textiles plays a key role within the space industry to ensure the safety and integrity of space habitats, parachutes, and decelerator systems. Strain monitoring could be an effective means to evaluate structural integrity, but conventional monitoring systems are not suitable because they are intended for large, rigid structures. To overcome the limitations of rigid sensors, we recently proposed using printed capacitive strain gauges (CSGs) on flexible substrates to monitor the structural health of soft structure materials. Here, we present a strategy and implementation of a wireless, multi-channel readout system for distributed monitoring of soft …

Fair And Efficient Consensus Protocols For Secure Blockchain Applications, Golam Dastoger Bashar

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

In blockchain technology, consensus protocols serve as mechanisms to reach agreements among a distributed network of nodes. In this work, we propose three novel protocols for permissioned, healthcare, and supply chain blockchain.

(1) Proof of Queue (PoQ), for private blockchains, combines the lottery strategy of PoET with a specialized round-robin algorithm where each node has an equal chance to become a leader with equal access. PoQ is relatively scalable without any collision. Like PoET, PoQ uses Intel SGX, a Trusted Execution Environment, to generate a secure random waiting time to choose a leader and fairly distribute the leadership role to …

Fire Effects On Soil Properties: Amending Post-Fire Soils With Native Microbial Communities And Biochar To Improve Sagebrush Performance, Sabrina Marie Schuler

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

Within the sagebrush steppe, fire has been shown to affect biogeochemical properties and the microbial community composition in soils. However, there is uncertainty about the magnitude and direction of these effects, since they vary by sites that differ in abiotic and biotic conditions. Moreover, differences in post-fire management strategies are likely to mediate the effect of fire on soil properties, thus further compounding this uncertainty. Any changes in soil biogeochemical properties following fire can prevent successful restoration of Artemisia tridentata sp. wyomingensis (sagebrush), leading to variable outcomes of restoration success in the sagebrush steppe. Previous research has shown that addition …

Water Quality Responses To A Semi-Arid Beaver Meadow In Boise, Idaho, Luise Bayer Winslow

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

Beavers have been instrumental in shaping the North American riverine landscape. However, land use change and beaver trapping have caused large decreases in beaver populations, resulting in fundamental changes to river morphology, hydrology, and biogeochemical function. Effective river restoration and remediation of arid western rivers relies on a comprehensive interpretation of how beaver activity influences water quantity and quality. In this study, I compared two stream reaches with and without beaver dams in a semi-arid watershed, to quantify the effects of beaver activity on hydrology and biogeochemistry. Within each reach, I combined dilution gauging and stream tracer experiments to determine …

Gather Round The Tree: Woody Aboveground Biomass Increases Animal Presence And Species Richness In A Tropical Forest-Savanna Ecotone, Merry Vanessa Marshall Davidson

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

Boundaries between ecosystems are often biodiversity hotspots with relatively high vulnerability to global change. The boundary between tropical rainforest and savanna ecosystems in the Amazon presents an ecotone that is undergoing a shift in ecosystem structure, as a warming climate promotes the expansion of grassland. How animal communities in the Amazon will respond to changes in ecosystem structure is a crucial unanswered question with implications for the many ecosystem services that animals provide, from a food source for Indigenous people to seed dispersal for vulnerable tree populations. Recent modeling work has forecasted that faunal savannization will occur in the Amazon, …

The Influence Of Positive School Orientation And Teacher Attachment On Adolescent Mental Health Outcomes: Investigating Possible Group Differences, Within A Social And Emotional Learning Curriculum, Stefanie Diann Holloway

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

Social and emotional learning (SEL) interventions can be delivered universally in schools to help equalize opportunities for diverse students and improve their mental health, as well as other outcomes. However, it is not always known or fully understood which underlying mechanisms may be at play that enable these interventions to achieve their effects –or how such mechanisms may develop over time, within an SEL intervention. The primary purpose of this study was to determine how one such intervention, Positive Action, was able to improve adolescent students’ mental health outcomes, by testing the potential mediational influences of students’ levels of …

Effects Of Habitat Disturbances On Reptiles In Sagebrush Steppe, Kristina Joan Parker

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

Reptiles inhabiting shrub-steppe ecosystems of the Intermountain West have adapted to harsh, unpredictable desert conditions, yet recent changes in disturbance regimes may put species at risk. In southwest Idaho, cheatgrass (Bromus tectorum) has altered the fire regime resulting in a vast conversion of shrub-steppe to mostly annual grasslands that burn too frequently to allow shrublands to recover. Southwest Idaho has the highest reptile diversity in the Pacific Northwest, yet we know little about reptile community dynamics in response to the cheatgrass-fire cycle. We hypothesized that wildfires and cheatgrass negatively affect reptile communities directly (i.e., mortality during fires) and …

Using Differential Shear Strain Measurements To Monitor Crosstie Support Conditions In Railroad Tracks, D. Kody Johnson

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

This thesis details a comprehensive numerical analysis of load determination, and crosstie support assessment and monitoring using strain gauges to measure differential rail shear strain in ballasted railroad tracks due to applied railcar wheel loads. These differential shear strain measurements can be related to applied wheel loading and crosstie support reactions through the geometric and constitutive properties of a given rail section. The basic theory behind the measurement technique was reviewed and investigated using finite element models of varying complexity. The impact of field conditions such as differential ballast and subgrade support, track stiffness, crosstie spacing, gauge installation location, and …

Role Of The Nuclear Envelope In The Mechanoregulation Adipogenesis, Matthew H. Goelzer

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

Mechanical signals are known regulators of mesenchymal stem cell (MSC) fate, regulating their differentiation into osteoblasts, chondrocytes, and adipocytes. These relevant mechanical signals reach to nucleus through nuclear envelope proteins such as Lamin A/C and the Linker of the Nucleoskeleton and Cytoskeleton (LINC) complexes. Within the context of bone, clinically relevant mutations of Lamin A/C and the LINC complexes have been shown to alter adipogenic and osteogenic MSC differentiation patterns, suggesting that that nucleo-cytoskeletal connectivity provided by nuclear envelope is important in regulating MSC fate. Using MSC adipogenesis as a model of MSC mechanical regulation, the goal of this work …